“I think I’ve found something on the map.” Anne-Marie and Claude stopped packing the food, and walked over. Dog came along too.
“I’m almost positive that there is a weather reporting station on this peak. If I’m right, we could send a message to my base from there, letting them know we are on the way home. They could send a patrol north to meet us, which would cut the distance we have to cover to reach friends in half. What do you think about going there first?”
“You are saying that you have people in this countryside sending you weather news?” Anne-Marie looked puzzled. What good was information about the weather?
“Weather information is very important to pilots. We have secret stations like this one in several places to help us.”
It sounded very odd, but Claude and Anne-Marie believed Eric knew what he was doing. They both nodded as Anne-Marie spoke.
“What you say makes sense. We must be very careful going to the peak, because peaks tend to be exposed. We will probably need to do most of the climbing at night to avoid being seen.”
Eric could not get over these two. They out-shot soldiers, and planned maneuvers. He realized that they were a lot better at getting around the woods than he would ever be.
“Why don’t you lead the way Claude. I’ll do my best to keep up with you.”
Claude realized that he had just been complemented. He smiled, and then he and Anne-Marie set off carrying packs that looked as heavy as themselves. Dog took point, but kept an eye on all three of them.
* * *
The peak was labeled T12 on the map. It became visible as the party crossed over the top of the ridge, and headed back down the valley separating the ridge from higher ground to the west. Patches of snow were visible in shaded areas on the northern side of T12, but most of the ground was clear. The bottom half was heavily forested, but the upper half had only infrequent pine trees, and offered little cover.
“Let’s try to make it to the base of the mountain, and then sleep for the rest of the day. We can climb to the top tonight.” Claude was patting Dog as he spoke.
It took about five hours for them to reach the base of T12, and another hour of climbing until they were as high as they could safely go. Eric knew he was slowing them down, but he was in constant pain from the wound. He was exhausted when they finally stopped, and just wanted to go to sleep. Anne-Marie came over and insisted on changing the dressing before he could relax. Eric managed to eat some food too, and then fell asleep.
It was pitch black when Claude woke Eric up again. The luminous dial on Eric’s watch showed that it was 21:30. Eric managed to swallow some water and a few bites of prepared food before they set off again. The path showed signs of horse or mule traffic in the recent past and was well worn. They had no trouble staying on the path despite the very dim light. Only a small sliver of the moon was visible, giving off just enough light to make out the outlines of trees and rocks as they passed.
Several hours into the climb Dog came running down the trail and sopped in front of Claude, blocking his way. Claude reached down and patted the animal, asking it in French what it had seen. Dog did his best to answer with a look of concern. Claude waved the other two up, and spoke in a whisper.
“I think Dog saw something up ahead. I’m going to climb up the face a short distance and see if I can connect with the next segment of the switchback. I’ll return down the path and meet you here.”
Eric took off his pack and left it with Anne-Marie and Eric, who did their best to become invisible in a rocky ledge just above the path. The caught a glimpse of Claude with his rifle slung over his back as he scaled the slope, but he was immediately hidden in the blackness. Claude made almost no sound as he climbed. Dog had also gone up the slope.
The minutes clicked by. Eric felt ridiculous, having a teenager saving his ass again. Eric knew that Claude was much better at the job than Eric, even if Eric had not been wounded, but he still felt like a coward sending a Jacques out to do a man’s work. Anne-Marie seemed to just take it in stride, and had made herself comfortable while they waited. Eric could just make out the outline of her face. He realized that if she were dressed in normal clothes and bathed that she would be strikingly beautiful. As it was, she looked like the daughter of a chimney sweep.
It was almost 30 minutes later when Dog ran up to them from the path. Claude was a few paces behind, and looked worried.
“There was a soldier on guard on the path just above here. I had to kill him. I think the soldiers must have taken this place.”
Damn. Just what they needed. Eric started calculating the odds. They could go back down the mountain and head south, or they could try to take over the mountaintop tonight. Neither option was good.
“What do you think. Should be go back down, or try to take over the mountain?” Eric wanted the their opinions.
“I think we should fight,” said Anne Marie. We have come this far, and have the advantage of surprise. By morning they will know someone was here because of the dead soldier. They will follow us.”
She was right. Claude’s killing the sentry had forced their hand. They needed to take over the peak.
Claude laid out the plan. They would work their way to near the peak, trusting Dog to keep them from bumbling into another sentry. Claude and Anne-Marie would then take positions giving them a field of fire. Their guns were relatively quiet, and might go unnoticed. Eric’s captured machinegun would wake everyone up, so his job was to kill as many as he could find with his knife. It was unlikely that there were more than four or five soldiers on the peak, so there was some chance of killing each one individually.
They worked their way slowly up the path. Claude pointed to the place where he had killed the sentry, but the body was not visible. Dog kept darting ahead, and then returned to Claude, providing reassurance that he did not smell anything. They were about to round another hairpin turn when Dog again blocked Claude’s path. Claude carefully peered around the corner and then waved Anne-Marie and Eric forward. They were at the edge of a small plateau. It appeared that there was a house on the opposite side of the open area, although the details were very dim. The path seemed to continue past the house, and on up towards the peak.
Claude gestured that he and Anne-Marie were going to move to opposite sides of the clearing. Eric stopped them as whispered. “I’ll try to kill anyone in the open with my knife, but we may need to wait until light for you to get a clear shot.” Anne-Marie and Claude nodded, left there packs off the trail, and then vanished in the darkness. Dog went with Claude.
Eric waited until he certain the other two were in position and then quietly made his way towards the house. He moved to the other side of the flat area where there was more cover from boulders. Eric stepped from one rock to the next, pausing to listen and scan the entire area for soldiers.
As he approached the house he heard a noise coming from the porch. It was someone gently snoring. He moved closer, and was able to make out the outline of a man sitting in one chair, with his feet up on another one. Eric moved to the side of the house and looked around the corner at the man. It was another soldier, with a thick blanket covering him. He was sound asleep.
Eric silently removed his own shoes. He put his machinegun on the ground, made sure that his pistol was handy, and then drew the knife. He moved incredibly slowly to behind the man, and then took the knife in both hands pointing inward. In one swift motion he pulled the knife down and back, slicing into the center of the man’s neck. He saw the soldier’s eyes jerk open and an attempt at a scream, but none came. The knife had sliced through his throat and was lodged in his spine. The body was limp, but they eyes showed signs of consciousness for at least 30 seconds. Eric heard no other sound, so he quietly removed the blade and wiped it on the man’s blanket.
Working as quietly as he could, and trying not to get blood on himself, Eric hoisted the body over his shoulder and slowly crept off the porch. This time the boards made noises as he moved, as he was supporting t
wo men’s weight as he walked. Eric left long pauses between each footstep, and made it to the firm soil next to the house.
Still barefoot, Eric carried the body behind the house and placed it out of sight. He quietly returned for his shoes and machinegun, and then moved at an angle to the front of the house until he found a position where he could see the porch but remained hidden. He put his shoes back on and waited for the sun to rise.
* * *
The first glimmers of sunlight made it possible to see the ground he had covered in darkness. The house was quiet. There was no sign of any other soldiers, and Claude and Anne-Marie were not visible. They waited.
Eventually a few noises came from within the cabin. The front door opened and a fat man with fatigues and a T-shirt stepped out and stretched. He looked around a bit and then called for the sentry.
“McDonald. Where the fuck are you?”
The fat man did not appear alarmed when he did not get a reply. He ambled over to the rocks near where Eric had placed the body and started urinating. Eric was holding his breath, hoping the body was not visible. The man finished, and then returned to the house, looking more annoyed than concerned.
A few minutes later he returned, with another soldier behind him. This time they had rifles in their hands, but still looked relaxed.
“McDonald. Get your ass back here now!”
There was no response. The two looked as if they were just starting to get concerned when Eric hear a sharp crack to his right, followed by another one from the other side of the clearing. The fat one had fallen forward, but the other one dove for the porch. There was little to provide cover. Two more shots rang out. The body twitched twice and was then still.
There was another interminable wait, but no other soldiers came out. Eric decided they had waited long enough. He cocked his machinegun, and walked slowly towards the house. He could hear a gentle mumbling sound from inside. He cautiously approached the porch from the side, continuing to hear the sound. He got below one of the windows and slowly raised his head to look in. Inside of the cabin he could see an old man and woman tied to chairs. It was the woman who was making the noise. Otherwise the room looked empty, but Eric could only see a portion of the cabin from the window. Eric went to the front door and gave it a solid kick as he rushed in. The two old people looked petrified, but the place was secure.
Eric went back outside and waved to Anne-Marie and Claude. Dog was the first to become visible, followed by the kids. Eric returned to the cabin and untied the couple. He had to explain several times that the soldiers were dead and that they were now safe. Gradually the couple relaxed to the point they could explain what had happened to them. The soldiers had come to take over the weather data transmitter, but insisted that the old man, Shahkar Binesh, cooperate to ensure that the transmissions looked genuine. The solders threatened Shahkar with the death of his wife Kami, if he did not cooperate. It had been a week in hell for both of them.
“Do you have any tea? I think everyone could do with some.” Anne-Marie was speaking to Kami.
“I should have some at the top of the store-cupboard, if the soldiers did not use it all.” Kami walked over to help Anne-Marie prepare a meal. They started talking to each other while Eric spoke to Shahkar.
“I’m a pilot. I had just started flying out of a base south of here when I was shot down. I’d guess that your transmissions were going straight to our base.”
“I was never told where the data went, or what it was for. We just did it because it was part of the bargain Henry Silva made with us to get out of Trintney. Henry is the main who helped us escape from the Gengon. Henry still comes by with his mules and brings us supplies.”
Claude was outside burying the four bodies. Anne-Marie called him in for lunch. Dog came into the cabin too, and clearly expected his share.
“Do you think we need to post a watch Claude?” Eric was a bit embarrassed asking the teenager for more military advice in front of the Binesh couple, but he swallowed is pride.
“I don’t think it is necessary. A good deal of the path is visible from the ledge. The only time we need to be concerned is at night. Checking once an hour during the day should be more than enough. I’ll be happy to do that as long as we are here. Let’s eat, I’m famished.”
It was an odd collection of food put together from Kami’s stores and what Claude and Anne-Marie had left in their packs. It tasted wonderful to all five.
When they had finished, Claude went back to his digging. Eric spoke with Shahkar and asked for his help in getting messages back to Outpost Base. Shahkar led Eric up the path and showed him how to operate the transmitter. Shahkar was already one weather report behind, but he knew that Eric’s transmissions took priority. Still, Shahkar hated missing a transmission and collected all of the weather data just in case it was needed. It was wonderful to be free, and he wanted to be useful.
* * *
John! I’ve just gotten a message from Eric!
Barbara was out of breath, having run all of the way to the Major’s office. “It’s Eric. He’s transmitting from one of the weather stations. He was injured, but he’s fine!”
John sprang from his chair. “Excuse me Major, I’ve got to check this.”
“I’ll be up in a minute John. If it really is Eric, there is probably a lot he can tell us.
Barbara and John ran back to the receiver station. The antenna was at the top of a very tall tower, but the listening equipment was in a small shack at the base of the tower’s supports. John grabbed the keyboard and started typing.
ERIC, THIS IS DAD. I MUST CHECK THAT IT IS REALLY YOU.
OK DAD, GREAT TO HEAR FROM YOU. FIRE AWAY.
WHAT DID YOUR SISTER BREAK ON HIR SIXTH BIRTHDAY?
SHE BROKE HER RIGHT LEG, TRYING OUT THE ROLLER BOARD.
“God, it really is him. Oh my God.” John was ecstatic.
IT IS YOU ERIC. I CAN’T TELL YOU HOW HAPPY I AM TO KNOW YOU ARE SAFE.
THANKS DAD. I’VE GOT A LOT OF INFORMATION TO TRANSMIT. DO YOU WANT ME TO START NOW.
HOLD ON A SECOND, LET ME GET THE CO HERE FIRST.
The Major walked in a moment later, and the electronic conversation began. John explained about being captured by the four soldiers, rescued by Claude and Anne-Mari. Ambushing the squad holding the weather station, and about some of the interesting anomalies. The trail on the map all the way to Camp Williams, and the two gas canisters were bothering Eric, and he included that in his report. The session took almost an hour.
ERIC, CAN YOU STAY UP THERE FOR A DAY OR TWO? I WANT TO GO OVER EVERYTHING YOU HAVE TOLD US WITH THE OTHER SECTION BEFORE WE DECIDE OUR NEXT MOVE.
SURE. WE HAVE PLENTY OF FOOD AND THIS LOCATION IS DEFENSABLE UNLESS THEY THROW A LOT OF MEN AT US. WE HAVE MORE WEAPONS THAN WE HAVE PEOPLE TO SHOOT THEM.
GREAT ERIC. LET’S PLAN ON USING THE NORMAL WEATHER TRANSMISSION SCHEDULE AS A CHANCE TO RECONNECT SEVERAL TIMES A DAY. TELL SHAKHAR THAT WE STILL WANT THAT WEATHER DATA TOO. I MAY BE FLYING, BUT SOMEONE WILL BE AT THIS END FOR EACH SESSION.
ROGER. WEATHER STATION OUT.
The Major was looking agitated. “I’ve got a very bad feeling about several of the things Eric told us. The gas canisters make me particularly nervous, and what was the true motivation for taking over the weather station? Let’s go back to my office and get Heinrich Largos on the secure link. He probably has more news from his end, and he may be able to help us figure out what we are dealing with. Bring JP up too. He has the background, and he’s got a good head on his shoulders.”
The left the receiver station and headed back underground. John felt 1000 pounds lighter than he had a hour ago. Barbara had a glorious smile on her face. John took her hand and held it tightly as they walked the short distance back to Outpost Base.
Sara had spent the previous evening trying to recover from the ordeal with Hanna. She had taken a very long shower, washed her hair, and put every scrap of clothing into the wash bag. Chad came over to Section 12 after dinner and
spent an hour talking to her. He knew how awful it felt to be the one administering pain, but the simple realities were that it had been necessary. Sara probably would have felt worse about the episode had it not been for the knowledge that her brother was behind enemy lines. Chad left and Sara went to bed. Surprisingly, she slept soundly.
Sara was sitting at her desk the following morning when the decryption program finally hit the right combination of eight digits. A few keystrokes later she had it: 8^t-Ovq%. It looked like eight completely random characters. She immediately got out one of the intercepted message files and tried to de-scramble it. It took a couple of tries to find out where the encrypted data started in the message, but once she found the right spot, she was able to recover the original content almost instantly.
Sara wrote the eight characters on a slip of paper, logged off her computer, and ran down to Heinrich Largos office. He wasn’t there. She tried the conference room next door. Largos was sitting with Chad DeForest and Chad’s boss, Captain Anne Giovanni.
“Mr. Largos, sorry to interrupt, but I have something important.”
“Come in Sara. The Captain and Lieutenant have full clearance. Tell us what you have.”
“The decryption program got a hit a few minutes ago. I’ve tried it on some representative transmission files that we have never been able to read before, and I get clear text as output. I have not tried every type of file yet, but both the short IR intercepts and the larger ones sent between stations both decrypted fine.”
“You’re saying that we can now read every the Gengon message that we can intercept?” asked Captain Giovanni..
“I don’t know the limitations yet, but for the file types we have already intercepted, the answer is yes.”
Largos smiled, and then started thinking out loud. “This is a critical breakthrough, but one which we must not squander. The moment the Gengon suspect that we are reading their transmissions they will change the code. Even one added letter to the secret combination would increase the time needed to break the code by over 200 times. It’s amazing that they have not done that already. We must keep this secret under the tightest security. Absolutely no one who does not need to know should be informed.”
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