by Gar Wilson
"Any way we can neutralize something like that?" Manning asked Ohara.
"Not unless we know what sort of system they might have," the Japanese electronics wizard replied. "Security devices aren't the biggest problem," Ohara remarked. "The main concern is the Assassins themselves."
"Keio's right," Katz agreed. "They're absolute fanatics who don't have much fear of death. Such zealots may be willing to destroy the entire fortress themselves simply to kill some infidels and free their souls from earthly chains."
"Great," Manning growled. "Still looking forward to this mission, David?"
"Risk is what makes life interesting, mate."
"Colonel Katzenelenbogen?" a young man dressed in the fatigue uniform and red beret of an Israeli paratrooper called to Yakov. "I'm Captain Rosen, senior officer of the volunteer group for the mission, sir."
"Rosen?" Katz raised an eyebrow. "You were with hospital security when the assassins first tried to kill the prime minister, correct?"
"Yes, sir," Rosen admitted. "I was with the group commanded by Major Eytan. I hope that doesn't disqualify me, Colonel."
"Certainly not," Yakov assured him. "Get your men together for a briefing. We want to get on with the mission as soon as possible."
"Yes, sir." The captain saluted. "Oh, Colonel. Dr. Ben-David told me they've just identified several of the terrorists who ambushed your men earlier this evening."
"Anything special about them?" Katz asked.
"Well, none of them were Egyptians or Israeli Arabs," the captain answered. "They were Syrians and Libyans. All have records of association with the United Arab Front."
"That's Nasser Fawzi's outfit," Katz declared.' 'One of the worst terrorist gangs in the Middle East."
"You figure the UAF hired the Assassins?" McCarter asked.
"Seems likely," Yakov answered. "Fawzi's group is too small to do much on their own, but they're certainly radical enough to try and start a war."
"Hassan wouldn't sell his services cheaply," Manning mused. "How could the UAF afford him?"
"Who's paying the bills doesn't matter," McCarter shrugged. "All we have to deal with is the terrorists themselves."
"You make it sound easy," Captain Rosen said.
"It won't be easy," the Briton stated. "But it really isn't complicated either — it's kill or be killed."
20
The UH-1 Huey transport helicopter crossed the border into Jordan at 0312. An Israeli paratrooper was at the controls.
Colonel Katzenelenbogen addressed the assault team at the back of the gunship cabin.
"Gentlemen," he said, "we'll soon be arriving at our destination. If you have any questions, let's hear them now."
"Do we take prisoners?" Staff Sergeant Mosshin, an Israeli paratrooper, asked.
"That will be up to the terrorists," Katz replied. "We're not murderers. If a man surrenders, we'll take him alive. But don't count on any of these characters giving up. The Assassins are religious fanatics who can hardly wait to die for Allah. No offense to our two Muslim friends from Egypt."
"No offense taken, Colonel," Major Nizam assured him. "Lunatics such as the Assassins are not typical of the Islamic religion. Their faith is an insult to any true Muslim."
"Some of you are familiar with the United Arab Front," Katz continued. "They've got a reputation for being vicious, ruthless and brutal. The UAF members who might be at the stronghold are just as dangerous as the Assassins."
"Don't think because a bloke comes at you without a gun that he's not a genuine threat," McCarter warned.
"The Assassins' daggers are coated with poison — one scratch can be lethal."
"Sir?" a young lieutenant named Halpern said. "Why are we going in after these Arabs? Why not just bomb the place and blow them all to hell?"
"Because we have to get evidence to prove this raid was justified," Katz replied. "We don't want Israel to be accused of an unjust invasion into Jordan."
"Besides," Ohara added, "the Jordanians have allowed us to legally enter their country. They deserve some proof to confirm that their faith was justified."
"A good point, Keio," Yakov agreed. "The Jordanians are cooperating with us. So are our two Egyptian friends who are also risking their lives to help prevent a war in the Middle East."
"We're glad to be here, Colonel," Captain Malik told him.
"Israelis and Arabs have joined forces against a common enemy," Katz declared. "That's another reason why this mission has to succeed. The rest of the world will probably never know about tonight, but the governments of Israel, Egypt and Jordan will be aware of what happened. These three nations are trusting each other. We have to make certain none of them has reason to regret that trust."
"Might even start a trend," Manning remarked.
"We can hope so," Katz said. "Any more questions?"
There were none. Yakov returned to his seat next to Captain Rosen. The young officer checked his supply of banana clips for a Galil rifle to be certain all the magazines were fully loaded.
"Mind if 1 ask you a question, Captain?" Katz asked.
"About the day the Assassins attempted to kill the prime minister?" Rosen guessed.
"Yes. Did you know the terrorists had attacked a decoy and the prime minister was actually located in a different room?"
"Yes, sir," Rosen nodded. "I was with the squad commanded by Mossad. We knew about the decoy, but the Sherith Modiin team didn't. I imagine military intelligence was pretty upset when they found out they'd been lied to by Mossad, but it had to be done to be sure the guards on the decoy section would be convincing."
"I understand," Katz assured him.
"Something I'm curious about, Colonel," Rosen said. "I saw Major Eytan's corpse carried into Doctor Ben-David's office. Do you know why?"
"I ordered an autopsy," Katz answered. "It should be completed by the time we return to Tel Aviv."
David McCarter checked the firing mechanism of a Barnett Commando crossbow. It featured several modern innovations to the original design of a weapon created centuries ago. The Barnett had a skeletal metal stock and a cocking lever.
"Going to play William Tell?" Manning asked with a grin.
"I'll have you know we've been using these Commando crossbows for years in the SAS," McCarter replied as he inspected the weapon's bolts. "It has a longer, more accurate range than most rifles and it makes less noise than a firearm with a sound suppressor. No muzzle-flash to worry about either. Ideal for taking out a sentry at night."
"The problem with an arrow," the Canadian said, "is it doesn't have as much knock-down force as a bullet."
"That's why I've added an extra ingredient to these crossbow bolts," McCarter explained. "I split the shaft of each bolt near the tip and added about twenty cubic centimeters of cyanide."
"I thought you British believed in being sporting," Manning said.
"We British believe in survival."
At 0330, the Huey gunship landed on a desert on the West Bank of Jordan, eight miles from the Ish AI-Ghourab Mountains. The twelve-man strike force left the chopper and began to march toward their objective.
The desert was cold, barren. An occasional gnarled tree or a dry gulch, which had once been a stream, broke the monotony of the featureless terrain.
The desert sky was magnificent. Undisturbed by city lights or smog, it was a panorama of stars set against a field of dark velvet. In the horizon lurked the Ish Al-Ghourab Mountains.
Every member of the team was well armed. Most carried Galil assault rifles or Uzi machine guns, side arms and an assortment of grenades, knives and garrotes. Three Israelis also carried bazookalike LAW rocket launchers. Two others had medical kits on their backs, and one brought a field radio to contact the commander of a Jordanian Yarmuk company that was somewhere in the desert, watching the area through infrared telescopes.
Katz and Ohara, like McCarter and Manning, had also armed themselves to the teeth. In addition to his Uzi subgun, Katz wore an Eagle pistol in shoulder
leather. The ambidextrous safety feature appealed to the one-handed Israeli. He also carried his standard side arm, a .45-caliber Colt Commander, in a hip holster.
Keio Ohara had chosen an M-16 with a 203 grenade launcher attached to the barrel. He also had a 1911A1 Colt automatic and a kusarigama— an ancient samurai weapon consisting of an eightfoot chain with a kama — fighting sickle — attached to one end and a steel ball to the other. The rest of the members of the team wondered why Ohara had chosen such an odd weapon, but no one asked him about the kusarigama. The Japanese had to have had a reason for his selection.
"David and Keio will take the point," Katz declared as he screwed a foot-long silencer to the threaded barrel of his Uzi.
"Everyone keep your eyes open for sentries and surveillance cameras," Manning added, checking the infrared scope on his Galil.
Phoenix Force and its allies continued toward the mountains — toward a deadly confrontation with the Order of the Assassins.
21
Four white-robed figures, armed with AK-47 assault rifles, stood sentry duty on the mountain peaks surrounding the fortress. They scanned the area, determined to protect their master's palace.
The Assassin sentries used a powerful stimulant to assure they did not surrender to fatigue. The drug, however, also caused a euphoria that dulled their senses.
Something sizzled through the dark sky. Metal and wood slapped into flesh. A sentry stiffened and dropped his rifle. His mouth opened in a silent scream that died in his throat as poison pumped within his punctured heart.
The other sentries saw their comrade collapse. A short feathered shaft jutted from the center of his chest. An Assassin guard gasped and unslung his Kalashnikov, unaware that the cross hairs of an infrared scope bisected his face.
Gary Manning squeezed the trigger of his Galil. The silencer attached to the Israeli rifle coughed harshly. A 5.56mm bullet smashed into the guard's forehead, slicing through his brain like an ice pick through paper.
The remaining sentries turned toward the muffled report of Manning's weapon. Desperately they tried to locate the invisible assailant. Something whistled through the air. A long metal tentacle struck out from the darkness.
An Assassin glimpsed the whirling kama at the end of the chain that hurled toward his head. Steel links circled his neck. Sharp metal bit into flesh.
Keio Ohara forcibly yanked the kusarigama. The sickle blade ripped out the sentry's throat. The guard crumbled against the rock wall, blood spilling from the terrible wound.
The remaining sentry heard the gurgle of blood that gushed from his slain partner's throat. David McCarter aimed his Barnett crossbow and squeezed the trigger to release the taut bowstring. A bolt hissed through the air and slammed into the Assassin's back.
The sharp tip pierced flesh under the terrorist's left shoulder blade and pierced the man's heart. His body convulsed wildly as cyanide burned through his bloodstream. The sentry plunged over the edge of the cliff. He was dead before his body crashed to earth hundreds of feet below.
McCarter worked the cocking lever of the crossbow to load another bolt into the grooved frame.
"I haven't found any cameras or microphones," Keio Ohara said as he gathered up his kusarigama.
"Looks like Hassan doesn't feel he needs any sophisticated security devices," Lieutenant Halpern remarked as he and Katzenelenbogen joined the other members of Phoenix Force.
"Maybe," Yakov replied. "But don't assume anything."
"By the Prophet," Major Nizam whispered as he stared at the building below. "This would impress Pharaoh Khufu himself."
The Assassin stronghold, located in a crevasse between the mountain peaks, was an incredible stone structure that covered an area of almost two city blocks. Only one story high, the building seemed taller because it was capped by a huge decorative dome and a pointed cupola. Two manaras— prayer towers — flanked both sides of the main door at the face of the structure.
"McCarter," Katz said, "take Nizam, Malik, Captain Rosen and one of the other Israelis. Move to the rear of the palace and check for sentries, cameras, emergency exits and that sort of thing."
The Briton nodded and quickly assembled his team. McCarter's group descended to the stronghold, while Katz gathered the rest of the men to prepare the assault.
"Only seems to be one entrance at the front," Manning declared as he scanned the area through the infrared scope on his rifle. "There are steel bars on the windows."
The Canadian's gaze traveled to the rock walls of the stronghold, which McCarter's team was approaching. He suddenly noticed a tiny circle of light among the stones. Above the light jutted the snout of a machine gun, mounted on a pedestal.
"Shit," Manning gasped. "They've got trap guns set up."
"What kind?" Katz asked tensely.
"Looks like a PPS machine gun mounted on a robot system with an electronic eye," the Canadian replied. "If one of our men breaks the light beam..."
One of the trap guns suddenly exploded with a volley of full-auto fire. An Israeli soldier in McCarter's group screamed as five 7.62mm slugs ripped into his torso. The paratrooper fell in a bloodied heap, while the rest of the team dived for cover. The machine gun revolved on its pedestal and continued to spit bullets at the commandos.
"Get those rockets ready," Katz shouted. "Keio, the grenade launcher."
The Japanese warrior had already loaded an HE cartridge grenade into the breech of his 203 launcher. He aimed the weapon at the automated machine gun below and triggered the 203. The grenade blasted the robot gun to bits.
"Hit the door," Katz ordered. "Blow it apart. We're going in hard."
Sergeant Mosshin fired a LAW. The rocket sizzled across the sky like a bolt of vengeful lightning. The front of the building erupted in a supernova of yellow light. The entrance crumbled from the blast.
"Watch for trap guns," Manning warned as he prepared to charge. "Take them out with grenades."
David McCarter knew what had happened the second the robot machine gun opened fire. He also knew that any further attempt at stealth would be useless. The Briton left the Barnett crossbow on the ground and unslung his M-10 Ingram as white-robed figures began to pour out of the enemy stronghold.
"On your feet, men," he ordered. "Get to the back door. I'll cover you. And watch out for those bloody booby traps."
The Englishman rose and opened fire on the Assassins. Two terrorists were kicked into death before they even realized where the shots were coming from. Others swung their Soviet-made weapons toward the Briton.
Full-auto fire snarled as the second wave of the assault force charged. Bullets cut down terrorists like a scythe sweeping in a wheat field. Blood splashed white uniforms and Assassins dropped lifelessly.
Major Nizam, Captain Rosen and Captain Malik dashed to the back of the building. Five Assassins were already in position there. The terrorists opened fire. Malik screamed as bullets crashed into his chest. The Egyptian fell.
Major Nizam and Captain Rosen immediately avenged their slain comrade. Their Uzi submachine guns blasted the Assassins. The killers shrieked as 9mm projectiles punched into flesh and pulverized faces. Those terrorists collapsed, but more appeared in the doorway of the building's back exit.
Nizam hosed the fanatics with Uzi slugs, while Captain Rosen yanked the pin from a M-26 hand grenade and tossed it through the doorway. Rosen grabbed Nizam and pulled him to the ground. The grenade exploded, spewing torn bits of terrorist bodies.
Phoenix Force burst through the main entrance. Assassins rushed into the assembly hall to confront the invaders, some armed only with their poison daggers.
The bastards with firearms let loose. Sergeant Mosshin's head recoiled violently as an AK-47 round smashed into the side of his skull.
Katzenelenbogen exhausted the ammunition from his Uzi, sending three Assassins to hell. Before he could reload, a knife-wielding terrorist lunged at him. The Israeli colonel raised his empty submachine gun, blocking his opponent's knife with the Uzi
's frame.
The Assassin clawed at the Uzi, ripping it from Katz's grasp. The Phoenix Force commander jumped back and swiftly drew the Colt .45 from its hip holster. The terrorist attacked again, thrusting his poison dagger at the Israeli's chest.
Yakov's prosthetic arm swooped forward. The steel hooks clamped around the man's wrist. The startled Assassin screamed as the powerful hooks crushed bone and forced him to drop the knife.
Katz jammed the muzzle of his Colt Commander under the terrorist's ribs and squeezed the trigger. A 185-grain bullet burned into vital organs. Katz released the dying man, then fired another .45 slug into his chest to end his suffering.
Keio Ohara's M-16 jammed. He ducked behind a stone pillar, yanked the magazine out of the rifle and pulled back the bolt to eject a warped cartridge casing from the breech. Three Assassins found him and attacked.
Ohara quickly discarded the empty M-16 and unslung the kusarigama from his shoulder. The Japanese whirled the chain weapon in a fast figure-eight pattern that held the aggressors at bay.
Ohara executed a deft snap of the wrist. The sickle blade swung upward and struck flesh. An Assassin screamed and staggered backward, the steel kama blade buried deep in his chest.
Another terrorist lunged forward as Ohara tore the blade from the dead man's chest. Ohara swung the other end of his kusarigama. The steel ball whistled through air, then crashed into the side of the man's skull, crushing his head.
The third Assassin dived forward with a wild knife thrust. Ohara nimbly dodged the poison blade and flipped the length of chain around the killer's wrist, pulling the chain taunt, the steel links gripped the man's wrist like a vise and rendered his knife useless.
Ohara lashed out, kicking his opponent in the testicles. The terrorist gasped and doubled up in agony. The Japanese warrior grabbed him by the hair, yanked his head back and slashed a shuto stroke with his other hand. The side of his palm crushed his opponent's windpipe.