RED HAZE: A Werewolf Story for the 21st Century

by Ian Redman

  “We need to have a closer look. I can only see so much from the satellite view,” said Nick. “As we discussed during the mission briefing, I will have to shut each infra-red zone down as you move through it, then restore it so as not to arouse suspicion. This is going to take some time.”

  “Understood, but I’m going to normal vision, the lighting is fine in here.”

  “No problem.”

  Piper raised the NV Headset over his bandana. “Control, guide me around these crates to the best viewpoint. I’m ready when you are.”

  “I’m already on it.” Nick tapped again at his keyboard as a magnified image brought Piper’s body to a central viewpoint on the large screen. Around him were faint red horizontal lines. “Oh man, this will be fun! Red Haze, the first three sets of crates directly in front of you will act as initial cover for the route I’m planning. Move along them and follow every instruction I give you to the letter, understood?”

  “Understood Control.”

  “Move now,” Piper crept forward, “…stop!”

  The voices of men, and sounds of forklift trucks drew ever closer. It was several minutes later and Nick’s guidance had given Piper the edge over the security personnel. Carefully, Piper peered around a large stack of crates. These are all over the place he thought, but just what the hell is in them? Cautiously, his view focused on the large shutter doors, and two forklift trucks offloading more of the same crates from the large heavy goods vehicle.

  “The vehicle is in sight” he whispered, “it’s definitely, I repeat, definitely of Russian origin.”

  “Are you certain Red Haze?” Colonel Mann interrupted.

  “Affirmative Control! From what I can see the vehicle’s side curtains have St Petersburg written on them in English. I repeat, definitely Russian in origin.”

  “Can you view the license plate, over?”

  “That’s a negative, certainly not from this angle and it’s too risky to move closer.”

  “Hold position Red Haze! Jean-Paul, bring the VKE warehouse traffic roster up on one of the other screens.”

  “Yes sir!” Within seconds Charles Mann and Maurice Hertschell were carefully viewing the export-import traffic movements for the VKE warehouse.

  “Just as I thought,” the Colonel muttered.

  “Yes, nothing listed for this time of night, nothing at all, and especially no shipment from St Petersburg.”

  “Red Haze, we need to know what is in those crates. I suggest you move back, close to your original entry position and try to open one, your friend will take care of the alarm system for you.”

  “Affirmative Control.” Several minutes later Piper found himself back at the rear of the building. “Control, there are two crates over to the left, I think I can climb up carefully and take a look inside one of them. From this angle I shouldn’t be seen, but I need you to scan for some sort of instrument which I can use to open it, a crowbar for instance, and the closer the better.”

  “Do it Jean-Paul,” Nick’s assistant magnified the view inside Building Four and started to sweep for anything that could assist Piper. Within minutes he had located a set of tools, just seven metres from where he was hiding.

  “Okay, there’s a set of tools quite close, follow my instructions again.”

  As always, Piper moved slowly, carefully, hardly daring to breathe. “Control, I have a wrench, this will do. I can use the flat end to open the crate, guide me back.” The minutes ticked by as the unloading of the HGV continued, thankfully giving Piper enough background noise to cover his movements. “I’m going to climb up onto the crates in front of me, and open the top one.” As he silently climbed onto the second crate, Piper gently manoeuvred the flat end of the wrench under the heavy wooden lid.

  “Red Haze, when we viewed these crates by x-ray, there seemed to be just standard goods inside them. My guess is that whatever we are looking for is hidden underneath.”

  “That’s what I’ve already thought, hold on!” Piper paused, his heartbeat pounding, thumping through his head as he deftly prised the thick wooden lid open.

  Then, it happened!

  The alarm echoed through the building, a loud whining noise, alerting all in Building Four to the presence of an intruder.

  “OH SHIT!” Nick hurriedly looked at Colonel Mann as Piper’s voice echoed through their Com-links.

  “Control, every single fucking crate’s linked to another alarm system.” Piper threw the crate lid onto the concrete floor, now having only seconds to investigate its contents.

  “HONESTLY COLONEL,” Nick Lucas suddenly felt sick, “THERE WAS NO TRACE OF ANOTHER ALARM SYSTEM IN THE MAINFRAME. OH CRAP, WHAT A MESS!”

  “Ash has got to get out of there!” Jeanette Descard shook her head in disbelief, her anguished look of grave concern apparent for all to see.

  “INTRUDER ALERT! INTRUDER ALERT!” The metallic voice increased in volume as the VKE staff ceased unloading the HGV. “What the fuck’s going on,” said one of the guards in fluent German.

  “I don’t know, hey…what the fuck,” one of the forklift truck drivers pointed down to the rear of the building, “…down there, on one of the crates. GET THE BASTARD!”

  Sitting bolt upright in his bed Otto Von Kurst’s naked, muscular form growled menacingly.

  Lying next to him, Lana Franke awoke suddenly, “Otto, what is it, what’s wrong?”

  Von Kurst leapt out of bed and ran into the corridor.

  “OTTO, WHAT’S WRONG?”

  “STAY THERE LANA!” Von Kurst’s tone distinctly told Lana Franke he was not to be disobeyed as he ran swiftly towards Helga Zeist’s bedroom.

  “RED HAZE TO CONTROL, ENVIRONMENT NOW HOSTILE.” Piper kept low as he reached into the crate and pulled up a thick ply-board cover, “shit, these are just coils of wire, no, wait a minute.” There was a loud cracking sound as wood splintered near Piper’s face; the guards were shooting at him. Moving frantically he pulled at the coils of wire, then he noticed it, another, resin topped cover, just visible under the wires and packing. He yanked hard, pulling the cover up and gasped in amazement. Shit! MP44s he thought, a crate full of them. Got you, you bastards!

  “Red Haze, you have guards moving in on your position, three at the front and two from the rear entering the side door, take evasive action.”

  “Copy Control.” More wood shattered around Piper as further machine gun fire opened up.

  “HEY YOU, STAY WHERE YOU ARE!”

  With German being his second language Piper understood exactly what the guards were shouting, but there was no way he was going to comply. “Control I need the building lights turned off, NOW!”

  “I’m on it Red Haze, I’M ON IT!” Nick’s fingers frenziedly typed at his keyboard as he hacked deeper into the facility’s mainframe computer.

  Hurriedly Piper drew his suppressed USP from his extended shoulder holster and switched on the LAM, its thin beam of red light following the path of the handgun’s barrel. Now, wherever Piper aimed, the USP’s laser would assist in targeting. With the wolf’s senses speaking to him, Piper hid quickly behind another stack of crates as the side door burst open.

  The guards he had successfully evaded earlier ran in, their MP44s slung at their hips. Piper instantly focused his lupine hearing towards them. “Circle him,” one whispered, “others are on the way.” Upon hearing the whispered order, the wolf located its prey. With a hellish roar emitting from his throat, Piper rolled to the right, brought the USP up in a two handed grip and fired, the handgun’s suppressor thumping once, its sub-sonic round, smashing into the guard’s forehead sending him reeling backwards as it shattered his skull, spilling his brains over the concrete floor. As the three other guards crouched in hidden firing positions, inching their way closer, the remaining rear guard circled, trying to cut the intruder off from the side door.

  Piper’s senses were on fire, every sound, every whisper, every word being heard clearly, his vision sharp, predatory. The wolf spoke again, the hairs on
the back of his neck rigid with danger as he quickly swung around. A guard, right behind him! Instinctively, Piper kicked out, his boot catching the man in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him as he hurtled backwards, yelling in pain. Without hesitating Piper opened fire at point blank range, opening the man’s chest like a split melon. This was no time for sentiment he thought; he could not afford to be captured.

  Having holstered the USP, Piper grabbed the guard’s MP44. Growling viciously he emptied the assault rifle’s magazine, spraying hot lead over a large section of crates, sending shards of splinters flying into the air. There was a scream, hideous, pitiful, another guard lying wounded as Piper ran out of ammo. His thoughts raced, he had to get to the side door and make his way back, and quickly. With his predatory instincts on full alert, Piper heard light footsteps around the crate next to him. He turned quickly, ramming the wooden stock of the empty MP44 into the face of the guard to his right as further machine gun fire erupted around him. Quickly dropping the MP44, Piper leapt and rolled to the left, the now un-holstered USP firing again, hitting a guard in the throat. But further guards were rapidly running into the building! Within seconds he would be well and truly outnumbered!

  “THERE HE GOES,” yelled a security guard, “KILL THE…” Suddenly, the lights went out! “SHIT, WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?”

  Over in Building Three, inside the main offices for the warehouse complex, all hell was breaking loose. “YOU SEE, I TOLD YOU WE WERE BEING HACKED!”

  “THEN SPIKE THE FUCKING THING AND TRACE THE BASTARDS!” The two VKE men worked frantically to gain control of their security system, a system that was now under attack in cyberspace by Nick Lucas.

  Another picked up his mobile phone. “What are you doing?” said a colleague.

  “Standartenfuhrer Bescann must be informed of this infiltration, immediately.”

  “Going to NV.” Now the odds were on Piper’s side. More voices, he turned to the right, more guards! Moving stealthily behind another stack of crates, the wolf’s senses spoke again…danger…to the left! In an instant his gloved hand lashed out to the side, the ridge of his hand connecting with the windpipe of another guard. It was a lethal blow, crushing the man’s larynx in an instant as he crumpled to the floor, drowning in his own blood. As he viewed everything around him in the eerie green glow of his night vision, Piper raced for the doorway.

  “GET THE FUCKING LIGHTS BACK ON! USE THE BACK UP FACILITY!”

  The ensuing chaos was just what Piper required. Suddenly, Nick’s voice cut through his Com-link. “Red Haze they’re trying to spike me, I’m closing down. You’re on your own for the moment.”

  “Understood.” With the sounds of yelling voices and further gunshots echoing through the building, Piper ran out of the doorway, heading for the gaps in the razor wire. Two guards fired again, but missed. Then he heard them, two German Shepherd dogs, right behind him! Keep running, he thought! KEEP RUNNING!

  Otto Von Kurst frantically unlocked the door to Helga Zeist’s bedroom and burst in. Immediately he noticed she was sat bolt upright, a pool of vomit staining the bedcovers, her body shaking uncontrollably. Was it with fright? No, he knew why she was shaking.

  “Otto,” Helga’s voice trembled as Lana Franke ran in to the bedroom.

  “LANA, I TOLD YOU TO STAY IN YOUR ROOM.”

  Lana was incensed. “DON’T TELL ME WHAT TO DO OTTO,” she yelled, “WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?” In a fit of rage Lana pointed at Helga Zeist, “SHE’S GOT SOMETHING TO DO WITH…” Otto Von Kurst’s mistress never finished her sentence as she backed away and screamed in shock, “OH MY GOD!”

  “Otto,” said Helga, her voice now deep and resonant, “do you sense him too?”

  “Yes Helga, yes.”

  Lana Franke felt sick to the stomach as she looked in horror at Helga Zeist and her blood red eyes. “Oh no, she can’t be, oh no…” she whimpered.

  Helga looked at the naked man now standing by the bedroom windows. “He is hunting you Otto…why?” she asked.

  There was no reply, only deep guttural snarling. As Otto Von Kurst gazed out at the full moon glowing icily in the night sky he whispered under his breath, “very well lone wolf,” then yelled like a demon, “NOW WE HUNT EACH OTHER!”

  TO BE CONTINUED IN:

  RED HAZE: THE LURE OF THE PACK

  Available on the Kindle: July 2012

  EXCERPT

  PROLOGUE

  CLAWS AND STEEL

  With the German Shepherd dogs swiftly gaining ground, Ash Piper ran towards the razor wire. COME ON DAMN IT, he thought, RUN, RUN! Further gunfire erupted around Piper, only just missing him! Tactfully, the CEATA agent lowered his body as bullets from the guards’ MP44’s smashed into the ever-looming rear wall, the wall he desperately needed to get too. Snarling, growling, the dogs snapped at his heels, they were practically on top of him! JUMP he thought, JUMP!

  With every ounce of energy in his body Ash Piper leapt upwards and over, clearing the first set of razor bladed wire, but the dogs were not so fortunate. With a piteous yelping they ran straight into the lethally sharp barrier. NOW, THE SECOND SET OF WIRE! More gunfire rattled behind him as Piper flinched, a shard of red-hot tracer slicing across the skin of his neck, narrowly avoiding a critical injury. He jumped again, his body scything through the air, the feeling of dampness from the cold night coursing through his wild veins. NOW THE WALL he thought, his panting breath sounding more and more like a wild dog’s. With the sounds of chaos echoing behind him Piper jumped again, his body slamming up onto the flat of the perimeter wall. It was a leap only the wolf could have made! With perspiration pouring from his body, Piper quickly prepared to climb out of the Von Kurst Electronics Warehouse Facility.

  “Did you see that,” said one of the guards, “did you see how he jumped? No man could do that!”

  With a hint of wanton retribution rooted deep in his eyes another guard appeared, aiming his sniper rifle at Piper’s head, “leave him to me!” Increasing the magnification of the weapon’s optical sight directly in line with his target, the guard shouted at the top of his voice, “HEY SHITHEAD, EAT THIS!”

  Then…he fired.

  The wolf spoke, danger, DANGER! Too late! Piper yelled in pain, lost his grip and plummeted over the wall, hitting the ground with a gut-wrenching thump.

  “ASH!” In CEATA’s Communications Room, Jeanette Descard shouted out in pitiful anguish as a senior medical officer checked Piper’s life signs on the computer next to him. “He’s been hit,” he said.

  “Red Haze to Control, do you copy?” Breathing heavily, his head spinning, Piper looked down at his left shoulder; his blood oozing from the wound where the sniper’s bullet had passed through it. That was too damned close, he thought as the main viewing screen in front of CEATA’s senior command team relayed the reality of his situation.

  Charles Mann looked piercingly at Maurice Hertschell who gave a very slight nod of his head. The Colonel understood; it was a sign between the two men. It was time to test Red Haze to the limit of his endurance. “What is your situation Red Haze?” said the Colonel, his voice filled with gritty determination.

  “I’ve been hit in my left shoulder. I’ll move to the retrieval area utilising night vision, over.”

  “He sounds fatigued,” said Jeanette.

  “THAT’S A NEGATIVE RED HAZE…”

  Jeanette Descard could not believe what she had just heard. “Colonel, what the hell are you talking about? We have a retrieval team ready to pick Ash up, GET THEM IN!”

  The Colonel raised his right hand, palm open, the meaning being obvious. Keep quiet!

  “Say again Control,” replied Piper.

  “You are on your own Red Haze. No retrieval is available at present. I suggest you take immediate action to secure your safety.” For a few seconds only the sound of static could be heard as Jeanette, Nick and Jean-Paul gazed in shock at the Colonel.

  “Very well Control, I’m making my way into the forest to secure better cover.�
� Piper winced as searing pain cut through his shoulder. Just what the fuck is going on, he thought?

  “Nick, I want a full operational view of the warehouse facility and Piper’s location, QUICKLY!” Charles Mann was in no mood for arguments.

  “Yes sir!” Nick shook his head in disbelief, the look on his face telling of mistrust as his fingers typed urgently at his keyboard. Just what the hell is happening, he thought.

  Angrily, Jeanette Descard walked purposefully over to the Colonel, “Colonel, what is going on, Ash is wounded and…”

  “CUT THE BULLSHIT JEANETTE,” Charles Mann’s raised voice made CEATA’s Chief Criminal Psychologist reel back in shock, the deep-rooted look in his eyes spelling trouble.

  “Yes Herr Standartenfuhrer, he is wounded but has managed to escape, he won’t get far.” The burly security guard, standing with several others around him spoke earnestly into his mobile phone, “of course Herr Standartenfuhrer, yes…of course, we’ll get him, he won’t get far. I will call you as soon as we have him.”

  “Well?” Another guard waited for his colleague’s reply.

  “We take the shit alive if possible; get your men ready, we’re moving into the forest, I WANT AS MANY MEN AS WE CAN SPARE!”

  Within minutes further guards appeared, their modified MP44s at the ready. “He has night vision, so he has an advantage,” said one.

  “No he doesn’t…” the burly man smiled as he prepared to give further orders to his men. “GET THE TIGER UP!” he shouted.

  GLOSSARY