by D. E. Daum
Jane looked straight at Kelly. “Tell me about this honor guard. Who are they and where do they come from?”
“Actually, they’re Rulan’s men, members of Free Arabia. Rulan is worried about my safety. Apparently, he’s not totally convinced of my immortality, and neither am I.”
“How many are there? Are they loyal and are they trained?” Jane pressed.
“I think I can answer those questions, Starbird,” volunteered Haman in Arabic. “Rulan said these men are all volunteers. There are seventy-five altogether, but he wasn’t able to get but forty-five through customs, which has tightened up substantially since the subway bombings and other terrorist threats. Thirty couldn’t come in because they were on some kind of terrorist checklist. They’ve located nearby in Ireland, awaiting instructions. As for training, they were hardcore terrorists, trained in camps in the Sudan. They have not had much practical experience, since Free Arabia is one of the less active groups.”
“Well, they’ll be even less active if I have anything to say about it. If they can be trusted, I have a use for them.”
“Mariam, have you met Rulan?” inquired Jane.
“I’m afraid today was the first I’ve heard of him.”
“Good, I trust him to a point, but I want you to meet him and size him up. He’s an undercover Saudi operative who has managed to take over this terrorist organization, which is good, but the Saudi interests and our interests seldom coincide. I need to know if he is now working for Saudi interests or Saleem’s interests.”
“I wouldn’t worry about that, Starbird,” Kelly interjected. “Rulan is very excited about the prospects for a new and better Islam. I can tell when someone has a secret agenda. Allah has granted me that.”
“I’m glad to hear that, but it couldn’t hurt to have Mariam meet him, right?”
“No, I guess not.”
“Now, let’s talk some more about your ill-advised speech. You realize that you have probably made enemies out of your previous supporters, don’t you?”
“We‘ve been over this. There was never going to be a good time, and if I can make a fundamental difference, pun intended, in the way my fellow Muslims think, our job will be easier. Allah told me to stop wasting time and start being his prophet. He knows what we’re doing and approves, but he sent me here for a reason.”
Jane’s mouth was open, and she was speechless. Rayya was equally stunned, but Haman and Mariam were smiling. Finally, Jane stammered, “Are you starting to believe that cock-and-bull nonsense? It’s a story! Nothing more, nothing less!”
“Oh, yeah, why am I here then? I died, twice. I don’t think I ever left Earth, but I do think God or Allah or someone, intervened. He tells me things. I’ve never made these up.”
It was at this point that Jane slipped. She said, “Kelly, you’re not even a Muslim. Why would Allah be using you?”
Rayya, who never knew about Kelly Rogers, definitely looked confused. Jane, realizing her mistake said, “Rayya, I know you don’t know what I’m talking about. I don’t have time to go into it now. We’ll talk later.”
Kelly jumped in, “I’ve been thinking about that, Starbird. Maybe that’s why this happened. I am outwardly a Muslim, but I am not handicapped with years of mixed signals from moderate and hard-line clerics bantering back and forth. There is hardly a Muslim who has not had some form of brainwashing, and now that I think of it, most other religions too.”
Jane squinted as her eyebrows dipped. “You’re serious. You now believe God is working through you. When did this start?”
“Not God, Allah! Well, I guess since most of the world’s great religions are monotheistic, the point is moot. I have gradually come to feel that way. As you know, Kelly Rogers was not Muslim, so the Muslim experience is truly new for me, and some thoughts that come to me are in relation to Islam. Therefore, these thoughts must be coming from an outside source. I actually do believe that some spirit or some power is guiding me.”
Jane glanced upward and sighed, “I suppose that’s fine as long as you hold back on the speeches until we accomplish our objective,” said Jane. “Now, let’s discuss what we’re going to do about those murdering Nazis.”
Book V
Payback
Chapter 1
It had been two days since Kelly had given his speech, which was apparently well received in the Muslim and non-Muslim worlds. The website was up to a quarter million hits, and positive votes were outnumbering negative votes about eight to one—a box was located on the web site, where one could check for or against the message of the speech. Kelly was basking in the success of his speech when he came down to reality. Rayya, who was back at work, notified him he had a call from Valerie.
“Hi Valerie, to what do I owe the pleasure of your call?”
“You are a stupid man! You could have been part of the New World Order! You could have been part of my life! I could have loved you. Why did you give that up for your false god?”
Surprised, Kelly paused and collected his thoughts. “I’m sorry you feel that way. My god is not false. He is real and he resurrected me.”
“Don’t feed me that nonsense. You are a misfit, a terrorist who says ‘thou shalt not kill.’ What good are you to us? What good are you to the jihad? I am cursed. I still feel something for you, so I am warning you. Do not come to the convention. Stay away as if your life depended on it, for it does. I must go now. I‘ve already said too much.”
Kelly rose from his seat and yelled, “No, wait! Valerie, please don’t hang up. I need to talk to you. I can help you. You can have a life. You don’t have to be a Nazi call girl. Valerie? Valerie, are you there?”
“Yes.” She sobbed, “I’m here, but it’s too late. You’re taken, and I am lost. Watch the ones you love. They are in danger. I must go. If Rudolf knew I called you, he would slit my throat. Goodbye.”
“No, wait. Valerie, we must meet. Believe me, I really can help you. Valerie, please –.”
The line was dead. His free hand pounded the desktop, then he threw his coffee mug against the wall.
How he hated the Nazis. They ruined Valerie’s life, and thought they were better than everyone. Most of all, he hated them because they were so smug and wanted to rule the world. It would be sweet to neutralize the Nazis.
Rayya rushed in, apparently drawn by the noise of the cup shattering against the wall. She arrived as Kelly dialed Jane who answered on the first ring. “I heard. I happened to be next door. Where’s Mariam?”
“My God, she was going to go to some Muslim charity event. Haman is with her. You don’t think—”
“I don’t know what to think, but I’m going to find out. Tell Rayya you‘re leaving. Slip outside and walk around the corner. I’ll pick you up.”
Kelly lept into Jane’s car, and Jane hit it. “Where are we going?”
“Imam Khan’s mosque. The same place where I gave the speech.”
“Hey, I wasn’t there, remember? You were winging it that night.”
“Yeah, right. Take the next left, go down three blocks, and make a right. You’ll see the minarets after a while.”
Jane asked, “How come Haman’s with Mariam? Isn’t he your bodyguard?”
“Yes, but we switched this morning, because Ivan isn’t Muslim.”
After barely missing a large delivery truck while running a second red light, Jane saw the minarets, and drove even faster. She was doing about a hundred kilometers per hour down side streets, and she made it in less than five minutes. When she pulled into the parking lot, two Mercedes SUVs had boxed in Haman and Mariam. Haman appeared to have been shot and wasn’t moving. They were pushing Mariam into one of the trucks. Jane pulled right behind that vehicle, boxing it in between Haman’s car and a large garbage dumpster. She got out of the car firing. The first thing she did was shoot out two tires on each vehicle. They started to fire back and she retreated behind the car. She shot the driver of the trapped vehicle, who was trying to push her car backwards. She must have kill
ed him, for his accomplice shoved his body out of the door and took over trying to push Jane’s car out of the way. In the meantime, the other SUV was attempting to make its escape on two flat tires. Jane put a tight pattern of four bullets into the area of the SUV’s gas tank, and it exploded.
Kelly, like Jane, didn’t miss a beat, jumping out and rushing the blocked-in vehicle. When a kidnapper with an Uzi jumped out of the rear door and aimed right at Kelly, he could see Mariam screaming, and everything seemed to slow down. As Kelly left his feet, he felt three bullets hit him but they didn’t stop him. The shooter was astonished that Kelly continued coming. Confused he looked at his gun as if it was firing blanks when Kelly crashed into him. Kelly knocked the gun out of his hand with his left hand and simultaneously crushed his larynx with the right. With the first assailant lying on the pavement gasping for air, Kelly glanced past the rear door. There was another very scared gunman with a gun to Mariam’s head.
Kelly said, “You want me, not her. Let her go and I’ll go with you.” The new driver, who had kicked out the dead driver, slumped over the steering wheel, his forehead splattered on the windshield. This was too much for his partner in the back seat. He pulled his gun away and put his hands up to surrender.
Kelly was wound up, like he hadn’t been in years. First, there was the emotional phone call with Valerie, then somebody trying to kidnap his wife. The gunman surrendered, but Kelly was having none of it. He exploded. He was uncontrollable. He grabbed the man’s wrist and yanked him past Mariam, out of the vehicle some ten feet. Everyone heard a loud snap when he did this, but Kelly didn’t pay attention. He just kept saying, “You son of a bitch!” over and over. The man started to get up. It was obvious that Kelly had yanked his shoulder out of its socket. Kelly probably had fifty pounds on him, but this man had tried to kidnap Mariam. Kelly hit him with an uppercut to the belly, which lifted him off the ground, and dropped him back down onto all fours. Kelly systematically started to beat the helpless man without mercy. Jane was trying to stop him, as was Mariam. They kept yelling, “You’re killing him,” and beating on Kelly’s back, but he felt nothing. He was a man possessed! The only thing Kelly noticed was that he had knocked one of the bastard’s eyes out. Good, only one eye to go, and then everything went black.
* * * *
When Kelly awoke, he felt like he had a hangover from a ten-day binge. His head was splitting and when his eyes focused, he noticed he was at home. He started to get up and fell back onto the couch. Why was he on the couch instead of his bed? Someone put a cold compress over his forehead and eyes. “I see you are finally awake,” Jane said, “I’m sorry I had to cold-cock you but you were killing that guy.”
“So what? He tried to kidnap my wife and come to think of it, didn’t he kill Haman?”
“Luckily, no. He was hit in the shoulder, and bullets grazed his cheek and neck. Nothing mortal, but he lost a lot of blood.”
“Where is he? Where’s Mariam?”
“Haman’s in your bedroom. Mariam is taking care of him. She’s very attached to him.”
“Where’s the creep you kept me from killing?”
“Ahhh, actually I didn’t quite manage to keep you from killing him. He died in the operating room. He was a mess. I hope you never get mad at me. You killed two in record time with your bare hands. Why didn’t you use the gun I gave you?”
“We left in such a hurry, I left it at my office.”
“Oh, I thought maybe you lost it during the fight. I’ve got to ask you something. I saw that guy shoot you at least three times with the Uzi, and I can account for two of the bullets. One hit your belt buckle, and one ruined the satellite phone in your shirt pocket, but the third one is a mystery. There’s a bullethole in your shirt along with blood and blood on your rib cage, but there is no wound, nothing, not even a scar.”
“I can’t explain it. Jamal told Rulan that he was sure he hit me too, yet there was no wound. Listen Jane, we’ve got to get those sons of bitches!”
“I know. The Colonel and I have been working on it. We’ve got a plan.”
Chapter 2
Adlerhorst, Germany
Adlerhorst, aka Eagles Nest, was a compound of seven bunkers built by the Nazis in 1939-40 behind the eighteenth century Castle of Ziegenberg, near the village of the same name. Early on, it was Hitler’s military headquarters and used later as a residence for German generals. Most of the compound lies underground. Hitler had fond feelings for Adlerhorst, as they planned many of his early victories there. It is not surprising that the neo-Nazis chose a symbol of past glories for their headquarters.
Fortunately, Adlerhorst and the castle were not going to be that difficult to reach. Unlike many German castles, it was not located on the acme of a precipice. There were other problems, however. Adlerhorst and Ziegenberg Castle were located on a hill at the far end of the village, An assault would either have to go through the village or on foot through the surrounding woods. The compound itself was virtually impenetrable and was built with three-foot reinforced concrete walls, Therefore, a direct assault was probably out of the question.
Saleem, Rulan and Commander Larson of the Special Forces joined, Starbird, Evans and Colonel Dickens around a large round table for a pre assault meeting at Ramstein AFB. “It appears the castle itself is not in use, except as a bunkhouse for the regular members in the rear of the first floor,” stated Dickens, “Starbird and I have decided a direct attack would be costly at best and a disaster at worst. Some form of finesse is in order. While the President was obtaining the German Chancellor’s acquiescence for the attack, Evans has been reconnoitering in the area for the past four days.”
Dickens nodded toward Evans, who spoke, “Many of the members are wearing replicas of the brown-shirt uniforms of the twenties and early thirties. We believe if Hitler’s grandson is there, he most likely occupies Haus Ein, the building his grandfather occupied. Haus Zwei appears to be a gathering place. I think there must be a restaurant in it, because I observed a couple food deliveries there. Haus Drei and Vier are apparently, where the other members of the hierarchy stay, with Drei for the upper management and Vier for staff. Haus Fumf and Sechs are the offices of the nascent Fourth Reich, and Haus Sieben, the largest structure, is the meeting place. While the convention is going on, there are meetings daily, for about three hours in both the morning and afternoon and two hours at night. When a meeting took place, there were only a dozen guards on duty, some with dogs.”
“Thank you Evans,” Jane stood up, “The workers in the two office buildings appeared mostly to be employees. They leave at night and most likely reside in the village. These employees are unlikely to be Nazis.
“The opportune time to make a move would be late at night when almost everyone is asleep, yet, there were well over three hundred members in attendance, sleeping dispersed, in at least four separate locations. Our force numbers less than a hundred, counting Saleem’s newfound friends—his honor guard. We’ll be greatly outnumbered but we do have the element of surprise going for us.”
The meeting closed and everyone prepared for the oncoming attack after they decided it would be favorable to make the move while the vast majority of the Nazis were meeting in Haus Sieben, under the cover of darkness. Jane and Saleem would each lead one contingent of commandos, while Rulan, who had been approved by Mariam, covered their rear, with about forty of the former Free Arabia terrorists at the base of the entrance road.
It was time. Jane had three sharpshooters in place with silenced sniper rifles. They had instructions to start shooting at eight forty-five, both guards and dogs. Other than the snipers, she was hopeful that no shots would have to be fired. Her plan relied on utilizing a deadly gas through the air conditioning system of the meeting center. She didn’t care how many Nazis they killed, but she did want to capture select, upper-echelon Nazis for interrogation. She had an antidote along for those unlucky individuals.
The snipers neutralized eleven guards. Jane couldn’t see any more,
so she, Evans and twelve commandos moved toward Haus Sieben, the meeting hall, with their deadly container. The rest of the commandos, led by Kelly and fifteen of his best honor guards, checked each of the other buildings for occupants. The remaining honor guard, with Rulan in charge, was located down the road, waiting to ambush anyone who escaped. While the commandos were in hiding by the front entrance, Jane and Evans awaited a signal from Kelly that all was clear. The official German observer the Chancellor had insisted upon was scrutinizing the entire operation and had taken up a position on a nearby hill, out of the line of fire.
At the sound of gunfire, Kelly and his men moved toward the back of the castle, where some Nazis fired upon them. When the commandos positioned by the Haus Sieben heard the shooting, a couple headed across the motor court to the castle where they heard the shooting, which had since ceased. This was a mistake, for as soon as they were in the open, a machine gun erupted and raked the commandos. Kelly and his group emerged from the castle carrying three wounded men. The machine gun raked their position, effectively pinning them in the castle. The machine gun position appeared to be snuggled on the roof of the third building. It was hard to see, but Evans should have noticed it. They could ill afford mistakes like this. Because of this oversight, their position had become tenuous.