Rex Chase: A Novel

by Tim Wheat

  “So I’m just supposed to fake it?”

  “I bet you were in a play at some point in your life. You’ll have some acting to do. Anyway, I guess after the training, we will all jump out of an airplane, assault the fortified compound, kill the bad guys, disable the weapons, and try to make it home in time for dinner. Any questions?”

  “A couple.” George leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. “How fortified, and how many men?”

  “I’d like you to know, George, your reputation as a soldier precedes you. I had no objections to your placement in this mission.” Ahiga nodded his head, but kept his eyes on the commander. “The Rhineland estate of Dietrich Hoff is one of the most fortified buildings in all of Germany. We do have a tactical advantage this evening, however. Hoff will be throwing a large party, and our intelligence suggests he will be showing off the power of his new weapon. Some suggest even the Fuhrer himself will be there.” All five men understood the gravity of the situation, and the commander’s tone became even more serious.

  “We expect the gala to be defended by the German SS. Our false identities should allow us access through the outermost defenses.”

  “How many are we?” Rex said.

  “My team, including myself, will be thirteen. You and Ahiga will join the assault, making our number fifteen. Poppen and Alexei will stay behind for support.”

  “Wait a minute,” Alexei said. “I might seem like an old man, but I can handle myself just fine.”

  “I’m counting on you being able to handle yourself better than just fine. After we have performed the initial assault on the compound, things will be quite chaotic. On such short notice we were not able to secure a peaceful entrance, and our fake identities can only get us so far. Thanks to Ms. Moreau, though, we know a few soft spots in their defenses. When things are chaotic, you and Poppen will make your way into the compound, through the soft spots, and disable the weapon. We’re hoping that somewhere in the battle, we take out Hoff, and maybe even the Fuhrer.”

  “I see a problem with your plan, though,” Alexei said. “These weapons don’t have an on/off switch. They can’t just be turned off.”

  “That’s why we’re bringing Poppen. He’s the math genius who made this all possible, right?” The commander addressed the small man with his head down on the table. “You’re listening over there?”

  “I’m afraid he’s right.” Poppen lifted his head to address the entire table. “I don’t know of a way to turn these things off, once they are started. The physics behind the science is concrete. Scalar energy is limitless, and it’s everywhere.”

  A silence enveloped the table, and no one spoke for a minute. Rex Chase sat in his chair, both hands resting on top of his head, arms bent to the side. He took in a deep breath before he spoke.

  “These weapons run on scalar energy, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “Scalar energy uses the magnetism of the earth to focus this energy, right?”

  “Yes, but its more than just that,” Poppen said. “With my mathematical formula they won’t need to understand what they are doing. It will just work.”

  “What is it you are trying to get at son?” Alexei Chase sat forward in his chair.

  “It’s just an idea.”

  “Well, I know I’d like to hear it.” The commander’s voice was skeptical.

  “Me too.”

  “Me three.”

  “It just seems to me, that if we change the magnetism of the earth, the application of the formula will be different.” Chase smiled as he delivered his solution. “That’s all we need to do. They don’t have anyone as smart as you Bobby. We’ll be in the clear.”

  Three of the four men looked at Chase, incredulousness in their eyes.

  “Dr. Sarff mentioned something like that on his deathbed, but he dismissed it,” Ahiga said.

  “I may just be a Dutch Military man, but it doesn’t take a Rhodes Scholar to know that north is north for a reason. We can’t just change that, even if it is possible. It’s not possible, right?” Jorgensen shifted his gaze between Poppen and Alexei.

  “No.” Alexei answered.

  “Not to my knowledge,” Poppen agreed. “It wouldn’t take that drastic of a shift, however. Because of the tangible effects of gravity…”

  “Which doesn’t exist,” Alexei said.

  “Which doesn’t exist,” Poppen agreed. “Well, at least not as most understand it. Anyway, because of the perceived effects of electrons, new calculations would need to be made if the earth’s magnetism changed even a little bit. I still don’t know how we do that, though.”

  “And you guys call yourselves experts.” Rex donned a wide grinas he picked up a crepe the waitress had delivered. He felt bad they had all ignored her. “It’s pretty simple.”

  “I’m glad you’re going to make it simple, because I have no idea what is going on.” Chief had known Rex Chase his entire life, and could tell when the man was confident. Now was one of those times.

  “I’m in the dark as well,” Jorgensen chimed in.

  Chase cleared the air in a matter of fact way.

  “Why, you just shoot one weapon with the other weapon.”

  *******************

  61.

  Rex Chase inspected the Beretta Modello 38 submachine gun he held in his hands. Earlier in the day he had trained on the weapon, and in his mind he now went over its every component. On his right hip he holstered a Browning P-35 nine millimeter pistol, and strapped across his back he carried a prototype weapon known as the FG 42.

  The noise in the rear of the DC-3 was deafening, and most of the men sat in their seats checking and re-checking their weapons. Only Commander Jorgensen stood, his eyes intently watching the jump light above the door. Bathed in red, Chase could see the noticeable look of fear on Poppen’s face. He leaned close and spoke in his friend’s ear.

  “Don’t worry about it man. It’ll be a piece of cake.”

  “I’m not worried about me. I know I’m going to die. I’m worried about you guys who have an actual chance.” Poppen smiled at his own weak attempt at humor. “For real, though, I’ll be just fine once we hit the ground.”

  Chase patted him on the back and reached into his own pocket. Retrieving a small black bag, he checked its contents for the tenth time, and placed it back into the cargo pocket of his German paratrooper gear. George leaned over, cupped his hand around Chase’s ear, and spoke.

  “Whatya have in that bag anyway? I’ve seen you get it out about twenty times now.”

  “It’s nothing.” Chase smiled as he spoke. “Let’s just say it’s a little present for our friend Hans.”

  “I’ve got something for my good pal Rick too.” Chief tapped his fingers on the top of his FG 42. The experimental weapon had proven a bit too jumpy on full automatic for Chase, but the boulder sized arms of Ahiga controlled it with ease. “I don’t know if he’s going to appreciate it, though.”

  The light at the front of the aircraft turned from a solid red, to a blinking red. Chase felt the tension rise in his stomach, but he pushed it aside. Alexei sat across from him and leaned over, putting his hand on his son’s leg.

  “I’ll see you on the ground son.”

  “Count on it.”

  The two men shook hands just as Jorgensen addressed the men, shouting as loud as he could.

  “OK, remember, we are Fallschirmjager troops; the best of the best. Not even the SS has any jurisdiction over us. We’ll go with the story of a bad training drop as long as we can and most of us don’t speak German anyway, so I expect you to keep your gas masks on. This place is lit up like the Christmas tree in Times Square, so you shouldn’t have any problems locating your targets. They are not, I repeat, are not, expecting anything from the air. Our man on the inside has confirmed this and confidence is high.” The commander paused and cleared his throat before continuing. “First squad, remember, you are the diversionary force. It will be your job to make as much noise, without getting your
selves killed, as is humanly possible. Second squad, we’ll play our hand as long as we can, and then flank the west side of the building after first squad has done their duty. I’m hoping the Germans will overreact and we’ll meet minimal resistance. Chase and Ahiga, you’re with us. Poppen and Alexei, you are here as support. I expect you to stay hidden unless you are sent for. Remember, one person in this compound is an innocent. We’ve all seen the picture of Angela Sarff. All others are targets. If it walks, we kill it. We have rock solid, up to date intel, that assures us no children are present. The rally point is fifteen clicks to the north, and a secondary rally is in the small town of Braunsen. We all know our contacts? Are we clear?”

  “Yes sir.” The reply echoed In unison, and to a man.

  “Good. I’ll see you on the ground.”

  With that, the commander turned and placed himself in the doorway, staring at the blinking red light above his head. Rex Chase stood at the back of the line. Jorgensen had stuck the men he considered non-essential near the back, but that was fine with Chase. It made him happy that the plan had changed, leaving his father and Harvard friend out of the battle.

  The blinking red light turned green and Chase watched Jorgensen disappear. Man after man exited the plane. One after the other they leaped, and a few seconds later he watched his father, then Poppen, and finally George. With no fear, and a serene sense of calm Chase stepped into the black abyss.

  ***

  Chase attempted to flatten his body, his arms and legs partially extended. After a few seconds, though, he found himself tumbling through the air head over heels. An odd sensation moved through his body as he fell through the darkness. The nighttime spring air was crisp and cold, causing him to shiver.

  Without panicking, Chase went over every word of instruction he had received earlier. He channeled the calming voice of his teacher, following every instruction, until, almost as if by magic, his tumbling began to slow. Flattening out, he could now see the objective. A large smile broke across his face as he looked at the altimeter strapped to his wrist.

  They had jumped from a high altitude, in order to facilitate the story of an accidental drop. According to the commander, only lunatics would jump from an airplane at more than twenty-thousand feet. Chase enjoyed himself, though, as he strained to spot his fellow divers. The cushion of air he rode on gave him the distinct feeling that he was flying. He knew it not to be true, but the experience still felt amazing.

  More than two minutes passed and one by one, Chase began seeing parachutes deploy below him. Pulling on the ripcord his chute opened, filled with air, and in an instant his descent slowed. The ground was now visible beneath his feet and just sixty seconds later it grew large upon approach.

  Other men had already hit the ground and were bundling their parachutes. As Chase neared, he passed where Poppen and Ahiga had landed almost on top of one another. Both seemed to be fine and he breathed a sigh of relief. Gifty feet from the ground now, he pulled back on the lines, slowing his descent further. Almost like he had done it his entire life, Chase lit on the ground like a feather, running to a stop, and gathered his parachute.

  “Not bad, rookie. Are you sure this was your first dive?” Chase had landed at the point of the LZ closest to the compound, where he assumed the commander would land to rally his men.

  “Like I’ve said before, I’m a quick study. I didn’t realize they made parachutes you could steer.”

  “Our equipment is a little better than the average paratrooper.” Jorgensen’s face was serious, but he managed a slight smile. “The General always takes good care of us.”

  Obvious signs of curiosity were already apparent from the compound, and the men sprang into gear. The first squad had landed on target, and were already flanking, unseen, around the north side of the compound. Ahiga approached Chase and pointed into the distance.

  “It looks like you’re on.”

  A German VW 166 motorcycle with a sidecar and a half track armed by at least four men, sped in their direction.

  “OK, Brigadier General.” Jorgensen referred to Chase’s bogus rank. “Throw us a nice little temper tantrum.”

  “That shouldn’t be a problem. Do you think we could send one of our guys over to first squad with a message?”

  “I kept a man in our squad for just such a job. Barrick.”

  “Yes sir.”

  “Listen to what Chase here has to say, and relate it to first squad, without being detected by our German friends.”

  “Do you see that large circular structure?” Chase delivered his message as quick as possible. “It needs to be full of holes; I don’t care how it happens.”

  “Yes sir.” William Barrick followed the shadows into the distance, and within seconds was no longer visible.

  “What was that all about?” Jorgensen didn’t like losing a man from his team for such a trivial order as wrecking a bowl in the ground.

  “I saw it from the air, and it looks a lot like an antenna to me. I’ll explain later. Here they come. Pull down your masks.”

  As the two vehicles drew close, the half track shined a bright spotlight on the men standing in the open field. Almost without slowing down, two German soldiers leapt from the half track almost fifty yards away, taking up defensive positions. Coming to a stop a few feet in front of the second squad, their leader jumped from the motorcycle, his rifle pointed at Rex Chase.

  “You have violated our airspace, and landed inside a secure perimeter. Explain yourselves,” the squad leader barked at Chase in German. Chase’s reply exuded disdain.

  “Who do you think you are?” Chase’s German was impeccable, and he pushed the other man’s rifle from his face as he spoke. “I am General Warner Von Schlitz.” He almost smiled as he spoke the cover name he had modeled after his favorite beer. “Can’t you see from our gear? We are Fallschirmjager, and you are no one. How dare you wave your weapon in my face?”

  The demeanor of the Germans softened, but they held their positions.

  “I’m sorry sir, but your uniforms are different and I’ve never seen Fallschirmjager jump from planes in gas masks carrying field glasses and a rope before. If you are indeed elite paratroopers, why are you here?”

  “We are elite. The Luftwaffe pilot who dropped us here is not. Our uniforms, masks, and gear are part of a mountain training mission and that is all you need to know. I order you to take me to your superior officer.”

  “Yes sir.” Outranked, the sentry clicked his heels together as he saluted. “Heil Hitler.”

  Chase responded with a slight wave, and commanded his men to load onto the half track. The German soldiers who had ridden out to investigate abandoned their seats to the already revered paratroopers. Every one of them knew what it meant to be Fallschirmjager, and it was common knowledge they were not to be trifled with.

  “Where are you from?”

  One of the guards addressed Ahiga, who stayed silent behind his gas mask. Thinking him to be a prick, the young officer didn’t press and they all rode the rest of the way in silence.

  Chase memorized the lay of the land, in case he needed to make a quick escape. They were almost in the belly of the beast now, however, and the Rhineland compound was less than two hundred yards away. This final stretch of terrain served the purpose of a wasteland for those who attempted to cross.

  Guard towers lined the perimeter, and razor wire fences crisscrossed the landscape. Each tower held a spotlight and no less than two armed guards. The soldiers all possessed bullhorns and Chase even noticed two small Panzer 35 tanks near the compound itself. He leaned close and whispered into the commander’s ear.

  “I didn’t think we allowed the Germans to have tanks.”

  “They don’t have tanks,” Jorgenson replied from behind his mask accompanied with a roll of the eyes.

  “You’re sure we’re safe through this war zone?”

  “As safe as we can be. The General assured me his man is as reliable as they come. If he says we can piss down a t
ank barrel and disable it, then that’s what we’ll do. Just stick to plan A. We’ll worry about Plan B if you screw this up.”

  The half track passed the outer perimeter of towers and come to a stop in front of a command module. Emerging from the small building was a round man with bright red cheeks. He held in his hand a handkerchief, and blew his nose before speaking in an irritated tone.

  “I send you out to kill intruders, and instead you bring them back here.” He paused to place the handkerchief back in his pocket before addressing Chase. “OK, who are you?”

  “You are stupid, aren’t you?” Chase said in flawless German. “I demand to see your superior. Giving an order to kill an officer such as myself is treasonous. I understand the Fuhrer is here. Perhaps we should bring him out to handle this situation?”

  “You have my deepest apologies, sir.” The rotund man snapped to attention, as did the others under his command. “Nobody notified me of any exercises in this area and you’re dressed in such an odd way. I will send for my superior right away.”

  “That is not necessary, Captain.” Chase played the role of entitled German General to perfection. “Tell me where your commanding officer resides and I will visit him myself to explain our predicament.”

  “My deepest apologies, sir, but the colonel is attending a very prestigious gala in the grand ballroom of the estate. I have orders to allow no one in.”

  “So you believe the order of a colonel supersedes that of a General in the Fallschirmjager?” Chase said.

  “No sir.” The captain said. “I can’t take you inside, but I can take you as far as the nearest guard’s bunker on the west side of the building, and send in a runner.”

  “That will suffice. We aren’t dressed for a black tie gala anyway.”