Their flight left on schedule and after three aircraft changes, they boarded their final flight. By this time, they had no idea where they were as each transfer had taken place on an empty landing strip with no identifiable landmarks. Their final transfer had taken place in the dark and they were so disorientated, they could have been anywhere from the Antarctic to the Arctic or from Asia to America. When they finally landed, all they knew was that they were on a small island and that it had to be South of the equator because the water drained clockwise in the toilet.
With daylight came a few more clues as to their location. The barracks were small and housed around 200 soldiers but it was not until later in the day that the twins realised that this was no ordinary barracks. The barracks were multi national and were full of teams from the world’s Special Forces. They were all specialists in anti-terrorism and hostage rescue. The twins quickly settled into the new regime, alongside the other soldiers. They took part in exercises in the morning and specialist training in the afternoon.
It was not until the evening of their first day that they had a chance to wander around the island. They soon found their objectives’ location and were amazed at the set up of the school. They completed their first reconnaissance, making note of relevant vantage points and blind spots.
Their mission instructions were clear. Their targets would arrive in two weeks by which time a full risk assessment was to be carried out. This would involve a comprehensive reconnaissance of the island and a detailed analysis of the military presence, its capabilities and weaknesses. Once complete, the report was to be sent to a coded address through secret channels with a clear “Eyes Only” designation. On arrival, the targets were to be watched on a twenty-four hour basis and no action taken unless authorised or in situations which required immediate intervention. At all costs, the twins were not to break cover and under no circumstances should they discuss their orders with anybody including the Base Commander.
Chapter 24
One week later
The plan was brutal but brilliant and all the pieces were slowly moving into position. Reaper had nearly 300 operatives involved in an operation which would cause major disruption across the world. His client didn’t care how he completed the mission nor whom he recruited, so long as the objective were achieved within the deadline, in just under six weeks.
He had tracked down operatives whom he considered to be almost as talented as him. His twenty million dollar expenses were soon spent but as promised, his client made more funds available. Within an hour of asking, a further twenty million dollars had been deposited into Reaper’s expense account.
Having exhausted the elite mercenary market, Reaper moved onto what he considered the lowest of the low, the terrorist market. He needed their involvement for a very specific part of the plan. To those people, money was secondary. Their primary driver was to hit at the heart of their most hated enemy, whoever that might be. On the up side, this reduced the monies required to entice them. Bang for buck, they were significantly cheaper than the money-grabbing mercenaries.
Reaper also recruited a number of the world’s most corrupt specialists in the field of weaponry, logistics, computers and communications. By the end of the week, he’d recruited the most blood thirsty and despicable group of individuals and he was loving every minute.
Reaper’s cottage in Scotland was turned into a communications hub connecting him to five camps he had set up around the world. Each section of his small army made its way to their appointed camp. They were each unaware that any other section existed and it was imperative that that remained the case. Reaper did not care about religious nor political differences. In truth, he felt that far too much energy and blood had been wasted in their name. He therefore had no qualms in recruiting warring factions and so the terrorist groups included religious fanatics, racial and political extremists from across the world. However, putting them in one location would have caused a war in itself. He had therefore carefully planned the composition of each training camp. If they ever found out that they were working together, on the same mission, for the same side, he would be a very dead man.
One of the five camps would house the mercenaries who would comprise his elite team. They were kept aside for the most difficult and important work and were based with him, in Scotland. The terrorists were his cannon fodder and as long as they completed their simple tasks, he did not care what happened to them.
Reaper carefully selected 50 terrorists for each of the four other camps by taking into account their beliefs, allegiances and any other confrontational issues. One camp was located in Idaho and was designated Team Idaho and accordingly, he created Team Zimbabwe, Team Colombia and Team Syria.
Reaper packed his case and made sure all the traps he had set around the cottage were armed. Should anyone attempt to enter the cottage while he was away, they would meet their maker prematurely and in several thousand pieces. He was flying to London and then on to Beirut to meet his two Lieutenants and eight Team Leaders. They would be responsible for the camps and ensure that his orders were followed to the letter.
He caught the early morning flight from Glasgow to Heathrow and then boarded the 13.10 Middle East Airlines flight from London to Beirut International. One of his identities was that of a retired Lebanese army officer. He sailed through Customs and Immigration without so much as a second glance. He had a Hummer waiting for him outside and made the hour long journey into the mountains of Faraya, a beautiful and tranquil spot where he could conduct his business in peace. He checked into the Intercontinental Hotel and awaited the arrival of his team, drinking a beer on the terrace which, to his surprise, overlooked ski runs. It appeared to that Faraya was a luxury ski resort, the last thing he expected to see in Lebanon.
Over the next twelve hours, the Lieutenants and Team Leaders arrived and checked in for their supposed International Sales Conference which was scheduled to start the following morning. The conference started at precisely 9.00 a.m. and the men masqueraded as the International Sales Team for Deccan Ltd. They met in Conference Suite One which had been swept for bugs and declared clean by one of the more technical members of the team.
His two lieutenants were to be his right-hand men, Pieter and Leo. Pieter had been a Major in the South African Special Forces. He was known for his brutality and support for the apartheid regime. He was instantly relieved of his duties when Nelson Mandela was elected President. The only reason he avoided prison for his crimes against South African citizens was due to a tip-off which had given him an hour’s head-start. He escaped to Europe, changed identity and became a hired gun, commanding similar monies and status to Reaper. Although there was no doubt in either man’s mind as to whom was best, a scar across Pieter’s face was a permanent reminder. Reaper had recognised a kindred spirit on a previous mission and had spared Pieter’s life. From then on, Pieter had the utmost respect for Reaper and Reaper remained the only man whom he had ever feared.
The second lieutenant, Leo, was of significantly less physical stature than Reaper and Pieter but just as deadly and even more brutal. He had a passion for torture and slow, painful deaths. If a client wanted to exact everlasting revenge or extract information, they would call on him. It was said that a number of his victims were still alive and living in such pain that they would rather have died. Leo’s intelligence bordered on genius and it was for this that Reaper had called on his talents.
His Lieutenants had been picked because they were the best. The eight Team Leaders were chosen because they too were among the best but also because they had particular backgrounds. For example, Kevin and Erich were very white, very blond, had shaven heads and numerous tattoos, including swastikas and were both ex Special Forces. They were perfect for the Idaho camp housing predominately white supremacists and Nazis.
The next two Team Leaders were Muhammad and Fadi and would be responsible for the camp in Syria. Again they had been chosen for their backgrounds and characteristics and would command respec
t from the terrorists in Syria. Both were ex-Special Forces, one from Saudi Arabia, the other from Pakistan.
The Zimbabwe camp was to be looked after by the largest black man Reaper had ever seen, named Leroy. He was seven feet tall, made of solid muscle and commanded respect from his appearance alone. He was joined by Mark, a significantly smaller individual who had spent years fighting in the Middle East. Again, they were both ex-Special Forces and their backgrounds would command respect from their group of terrorists.
The camp, in Colombia, was the most difficult with the largest number of factions. For that camp, Reaper resorted to money and fear. They would be paid significantly more for their services and would be commanded by two of the scariest Team Leaders, in the same league as Leo and Pieter. Andrej was Serbian and had avoided war trials through luck alone. He had been a key member of the Arkan Tigers and was personally responsible for thousands of cold blooded murders during a period of ethnic cleansing. Reaper was not scared of him but he certainly sent a shiver down his spine. Marco was Italian and fearless. He was not the biggest man by any stretch but would happily fight somebody twice his size. He was also the dirtiest fighter which, added to his fiery temper, meant that he fought a lot and rarely lost.
Reaper started the conference with brief introductions and over the course of the day introduced each of the Team Leaders to their objectives and responsibilities. The training camps would be operational as of the next day and the mission would begin five weeks later.
Once all the Team Leaders had left, Reaper turned to Pieter and Leo.
“OK, now I’ll cut the bull. You guys need to know what is really going on.”
“Yeah, I thought something was missing. You don’t spend $20 million dollars on what we’ve just covered,” replied Leo.
Reaper explained the plan in detail but left out various key points. He trusted these two men more than anyone which was enough for most of the detail but not all of it.
“Bloody brilliant!” exclaimed Pieter.
“Genius,” said Leo.
Reaper had one more thing to do before he went to sleep. He took out his coded mobile and made a call.
“Well, how was it?” barked the client.
“Very good. Excellent, in fact. Everything’s coming together nicely.”
“Good,” responded the client.
Reaper sensed the phone was about to hang up.
“Don’t hang up. I need to discuss one point with you.”
“What?”
“I’m having difficulty in one area and it’s costing significantly more than I expected. The soldiers at the school are proving rather greedy and costing me much more than I’d originally planned.”
“How many do you have now?”
“I have twelve on side, four of course are down to you but I need at least twenty and would prefer twenty five.”
“How much?”
“$10 million.”
“Fine.” The phone went dead, discussion over, no pleasantries.
Chapter 25
One week later
Rachel burst into Tom’s room.
“What time is it?” came a drowsy and agitated voice.
“It’s 7.30,” answered Rachel.
“What? In the morning?”
“Of course! Now come on, we’ve got lots to do.”
“Please just let me sleep.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, you start your new school today, now come on…UP!” demanded Rachel.
Tom knew his mother well and when her tone changed to the don’t mess with me tone, he stopped arguing and got up.
The last four weeks had been a blur, Tom having spent almost every waking hour in the simulator. Jacques had been delighted with his progress and had jokingly mentioned to Donald that he was better than some of his colleagues.
Rachel and Lela had spent the four weeks shopping, Rachel even taking time off work to help. Tom had thanked God for the simulator otherwise he would have been dragged along too. Saki, however, had not been so lucky. Tom never thought he had seen Saki look so depressed. When Tom had asked him what was wrong, he had expected him to say that he was upset at Lela and Tom going away but he hadn’t. He just said ‘bloody shops I can’t stand them’.
Donald had been working so hard they had hardly seen him as he worked through the detail of the IBC acquisition.
Over 6,000 miles away, the twins were making their final preparations. Their targets would be arriving soon and their orders stated that the targets should never be out of their sights. They had spent the last three weeks planning for their arrival. They had dug out camouflaged hidey holes everywhere to ensure that their surveillance of the targets would remain a secret.
Reaper sat in the cottage looking over his plan for the thousandth time. That day would see the start of the next phase of the operation. He had secured the services of the twenty five soldiers he wanted on the island. This was in addition to the four already recruited by his client. Intelligence had already been flowing in from the island and target surveillance would soon be received for the first time.
Tom finished packing his hand luggage and made his way down to what would be their last family breakfast for a while.
“Morning,” he said as he entered the kitchen and was met with a half hearted response. The mood was subdued, everyone was upset at the prospect of not seeing each other for some time. Tom broke the silence, the 10.00 a.m. departure was playing on his mind.
“Dad, why are we leaving so late? We won’t land at the school until after midnight local time, it doesn’t make any sense.”
“I agree, but Sam Mitcham was very clear that these were the timings. He wouldn’t let us use our own plane, for security reasons. So I’m afraid it will be a late arrival.”
“Well I just hope they know what they’re doing. I would’ve left at 6.00 a.m. and been there for dinner but hey,” he had resigned himself to the schedule but still thought it was strange.
“Come on Tom, it’ll be fun no matter what,” said Lela.
“Yeah, yeah, I know.”
“Can we travel in the helicopter with them?” asked Saki.
“I don’t see why not,” replied Donald.
The talk around the table was drowned out by the sound of helicopter blades whirling on the lawn, whipping up the fallen autumn leaves.
“That’s weird,” said Tom.
“What’s weird?” asked Rachel.
“It’s a US helicopter,” he replied as he watched the monitor display the helicopter landing on the helipad.
“It’ll just be because Sam Mitcham arranged it,” said Donald. “Come on, eat up and let’s go.”
They finished their breakfast and headed to the helipad. Their luggage had been picked up the previous night and sent on ahead. They boarded the helicopter, Tom explaining the type and key performance statistics as they buckled into their seats.
What happened next surprised every one of them. Instead of heading South East to the airport, they headed South West.
“This is not the normal route to the airport, where are we going?” asked Donald as he tapped the pilot on the shoulder.
“I’m afraid that’s classified Sir,” came the response.
“Where are we going Dad?” asked Tom.
“I don’t know but don’t worry, I’m sure everything’s fine.”
Saki, overhearing the conversation, moved to the front of the helicopter and asked the Pilot again where they were heading. The pilot sensed that Saki was not an individual to be messed with and so added more detail to his previously obtuse response.
Saki made his way back and informed the family.
“We’re heading to an airfield that used to be called RAF Machrihanisch. It’s now used during the week as an airport for commercial flights. However, during the night and at weekends, it remains a military base.”
“Why are we going there?” asked Tom.
“He says it’s because they need the long runway. It’s supposedly one of the long
est runways in the UK.”
“OK,” said Tom, confused. Glasgow could handle every type of aircraft in production including the A380.
They landed next to a hangar in what appeared to be a deserted airport. As soon as they got out of the helicopter, it took off immediately, dipped its nose and raced off into the distance.
“Donald, what the hell’s going on?” asked Rachel, becoming increasingly concerned.
“I’ve got no idea,” said Donald who looked across at Saki who was poised and ready for whatever came at them.
Thirty seconds later, a Colonel appeared from the hangar.
“Good morning,” he said.
“Good morning. What the hell’s going on here?” snapped Donald.
“A little treat, courtesy of our former president, Mr Mitcham, with the blessing of our current President of course,” responded the Colonel.
Met with quizzical looks, he thought it best to move the group inside.
“Perhaps it would be easier to explain inside,” he said as he motioned them into the hangar.
As they walked into the hangar, none of them were ready for what they were about to see. In the centre of the hangar, stood an airplane but it was no ordinary airplane. They had seen nothing like it. Its wings were so swept back that it looked like a rocket lying on its side. The fuselage was made of a metal so shiny that it looked like a cylindrical mirror. There were no windows and apparently no openings except for two tiny portholes at the front.
“What is it?” asked Saki.
“I think I know,” said Tom hardly able to contain his excitement.
“If you make your way on board, you’ll see,” said the Colonel.
“How do we get aboard?” asked Donald.
Instead of answering, the Colonel nodded in the direction of the aircraft and an invisible seal opened and a door and steps dropped to the ground.
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