by David Khara
Jackie was quietly watching Eli and Eytan. They looked like they were up to something. Something terribly bad, judging by their smiles. Avi, meanwhile, was grilling Jeremy about his stay in the trunk.
“I’d be careful if I were you,” the bookseller warned. “You’re next on his list.”
“Thanks for the heads up. But don’t worry. Eli’s brother has already given me a good spanking,” Avi replied. “He really put me in my place. I’m still embarrassed.”
Jackie badgered him for the details of their encounter with the infamous Frank Meyer. Avi happily complied. He recounted the adventure with a great deal of embellishment and kept her entertained until Eli and Eytan interrupted the one-man show.
“We need your brilliant insight, Dr. Lafner,” the Kidon agent announced.
He brought them up to speed on all the details gleaned from the stolen H-Plus Dynamics documents. Eytan shared the questions that had arisen from the revelations. Avi excitedly soaked up the data. At the end of the presentation, he closed his eyes for almost a whole minute. He exhaled as he opened them again.
“I’ve got an idea, but I need a computer to see if my theory is correct,” he said.
“Here, take our key card and go get our laptop,” Jeremy said. “Our room’s closer.”
“I’d love to, but I’m not that kind of guy,” Avi responded as he headed toward his own room.
“What are you talking about?” Jeremy asked.
“I’m not into threesomes,” Avi hollered back before breaking into laughter. He disappeared around the corner of the building.
When she saw the pissed-off look on her husband’s face, Jackie began giggling. She knew what Jeremy was thinking. But really, Avi wasn’t a jackass.
~ ~ ~
Avi sat down at the computer to begin his Internet search. The first link confirmed the doctor’s suspicions, and the following ones only reinforced them. He closed the private-mode browsing window and rejoined his companions in the parking lot.
“Don’t worry, guys. The Consortium’s not counting on a war. There’s no need.”
“Finally, some good news,” Jeremy said. “But don’t leave us hanging. Spit it out.”
“Flesh-eating bacteria. Bone cancer. Vascular disease. Diabetes.”
“I thought you had some good news,” Jeremy said.
“Sorry, Jeremy. We’re onto something here. But it’s not good news. These are leading causes of limb loss in the United States, and the incidence is rising. Thousands of cases of bone cancer are diagnosed every year. Many of those patients require amputation. And we’ve all heard about flesh-eating bacteria. Sometimes amputation is the only way to stop the progression of an infection.”
“This is where it can get very scary. Eytan, you, Eli, and I know that the Consortium has been up to its elbows in the development of biological weapons. It’s conceivable that the organization could see a bright future in unleashing flesh-eating bacteria on all of us just to sell more prosthetics.”
“But let’s leave that out of the equation for the moment and just look at diabetes. At present, more than 350 million people around the world are afflicted with diabetes. That figure is expected to rise to 592 million by 2035. With those numbers, you could easily call it a pandemic. And it’s developing at an incredible speed, with obesity rates on the rise and lifestyles becoming increasingly sedentary. In the US alone, nearly thirty million people—almost ten percent of the population—are diabetic. That’s not counting the undiagnosed cases. Just think about all the money the Consortium stands to make on this population.”
“It’s all that junk food,” Jackie said. “One of my uncles lost a toe because it’s all that he eats.”
“When you think about it, the strategy’s brilliant,” Jeremy said. “I’m sure the Consortium is up to date on pharmaceutical treatments for diabetes, as well as cancer and bacterial infections. They could easily thwart any new approaches, buttressing the foundation for their market.”
“And right now, the Pentagon is financing all the research and development,” Avi agreed. “The military is always on the hunt for the latest combat technology. It’s an ingenious scheme, for sure.”
“While they’re at it, the Consortium’s jumping at the first opportunity to tell the military about Eytan and his unique condition,” Jackie added. “Most likely to get rid of him, because he’s a threat. Just look at what he’s already accomplished. I don’t know this Cypher character, but the guy runs a tight ship.”
“The irony is that they’re not doing anything that’s against the law by developing prosthetics and making them available to the military,” Eli said. “Sure, it’s morally questionable. But I don’t see anything illegal about it. They can do it right out in the open.”
~ ~ ~
A stone-faced Eytan listened to his teammates as they debated Avi’s conclusions. The pieces of the puzzle were falling in place with merciless clarity. Since the Bleiberg affair and his discovery of the Consortium, his own fate had become entangled with the secret organization’s. Jackie had no idea how correct her assessment was. Cypher was an intelligent, manipulative, and formidable opponent. Most of all, he was a villain. The kind that any good fighter wound up facing sooner or later.
Eytan wondered if he would ever break free from the hellish bondage he had been in since childhood. Would he forever be someone’s guinea pig? First Professor Bleiberg, then Karl-Heinz Dietz, Cypher, and General Bennington. In his past life, Eytan Morgenstern had been the plaything of a group of fanatics. Now he was battling white-collar criminals backed by extremists with the means to satisfy their thirst for power and world domination.
A question began forming in his mind. His cold-blooded enemy was always one step ahead. And more important, Eytan was sure there was a larger objective behind the vendetta against him and his closest friends.
“Your analysis is a good one,” he said, breaking into the conversation. “By placing Bennington and his commandos in my way, Cypher knew there’d be a showdown between us. He also knew that I’d have to eliminate Bennington to protect Jackie and Jeremy. If I fail, if I fall into their hands, we know what they have to gain. Research conducted on me would allow the military to improve the performance of its future soldiers. But if I succeed, would that really hurt the Consortium? Or might that give them an advantage? Why would they put their perfectly legal operations at risk?”
“I understand your concerns,” Eli said. “But we have to do something. We have to get our friends away from this seething wasp nest.”
“I hate not having choices.”
“I don’t want to sound selfish, but Jackie and I would like to get back to our quiet little life,” Jeremy said. “The Consortium, the Marines, the White House—all this is too much for us to handle. I don’t think we have the wherewithal to take on Cypher’s hidden agenda.”
“Jeremy’s right,” Jackie insisted. “Whatever he has in mind is way over our heads. Let’s just finish with Bennington. If other problems arise, we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. And Eytan, I miss my baby girl.”
“We could take care of everything if I secured your safety by turning myself over,” Eytan said.
“You really consider that an option?” Jeremy said. His tone was icy.
Eytan silently acknowledged the tension but chose to return Jeremy’s angry stare instead of acquiescing. He could see Eli waving off Avi, who seemed ready to intervene.
“You think we would actually stand by and allow you to hand yourself over to those people?” Jeremy continued. “You know what, Mr. Mossad? Screw you!”
“Excuse me?” the giant shouted. He wasn’t used to this kind of treatment from people he considered his friends.
“You’re such a moron!” Jeremy fumed. “You can threaten to throw me into that trunk again all you want, but that won’t stop me from saying what’s on my mind. Let me ask you something. Do you like wearing those blinders?”
“What?” Eytan couldn’t believe what he was heari
ng.
“You may be a strong guy, but your skull is empty!”
Eytan saw the stunned faces all around him. But Eli was actually cracking a smile.
“Now you’ve gone too far. I...”
“Oh, I’m just getting started. You can be a huge jerk sometimes. Just own up to it, and accept the fact that the other people here have feelings too. We’re in this mess because you always insist on shutting everyone else out. And why’s that? Because Mr. Tough Guy is too scared of getting attached to anyone, of having any kind of real relationship.”
“Come on, Jeremy. I don’t need any lectures right now. Listen, I was just offering...”
“What you’re offering is a huge crock of shit,” Jeremy yelled.
“A hypothetical,” Eytan corrected. He closed his eyes to cool down and explain himself.
“Well, it’s a dumbass hypothetical.”
“The five of us can’t take on a base filled with expertly trained and fully equipped Marines. The only way to get to Bennington is to give me up. Well, at least pretend to give me up. You believed it. They’ll believe it.”
“Huh?” Jeremy let out, looking sheepish. “So that’s your plan?”
“I like you all a lot, but not enough to go back to being a guinea pig. You understand, don’t you?”
“Uh, yes. Of course...”
“Let me explain what I’m thinking,” Eytan told his teammates before turning back to Jeremy. “As for you, my friend, one of these days, you and I are going to have a little chat about blinders and empty skulls.”
Over the next fifteen minutes, Eytan detailed his strategy for the coming battle.
“Our success rests solely on expert coordination. We’ll synchronize our watches just before taking action. Everyone understand what needs to be done?”
They all nodded.
“Okay, back to the car. Bennington and his men won’t be making it to sunrise.”
Chapter 40
Poland, spring of 1943
For the first time since the bombing that had killed his wife and children a few months earlier, Janusz felt completely lost. His temptation to go and see if Cecylia and Bohdan were all right was at odds with his caution and the need to protect his men.
Vassili was right. Janusz could not run the risk of getting caught. He would put an entire section of the Armia Krajowa in danger if he broke under torture. What’s more, his capture would be a huge blow to the morale of his troops and fellow countrymen. The more his influence and reputation had grown, the more the Bear understood that there could only be victory or death for him. That was why he never left the camp without a grenade in his pocket.
Honor had always guided his actions, but he bitterly realized that whatever he did now, he would be disloyal—disloyal to the Jablonskis if he abandoned them without even trying and disloyal to Eytan if he sent him into the trap. And yet, if anyone could handle the assignment, it was the boy with the shaved head. Janusz had watched him throughout his training period. The kid excelled in everything and could handle workloads that were well beyond the capabilities of the strongest men in his group. Further, he had a knack for every style of combat. Simply put, he had surpassed his instructors. And the Bear was convinced that Eytan was hiding the real extent of his superior skills. Why, he didn’t know. But the facts spoke for themselves.
These certainties, as well as the telling tattoo on the kid’s forearm and his mysterious notebook full of chemistry equations had Janusz convinced that Eytan was the one member of his group who should never fall into the Germans’ clutches.
“We’re leaving,” he decided with a heavy heart.
“There’s movement in the barn!” Eytan warned.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. I can see men in uniform through the cracks in the barn siding. At least three of them.”
“Can you get a good shot?”
“Negative. There’s too great a risk of missing and attracting attention our way.”
Vassili signaled Eytan to climb down from the tree. He moved closer to Janusz, who was stroking his beard.
“We could turn the trap around on them,” the Siberian proposed.
“I know what you’re going to suggest,” the Bear said. Already, he wasn’t keen on the idea.
“So you know it could work,” Vassili continued. “Eytan and I climb onto the roof. We go in through the hayloft. Once we’re there, we jump down on them. By the time they realize what’s up, they’ll be dead. Meanwhile, you’ll be covering us from outside. In and out. Over in a minute.”
“That’s running a lot risks, all to wind up killing how many soldiers? Three? Five? Ten? If Bohdan and Cecylia are in the barn, they could get killed too.”
“And what do you think will happen to them if we do nothing?” Eytan intervened. “Let’s give this a shot. I know you’re dying to try it too.”
“Thanks for putting in your two cents, kid, but you don’t win a war by acting on whims. You do what needs to be done.”
Eytan, however, refused to give in. He looked to Vassili for support.
“The Bear is right. A leader who acts on his whims is no leader,” Vassili said, seeing the disappointment on Eytan’s face. “But trying to do something for these people, who are our friends and allies, is no whim. We don’t have a choice. We’re disobeying orders!”
“I’m forbidding you.” Janusz said.
“You’re not going to stop me,” Vassili said, giving Eytan a nod and starting toward the barn. “If you don’t approve, you can always shoot me in the back.”
Janusz quickly grabbed his rifle. It was now his duty to cover these two pigheaded men as they slunk off. And even though he was angry as hell, he couldn’t help smiling. He actually admired the initiative of these two renegades. In the end, it made his job that much easier.
~ ~ ~
Eytan and Vassili quickly made their way from the woods to the barn. Eytan was in the lead. When he got to the structure, he hoisted himself on a pile of wood stacked against one of the walls. He started climbing. At the top, he used his arms to raise himself up, and without making a sound, he swung his legs onto the roof. Crouching, he silently made his way to the opening and looked inside the barn. His partner joined him half a minute later and questioned the boy with his eyes. Eytan made a fist with his left hand and then opened it up to reveal five fingers—the number of soldiers he had detected. He pointed to three men sitting together and then pointed at Vassili. The Siberian agreed without saying a word. Using the same sign language, he told Vassili that he would take care of the two other targets, who were leaning against posts in the barn. The Siberian propped his machine gun against his back and took out his hunting knife. Eytan did the same with his hunting knife.
The two shadows slipped into the barn and stretched out in the hayloft. On their stomachs, they crept slowly, like two snakes.
Eytan had almost made it to the end of the hayloft. Once directly above the targets, he stopped and winked at the Siberian, signaling the attack.
In perfect synchronization, the two resistance fighters leaped. Vassili landed full force on the shoulders of his first victim. The man let out a gasp that sounded like a balloon rapidly losing air. The soldier Eytan pounced on had no time to react. Determined to avoid repeating his past mistakes, the young man had carefully calculated his strategy for breaking his opponent’s neck in one clean snap.
The element of surprise worked like a charm. The German soldiers were not only caught off guard, but also unprepared for savage hand-to-hand combat, because they hadn’t been trained for it. Eytan stabbed his second target straight in the heart. His move was strong and blunt. His task accomplished, he pivoted toward Vassili just as the latter slit the final soldier’s throat. The man dropped to the ground, choking on his own blood.
In fifteen seconds, five men had taken their last breaths without making the slightest yelp.
“Good work, kid,” Vassili congratulated. “Strike hard and don’t look back. That’s it in a n
utshell.”
“I think I got it.”
“I want to know something. When you murdered those guys who fled the convoy assault, did you enjoy it?” the Siberian asked as he wiped his blade against the jacket of one of the dead soldiers.
“No, I was hoping it would make me feel better, but it didn’t,” Eytan replied.
“That’s a good thing. Killing an armed and hostile enemy—that’s war. Getting pleasure from it is twisted. I remember the face of everyone I’ve killed. It’s a heavy weight to carry around, but if you don’t, you’re not human. Don’t ever forget that, kid.”
“Will do,” Eytan promised before pointing to the open hatch where the Jablonskis kept their hidden reserves. “That’s why the Germans set up their trap here.”
Eytan approached the ladder the couple used to get into their hiding place. He aimed his gun at the opening and leaned in. He felt the blood drain from his face when he peered inside.
“What?” the Siberian asked.
“See for yourself,” Eytan said, looking away.
Vassili approached and looked into the dark space. Bohdan and Cecylia were lying lifeless in a revolting mix of dirt and dry blood. While the old farmer’s face was still recognizable, his wife’s was a deformed mass of swollen flesh.
“Fuck!” the Siberian shouted before spitting at the closest dead soldier. “They’re lucky to be dead.”
“Yeah, because for them, this war is over,” Eytan agreed.
“Let’s get outta here,” Vassili advised.
~ ~ ~
Karl-Heinz had planned his strategy to the last detail. After spotting the approach of the resistance fighters, he deployed his men along the edge of the forest so that they could watch over as much land as possible. Four shooters situated in the center and on the right were covering the house. Four others positioned on the left had a view of the barn and the barnyard.
Reinke was anxiously pacing back and forth and fidgeting with his cap.
“There’s no reason to be worked up at this point,” Karl-Heinz said, observing the barn through his binoculars. “Your soldiers are already dead.”