Devil's Guard- The Complete Series Box Set

by Eric Meyer

  “A little further along the track there’s a path that branches off and leads to the hospital,” Helene told me. “There shouldn't be any problem getting in there unseen.”

  “I hope so,” I replied.

  “Karl-Heinz, Private Fuchs, leave your heavy weapons here. It's pistols only, I'm afraid. I don't want any of the locals to see heavily armed troops in the area, so try and be discreet.”

  “We're always discreet, Jurgen,” Vogelmann laughed.

  “Keep it that way then,” I told him. “Good luck, men.”

  They set off back to the main track and headed in the direction of Dong Khe. We sat around and chatted quietly. There was little else to do until they came back, and hopefully with some useful information that would help us to reach Cao Bang safely and complete our mission. In the distance, I could see the hills that led to the Chinese border, less than fifty kilometres away. It was a beautiful area. The Nung people were horticulturalists, and the regions around Dong Khe and Cao Bang were covered in the evidence of their rural lives. The terraces were carefully tended with a variety of crops and unusually, hundreds of ponds they used for a fairly advanced form of fish farming.

  The importance to the Viet Minh of this area could not be underestimated. There was no doubt they would be imposing heavy taxes on foodstuffs to the local people, which they would in turn use to sustain their guerrilla armies.

  The more I thought about it, the more anxious I became. They wouldn’t leave such an important strategic reserve without strong defences. As the hours dragged by, I wondered if I should send a couple of men to find out what had happened to them. I went to speak to Manfred Kessler, but before I could order him to get ready to leave, Helene returned with her two escorts. They also had with them a young woman, wearing traditional Nung costume, resplendent with the silver jewellery that they loved to display.

  “Good news,” Vogelmann said.

  “The old priest was a veritable mine of information. It seems that the Viet Minh have turned the whole population into virtual slaves. Their property has been confiscated and turned over to the party for feeding the troops. In return, the Nung are allowed to live on the land and continue to work it. They absolutely detest the communists and can't wait to see the French impose some sort of order on the place.”

  “Who is the girl?” I asked him.

  "Her name’s Pham, and she’s related to the priest. She occasionally goes to Cao Bang to buy jewellery and knows the area very well. She’s volunteered to come with us.”

  “Manfred, why the hell would she offer to come with us on a military mission? She could get killed.”

  “She knows the risks, Jurgen. Her brother was conscripted by the Viet Minh to help them carry their supplies. When he refused to go, they made him kneel down and then put a bullet through his head in front of the whole family. She wants to do something to hit back at them. Believe me, Pham is totally committed to us.”

  I wasn't happy about taking an unknown civilian with us. It was enough that we had Helene Baptiste with us, but at least she was French and had been held captive by the Viet Minh. We had no doubts about her loyalty. Pham may well be the genuine article, but there was really no way of knowing.

  “Does she speak any French?”

  “Pham speaks French fluently,” Helene said to me. “She also, of course, speaks the native Nung language, so she’ll be very valuable to us.”

  I looked at her. She was a pretty enough girl of about twenty. Helene was quite correct. With her local knowledge and ability to speak Nung, she could indeed prove to be very valuable. If, on the other hand, she was not genuine, she could be the instrument of our deaths. In the end, I agreed she should come with us but told Friedrich Bauer to put the word around that she was to be watched very carefully and not trusted, at least for the time being.

  “Pham,” I called to her. “How long will it take us to reach Cao Bang, and do you know of a route we can take that’ll keep us off of the main track?”

  “If we take the path over the hillside, we can reach Cao Bang in about two hours, Sergeant.”

  “Are we likely to meet anyone on that path?”

  “No, no, I don’t think there’ll be any Viet Minh in that area.”

  “What about civilians?” I continued.

  “I don’t think so, no, no civilians.”

  I wasn’t totally convinced by her replies. Dong Khe and Cao Bang were big areas and surrounded by a large number of farms and settlements. Still, I accepted that we had to give it a try on the basis of what she said. I gave the orders, and we put on our packs, picked up our weapons and left for the final stage of our journey.

  We’d only travelled for a few hundred metres along the track towards Dong Khe before Pham directed us to yet another small path that led into the hills. I kept up a hard pace, wanting to arrive at Cao Bang before nightfall. Within three hours, just as dusk was falling, we were approaching the outskirts of the town. The path ran past a waterfall, a natural beauty spot Pham assured us was rarely visited by the Viets. We made camp there by the side of the lake, just under the waterfalls and out of sight of any casual passerby. I set out pickets and then sat to eat an evening meal.

  The food was fairly unappetising, consisting of the last of our dried food, supplemented by some rice and pickled vegetables we’d taken from the prison camp. I asked Pham what she knew about Cao Bang.

  Certainly the whole area had been central to the communist uprising, and in 1950, Ho Chi Minh and Giap managed to gather enough forces in the area to defeat the French and take control. Outside Cao Bang, there were several cave systems, many of which had been used by the communists as barracks in which to keep troops hidden from the French.

  “The communists are in full control of the town, Sergeant. For the peasants, there is no life. They force us to work for them, and everything that we make or grow is heavily taxed. If anyone protests, like my brother, they are killed.”

  I didn't want to give her any idea why we were in the area. It would be best if she thought we were purely on a reconnaissance mission.

  “Do you know where the communists have their headquarters?” I asked.

  “Certainly, they’ve taken over a building in the town, but the men in command stay in a villa which is outside of the town. It has been overgrown by the jungle since it was abandoned by the French many years ago, so it’s impossible to see from the air, but everyone in the village knows where it is. Many of us have to go and work there for the communists, and I’ve been there to clean and to take food for the kitchens.”

  I was itching to ask her the million-dollar question. Was Giap there? But it was impossible without giving away the object of our mission. I finally drifted off to sleep, lulled into a relaxed state by the sound of the water cascading down the waterfall.

  I woke up before dawn and gathered the men to prepare for the final stage of the journey. We were about to enter the tiger’s lair, the holy of holies of Ho Chi Minh's chief executioner, Nguyen Giap; the supposedly military genius and certainly the architect of the Viet Minh victories over the French the year before. Not only that, our mission was to either kidnap him if that was possible, or as seemed more likely, assassinate him and then escape with our lives.

  What had seemed like a distinct possibility in the safety of the barracks in Hanoi now seemed to be virtually impossible. We had no idea how many troops were stationed in the area, but it was known to be a training and supply centre for several of the Viet Minh chu lucs, the main battle formations that Giap sent against us in set piece attacks. I asked Pham if it would be at all possible to approach the villa where the senior officers lived without being seen.

  “Yes, Sergeant, I think it should be possible, but it depends on the number of patrols the communists have out. Sometimes the soldiers go away, and the area is fairly quiet. At other times there are many soldiers, and we hear much shooting around the hills and the jungle. I think they must be training. Although I live in Dong Khe, I haven’t seen many s
oldiers there lately. So yes, there is a good chance. I can definitely lead you on a path through the jungle that will avoid the checkpoints.”

  “Tell me about these checkpoints, how many soldiers guard them, and what sort of weapons do they carry?”

  Pham looked perplexed.

  “I'm sorry, Sergeant, I don't understand. They carry rifles like you do, and there are usually three or four soldiers at each checkpoint.”

  “And how many checkpoints are there likely to be around the villa?” I asked her.

  “I honestly don't know,” she said.

  “I don't usually look around when I go to the villa. I just do my work and leave as quickly as possible. Would you like me to go and find out?”

  “How on earth could you do that? If you were caught, you would be killed.”

  She looked me straight in the eye.

  “What you need to understand, Sergeant, is that these vermin killed my brother just because he wouldn’t help them. I would do anything, anything at all, to drive them out of my country. The communists have already driven the Nung people out of China, and many of us settled here hoping to live a normal life. Now they have come here too. Many of our people have fled once more to the south of the country around Saigon, but there are still many more of us who would just like to be left in peace. Anything I can do that will strike a blow against the communists will help bring about the time when we can once more live normal lives.”

  It was an impressive speech. I began to have more confidence in her and to understand the horrors that had driven her to want to take such chances. Certainly, Mao Tse Tung’s communists had treated the Nung harshly after the revolution, and now they seemed to be suffering the same fate here in their new home of Indochina. Perhaps with a few more like Pham, the communists would think twice before they tried to take over the whole country.

  “What excuse would you have to go there?”

  “That’s not a problem, Sergeant. Apart from food and weapons, one of their main requirements is a supply of whores. If I pretend to be going there as one, they will not question me.”

  It was a fearful dilemma. On the one hand, the intelligence she could gain from going to the villa would be priceless and could make all the difference between success or failure of our mission. On the other hand, if they caught her, she would be killed. But if she was a traitor... well, that would be the end of us. She could sell us out to the communists and earn a substantial reward for her treachery.

  I called Friedrich Bauer over, and we walked off to discuss it. In the end, I agreed that she would go and pose as a whore to find out what kind of odds we would be up against. We also decided, in the interests of our safety, to move our camp once she’d left so that if she did sell us out to the Viets, they would only find an empty camp when they came looking for us.

  Pham departed for the officers’ villa. We gave her ten minutes then packed up the camp, clearing the area as best we could to hide any evidence of our being there, and moved off over the hill where we could wait for her. Armand and Renaud took up a position where they could keep an eye on our old camp and watch for Pham returning. Our new camp was in a deep bamboo thicket and difficult to approach, except for a narrow channel we’d hacked through. The insects gave us hell, and we spent three miserable hours covering ourselves with ointment and using every means possible to drive them away. Even so, by the time we heard a quiet call from Armand to announce their return, we were covered in insect bites and more than pleased to be able to move out. Pham was with them, but her appearance was terrible. Her face was covered in bruises, her clothes ripped, and her eyes wide with fear. Helene rushed out to her.

  “My dear, what happened to you?” she asked her.

  “Pham, did they catch you?” I added.

  “No,” she replied bitterly.

  “They didn’t catch me. I offered myself to them as a whore for money. At least, that’s what I told them. But they weren’t interested in paying. They took me to the villa and held me down while they took turns raping me.”

  We were all silent. War was brutal, and this particular war in Indochina seemed to be characterised by far more brutality than most. Even on the Eastern Front, where the behaviour of the troops took barbarism to new levels of depravity, I couldn’t envisage our senior officers kidnapping and then gang raping a young girl; some of the ordinary troops of both armies, perhaps, but the senior officers? No, never. It was a sober reminder to us all that the enemy we were dealing with was like nothing we had dealt with before.

  I spent some time questioning Pham about the route to the villa and the layout inside. It was a typical French plantation villa on two floors. There was a huge lounge in the downstairs area that the occupants used as a kind of officers’ mess. There were also kitchens and other staff quarters on the ground floor. Upstairs were the bedrooms, and apparently, there were about ten of them for the senior officers.

  “If you go now, Sergeant, you would certainly find them unprepared. Most of them are currently entertaining their whores,” she said bitterly.

  It was time to ask the only question that really mattered.

  “Pham, do you know if Comrade Giap is at the villa? Do you know who I mean?”

  “Yes, I know him,” Pham replied. “He’s a very cruel man, and he treats us worse than any of the others. When I was leaving, one of the guards was dragging two girls into the house, and I overheard him say that they were to entertain Comrade Giap,” she shuddered.

  It was the best possible news we could hear. If we could grab Giap, or kill him as a last resort, everything else would be worthwhile.

  “How many guards are there around the villa, inside and out?” I asked.

  She thought for a moment.

  “I think there are about eight of the Nung people acting as servants to the Viets, but as for soldiers, I would think about fifteen to twenty. I'm sorry I cannot be precise.”

  “No, no, you’ve done very well, Pham. While we make the attack on the villa, you must stay here with Helene.”

  “I wish to come with you, Sergeant. I want to have vengeance for my brother. If I can kill some Viet Minh, it would be as much as I could ask from this life.”

  “Have you ever killed a man, Pham? Killed a man close-up, with a knife, when you can look him in the eyes and see him breathe his last breath? Is that what you want?”

  “Yes, Sergeant, that’s what I want.”

  She took out a knife, a wicked looking knife that she had probably used recently for finely chopping vegetables and slicing fish.

  “I have my knife. Please take me with you so that I can use it.”

  She was adamant that nothing less than payment in blood would be sufficient revenge for the execution of her brother. I decided to let her come with us. She could kick up a fuss if I tried to make her stay behind, and besides she could be very useful as a guide to take us on the last stage of our journey. The villa was only a thirty-minute hike away, so we prepared our weapons as best we could and waited for dusk. We all rubbed charcoal over our faces to make it more difficult for the Viets to see us coming, but I hoped to catch them all unawares.

  Finally, dusk came down, and Pham led the way towards the villa. I ordered Helene to walk near the back of the group. I would have preferred not to take her with us, but leaving her alone was not an option. For the first time, I began to regret my decision at allowing her to come along.

  We all had our weapons ready, but I made certain they weren’t cocked. It only needed one random shot to bring a division of Viet Minh troops down upon our heads. I called for Corporal Dubois to come to the front.

  “Corporal, you’re the best man in the Foreign Legion with a knife. You know what needs to be done?”

  “Yes, Sergeant Hoffman. You want me to go ahead and dispose of the sentries without making any noise.”

  “Good man,” I acknowledged him. “Wait for my order.”

  There was some light coming through the jungle canopy. It was almost a full moon, bu
t luckily the sky was very cloudy, so we didn’t have to worry about bright moonlight betraying our positions. But it was enough light for us to see where we were going. Pham held up her hand, and we all came to a stop and crouched down. I edged forward and could clearly see the Viet Minh house through the trees. It was an isolated structure surrounded by several outhouses and a wire fence. There was a gatehouse at the entrance to the compound with a lifting barrier across it. Next to the barrier, a guard was standing quietly smoking, talking to someone else who was just out of sight.

  The men crouched down, waiting in the darkness. Apart from the usual jungle noises, everything seemed quite. A little music was coming from the villa, and someone had a radio or a gramophone playing. I turned to Corporal Dubois.

  “Dubois, you can take Renaud with you, go now. Remember, no noise.”

  “Yes, Sergeant. Xavier, come here.”

  Renaud came forward, another North African who was as familiar with using a knife as blowing his nose.

  “Yes, Corporal.”

  “You take the guard standing by the barrier, and I’ll go for the other one that we can’t see. Keep it quiet, there may be others in the guard hut, and we’ll need to deal with them too.”

  The two men crept quietly forward, and soon they were lost in the gloom. Suddenly, a figure appeared next to the guard I could see. There was a slight movement, and the Viet guard was dragged into the guard hut. I heard the beginnings of a cry that was quickly stifled, and then silence. After a few minutes, Dubois and Renaud came out of the hut and reported back.

  “All clear, Sergeant. There was just one other guard in the hut, but he was half asleep, so we put him out of his misery. The bodies are all out of sight.”

  “Well done. You all know what to do, let’s go.”

  We slipped into the grounds of the villa and past the now deserted guard hut. I posted two guards to watch for any new arrivals, and the men followed me into the building. Pham was with me, together with Vogelmann. A door opened in the hall, and a Viet servant came out. He opened his mouth to shout but dropped to the floor as Dubois’ knife whistled across the room, burying itself in his throat. I nodded to the Arab corporal who grinned back. I signalled at four of the men to take the ground floor rooms, and the rest of us crept quietly up the stairs. We found ourselves on a long, spacious landing, with a dozen doors leading off of it. Friedrich Bauer and Dubois silently entered the first room. There was a slight sound, and they came out.