by Jack July
The skinhead didn’t answer, so T shot him in the knee. He fell screaming. T asked again, “Have you seen this man?”
“Yes, yes, I’ve seen him.”
“Good. Tell me about him.”
“He’s real short, he buys drugs.”
“What kind of drugs?”
“Meth, he likes meth.”
“Does he buy it from you?”
“No, but I have seen him.”
“Who does he usually buy it from?”
“I don’t know.”
T raised her weapon again and he nearly shouted, “Rudolf, in the old town, Rudolf! He’s the biggest dealer!”
“Do you know where this man lives?”
“No, please, no.”
T raised her weapon and shot him in the other knee then said, “You wouldn’t lie to me would you?”
He writhed on the ground screaming. Tatiana said, “I can’t hear you.”
“NO NO NO, I DON’T KNOW, PLEASE GOD I DON”T KNOW!”
“Okay, thank you,” said T. The man continued begging and pleading. Elle wondered: what if they had been just two lost tourists? Would begging and pleading have helped them? Would the attackers have been gentle with the robbery, assault and probably rape? She concluded that they would not. T looked over at Elle and gave her a nod. Elle drew her weapon and shot him between the eyes. Elle is completely detached from Amy thought Tatiana, as the action as well as the idea of killing was starting to feel natural to Elle.
They stepped out of the alley and Tatiana gave the signal to Cody. He pulled up and they got in. “Old town, move it.”
November 27th 1:30 pm
Long Cai eased the van into a garage on the outskirts of Berlin. He transferred his things to his black Mercedes, opened the side door of the van and removed the lid. Kristy was still sleeping soundly. He placed her on the back seat under a blanket, then dug between the seats for the middle seatbelt. He placed it gently around her and snugged it. He didn’t want her hurt in an accident.
Sanjay headed straight for international waters. According to his GPS he was only moments from crossing the line. He watched a crewmember clean the blood from the deck on the bridge. He couldn’t figure out who those women were. They were so beautiful, and yet so evil. Even though the day was cold and the sea a little rough, he opened a few portholes to enjoy the fresh salt air. He had been sure he was going to prison and then, mysteriously, was given a second chance at freedom. He decided to change his life and start over. He would ask his girlfriend to marry him when he got home. He would visit his mother and father and yes, he would return to church.
What he couldn’t see, 300 ft. below the surface and five thousand yards to his port side, was the fast attack nuclear submarine the USS Alexandria.
The executive officer, Commander Rand, spoke across the bridge, “Sir, sonar reports one target, single screw merchant, 20 knots.”
Captain Nelson ordered, “Sound general quarters.”
Hatches were closed and the crew hurried to battle stations, but all quietly, SOP in the silent service. Nelson ordered, “Helm take us to PD Periscope Depth.”
The helmsman responded sharply, “PD, aye, sir.”
Crew leaders reported in, everyone and everything was buttoned up.
The helmsman crisply maneuvered the submarine then snapped back, “PD, Sir.”
Nelson hit a button, silently one of the periscopes rose and he swung it to the direction of the sonar contact. He peered through it for a minute.
“XO, take a look. Is that the MV Constantinople?”
Rand stepped up and looked through the eyepiece. “Confirmed. That is our target.”
Nelson brusquely ordered, “I need two Mk. 48s in the tubes.”
Rand repeated the command and the torpedo room replied quickly when the torpedoes were loaded in tubes one and two.
“Exec, let’s set this up sneaky. We will use wire guidance for as long as possible and keep the sonar off.” Nelson said with a mischievous smile.
Rand whispered back, “Sir, why? That rust bucket would never hear us coming even if we broadcast a Motley Crue concert.”
Nelson stopped smiling, “Call me paranoid but there might be other ears listening. So we will use wires, not use top speed, and program the torpedoes to passively home. I do not want them or us broadcasting one ping.”
Rand nodded his head but was still not totally on board. The captain’s creativity was on display, and he was not finished. “One more thing. Since we have plenty of time on the torpedoes, spread them out to attack from different angles.”
Nelson peered through the periscope one more time. When he said, “Mark,” Rand wrote down the bearing. Speed of target, distance, heading, and bearing of sub to target were then entered and programmed into the torpedoes.
Rand responded, “Torpedoes set, Captain.”
Nelson said, “Sonar, any change in target’s course or speed?”
“Negative Captain.”
Nelson looked over to Rand and said “Exec, carry out the attack.”
With shock and surprise Rand responded with “Sir?”
Nelson gave a small smile. “Assume I am incapacitated. This is training any XO would love to have.”
COB shrugged, and the tension in the attack center lightened just a bit.
Rand nodded and announced “All right, let’s do it by the book. Weapons, torpedoes ready?”
WO replied, “Torpedoes ready.”
Rand ordered, “Flood tubes one and two.”
WO barked “Tubes flooded.”
XO glanced at the Captain who is now standing with the navigator at the plot table. “Open outer doors.”
WO replied, “Outer doors open.”
Rand looked to Sonar and asked, “Any change?”
Sonar responded, “Negative.”
“Skipper?” Rand looked to Nelson waiting for the command to halt the drill.
Captain Nelson held up the orders of the President in front of Rand’s face and said, “Carry on.”
Glances were exchanged in the attack center when Rand got it together and said, “Weapons, fire one.” There was a very slight shudder from the impulse launch.
WO barked, “One away.”
Rand commanded, “Fire two.” Another brief shudder.
WO barked, “Two away.”
Two Mk 48 ADCAP Mod 6 torpedoes streaked away at a speed of 30 knots trailing guidance wires. The first torpedo angled away fifteen degrees from the submarine’s course. Second torpedo angled fifteen degrees in opposite direction. One thousand yards from the submarine, still under wire control both torpedoes were turned toward their target.
WO updated with, “Both torpedoes nominal.”
At a range of one thousand yards in a preprogramed maneuver the wires were cut and the Mk 48s fell back to their on-board CPU and passive sonar. The slowly turning blades of a merchant ship were child’s play for them to lock onto. The sonar operator pulled his earphones off as the clock reached the estimated time of impact. He kept one earpiece loosely held up to one ear. “Stand by for impact.”
Sanjay, feeling the need to pray, reached into the drawer by the helm for Captain Bastos’ Bible. It was the last thing he ever did.
CHAPTER 46
November 27th 2:30 P.M.
They arrived in old town, which was actually quite nice with high-end restaurants next to exotic dance clubs. The buildings featured old European architecture, as this was one of the few neighborhoods spared by the bombings in WWII. “Where would one find a drug dealer around here?” asked Elle.
“Probably in one of those clubs. Here’s something for you to remember. Do you know who would know everything about what goes on here?”
“Who?”
“Taxi drivers. Cody, stop here.”
Tatiana
and Elle walked to a taxi stand. Tatiana stuck a 20 Euro note in a shifty-looking cabby’s pocket, left her hand in his pocket long enough to make him smile, and said softly and seductively in German, “I need to find Rudolf.”
The driver reached in his pocket and pulled the note out just far enough to see what it was. He smiled and said, “Prince Eddie’s.”
She winked at him and walked away. “Okay, let’s find Prince Eddie’s.”
They found the club and paid the cover charge. Tatiana noted that security tight. A waitress approached and Tatiana ordered a martini, Elle a bourbon and water. They asked for Rudolf’s table. The waitress pointed to a short but chubby black man in a very expensive suit sitting alone in a long padded half-booth facing the stage. He was chair-dancing along with the music. On stage, beads of sweat dripped between the breasts of the porcelain skinned beauty, her red hair cut like Betty Page while her perfect young body skillfully pulsated to ‘Can’t Get You Out of My Head’ by Kylie Minogue. Elle made coquettish eye contact with the dancer. They shared a smile. Tatiana caught it and asked, “You like that?”
Elle retuned a coy little smile and a half shrug. Tatiana thought good, her morals are gone.
Elle scooted in on one side of Rudolf and T the other until they had him sandwiched.
“Hi handsome,” said Elle.
“Americans. Well, hello,” Rudolf said in a Jamaican accent. “What can I do for you?”
Elle placed Cai’s picture on the table and said, “We are looking for this man. He goes by Mr. Lew.”
Rudolf looked at the picture and said, “Sorry, I don’t know him.”
Tatiana shook her head and said, “Look, Rudy. Can I call you Rudy?”
Rudolf nodded and said, “You may.”
“Rudy, his real name is Long Cai. His father is the Chinese ambassador to Germany. Cai has brought great shame to his family with his drug use. We have been hired to find him and get him in rehab. By helping his father, you can help yourself.”
Rudolf was putting two and two together in his mind. That would explain the diplomatic plates on Lew’s Mercedes. Rudy smiled and said, “Tell me how I help myself?”
“Well, not only is Cai’s father the ambassador, but he also runs the European division of Chinese intelligence. You know, spies, assassins… It’s a poorly kept secret. Anyway, when he finds out you have been selling his ONLY son drugs, well, poor Rudy.”
Elle chimed in with, “Poor, poor Rudy.”
“We need to find him as soon as possible. He has a secret place he goes. Not his apartment but another place. Do you know where that is?”
Rudy thought about talking. He made himself a good living by keeping his mouth shut. But, if they are telling the truth… “I do not know where he goes. He comes to see me. I can’t help you.”
T sighed a heavy sigh and said, “Okay, expect a visit from Chinese intelligence. They are not as nice as we are.”
Elle nodded and said, “Poor, poor Rudy.”
They started to get up and Rudy, in a borderline panicked voice, said, “No wait, I’m telling the truth, I do not know.”
Tatiana stopped and sat back down. “Tell us what you do know.”
“I see him once a week, usually here, that’s all.”
“What does he drive?”
“His black Mercedes, tinted windows and diplomat tags.”
Elle asked, “Who does he meet, any friends?”
“No, he is always alone. Except for the parties he throws at his apartment. He has Mexican friends, many of them.”
Tatiana looked at Elle and nodded, “Okay, thanks Rudy.”
They got up as the waitress approached with the drinks they had ordered. She said, “Twelve Euros.”
Elle and T looked at Rudy, and he said, “I got this.”
They smiled and on the way out the door, Elle dropped a 50 Euro note on the stage as Elle and the young dancer shared a final moment of mutual admiration. Tatiana caught it and thought, If that’s what Elle wants… Tatiana asked Elle, “Do you think he is telling the truth?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Why?”
“The Mexicans.”
“Anything else?”
“He had nothing to lose and everything to gain.”
“I agree. This is the job, what we just did in there is the job. We usually do not kill everyone. What did we learn that is useful?”
“What he drives and where he isn’t.”
“Good enough. Let’s see what Danny has.”
Danny picked up the phone, “What do you have?”
“I’ll give you a few more addresses, we’re still waiting.”
“Times up, we need to make something happen.”
“I’m working on it.”
“Cai is driving a black Mercedes, diplomatic plates, tinted windows.”
“Do you have the plate number?”
“No.”
“There are dozens of those in Berlin.”
“Shit, I know. Do what you can.”
“You got it.”
T hung up and Danny asked Edie, “Do you think you can call them and see what they have? We will take anything.”
Edie dialed, said a few things in German, hung up and said, “We have a problem.”
“What?”
“They all went home.”
“They did WHAT?”
“They are union. We cannot make them stay.”
“Don’t they know—”
Edie interrupted, “No, they do not, the mission is classified.”
“Oh no, God no.” Danny thought for a moment and said, “Anyone? Do you know anyone? College professor, history book authors, prison inmates, anyone?”
“I’ll call Asa. She’s the base commander’s secretary.”
Edie spoke in German while Danny sat and stared. She finally hung up and said, “The General uses Atila Kis.”
“The maintenance guy?”
“Yes, that is his hobby. He is an historian.”
“Why didn’t he just tell us?”
“Because we did not ask the right questions.”
“Is he still here?”
“He lives on base, he has his own house on the property. I will call him.”
Cai pressed a button and a small garage door opened next to the three much larger ones. He drove in. The space inside the rectangular shaped building was a massive 45 yards wide, 120 yards deep and three stories high. A large crane still spanned the ceiling from side to side. Its wheels like a train rolled on steel rails from one end of the building to another. Catwalks ran along the walls on both sides.
Cai drove slowly over the broken concrete floor. On each side of him were large cast iron machine tool bases of different shapes and sizes twenty to thirty feet apart; bases that once held lathes, broaches, horizontal and vertical mills but now were stripped clean leaving only the cast iron tombstones from a long-gone industrial war machine.
He continued to the back where on the left side a two-story office space occupied a corner. Years earlier Cai had arranged for the floors to be cleared and converted to seventy by forty foot open spaces. The second floor held a luxurious open-concept studio apartment. The first floor contained a well-equipped movie studio. At the rear of the studio a twenty by twenty foot area, blocked by privacy curtains, held a perfect little girl’s bedroom.
Cai unbuckled Kristy and carried her up the outside steps to the second floor. He laid her on the couch, stepped to the kitchen counter, snorted two more lines of meth and drank another beer. He watched her sleep from across the room. He focused on her hair and thought, how long and golden. Just like Cassidy’s.
November 27th 4:00 P.M., The White House
“Ma’am, Sec Def on line one.”
“Yes, David.”
“Ma’am, target destr
oyed.”
“Thank you David.”
The President hit a button on her phone and said, “Stevie.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Need a meeting with the Joint Chiefs to discuss expectations.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
CHAPTER 47
November 27th 4:30 P.M.
Edie pulled up the hall camera and watched for Atila so she could meet him the door. She smiled, gave him a little hug and said, “We really need your help.”
Atila replied in German “If I can.”
“We need to read you in on some classified stuff. Are you okay with that?” said Edie.
Atila smiled and said, “I’ve spent ten years working in a place that doesn’t exist.”
Edie nodded and said, “Okay, well, here it is.” Edie broke down exactly what was happening and what they were doing, and what they wanted from him.
Danny and Edie had quickly constructed a map of Berlin and the surrounding area, placing red dots on the forty-four Chinese owned industrial addresses. They went through them one at a time. When Atila would point to a place where he believed that type of industrial activity had taken place, they would cross-reference the address to the telephone directory and see what was there: a long and tedious process. When they would find a probable place, they would dispatch T to the building to check it out. Time was running short.
Atila looked up to the northeast corner and saw three dots side by side. “You know what that is?” asked Atila with a smile.
Edie looked and waited, “That’s the V-1 and V-2 engine factories. That’s where they machined and built the parts for the V-1 pulse engine and the V-2 rocket engine. The Chinese own those?”
“Yes,” replied Edie.
“That’s sad. Some of Germany’s greatest technological advances were made in those buildings. You know, when I was a young man…”
“ATILA!” Edie shouted, “Kidnapped girl? Are those valves in those buildings?”
Atila nodded and said, “Several.”
Edie input the addresses into the computer and came up with nothing. Usually there would be something, some reference, but there was nothing. “Okay, Danny, call T, have her stop what she is doing and get to those buildings.”