Counterblow

by Ethan Jones

  Still, he tried every five minutes or so.

  Nothing.

  He searched the horizon, then crawled to another position at the dune facing southeast, toward Al-Qudin. There was a narrow hard-packed sand trail that connected to a couple of dry riverbeds and a series of backroads that eventually turned into Highway M-20. He wasn’t expecting any vehicles coming from that direction, but it would be remiss of him not to cover the entire perimeter.

  He repeated his maneuvers for about forty minutes, occasionally looking at the progress the team was making. The drone was now in the clearing, a few meters away from the trucks, standing on its landing gear. Wu and Keung were working around it. They had wrapped black tarpaulin around the headlights of the Nissan, so that the beams would focus just on the drone and not signal their presence.

  Chen and Li were using the hood of the Nissan truck as their command center. They had laid out two laptops in rugged cases along with several devices. Chen had tried to explain to Javin the exact procedure, but it was way over his head. He didn’t need to know how it worked, only that it would work when needed.

  He looked at his wristwatch. It had been fifty minutes since the team began their work. He was getting restless, but there was no point in shouting at them. Javin could see that they were doing their best to get the drone up and running. He just needed to be patient a little longer…

  Just past the one-hour mark, Chen shouted at Javin, “Hey, come here…”

  He gave a last sweeping gaze at the horizon, in the direction of the American base, then walked back. He stood next to the team as Wu and Keung gave him a tired, but triumphant smile. Wu lifted his glasses to the bridge of his nose, then mopped his sweaty brow. “One hour, and it’s ready.”

  “Perfect, you guys are awesome,” Javin said. “Is it linked to the satellite?”

  “Not yet. We’ll be visible once I tap this button.” Chen showed Javin his twelve-inch tablet.

  Javin glanced at the dark screen. “What am I looking at?”

  “The drone’s camera. It’s black because of the night, and since it’s pointed there.” Chen gestured with his hand to a spot in the sky. “See, let me zoom in.” He tapped a key on one of the laptops.

  Javin looked at the screen change to an interface with square crosshairs and dual axis to the left side. Numbers and figures appeared at the top, continually changing, following the camera’s movements. Javin peered and saw the camera trying to focus on a star glowing brightly in the distance. “Okay, I see. And the tracker? How do we follow that?”

  “I can’t pull it up on the same screen. Fang tried, but we can’t do it, at least not right now. But you can see it here.” Chen pointed at the second laptop.

  Javin looked at the faintly lit screen. It showed a satellite view of the American base and a pulsating yellow dot. “Still stationary?”

  “Yes. It moved for a bit a few seconds ago. Look, it’s moving again.”

  “How did we get this view?”

  “Fang penetrated a Chinese military satellite. We don’t know how long we can use it, but for now, it works.”

  Javin looked at the screen as the dot continued to move along the interior of a long building that looked like barracks. When it came near the door, Chen tapped a couple of keys, and the view changed. Javin looked at the dark silhouettes of three people, then he lost them, but for the yellow blinking dot. “What happened? Where did they go?”

  “Let me do this…” Chen said.

  He adjusted the contrast, turning the background a light gray. The three silhouettes reappeared and climbed into a vehicle with bright headlights. They were carrying rifles, and one of them had a rocket-propelled grenade launcher. Chen tapped the keyboard and darkened the screen, to show the shape of a Jeep.

  Javin said, “That’s better. That’s four men, including the driver.”

  “That’s our target,” Chen said.

  Javin nodded. “It is.”

  The Jeep drove through the yard of the base, passing by buildings and other vehicles. Some of the buildings were well-lit, others in total darkness, so that their outline nearly blended with the dark background. Javin noticed perhaps a dozen or so other silhouettes, then a couple of them opened the gate, and the Jeep zipped through, leaving the base behind. The yellow dot kept flashing, like a tireless firefly.

  “They still have the phone,” Javin said.

  “So, we’re positive it’s them?” Li asked in a doubtful voice.

  Javin looked at him, leaning over the laptop. He was holding a joystick, which Javin assumed would serve to control the drone.

  “It’s the only confirmation we’ll get,” Javin replied.

  He didn’t like the uncertainty surrounding the targets. The Pentagon, the CIA, and other countries carried out routine drone strikes based on even less intelligence. A few months ago, a US drone strike in the Nangarhar province in Afghanistan killed at least thirty pine nut farmers and wounded another forty. None of them had anything to do with ISIS, the supposed target of the attack.

  Intelligence from the American NSA, the National Security Agency, confirmed that most lethal drone strikes took place based on electronic surveillance of cellphone data and tracking technologies rather than human intelligence. Other times, drones targeted a location, a gathering place, like a café or a safehouse, rather than specific individuals.

  Javin couldn’t have that on his conscience.

  He walked closer to the drone and inspected its formidable payload. The CH-4B was equipped with two Lian Jian 7 laser-guided, air-to-surface missiles and two AR-1 anti-tank missiles. The latter was the Chinese equivalent of the US Hellfire missile. The Jeep wouldn’t stand a chance against even one of them.

  “Let’s get the bird up.” He pointed at the drone. “And see if we can get clearer images.”

  Chen shrugged. “I doubt it. It’s dark, and this isn’t state-of-the-art—”

  “Let’s try, but keep it as far away as you can, so we’re not detected.”

  Chen shook his head. “We can’t have it both ways.”

  “Try it, okay?”

  “I will, sure,” he said in a resigned voice.

  Javin stepped away from the drone as Chen began to type on a series of keys. A loud buzzing sound filled the air, coming from the two-blade propeller at the back of the drone. Nothing else happened, and Javin looked at Li. He tapped a few keys on the laptop closer to him, then held on to the joystick. The drone rolled onto the hard-packed sand and took off in a matter of seconds.

  Javin glanced at the laptop’s screen, showing the view from the drone’s camera. The image was grainy and somewhat blurry. Li moved the throttle connected by a wire to the laptop, then tapped the keyboard. The image grew lighter and became clearer. The top of the dunes became visible along with the road below.

  Javin looked at the other laptop. The Jeep was driving on a dirt road, leaving a trail of gray dust behind. He gestured at Chen and Li, and said, “Place the drone over the Jeep.”

  “Here are the coordinates,” Chen gestured at the bottom of his screen.

  Li entered them, then said, “Okay, we should see the Jeep in a few minutes. They’re still ninety-five, no, ninety-four kilometers away.”

  Chen said, “They’re heading east, toward Al-Qudin.”

  Javin nodded. “As expected.”

  Li said, “So, we put the Jeep within striking distance from the drone. Then we open fire?”

  “No, we need to confirm the targets’ identity.”

  “How?” Chen asked.

  “What if we can’t do that?” Li said.

  “We’ll have to. We’ve got to find a way…”

  He looked at the two Chinese drone operators’ startled faces and sighed. I’d hoped it wouldn’t come to this. But that’s why you can never fully trust a drone. It’s always good to be on the ground…

  Chapter Twenty-three

  Five Kilometers Northwest of Makhban

  Syria

  The drone followed t
he Jeep for the next twenty minutes. Chen moved the bird up and down, keeping it at a safe distance from the Mossad team. The drone had a service ceiling of 8,000 meters, but the camera could produce good-quality images only at a closer range.

  Chen dropped the drone down to about 1,000 meters and tried various angles, but Javin still couldn’t make out the faces of any one of the supposed Mossad operatives. They still had the phone, so the electronic signature was there. And they had left the American base at Al-Zkuf after arriving according to schedule. They were traveling in the direction of the village where the Iranian target was having his meeting. And there were still four silhouettes in the Jeep, armed with rifles and a grenade launcher. Everything matched up.

  Still, Javin had an unsettled feeling sizzling at the pit of his stomach. It felt like he was making a mistake. Is it because I’m running an unauthorized op, or is there something else?

  He wanted to be absolutely convinced that he wasn’t going to send a barrage of missiles into a group of innocent civilians. Besides the overwhelming guilt he was going to experience, he’d lose the advantage of surprise and the missiles.

  “Boss, this is as close as I can get, or they’ll notice us,” Chen said in a low, worried tone.

  Javin glanced at the tablet in his hand, which mirrored one of the laptop screens. The feed from the video showed clearly the four silhouettes. But he couldn’t be a hundred percent certain it was the four Mossad agents who were responsible for Yael’s death in London.

  “Boss,” Li said. “We’ve got to make a decision.”

  Javin nodded and looked at the bottom right corner of the screen. A square box with Chinese lettering was the firing button. One tap, and the Lian Jian 7 missile would scream toward the Jeep. It had a 1.5-meter accuracy, so even if it didn’t strike the Jeep head-on, the operatives in the vehicle would be killed or gravely wounded.

  His finger hovered over the button.

  “We’re in position,” Chen said. “All you need to do is tap there.”

  Javin drew in a deep breath.

  A moment later, he said, “Let’s wait.”

  “For what?” Chen and Li asked almost at the same time.

  “We need to confirm their identity.”

  “This is all we’ll ever know. The tracker, where they came from, where they’re going…” Chen’s voice took on an impatient tone, and his face twisted into a frown.

  Javin sighed. It was the moment to make the tough decision. He laid the tablet on the Nissan’s hood and turned toward Chen and Li. The other two members of the team were standing farther back. “Look, guys, I don’t want to kill innocent people. I know the likelihood of someone else being in that Jeep is very slight. We’re probably right; these are our targets.”

  He paused for a brief moment. He hadn’t told them the targets were Mossad operatives. They didn’t need that information to carry out their tasks. When Li had asked, Fang had told him these were Syrian rebels who had killed one of Javin’s partners.

  “So, why wait then?” Keung asked from the back.

  “What if I’m wrong? What if these are Americans who borrowed the phone?”

  “Why would they do that?” Wu said.

  Javin shrugged. “Have you never borrowed someone’s phone?”

  Wu nodded. “Many times.”

  “Well, that might be the case here. And they’re driving down the road now, same as other cars. We’ve seen at least ten other vehicles.”

  Chen nodded. “I see your point,” he said slowly in a disappointed tone. “And I also see where you’re going with this.”

  “Where’s that?” Keung asked.

  “I have to be absolutely certain. We’ll need visual on the target.”

  “What? That’s crazy.” Keung shook his head.

  Javin nodded. “Agreed, that’s why I can’t ask you to come with me.”

  “What? You’re going after them, alone?” Wu gestured with his hand to the left, in the direction of the narrow trail among the dunes.

  “I have to. Or we’ll have to abort the mission, or risk hitting the wrong target.”

  “You’re crazier than I thought.”

  Javin smiled. “Maybe I am. Anyway, I’ll take this,” he cocked his head toward the tablet, “and the Nissan. You guys can get in the Iveco truck and peel—”

  “No way,” Chen said. “We can’t let you go there by yourself…”

  “To your death,” Keung said.

  Javin sighed. “I’ll be fine. I’ll stay at a safe distance—”

  “No such thing,” Chen cut him off.

  “And once I have visual confirmation, I’ll launch the missiles.”

  Chen cursed, then stepped closer to Javin. “I’m going with you.”

  Javin shook his head. “I can’t ask you to risk your life for me…”

  “We already are.” Chen gestured with his hands. “We did the moment we said ‘yes’ to Fang.”

  “This is different. This can get you killed.”

  Chen shrugged. “Everything can get us killed. A virus can get us killed. Plus, you’re not asking me to do anything. I want to go with you.”

  Li stepped forward. “I’m going along as well.”

  Javin nodded. “Thanks, guys. You’re the best.”

  Chen looked over his shoulder at Wu and Keung.

  Wu was shaking his head, while Keung looked away.

  Chen turned around and walked to Wu. “Are you coming with us?” he asked in a firm voice, which to Javin sounded like an order rather than a question.

  Wu seemed to think about his answer. He didn’t speak for a long moment, then said something in Chinese in a low voice. Javin didn’t need to know the language to read the visual clues: Wu’s slumped shoulders, his hesitation when saying the words, and his avoidance of Chen’s face.

  Chen shook his head, then began what to Javin sounded like a berating.

  Wu replied in almost the same tone and rapid pace, shooting his words as fast as he could.

  Chen got into Wu’s face and started to wag his finger.

  Wu threw up his hands and began to turn around, but Chen grabbed him by the shoulders. Wu spun on his heels and gave Chen a forceful shove.

  Javin stepped toward them. “Okay, okay, knock it off, stop it.”

  He got in between the two Chinese men and pushed them apart. He turned to Chen and said, “What’s that all about?”

  “He’s a coward, afraid like a mouse.”

  “I’m not a coward, stop saying that.” Wu shouted.

  “Quiet, be quiet, both of you. Someone will hear us.”

  Wu stepped closer to Javin. “I’m not a coward. I came all the way here, across two continents. But I don’t know how to shoot. I can’t be of any help. I will cause more harm than good…”

  “You can watch our back, or drive,” Chen shouted back. “You can do that…”

  “Quiet, okay?” Javin whispered to Chen in a firm voice. The CIS operative turned to Wu. “I understand. I won’t force you to come with us.”

  “Sorry,” Wu said in a low voice and looked away.

  “Don’t worry about it.”

  He turned toward Keung, who offered a headshake. “I’m a hacker,” he said slowly. “That’s all I can do.”

  “No, you can still help,” Chen shouted.

  “Hey, what did I tell you?” Javin said. “Get those laptops in the truck so we can go. Now!”

  Chen looked menacingly at both Wu and Keung, then said something that sounded like a curse to Javin. He thought he recognized the word “muqin,” which was “mother” in Chinese.

  Wu bolted toward Chen, but Javin stopped him by grabbing his arm. “Leave him, okay? Just take the Iveco truck and go, both of you. Go now, while you still can.”

  “I’m sorry,” Keung said.

  “Don’t be. You were both a great help. We wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you.”

  He pulled out one of his phones and handed it to Wu. “My contact’s number is here. Go to th
e village of Tayadin and wait just outside the gas station at the northside. Remember it? We drove by.”

  Keung nodded. “I remember.”

  “Okay. If we’re not there in an hour, call my contact and ask her for help. Got it?”

  “Yes, thank you.”

  “No problem.”

  He tapped both men on the shoulders, then walked to the Nissan. Li and Chen had gathered all the equipment necessary to pilot the drone and track its movements. Javin got behind the wheel and, when the other two were inside, started the truck.

  He drove along the trail as Li exchanged a few heated words with Chen.

  Javin shrugged and didn’t interfere. Once they get it out of their systems, we can find out if those men in the Jeep are really Mossad operatives…

  Chapter Twenty-four

  Two Kilometers South of Al-Qudin

  Syria

  For the next fifteen minutes, Javin drove the Nissan in the direction of the village that was expected to be the Mossad team’s destination. Li operated the drone, keeping it always hovering over the Jeep. Chen helped Javin navigate in the right direction, staying away from trails that the Jeep might take. The Mossad operatives didn’t appear to be too concerned about encountering any checkpoints and kept to the main road.

  Aren’t they afraid they might be stopped? Or could it be that they aren’t Mossad?

  Once in a while, Javin glanced at the tablet and looked at the image of the Jeep arrowing forward at a seemingly steady speed. Then his eyes would move to the firing button. He had thought more than once to tap it and unleash a torrent at the target. Even if they weren’t Mossad agents, they weren’t exactly innocent. They had come out of a US base and were armed to their teeth. There were very few innocents, if any, in this lawless land.

  But he couldn’t do it.

  I don’t want to live with it.

  When the Nissan came near Highway N4, Javin drove through the same dry riverbed trail they had taken when they arrived. They skirted a couple of villages, driving along their westside along semi-desert lands. They passed by houses sunken in darkness, then they stopped and found a secluded place behind one of the houses fronting the highway.