Angels Don't Die (Madeleine Toche Series Book 2) (15 page)

“I want us to keep to the inland roads, there will be fewer eyes on us there,” Madeleine said to Jack.  Most of the traffic stays on the coastal roads because that’s where the farms and villages are. Al Lubnani’s compound is on the edge of the southern desert.”

“We must be getting close then. There’s a lot more sand and crumbled rock on the side of the road,” Jack said, as a steady breeze blew fine particles of sand across the roadway.

“We need to find the secondary road that skirts the desert alongside the compound.  The map I’m looking at doesn’t name the road, it’s just a narrow line on the map,” Madeleine said.

“It looks like many of these roads aren’t named,” Jack said.

“That must be it there, Jack,” Madeleine said, pointing to a narrow dirt track that led off to the left.  Jack put the vehicle back in gear and pulled back out onto the highway, Karen fell in behind him.

  Once they left the highway the road was narrow and rutted.  Like many countries with desert or inhospitable regions, many of Israel’s cities clung to the coast or were located in the more fertile regions.  A short distance from the main highway they stopped seeing other vehicles altogether as they drove away from the city of Ashdod in search of the compound.  Theirs were the only headlights on the road.

          Karen pulled over behind Jack as he drove off the road in the direction of a stunted desert palm, at the edge of a scattered outcropping of jumbled rocks that clung to the side of larger hill.  Jack stopped on the far side of the rock, concealing the vehicles from any traffic on the road.

             
Stretching, the four of them gathered around the hood of Karen’s Land Rover.  Madeleine handed out four identical maps, while John turned on a small battery powered lamp that gave off a dim light and set it on the hood.

“I’m sure you have the layout of the compound in your mind’s eye, but when things heat up you may want one of these,” Madeleine said. “There’s another map taped under the back seats, and a backup radio.  Remember, if you get separated, we’ll use the town we just passed as the rallying point.  If you think I’m in trouble, don’t come after me. I have to be able to move without worrying that you might be placing yourselves in additional danger.  If I get captured or killed, I expect you to find Tracy,” Madeleine said to each of them in turn, pausing, waiting for any sign of hesitation, especially from Jack. They each held her eye and nodded their agreement. “As we planned, Karen will remain here with her vehicle.  John will make his way back here on foot, once his end of the mission is complete.  Jack will drive the three of us closer to the target and position himself for a fast retreat.  John, make sure you leave yourself plenty of time to get to Karen.”

“I will.  On my way back, I’ll stop behind that pile of rocks over there,” John said pointing towards one of a series of small rock formations that abutted the bottom of a gradually slopping hillside. “I’ll hold off any counter attack that comes from that direction.”

“That’s it, we all know our jobs, let’s go do them,” Madeleine said.

             
“Toche, don’t get killed or captured,” Jack said, reaching out and pulling her close.

             
“You’ve said that to me before, MI6,” Madeleine said. “And remember, angels don’t die.”

             
“Yes, but I don’t recall getting a kiss that time,” Jack said, turning towards John and Karen, who were engaged in their own whispered embrace.

             
“If he’s there, bring him back, John,” Madeleine overheard Karen say.

             
“Carrying my shield or on it,” John said smiling, trying to put Karen at ease, speaking the ancient admonition of Spartan lovers, wives and mothers as their men left for war.  He and the others got into Jack’s vehicle and moved slowly away.

             
As soon as she lost sight of Jack’s vehicle, Karen started her Range Rover and drove it in a small semi-circle positioning the front in the direction of the road. She kept the engine idling according to plan.  There was little chance that the low idle would be heard.  Karen stepped out and opened the back door in search of the two shotguns that lay under the seat.  John had familiarized her with the 12 gauge, and she pulled it out first.  It was fairly standard but had an extended magazine.  She had a dozen shells in there.  She checked the safety and operated the slide.  It was ready to go as fast as she could pull the trigger.  She had no doubt it was in the best operating condition possible. She reached down to remove the second gun and recognized it even in the scant light the moon afforded.  It was her Remington automatic Wingmaster model 397 from home.  The magazine had been extended, but it was the gun she’d used hunting for the last 20 years.  She couldn’t help but sigh.  John must have expected  that she might need to fight and he wanted to make sure that if things went south, the last shotgun in her hands would be her own. 

             
“You wonderful crazy man,” she whispered to herself as she moved slightly away from the vehicle, her shotgun in hand and the radio slid into her dark jacket.  Madeleine had told her to conceal herself but to stay within a quick sprint of the driver’s door.  If the vehicle was spotted, she would still have a chance to get away, particularly if the vehicle was fired on by a portable rocket launcher.

             
Jack shut off his Range Rover behind a rock outcropping that commanded the area immediately above the oasis.  There were buildings scattered within a walled area surrounding the house.  To the back of the compound, a hill rose to the north.  The buildings were slightly more than half a mile away.  The main house was modern, and two of the buildings were concrete. The majority of the compound was paved, except for a strip of grass that circled the main building. 

             
“Nice little man-made oasis he has here,” Jack whispered.

             
“There must be Russian money backing this compound.  The house looks expensive,” Madeleine agreed.

             
“I’ve been focusing on my position and they don’t seem to have any men on that hill,” John said incredulously as Madeleine and Jack trained their night vision binoculars on the top of the hill.

             
“They either feel safe hiding in plain sight or don’t know any better,” Jack said in agreement.

             
“Either answer is fine with me,” Madeleine added sliding her glasses into a small case, strapped to her side.  “That means fewer sentries to take out.”

             
“It could be mined,” John said.

             
“I’ve been hearing the tinkle of goat bells in the distance,” Jack said.  “They range freely and would undoubtedly trip a mine at some point.”

             
“We’ll stick to walking on the rocks.  That should help if it is mined,” Madeleine suggested.  “I asked Hartmann about that and he didn’t believe they would lay mines. Al Lubnani holds himself out to be a legitimate businessman.  It wouldn’t do to blow up a few Bedouin shepherds and their sheep, for that matter.”

             
“Then let’s get started,” John said picking up the canvas bag holding the fifty caliber machinegun and his Kalashnikov.

             
Madeleine picked up the bag that held the tripod for the heavier gun and many rounds of ammunition.  She placed it onto her shoulder and walked towards the hill.

             
Jack stood and watched as the two combatants walked towards the high ground overlooking the compound.  The men inside had no idea what was coming their way.

Madeleine and John climbed the hill from the rear and found a clear area behind a trio of large rocks that provided cover and freedom of movement. They worked in silence as they set up the equipment.  John gave Madeleine a quick nod, signaling that he was ready.  They both stopped and looked down the hill at the back of the compound.  The gun had been rigged to fire automatically and cover his escape if necessary. Madeleine pointed to her watch and then turned and moved down the hill. As he watched her progress down the hill, John could see some perimeter guards, but they too were too close to the building to effectively prevent a skilled and determined intruder.  He would have staggered his men to provide layers of defense.  Here if attackers got through there was no second line of defense, only armed men fighting in a house, which creates the advantage of cover for the enemy as well as oneself. 

             
Madeleine moved down the slope away from John’s position and slightly to the right, careful not to present a silhouette as the moon was directly behind her.  Although it was not full, it provided more light than she would have liked as it shone through the cloudless desert sky.  She watched her footing on the irregular slope, keeping an eye out for snakes and scorpions.  The desert had its own poisonous creatures.  Tonight she was one of them.

Two men stood smoking on the terrace that ran the length of the rear of the house.  She would start there.  Her plan was to attract the attention of the guards towards the rear of the main building thus providing her with access around the front and towards the barracks located on the left of the compound.  That would be the main diversion.  She intended to gain access to the main house and the basement.  If there were cells holding men, they would be located under the main structure where they would be easily accessible and defended.

             
Madeleine drew one of her silenced pistols crouched and moved forward; using whatever cover she could to get within range of the two men on the terrace.  A couple of vehicles had been parked adjacent to the position the men held. She used the closer of the two to hide behind as she made her way towards the guards.  The two men were at opposite ends of the terrace, both near a short flight of stone steps that provided access.  Madeleine hid in the shadows, flattening her body against the concrete wall.  She froze as she heard the plodding footsteps above, listening and counting each step.  When the man turned, she moved to the top of the stairs.  As the man came towards her on his next pass, she smoothly raised her pistol and shot the closest guard twice in rapid succession, the small caliber bullets bouncing around inside his skull, dropping him to the ground, like a marionette without strings.  The second man turned, hearing his partner fall.  His attention was on his comrade and by the time he saw Madeleine it was too late.  Madeleine shot him and moved down the stairs.

             
John watched the two men on the terrace drop in rapid succession through the night vision binoculars strapped around his neck.  He made a last minute inspection of the big Russian machinegun and pulled back the slide.  The noise sounded deafening in the silence of the night but he knew the sound wouldn’t carry into the compound.  He hoped Tracy was inside the house, but his instincts told him otherwise.  Why keep a valuable commodity within the easy reach of the Israelis? The PLO had to be unnerved after the loss of their terror squad, and may have moved Tracy right away.

No, this would probably be another message from Madeleine, perhaps one step closer to finding his son.  He reminded himself that Tracy was a highly trained agent.  But as parents do, he seemed to forget everything else but concern now that his child was in danger.  This was different from the countless missions he’d led, some successful, others a standoff.  He trained his weapon on the center of the terrace, anticipating that the action would start soon.

             
Madeleine moved towards the barracks.  The building was a simple affair, a concrete box with a door at either end.  There were a couple of small windows and a vent on top to disperse the heat that the roof collected during the fierce heat of the day.  It was not designed for comfort and the men housed inside were not yet in their bunks.  The satchel charge Madeleine had slung over her shoulder would be more than enough to turn the building into a blasted pile of rubble. As she approached, Madeleine saw two military Jeeps parked in an open garage away from the main barracks.  The vehicles looked well maintained and camouflaged for the desert terrain.  They bore no insignia, but were armed and battle ready.  Madeleine moved into the garage once she determined that it was deserted.  She could hear muffled laughter and a curse or two coming from the barracks, the sounds of soldiers winding down for the evening.  As always, her night senses seemed more acute as she detected the smell of strong tobacco coming from inside the building.  It was highly unlikely that any of the men inside were armed or expecting an attack.  Madeleine pulled her penlight from inside her fatigues and quickly swept the light throughout the interior of the garage where the vehicles were maintained.  She spotted a trash can and went over to investigate.  She found an empty cigarette package and pushed it into an inside pocket of her field jacket along with a few other discarded papers.  She expected that they were instructions for parts used to replace engine parts that so readily broke down having to operate under desert conditions.  Sand was the enemy.  The fine dust of the particulate portion of sand got into everything.  Maintenance of weapons, vehicles, clothing, radios; simply everything was subjected to the grit.  She had known brief combat in the desert during the war. Even a short encounter with desert combat had taught her a valuable lesson.  It is the worst place to fight.  Jungles provided cover and water.  The desert provides only what you bring into it.  She remembered the extreme lack of water. Here, water was the difference between life and death.