Commandos (23 page)

The Return

You never know what may happen tomorrow
, Victor thought, and produced a briefcase form the safe. It wouldn’t be the first time his certainty was misplaced. He’d been wrong before.

He opened the case and made sure the money was still there. It would come in handy should he reach Alexander who had always believed he was naturally entitled to success, to being happy, having whatever he wished for. Yet, it was his father who had the things he could only dream of – the women, the money and the power. That knowledge would stir him up into frustration and envy. He’d always subconsciously competed against his father and more often than not lost the game.

Victor irritably closed the briefcase and hurried to the rally point he had chosen for the commandos who were already waiting for him, while going over and over the plans for the next few days.

On a day like that, the Sun City base on Tenerife, an island in the Archipelago of The United Nations Royal Islands, seemed to swell with unanswered questions, thoughts lingering in anxiety and fear. It was on this day that the United Nations would place the lives of millions into the hands of five of its best soldiers, knowing that the caliph’s death would not remove the terrorist threat, but hoping it would shift the balance of power enough to make way for some change to finally take place. The death could

203 light the path to a better future, shake the foundations of the terrorist organisation, lead to a schism or cause carefully engineered chaos.

Levi let out a sigh of relief as he looked up at Victor walking into the room and asked him to unpack the case they’d received only a moment earlier.

They gathered around the table on which the tracker was laying out the weapons, fire and sand throwers and small nuclear charges.

“What’s that?” asked Alec pointing to the briefcase. “A computer?”
“It’s a bomb, custom design,” Victor answered acridly.
Alec quickly took a step back.
“Sand throwers…” said David. “A bit old fashioned, isn’t it? And those flame throwers belong in a museum!”
“Yeah, they’ll be of no use…” Victor agreed grimly, “but we also have…” He picked up another weapon. “See here? A custom built pulse-plasma gun. That’ll come in handy, short barrel, quick reload.” Victor unlocked the trigger and aimed the pistol at Alec.
“Are you mad!” Alec winced back.
“Relax.” David snickered as Victor put the gun back on the table.
“We’ll work in two teams,” Levi cut in pensively after a brief moment of silence. “Victor, you’re going with Alec and Jo, I’m with David. We’ll take the explosives and…” He pulled out two pistols from his jacket pocket. “Seen these?” he asked, but no one seemed to recognise the weapons. “This is the new APS, based on the Russian Stechkin.” He lifted it, feeling its light weight in his hand. “Used to take the 9x18 Makarov ammo, now adapted to 6x12.” He passed them to the commandos. “Total length 200 millimetres, barrel length 130 millimetres, theoretical rate of fire over nine hundred per minute, muzzle velocity 250 metres per second. External hammer, double trigger action, case-less ammunition.” The gun made its way around the table and back to Levi who placed it on the table and picked up the second weapon. “And that’s…”
“The famous 56/200 Browning,” finished David.
“That’s right. The standard sidearm of the former US military.” He passed the pistol to David “Instead of bullets it shoots out darts, vertical trajectory. This one fires fiftysix needles up to two hundred metres. Doubt there’s anyone capable of running with a stack of needles in his leg.” Levi scanned his team’s faces and turned to Alec. “We’ll need laser guns for everyone as well.”
When Alec left the room, Levi walked up to Victor. “And I have something special for you.”
He reached into the side pocket of his trouser leg and pulled out a broad-blade knife of high-quality steel, with sawteeth machined into the spine of the blade. The sandcoloured handle was a hollow tube with an imbedded survival kit, holding a number of useful, often life-saving tools such as matches, a mini torchlight, mini signal flares, compass, mirror and thread. As he handed the knife to Victor, the tracker was evidently surprised.
“That’s your personal commando blade,” he said. “I never thought you’d be willing to part with it.”
“I’ve a feeling you may need it.”
“Thanks, but frankly, everything I need is right here,” answered Victor.
Everyone’s eyes involuntarily turned to the briefcase. He quickly sheathed the knife and glanced at Jo.
“How about you?”
“I’m good. I’ve everything I need.”
Victor smiled at the words. He felt it was a confirmation that Jo trusted him and knew she would not need any additional firepower as long as he was on her team.
It took them close to an hour to go through all the equipment. They were almost done when Alec walked back in and said, “Got laser guns. Flash and thermal.”
“Good.” Levi nodded. “That’s enough to blind or badly burn a man.”
“There are many more ways we could use a laser,” Jo added.
Everyone’s eyes turned to her, questioning
“I remember Kaminsky bragging that with a beam strong enough he could even shoot down a satellite from the orbit.”
“Could take out an aircraft easily enough, that’s for sure.” All looked at Victor as he spoke. “Some months ago, I escorted a gun like that. Good to know Kaminsky isn’t the only one who has that sort of firepower.”
“This one will mark the target with a beam and guide the bullet to it, but you know as well as I do, we’ll need a lot more gear than that.” He pointed to the far wall and a pile of chameleon vests, protective footwear and night vision helmets.
“We’ve also been commissioned this AI controlled supercomputer. That should get us inside the enemy’s database.” He glanced at David, who needed no extra invitation to start powering up his new equipment. “Better not let me catch you playing with intelligent viruses.”
The commodore frowned.
“There’s one other thing we cannot forget about Kaminsky,” Jo pointed out. “He has unrivalled control of his men, which you know, but he’s also known to have used LSD and other hallucinogenic gasses in combat. The aggressive force of his soldiers is not to be taken lightly.”
“That’s modern warfare for you.” Victor nodded.
“Shouldn’t you know a bit more about Kaminsky, being his son and all?” Alec’s anxiousness audible in his voice.
“Stepson,” the tracker corrected him. “You got a point?” He took a step towards the commando.
“You haven’t told us shit. Think it’s time to start sharing.”
“Let it go.” Jo walked between the two men.
Alec tried to grab her hands but she pulled away from him. Victor decided to make a statement and put his arm around Jo who stood still this time, clearly not intending to shrug him off. That made Alec completely lose his grip. He shot Victor a furious glance, but the tracker did not as much as blink.
“I’ll tell you one thing. Kaminsky’s been surrounding himself with first grade scientists and military men since day one. That and the cutting-edge ultralaser technology they’ve been working on.” Victor sighed heavily.
“And what the fuck is that?” snarled Alec.
“Pray you never find out.”
“That’s enough,” Levi cut in. “There’s no time for this. It’s time we all learnt a bit more about Kaminsky.” He turned to Victor. “Bring us his file, please. I know you have it and we all need to read it before we start.”
Victor’s face turned pale. He didn’t expect the files to surface again. He didn’t want Levi to stumble into something he himself was not yet ready to know.
“What’re you standing around for?” Alec couldn’t resist the chance to gibe. “Move it man, the commodore gave you an order.” He looked at Jo, but she seemed equally surprised.
“Victor.” Levi’s voice hardened. “Bring the file, please. We need to acquaint ourselves with the enemy and start planning now that we’ve got the gear covered.”
Victor walked out of the room. He’d hoped he would not have to find out how his friend would react to the fact that his beloved, only daughter may now be with Kaminsky, as his favourite concubine.
* * * *

“You have ten minutes to pack.” Kaminsky tossed a bag at Laura’s feet. The woman obediently began to shove her things in, trying not to look in his direction. She was afraid of him, even though he had taken care of her for all those years. For some time now she had sensed a sort of aversion in him, a hint of aggression.

Kaminsky left the bedroom and walked to his study where the servants were packing up his luggage. His thoughts drifted away. For a few days now, the number nine had repeatedly surfaced during his meditation.

He strolled around the room anxiously. Nine – his mind working at full capacity now – what could that mean? He scanned his memory for some meaningful symbols, so deep in thought he hardly noticed the servants he bumped into as he bustled around.

“I know!” he exclaimed loud enough for everyone in the room to stop their work for an instant. He casually waved them back to their duties.
So that’s it,
he thought.
Nine is the numeric value of the letter Teth in the Hebrew alphabet, and that translates as a snake, which means I’m in danger. He nervously stroked at his beard. In the Tarot, the same letter is equivalent to Power. I’m being followed by a powerful snake
. His heart is beating heavily now.
The snake is the Biblical symbol of evil. That’s clear enough. I must leave the island as soon as possible. My intuition’s never let me down
. He absently glanced back at the Arab women busy with his luggage and drifted back, deep in thought.
I clearly remember that in Kundalini yoga the symbol and main aspect of spiritual self-discovery was the snake energy. The four riders from my dream may symbolise the arrival of the commandos. They’d be the only ones around still preoccupied with yoga. Only question is, which one is the snake?

A servant brought his favourite beverage and stopped in front of him. He drank it quickly, not distracted. His excitement grew as he remembered that the same number was also the equivalent of the Hebrew word for make powerful. He smiled inwardly. It might be that the nine did not signify the coming of a powerful snake, but rather his own ascent to even greater power.
I must continue my work; study the forces of death, decay and destruction.
He sat for a while, pleased with himself.
Without annihilation there can be no rebirth
. He picked up a telescope from the nightstand and decided to go to the upstairs laboratory, from where he could observe Mars, the planet of wrath, the beacon of war and conflict and the planet whose cold glow was so close to his heart. Mars was the archetype of manhood. He had always seen it as a symbol of determination, courage and perseverance. As he watched the night sky and revealed in its alluring beauty, he sensed a presence behind him. He closed his eyes and recognised the aura of his son. After a moment he spoke with his eyes still fixed on the sight in front of the telescope.

“Never, and I mean never feel sorry for those suffering from war, pain or death.” Suddenly, he shifted his eyes to Alexander. “Death and pain are the inseparable companions of lust and delight.”

“Yes, Father.” Alexander shivered slightly, intimidated.

“I’ll be leaving the island in a moment; you’ll stay on your own for a few days.”
“Are you going alone?”
“You know I never go anywhere without Laura.” Kaminsky sneered knowingly.
Alexander could not hold in a sigh of disappointment. He lusted for that woman more than anything. Not because of her exceptional beauty, but because she belonged to his father. He could not bear it. Kaminsky, sensing his son’s distress quickly changed the subject. He instructed him meticulously on the plans for the evening and the next few days and finally, as a sign of complete trust, he whispered the name of the place he was about to travel to.
Several minutes later, as Alexander watched his father’s ship sail away towards the continent, he swore to himself that one day Laura would be his and his alone. As for today, he had no intention of following any of his father’s orders. He’d decided to entertain a bit. This would be a night of orgies and flesh. Free at last, he briskly walked down to his father’s laboratories and ordered a bonfire lighted on the island, just as his father would, with the slight difference that for him it was going to be a celebration of decadence and lust, of sorrow and longing. He could not know that on an island not far from his somebody would know exactly what the fire was and what it stood for.

* * * *

One last weapon check. Standing closest to the window, Jo noticed a smoke trail in the distance. When Victor walked into the room he saw how pale her face turned. He instinctively sensed that her old fears were beginning to take hold of her again. He wanted to take her in his arms, hold the anxiety out of her, but Levi suddenly walked up to him and took the file from his hands.

“What’s going on?” Victor whispered, ignoring Levi’s over-sudden movement. He approached the woman, but she was drifting far in time and space, remembering. He shook her gently, drawing the others’ attention. They were all suddenly curious.

“In our first week in the lockdown zone, Kaminsky gave a lecture on elements.”
“And?” Alec’s question was strangely scornful.
“The elements are fire, earth, air and water. Fire was Kaminsky’s favourite. We often lit up a
salambe
,” she said.
“A what?” Alec was clearly uneasy at any mention of Kaminsky.
“A hearth,” the commodore explained.
“Yeah,” Jo went on, “he was trying to summon the spirit of fire, the salamander.”
“What the fuck?” Alec was getting increasingly disturbed.
“Don’t forget,” David cut in, “that Kaminsky may be a genius, but he is also stark raving mad.”
“To put it mildly,” the commodore concurred.
“Occultists believe that a salamander is a creature of fire, rising to the sky in streaks of smoke, foretelling the imminent coming of the fire giant, the lord and master.” Jo looked back at Victor, who added, “Kaminsky believes that he’s the fire giant.”
“Exactly. He often spoke of some mission he was on, to alter the world by burning the old order to the ground. He spoke of the cult and rituals of fire on many occasions.”
“Not surprising, when you think about it,” said Levi. “One of the founding traits of humanity is the ability to build fire.”
“I think he was more concerned about challenging God.” Jo frowned, remembering. “He’d often go on about Prometheus, how he formed men from clay and stole fire from the heavens and how the coming of men signified the twilight of the Gods. If Kaminsky could create life, he’ll be a god himself.”
“He is a geneticist,” added Victor. “Technically speaking, creating life may not be that far off from what he does. I bet he continues his experiments on alternative cloning methods, terrorist leader or not.”
“I agree,” said Levi. “It’s quite likely he sees himself as God.”
“He used to quote the Old Testament all the time, and it’s filled with fire symbolism.” Jo searched her memories and Kaminsky’s words came back to her as if he was standing right beside her.
Joanna, have you forgotten what Moses said to himself on the mountain? I must go see this great wonder and learn why the bush continues to burn without burning up.
“He mentioned the burning bush and the paradise on earth defended by a fiery wall and a burning sword,” she added.
“I do remember that John lead the Israelites across the desert cloaked in fire,” David agreed.
“And I remember…” Victor was trying hard to fish images from his memory. “…That there was a swastika in his study, with its arms to the right. He must have been a cultist even then.”
“A right-facing swastika imitates the sun’s journey across the sky. It’s commonly used by fire worshiping cults,” said David.
“Yeah, yeah. What I don’t understand is why we should be bothered?” Alec was growing impatient.
“Every evening, Kaminsky would build a fire on the island, a symbol of the new tomorrow. Somehow, every time it threw up a characteristic streak of smoke.” She pointed to the horizon. The men followed her hand and saw the trail of smoke clearly in the distance. “Just like that.”
They all froze, bewildered.
“You think it’s possible that Kaminsky is on Lanzarotte right now?” Alec broke the silence.
“He might be.” Victor nodded. “It is listed as one of his possible hideouts, but we’ll need a co-operator to confirm this before we do anything.”
“I’ll look into it,” said David. “I’ll pass myself off as one of them and break into their database. Once I’m in, I’ll be able to move around freely. I might get confirmation from someone.”
“Yes, do it.” Alec frowned. “We can’t base our engagement strategy on some smoke line in the sky.”
“All right,” said Levi. “David, try to get a confirmation and in the mean time we’ll take another look into Kaminsky’s files. You never know, something might occur to us.”
Unexpectedly, Victor reached out and grabbed the folder from Levi’s hands. Everyone froze in surprise.
“Victor? Listen, I know you well enough. I know there’s something you want to tell me.” Levi glanced at the file. “You don’t want me to read the file, that’s obvious. When I was in Washington, they also didn’t let me anywhere near Kaminsky’s files.” He was beginning to see a pattern. “Do you mind telling me why?”
Victor swallowed heavily and fixed his eyes on his friend. The commodore stepped closer. His voice was harsh when he repeated his question in the sudden silence of the room.
“Why?”