Читать книгу Three Brothers - Jörg. H. Trauboth - Страница 12

“Eagle commando, ATTENTION! Report to the commander, left face!”

“General, operation commando force Eagle is reporting for duty.”

“Thank you, Captain Anderson.”

Brigadier General Wolf is still feeling the effects of yesterday’s meeting in the Foreign Office. He purposely chose Hammelburg for the preparations. It is the perfect location.

They are sitting in the briefing room. Wolf observes the faces of his troop. Not one of them is over thirty years old. Each of them has been through the hells of the two-year-long training and brought to the brink of their physical and mental abilities. Just when they thought they were finished, they were then subject to interrogation training. Whoever could not manage to endure the days-long torture of bright lights, loud rock music, the freezing cold, buckets of ice water being poured over their heads, and the screams of the interrogation officers, were supposed to say a code word. Three times in a row, then he was out. And a lot of them were out.

The commander purposely speaks softly and without drama, as is his style, the way they all know him.

“You are here because you belong to the best of the best. Your mission is to free two German hostages, Helmut Weier and Josef Fischer, in Northern Iraq. We are familiar with the building they are being kept in and the surveillance. Including the approach and departure, you will be engaged for four hours.

The actual mission, however, will only take a few minutes. Everything that you have learned will be required of you: resilience, speed, and the ability to act decisively in a one-on-one combat situation with the enemy. You will be armed with the best equipment available. Our new helicopter is perfectly-suited for this night mission, this will be its world premiere, so to speak. Our two air force crews from Helicopter Wing 64 in Laupheim are not only combat ready operational pilots, but also former KSK combat fighters. Another world premiere. Please welcome Captains Walter Schmidt and Henry Kirch, as well as First Lieutenants Fritz Jung and Willi Fröhlich.”

The whole group of soldiers cheers when they hear the names “Jung” and “Fröhlich.” The phrase young and happy is one of the expressions in the unit for having fun at work.

“That is really a premiere,” Thomas whispers to Tim, “commando soldiers as helicopter pilots.”

“Two really great guys,” Tim whispers back. “I like them a lot. Always in a good mood, a real pity that they switched to the air force.”

The general looks to the troop leader.

“Our mobile command center will be in Turkey. Captain Anderson will give you all further instructions.”

The maps are displayed by means of a video projector. The men have made themselves comfortable in the chairs. It is the same casual briefing atmosphere that the pilots in the air force get to enjoy. Specialists like these operational pilots are allowed to be this way, in the German Army as well.

Marc, tall, dark-haired, and slender, has played out the situation in his head many times over. He doesn’t have to explain to his troop comrades how to free hostages. But this mission is something very special.

“The operation is called EAGLE. We will deploy on December 23rd at 0800 hours Zulu from the Tactical Air Force Wing 33 at Büchel in the Eifel region with two Airbus A400Ms and two Eurocopter H145Ms. Destination is Air Force Base Diyarbakir in southern Turkey, more precisely, in southern Anatolia.”

“That’s where the good rugs are from,” Jung and Fröhlich gesture to each other.

“You will remember our four colleagues in our flying carpets from the old days. Walter and Henry will fly the Eurocopter Eagle Alpha. Jung and Fröhlich, you will be flying Eagle Bravo. The two co-pilots Henry and Willi are medics. You know what that means. They are authorized to perform medical procedures, and as we know, they are renowned for their gross motor skills! They have no qualms about cutting off limbs with a pair of pliers from the Eurocopter’s brand new tool kit.”

Everyone laughs.

“And now to us. I am Eagle One, Thomas Eagle Two, Tim Eagle Three. Tim will be leaving us tomorrow. He will send us continuous reports of the situation on the ground pertinent to the mission before he joins us again on the 23rd in Diayarbakir.

Eagle One, Two, and Three will be in Eurocopter Eagle Alpha. Eagle Bravo will be used as backup. You remember what happened during Operation Geronimo at Osama bin Laden’s house: A Ghost Hawk helicopter crashed. Luckily, there was also a team in a Chinook helicopter there as well. We won’t be needing one for this mission. We will be use the element of surprise to enter the area and rappel in as fast as possible, just like we learned from our fast roping training. The helicopters will be positioned so that they can provide us fire coverage with their onboard weapons, as well as light.”

“Why don’t we just drop you onto the roof of the building?” asks helicopter pilot Fritz Jung.

“Thank you Fritz, good question. That was the initial option. However, there are three points that speak against it. First, the building is two-story. The hostages are supposedly being held on the lowest level. Which means we’d first need to get down there, either through the building itself or through the window. A lot can happen there. Secondly, we need to neutralize the guards before we can continue with the mission. And that is easiest to do direct and head-on. Thirdly, you, the helicopter crew are also a part of the combat team. We need you to man your weapons. That’s why we chose this strategy.” “Sounds convincing,” comments Willi.

“We seven Eagles will be in radio contact. In case I fall out, Thomas will take over.”

Thomas is already familiar with this role. All the same, he hopes that it won’t come to that. This mission is tailor-made for his friend Marc.

“We will discuss the operation first and then do practice runs of two realistically conceivable scenarios until we are all familiar with the possibilities.”

Marc shows pictures of the hostages and the target. Then he sketches the access points with the positions of the fighter helicopters and the troops.

“If we can trust the recon, there are no tangos in the building, only the two armed militants keeping watch outside. They are rotated out every eight hours. We will surprise them but assume they will retaliate. That means: neutralize, storm, and rescue!”

The men nod. That is the core of the mission.

“Thomas, you will secure us from here, behind this little wall, and give us cover. I think it is best if you stay in this position, that is, out of the helicopter’s firing lines. If there are any unexpected tangos in the building and we get stuck, you will take over on my command, or depending on the situation, decide for yourself. Okay, Tom?”

“Roger!”

“The helicopter teams will hover with their engines ready for take-off. Both hostages will be brought to Eagle Alpha. There we can attend to them during the flight, if necessary. I would like to be in the air in no more than four minutes and thirty seconds with all seven Eagles onboard and the hostages. Any questions?”

In the heads of the men, the scenario is being played out as such: Rappelling in the pitch black of night, 20 meters from the building, two startled jihadists who need to be slain before they themselves can shoot, two hostages who are now in panic, three Eagles who need cover, a village very close by about which no one really knows anything. And it needs to happen extremely fast!

“Okay, now on to plan B, it will be called: Everything turned out differently than expected.”

Marc plays out the scenario in case they run into unexpected enemy contact. They will practice all together it in more detail next.

“And now for something new. I will be equipped with a camera and wires so that my video can be directly transmitted to the Crisis Response Center in Berlin.”

Tim, who was just lounging in his chair daydreaming, is suddenly wide-awake.

“Whose dumb idea was that?”

“The chancellor’s herself! So, make sure you have your make-up kits with you so you can touch up your lipstick before the mission begins,” and looking at Eagle Three, “Tim, you don’t have to worry about that. With your grizzly beard, she won’t believe you belong to us anyway! No chance for Germany’s Next KSK Model!”

The troop snickers. They know Marc’s going to get it now.

“Maybe, my man,” replies Tim snidely, while rubbing his black beard in pleasure, “But when you forget your dollar store deodorant spray again, or you mix up your deodorant with your hair gel, you’re gonna be sittin’ alone in that Eagle Alpha!”

The troop roars with laughter. It is about time that good-looking Marc is the butt of a good comeback.

“Okay, brother, 1:1.”

While Eagle One continues, Brigadier General Wolf observes Marc, Thomas, and Tim. They are the heart and brains of the operation.

After long consideration, Wolf had decided that a fourth person was unnecessary. Mainly because nine people plus equipment have to fly back in one of the two light-weight helicopters with a maximum take-off mass of 3.5 tons. And, according to German law, they would also have to take the two guards they capture as well. But he didn’t want to have to worry about that.

Together with the commando officers and the company psychologist, Lieutenant Colonel Gerrit Hinrich, Brigadier General Wolf had intensely examined the three from the third commando company’s second platoon, as well as reviewed their training history and all their past missions.

“Gentlemen,” he said as he opened up the selection procedure, “we need a small team for a big assignment. What does that mean? The three of them needs to know and respect each other deeply and be able to replace each other in basic skills and knowledge. Two of them must be capable of obeying the leader without question. Who could be the leader? We need a warrior with mission experience, someone who can lead and fight like no other.”

He could have said “Marc Anderson” right from the start, as the vote immediately fell to him. At twenty-seven years old, and due to his outright refusal to advance in his military career, he has become a person of trust among the troops for anyone who has trouble with the mission, or their commander, or their wives. He is one of the few officers whom the experienced master sergeants hold in high regard as a troop leader.

“Marc,” Hinrich comments, “is the epitome of a highly-developed speed machine. Granted, he has a high opinion of himself and is well aware of his capabilities, but he is not complacent. If he ever separates, it would be at least another five years before anyone else would be able to qualify at his caliber.”

“Okay, agreed. Who should be number two? I assume an explosives expert and sharp shooter. Your suggestion reads: First Sergeant Thomas Heinrich. Why him exactly?” he looks at the psychologist.

“Heinrich is a true all-rounder, confident, yet modest to the core. He comes from a devoutly religious locksmith family in Freiburg and has always been a fan of weapons and explosives. He was the best decathlete in his youth sports club. When he heard that the KSK men were allowed to try out the newest weapons before the army gets to use them, that sealed it for him, his path was decided. He is extremely sharp in his technical knowledge, which is how he managed to make it to troop leader. He’s a rather normal, non-descript guy, a bit of an introvert, but: whatever he does, he does it perfectly. As a team member and as a leader.”

The officers nod. However, the general is not yet satisfied.

“If he is a troop leader himself, how does he react to having to follow orders from Eagle One troop leader Anderson?

“They have a deep friendship and he has a lot of respect for Marc. For him, joining Marc in combat is a matter of honor, as odd as that may sound. There is no jealousy. His appreciation of their friendship is genuine. I also think that in this small team, he is especially important. A lot can happen, and Heinrich is rock solid. If anyone is hit, he picks him up, and carries him home himself. He would be an excellent replacement should something happen to Marc.”

“And his limits, where do his limits lie, this ‘rock solid’ man, as you say?”

“Heinrich is looking for the security of a system that can offer him a very controlled hierarchy and emotional structure. That’s exactly what we provide him, more than any other unit. He is very dependent on Marc and Tim and does anything they want. His need for friendship is exceptionally strong. He fears being abandoned. It is possible he has some homosexual tendencies, that he is unaware of. He is something of a strong man who runs deep.”

The psychologist does not know how right he is with his analysis. In Afghanistan, Thomas had laid explosives to detonate an apartment with Tim at his side, and instead of finding dead terrorists in the aftermath, he found a dog that was badly injured from the blast. The dog crawled over to Thomas and licked his assault rifle and then died whining in his arms. He was very quiet for many days after that. A little too quiet. It was Tim who recognized that Thomas had suffered a trauma. He gradually started to come out of his shell and they talked about it over and over again. It was something that connected the two men.

After that, the two have been inseparable. As inseparable as during their rescue mission in Hindu Kush of the F-15 pilots.

Brigadier General Wolf had heard about the incident with the dog. He knows that his elite soldiers are especially vulnerable to traumatic circumstances. This time it was a dog, next time it could be a mother with a baby buggy blowing herself up as a suicide bomber that causes chaos in their souls. And he knows that friendships are often quicker and more effective than therapy and months-long observation by a psychiatrist in a military hospital. Still, his “racehorses” as he calls them, often last only about ten years in mission duty before they are burn out.

But these men are nowhere near that far. They are fired up about the mission in Northern Iraq and are set on getting the hostages out. They also appreciate the fact that such missions don’t happen very often.

While Captain Anderson is giving the briefing, Wolf observes the third member of the group.

They were looking for a specialist on urban warfare, one who can perfectly size up a target and can hit it with one hundred percent accuracy while standing, turning, or in mid-air, all the while with an eye on the overall situation.

“All the qualities, General, that Sergeant Tim Nader possesses as if he were born that way,” the psychologist replies.

No one would expect that this short, wiry man with a grizzly beard and serious-looking eyes would be such a talented combat fighter who has mastered all the traditional KSK disciplines. Tim is the one who has consistently passed all the annual stress tests in the Graf Zeppelin Barracks with the highest scores. He is a good team player, but not much of the leader type.

“How did he even come to join the military?” Wolf asks the psychologist.

“He and Marc Anderson were schoolmates in Hamburg and played together on an American football team. It was Marc who brought him to Calw. The linguistic and the psychological teams, myself included, were head over heels about him. Tim advanced to the top man in the commando company and quickly made a name for himself. Marc, Tim, and Thomas became fast friends.”

Still, Wolf was not yet satisfied.

“Why would a highly intelligent, linguistically talented guy who speaks various Arabic dialects, English, and French not pursue a career in his father’s tea manufacturing business in Hamburg, but torture himself instead in the military?”

“You are correct, Nader doesn’t need us. He could have had a successful career with his rich, Muslim family. But he longs for recognition and apparently doesn’t get that in the family business. Recognition not from others, but of and from himself and he has a great deal of ambition, but also some kind of obstinate determination. The Special Forces is the perfect field of work for him. Here he can grow like nowhere else. But he is still looking for something. His friend Heinrich joined the KSK, and that was enough for him. But Nader’s goals in life extend beyond the Special Forces. I hear he is studying parallel to the military. At some point he will leave us. But until that happens, we can greatly benefit from his abilities, including his being Muslim and his teachings about a world that is foreign to most of us.”

“Thank God for that,” adds Wolf, “because he has done some remarkable work for the German Intelligence Service behind the lines of the Arabic-speaking realm. He is his own long-range reconnaissance company!”

Wolf is proud of his charges. Tim Nader is a very special jewel to the KSK. The examination officials were skeptical of the German-Lebanese soldier at first. Accepting a Muslim into the KSK was an absolute novelty. The results of his security check, however, provided no objections. His family, his environment, the applicant himself – totally clean.

At the time, Wolf had come up with a brilliant idea. He quickly realized that, based on his invaluable personal experience with the Arabic culture, Islam, and the Koran, he would make an excellent spy. In cooperation with the German Intelligence, Tim was granted special training to become an undercover investigator behind the lines once he finished his KSK training. He also needed to look the part for the job, so, with the permission of his commanders, he grew a full beard and sideburns. To his KSK brothers’ amusement, Tim played the part of the Islamist. Soon, he was known in the KSK only as the Imam. Tim’s prayers on his prayer rug became part of the daily routine, and if he missed one, his brothers would point to the clock as a punishing reminder.

“I ask you for more respect, you infidels!”

After that, they would drink a Calwer Kult No.1 beer together.

“Cheers, friends!” said Tim.

Absolutely unheard of for a Muslim.

One time, about a year or two ago, after his prayers, Thomas came and sat next to his friend on the floor and asked him:

“Why do you believe in Mohammed, Tim, and not in God’s son, Jesus Christ?”

“Jesus is not God’s son. He is a prophet, just like Mohammed.”

“That’s ridiculous. Who do you think is hanging on all the millions of crosses in all the churches? Jesus, God’s son, of course!”

“God does not need a son,” Tim interrupts him, “he can do it alone! It’s the prophet’s job to bring the instruction manual to the people. For you, it’s the Bible, for me it’s the Koran. Mohammed and Jesus are equals on the same level and serve one God, and his name is Allah! Do you understand that finally, soldier?”

“That is your interpretation of God, and it’s pretty damn intolerant!”

But Tim, the Imam, did not give up. It must be possible to convert Thomas, the Christian, to Islam.

“Have you ever been to Istanbul?”

“Yes, why?”

“Did you also see the Hagia Sophia?”

“No, the line was too long.”

“Go there next time. You will see Jesus and Mohammed portrayed as prophets on the columns there, and that in the church of the coronation of the Byzantine Emperor!”

“Imam, forget it, you can’t convert me. I propose that I will let you have your Mohammed and you let me have my Jesus, and we’ll let them duke it out in Paradise. I am too tired.”

Tim realizes that Thomas completely missed the core principle of Islam. He gave Thomas an intensive introduction to the Koran, but it only caused his eyes to fall closed.

Once he saw that, he covered his friend lovingly with his prayer rug, and the two of them slept next to each other on the floor.

The Eagles leave the briefing room. It is now night, just as it will be at the time of the planned ambush. One of the buildings on the infantry training field is set up to look just like the actual object of the mission. With a temperature of less than forty degrees Fahrenheit and the biting wind, it’s certainly not warm. But it also won’t be much different on-site in Kalak Chyah.

Marc looks to his brothers.

“We are going to practice it now: the approach, the rappelling, freeing the hostages, and the departure. I want each of you to know the area like the back of your hand. We will be taking everything with us: handguns, sub-machine guns, assault rifles with grenade weapons, and the infamous Christmas surprise for naughty boys in our vest pockets. We will also have to take care of the two armed guards from the air. If we can’t manage that or run into more tangos, then we’ll use the hand and the stun grenades.”

At two o’clock in the morning on a clear, starry night, both helicopters approach the target of the training area in Hammelburg, Germany. Two men dressed as Arabs open fire and are instantly hit by Tim and Thomas from the air with direct shots. In a matter of seconds, three men rappel to the ground without any safety gear. The two helicopters hover with their rotors spinning in exactly the right position, ready to fire. Marc and Tim storm the lower level. They encounter the two actor-hostages staring at them in terror.

“On the floor! Are you alone?”

The two hostages nod frantically. They are chained to the wall with iron rings and can’t get off the floor. Tim shoots a round of bullets directly at the chains. Thanks to constant communication, the Eagles outside know exactly at every moment what’s happening inside the building. Marc and Tim leave the building with the two hostages. Outside, everything is quiet. The hostages can barely walk and need to be supported. Marc gives the OK. They retreat.

The hostages are secured in Eagle Alpha at exactly 02:04:33 hours. Both helicopters ascend with no lights into the night sky.

Plan B is played out next: Eagle Alpha crashes just after the men rappel. The two guards open fire. Eight terrorist militiamen appear. Eagle Bravo opens fire from its on-board weapons. The hostages are freed as before. Marc is grazed by a bullet to his arm, Thomas takes over command. Eagle Alpha is abandoned and detonated. Retreat.

“Eagle Two to Eagle Commander. Two hostages and seven soldiers aboard Eagle BRAVO. Eagle One is injured. Eagle Alpha was abandoned. Two tangos EKIA!”

Training concluded.

“Copy that, good job, return to base!”

It had to have an “Enemy Killed in Action” included this time. Anything else would be naïve, Wolf reflects. He then contemplates whether it was wise to allow the video transmission. Every step and every action would be followed live by the heads of state in the Crisis Center.

Perhaps he should have gone with his gut.