Rise of the Death Walkers (The Circle of Heritage Saga) (29 page)

Once I had made this much clear I had been confronted with many offered made by the various agencies in the United States. So far at least one offer from each of the alphabet agencies had made their way to my mail box. I had politely refused each offer with the explanation I still had three years left in my tour. I kept any knowledge of these offers from Irma. I did not want her to worry that I would continue in the type of operations I was currently involved in.

The meal ended and we headed home for an evening of relaxation before the Sunday mass the next morning. She was silent during the drive and I knew the battle was about to begin. As soon as the apartment door closed she turned around with her eyes flashing in anger. “I thought we agreed to not bring this topic up in front of my family!?

I kept my distance from her trying to gauge just how pissed off she was. “I told you I would not lie to your family and they have to be aware of the fact that I will have to go where the Army sends me.” I replied softly. “Maybe you should stay here during the nine months I will be training troops in the States love?”

“Not on your life! Buster where you go I go!” Irma snapped at me and her shoulders stated to shake. I knew just how volatile she could get and what the signs were. If I reached out to comfort her now I would probably pull back a stub.

“I am just thinking of a way to insure your family of my intentions, love.” I replied gently.

“Don't worry about them Jason. I make the decisions in my life not my family.” She took a deep breath in an effort to calm herself down.

I took a tentative step in her direction, trying to ascertain what her mood was currently and when she did not give any aggravated signals I stepped closer to her and gathered her in my arms. “Ok love, I won't bring up the subject again in front of your parents.” I kissed her and moved in the direction of my office. She knew what I would be doing next and went to fix herself a tea. I stepped in the office and removed both weapons I had on me. Before I opened the safe to put them away I wiped them down to remove the dust that had accumulated during the work at the new house. I made sure they were not loaded and placed them in the hidden safe before returning to the living room to spend time with her before we retired for the evening.

Chapter 23 - Duping the Opposition

The next few months passed quickly and despite the promise made to me I was involved in three more operations in the African Theater. Blake seemed to rely on my team more than he did any others he had under his command. “I trust you to get the job done Jason.” He would say to me each time he activated my squad.

Now it was a month before my announced wedding and he had activated my squad yet again. Irma said nothing to me when I told her I would be away for another undetermined amount of time. And now I was standing before the door to the regional command center trying to force myself to calm down before entering Blake's office. I did not succeed in this task. I knocked on the door leaving indentations of my fist in the metal door. It sounded like I was taking a battering ram to his door. I did not wait for an answer. I stormed into the office bellowing, “Goddamn it Blake I thought we agreed on no missions until after my honeymoon!”

Blake did not flinch when I screamed at him. “Good morning to you too Jason. Come in and have a seat. Close the door, if it’s not bent out of alignment from your usual mild attention”

As usual his dry humor served to calm me down and remember who I am. “Sorry about the door. I trust there was no one near it this time?”

He chuckled at this. “No the warning went out to all staff members about twenty minutes before you arrived that you had been activated again. I assume that most of my staff is currently hiding under their desk until they get the all clear from me.”

Blake pressed a button on his desk and a few moments later a very jittery young man came in and handed him a bulky folder. The young man waited until Blake waved him off and quickly vanished from the room. “There is a new threat that branches from the original threat you squashed in North Africa. This time in the form of a local cell here in Heidelberg. There has been chatter concerning the assassination of the Military head of NATO General Nathan Blackthorn.”

This shocked me. “Why was my squad activated? You told me that we would not perform operations in the European theater.”

Blake shook his head. “Your unit was not activated only you were. This mission will be strictly solo and you will be required to operate independent of all law enforcement agents.”

“Since when am I a solo operator? You know I was trained in urban warfare with a complete team assisting me.” I was puzzled and scared. I was not sure I would be able to accomplish what he was asking of me.

Blake smiled at me and handed me some papers. “These are your separation orders from the military. You will note that you have been separated under honorable conditions.”

I took the papers stunned at what he had just said. “What do you mean separated from service? I still had three years left in my enlistment.”

“You are outside of military influence now. I cannot disclose any more of what is expected of you. Let me introduce you to the head of a new organization which does not operate under the influence of any World Government but operates completely on its own. But bear in mind this organization has the support of every government in the world.” He pressed a button on his desk and walked out of the door.

I was still sitting in my chair shocked, trying to comprehend just what was going on when I heard the voice of someone I never expected to hear again. “Hello Pasche, I know this is going to be a lot to digest at one time but things have changed drastically since we last spoke.” I turned around and watched with my mouth wide open as my Grandfather Sam entered the room. He walked around and sat behind the desk. “I know you have many questions so please feel free to ask them.”

“I haven't seen you since Katie's funeral Grandfather.” My mind was in chaos trying to understand the events of the day.

The door opened and I turned to find out who it was. There stood Mimi proud as can be.

“Mimi? What are you doing here?” I stood there like a fool with my mouth open.

“Someone has to make sure this old fool is doing things right.” Mimi turned to Grandfather Sam and said sharply, “I know what you are planning you old fool and you will not subject Jason to that right now!”

“What is she talking about Grandfather?”

“Not a peep out of you old man or I will skin you and use your hide as a tablecloth!”

I looked from one grandparent to the other not sure what was happening.

“Aren’t you going to give the boy this foolish mission you have planned for him.” Mimi snapped.

“Right, The mission.” Grandfather Sam was all business now. “You will be going to Austria for this one and meeting up with an old friend of yours.”

“Who?” I offered a chair to Mimi and after she had sat down I returned to my old seat.

“You have to understand Jason. We did not expect things to happen the way they did.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I am trying to figure out where I can start.” He mused rubbing his chin with wrinkled hands. “About six months ago we received a strange message from Origan. The war was not going so well on the planet because they were losing ground fast. Millions were dying. The message we received was that we were to prepare to receive a few ship loads of the most important citizens of the planet.”

“Things were getting that bad?”

“Yes, it was very important that we protect these citizens at all costs. We did as they asked and then we discovered that we were missing one of the most important alien of them all. This being was the head geneticist of the entire planet. Haevan, who was slotted to be the Mind Mentor for your sister Jenna was missing.”

“Why is this Haevan so important?”

“Because he knows everything there is to know of the original four families who were sent back to Earth.”

“Four families? I think I am missing something here. What four families?”

Mimi took this time to speak up, “Originally when we were taken from Earth to begin our training on Origan there were members of the human race taken from three other areas of Earth. Our family, or tribe as was call ourselves, was one of the four. The only other family that we were aware of was the group taken from the various Germanic Tribes of this area.”

“Wait there is another group like us over here?”

“Yes but this is something we can go into at a later point in time.” Mimi turned and snapped. “Get on with it you old fool!”

“Right,” Grandfather Sam cleared his voice, “We believe that a traitor was piloting the ship where Haevan was a passenger. This ship, as far as we could find out, landed in Lienz. Haevan was then taken to Innsbruck and is currently being held in an office building in the center of the city.”

“So I imagine you want me to go and get him out?”

“Yes but we can’t send in a full team. The situation is delicate. The group that is holding them are members of the fourth family.”

“What!” I could not believe it.

“Yes, but we believe that this traitor is deceiving them into believing they are doing this for the good of humanity.”

“You want me to convince them otherwise?”

“Not exactly. We need for you to go in and get him out without them knowing it was a member of the first family who saved him.”

“Do I have a contact on site?”

“There is a local national whose name is Kirstoff. He will be able to tell you exactly what room Haeven is in.”

I shook my head, not believing what was going on. “So you want me to walk into what may be a heavily armed fortress and then walk out without hurting any of the people holding him.”

“That’s the general idea. And Jason this is the most important mission you have ever been sent on. If we don’t get Haeven from the hands of the fourth family before the enemy has him then out offensive on Earth will be compromised before it even starts.”

“I understands, where am I to meet this Kirstoff?”

“He we meet you at the airport hotel in Innsbruck. Here are your tickets.” Grandfather Sam handed me the tickets and I stuffed them in my pocket.

“Oh and Jason.”

“Yes Grandfather?”

“Lose the uniform. You will not need them anymore.”

“Fine by me. One other thing. How am I going to get any weapon through the airport security?”

“The papers you travel with give you diplomatic immunity and they will not check your luggage. You will also bypass any security measures in the airport.”

I nodded, got up and hugged Mimi, then left the office.

Mimi turned to her husband and scolded. “You were going to tell the boy that Katie is still alive and then send him on a mission? You’re a damn fool Sam that’s all I can say!”

“Amanda, the boy is going to find out sooner or later.”

“He doesn’t have to find out just before you send him on a mission where we could lose him!”

I drove home to get out of my uniform. I knew Irma would still be in work so I entered the apartment and changed quickly into a suit. I had had the suit tailored several month ago to be able to carry both of my 45s in a holster under the jacket and my .44 in an ankle holster. The jacket covered both 45s well and additionally I could carry one Beretta in a belt holster in the small of my back. I shifted the Beretta to one side and sat down. After a minor adjustment I could sit without the gun jagging me in the back.

I dialed a local taxi service and ordered a taxi to Frankfurt where my flight took off. While I was waiting for the taxi I transferred some of the cash in my safe to my wallet. Normally I did not have to worry about cash but since this was a civilian operation I figured it would be better to be prepared. The taxi arrived and soon I was on my way to the airport. Knowing that I would not be able to sleep on the plane, I settled in for a short nap while the taxi was taking me to the airport.

I arrived in Innsbruck late in the evening and found my contact waiting for me in front of the hotel.

“Mr. Wayne I presume.” The small man extended his hand in greeting.

I was traveling under the identity of Bruce Wayne. My grandfather was watching those old batmen episodes again. “You must be Mr. Kirstoff.” I stated while shaking his hand in a bone breaking crush. Sometimes I forget my own strength.

“Ahh... Yes,” The man said while waving his hand beside him. He was probably trying to get the circulation going again. “I booked a room for you tonight Mr. Wayne and tomorrow after your breakfast I will show you the building where the package is located.”

I nodded my head and said, “I am going to need s few things from you tonight before we part.”

“Yes, General White informed me on the phone.” He handed me his briefcase. “Everything you need is in here.”

‘General White. Seems like my grandfather forgot to tell me a few things’ I thought while looking at the small man. I decided I could trust him and said. “Very Well I will see you in the morning. Say possibly at eight thirty?”

“Very good Mr. Wayne I will see you then.” Kirstoff bowed and left quickly.

I walked into the hotel and inquired at the front desk for the key to the room reserved for Mr. Wayne. The desk manager called for the bus boy and ordered him to take the luggage to my room. I thanked him, took the key and followed the busboy.

The hotel was one of the better hotels I had stayed in up to this time. Once I was in the room I tipped the boy and locked the door behind him. I looked around and found the room safe. I put all the weapons except for the Berretta in the safe and locked it for the night. Then I sat on the bed with the gun within reach and opened the briefcase Kirstoff had left for me.

There was a floor plan for the building where Haevin was being held and several electronic pass cards. I would probably need these to gain access to the various floors. I also noticed some notes written on a pad that was in the briefcase. It looked like Haevin was being held on the thirty-first floor of the building. I would have to get out on the twenty ninth floor because access to the next two floors was restricted.