‘Wonderful,’ said Jones as he snatched the map from Collins’s grasp. ‘It looks like I arrived at the perfect time. I love rescuing damsels.’
When it came to planning missions, Jones was a brilliant strategist. He had received the highest score in the history of the Air Force Academy’s MSAE (Military Strategy Acumen Examination) and had organized hundreds of operations with the MANIACs. He had a way of seeing things several steps ahead, like a chess master.
‘Out of curiosity, who chose the gorge?’ Jones asked.
Payne moaned. ‘Kaiser.’
‘Before or after he was knocked out?’
Payne wasn’t in the mood for games. ‘Do you see something or not?’
‘Relax! Would I be messing with you if I didn’t have a solution?’
‘Yes.’
Jones smiled. ‘You’re probably right. However, as luck should have it, I actually know how we’re going to get this stuff to the rendezvous point.’
‘The trailer won’t fit through the gorge,’ Collins volunteered.
Jones stared at him. ‘Did I say you could speak?’
Collins dropped his chin to his chest, embarrassed.
Jones winked at Payne, who tried not to laugh. No matter the gravity of the situation, they liked busting balls. ‘Anyway, what was I talking about?’
‘Reaching the rendezvous point.’
Jones nodded and pointed at their location on the map. ‘Here’s the problem. We’re just east of the Partnach River. According to this, there’s no way to cross the water until we get near the gorge. That means we can’t escape to the west. Unfortunately, the east is out, too, because of the fire I just set. It’s only a matter of time before Johnny Law comes running.’
‘That leaves north and south,’ Payne said.
‘Obviously the south is out because of the mountains. I mean, this is a sweet-ass ATV, but it’s not climbing the Alps.’
‘Agreed.’
‘So we have to go north.’
Payne nodded. ‘I figured as much, but how?’
Jones moved his finger on the map. ‘We take this into town.’
Payne leaned closer and studied the yellow icon, which looked like a tiny train. ‘What the hell is that?’
‘The Eckbauerbahn.’
‘Which is?’
‘A cableway. It runs from the peak of Eckbauer to the Olympic stadium. Which, from the looks of things, is right next to the rendezvous point.’
Payne rolled his eyes. ‘You want to take a ski lift into town?’
‘It’s not a ski lift. It’s a cableway. Big difference.’
‘Really? How so?’
Jones smiled. ‘We don’t have to wear skis.’
36
Krueger realized this was the opportunity he had been waiting for since he had joined Mueller’s organization three years earlier. It was his chance to prove that he was a major player, not a two-bit thug who couldn’t be trusted with big-money deals or serious projects.
This was his chance to make an impression.
Realizing the importance of the situation, Krueger decided to cash in a favour he had been holding onto since he had left the 10th Armoured Division of the German Army. One of his best friends in the division, a violent man named Krause, had been accused of a brutal armed robbery, a crime he had committed. However, due to Krueger’s sworn testimony that the two of them had been together at the time of the crime (and because of a lack of physical evidence), charges against Krause were eventually dropped. As a show of appreciation, Krause told Krueger that he owed him a gigantic favour – no matter what it was or when he needed it.
Well, that time was now.
From his hiding place near the southern end of the gorge, Krueger called Krause, who lived in the small town of Griesen, which was approximately ten miles to the west of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. The two areas were connected by the Bundesstrasse 23, a scenic German highway that was known as the B 23.
Krause answered the phone. ‘How are you, my friend?’
Krueger didn’t have time for small talk. ‘Where are you?’
‘I’m at home. Why?’
‘It’s time.’
‘For what?’
‘The favour.’
Krause nodded. He had known this day would eventually come, and he was fully prepared to pay his debt. After all, his friend had kept him from spending the majority of his life in jail. ‘What do you need me to do?’
Krueger explained the situation, colouring the facts to suit his needs. ‘A group of armed men just attacked my crew in the woods above Garmisch. Two of my friends are dead, and the others are missing. I overheard some of the gunmen. They said a chopper will be meeting them on the northern side of the Partnach Gorge, somewhere close to the ski stadium. I’m heading there now, but they have a head start. I need someone to run interference until I arrive.’
‘What kind of interference?’
‘The kind you’re good at.’
‘Let me see if I’ve got this straight. If I drive to Garmisch and stop that chopper, my debt is completely forgiven? No more holding it over my head?’
Krueger promised. ‘If you stop the chopper, we’re finally square.’
Krause smiled. ‘In that case, I’ll be there in ten minutes.’
Prior to reaching a fork in the path, Payne and Jones reconnected with three of Kaiser’s men, who were waiting near the southern end of the gorge. For the past thirty minutes they had been running through the woods, hunting for the gunmen who had killed Schneider. Unfortunately, their effort had been unsuccessful, which left two goons (or more) unaccounted for.
With so much at stake, Payne took a few minutes to address their situation, using the map to highlight a few trouble spots and to pinpoint where the chopper would be landing. Now that they were talking face-to-face, he could discuss every aspect of their mission without risk.
Payne said, ‘The instant we hit the main path, we’re going to start encountering tourists, and it’s only going to get worse as we get closer to town. With that in mind, we need something to quell potential panic. Personally, I like the cover story that you guys have been using – we’re German soldiers who have been conducting military drills in the mountains. That would explain our weapons, equipment and Kaiser’s condition. He simply got hurt during a training exercise. Out of curiosity, how many of you guys speak German?’
All four of Kaiser’s men – Collins, Huber, Lange and Richter – raised their hands. Unbeknown to Payne, it was a requirement for Kaiser’s security detail.
‘Really?’ Payne said. ‘Well, I guess that makes me the class idiot because I can’t.’
‘You’ll get no argument from me,’ Jones cracked.
Payne ignored him. ‘To make our cover story believable, one of you will have to take charge if we’re stopped along the way – whether that’s by a tourist, a tour guide or a cop. Simply tell them there was a training accident, and we’re rushing our man to a medevac chopper that is waiting for us. That should prevent them from summoning the authorities.’
Jones continued from there, ‘It will also help us at the Eckbauerbahn. In order to load these crates into the gondolas, we’ll need the operators to stop the cableway for a few minutes. If they want to know why we can’t leave the crates behind, tell them they’re filled with explosives. That should spook them enough to get their full cooperation.’
Payne smiled. ‘We’ll also need them to stop the cableway at the bottom so we can unload the payload before it gets whisked back up the mountain. To make sure that doesn’t happen, we’ll put someone in the first gondola who can hop out and explain the situation. Obviously, it would be great if there’s a cart or truck for us to borrow, but we can’t count on that, which means there’s a chance we’ll have to carry everything to the choppers ourselves.’