The Ottoman Conspiracy, page 22
part #3 of Jeff Bradley Series
“Okay,” Jeff said. “We go tonight.” To his team he said, “Do not leave anything behind. We are not coming back. Any questions?” Jeff waited. No response. “Good. Let’s get out of here.”
Jeff dropped some US dollars on to the table for the coffees.
Under the cover of darkness, the convoy moved out. They travelled in two SUVs, Luka’s vehicle leading the way. The roads were similar to those they’d travelled on from the Kurdistan capital of Erbil: sealed and in a reasonable state of repair. The further they got towards the edge of the city, the less effective the street lighting, and it wasn’t long before the road and surrounding area were totally black. Luka had assured them before they left that within the hour the moon would rise.
A half-mile from the target, Luka’s vehicle turned off on to a dirt track that ran between two crumbling storage sheds. They had changed into jeans and black pullovers. Jeff had bought a pair of calf-high desert-tan military boots in Istanbul. Jonno, Aussie and Ginger had boots as part of their security uniforms and had brought their kit with them. For a soldier, boots were as important as his rifle. They had decided the only kit they would wear that was military were the boots. If the night turned ugly, and Kurdish authorities or international troops appeared, he didn’t want his crew mistaken for mercenaries or ISIS recruits. They climbed out of the vehicles and gathered round the raised rear door of the second SUV. Jonno, Aussie and Ginger picked over the weapons and chose Kalashnikovs.
“Are they in working order?” Aussie asked.
Luka said, “Fired today. They will work. No one uses these buildings anymore. As you can see, they are falling down. We can stay parked here for as long as we like. It is a three-hundred-metre walk to the coordinates. No one is on the street. Not out here, and not in the dark. We will not be seen.”
Jeff took Reason aside.
“Please don’t take this the wrong way, but I need you to stay behind. We are going to reconnoitre the place, and we will move as an SAS squad, the way we were trained to do. It will be in, locate the target, make a note of any obstacles and out. No more.”
“Tell me to fuck off, Jeff, but don’t patronise me. I know where you’re coming from; I’m not an idiot.”
Jeff laughed. “Okay. As long as we’re clear. I promise next time you can go in alone and we’ll stay back. Just to be fair.”
“Get on with it. And don’t get shot.”
Jeff joined the others.
“We don’t have headsets, which means we need to stay close. Ten-metre intervals. The moonlight is bright enough for us to easily navigate the area. We’ll keep to the right side of the lanes until we get to the coordinates.”
Jonno passed Jeff a tube of grey and a tube of green camouflage cream. Jeff applied it to his face and hands, and passed the tubes back.
“Okay, guys, let’s move out.”
Reason stood beside Luka and watched until Jeff and his team disappeared from sight.
“He is your man, Jeff Bradley?” Luka asked.
“No. Why do you ask?”
“When you look at him, it is like a woman does when she is proud of her man. When she has claimed him for herself.”
Reason laughed.
“You might laugh,” Luka said. “But it is in your eyes, and the eyes do not lie.”
“Is this how it is with you and Jonno?”
“For me, yes. For Jonno, no, but I love him in a different way.”
“What happened between you two? Tonight in the café, the warmth for Jonno from all the men – what is that all about?”
Luka pointed to the boot of the SUV. “Take a seat.”
“I will tell you because someone should know, but I ask you, until Jonno says it is okay, you must keep it to yourself. This is woman to woman because what Jonno did to help can only truly be understood by another woman. I need to talk about it, but I cannot here in Zakho. Such things as this we are forced to live with in silence.”
Reason shifted in her seat to fully give her attention to Luka. The rebel leader looked at the ground. Kicked her boot into the dirt.
“For me, what happened three years ago has become a blur. I try not to remember, and mostly I don’t, but some nights in the dark, when I sleep, it comes back so clear I wake screaming. But the scream is silent. My mouth has opened, but there is no noise.”
Luka paused. Reason waited.
“One morning, my sister and my mother and I went to the markets. I was on a break from university. The morning was crisp but sunny. A nice day and we were happy. Then the men in black appeared. The rifles in their hands spat death. The men already at the markets and any men who came near when they heard the shooting were shot. Me, my mother, my sister and twenty other women were loaded on to trucks and taken across the border into Syria. We had become a number among the many hundreds of women kidnapped by ISIL or ISIS, as this scum has become known. We were lost to our families.”
Luka stood and took a few paces forward. Stared into the sky.
“I don’t think I need to explain to you what lay ahead for me, my mother, sister and the other women.”
Reason shook her head. “No, I have read the news stories.”
“Many Kurdish women have suffered at the hands of these pigs of men. We all heard the stories of the Yazidi women. Raped, and turned into nothing more than prostitutes. Passed around like bowls of food, and tossed into the trash or murdered when finished with. In those first hours, I held on to my mother and sister and we wept.”
Luka turned back to Reason.
“And praise to Allah, he sent a saviour. My brother had been working in Baghdad as a translator for the New Zealand soldiers. This is where he met Jonno. They became friends, and he invited Jonno to our village for a visit. We were excited. A foreigner not only coming to dinner, but to stay. This is why we were in the market that day. Buying food to make a great feast for our honoured guest.
“Late that afternoon, my brother and Jonno arrived in Zakho. The news of our kidnapping at first left my brother in shock. My father said he became as white as flour and fell to his knees. But for my brother there was more bad news to follow. Two of his best friends were among the men killed in the markets. Poor Jonno, he was in the house of our family and he could see the distress, but my father did not speak English and my brother would not speak.”
Luka returned to sit next to Reason.
“After an hour, my brother came out of his trance and, still not speaking, he went outside and to the back of the house. Jonno followed him. We had weapons hidden in a garden shed. My brother took out a Kalashnikov and ammunition. As he made to walk back to the house, Jonno stepped in front of him and demanded to know what was happening. My brother told him we had been taken and he was going to rescue his family. He would arrange for Jonno to be taken back to Baghdad. He apologised for his rudeness, but it was his duty and he did not know how long it would take; best for Jonno to return to his camp.
“Then, praise to Allah, Jonno said he would not let my brother go alone. That he would go with him. But they would not leave until nightfall. He wanted this time to plan. He wanted weapons, and he wanted to know the crossing points. My brother called to the house everyone he knew would be useful. Those who knew the Syrian border crossing were of course the PKK soldiers, and they were ready to help. Jonno told them he had the experience, and would lead and selected a team of ten experienced PKK fighters and my brother. At dusk, Jonno, my brother and the PKK fighters made for the border.”
Reason could imagine Jonno becoming involved. She had met men like Jonno and Jeff in the Special Forces units from America and Britain. They believed they were invincible. She reconsidered, and decided that was not a fair comment. Special Forces men, when they decided a job needed to be done, got on and did it.
“What happened to you and the others during this time?” Reason asked.
“Not a lot. We had no idea what our final destination might be, but we crossed into Syria. My guess was they would take us down through Syria, cross back into Iraq and end up in Mosul. Most of the kidnapped women were taken to Mosul to be given as wives to the ISIS soldiers. Anyway, the sun was going down and I guess the ISIS shits must be frightened of the dark. We stopped at one of their border bases and we were locked in a room. We assumed this would be until morning, and we would be moved on. After a few hours, the guards returned. Maybe they had been drinking. I don’t know. They needed comforting. Four young women were selected. Myself and my sister and two others. My mother screamed at them. One of the guards punched her in the face. We were pushed from the room.”
Luka stopped. Her head fell to her chest. Her right hand rubbed the bridge of her nose. She stayed that way for a minute. Reason did not reach out to comfort her. Luka was shedding her demons talking with her, and Reason knew enough to leave her to go through it alone. Sitting with her, giving her space and listening was enough.
“Jonno and my brother crossed into Syria around midnight. The PKK soldiers knew where to cross safely. Then Jonno took over. They saw lights in the distance and they parked the trucks. They walked to the small village. Jonno selected two of the PKK men. Seasoned fighters. He told my brother and the others to wait. And he and the two PKK men entered the town. I have no details of what happened, but when they returned they had extracted our location from an ISIS soldier.
“In the room where we were held we heard the gunfire. We huddled together, frightened of course. The door was smashed down, and I will never forget the sight ever: Jonno stood in the light as big as a god. I had never met him, and screamed. Then my brother rushed past Jonno and held us. My brother said Jonno was like a superman. Charging into building after building, firing his Kalashnikov and bodies dropping everywhere. The PKK soldiers avenged fallen comrades. None of the ISIS soldiers lived. By morning, all the women taken from Zakho the day before returned home.
“Jonno did not stay the night. Too much sorrow pervaded the house. My sister and I were so ashamed. We hid ourselves in our rooms. Jonno said he needed to return to his base and told my brother that what happened in Syria was never to be spoken of and swore us all to secrecy. He said what he had done was against army regulations. It would be very bad for him if it was ever found out. Tonight is the first time he has been back to Zakho. The men who welcomed him were the husbands and brothers of the women he saved.”
Luka smiled.
“And there you have it. I will always love Jonno, and for our town he will always be a hero.”
“That is some story, Luka. You have my word. Jonno’s secret is safe with me.”
The hostage building identified itself. Beams of light flooded out through the windows. The surrounding buildings were in total darkness. It was also the only building that looked solid enough not to collapse at any moment. It had a roof. The other visible buildings looked as if they had suffered the worst effects of a bombing raid. Jeff knew the Turkish Air Force had flown bombing missions in the area.
He gave the signal for the team to move forward. Jonno and Aussie were on his left flank, Ginger on the right. The warehouse had a wall round it. When they reached it, he held up his hand to stop. A few metres to his right, Jeff found a spot where the concrete blocks had crumbled away. He could see into the compound. While there was light coming from within the building, there were no lights on the outer wall. However, the moonbeams emitted enough light to clearly see any obstacles that lay ahead. It also meant that they could be spotted easily by a sentry when crossing the dead ground.
“There are two buildings in the compound. With me, Jonno. We’ll check the closest building first. Ginger, you and Aussie stay here and cover us. Any shooting, and we’re going to come back running. Don’t open fire until you identify your target.”
“Is that right, mate?” Aussie said. “Who would’ve thought that’s what you do. Fuck me – if only I’d joined the army and got some bloody training.”
“Okay, okay. Sorry, fair point,” Jeff said.
Ginger said, “Don’t worry about it, Jeff. He is an Aussie; he needed reminding.”
Jeff climbed through the gap. Jonno followed. A quick scan showed the ground clear to the warehouse wall. Jeff ran at pace. The ground was loose dirt. No sound. They crept up to a window at chest height. Jeff peered through the bottom right corner.
He pulled back. “The hostages are in there.”
Jonno tapped him on the shoulder as an acknowledgement he had heard and understood.
“The road entrance into the compound is on the other side of the building,” Jeff whispered. “Any guards will likely be near the gate.”
Jonno gave Jeff another tap on the shoulder and moved ahead of him, leading the way along the outer wall. He poked his head round the corner, and turned back to Jeff.
“Two guards by the gate.”
“Okay, you cross over to the other building and check it out. I’ll cover you.”
Jonno ran across the twenty metres to the second building. Jeff watched the guards, but the soft ground again meant no sound from Jonno’s boots. After a few minutes, Jonno was back at Jeff’s side.
“We’ve a major bloody problem,” he said. “Let’s get the hell out of here so I can tell you about it.”
CHAPTER FORTY
They’ve got us outnumbered,” Jonno said. “Maybe there are too many of them.” He looked at Jeff. “This rescue might just be starting to take on the appearance of a suicide mission.”
“Not yet, Jonno. Let’s talk it through before we jump to conclusions.”
They had re-assembled back at the vans. Jeff had not given any information to Aussie and Ginger at the wall. They were in enemy territory, and he wanted them fully focussed on the patrol formation and to remain alert. He also didn’t want to repeat himself.
Now, he paced while Jonno leaned against the side of the vehicle, arms crossed, and Ginger and Aussie sat on their haunches. Reason and Luka sat in the boot and waited for Jeff and his team to settle. Aussie opened a bottle of water. Ginger plucked it from his hand and gulped half.
“The hostages are in there, all right,” Jeff said.
“How many guards?” Aussie asked, snatching his water back from Ginger.
Jonno said, “Six inside the building and a couple of sentries outside. There is a detached building thirty metres to the left. I didn’t get a good look, but from what I did see, it’s set up like a barracks. I saw bunks and into another room at the end of the sleeping quarters; men were sitting round a table, nibbling titbits and drinking cognac or raki, or whatever it is they drink in Iraq. I couldn’t see enough of it, but it looked like a typical army camp mess to me. At the other end, I could hear running water. Had to be an ablution block, is my guess. The living quarters looked ordered. I think in their day these guys might have been army.”
“Could be some of Saddam’s old troops,” Luka said. “If that were so, I would question why they are with The Sheriff. Many went to join up with ISIS, but none would have gone near the PKK.”
Jeff said, “I think, Luka, if we have learned anything over the last few days, it is that The Sheriff has little interest in fighting to build a Kurdistan state. He is working with Avni Leka, and that is scary stuff. Anyway, let’s continue with the briefing. Jonno.”
Jonno said, “But our worry is there are at least twenty of them inside the barracks building. We can easily take care of the six with the hostages and the two outside guards, but that small garrison in the barracks is a problem. Once the shooting starts, we’ll be outgunned. And we have to consider more reinforcements will come from the town. In fact, I think we have to bank on it.”
“Okay, it’s simple really,” Jeff said. “We need to take that garrison out of play before we go get the hostages. Luka, you have a stack of RPG rocket launchers in one of the vehicles. How many?”
“There are six.”
“What do you think, Jonno – will six be enough?”
“Overkill, but I’m happy making sure none of them crawl out of the rubble.”
Jeff turned to Reason. “When the time comes, we are going to need the SEALs and a Chinook helicopter to pick up the hostages. And tell them to send an Apache, or any heavily armed chopper available. We won’t know how many we’re up against until the shooting starts, and if more of The Sheriff’s men come from the village, there’s no better deterrent than an Apache. We need to get them on the way. I’m guessing they will come from Baghdad. I didn’t see any sign of choppers at Erbil Airport.”
“I’m on it.”
“Right,” Jeff said. “Time to kick butt. We move out in twenty minutes.”
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
This is it, Reason. Keep your Glock at arm’s length and aim your barrel at the chest and pull the trigger. Identify your target, then shoot to kill. You aren’t the police. We aren’t here to arrest anyone. Got it?” Jeff asked.
“I have fired a weapon before, Jeff. This one in fact,” Reason said. She held her Glock shoulder high and waggled it. “You might have noticed how handy I was against Marius in Istanbul.”
Jeff blew air through his lips like he was playing a trumpet solo.
“In the military we repeat ourselves a lot. Think of it as the same as a checklist routine a pilot and co-pilot go through before taking a passenger jet into the air. Yes, you are a fighter and you can handle yourself; I know that, but night fighting is different. When the bullets start flying, you won’t know where they’re coming from. You won’t see your enemy, and when you do see movement, it will be shadows. Your first reaction will be hesitation. Are they bad guys or not? Your gut will churn, and you will wish to hell you were someplace else.” Jeff reached out a hand and touched her arm. “Just remember to keep your head down.”
“That’s twice you’ve patronised me. Don’t let there be a third time,” Reason said, tight-lipped.
