The Hunt

60

Bent double, Jaeger scuttled through the brush and scrub above the OP, flitting from shadow to shadow. It was vital that he moved fast whilst also ensuring that he didn’t give their position away. He ducked under the camouflage netting giving access to the snow cave.

‘Heads up. Falkenhagen’s been hit,’ he hissed. ‘Miles is missing. We’re very likely compromised.’ His eyes flitted around the cave, searching for something. ‘Irina, I’m going to need you to lend me your sniper rifle. I’m going out to secure our rear. Take this.’

He handed her his Diemaco. He could tell that she and Alonzo were still in shock as they tried to grasp the enormity of what had happened. As he continued speaking, he grabbed his skis and slotted his boots into them.

‘Look lively, guys. Depending which route they’ve taken, Kammler’s people could be here any moment. Narov, join Raff on watch. Alonzo, set up a position looking east over the snowfields. We figure Kammler’s sent out a party to take us from the rear. I’m going out to hit them first. And make no mistake: getting the tungsten bomb in remains our absolute priority.’

Narov tried to protest, but Jaeger silenced her with a gesture. ‘No buts: I’m a stronger skier. No time to argue. Let’s get moving.’

Dragunov strapped to his back, Jaeger set out east, skiing hard and fast across the moonlit snow. Thankfully, he’d only recently waxed his skis. He’d done so in order to help kill the boredom, but it was good that he had. They whispered across the snow.

The night sky was crystal clear. The moon was almost full, throwing the surroundings into eerie light and shadow. The illumination would be both a help and a hindrance. Jaeger would try to use it and the natural environment to his advantage. Old lessons that never died.

His mind raced. The two SUVs packed with gunmen had been lost from sight around the far end of the valley at around 0330 hours local time. He figured it would take them a good ninety minutes to scale the lower end of the gorge, especially with all the kit they would be carrying. It was 0430 now, so they could be cresting the ridge at any time.

They’d then have to ski west-south-west for a kilometre or so to bring them into the OP position from its rear. Jaeger figured he had twenty minutes maximum to execute the kind of deception he had in mind. He upped his pace. He could feel the sweat dripping down his back and soaking his silk inner layer as he pushed on.

Part of him felt physically drained. The lack of food, no doubt. But another part of him was fired up on adrenalin, and he felt as if he could ski like the wind. He’d have to if his plan was going to work.

The snowfield rose ahead of him gently, cresting out at a distant ridge. He was at his best going uphill. Few skiers could beat him in a climb. He just needed to make that ridge alive, and he should be good to execute stage two of his plan.

He halted when he figured he was some 500 metres short of the high ground. There was little point in taking cover, not for what he now intended. He turned and faced the way he had come, back towards the valley. He drew his pistol – a Sig Sauer P228 – and chambered a round.

He was a white figure standing amongst white snow on a moonlit night. They were unlikely simply to see him, and he couldn’t think of any other way to draw their attention. He’d fire a shot into the air. As if it was intended to alert the rest of his team, positioned higher up the slope, to the appearance of the enemy.

Alert, hyped up, muscles coiled tense as a spring, Jaeger waited.

He checked his watch. Any time now.

Sure enough, the first figures hove into view.

Kammler’s team were moving in single file, the lead skier beating a track through the snow for the others to follow; disciplined professionals, mercenaries no doubt, searching the terrain to either side of them as they went.

They clearly knew that Jaeger and his team had set their OP on the high ground, but they didn’t know exactly where. Or at least that was Jaeger’s gamble.

They kept moving towards him.

Like fish in a barrel.

Jaeger’s heart was thumping. He knew the time had come. Time to go overt.

He raised his pistol and fired.