Tidal Rage by David Evans (best big ereader .TXT) 📗

below, and had a similar ladder to get over the railing. This was the tricky bit, as there was not a ladder on the other side, just a sheer sixty-foot drop. They had to shimmy down the railings and reach down to grab the abseil line while holding on with the other hand.

Most abseilers secure the line to a harness, but this was impossible. What made the task harder was they carried about forty pounds each in backpacks.

Clad all in black, they were almost invisible against the rock backdrop. Colton and Cortez went down first, as they were the attacking team for the delegate’s villa. Tuck and Cutler went last, as they had chosen Werner’s villa.

The frontal view of the villas gave the appearance that they had been built into the rock face, but this was just an illusion. The rear walls ended a yard short of the rock face, and in this gap the ugly air conditioning units were sited and hidden from view.

Both Colton and Cortez had traversed sideward ten yards along the rock face and had landed on the roof of the delegate’s villa. All had rubber-soled boots on to minimize any noise on the clay tiles.

Tuck and Cutler ascended the ropes directly onto Werner’s roof. Once there, they removed rubber condoms and two bottles from their backpacks. They then removed industrial respirator face masks and put them on. They checked each other’s respirator straps to ensure they were sealed to the face correctly.

Tuck held the condom neck open for Cutler and inserted a small funnel into the condom. Cutler poured bleach into the condom until it expanded and was about a third full. Resealing the bleach, they opened and poured in ammonia.

Colton and Cortez removed their weapons and shimmied forward to the apex of the roof.

The waited quietly for ten minutes, and at two minutes to nine exactly, they cut and removed two screws and removed the top of the air conditioning units and placed in the condoms.

Two minutes later, the delegate left Werner’s villa to return to her own, with Von Baer and the four German minders. Cortez’s observation over the telescope had paid off; this was a nightly ritual.

Stage one of the plan was now underway. Shultz, perched on a boulder some hundred yards to the left, and with a clear view of the front patio area, fired the first shot. The SR-25 sniper rifle was on single shot, and the noise suppressor ensured no one heard the bullet as it spat out, nor saw the spark as the impingent gas ignited, propelling the projectile.

The four German minders were on all sides of the delegate and appeared disciplined and well trained. Von-Baer was lagging. The bullet hit the minder to the front of the delegate and nearest to the villa. His brain would not have time to register what was happening. The bullet entered through his nose, and the gaping exit wound at the back of his head was also the departure point for his brain matter, most of which ended up all over Von-Baer’s face.

Von-Baer was stunned and just stood there, wiping his hand over his face, and looking at the contents as he studied his hand. The minders were professionals and quickly recovered. Two of the Germans ushered the delegate inside the villa. The last minder took a Cortez bullet to the spine, snapping his back and killing him instantly.

Cutler, on the roof of Werner’s villa, put a large pin into the condom in the air conditioning unit, releasing the chlorine gas which would flood the villa.

Cortez and Colton advanced to the front of the delegate’s roof, ready to jump down to the bedroom patio three yards below the edge of the roof. They were surprised to see Von-Baer still standing there beside the infinity pool, obviously in shock. Colton had his weapon on semi-automatic and put a short burst into Von-Baer’s chest. The force of the volley lifted him off his feet and propelled him back a couple of metres, and he landed with a mighty splash into the pool, which turned crimson red immediately.

Cutler and Tuck took the same action as their counterparts on the Werner’s roof, advancing forward to the front of the roof and jumping down immediately.

The Turkish minders were less professional, and four of the six charged out, spluttering and coughing, weapons held high, ready to fire at the first target. It was unclear who killed whom as Colton and Cortez on the opposite bedroom balcony had a clear view, and Cutler and Tuck on the patio above them had a better view. All four put a short burst into the four minders and they died in each other’s blood pools, almost immediately.

Inside, the delegate was trying to use her mobile phone to dial out to the local police. Unbeknown to her, and causing concern and anger to the local population, Tuck had sabotaged the mobile phone reception tower, which was located within the same fenced-off area as the airport beacon. The landlines had been cut at the telegraph poles earlier in the day.

The delegate’s two minders ushered her to a downstairs bathroom that had no windows, and which they had classed as the safe room and last resort.

Nathan Colton earlier that day had purchased some saltpeter, a bag of toilet rolls, and a rug. He removed the paper from the rolls, while on the stove he had a skillet in which he had placed three parts saltpeter and one-part sugar. While the mixture heated, he cut out small pieces of rug and taped them to the bottom of the toilet rolls. When he was satisfied the mixture was done, he placed a cup full in each of the prepared toilet rolls. He impregnated strong tissue with the mixture and then twisted the tissue and put it at the other end of the toilet roll, thus creating a