Read Online Echo Six: Black Ops 6 - Battle for Beirut by Eric Meyer - Free Book Online

of the stadium. The hood flew off, and a cloud of steam poured out from the overheated engine, which died after a couple of seconds.
    They waited in case there was an explosion and fire, but after thirty seconds, Talley raced forward to check. The driver was dead. One of Virgil's rounds had smacked into the back of his head, perhaps a ricochet from the number of bullets that tore into the vehicle. He walked up the street to check the Audi in case there were any survivors. They were also dead, their bodies scorched and broken by the blast of the heavy shell that hit their car. Smoke was still rising from the wreckage, and he almost gagged at the stink of burned flesh.
    There was nothing to be done, only to reflect on the cruel and unnecessary killing, four youngsters making out far from the carnage of the city in flames. But not far enough. Their murderers were dead too, but it was scant justice.
    He returned to where his men waited.
    "We're clear," he keyed his mic, "This is Echo One. Hostiles are down. Guy, bring the men up. We’re going into the stadium, and see if we can find this Mossad contact."
    He waited a few moments for the rest of the men to come up, and they went forward. The main gates to the stadium loomed large in front of them, and they were obviously locked. But as they hesitated, a small gate at the side opened. They brought up their weapons as a man stepped out. He didn't seem fazed by the heavily armed men who confronted him. Instead, he gave them a slight smile.
    "Good evening. My name is Abdul Muzaka. I have been expecting you."
    They stopped and stared. Arab contacts were not unheard of, but never trusted, not entirely. His smile faded.
    "I see you don't trust me. I imagine you haven't found Arabs to be the most honest of people." Talley waited, and the man smiled again as if he was enjoying some kind of a private joke, "So it's as well I'm not an Arab."
    "The schweinhund looks like an Arab to me," Buchmann muttered.
    "Shut it, Heinrich." He went forward to stand in front of the man. His MP7 wasn't aimed at the target's belly, but it wasn't far away. "Abdul Muzaka sounds like an Arab name to me, Mister."
    "It is, but it is not my real name. I am Shimon Goldstein. I am an Israeli."
    "An Israeli, working here in Beirut?"
    He grimaced. "I am Mossad. My government likes to know what these people are saying and thinking. You'd be surprised at the number of plots I hear of inside this place. The combination of football and alcohol are effective at loosening tongues."
    "I can imagine."
    "You'd better get your people inside. If the militias arrive to check out the gunfire, they will see the bodies and assume it was a firefight between opposing factions. If they see soldiers, they'll call in their fighters, and this place will become as bad as the rest of the city."
    "You go first, Goldstein, and keep your hands away from your body. Don't try anything."
      He turned without a word and walked into the stadium. Talley led Echo Six in, and they found themselves underneath the main seating area in a narrow, enclosed space. Goldstein's footsteps echoed around the concrete structure, and there was a sense of something eerie in the chilly darkness, as if it was haunted. What part of Beirut wasn't haunted, after the killings and the bloodshed? He continued through another door, and they entered the tunnel that led out onto the playing field. He turned to them.
    "This is the best place for you to stay through the day. The stadium is closed at present as the team is playing away. You will be safe here."
    Talley looked around. His men were already spreading out to check the surrounding area, but the reports all came in clear. Guy detailed men to go to the top of the stadium steps to watch for any sign of the enemy, and the rest of them relaxed. Dawn was just breaking, and they faced a long wait until nightfall when they would go after the hostages, assuming this contact was able to help them with accurate information.