Read Online Echo Six: Black Ops 6 - Battle for Beirut by Eric Meyer - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Eric Meyer
Tags: thriller, Literature & Fiction, Action & Adventure, War & Military, Genre Fiction, Mystery; Thriller & Suspense, War
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Beirut in the midst of yet another civil war was no place to wander around blindly.
"Please, come with me. I will prepare coffee."
The groundsman led Talley through a doorway into a small kitchen. The air was rich and heavy with the smell of freshly brewed coffee.
"I have been here most of the night waiting for you to arrive, so I have drunk enough coffee to slake the thirst of an army. I will make a fresh pot for you and your men."
Talley nodded his thanks, and the man bustled around with a battered and blackened kettle. A short time after, the odor of coffee was even stronger, and Goldstein filled a score of small glasses with the rich, black mixture. Before he could stop him, the man added several spoons of sugar, and he recalled that the locals liked their coffee that way. Black, strong, and sweet. The Mossad man carried the tray out into the tunnel and handed each of the men the syrupy coffee. Then he turned to Talley.
"Now that I have attended to the formalities, tell me what you need to know."
"The name of the group who kidnapped Jensen, that would be a start."
Goldstein nodded. He was a short man, with incredibly broad shoulders, and it was easy to imagine him pushing heavy equipment around the sports stadium to maintain the playing surface. He looked to be in his forties, with tousled, curly black hair and an untidy beard. His skin was pockmarked and swarthy, giving him the appearance of a typical Arab. Or Jew. Both races were of Semitic origin, and it was sometimes impossible to separate their appearance.
"That's an easy one. Hezbollah."
"Where do we find them?"
The Jew chuckled. "You may as well ask where you can find an Arab. They are everywhere."
"Don't they have someplace central, a headquarters?"
"They do. Their office is in Beirut, but if you think they'd hold a United Nations Commissioner there, you'd be very mistaken. The most likely location will be one of the refugee camps scattered around the Lebanon. But which one, I have no idea."
"If we can find where they're holding him, is it likely the other hostages will be in the same place? Or do they separate them?"
The other man's eyes narrowed. He was no fool, and he'd picked up the note of concern in Talley's voice.
"Almost certainly they will be holding them in the same place. You're talking about the Christian children? Or is it someone you know?"
"Both. Help us locate them. We have to get them out.”
"You know they're using them as a human shield, to prevent any rescue attempt? Find the children, and you'll almost certainly find Jensen and the other hostages. But surrounding them with explosives is as effective as putting them in a fortress. " He peered at Talley, staring into his eyes, "There is perhaps one of the hostages who is close to you?"
Is it that obvious? I’m in command of an elite squad of Special Forces operators tasked to bring out a kidnapped UN diplomat. Yet, I'm sorry, but Jensen is not my chief priority. I know it’s unprofessional, but I’m only human.
"Something like that. We need to talk to someone at the Hezbollah Headquarters in the city center. How do we get inside?"
Goldstein chuckled. "In a word, my friend, you don't. The Beirut Central Office of Hezbollah is heavily defended, and the chances of a Westerner gaining access are zero. And even if you did get inside, these people are fanatics. They would sooner die than tell you what you need to know."
Talley gave him a cold smile. "If dying is what they want, we're happy to arrange it. But we're wasting time. How do we get there?"
The other man shook his head. "You'll be committing suicide if you even go near the place. Believe me, what you're proposing is impossible."
"Maybe they haven't told you what we do. It's our job, making the impossible happen. Providing they're still alive."
The one factor no one could change. Death.
Nava, is she still alive? There’ll be a huge number of casualties from the shelling and machine gun fire. She could be lying in
"Please, come with me. I will prepare coffee."
The groundsman led Talley through a doorway into a small kitchen. The air was rich and heavy with the smell of freshly brewed coffee.
"I have been here most of the night waiting for you to arrive, so I have drunk enough coffee to slake the thirst of an army. I will make a fresh pot for you and your men."
Talley nodded his thanks, and the man bustled around with a battered and blackened kettle. A short time after, the odor of coffee was even stronger, and Goldstein filled a score of small glasses with the rich, black mixture. Before he could stop him, the man added several spoons of sugar, and he recalled that the locals liked their coffee that way. Black, strong, and sweet. The Mossad man carried the tray out into the tunnel and handed each of the men the syrupy coffee. Then he turned to Talley.
"Now that I have attended to the formalities, tell me what you need to know."
"The name of the group who kidnapped Jensen, that would be a start."
Goldstein nodded. He was a short man, with incredibly broad shoulders, and it was easy to imagine him pushing heavy equipment around the sports stadium to maintain the playing surface. He looked to be in his forties, with tousled, curly black hair and an untidy beard. His skin was pockmarked and swarthy, giving him the appearance of a typical Arab. Or Jew. Both races were of Semitic origin, and it was sometimes impossible to separate their appearance.
"That's an easy one. Hezbollah."
"Where do we find them?"
The Jew chuckled. "You may as well ask where you can find an Arab. They are everywhere."
"Don't they have someplace central, a headquarters?"
"They do. Their office is in Beirut, but if you think they'd hold a United Nations Commissioner there, you'd be very mistaken. The most likely location will be one of the refugee camps scattered around the Lebanon. But which one, I have no idea."
"If we can find where they're holding him, is it likely the other hostages will be in the same place? Or do they separate them?"
The other man's eyes narrowed. He was no fool, and he'd picked up the note of concern in Talley's voice.
"Almost certainly they will be holding them in the same place. You're talking about the Christian children? Or is it someone you know?"
"Both. Help us locate them. We have to get them out.”
"You know they're using them as a human shield, to prevent any rescue attempt? Find the children, and you'll almost certainly find Jensen and the other hostages. But surrounding them with explosives is as effective as putting them in a fortress. " He peered at Talley, staring into his eyes, "There is perhaps one of the hostages who is close to you?"
Is it that obvious? I’m in command of an elite squad of Special Forces operators tasked to bring out a kidnapped UN diplomat. Yet, I'm sorry, but Jensen is not my chief priority. I know it’s unprofessional, but I’m only human.
"Something like that. We need to talk to someone at the Hezbollah Headquarters in the city center. How do we get inside?"
Goldstein chuckled. "In a word, my friend, you don't. The Beirut Central Office of Hezbollah is heavily defended, and the chances of a Westerner gaining access are zero. And even if you did get inside, these people are fanatics. They would sooner die than tell you what you need to know."
Talley gave him a cold smile. "If dying is what they want, we're happy to arrange it. But we're wasting time. How do we get there?"
The other man shook his head. "You'll be committing suicide if you even go near the place. Believe me, what you're proposing is impossible."
"Maybe they haven't told you what we do. It's our job, making the impossible happen. Providing they're still alive."
The one factor no one could change. Death.
Nava, is she still alive? There’ll be a huge number of casualties from the shelling and machine gun fire. She could be lying in
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