WOLFKAMMER - Chapters 6 & 7.
See Fic Masterpost for the header info.
Chapter 1.
Chapters 2 & 3.
Chapters 4 & 5.
Chapter 6.
Everything was set up, the support teams were briefed, the farmers contacted and reluctantly persuaded not to run or panic. They were back in Gummersbach enjoying a late lunch. Bodie’s partner for the operation had joined them and Ray felt a brief surge of resentment, quelled as soon as the thought appeared.
So far, Bodie had said nothing about the morning’s declaration. He had understood; of that, Ray was certain. He hadn’t shown any anger or coldness; he had been all smiles and enthusiasm for their work, all cheerful banter and the occasional slap on the shoulder that said they were partners, allies, friends. Was he trying to pretend it hadn’t been said? Was he unconcerned? For once, Ray couldn’t work out what Bodie was thinking. Maybe his words had snapped the thread that bound them together, had bound them since the early days of their partnership. He had thought he could just admire, without risking that bond, but of course it had been inevitable that sooner or later he would slip. The strange working conditions, away from their normal stamping ground and other colleagues, the shared bed, even the hare, had combined to trip him into uttering those five bitterly regretted words.
Klaus Wolperding didn’t deserve his resentment. He was a gangly young man who looked awkward and uncoordinated when he sat or stood at ease, light brown hair flopping over his grey eyes, but in motion he was streamlined, a fit, trained agent with the abilities and senses of a soldier. Bodie had taken to him immediately, which was good, as he would have to rely on him in any emergency. Ray should be glad that his replacement was someone they could trust. He was, but... Of course, it hadn’t been Bodie’s choice to have Ray as liaison officer, and even today, after those words, he had tried to say that they worked best together, a tried and tested team, but he knew as well as anyone where their individual strengths lay and why those should be exploited in the present situation.
Klaus had good English. In fact, it appeared his mother was Scottish, married to a businessman in Dortmund, and there was a faint Scottish burr to his speech but no sign apart from his name that he wasn’t completely British.
“So what’s with the surname, Klaus?” Bodie was amused to be involved with yet another mythical animal. “It sounds just like the Wolpertinger, the horned hares.”
“I don’t know. It’s an old name, and maybe my ancestors used to be hunters? Or good fighters. Some fierce and loyal fighting dogs were also known as Wolperdinge - or maybe they were dogs that came from nowhere to fight on your side. I’m not sure. I’ve never bothered much with family trees or old legends and that kind of thing, though my father has a huge old family bible with everyone’s name in the back. I could ask him. But I suspect he’s always just taken it for granted; it’s just his name.”
Bodie smiled then admitted his part in the Elwedtritsch hunt and the Germans reacted with varying degrees of mirth.
“You did not tell us the whole of the story,” said Reinhard, wiping his eyes. “But it must have much more frightening been when you are afterwards finding the hare.” And then they had to explain the hare incident to Klaus, who looked worried.
“It’s a warning, but I suppose you already realise that. A threat, even.” As the young man spoke, Ray remembered his nightmare and swallowed hard. “But maybe the biggest worry is that they know exactly who you are, where you are, and what you are thinking.” They told him about the map and their efforts to foil further spying or theft and he shook his head, forced to be satisfied for now.
Ray watched Bodie; covertly, he hoped, though maybe that was pointless now. His partner’s blue eyes were sparkling with good humour and the anticipation of doing a job well. No hint of annoyance, shock, disgust. Of course, with his army background Bodie was probably used to all sorts of types of men and behaviour. Didn’t mean he’d have to like the idea, though. Other guys must surely have fancied him? He was a superb physical specimen and handsome by anyone’s standards, with that bright almost cheeky expression that laid an endearing boyishness over the honed killing machine. He must have fascinated a lot of men - and women, of course - over the years. Had anyone else ever blurted out their desire? How had he reacted? How was he reacting now? Ray found himself wishing he had some certainty about Bodie’s feelings on the matter, even if they were hostile. It had never arisen as a topic of discussion, even in a neutral context.
Perhaps the evening would bring some kind of resolution. Or perhaps Bodie would simply go out, go to Hilde’s Kegelbahn, or to Christina at the disco, disappear from an embarrassing situation, avoiding it with consummate and practised ease. He wasn’t sure what he hoped; he just continued to berate himself mentally for his stupid outburst.
There was all the paperwork to be finished for the operation that had started and it was later than usual when they called it a day. On the way back to the inn they were silent, but as they went up to their room Ray felt Bodie watching him. Was he expecting another idiot declaration? Some kind of scene? An apology? He opened their room and flung himself down on his side of the bed, arms folded defensively, ready to snarl like a dog that loves its master but expects a kick rather than a pat.
Bodie was whistling as he changed, padding out to the bathroom and returning towelling damp hair, still looking cheerful.
“So are we going to the disco?” Ray couldn’t stop himself asking.
“Why? I mean, why would we?” Bodie sounded genuinely curious and Ray shrugged, quite a difficult feat given his position on the bed.
“Christina...” he began.
“But I obviously don’t need Christina,” said Bodie, a strange softness in his tone. Ray felt a moment of flaring hope, rudely interrupted by a knock on the door. Another interruption. Herr Bettin’s sallow face was full of worry that dinner would soon spoil and the kitchen would soon close. Perhaps they could see their way to coming straight down? He appreciated that they would sometimes have irregular hours, but as they were here and still in time, it would be good... His voice faded as he went down the stairs leaving the door open behind him. They automatically complied with the request and moved to the door, Bodie standing back and placing his hand on Ray’s arm as he passed him. Ray battened down a shiver and concentrated on the idea of dinner. Maybe later they could discuss the potential status of Christina in Bodie’s life.
But as they finished the sausage casserole that followed the carrot soup, there was a slight commotion at the doorway to the restaurant and Frau Bettin rushed in miming a telephone and pointing at them. She didn’t trust their German; that much was obvious. Bodie followed her to the phone and came back looking excited but concerned.
“I hope you’ve had enough of that stew,” he said. “That was a message to say that the Hofmann farm is under attack. A day early, but we knew something like that might happen. I’ve phoned Klaus and told him to meet us there. You should probably get to the command post.”
Ray was rising as he spoke. “Who was it?”
“Eh?”
“Who sent the message? The men aren’t in position - won’t be till tomorrow, and there isn’t much point manning the command post when there won’t be anyone in position to command or liaise with. I’ll come with you, but who reported it?”
“I suppose the Hofmanns.” Bodie didn’t sound as if he cared. “The person on the end of the phone said they were speaking from Gummersbach and they had the station code. Oh!” He hesitated, clearly realising what Ray had meant. “No, they didn’t identify themselves except as being from the police station. They gave a name but it was a German one and I didn’t really catch it. And yes, I suppose it could have been whoever pilfered the map. We’d best be careful, but I don’t think we can avoid investigating, do you?”
“No, we have to go, but we need to be on our guard, and we need to be armed.” Ray checked his own weapon and watched as Bodie patted his holster.
They rushed out to the Taunus. Christina would look in vain for Bodie tonight, whatever the agent’s feelings about the respective merits of blonde German girls and male English agents.
They had RTs but Bodie wasn’t able to raise Gummersbach or Klaus. His new partner had promised on the phone to hurry but even if his RT was switched on he might be out of range behind the hills. They had no idea where he lived.
“Should we alert anyone else?” Bodie sounded doubtful. If it was a false alarm or a threat to them personally it would be crazily unprofessional to expose their entire new network.
“No.” Doyle was definite on that. “Let’s see what’s happening first. We’re armed and forewarned. If the Hofmanns are really under attack we might be too late already and certainly would be if we stopped to gather reinforcements; if they aren’t we don’t need to disturb them till we know what’s going on. Klaus should be sufficient back-up.”
The countryside was very dark. Driving to a bar or a disco hadn’t seemed such an adventure into the unknown but now they were at work, and the fact that the moon had gone behind massed clouds, evidently frowning on them, was unhelpful and unsettling. Driving on the right hand side of the road was still unfamiliar to both of them and they needed to proceed with more care than they would have exercised in England under similar circumstances. But there was very little other traffic.
Ray looked sideways at Bodie, who was concentrating on the road. It seemed odd even after a few days, to be the passenger in what he would normally have regarded as the driver’s seat and to see Bodie when he turned his head to the left rather than the view through the window. He thought back over the brief words and the quick, possibly imagined touch, before dinner. Even if there was hope, it was lost for now under the layers of the evening’s events. And of course there could be no discussion under these conditions. Ah well, he had far better resign himself to disappointment. Easier, perhaps, to live with, though that sudden dizzying vista as Bodie had touched him in the doorway...
“I said we must be just about there.” Bodie was almost shouting. He must have found it necessary to repeat himself, something that always irritated him. “Shall we park somewhere and go in on foot?” Ray nodded, then realised the foolishness of that response in a dark car and confirmed his agreement. They found an ideal parking spot under some trees around the entrance to a field on the Hofmann farm. At least their time spent memorising the maps had not been wasted.
There was no sign of Klaus but then he would probably go directly to the farm gates wherever and whenever he arrived. They set off for those at a run. Doyle was glad he hadn’t had time to change out of his work clothes before Herr Bettin had summoned them for their meal. His own jeans were slightly looser and more suited to running than the designer cords making Bodie’s arse a delectable sight in the fitful moonlight. Why had Bodie changed into ‘going out’ clothes? For Christina? For him? The moon had deigned to emerge from the clouds but was behaving in an unfriendly fashion, lighting their approach to the farm, to be sure, but showing them in turn to anyone watching. They needed to get to the gate before Klaus and then go in together, slowly.
Whatever Bodie’s thoughts, their teamwork was smooth and comfortable as old shoes. They reached the gate together, barely out of breath despite a lack of exercise in the last few days. Still fit then. At least Bodie's dancing seemed to be paying off. The gate was closed and the farm, quite a long way down the track, showed nothing more than a light in one downstairs window. There was no noise.
Doyle had expected dogs barking, animals complaining, perhaps people screaming, or the sounds of a fight. Nothing. So it looked as if they were right. This was a hoax call, made to bring them out here. Just here and just now. An owl drifted overhead, almost brushing his curls. He felt the soft whoosh of its passing and managed not to exclaim. Bodie had gripped his wrist, agent-fashion rather than in any romantic gesture, and they listened.
There was an old van part way down the farm road, perhaps belonging to Herr Hofmann. It looked almost part of the landscape. There were more trees, bushes really, rowan, Ray thought, and there was a slight stirring. Birds? Nocturnal mammals? He felt a chill but wasn't sure why. He had no sense of being watched or threatened. He cursed the rowan trees under his breath and wished it was mid-winter, when bare branches would provide less cover.
He had his hand on his gun, feeling almost stupid and over-cautious, when something moved. Something larger this time. Another owl? Klaus? There was a susurration in the night air and then a shadow, dark against the larger, lesser darkness of the clouds. And instead of a fight there was just the suffocation of sacking, and the sensation of being thrown onto a smooth surface. Their knees jarred together and Ray heard a wince as Bodie met something harder than himself. Then an engine started up and they were off, in the back of a van, to a destination as yet unknown.
Chapter 7
It was a rough ride. They slipped and slithered on the floor of the van - given the amount of space to slide about in it had to be a large one - sometimes bumping into each other and sometimes into the walls. Doyle wasn’t sure whether he welcomed the momentary painful contact with Bodie or regretted it for his partner's sake. There was someone else in the space with them, someone whose shoes occasionally connected with his legs or his back inadvertently and once deliberately when he tried to speak despite the muffling sacking and was kicked sharply. OK, speaking ‘verboten’; he got the message and hoped Bodie had sensed what was happening and wouldn’t try to reply.
He was cursing himself now for being taken so easily. They had suspected a trap but the gateway had seemed empty and he, for one, had thought any danger lay nearer the farmhouse. Somehow his senses were less sharp, less attuned to menace in this foreign country. They hadn’t heard their assailants until it was too late, hadn’t expected attack so close to the road. They’d been careless and perhaps a little arrogant; they had deserved to be caught. He hoped Klaus might have seen what happened or might realise when they weren’t at the gate. Although, what did they know of Klaus? Since the map had been taken from what should have been a secure location he felt disinclined to trust anyone except Bodie, with conditional trust extended to Heike and Reinhard. He didn't curse Bodie. With his greater command of everyday German he felt protective about his partner in a way that he never felt at home. Stupid, but true. Anyway, Bodie was probably cursing himself quite adequately.
The little hills and gently winding roads became a giant roller coaster for the captured agents. There was no hope of escape from the sacking. The rope was knotted behind his knees but Ray knew he couldn’t work on loosening it with their guard aware of every sound and movement. The hessian smelled musty and his eyes watered in the dust that shook free at every turn and dip. The smell wasn’t unpleasant apart from the irritating dust; grain sacks, he thought, and gave a wry smile at the thought of them trussed like bags of wheat. Their guns had been taken as they had been seized and he felt somehow helpless without a weapon. All their unarmed combat training required them to have some kind of freedom to move and some sort of access to the men they intended to defeat. It was no use against sacks and silence.
It was a long ride, too. They were aware of villages and perhaps towns, with traffic lights and the noise of other vehicles. Once they heard a train, speeding past them on a line not far from the road, its two-toned wail a reminder of light, people, safety. So they were to be taken some distance from their base, and then what? Ray thought their murder might bring in the full might of the anti-terrorism groups, but depending on where their kidnappers intended to put them they could still have problems getting back to Gummersbach or the inn. No transport, no map, no idea of how far or which way they’d come. He was completely disoriented and thought Bodie would be too, and whilst in a similar situation in familiar English countryside it might be easy to work out where they were, in a foreign country there would be less chance. That was if they were left to escape from the sacks and make their way to freedom and people who could be asked. There might be something else in store. But he thought probably the main aim was to remove them from the operation, leaving it damaged without two of its major officers.
Only two? Could they be sure Heike and Reinhard hadn’t been similarly captured? Bodie had contacted Klaus, who might have contacted Heike, if he had thought he should report to someone, but with what success? The Wolves could be having an orgy of slaughter in the absence of any real leadership of Operation Wolfkammer. Ray was trying to throw off his darker thoughts when the van stopped. Judging by the surrounding silence they were a long way from any houses or even the main road. There was a cool draught as the doors opened and Ray strained to hear a muttered conversation. He caught the name 'Peter' and then heard a blow delivered to someone, presumably the speaker because the men fell silent and just grunted in the effort to pull him and Bodie out of the van. The name was a common one but it could still lead to Peter Fuchs.
He tried to cooperate with the man standing him upright and was then relieved when the sacking was removed. Bodie was already blinking in the moonlight, wearing a rough gag, his arms held close to his sides by knotted rope. Ray found himself with matching items, coarse fabric tight against his teeth and tongue, and a rope coiling around his arms at waist level. He struggled against the rope, stiff after the journey but determined not to give way easily. Struggling only tightened the bonds. A further rope provided the Germans with a kind of leash.
Nothing was said. They stumbled after their captors down a grassy slope and into a stone building; or was it a building? Moon and stars were still visible and they seemed to be in some kind of ruin. Doyle suspected it might be quite picturesque in daylight; he glimpsed reflections on nearby water and saw trees casting shadows. It could be a well-known ruin, but that wouldn’t help them. They hadn’t spent any time as tourists even though that was theoretically their cover. Carelessness, again. And this time it would prevent them knowing where they were.
They were tied, with yet more rope, to stone pillars or maybe door frames. Then the men who had brought them there walked away. They could hear them talking but the words were indistinct, muffled by the stone. There was a flicker, as if perhaps someone was lighting a cigarette, then more muttering, growing fainter. Doyle hoped to hear the sound of the van engine but there was nothing.
Whoever had taught the Wolves to tie knots had been a good instructor. Bodie and Ray struggled for some time to no avail. Their gags, too, remained firmly in place; no chance of shouting for help, either now or in the morning. In any case, at the moment the Wolves would hear them. And then Ray sensed that they were not alone. Something was closer to them than the Wolves. Something large was in the ruin with them, approaching from the other side. Something that was panting loudly, something with nails or claws that clacked on the stone floor, coming nearer every minute to their prison. The Wolves would not hear it, yet.
A dog? Real wolves? But Heike had been sceptical about wolves in this area. Had they been driven further east towards the Edersee? Were they in fact inside a Wildpark, with semi-captive animals? He worried at the gag, wanting to talk to Bodie, desperate to hear his own or his partner’s voice. Then he heard a howl that raised the hairs on the back of his neck and an answering howl from too near as a huge shape lumbered into sight.
It was either a wolf or an enormous dog. Moonlight silvered the guard hairs on its coat. It raised itself on its hind legs and lunged at Bodie, who was nearer the opening it had used to gain entrance. Doyle could only watch in horror as the creature apparently bit and scratched at his partner, and then it dropped back to all fours and growled softly. Its eyes met Doyle's and he had an uncanny sense that the animal was trying to tell him something, was apologising for something; he had no idea what. It turned and padded towards the opening the Wolves had used then, almost as suddenly as it had appeared, it was gone.
Moments later they heard growls, yells and running feet, then the welcome roar of the van, leaving. The wolf or wolves must have chased off the Wolves but what would happen now? Were they at the mercy of animals baulked of prey or were they guarded by well-intentioned creatures? Before they could even worry they heard Klaus calling them but of course could not reply because of the gags. Soon there was a tall shadow where the wolf had been and their colleague was rushing towards them.
“You’re all right? Both of you? I got here as quickly as I could. Heike has her car at the top of the track. We couldn’t find Schmidt. His friends at his apartment said he had gone out for the evening. You’re not hurt? That’s good.” He was babbling in his relief at finding them but at the same time he was untying the ropes and gags, starting with Bodie's.
Once it was unfastened Bodie ripped the gag from his mouth, spat and swore almost simultaneously, and came to help free Ray. In seconds the rope was a limp curl around his feet and the hated gag had joined Bodie’s on the floor. Ray could see that his partner’s jacket and shirt were torn and that blood oozed around the gashes in the material. So unharmed was only a relative term, but they were free.
Bodie growled, a bit like a wolf himself at that moment, and then said, “Ray! I thought...” But whatever he had thought was destined to remain unvoiced as Heike joined Klaus and both officers continued to exclaim about the ropes and the condition of Bodie's clothes.
“It wasn't the terrorists,” Bodie said, when he could get a word in. “There was a wolf. He chased the men off; you must have seen their van leave. But he rearranged my sleeves first. Maybe he wanted to untie me!”
“And I suppose he had red eyes and wanted to eat you,” said Heike, while Klaus just laughed.
“He looked like a normal wolf to me,” said Doyle, a little hurt at the lack of belief. “Or maybe a German Shepherd, though he didn't have a collar.”
“Do not joke with us,” she said. “It is enough that we managed to get you free, that you are all right.”
“I tell you, it was a wolf,” said Bodie. “It was close to me while it tried to bite through my ropes. All that hair and those teeth. Its nose was cold and wet.”
“And I suppose it had saliva dripping from its mouth,” said Heike, laughing a little.
“No, it didn’t, but its breath was hot and its tongue rasped my hands.”
“A good story, but now it is time to get you back and to find out what they have done while they had you here and us looking for you.” She was fiddling with her RT as she spoke and at last got a response. Reinhard had arrived home and had the sense to switch his RT on. He was now worrying, to late to be any use.
“From now,” said Ray, “we should all be on the alert at all times till the window of the full moon period is over or there is an attack, whichever comes first.”
“No down-time, no hours off the job other than for sleep, and we sleep with the RTs and our guns,” his partner agreed, and the others nodded.
“Where are we, anyway?” Bodie asked, looking around at the ruins and the water.
“Eibach,” said Klaus. “It’s on the tourist map but it’s quite a distance from our centre of operations. They must have wanted you out of the way quite badly.”
“All of us,” said Ray, explaining his conclusions about the way the Wolves had intended to put a stop to Operation Wolfkammer. “It was just luck that Schmidt wasn’t available like you two, and if he was out at a social occasion he wasn’t much hindrance to them in any case. They must have realised you would follow us and hoped you would be searching for ages. We hadn't intended to call you, Heike, but I'm glad Klaus did.”
“I think Reinhard was at the Kegelbahn,” said Heike. “He has been talking about Margitt. And he said Hilde has been asking about you.” She looked at Bodie who shrugged and glanced at Doyle. Hilde and Christina no longer interested him, it seemed. Ray felt a frisson of pleasure, which evaporated in the cold night air and the knowledge of how alert they would have to remain.
Heike had come in her own family car, a small blue VW Polo, and the men crowded into it; Klaus had to crouch forwards to avoid hitting his head on the roof. They set off, passing signposts to Scheel and Gimborn before finding themselves back in territory that the Englishmen remembered from the maps.
“If you have time you should visit this area in daytime,” Heike said, but they knew they probably wouldn’t have either time or opportunity.
“Do you think they are attacking tonight while we're here and out of action?” Bodie sounded worried and Ray hastened to reassure him.
“No. They’ve been busy enough getting us out of the way and setting the others off in search of us. It’s late now and all the attacks that were reported quickly have been early evening. As it is, I don’t understand how you found us so quickly, but,” he went on when neither Heike nor Klaus gave any sign of answering, “they must have thought it would take us all night to get free and all day tomorrow to find ourselves and sort out what had happened. I think they’ve settled on tomorrow night and hope we’ll be thrown off balance, maybe even unable to function after what they'll have seen as an ordeal for us. They won’t go anywhere tonight.”
“I hope you’re right!” said Bodie. “We have to be grateful to the mystery wolf for chasing them off, too. Otherwise it might have been a while before you were able to get past them. And even then we couldn’t have called to you with those gags.” Ray wanted to spit again as his mouth remembered the feel and taste of the stuff filling it. There was a disbelieving silence from the German officers.
“How were you able to find us so quickly?” he asked, instead of pressing the point about the wolf.
Heike and Klaus both talked at once and gave a version of events that only half-satisfied him. Klaus had arrived on the road past the farm entrance in time to see the kidnap and Heike had arrived in time to join him. They had followed the van in Heike's car.
“There’s only one main road around there so we were able to catch up and follow,” Klaus said. They had to believe him. It all seemed too pat, too easy, but here they were, safe, and they trusted Heike, who was telling the same story. Once at Eibach the two police officers had seen the men force Bodie and Doyle down the track to the ruins. They hadn’t been sure if they were armed so they had been cautious. They had hidden the car as best they could and had eventually seen the men leave, knowing they were all accounted for.
“They were certainly in a hurry,” said Klaus, “but we saw nothing chasing them.” Klaus had set out to find them while Heike readied the car for a rapid getaway if necessary. “We assumed you were alive,” Klaus said finally. “We hadn’t heard any gunshots and we didn’t think they would kill you and risk the sort of reprisals that would bring. Besides, if they had wanted to kill you they could have done it sooner.” He sounded calm and honest and Ray felt obliged to accept the story for the moment, not pushing for explanations of the gaps he thought it contained.
It was little short of a miracle that Heike had actually decided to come to the farm and had picked Klaus up in time to follow them. Even more miraculous was the way the van driver had not become aware of the tail. If they had stayed at a distance they would have needed extremely good tracking devices but they were in Heike's car, not a police vehicle. Then Klaus had known exactly where they were in the ruins. And there were the wolves. Not the Wolves who had brought them here but the wolf that had freed Bodie and howled to its pack mate. He knew what he had seen, and Bodie had those scratches as evidence. But their German colleagues scorned the explanation and assumed the men had simply run off in some kind of panic. That would have been a miracle, too. Too many miracles at once.
Bodie was apologising for bleeding over the Polo’s upholstery and Heike was saying she would get the car cleaned on expenses. She obviously thought the cuts had been made by the men who tied him up. But they knew otherwise.
Chapters 8 & 9.
Chapter 1.
Chapters 2 & 3.
Chapters 4 & 5.
Chapter 6.
Everything was set up, the support teams were briefed, the farmers contacted and reluctantly persuaded not to run or panic. They were back in Gummersbach enjoying a late lunch. Bodie’s partner for the operation had joined them and Ray felt a brief surge of resentment, quelled as soon as the thought appeared.
So far, Bodie had said nothing about the morning’s declaration. He had understood; of that, Ray was certain. He hadn’t shown any anger or coldness; he had been all smiles and enthusiasm for their work, all cheerful banter and the occasional slap on the shoulder that said they were partners, allies, friends. Was he trying to pretend it hadn’t been said? Was he unconcerned? For once, Ray couldn’t work out what Bodie was thinking. Maybe his words had snapped the thread that bound them together, had bound them since the early days of their partnership. He had thought he could just admire, without risking that bond, but of course it had been inevitable that sooner or later he would slip. The strange working conditions, away from their normal stamping ground and other colleagues, the shared bed, even the hare, had combined to trip him into uttering those five bitterly regretted words.
Klaus Wolperding didn’t deserve his resentment. He was a gangly young man who looked awkward and uncoordinated when he sat or stood at ease, light brown hair flopping over his grey eyes, but in motion he was streamlined, a fit, trained agent with the abilities and senses of a soldier. Bodie had taken to him immediately, which was good, as he would have to rely on him in any emergency. Ray should be glad that his replacement was someone they could trust. He was, but... Of course, it hadn’t been Bodie’s choice to have Ray as liaison officer, and even today, after those words, he had tried to say that they worked best together, a tried and tested team, but he knew as well as anyone where their individual strengths lay and why those should be exploited in the present situation.
Klaus had good English. In fact, it appeared his mother was Scottish, married to a businessman in Dortmund, and there was a faint Scottish burr to his speech but no sign apart from his name that he wasn’t completely British.
“So what’s with the surname, Klaus?” Bodie was amused to be involved with yet another mythical animal. “It sounds just like the Wolpertinger, the horned hares.”
“I don’t know. It’s an old name, and maybe my ancestors used to be hunters? Or good fighters. Some fierce and loyal fighting dogs were also known as Wolperdinge - or maybe they were dogs that came from nowhere to fight on your side. I’m not sure. I’ve never bothered much with family trees or old legends and that kind of thing, though my father has a huge old family bible with everyone’s name in the back. I could ask him. But I suspect he’s always just taken it for granted; it’s just his name.”
Bodie smiled then admitted his part in the Elwedtritsch hunt and the Germans reacted with varying degrees of mirth.
“You did not tell us the whole of the story,” said Reinhard, wiping his eyes. “But it must have much more frightening been when you are afterwards finding the hare.” And then they had to explain the hare incident to Klaus, who looked worried.
“It’s a warning, but I suppose you already realise that. A threat, even.” As the young man spoke, Ray remembered his nightmare and swallowed hard. “But maybe the biggest worry is that they know exactly who you are, where you are, and what you are thinking.” They told him about the map and their efforts to foil further spying or theft and he shook his head, forced to be satisfied for now.
Ray watched Bodie; covertly, he hoped, though maybe that was pointless now. His partner’s blue eyes were sparkling with good humour and the anticipation of doing a job well. No hint of annoyance, shock, disgust. Of course, with his army background Bodie was probably used to all sorts of types of men and behaviour. Didn’t mean he’d have to like the idea, though. Other guys must surely have fancied him? He was a superb physical specimen and handsome by anyone’s standards, with that bright almost cheeky expression that laid an endearing boyishness over the honed killing machine. He must have fascinated a lot of men - and women, of course - over the years. Had anyone else ever blurted out their desire? How had he reacted? How was he reacting now? Ray found himself wishing he had some certainty about Bodie’s feelings on the matter, even if they were hostile. It had never arisen as a topic of discussion, even in a neutral context.
Perhaps the evening would bring some kind of resolution. Or perhaps Bodie would simply go out, go to Hilde’s Kegelbahn, or to Christina at the disco, disappear from an embarrassing situation, avoiding it with consummate and practised ease. He wasn’t sure what he hoped; he just continued to berate himself mentally for his stupid outburst.
There was all the paperwork to be finished for the operation that had started and it was later than usual when they called it a day. On the way back to the inn they were silent, but as they went up to their room Ray felt Bodie watching him. Was he expecting another idiot declaration? Some kind of scene? An apology? He opened their room and flung himself down on his side of the bed, arms folded defensively, ready to snarl like a dog that loves its master but expects a kick rather than a pat.
Bodie was whistling as he changed, padding out to the bathroom and returning towelling damp hair, still looking cheerful.
“So are we going to the disco?” Ray couldn’t stop himself asking.
“Why? I mean, why would we?” Bodie sounded genuinely curious and Ray shrugged, quite a difficult feat given his position on the bed.
“Christina...” he began.
“But I obviously don’t need Christina,” said Bodie, a strange softness in his tone. Ray felt a moment of flaring hope, rudely interrupted by a knock on the door. Another interruption. Herr Bettin’s sallow face was full of worry that dinner would soon spoil and the kitchen would soon close. Perhaps they could see their way to coming straight down? He appreciated that they would sometimes have irregular hours, but as they were here and still in time, it would be good... His voice faded as he went down the stairs leaving the door open behind him. They automatically complied with the request and moved to the door, Bodie standing back and placing his hand on Ray’s arm as he passed him. Ray battened down a shiver and concentrated on the idea of dinner. Maybe later they could discuss the potential status of Christina in Bodie’s life.
But as they finished the sausage casserole that followed the carrot soup, there was a slight commotion at the doorway to the restaurant and Frau Bettin rushed in miming a telephone and pointing at them. She didn’t trust their German; that much was obvious. Bodie followed her to the phone and came back looking excited but concerned.
“I hope you’ve had enough of that stew,” he said. “That was a message to say that the Hofmann farm is under attack. A day early, but we knew something like that might happen. I’ve phoned Klaus and told him to meet us there. You should probably get to the command post.”
Ray was rising as he spoke. “Who was it?”
“Eh?”
“Who sent the message? The men aren’t in position - won’t be till tomorrow, and there isn’t much point manning the command post when there won’t be anyone in position to command or liaise with. I’ll come with you, but who reported it?”
“I suppose the Hofmanns.” Bodie didn’t sound as if he cared. “The person on the end of the phone said they were speaking from Gummersbach and they had the station code. Oh!” He hesitated, clearly realising what Ray had meant. “No, they didn’t identify themselves except as being from the police station. They gave a name but it was a German one and I didn’t really catch it. And yes, I suppose it could have been whoever pilfered the map. We’d best be careful, but I don’t think we can avoid investigating, do you?”
“No, we have to go, but we need to be on our guard, and we need to be armed.” Ray checked his own weapon and watched as Bodie patted his holster.
They rushed out to the Taunus. Christina would look in vain for Bodie tonight, whatever the agent’s feelings about the respective merits of blonde German girls and male English agents.
They had RTs but Bodie wasn’t able to raise Gummersbach or Klaus. His new partner had promised on the phone to hurry but even if his RT was switched on he might be out of range behind the hills. They had no idea where he lived.
“Should we alert anyone else?” Bodie sounded doubtful. If it was a false alarm or a threat to them personally it would be crazily unprofessional to expose their entire new network.
“No.” Doyle was definite on that. “Let’s see what’s happening first. We’re armed and forewarned. If the Hofmanns are really under attack we might be too late already and certainly would be if we stopped to gather reinforcements; if they aren’t we don’t need to disturb them till we know what’s going on. Klaus should be sufficient back-up.”
The countryside was very dark. Driving to a bar or a disco hadn’t seemed such an adventure into the unknown but now they were at work, and the fact that the moon had gone behind massed clouds, evidently frowning on them, was unhelpful and unsettling. Driving on the right hand side of the road was still unfamiliar to both of them and they needed to proceed with more care than they would have exercised in England under similar circumstances. But there was very little other traffic.
Ray looked sideways at Bodie, who was concentrating on the road. It seemed odd even after a few days, to be the passenger in what he would normally have regarded as the driver’s seat and to see Bodie when he turned his head to the left rather than the view through the window. He thought back over the brief words and the quick, possibly imagined touch, before dinner. Even if there was hope, it was lost for now under the layers of the evening’s events. And of course there could be no discussion under these conditions. Ah well, he had far better resign himself to disappointment. Easier, perhaps, to live with, though that sudden dizzying vista as Bodie had touched him in the doorway...
“I said we must be just about there.” Bodie was almost shouting. He must have found it necessary to repeat himself, something that always irritated him. “Shall we park somewhere and go in on foot?” Ray nodded, then realised the foolishness of that response in a dark car and confirmed his agreement. They found an ideal parking spot under some trees around the entrance to a field on the Hofmann farm. At least their time spent memorising the maps had not been wasted.
There was no sign of Klaus but then he would probably go directly to the farm gates wherever and whenever he arrived. They set off for those at a run. Doyle was glad he hadn’t had time to change out of his work clothes before Herr Bettin had summoned them for their meal. His own jeans were slightly looser and more suited to running than the designer cords making Bodie’s arse a delectable sight in the fitful moonlight. Why had Bodie changed into ‘going out’ clothes? For Christina? For him? The moon had deigned to emerge from the clouds but was behaving in an unfriendly fashion, lighting their approach to the farm, to be sure, but showing them in turn to anyone watching. They needed to get to the gate before Klaus and then go in together, slowly.
Whatever Bodie’s thoughts, their teamwork was smooth and comfortable as old shoes. They reached the gate together, barely out of breath despite a lack of exercise in the last few days. Still fit then. At least Bodie's dancing seemed to be paying off. The gate was closed and the farm, quite a long way down the track, showed nothing more than a light in one downstairs window. There was no noise.
Doyle had expected dogs barking, animals complaining, perhaps people screaming, or the sounds of a fight. Nothing. So it looked as if they were right. This was a hoax call, made to bring them out here. Just here and just now. An owl drifted overhead, almost brushing his curls. He felt the soft whoosh of its passing and managed not to exclaim. Bodie had gripped his wrist, agent-fashion rather than in any romantic gesture, and they listened.
There was an old van part way down the farm road, perhaps belonging to Herr Hofmann. It looked almost part of the landscape. There were more trees, bushes really, rowan, Ray thought, and there was a slight stirring. Birds? Nocturnal mammals? He felt a chill but wasn't sure why. He had no sense of being watched or threatened. He cursed the rowan trees under his breath and wished it was mid-winter, when bare branches would provide less cover.
He had his hand on his gun, feeling almost stupid and over-cautious, when something moved. Something larger this time. Another owl? Klaus? There was a susurration in the night air and then a shadow, dark against the larger, lesser darkness of the clouds. And instead of a fight there was just the suffocation of sacking, and the sensation of being thrown onto a smooth surface. Their knees jarred together and Ray heard a wince as Bodie met something harder than himself. Then an engine started up and they were off, in the back of a van, to a destination as yet unknown.
Chapter 7
It was a rough ride. They slipped and slithered on the floor of the van - given the amount of space to slide about in it had to be a large one - sometimes bumping into each other and sometimes into the walls. Doyle wasn’t sure whether he welcomed the momentary painful contact with Bodie or regretted it for his partner's sake. There was someone else in the space with them, someone whose shoes occasionally connected with his legs or his back inadvertently and once deliberately when he tried to speak despite the muffling sacking and was kicked sharply. OK, speaking ‘verboten’; he got the message and hoped Bodie had sensed what was happening and wouldn’t try to reply.
He was cursing himself now for being taken so easily. They had suspected a trap but the gateway had seemed empty and he, for one, had thought any danger lay nearer the farmhouse. Somehow his senses were less sharp, less attuned to menace in this foreign country. They hadn’t heard their assailants until it was too late, hadn’t expected attack so close to the road. They’d been careless and perhaps a little arrogant; they had deserved to be caught. He hoped Klaus might have seen what happened or might realise when they weren’t at the gate. Although, what did they know of Klaus? Since the map had been taken from what should have been a secure location he felt disinclined to trust anyone except Bodie, with conditional trust extended to Heike and Reinhard. He didn't curse Bodie. With his greater command of everyday German he felt protective about his partner in a way that he never felt at home. Stupid, but true. Anyway, Bodie was probably cursing himself quite adequately.
The little hills and gently winding roads became a giant roller coaster for the captured agents. There was no hope of escape from the sacking. The rope was knotted behind his knees but Ray knew he couldn’t work on loosening it with their guard aware of every sound and movement. The hessian smelled musty and his eyes watered in the dust that shook free at every turn and dip. The smell wasn’t unpleasant apart from the irritating dust; grain sacks, he thought, and gave a wry smile at the thought of them trussed like bags of wheat. Their guns had been taken as they had been seized and he felt somehow helpless without a weapon. All their unarmed combat training required them to have some kind of freedom to move and some sort of access to the men they intended to defeat. It was no use against sacks and silence.
It was a long ride, too. They were aware of villages and perhaps towns, with traffic lights and the noise of other vehicles. Once they heard a train, speeding past them on a line not far from the road, its two-toned wail a reminder of light, people, safety. So they were to be taken some distance from their base, and then what? Ray thought their murder might bring in the full might of the anti-terrorism groups, but depending on where their kidnappers intended to put them they could still have problems getting back to Gummersbach or the inn. No transport, no map, no idea of how far or which way they’d come. He was completely disoriented and thought Bodie would be too, and whilst in a similar situation in familiar English countryside it might be easy to work out where they were, in a foreign country there would be less chance. That was if they were left to escape from the sacks and make their way to freedom and people who could be asked. There might be something else in store. But he thought probably the main aim was to remove them from the operation, leaving it damaged without two of its major officers.
Only two? Could they be sure Heike and Reinhard hadn’t been similarly captured? Bodie had contacted Klaus, who might have contacted Heike, if he had thought he should report to someone, but with what success? The Wolves could be having an orgy of slaughter in the absence of any real leadership of Operation Wolfkammer. Ray was trying to throw off his darker thoughts when the van stopped. Judging by the surrounding silence they were a long way from any houses or even the main road. There was a cool draught as the doors opened and Ray strained to hear a muttered conversation. He caught the name 'Peter' and then heard a blow delivered to someone, presumably the speaker because the men fell silent and just grunted in the effort to pull him and Bodie out of the van. The name was a common one but it could still lead to Peter Fuchs.
He tried to cooperate with the man standing him upright and was then relieved when the sacking was removed. Bodie was already blinking in the moonlight, wearing a rough gag, his arms held close to his sides by knotted rope. Ray found himself with matching items, coarse fabric tight against his teeth and tongue, and a rope coiling around his arms at waist level. He struggled against the rope, stiff after the journey but determined not to give way easily. Struggling only tightened the bonds. A further rope provided the Germans with a kind of leash.
Nothing was said. They stumbled after their captors down a grassy slope and into a stone building; or was it a building? Moon and stars were still visible and they seemed to be in some kind of ruin. Doyle suspected it might be quite picturesque in daylight; he glimpsed reflections on nearby water and saw trees casting shadows. It could be a well-known ruin, but that wouldn’t help them. They hadn’t spent any time as tourists even though that was theoretically their cover. Carelessness, again. And this time it would prevent them knowing where they were.
They were tied, with yet more rope, to stone pillars or maybe door frames. Then the men who had brought them there walked away. They could hear them talking but the words were indistinct, muffled by the stone. There was a flicker, as if perhaps someone was lighting a cigarette, then more muttering, growing fainter. Doyle hoped to hear the sound of the van engine but there was nothing.
Whoever had taught the Wolves to tie knots had been a good instructor. Bodie and Ray struggled for some time to no avail. Their gags, too, remained firmly in place; no chance of shouting for help, either now or in the morning. In any case, at the moment the Wolves would hear them. And then Ray sensed that they were not alone. Something was closer to them than the Wolves. Something large was in the ruin with them, approaching from the other side. Something that was panting loudly, something with nails or claws that clacked on the stone floor, coming nearer every minute to their prison. The Wolves would not hear it, yet.
A dog? Real wolves? But Heike had been sceptical about wolves in this area. Had they been driven further east towards the Edersee? Were they in fact inside a Wildpark, with semi-captive animals? He worried at the gag, wanting to talk to Bodie, desperate to hear his own or his partner’s voice. Then he heard a howl that raised the hairs on the back of his neck and an answering howl from too near as a huge shape lumbered into sight.
It was either a wolf or an enormous dog. Moonlight silvered the guard hairs on its coat. It raised itself on its hind legs and lunged at Bodie, who was nearer the opening it had used to gain entrance. Doyle could only watch in horror as the creature apparently bit and scratched at his partner, and then it dropped back to all fours and growled softly. Its eyes met Doyle's and he had an uncanny sense that the animal was trying to tell him something, was apologising for something; he had no idea what. It turned and padded towards the opening the Wolves had used then, almost as suddenly as it had appeared, it was gone.
Moments later they heard growls, yells and running feet, then the welcome roar of the van, leaving. The wolf or wolves must have chased off the Wolves but what would happen now? Were they at the mercy of animals baulked of prey or were they guarded by well-intentioned creatures? Before they could even worry they heard Klaus calling them but of course could not reply because of the gags. Soon there was a tall shadow where the wolf had been and their colleague was rushing towards them.
“You’re all right? Both of you? I got here as quickly as I could. Heike has her car at the top of the track. We couldn’t find Schmidt. His friends at his apartment said he had gone out for the evening. You’re not hurt? That’s good.” He was babbling in his relief at finding them but at the same time he was untying the ropes and gags, starting with Bodie's.
Once it was unfastened Bodie ripped the gag from his mouth, spat and swore almost simultaneously, and came to help free Ray. In seconds the rope was a limp curl around his feet and the hated gag had joined Bodie’s on the floor. Ray could see that his partner’s jacket and shirt were torn and that blood oozed around the gashes in the material. So unharmed was only a relative term, but they were free.
Bodie growled, a bit like a wolf himself at that moment, and then said, “Ray! I thought...” But whatever he had thought was destined to remain unvoiced as Heike joined Klaus and both officers continued to exclaim about the ropes and the condition of Bodie's clothes.
“It wasn't the terrorists,” Bodie said, when he could get a word in. “There was a wolf. He chased the men off; you must have seen their van leave. But he rearranged my sleeves first. Maybe he wanted to untie me!”
“And I suppose he had red eyes and wanted to eat you,” said Heike, while Klaus just laughed.
“He looked like a normal wolf to me,” said Doyle, a little hurt at the lack of belief. “Or maybe a German Shepherd, though he didn't have a collar.”
“Do not joke with us,” she said. “It is enough that we managed to get you free, that you are all right.”
“I tell you, it was a wolf,” said Bodie. “It was close to me while it tried to bite through my ropes. All that hair and those teeth. Its nose was cold and wet.”
“And I suppose it had saliva dripping from its mouth,” said Heike, laughing a little.
“No, it didn’t, but its breath was hot and its tongue rasped my hands.”
“A good story, but now it is time to get you back and to find out what they have done while they had you here and us looking for you.” She was fiddling with her RT as she spoke and at last got a response. Reinhard had arrived home and had the sense to switch his RT on. He was now worrying, to late to be any use.
“From now,” said Ray, “we should all be on the alert at all times till the window of the full moon period is over or there is an attack, whichever comes first.”
“No down-time, no hours off the job other than for sleep, and we sleep with the RTs and our guns,” his partner agreed, and the others nodded.
“Where are we, anyway?” Bodie asked, looking around at the ruins and the water.
“Eibach,” said Klaus. “It’s on the tourist map but it’s quite a distance from our centre of operations. They must have wanted you out of the way quite badly.”
“All of us,” said Ray, explaining his conclusions about the way the Wolves had intended to put a stop to Operation Wolfkammer. “It was just luck that Schmidt wasn’t available like you two, and if he was out at a social occasion he wasn’t much hindrance to them in any case. They must have realised you would follow us and hoped you would be searching for ages. We hadn't intended to call you, Heike, but I'm glad Klaus did.”
“I think Reinhard was at the Kegelbahn,” said Heike. “He has been talking about Margitt. And he said Hilde has been asking about you.” She looked at Bodie who shrugged and glanced at Doyle. Hilde and Christina no longer interested him, it seemed. Ray felt a frisson of pleasure, which evaporated in the cold night air and the knowledge of how alert they would have to remain.
Heike had come in her own family car, a small blue VW Polo, and the men crowded into it; Klaus had to crouch forwards to avoid hitting his head on the roof. They set off, passing signposts to Scheel and Gimborn before finding themselves back in territory that the Englishmen remembered from the maps.
“If you have time you should visit this area in daytime,” Heike said, but they knew they probably wouldn’t have either time or opportunity.
“Do you think they are attacking tonight while we're here and out of action?” Bodie sounded worried and Ray hastened to reassure him.
“No. They’ve been busy enough getting us out of the way and setting the others off in search of us. It’s late now and all the attacks that were reported quickly have been early evening. As it is, I don’t understand how you found us so quickly, but,” he went on when neither Heike nor Klaus gave any sign of answering, “they must have thought it would take us all night to get free and all day tomorrow to find ourselves and sort out what had happened. I think they’ve settled on tomorrow night and hope we’ll be thrown off balance, maybe even unable to function after what they'll have seen as an ordeal for us. They won’t go anywhere tonight.”
“I hope you’re right!” said Bodie. “We have to be grateful to the mystery wolf for chasing them off, too. Otherwise it might have been a while before you were able to get past them. And even then we couldn’t have called to you with those gags.” Ray wanted to spit again as his mouth remembered the feel and taste of the stuff filling it. There was a disbelieving silence from the German officers.
“How were you able to find us so quickly?” he asked, instead of pressing the point about the wolf.
Heike and Klaus both talked at once and gave a version of events that only half-satisfied him. Klaus had arrived on the road past the farm entrance in time to see the kidnap and Heike had arrived in time to join him. They had followed the van in Heike's car.
“There’s only one main road around there so we were able to catch up and follow,” Klaus said. They had to believe him. It all seemed too pat, too easy, but here they were, safe, and they trusted Heike, who was telling the same story. Once at Eibach the two police officers had seen the men force Bodie and Doyle down the track to the ruins. They hadn’t been sure if they were armed so they had been cautious. They had hidden the car as best they could and had eventually seen the men leave, knowing they were all accounted for.
“They were certainly in a hurry,” said Klaus, “but we saw nothing chasing them.” Klaus had set out to find them while Heike readied the car for a rapid getaway if necessary. “We assumed you were alive,” Klaus said finally. “We hadn’t heard any gunshots and we didn’t think they would kill you and risk the sort of reprisals that would bring. Besides, if they had wanted to kill you they could have done it sooner.” He sounded calm and honest and Ray felt obliged to accept the story for the moment, not pushing for explanations of the gaps he thought it contained.
It was little short of a miracle that Heike had actually decided to come to the farm and had picked Klaus up in time to follow them. Even more miraculous was the way the van driver had not become aware of the tail. If they had stayed at a distance they would have needed extremely good tracking devices but they were in Heike's car, not a police vehicle. Then Klaus had known exactly where they were in the ruins. And there were the wolves. Not the Wolves who had brought them here but the wolf that had freed Bodie and howled to its pack mate. He knew what he had seen, and Bodie had those scratches as evidence. But their German colleagues scorned the explanation and assumed the men had simply run off in some kind of panic. That would have been a miracle, too. Too many miracles at once.
Bodie was apologising for bleeding over the Polo’s upholstery and Heike was saying she would get the car cleaned on expenses. She obviously thought the cuts had been made by the men who tied him up. But they knew otherwise.
Chapters 8 & 9.