Part Five

The lights in the conning tower of the submarine were currently red. This to preserve the night vision of the team of commandos, the crew members guiding the sub and those preparing the small vessel the team would use to reach the shore. Bedsides operating without lights, they were all being very quiet. They were also dressed warmly.

"The water is pretty cold, even this time of year," said the First Mate.

"So don't fall in," said Reynard, wryly.

"Exactly."

Crewmen quickly opened the hangar and made sure the boat inside was in good shape. Working slowly and carefully they pulled the small craft out, unstrapped it from the cradle, lifted it onto the deck, pushed the cradle back in and closed the doors of the hangar.

"Nice to know the crew can heaver with the best of 'em," said Cobber, wryly.

The commando team boarded the smaller boat, and the crew went back into the sub. Then the submarine simply submerged slowly under them until the deck was awash and the boat floated away. There was a quiet rumbling as the Tallman started the engines of their craft. They waved to the captain. He was standing at the top of the conning tower - now all that was showing of the submarine - holding a pair of night glasses, watching the team as they turned their boat and headed towards the island.

Their ride for this final leg of the trip was what was popularly known as a rum runner, from the use of such craft in smuggling alcohol into the US during Prohibition. The small boat was long and lean and low in the water, and normally very fast. They might need that speed when leaving the island, but for now they needed quiet much more. The engines were therefore heavily muffled, and their progress slow.

"Remember where we are with respect to landmarks on the shore," said Commander Zero, pointing into the darkness. "The sub will wait for us, surfacing at Midnight for the next three nights. That last night is our last chance for a ride home. Otherwise, we have to take this boat northwest, threading between Denmark and Sweden, then west as far as the gas will take us. Then just hope we can row the rest of the way to the United Kingdom."

Even in the near total darkness, they could see the white sands of the beach to the south of their intended landfall. They were low on the east side of the island, near the chalk cliffs on the southern part.

Once beached, hauling the boat into the bushes was trivial for those it had carried ashore. Only a few more minutes were needed for the craft to be well concealed and the marks of its progress from water to undergrowth erased.

"Now we need to find a secure place to camp," said Zero, as the team members shouldered their packs. Tallman's was four times the size of any of the others, and obviously stuffed. "Someplace where we can stay all day without being noticed."

However, before they could move far from the hiding place of the boat something moved at high speed across the water, just offshore. Something human. Something which left a rooster-tail of spray in the air.

"Did you see that son of a bitch run?!" yelled Tallman, pointing. "He was going like fuck, right across the water!"

"Language," said Commander Zero, reflexively, most of his attention still on the small bay. "Also, be quiet! I hope we weren't spotted, with him sent to warn someone."

"I could probably catch him," said Aaron, calmly. "However, that would likely attract a lot of attention, and I seriously doubt we were spotted."

"Let 'im go, then," said Commander Zero, nodding. "Probably just coincidence."

"Yeah," said Molly, doubtfully. "He's just out for a Midnight run."

"When better to avoid notice?" said Zero, calmly. "Only people like us out and about, this time of night."

* * *

They stayed away from the trails, paths and roads. Especially the roads, which all appeared new. According to their maps, most of the gravel roads converged eventually to lead to the equally new docks. They knew from aerial reconnaissance photos that one set of docks were on the side of the island facing the German mainland; while another - newer - set was on the north side of this island, facing the larger island of Rügen.

"If our intel is right," said Zero, consulting a map as they walked, "There should be an old hunter's cabin just ahead."

Aaron noticed that Commander Zero didn't bother with a light to read the map. Indeed, there were no artificial lights used during the entire trip, despite most of it being in deep forest on a moonless night. Aaron was impressed; his own night vision was within human limits. His passive sonar allowed him to build a detailed mental map of his surroundings from ambient sounds. However, all of his companions seemed to be at home in near darkness without such an ability. Some faculty Mastermind had chosen for, and not mentioned? Had he perhaps even thought Aaron had it, due to his passive sonar? Also, Commander Zero seemed to know the way without consulting a compass. Did he have some sort of sense of direction?

Regardless of this, the party soon arrived at the hut. Reynard, who had been in his partially foxy form since they got ashore, was in the lead. He stopped, just as they came within sight of the hunter's cabin.

"There's someone been here, recently," whispered Reynard, suddenly alert. "Just one person, but his scent is all over the area. He's probably living here."

"Just one person?" said Commander Zero, in a murmur. "Interesting. Not likely to be a part of the Nazi effort, then, though we should still be careful. He could be a collaborator."

They approached the sole door quietly, put their packs down on either side, then entered quickly. Inside the ratty-looking hut was an equally ratty-looking man, an individual of indeterminate age, who was cleaning a fresh-caught rabbit. The small group seemed to catch him completely by surprise. At first he was frightened at the intrusion. Then confused. The man's eyes went wide as he saw Reynard, and he started speaking loudly. He backed into a corner and dropped to the floor, talking so quickly he might have been babbling. The language sounded like German, but was an odd dialect. Or perhaps the man simply had a thick accent, exaggerated by his alarm.

"I can't understand your palaver," said Commander Zero, with a scowl. "Aaron!"

The man's eyes widened in alarm as the smaller man approached and knelt beside him.

"Easy, friend," said Aaron, quietly and calmly, in perfect German. "Just speak slowly until I can get used to your language."

They conversed for several minutes. Eventually, Aaron nodded and turned to Commander Zero.

"He says he's a native of this island; though I'd say he's actually a poacher from off it. He further says that he has been hiding from the Nazis since they moved in here, a few months ago. He also has a lot of information about what they've been doing. Oh, and he doesn't want to leave. He'll tell us what we want to know, but then just wants us to leave him alone."

"Do you think he's telling the truth?"

"Definitely."

"Then his request is quite acceptable. Proceed."

With Aaron translating and Commander Zero asking questions, they soon had a good idea of both the current layout of the island and what the Germans had been doing there the past few weeks. Not left unsaid was that slave labor had been used for much of the work. That was typical for the Nazis and one more crime on the scales against them.

"There's a lot more going on here than just an empowered training camp," said Sutter, thoughtfully.

"We knew there was an SS base on southern Rügen, just across the channel between that island and this one," said Commander Zero, unfazed. "The operation here is just larger than we thought. Ask him about the empowered training center."

There was more conversation between Aaron and the local man.

"He says there are soldiers - about half SS - guarding a camp near the center of this island. A camp with strange training grounds. He has seen people with powers there. However, he says there are also entire families in the barracks for the camp the training grounds are located near. Including children."

"What?!" said Commander Zero, for once reacting with strong emotion.

"He also says there is some sort of machine being built, deep in the woods, to the northeast of the camp. Among some old ruins. Probably a pagan temple. Perhaps Norse. At least, in his opinion."

"So there's a lot going on here we weren't told about," said Tallman, with a nod.

"Or our trainers just didn't know about," said Sutter, defensively.

"I would bet good money," said The Infiltrator, nodding slowly and thoughtfully, "that whatever is in those ruins is the actual reason for all the Nazi activity on this island. That the training camp and SS base are all to protect what they're doing there. Some of the higher-ups in the Nazi hierarchy are looney for old stuff. Especially if they think there's anything mystical about it."

"You mean that the organizers wanted the training camp and the SS base put in this area to protect whatever they're doing in the ruins," said Zero, now also nodding. "Whatever valid reasons they had for them besides that."

"That could very well be the case," said Aaron.

"According to our briefings," said Molly, "this whole island is a glacial moraine, only about six thousand years old. There can't be anything too old here."

"Regardless of that, we still have to wipe out that camp," said Commander Zero. "We leave no survivors."

"Even if there are women and children there?!" said Sutter.

"We have our orders," said Commander Zero, sternly.

"Mastermind made it clear we aren't a military organization," said Sutter, sounding angry.

"Not in front of the civilian," said Zero, glancing at the poacher. "Aaron, tell him we're leaving, and will leave him alone. Meanwhile, we still need to find a place to spend the night and day. A place away from here."

After a few words from Aaron, the man, looking grateful, warily went back to preparing his meal. The team left the cabin and gathered the packs they had taken off before entering.

"Can you imagine that guy's reaction if it had been Malak instead of Aaron questioning him?" said Tallman, with a quiet laugh.

"None of that changes the fact that there are women and children in the camp," said Sutter, hotly, as they walked.

"We go into that camp and kill everyone there!" exclaimed Tallman, just as hotly. "Make sure there's not another generation to carry on their evil!"

"Think for a moment," said Aaron, earnestly, to the group as a whole but to their leader specifically. "Which would affect their morale more? Which would have the most adverse effect on the Nazi war effort? Committing a criminal act which would likely create martyrs? Or doing something to let them know we could have done that, but that we chose to let them and their wives and children live? WHICH WOULD BE BETTER FOR THE ALLIED WAR EFFORT?"

"You're right," said Commander Zero, after a moment of obviously intense thought. "We let them know we could have killed them and their families, but chose to show mercy. Even if that doesn't make them second-guess their orders, they'll spend the rest of the war worrying about their dependents."

"That's something else," said Aaron, quietly. "Notice how all the empowered gathered here for training are men? Yet empowerment comes equally to men and women."

"The Nazis think women don't belong anywhere near the front lines," said Commander Zero, with a sour expression. "Or in any important capacity, including manufacturing. That woman test pilot of theirs is an anomaly. However, that is irrelevant to our mission."

"Probably," said Aaron, reluctantly.

* * *

Well before dawn, carefully covering their trail, they found a secure location, safely away from any paths and roads. The commandos set up a cold camp, ate, and organized a watch. Most managed to get some sleep.

Late that day, after the Sun set, they performed a scouting mission. Thanks to the information they got from the poacher, they had a good idea of not only the direction to the camp but which paths to take. However, they instead took an indirect route and covered their trail, as they had the night before. Mostly to avoid leading the Nazis back to their informant.

"What's wrong with Commander Zero?" said Tallman, speaking quietly to Aaron as they marched along. "He's as irritated as a giraffe with a sore throat."

"He's a man who appreciates order," said Aaron, in a similar manner. "This mission just keeps getting more complicated and messy."

They eventually found the Nazi empowered camp, in a cleared area. Not only was it guarded, but the perimeter was marked by a barbed wire fence. The nearby training grounds were separate and also guarded and barricaded. The team didn't get close to either location right then. There was too much activity, even after sundown. Commander Zero decided to put off a more detailed examination for the next night. The commandos withdrew to rest and plan. They soon found a small, isolated clearing for their camp.

"It's late," said Commander Zero. "Nearly morning. Let's try to get some sleep. Aaron, you, Cobber and Sutter have first watch. Two hours, then wake Molly, The Solution and Tallman. Then Infiltrator, the Apprentice and Conquistador. Then Reynard and me. Right now the plan is to destroy the training ground a couple of days from now, in the dark of the early morning, before shift change, when the guards will be tired and no-one else is awake."

* * *

"Time for your turn," said Aaron, quietly, as he woke Molly two hours later.

Cobber woke The Solution and Sutter woke Tallman. Then they prepared for their own turn sleeping. Except for Aaron.

"I think I heard something," he told Molly, quietly. "I'll check it out. Probably nothing."

She was a bit spooked when he simply vanished. However, moments later he walked openly back into camp.

"I was right. Just a fox. I don't mean Reynard, either."

"You move very quietly," said Molly, impressed at how he had come into their small, cold camp with no warning.

"Don't need powers for that," said Aaron, smiling a bit. "I used to do a lot of hunting as a youth, with my cousins."

"No offense," said Molly, with a nervous laugh, "but it's hard to imagine you without powers."

Aaron gave her a tired smile and crawled into his sleeping bag.