Transition Plan 89 - Searching for Jeanne Part 7
…
The Clayton family fell into a routine that resembled a well-oiled machine.
Because Clayton Industries corporate leadership forbid the Count to come back to England during the war and risk losing their charismatic leader to a German Navy attack, Tarzan worked the family business remotely through their Wireless radiotelegraph, often seeking guidance from his father-in-law. Jane always loved seeing them work together and how her father taught him so many good leadership and management methods that enhanced Tarzan's natural but untamed leadership talent. She could always see the love and respect in Tarzan's eyes for her father as if he was his own father, and it was always reciprocated by the old man, who considered Tarzan as the son he couldn't have.
Sometimes Jane would walk over to them, interrupt them with an affectionate hug for both 'just because', and then go back to her chores and mothering duties. It did often amuse her greatly to see Tarzan and Archimedes run their vast family empire both completely and handsomely naked, a fun secret they all laughed about often, working the radiotelegraph key vigorously. However, Jane was extremely glad the Wireless couldn't transmit pictures of her husband and father over those vast distances to England.
Likewise, Tarzan would frequently just stop everything and admire her graceful, natural form coming and going whenever she served them food and tea. Even after her four babies and all the changes that came with that, Jane was still beautiful to Tarzan, and more than one afternoon after bringing the tea and some fresh fruit, when the older kids played in the jungle and the twins napped, Tarzan would excuse himself from his messaging with his father-in-law, scoop a giggling Jane into his arms from behind, with only a mild protest, and both would disappear to their bedroom for awhile before going back to the daily routine. Archimedes could not suppress a chuckle, rolled his eyes, and wondered what eventually having a fifth grandchild was going to be like. He was so happy that that they loved each other so much were so devoted to each other for more than 15 years now. They were such a handsome couple together. Life seemed almost normal at those special times, especially when Kala smiled at the elderly man and took his hand affectionately.
Because of the stresses of the war on the business, the family actually spent much less time with the Mangani than they wanted to, but tried to stay four days a week at the treehouse to stay in communication with England, followed by three days in the jungle with the gorilla troop to balance their human and simian worlds. The Mangani still needed Tarzan's guidance and love as the leader of the family, despite the fact that Kirok was so well respected as Tarzan's deputy leader, a human concept that his family really understood better than most humans. Tarzan tried to be a great father to his expanding 'flock'- as Noni often joked to Jane - and a good husband too.
All Tarzan's responsibilities didn't stop his commitment to helping teach Jack. Jack would train by himself after his daily chores were done, shooting arrow after arrow into homemade targets of the two kidnappers. The targets were well worn where their hearts and eyes would be, and he shot from all angles and positions and while in motion. He rarely missed, and always he shot the targets' eyes first and then their hearts. Jack wanted to maximize the kidnappers' sufferings. It made his mother cringe.
About mid-afternoon, his dad would join him in his hand to hand combat training and knife-fighting.
In the evenings after dinner, Jack would transcribe and examine telegraph messages, mostly with Archimedes, but occasionally with his dad. They were always looking for clues to Jeanne's whereabouts.
The boy was diligent with his family duties playing with and babysitting Lily, performing chores assigned by his mother, and helping with care of the twins when his mom needed rest. The babies really took to their big brother, especially Paulie. Jack couldn't believe he had nearly thrown all this away. Depression was a horrible thing but it was all gone now. His suffering was over. And he tried to take his mother and father's advice about too much anger being just as dangerous. But it was hard for him. It was too easy to hate the kidnappers.
The treehouse became a true operations center. Everyone knew Jack was getting emotionally better each day. He was driven with purpose.
One afternoon, he was practicing hand-to-hand combat skills with Tarzan. He fell out of a tree, thrown off balance by his father and he crashed 10 feet straight down through the branches and leaves to the hard ground. The fall really took the wind out him in the awkward fall, even cushioned by the lush jungle flora.
"Are you all right Jack?" Tarzan worried immediately. Jane's near-fatal fall years ago instantly flashed before him.
"Yeah, Dad... That was dumb, wasn't it?" he laughed, realizing his mistaken tactics.
Seeing Jack's good humor in his error, Tarzan reverted back to being more like an Army drill Sergeant, "It was an honest mistake. If you're going to learn how civilized soldiers fight, you have to be tougher. You don't have to worry about hurting me. The bad guys won't care, Korak."
"I'm sorry, Dad. I'll try harder, he said, but was not discouraged.
He knew his dad meant to be firm but uplifting. Using his Mangani name for emphasis was intentional.
Tarzan coached, "Don't be sorry, just don't be dead, son. Shift your stance immediately when you get shoved off balance. Think about how they will push you from how they grab you."
"I got it Dad. This time for sure," Jack noted confidently.
"All right then. Let's do it again," Tarzan coaxed and helped Jack up to his feet. This time Jack countered his father's attack, and it was Tarzan that landed hard on a huge branch, with a very confident Jack standing triumphantly over him. Tarzan was genuinely out of breath.
"You got me that time, boy!" Tarzan both winced and grinned. Tarzan realized that the day would come far too soon when he would be bested regularly by his oldest son. At nine, Jack was much stronger than Tarzan ever was at that age.
Jane watched them train. She bit her lip, and muttered, while scolding Nizzie for nursing too vigorously, "Ouch, dear. Don't pull that. It's attached. Goodness… my son and husband training together. Combat training."
Jane didn't like it, despite knowing this was exactly what Tarzan had to teach Jack to survive against the kidnappers and any German soldier escorts.
She sadly imagined ancient sessions of combat training between other Clayton clan fathers and sons preparing for battle, probably witnessed by Countesses equally fretful as she was. The paintings in Castle Greystoke and all the journals in their family library proved that was true. She had studied the Clayton family history diligently, and most of it was not peaceful. Countesses and Clayton children of the past were held for ransom by enemies over the centuries. Some made it back, but others didn't. Some family members died together. But in the early 20th century, who would have imagined the current generation Clayton father and son training again for battle against an elusive and cunning foe to recover yet another captured loved member of the family?
This was not the gentle way of the Mangani, but was the only way to protect that simple family. Jane recalled far too easily the encounter with the Flammenwerfer.
Jane saw, more determined than ever, the changed nature of Jack. He was back to normal in many ways, always kind to his siblings and did all his chores, but he was never truly carefree any more, as every minute of his days were filled with conviction. But that was so much better than being withdrawn and debilitated, eaten up by fear and sadness that was prolonged by months by Josephine's attacks at his lowest point last fall.
Despite the mental anguish Josephine caused Jack, Jane forgave her, she wondered what her 'friend' was doing now – refusing to accept that it was the end between them - and knew Josephine's baby was well past due. There was no word over the wire about the birth to French relatives.
Jane couldn't fret about that. She was more focused on seeing constantly etched on Jack's face his raison d'etre - to find the pretty olive-skinned face he loved before it was too late. She couldn't let that new focus consume him in far worse ways than his sadness and self-blame.
…French Army West African Headquarters, Dahomey. New Years Day 1915…
Late at night, one-by-one, uniformed men trickled into Jacot's visiting officers' quarters on the base. They didn't come as a group, lest they draw attention. It was unusual for enlisted soldiers to be at a superior officer's residence for any reason. But it was late, and no one watched. Or suspected. Not to mention that most of the base was already asleep, recovering from too much partying New Year's Eve the night before.
Josephine greeted them all, and served everyone some simple snacks and local coffee. Michelle was sleeping pretty soundly, dreaming happily about being in her latest milk coma. The men asked how the two month old girl was doing and how much she resembled her mother. The soldiers were all married and several had children waiting for them back in France. She knew every one of these soldiers' wives. It was the duty of the wife of the commanding officer to maintain the morale of the wives and families who served in her husband's unit. And support them especially when bad things happened.
When they were all assembled and the small talk was over, Armand welcomed them, "Thank you for accepting this invitation under unusual circumstances, gentlemen. We have a new op."
Jean Claude was the happiest, "Great, Colonel! We're all pumped to be part of the action at Garua. All the regular Army is anxious to put it to the Germans after they nearly wiped out the Brits last fall."
Jacot hesitated, "Well… ah... We're not actually scheduled to be part of the normal action in Garua."
Jean Claude, their weapons specialist, a sergeant, asked, "Why not?"
Jacot said critically, "Because I know what Headquarters already planned for us. They are keeping us here 'to protect the war heroes' for our medals in some 'big deal' with a photo session this spring. Complete with newsreel, propaganda film, and lots of posters to make the people at home feel like France is winning the war."
There was a collective gag among the men. They never thought of themselves as heroes, only as soldiers with special talents just doing their duties for the honor of France. And they wanted to perform those duties again. It had been a long time since Kamina.
"So what exactly is our next mission?" the youngest soldier asked.
Jacot said seriously, "The mission that's planned is not officially sanctioned, but it is in Kamerun."
"You mean it's your mission?" grinned Jean Claude.
"Yes…" Armand answered hesitantly.
Everyone instantly knew what the Colonel had in mind was a completely off-the-record and unauthorized rescue mission for Jeanne, and all agreed to go.
Jean Claude spoke for all of them, "We're 'in' boss. You got a raw deal from the Field Marshal. What does he know about kids or families?"
Jacot warned them, "Joining me means leaving everything behind. It means sacrificing careers, jail time when we get back, and maybe even your lives. Just for my family."
The intelligence specialist Henri noted, "We're all getting old for this, sir. Saving a little girl might be a pretty good final mission. Besides, sir, we're all family in this unit."
One of the men asked, "Do we know exactly where we are going in Kamerun?"
Jacot shook his head and replied, "Well, I'm not really sure. We need to study this more. We haven't pinpointed the kidnappers."
Sargeant Jean Claude interrupted, "Begging your pardon, sir, but I know. You asked me. I did some research. You need to see this. Look at these messages. These are from Kamina. The others from Garua. Both transmitted on the midnight to dawn shift on many different nights."
"I don't see any differences between the Garua and Kamina messages," commented Jacot.
The sergeant noted, "Exactly, sir. Their own words betray them. People have favorite phrases, words, the way they write letters and, in this case, how they code their messages. The men from Kamina who gassed us and captured Jeanne are now operating from Garua."
Jacot realized, "So… they are in the military radiotelegraph in Kamerun. Not in the commercial Douala station like everyone else thinks."
"Yes sir, I am absolutely certain of that," Jean Claude confirmed.
For emphasis the soldier pulled out a tattered map with a lot of heavy lines on it that he'd drawn from the triangulation data, with one big red dot. It was centered on Garua.
The Sergeant continued to explain for his colleagues, "Our Special Forces surveillance techniques are much better than the regular Army intelligence. Our signal strength monitoring pattern on the two nights of their message puts the message origin in Garua, not Douala. It appears they created a pencil beam signal and made it look like the ransom notes were sent from Douala. They thought they could hide that using a dish antenna, but they forgot about the sidelobe effects."
Jacot didn't really understand all the technical mumbo jumbo but was very pleased with the result, and exclaimed, "Jean Claude, you're brilliant. So men, we're going to Garua after all!"
"Thank you sir," the resourceful soldier expressed, while everyone cheered.
Jacot could continue with the plan with the new information, "So then, gentlemen. Here's mission. We move with complete stealth to avoid both the Germans and our own people. We steal the secret of when the Garua offensive starts and escape from the base. Once we are there we reconnoiter for at least a week before the others get there. We blow away the station with the kidnappers inside while they are operating in it, minutes before the real battle of Garua starts. That way we make sure they can't send a message that they are being attacked and need to send reinforcements."
Jean Claude boasted, "Great plan, boss! And I have just the right weapon to take out the station with them in it."
They all knew his favorite weapon was and nodded in satisfaction.
Another soldier noted, "And destroying the station might just save us a court martial, sir."
Jacot continued, "You might be right, Corporal. Then we search the village nearby for where Jeanne is being held and flee. But a warning, gents – we'll be shot at and shelled by our own people as well as the Germans."
"Sounds even better sir. I always like a good challenge," added another soldier.
"Then we're with you on this, sir," noted Jean Claude.
"Getting the attack date and departure date is a cinch, sir," grinned Henri. His reputation for getting information that could not be obtained was legendary among the Special Forces.
Josephine heard every word, holding her breath during the entire conversation, but was silently ecstatic. All of these men were doing this for Armand and their little girl. These were all Armand's friends for years through many dangerous and nearly impossible situations, including Kamina, and their wives were her friends. Friends now thousands of miles away.
Jean Claude turned and smiled at his boss' wife, "We'll get your little girl back Madame Jacot, because we all know the Colonel would do the same if any of our kids were kidnapped."
She knew that to be a completely true statement.
Josephine's spirits soared for the first time in weeks, as all of them together made her feel like it would work. This group of eight men had all survived years together. And everyone always came back, even when others didn't.
The meeting broke and each took a different path and staggered time back to their barracks.
…
After making some very excited love in their bed because she was for once happy about what was happening to save Jeanne, Armand and Josephine had some pillow talk afterward.
Despite being buoyed by the rescue plan and their previous successes, Josephine was very concerned about the squad's and Armand's safety, caressed his cheek and snuggled closer, savoring her skin touching his, "I'm so worried about you and the men. Garua is so far into Kamerun. The country is huge, much bigger than Togoland. You'll be gone for months. Again."
"I'm sorry dear. You know I have to do this. For you, for Jeanne, and Michelle."
"Yes of course. You know I always worry when you go. This time more than ever."
"We have to. The kidnappers will not suspect this nor will my leadership. The kidnappers are criminals and swindlers, not warriors. They won't stand a chance, despite their threat to kill her, and we can handle the German Army regulars at this base. Plus we destroy their radio tower."
"But Armand, you're all disobeying orders. You'll face court martial and prison. You may save Jeanne but it might be years before you see her."
"Prison time, knowing Jeanne is sleeping in her very own bed and in your care again, is worth the sacrifice. She can visit me in jail," he said to his wife very seriously.
"Oh Armand…" she clutched him and kissed him hard. His body was so powerful and protective to her and she was ready to love him again.
Their silence indicated their conversation was done, and Armand was about to roll over to sleep, but Josephine said enticingly, "Not so fast soldier boy," and grasped him with purpose, "Time to reload this big gun."
"For you, ma cherie, anything…" he grinned and rolled into her arms. This was the fun Josephine he'd loved all his life. Maybe Jo would return to normal after all.
…
The squad met in secret for many nights, moving their location each time, and surreptitiously assembled their equipment for the unauthorized operation. They watched the training exercises of the French Army preparing for the battle at Garua and Henri knew exactly the date of embarkation and attack. Josephine knew their departure was imminent, and both dreaded it and welcomed it, because at the end of the secret mission, their first baby would come home. The night before Jacot's departure, she gave her husband a night to remember. Even Jeanne would have been taken aback had she witnessed her parents' intensity that would have even impressed Karl-Heinz and Margrite.
…February 1915…
At 2 am it was Michelle's feeding time. The baby now had a voracious appetite, got all the milk she needed from her mother, and was growing like a weed.
Josephine watched silently and sadly as Armand got dressed. Finally he was ready, sighed, and stated, "Goodbye Jo. It's time."
He caressed his new daughter's fuzzy black-haired head and kissed her olive-skinned cheek, "And goodbye to you too, little one. Be good to your mother."
Josephine took a long drink of her husband's lips that almost made him stay awhile longer but both knew he had to leave, "God bless you on our journey. I will miss you every night until you return."
"And that will sustain me. I love you Jo."
"I love you too, soldier boy," she said softly. She managed to restrain her quiet tears until the door clicked and locked behind him.
…
In the morning the General's Aide burst into his office during his morning coffee, "Sorry to interrupt you sir, but Colonel Jacot and his men are gone!"
"Show me," the African Theater Special Forces commander said grimly.
The General made a rare visit outside of his office, which surprised many men to come to stiff attention and salute in the drill fields and the barracks as he went.
The Special Operations barracks was completely empty of men, equipment, and weapons. Eight men had disappeared from the base unnoticed into the night. Across their bunks were strewn any official French insignia, cut or ripped off their uniforms by the men. It was a message to those who discovered their absence. Even the official French Army buttons were on the bunks, obviously replaced by civilian buttons. Gone was any hint that the warriors were French. In the articles of war, should they be caught by the Germans, they would treated as guerillas or mercenaries and shown no mercy.
"Merde…" the General muttered.
The Aide continued his report, "It's worse. Two machine guns are missing, the 'three pounder' and pintle mount, along with some armor piercing and incendiaries shells are missing from the main armory too."
The General puzzled, "But a Vickers QF3 isn't a hand weapon. It weighs over 100 pounds!"
"It is for Jean Claude," the Aide noted.
"Oh, yeah…"
The squad's long serving Sergeant Jean Claude was a 275 pound monster of a man.
The General noted, "Well, they should be easy to catch on foot. That's a huge load to backpack to Kamerun. Send out a pursuit squad immediately."
"Well… sir. About that. The Navy reports a patrol boat is missing. The only long range one, sir. The one that could get them all the way to Douala non-stop."
He sighed, knowing nothing in port was faster than that new patrol boat, and knew several of Jacot's men could operate that class of vessel specifically designed for clandestine warfare.
"Should we pursue them anyway, sir?" asked the Aide.
"No. They're gone and there's no stopping them. We have to get the main force deployed now," the old warrior stated gravely.
The General knew Jacot's men would be well in front of the rest of the force headed out that day to annihilate Garua, and would track them invisibly the entire way there. And he knew there was only one target in mind, and two men in particular. He would do nothing to stop it. Silently, he admired his bravest of warriors even though it was the end of his career when he returned to be court martialed.
"Major, make a note to General Cunliffe. No unit of his should be committed to destroying the Wireless. Tell him 'we got that covered', and ask to avoid shell fire to their radio station if possible. And let our Spec Ops headquarters in Morocco and Marseilles know, but only in code. 'Jacot has gone rogue with an attempted rescue'. We can take no chance the kidnappers will intercept this message."
That was a French Special Operations code word for an unauthorized operation but not acting in a traitorous way. Punishment would be harsh but not a capital offense. There might even be some sympathy given the situation.
The General's Aide understood exactly, and replied, "Yes sir. Right away sir."
His Aide left and the General sat back in his seat exhausted already, and reflected, "God speed you, Armand. I hope you know what you are doing. You're on your own now. I can't do anything to sanction this. And I would never order it. But I won't stop you. May you find your little girl."
…Early March 1915…
One morning, Noni, Itocheu, and a strange new cape parrot with considerably more yellow in its plumage and even a little blue mixed into the green, alighted on the treehouse kitchen porch rail as the Clayton family all had lunch together. The twins were making faces at the soft food they were learning to eat, and more was on them than in their bellies, which greatly amused Lily, who was feeding Nizzie while Jane fed Paulie. Being a good 'big sister' to the twins was one of her proudest family duties, and Jane praised her first daughter for her sweet maternal instincts.
"Good morning friend Jane. I see you have to chew food for human hatchlings too, in addition to your milk for them," joked Noni.
"Well dear friend Noni, that isn't quite how I do it, but the effect is the same," she noted as she glanced at her set of bowls and utensils where she cut, ground, crushed, and blended all the fresh soft food for the babies.
Witnessing Jane and Tarzan have and raise human offspring in the jungle was an amazing experience for all of their jungle animal friends. In many ways, the humans cared for their young like most other animals, especially the mammals. Jane nursed her offspring, and had started them on soft foods. Discipline, teaching of skills, protection, and care was similar to what any animal family would do with infants. But there were many differences. Their animal friends always marveled at how human babies started out so helpless yet grew to be exceptionally skilled young humans like Jack and Lily and adults like Tarzan and Jane. Of all the animals in the jungle, humans took the longest to mature.
They all laughed and squawked, but became more serious. Jane asked her long time cape parrot friend, "What brings you to our humble nest, Noni? How may I help you? And who is your friend. She's beautiful!"
"It's actually the other way around, friend Jane,"declared Noni, "This is Mawalie. She is from the flock much closer to the place the sun rises every morning. She took much risk coming here to our flock. She passed over the land of the leopards to do so."
They all exchanged greetings but everyone sat in rapt attention.
"Tell us more, please, new friend Mawalie," encouraged Jane.
Jack chafed in his chair. This was really important.
"Mawalie has come an enormous distance," explained Itocheu, "Farther than the human nest called Kamina than I took Jeanne and Jack to."
"Where, then, friends?" asked Jack, his heart pounding.
"The large nesting grounds you humans call Kamerun," Mawalie said seriously.
Jack nearly fell out of the chair, but Tarzan steadied his eldest.
Tarzan was calm for all of the family, "What did you see there, Mawalie?"
"I befriended a young human female who was with three human adults. She was in great distress and called for help. I originally thought she was a real parrot like me, her call was so good. I was not in fear though when I met her. I could tell she was not an outlander because she dressed in her own skin like you and all animals do. She had very long beautiful black plumage and dark color like you. She was friendly, and I was impressed that a human spoke my words. I befriended her . I learned that she was being kept against her will by bad humans. Outlanders. Her name was… uh… Jan… err… Jen…"
"Jeanne?" asked Jack in barely a whisper. He could hardly get her name out.
"Yes that was it. Jeanne," Mawalie said, grateful for the correct pronunciation.
"Ohmigosh," Jack exclaimed, ecstatic that he now knew where she was. He wanted to go immediately.
His mother took his hand and squeezed. A single tear dropped from Jack's eye. He was shaking.
"She spoke our tongue like you. With Noni's flock's accent," Mawalie joked.
Noni gave her a less than amused look.
"Korak and I taught her," Itocheu explained proudly.
Jack smiled at his friend and Itocheu bobbed his head in acknowledgment.
"She was the only human I have ever encountered who was 'of the jungle'. Until meeting all of you. She asked if I would come to tell you of her misfortune but that she was doing all right. I have never experienced adult humans being bad to a hatchling. It is not our way."
"It is not normally our way, either, Mawalie," noted Jane.
Mawalie noted, "Noni has assured me of this, and I see it with my own eyes. You are a family just like mine."
Jack nearly collapsed but his father put his arm around him for strength.
"In all the great nesting grounds of Kamerun, Mawalie, where exactly are they roosting now, if you please?" asked Jack anxiously but graciously.
"They are at the human nest you humans call Garua. It has a big silver pole we use as a perch above the jungle. The humans let us use it."
The Claytons just looked at each other. This was profound knowledge. Jack looked expectantly at his father. Jane did not object. What was to be was inevitable, and fortunately, sooner than they expected. Lily was excited. She knew her big brother and her father were going to rescue Jeanne. She knew how dangerous it would be. But she trusted her father and older brother implicitly.
"Thank you, Mawalie. This is very good news. You bring us great hope to get the human Jeanne from the outlanders and back to the family she loves.
"I have come a long way to fulfill my promise to my human friend, but now I have to go home. I will show you the way to the nest in which they imprison her."
Jack was buoyed with great hope in this kind offer, and stated thankfully, "We are most grateful for your help and your information. She is my future mate."
"She spoke of you in that way too, Korak. I could tell. Those of us 'of the jungle' are all one family against humans who would disturb our world. I am happy to help. I got to see some distant cousins in Noni's flock. She's actually one of them!"
Jane didn't want the little bird to have to hurry off after such a long journey, "Please share a meal with us and stay awhile. Surely you must be tired from your long journey. We have roosts for you."
Mawalie could clearly see the set of nearly a dozen well-used perches on the deck for visiting parrots and other birds who were friends with Tarzan's family.
Jane served all three birds a bowl of grubs and worms she had gathered for dinner, but could get Jack to get more later, even though she noticed he snitched one for him and Lily. She gave him a scolding look.
Jane was indignant with his bad guest etiquette, "Our guests get served first young man. You know that."
"But Mommm…," Jack whined. Lily snickered at her brother being chided by their mother.
The little bird found the Claytons incredibly polite and respectful, especially the mother human. The human boy was nice but was like so many juveniles in his flock, thinking of himself first. The little girl human was very cute and she could see the two brand new human hatchlings.
Mawalie acknowledged Jane offered the delicacies for her, "These are my favorites. You humans know much of us. I wish the humans there were like all of you. What tribe are you?"
Jane answered proudly, "We are Mangani, the tribe of the gorillas. When we do not live here in this human nest we live in their lands with them. My mate Tarzan is Lord of the Apes."
Something vaguely familiar thought stirred in Mawalie, as she stated, "Mangani? I have heard of a great ape family. There are many legends."
Tarzan was amazed, "You have heard of the Mangani here from so far to the east?"
"No. Not here. In the world far beyond my nest, from to where the sun rises over the mountains. Well beyond the land of the leopards."
They truly looked at each other in a puzzled look. English anthropology theorized of gorillas in the mountains of the eastern part of Africa but had never found them. Kala diverted her eyes, and was very glad they did not inquire further.
There were other more important priorities than more gorilla troops.
Jane insisted, "Mawalie, please will you roost here with us tonight? You must have your rest before going home. These perches are always here for our family's friends. Noni and her family stay here all the time."
Mawalie was very polite, "I shouldn't intrude.
Jane tempted the new bird with a wry grin, "I serve termites for breakfast…"
Jane knew cape parrots thought of termites as the best possible delicacy.
That convinced Mawalie, "Mmmmm, I love termites! Thank you. Don't mind if I do. But I must be on my way tomorrow if you are to join me."
If Noni could have snickered, she would have but she did wink at her friend Jane.
Tarzan spoke for Jack and himself, "It's settled then. We will leave tomorrow morning with Mawalie for the Council of Chiefs and get a ship to the nest called Douala. You can ride with us that far and then we will swing in the vines the rest of the way while you fly. Your wings will have rest for weeks. We will have plenty of seed for the long journey. I need to check on how Clayton Shipping is doing at the port there anywhere that we just opened after the British took over Douala from the Germans."
"You are most kind. I agree. The civilized humans can be trusted?"
"Absolutely these can be. They are of Clan Clayton, my human tribe. I am their chieftain as well."
It impressed Mawalie that Tarzan could be both Lord of the Apes and leader of a tribe of humans, and wondered why such a kind human who was 'of the jungle' was not known better and respected in her part of the jungle.
Jane had to spent extra time to calm her excited son, and she suppressed her worries that Jane and Tarzan were headed into the war zone in Kamerun. But she knew there would be no holding them back, and they were well prepared. Jack made sure his bow and arrow that replaced the one broken by the kidnappers was ready for the long journey and that he had a full quiver of her hunting arrows. And that he had packed that special gift for her upon their reunion.
For the first time in months, Jack rested well, knowing in the morning he would finally embark in a journey to save his lady love Jeanne.
Before going to bed that night Tarzan contacted Admiral D'Arnot, who had left the Nigerian British garrison on a warship and successfully made the perilous journey back to Morocco to help command the Mediterranean fleet against the German Navy and U boat menace that was destroying allied shipping resupplies. Jack waited anxiously.
Tarzan keyed anxiously in their Mangani code so the kidnappers would not intercept their messages and kept the text short. They assumed that the kidnappers would have access to the radiotelegraph in Garua, and were probably running it for the Germans.
The message from Tarzan read: Phillipe. Need ship to Douala. We go to Garua to rescue the girl. She is there. T.
The answer came quickly: T. You cannot go. I forbid it. That is an order. Philippe
And an equally fast reply: Why not?
And just as fast the reason came back from Philippe: Invasion going to take Garua. Jacot and men AWOL from base. Assume unauthorized rescue mission before Garua is attacked.
"Oh… my… Goodness," Jack gasped. The Colonel was rescuing Jeanne without any help from the Clayton's. They were doing exactly as they said they would. Jack felt helpless.
Tarzan replied: Will comply. Godspeed the allies and Armand.
Tarzan sat back and looked into Jack's very sad eyes, "I'm sorry Jack, but we aren't going anywhere now. We are not warriors. We'll get in the way. You know the Jacot's want nothing to do with us."
Jack was very anxious to find Jeanne, but knew the danger in this war zone far exceeded anything in Kamina.
"I know Father. No sneaking away this time. I promise. I know this will be a big battle. We could be killed easily. And the Colonel will refuse any help and forbid me from seeing her."
Knowing how heartbroken Jack was to not be helping in the rescue, she tried to soothe him, "Well… we are going somewhere."
"Where, Mother?" Jack asked hopefully.
"On our knees every day to pray for Colonel Jacot to rescue Jeanne safely."
"And then can I try to be with her again?" he asked.
Jane explained, "We'll see Jack. We'll do our best to help you two be reunited as friends again. That might be all that you can ever be. The Jacot's will dictate that. Jeanne will have long recovery period from the kidnapping. Maybe we can convince them that you two together will help speed her return to normal. Like it or not, Jack, she will have changed in many ways. She's been with criminals a long time, and likely punished constantly and forced to do things against her will. We have a long road ahead of us for any kind of reconciliation between us and the Jacot's."
"Yes mother. I know. This is so hard. I wish I could be there with Colonel Jacot. Just to help a little."
Jane hugged her son, "I know dear. But you are being so patient and understanding. I know this still hurts."
"But now I can deal with it, this time, Mom. I'm strong now," he said with confidence.
Mawalie knew there would be no journey with the Mangani humans, "If you can't go, I still must leave in the morning. I promised my parents to return soon."
"Thank you so much, Mawalie. Know that you have friends here."
"My pleasure, and if you venture to Kamerun, you know you have a friend there now, too. I can tell you young human will be mates. I can tell how much each of you means to the other. She spoke of you all the time and the other humans did not know. Your care for each other inspired me to come here to help. I am pleased to have helped."
"Thank you," Jack he barely whispered, supported by the knowledge from the parrot that Jeanne she was still thinking fondly of him.
"Be safe stay away from the guns. And thank you," Jane added.
While Jack slept well because he knew where Jeanne was and that her father would rescue her, he was still disappointed he couldn't be part of that mission, and prayed they could somehow be together again someday.
…
"Karl-Heinz, did you see this?" Gunter asked.
"No. Show me."
"It's that weird code again."
"Wow. That was over a year ago."
"Where's it coming from?"
"No clue. It's coming from everywhere it seems. Yet nowhere. Weirdest pattern I've ever seen."
"If it happens again, let me know. I sure as hell wish someone had a translation for that gibberish."
"I know. It's like a monkey playing with the keyboard. But it meant something to someone since there is whole bunch of short messages."
"Should we tell Fritz?"
"Nah. Not unless the traffic picks up."
But it didn't. And the short seemingly unimportant cryptic message came and went and was forgotten. But it shouldn't have been.
…Late March 1915. 15 miles west of Douala on an isolated beach…
After landing in secret and hiding the patrol boat in a cove away from the main force landing zones, Jacot and his men headed quickly into the jungle well ahead of the invasion force. They intended to be at Garua days before the Army to reconnoiter and plan the best attack on the station, and find out where Jeanne was been held.
Armand and his men were completely invisible in their dark brown and green mottle-pattern camouflage uniforms which were unlike anything the normal French or British soldiers wore No one had ever experimented like this. They modeled the patterns in fabric after the Count's brown, green, and colorations applied directly to his skin to disappear into the wild when he needed to. Traversing the jungle, the squad mostly stayed in the branches and vines above the jungle floor, drinking water from the vines and surviving on wild fruits and nuts, and insects as needed. Tarzan would have been impressed by what they learned from him about jungle stealth and movement in the tree canopy. They were virtually undetectable visually and aurally. Jean Claude never faltered carrying the small cannon on his back, and all his compatriots carried the incendiary/fragmentation shells in their back packs. Even with only eight men, they possessed more than enough firepower to destroy the radio station. The only issue was the location of the telegraph station on the German base and the defenses committed to it.
In mid-May 1915 they arrived at the Garua village, two weeks prior to the planned main assault, and began their surveillance to get the lay of the land of the Garua base and the village, and to understand the habits and patterns of the kidnappers and to specifically locate Jeanne.
The base was huge and sprawling, with layers of earthworks, trenches like in Europe, rows of barbed wire fences, and many machine gun towers. Curiously, the most strategic target, the radiotelegraph station, was in a back corner of the base, and less well defended, other than natural barriers easily surmounted by their team. It was like the Wireless station's location was an afterthought, with more of the base's defenses dedicated to the protection of the cannons and other traditional offensive weapons. Sometimes revolutionary technology like the radiotelegraph was not fully understood and exploited when in the hands of men who were hard to break from tradition.
But the German Wireless was not their primary target. Jacot also began their search and observations of where Jeanne was located in the adjoining village. It did not take them long to find her in a hut separated a bit the main village. He watched from high in the treeline from his ancient spyglass, wrapped in leaves to prevent any kind of noticeable glint from the villagers, another lesson taken from the instructions of the King of the Jungle.
He was overjoyed to see Jeanne for the first time, but was appalled to see her hair cut in nearly a burr like a boy, was much too thin, and was wearing simple one piece dresses or going natural as she had in Nigeria, which incensed him that anyone should see her nude body but her family. Or, he reluctantly admitted, her Nigerian child friends and Jack Clayton. Nevertheless, she seemed to like her woman captor who appeared to be kind and cared for her well, and was often natural with her while they did household chores and cooking. Each wore what appeared to be the local tribe's jewelry that constituted being fully dressed in the native world. It was clear that Jeanne was made to appear to be the woman's daughter, which made the woman an accomplice in the kidnapping. And a target.
Armand wanted so badly to rescue Jeanne, kill the kidnappers, and disappear into the woods right away, but the Wireless station had to be destroyed at exactly the right time to support the main attack, and there was a score to settle with the three German criminals. Rescuing her early would blow any cover for the latest attack on Garua and could cost lives, or even preclude a successful attack. He and his men would face extensive jail time and hard labor or even execution for interfering with a major battle plan. They had to wait for the right moment.
Armand's observations of Karl-Heinz and Gunter and how they intimidated the woman and Jeanne made his blood boil. The kidnappers often treated the woman and Jeanne like both were captives, even though Karl-Heinz and the woman were lovers, which disgusted Armand that Jeanne was forced to witness their frequent lurid relations. He fought the urge daily to strangle both men now and be done with it. After many days and nights of observation, Armand knew precisely the daily habits of the kidnappers, their night shift work at the station, their paths to the base and gates they used to go to and from the radio station. The kidnappers were perfectly predictable and it would cost them their lives.
…Before dawn 31 May 1915. In the jungle around Garua station…
Jacot gave his squad last minute instructions, knowing today was the day of the attack, "We have to strike first so not one single message of the main attack gets out. We must get the entire radio operator staff in the transmitter building, especially the two kidnappers, so even if they do repair the station no one can operate it. You know they are all together at the morning shift change, including their commander. We stop them all here, then double back to the woman's hut and take Jeanne. We don't kill the woman unless she tries to attack Jeanne or us. Do you have the bolt cutters, Henri?"
"Yes, sir," Henri.
They had seen Jeanne chained every night to prevent her escape, and he admired his daughter's will to continue to resist them, over nine months being their captive.
"Nine months… Mon Dieu," he winced realizing just how long it had been.
When they got to their attack point, there was a lot of morning fog and he couldn't make out the people well, but heard the normal morning activity. There was a group of people assembled just outside the base gate that gave access to the station that normally weren't there, but he couldn't make them out.
Jean Claude carefully and noiselessly set the three pounder into the pintle mount and braced it against a huge rock. He loaded the small cannon with an incendiary charge. The two machine guns were set up, and cocked.
"Ready, mes amis?" whispered Armand.
"No turning back now sir," noted Jean Claude with a confident smile, holding a wick, lit and ready to fire the small cannon.
He touched it to the zero length fuse and the small but mighty cannon roared. The fog and calm at the break of day were shattered by the first shell of the Vickers cannon incendiary shell and the yammering of two French machine guns. The air was ripped with the sound of projectiles headed straight for the Wireless transmitter room. The Frenchmen were firing at the station from the direct upsun angle. No defender could draw a bead on them without having the rising sunlight in their eyes.
The radiotelegraph station main building exploded in flames and smoke and the sounds of screams. Bodies and pieces flew everywhere with the building debris. Jacot's men were delighted they got most of the radio operators in the opening shot. Several burning survivors were then mowed down by the team's machine guns. Jacot hoped that Karl-Heinz and Gunter suffered horribly.
Jean Claude launched several more incendiary and fragmentary shells into the base of the antenna and the diesel generator, which flared into a roiling black mushroom cloud in the foggy morning skies. When the big fuel tank exploded, it incinerated dozens more soldiers with a spew of flaming spray.
The shrieking of collapsing metal of the radio tower and pings of the snapping support cables ripped through the dense humid morning air. One of the severed cables sliced one of the remaining German radio men in half and the tower collapsed on a Schutztruppen barracks tent, crushing most and trapping any survivors inside. There was much screaming and shouting as a flaming trail of diesel fuel rushed like a flood down the hill from the carnage of the radiotelegraph and into the midst of the barracks. It was instantly engulfed in flames as the tent fabric torched.
…
Hauptmann von Crailsheim was startled awake from his bed with the explosions and gunfire in the headquarters barracks on the other side of the base. He turned to his staff and ordered, "Defenses have been breached. Sound the alarm - we are under attack!"
Sirens started all over the base to rouse the soldiers to defend against the surprise incursion.
The attack on the station from the rear took their attention from the more obvious frontal attack on the base.
It was just enough distraction to throw the Germans into complete confusion, and create the perfect opening volley for the main part of the invading British and French Army.
…
General Cunliffe, who also had been waiting for the sun to rise before beginning the combined French and British attack against Garua, was totally shocked by the action against the radio station and absolutely pissed, "Bloody hell! Who fired early? And what are they doing in the rear of the base?"
Cunliffe's Executive Officer stated, trying to assess the action from his binoculars, "I don't know sir, but radiotelegraph station is in flames and the antenna just fell on a big barracks. There's a lot of commotion, sir. All in our favor."
And then he realized what his fellow general had said months ago, "Damn. French Special Forces. I should have known."
Cunliffe grabbed his battered old spyglass that always brought him luck in battle, observed the action from the rear, and saw all the attention directed away from their frontal attack, "This is perfect. I guess I won't court martial whoever started that. That drew the German fire to the rear. They won't be able to send a message for reinforcements. Crank it up men, here we go! Shoot them in the face."
All hell broke loose from the main British/French force upon the still mostly sleeping German base at Garua. At the end of the day, the allies' lust for blood and revenge from the shameful British defeat in first battle of Garua would leave few survivors.
…
Jacot and his men had nearly completed the take down of the radio station, and heard the gunfire starting and shells falling from Cunliffe's opening volley. It was time to withdraw to go after Jeanne. Their work was done here.
Armand ordered, "Move out to the village! The station is down. I sure hope we got the bastards…"
What Jacot didn't know is that Margrite and Jeanne - on this very day of days - brought Gunter and Karl-Heinz some breakfast and Fritz let them go a little early because it was Karl-Heinz' birthday. Margrite and Jeanne gathered just outside the base gate down the hill from the radiotelegraph to greet the Karl-Heinz and Gunter with a very special breakfast just for them. This was the little cluster of people Armand he'd heard but not seen prior to the attack. The explosions and gunfire had caused all four people to freeze in shock to watch the carnage of the station's demise.
Running out of the woods and into the field that toward the village and clearing the smoke and fog that was obscuring everything, the French Special Operations squad and the kidnappers finally saw each other separated only by less than 50 feet. Jacot froze. Jeanne stood in shock and sudden recognition of the man in front.
"Scheisse!" yelled Karl-Heinz, "It's Jacot!"
"Papa!" Jeanne yelled gleefully. The only thing Jeanne could think was that she was being rescued. She was right.
"Stop!" shouted Armand, but also thought, "Mon Dieu, she was at the station! I could have killed her."
The kidnappers and soldiers were totally surprised to encounter each other nearly face-to-face. No one moved, but the Germans in the base forced them to. The enemy troops in Garua were now on full alert, caught completely by surprise by Jacot's interdiction, then by Cunliffe's main attack from the opposite direction, and so they fired at anything that moved outside the gates to the base, including their own people. Jacot and his men flopped to the ground. Margrite, Jeanne, Gunter, and Karl-Heinz were also forced down, covering their ears from the explosions from the big cannons and rocketing shells from the main French and British offensive now unleashed against the base. The German gunfire let up and changed direction to face the onslaught from the main fighting force.
Gunter yelled, "Get out of here! It's him!"
Karl-Heinz and Gunter grabbed the females by the arms, yanking them upright, and started running down the trail from the back gate toward the village and to escape Jacot, amidst the increasing gunfire, in complete panic. The two kidnappers knew they didn't stand a chance against a full combat team who was bent on revenge from being gassed in Kamina.
Jeanne vigorously resisted being dragged by Karl-Heinz, and yelled in French for the first time in over 10 months, "Papa! Papa! Here I am!"
The kidnapper smacked Jeanne, dazing her, tossed her body over his shoulder, and started toward a trail into the jungle away from Garua. The village and base were lost.
Armand stopped, seeing the man strike his daughter, was totally incensed, drew his pistol, and aimed to drop the captors.
"I have you now, Karl-Heinz," Armand said grimly.
The French soldiers did not fire on the kidnapping trio. They all knew this was Armand's score to settle.
Being the expert marksman he was, he shot the blondish man in the shoulder. Armand couldn't make a killing shot directly into the base of the kidnapper's skull because Jeanne was slung over the man's shoulder and neck and he had to be careful not to kill his daughter.
The man screamed but somehow he kept going. Armand pulled the trigger again to empty his pistol into Karl-Heinz' legs and back to bring him down once and for all, but of all times his pistol jammed.
"Fils de salope!" Armand swore, holstered his gun, and rushed to tackle the kidnapper and break his neck.
Being in perfect condition, he would close the distance quickly.
"I will kill you myself Karl-Heinz," yelled Armand at the kidnapper, and the German was in total fear of his life for the first time since the boss held a gun to his temple.
Jeanne winced seeing the hatred seethe in her father's eyes for the kidnapper. She'd never witnessed that, but in seconds her father would end her nightmare. Gunter was in total panic and ran for his own life dragging Margrite. She was terribly frightened knowing the girl's father would surely kill her lover and there was absolutely nothing she could do about it. She knew that pleading would not work with this French warrior, and she was likely not to live much longer than Karl-Heinz.
"Papa…" she barely whispered, her head still reeling, as Karl-Heinz struggled to hold her and run for his life. Armand would be on him in seconds.
As Armand and the squad ran toward them, he failed to see the pineapple grenade land right beside him, thrown as the last desperate act by dying German Radio Service commander Oberleutnant Fritz Baumgartner, who had fled struggling from the transmitter explosion down toward the village. He didn't care about his lost station or his pregnant wife because he was about to lose everything, including his life from the blood gushing from his midsection. The soldier had seen the French Colonel try to rescue Meriem, whom the Oberleutnant coveted more than anything.
Baumgartner was incensed, and after flinging the grenade, his last words were, "If I can't have her, neither can you, Colonel."
Henri leaped on the grenade and Jean Claude tried desperately to run and tackle his commander.
The ground erupted around all of them, with the rest of the squad diving for cover.
Jeanne had nearly regained her senses and saw the explosion engulf her father and his men and screamed, "Papa! Noooo!"
…
Author's Notes: Oh dear. Can things get any worse for Jeanne? Thanks to Sueanoi, whose idea with the cape parrot telling the Clayton's that Jeanne was held in Garua may aid Jack to find his lady love. Sueanoi's other idea is also revealed briefly in the text for a future chapter. Stay tuned.