Upfall

"Shut up!" said Bolander angrily. Ilan caught his friend's eye and smirked. Yatom looked at Bolander reprovingly, but said nothing. Feldhandler had no authority over the young sergeant, and Bolander owed the scientist no military courtesies.

Yatom went back to business. "Any more questions? No? Good. Work out details with your team leaders. Ron you begin drilling our friends, the Bulls and Bears. We'll wear full kit tonight. We go in three hours."

Shapira walked over to Sandler and Fliegel. He told them to assemble their newly named teams for a series of drills. As they began to walk off, Shapira pulled Sandler's sleeve and took him aside.

"I want to ask you something—before we go on this mission, something I'm curious about."

"What is it?" said Sandler defensively, as if knowing what the commando was going to say.

"How did you do it?" said Shapira, more as a demand than a question.

"You mean work for the Germans at the gas chambers?"

"Yes."

Sandler shook his head and looked at his feet. "I don't know" he said in a whisper. "You'd have to be there yourself."

Shapira stared at Sandler, a scarecrow a few years his junior, who already looked a decade older. He was sorry he asked—a waste of time and a distraction for Sandler. Shapira clapped Sandler on the shoulder. "You'll have your revenge tonight."

Sandler said nothing and stalked off to his men.

Shapira then scuttled over to Perchensky. She stood near the truck where Mueller remained trussed.

"Your are going to remain here with him?" asked Shapira, catching Mueller's eye through the gloom. Mueller stared back at him hatefully.

Perchansky gave Shapira a quizzical look. "It's not like I'm hooking up with him. Somebody needs to guard him."

Shapira grimaced and scratched at his beard.

"What's the matter—they don't let women guard men in America?"

"No" he said lamely, trying to deflect her sarcasm. "Just make sure you keep him tied up."

"Don't worry" she said with typical Israel brio "I was in the army too."

Shapira turned away and joined Chaim who walked toward the small clearing where the Bulls and the Bears awaited training for their role in the attack. "What was that all about?" asked Chaim.

"Nothing."

"You know Bolander's got the hots for her."

"Are you trying to warn me off, Sergeant?"

"l just think we all have enough to worry about right now" said Chaim evenly.

Shapira ignored the comment. "Let's try to be very clear and very basic with these new guys" said Shapira, changing the subject to the task at hand. "I'd hate to be shot by my own men."

"That's what I'm talking about Lieutenant." "Beseder. Go get Roi and get started. We only have a couple of hours."

Two hours later the Bull and the Bears were ready, or at least as prepared as confused and terrified amateurs could be under the circumstances. Shapira marched Sandler's and Fliegel's men over to Yatom, where the rest of the sayeret was already in full kit, their faces smeared with camouflage paint. All the men of the sayeret pulled on their Madonna radio headsets, followed by their helmets with clown covers, and finally their NVGS. For the first time most of the Israelis attached suppressors to their Tavors.

Yatom's plan called for teams Alef and Bet to make the initial penetration of the extermination subcamp entirely with suppressed weapons to confuse the Germans and maintain the element of surprise as long as possible. Once the lights were out, the camp infiltrated, and the watchtower positions taken over, the suppressors could come off.

The Bulls and Bears each carried one MG 34 and a mix of Mausers, Uzis and MP-40s along with plenty of grenades. Chaim and Roi would accompany Fliegel's Bears. Shapira would go with the Bulls.

Both teams would sneak up on the Ukranian encampment, and open fire once the suyeret harl successfully taken the extermination sub- camp. After" the Ukranians had been beaten down by fn'e, the Bulls and Bears would charge them, a11d hopefully rout the poorly organized and motivated reinforcements. At least, that was the drill they had practiced.

Yatom and Mofaz moved through the sayeret checking off the men and their equipment. Feldhandler stood to the side, a bit awkwardly, also fully kitted out holding his Galil. Perchensky stood to the other side of the group, her Uzi slung over her shoulder. She'd taken Mueller from the truck, and tied him to a small tree in easy range.

"Everybody ready?" asked Yatom. There were murmurs of agreement all around, but no smiles. It wasn't like the start of a game. Mofaz, itching to get started grunted "Julia!" and as one, the sayeret moved off on the hike to the camp.