it was tough to defeat.
And lucky for her, she was great at it.
38
Near the southern end of the Partnach Gorge, there was a major intersection where several hiking trails came together. Even though the paths were labelled with codes and colours, it still took a while for travellers to figure out which way they needed to go. Paths that seemed to be heading one way often ended up going another. Most of the time they went where geology dictated, whether that was along the Partnach River or up the side of a mountain. For hikers, this region was heaven. They could spend hours crisscrossing the valley, switching back and forth between easy paths and challenging trails without venturing more than an hour from the city.
Anticipating some confusion, Payne made sure his men knew they were supposed to follow the yellow sign with the green arrow on the right. The path went towards Eckbauer, the small peak to the north-east. According to the map, the trail zigged and zagged through the woods until it reached the Eckbauerbahn station, which sat on top of the summit. Although the elevation was listed at 4,035 feet, they wouldn’t have much of a climb since they were already more than 3,000 feet above sea level. As long as the ATV kept chugging and the trailer kept rolling, Payne didn’t expect any problems for well-conditioned soldiers.
A large group of hikers, all of them carrying rucksacks and walking sticks, clogged the intersection as the ATV approached its turn. Huber tried to seize control in German, ordering them out of the way for their medical emergency, but they stared at him as though he was speaking in a foreign language. Which, of course, he was, since the hikers were from France. Upon seeing Huber’s camouflage and 5.56mm assault rifle, a few of the Frenchmen panicked. Worried they had broken the law or had accidentally crossed the Austrian border, they threw their hands in the air and surrendered to the Germans like a scene from a World War Two movie. Before long, all of them were crowding round the ATV, trying to figure out what they had done wrong.
Meanwhile, Collins did his best to keep moving. Lange rotated to the front of the pack and tried to clear enough space for the ATV and trailer to make the turn towards Eckbauer, but Lange’s presence only added to the turmoil. Now there were two Germans with assault rifles yelling at the French, which made them twice as eager to surrender. Eventually, Collins had no choice. He had to stop the ATV, or he was going to run over one of the hikers.
Payne heard the commotion from his position in the rear and came forward to investigate. It didn’t take long to figure out there was a language barrier. Kaiser’s men were speaking German, and the hikers were speaking French. Neither group could understand the other. From his military experience, Payne knew English was the lingua franca - the bridge language for people who spoke different languages - for international business, science, technology, aviation and diplomacy, so he decided to take charge of the situation.
Placing two fingers in his mouth, Payne unleashed a whistle so loud and authoritative that everyone shut up, including three Japanese hikers who were approaching the intersection from the opposite direction. Before he said a single word, Payne had everyone’s undivided attention.
‘Do any of you speak English?’ he said calmly.
A middle-aged Frenchman, wearing a brightly coloured bandana over his long, grey hair, appointed himself spokesperson. ‘I speak English. Are we in trouble?’
Payne shook his head. ‘Not yet, but you will be unless you get off the path. We have a medical emergency, and we’re trying to get into town.’
‘What kind of emergency?’ said a voice from the back. A few seconds later, an older gentlemen was pushing his way past his friends. ‘I’m a surgeon. Maybe I can help?’
Payne cursed under his breath. This was the last thing he needed. ‘Thanks, Doc, but no thanks. The patient is stable, and there’s a chopper waiting for us in town. If you and your friends could just—’
‘Is he conscious?’ the surgeon demanded.
Payne stared at him, coldly. ‘Not at the moment.’
‘Then how do you know he’s stable?’
Payne quickly considered his options. He could stand there and argue with the doctor about Kaiser’s health, or he could let the guy do his job as they continued towards the Eckbauerbahn. Ultimately, it was a no-brainer since Kaiser’s survival was his number-one priority,