Midnight Runner Part 27

"No, I think we'll start the Third World War nicely with that little lot."

The Quartermaster called, "Sergeant, give me a hand."

Pound came in and they transferred everything into two RAF-issue holdalls and carried them to the plane. Dillon lit a cigarette and walked out to the steps. The Daimler drew up and Ferguson got out. His chauffeur followed, carrying a suit bag.

"Put it in the plane," Ferguson told him.

"What's all this?" Dillon asked.

"I'm going with you. No arguments."

"You'll look rather striking in Bedu robes."

At that moment, Harry Salter's Jaguar drew up, Baxter at the wheel. Harry and Billy got out, Baxter opened the trunk and produced two bags.

Harry said, "d.a.m.n you, Dillon, but if Billy's going, so am I."

Dillon grinned at Ferguson. "No arguments?"

"Oh, get on board and let's be moving."

They went up the steps and settled in. Lacey and Parry were already in the c.o.c.kpit, and Pound closed and locked the door. The engines turned over, the Gulfstream eased down the runway, turned, and took off. It climbed higher and leveled off at fifty thousand.

"I've spoken to Tony." Ferguson told them what Villiers had said.

"Nice to know he's on our case." Dillon lit a cigarette. "What about Quinn?"

"Oh, he'll be fine. He isn't going to die on us or anything, but Bellamy says he'll be laid up for a while. Oh, and I tried the White House, but the President is on an official visit to Argentina, so I had to make do with Blake Johnson. He was horrified to hear about Quinn and about Kate Rashid's plans."

"What did he say?"

"That he would inform the President."

"Was he suitably alarmed?"

"What he actually said was: 'Tell Dillon and Billy to go in and kick a.s.s.'"

Dillon turned to Billy. "Now there's a compliment. So here we go again."

"Saving the free world. Why does it always have to be us?"

"We're too good at it, that's the problem," and Dillon called to Sergeant Pound, "I'll have a Bushmills now."

HAZAR.

15.

WHEN THE RASHID PLANE LANDED AT THE AIRPORT OUTside Hazar, the Scorpion was waiting at the end of the runway, Ben Carver beside it. Kate, Rupert, and the three Irishmen boarded it, and a couple of porters transferred the luggage. Within minutes, the Scorpion was taking off, and an hour later, as evening was falling, it landed at the airstrip at Fuad.

There was the usual scattering of Bedu-women, children, and a number of the trainees-curious as to what was happening, and Colum McGee came forward to greet them. He grasped Keenan's hands.

"It's good to see you, Barry."

"And you, you old b.a.s.t.a.r.d."

McGee nodded to Casey and Kelly. "Christ, but he must be hard up if you two are the best he can do."

"Get stuffed," Casey said.

McGee turned to Kate. "Supper's waiting."

"You go ahead. I want a word with Ben."

The Irishmen went off together and she turned to Carver. "Go back now. We're staying here. Be back here tomorrow evening. I want you to take our Irish friends to Al Mukalli. How long will it take?"

"An hour and a quarter."

"Good. You'll return here tomorrow evening, leave at one-thirty in the morning, drop them at the goods yard at Al Mukalli, and return here again. Later that morning, you'll take me, the Major, and three men to the Bacu Bridge, where we'll pick up Mr. Keenan and his friends. How long is that?"

"About the same as the other trip. It's just in a different direction."

"Good. We'll leave at six-thirty."

"Will fuel be a problem?"

"No, we've stacks of it here in jerry cans."

Carver was sweating a lot and he was worried. He'd looked the other way regarding the activities at Fuad, but Keenan and his men made him uneasy.

"Look, am I getting into something here I shouldn't?" he said awkwardly.

"Yes," she said calmly. "You're into piloting my helicopter when I want you to, for which you are considerably rewarded. Of course, if this gives you a problem, I can have Carver Air Transport's license to operate in Hazar transferred to someone else."

Rupert said gently, "I think she's got a point, my friend, don't you?"

"No problem. I was only asking."

She said, "On your way, then, Ben," turned away, and walked toward the tents, Dauncey at her side.

Carver wiped sweat from his face with a handkerchief. "I'm getting too old for this," he said softly, climbing into the Scorpion, and took off.

Kate Rashid and her cousin joined the others, who were already sitting cross-legged in the great tent, the evening meal spread before them. On this occasion there were just the six of them, and women brought goat stew to augment the fruit, dates, and unleavened bread.

Casey and Kelly eyed the stew dubiously and Casey said, "What is it?"

"It's food," Keenan said. "Just get on with it."

"But where are the knives and forks?"

"You just use your hands," Colum McGee told them, and dipped in using a piece of the bread.

Kate Rashid said, "Is everything Mr. Keenan wanted ready?"

"Sure. Plenty of Semtex, timers, both clockwork and pencil. Lots of det cord. Put that together with the forty tons of high explosives that train is carrying, and it's goodnight, Vienna."

"Excellent," Kate Rashid said. "What do you think, Rupert?"

"The great virtue is the simplicity of it."

She smiled. "Yes, well, I always did like things simple."

"There is one thing, Countess," Keenan said. "What happens afterwards? How do you explain it?"

"Well, it's hardly my fault if Arab terrorists decided to blow up the Bacu Bridge, is it?"

"Of course." Keenan smiled. "Now why didn't I think of that?"

When the RAF Gulfstream was halfway to Hazar, Ferguson spoke to Villiers on his Codex and explained the situation. "So, Harry and I decided to come along for the ride, so that makes four of us. Will that be a problem?"

"Not to me. Kate Rashid arrived with Dauncey and the three Irishmen, by the way. I had one of my Scouts at the airport looking out for them. They transferred to her Scorpion, with Ben Carver piloting, and went up-country."

"Shabwa?"

"I would say Fuad, so Keenan can pick up his supplies."

"So we could stay at the Excelsior?"

"I wouldn't recommend it. Even the barman and the hotel manager are on her payroll. I've set up camp about twelve miles out of town. I'll pick you up at the RAF compound with suitable gear."

"What was that all about?" Dillon asked when Ferguson switched off.

Ferguson explained, and Harry Salter said, "So we're going to look like the London Palladium cast of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves."

"You'll love it, Harry, you and the General back with the Scouts, sitting beside a fire of dried camel dung, sleeping under the stars."

"Yes, well, you can enjoy it if you want. I'll just endure it."

The Gulfstream landed, Lacey at the controls, and taxied up to the RAF compound and straight inside a hangar, where they found Villiers leaning against one of two Land Rovers, smoking a cigarette. He'd driven one himself and Achmed was at the wheel of the other.

"Good to see you." He shook hands all round.

"That's a great tan you've got, Colonel," Billy said. "Been on holiday, have you?"

"Cheeky young b.u.g.g.e.r," Villiers told him. "You'll find robes and head cloths in the back. Sort yourselves out and we'll get moving."

Which they did. Harry said, "Jesus, do I look as bad as you lot?"

"Worse," Dillon told him. "Believe me, Harry, worse."

"I'll take you and Harry, General," Villiers said. "You two go with Achmed and we'll get out of here."

The encampment was by a pool, an outcrop of rock sheltering it, and a few scattered palm trees. There were three bivouac tents beside a roaring fire, five Land Rovers in all.

They had a meal-canned soups, Heinz beans, and new potatoes all mixed into a kind of stew-but the bread was the local unleavened kind.

Billy wiped his plate with a piece. "That was good. I thought you'd be giving us goat."

"Not you, Billy." Villiers called to Achmed. "One of my bottles of whiskey and the tin cups. Scotch, I'm afraid," he said to Dillon.

"It'll do to take along."

It arrived, and Villiers unscrewed the cap and poured a generous measure into each cup, Billy declining as usual. Villiers handed the bottle back to Achmed.

"The night is cold, but if you take a whiskey sup for yourself, do it in my tent that the others may not see."

"Allah is merciful and so you are, Sahb. Sahb."

He slipped away and Villiers said, "So let's go over it again. Barry Keenan, bomber extraordinaire, and his friends Kelly and Casey, will be delivered to Al Mukalli to board the freight train leaving at four A.M. It proceeds north to the Empty Quarter at approximately eight A.M. I presume Keenan will have done everything he needs to do by then with the explosives."

"I would think so," Dillon said.

"So, we're at Tank Five, where you and Billy board and have the fifteen miles to the Bacu to do the business. After which, the train still works, the bridge is intact, and Kate Rashid's Scorpion is hovering around, hoping to pick up Keenan and company."

"With Rashid Bedu all the way back to Hazar and the airport," Dillon said.

"I know, so I'll come and get you with my Scouts. It should take about four hours. I can't promise, mind you. These roads can be h.e.l.l and it is desert country."

"Ah, well, something to look forward to, Billy." And Dillon smiled.

In London the following afternoon, Hannah called at Rosedene, since Henry Bellamy had told her he intended to be there. She waited in reception, talking to Martha, and finally Bellamy joined them.

"How is he?" Hannah asked.

"Poorly, running a fever, and not happy with himself. Look, I don't know the details of what happened and I don't want to, but it's left him depressed."

"Can I see him?"

"Of course, but don't overdo it."

Quinn lay against high pillows, a robe covering his bandages, his eyes closed, but he opened them when she pulled a chair up.

"Superintendent. Good of you to come."