Part 9 (1/2)
Billy found it, a bundle of ten-pound notes with an elastic band around them. He pa.s.sed it to Salter, who slipped it in a pocket.
”Now, that wasn't too hard, was it? Of course, you've seriously upset me, and that won't do.” He picked up a baseball bat. ”Right arm, Billy.”
The man tried to struggle, but Baxter and Hall held him fast and Billy pulled the arm straight. The baseball bat rose and fell. There was a crack, and the man cried out and slumped to his knees.
Salter crouched. ”There's a hospital a mile up the road. You need the Casualty department, my old son, but you should be able to make it. Just don't come back here again. If you do, I'll kill you.” He stood up. ”I think I could do with another brandy.”
He walked away. The rest followed, but Dillon paused to call Ferguson on his mobile. The General was still in the Daimler.
”What a surprise-they were hired by Rupert Dauncey.”
”Well, at least we know where we are now. What happened to the Chinese gentleman? Not in the river, I trust?”
”One of the walking wounded. I'll see you tomorrow.” Dillon clicked off his phone and went inside.
It was quiet outside, the only sound that of the injured man hauling himself off his knees. Rupert Dauncey slipped out of the shadows. ”Are you all right, old man?”
”He's broken my arm.”
”I'd say you're lucky he didn't break your neck.” He took out a cigarette and lit it with his AK lighter. ”In fact, you're lucky I don't break your neck, you idiot.” He blew a stream of smoke at him. ”Let me just leave you with this thought. Step out of line, open your mouth just once-and I'll kill you myself. You understand?”
”Yes,” the man moaned.
”Excellent.”
Rupert Dauncey walked away, and after a while the other man began to stumble up the street.
HAZAR.
7.
NORTHOLT, ON THE OUTER EDGE OF LONDON, WAS AN RAF base much used by the Royal Family, the Prime Minister, and major politicians. Because of this, it had become increasingly popular with users of executive aircraft and proved a lucrative sideline for the Royal Air Force.
It was ten o'clock the following morning when Kate Ras.h.i.+d and Rupert Dauncey pa.s.sed through security and drove round to the ap.r.o.n where the Gulfstream was standing. The engines were already turning over as they arrived, and a few minutes later they had started their climb to fifty thousand feet.
When they leveled out, a young woman in a navy blue uniform, slacks, and tunic approached them. ”Tea as usual, Countess?”
”Thank you, Molly.”
”Coffee for Mr. Dauncey? We have an American in the family now!” Molly went to the kitchen. Kate said, ”Give me a cigarette and go over it again, Rupert.”
He did as ordered and described the events of the night before. He shook his head. ”I can't understand it. The Red Dragons came highly recommended.”
”Those incompetents in Was.h.i.+ngton came highly recommended, too.”
”Yes, I'm obviously going to have to get better sources. Now, what's the agenda for today?”
”We land at Hamam airport, then we'll take a helicopter to Shabwa Oasis in the Empty Quarter, then further into the Empty Quarter, to the oasis at Fuad. I have a camp there. I'd like you to see it.”
”What goes on there?”
”You'll see.”
”Mystery on mystery, hmm? Do we go to Hazar Town?”
”Oh, yes, I'd like to see Tony Villiers.”
”Are you going to have him b.u.mped off?”
”I'd rather not. I like Tony. He's a superb commanding officer, and since the Sultan forbids him to go into the Empty Quarter, he's really not much threat.” She shrugged. ”We'll see. I've taken certain steps which should give him pause for thought.”
”Such as?”
”Oh, let that be another little mystery for now, Rupert. Pa.s.s me the Times. Times.” She opened it to the financial pages.
Villiers had left most of the Scouts in Cornet Bobby Hawk's hands and was proceeding down the desert road to Hazar Town. This was hill country, filled with rocky defiles and great cliffs the color of ocher. There was no traffic, not a sign of another human being, not even a goatherd.
He had two Land Rovers with eight men, including himself, a light machine gun mounted in each vehicle. It was incredibly hot and dusty, and Villiers was looking forward with pleasure to his room at the Excelsior Hotel, a bath, and a fresh uniform.
They stopped by a pool at a spot called Hama at the foot of some cliffs. The water was deep and cool, and one of the men stood on watch with a machine gun, while the others took off their bandoliers and sandals, walked into the pool in their robes, and splashed each other like children. Villiers lit a cigarette and watched, amused, but the smile quickly vanished as a spattering of stones came down the cliff in a shower. He glanced up, and his men started to plunge through the water to their weapons. A shot rang out and the leading man went down, a bullet in his head.
The machine gunner raked the cliffs up above for a full minute, as the men reached their rifles and fired up, too, but there was no reply. Villiers brought it to a stop. There was silence now.
Selim crawled to him beside one of the Land Rovers, and Villiers waited for a while, then stood up.
”No, Sahb, Sahb,” the Sergeant said.
The silence was eerie. ”It's all right. Whoever it was has gone already. I don't know why, but it was. .h.i.t-and-run.”
”Maybe Adoo Adoo bandits from the Yemen, bandits from the Yemen, Sahb. Sahb. Or maybe Omar there offended someone?” They gazed at the floating body. Or maybe Omar there offended someone?” They gazed at the floating body.
”No, it could have been any one of you.” He turned to his men. ”Go on, get him out of the water.”
Three of them waded in and pulled the body out. They had a couple of body bags in one of the Land Rovers amongst the general supplies and got Omar into one.
”Put him on the hood of number two Land Rover,” Villiers ordered. ”And tie him on tight. The next few miles are rough.”
Someone produced a coil of rope and they placed the body as instructed, running the rope across and beneath the vehicle. The other Scouts watched in silence, subdued.
”Right, we'll move out now,” Villiers said.
Selim sat beside him, looking troubled. ”Sahb, one thing puzzles me. If the man who did this thing simply wanted to kill only one of us, why not the one thing puzzles me. If the man who did this thing simply wanted to kill only one of us, why not the Sahb, Sahb, why not the most important of us?” why not the most important of us?”
”Because they didn't want me dead,” Villiers told him. ”They just wanted to send a signal, Selim.”
Selim looked even more troubled. ”Can this be so, Sahb Sahb? Who would want this?”