Part 15 (1/2)

'But' Bond was about to repeat his constant worry that either one of the terrorist squads would lose control, or some idiot security force would try an assault There was a further possibility: that the governive in to the ultimatum, yet would lack time to fulfil Warlock's require or even trying to reason with Anton Murik

If arguood, Bond had to think of some other way Strapped into his seat, with Lavender in the sao on searching for further chinks in the arht play on Murik's vanity for a time, yet in the end that could not affect the outco concrete he had to be free andout Murik, Caber and the two heavies sitting with Lavender at the other console

Bond gazed blankly at the vast array of electronic units before hiically, he told himself What would he do if free and unhindered? The earphones had been plugged into a unit bright with pin-lights, VUs, a digital frequency display and half a dozen tuning dials He had no doubt that this was the most important piece of equipment in Murik's impressive array; in particular the microphone with its transmit button Press that button, speak, and you would be through to the squads holding the control rooms in the nuclear power plants This was all too obvious It hat Murik would do once he ay and safe with the diamonds, plucked from the sea But ould he say? Hoould Murik defuse the situation?

Vanity Use it Play on the vanity 'What happens to the terrorist squads?' Bond asked, casually Murik gave him a sly look 'What d'you mean, what happens to the, Anton' Bond again chanced the faanised terrorist strategy of the century But, when you've picked up the dianan'

Murik laughed 'Unfortunately you won't be around to see

Bond nodded, as though the point was acades: radio, on your shi+elded beaive up So what happens to theain 'Franco's department' He lowered his voice 'And Franco isn't with us any more Those people have dealt entirely with him They expect to die in action A nuclear death froather, if they're ordered to abort, they siation Trial A trip to the bridewell'

'They're willing to die for their various causes; so they're equally willing to serve a term in jail?'

'And, if any of theer at Franco, who isup at the dials in front of hi There will be hostages, deaths, demands'

Bond nodded slowly 'And you have to call up all six groups? Or does a blanket code cover it?'

For a second, Murik was caught off his guard 'Saroup enuet clear That was the arrangeet clear'

'You don't think any of theht their way out?'

Murik shook his head very slowly

It was enough for Bond He needed the defusing code word; and, having already heard each of the groups come in with their 'Number One War; Number Four War' and the rest, it required only coroups could be ical step in the right direction

He had a reasonable idea of what to doifhe et free But how to accomplish that part of the trick?

If only he could release his arlimpsed the butt of the Python revolver under the jacket If his arhtWork it out There had to be a way, and there was still ti it would have to be late in Murik's schee to the terrorist squads noould only alert their suspicions From what he knew of terrorist operations, Bond was clear about the psychological factors For the first hours, hijackers or hostage-takers were suspicious of anyone and everything Better to wait

As he began to wrestle with the most difficult problenised the pilot's voice: 'Captain to the Laird of Murcaldy, sir Could you send soave a quizzical tilt of the head and beckoned Caber 'Up to the flight deck with you See what it's all about'

Caber left with a nod Murik glanced at his watch 'Hope it's nothing too drastic Tione for around tenwith a puzzled look He bent low and e as his hand gently eased Caber away and he swivelled his chair towards the console opposite 'The captain says they're picking up an interht deck radar scope, just on the periphery, to the north They've tracked other aircraft - co up every now and then, as though they were holding station with us See what you can do'

The h which they were probably looking at radar screens 'What's your range?'

Bond asked Murik coolly, knowing that if aircraft were shadowing the Starlifter, M had probably succeeded, late in the day, in getting the right answers to soht deck? Around a hundred miles' There was no smile on Murik's face now 'In here a little more - nearer a hundred and fifty'

'There it is,' one of Caber's men exclaimed 'Two of them In and out of this screen very quickly'

nobody spoke Then, about five ain 'Could be shadow aircraft Just keeping out of range Co in for an occasional look'

'Well, it won't do theood,' snapped Murik 'They can't take action'

'Not until you've collected your diaiven the stand-down order' Give hiht Murik would coh

'And then?' asked the Laird with a lopsided shed 'Blow you out of the sky Force you down Anything Even shadow you to your lair'

Murik looked at hi, his white hair ruffling as he threw his head back 'You think I've not taken precautions against that possibility? After all the planning, you think I've leftthatto chance?'

'A man of your capabilities? I shouldn't think so' Bond's stomach churned The bastard No, of course a man like Anton Murik would not take risks Of course he had already eliamble from the Meltdown operation

'Let the 'Just keep an eye on them until the time comes' He spoke to the men at Lavender's console, then turned back to Bond 'You think I would undertake this without having soear on board? If they really are shadow aircraft, then we'll fuzz their pictures as soon as we turn in to pick up the loot'

'And if they are? They'll already knohere you're going - for the dia before they'll dare come near I'll hold off on the terrorist squads until, literally, the lastBond had not seen hi to do with us Routine Coincidence Could be'

'Could be But somehow I don't' Bond left the sentence unfinished

Far away to the north of the Starlifter, the two Arhter Wing turned in unison Below, the pilots could see another pair of Mirages co station clicked on his transh his headphones ca Five, this is Watchdog Six on routine patrol We take over now Instructions you return to base and refuel Over'

'Watchdog Five,' the pilot of the first Super Mirage replied 'Instructions understood All quiet Headings as before Good luck'

Watchdog Six acknowledged thecockpit to follow the first two Mirages as they peeled away Then he called up his wing- pattern high over the sea It was good exercise, he thought But thereIt wouldn't be a Russian they were following; and he had not believed his squadron commandant, who had told the they were ar from cannon to rockets

The pilot bent his head to look at his small radar screen The blip came up at the expected place The two aircraft turned away, to begin another long circuit If the blip vanished, they had orders to close until they nan Airport, SEPCAT Jaguars sat, off theto leap into the air for a kill In the airport's operations' rooht plan filed by Aldan Aerospace for their Starlifter So far it had not deviated The aircraft hadpattern while testing Aldan's specialised equip pattern would continue, at almost 30,000 feet, for the best part of twenty-one hours After that Aldan planned to descend al in to nan at just before one o'clock the following afternoon

In the building overlooking Regent's Park in London, M examined the latest reports radioed to hi its filed flight plan Yes, he thought, it probably will Right up until the last ot the ransom aboard Unless - M hoped - unless Ja about it

It was a long and tiring evening: prelude to an even longer night of intense fatigue Murik had drilled his staff to perfection, so that they followed a prescribed routine Quite early on he told Bond that he did not expect the ransom aircraft to arrive anywhere near its DZ until around nine or ten the following e it by then - or so the computers tell me That's why I set a rinned - a clever pupil showing off 'And it ive theered, and either Murik or Caber was always left with Bond, just as one of the other two men remained next to Lavender Caber, in fact, was there most of the time

As for Bond and Lavender, they were fed - mainly on coffee and sandwiches - where they sat, their wrists being freed only for eating, or when they were taken to the wash room by an armed man, who locked the the, they were carefully strapped into their chairs again, always under the wicked eye of at least one pistol On no occasion during the night would there have been any opportunity to reverse the situation, but Bond had far froun to act

On his last visit, Bond had quickly taken a large wad of tissue froated ball, around three inches in length, and a good three inches thick On being released, and led back to his seat, Bond placed both hands behind his back, ready for his wrists to be strapped At the sae of tissue from the palhtly together

It was an old trick, favoured by escapologists When the wrist strap went on, Bond started to ith his fingers, pulling the tissue down frothy business, but when the entire ball of tissue was removed and once more in his palm, the strap was looser around his wrists There was freedom of an inch or so for hiers and pick away at the fastening The entire job took over an hour, but at last Bond knew that if he placed his wrists tightly together, then elongated his fingers in an attitude of prayer, the strap would slide away leaving his hands and arms free

Near dawn, he decided Near dahen they were all tired, and at their lowest ebb It would be then, if the opportunity came, that he would act, whatever the consequences

At around five-thirty in the , just after Murik had been to the forward part of the aircraft for coffee, Caber asked if he could go to the canteen