Authors: Christopher Sherlock
By this stage ‘the people’ would be grateful for the right to stay alive and the ability to feed their children: labour for his mines would be cheap and plentiful. Mozambique had a vast pool of skilled mineworkers who were employed on the Witwatersrand gold mines surrounding Johannesburg. These men would be ‘persuaded’ to work for the new state. Bernard grinned. He might even introduce something resembling the punishing ‘chiblo’ system that the Portuguese had employed so successfully in Mozambique . . .
The next stage in the project now was the meeting he had arranged with the Russians in Beira. It was critical for the achievement of his plans. The money would be exchanged, and the final agreement with General Vorotnikov would be signed. Immediately after this, a pre-emptive strike would be launched against Salisbury that would horrify the western world and blow to smithereens any chance of a British-orchestrated settlement.
A hit-list had been drawn up of important people in Salisbury who had to be eliminated. Bernard knew that when most of the ruling elite had been wiped out, the affairs of the country would be in disarray. South Africa wouldn’t dare to intervene, for fear of western condemnation. The British wouldn’t want to get too heavily involved either - and the Americans would probably stay well clear of the whole thing. So then martial law could be declared, and a military government installed on Soviet lines. The rights of the white citizens would be protected, but all their assets would be frozen and no one would be allowed to leave the country for a considerable amount of time. There would be no free press, and the military government would be able to do exactly what it wanted to.
Just the thought of this caused Bernard to smile. Power beyond his wildest dreams.
Mozambique
‘
You set me a very, very difficult task, Captain Gallagher . . Rayne went cold. He was sure he’d been absolutely right to choose Lois. There was an elemental hardness about him, no matter what his sexual preferences might be. He didn’t want the big man to let him down now.
‘
I had to go back to Johannesburg, and then up to Zaire. I’ve got everything you wanted, but now I need to know what happens next.’
‘
Lois, you’re going to be our back-up. In this operation success is going to be bloody difficult to achieve. If you tell anyone else what I’m going to let you know now, the whole operation will be blown. You’re a key element.’
He could see that Lois was excited, and that was what he wanted. He sensed that the man had never really been extended to the limit of his capabilities, that Lois relished the thought of being able to prove himself.
‘
As you know, the people who are backing me are providing full air support. The trouble is, though I’ve no doubt they’ll get us in all right, I wonder if they’ll get us out so easily. And I like to be in charge of my own escape route. So that’s where you come in. I want you to fly in after us with the extra equipment I told you about, and then make contact with me secretly. There should be a few places outside Beira where you can land the helicopter and then keep it hidden.’
A frown appeared on Lois’s face. ‘How will I know if things go wrong, Captain Gallagher?’
‘
We’ll make a secret rendezvous. If I haven’t arrived there by a certain time after the attack has been launched, you must leave.’
‘
And what if you’re killed?’
‘
I’ve got Colonel Michael Strong as second-in-command. He’ll know all about this arrangement once we’re in Mozambique. If something happens to me, he’ll meet you at the rendezvous- point.’
‘
And how are you going to keep my separate departure a secret?’
‘
That’s the hard part for you, Lois. I’m going to give everyone the option to drop out one last time, and you’ll have to act the whole thing, say you’ve decided to throw in the towel. Then you’ll leave the camp and I’ll stay secretly in touch with you until it’s time for take-off.’
The noise of the rain outside emphasized the silence between them now. Lois looked at him directly. ‘That’s fine with me. I just hope you know what the hell you’re doing.’
‘
Believe me, I’ve got this whole thing under tight control.’
But as Lois disappeared into the pouring rain, Rayne wondered if the words he had just spoken weren’t more to reassure himself than Lois. If John Fry ever found out about this back-up plan, he’d be for the high jump. Too bad - he wasn’t about to end his life in a muddy ditch with a couple of rounds of ammunition in the back of his skull.
In the next few hours Rayne interviewed every man on the team. Some inspired him with absolute confidence, others he was less impressed by, but all of them were right. At least, that was what he felt until Larry Preston sauntered through the door.
‘
Hi. How are things going?’
The tone was surly and the form of address incorrect. Rayne would not tolerate insubordination of any kind, and he stared coldly at the Englishman until Preston began to shift uneasily on his feet. Eventually it was clear that he could stand the silence no longer.
‘
So what do you want me for, sir?’ There was a veiled sarcasm in Preston’s voice and Rayne wondered at the change in him. ‘This is your last chance to get out, Preston.’
‘
And what if I should want to leave tomorrow?’
‘
You’re a mercenary. You follow the rules I make. Go today if you don’t like it; go tomorrow, and the only place you’ll rest is six foot under.’
‘
I don’t take to being threatened, sir.’
‘
Then pack your bags and get out.’
Rayne didn’t want to lose this man but he wouldn’t put up with his attitude. Preston was a first-rate soldier, and more than that, no other man on the team could match his knowledge of explosives. Rayne also knew from Michael Strong that Preston desperately needed money - and he was paying far more than the going rate.
‘
I’m sorry, sir. I’m in on this one. You won’t find me lacking, I can guarantee that.’
Preston would have to be on his team, Rayne thought. If he got out of hand, Rayne would sort him out on the spot.
‘
OK, Preston. But don’t forget who’s in charge. And I mean that.’
He saw the last of the men by five-thirty, by which time he was thoroughly exhausted. Now he had to go through with the charade of Lois’s wanting to leave. It had to be convincing; he didn’t know who might be keeping tabs on him for John Fry.
Half an hour later Michael Strong came through the door, his clothes absolutely sodden, but his smile warm. ‘So, how did it go?’
Well, thought Rayne, it was now or never. ‘Fine. In fact very well, Michael.’
‘
You sound as if everything isn’t entirely right?’
‘
There’s a slight problem. We’re going to be one shorter than expected.’
‘
You decided to jettison someone?’
‘
No, it’s Lois. He’s decided not to come.’
Michael looked anxious. They were operating thinly enough as it was. Rayne looked squarely at him. ‘I’d rather he was with us, but it’s not the end of the world. They’re all bloody good men. What matters is that from here on, it’s all systems go.’
Rayne swung off the road, taking a hard dirt track that seemed to stretch on through the darkness into infinity. They crossed a range of hills and went over some small concrete bridges. Rayne talked to Lois as he drove along.
‘
This farm is the only habitation along here. It’s fifteen kilometres from the main road, so I don’t think you’ll be bothered by anyone, but if someone does pitch up, just use the story we’ve planned and clear them out as quickly as you can. This farm will have to be one of your escape routes. Not the main one, obviously, but if we have to get someone injured out of Mozambique, this will be the first stop-off point.’
Rayne changed the vehicle into third gear as they went up a particularly steep incline.
‘
Make sure when you take off that you leave no evidence lying around. Pack everything away very neatly and destroy anything you don’t need. Leave the place exactly as you find it.’
‘
Do you think we’ll be followed?’
‘
No. But if the mission succeeds, a lot of questions may be asked, and no one must know anything about us. We’ll disappear into thin air after this.’
They came up to a single wire gate and Lois jumped out to undo it. Rayne watched him unwinding the piece of wire that held the gate shut. Around them was blackness, the earth smelling fresh after the earlier heavy rainfall. If Lois failed him, it could all be over for them. But he had great confidence in the man, and he had learned to count on his gut feelings. Five minutes later, and they hit the paved road that led up to the farmhouse.
The building, designed in the Mediterranean style with a tiled porch with plants growing all round it, was enormous. Rayne drove past the front entrance and continued along the side of the building, passing the bedrooms, until he reached the back. He stopped in front of a junction-box and climbed out of the cab. Moments later the whole place was bathed in light from a series of spotlights mounted high in the trees surrounding the house.
They entered through the kitchen and took a quick look round, then they walked away from the main house and over to a couple of large buildings at the side. Rayne unlocked one of the big sliding doors to reveal a small aircraft-hangar.
‘
The farmer who owns this place is a multi-millionaire. He’s away on business for six months and I’ve rented it for the entire period. There’s just about everything you could want installed in the workshop next door - drilling machine, a couple of lathes, a metal saw. I don’t know whether you can get the chopper into this hangar, but there’s plenty of room outside as you’ll see in the morning.’
Rayne extinguished most of the lights and they walked back to the vehicle. He glanced down at his watch and saw that it was after nine-thirty. Any more time spent showing Lois round would be a waste. Now he must take him quickly to Richard’s Bay and then get back to the main camp. He didn’t want anyone getting suspicious.
The big diesel truck exploded into life with a deafening roar. The vehicle moved effortlessly out of Richard’s Bay and onto the main road, and Lois kept his foot flat on the pedal, holding the speed at around one hundred and twenty kilometres per hour. He hadn’t got time to spare. Rayne had set him a tough task.
Having dropped the truck off at the farm, he would drive back on one of the motorcycle scramblers that were packed in the back. He’d head down to the airfield at first light, then fly the chopper back to the farm. That would mean he could start work on it in earnest by midday. He didn’t need anyone to tell him that he wouldn’t be getting much sleep in the next week.
Rayne made it back to the camp at eleven-thirty that evening - an acceptable time for someone to return who had driven to Richard’s Bay and back. No one would have any reason to be suspicious. Colonel Strong came out to greet Rayne as he arrived, and they walked inside together.
‘
Damned bloody shame about that. But it’s for the best, no doubt. Do you think we should try and replace him?’
‘
No, I’m happy with everyone else and we’ve got enough men for the job. The final briefing is tomorrow. I want everyone up at six so that I can put them through their paces.’
‘
Will this be your physical evaluation?’
‘
Yes. On that basis, I’ll decide exactly who’s doing what.’
‘
I’m glad we’re getting going, I was beginning to get restless. I just hope
I
don’t fail the physical!’
Rayne laughed. Michael was probably fitter than he was. ‘Let’s get some sleep now, or I’m not going to be in any condition to run anyone off their feet, let alone you, Michael.’
Rayne pushed himself hard up the slope, reflecting on what he’d put them through already: a hard jungle course that ended in a mock fire-fight; several mock manoeuvres involving the use of explosives and camouflage gear; then some regular shooting and unarmed combat training. He now knew that every man he had with him was of the highest military calibre. The only thing left was to see if they were physically fit.