Алистер Маклин - Time of the Assassins

‘I’d love a coffee,’ Sabrina said, sinking into the armchair beside the window.

‘Make that two,’ Graham added.

‘Russell?’

‘Beer please, Dave,’ Laidlaw replied.

Jenkins left the room.

‘You want me to leave as well?’ Laidlaw asked.

‘Not until you’ve told me what the hell happened to make you trigger shy.’ Graham sat on the edge of the bed and looked up at Laidlaw. ‘Well?’

Laidlaw’s eyes flickered towards Sabrina. She knew. She’d read his dossier. He pulled up the wooden chair from beside the bed and sat down. ‘Last year we went into Honduras to help the government troops suppress an attempted coup d’état by Communist-backed rebels. We’d been there about a week when we got news that the rebel leader and his council would be holding a meeting at a farmhouse on the outskirts of Choluteca – it’s a town in the south of the country: rebel territory. We were asked to infiltrate the area and retrieve as many documents as we could from the farmhouse. But no prisoners. Why, I don’t know. But those were our orders. Six of us went in. There wasn’t a single guard on duty when we got there. That should have alerted us. But, as I said, we had our orders. We launched our offensive just as the meeting was supposed to have started. Three of us went in the front, the other three through the back. We’d been told which room would be used for the meeting so we didn’t have to search the whole building. We threw stun grenades into the room then went in firing.’ He shifted uncomfortably on the chair and wiped a bead of sweat that ran down the side of his face. ‘There were no rebels there. Just four missionaries and thirty-five kids. None of the kids were over ten. Orphans of the war. It only took us a few seconds to realize the mistake but by then twenty-eight kids and three of the missionaries were either dead or dying. Two of the kids and the fourth missionary died later in hospital. Five kids survived. Five out of thirty-five. The rebels blamed the massacre on the government troops and the government blamed it on the rebels. It became just another story from Central America. Nobody took much notice.’

He rubbed his hands over his face. ‘The six of us were immediately flown back to the States to undergo psychiatric treatment. I was the worst affected. I couldn’t touch a gun. Christ, I even broke out into a sweat if I saw one on TV. The other guys responded to treatment. I didn’t. After six months the psychiatrists gave up on me. So I was retired. It was another six months before I was able to pick up a gun again. But I still couldn’t touch the trigger. I wanted to shoot that bastard tonight, Mike. My brain told me to pull the trigger but my finger wouldn’t respond. I know I should have told you earlier but I reasoned that if I did you wouldn’t want me along; and you needed a guide. You wouldn’t have lasted five minutes if you’d gone after Bernard by yourself. They protect their own around here.’

‘Yeah, I know.’ Graham stood up and patted Laidlaw on the shoulder. ‘I’m sorry, buddy. I only wish you’d told me this earlier. Like when we first met. It would have saved a lot of unnecessary antagonism.’

‘I realize that now,’ Laidlaw replied with a shrug. ‘But like I said, I didn’t think you’d want me along.’

‘I wouldn’t have let you off that easily,’ Graham said with a half-smile.

The door opened and Jenkins entered carrying a tray. He placed it on the bedside table.

Laidlaw took a beer, drank a mouthful, then looked at Graham. ‘You guys want us to leave?’

Sabrina nodded. ‘Please. Mike and I need to talk.’

‘Sure,’ Laidlaw said then followed Jenkins to the door.

Graham closed the door behind them then turned back to Sabrina. ‘You’re here to take me back, aren’t you?’

‘Yes.’

‘Then you’re wasting your time. I came out here to find Bernard and that’s what I intend to do.’

She sat down then outlined the case to him, careful not to leave anything out.

‘So what you’re saying is that Bernard’s the only person who knows when the hit on Mobuto’s going to take place?’ Graham concluded once she had finished speaking.

She nodded. ‘And if you put a bullet into him before he can pass the information on to Bailey then Mobuto’s as good as dead. It would almost certainly mean the return of a dictatorship to Zimbala; and the reinstatement of the Security Police. Could you live with that on your conscience for the rest of your life?’

Graham rubbed his hands over his face then stared thoughtfully at the carpet for some time before finally looking up at Sabrina again. ‘I’ll make a deal with you.’

‘A deal?’ she replied with a frown.

‘You help me find Bernard–’

‘Forget it!’ she cut in sharply.

‘Hear me out, Sabrina. If you help me find Bernard I’ll wait until he’s tipped off Bailey before I kill him. If you refuse then I’ll go after him regardless of what happens to Mobuto. Could you live with that on your conscience for the rest of your life?’

‘I don’t believe what I’m hearing,’ she replied. ‘What the hell’s the matter with you, Mike? This isn’t some game show where you barter with another contestant for the big prize. We’re talking about a man’s life here. We’re talking about the future of a country.’

‘If Bernard gets away after tipping off Bailey he’s certain to be given a new identity by the CIA. He could go anywhere he wanted and I’d never find him again. Never.’

‘Let it go, Mike. This vendetta’s going to destroy you. You didn’t kill Barak; I can vouch for that when we get back to the States. You’ll catch hell for coming out here but that will be the end of it. But if you kill Bernard you’ll be thrown out of UNACO. You could even be indicted for murder. Is that what you want?’

‘I want Bernard, that’s what I want. And if they throw me out…’ he trailed off with a shrug. ‘Those are my terms, Sabrina. Take them or leave them.’

‘You do what you want, Mike,’ she snapped then got to her feet and strode to the door. ‘I’ve tried to reason with you. I should have known better. I’m going to call Sergei and tell him what’s happened.’

Graham grabbed her arm as she opened the door. ‘Help me, Sabrina. Please. I don’t want anything to happen to Mobuto. But I have to go after Bernard, don’t you see that? I owe it to Carrie and Mikey. I owe it to them.’

She pulled her arm free and walked to the booth, lifting the receiver off the wall. She could hear Jenkins and Laidlaw talking in the bar room below her. At least they were occupied. She dialled the unlisted number, identified herself to Sarah at UNACO headquarters, and gave her the number of the phone to call back. She replaced the receiver and tapped her fingers on the dog-eared directory as she waited for it to ring. Graham appeared at the door. She glanced at him but before he could speak the phone rang.

She picked up the receiver and had to identify herself again before she was patched through to Kolchinsky.

‘Sabrina?’

‘Speaking,’ she replied.

‘You just caught me. I was on my way home. Any news of Michael?’

She looked across at Graham, her mind still in turmoil over his ultimatum. She knew if she helped him she would be reprimanded, perhaps even suspended. But if she refused, Mobuto’s life would certainly be at risk. She had to make a choice. Then she thought of the picture Graham always carried in his wallet of Carrie and Mikey. What price justice if Bernard were allowed to go free?

‘Sabrina, are you still there?’ Kolchinsky barked, interrupting her thoughts.

‘Sorry, Sergei, it’s a bad line,’ she lied.

‘It’s very clear this end. I asked if there was any news of Michael?’