Eric Ambler - Cause for Alarm

We walked on down the line of trucks. Towards the end of it there were four cattle vans. Opposite the first of these he stopped.

“Up on the roof for us,” he said.

He reached up, grasped the bottom staple and clambered up. I followed. A moment or two later we were lying spread-eagled on the roof. I glanced back and saw that torches were flashing at the end of the line. My heart gave a leap.

“They’re searching the trucks,” I whispered.

“I know. Keep absolutely flat and lie still.”

I obeyed. My nose was jammed against a conical ventilator. There was no doubt about it being a cattle truck; but I scarcely noticed the smell. I was listening to the voices coming nearer and nearer. I could feel my heart beating against the curved hard surface of the roof. There seemed, I thought, to be about eight of them. I could distinguish the foreman’s voice and that of another man obviously in authority. Both seemed anxious to propitiate that man. He was, I guessed, a policeman.

“Certainly we shall recapture them,” I heard the foreman say; “certainly. Without a doubt. They could not have got away in this time. If they have doubled back, your own men will catch them. There is no way out. When it is a little lighter…”

The policeman emitted an exclamation of impatience.

“We cannot wait for the light.” He paused. “If I see them I shall shoot immediately. I do not believe that these men are tramps. That they have no identity cards is very suspicious.” Another pause. “See that your men search thoroughly. Not a centimetre of this train must be left unsearched. Do you hear?”

There was silence again. My heart pounded. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Zaleshoff’s hand moving slowly to his side. It stayed there for a moment, then it moved slowly upwards again. By the growing light I saw that he had a revolver in his hand.

Instinctively I stretched out my hand and clutched his sleeve. He shook me off and wormed his way slowly towards the edge of the roof.

They were only two trucks away now and on both sides of the line. I could hear them panting over their exertions as they climbed up the sides of the trucks and stripped back the tarpaulins. Then something struck the side of the truck on which we were lying. A moment later the sliding doors below us were rolled back. There was a pause. They were evidently flashing a torch round the interior. One of the men muttered “ niente.” Then a boot grated on the bottom staple and a man began to climb up to the roof.

I listened to the man’s feet as he clambered up. One, two, three, four… another step and the top of his head would be visible. We were caught. I waited for his shout. I wondered desperately whether it would not be better to stand up there and then and surrender. The policeman might not shoot. As I swallowed down the saliva that kept filling my mouth I saw that Zaleshoff had moved so that he was near the edge of the roof at the point where the man would appear. The next moment the top of the man’s head came into view. He took another step and the white shape of his face appeared. At that moment Zaleshoff’s left arm shot out and he grasped the man’s collar. I saw his right hand jab the revolver against the side of the man’s head.

It was done in a fraction of a second. With his hands grasping the staples on the side of the van he could not attempt to defend himself. I heard him give a stifled sob of terror. Then, too softly for me to hear, Zaleshoff whispered something to him. The next moment the man was climbing slowly on to the roof. I could see his face more clearly now. His mouth was half open and his eyes were moving quickly from side to side seeking some way of escape. He bent forward to steady himself by putting his hands on the roof. Zaleshoff lifted his right arm. I saw him twirl the revolver round by the trigger guard and grasp the barrel. Then he brought the butt down with all his strength on the back of the man’s head.

The man gasped once and slumped forward half on the roof and half off it.

“Pull him up,” whispered Zaleshoff.

I grasped the man’s outstretched arms and pulled. I saw Zaleshoff trying to draw the feet sideways on to the roof. It was difficult to exert any force while we were lying on our faces, but somehow we managed it. There was a movement from below and the policeman called up to know if there was anything to be seen on the roofs of the other cattle trucks.

Zaleshoff squirmed across the roof to the far side.

“ Niente,” he called back. He slurred the word so that it was little more than a grunt.

There was a curse from below. I heard the doors of the next truck being rolled back. The unconscious man’s head had begun to bleed profusely, and the blood was trickling slowly down the curved roof and soaking into the shoulder of my overcoat. I tried to move, but Zaleshoff stopped me with a warning gesture. I heard the search go on to the third and then the fourth van. Then I saw Zaleshoff beckon. I edged across to him. He brought his lips close to my ear.

“We’ll go down one at a time now,” he whispered. “You go first. When you get to the ground turn right, away from them, and walk, walk, mind you, slowly and quietly along by the trucks. Keep close in to them. They’ll miss this poor sucker any minute now, and we’ve got to get clear. I’ll catch you up.”

With infinite care and feeling as conspicuous as an aeroplane caught in searchlights, I swung my legs over the edge of the roof, rolled over on my face and felt with my toes for the staples. A moment or two later I reached the ground. I gave one glance at the torches still flashing about twenty-five yards away. I wanted badly to run; but I controlled myself carefully. Zaleshoff had said walk. I turned and walked. I heard a slight sound behind me and Zaleshoff had caught me up. We reached the cover of the engine shed in safety.

It was possible by this time to distinguish something of our surroundings. Far away to the right of us was the weighbridge office. Facing the engine shed about a hundred yards away was a long low building that looked like a warehouse. I remembered what I had overheard.

“I heard the foreman say that that way was guarded,” I said quickly, for he was peering in that direction.

“So did I. We’re not going that way. We’ve got to get across those lines on to the station side, and I guess there’s only one way to do it. Come on. We’ll see what we can find in here.”

I felt suddenly irritable. My nerves were raw. He was treating me, I thought, like a child. And I was feeling sorry for the man he had clubbed.

“What do you expect to find? Are you planning to pinch an engine and ride out on that?”

“Don’t be damned silly. Come on.”

We walked to the end of the cinder path and turned into the engine shed. It was a large building constructed on a slight curve so that the lines on which the engines ran under cover converged on the turntable. The glass roof was practically obscured by soot deposits and it was very dark inside. There were five or six engines in it.

Zaleshoff led the way round behind them. Then I heard him give a grunt of satisfaction. We stopped. I could see him fumbling with something in the darkness near the wall. Suddenly he straightened his back and thrust something greasy and soft into my hands.

“What is it?”

“What I was looking for. A driver’s coat. Get your overcoat off and put it on. There’s a cap here, too.”

I put the coat on. As my eyes got used to the darkness I could see that he was doing the same. On his head was a beret. He handed me a cap with a shiny peak. The coat smelt strongly of coal, grease and sweat.

“Have you kept your scarf?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Give me your overcoat and hat.”