Jack Higgins - The Judas gate

'We'll wait for someone to bring those things you wanted,' Dillon said. 'Have a cigarette, it will calm your nerves.'

Hakim did as he was told and offered one to Daniel, who said, 'Never again. I don't trust myself not to kill you now.'

The policemen playing cards retreated inside and made ready for bed, leaving just the two on guard. An orderly came running along the jetty, saluted Hakim, handed over the robe and toilet bag, and retreated.

'Time to go below,' Dillon said. 'You lead the way.'

Hakim did as he was told. In the saloon, Dillon took the toilet bag from him and emptied it while Miller checked the robe.

'Did you really think I might have a spare in there?' Hakim asked.

'Plenty of people do,' Dillon said. 'Now go and get your head down for a while and behave yourself.'

Hakim went and settled himself in a bunk in one of the stern cabins, and Dillon and his friends had a drink and discussed the plans. 'I'd like to see us move out at a different time than Hakim arranged,' he said.

'That was four o'clock in the morning,' Miller pointed out. 'Any earlier, it would be dark.'

'Would you think there was any kind of chance of slipping away without those six policemen?' Dillon asked.

Holley said, 'We could dispose of the sentries easily enough. There's that long pole on deck for punting the boat when in difficulty in the reeds, so you could float the boat some distance away before turning the engine.'

'And that would be enough to wake the dead.' Holley shook his head. 'That's no good at all. When we did the low approach in the plane, there were a few other boats further upstream from here. I think I'd better go for a walk and take Hakim with me. You two stay and keep the sentries happy.' Ali Hakim, instructed to come for a stroll and smoke a cigarette, did as he was told, and Holley found what he was looking for a hundred and fifty yards along a path beside the river. A shack with the door padlocked and a small jetty just above the water. There were two plastic orange inflatables with both outboard motors and oars. Each inflatable was capable of carrying five or six people. Holley had brought a lantern from the launch and examined them closely.

'Who owns these?'

'The coastguard service, but they hardly ever come. Local people frequently use them illegally, that's why you can smell the petrol. I've travelled in them myself.'

Holley gave him the lantern. 'Check them out.'

Hakim did. 'As I thought, somebody's been using them: both tanks are quite full. It's a push-button engine. Shall I show you?'

'I'll take your word for it. Let's go back.'

They sat at the table in the saloon and discussed it. Holley said, 'That would be the way to do it as far as I can see. It would be suicide to keep to Hakim's time. Omar Hamza would blow us out of the water. With these boats, you can cut the engine and approach with oars.'

'Just the two sentries to dispose of,' Miller said.

'No problem in that,' Holley said. 'And I've been thinking about the earlier start. The sky's clear and there's a lot of light from that half-moon. I say we go.'

'That's it then,' Dillon said. 'Back to your bunk, Hakim. I suggest we all get some shut-eye. Three o'clock it is.' Earlier on Diva, Justin, Hamza and Fatima had been drinking coffee when Hamza received a call. 'This is Sergeant Nadim. How is everything?'

'We are ready and waiting, but I haven't heard from Hakim and his phone isn't answering.'

'I suppose he could be sleeping.'

'It's certainly an early start.'

'Perhaps earlier than you think. He changed plans a couple of hours ago. Told me he was going to take command of our lead boat, Evening Star, and relegated me to Fortuna.

'Why did he do that?' Hamza asked.

'I've no idea. He's acting it up with our friends. I think he's enjoying himself, but that's playing with fire. He even said he might want to go in even earlier.'

'Than four o'clock? He must be mad. It will be dark, for one thing.'

'Yes, but getting lighter. I thought I'd better speak to you, as I know your strange friend is anxious to deal with them.'

'To a certain extent, that's true.'

'Wouldn't it be ironic if he got knocked off himself? This Dillon man is a maniac.'

'Well, that should make it interesting,' Hamza said. 'If Shamrock gets his way, there won't be much left for you and me. I'll see you in the morning.'

'What was that all about?' Fatima asked.

Hamza told them, and Justin yawned and said, 'I suppose I'd better get a couple of hours' sleep. What about you, Omar?'

'Gave up sleeping years ago in the Legion. They taught you how to do that. I only doze.'

'Was the Legion everything they say?'

'And more. Muslims, Jews and Christians and every colour under the sun and every race. Everyone was equal. Nothing like it anywhere else in the world. You'd have to go back two thousand years to the Roman legions to find anything similar.'

'I guess I missed out on that one.'

'What about you?'

'Grenadiers and SAS.'

'A formidable combination. You should do well in the morning. I'll see you then.' He went in his room and closed the door.

There was a kind of silence except for the marsh sounds, and it hung heavy between Fatima and Justin. She said calmly, 'Would you like to make love to me?'

He gave her one of his dazzling smiles. 'I'm not really in the market for that.'

'Are you of the other persuasion sexually?'

'Good heavens, no.'

'I see, so I am not attractive to you?'

'You are immensely attractive, Fatima. It's just that I wouldn't be good enough for you.'

'Do you mean in bed?'

'That's only about one per cent of any relationship. I'm not good enough for you or any woman: I'm a bad man. I spoil things and that includes relationships. I have a very, very wonderful mother and I spoil it for her, too.'

'I think that's the saddest thing I ever heard,' Fatima told him.

'I'm inclined to agree with you.'

She walked out and he sat there for a while, then pulled his rucksack over, produced his AK47, took it apart then put it together again effortlessly. Dillon came out of a catnap and found Holley standing by the other bunk, his face – beneath the crumpled jungle hat – already darkened. 'Come on, Sean, ready to go.'

He moved out, Dillon pulled on his hat, grabbed his weapons bag and AK47 and followed him into the saloon, where he found Miller already geared up. Hakim was sitting, waiting, and Holley was slinging his weapons bag across his body to the left. He picked up his AK47 in his right hand.

Dillon took some camouflage cream from a tin on the table and rubbed it on his face. 'What about the sentries?'

'I've taken care of that,' Holley told him. 'Shot them both.'

Hakim looked sick as Dillon said, 'That's all right then. Let's get out of here.'

They left the launch very quietly, everything still in the darkened shack, and moved along the path of the marsh in line, Dillon leading the way, Hakim next, then Miller, with Holley at the rear. When they reached the boats, they examined them quickly.

'I think we should take both,' Dillon said. 'Holley and Hakim in one because of that "special relationship", and Miller and me in the other. It means we've got backup.'

'I'll buy that,' Holley said. 'We'll row for a couple of hundred yards before starting the engines and, with luck, they can coast along on a very low rumble.'

'And remember the mobile phone,' Miller said. 'It'll be useful in this kind of terrain if you stray.' He said to Hakim, 'Get the oars out then, you bastard, and show us what you can do.'

The Colonel did as he was told. They led the way and Dillon and Miller followed, the Irishman at the oars. The reeds were alive with life in the pale moonlight as they floated past, wings beating and muted cries as they disturbed the birds.