John Gardner - Win, Lose Or Die

“What didn’t you show me?” He swallowed the orange juice in one draught, then tucked in to the bacon and eggs. As fastidious as he was about breakfast, this was heaven. He had not realised how hungry he was, nor how thirsty. Unnaturally thirsty.

“You recall the turning space for the car, near the lily pond, just inside the main gates?”

He nodded.

“Well, the wall to the right, before you came to the second gate and the steps .

“What of it?”

“Describe it to me.

Bond frowned, munching on a piece of toast. “It was a wall.”

He thought again. “A wall covered with ivy.”

“You got it. A wall covered in ivy. But it was a wall that was not a wall. There was also a gate in the wall. The ivy was always clipped regularly, so that the gate could be opened and closed.

The same on the other side, but when you were through the gate you were in a little metal room, like a tall box. It was used as a watchers’ point, or for quick escape and concealment. One of our other watchers spotted people getting in through the main gates in the early hours of Christmas Day. The locks and devices seemed to make no difference to them. They were very skilful people. But you know they are skilful.”

“And they …?”

She nodded. “They tampered with the car. Put a bomb underneath.”’ “Yes?”

“Franco was alerted. He told me on Christmas morning. Also, you should know that they had already put in a bugging device.

I blush, James. They heard everything.”

“you? You blush?” He leaned across the table and kissed her.

“Listen, James, there is not much time. Our other watchers saw that the intruders, the people from BAST, were lazy. They knew we would not come out, or go near the car until either late on Christmas Day, or even the next day. They left all things unguarded. They just went away.”

“And Franco had a look-see?”

“More than a look-see. It was not easy. They used C-4

plastique, with a remote detonator. A button job, as they like to call it.”

“So what did Franco do?”

“It was dangerous. Very dangerous. He bypassed their remote control, and put in a different one. He also added a few extra things for luck. The door had been left open, and their remote simply operated a little light-bulb on the steering-wheel. That was the first thing Franco put in.” She poured herself a cup of coffee, and the building shook slightly as an aircraft took off from the base.

“We had our own button job. When they operated their button, I pressed our button and this made for a great deal of smoke.

Very thick smoke, and a flash, which went off four seconds after the smoke. A big flash. The smoke was dense. It covered the whole parking area.”

Bond remembered, and saw it all again. First there was smoke, then the flash, followed by the terrible detonation.

“This is why I dashed ahead. We thought that if they believed I was dead they would make a move - which they did. As soon as I pressed our button I was able to run through the smoke, and get to the other side of the wall. In the tall metal box, there, we had another remote, linked to the real detonator. With these things there is often a time-lapse. They all thought, like you, that I was blown to pieces “But you were. They found remains.”

She did not look him in the eyes. “Yes, that was most unpleasant, and a terrible thing to do. I shall have to make many novenas.

Franco’s people robbed a grave. I don’t wish to talk about that.”

“You’re alive, Beatrice, my darling. That’s really all that matters.”

“Actually, James, it does matter, but there is something more important. You have to get back to the ship. Even now, terrible things could be happening. We have people watching but we don’t really know what they’re going to do. Or how they’ll do it.

You were followed, by the way .

“Followed here?”

“No, after the bomb. To the place they had set up on the mainland. We managed to get our first good photograph of Bassam Baradj, who we think is the “Viper’ of BAST. The leader, who is going to do something pretty terrible to those three important people you have on your ship.” She pushed a photograph across the table. It was the man he had known as Toby Lellenberg, the Commanding Officer of Northanger.

“That’s Baradj?”

“Yes.”

“Well, if all that was phoney, why in heaven’s name didn’t anyone do something about it? Why didn’t you get me out? Come to that you could have scuppered Baradj at the same time. Why, Beatrice?”

She gave him a wan smile. “Why, indeed? I tried, James. I tried very hard. To me it seemed the obvious thing to do.”

“Then why didn’t you …?”

M overruled it. You were monitored very carefully. The whole Northanger set-up was kept under close surveillance, but M said we were to let them play it out. His argument was fairly sound.

He wanted to use the information regarding your.- hijacking, and, come to that, the hijacking of all the Northanger staff as a lever.”

“What kind of a lever?”

“He thought the Prime Minister, the US President, and Gorby would abort the whole thing if they smelled danger. He that is - laid it all out to the PM; went through the dangers, and the difficulties we might have with security. But . .

“But she wouldn’t listen.” Bond supplied.

Beatrice nodded. “She waved aside everything. Even called the US President while M was there. Their argument was that this was urgent, important, and couldn’t be rescheduled. I rather gather that she just waved aside the danger, and the others followed her, like sheep.”

“That all figures. Do we know where Baradj is now?”

“We’re not sure. Maybe on Gibraltar. Maybe even nearer.

Now you know this, you have to get back. You also have to get Mrs. Thatcher, the President of the United States, and Mr. Gorbachev off the ship in time. Off and away from it.”

An expletive suddenly burst out of Bond’s mouth.

“What?” Beatrice asked.

“If you’re not the “Cat’, then .

“Of course. Did you not realise that before? It’s one of the reasons you have to get back. If we pinpoint Baradj, then I’ll be near him. Look for me near Baradj.” She had risen and pressed a button set in the wall. Mike Carter appeared in the doorway.

“Time to go?” he asked, almost gratefully.

“I have told him all we know, Mike.”

“Your boat didn’t wait for you.” Carter looked at Bond.

“No. No, I have a code sequence with Walmsley. Are you in touch with the ship?”

“Sure. No speech, just the electronics.”

“Okay, send this Songbird requests boat to come aboard.

You should receive a response with the words Tawny Owl in it.

If they don’t send Tawny Owl, then I guess we’re in for a shooting match.” He rose, and she came around the table to him. For the first time Bond noticed that she was wearing the gold and diamond clasp, shaped like a scutum, that he had given her for Christmas.

He held her close, and kissed her hair, then her lips. “If you’re going to be near Baradj, you take care, Beatrice, my darling.”

“You just get those important people off Invincible. Then we’ll go for Baradj together. I want another Christmas with you, James.”

“Maybe a lot of christmases.” Carter had returned and coughed delicately by the door.

“You’re okay, sir. The message read, “Am sending boat for Songbird stop The Tawny Owl is waiting.”’ “Thank God for that.” Bond kissed her again, then left quickly, not looking back. He rarely looked back in a situation like this.

In some ways he thought it might bring bad luck.

The little boat, with its engine throbbing, was already waiting at the steps. In the bow a Leading Wren waited to help him aboard.