Greg Iles - The Spandau Phoenix

difference between the two men, Sabri failed. After what Stern judged

to be nine seconds-long enough for everyone in the room to stare death

in the face-he jerked the two wires apart.

"I think he's telling the truth, Gadi."

Dr. Sabri fell to his knees and peered into the bomb's cess panel.

"There are only two seconds left on the clock!

the name of Allah, do not let the wires touch again!"

"Not until you're all safely away," Stern promised.

Hauer half-smiled. "Or until the Libyans break into this complex.

Right, Stern?"

"You'd better hurry," Stern said tersely.

Gadi laid a hand on his shoulder. "Uncle, please do not sacrifice

yourself. I am a soldier. I should be the one."

"I am a soldier too." Stern sighed deeply. "An old one.

But it doesn't matter. I'm dead already."

"What?"

"I've already been exposed to enough radiation today to kill me.

And if not enough to kill me, at least enough to make what little that

remains of my life quite unpleasant."

Stern rubbed his eyes and sighed. "I can barely see you now, Gadi.

Everything has a halo."

"What are you talking about?" Gadi cried.

"It's true," Ilse interjected. "They did the same to me. Or they

pretended to."

Gadi looked mystified.

Against the wall, Pieter Smuts shifted his body slightly away from Hess.

"X-rays, Gadi," Stern explained. "The same way I confirmed that Horn

was actually Hess. They strapped me down and dosed me with X-rays for

two hours."

The young commando blinked. "What? Who did that to you? Who!"

At that moment Smuts nodded almost imperceptibly.

Rudolf Hess slid silently to the floor.

"That man there!" Ilse shouted, pointing to Smuts.

As her accusing finger went up, the Afrikaner whipped up a Beretta

automatic he had slipped from an ankle holster and aimed it at the two

Israelis. No one had thoug t to searc him; now he had both Stern and

Gadi in his sights. From ten feet he could not miss.

With a short cry Gadi knocked Stern down with his left hand and jerked

up his carbine with his right.

The two men fired at the same instant.

Outside the front entrance of Horn House, one of Major Karami's

commandos leaned into the empty driver's compartment of the Armscor and

saw that the ignition keys had been removed. He craned his neck around

the seats just in time to see Captain Barnard's bloody face appear out

of the gloom like a ghost.

It was the last thing the Libyan would ever see. Barnard's bullet

struck him right between the eyes.

Hearing the shot, two more Libyans leaped through the Arinscor's doors.

Captain Barnard shot them both through the head. Struggling to breathe

through the blood in his throat, the South African thrust his pistol

through the shattered windshield and fired wildly at the Libyans grouped

around the howitzer.

"Hold your positions!" Major Karami shouted.

The 105mm howitzer stood only twenty meters from the Arinscor.

Two of Captain Barnard's bullets struck the barrel of the big gun,

sending several Libyans scurrying for cover, but Major Karami stood

still as stone.

"Hold your positions!" he roared. "Set elevation and blow that pile of

shit out of my way!"

For an artillery piece the shot was point blank. Everyone opened their

mouths and put both hands over their ears. Major Karami raised one

brown hand high, then dropped it.

"Fire!

Pieter Smuts's bullet struck Gadi square in the center of the chest. The

Israeli flew backward and knocked Stern down. Gadi had fired a burst,

but only one round struck the Afrikaner, splintering his left wrist in a

spray of blood and bone. Before either man could move again, the

exploding howitzer shell shook-the ceiling of the basement like a

thunderclap.

"They're coming!" Hans shouted.

Hauer saw the subsequent action in slow motion. Smuts steadied his

pistol for a second shot. Gadi-who had been saved by his body

armor-struggled to his feet. Hauer shouted a warning to Smuts, but the

Afrikaner fired anyway.

His second shot tore through Gadi's unprotected right thigh.

As Hauer heard the second howitzer shell explode above them, he raised

General Steyn's pistol, pointed it at Smuts and fired four times.

His bullets nailed the Afrikaner to the wall. Smuts hung there a

moment, wide-eyed, then dropped like a sack across his master's crippled

legs.

"Pieter!" Hess cried. "My God, no!"

Another explosion shuddered through the house.

"It's now or bloody never!" Burton shouted. He too last look at Hess

on the floor, then he turned and ran.

"Everyone out!" Stern ordered. "Now! Go!"

Hauer hustled General Steyn toward the dark laboratory aisles that led

to the tunnels, but the wounded general collapsed after ten steps.

HAuer started dragging him; Hans came back to help. Dr. Sabri glanced

fearfully at Gadi, then darted after the others.

"May I come with you, sir?" he asked Hauer.

Hauer shoved the Libyan down the aisle, then turned back to Stern.

"Give us every goddamn second you can, Stern!

These people deserve to live! Keep your fanatic nephew with you and

hold them off as long as you can!"

"Don't worry, you Kraut bastard!" Gadi yelled back, gripping his

bleeding thigh. "I'm staying! I'll kill every Arab up there!"

"No, Gadif" Stern insisted. "You're going with them! You must get Hess

out!"

"I'm staying with your" Gadi pointed his assault rifle at the old Nazi.

"Go to hell, you Nazi bastard!"

Stern grabbed his arm. "Stop! You must take Hess to Israel! Pick him

up, Gadi! Pick him up and carry him out of here! Carry him all the way

to Jerusalem! He'll hang soon enough!"

Hauer and the others had paused halfway to the tunnel.

All eyes were riveted on the surreal drama taking place in the pool of

fluorescent light before the silver storage vault.

Even facing their own deaths, those who wanted so desperately to live

could not tear their eyes away from two men so ready to die without fear

or regret. Another explosion rattled the glassware in the lab.

"The Englishman's gone!" Hans shouted. "Let's go!"

Dr. Sabri broke and ran. Hans shoved Ilse after the Libyan.

Stern squatted astride the bomb and picked up the stripped detonator

wires.

"Mother of God," Hauer murmured, blcking toward the shadows.

Gadi stubbornly took up a firing position behind Stern.

Stern turned around and gazed into the young commando's burning eyes.

His voice cracked with emotion. "In the name of Abraham, Gadi, take

Hess to Israel. That is not an order.

It is a sacred charge on the souls of your ancestors. Leave me a gun

and get Hess out!"

A tear streaked the young Israeli's face. With shaking hands he laid

his rifle against the bomb casing and crossed to where Hess lay.

Favoring his good leg, he crouched down, caught the old man under the

arms, and lifted. Hess immediately began to struggle. Gadi punched him

in the side of the head. Then he heaved the wasted body over his

shoulder.

"Yes!" Stern called. "Get him out!"

Quivering beneath his hundred-pound load, the wounded Israeli staggered

after Hauer and Hans. Yet after only four short steps his savaged thigh

muscle gave way. He crashed to the floor, screaming in agony. Hess

fell on top of him.

Gadi clenched his jaws shut and rolled the old man off.

Then, with his bloody thigh twitching uncontrollably, he struggled to

his feet again. Again he hoisted Hess to his shoulder and tried to