Dead Centre - Andy McNab [117]
‘If they try to fuck with us, we will burn the cash.’
14
JOE WASN’T IMPRESSED. ‘Fuck, man – I just want to get my aircraft out of here, with everybody on board.’
Mr Lover Man had gone back to join Genghis. Joe turned and pointed to the two of them. ‘Man, we’ve got things in our fucking toolbox, man, apart from you fucking hammers. We all need to keep our heads together, man.’
Joe didn’t realize that these two had got their heads together. If they had to fight, they didn’t give a fuck how it turned out.
Joe turned back into the cockpit. ‘For fuck’s sake, man. Get that flip-flop on board and get him counting, let’s get on with it.’
‘Yep, in a minute, mate. Everybody listen in – here’s the plan. The guy comes on board and he counts the cash. Make sure that he sees the deniable packs. He goes back to the old guy and gives him the OK. If it then goes wrong, and they go for the cash, we come out fighting. We go for his wagon and take it to the end of the runway. There’s a boat there. We head out and we look for the other skiffs. We crack on until daylight, and we keep on looking. That’s all we can do.’
I waited while Mr Lover Man translated for Genghis, then I opened the door. ‘You got that, Joe?’ I stuck a leg out. ‘Bet you’re glad I didn’t take your AK now, eh?’
‘Yeah, but what about my fucking aircraft, man?’
‘It’s going to burn to the ground if those bags kick off. So you’d better hope there are no fuck-ups.’
He nodded, but wasn’t too convinced.
I now had both feet on the concrete. ‘Awaale!’ I beckoned him over. ‘Come here, mate. Get counting.’
He nodded. Anybody would be willing to get their hands on that amount of money, even if it was only to count it.
‘Go on, mate, get inside.’
I opened the door and followed him in. He headed left into the hold. I got back into the right-hand seat and closed the door.
The bags were opened and Awaale started counting.
I motioned to Genghis for some water and food.
It’s surprising how small a million dollars looks in hundred-dollar bills. It normally comes in shrink-wrapped bundles, about twenty centimetres high. Six of them are a million, and weigh about ten kilos.
The first two litres of liquid didn’t even touch the sides. I crammed bread and bananas into my mouth as fast as I could, then started hiccuping so badly I had to wash it all down with another bottle.
Awaale thought he was going to get some too, but Mr Lover Man just gave him a big growl. ‘No eating. Just counting.’
Awaale had done this before. He picked up the bundles and made sure they were the same height. He sliced through the shrink-wrap with his thumbnail to expose the notes along each wad, making sure no one had substituted ones for hundred-dollar bills.
Mr Lover Man and Genghis looked on with contempt.
I mumbled, through a mouthful of bread, ‘The extra, have you got it?’
Mr Lover Man gobbed off to Genghis. He fished a bundle out of his map pocket and made to throw it to me.
‘No, no. Not me.’ I pointed at Awaale. ‘It’s for him.’
The cash was lobbed over with the same contempt. It hit Awaale hard on the shoulder. He didn’t care. It went into his waistband. He sucked in his skinny stomach so it wouldn’t show, and pulled his minging shirt over the top of the package. He swivelled to face me. ‘Thank you, Mr Nick.’
Another thank-you. I wished they’d stop.
It wasn’t long before he was satisfied on both counts: Erasto’s money, and his and his dad’s. He was still on his knees. ‘Everything’s good.’
‘OK, go and tell Erasto. Tell him the deniable packs really exist. Then what happens?’
‘It’s easy. Erasto will tell me to call the boats in. You will be reunited.’ He turned to the other two and gave them a smile. They looked as unimpressed as Joe.
‘You sure you can trust this fucking flip-flop? Listen, man, there’s a lot of cash there. These two action men in the back kick off, we’re all in deep shit.’
I kept my eyes on Awaale. He’d turned back to me, still on his knees.
‘Awaale, as soon as we have everybody here inside the aircraft