Exocet - Jack Higgins [64]
'And I was one of these occasions?'
'Yes,' she said flatly. 'I was to try and find out if there was going to be any move against the Falklands.'
He laughed out loud. 'My God, I didn't know the first thing about it.' He shook his head. 'Serendipity again. The happiest of unlooked for events.'
'That's where it all went wrong,' she said. 'I didn't know what love was and then I looked across the room at the Argentine Embassy and saw you.'
'Yes, it was a rather splendid moment.'
'And I couldn't get you out of my mind. Worried like hell about you when the war started, even though I'd no idea you were flying. And then this damned Exocet business started and Ferguson sent for me. You were the enemy, he said.'
'And he was right.'
'I was going to stop, just couldn't go on with the lies and the deceit after you gave me the ring.'
'And then you heard about your brother?'
'I want it to stop, Raul,' she said simply. 'The killing on both sides. For all our sakes. If you take those Exocets back to the Argentine tomorrow, it simply means more bloodshed.'
He sighed heavily and shook his head. 'My side is losing, Gabrielle. Maybe the Exocet is all we've got left. What do you want me to do? I'm an Argentinian. Your Brigadier Ferguson is right. I am the enemy.'
She got up and moved to his side, and he slipped an arm around her waist.
'I'm tired, Raul, so tired. All I know for certain any more is that I love you.'
Her head dropped on his shoulder, he kissed the golden hair and said nothing.
* * *
'What happens now?' Villiers asked, when Donner came back into the sitting room. 'More fun with cigarette lighters?'
'No need,' Donner told him. 'My sources in Paris have given me every assurance that I can proceed as planned. Were you responsible for seeing off poor old Paul Bernard, by the way?'
'Who's he?' Villiers asked.
'Yes, I thought so.' Donner smiled. 'What did he tell you? Convoys on the road to St Martin? An ambush at dawn? Fairy stories for children, I assure you. I've something far better in mind.' He poured himself a whisky. 'And I wouldn't dream of damaging you at this stage of the game, major. They'll want you intact at KGB headquarters in Moscow. What a mine of information you'll be, and don't tell me you won't talk. They have some remarkable drugs these days.' He nodded to Stavrou. 'Let's have the others back in here'
Stavrou opened the door of the butler's pantry, and after a moment Montera and Gabrielle stepped out.
Montera said, 'What do you intend to do with them?'
'More to the point is what I intend to do with you, Colonel?'
There was silence. Montera waited, very calm. 'Yes, I should have known there was more to this thing.'
'Indeed there is. Major Villiers believed I would obtain Exocets for you by ambushing an Aerospatiale convoy on the way to St Martin tomorrow. The missiles are transhipped from there regularly to Ile de Roc off the coast which is a testing site.'
'So?'
'And you are expecting a Hercules transport from Italy to touch down in the morning at Lancy with ten Exocets on board, courtesy of Colonel Qadhafi and the Libyans.' He smiled. 'Both wrong.'
He crossed to a door in the far corner, opened it and disappeared. He was back in a moment, putting on a French Army officer's tunic.
'Good fit, isn't it?' he said, as he buttoned it up. 'Allow me to introduce myself. Captain Henri Leclerc in charge of a detachment of nine men from the 23rd Guided Missile Regiment, proceeding by road, tomorrow morning, to St Martin where a tank landing craft will be waiting to take them across to Ile de Roc.'
Villiers said. 'Let me guess. They won't even get as far as St Martin. You've going to work a switch?'
'Let's say we'll divert them to here and take over.'
'And then proceed to Ile de Roc?'
'There are only thirty-eight men on the island. I don't think we'll have much trouble. The gentlemen I've been keeping in the stables are very good at handling that sort of thing.'
'And you simply take the Exocets you need from their testing stock? You'll never get away with it.'
'Why not?