Exocet - Jack Higgins [67]
'For the moment, nothing,' Villiers told her. 'Because there's nothing we can do.'
* * *
The detachment from the 23rd Guided Missile Regiment travelled in an army three-ton truck, the officer sitting up front beside the driver. It was just after six a.m. and raining heavily when it came round a bend in the road near Lancy and found the Landrover blocking the way. Donner, a military raincoat over his uniform, ran forward, waving his arms.
The truck slowed, the officer wound the window down and learned out. 'What is it?'
'Captain Leclerc?' Donner asked.
'That's right.'
'Major Dubois, on assignment at Ile de Roc at the moment. Crossed over to St Martin last night with the landing craft to be ready to pick you up this morning, but this appalling rain is causing problems. Heavy flooding on the main road, so I thought I'd come to meet you with an alternative route.'
'That's very good of you,' Leclerc said.
'Not at all. Just follow the Landrover and I'll have you there in no time.'
* * *
Montera was standing at the window, peering out through the bars when the Landrover drove into the courtyard, followed by the truck.
Villiers and Gabrielle moved to his shoulder. 'Now what?' Villiers asked.
Donner and Stavrou got out of the Landrover and Captain Leclerc jumped down to join them. He was a fair-haired young man with glasses which were giving him trouble in the rain.
'Just exactly where are we?' he asked.
The stable doors opened and Roux's men emerged on the run, everyone in uniform and carrying either a rifle or a sub-machine gun. The whole thing was over in a few moments, the rest of the detachment ordered out of the back of the truck at gunpoint and hustled away with Leclerc.
Villiers turned to Montera. 'Clever bastard, isn't he?'
They heard the sound of boots on the stone stairs outside, doors opening, then closing again, bolts ramming home. Suddenly there was a movement at their own door, it was opened and Stavrou appeared, two men at his back.
'Right, Colonel, outside.'
Montera hesitated. His hand reached for Gabrielle's, clung for a moment, then he moved out. She didn't say a word as the door slammed home and Villiers slipped an arm about her shoulders.
Outside, the footsteps receded along the corridor and mounted the steps. Villiers went to the tiny barred window in the door and on looking out found the young French officer he'd seen in the courtyard, peering through the bars of the opposite door.
'Who are you?' Villiers asked.
'Captain Henri Leclerc, 23rd Guided Missile Regiment. What in the hell is this all about?'
'I rather think they're substituting themselves for you and your men, so they can land on Ile de Roc.'
'Good God!' Leclerc said. 'What for?'
So Villiers told him.
When he had finished, Leclerc said, 'And how does he intend to leave here when he gets back?'
'He has a plane waiting at a bomber station up the road at Lancy. A Navajo Chieftain.'
'He's certainly thought of everything.'
'And not a damn thing we can do about it now. Even if we got out of here and put out a general alert, it would probably be too late. Aircraft can't land at Ile de Roc. Even helicopters have problems.'
'That's not quite true,' Leclerc said. 'I was very thoroughly briefed on the island before my posting and there was some information about flying conditions which interested me as I'm a pilot myself. Did a light aircraft course with the Army Air Corps. They tried out landing small planes at the northern end of the island last year.'
'But I thought there were cliffs there.'
'True, but when the tide goes out it uncovers alarge area of firm sand. They found landing was no problem. Unfortunately the tide turns so quickly that it made the whole idea impracticable.'
'It certainly is while we're stuck in here,' Villiers said, and he kicked the door in frustration.
* * *
Wanda, the blanket wrapped around her, huddled against a window in the loft and peered down as the men she had slept above all night climbed into the rear of the truck.
Donner, Stavrou and Rabier, the pilot, stood at the bottom of the