Midnight Never Comes - Jack Higgins [61]
There was a quick step behind him, a sudden intake of breath and when he turned, Jack Murdoch stood in the doorway, blood on his face where a flying chip of concrete had sliced across the cheek.
'Chavasse!' he said incredulously, and for a moment the revolver in his hand wavered.
Behind him, Steiner emerged from the stairway, silent in stockinged feet. He touched Murdoch once very gently in the back of the neck with the barrel of the machine pistol, reached over and plucked the revolver from his hand.
'You lose, Murdoch.' Chavasse grinned. 'At a conservative estimate, I'd say you'll have about twenty years to sit back and decide where you went wrong. Where's Donner?'
Murdoch laughed unsteadily. 'Well out of this bloody lot. He would be.'
'You mean he isn't here?'
Murdoch nodded. 'He left two hours or more ago. It was all in the plan. Once we'd taken over and things were running smoothly, there was no reason for him to stay.'
'How did he leave?'
'Major Edicott, the C.O. here, had a power boat, Donner found that out months ago. He's on his way back to the mainland now. There's an old pier on the coast about half a mile from Glenmore House. He's supposed to pick up you and Stavrou and the girl and fly out in the Beaver to a landing strip in northern Sweden. From there he re-fuels and flies on to Russia.'
Chavasse laughed harshly. 'That's what he thinks.'
He turned to the rail and, below, von Bayern and his men, armed with automatic rifles from the armoury, swept on across the square, four of Donner's men retreating before them, firing furiously.
Beyond them, the guard at the fuel store had already been overpowered and as Chavasse watched, several officers and a stream of British soldiers emerged and ran forward, spreading out as they came.
Within a few moments it was all over. As two of Donner's men fell, the others threw down their weapons and raised their hands. As Chavasse watched, von Bayern and the British officers came together. There was a brief conversation and then three of the officers and a mixed group of German and British soldiers broke away and hurried down towards the harbour.
Von Bayern looked up and waved. Chavasse waved back and the German and the British officer he had been talking to walked across to the tower with a couple of men.
Chavasse turned to Steiner. 'Got a cigarette?'
Steiner produced a packet from his tunic pocket. Chavasse took one and accepted a light from the old gun-metal petrol lighter the German held out.
The smoke bit deep into his lungs when he inhaled, harsh and satisfying and suddenly he was tired. A moment later, von Bayern arrived with the British officer.
'This is Captain Harrison, Paul. Unfortunately Major Endicott, the commanding officer, was killed before we arrived.'
Harrison shook hands. 'I don't think I've ever been quite so pleased to see anyone in my life before,' he said. 'If you'll excuse me for a moment, I just want to get in touch with Mallaig.'
He went into the radio room, his two men with him and von Bayern turned to Chavasse. 'You are all right? That was a bad moment when I was fired on from the tower. Thank you.'
'One snag,' Chavasse said. 'Donner cleared out a couple of hours ago in the C.O.'s power boat, apparently all according to plan. Remember I said I couldn't understand how he was to get back.'
Von Bayern shrugged. 'I can't see that it will do him any good. With no plane to fly out in, he can't get very far.'
'That's true.'
Harrison came back to join them. 'I've been in touch with Mallaig and they've put out a general alert, admittedly rather belatedly.'
Chavasse frowned and glanced at von Bayern. 'I should have thought they would have heard from Asta and Benson by now.'
'I'm afraid I don't understand,' Harrison said.
Chavasse explained quickly and