Midnight Never Comes - Jack Higgins [62]
'We understand Donner left in Major Endicott's power boat some time ago,' von Bayern said. 'Is it a fast craft?'
Harrison nodded. 'Twin screws--Penta petrol engine. Good for twenty-five or thirty knots in the right weather.'
'Is there any other boat in the harbour?'
'Only an old lobster boat. Not a hope of catching him if that's what you're thinking of. I don't think it could make better than five knots.'
Chavasse turned away, his face grim and von Bayern said, 'No boat on earth could catch him now, Paul.'
'And what if something went wrong?' Chavasse demanded. 'What if Asta's still at Glenmore. Donner must almost be there by now.'
'There's always the plane.'
Chavasse turned from the rail eagerly. 'Do you think it's possible?'
'I don't know,' von Bayern shrugged. 'It depends how far the tide has turned. We certainly couldn't manage the party we brought in. You and me and perhaps Steiner--no more.'
'I could let you have a Land Rover,' Harrison said. 'It would have you on top of the cliffs in five minutes from here. They're marvellous vehicles in rough country.'
'Good, then there is no time to waste, Paul,' von Bayern said and he nodded to Steiner who followed him down the stairs.
Harrison took a revolver from his pocket and handed it to Chavasse. 'I picked this up on the way. You'd better have it.'
Chavasse weighed it in his hand and nodded to Murdoch who had been standing at the rail, a silent observer of everything which had taken place.
'One good turn deserves another. There's still the question of the right signal to bring a certain trawler in here to pick up Firebird. I've a feeling our friend here could be very co-operative in that direction if you approached him in the right way.'
Harrison grinned, turning towards Murdoch and Chavasse went down the spiral staircase quickly after the others.
The sergeant who drove them to the top of the cliffs was a keen amateur naturalist and spent most of his spare time on the cliffs and the seashore.
He shook his head briefly in answer to von Bayern's query about the tide. 'It'll be well in now, sir,' he said. 'They go out slow and swing back sudden, if you follow me. Damned treacherous. I've nearly been caught in the rocks down there a time or two, I can tell you.'
The mist had disappeared when they went over the crest of the final hill and braked to a halt and when they moved to the edge of the cliffs, the Beaver was clearly visible close to the rocks below, strangely alien in such a place.
'See what I mean, sir?'
The sergeant pointed and Chavasse looked to where the sea rolled in across the sand in great, hungry breakers. Already at least half of the area on which they had landed was eaten away and the rest was broken up by great trailing fingers of salt water.
'What do you think?' Chavasse said, turning to von Bayern.
The German shrugged. 'Ask me again when I'm sitting at the controls. Come on. We're wasting time.'
They dropped into the nearest gully and went sliding down in a shower of broken stones and earth and the Artillery sergeant went with them.
Chavasse plunged down the final slope of scree and emerged on to the open beach, aware at once of the strong, fresh breeze that blew in directly from the sea.
'One thing in our favour,' von Bayern said, and they ran towards the Beaver.
When they reached it, von Bayern climbed straight inside, followed by Steiner, but the Artillery sergeant grabbed Chavasse by the sleeve. 'It isn't possible, sir,' he said and his face was white. 'You haven't got a clear run. It's all broken up by water channels.'
Chavasse had no time to reply, because the engine coughed into life with a shattering roar, drowning every other sound. He pushed the sergeant away, clambered up into the cabin and Steiner secured the door.
Chavasse went into the cockpit and sat in the co-pilot's seat. 'What do you think?' he yelled above the roar of the engine.
Von Bayern didn't