Midnight Runner - Jack Higgins [38]
There were many men waiting down there, faces covered against the sand. Kate turned to Rupert. "The breath of Allah, that's what the Bedu call it."
"Then he must be in an angry mood."
Carver put down between two clumps of palm trees, and men ran forward with ropes, fastened them around the skids, and tied the other ends to trees.
Ben Carver switched off. "Jesus," he said, "that was a stinker."
"You did well," she told him.
Carver got out first and held the door, and she wrapped her scarf around her head and mouth and took the lead. Someone offered her a hand, a large man in jeans and a leather bomber jacket, a scarf wrapped around his face. Rupert followed and they hurried toward the tents, followed by a number of men.
The tent they entered was large and well appointed, with carpets on the floor, cushions, and a low table. It was all quite luxurious. Drapes against the tent walls flapped a little as the wind buffeted them, and yet in there, the sound was subdued and somehow faraway.
The man in the bomber jacket removed his scarf, revealing a tangled black beard flecked with gray. It was Colum McGee, and he was smiling.
"Good to see you, Countess." She introduced Rupert, and a moment later Carver arrived.
"How long will it last?" she inquired.
"I've checked the weather report from Hamam airport. It should die down in two or three hours."
She checked her watch. "Eleven o'clock. That would leave time for an inspection and we could still make it back to Hazar by nightfall. We might as well have something decent to eat, Colum."
"Well, I can't offer a full Irish breakfast, Countess, but the women in the kitchen bake fairly decent bread even though it's unleavened. If you want lamb stew or goat, fine. Otherwise, I can offer various things from cans. Corned beef, new potatoes, carrots, peas."
"I think that should do nicely. Did you bring the refrigerated box in, Ben?"
"One of the men took it to the kitchen for me."
"Good, we'll have a drink."
Carver went out along a tented tunnel and entered the kitchen. There was a round stone fireplace in the entryway, three cooking pots hanging from spits, half a dozen women working at various tasks. The blue plastic refrigerated box was on a low table.
In the main tent, Kate Rashid said, "All Ben Carver knows is what he sees, Colum, the camp and the occasional training. I don't want him to know anything else. Leave the serious business until after the meal."
"As you say. I'll go and give the women their orders, but an old RAF hand like Ben won't miss much."
As he went out, Ben appeared with the box. When he opened it, there were three bottles of champagne and several plastic wine glasses. He uncorked a bottle and started to pour.
"Four glasses, Ben."
"All the comforts of home," Rupert told her.
"Look upon it as a picnic," she said as the Irishman returned. "So, how's the training program, Colum?"
"Much as usual." They all sat down on cushions with their drinks. "Mind you, those Palestinian kids are full of fire, but against Israeli troops they wouldn't last very long."
"I'm sure you're doing the best you can. But let's eat and we can discuss it later."
B ack at the old fort, the storm was already abating. Villiers and his men waited, and finally he got out his Codex Four and called up Bobby Hawk.
"Where are you?"
"About twenty miles east from El Hajiz Oasis. What about you?"
Villiers told him. "Are you on the move?"
"No, sheltering in a cave."
"Good. It'll blow itself out in an hour or so. We'll rendezvous at El Hajiz. We've lost two men by the way, Omar and Selim."
"Good God, how?"
"I'll tell you when we meet." He switched off his mobile and called to Achmed, "More tea," then he called Ferguson in London and brought him up to date.
A fter the meal, Kate said, "I've had worse. You've done well, Colum."
"We aim to please."
"I'm glad to hear it. Let's talk." She turned to Carver. "If you'll excuse us, Ben, this is business."
Carver couldn't get out fast enough. The money she paid him for his services was enough to satisfy his greed. He couldn't