Recoil - Andy McNab [118]
I pulled the second condom from the phone and powered it up. They both stared at me, desperate to know what was happening. ‘I think we might be able to get some help.’
The phone sorted itself out and I took off the caller ID, then punched in the numbers. I checked my kangaroo. It said just after three.
That meant it would be just after four in Hereford. The old fucker would be home, and he’d be fast asleep.
10
It rang and rang, but eventually I got a sleepy ‘What?’
‘It’s Nick – Nick Stone. I need your help, mate. You got Lex’s sat phone number? Or Hendrika’s – you know, the one you gave me?’
He was wide awake now. ‘I told you, we’re quits. I don’t want anything—’
‘Wait, Dave, wait. There’s people in the shit here. Women. Kids . . .’ I couldn’t waste time or battery explaining; I hoped my tone would tell him all he needed to know. ‘I’m with Sam. It’s life and death.’
‘Quits, I said. Fuck off.’
‘Listen, I’m sorry about what happened. I was angry, and I’m sorry. But I’ve got people here who are going to be dead soon unless you help. Somebody’s kids, somebody’s grandchildren, for fuck’s sake.’ I was trying desperately to think of a hook to get him beyond his anger. ‘I’ve got a kid here with RPG fragmentation, Dave. We need help . . .’ I shoved the phone near the boy, who didn’t let me down. Especially once Tim had squeezed his damaged arm.
I walked away slowly, so the whining stayed in the background. ‘I’ve got nine kids here, mate. I don’t want them on my conscience. I’m sure you don’t want them on yours . . .’
There was a pause. I could almost hear his fingers tapping the calculator as he worked out a price per head for the rescue. But he surprised me. ‘I’ll get you the number.’
It was going to take him ages to pull himself out of bed and make his way down to his office. ‘I’ll call back in ten, OK?’
I closed down and hit the ‘numbers called’ register. There was only one. I hit it.
Engaged. Shit, he was still alive. He was phoning Lex, had to be.
I called to Silky: ‘Go next door. There’s paper on the floor, and crayons. I need some quick. Here—’ I threw her the torch.
I tried Standish again, but he was still engaged.
Tim looked at me while he rocked the bag of bones that lay alongside him. He mumbled to the boy, trying to comfort him and apologize to him at the same time.
Silky ran back in with two torn sheets of paper and a crayon.
I took the torch from her and put it into my mouth, then dropped to my knees. As I called Hereford again, I looked at Sunday’s drawings. They showed exactly what Crucial and Sam had said they would. Matchstick men; blood, death, weapons. And after this drama, the rest of them out there would be doing more of the same. But at least they’d have the chance to draw, instead of being face down in the mud.
Crazy Dave answered. ‘I’ve got his Iridium.’
I crayoned down the number. My saliva dribbled down the torch on to the page. I took it out of my mouth as soon as I’d finished. ‘Dave. I’m sorry, mate. Thank you.’
‘Yeah, yeah, right.’ He closed down.
I hit Lex’s number straight away.
Within three rings, he was yelling down the line over the engine drone I knew so well. ‘What you want now? I told you – first light – I can’t do anything until first light. I’m over two and a half hours away, man.’
‘Lex, it’s Nick – Nick Stone. Sam’s mate.’
‘Hey, you survived – good shit, man.’ It was almost like two old friends reunited after years apart. ‘Miles made it too. He’s on his way to the strip. He wants me to attack the mine and wipe out those fucking animals, then pick him up at the strip. We’ll wait for you, man. How long you—’
‘Stop. Whatever he said is bollocks. Do not attack the mine, repeat, do not attack. Sam, Crucial, me – we’re still alive. We’re still at the mine. Standish has fucked off and left us to it.’
‘Bateman and Tooley?’
‘Dead. Standish killed Bateman when he tried to stop him running. We’ve also got two Mercy Flight people here, and nine kids. None of the patrol’s left. We’re in the shit, Lex. We got two stretcher cases and—’
Lex didn’t want to know all the