The Iron Tiger - Jack Higgins [33]
'Has the patrol gone after them?'
'Unfortunately there were no other boats. The village was quite deserted. Obviously the entire population had crossed over. Since then the level of the water has risen with the rains.'
'Is there any place where the river may be crossed with vehicles?'
'Certainly not here. The current was always too swift for a ferry.'
Cheung spread out a map on a wrought iron table. 'Twenty miles north of here at Kama. The river is very wide and shallow there. We could cross in half-tracks.' His finger traced a line to the border. 'There is only one road to India and they have no transport, remember. We should catch them easily. They must stay on the road. The priest is an old man and in any case, with the woman and the boy, he couldn't hope to get through the mountains on foot by any other route.'
Ho Tsen nodded. 'I hope so, for your sake. Pekin will not be pleased if you fail. I will also send other patrols south on this side of the river in troop carriers. They should find boats sooner or later. Once across, they can proceed on foot and cut the road ahead of you.'
'An excellent idea.'
Ho Tsen put a cigarette in his mouth and leaned to the match Cheung offered. 'One thing worries me. What if the priest had an alternative plan? Perhaps a vehicle waiting on the other side. It would explain why they did not drive north to Kama and attempt to cross in the jeep. This man Drummond you spoke of? You are certain he knows nothing?'
'He is a difficult man to be sure of and the Pathan is as stubborn as the breed usually are.'
'You have exhausted the accepted methods?'
'They take time, General, and in any case, Drummond must be preserved for a more searching examination in Pekin.'
'Why is this?'
'He is known to have worked for British Intelligence.'
'I see!'
Cheung hesitated. 'I would like to have one last try before leaving in case they do have information of value. A small subterfuge which often has remarkable results.'
'Which sounds interesting,' General Ho Tsen said. 'I think I shall accompany you, Colonel. Let us hope I'm not wasting my time.'
The wind across the river was like a bayonet in the back and Drummond shivered as it cut into him. He flexed his hands to ease his cramped muscles and winced with pain as the wire that was twisted about his wrists bit into his flesh.
Hamid was next to him and on the other side one of Sher Dil's soldiers in tattered uniform was silently weeping. Every few moments the man coughed and a trickle of blood came from his mouth. After a while, he slumped on his face and lay motionless. The guards standing talking a few yards away took no notice.
Two troop carriers, half-tracks biting into the mud, drove up and parked thirty or forty yards away, each containing a dozen men and a heavy machine gun mounted on a pivot.
Drummond eased back on to his heels and looked along the line of kneeling men. There were at least thirty of them, mostly Sher Dil's soldiers with a few tribesmen who'd been caught carrying weapons. In his mind's eye he saw them keel over one by one as the machine gun curved in an arc and finally reached him and he shuddered.
A jeep drove up and parked behind the troop carriers and Hamid said quickly, 'We've got company, Jack.'
Cheung walked across the broken ground towards them, General Ho Tsen at his side. They paused a few yards away and the General said calmly, 'These are the men?'
Cheung nodded. 'They both speak Chinese.'
'Excellent.' The General came closer. 'Let us not waste any more time, gentlemen, I find this rain most unpleasant. We wish to know the whereabouts of the Catholic priest and the young Khan. If you are sensible and help us, I will see that you are well treated. If not ...'
Drummond and Hamid stared