The Savage Day - Jack Higgins [58]
There was a flicker of surprise in his eyes. He hesitated, then leaned down to Binnie who reacted violently. 'You heard what he said, didn't you? Clear off.'
It was an understandable reaction to stress, but delivered as it was in that fine Kerry accent of his, it compounded my original error.
The corporal hesitated, seemed about to speak, then thought better of it. He saluted punctiliously, then moved back to the Land-Rover. He started to get inside, or so it seemed, then turned and I saw that he was holding a Sterling.
'I'd like to see your identity card if you don't mind, sir,' he said firmly.
'Now look here,' I said.
Binnie straightened slowly and the lad, who knew his business, I'll say that for him, said, 'Hands on top of the car.'
Cork walked straight towards him, a puzzled smile on his face. 'For heaven's sake, young man,' he said, 'control yourself. You're making a terrible mistake.'
'Stand back,' the young corporal said. 'I warn you.'
But he had hesitated for that one fatal second that seemed to give Cork his opportunity. He flung himself forward, clutching at the Sterling. There was the briefest of struggles. I had already taken a couple of strides to join him when there was a single shot. Cork staggered back with a terrible cry and fell on his back.
I put a fist into the corporal's stomach and a knee in his face as he doubled over that laid him unconscious at the side of the Land-Rover and was better than a bullet in the head from Binnie.
He was already on his knees beside Cork, who was obviously in great pain and barely conscious, blood on his lips. I ripped open the front of his cassock and looked inside. It was enough.
'Is it bad?' Binnie demanded.
'Not good. From the looks of it, I'd say he's been shot through the lungs. He needs a doctor badly. Where's the nearest hospital? Stramore?'
'And life imprisonment if he pulls through?' Binnie said.
'Have you got a better idea?'
'We could try to get him over the border into the Republic'
'That's crazy. Even if we could pull it off, it's too far. There isn't time. He needs skilled treatment as soon as possible.'
'Twelve miles,' he said, clutching my flak jacket. 'That's all, and I know a farm track south of Clady that runs clear into the Republic. There's a hospital no more than three miles on the other side run by the Little Sisters of Pity. They'll take him in.'
One thing was certain. Another vehicle might appear from the mist at any moment so whatever we were going to do had to be done fast. 'Right, get him into the Land-Rover,' I said.
We lifted him in between us, putting him out of sight behind the rear seat, then I got out again, knelt beside the unconscious corporal and tied his hands behind his back with his belt.
Binnie joined me as I finished. 'What are we going to do with him?'
'We'll have to take him with us. Can't afford to have anybody find him too soon.'
Binnie's anger boiled over suddenly and he kicked the unconscious man in the side. 'If he got his deserts, I'd put a bullet in him.'
'For God's sake, get his feet and shut up,' I said. 'If you want your precious Small Man to live, you'd better get him where we're going fast.'
We bundled the corporal into the Land-Rover, putting him on the floor between the front and rear seats. I got into the back with Cork and left the driving to Binnie.
I wasn't really conscious of the passing of time although I was aware that wherever we were going, we were going there very fast indeed. I was too occupied with keeping Cork as upright as possible, an essential where lung wounds are concerned. I had found the vehicle's first-aid box easily enough and held a field dressing over the wound tightly in an effort to staunch the bleeding.
Gradually his condition grew worse. All colour had faded from his face, the breathing sounded terrible and there was a kind of gurgling inside his chest as he inhaled, one of the nastiest sounds I have ever heard.
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