by Jack Higgins
She nodded and said sadly: 'Yes, I believe you. I believe you.' Suddenly she cried out sharply and hammered a clenched fist into his shoulder. 'Oh, that damned gold. Why does it change people so? Why does it have to be so important?'
He put an arm around her shoulders. 'It doesn't change people, angel. Just shows them in their true colours.'
She leaned against him and closed her eyes and Hagen stared blindly into space and wondered how he could have been such a fool. I should have listened to Clara, he thought, and a tiny smile tugged at his mouth because he knew that it wasn't so much anger or fear that was annoying him. It was the fact that she knew him for what he was and he admitted to himself that it was important to him to have her good opinion. From somewhere in the region of his back there came a tiny, persistent scraping sound.
For a few moments he did not move and then he quickly placed his mouth to the girl's ear. 'Don't make a sound,' he breathed. He turned and crouched beside the wall and listened and then a tiny hole appeared and a knife blade was inserted and suddenly a large piece of the dried mud flaked away. Hagen peered out into the pale, haggard face of Mason.
For a moment they stared at each other and then Mason whispered, 'Surprise, surprise!' There was a bloodstained piece of rag tied round his head and deep pain in his eyes. 'Bullet only creased me,' he said. 'I was watching that little show of Kossoff's from the reeds. Saw them bring you to this hut.'
Hagen had never been so glad to see anyone in his life before. 'The two monkeys on the door won't bother us for a while,' he said. 'Have you any arms?'
Mason passed the sub-machine-gun through. 'Slightly damp but it should still do the job and I've still got two grenades. Lost the others in the water.' Rose pushed her face against the hole and he grinned and said, 'Hello, baby. Let's have you out of there.'
He and Mason started to pull away large pieces of the mud and wattle wall with their hands. In a few moments the hole was large enough for them to pass through. Rose crawled out and he followed her. They crouched by the side of the hut and Mason motioned them to silence. There was no sound except for the low murmuring of the two guards in front of the hut. Mason pointed to a bamboo thicket that stood about twenty yards away and they moved towards it quickly, Hagen bringing up the rear with the sub-machine-gun. They were still some yards from shelter when a shout came from behind them. Hagen turned quickly and loosed a burst off as a reflex action. One of the guards was half-way through the hole in the wall of the hut. He screamed as the bullets pushed him back through the hole and then the other one rushed round from the front of the hut shouting for help at the top of his voice. As he raised his rifle Hagen fired another burst that lifted the man backwards and spun him round. He turned and plunged into the bamboos after Mason and Rose.
As they stumbled through the thicket, arms raised to ward off the flailing bamboos, Hagen gasped, 'What do we do now?'
Mason answered briefly over his shoulder. 'I managed to refloat our canoe after they left me for dead. I've left her hidden in the reeds. We'll have to do some wading though.'
From then on all talk died. In the distance they could hear the sounds of pursuit and Hagen knew that he'd had his last chance with Kossoff. There would be no charity next time. Rose stumbled once and he caught her but she shook off his helping hand and staggered on. Suddenly they were through the bamboos and out in the open. They began to run over a wide expanse of open ground covered with coarse marsh-grass and then the ground became soft and they sank ankle deep into the waterlogged soil. As they progressed the going became tougher. They had not far to go now. The shelter of the reeds lay only forty or fifty yards ahead and still their pursuers had not come out into the open.
The evil, scum-covered waters of the marsh reached out to greet them and suddenly they were waist deep. 'We're going to do it,' Hagen thought. 'We're going to do it.' At that moment Rose stumbled and fell and as Mason turned to lift her there was a sudden shout of triumph. A bullet landed in the water beside them and Hagen turned and fired quickly at the group of soldiers who had appeared from the bamboos. Two of them cried out and fell down and the others ran back into the shelter of the thicket.
Hagan turned and followed Mason and Rose and the water lifted to his armpits and then the reeds were all around him and he knew that for the moment they were safe.
11
As they plunged deeper into the reeds the level of the water dropped until it was only waist deep. Progress was still made difficult by the thick, glutinous slime which the water covered and which was in some places knee deep. From behind came the calls of their pursuers and Hagen tightened his grip on his weapon. Whatever happened he was resolved that they would not fall into Kossoff's hands again.
Suddenly the water deepened and Rose stumbled and disappeared under the surface. They hauled her upright and she pushed dark tendrils of hair away from her eyes. 'Are you all right?' Hagen asked.
'I'm fine! Really I am. Let's keep moving.'
They started to move forward again and now the reeds began to thin a little and the cover was less adequate. After a while Mason held up his hand and stopped. He looked about him searchingly and there was an expression of doubt on his face. 'Where the hell did you leave the canoe?' Hagen demanded fiercely.
There was an edge of panic in Mason's voice. 'I'm not sure. I thought I'd find it easily but it wasn't as far away from the village as this.'
Hagen cursed and raised an arm to wipe the sweat from his face. What luck. What stinking, God-awful luck. From quite nearby there came a crashing sound as bodies forced their way through the reeds. 'Let's get out of here,' Mason hissed. 'Those bastards are getting too close for comfort.'
They plunged on, getting deeper and deeper into the marsh, and from behind them came the sound of relentless pursuit. They all fell several times, for the swampy water was treacherous and had a way of changing in depth without warning. Once Hagen stepped into a deep hole and the water completely covered his head. He struggled back to a comparatively safe footing, cursing and spitting, but always the sounds of hunters grew nearer and nearer. They emerged unexpectedly into a broad expanse of shallow water. For a moment Mason hesitated and Hagen cried savagely, 'Keep going, for God's sake, man.' He pushed a hand in Mason's back that almost sent the big man flat on his face and they started across towards the shelter of the reeds that lay fifty or sixty yards away. They had almost covered the distance when the shooting began.
Bullets churned the water beside them and Hagen grabbed Rose by the arm and forced her forward into the shelter of the reeds. They turned and looked back. Four soldiers, rifles at the ready, plunged knee-deep through the water, shrill cries of triumph on their lips. Mason reached for the grenades he had clipped to his belt and swore violently. 'Only one left. I must have lost the other on the way.'
'Make sure it does the job,' Hagen told him. 'We can't afford mistakes.'
Everything seemed to focus on the small group of men, water boiling around their knees as they charged forward, their voices somehow unreal and fragile in the stifling heat of that place. They seemed to be suddenly too near for safety and Hagen raised the sub-machine-gun and took careful aim and then the grenade drifted lazily through the air in a long curve and settled amongst them. For a single breathless second there was the silence of shock and then one of the men screamed a warning. As they turned to scatter water erupted in their midst in a brilliant flash that reached out and enfolded them. For a little while the sky rained debris and then great clouds of marsh fowl lifted into the sky in waves, their terrified crying drowning the screams of the dying men.
Rose shuddered and turned a horrified face to Hagen. 'Is there no end to this?' she said. 'Is there only death and destruction?'
There was a glazed look in her eyes and Hagen knew that she had been pushed too far. He pulled her on to her feet roughly. 'Let's keep moving,' he said. 'Keep bearing east. That's roughly where we want to be.'
There was no hope of getting back to the launch without a canoe.
There was no hope and yet he still kept resolutely on, pushing the weary girl before him. Mason fell several times. The last time he seemed to have difficulty regaining his feet and when Hagen stumbled forward to help him he saw that fresh blood was seeping from underneath the crude bandage. 'Are you all right?' he said.
Mason nodded and smiled tightly. 'I'll be fine. Lost a lot of blood, that's all. Made me a bit light-headed.' He turned and moved forward without resting.
And then they heard the sound of an engine. They halted, crouching low down in the water, and Hagen said, 'They've got the launch out.' He made a sudden decision. 'We'll follow the sound of it.'
'You're crazy,' Mason croaked. 'You want to walk right into Kossoff's hands?'
Hagen explained impatiently. 'Don't you see? The launch must be in deep water. If we can once find that main channel I think I can find the way back to Hurrier.'
'How we going to get there - swim?' Mason demanded.
Hagen didn't answer and they moved forward again. The water began to deepen appreciately. The engine of the launch sounded quite near now and then the water was up to their armpits and Hagen held the sub-machine-gun high above his head. The reeds parted before them and he found himself on the edge of a strip of open water. The surface of the water was covered thickly with lily pads and the place looked vaguely familiar. Mason grinned and there was new hope in his voice. 'This is the place where we were ambushed.'
Hagen nodded. 'You're right.'
'Think you could find the way back from here?' Mason said.
'I think so.' Rose lurched wearily against him and Hagen slipped an arm about her shoulders. At that moment the launch's engines grew louder. 'Move back,' Hagen said sharply and they melted into the shelter of the reeds.
The launch moved slowly back in the direction of the village, and as they ducked even lower into the water, its bow wave passed over them. Through the reeds Hagen saw Kossoff standing in the prow. He looked very angry. The launch disappeared and the sound grew fainter and Mason said, 'Do you think they're giving up?'
'Not him,' Hagen said. 'Only when he's dead.'
Rose coughed and said in a weak voice, 'I'm sorry, Mark, but I can't take much more of this.'
He held her tightly in his left arm and wondered what the hell they were going to do and then, through the heat of the evening, there sounded a splash of paddles and the birdlike chatter of Chinese voices. He peered cautiously out of the reeds and saw two canoes moving towards them. In the front canoe were three soldiers and in the rear one sat Captain Tsen and an N.C.O. Hagen bared his teeth in a savage grin. He gently released Rose and said: 'Try and hang on for a few minutes more, angel. I promise you I'll get you out of this.'
'Jesus Christ, five of them,' Mason whispered.
Hagen patted the sub-machine-gun. 'Sitting ducks,' he said. 'I'll wait until I can't miss.'
The only sound was their own heavy breathing and the occasional bursts of conversation from the Chinese. Gradually the canoes drew near and Mason and Hagen moved forward to the very edge of the reeds. Hagen had never felt so calm, never felt so sure of anything in his life before. He couldn't miss. He raised the machine-gun and pulled the stock hard into his shoulder. His left eye closed and he squinted along the barrel. Almost before he realized it the first canoe was crossing his path. His finger tightened and a stream of bullets poured into the three soldiers and then as he swung towards the second canoe the gun went dead.
For one terrible moment he paused, reflected bitterly that you could never count on your luck to hold for very long, and then he hurled the useless weapon into the face of the N.C.O. who was sitting in front of Tsen. The man screamed and fell back, and Tsen drew his pistol and fired wildly at Hagen. Mason threw himself out of the reeds and wrenched savagely at the side of the canoe, and as it turned over Captain Tsen took careful aim and shot him twice at close quarters.
The screaming N.C.O. had disappeared beneath the water. Hagen thrashed forward, groping for Mason's body, and Tsen surfaced beside him, terror in his eyes. Hagen grabbed him with his left hand and hammered the pock-marked face with his right fist. He gripped the Chinaman's throat firmly with both hands and forced his head back beneath the surface of the water. For a little while the body bucked agonizingly and then suddenly it was still. He released it and turned quickly towards Mason.
Rose was holding him with difficulty. Hagen grabbed at a floating paddle and pulled the nearest canoe forward. 'Hold the canoe steady,' he told her, 'I'll lift him in.'
Mason's eyes flickered and for a moment the familiar sardonic quirk touched his mouth. 'Don't waste your time,' he gasped, 'I've bought it this time.' Hagen lifted his head above the surface of the water. It seemed that Mason was trying to say something else and then a stream of blood issued from his mouth and his head jerked to one side.
For a brief moment Hagen still held him upright and then, as he heard the unmistakable sound of the launch returning, he released his grip and allowed Mason's body to sink beneath the surface. Rose screamed and surged forward, hammering at his face with her clenched fists. 'You can't leave him!' she screamed. 'Nothing matters to you! Nothing!'
For a moment he struggled with her and then in desperation, as the sound of the launch became louder, he slapped her heavily across the face several times. She hung limply in his grip, staring at him, the marks of his blows already beginning to show on her delicate skin. Suddenly her head dropped and she began to cry soundlessly, her shoulders heaving. He had no time for pity. He lifted her bodily and dumped her into the canoe, and then he scrambled carefully over the bow and groped for the paddle in the water, half-turning the canoe and sending it into the reeds on the far side.
He was not a moment too soon. They were barely under cover when the wash from the launch spread through the reeds lifting the canoe on a small wave. Hagen heard a startled cry and then the engine was cut. There were several more cries and then he heard Kossoff's voice and it sounded angry. He decided they must have discovered some of the bodies. He dropped the paddle and, slipping over the side, began to push the canoe forward by hand.
For several minutes he progressed in this way and Rose sat quietly in the middle of the canoe, her head bowed. Her spirit seemed utterly broken. He didn't think of her much. His mind was obsessed with the one idea - to survive. The canoe left the reeds suddenly, entering into a broad waterway, and he scrambled back in and began to paddle with all his strength.
There was an appreciable darkening in the sky and the sun was almost below the horizon. Hagen urged the canoe on furiously. He knew that if they were caught by darkness their one chance of finding Hurrier was lost. He kept bearing well to the east, and after twenty minutes of twisting and turning through several waterways came out into a large lagoon that seemed familiar. For a moment he rested, breathing heavily, his whole body aching with effort, and then a wild hope made him begin to paddle with a renewed vigour that sent the canoe skimming towards the end of the lagoon. He rested and they drifted forward silently. There was only the sound of the crickets through the quiet evening. He raised his voice and called, 'O'Hara - ahoy!'
For a little while he listened and then he heard O'Hara's cracked voice: 'Over here, lad. Over here!'
A sensation of utter relief and weariness flooded through Hagen. He dug the paddle into the water and sent the canoe cutting into the reeds in the direction O'Hara's voice had come from. He pulled on the reeds with his hands, forcing the canoe forward, and then they were through and moving across the quiet water towards Hurrier.
O'Hara leaned down and reached out his arms and Hagen lifted Rose up to him. He climbed wearily over the rail and stood swaying a little. And the old man said in a shocked voice, 'What happened to Mason?'
Hagen shook his head. 'He won't be back,' he said, and then Rose cried out sharply, as though in pain, and fainted.
Hagen reached forward and caught her in his arms. For a moment he sagged as his weary limbs protested and then he picked her up and said: 'I want you to get
that other sub-machine-gun and stand watch, O'Hara. Kossoff's here and looking for us. I'm going to have a sleep. Wake me at midnight.'
He took Rose into her cabin and laid her down on her bunk. Very carefully he undressed her until she was completely naked and then he gently dried her soft young body. He did all this in a detached mood and his mind seemed to be on another level so that there was no desire and no craving. He wrapped her in several blankets and laid her back on the bunk. She stirred once and moaned a little, and then her head slipped to one side and she slept deeply.
Hagen stood looking down at her and then he turned away and stumbled into the other cabin. His feet tripped over something and he fell heavily against the table. When he looked down he saw the gold, neatly stacked on the floor. For some time he stared down at it and his brain tried to focus properly but nothing would fit into place. His conscious memory was like a jig-saw puzzle with all the pieces pulled apart and jumbled up together so that nothing made any sense. The bunk seemed to rise to meet him and he pitched head-foremost into the sleep of utter exhaustion.
He came back to life with difficulty and lay staring into the darkness for several minutes. When he swung his legs over the edge of the bunk he winced in sudden agony as pain coursed through the strained muscles of his body. His head felt heavy and there was a deadness to everything. He sat on the edge of the bunk for a few moments and then everything came back to him. For the moment the whole thing looked hopeless and he pushed himself upright and leaned on the table remembering, and it was not pleasant.
He had difficulty in co-ordinating his thoughts and with a deliberate and conscious effort he pushed the memories of the day's events back into the recesses of his mind and concentrated on the present. O'Hara - that was it. O'Hara should have awakened him. He cautiously felt his way through the cabin and went on deck.