Island in the Sky
Page 25
Fang lifted the cooled mould out of the water trough and dismantled the two halves carefully. The solid gold weight dropped onto the wooden bench top. I held the lead balance weight from the Cessna 402 elevator control alongside the golden copy. It was more than a coincidence the shape matched precisely.
“Perfect, Fang,” I said contentedly. “Drill it to the correct weight and dip it in the molten lead.”
Every flight to Cairns had been made with lead-plated gold weights installed on the elevator balance arms. To date, Customs officials hadn’t detected the deception, their efforts concentrated on drugs. Each return flight was carried out with original lead weights re-installed and returned to Cairns, ready for our next flight. Jake cooled the gold weight and dipped it again into the molten lead, making a second coat.
“Let it cool, Jake,” said Fang. “Then we’ll give it the scratch test.”
“One more flight, and it’s all over. We’ll run a legitimate business from then on. But keep up the missionary image while I’m away!”
“The lead’s hard. Give it a try!”
I borrowed Fang’s knife and scratched the surface of the lead-plated gold weight; only lead was visible.
We worked on, knowing that this would be the last time we would have to perform this particular operation.
“What’s the all-up load for a 402?” asked Fang matter of factly.
I thought for a moment before answering. “About 1100 kilos depending on fuel quantities. Why?”
“You know when we passed through Moresby the other day, I met a few mates who offered me a deal.”
“What sort of a deal?”
“They’ve got a huge supply of ex-army FN Automatic Carbines on the black market for three hundred bucks each, in lots of one hundred or more. As you know, the Papuan Liberation Movement in West Irian are fighting for independence. It’s common knowledge they want every FN they can get their hands on. Trouble is, the guns are in Darwin and they’d have to be delivered to West Irian. Also, it’s reasonable to assume that the aircraft could have a profitable back load of illegal immigrants to PNG.” Fang paused, looking at me expectantly.
“Gun-running,” I said at last. “No thanks, Fang. Got to draw the line somewhere. After we finish getting this gold into Australia, we’d better stick to the straight-and-narrow for a long while.”
But Fang pressed on. “The way I see it, it’s simply a matter of supply and demand—almost a public service, assisting in the liberation of the West Irian people.”
“You should have been a diplomat,” I said sarcastically.
“These characters have an unlimited supply of guns and other munitions!”
I cut off Fang’s sales pitch. “Not interested under any circumstances. Forget about it!”
The conversation ceased as we finalised the treatment of the last golden elevator weights.
Fang broke the silence again.
“Depending where you deliver them, the PLM are willing to pay between two and three thousand US dollars for each carbine.”
I heard Jan gasp. My hands were trembling as I inspected the last gold weight, my mind making a futile attempt at calculation.
“How much does an FN automatic weigh?” I said at last.
Also by R.B. Shaw
Fire Cult
Gunrunning, intrigue, tribal cults and lost gold
amid the erupting volcanic islands of New Guinea
Dave Stark is salvaging a crashed jetliner while Fang Mitchell is gunrunning in a revamped warplane. They are recruited by two suspicious Japanese to search for their lost father’s remains … or a fortune in stolen gold dust. In a race to find the gold, they trek through the jungled river gorges and primitive tribes of the Finisterre Ranges, following an elusive trail of ancient clues.
There is only one man who can help, Ted, a tormented old soldier haunted by horrific nightmares of Japanese atrocities, fanatical cults and erupting volcanoes. The minute Ted steps onto the trail he embarks on a tortuous journey of self-discovery. Their quest climaxes violently amid volcanic eruptions on an exotic island controlled by a demonic chief and his fireworshipping cult. Planes, helicopters and boats clash in a final deadly pursuit across the Bismarck Sea.
‘… Fire Cult is a ripping good yarn with equal appeal for both male and female readers. R.B. Shaw is a storyteller with an awesome talent and a gift for gripping descriptive prose. Claims by his agent that he could become Australia’s answer to Wilbur Smith could well be taken seriously.
This engrossing novel has a most ingenious plot with an ongoing sense of immediacy. The build up of tension and suspense keeps one turning the pages. This fast paced tale of heroism, terror and sickening sadism would be perfect for a thrill-a-minute action movie.’
Writespot International
‘… This is R.B. Shaw’s second novel. Many will remember ‘Island in the Sky’, an excellent yarn written by someone with personal experience. His ability to conceive a plot and tell it well was also most evident. When I reviewed it, his fast racy style and descriptions of the countryside delighted me. ‘Fire Cult’ does not disappoint. Shaw holds the reader’s attention from start to finish.
I intended reading ‘Fire Cult’ on the plane to U.K., but two days prior I made the ‘mistake’ of opening the first page. I had long since finished it before I left – such was the fervour with which I devoured the story. In the finale the reader is constantly excited as the book builds to a thrilling climax.’
David Cooke, former reviewer, AOPA
‘Fire Cult’, Robert Shaw’s second novel, testifies to his worthiness of the title ‘wordsmith’. The story is set in a country he loves – Papua New Guinea, its stunningly beautiful geographic features matched with fine descriptions, images that are indelible.
The story is gold-fever ‘driven’, a search for booty hidden from Japanese invaders in WW11. Shaw depicts his characters through lively and gutsy dialogue. The author knows what flying machines can do, and his characters use them ‘to the max’!
In this fine entertaining novel, author Shaw weaves a credible and exciting story with many strands. He brings to us a parade of vivid images born of real life experience.
Adrian Geyle, Book Review, Una Voce magazine.
COMING SOON!
DEVIL’S CHARIOT
A civil war rages in Bougainville—a war of independence or a war of copper royalties?
Greedy mercanaries need this bloody conflict to continue. They eagerly await their deadly cargo of Russian weapons and attack helicopters. Off Bougainville, the Empress Maru transports peace negotiators—and a fortune in refined platinum. The freighter is hijacked by a ruthless rebel splinter group supported by the mercenaries. A horrific rampage of rape, torture and murder begins.
A rescue team of pilots are recruited, supported by elite commandos. Using helipcopter gunships, they recapture the ship and its cargo. But a ruthless predator, a rogue Hind helicopter piloted by determined mercenaries, foils their plan and the rescuers are shot down.
Lost in the jungles of Bougainville, the marooned rescuers discover that time is running out, as eager bands of savage rebels and brutal mercenaries close in on them. They thirst for blood, women, butchery and platinum. The Hind, the mercenaries’ lethal bird of prey, haunts the skies above. The deadly ordeal that follows is a harrowing nightmare of terror, death and destruction.
ORDER FORM
(photocopy okay)
Please send me: Devil’s Chariot (on release) $23.95 post paid
Fire Cult $17.95 post paid
Also available at aviation shops and selected book stores
Cheque or money order for _______________ to:
R.B. Shaw, c/o Tropicana Press
PO Box 385, Padstow NSW 2211, AUSTRALIA
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land in the Sky