jherbert.sepulchre-第38部分

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radioed　his　HQ　for　a　helicopter　to　evacuate　casualties；　but　enemy　fire…power　was　so　fierce　the　damn　thing　couldn't　even　land。　The　captain　took　over　the　second　fort's　gun　position；　the　guerrillas　no　more　than　thirty　yards　away；　and　nearly　had　his　head　chopped　off　by　machine…gun　fire。　Men　were　being　cut　down　around　him；　but　not　for　one　moment　did　the　captain　consider　giving　the　order　for　surrender。　No；　no　chance　of　that。　From　his　position；　he　was　able　to　site　targets　for　two　Strikemaster　jets　that　had　arrived　to　lend　support；　but　still　the　battle　raged。
　　'At　last；　a　relief　squadron　flew　in　from　Salalah　to　assist；　and　the　rebels；　already　stopped　in　their　tracks　and　their　numbers　considerably　depleted；　gave　up　the　ghost　and　fled。　A　quite　remarkable　resistance　by　the　manding　officer　and　his　men；　and　the　rebel　forces　never　really　recovered　from　the　defeat；　although　it　took　another　four　years　for　the　war　to　end。
　　'I　believe　that　battle　affected　Liam　in　two　ways；　the　first　being　that　he　was　involved　in　a　carnage　of　mindless　ferocity；　and　he；　himself；　had　dealt　out　much　of　it；　and　the　second　was　that　he　was　shown　an　example　of　outstanding　courage　by　his　manding　officer…a　captain；　don't　forget…which　I'm　sure　he　imagined　his　own　father　had　been　capable　of。　Yet　the　battle　was　never　〃officially〃　recognised　by　his　own　government；　even　though　he　was　awarded　a　Military　Medal　for　his　actions；　and　the　captain　a　DSO。　That　and　the　fact　that　he　was　unclear　in　his　own　mind　as　to　whether　he　was　on　the　side　of　the　〃goodies〃　or　the　〃baddies〃　made　him　rather　cynical　about　war　itself。　Worse　was　to　follow。
　　'Seven　years　later；　that　same　captain；　a　man　he　had　e　to　admire　and　respect；　by　then　promoted　to　major；　died　from　exposure　during　an　SAS　exercise　on　the　Brecon　Beacons。　A　totally　wasteful　death　which　so　filled　Liam　with　disgust　that　he　resigned　from　the　army　shortly　after。
　　'He　became　a　mercenary；　using　conflict　for　his　own　ends；　which　were　purely　financial；　rather　than　allowing　it　to　use　him。　I　observed　from　a　great　distance；　learning　of　his　activities　through　contacts　I　had　in　various　countries　and；　it　must　be　confessed；　I　was　saddened；　appalled　even；　by　what　I　heard。　Although　it　was　never　said　that　he　killed　indiscriminately；　or　ever　used　violence　when　it　could　be　avoided；　he　had　a　reputation　for　being　utterly　ruthless　as　far　as　his　enemies　were　concerned…and　enemies　were　defined　as　those　being　on　the　side　of　those　not　paying　his　wages。'　Mather　noticed　that　Cora　did　not　appear　shocked；　nor　even　surprised；　it　was　as　though　he　had　merely　confirmed　her　own　suspicions　about　Halloran。
　　'A　few　years　ago　I　began　recruiting　for　Achilles'　Shield；'　he　went　on。　'Ex…SAS　officers　make　extremely　good　operatives；　so　they　were　my　prime　targets。　I'd　lost　all　contact　with　Liam　by　then…it　may　be　that　I　was　afraid　of　what　he'd　bee…but　something　inside　urged　me　to　seek　him　out；　a　niggling　guilt　perhaps；　a　feeling　that　it　was　I　who　had　let　him　down。　It　may　possibly　have　been　nothing　more　than　a　nagging　curiosity。
　　'I　eventually　located　him　in　Moshupa；　a　small　township　in　Botswana；　very　close　to　the　border　of　South　Africa。　lie　was　training　ANC　guerrillas　for　incursions　into　their　homeland　where　they　would　wreak　as　much　destruction　as　possible　before　stealing　back　across　the　border　to　the　neighbouring　state。　But　Liam　was　a　far　different　person　from　the　young　man　I　had　e　to　know。　He　seemed　。　。　。　empty。　As　though　what　he　was　doing；　the　killers　and　saboteurs　he　was　training；　the　awful　conditions　he　was　living　in；　meant　nothing　at　all　to　him。　He　didn't　even　register　surprise　when　I　turned　up；　only　a　chilly　kind　of　amusement。　When　I　spoke　with　Liam　it　was　like　talking　to　someone　drained　of　emotion；　but　gradually　I　began　to　realise　he　possessed　an　inner　seething　that　frightened　me　more　than　anything　else　about　him。　God　knows　what　he'd　been　involved　in　after　resigning　from　the　British　Army；　but　its　mark　had　been　left。　No；　he　hadn't　been　brutalised；　it　was　as　though　he'd　bee　immunised　against　outrage；　wickedness；　against　caring。　As　I　said；　that　was　on　the　surface：　inside；　emotions　were　being　stifled；　held　so　firmly　in　check　that　I　suspect　even　he　was　unaware　they　were　there。　Or　perhaps　he　glimpsed　them　now　and　again；　yet　refused　to　let　them　rise；　refused　to　be　influenced　by　them。　I　was　sure　I'd　e　at　exactly　the　right　time；　couldn't　help　but　feel　I'd　been　nudged　by　some　inner　instinct　of　my　own；　because　I　could　tell　that　Liam　had　had　enough；　he　was　ready　to　break。　Those　suppressed　emotions…his　own　selfhatred…were　about　to　erupt。
　　'He　wouldn't　admit　it；　not　even　to　himself；　but　I　think　he　saw　me　as　some　kind　of　lifeline；　a　means　of　dragging　himself　from　that　moral　squalor　he'd　sunk　into。　As　for　me；　I　was　only　too　happy　to　throw　down　the　rope。
　　'Liam　told　me　he　had　discovered　there　were　no　absolutes。　No　absolute　right　or　wrong；　no　absolute　good　or　evil。　There　were　degrees　of　everything。　Once　you　accepted　that…truly　accepted　it；　he　insisted…you　were　able　to　set　your　own　balance；　you　understood　the　bounds　within　which　you　could　function　without　guilt　clawing　at　you；　tainting　your　thoughts　and　so　hindering　your　actions。　And　he　said　that　virtue；　righteousness；　whatever　you　like　to　call　it；　often　held　little　sway　over　evil；　because　its　own　rules　inhibited。　Sometimes　only　evil　could　defeat　another　evil。　Degrees；　he　kept　repeating；　the　lesser　against　the　greater。
　　'None　of　it　made　much　sense　to　me；　but　it　indicated　the　slough　of　despair　he　was　wallowing　in。　No；　perhaps　despair　suggests　self…pity；　and　the　man　I　spoke　to　was　too　hardened　for　that。　Pessimism　might　be　a　more　appropriate　word；　cynicism　even　better。　Anyway；　he　agreed　to　return　to　England　with　me　and　work　for　Achilles'　Shield；　protecting　lives　instead　of　the　opposite。
　　In　my　opinion；　that　change　was　vital　for　Liam；　because　it　pulled　him　back　from　the　brink。'　Cora；　who　had　been　listening　quietly　throughout；　finally　；poke。　'He　was　that　close　。　。　。　？'
　　'In　my　opinion；'　Mather　reasserted。　'It　may　be　an　oldfashioned　notion　on　my　part；　but　when　all　probity　is　lost；　total　degradation　is　swift　to　follow。　It　seemed　to　me　at　the　time　that　Liam　had　almost　lost　all　reasonable　values。'　The　girl　looked　down　at　her　hands　and　Mather　wondered　if　he　had　embarrassed　her。　Were　his　ideas　too　rigid；　or　too　'quaint'　for　these　racy　times？　Probably；　but　no　less　valid　for　that；　he　reassured　himself。
　　'And　has　he　changed？'　Cora　asked　softly。
　　'Well；　he's　been　with　Shield　for　over　six　years　now；　and　in　many　ways　he's　the　best　operative　we　have。　Yes；　he　has　changed。'　Mather　smiled。　'But　just　how　much；　I　really　can't　say。'
　　　
　　　
　　　29　RECONNOITRE
　　
　　They　drove　past　the　gates；　all　three　occupants　of　the　car　peering　round；　looking　along　the　uneven　drive　to　see　where　it　led。　Unfortunately　it　curved　into　woodland　which　obscured　any　further　view。
　　With　a　nod　of　his　head；　the　front　passenger　indicated　the　old　lodge…house　set　to　one　side　of　the　big　iron　gates。　The　car　did　not　slow　down。
　　They　studied　the　high　wall　as　the　car　picked　up　a　steady　speed　once　more；　and　then　the　dense　trees　and　undergrowth　when　the　weathered　brickwork　ran　out。　They　travelled　a　long　way　before　a　narrow　lane　came　up　on　the　left。　The　driver　steered　into　it；　the　other　two　occupants　continuing　to　study　the　hedges　that　bordered　the　left…hand　side　of　the　lane。　Presently　they　were　able　to　catch　brief　glimpses　of　downward　slopes；　woodland；　a　lake。　The　man　in　the　backseat　told　the　driver　to　stop　the　car。
　　Although　their　view　was　restricted　by　the　trees　closest　to　the　lane；　they　could　just　make　out　what　appeared　to　be　a　red…stoned　building　on　the　far　shore　of　the　lake；　nestled　beneath　low　hills。　Reluctant　to　linger　too　long；　the　back　passenger　instructed　the　driver　to　move　on。
　　The　lane　joined　a　wider　road　and　again　the　car　turned　left；　maintaining　a　casual　speed；　neither　fast；　nor　slow。　There　were　bends　and　dips　along　the　route；　but　the　observers'　attention　rarely　wavered　from　the　heavily　wooded　countryside　on　their　left。　Through　his　rearview　mirror；　the　driver　noticed　another　vehicle　approaching　from　behind。　It　was　a　Granada　and　he　mentioned　the　fact　to　his　panions。　It　slowed　down；　keeping　a　distance　of　forty　or　fifty　yards　away；　following　without　pressurising　the　lead　car　into　hurrying。
　　The　driver　of　the　first　vehicle　watched　for　a　road　to　e　up　on　his　right。　One　did；　and　he　drove　on　by。　Soon　another　appeared；　again　to　his　right；　and　this　one　he　took。
　　In　his　mirror　he　saw　the　Granada　pass　along　the　road　they　hid　left；　its　two　occupants　staring　after　them。　It　quickly　vanished　from　view；　but　the　driver　of　the　first　car　kept　on　going；　picking　up　speed。
　　Only　when　they　had　travelled　a　mile　or　so　further　did　he　pull　in　by　the　side　of　the　road　and　turn　to　look　at　his　panions。
　　The　passenger　in　the　back　nodded。　From　what　they'd　seen　so　far；　the　scar…faced　man　（when　they　had　finally　broken　him）　had　been　quite　correct：　the　estate　was　large；　very　large　indeed。
　　　
　　　
　　　30　RETRIBUTION　IN　DARKNESS
　　
　　Quinn…Reece　was　alone　in　his　office　on　the　eighteenth　floor　of　the　Magma　Corporation。
　　The　tiniest　smile　of　satisfaction　twitched　his　lips　as　he　pleted　the　last　paragraph　of　the　report　concerning　the　Papua　New　Guinea　copper　situation。　A　report　that　Felix　Kline　had　requested　he　provide　before　leaving　the　building；　so　that　the　chairman　could　call　a　forward　planning　meeting　after　he　had　broken　the　news　to　the　board　of　directors　on　Monday　morning。
　　Did　they　really　hope　to　retrieve　the　situation？　Exploration　rights　for　that　particular　area　of　land　had　already　been　granted　to　Consolidated　Ores；　and　not　even　if　Magma's　bribe　to　the　government　officials　involved　outmatched　their　rival　pany's　could　the　agreement　he　rescinded。
　　He　gathered　the　papers　together　on　his　desk。　They　would　be　ready　for　his　secretary　to　tpe　first　thing　in　the　morning。　Rarely　a　happy　man；　Quinn…Reece…　allowed　his　smile　to　broaden。　He　was　pleased　with　the　wording；　for　it　emphasised；　in　all　due　modesty；　of　course；　his　strenuous　efforts　to　secure　those　rights　before　anyone　else　got　wind　of　the　find；　continuously　trying　to　contact　their　agent　on　the　island　by　telephone；　telex　and　even　personal　messenger　to　his　hotel。　Unfortunately；　the　man　could