to the visiting room' General Steyn stalked out.
Barnard drew a pistol and leveled it at Graaff. 'Give me an excuse, you
bloody bastard.'
Hauer faced General Steyn across the long wooden table used to separate
prisoners from their visitors. He had a bloody towel wrapped around his
bared shoulders. Captain Barnard stood stiffly behind his superior.
Gadi Abrams sat at Hauer's left. Hauer had brushed aside their concern
over his injuries and immediately gone over to the offensive.
'I simply don't have time to explain everything you want to know,
General,' he repeated. 'Stern needs your help.'
'I'm afraid that's just not good enough,' General Steyn said.
'Jonas Stern is a good friend of mine, a damn fine intelligence officer.
He's a friend to this country. But I simply cannot agree to help
without knowing more.'
Hauer sighed. Stern had told him to call out the NISin full strength-to
request whatever was necessary to take Alfred Horn's isolated fortress
by storm. But after what he had seen of Major Graaff, Hauer didn't
share Stern's confidence in the South Africans who would be called upon
to carry out that attack.
'General, did Captain Barnard inform you of the code word Stern told me
to repeat to you?'
General Steyn's jaw muscles flexed. 'He did.'
'And still you won't agree to help me?'
Captain Hauer, the South African government does not yield to blackmail.
If by some remote misfortune Jonas Stern has seen fit to confide in you
the true meaning of that code word-and if you have been trumpefing it
about-I may decide that Major Graaff's tactics were lenient. Do you
understand? Now, do you know the meaning of that code word?'
Hauer nodded slowly. 'It's Hebrew. Literally, it means going up to
Zion.'' General Steyn's face flushed. 'Leave us please, Captain
Barnard.'
Barnard reluctantly obeyed.
'General,' Hauer said gravely, 'Aliyah Beth is a secret contingency plan
that mandates the evacuation by sea and air of South Africa's entire
nuclear weapons arsenal and fuel stocks to Israel in the event of armed
insurrection by the black population. This move will be considered a
redeployment of weapons, as the warheads will remain under the control
of the South African government@' 'My God, ' General Steyn breathed.
'Stern's gone mad.'
'No!' Hauer argued. 'General, Stern knew that the dimensions of this
crisis are such that any other consideration pales beside it. I'm
telling you that a nuclear threat exists now-inside this country!'
General Steyn slammed his fist down on the table. 'Then I'll have the
bloody -details now, Captain! Even if I have to torture you to get
them!'
'You wouldn't get them in time, General. I'm sorry, but that's the way
it is. Don't you understand? Your men can't be trusted.
Major Graaff was on your personal staff, for God's sake! One phone call
from an informant could bring about the very disaster that Stern is
trying to avert. A nuclear weapon could be detonated before we leave
this building!'
General Steyn came to his feet, knocking his chair to the floor.
Startled, Captain Barnard rushed in with pistol drawn.
'It's all right, Barnard,' the general said. The Afrikaner towered over
Hauer. 'Tell me something, Captain. What does Stern have to do with
this? How is Israel involvedt' Hauer had been dreading this question.
'General,' he said slowly, 'all I can tell you is that a madman
possesses a nuclear weapon within the borders of your country.
It could be detonated at any moment. In my opinion, any political
considerations are secondary.'
'Political considerations are never secondary, Captain.
More's the pity. What about Thomas Horn? What's he got to do with all
this?'
Hauer knew he had to tread carefully beri. 'General, how would you
describe -Herr Horn's ties to the South African government?'
'Well, he's what some would call a power broker, a behind-the-scenes
type. Very reclusive. But I understand he's a force to be reckoned
with in the ultraconservative encloves. Very chummy with the old
Afrikaner stock. It's the military Horn's tied to, you see. As you
probably know, during the last few decades South Africa has been forced
to become self-sufficient in many areas@specially defense. We build
everything from bullets to heavy artillery and aircraft.
We're damned proud of it, too. As you.might imagine, anyone with Thomas
Horn's industrial clout is courted constantly. His money and factories
have produced untold amounts of ordnance for the army. He's involved in
some very sensitive defense projects. I imagine-' General Steyn's voice
faltered. 'My God. Horn is the sourre of this nuclear threat? But ...
but he's one of the most patriotic men in the country!'
'Perhaps,' Gadi said, speaking for the first time, 'Mr.
Horn isn't who he appears to be.'
General Steyn eyed the Israeli suspiciously. 'Just who the devil do you
think he is, lad?'
When Gadi didn't reply, the general turned to Hauer.
'What is it you want me to do, Captain? Exactly?'
Hauer looked straight into General Steyn's eyes. 'I want you to place a
small group of men under my command and give me until midnight before
you call out the army.'
The general gaped in astonishment. 'You're mad! You're asking me to
place South African officers under the command of a foreign policeman?
So that he can carry out an unsanctioned and illegal operation within
this republic? Is that what you're asking?'
'I'm not asking.' Hauer's eyes were flat and steady. 'I'm demanding
it.'
General Steyn reddened in outrage. 'You're not in a position to demand
a bloody toothpick!'
Hauer looked pointedly at his watch. 'General, I have a man waiting in
Pretoria for a telephone call. He has a full description of Plan Aliyah
Beth. If he does not receive that call in the next twelve minutes, he
will call the New York Times, the London Daily Telegraph, CNN, Der
