It was the last thing the Libyan would ever see. Barnard's bullet
struck him right between the eyes.
Hearing the shot, two more Libyans leaped through the Arinscor's doors.
Captain Barnard shot them both through the head. Struggling to breathe
through the blood in his throat, the South African thrust his pistol
through the shattered windshield and fired wildly at the Libyans grouped
around the howitzer.
'Hold your positions!' Major Karami shouted.
The 105mm howitzer stood only twenty meters from the Arinscor.
Two of Captain Barnard's bullets struck the barrel of the big gun,
sending several Libyans scurrying for cover, but Major Karami stood
still as stone.
'Hold your positions!' he roared. 'Set elevation and blow that pile of
shit out of my way!'
For an artillery piece the shot was point blank. Everyone opened their
mouths and put both hands over their ears. Major Karami raised one
brown hand high, then dropped it.
'Fire!
Pieter Smuts's bullet struck Gadi square in the center of the chest. The
Israeli flew backward and knocked Stern down. Gadi had fired a burst,
but only one round struck the Afrikaner, splintering his left wrist in a
spray of blood and bone. Before either man could move again, the
exploding howitzer shell shook-the ceiling of the basement like a
thunderclap.
'They're coming!' Hans shouted.
Hauer saw the subsequent action in slow motion. Smuts steadied his
pistol for a second shot. Gadi-who had been saved by his body
armor-struggled to his feet. Hauer shouted a warning to Smuts, but the
Afrikaner fired anyway.
His second shot tore through Gadi's unprotected right thigh.
As Hauer heard the second howitzer shell explode above them, he raised
General Steyn's pistol, pointed it at Smuts and fired four times.
His bullets nailed the Afrikaner to the wall. Smuts hung there a
moment, wide-eyed, then dropped like a sack across his master's crippled
legs.
'Pieter!' Hess cried. 'My God, no!'
Another explosion shuddered through the house.
'It's now or bloody never!' Burton shouted. He too last look at Hess
on the floor, then he turned and ran.
'Everyone out!' Stern ordered. 'Now! Go!'
Hauer hustled General Steyn toward the dark laboratory aisles that led
to the tunnels, but the wounded general collapsed after ten steps.
HAuer started dragging him; Hans came back to help. Dr. Sabri glanced
fearfully at Gadi, then darted after the others.
'May I come with you, sir?' he asked Hauer.
Hauer shoved the Libyan down the aisle, then turned back to Stern.
'Give us every goddamn second you can, Stern!
These people deserve to live! Keep your fanatic nephew with you and
hold them off as long as you can!'
'Don't worry, you Kraut bastard!' Gadi yelled back, gripping his
bleeding thigh. 'I'm staying! I'll kill every Arab up there!'
'No, Gadif' Stern insisted. 'You're going with them! You must get Hess
out!'
'I'm staying with your' Gadi pointed his assault rifle at the old Nazi.
'Go to hell, you Nazi bastard!'
Stern grabbed his arm. 'Stop! You must take Hess to Israel! Pick him
up, Gadi! Pick him up and carry him out of here! Carry him all the way
to Jerusalem! He'll hang soon enough!'
Hauer and the others had paused halfway to the tunnel.
All eyes were riveted on the surreal drama taking place in the pool of
fluorescent light before the silver storage vault.
Even facing their own deaths, those who wanted so desperately to live
could not tear their eyes away from two men so ready to die without fear
or regret. Another explosion rattled the glassware in the lab.
'The Englishman's gone!' Hans shouted. 'Let's go!'
Dr. Sabri broke and ran. Hans shoved Ilse after the Libyan.
Stern squatted astride the bomb and picked up the stripped detonator
wires.
'Mother of God,' Hauer murmured, blcking toward the shadows.
Gadi stubbornly took up a firing position behind Stern.
Stern turned around and gazed into the young commando's burning eyes.
His voice cracked with emotion. 'In the name of Abraham, Gadi, take
Hess to Israel. That is not an order.
It is a sacred charge on the souls of your ancestors. Leave me a gun
and get Hess out!'
A tear streaked the young Israeli's face. With shaking hands he laid
his rifle against the bomb casing and crossed to where Hess lay.
Favoring his good leg, he crouched down, caught the old man under the
arms, and lifted. Hess immediately began to struggle. Gadi punched him
in the side of the head. Then he heaved the wasted body over his
shoulder.
'Yes!' Stern called. 'Get him out!'
Quivering beneath his hundred-pound load, the wounded Israeli staggered
after Hauer and Hans. Yet after only four short steps his savaged thigh
muscle gave way. He crashed to the floor, screaming in agony. Hess
fell on top of him.
Gadi clenched his jaws shut and rolled the old man off.
Then, with his bloody thigh twitching uncontrollably, he struggled to
his feet again. Again he hoisted Hess to his shoulder and tried to
walk. He gasped with each step, fighting the searing fire in his leg.
Like a boxer knocked senseless but still on his feet, he reeled backward
toward Stern.
'No, Gadi!' Stern barked. 'The other way! Forward!'
The young commando tottered a moment, then collapsed.
Hess hit the floor hard this time and didn't move. Sobbing with rage
and pain, Gadi got to his knees and tried once more to lift the old man.
He summoned every ounce of strength he had left, but Smuts's bullet had
done too much damage.
46I can't do it, Uncle! I'll never get him through the tunnel!'
