Maybe today. Bob, I don't think he'll anticipate an attack on the ground station in his present mood.'
'What an intriguing observation,' Newman said thoughtfully.
'That being so,' Tweed continued, 'his army of thugs won't have been put on the alert. So what we need is one thing – a five-minute massive onslaught out of the blue. Then run.'
'My God, I think you've hit the nail on the head.'
'It's only a suggestion.' Tweed warned.
'It's one I like. Like a lot.'
Newman stood up, put on his coat and a glove on his left hand. He shook Tweed's with his right hand.
'It was worth your coming for that one idea alone. I must get back and finalize the battle plan. You'll wait here? Good. There's a small bedroom with loo and washbasin beyond that door. The staff, when I told them you were coming, have been cleaning it up. It looked OK to me before they started. See you…'
Paula was woken by a nightmare. The Motorman, a faceless hunchback, had been strangling Karin Marchat, his huge hands squeezing her throat. Behind him Paula hammered at his skull with the butt of her Browning. It seemed to have no effect. Karin was gurgling horribly. Using all her strength Paula brought the gun down on the back of the creature's head, time and time and time again. Then she woke up.
'Why the hell didn't I shoot him,' she said aloud.
'What was that?'
Newman was gently shaking her awake. He put on the bedside light, after warning her what he was doing. She stared at him, gave a gasp of relief.
'Don't bother about me. I just had a nightmare.'
'Good job I woke you, then.'
'You didn't wake me,' she snapped. 'I woke myself up.' She sat up in bed, pulled on her dressing gown. 'Is it time to go already?'
'No, and I apologize for disturbing your sleep. There's been a change of plan. I have to tell everyone. Won't be time later – we have to start so early. I've had to wake up everyone. And you didn't lock your door.'
'Sorry. I was so tired. In your room?'
'Would five minutes from now be too quick?'
'Not if you push off now…'
Paula could dress very quickly. After slopping cold water on her face, she put on leggings, both sweaters over two layers of underclothes, and her short, fur-lined coat, grabbed her shoulder bag with the Browning inside, and went to Newman's room. When he opened the door and she walked in she saw everyone had arrived.
'I came to you last.' Newman explained, 'to give you a bit more sleep.'
She looked round the room. Butler and Nield, fully dressed, sat in armchairs. Marler had adopted his usual stance, standing against a wall, smoking a king-size.
'Haven't seen you in ages,' she said, looking at Marler.
'I've been sleeping the sleep of the just.'
'Tell me how to do it sometime.' She sat down. 'Where is Philip?'
'I woke him first.' Newman told her. 'He's gone to pay a quick visit to the Marchats. He has to ask them something important which occurred to me.'
'I'll go with him.' she said, jumping up.
'Sit down!' Newman ordered. 'He left a while ago. He'll be back soon.'
'I don't like it.' she told Newman abruptly. 'He could lead The Motorman to them.'
'You have that little faith in Philip?' Newman asked ironically.
'Sorry, I'm only half-awake. I'll be compos mentis in a minute.' She saw his expression. 'All right, fire away. I'll take in whatever it is you've replanned.'
Newman explained the technique of the new plan. Paula listened carefully. When he had finished she asked her question.
'What's this new weapon?'
'Harry.' Newman said, turning to Butler, 'show Paula the weapon Tweed has brought us.'
'Tweed is here?' Paula almost yelled, then lowered her voice. 'Well, where is he, Bob?'
'Waiting at the airfield. Then he's there to take any calls that come in from Beck.'
'I'd like to see this weapon which sounds so important to the new plan. I agree your plan is brilliant.'
'Not my plan.' Newman informed her. 'Tweed thought up the whole thing while flying here in the jet. Harry, show her.'
Butler went behind a couch, picked up something, emerged with a rocket launcher, hand-held, pressed into his shoulder. Paula gazed at the large muzzle Harry was aiming at her point-blank. She thought it looked like a miniature cannon.
'Don't worry.' Harry called out to her, 'it isn't loaded.'
'Thank heavens for small mercies.' she said and smiled.
'And this is what it's loaded with, what it fires a fair distance.'
He dived behind the couch, laid the launcher on the floor, came up holding a sinister-looking shell.
'Makes quite a bang.' Harry went on. 'Newman will be the one who uses it. The rest of us are protection. Tweed brought spare shells.'
'One should do the trick.' Newman said. If it doesn't we're all in trouble.'
'I think it will work.' Paula said, ever the optimist.
There was a rapping tattoo on the door. Newman unlocked it, peered out, let in Philip, who took off his fur- lined coat as he entered. The room was now very warm.
'It's still not snowing.' he reported. 'It's cold enough to freeze the whatnots off a brass monkey but the moon casts a good light.'
'How did you get on?' Newman demanded anxiously.
'Because they recognized my voice they were going to let me in but I told them to keep the chain on the door. They were both still up, fully dressed. I suppose what Paula and I told them gave them a lot to talk about.'
'Get to the point,' Newman snapped.
'It's OK. Anton told me there are no villagers left on the Kellerhorn. A few years back there was a landslide and even the old villagers ran for it and never went back. The youngsters have gone looking for the bright lights, as Anton explained.'
'I don't quite get it.' Paula said.
'Bob was worried,' Philip explained. 'Worried that if there were still occupied villages on the mountain there could be casualties. Innocent Swiss.'
Newman decided: 'I'll explain the new plan to Philip. Lucky we got that jeep.'
'Where on earth did you get a jeep from at this hour?' enquired Paula.
'Butler and Nield – much earlier – leaned against the bell of the garage which supplied the two four-wheel- drives. The owner lives over the shop,' Newman told her. 'He wasn't pleased, I gather – until Nield showed him a fistful of Swiss banknotes. Then he could have bought the shop's whole stock. That gives us three vehicles. One is really a spare – in case a vehicle is put out of action.'
'I'm not going back to bed,' Paula decided, 'now I'm up and dressed I'm staying that way. I'd get very little extra sleep before dawn – if any.' She took off her coat.
'I'll stay up with you,' volunteered Philip, 'after Bob has finished with me. We've still got food and I can go down and persuade the night clerk to make coffee – by showing him my Walther, if necessary.'
'You are joking,' said Paula. 'Of course you are.'
'I'm staying up, too,' said Marler. 'Anyone fancy a game of poker? Provided we play for big money…'
43
A five-minute assault. Paula found the words echoing in her mind as the convoy moved off at dawn. Again a heavy mist had descended over Sion as had been the case when Philip and Paula had first arrived in the town. Its
