They hid the radio in the oven in the kitchen of the little house. Kernel left Sadat's home and drove from Kubri al-Qubbah back to Zarnalek On the way he considered how he was to cover up his role in the events of the night.
His story would have to tally with that of the sergeant who Vandam had sent for help, so he would have to admit that he had received the phone call Perhaps he would say that, before alerting the British he had gone to the houseboat himself to investigate, in case 'Major Vandam' was an impostor. What then? He had searched the towpath and the bushes for Vandam, and then be, too, had been knocked on the head. The snag was that he would not have stayed unconscious all these hours. So he would have to say that he bad been tied up. Yes, he would sty he had been tied up and had just managed to free himself Then he and Vandam would board the houseboat-and find it empty.
It would serve.
He parked his car and went cautiously down to the towpath. Looking into the shrubbery, he figured out roughly where he had left Vandam He went into the bushes thirty or forty yards away from that spot. He lay down on the ground and rolled over to make his clothes dirty, then he rubbed some of the sandy soil on his face and ran his fingers through his hair then, rubbing his wrists to make them look sore, he went in search of Vandam
He found him exactly where he had left him. The bonds were still tight and the gag still in place. Vandam looked at Kernel with wide, staring eyes.
Kernel said: 'My God they got you, too!'
He bent down, removed the gag, and began to untie Vandam 'The sergeant contacted me,' he explained. 'I came down here looking for you. And the next thing I knew, I woke up bound and gagged with a headache. That was hours ago. I just got free.'
Vandam said nothing.
Kernel threw the rope aside. Vandam stood up stiffly. Kemel said: 'How do you feel?'
'I'm all right.'
'Let's board the houseboat and see what we can find,' Kemel said. He turned around.
As soon as Kernel tamed his back, Vandam stepped forward and hit him as hard as he possibly could with an edge-of-the hand blow to the back of the neck. It might have killed Kemel, but Vandam did not care. Vandam had been bound and gagged and he had been unable to see the towpath but he had been able to hear: 'I'm Kemel. You must be Wolff.' That was how he knew that Kernel had betrayed him. Kemel had not thought of that possibility, obviously. Since overhearing those words, Vandam had been seething, and all his pent-up anger had gone into the blow.
Kernel lay on the ground, stunned. Vandam rolled him over, searched him and found the gun. He used the rope that had bound his own hands to tie Kemel's hands behind his back. Then he slapped Kemel's face until he came around.
'Get up,' Vandam said.
Kemel looked blank, then fear came into his eyes. 'What are you doing?'
Vandam kicked him. 'Kicking you,' he said. 'Get UP. Kernel struggled to his feet. 'Turn around.'
Kernel turned around. Vandam took hold of Kernel's collar with his left hand, keeping the gun in his right.
'Move.'
They walked to the houseboat. Vandam pushed Kernel ahead, up the gangplank and across the deck.
'Open the hatch.'
Kemel put the toe of his shoe into the handle of the hatch and lifted it open.
'Go down.'
Awkwardly, with his bands tied, Kernel descended the ladder. Vandam bent down to look inside. There was nobody there. He went quickly down the ladder. Pushing Kernel to one side, he pulled back the curtain, covering the space behind with the gun.
He saw Sonja in bed, sleeping.
'Get in there,' he told Kemel.
Kernel went through and stood beside the head of the bed.
'Wake her.'
Kernel touched Sonja with his foot. She turned over, rolling away from him, without opening her eyes. Vandam realized vaguely that she was naked. He reached over and tweaked her nose. She opened her eyes and sat up immediately, looking, cross. She recognized Kernel, then she saw Vandam with the gun.
She said: 'What's going on?'
Then she and Vandam said simultaneously: 'Where's Wolff?' Vandam was quite sure she was not dissembling. It was clear now that Kemel had warned Wolff, and Wolff had fled without waking Sonja Presumably he had taken Elene with him-although Vandam could not imagine why.
Vandam put the gun to Sonja's chest, just below her left breast. He spoke to Kernel. 'I'm going to ask you a question. If you give the wrong answer, she dies. Understand?'
Kemel nodded tensely.
Vandam said: 'Did Wolff send a radio message at midnight last night?'
'No!' Sonja screamed. 'No, he didn't, he didn't!'
'What did happen here?' Vandam asked, dreading the answer.
