now had Stefan. ‘We take the Georgians with us. We can’t leave them with these fucking animals.’
I stared back at him. I’d had enough of this fucker already. ‘Shut the fuck up or I’ll get one of these animals to stick a fucking rifle butt in your face. Shut it. Everyone fucking — calm — down …’
Awaale was at Erasto’s window. I walked over to him. The boss man was sitting precisely where I’d last seen him, not showing the slightest concern as he sparked up his two-hundredth Marlboro of the day.
‘Awaale, tell Erasto we have the two white guys for him. Tell him that we’ll now do the one-for-one swap. The money comes to him as the hostages come to us, OK? And then he can have the two lads in the back, and do with them what he feels like. Tell him that.’
‘No problem, Mr Nick. We’ve done this many, many times. You know, you must tell your guys to cool it.’
‘Mate, they’re not my guys, so that ain’t going to happen, is it? Tell Erasto that as soon as he gets the money he leaves with his crew. Tell him he’s to take two technicals with him, which just leaves your wagon, the two white guys, and your lads looking after them. All right? So that means everything’s calm, everything’s good, we can all relax, and you can make sure we get away. But right now, let’s all keep fingers off triggers, yeah?’
Awaale turned away from the window. ‘OK, Mr Nick.’ He gave it the full John Wayne. ‘
As I followed him towards the Cessna, Awaale started chatting like we were off to the pub for a pint. ‘So, I’ll give you my father’s number. We’ll all meet up in Minneapolis.’ He leant towards me and went back into conspiratorial mode. ‘Once I have taken over the clan I will then visit my father and tell him to come home. But, first, you’ll join us in Minneapolis, won’t you?’
‘Yep, no drama, mate. But we have to get out of here now, OK?’
I looked ahead at Joe and drew my index finger across my throat to signal that he should kill the engine.
We needed calm. No loud noises; no props turning; no fingers on triggers. We’d get the exchange done nicely and quietly and then we’d fuck off. If it did go noisy, at least we’d be doing it from a steadier platform.
Joe got the message. The electrics started winding down.
Awaale carried on talking. ‘Mr Nick, please, all is good.’ He swivelled and began walking backwards, talking coolly to his crews and motioning for them to lower their weapons.
‘That’s good, mate. It’s high time your lads took their chill pills.’
I could hear another aircraft’s electrics winding down in the distance. I peered into the gloom at the bricklike silhouette of the Skyvan.
‘Awaale — who the fuck are they?’
‘Just guys waiting to pick someone up, I suppose. Like you are doing, Mr Nick. It happens all the time.’
We now stood equidistant between the Cessna and the technicals. ‘OK, everyone, listen in!’ I felt like I was trying to marshal a school trip. ‘Everyone’s getting a bit too sparked up so we’re going to have a change of plan. This is what’s going to happen. I’m going to get the bags and bring them back here, to where we are standing right now. Have we got that so far?’
Awaale translated for his crews and Mr Lover Man mumbled away at Genghis. Frank’s lads still kept their weapons in the shoulder, no matter what the other fuckers were doing. The crews now had theirs down, held by the magazines or slung over their shoulders. A couple lit up. Another two even got on their mobiles again.
‘OK, once I start walking back with the bags, BB, Stefan and Tracy come over and meet me here. Has everybody got that? Awaale, make sure these people understand what’s going on. Shout at them, mate. I don’t want to leave any room for doubt.’
I spun round to Mr Lover Man. ‘Your friend getting this?’
He muttered something to Genghis and nodded.
Awaale went into Alexander the Great mode, rallying his troops while another cloud of cigarette smoke drifted from the back of Erasto’s technical.
BB couldn’t help himself. ‘Nick, you’ve got to fucking grip these boys. We—’
‘BB!
The crews fidgeted. The shouting was making them uneasy. Awaale kept giving them commands, but it was turning back into an argument.
I raised my hands again and slowly brought them down, as if that was going to steady the situation the way Awaale had. ‘
I turned and pointed at Mr Lover Man and Genghis. ‘That’s you as well. Fingers off triggers, lads.’
One fucking slip and this all went to rat-shit.
19
I gave it about fifteen seconds after Awaale had stopped, everybody had calmed a little and AKs were lowered. ‘OK, I’m going to start walking … now.’
I moved towards the money and lifted each bag in turn, one over the right shoulder, one over the left, making a point of hooking a finger through each of the ring-pulls. I looked at Awaale, and then at everybody else, to make sure we were all on the same page. ‘OK, let’s get walking.’
I took the first few paces towards Awaale, making sure I could see the other three coming towards me.
We all converged beside Awaale. I bent at the knees and placed the bags on the tarmac. I kept my fingers threaded through the ring-pulls.
Awaale unzipped each bag in turn and checked their contents.
‘Nothing’s changed, mate. Check the wrappers — look at where you sliced them with your thumbnail.’
‘It’s all there, Mr Nick. We trust you. It’s all there.’
I let go of the ring-pulls and tucked them inside the bags.
‘OK, mate, now you start heading to Erasto, nice and slow, nice and controlled, and then you get your crews out of here.’
‘No problem, Mr Nick, no problem.’ He lifted the bags and we both turned to go our separate ways.
‘Tracy, BB — nice and slow towards the aircraft, when I say. Tracy, don’t cross in front of the lads. Keep well to the right of them.’
If it went to rat-shit I didn’t want her in the way of their arcs of fire.
I pointed at Lover Man and Genghis. ‘We’re coming towards you.’
Five or six paces from the Cessna I turned to see the back door of Erasto’s technical open and Awaale passing over the bags. The first technical started to roll the moment the door closed again. Bob Marley filled the air once more.
Erasto’s wagon followed, but stopped level with Awaale’s. Erasto wanted to have a good look at the two Georgians. They were still on their arses on the flatbed, bollock naked, backs against the cab. The two crew guarding them laughed and pointed. Erasto’s vehicle moved off.
Mr Lover Man screamed at Joe, ‘The engine, let’s go, let’s go!’ He leant through the cargo-hold door, laid his M4 on the floor and turned to help Tracy.
Tracy ignored him and ran straight for me.
‘Nick, thank you, thank you, thank you.’ As the electrics wound up once more, she threw her arms around my neck and planted kisses all over my face. Her own was one big scabby grin.
‘Nick, thank you, thank you …’ The prop began to turn. Her words were now almost drowned by the engine.
She hugged me tighter, pulling me down so her chin rested on my right shoulder.
Awaale was waiting to exchange contact details and say goodbye but he stood back to let Tracy show her love and appreciation. Maybe he thought it was going to be his turn next. Everybody did love him so.
Her tone changed the instant her lips were at my ear. ‘BB is working with the two Georgians. That plane is theirs, Nick. They want Stefan, but he says he will kill him if I tell you. They want my baby. Please help us …
The navigation lights strobed under the fuselage. Everything unfolded around me like a series of rapid-
