another few seconds before Hugo recognized him.
“Christ! It’s the boss!” Hugo felt alarm flare in his stomach and chest, it tightened his breathing.
Benedict van der Byl jumped down on to the deck of Wild Goose at the moment she touched the jetty.
“What’s happened?” Benedict demanded as he barged into the wheelhouse.
“I thought you were in hospital,” Hugo countered.
“Who told you that?”
“Your sister.”
“You’ve seen her? Where is she?”
“I took her out to Kingfisher. Like you said. She went out to deal with Lance.”
“Deal with Lance! She’s with him, you idiot, she’s not with us. She knows the whole deal. Everything!”
“She told me-” Hugo was appalled. But Benedict cut him short.
“The whole thing’s blown up. We’ve got to clear out.
Get your crew to load those drums of dieseline into the hold. How are your water tanks?”
“Full.”
“Food?”
“We are stocked up.”
“For how long?”
“Three weeks - at a push, four.”
“Thank God for that.” Benedict looked relieved. “This storm will blow another three days - we’ll have that much start. They’ll never find us in this. By the time it clears we’ll be well on our way.”
“Where to - Angola?”
“God, no! We have to get well clear. South America.”
“South America!”
“Yes - we can do it, carrying extra fuel.” Hugo was silent a moment, becoming accustomed to the idea.
“We can do it,” Benedict repeated.
“Yes.” Hugo nodded. “We can do it,” he agreed thoughtfully. For the first time he examined Benedict closely. He saw that he was in an emotional and physical mess, his bloodshot eyes were sunk into deep plum-coloured hollows, dark new heard covered his jowls, and there was a gaunt hunted look to him - like some fugitive animal.
He was filthy with dust, and there was a streak of something that could have been dried vomit down the front of his jacket.
“But what do we do when we get there?” For the first time since he had known Benedict he felt in control. This was the time to deal, to make bargains.
“We’ll get ashore on some deserted spot, and then we split up and disappear.”
“What about money?” Hugo spoke carefully. He glanced down at the shotgun. Benedict’s hands were fidgety and restless on the weapon.
“I’ve got money.” “How much?” Hugo asked.
“Enough.” Benedict blinked cautiously.
“For me also?” Hugo prodded him, and Benedict nodded.
“How much for me?“Hugo went on.
“Ten thousand.”
“Pounds?”
“pounds,” Benedict agreed.
“That’s not enough.” Hugo shook his head. “I’ll need more than that.”
“Twenty.” Benedict increased his bid, but he knew he was playing from weakness into strength. Ruby was lying mutilated in his study, the net was probably being spread for him already.
“Fifty,” said Hugo decisively.
“I haven’t that much.”
“Who are you kidding, Buster!” Hugo snorted. “You’ve been stacking it away for years.” Benedict let the barrels of the shotgun swing towards Hugo’s belly suggestively.
“Go ahead,” Hugo grinned at him, screwing up his pale albino eyes.
“That’ll leave you to paddle this canoe - you want to try it? You’d pile her up on the bar at the entrance that’s how far you’d get.”
Benedict swung the barrels aside.
“Fifty,” he agreed.
“Right!” Hugo spoke briskly. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”
Wild Goose was clear of the land, and of the towering blinding dust clouds. The following seas came sweeping up under her stern urging her on her westward flight, while the high-pitched shriek of the wind in her rigging cried to her to hasten.
“Why don’t you get down below and grab some sleep?” Hugo said. He found Benedict’s restless haunting presence in the crowded wheelhouse disconcerting.
Benedict ignored the suggestion. “Switch on the radio,” he said.
“What for? You’ll get nothing on the set.”
“We are out of the dust, Benedict replied. “We might pick up a police message.” The image of Ruby was so clear in his mind. He wanted to know if they’d found her yet. He felt his gorge rising again. That head - oh God - that head! He crossed quickly to the radio set and switched it on.
“They won’t be on to us yet,” said Hugo, but Benedict was manipulating the dials - searching the tortured radio waves. The static wailed and gibbered and shrieked like a maniac.
“Turn it off,” snapped Hugo, and at that moment a voice cut in on them.
“ - Wild Goose,” said the voice from the loudspeaker quite clearly. Benedict crouched eagerly over the set, his hands busy on the dials, and Hugo came up beside him.
Come in, Wild Goose. This is Kingfisher. I repeat, come in Wild
Goose-” Benedict and Hugo looked at each other. “Don’t answer,” said
Hugo, but he made no move to intervene as Benedict lifted the microphone off its hook.
“Kingfisher, this is Wild Goose.”
“Stand by, Wild Goose. “The answer came back immediately. “Stand by for Captain Caporetti.”
“Wild Goose standing by.” Hugo caught Benedict’s shoulder and his voice was angrily uncertain.
“Leave it, don’t be a fool.” Benedict shrugged off the hand, and
Sergio’s voice boomed out of the speaker.
“This is Caporetti - who that?”
“No names,” Benedict cautioned him.
“Where are your guests?”
“They safe - battened down nicely.”
“Safe?
Are you certain? Both of them safe?”
“Si. I have them safe and sure.”
“Stand by.” Benedict crouched over the set, and his mind was racing. Johnny Lance was in his power. This was the last chance he would ever have. Plans began to form, gelling quickly in his mind.
“The diamonds. Caporetti has the diamonds. That big Blue is worth a million on its own,” said Hugo. “If Caporetti has taken care of the others - it would be worth the risk.”
“Yes.” Benedict turned to him, he had been puzzling how he could make Hugo turn back. He had forgotten the diamonds. “It would be worth it,“he agreed.
“Just a quick pass alongside Kingfisher - pick up Caporetti with the diamonds and we’d be on our way
“I have to go aboard.” Benedict qualified the suggestion.
“Why?” Hugo asked.
“Wipe out the reel on the computer that carries the programme -
it’s got the Jap’s name on it. They could trace him. I paid him on my
Swiss bank. They’ll find the account.” Hugo hesitated. “No killing -
or anything like that.
