‘Like hell we will.’
‘Not about what she’s like in the sack — though I can’t say I’m not curious, and just a little envious. I mean, what she does out o’ the sack.’
‘What does that mean?’
‘Her job.’
‘She doesn’t have a job.’
‘Not in Laos, maybe. But back in Saigon she does — or did before they posted Maxwell temporarily up here. I knew there was something else about that girl. She used to be quite a high-powered secretary with MACV. In fact, I heard talk that she was a kind of personal assistant and Girl Friday to General Greene himself.’
‘Greene?’
‘That’s the joker. Virgil Luther Greene, one-star Army general in charge of what is laughingly called the Saigon Precinct. Which includes Tân Sơn Nhất Airport. You beginning to read me?’
‘How do you know all this?
‘I just remembered. There was a lot o’ sneaky gossip about it — how Virgil was hirin’ a French bint and knockin’ her off on the quiet. Though I didn’t entirely believe it.’
‘Why not? You believed it of me.’
‘Ah but you’re a swordsman, soldier. Virgil Greene’s maybe one of the last shooting generals — believes in zappin’ Charlie Cong personally from his own private chopper, usin’ it like a howdah in the good old days of the Raj — though he’s reputed to be not so hot between the sheets.’
‘So what’s this got to do with Mrs Conquest?’
‘Just this. If she’s still got that job, she most likely has access to the General’s office, which is in the heartland of the Tân Sơn Nhất complex. In there, they’ve got closed circuit TV, two-way radio, alarm systems — the whole security shoot wired up direct to that one little room. And in there, if we’re really lucky, sits the lovely Mrs Conquest. Reading me, soldier?’
‘Not entirely.’
Ryderbeit frowned into the dregs of his glass. ‘You’re being dull, Murray boy.’
‘I feel dull. Enlighten me.’
‘Well, in my more sober thoughts this morning I’ve been workin’ on one of the little problems that lie ahead. Now supposin’ we get on to that Saigon airfield in one piece and manage to seize the plane and get it airborne. As you said, it’s a pretty short run into Cambodia — not more than fifteen minutes. But these Yanks are goin’ to get pretty wet around the crotch when they find they’ve lost a fair little slice of their Federal Reserve. So what we need is something to keep ’em busy for a few minutes. A little diversion.’
Murray nodded. ‘If they send up fighters after us we’re not going to last five minutes — let alone fifteen. Then there’s always the danger they’ll chase us into Cambodia and risk violating neutral airspace.’
‘That’s a gamble we’ll have to take, as well as them. But what I’ve been thinking of is something nice and simple. Like a full Red Alert.’
‘A Red Alert! But that’ll have every plane on the field in the air?’
‘Exactly. But they won’t be after us — they’ll be spottin’ for a full-scale V.C. attack. And if I know the drill, the moment an alert like that goes out, it’ll be followed by several minutes o’ beautiful, organised chaos. Three or four thousand men grabbin’ up guns and pullin’ on boots and foldin’ poker hands, while the sirens start up and the fighter pilots make for their planes. So what’s wrong with a few more men runnin’ out to that rich little transport plane and tellin’ the crew to step down because the flight’s postponed?’
Murray smiled. ‘And you think Jackie Conquest can get into Virgil Greene’s office and send that Alert?’
‘She’ll have to, won’t she? Otherwise we’re not goin’ to stand a virgin’s chance in a nuclear sub. You just sleep on it, soldier! We’ve got to get the whole local U.S. and Arvin units thinking there’s a serious V.C. Tet-style offensive taking place against Tân Sơn Nhất — and goin’ on thinkin’ it for at least those fifteen minutes. Then, when they’ve found out the plane’s gone, there’ll be another fifteen minutes confusion tryin’ to decide whether it was the scheduled flight after all, or maybe the plane’s been hidden for extra security. And even when they find out the truth, and the shit hits the fan, they’ve still got to work out which way their one billion has gone. And after about another thirty minutes, when the radar’s picked us up over Cambodia, then poor old Virgil’s hair starts turning white, and a few hours later he’s in the padded cell.’
‘And what happens to Jacqueline Conquest?’
Ryderbeit stared thoughtfully at his fingernails, which were immaculately kept, cut to the quick. ‘She sends the alert and comes out after us. She must have every kind of pass that’s needed on that airport. She has her own official car — she just drives out across the apron and gets on to the plane.’
‘And you think she’ll do it?’
‘For love or money she will. And to be on the safe side we’d better see she does it for both.’
Murray nodded: ‘All nice and cold-blooded. And supposing she still doesn’t want to play?’
‘Well, you’ll just have to try bloody hard and see that she does. But for the moment it’s not Mrs Conquest who worries me so much. It’s what we do when we’re clear of the dam and Wattay Airport, and on that rollercoaster up here again over North Laos. You mentioned you might have some ideas — and I don’t mean gettin’ that little bee-lipped bastard U Thant on our payroll, or anything jokey like that. I mean a serious business proposition.’
Murray shook his head. ‘Not now, Sammy. First I have to confer with my business associates. You and Jones may have muscled in, but you’re not the only ones.’
Ryderbeit gave his crooked smile: ‘Still don’t trust me?’
‘Would you respect me
