Ali had heard the first gurgle, had guessed what had happened. The trouble was all the skippers of the other barges would have heard the calamitous news. Different tactics were called for as they approached Westminster. He took a quick decision.
Europeans always repeated their tactics. Especially when they were successful. He had to surprise them. His voice was calm as he spoke again.
'The plan will proceed. Mohammed was exaggerating. He became hysterical. I am now coming aboard Barge No. 2. Have a rope ladder at the stern I can use to come aboard.'
He turned to his deputy, saw that he had anticipated what Ali would need. He was lowering a small, powerful speedboat at the stern. He then shinned down the rope to take over the controls.
Ali was beside him before he had expected the commander's arrival. Ali spoke quietly, firmly.
'Top speed. Remember to zig-zag- the way you did once on the Nile. We will trick them.'
49
The SIS and SAS units were in position roughly midway between Westminster and Lambeth bridges. They were well-concealed. Paula wore her night-glasses as the menacing snout of the next barge appeared under Lambeth Bridge.
Once again she spotted the second weapon stationed on deck to take down the main struts of the next target. She reported to Sarge. The barge was clear of the bridge swiftly, helped by the turn of the tide now flowing downriver, by the wind which was gaining in strength…
She pressed the lenses closer to her eyes, puzzled. Could not believe was she was seeing. It was important to tell Sarge what she was seeing.
'Barge changing direction. Appears to be heading towards this bank, towards us.'
'I have seen,' Sarge replied. 'Thanks for confirmation.'
'That's not all. Wait a minute. I must be sure…'
She was scanning the deck from stern to prow. Large numbers of the enemy were crouched down on the port side. Their side. Why? Then she saw the barrels of many weapons perched on the gunwale. She made herself speak calmly.
'Arabs in force stationed along deck. Almost hidden by gunwale. A huge quantity of weapons ready to fire.'
'Thank you…'
Sarge raised his own glasses, swept them along the deck. She was right. He grasped at once the new tactic. Diabolically clever. He issued a new order.
'No one, repeat no one is to open fire whatever happens. They are waiting for us to do that – so they can locate our positions. We may come under fire. Do not reply.'
The barge, looking immense the closer it came, was sailing on an almost diagonal course across the river. Sarge could not fire his bomb and missile at this angle. But soon they would have to change course or hit the Embankment.
'No dinghies came our way. They will later,' Buchanan reported.
It was the first time the Superintendent had communicated with them. It told Tweed, Beaurain – and Sarge - that the police anti-terrorist force stationed on the opposite bank was in the closest touch with the situation.
'Turn, damn you,' Paula said to herself.
As though hearing her, the barge changed course to avoid collision with the Embankment. Then it began. A storm of bullets raked the Embankment and the area beyond. Once started, it never seemed to stop. Not knowing where their opponents were, the al-Qa'eda were doing everything possible to tempt return fire – so their enemy's locations would be revealed.
Paula crouched lower, pushed down by Beaurain. It took incredible will-power to stay still under the barrage of gunfire without returning fire. Paula gritted her teeth, hating this situation. She glanced at Tweed, was surprised at his clinical expression. Typical, she thought. In a crisis he freezes.
The murderous barrage continued. She heard a gulp from her left, saw Harry clutching his shoulder. He had been hit. Moving very carefully, she reached him, removed his hand – covered with blood. She felt inside her shoulder-bag, took out her medical kit.
Using scissors, she gently cut away a portion of his uniform from the top of his shoulder. She risked using her torch, shielding the beam with one hand. The bullet had grazed his shoulder, scooping out a shallow channel. She squirted antiseptic water on it, removed the blood. Harry was looking at her, smiling. He shook his head. This is nothing, his shrug told her.
When she had cleaned the wound she used an antiseptic pad to cover it. Fixed it in place with tape. No blood oozed from underneath the pad. She put her mouth close to his ear. It was the only way he'd hear her with the infernal gunfire continuing.
'Don't use your left arm. Not before we get back.'
'It's OK. I heard you. Thanks.'
A blasting explosion shook the ground under their feet. Now grenades were being hurled from the barge at random. Then the explosions ceased. She looked up.
The barge had turned away from the Embankment, was heading towards mid river. All around them the cluster of trees they had sheltered under were shattered. Paula, knowing she'd not be seen now, stood up. The barge was heading straight for Westminster Bridge, the prize target.
The SAS unit was stationed nearer the target, to the left of where the SIS sheltered. Sarge was now able to adjust his large mortar, using its laser beam to aim the bomb. He looked at his subordinate, saw he was rapidly adjusting the angle of the missile launcher. He nodded.
The huge shell sailed towards its target, dropped neatly down the main hatch. At the same moment the missile whipped out of its muzzle, landed on the smaller weapon at the bows.
Paula felt sure the massive explosion was greater than she had witnessed with the first barge. The vessel shook from stem to stern. Flames lit up the river, then dense clouds of black smoke drifted above the flames. The barge began to heel over to starboard.
In the deckhouse Ali was badly shaken, but nothing in his expression showed. He realized the entire barge would be going down. He turned to the skipper he had taken over from.
'I have to leave to check the other barges. You are now in command
…'
He shinned down the rope ladder still attached to the stern. The small speedboat had been moored above the rudder. His assistant was already inside the speedboat, ready to operate the controls. AH lost his calm for a brief moment. He shouted at his assistant.
'Get us the hell out of here. Back to Barge No. 4, my original command post.'
'Immediately,' said the assistant, who had cut the mooring rope. He started up the engine, swung the speedboat away from the huge vessel which was turning turtle. Ali pushed him aside, grabbed the wheel.
'You forgot. For the sake of Allah we zig-zag. '
50
'Everybody into the jeeps. Move if you value your lives.'
There was an urgency in Sarge's communication Paula had never heard before. Out on the river the barge was still wallowing above the surface. She tried to help Harry as they rushed to the jeeps. He smiled, pushed her away.
'I can get there. Shoulder just aches a bit. I can use both hands to operate a sub-machine gun…'
Everyone was inside a jeep in record time, even carrying their satchels and weapons. The SAS unit had already swept past under Lambeth Bridge. She looked back as Tweed rammed down his foot on the accelerator.
