Operation: Amazon

- 21 -

“What was all that bollocks with the gold melting, Cap?” Wiggins said, shouting to be heard above the rotors.

Banks looked directly at Buller.

“The wanker here said it himself,” Banks replied. “Magic. Snake magic. I think somehow the gold and the snake were part of the same thing. And if the wanker here wants to come back and fuck with it again, that’s up to him. But we’ll be leaving it well alone.”

He went up front and was looking out of the window as they passed over the dredger rig. Boitata had come down river with them, her bulk sending a wake crashing across both sides of the river as she surged and with one smooth movement flowed over the facility, crushing it down into little more than bent metal and splinters of wood in a matter of seconds.

By the time the chopper had passed fully overhead, the whole platform was a mass of debris in the water. The pilot banked around to give Buller a final look at his failure.

The last thing they saw was the river god, Boitata, swimming back upstream, the wash from her passing sending more great waves against the bank on either side.

“Time to go home, lads,” Banks said, to an array of smiles from the squad.

“Good. I never want to see a snake that size again,” Hynd said.

“Funny, that’s what your wife said to me,” Wiggins replied.