Recoil

6

There were a couple of bursts of gunfire in the middle distance as Crucial turned up, bringing half a dozen miners with shovels, hammers and pissed-off expressions. They weren’t too excited about the idea of losing their tools, but I explained what I wanted and left him to it.

The sangars had been stood down now that Sam had carried out his checks. You can’t maintain maximum awareness for ever. They had to stay in position, but not in ready-to-fire. That didn’t stop me shouting up to the high ground ahead, though, to make sure they knew I was coming their way.

I closed my grit-coated eyes for a few seconds as I unreeled more det cord. It felt great. I could have kept them like that for hours.

When I opened them again, I saw Tim striding towards the valley entrance. Where the fuck did he think he was going?

‘Tim! Tim!’

He didn’t stop, just looked across at me and pointed beyond the newly dumped ANFO bags.

‘Stop! Don’t go there. Stop!’

He kept going, and shouted, ‘Nuka.’

He passed the ANFO, reached the track and turned left along the river. The guys in the sangars watched him as if he was mad – which he probably was.

‘Tim, wait! Wait, wait, wait!’

I dropped the reel and box and broke into a run. As if to underline my point, there was a rattle of automatic fire from the other side of the river. It was distant, but not distant enough for my liking.

I screamed his name.

Finally he stopped. His shirt was drenched in sweat and his chest heaved with the exertion.

I crashed my way towards him.

‘I have to go back, Nick. I have to fetch more supplies. I know what’s going to happen. I’ll need my bag.’

I shook my head. ‘They’re too close. They’re going to hit us soon. Last light, it’ll all kick off.’

‘I’ll have to take that chance.’ He wiped sweat from his face with the back of his hand, then moved off.

I kept up with him, and had to shout over the roar of the river. ‘Listen, mate, sorry about fronting you earlier on. It was stupid. I shouldn’t have done it.’

He slipped and landed on his knees. ‘Fronting? What do you mean?’

‘Nothing. Don’t worry about it.’ I went down with him, making myself a smaller target.

He nodded his thanks. ‘How is she? The diamond-toothed guy said you were back.’

‘She’s fine, twisted her ankle.’

Relief showed on his face. ‘I told her she should have stayed in Lugano, sorted things out with you before coming here. I hope it works out between you two.’ He smiled at me, got back on his feet and walked on.

I followed. ‘What about you?’

He stopped and faced me. Gunfire rattled the far side of the river. ‘Nick, I wouldn’t do anything to harm her. Anything.’ He looked along the path. ‘I must get my bag. You should go back and do whatever you’ve got to do. I’ll be fine.’

I put out a hand before he could leave. ‘One last thing, mate . . . Stefan. He the middle man for this mine?’

He seemed amazed that I didn’t know. ‘When it comes to death, corruption and suffering, Stefan has never been far away.’

I turned back. Fucking hell. It wasn’t only Silky I knew so little about. Had Stefan been phoning Standish? And what about the Chinese? Did they let Stefan control the mine and not worry what the fuck happened here as long as they were getting casseritite by the shipload?

And if Tim knew, so did Silky.

It looked like I’d have the opportunity to talk to her about it sooner rather than later. As I turned into the valley, there she was, hobbling round a mound a few metres in front of the bags of ANFO, nursing her foot, her face tight with anxiety. ‘Tim! Where is he going?’