Assault on England

Five

"It is possible I can get someone else besides Marsh here," one of the men was saying as the three entered. I glimpsed a heavyset, curly-haired character carrying a bag of groceries. He moved through the front room to the kitchen and I figured him for Koval. "But you understand that this is very short notice."

I held my breath as Koval entered the kitchen. Heather was in there somewhere. Maybe she had managed to slip into the pantry. I could hear the curly-haired man moving about the kitchen.

"You can tell that to the Kremlin, Comrade." It was Novosty, and it was said with heavy sarcasm. I saw him as he sat down in a chair near the doorway. I eased the door shut, leaving just a half-inch slit. Heather's purse, I noticed out of the corner of my eyes, wasn't on the bed anymore. Had she taken it with her…? And then I saw it in the far corner by the bed where it must have fallen somehow. Her Sterling automatic would be in it.

I set my jaw in frustration. Heather was unarmed and we were separated. It had been rotten timing.

A tall angular Briton with a neat mustache moved to a couch near Novosty.

"I know a chap what might work out," he told the Russian. "Harry the Ape, they call him. A right sort he is for a bashing fracas. He's keen on a fight of any kind."

Novosty's voice betrayed impatience. "We can't use ordinary hoodlums in this operation, Marsh. We need men with good heads or the mission will fail."

"Right enough," the Briton said, unperturbed.

Koval stuck his head in from the kitchen. "A glass of vodka, Comrades?"

"I'll give it a go," Marsh said.

"Yes, please." Novosty nodded. He rose, took off his jacket — and headed straight for the bedroom.

I made a dash for the closet. Just as I pulled the door closed, Novosty entered the room and threw his jacket on the bed. He pulled his tie off and for a moment I thought he was coming to the closet with it. I had Wilhelmina out and ready to fire if he opened the door. But he turned short of the closet and slipped out of my field of vision for a moment, apparently hanging the tie on some hook on the wall. He had been three feet from a 9mm slug in the chest. In another moment, he left the room.

I hadn't had time to leave the closet when I heard a commotion from the kitchen. Koval exclaimed loudly in Russian, and then there was a crash. He had found Heather. Seconds later, she screamed.

I slammed the closet door open and rushed into the living room. Novosty heard me coming and was waiting for me. Metal slammed against my skull and I saw Novosty's arm and the gun butt that had hit me as I went down, pain ricocheting in my head.

I fired Wilhelmina automatically, but the slug only splintered wood behind Novosty's head. As I hit the floor I almost lost the Luger, but I held on grimly while my legs grabbed for purchase. I had Wilhelmina aimed for a second shot when Marsh's big fist rammed my face. The impact knocked me fiat and this time I did lose the Luger.

"Try not to kill either of them!" Novosty called out. There was another crash from the kitchen and a yell from Koval. Heather was keeping him busy. But I was in big trouble of my own. Marsh had moved over me now, waiting for me to get up. I chopped at his leg, connected with his shin, and he cried out. I grabbed his foot, pulled hard and he hit the floor beside me.

I got my feet under me finally. My head was spinning, but as Marsh struggled up, I grabbed him by the lapels, turned with him in a half circle and flung him against Novosty, just as the Russian was aiming his snub-nosed automatic at me. Marsh knocked Novosty back over a table and both men crashed to the floor.

I started toward them but this time Novosty was too quick for me.

"Stay where you are!" The Russian was up on one knee, the automatic pointed at my chest. I had little choice; Hugo the stiletto could not be brought into play fast enough.

"Anything you say," I said.

Koval emerged from the kitchen at that point, holding Heather.

"Well," Novosty said with obvious satisfaction, "our two friends from Land's End. It is a pleasure to meet you again."

"I wish I could say the feeling is mutual," I said.

Marsh now staggered back to his feet.

"Go wash your face off," Novosty told him. "Koval, tie these two up."

Koval grunted. He released Heather and disappeared into the kitchen again while Novosty held the gun carefully on us. In a minute, Koval was back. He tied my hands behind me with a length of strong rope. Then he tied Heather. Novosty had us sitting on the old flower-patterned sofa in the middle of the room by the time Marsh returned, his face washed and a couple of strips of adhesive across his cuts. He glowered at me.

Novosty brought a chair up near us and sat down. He lighted a cigarette, the brand we had found in the wastebasket.

"Now," he said, blowing smoke toward my face. "Do you work for MI5?"

The rules are that you never tell the enemy anything he doesn't know already even if it seems insignificant at the time. Novosty knew this but he had to ask.

"We're with Scotland Yard," Heather said coolly. "You're moving drugs, aren't you?"

Novosty laughed. "Oh, really," he said. "You can do better than that, I'm sure."

Heather's face remained expressionless. She seemed not to have been badly hurt in her fight with Koval, I was relieved to see. Novosty turned to me.

"And what is your story?" he asked.

I looked into those flat eyes and wondered again how this man could be our killer. Novosty could kill all right and undoubtedly had that very thing in mind for us. But he would do it coldly and ruthlessly and without emotion because it was a job that had to be done. There would be no remorse in it, but no real pleasure either. He was a, professional.

"I don't have a story," I told him.

Novosty smiled an easy smile and took a gentlemanly drag on the long cigarette. Again he blew the smoke towards me. 'The girl is MI5," he said smoothly. "No, wait. SOE. I recall a dossier. And you with your American accent. A ruse maybe, or are you on loan from the Americans?"

Novosty was smart. I leaned back against the sofa and glared at him. "You figure it out."

He shrugged. "It makes little difference which agency you're working for," he said lightly.

"Let Marsh work on him," Koval suggested.

"Yeah, I'll give the bleeding bloke something to think about," Marsh growled.

"You see how eager my friends are?" Novosty grinned at me. "It would be well for you to consider cooperating."

"I told you!" Heather said. "We're undercover policemen. Why don't you just show us where the heroin is and cop a plea? We'll recommend leniency at the Yard."

Novosty shook his head, smiling. "You have an imaginative colleague," he said to me. "But not a very realistic one, I'm afraid." The smile faded. He leaned over and carefully squashed the cigarette in an ashtray. When his eyes met mine again, he meant business.

"I know you killed one man at Land's End. What about the other two? Did you kill them too or are you holding them for interrogation?"

"No comment," I said.

He nodded to Marsh; the big Englishman slugged me across the mouth with his open hand. My head snapped back so hard, I thought for a moment he might have broken my neck. Blood ran from the corner of my mouth. I saw Heather watching anxiously.

Well?" Novosty said. "What did you overhear at the cottage? Are any of our friends there alive and what have they told you?"

I sat and stared at him, conscious of the blood trickling down to my chin. Novosty looked at Marsh, and the big hand came at me again, this time balled into a fist. The blow knocked me on to my side on the sofa. I lay there for a moment, groggy, and then the big hands pulled me back to a sitting position.

"I don't like to do this," Novosty said, "but you give me little choice. How long were you at the window of the cottage before our friend saw you?"

I licked swollen lips. "What window?" I said.

Novosty's eyes narrowed- "So that is the way it is going to be."

Koval moved closer to Novosty. "Let Marsh work on the girl," he said quietly. He jerked his head at me. "He likes her — I can tell."

"All right," Novosty said. "But start off mildly. We want to know what they've learned."

"Perhaps quite mildly, eh?" Koval said. He nodded at Heather's long and lovely legs.

Novosty waved a hand. "Whatever you wish."

Koval gave Marsh a look, and Marsh put on a big grin. He moved over to Heather and pulled her to her feet. Koval held her while Marsh untied her hands. Koval ran a fat hand over her breasts, slowly, grinning now. Heather hauled off and slapped his face.

Koval responded by slapping her back, hard. She would have lost her footing if Marsh hadn't been holding her. Her face was red from the blow.

I set my jaw and tried not to watch. It was going to get worse before it got better. But if they found out that we knew about the Defence Ministry, we would have lost the only advantage we had.

Koval and Marsh were wrestling Heather's clothing off. She fought them as best she could, grunting but otherwise silent. In a moment, she was naked. Marsh held her while Koval ran those pudgy hands of his over her very slowly. Novosty looked bored.

"Leave the girl alone," I said. "She knows nothing. Neither do I. I arrived at your damned window too late to hear anything."

Novosty eyed me narrowly, appraising what I had said. "That undoubtedly means you know everything or most of it. Now, save the girl further problems by telling me who you have passed this information on to. Have you managed to reach your headquarters?"

"We found out nothing," I said. "We have nothing to tell."

Novosty studied my bruised and bloody face and nodded to Koval. Marsh threw Heather bodily to the floor in front of me; he and Koval both watched my reaction. Koval held Heather's arms above her head.

"You want to see your girl friend raped?" he said. "How would you like that? She's a lovely thing, isn't she?"

Marsh grinned and licked his lips. Just looking at him made me sick. I didn't want to look at Heather.

I hesitated. Was it worth going on with this? How much, actually, did we have to gain by playing dumb? We were protecting little information. On the other hand, by admitting what we knew and bluffing a little to boot, we might at least find out if Novosty and his crew were an assassin team or if they were up to some other game altogether.

"Okay, I'll tell you what you want to know," I said. "Let the girl go."

"I hope you're not playing games again," Novosty said.

Marsh glared in frustration, but Koval gave him a look that said there would be plenty of time for such things later, before they killed Heather. Koval released her arms and she sat up, trying to cover her nakedness with her hands.

"Take the girl into the bedroom. Give her clothes," Novosty said. "You do it, Koval. Marsh, you stay here."

Heather looked at me questioningly as she moved past me to the bedroom, holding her clothes against her. Koval followed and closed the door. I remember Heather's purse then and wondered if she'd have a chance to get to it — and her little gun — before Koval saw it.

"Now, my friend," Novosty said. "We will talk business. First, what dealings did you have with Augie Fergus in Egypt?"

"He was going to sell me some information. But he was killed by his Arab friends before he could give it."

"And what was this information?"

"He didn't say," I lied. "But what was Fergus to you?"

"Nothing," Novosty sneered. "Just a man who did jobs for us now and then in the Mid-East. Our people there asked me to find out about your dealings with him. Now, about the comrades at Land's End. Are they dead?"

"They're dead," I said.

"And they told you nothing?"

"Nothing. I overheard you talking through the window, though, before your Russian friend spotted me. About the Defence Ministry."

Novosty's face went blank. "I see."

I was thinking as I talked. They had not removed my jacket and, when Koval frisked me, he had not found Hugo. But I couldn't use the stiletto as long as my hands were tied behind my back.

"I understand you plan to execute your mission as your man leaves the building." I watched Novosty's face; it remained expressionless.

"What exactly is our mission?"

I hesitated, watching him and Marsh; I wanted to see both their reactions to what I was about to say. "Why, to assassinate a third British government official," I said, "in accordance with your overall plan."

Novosty's eyes narrowed slightly, the only change of expression. But Marsh was a different story His eyebrows went up in surprise and he barked a laugh. Novosty gave him a hard look but Marsh's laugh had told me plenty. At least, he thought the mission he'd been recruited for was something quite different.

"We did not speak of assassination at Land's End," Novosty said. "Are you playing a last hand with me?"

"I didn't actually hear the word," I admitted "But we've known for some time now that this supposed attempt to blackmail the British government is actually a series of planned executions for Russia's benefit. It's a Soviet plot and you were sent here to see it through."

I watched Novosty's face and he watched mine. It was like playing draw poker, except that the stakes were our lives — mine and Heather's — and Britain's security.

"But you do not know who we plan to kill next," Novosty said thoughtfully.

"No, it can be one of several possible targets. We don't know the exact date either but that won't help you much. The game is up, and Russia will soon be exposed." I raised my voice, letting a little emotion slip in. Watching Novosty, I concluded that he believed me. But he wasn't about to deny the charge, not just yet.

"Take him to the bedroom," he told Marsh with no further comment on what I'd told him. "Tie the girl again and lock the shutters on the window. Then bring Koval back out with you."

Marsh took me into the bedroom where Koval was watching Heather. The Russian had found Heather's purse, I noticed, which was a disappointment. They locked the window and tied Heather's hands behind her. As Marsh left the room, he punched a big fist into my stomach. I grunted and doubled over, going to my knees. Marsh laughed and followed Koval out of the room. The door closed behind them.

I couldn't breath for a long, agonizing moment. Heather knelt awkwardly beside me. "Are you all right?" she asked anxiously.

I could talk now but my breath came hard "I'm going to get that bastard," I muttered.

"What did you say to Novosty?" Heather asked.

"I told him the truth."

"What happened? Is he the assassin?"

"Novosty told me nothing," I said. "He's a very good poker player But Marsh told me plenty — without saying a word."

Her lovely blue eyes searched my face.

"Either Novosty has nothing to do with the assassination plot," I said, "or Marsh thinks he doesn't, which is possible, of course. It wouldn't be the first time a hired agent was kept in the dark about the real nature of a mission»

"True." Heather nodded.

"But somehow I really don't think Novosty has anything to do with the assassination plot."

"Will he kill us now?" she asked quietly.

There was no point in lying to her.

"Well, even if we are on the wrong trail, it seems that he has to. We know that he's up to something and that it involves the Defence Ministry."

"I suppose that's what they're doing out there right now," Heather said, "plotting our unpleasant demise."

I moved my wrists against the ropes binding them. The knot was very tight, too tight to work loose. I looked at the shuttered window. "They'll probably wait until dark," I said.

"They wouldn't want to disturb the village," Heather agreed wryly.

I sat there, twisting the rope binding my wrists and wondering what the hell I could do. Besides Hugo the stiletto, I had Pierre, the cyanide bomb, attached to my thigh and my belt and buckle held plastic explosive and a miniature dart blowgun — all gifts from the imaginative men in Axe's Special Effects and Editing. But Hugo was the only weapon that could free our wrists.

I flexed my right forearm and the stiletto was released from its sheath. But it did not slip into my palm as usual; its route was obstructed by the rope around my wrists. I turned my back to Heather.

"Can you get your hands up to my wrists?" I asked.

She glanced at me and turned her back to mine. "I don't know. But even if I can, I won't be able to undo the ropes."

"I know. But look at my right inner wrist. You'll see the tip of a knife there."

Heather looked and saw. "Why, Nick, you have the nicest surprises!"

I grinned at her and turned further so she could reach the point of the stiletto. I could feel her working at it "Pull it in an even, slow movement," I said, "moving it outward and past the ropes."

She did and in another moment the stiletto slid past the ropes and clattered to the floor. We glanced anxiously toward the door, but the discussion in the next room continued without interruption.

"Pick up the knife," I said. Heather bent down and awkwardly retrieved it. "Grab it firmly by the handle and back up to me again."

Heather followed orders. "Cut at the rope," I said. "And it would be nice if you got more rope than flesh."

I felt the blade slide past my palm to the rope and then Heather was slicing at the knot. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, I felt the rope giving. With one last firm stroke Heather cut through And just in time; the voices in the next room were suddenly still.

I pulled my wrists free and turned quickly to Heather. Taking Hugo, I slashed once at the ropes binding her wrists, severing them Just then we heard a sound at the door.

"Stay put," I whispered.

Heather sat on the bed as if she were still bound. I stood up, holding my hands behind me, as the door opened. It was Koval.

"Well," he said, grinning at us. "I see you are still here."

"Are you going to let us go, now that we've told you what we know?" I said. He had left the» door partly open and I could see Novosty and Marsh talking together in the next room. Marsh looked eagerly expectant.

"We will see about that," Koval answered me blandly. "For now, we must take you to another place, yes? Where you will be safer."

He moved past Heather to me I knew where they were taking us. To some quiet country lane where they would use a silencer or knife He took my arm "Come, we must make a blindfold for both of you. Into the other room, please."

Heather had gotten up from the bed. I watched her come up behind Koval, clasp her hands together and swing at the back of his neck.

The Russian grunted and fell against me. I held him steady with one hand, smashed my other fist into his face. He yelled and crashed to the floor. I chopped him behind the ear for good measure as he went down. The stiletto was in my belt, but I hadn't had to use it.

"Get his gun!" I told Heather.

I moved up beside the door just as Novosty came running through, his automatic ready. He saw Heather bending over Koval and aimed the gun at her. I brought my hand down hard on his wrist. The gun flew from his grasp and hit the floor, spinning across its polished surface.

I grabbed Novosty's gun hand before the tall Russian could recover and threw him across the room.

Heather was still trying to find Koval's gun. I spotted Novosty's automatic over by the bed and dived for it. I landed beside it and grabbed for the butt. But before I could bring the gun up, Novosty was back on his feet and throwing himself at me. He was a slim, wiry man with plenty of muscle on his lean frame. He hit me hard, trying to wrench the automatic from my grasp. We rolled twice across the floor toward the closed window, Novosty straining for the gun.

I threw a right fist to his head and he hit the floor. Heather had come up with Koval's pistol now, just as Marsh charged into the room. He must have been delayed getting his gun, a Mauser 7.75 Parbellum automatic that looked a lot like Wilhelmina.

His face dark with anger, Marsh rushed into the room, firing and cursing. His shot was intended for Heather, but the aim was bad; the bullet missed her head by six inches. She returned fire, hitting Marsh twice in rapid succession, in the chest and in the neck.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Novosty struggle to his feet again and make for the door. Still on the floor, I made a grab for his leg. He kicked out at me viciously. I tried to duck but still the foot connected with the side of my head. I lost my grip on the ankle, and before I could make another grab for him, Novosty was out of the room and heading for the front door.

I looked around quickly. Koval wasn't moving and Marsh lay on his back, groaning, fighting death with every shallow breath.

"Tie him up," I told Heather, indicating Koval. "I'm going after Novosty."

There wasn't time to look for Wilhelmina. Novosty had headed for the black sedan, changed his mind when he realized he didn't have the key and started toward the village main street on the run. By the time I took after him he already had a hundred yards or so on me.

We ran for several blocks and then he disappeared around a corner. When I rounded the corner after him, I saw him starting a small gray Simca whose owner must have left the keys in the ignition. I ran faster, but Novosty pulled away before I could reach the car.

I looked around and got my bearings. Heather had left the keys under the dash of the S.O.C.E.M.A. Gregoire, but where the hell was the thing? I ran to the next corner and looked to my right. Yes, there it was!

I was behind the wheel in a moment and had the key in the ignition, followed by the astonished look of a village woman carrying a string bag of groceries. I turned back out into the main street, as I'd seen Novosty do, shifting up as I went, and saw the Simca several hundred yards ahead of me, heading out of town.

By the time Novosty reached open country, on a winding narrow road, I had closed to a hundred yards and was gaining fast. The shrubbery that lined the road stood well above the height of the cars so whenever Novosty disappeared around a curve, he was out of sight until we hit the straightaway again.

He was skidding crazily around every curve. My sports car was cornering beautifully and soon I was right on him. He had seen me and when I tried to pass him, to force him over, he pulled out to stop me. He managed this on several curves until he met a slow-moving horse-drawn wagon coming from the other direction.

Novosty wheeled the Simca to the right. It skidded and came back to the left, catching the back corner of the wagon which was loaded with bales of hay. The wagon tipped toward the ditch, then swayed back and tipped part of its contents into the road in front of me. I drove on through it with hay scattering in all directions and my view momentarily obscured.

When I came out of the hay cloud I was right on top of the Simca. I tried to come up alongside but Novosty pulled over in front of me. I yanked my wheel hard right and Novosty followed, as I thought he would, then I pulled hard to the left and shifted down. The S.O.C.E.M.A-Gregoire leaped ahead as my foot went down on the accelerator and moved up beside the Simca before Novosty could pull back over.

Novosty jerked hard on the wheel, crashed the Simca into the right side of the sports car, the driver's side. I retaliated by slamming the sports car back against the Simca, edging Novosty toward the berm of the road. He almost lost control but recovered quickly, jumped momentarily ahead of me.

We tore around another curve, oblivious to what might be coming from the other direction. I pulled even with Novosty again, but before I could make my move, he slammed his Simca into my side.

Now it was my turn to lose control. The wheel jerked from my grasp and in the next instant the sports car rocketed off the road into a large open meadow. I saw Novosty's car careering crazily toward the opposite berm and a twenty-foot drop-off to a rocky field, then I was hurtling through the air, the car beginning a roll before it hit.

I saw a flash of sky and then of brown earth. There was a jarring crash and the door on my side popped open and I was thrown out. I hit the ground, rolled twice and lay there stunned. The car kept on rolling and ended up, against a towering boulder.

I sat up slowly, moving gingerly. I ached, but there appeared to be no broken bones. Then I heard the explosion from across the road. I struggled to my feet. I had to save Novosty — if he could still be saved.

I stumbled up to the road and saw the Russian had gone over. Black smoke was spiraling up from below. I moved to the edge of the berm and looked down. The Simca was wrapped in flame. I could see Novosty, unconscious or dead, inside. I was too late; I couldn't possibly get to him.

I stood there watching the Simca burn and couldn't help wondering when my day would come and some Russian or Chicom agent would witness my death. No agent lived forever; most didn't even make it to old age. That was why Hawk always said when we parted, "So long, Nick. Good luck. I'll see you when I see you." Which might be never.

I heard a car engine and turned just as a small white Lancia pulled over a few yards behind me. Heather jumped out and ran over to me. A bewildered Englishman crawled out of the other door of the car and stood staring wide-eyed at the burning Simca.

"Oh dear," Heather said, looking down at the flaming wreck. Then she turned and looked across to where the S.O.C.E.M.A. lay upside-down in the field on the other side of the road. It was a mess.

"Sorry about that," I said.

"Oh, well," she sighed. "It never shifted down very well, anyway."

I grinned at her. "That Ferodo clutch must have needed adjusting»

"Rather Are you hurt?"

"Just my ego I wanted Novosty alive Now he can't tell us anything."

She gave me a small, smug smile. "Marsh talked before he died I promised him a doctor, poor chap. It seems these lads had nothing to do with the assassination. They planned to steal guided missile blueprints as they were transferred from the Defence Ministry to military headquarters."

"I'll be damned," I said. So, I had been right about Novosty all along. But if the Russians weren't behind the assassination plot then who was?