The Main chance

34

The Ardennes. `I'm turning off the main road in a minute, heading across the Ardennes,' Philip said. 'It's some of the bleakest land I've seen in Europe. Remote. Tourists never come here.'

Paula lowered her compact powerful binoculars. She had aimed them ahead while they were still on the main road. `I think you ought to know I saw a lot of headlights coming this way from the direction of Liege.' `That's good news,' Philip said ironically as he turned to the right off the main road. 'Benlier has a section of his corrupt unit temporarily stationed in Liege.' `Where does this lead us to?' Tweed asked. `It's the direct route to Namur and Marche, but I'll bypass both towns by using country roads. It may be a rough ride.' `Rough ride?' Paula repeated. 'So what was that we've just experienced?' `Calouste's HQ is high up in the Ardennes. Chateau les Rochers, an ancient castle perched on the border of Belgium and the toy state of Luxembourg. So he can say he's resident in either country, whichever suits him at any particular time.' `This country we're driving through is like a flat desert,' Paula commented. 'It's like a moonscape, and rocky.' `I turned off the main route across country without your realizing it. We might just elude those police cars.'

Moonscape? As he gazed out, Tweed thought Paula's description was perfect. The Land Rover had started to wobble from side to side. The flat so-called plain was desolate. Its surface was littered with small rocks, shale and pebbles. `This whole area is unstable,' Philip remarked casually. Paula glanced once at him and realized he was looking grim. He was wondering how to get them out of this. She had never before seen him looking so serious. Her reaction steeled her nerve. She twisted round in her seat, pressed her binoculars to her eyes, focused on the three police cars. She could hear a distant whine. The fools still had their sirens shrieking out here in this totally deserted region. And their blue lights were still flashing. Idiots. Paula focused on the lead car. A policeman was standing, head and shoulders poked through the open roof. `A slim man,' she said, 'in full uniform with gold braid and wide shoulders. Mouth open as though he's shouting.' `That will be Benlier himself,' Philip told her, `shouting en advance.' `Must think he's Napoleon at Austerlitz,' Tweed commented drily.

Quite suddenly the gradient changed. They were climbing a steep slope, up and up. Paula focused her binoculars on their destination. `There's a ridge above us,' she reported. 'Perched on its edge a line of big boulders, one of them enormous.' `They weren't there when I came here on a recce three days ago. There's been a landslide…' `Head for that gap between them,' Paula urged. 'Just to the left of that huge chap. Your Land Rover will pass through easily.' `You think so?' Philip queried. `Do as she suggested,'Tweed ordered. 'She has some plan and so often she's right.' `Will do,' Philip agreed with a grin. `Newman and Harry are close behind us,' Paula reported as she glanced back. `So are the police cars,' Philip remarked. `This is better,' Paula said as she lowered her window a few inches and breathed in ice-cold air.

Her brain was now working at full power. `Better than what?' Tweed chaffed her. `Being indoors. The manor was giving me the creeps. Wasn't much better in The Forest. Claustrophobic atmosphere.' `Which may have been an element,' Tweed observed, `in the murders.' `Don't miss the gap,' Paula shouted at Philip, who was just turning his wheel, heading for the opening, followed by Newman's and Harry's vehicles. `That's better,' Paula added. 'You'll just scrape through.' `I'll just glide through,' he said with another grin. `And I think I've spotted your strategy…' `Better late than never.'

The Land Rover had at least a foot's spare space as he passed through behind the rampart line of boulders. Paula stared at the treacherous ground scattered with a slither of shale. `Park the vehicle pointing up the hill,' she suggested. `We may have to leave quickly if everything starts to give way.' `I had thought of that,' Philip replied amiably. 'It's like quicksand.'

The other two vehicles had arrived after passing through the gap. They had followed Philip's example, pointing uphill for a quick getaway. There was a crackle of gunfire even though the pursuing police cars, coming up fast, were still a quarter of a mile below them.

'Prepare to meet the enemy, as they said a hundred years ago,' Tweed ordered.