Windfall

Chapter 30

Stafford's first reaction was to turn to Nair. 'Is this island big enough to play hide-and-seek?'

'Hide from five men?' Nair shook his head decisively. 'And what about him?' He pointed to Gunnarsson who was stubbornly resisting Hardin's questioning.

'Damn!' said Stafford. Gunnarsson was a real stumbling block; if he was left manacled Brice was sure to find him, but if he was freed he might run straight to Brice and blab all he knew, and he knew too much for comfort. Stafford damned the men in Nairobi who were talking instead of acting.

He strode over to Gunnarsson and dropped to his knees. 'Do you want to live?' he asked abruptly.

Gunnarsson's eyes widened. 'That's a hell of a question.'

'Look, I'm not interested in your tricks with Corliss," said Stafford. 'That's small time stuff compared with what Brice is doing.'

'Yeah', said Hardin. 'You were ripping off a lousy six million bucks. Brice was going for broke – maybe a hundred million.'

'He's coming here now,' said Stafford, and heard Hardin make a muffled exclamation. 'And he's bringing his troops. A few lives are nothing compared to what he has at stake.'

'He wouldn't risk murder," said Hardin. 'Shots could be heard from the mainland."

Stafford thought of the man he had killed in Tanzania. 'Who said anything about shooting? There are other ways of killing and the evidence can be buried in the belly of a crocodile,' he said brutally, and Gunnarsson flinched. 'As you are now you wouldn't stand a chance so I'm going to release you, but just remember who is doing you the favour.'

'Sure,' said Gunnarsson eagerly. 'Just let me run.'

Stafford signalled to Nair who shrugged and produced the key of the handcuffs. When Gunnarsson was free he stood up and massaged his wrist. 'This true?' he asked Hardin. He jerked his head at Stafford. 'This guy was talking about something else before.' ., 'It's true,' said Hardin. 'We've run against South African intelligence and those guys don't play patty-cake. You ought to know that. We've got in the way of one of their big operations.'

'Then I'm fading,' Gunnarsson announced.

'You'll do as you're bloody well told,' snapped Stafford. He was looking at Curtis up on the ridge. 'You said five men? That all?'

'All I saw,' said Hunt. 'There could be another boat coming along behind.'

'Curtis hasn't signalled anything about that,' commented Stafford. 'What do you think, Ben? The odds are better than even if Gunnarsson comes in. Six to five.'

'You mean a straight fight for it?' Hardin made a wry face. 'We'd lose,' he said flatly. 'Look at us – middle-aged men except for Alan and Nair here, and I wouldn't think Alan has had the training for it. Dirk Hendriks is a husky young guy, and Brice looks as though he eats nails for breakfast. I don't know about the others,' He looked at Hunt.

'Patterson's a toughie and I wouldn't like to tackle Luke Maiyani without a club in my hand,' said Hunt frankly.

'Then if we can't use force we must use guile,' said Stafford.

Gunnarsson said, 'And we can't waste time standing here yapping.'

Nair said suddenly, 'Why is Brice coming here?' It was a rhetorical question because he answered it himself. 'I think Gunnarsson has been followed, probably by Patterson. It was Patterson who went looking for him in Nairobi. And Gunnarsson was following me. I think Brice expects to find only the two of us.'

'Makes sense,' said Hardin. 'And that means…'

'Yes,' said Stafford.

Gunnarsson found himself the centre of a circle of eyes. 'Now wait a minute. If you guys expect me to stick my neck out after the way you've treated me you're crazy.'

'Mr Gunnarsson,' said Nair politely. 'You and I are going across the island to meet Brice. On the way we'll think of something to tell him. I'm sure your imagination will be up to it.'

'Keep them occupied while we get rid of this stuff,' said Stafford. He waved his hand at the evidence of the camp site. 'Say ten or fifteen minutes. Then draw them out of sight of the boats at the jetty. We'll be coming in on the flank. And send Curtis down here.'

The engine note altered as the boat neared the jetty. Brice said, 'Two boats here. All right; one brought the Sikh but the boat which brought Gunnarsson went back, you said.' He turned to Patterson. 'So whose is the other?'

Patterson looked at his watch. 'The boatman must have come back for Gunnarsson. Just about time.'

Brice nodded briefly as the boat drifted in and touched the jetty. Baiya and Maiyani held it steady as he went ashore. He turned and said, 'Baiya, you stay here. The rest come with me.'

Baiya lashed the painter around a cleat on Hunt's boat and the others went ashore. Hendriks looked around. 'Where do we start?'

'We'll find them,' said Brice confidently. 'It's not a big island.'

'No need to go far,' said Patterson. 'They've found us. Look!' He pointed up the hill to where two figures stood silhouetted on the ridge.

'Good; that saves time,' said Brice. 'Let's go to meet them. I'd like to know what this is about – but let me do the talking.'

They walked up the hill and met Nair and Gunnarsson on the level base of the foundations of the old building. To Brice's surprise he saw handcuffs on Gunnarsson's wrists.

'What's going on here?' he demanded. 'Why is Mr Gunnarsson handcuffed?'

Nair Singh looked at him sternly. 'Do you know this man?'

'I had breakfast with him this morning.'

'I am a police officer.' Nair took a small leather case from his pocket and flipped it open. 'Nair Singh. This is my warrant card. Mr Gunnarsson is under arrest."

Brice turned to look at Hendriks who was plainly shocked. He turned back to Nair. 'May I know the charge?'

'He has been arrested but not yet charged,' said Nair. 'You say you had breakfast with Mr Gunnarsson this morning. May I know your name, sir.'

'Brice. Charles Brice.'

Nair's face cleared. 'Of Ol Njorowa College?'

'Yes. Now what's this all about?'

'Ah, then I think you'll be pleased to know that we caught this man before he did too much damage. He's under arrest for fraud.'

'It's a goddamn lie,' said Gunnarsson. 'Look, Mr Brice, do me a favour. Ring the American Embassy in Nairobi as soon as you can. This is a put-up job; I'm being framed for something I didn't do.'

'The American authorities will be informed,' said Nair coldly.

'Now hang on a minute,' said Hendriks. 'What sort of fraud?'

Nair looked at him. 'Who are you, sir?'

'Hendriks. Dirk Hendriks. I'm staying with Mr Brice at Ol Njorowa.'

Nair looked oddly embarrassed. 'Oh! Then you will be an heir to the estate which has benefited Ol Njorowa?'

'That's correct.'

Brice said impatiently, 'Who is Mr Gunnarsson supposed to have defrauded?'

Nair was playing for time. He said to Hendriks, 'Then it was your cousin who disappeared in Tanzania.'

Hendriks and Brice exchanged glances. Hendriks said, 'Yes; and nothing seems to have been done about it. Was Gunnarsson mixed up in that business? Is that it?'

'Not quite,' said Nair. 'How long had you known your cousin, Mr Hendriks?'

The question seemed strange to Dirk. 'What's that got to do with anything? And what's it got to do with Gunnarsson?'

'How long?' persisted Nair.

'Not very long – a matter of weeks. He was an American, you know. I met him for the first time in London.'

'Ah!' said Nair, as though suddenly a light had been shone into darkness. 'That would explain it.'

'Explain what?' said Brice in sudden irritation.

'Henry Hendrix came back across the border two days after he was kidnapped,' said Nair. 'And…'

Brice and Hendriks broke in simultaneously and then stopped, each looking at the other in astonishment. Brice said sharply, 'Why was no one told of this? It's monstrous that Mr Hendriks here should have been kept in ignorance. He's been worried about his cousin.'

'As I said, Henry Hendrix came back,' continued Nair calmly. 'But he was delirious; he had a bad case of sunstroke. In his delirium he talked of certain matters which required investigation and, when he recovered, he was questioned and made a full confession. I am sorry to tell you that the man known to you as Henry Hendrix is really called Corliss and he has implicated Gunnarsson in his imposture.'

'It's a lie,' cried Gunnarsson. "He screwed me the same way as he screwed everyone else.'

'That will be for the court to decide,' said Nair. He studied Brice and Hendriks, both of whom appeared to be shell-shocked, and smiled internally. 'The American Embassy has, of course, been kept acquainted with these developments and agreed that a certain amount of… er… reticence was in order while the matter was investigated. Mr Gunnarsson will have a number of questions to answer when we get back to Nairobi.' He looked at his watch. 'And now, if you gentlemen will excuse me…?'

There was something wrong here which Brice could not fathom. He watched Nair and Gunnarsson pass by and felt obscurely that somewhere he was being tricked. He said, 'Wait a moment. Have you been following Gunnarsson in that Kenatco taxi?'

Nair paused and looked back. 'In the line of duty.'

'Then why did it happen in reverse? Why did Gunnarsson follow you here to Crescent Island?'

'I tempted him,' said Nair blandly.

'Yeah, he suckered me all right,' said Gunnarsson in corroboration.

Suddenly Brice saw – or, rather, did not see – the missing piece, the missing man. If Gunnarsson had come to the. island and the boatman had gone away and had then returned to pick him up, then where the hell was he? Where was the boatman? And if there was no boatman then whose was the other boat? Brice jerked his head at Patterson and stepped forward. 'Look!' he said sharply, pointing at nothing in particular.

Both Nair and Gunnarsson turned to look and Brice, hooked his foot around Gunnarsson's leg and pushed. Gunnarsson went flying down the slope and instinctively put out his hands to save himself. In that he succeeded but the handcuffs went flying away in a guttering arc to clink on a rock, and Brice knew he had been right.

Stafford watched Curtis ghost through the trees to his left and then turned his head to watch Hardin on his right. He knew he did not have to worry about a couple of old pros who knew their business, but Hunt was different; he was a civilian amateur who did not know which end was up, which is why he was directly behind Stafford with strict instructions to walk in the Master's steps. 'I don't want a sound out of you,' Stafford had said. Hunt was doing his best but flinched when Stafford turned to glare at him when a twig snapped underfoot.

Curtis held both hands over his head in the military gesture indicating an order to stop. If he had had a rifle he would have held it, but he had no rifle, which was a pity. He beckoned to Stafford who, after stopping Hunt dead in his tracks, made his way to Curtis in a walking crouch.

Curtis pointed and said in an undertone, 'They've left a man at the boats.' He knew enough not to whisper. Nothing carries further than the sibilants of a whisper.

'Where are the others?'

'Somewhere up the hill. I heard voices.'

Stafford turned his head and gestured to Hardin who crept over. 'There's a guard on the boats,' he said. 'And Nair hasn't decoyed Brice away yet. They're still within hearing distance so they can probably see the boats.'

'Tricky,' said Hardin.

'Would the Colonel like the guard removed?' asked Curtis.

'How would you do it?'

Curtis indicated the water glimmering through the trees. 'Swimming.'

'Goddamn!' said Hardin. 'What about crocodiles?'

'I'd poison a crocodile,' said Curtis solemnly and without the trace of a smile.

'I don't know,' said Stafford uncertainly.

'I've been watching the water's edge from the ridge,' said Curtis. 'I haven't seen any crocodiles." He was already taking off his shoes.

'Well, all right.' said Stafford. 'But you go when I say; and you incapacitate – you don't kill.'

'I doubt if we'd get trouble if he did,' said Hardin. 'We've proved our point and the Kenyans aren't going to be worried about a dead South African agent.'

'Ben, that man there could be an innocent Kenyan brought along just to drive the boat. We can't take that chance.' Stafford went back to Hunt. 'When you answer keep your voice down. Any crocs in the lake ?'

Hunt nodded. 'Usually further north around the papyrus swamp.'

'And here?'

'Could be.'

Stafford frowned. 'We might be making a break for the boats in a few minutes. You follow us and your job is to get an engine started. You do that and you don't bother about anything else. We'll know when you've succeeded. And we want to take all the boats so we take two in tow.'

'I'll start the engine in my own boat,' said Hunt. 'I know it best. It's the chase boat we use when the balloon blows over the lake.'

Stafford nodded and went back to Curtis who had taken off his trousers and was flexing a leather belt in his hands. 'Where's Ben?' Curtis silently pointed up the hill to the right.

Presently Hardin came back. 'They're still yakking away up there. I couldn't get close enough to hear what they're saying.'

'Can they see the jetty from where they are?'

'I reckon so.'

That was not good, thought Stafford. Only if Nair could decoy Brice away would they stand a chance. Normally he would have sent Curtis off by now to take out the guard at a signal, but the longer he was in the water the greater the risk, and he would not do that. The only thing to do was to wait for an opportunity.

It came sooner than he expected in the form of a distant shout. He said to Curtis, 'Go! Go!' and Curtis slipped quietly into the water to disappear leaving only a lengthening trail of bubbles. There were more shouts and the man in the boat stood up to get a better view.

Stafford, lurking behind a screen of leaves, followed the direction of his gaze but saw nothing until Hardin nudged him. 'Look! Nair and Gunnarsson are on the run over there.'

Gunnarsson and Nair were sprinting desperately, angling down the slope away from the jetty with Gunnarsson in the lead, and Patterson and a black came in sight in full chase. Then Brice and Hendriks appeared. Brice threw up his arm and he and Hendriks changed direction, running down to the shore on the other side of the jetty. They all vanished from sight.

'Now!' said Stafford, and broke cover to run towards the jetty a hundred yards away, and was conscious of Hardin and Hunt behind him. The guard heard the crunch of their feet and turned in some alarm. He froze for a moment when he saw them and was about to turn back to shout for help when something seemed to tangle his feet and he toppled overboard with a splash.

Stafford ran up and jumped into the boat. He leaned over the side. 'Come on, Sergeant,' he said and took Curtis's arm to help him aboard. Hardin had seized an oar and was pushing the boat away from the jetty and from Hunt's boat there came a splutter as the engine balked. Stafford left Curtis gasping on the floor boards and was just in time to grab the painter of the third boat. He fastened it to a cleat and then had time to look around. gt;

Hunt was rewinding the starter cord on his outboard engine and Stafford said harshly, 'Get that bloody thing started.' He was thinking of Nair. Hardin had pushed off vigorously with the oar and the boats were now drifting about ten yards offshore where the guard was standing dripping wet and already raising an outcry. Stafford looked along the shore line and saw Brice and Hendriks turn to look back.

Hunt's engine caught with a stuttering roar, then settled down to an even purr. Stafford shouted, 'Further out and then go south – after Nair.' The note of the engine deepened and the small convoy increased in speed. He bent down to Curtis, 'You all right, Sergeant?'

'Yes, sir. Nothing wrong with me.'

Hardin was staring at the shore. 'Brice looks mad enough to bust a gut.'

Brice and Hendriks had stopped and were motionless, looking at the boats which were now a hundred yards away and moving parallel with the coast. Brice said something to Hendriks and they began to run again. Stafford said, 'Where are Nair and Gunnarsson?'

'Should be on the other side of that point there, if they haven't been caught.'

Stafford raised his voice and shouted to Hunt in the lead boat. 'Open that thing up! Get a bloody move on!'

Curtis had got up and was in the stern, already starting the engine of their own boat. Hardin hauled on the painter of the other boat to bring it alongside, then he jumped in. One by one the other engines started and Stafford cast off the boats so they could operate independently. He said to Curtis, 'Cut in close to the point. I'll watch for rocks.' He signalled to the others that he was taking the lead.

'Hey!' shouted Hardin, and pointed ashore, and Stafford saw that Patterson was in sight but had fallen. He tried to get up but collapsed when he put weight on his leg. Curtis grunted. 'Broke his ankle with a bit of luck, sir.'

Nair thought his lungs would burst. He risked a glance backwards and saw the black about twenty yards behind – and no one else. Ahead Gunnarsson was running steadily but slowing. Nair got enough breath to shout, 'Gunnarsson! Help!' and stopped to face his pursuer.

Luke Maiyani was taken by surprise. The prey was supposed to run, not stand and fight against odds. By the time he had come to this conclusion he was within five yards of Nair so he also came to a halt and looked back expecting to see Patterson but there was no one in sight. It was this small hesitation that cost him a broken jaw because Nair picked up a rock in his fist and when Maiyani turned to look at him again Nair swung with all the force he could. There was a crunch and Maiyani dropped in his tracks.

Nair turned and found that Gunnarsson was still running along the shore. He stood there with his chest heaving and became aware of shouting from offshore. He looked out at the lake and saw three boats coming in with Stafford in the bows of the leading boat waving vigorously. Behind, Hardin was pointing with urgency and he turned his head and saw Brice and Hendriks just rounding the point.

Without further hesitation he ran for the water and the approaching boats. He was splashing through the shallows when Hendriks pulled out a gun with a long barrel and took careful aim. There was no report but Nair staggered and fell. He rolled over in die water until it was deep enough to support him and started to swim, striking out with his arms and using one leg.

Gunnarsson's attention, too, had been attracted by the shouting. He stopped to look out into the lake and Hunt yelled, 'Swim for it!' Gunnarsson hesitated, then made up his mind as he became aware of Brice and Hendriks advancing upon him. Hunt steered closer to the shore and waved encouragingly then stopped in mid-wave.

'Oh, Christ!' he said.

As Gunnarsson ran towards the water there was a movement from behind him and a vast grey shape burst out of the trees. Hunt shouted, 'Sideways! Run to the side, Gunnarsson!' but he was ignored. The bull hippopotamus behind Gunnarsson was advancing at a steady yard-eating trot, running much faster than the man. It caught him just as he reached the water's edge. Hunt saw the mouth open in a cavernous gape edged with white tusks which closed in a quick snap. Then the hippo was in the lake and there was no sign of Gunnarsson except for a swirl of bloodied water.

Hunt wrenched the tiller over and opened the throttle, speeding to get between the hippopotamus and Nair who was swimming weakly. He heard no gunfire and did not know what it was that whined past him like an angry hornet to hit the outboard motor. The rapid beat of the engine faltered and then it stopped and the boat lost momentum.

Stafford's boat passed him. Stafford was standing in the bows holding an oar, and shouted, 'Get down – you're being shot at!'

'Watch for the hippo!' Hunt replied and twisted around to look for it but could not see it. But he saw a peculiar wave on the surface of the water and knew the hippopotamus was running on the bottom of the shallow lake. The displacement wave rippled towards Nair but was intercepted by Stafford's boat which lurched violently, almost throwing Stafford off his feet.

Hardin was coming in fast on the other side towards Nair as the hippo surfaced next to Stafford's boat. He raised the oar and struck at its head and as the tough, flexible wood shivered violently in his hands he knew he had got in a good blow. For a moment the hippopotamus looked at him with an unwinking eye then breathed mightily and submerged.

Curtis swung over the tiller and Stafford looked for Nair and was relieved to see Hardin helping him into the boat. A miniature fountain rose quite close to him and Stafford said to Curtis, 'For God's sake, let's get out of here.' He waved to Hardin, pointing out into the lake, as Curtis headed towards the boat in which Hunt drifted.

He slowed as they came alongside and Hunt jumped for it. Even as he jumped Curtis was opening the throttle again and swinging to head out into the lake away from shore. Stafford looked back just in time to see the boat Hunt had abandoned rise bow first and then capsize as the hippopotamus attacked it. There was a splashing and a frothing of water and then the boat had gone leaving only a few shattered timbers floating on the water.

The shore of Crescent Island receded and when they were a good half mile away Stafford said, 'Let's join Hardin and see if Nair is all right.' He looked at Hunt and said quietly, 'That was a bloody bad two minutes.'

Curtis throttled back as he came alongside Hardin and the two boats drifted placidly. Nair had slit his trousers and was examining his leg. Hardin said, 'Nair reckons he was hit in the leg, but I didn't hear any shooting.'

'It was Hendriks,' said Stafford. 'He must have had a silencer. Is it bad, Nair?'

'No, just a hole in the fleshy part of the thigh. The bullet must still be in there; there's only one hole.' He held up his right hand. 'And I broke a finger; maybe two.' He looked around. 'Where's Gunnarsson?'

'Yeah,' said Hardin. 'Where is the son of a bitch?'

'The hippo got him,' said Hunt.

'I didn't see that,' said Stafford. 'I was too busy trying to get to Nair. What happened to him?'

'It bit him in half.' Hunt shivered involuntarily.

'Jesus!' said Hardin. 'I didn't like the bastard but I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy. Are you sure?'

'I'm sure,' said Hunt. 'I saw it. There was a lot of blood in the water.' He looked at the sky and added dully, 'They've been known to bite crocodiles in half.'

'I'd have reckoned Gunnarsson to be tougher than any crocodile," said Hardin in a heavy attempt at jocularity, but the humour fell flat.

'We'd better get on,' said Stafford. 'Nair needs a doctor. Any other injuries?'

No one admitted to being hurt, but Curtis said mournfully, 'I left my belt back there. It was a good belt, too. Snakeskin.'

'You left more than that,' said Hardin. 'You left your pants.'

'Yes, but my Amy gave me that belt.'

There was a moment's silence before Stafford said, 'That lot are marooned back there. I think we ought to move into Ol Njorowa now.'

'Chip won't like it,' warned Nair.

'Chip doesn't know the circumstances. How much staff does the animal migration lab have, Alan?'

'I don't know,' said Hunt. 'It varies.'I didn't think there was anyone there now until I saw Patterson.'

'Then there's a good chance that it's empty,' said Stafford as though arguing with himself. 'I don't think Brice can have really got going yet. So far he's been working on a shoestring and waiting for the Hendrykxx money. This must be the best time to bust him, while he's out of the game. Sergeant; head for the shore.'

'To Safariland," said Hunt. 'I think I know of a way to get you into Ol Njorowa.'