The People Traders (18 page)

No one said anything, just studied their orders while Commander Farrow read his, before continuing. "Your own operation is scheduled for three days. It's a long time, I know, but these warehouses are deep in the countryside, very well protected by mountainous terrain from the air, so I've allowed extra time for unforeseen problems, then no group has an excuse not to be back at the pickup point."

He looked around the room, the seriousness in his voice all too apparent. "This operation's essential for bringing stability to the area. We know the rebels are short of ammunition and heavy guns. Our ships in the bay and the lads in the air have extracted a heavy toll on their fixed gun emplacements. This has changed the tactics of these so-called armies to a guerrilla operation. Guerrilla tactics, gentlemen, as we all know, require light, modern weapons. A ship's to be loaded with six hundred tons of ammunition, ten thousand semi-automatic weapons and two hundred anti-tank systems on the fifth of this month for just such an operation. That's four days from now. Our Government and the lads on the front line don't want this consignment to even leave port. Once at sea, diplomatically, we couldn't take out the ship; we know from past experience these shipments are a combination of Red Cross and humanitarian items, so you can understand there would be serious repercussions if we blew any out of the water. This brings me to the only real option, and that's to destroy the weapons before they leave the warehouses. If we succeed, we'll severely dent the rebels' ability to mount any operations."

The meeting went on for some two hours, by which time they were all familiar with their own roles. Garry could now understand the recent training; everything directed in this training to fortified warehouses. Before Commander Farrow dismissed everyone, he looked at the two lads. "Stafford, King, can you two stay behind?"

They remained seated and Commander Farrow closed the door, moving to the front. He handed them sealed orders and at the same time pulled out a map and photos of a house set deep in an estate. "Sirec Saleam is the brains behind this operation. He's Mr. Big in the gun-runner business, and supplies regularly into the Far East. We don't know much about his background or what country's sewer he originated from, but we know his house. Or rather we know of one. He has safe houses all over the world."

Garry cut in. "What's this man got to do with us?" he asked Commander Farrow.

"For this operation: nothing. Oh, it'd be nice to put a bullet between his eyes, but Sirec's in Europe, so we've been told. It's what's in his house the government wants," he replied, pushing over a photograph.

The two men stared at it for some minutes. "She's a good-looking girl," Mark commented.

Then Garry suddenly recognised her. "Isn't that the girl who was abducted and drowned in Wales?" he asked.

Commander Farrow nodded. "So everybody thought. In reality she wasn't drowned, she was put on a ship, possibly transferred to a smaller boat, then taken overland to a village two hundred miles north of Beirut. From there she's been sold to Sirec. She, gentlemen, is Sirec's girl now. Our Government wants her. In fact it's rumoured the PM's election chances rest with the safe return of this girl. The papers have caused mayhem, demanding the Government gets her back."

Garry frowned. "So where do we come in then?"

"You go and get her, it's as simple as that. We have the house and the location and while governments are arguing over what should be done, the S.A.S. go and nick her back from under Sirec's nose."

Mark scowled. "I'm no nanny; what about the warehouse attack we've trained for?"

Commander Farrow dismissed his words, his reply to Mark scathing and with total authority. "These are new orders. It's a dangerous job I know, but it's what we're here for and, gentlemen, this is what we, the S.A.S., the finest strike force in the world, are all about. I'm not bothered if it's a criminal, a weapon dump or yes, even an eighteen year old kid down on her luck, it's just as important an operation in my book. Do you have a problem with that?"

"No, Sir..." they both shouted in unison.

"Then study your orders, gentlemen, and I want you both fully conversant with that document and ready to board landing dinghies at 04-30. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Sir," they both shouted again.

CHAPTER 11

It was after this meeting with Commander Farrow, and an uneventful trip to the village of Harable, that Garry and Mark found themselves leaving the main group and joining a local informer who was to take them on to Hariz. This village was some sixty miles from where the target warehouses were located, and close to Sirec's villa. Commander Farrow had arranged to meet up, after collecting Karen, eighty miles due west and less than fifty miles from the submarine pickup point, in three days. With satellite communication, Garry had received updated photos taken that morning; the exact layout of the villa and the surrounding area was confirmed to him. He now needed time to survey the location, find a means of entry and exit from the villa and spend a day studying the movements of people inside; with particular attention to the times the guards changed or conducted their security checks.

The informer, Arif, a man in his sixties, muttered constantly to himself as he coaxed the aged car along the main road into Hariz. He spoke good English and although Garry was able to speak Arabic, communication in English was preferable.

"Transport, Arif, what have you arranged for us to leave the area?" Garry asked as he fiddled with his radio.

"I have arranged nothing. You must remember it was only late last night I was informed you were to go to Hariz. Anyway there will be no problem, my mother's brother lives there, it's very large with some three thousand inhabitants and I will have no problem in finding a car." He stopped talking for a moment as he grappled with the steering wheel, trying to prevent the car from ending up in a ditch, then continued. "Your Commander has already given me money to buy a vehicle. I will show you before we get to Hariz just where it will be left. We have to be very careful as cars that seem abandoned are soon procured by the locals trying to keep their own cars on the road. The last thing you want is transport without wheels or engine, yes?"

Garry laughed. "Yes, Arif, that would be a little difficult to say the least."

By the time they'd come within four miles of Hariz, it had turned nine o'clock in the morning. Many vehicles had passed them going both ways and they'd sunk low in their seats. Suddenly Arif veered off the road up a dirt track. They climbed for some two miles before the track narrowed so much it was hardly wide enough for a man, let alone a vehicle. Even the terrain had changed, with the flat arid landscape giving up to dense scrubland. He stopped, climbed out and stretched. The other two followed him.

"Sirec's villa is north west from here," Arif began. "Follow the track through the gorge and you will see it below you. This road, or track as you may call it, was once part of the route to Iriza, forty miles away. Since Sirec built his house, the original track has been closed with the new one diverted round Sirec's estate and is now a very good tarmac road. Sometimes you may get one or two poachers or herdsmen using this part but it is our winter now and the herdsmen keep the animals in the valley. They won't be coming up here for another month or so. Your car will be waiting here. It will be fully fuelled and the keys will be," he stopped and looked round before walking to a large rock and bending down, "under this small stone by the side of this rock. If anyone comes this way they'll think the occupants are out hunting, but you can be sure they will come back in a couple of days time just to see if they were wrong, and the car had been abandoned."

While Arif explained to Garry, Mark had pulled out all their equipment and was quickly strapping it together for carrying. Now completed, he waited quietly for Arif to finish. Finally, with arrangements made, they shook hands and the two soldiers moved up the track. Arif watched them go and turned the old car round, heading down towards Hariz.

"What's the plan then, Garry?" Mark asked, as they moved slowly through the dense scrub.

Garry shrugged. "Your bet's as good as mine. Nobody seems to know just how many people are living there or anything. What I'm banking on with Sirec not being there, is that the security will be lax. Besides, what's there to protect?"

Mark nodded his agreement. "Yeah, that's a point, with luck then we'll be in and out before they know what's hit them, after all, somebody looking for Sirec is hardly going to attack a house knowing he's in Europe."

"That's my thought too, anyway we'll spend the rest of the day watching and decide later," Garry replied.

Suddenly, without warning, they came to a sheer drop, the track itself turning sharp right. Looking down into the valley they could see a villa some hundred feet below. Painted white, it stood out in the surrounding starkness of the area. They dropped to their stomachs and peered over with powerful glasses. As in the aerial photos, but not clear until now, were two walls, an inner low wall and a high outer one. The outside wall was at least twelve feet high with only one entrance and what looked like guardhouses either side. The inner wall was about eight feet high, yet again, with only one entrance and another guardhouse. Inside the inner wall the area couldn't have been more different. Extensive lawns, gardens neatly laid out, terraces round the massive central villa and a swimming pool, kidney shaped, sparkling blue amongst a sea of tropical plants.

"Wow, this is some pad, eh, Mark?" Garry whispered.

"Yeah, the kids really landed on her feet; do you think she would still want rescuing?" Mark commented.

"You might be right but on the other hand she could be in deep trouble. Men like this could get anyone in the world. Why buy an eighteen year old just to shag. Unless his tastes are more bizarre and relies on young girls to feed his appetite," Garry replied.

They watched for nearly three hours at the comings and goings. They noted every truck, every car arriving or leaving, logged times of guards patrolling the outer perimeter and could locate at least six guards wandering around in the inner walled area. By the side of the pool they could make out somebody lying on a lounger, but until now were unable to see who it was because of a large umbrella. However, a bell had rung from the villa and this person stood up to go inside.

Garry watched his glasses at full magnification. "That's the kid. That's Karen," he said to Mark. "Boy, she's got a fantastic figure; no wonder this Sirec wants her."

Mark, busily preparing some food, grabbed his glasses and just caught her as she went inside. "Well at least she's there. So what's the plan now you've seen the place?"

Garry picked up a sandwich and took a large bite, Mark did the same.

"It seems to me," Garry observed between chews. "the only way in is through the entrance. Scaling that wall would be easy but did you notice the wires above? They had insulators on and that spells electrification. Even that's not too bad for us to get through, but how do we get a girl out that way? She looked from here a bit of a bimbo and those sort don't climb walls, always afraid they'll break a nail."

Mark leaned over and pulled a file from his bag. He read it for some time then looked up at Garry, who, although still chewing his sandwich, had gone back to surveying the villa.

"I wouldn't underestimate this girl, Garry. According to the report from central, the girl's quite an athlete. Often from the age of fourteen, she went with her father on those action weekends. You know the sort of thing, grown men using paint guns and playing soldiers. It also means she'll probably have the ability to read maps, use a compass and hopefully melt into the terrain to avoid capture. Many a time she'd sleep rough on the Saturday night with others in the group when it was a two-day exercise."

Garry cut in. "If I'd known those weekends included girls like her, I'd have been there myself. Can you imagine waking up with her at your side? Besides, stuff the games, I'd be out with her, clubbing it."

Mark laughed, he couldn't agree more, but he read on from Karen's profile and frowned. "You might have had a little trouble convincing her to go clubbing with you, Garry, if she didn't want to."

"Why's that?" Garry asked.

Mark laughed again. "Well her father also sent her to self-defence classes, kick-boxing and judo. By the sound of that lot he must have really wanted a lad, so turned her into some sort of tomboy. But she must have liked these things because she's gained a brown belt and was to take the black sometime this summer."

Garry grinned. "You could be right, Mark, but at least I can dream, can't I?"

They both settled down again, and as night fell the inner courtyard came alive with lights. Between the outer and inner walls, down-facing, hooded streetlights lit every point, leaving not a shadow all around the perimeter.

"Well, that confirms it; we go through the entrance. Nothing would get into that villa without somebody knowing. We knock out the front security and go straight in. With luck they'll not know what hit them," Mark said quietly.

Garry touched his shoulder. "Not quite, Mark, I've been watching the comings and goings of vehicles. The food trucks, especially the local ones, go straight through into the inner yard and turn to the back of the villa. I think with Sirec away, there's a little complacency among the guards, and they are either too lazy to check or, as I suggested before, not that interested because there's nobody going to come while Sirec's away."