Time of the Assassins u-6

by Alastair Macneill

  'And you have,' Graham said.

  'I certainly hope so,' Tambese replied thoughtfully.

  'Any news of Massenga?' Graham asked.

  'Nothing yet. There's a reward out for his capture. It shouldn't be long before he's apprehended.'

  'You still haven't told me what happened after you got caught in Branco,' Sabrina said to Graham.

  Graham recounted the events up to the time Ngune was executed in the street.

  'Have you found the officer who shot him?' she asked, looking at Tambese.

  Tm not looking for him,' Tambese replied. 'I know who it was but I'm not taking any further action. These things happen in the heat of the moment.'

  'So you're condoning murder?' she shot back. 'That's lowering yourself to Ngune's level.'

  'I'd have to sink a lot lower to reach Ngune's level.' Tambese moved to the railing and looked down at the outline of the body underneath the tarpaulin. He turned back to her. 'Ngune's dead; the coup d'etat failed. For the first time in forty-five years there's peace in Zimbala. The officer concerned only did what twelve million other Zimbalans would have done in the same situation. The country would be up in arms if I persecuted him for that. Don't get me wrong. I'm not condoning what happened, but at the same time I'm not prepared to jeopardize this new-found peace just to see that Ngune's death is avenged. This is Africa, Sabrina, not America. It's a continent in turmoil. Coup d'etats are a regular occurrence. One corrupt government replaces another. And it's always the people who suffer. If it's not the adults being massacred because they happen to belong to a different tribe to the one in power, or to the one seeking power, then it's the children dying of malnutrition because their parents can't cultivate barren fields. The African has come to accept death as part of his everyday life. We put different values on life to, say, the Americans or the Europeans. In Europe and

  America, you'd say life is for living. In Africa, we say life is for surviving. And if the death of a butcher like Ngune means the chances of survival are increased, then the people will welcome it. I know it sounds cynical, but that's become the way of life in Africa.'

  I guess values are different,' she replied, glancing across at the tarpaulin. 'But I take your point anyway.'

  'You still haven't told how you masterminded the attack on Kondese,' Graham said. 'How did your troops manage to neutralize all those patrols without any gunfire?'

  'There was gunfire, but it was minimal. We didn't hear it because we were down in the sewer at the time. All the government troops were armed with silenced weapons. They used a pincer movement to close in on the city and all had orders to shoot to kill. The radio frequencies were jammed just before the troops moved in and opened again when they had recaptured the city. That way the troops in Branco couldn't be contacted and warned of the attack. Had they known Ngune may have fled. That was our main worry. Ngune was their mastermind and with him on the loose the threat of another coup d'etat could never have been ruled out. We had to get him, dead or alive.'

  'And the garrison?' Sabrina asked.

  'Ngune had a radar scanner installed at Branco but not one at the garrison. That was his mistake. He reasoned that any air attack would have to be launched from Habane and his spies would tell him as soon as the jets were scrambled, then they could counter the attack with the jets they had in Chad. But what he couldn't know was that Jamel had come to an agreement with the Niger government while he was in New York. They agreed to let us use two of their jets on the condition that we put our own markings on them before they left Niger. They didn't want to be seen to be involved if we failed to stop Ngune from seizing power. They've always had close links with Zimbala and they wanted to keep it that way, irrespective of who came to power. Again we jammed the radio frequencies just before the jets were scrambled and the garrison was levelled to the ground within a matter of minutes. We had a division on standby to go in afterwards and capture any surviving rebels. Then, when the garrison was destroyed, we opened the radio frequencies again.'

  'How many rebels survived?' Sabrina asked.

  'Seventeen out of a squad of nearly four hundred. They'll be put on trial when they've recovered from their injuries.' Tambese looked at Sabrina. 'They'll be given a fair trial, that I assure you. And if found guilty, they'll be locked up for the rest of their lives. And I mean that quite literally. We're determined to stamp out the past. The dictatorship is dead. It must never be allowed to return.'

  'When exactly was this plan agreed?' Graham asked.

  'Jamel thrashed it out with his entourage in New York and we finalized the details over the phone two days ago.'

  'Were we part of the plan?' Sabrina asked.

  Tambese smiled. 'Only when we knew you were coming to Zimbala. That's why I had Joseph tail you from the airport. We needed to make contact, only we didn't know how you'd react. It's just as well he did tail you, otherwise you wouldn't be here now. Massenga doesn't miss from that distance.'

  'So he wasn't following Massenga. He was following me.'

  'We'd been watching Massenga ever since he arrived in Habane. No, Joseph was at the airport waiting for you. We just didn't know when you'd arrive.'

  'How did you know we were coming to Zimbala?' Graham asked suspiciously.

  'We have our sources.'

  'Meaning?' Graham pressed.

  'We've been monitoring all communications between Ngune and the outside since he retook Branco. The two of you were a regular topic of conversation when Massenga contacted him. You see, Massenga was Ngune's link to Bernard, so everything Bernard said to Massenga was passed on to Ngune. Bernard holds you in great esteem, Mike. It's almost a grudging admiration.'

  Tm not flattered,' Graham retorted.

  'You've used us from the start,' Sabrina said, shaking her head.

  'No,' Tambese shot back, the anger evident in his voice. 'I respect you both too much for that. We've been working on the same case only from different angles. That's why I thought we could achieve a lot more by putting our heads together. And I was right. I know I held out on you, and for that I'm sorry. I wanted to tell you what was going on but Jamel wouldn't hear of it. What could I do? I know I could have trusted you but I would never do anything behind

  Jamel's back. We've been friends for too long. I suppose it's a bit like the two of you working together. You keep each other informed and don't do anything without letting the other one know.'

  'You must be joking,' Sabrina replied then looked across at Graham who was trying to hide the smile that was threatening the corners of his mouth. She grinned and wagged an accusing finger at him.

  Tambese looked from Sabrina to Graham and smiled.'O K, I get the point. But you still make a damn good team.'

  'We have our moments,' Graham replied with a half-smile.

  Tambese returned inside.

  Sabrina paused at the door and looked round at Graham. 'Are you coming in?'

  Graham nodded then followed her inside, closing the door behind him.

  Thomas Massenga, who was crouched behind a tree two hundred yards away from the house, waited until Graham had closed the door before getting to his feet. He propped the AK-47 against the trunk and wiped the back of his hand across his sweating forehead. He had arrived in Kondese minutes before the government forces launched their attack to recapture the city. There was nothing he could do against such odds. He and his driver Gubene had abandoned the car and gone on foot to a safe house in the city.

  Although the gunfire had been minimal it had quickly become obvious from the activity in and around the surrounding streets that the city had fallen to government troops. Then the jets had come, sleek, fast and deadly. He had watched from a second-floor window as they destroyed Branco within a matter of minutes. Then the tanks had rolled into the compound to crush the last of the brave resistance.

  It had left him stunned. He had tried to call up the garrison on a radio in the loft. Silence. He could only assume that it, too, had fajlen. Then came word that Ngune was dead, execu
ted in the street by a young army lieutenant. And that automatically put Massenga in charge. But in charge of what? He had neither the men nor the hardware to mount a counterattack, which meant he only had one option open to him: revenge. And as the head of the government forces, Tambese would be his first victim.

  They had commandeered an army jeep and found out from its two occupants, an officer and his driver, that Tambese was questioning Remy Mobuto at the city hospital. After killing the soldiers, they had changed into their uniforms and driven over to the hospital only to discover that Tambese had left minutes earlier. He had told the duty sister that he would be at the Okoye farm in case she needed to contact him.

  They went to the farm, parking a hundred yards away from the main driveway. Massenga had left Gubene in the jeep and approached the farm on foot. He had been challenged by two soldiers in the grounds but had despatched them both with a hunting knife when they had made the mistake of coming to attention to salute him. He had reached the tree moments before Graham and Sabrina appeared on the porch. Then Tambese had joined them. He didn't have a clear shot at Tambese and although he could have sprayed the porch with gunfire there was no guarantee he would have killed him. And Tambese had to die…

  He picked up the AK-47 and moved cautiously towards the house, ever vigilant for any other soldiers who may be patrolling the grounds. He ducked down behind the jeep and gripped the side as he slowly raised his head to get a better look at the position of the steps in relation to the single window that looked out onto the porch. He immediately felt something sticky on his fingers. He peered into the jeep but when he eased back the corner of the tarpaulin he found himself looking into Ngune's wide, sightless eyes. He dropped the tarpaulin as if it had stung him then sunk to his haunches and clasped his hands over his face. It took him a few seconds to regain his composure.

  He took several deep breaths then moved out from behind the jeep and ran, doubled over, to the steps and silently crossed the porch to the window. He pressed himself against the wall and peered cautiously through the lace curtain into the room. Okoye and Moredi were sitting on the sofa, Laidlaw and Graham in the armchairs opposite and Sabrina and Tambese were standing in front of the mantelpiece. And none of them were armed. He would have a clear shot at Tambese. But to hell with that. He could take them all out with one magazine. And he still had two spare clips in his pocket in case he encountered any resistance on the way back to the jeep.

  He kept close to the wall as he covered the few feet from the window to the door then, tightening his grip on the A K-47, he reached out for the handle. He took a deep breath then, pushing down the handle, thrust open the door and swivelled round to fire into the room. Tambese knocked Sabrina to the ground a split-second before a row of bullets peppered the wall above them.

  It was sheer instinct that made Laidlaw grab the Uzi from beside his chair and as he dived low onto the carpet he raked the doorway with a fusillade of bullets. Massenga was hit several times in the chest and he fired wildly into the air as he stumbled back against the railing. He could feel the blood bubbling in his throat and a trickle seeped from his mouth and ran down his chin. He grimaced in agony as the pain tore through his body. He knew he was dying, but he was still determined to take as many of them with him as possible. He moved unsteadily towards the door and was raising the AK-47 when Laidlaw fired again. The bullets ripped into Massenga's body and the AK-47 spun from his hand as he crashed through the railing and landed heavily on the ground in front of the porch. Laidlaw ran down the steps and checked for a pulse. There was none.

  Only then did he look down at the Uzi in his hand. It was almost as if he were awakening from a dream. He looked up slowly at the others who had congregated on the porch and his eyes finally settled on Graham's face.

  'I can't believe I did it,' Laidlaw said, shaking his head slowly to himself.

  Graham smiled. 'You did it, buddy. There's the proof.'

  Four soldiers, alerted by the gunfire, appeared from behind the house, Mi 6s at the ready. Tambese told them to check the area for any other rebels. They divided into pairs and hurried away.

  'We owe you our lives, Mr Laidlaw,' Moredi said, breaking the silence. 'Thank you.'

  'Any time,' Laidlaw replied, giving Graham a knowing smile. 'Who was he anyway?'

  'Massenga, Ngune's right-hand man,' Tambese replied then pointed to the door. 'We'd better go back inside until the area's been declared safe.'

  Graham and Sabrina went upstairs to get their holdalls and when they returned they found Tambese talking to a man by the door. Tambese introduced him as the pilot.

  'He doesn't speak any English,' he added with an apologetic smile.

  'Who cares, as long as he can fly us to Habane,' Graham replied.

  Tambese translated Graham's words and the pilot gave him a thumbs-up sign. A jeep turned into the courtyard and pulled up in front of the porch. A sergeant climbed out and hurried up the steps. Tambese returned his salute and indicated that he should enter the room. They spoke briefly then the sergeant saluted again before returning to the jeep. The driver did a U-turn and drove off.

  'The area's been secured,' Tambese said, turning to Graham and Sabrina. 'The bodies of two of our soldiers were found in the grounds. Massenga must have killed them when he approached the house. His driver's been arrested. He was still waiting for

  Massenga in an army jeep about five hundred yards from here.'

  'So we can leave?' Graham asked.

  Tambese nodded then asked Okoye to take the pilot to the Cessna on the runway. Moredi took up the offer of a walk and left the room with the two men.

  'I've got to get back to the city,' Tambese said. 'There's a press conference scheduled for later this morning. I need to consult with my officers before I say anything. I'll put out that story about Ngune's still being alive. You just make sure you get to Jamel before Bernard does. If Jamel were to die now, it could throw the country back into turmoil. Mike, I know how much you want Bernard — '

  'The President's safety comes first,' Graham cut in, putting a reassuring hand on Tambese's arm. 'You have my word on that.'

  'Thank you.' Tambese shook hands with both of them then left the house.

  'So what are you going to do now?' Graham asked Laidlaw.

  Laidlaw shrugged. 'I guess I'll go back to Beirut and take stock of the situation. After that, who knows? I might go back to the States again.'

  Sabrina held out a hand towards him. 'Good luck, Russell, whatever you decide to do.'

  'Thanks,' Laidlaw replied, shaking her hand.

  'Mike, I'll see you at the plane,' she said then picked up her holdall and left the room.

  'She's a good kid, Mike,' Laidlaw said, staring at the door.

  'Kid? She's twenty-eight, Russ.'

  'You know what I mean.' Laidlaw's face became serious. 'I'd still be feeling sorry for myself in some Beirut bar if you hadn't brought me out here. You gave me back my dignity, Mike. I can never repay you for that.'

  'You can cut the schmaltz for a start,' Graham replied. 'I didn't do anything. You pulled the trigger, not me. And just as well you did.'

  Laidlaw shook Graham's hand. 'You take care of yourself, buddy.'

  'And you. I got to go, Russ.'

  Laidlaw watched Graham leave and smiled sadly to himself. He knew he'd never see Graham again. He represented the past that Graham so desperately wanted to forget. But he had the memories, and that was enough.

  TWELVE

  Whitlock pressed the combination into the bellpush then opened the door and entered. He was surprised to find Kolchinsky sitting behind Sarah's desk. Kolchinsky indicated that he should close the door behind him.

  'What's this all about, Sergei?' Whitlock asked, stifling a yawn. 'It's seven thirty in the morning.'

  'Sit down, C.W.,' Kolchinsky said, gesturing to the burgundy-coloured couch against the wall.

  'Why here? What's wrong with the office?'

  'It's bugged,' Kolchinsky replied.


  'Bugged?' Whitlock said in amazement. 'But that's impossible. Dave Forsythe checks these rooms every morning for bugs.'

  'Which means he's the only person who could have planted it.'

  'Dave? Come on, Sergei, he's one of the most senior technicians in the command centre.'

  'I read through his personnel file before you got here.' Kolchinsky held up a sheet of computer paper. 'This is the print-out. You probably know we recruited him from the CIA.'

  'Yes, I know he came over from Langley,' Whitlock replied.

  'Do you know who he was working for when he resigned?'

  Whitlock's eyes narrowed suspiciously. 'I've got a horrible feeling you're going to say Robert Bailey.'

  'The same. He'd been Bailey's electronic guru for seven years.'

  Whitlock slumped back on the couch. 'So Bailey's known everything that's been said in the office. Did you find any other bugs?'

  'No, I personally checked all the rooms this morning. They're clean.'

  'I'm surprised he didn't bug the telephones as well.'

  'Too dangerous,' Kolchinsky replied. 'He knows the Colonel and I regularly check the phones ourselves. And anyway, if Sabrina called me I always briefed you on what she said.'

  'Where is the bug?'

  'Under the coffee table.'

  'What are you going to do?' Whitlock asked.

  'Nothing, yet. I don't want to alert Bailey. Let's get the President safely on his plane first. I'll confront Dave in the morning. But until then act as if nothing's wrong.'

  Whitlock nodded. 'This certainly supports the theory that Bailey's behind this whole operation. Why else would he want the office bugged? This way he could pass everything on to Bernard to ensure he's always kept one step ahead of Mike.'