1967 - Have This One on Me

by James Hadley Chase

  The Sergeant studied the map, nodded and started the engine.

  ‘How long will it take?’ Malik demanded.

  ‘Two hours. Comrade ... the roads are dangerous and narrow.’

  ‘I will give you an hour and a half ... then, if you are late, you will lose your rank.’

  The Sergeant shrugged.

  ‘I would prefer to lose my rank than my life Comrade.’

  Malik smiled. It was not often that he smiled, but he appreciated frankness

  ‘Very well ... drive as fast as is safe.’

  * * *

  Lieutenant Jan Stursa came out of the forest to where Suk was waiting in a jeep parked off the road.

  Stursa was a young, ardent Communist with a growing reputation for ruthless efficiency. Slightly built, fair, thin-lipped, he was a man to inspire confidence. He stopped before Suk and saluted smartly.

  ‘Well?’ Suk snarled.

  He was worried. He knew Malik could have him dismissed.

  The search had been going on too long now. He couldn’t bear to think what failure might mean to him.

  ‘They are somewhere in the forest. Comrade Suk,’ Stursa said. ‘They can’t escape. A battalion of men and dogs have encircled the forest. Now, we are preparing to close in. Within an hour we must have them.’

  ‘Why are you so sure they are here?’ Suk demanded.

  ‘They left the truck thirty-five minutes ago. The dogs have picked up their scent but lost it at the river. So we know they entered the forest. My men were already in position beyond the river so they couldn’t have gone that way. They haven’t come back here. So they must still be there, hiding somewhere.’

  ‘Well, get on with it!’ Suk snapped. ‘Find them!’

  Stursa saluted, then turning, he started back into the forest.

  He waved to a waiting N.C.O. who began blowing a whistle.

  Other distant N.C.O.s hearing the whistle also began to blow their whistles. Then almost shoulder to shoulder, the circle of troops began to move forward.

  As Suk watched the beginning of the operation, the N.C.O. in charge of the radio passed the microphone to him. Smernoff told him that Malik was on his way to the scene. Sweating and uneasy, Suk cursed to himself.

  ‘He is wasting his time,’ he said into the microphone. ‘In less than an hour we will have them ... they are surrounded.’

  ‘I told him that,’ Smernoff said. ‘He doesn’t believe it. It would be a good thing for you. Comrade Suk, if you did have them by the time he arrives.’

  The warning wasn’t lost on Suk He left the radio truck and walked into the forest. Standing on a slight hill, he watched the troops, urged on by Stursa and his N.C.O.s disappear into the interior.

  The forest now became alive with the sound of men moving forward warily. Stursa soon realised that the operation was going to take much longer than an hour. The constant messages coming through the walkie-talkie, alerting him of the progress of his men on the far side of the forest, told him how slow the progress was going to be. There was so much undergrowth, so much cover and every metre of the ground had to be checked. Knowing the fugitives were armed, the young soldiers became more and more nervous as the search proceeded.

  The N.C.O.s following behind, cursed them on, confident that they were safe from the first blast of fire should the fugitives appear suddenly from the undergrowth Seventy minutes of tenseness dragged by, then Stursa’s men reached the river. They paused while Stursa looked across the river at the opposite bank. In a few minutes, he told himself, he should be seeing his troops advancing from the far side of the forest He could hear them as they came, trampling through the undergrowth. There was no point in crossing the river. Any moment now there must be a cry and a shot to tell him the fugitives had been flushed from their hiding place.

  Unable to contain his impatience and uneasiness, Suk had gone into the forest and now joined Stursa ‘What are you waiting for?’ he demanded furiously. ‘Are you afraid of getting your feet wet?’

  ‘The ring is closed,’ Stursa said. His expression was tense and there were sweat beads on his upper lip.

  ‘Closed?’ Suk’s voice shot up. ‘Then where are your prisoners?’

  Even as he spoke, he could see the line of advancing troops coming through the trees on the far side of the river.

  ‘Where are they?’ he screamed, livid with rage. Then seeing on Stursa’s face the admission of defeat, he began to shake his fists at the young Lieutenant. ‘You imbecile! I’ll have you before the Tribunal!’

  Stursa remained stiffly at attention. This was a bitter moment for him. He had been so sure of success.

  As Suk continued to scream curses at him, a cold, flat voice said, ‘You sound agitated. Comrade Suk.’

  Words died on Suk’s lips. Blood drained out of his face.

  He turned to find Malik standing a few yards from him, his green eyes like glass, his face like stone.

  ‘Comrade Malik.’ Suk recovered himself and tried to bluster. ‘This fool assured me they were in the forest. We have employed nearly five hundred men. Nothing ... they are not here!’

  Malik motioned him to silence. He walked over to Stursa ‘Why did you think they were here. Lieutenant?’ he asked quietly.

  Steadying his voice, Stursa explained.

  ‘The dogs picked up their scent from the truck. They lost it about here,’ he said. ‘This must prove they entered the forest. They took to the water and the dogs could not follow them. Every metre of the forest has been searched. Somehow - I can’t explain it - they have managed to evade the ring I threw around them.’

  Malik studied Stursa for a long, searching moment, then he nodded He liked the look of this young man.

  ‘Could they have found a boat?’

  ‘I have blocked the river at both ends,’ Stursa told him.

  ‘They could not pass my men by boat. The river is completely sealed.’

  ‘So?’ Malik lit a cigarette. ‘You are sure they came into the forest?’

  ‘Yes, Comrade Malik.’

  ‘Yet they have vanished. They are not ghosts. If they are not hiding in the trees, if they are not hiding in the river, if they are not hiding in the forest, then they must be underground. Is there anywhere in this forest they could go underground ... a pothole ... a cave?’

  ‘I don’t know Comrade Malik.’

  A young N.C.O., listening to all this, came forward and stiffened to attention.

  ‘Permission to speak Comrade Lieutenant,’ he said.

  ‘What is it Sergeant?’ Malik asked.

  ‘There is an air shaft not far from here, leading to a disused copper mine. I used to play in the mine when I was a boy,’ the Sergeant said, staring above Malik’s head, his face dripping with the sweat of embarrassment.

  ‘Can you take us to this air shaft?’ Malik asked.

  ‘I think so Comrade. It is some years since I was there but I think I can find it.’

  Malik turned to Suk.

  ‘Tell Smernoff what is happening. You need not come with us.’ Turning his back on Suk, he signalled to Stursa to follow him. ‘Lead the way Sergeant.’

  The sergeant started off along the river bank with Malik and Stursa following him.

  Suk watched them go. knowing his small reign of power was now over.

  * * *

  Girland sat with his back against the slope of the cave with Jan by his side. The two girls and Worthington were sleeping.

  In the light of the candle, Jan was drawing a map of the mine in the hard sand.

  ‘This is a bad place to get lost in,’ he said. ‘This tunnel to your right leads down to the mine and it is full of water. This tunnel to your left eventually leads to an exit that comes out into the middle of the minefield, guarding the frontier. At least, by using this route, we bypass the seedbed and the first alarm fence. The mines are buried about ten centimetres deep. They have vibration fuses. It takes a lot of vibration to set them off. My friend started the crossing at eight o’clock. It
was dark. It took him four hours, moving centimetre by centimetre on his stomach. He must have passed over several mines, but by moving so slowly and gently, he survived.’ Jan looked up and rubbed his stubbly jaw. ‘We are five. This makes the operation five times more difficult and five times more dangerous. Two of us must go the first night, two the second and then the final one. I go with my wife. I leave it to you if you are the last or Worthington is. I should have thought Worthington should be the last. You could control the girl if she panics. Worthington couldn’t.’

  Girland nodded.

  ‘There is a fence ... a double electrified fence, but there is also an underground stream flowing under the fences so the ground is soft. It is possible, by lying completely flat on this sodden ground to get under the bottom wire. The ground sinks under your weight. If you touch the bottom wire, you will, of course, be electrocuted.’

  Girland grimaced.

  ‘It sounds marvellous, and how about the watch towers?’

  ‘The nearest one to where we cross is a hundred metres. That is to your right. To your left there is another tower three hundred metres away. The revolving searchlights from the two towers don’t quite meet, and it is through this narrow lane of shadow that we will have to move.’ Jan shrugged and lit a cigarette from the candle flame. ‘I told you we could get through only if we have lots of luck ... we’ll need lots of luck.’

  ‘Yes.’ Girland studied the map of the mine and then began to rub it out, smoothing the sand with the flat of his hand.

  ‘Even when we are across the frontier, the guards in the towers, if they spot us, will fire at us as long as we are within range. There is no question of standing up and running for it. You will have to crawl for at least six hundred metres to where there is enough cover to stand up and run.’

  ‘Heck!’ Girland exclaimed. ‘It sounds quite an operation.’

  ‘It can be done. I’ve seen it done.’

  ‘If one of us makes a mistake, then we’re all finished. The crossing will be spotted.’ Girland looked thoughtfully at Jan. ‘I must go first Jan. I have a Top Secret document that must get back to Paris. I’m sorry, but this document is so explosive, I must get it back.’

  ‘No document, however explosive, is more important than my wife’s life,’ Jan said, his fleshy face hardening. ‘No ... we have brought you here ... we go first.’

  ‘If you touch off a mine, then I don’t get this document out,’ Girland said. ‘I assure you it is more important than your wife. I’m sorry, but that’s the way it is.’

  ‘My wife and I go first,’ Jan said. ‘I’m sorry too. I know where to cross ... you don’t. If we don’t go first, none of us goes!’

  ‘Suppose we toss for it?’ Girland suggested, always willing to back his luck.

  ‘I don’t toss for my wife’s life,’ Jan said coldly. ‘We go first or none of us goes!’

  Girland studied the hard, fleshy face. There was no compromise in Jan’s expression. Girland didn’t blame him. He would have done the same if he had been married to a woman like Blanca.

  ‘Okay, you win ... so you go first.’

  ‘Yes,’ Jan said. ‘Now I’ll get some sleep. We go tomorrow night. Then you and the girl the following night ... then Worthington.’

  Worthington awake, had been listening to the whispered conversation. He started up, threatening the two men with his gun. ‘No! I heard what you were saying. I’m not crossing on my own! Do you hear? I won’t do it!’

  Girland looked at him with resigned boredom.

  ‘What a pest you are,’ he said. ‘Put that gun down and for God’s sake, go to sleep!’

  ‘No! You will go first. I will go with you,’ Worthington said. ‘I must get out. Mala can come after us. These small time farmers ....’

  ‘Shut up ... listen!’ Girland said sharply. The snap in his voice stilled Worthington.

  They remained motionless. Very faintly, coming down the long tunnel, they could hear voices. Snatching up an automatic rifle. Girland left the cave and began moving fast and silently up the tunnel to the air shaft As he approached the shaft, he heard voices distinctly.

  It was at this moment that Malik, Stursa and the Sergeant had reached the hole, leading down into the mine.

  ‘This is it. Comrade,’ the Sergeant said.

  ‘Where does it lead to?’ Malik asked.

  ‘There is a long tunnel, then a cave.’ the Sergeant told him. ‘From the cave there are two other tunnels. I don’t know where they lead to.’

  ‘Are there other exits?’ Malik asked, his voice coming clearly to Girland as he squatted in the tunnel. Malik was speaking German.

  ‘I don’t know. When I was a small boy ...’

  ‘Never mind about your boyhood,’ Stursa snapped. ‘I will go down and find out.’

  ‘Wait,’ Malik said. ‘If they are down there, you should not go. One of them is highly dangerous. No ... we don’t go down. We will drop a tear gas bomb down there and then your men, with gas masks, can go down and see what there is to see.’

  ‘We have no tear gas bombs,’ Stursa said impatiently. ‘I am going down.’ He had three hand grenades hanging from his belt. He unhooked one. ‘This is my operation. Comrade Malik. I give orders here.’

  Listening to this, Girland turned and sped back down the tunnel. He reached the cave.

  ‘Quick. They are coming down,’ he said. Already the two girls were awake and getting to their feet. ‘Get up the tunnel to the frontier!’

  Turning, he ran back up the tunnel while Jan, grabbing up two of the rucksacks, herded the girls towards the left hand tunnel.

  Left on his own, Worthington hesitated. Ever since he had left his home, he had felt he had no future. Now, suddenly, he had a compulsive urge finally to prove to himself that he wasn’t the weakling he knew they all thought he was. He followed Girland back up the tunnel.

  Hearing him Girland paused and waved him back.

  ‘I can handle this. Follow the others!’

  ‘No! I can help you!’ Worthington said desperately. He could just make out Girland’s silhouette from the light coming down the air shaft.

  ‘Get the hell out of here!’ Girland snapped and then started off to the tunnel again.

  Worthington hesitated. He was terrified, but now he was like a man biting down on an aching tooth. He had to prove to himself that he was as good a man as Girland: If he didn’t he knew he had no hope with Mala, and she was his only desire for survival. He gave Girland a moment or so to reach the air shaft, then he slowly walked up the tunnel, sweat dripping down his face, his hand gripping his gun so tightly a cramp set up in his arm.

  Stursa came into the tunnel with a rush, skidded, landed on his back then scrambled to his feet.

  Girland was in the dark shadows, leaning against the wall of the tunnel. Stursa didn’t see him but he did see the crouching outline of Worthington as he came slowly and cautiously towards him. Worthington saw him. jerked up his gun and fired. The bang of the gun was like a clap of thunder in the confined space. As Stursa fell, he managed to throw the grenade. It hit Worthington on the chest, then dropped to the floor of the tunnel. Worthington fell flat on it, not knowing what it was, only desperate to get undercover. The grenade exploded. Girland felt wet stickiness hit his face. Some of the roof of the tunnel came down, showering him with sand and stones.

  The noise of the exploding grenade deafened and shocked him. For some moments he remained limply against the wall of the tunnel, then making the effort, he went over to Stursa who was bleeding and unconscious. His groping hands found the two other hand grenades and he quickly unhooked them from Stursa’s belt. Then he ran down the tunnel to where Worthington was lying. He flicked his cigarette lighter alight, peered at Worthington, grimaced and then ran back to the cave.

  Worthington was a jelly of blood and smashed bone, held together only by his clothes.

  As Girland entered the cave Jan came down the tunnel, gun in hand.

  ‘Worthington’s dead.’ Girl
and said. ‘Get back up the tunnel!’

  ‘You all right?’

  ‘Yes. Get going!’

  Jan went back and Girland heard more rock falling in the tunnel leading to the air shaft. He pulled the pin from one of the grenades, then tossed the grenade in an underhand, looping throw down the tunnel.

  The explosion brought down another fall of stones. He pulled the pin from the second grenade and threw it down the tunnel.

  The thunder of the explosion and the crash of falling stones told him that the tunnel was now sealed, but to be certain, he lit a candle and walked up the tunnel. The smoke, dust and falling stones made an impassable barrier. Gasping for breath, he started back, crossed the cave and ran up the tunnel where Jan was waiting.

  ‘What’s happening?’ Jan demanded, holding aloft a lighted candle while he stared at Girland who was smothered with dust and spotted with Worthington’s blood.

  ‘I’ve blocked the tunnel. It could take them some time to get through ...’ He stopped short as there came a tremendous crash of falling rock and dust swirled up the tunnel, making them cough. Girland heard Mala scream as the dust swirled past her.

  ‘Sounds as if the cave’s gone,’ he said. ‘They might think we’re buried.’ Pushing past Jan, he went on up the tunnel to where the two girls were crouching in the darkness.

  Malik drew back from the hole as the first grenade exploded. He saw dust and smoke rush out of the air shaft and the noise of the exploding grenade set his teeth on edge.

  ‘The fool!’ he said viciously. ‘What does he think he is doing?’

  The Sergeant stood by helplessly. Malik waited, listening.

  Then the other two grenades exploded and he could hear the crashing of falling rocks.

  He whirled around to the Sergeant.

  ‘Get men! Quickly!’

  The Sergeant dashed away while Malik watched the dust rising out of the hole. He listened to the rumbling sound as rocks continued to fall, and he grimaced. By using his grenades.

  Malik reasoned, the fool had collapsed the tunnel.

  But did this mean the fugitives were buried? Were there other exits from the mine. There must be ... but who knew about them? Malik realised he was wasting time standing by the air shaft. He must alert Smernoff.