Eagle of Darkness

by Christopher Wright

  "I think maybe you're right," agreed Sam.

  "Then you'll be needing my help," said the Cardinal.

  Panya looked at Fitz. "Did you use the Vatican bank to trace her?"

  "The financial institutions were reluctant to help trace the money," he said. "But I twisted a few arms, seeing as there was a malicious woman involved."

  Abadi glared. "Can we discuss this later?" he asked.

  "Do you think you could be after getting the tea?" countered the Cardinal.

  Colonel Ben Abadi raised his eyebrows and looked sorrowfully at Sam. The expression gave Sam a feeling of affinity with this man from the Egyptian Commandos. Colonel Ben Abadi was a soldier dedicated to his work, not a nine-to-five administrator glued to a desk.

  "I think Mr. Bolt would rather we proceeded with the work in hand," said Abadi briskly. "In the meantime I will arrange for tea to be brought over from the airport lounge."

  "Now that's ever so civil of you," remarked Cardinal Fitz as Abadi went to the phone.

  Panya moved to Sam's side. "I'm so happy for you about the children."

  "If it's true," said Sam, thinking that he'd be even happier when he could actually see Karen and Tom. Panya smiled at him, and he wondered if she was pleased to hear that Sally wasn't coming back. The small room had gone silent. Sam realized just how feminine Panya's body looked in the dress. Like the little girl next door who had suddenly grown up, he'd not noticed her properly until now. If he wasn't careful he'd start to fancy her. But Panya was now watching the Colonel as he replaced the phone.

  "What you will hear today is higher than top secret, and I have to trust you." Abadi made eye contact with everyone in turn. "I don't have the power to demand you sign a state secrets paper, but I have ways of ensuring prolonged incarceration for those who betray my country, irrespective of their nationality. Do I make myself clear?"

  Sam recognized the man for a real bastard, but a man who could both trust and be trusted. Threats were his way of achieving results.

  "You all agree?"

  Everyone agreed.

  "Then I will be blunt. Egypt has an enemy."

  "Egypt has always had enemies," said the Cardinal quietly.

  Abadi heard him. "This enemy is different. Many of our people say it is Israel, and some of our Arab neighbors are only too eager to repeat the rumor."

  Cardinal Fitz shifted impatiently from one foot to the other. "And to be sure, you're well aware of the prophecy from the Institute of Egyptologists."

  "Thanks to you, Cardinal, I am well aware of it. Please sit down. Your tea will be here shortly."

  Sam wasn't going to let Abadi be so dismissive. "Panya and I have been investigating the Institute."

  "Wonderful." The Colonel's voice was loaded with sarcasm. "Let me hear your findings."

  "For a start," said Sam, "we think that ... that is, Panya and I think..."

  Colonel Abadi stared at him. "Go on."

  "If a foreign power is behind the prophecy, then if they say the Eagle of Darkness will fly tonight, it will, because they'll be making it happen."

  "And what do you say, man of God? You religious leaders are supposed to understand prophecy."

  The Cardinal was looking out of the window for signs of the tea. "I suppose it can be classed as prophecy if the person doing the foretelling is also controlling the future. I am thinking now of the good Lord."

  "Where did the nuclear missile come from that decimated Beni Mazar?" Sam asked.

  "The Mukhabarat would dearly love to know the answer to that one," said Abadi. "You have heard of our Mukhabarat? They are the Egyptian equivalent of your Special Intelligence Service, or the American CIA. Understand this, Mr. Bolt, I cannot trust even the most senior staff of the Mukhabarat. The true reason for your presence in Egypt is unknown to everyone. The authorities think you are here as part of the Unity group, to join the religious service."

  "I'm impressed," said Sam.

  "I'm putting my reputation on the line, as you English say. I will come out of this covered in glory or...," he glanced at Panya, "let's say dung."

  "Then you're after being a man of peace like myself," said Cardinal Fitz, still at the window.

  "I love Egypt, and I love peace," said Abadi. "But I am prepared to use violence to achieve peace. What do you say to that, holy man?"

  "I understand your feelings."

  Sam felt surprised, but said nothing.

  "I don't approve of guns, but we all have battles to fight," the Cardinal added.

  "Then we see eye to eye," said Abadi. "The enemy we are fighting would seem to be an enemy on the inside."

  "Colonel Abadi," Sam said, "the next nuclear device is called the Eagle of Darkness."

  "I have heard something about it from the newspapers. But no one has details. Why do you say it's nuclear?"

  "It's being launched tonight from Râs Banâs, near Berenice." That seemed to get the Colonel's attention. Then he added, "I thought Râs Banâs was closed."

  Abadi didn't smile. "Since Afghanistan, the base is packed with Egyptian and American military forces preparing to defend the Middle East from terrorist attacks. Needless to say, this is top secret. But I can assure you we are not planning to launch any nuclear missiles from Râs Banâs tonight."

  "Whatever it is, it sounds as though it's coming from the air," said Sam. "I overheard a conversation in England between a White House press man and someone called Endermann. Endermann was on his way to Berenice."

  Colonel Abadi banged his fist on the dusty desk, making everyone stand back in alarm. "Endermann? In the name of Allah why did you not tell me this before? We picked up one of his armed men at airport arrivals this afternoon, but so far he has told us nothing. Endermann in Berenice?" The Colonel pointed to the large map on the wall visitors. "This is Berenice." He tapped the bottom right hand corner, close to the border with Sudan. "We have missiles down there at Râs Banâs. For defense. But nothing nuclear." He paused. "And you'd better believe it."

  "Then you'll go there and arrest Endermann?" Panya asked.

  "Mrs. Pulaski, my government believes Israel is planning to eliminate Egypt, as they tried in sixty-seven in the Six Days War. There will soon be a large build-up of American forces in the eastern Mediterranean -- but whose side are they on?"

  "And whose side is Egypt on?" asked Sam.

  "For all I know, my government has sold out to the West. A colonel can be eliminated with just a word. If I arrest Endermann I risk starting the Armageddon you Christians talk about. So what is the Eagle of Darkness?"

  "Some sort of airborne missile," suggested Sam. "Maybe like the one that blew up at Beni Mazar."

  "Mr. Bolt, the nuclear explosion at Beni Mazar was not airborne. Our anti-missile defense screens would have detected it. If it was an eagle, it was an eagle that walked there from its nest. Perhaps Egypt will have to wait for this Eagle of Darkness to fly before we can take action. That is when the world will discover the name of the aggressor."

  "And risk another nuclear blast?" Sam asked.

  "Preserving peace is never easy, Mr. Bolt." Abadi stopped, deep in thought, then clapped his hands loudly as though inspiration had arrived. "Sometimes it is necessary for a person to take risks that are considered acceptable. That is how military strategists have operated for thousands of years. Risk assessment, we call it today."

  "So?" Sam wanted assurance that something positive was being done.

  Abadi ignored him. "Cardinal Fitz, you must know all the hiding places in a church. I want you to go with my men while they search the church of Saint Sergius once more. Mrs. Pulaski, you will go with the Cardinal, although you are not to put yourself in danger."

  Panya's eyes flared. "Where I come from, women do the same work as men."

  Colonel Abadi's mind was clearly on his strategy, not on the politics of sexual equality. "Mr. Bolt, I want you to be my pilot."

  "You have a plane?" asked Sam.

  "You have the plane, Mr. Bolt. I want you to a
rrange for it to be refueled."

  "It's not my plane, and I don't have any money for fuel," protested Sam.

  "Mr. Bolt," said Abadi, "you forget I am in charge here. All I want you to do is allow the military to refuel the Dornier."

  "And where are we going?"

  "I will tell you when we are airborne."

  "I'll need to file a flight plan."

  "No, Mr. Bolt, I will file the flight plan."

  A knock at the door and a steward appeared with a flask and some white cups and saucers.

  Cardinal Fitz perked up immediately and put his mouth close to Sam's ear. "I don't suppose you've got anything stronger in your luggage?" he whispered. "I'm after being in need of a drop of whiskey to put in my coffee. All this talking has put the fear of God into me."

  Chapter 64

  Cairo, Egypt

  THE VATICAN Dornier climbed rapidly, leaving the terminal buildings and runways far below. Abadi had filed a military flight plan for Aswan, down in the south. He told Sam there was no need to contact air traffic control again, as they would be tracking him all the way. Sam felt uneasy. The Colonel was up to something.

  Sam watched the streets and high-rise apartment blocks of Cairo flash past below the cockpit windows. "I gather most commercial flights have stopped," he said, checking that the indicator lights showed the wheels were securely latched.

  "It seems that no one wants to come to my country for pleasure, or for business at the moment."

  "I can't blame them, with the nuclear threat."

  "Then you are a brave man coming here to risk your life."

  "I got talked into it," said Sam.

  The Colonel pointed down. "See the Nile? It is the lifeblood of my country, but soon contaminated water from Beni Mazar will make its way here, before polluting the sea."

  Sam looked around. A row of black barges made their way towards Cairo, their wake clearly visible in the pale green waters of the river that had allowed an ancient civilization to grow up along its fertile plain "I didn't realize it was so wide."

  Abadi pointed to the west. "The Pyramids of Dahshur. The Sphinx and the Pyramids of Giza are behind us now. It is a shame you cannot visit us as a tourist, but so much of the Nile territory is being urgently evacuated due to the secondary fallout."

  Sam had more on his mind than a few pyramids. He kept hearing Cardinal Fitz telling him about Sally. At least the Cardinal seemed interested in helping sort out the inevitable mess. Maybe Panya could visit him and stay for a few days when Karen and Tom were allowed home. They would probably welcome a woman's support as they settled in. He certainly would.

  "See across there, the remains of another pyramid." Abadi seemed to be playing a game. "The Pyramid of Maidum. Such remains are everywhere on the route to Aswan." He sat back and sighed in resignation. He pointed towards the sand that marked the start of the Western Desert, a thousand miles of sand and rock leading to the Libyan border. "We have to keep clear of there, and pass Beni Mazar well to the east as we fly south. I think it will be time to turn east soon."

  Sam felt concerned that air traffic control would not be expecting a sudden change of direction. On the other hand they would hardly be expecting him to fly over an area of high radiation. He reached forward for the transmit button, just to check up. Abadi knocked his hand away.

  "I've already told you: don't use the radio," he snapped.

  "I need..."

  "Mr. Bolt, this plane is now under military command. My military command." The Colonel unfolded a map. "Over there you can see a large oasis. Go to the left of that and then continue south."

  "If you're sure," said Sam, anxious to use the radio for confirmation of their destination.

  Abadi pulled a small radio from his pocket and answered it. He turned to Sam. "You must excuse me. Continue south with the Nile on our right, until I tell you otherwise." He undid his seat harness and made his way into the passenger cabin. "And don't use the radio," he called out.

  Six minutes later the Colonel returned with his map. "Switch off your transponder," he ordered.

  "Are you crazy?" asked Sam.

  "Switch it off. Get down to ground level as soon as you can, keeping on this course, then turn due east immediately." He flashed a smile, but it failed to reassure Sam.

  Sam shook his head. "I flew low coming in from Malta, but I was over water, not sand dunes and rocks. It's too dangerous down there."

  "Flying is becoming dangerous nowadays." The Colonel clipped on his safety harness.

  "Give me a good reason why I should do what you say," said Sam.

  "Anyone flying around the skies will stick out ... what do you English say ... like a sore thumb? Air traffic controllers have more time to watch aircraft movements since the explosion at Beni Mazar. As far as they are concerned we could be a hostile aircraft."

  "Then let me keep the transponder on. Then we'll know who we are."

  Abadi shook his head. "I do not wish anyone to know we are on our way."

  "Your air force will shoot us down when they detect us on their radar," protested Sam.

  "Quite possibly, Mr. Bolt. So let's agree that you switch off the transponder and fly east, extremely low, below ground radar cover. Okay?"

  Put like that he had to agree.

  Sam dropped the Dornier almost to the desert, then sharp east, having to steer sharply to starboard and then port to miss a clump of palm trees on a slight rise. Abadi needed a skilled fighter pilot, not a civil airline driver for this job. The last time he'd flown as low and fast as this over land he'd been in a single engined Piper on flight training, too terrified to reduce the airspeed and drop the final few inches to make contact with the runway, resulting in another circuit of the airfield. "I ought to radio Aswan to tell them our new heading."

  "Did I say we are going to Aswan?"

  "It's what you filed in the flight plan."

  "Flight plans are only for the inquisitive, Mr. Bolt. I also filed three Vatican staff as passengers on a sightseeing trip."

  Sam turned round quickly, just in case he'd been dreaming. The passenger compartment was empty. He put his headset on, ready to contact Aswan control tower.

  "Mr. Bolt, you will take your headset off and do not attempt to use the radio again."

  "I've told you, I have to..." he started to protest.

  Abadi ripped Sam's communications plug from the instrument panel. "We are going to Râs Banâs, but I have no wish for anyone there to anticipate our arrival." The Colonel glanced at his watch. "It is nearly sixteen hundred hours now. We must get there before dark."

  Sam let the plane gain a few feet in altitude. Maybe the Colonel wouldn't notice. "Where does Endermann fit into things," he asked, feeling naked without the ability to communicate with ground control.

  "Endermann is what is known as a gun for hire. He's an American whose services are available to the security services of any country willing to pay him. My masters are currently using him ... in an advisory capacity. So they believe. I now know he is a double agent."

  Sam pulled back on the yolk to miss a high, windswept rock rising from the sand. "Who else is involved with Endermann?"

  "He has some ex-CIA operatives he uses from time to time. The man runs a small private army."

  Abadi sat in silence as Sam completed a chilling maneuver past a steel framed windmill supplying water to a green oasis.

  "Faster," ordered Abadi. "I know this plane can fly much faster."

  "You've got a choice," said Sam as the passenger jet swooped up, over a massive sand dune, and down the other side. "If you want to go faster, we fly higher. Otherwise we stay at this speed."

  Suddenly the Colonel's personal radio sounded again. This time he stayed in the copilot's seat. "Do you know the route he is taking? Yes, my life depends on it." He turned to Sam. "Endermann is on the move in a blue Mitsubishi pickup. He's collected one of the local pilots from the Râs Banâs base."

  "Who were you talking to?" asked Sam. He felt it essenti
al to be in on the big picture.

  "You have a woman," said the Colonel, sounding slightly embarrassed. "I observed the way you looked at your friend."

  "You mean Panya Pulaski?" It was his turn to appear awkward. "I've not known her long."

  Colonel Abadi laughed. "Women are at their best when you have not known them long. That is when they are still trying to please you. I too have a woman friend. She works at the Râs Banâs base. To the military she is simply my over-paid clerk, but I have given her duties that go far beyond the obligations of a clerk's post."

  "I'll bet," said Sam quietly, and couldn't bring himself to look at Abadi.

  "I have ensured that she has access to many files. She even has an office of her own. I have been in touch with her on my personal radio for the past hour. You will turn east again now."

  Sam gained a few feet in altitude and banked sharply, putting the low sun directly behind them. He could see a file of cars in the distance, a cloud of dust materializing from the desert track. He waited for Abadi to get to the point.

  "My friend, we are changing our plans again. We are no longer going to Râs Banâs. We will put down fifty miles before we reach the sea." He spread the map out on his lap and pointed to an area to the west of some mountains. "I have just arranged for a helicopter to be ready to meet us ... here."

  "I'm going to contact the airfield control tower," said Sam, glancing only briefly at the map. "You'd better give me the coordinates."

  "Airfield, Mr. Bolt? There is no airfield between here and Râs Banâs."

  "Then...?"

  "It is simple, Mr. Bolt. You will land in the desert."

  "On the sand?"

  "What other sort of desert is there?"

  "It will wreck the plane, Colonel."

  Abadi shrugged. "Can you track Endermann's vehicle in the mountains with this expensive jet?"

  "No, we'd have to fly much faster than him, or we couldn't stay airborne."

  "Then we have no choice but to use a helicopter. From what you have told me, I believe that Endermann will lead us to your so-called Eagle of Darkness. I am putting my future on the line for this unauthorized operation."