the Savage Day - Simon Vaughn 02 (v5) by Jack Higgins Page A

view, I suppose.'
    'Not in my book, it isn't,' Binnie said quietly. 'There's got to be another way - has to be or there's no point to any of it.'
    Which was the kind of remark that had roughly the same effect on one as being hit by a very light truck. The Brigadier had once accused me of being the last of the romantics, but I wasn't even in the running for that title with Binnie around.
    The door opened and Frank Barry appeared, a bottle of my Jameson in one hand, four tin mugs from the galley hanging from his fingers. Behind him, they were passing the Lahtis out of the other cabin and up the companionway.
    'By God, Major Vaughan, but you deal in good stuff and I don't just mean your whiskey,' he said. 'Those Lahtis are the meanest-looking thing I've seen in many a long day. I can't wait to try one out on a Weasel armoured car.'
    'We aim to please,' I said. 'The motto of the firm.'
    'I only hope you've had your money.'
    He splashed whiskey into all four mugs. Norah and Binnie stood firm, but it seemed to me likely to be cold where I was going so I emptied one at a swallow and helped myself to another.
    The Small Man won't be pleased by this night's work,' Barry said to Norah.
    'At a guess I'd say he'll have your hide and nail it to the door.'
    'Chance would be a fine thing.'
    He toasted her, mug raised, that slight mocking smile hooked firmly into place, an immensely likeable human being in every way or so he appeared at that first meeting, and it seemed to me more than a probability that he would be the end of me in the near future if I did not get to him first.
    Tim Pat appeared in the doorway behind him. 'We're ready to go, Frank.'
    Barry drained his mug, then turned casually without another word to us. 'Bring them up,' he said and went out.
    Norah followed him and I paused long enough to let Binnie go in front of me. As we went up the companionway I stumbled against him as if losing my footing and muttered quickly, 'We'll only get one chance, if that, so be ready.'
    He didn't even glance over his shoulder as he moved out on deck and Tim Pat gave me a shove after him. Barry was standing by the rail, lighting another cigarette with some difficulty because of the heavy rain.
    He nodded to Tim Pat. 'Get Norah on board. We haven't much time.'
    She rushed forward as if to argue and Tim Pat handed his Thompson to one of the other men, grabbed her by the waist and lifted her bodily over the rail of the MTB. Then he climbed up to join her.
    Binnie and I stood waiting for sentence in the heavy rain. There was only Barry, and the two original ratings who had first boarded us left now, one of them holding the Thompson.
    'Now what?' I said.
    Barry shrugged. 'That depends.' He turned to Binnie. 'I could use you, boy. You're still the best natural shot with a handgun I ever did see.'
    Binnie's hair was plastered to his forehead and he looked very young. He said quietly, but so clearly that everyone on the MTB must have heard it, 'I wouldn't sit on your deathbed.'
    Barry didn't stop smiling for a moment. Simply shrugged. 'All right, Major, get back in the wheelhouse, start her up and move out to sea again. We'll follow and when I give the signal, you'll cut your engines and open the sea cocks.'
    He clambered up over the MTB's rail. One of the ratings rammed a Browning into my side so I took the hint and moved along the deck into the wheelhouse.
    The MTB's powerful engines rumbled into life. The Browning dug pointedly into my ribs again and I pressed the starter button and looked out of the side window. Barry was walking across the deck to the short ladder which led up to the bridge. Norah ran after him and grabbed him by the arm.
    I heard her cry, 'No, you shan't. I won't let you.'
    He had her by both arms now and laughed softly as she started to struggle. 'By God, Norah, but you have your nerve. All right, just to please you.' He turned to Tim Pat Keogh. 'I've changed my mind about Binnie. Pipe him on board.'
    I leaned out of the window.