Alpha Force 05: Red Centre by Chris Ryan

Author:Chris Ryan
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9780099464242
Publisher: RED FOX BOOKS (RAND)
Published: 2004-10-14T23:00:00+00:00

14

ESCAPE

The tent smelled stale. Light filtered through the green canvas, making everything look ghostly. The bed was a simple piece of canvas, like a hammock in an oblong frame, but Amber felt brighter and more rested now. She checked the time: it was nearly six o'clock. Four other beds were set up in a row along the tent and all of them were empty. Li must be up already.

Amber felt under the bed for her belt pouch and injected her morning dose of insulin. The pillow moved and dislodged Li's note. It fluttered to the floor unseen.

Amber pulled her boots on. Next task was to find breakfast. If the catering lorry wasn't up and running, she'd go and make something herself.

Outside there was a new arrival. A tanker painted in army camouflage was parked in the middle of the road, its engine running. A thick black pipe led out of its side and snaked onto the road; the paraffin smell of aviation fuel wafted towards her. A soldier was standing beside a panel on the chassis, monitoring the fuel delivery. 'G'day,' he said to Amber.

'Hi there,' she smiled back.

Curious, she followed the pipe. It ran off the road through the trees, down the bank by the lake, dipped into the water for a metre or so and emerged to hook into the fuel inlet of a blue and white seaplane. 'So that's where it landed,' said Amber. The craft looked like a delicate bird, its slender body supported by four struts and resting on two white floats.

Her stomach rumbled. She turned back. 'Breakfast,' she said to herself firmly.

Sergeant Powell hurried past her, then hesitated and turned round. He spoke rapidly. 'We got back to the target with your decode of your mate's message, so he should be in the clear. Well done! However, last night Pirroni changed his demands. He wants a plane immediately. So Alex might soon be out anyway.' Then he called to the soldier at the refuelling lorry. 'I want the plane marked so we can spot it from the ground.'

'Very good, sir.'

Amber spotted Hex and Paulo just emerging from their tents and jogged over to tell them the news. 'Oh,' said Hex. 'Is Li not with you?'

'Haven't you seen her?' asked Amber. 'She must be in the other tent.' In the green gloom she saw four canvas beds. One had an occupant but it was much too big to be Li.

'I looked in the other one and she's not there either,' said Paulo. 'Where can she be?'

'Maybe she's helping with breakfast,' said Amber, glaring at him. 'Hint.'

Pirroni was on the phone. 'Is my plane ready?'

The hostages were all awake, listening. Alex strained, but he couldn't hear the negotiator's reply.

'I want that plane at six-thirty,' said Pirroni. 'If it is not ready then, I will shoot a hostage. For every twenty minutes you delay after that, I will shoot another.'

Alex felt fingers curl painfully into his arms like claws. Milla and Holly clung onto him for dear life.

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