The Maltese Defence by Simon Brading

Author:Simon Brading [Brading, Simon]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sea Lion Press
Published: 2019-11-28T22:00:00+00:00

The two women sneaked out again the following night, just before eleven. This time they didn’t stop in the town, but jogged through it towards Hal Far. They didn’t go all the way to the airfield, though, but turned off just before they got to it and made their way through the trees to a clearing, a few hundred yards from the perimeter fence. A dirt track ran from the fence directly to the clearing and that was what Scarlet’s fitters had used to move Hummingbird there.

‘Any problems, Aviator Sergeant?’

Scarlet’s chief fitter, Bob Skidmore, jumped and stifled a shriek when the Irishwoman spoke in his ear.

She grinned at him when he spun to face her and stamped his foot.

‘I’ve told you before not to do that!’

‘I know, but it’s just too much fun.’

‘For you.’ The man pouted, but then smiled broadly. ‘She’s all ready, ma’am, and raring for something to do.’

‘I know she is, Bob, I know.’ Scarlet reached out to pat her machine. ‘Don’t worry, darling, we’ve got something special for you tonight.’ She gave Hummingbird a last stroke then turned back to the fitter. ‘Did the priest bring you the explosives?’

‘Yes, ma’am!’ The man grinned. ‘They were in with the potatoes in the daily supplies, but I rescued them before somebody in the kitchen tried to peel them. They’re with your bags on your seat.’

‘Good, thank you.’

The man rubbed his hands eagerly. ‘Are you going to be taking photographs again?’

‘I have my camera all ready, don’t worry.’

‘Hurray!’ Skidmore clapped his hands in delight, then skipped away happily and began removing the straps holding Hummingbird’s overhead rotor in place.

‘Interesting character.’

Scarlet had to work extremely hard not to jump out of her own skin as Tanya did exactly the same to her as she had done to the fitter.

‘He’s a brilliant mechanic and understands Hummingbird almost as well as I do. For that I will forgive any over-enthusiasm or familiarity.’

Tanya nodded. ‘As it should be. Let’s check the explosives, shall we?’

In the red light of a small emergency lantern, the two of them took the crates of explosives off the seat and placed them on the floor to do a quick final check of the radio control mechanisms, making sure they were wound fully and that they hadn’t run down overnight for some reason. They then packed them into two of the knapsacks that Scarlet used for such missions.

When Tanya found that there were items already inside her knapsack she looked up at the Irishwoman.

Scarlet shrugged. ‘Food and water for three days, a med kit, and a few other essentials, in case something happens and we need to walk home.’

The Muscovite brought a large knife out of the bag and smiled at it. She pulled it half out of its sheaf, examined the blade, then thrust it back and tossed it to Scarlet. ‘I won’t need this.’

‘Why?’

Even before the question was out of the Irishwoman’s mouth, two wicked-looking knives had appeared in Tanya’s hands. ‘Because I have my own, thank you.

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