Medusa

‘Very good, I’ll be up.’ Gareth turned to glance at the wall clock, picking up a comb and smoothing his hair. The second hand flicked to the vertical. It was exactly 03.31. ‘From what you’ve told me, looks like the time of attack on all objectives was zero-three-thirty.’ And he added, ‘I’ve been expecting something like this.’ He slipped out of his dressing gown and began pulling on trousers and white polo-necked sweater over his pyjamas. ‘But not those logistic craft.’ He had me describe in detail the scene on the quay at Addaia. ‘You’re certain it was Pat? He was on that fishing boat of yours and led them in?’

‘Yes,’ I said. ‘And he was organising them ashore.’

‘The whole thing — I mean, the men who came ashore from those LCTs as well as the locals? You’re sure?’

‘I think so.’ It was obvious he didn’t want to believe that the man was totally involved, but when I told him it was bright starlight and I had ten-magnification glasses on him, he sighed and said, ‘I suppose I should have expected that.’ He was buttoning up his jacket. ‘Well, no good trying to alert Capitan Perez now. His boys can hear the shooting just as well as we can here. Let’s go up to the bridge.’

Outside the cabin all was bustle as the ship came to readiness, men in various stages of dress hurrying to their posts, the bridge itself beginning to fill up. As soon as we reached it, we could hear the firing out on La Mola, for they had both wing doors open. We went out on to the starb’d wing and stood there looking at the black outline of the peninsula sprawled against the stars. ‘When do you reckon first light, Pilot?’

‘With the sky as clear as this, sir, there should be a glimmer in the east within the hour.’

‘An hour’s darkness.’ Gareth nodded, then turned to me. ‘Nice timing, the whole thing highly organised.’ And he added, That will be Pat. He’s had a lot of experience — Angola chiefly, Mozambique, with the Polisario, and Wade says they thought he had done a spell with the Contras, so he’s had the benefit of American as well as South African training.’

Mault appeared at his elbow. ‘I was ordered to report to your cabin, but you weren’t there.’

‘No, I’m here.’ Gareth’s voice was sharp. ‘Have the launch brought alongside and go across to the Base. Try and see Capitan Perez personally. Offer him any assistance he needs. Oh, and tell him the entire force at the disposal of the insurgents at this moment in time is not more than two hundred. They are supported by professional troops landed from two small logistics craft at Addaia. I have an eye-witness of the landing here on board Medusa.’

Mault hesitated, glancing at me. ‘Wouldn’t it be better if I took Mr Steele with me?’

‘No.’ Gareth’s voice was even sharper. ‘Tell the Jefe he can interview him here on board if he wants to.’ And he added, ‘Now hurry, man. Things are happening, and happening fast. Perez needs to know that the whole thing can be controlled and suppressed if he acts quickly enough.’ He turned to Davison. ‘Is somebody looking after that inflatable and the man who was with Mr Steele?’

‘Yes, sir. He’s been taken to the petty officers’ mess for some coffee.’

‘Good.’ He turned back into the body of the bridge as the Yeoman of Signals appeared at his side with a piece of paper in his hand. ‘A sit-rep, sir. The Communications Office were alerting the radar unit on top of the Toro rock when the radio contact suddenly went dead, there’s a small foreign outfit in Alayor, nobody knows yet what nationality but Arab by the look of them, and there’s a ham of sorts broadcasting Independence Day messages from Ciudadela.’