The Cauldron (44 page)

Paula, Tweed and Alvarez left the car swiftly, remembering Marler's instructions back at Robles Del Rio. Paula dropped to the ground, making herself the smallest possible target. She reached into her shoulder bag, produced the vital object, laid it beside her. The timing had to be perfect. Then she hauled out the Browning, gripped it in both hands, remained very still behind a mound of arid grass.

The rest of the team were following Marler's earlier orders. They were fanning out, crouching as they ran. She saw Butler, holding the sub-machine-gun, way over to her right. Marler was standing, protected by a dead tree trunk dripping more hideous moss, Armalite in his hands.

Alvarez was over to her far left, crouched by a huge sandstone boulder. Newman was leaning into a cleft in the cliff face, his satchel slung over his shoulder. Tweed hugged the ground, close to Paula. From the floor of the car he had grabbed a rocket launcher, now pressed against his shoulder. Nield had slipped into another cleft in the cliff. They were all spread out, making a difficult and wide target. Then Paula saw the men advancing towards them.

Six Rednecks were out in front, carrying their shotguns and grinning. Behind them was a second file -Brand's thugs, attempting to use the Rednecks as a screen. More men were climbing off the chipper. Tweed aimed carefully, fired the rocket launcher. The missile exploded against the chipper, blowing it to pieces. Then all hell broke loose.

The Rednecks began firing at random. A sandstone boulder fell, landed close to Paula. She looked up and backwards. High up on the cliff rim another much larger boulder teetered. Brand had positioned a man on top of the cliff. Marler calmly turned round, back to the trunk, aimed with his sniperscope. The man on the cliff rim fell, arms spread out, emitting a chilling scream. He hit the ground and the great boulder he had been propelling over the edge fell, dropped on top of the sprawled figure which had set it in motion, crushing him.

There was a sudden chatter of Butler's sub-machine-gun, fired over the heads of the Rednecks. They panicked. One fired his shotgun, hit nothing as his companions began to flee. Confusion. This was the moment. Paula grabbed the smoke bomb, hurled it to land among the running Rednecks. Newman shot down one Redneck who burst through the spreading smoke cloud which obscured the Rednecks. Paula heard shots being fired by Brand's men at random. The smoke drifted away and the ground was littered with the corpses of the Rednecks -shot accidentally by Brand's thugs.

The sub-machine-gun chattered again as Brand's men began to run away. Five of them fell, riddled with bullets. Luis Martinez rushed forward, his revolver aimed at Paula. She fired first, her target his legs. At the same moment Nield fired, his Walther aimed at the same target's chest. He crashed forward, lay very still.

There was a sudden oppressive silence. A big man in the distance, running, had reached the road. He disappeared behind the wrecked chipper. She heard a car's engine starting up, driving off towards Greenfield. Joel Brand had escaped.

Tweed was the first to walk back to the Merc. He sat inside the back. As he had walked he had looked down at the dead men. Simple men who had not learned to live the normal life others lived. He felt depressed at the scale of the slaughter - but he knew it had been necessary.

He pulled himself together when Paula arrived. As she sat beside him he put an arm round her shoulders. He spoke quietly.

'It was them or us. They were grinning when they advanced towards us. Don't forget that.'

'If this is America I don't want to come back,' she said.

'This is only a part of America - the backwoods. People work hard here to better themselves. It's just not a European system, a European atmosphere. At least, not Western Europe.'

'You're right. I made a bad generalization.' She managed a smile. 'I'm all right, Tweed. It goes with the territory-. What's our next move?'

'Our next move,' said Alvarez, who had just returned and had heard her, 'is to drive straight back to Mission Ranch. It will still be open - and it is a unique experience, in the best sense of the phrase.'

32

Paula was relieved to leave the valley. They parked outside Mission Ranch, which was still busy with customers. The moon had risen and Alvarez led them through the main dining room out onto a large terrace. The view almost took Paula's breath away.

Tables were laid on the terrace and Alvarez, taking Paula's arm, led them to a table at the very edge. The night chill made her shiver, then she sat down and wondered why it seemed so warm.

'It's almost hot out here.' she said. 'Gloriously warm.'

'Look up at the heater.' Alvarez said as the others joined them. "The warmth comes from there.'

She looked up at a metal object shaped like a hat, perched on top of a tall column. It was glowing with warmth which radiated over the table. She felt more comfortable already, more relaxed.

'It's a gas-powered heater.' Alvarez explained. 'It's mobile and you can see more of them ready for use over there,- stacked against the wall.'

'What a clever idea.' Newman remarked.

"This is just one instance of where the Americans score.' Tweed said.

While they waited for the wine they had ordered Paula stared at the view. Below them was a grassy plain which had a marshy look. Alvarez explained it was part of the estuary of the River Carmel where it flowed into the sea. Beyond it, silhouetted in the moonlight, steep rounded hills rose up like small mountains. Over to her right was a glimpse of the Pacific. The ocean was calm, a sheet of blue moonlit water which was so still it resembled ice.

'Come over and join us, Harry.' Tweed called out to Butler.

"Thought I'd better stay back there and keep an eye open.'

'No need here.' Alvarez assured him. 'Sit with us.'

Butler settled into a chair, but Paula noticed that when more people came out onto the terrace he checked them. Butler was always on duty.

'Well, we dumped the bits and pieces.' Marler recalled.

He was referring to the fact that he had paused on the way back to throw the rocket launcher down a deep crevasse. That was after he had carefully wiped it free of Tweed's fingerprints. All the smoke bombs they had carried had followed the launcher down into the crevasse. Alvarez leaned over to whisper to Tweed.

'I saw other Rednecks creeping towards the battlefield when we were leaving. They will make the corpses disappear - and get rid of all the relics of the chipper. You see, they won't want anyone to find evidence of what happened. Drugs are grown in that area. The last thing they want is to attract the attention of the police -if someone reported what they had found.'

'That's a relief.'

'Food!' Marler called out. 'We are in urgent need of food.'

A waiter appeared immediately. They gave their orders and sipped their drinks. Paula sat enjoying the changing colours of the superb view. Newman pulled his chair close to Tweed's. No one else was near them but he kept his voice low.

'What is our next move?'

'We've severely reduced the force at Brand's command.' Tweed began. 'Now we can turn our attention to dealing with The Accountant. Also, we must locate the spy I'm convinced VB has outside his permanent organization. Someone who was present in Cornwall, who is now present here.'

'We can start working on that in the morning.'

'I need to know quickly who it is. There are three possible suspects. Grenville, Maurice - and Vanity Richmond.' He looked at Newman. 'I hope you agree.'

'I do agree,' Newman replied. 'Vanity is inside AMBECO, but she was also in Cornwall. There is something about her which worries me, but I can't put my finger on it.'

'Stay close to her. Everyone makes a slip sooner or later. Then I must see Moloch one more time. I want to confirm if he knows about the blood spilt beyond McGee's Landing.'

'He'll deny it, anyway.'

'If he's guilty and denies it I'll know he's lying. I also want to have one more interview with Mrs Benyon. I think she knows more than she's told me so far.'

'Both interviews - assuming you get one with VB -will have to be set up so you have plenty of protection.'

'I suppose you're right,' replied Tweed without enthusiasm.

'I gather we have to move fast.'

'Very fast. Ethan Benyon continues to worry me. I have the feeling that if it comes to the crunch he'll go his own way regardless. That is regardless of Moloch or anyone else. I suspect he's unbalanced.'

'Which is why you want to talk to Mrs Benyon again?' Newman suggested.

'Yes, it is. Whether she'll throw any light on his previous history I'm not sure. I'll have to gain her confidence - not an easy thing to do.'

Paula prodded Tweed. 'When are you going to eat your meal? We may have this marvellous heating device above us but they served five minutes ago.'

"They did?' Tweed asked, staring at the plate before him.

"The evidence is before you.' she joked.

'Women always want you to eat food piping hot,' grumbled Tweed.

'Just get on with it,' Paula told him.

They were completely relaxed after consuming an appetizing meal. Paula drank more wine than was her normal habit but remained sober. She noticed that Tweed seemed self-absorbed, left the others to do the talking, joking among themselves. She nudged him as they were finishing their coffee.

'A penny for them,' she said quietly.

'Sorry. I haven't been a very good dining companion.'

'That doesn't matter. Where did that devious mind of your wander off to?'

'Moloch, of course. I'm wondering whether to drive down the coast to Black Ridge, to tell him what happened at McGee's Landing, see his reaction.'

'Not on your own, you aren't.' She turned to Newman, kept her voice low. Tweed is thinking of visiting Black Ridge at this time of night.'

'Must be out of his mind.'

'I heard that.' Tweed leaned across Paula. 'I'm sure he's a man who works well into the night. His mood might be different.'

'Then I'll drive you and Paula there c'

There were four people in the Merc, when it moved down the coast road. Newman had signalled to Marler, told him what Tweed proposed, and Marler had said he would join the party. 'I feel like a night out,' he had informed Tweed. Newman drove with Tweed beside him.

A fierce wind blew off the ocean, hammering the side of the car. Huge waves rolled in, broke against isolated brutal rocks projecting from the ocean like fragmented capes. The wild sea surged in below them, creating a permanent belt of creamy surf and spectacular geysers as the ocean smashed into cliffs, elevating churning water high into the air like bomb bursts.

'It's turmoil down there.' Paula observed. 'Incidentally.' she said to Tweed, 'what do you expect to achieve when -we do get there?'

T'm going to ask him, among other things, if I could have a word with the guard master, Luis Martinez, about the seven girlfriends who had disappeared - with three already found dead.'

'But Martinez himself is dead.'

'Precisely.' replied Tweed.

There was turmoil inside Black Ridge. Moloch, freshly shaved and in a neat new suit, ready for a night's work, had returned by chopper from his day at the AMBECO building. Joel Brand was waiting for him in his office as Moloch took off his overcoat.

'Trouble? As soon as I get back?' Moloch demanded, seeing the expression on his deputy's face.

'Big trouble. Martinez has disappeared. So have half a million dollars from the safe.'

'I see.' Moloch settled himself behind his desk. 'You think the two events are linked?'

'They have to be.'

'Well, let's analyse the situation.' He counted on his fingers. 'Four people have access to the safe, know the combination. Yourself, Martinez, Byron Landis and myself. Since I know I'm not guilty that leaves three suspects.'

'Why the hell include me?' exploded Brand. 'I am the one who has reported the theft to you.'

'And so often, as the police will tell you, it is the one who discovers a major theft - or the body, when a murder has been committed - who is responsible.'

'I'm not standing for this!' Brand shouted.

'No, you're not. You're sitting down,' Moloch replied mildly. 'Please remain seated.'

He pressed a button on a compact intercom perched on his desk.