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We went into the shack to find half a dozen men all dressed in much the same way as were we. They glared at me in an appraising manner, but Harvey told them to get their kit together.

"We move out in ten, so move it!"

The boat was as fast as it looked. Painted in matt black, the only sign of its passage was the white foam of its wake and throb of its powerful twin engines. I have no idea how much horsepower it gave, but only knew that we were doing a solid fifty-five knots and hardly seemed to be trying.

The team were sitting at the back amongst the bags of DVDs and cigarettes, quietly staring inland for any sign of trouble. Each held a weapon, either an MP5 or a handgun, in such a way that I was satisfied that they knew how to use them. No words were spoken as one of the men, a tall, gaunt man with a shaven head steered the craft with an expert's touch. I assumed he was one of the ex-US Marines.

Lights were visible ashore, mainly of small villages, but occasionally of a larger settlement. In the small cramped cabin below decks, Harvey and I poured over the chart, marking our progress as we went.

He pointed to the dark smudge that told me was Hon Chang.

"Ten minutes."

Nodding, I checked my kit. He left me to tell the team to prepare for a landing.

I went back up to sit next to the driver as the boat swung in a graceful arc into a small bay. The lights of Hon Chang showed over the headland, but here the trees and rocks showed that this small cove was relatively unapproachable from the mainland. A single light blinked twice from the darkness. The first slivers of dawn were beginning to show in the sky, so we had to hurry.

The engines slowed to a gentle throb and the bow tenderly kissed the small patch of sandy beach. Within a matter of seconds, the men had disembarked carrying their burdens and ran for the trees. I stood for a moment on the beach as Harvey hefted a large bag onto the sand beside me. Without a word, the driver reversed the boat from the beach, turned his craft and headed back the way he'd come.

"He'll be back this time next week to take us out."

I followed the team into the darkness.

Chapter Four

The wild card was a new security system. Everything went brilliantly up until the moment I left the room with the safe.

Prior to the operation, the team had disappeared to conduct their task, while I made for the safe-house close to the Mgombi legation. Harvey showed me the building as we walked past it down the darkened street.

The city was just waking up, so we didn't dawdle. The legation was an ex- French colonial building, giving it a surreal appearance in this, a mix of old and modern Asian settings. With peeling white paint and a lot of work required to restore it to its former glory, the house was still quite imposing. Set in what was still an affluent suburb, it rubbed shoulders with the homes of new captains of industry and members of the new regime.

Wrought iron gates and a high wall on all sides guarded it against casual trespass, but an absence of guards, electronic surveillance equipment or even a dog showed me that approach wasn't likely to be hard.

Three houses up, on the same side of the street, was a more modern home, built in an oriental style on a grand scale. It was an attractive place, with a large ornamental Oriental style garden, with raked gravel signifying water and all manner of symbolic stones, miniature trees and such like.

"This belongs to Cu`ong Pho’," Harvey told me.

"The arms dealer?"

"He's many things to many men, but the arms industry is one part of his portfolio."

"He's the one the Africans are getting their arms from."

"Yeah, I know."

"This is a bit close, isn't it?"

“This is a very stylish neighbourhood, most of the members of the local government life near here. Hell, so do we!"

Our safe house, owned by the corporation, was a five-minute walk away, and we had the run of the place. A local couple were employed as housekeepers but were not in residence for the duration of our trip.

"So what's the team up to?" I asked.

Harvey looked at his watch. "At this moment, they should be making contact with a merchant."

"Arms dealer, you mean?"

"Hell, this guy buys and sells anything from guns to contraceptives, he ain't fussy."

"I take it that's how we were allowed to come ashore so easily?"

Harvey grinned, saying nothing.

"Okay, then I take it they'll be busy this evening?"

"Sure, they'll be loading the merchandise onto the boat. We'll meet up at the boat anytime after two in the morning."

I went over the routine. I’d done a brief recce and believed I’d taken all measures into account. It was quite simple on the face of it. Over the wall, up to the house, up the creeper to the first floor window, into the room, open the safe, clear out the diamonds and then out again. I had a nifty tool to get into the window, and with the safe key, that was all I needed.

I waited until well after midnight, as the lights on in the house indicated that the Africans were not early to bed kind of guys. It was almost one by the time all the lights went out, so I gave them another twenty minutes.

With Harvey watching the street, I slipped over the wall and ran silently across the grass to the side of the house. The creeper had been growing up the side of the house or several generations and was well established and able to take my weight. It was quite fun, bringing back memories of climbing trees in happier days as a boy. The window was easy, requiring a simple thin blade through the gap to push the retaining lever up. I was in and up to the safe sooner than I'd anticipated.

The key eased into the safe door easily. I'd greased it and kept it in greaseproof paper, just to make sure. There was a resounding click, as I turned it in the lock, and the door swung open on silent hinges. Some of the diamonds were still in the same black leather wallet in which I'd placed them, what seemed a lifetime ago. It was eight inches, by twelve inches by two. There was another folded leather satchel that must contain the extra diamonds.

I took them all out, pouring them into a plain cloth bag, and replaced the empty wallet and satchel. They didn't look like much, just a large collection of grey lumpy stones, anything from a quarter inch in diameter to almost an inch. However, cut well, they should reach a small fortune on the open market.

As I returned to the window, a small red LED light blinked at me from a sensor above the window.

There was an alarm system in here after all, and I'd set it off. I experienced a sinking feeling in the depths of my being. It was my fault, as I’d missed it and not been as thorough as I should have been. But then, perhaps someone could have warned me they’d pt in extra security. Mind you, it made sense, particularly as they left such valuable items in an antique safe.

Damn!

I heard voices, so I descended to the ground, as lights and men appeared around the side of the house, which was beginning to light up like a Christmas tree.

I ran to the wall and was over it in seconds, but of Harvey, there was no sign. I threw the key as far as I could, hearing it land in some undergrowth in a neighbouring garden.

"Dumped on, again!" I said to myself. Why I trusted people, I will never know.

They were going to catch me any second, as I could hear sirens and vehicles' engines racing this way. I ran to Cu`ong Pho’s property that was a short distance away. The garden was so large that I couldn’t even see the house, which was good, for no one would be watching me.

I quickly scanned the high wall and surrounding trees and buildings for cameras or other security measures. On seeing none, I scrambled over the wall, dropping soundlessly into the garden beyond. It was a vast garden, laid out in a uniquely oriental fashion, almost Japanese by its appearance. I could hear sirens in the streets a little way off, so I had no time to waste.