‘You mean they’ll look to Hector?’ Victor asked.
‘No way,’ Steel said in a tone that suggested the scientist was completely on the wrong track. ‘Neravista.’
Louisa and Victor looked concerned.
‘What did you think, guys?’ Steel asked as if they were all naive. ‘That this could go on for ever? That’s Neravista’s strategy. He knows all he has to do is drag this out, make you guys look like a bunch of terrorists screwing up the country and your supporters will eventually move on.You won’t last long without them. You’ll never win, that’s for sure. It’s time to make a noise. A big one. Tell everyone you’re here and you intend to win.’
Sebastian looked lost in thought but it was obvious that Steel was getting through to him.Victor and Louisa watched him, also inclining in favour of the American despite their personal doubts about the man. He was making sense.
‘What did you have in mind?’ Sebastian asked eventually.
Like a storyteller, Steel held them in suspense while he gathered his thoughts. ‘How would you like to take out Neravista’s brother, Chemora? He’s head of the special police, right? Chemora has the blood of thousands of your countrymen, including women and children, on his hands. Everyone knows he’s a lowlife. No one will miss him . . . except Neravista, of course. What could be better?’
Victor watched Sebastian, who had not reacted. ‘He never leaves the capital,’ he said. ‘The city falls under Hector’s brigade, anyway. We have logistical difficulties in mounting operations in large urban areas.’
‘What if he was planning a trip into the countryside in a couple of days? What if you knew his destination and precisely where you could hit him? Would you be interested?’
Sebastian took his time answering.Victor had a drink and lit up another cigar. The storm was getting worse outside and a gust blew open a window and almost extinguished the hurricane lamps, plunging the room into near-darkness. Louisa closed the window and the lamps flickered back to life.
‘Yes,’ Sebastian said finally.
Steel smiled. ‘Give me some room here,’ he said.
With help from Louisa and Victor they cleared much of the table. Steel opened his bag, took out several maps as well as a collection of satellite photographs and brought a lamp closer to illuminate it all. ‘What I’m about to tell you doesn’t leave this room,’ he said sombrely.
Stratton remained where he was. He wondered why Steel had made him a part of this secret meeting but reckoned there was good reason. He would no doubt learn soon enough what that reason was.
‘Now . . . here’s your camp here. The army is planning an operation in this western region here. What’s that, fifty, fifty-five kilometres?’ Steel said, moving his finger across the map. ‘They know the area is vital for food to your brigades. They’re gonna cleanse it, of food as well as people. That means rounding up hundreds of farmers, villagers - anyone who they suspect of supplying the rebels with food - destroying farms, crops, livestock, you name it. He’s gonna switch off that area.
‘Chemora plans to set up an interrogation centre somewhere here. Now you guys know his MO better than I do. First he likes to go out and collect a couple dozen people of any age and gender and hang ’em by their necks along the route to the interrogation centre. It’s what the sick bastard calls psychological softening. By the time his victims have walked the line of dead men, women and children they’re about ready to spill the beans on anybody.’
Louisa was disgusted at the very thought of it.
Steel produced the satellite photographs. ‘I asked my people to shoot these a couple days ago.’
Sebastian leaned forward to take a closer look at them. Victor moved to where he could see the photos better. Louisa preferred to watch from where she was at the end of the table. Stratton watched Steel.
‘The army has already established base camps here, here and here,’ Steel continued. ‘They’re setting up a cordon around Chemora’s interrogation centre which we believe will be in these huts and tents here. As far as Chemora is concerned he’s heading into a secure zone. You guys don’t normally operate this far west. There are a couple of choice locations to ambush him. My favourite is this bridge here.You take out Chemora, you not only score a major point in this rebellion by getting rid of one of the most evil bastards in it, you save the lives of hundreds of your people. Neravista will have to postpone the operation without his brother, or even cancel it.’
‘There will be reprisals,’ Victor said.
‘You get into a fight, you don’t hold off striking your opponent for fear of getting struck back. That’s why you’re there. Move the people out of that area after you’ve hit it,’ Steel suggested, standing upright and putting his hands on his substantial hips. ‘If that don’t earn you the respect of the other brigades I’ll eat this map.’
Sebastian got to his feet and walked slowly around the table, sunk in thought. ‘An ambush like that would require a lot of people,’ he mused.
‘Not at all. You have claymore mines and rockets. You could do this with a handful of men.’
‘What about the ordnance? The rest of it could be booby-trapped too,’ Victor said.
‘What do you reckon?’ Steel asked Stratton who was sitting quietly. ‘You said it was a grende. Someone had to put their hand in to pull out the pin and close the lid. All you need to do is the reverse.’
‘Jesus,’ Victor exclaimed softly at the thought. ‘But even if we were to learn how to blow up that bridge, could we do it?’
The smell of the lure that Steel was using to entice the rebels was beginning to stifle Stratton.
‘Nope. But he can. There’s your man right there,’ Steel said. ‘Stratton’ll do it for you. Won’t you, boy? You’ll help out.’
Steel and Stratton locked stares.
‘When I heard you were still here I put in a call to your boss. I was curious to know whether you were up to a little action or not. Was I surprised when I took a look at your résumé! You people’ve got a regular action superstar here. Stratton’s quite the one-man army.’
Stratton could see more complications with the operation than anyone else in the room. Steel was probably aware of some, but he was not the type to give a damn anyway. He was too independent for Stratton’s liking. The main issue for Stratton was his status as a British military operative. He had been permitted to deliver weapons to the rebels and to teach them how to use them. If anything went wrong within those parameters - if, say, he were to be captured while entering or leaving the country, even if his mandate were exposed - the diplomatic hurdles that he and his employers would have to jump over would be manageable. It would be no worse than being caught selling arms to the enemy of another country, something that might not be welcome to the politicians but would be within the bounds of diplomatic acceptability. However, for Stratton to become physically involved in a conflict, to provide military expertise in order for one side in what was essentially a civil war to achieve a notable success, was definitely not acceptable. Stratton would be screwed if he got caught. If the Neravistas wanted to hang him the British government wouldn’t be able to do much about it. Steel had to know that much and the fact that he had not first discussed it in private with Stratton and then made it clear to everyone else who was involved made him even more of a louse.