The Collectors - Book Four: Diamonds and Sand (The Collectors Series 4) (18 page)

             
“The four Germans who were due to arrive at Waw al Kibir on the morning we left.”

“
I do not know these men.”

“Well
, be warned. If they try anything I’ll shoot first and bury the bodies.”

“Rather theatrical, Mr Kyriades
, but if it makes you sleep better, why should I worry? I have my diamonds and an agent in Tripoli who will for a price see them delivered to Berlin. Your job ends back at Waw al Kibir when I fly out.”

“Don’t you believe
it? If this goes tits-up and the Libyan government find out, the shit storm will be the biggest yet.” He called Akeem and ZZ. “Reality beckons, get in position and remember to wake me if you see or hear anything.”

“No problem
, Petros,” said Akeem as he smacked the butt of his AK. ZZ copied him, no one laughed.

N
ight tiptoed across the dunes from the east and enveloped everything in its dark cloak. Petros and Bear stood at the entrance to the cave.

“Bear, have I forgotten anything?”

              “Nothing I can think of. The camp’s perfect. Those kerosene lamps give a warm glow to the whole scene.”

             
“Time for sleep.”

             
“Hopefully I’ll see you in the morning and not before.”

Chapter Fifteen

The temperature dropped
. ZZ shivered and pulled his blanket tight around his shoulders. “Akeem, do you think anyone will come?”

             
“Not my call. Petros thinks so and he’s not usually wrong. His gut feeling is good enough for me.”

             
“I trust Mr Petros. He is a good man.”

             
“Lots of people think so.” Akeem stood and stretched his cramped limbs. “Be quiet, ZZ.” The faint noise of an engine echoed across the dunes. He clambered up the slope but saw nothing. “Shit. ZZ, go and wake Petros.”

             
“I hear it. Did you see them?”

             
He waved his AK towards the dunes. “Not sure but out here you don’t take chances.” As he continued to peer into the black of the night only the moonlit horizon defined the land from the sky.

             
“ZZ tells me you heard something,” said Petros.

             
“I did,” said Akeem.

             
“I’ll sit with you for a while. ZZ a mug of your tea might keep the cold out.”

             
“Ten minutes, Mr Petros.”

             
Both men wrapped in blankets remained on the hillside and stared into the night.

             
“There,” said Akeem. “It’s a long way off but definitely a flash of light.”

             
Petros chuckled. “Terrible enough driving on sand and rocks in daylight but at night, they must be fucking stupid.”

             
“Even the bad guys can fuck up.”

             
The rattle of tin mugs against the aluminum teapot signaled ZZ’s return.

             
They sipped the tea in silence but their eyes scanned the desert before them.

             
“Two vehicles,” said Petros, “and a fair distance apart.”

             
“I agree,” said Akeem. “If they’re lucky they’ll be here when the sun rises, not before.”

             
Grim-faced he nodded. “Good. That means I can go back to sleep.”

             
“I’ll let you know if anything changes.”

             
At midnight, Bear sat beside ZZ and Akeem. “I see them. Daft buggers are using their headlights. Me, I’d have made camp and waited until dawn. You two go and get some kip.”

             
For three hours, Bear monitored the vehicles’ movements. He laughed when the lights faded. “Dickheads should have waited.”

             
Amadou took over and at six made tea for everyone. Breakfast consisted of a handful of dates.

             
Petros clambered up the slope until, with the aid of binoculars, he saw two green Land Rovers in the distance. We’ll know what they want in a couple of hours, he thought. He remembered ZZ’s comment; mad men and wild camels travel this region.

             
Back at the camp, he positioned the Toyotas behind the tents with their fronts towards the mountain.

             
Akeem pointed. “Why?”

             
“Gut feeling that those in the Land Rovers are not on a friendly mission. Overconfident without a shadow of doubt. They don’t care, which for us spells big trouble.” He paused. “Bear and Amadou, behind the wall. ZZ and Eva, inside the cave. Akeem, grab your weapon, you’re with me.”

             
The two men sat on boulders, legs crossed. In their arms rested their AK 47s. They chatted to pass the time.

             
”Listen,” said Akeem.

             
“I don’t hear a thing. Even the night wind has stopped,” said Petros.

             
“Nor do I and that scares the shit out of me. Their vehicles have stopped but where are they?”

             
In one movement, both men slid to the ground. One of the boulders shook and stone splinters filled the air.

“L
arge caliber,” said Petros. “Makes the AK the equivalent of a water pistol.”

              “I needed to know that,” said Akeem. “What now?”

             
Petros shook his head. “We wait.”

             
Akeem grinned. “I wasn’t going anywhere, were you?”

             
From behind the dunes, a man with a harsh German accent shouted in English, “Mr Kyriades, Mr Morris, give me the diamonds and we will go away.”

             
Petros kept his voice relaxed. “If I give them to you, I’m up shit creek with a bullet in my head.”

             
“Mr Kyriades,” screeched Eva. “I know this man. He followed my tracking device.” She held up her camera. “In case you double-crossed me.”

             
Petros glanced towards the defensive wall. “I’m a businessman, Eva. My word is my bond, you should know that.”

             
“I trust no one.” With the sack of diamonds in her right hand, she clambered over the rock wall and descended the slope. “Jan, I have the diamonds.”

             
”A tall, blond-haired man dressed in army fatigues appeared from the dunes. “The others are dead. I now have a new employer who offered more.” He held out his left hand. “I’ll take them.”

             
Petros stared straight at the man’s hard, uncompromising face

             
Eva stopped, remained motionless, and stared at him, her eyes curious. In German she shouted, “No you won’t.”

             
His voice rose. “You stupid whore. Do you believe our illustrious leader wanted you by his side? He fucked you because he needed these diamonds to feed his crazy notion of ruling the world.  My new employer and I have a better use for them.”

             
“If you want this,” she held up the sack, “you’ll have to kill me.”

Jan pointed
the muzzle of his AK47 between Eva’s eyes. “The diamonds.” With his left hand, he grabbed the bag as Eva’s head burst as a watermelon struck by a sledgehammer. “Stupid bitch.” A stream of bullets tore into her chest and stomach.

Catapulted
backwards, Eva’s blood and brains splattered the ground.

             
“The shit has hit the fan,” said Petros. “Time to run.”

             
Both men zigzagged for alternate cover nearer the cave and dropped flat behind rocks.

             
“You will not escape,” shouted Jan.

             
Petros threw himself to one side, stood and fired a burst in the direction of the voice and dropped to the ground.

             
“You fucking bastard.” Jan clutched his left arm.

             
“You didn’t think we’d lie on our backs with our legs in the air and let you murder us, did you?”

             
“Doesn’t matter. You’ll be dead by nightfall.”

             
“Don’t count on it. Bear, your turn.” The rattle of a heavy machine gun shook the air. The lighter AK filled in the gaps.

             
“Bloody hell,” said Petros, “that’s a Bren.”

             
Four shots thumped the ground nearest Petros. “We can’t stay here.”

             
Akeem smiled. “Seventy metres and up hill. Do you think we can make it?”

             
“But of course. Ready?”

             
With heads low, they balanced on their feet.

             
“I’ll go left and you go right. He can’t zero in on both of us.”

             
“On my count,” said Akeem. “Three, two, fucking run.”

             
They darted left and right across the open space and at full tilt dived and rolled over the defensive wall.

             
“What took you so long?” said Bear.

             
“Took the scenic route,” said Akeem.

             
“Can you see them?” said Petros.

             
“No,” said Amadou. “But you creased the bastard who killed Eva.”

             
Single shots from the heavy calibre weapon punched the air.

             
“What’s he firing at?”

             
“The Toyotas. Without transport we’re fucked.”

“I don’t think they’ll leave us to walk home,” said Bear
, “but a frontal assault is suicidal.”

“We have the advantage of food, water
, shade and the diamonds,” said Petros.

“What the fuck?
” muttered Akeem.

“Well you didn’t think I’d give a few million pounds worth of diamonds to her. Did you?”

“I did wonder,” said Bear, “You’re right I should have known better. What did you give her?”

“
Fakes. I had them made by a friend in Hatton Garden. Any half-decent diamond merchant might give you fifty quid for them but not much more. For the moment those morons haven’t a clue.”

             
A round from the heavy calibre rifle hit the defensive wall with regularity.

             
“Bear, give those prats a couple of mags from the Bren.”

             
“With pleasure.” In a deliberate arc, he traced a line across the dunes, raising and lowering as a Mexican wave. Empty cartridge cases flew out of the side and covered the ground. He rested for a while before repeating the procedure. “That’ll keep their heads low.”

             
A small rock in the wall splintered showering them.

             
“So the smart arse gets his own back,” said Bear as he discharged another mag.”

             
“Mr Kyriades,” shouted Jan as he raised an RPG. “No more games. Goodbye.”

             
“Into the cave,” screamed Petros.

             
Bear grabbed ZZ by the scruff of the neck and charged through the entrance. The others followed.

             
They ran fast. A white light flooded the cavern. An explosion shook the ground. A thick, powdery black cloud rolled from the entrance passage. One detonation followed another; shock waves funnelled along the passage, grabbed and tumbled their bodies over the hard ground. The thunder of rocks falling vibrated the floor. Blocked noses and dust-filled mouths made breathing hard. The searing light faded and the pitch black cloaked them.

             
“What the fuck?” spluttered Bear.

             
“Grenades and plastic,” said Petros. “The first to make us run. The second to close the door, forever.”

             
“Anyone hurt?” said Bear.

             
Between coughing and wheezing everyone spluttered, “No.”