Redback. Lindy Cameron

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ either.'

      'Few things are,' Mick noted.

      Danby stopped again and shoved his hands in his pockets. 'If we have a team in place, Mick, does that mean we have an update on the situation?'

      'As of 15 minutes ago,' Mick nodded, 'we believe the hostages are all alive and…well, alive.'

      Danby looked expectant.

      'They're all locked in separate cabins. Jana Rossi was spotted being escorted around.'

      'Thank God,' Danby continued walking. 'Okay, apart from you Mick - and you can tell me later why that is so - who does know about this retrieval?'

      'Technically? The PM.'

      'So Robert okayed it?'

      'Technically.' Mick indicated a right turn down a cross corridor.

      Danby smirked. 'Robert doesn't know anything about this either, you mean?'

      'And it's best if he doesn't,' Mick said, smiled, then shrugged. 'He'll only want to share it with, you know, everyone so no American toes get stomped on.'

      'Mick?'

      'Aaron.'

      'You're not gonna keep me in the dark, if I become Prime Minister are you?'

      'When you do, Aaron mate. When you do. And I wouldn't dream of it.'

      'But 'when' is the real question isn't it?' Danby said, even now launching into his favourite gripe. 'Anyone'd think we had a legitimate line of succession instead of a government of elected members. That arrogant beanpole Robert Harvey has no intention of making way for anybody, which leaves me way back in the imaginary queue behind bloody Prior and Sharpe. And Robert's only 59. I mean I know I'm younger than all of them…'

      'And more patient,' Mick said. He'd heard it all before.

      'Oh sure, mate. I'll grow some patience when you stop barracking for the Sydney Swans, mate.' Danby laughed. 'Let's face it, we only just scraped into power last time - and it's still actually beyond me how he pulled that off again. I'll be 50-something myself before I get a crack at his job, assuming we hang on for another couple of terms. If we don't then I'll be an old man before I get to warm that seat.'

      'Stop whingeing Aaron, it's not like you're a lowly backbencher.'

      'True,' Danby shrugged, accustomed to Mick's standard reminder. 'Hey, I've got an idea. Does this retrieval team you sent to Laui do abductions as well?'

      'No they bloody don't.'

      Chapter Three

      Laui Island, Pacific Ocean

       Tuesday 6.30 pm

       'Redback Team One - you in place?'

      'Yes, Link. Still. We're gonna die of old age here.'

      'Beats being shot, Gideon. Can you see the others?'

      'Coop and Wade are dozing in the sand beside me.'

       'The other teams, Gideon.'

      'It's a small island, Link; but not that small.'

       'I take that as a negative.'

      'Whatever. We are three-by-three, and in place.'

       'Roger. Should be good to go in about ten.'

      'Wake me when the word comes through.'

       'If it comes down to it, Gideon, it's your call not theirs. As usual. Okay?'

      'Yeah. As usual.' Bryn Gideon pulled a face at Wade and Cooper, who'd heard both sides of the exchange through their aural implants.

      Wade caught the look. 'The gunner who went bush for a piss has returned,' he said, then returned his eye to the nightscope. 'So we're back to four under the tree, and five playing darts in the rec room. The solo is about to lock our package up again. And what I want to know is, how come she looks just as young and cute as she did in our briefing?' Wade sat back on his haunches. 'Video always makes me look older and fatter.'

      'You are older and fatter,' Coop stated. 'And hairier.'

      'Not to mention butt ugly to begin with,' Gideon said, belly-crawling into position to catch a glimpse of their primo mission objective. Uh-huh. Cute was not word enough for that little honey-blonde package. No wonder someone's desperate to get her back. Nine days in captivity and she's still sparking.

      To all intents it looked like Dr Jana Rossi was out for a nice evening stroll with a good friend, except that she was all animated and chatty, and her armed companion wasn't smiling.

      Gideon took stock again. The 36 hostages were being held in two adjacent precincts, each with ten cabins semi-circling communal outdoor spaces. The lush vegetation that surrounded and separated the two private gardens also provided good cover from the main resort complex.

      Team One had already agreed on a divide and release option. Gideon and Cooper would each secure a hostage area while Wade dealt with the rec-room rebels, before returning to guard the path to the boats beached on the south side of the island.

      Gideon tapped the throat mike to use the inter-team comm channel. It was stupid to be sent out only half fitted. Having to rely on two systems during a live-op was asking for trouble. The aurals were good for listening but, for now, hard-mikes were all they had for communication between teams. That and good old face-to-face sign language.

      'Deuce Team. How's your sandbox?' Gideon asked.

       'Sitting on the dock of the bay.'

      'Quit singing Triko, you'll scare the wildlife.'

       'We got three rebs fishing off the jetty here and four drinking beer by the scuba shack.'

      'Team Three?' Gideon said. 'You still awake, Finch?'

       'Barely. There's still five in with Ifran. That's odd. One of them's wearing - oh mate, that's weird.'

      'What's weird?'

      'Yo, Gideon,' Triko interrupted.

      'Triko,' Gideon acknowledged.

       'There's a Zodiac coming in slow and quiet. The PRA boys on the dock are obviously not expecting it. All but two are running back in a panic.'

      'Shit!' Gideon swore. 'Team Two, take out those rebels on the jetty do not let them return. And we're not expecting either, Triko, so check that raft. Team Three, secure Ifran. All Redbacks: silent; zero body count. Go.'

      In two seconds flat the four machine gunners were smacked backward into the Banyan tree, paralysed by a precision spread of max- volt T-darts. A quad-shot crackle of Zeus juice was the only indication that Cooper had fired, but the rebels would be cactus for at least fifteen minutes.

      Gideon, СКАЧАТЬ