said Eddie, wondering what the hell Nina was doing - and Mac, for that matter. ‘She knows how to take care of herself.’
‘But does she know how to take care of you?’ The Jericho was drawn again – but this time it was Eddie, not Macy, who was its target. ‘Dr Wilde!’ Stikes’s voice rose to a shout, echoing through the cavern. ‘Dr Wilde, I have your husband at gunpoint. You have ten seconds to make your position known and surrender, or I’ll kill him, then move on to the rest of your friends!’
Macy clutched Osterhagen’s arm in fear as Stikes stepped closer to Eddie, the gun inches from his face. The first of the mercenaries ran into the square, covering the other entrances and surrounding buildings with their M4s. ‘Ten!’ said Stikes. ‘Nine! Eight—’
‘Really, Alexander!’ boomed a Scottish voice. ‘You always were such a drama queen.’
Everyone whirled to see Mac on the terrace above, an AK taken from one of the rebels Eddie had shot ready in his hands. The weapons of mercenaries and terrorists alike snapped up to lock on to him. Stikes was genuinely thrown by his unexpected appearance, but quickly masked his surprise. ‘Well, well. McCrimmon. What in the name of God are you doing here?’
‘I’m on holiday,’ Mac replied. ‘Let them go.’
Stikes laughed sarcastically. ‘I don’t think so.’ The Jericho was still aimed unwaveringly at Eddie’s head. ‘Now, where was I? Oh yes. Seven! Six! Five!’
‘I’m warning you, Alexander!’ Mac shouted, lining up his gun’s sights on the mercenary leader.
‘And I’m warning you. Three! Two! One—’
‘Arse!’ Mac growled. With a noise of angry frustration, he tossed the Kalashnikov down to the square and raised his hands.
‘Hold your fire,’ Strikes snapped, the command aimed more at Pachac’s men than his own. ‘Come down here, McCrimmon.’
Mac started towards the nearest flight of steps. ‘So, this is what you’ve come down to, Alexander?’ he said. ‘Teaming up with Maoist killers? Robbing and plundering? It took eleven years, but your true colours are finally out in the open.’
‘Don’t be so bloody sanctimonious,’ Stikes sneered. ‘You’ve hardly kept your hands clean, doing all those little jobs for MI6. How many people did you set up to be killed? And as for your favourite poodle here,’ he waved his gun at Eddie, ‘it’s a wonder he hasn’t ended up in jail, with all the chaos he’s caused around the world.’
Mac managed a sardonic half-smile as he descended the steps. ‘I’d hoped that after the official investigation, the difference between legitimate and illegitimate targets might finally have penetrated your skull.’
Stikes narrowed his eyes in anger. ‘The only thing penetrating your skull will be a bullet if you don’t—’ He caught himself. ‘Oh, very good, Mac,’ he continued, voice becoming mocking. ‘You almost got me.’
‘Got you with what?’ Mac asked innocently as he reached the square. Pachac’s men surrounded him.
‘Got me into an argument about your attempt to destroy my reputation back in the Regiment. That would have kept me occupied for a few minutes, wouldn’t it?’ He regarded the surrounding buildings suspiciously. ‘Enough time for Dr Wilde to do whatever you’re both planning.’
‘Actually,’ called Nina, ‘I’ve already done it.’
Her voice came from above. The people in the square all looked up at the terrace, but saw nothing – until they raised their eyes higher to see Nina on the roof of the palace itself, watching them from the highest point in the city.
And aiming a rocket launcher at them.
‘Okay,’ she continued, having got their full attention, ‘here’s the deal. Either you let everyone go, or . . . boom.’
‘Er, love,’ said Eddie in alarm, ‘that didn’t work for Indiana Jones, and it won’t work for us either!’ The kill radius of an RPG-7 warhead was relatively small . . . but still more than large enough to shred the closely packed group in the square, good guys and bad alike.
But then he caught Mac’s eye. The older man gave him a knowing look – one that while not exactly reassuring, still suggested Nina had something in mind other than a no-win scenario.
Stikes was unimpressed by her threat. ‘You really expect me to believe that you’d kill your husband? And your friends?’ He briefly looked round as the rest of his men arrived. They immediately aimed their rifles at her.
‘Well, of course not,’ Nina replied. ‘I just wanted to let them know what I climbed all the way up here to do.’