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.