"The guard's van at the rear."

"What if there isn't one?"

"There always is, Billy." Dillon glanced at his watch. "A quarter to eight. Time for the moment of truth."

There was a sound, a kind of whisper in the distance, and then a long, drawn-out whistle.

"Here she comes, Billy, let's get under cover." They started up the slope and bedded down.

The door by the toilet in the guard's van opened to a metal ledge. There was a coupling to one of the open cars loaded with oil pipes, a wooden plank walkway giving access across four open wagons in all. Then came the enclosed cars containing the explosives, the ladder to each of them leading to the roof. Finally, the water tank and the coal tender. The point was that the engine was totally reachable and there were small access doors at each end of the enclosed wagons.

All of which suited Keenan's purposes. During the trip from Al Mukalli, he and Casey and Kelly had laid their charges, opening the access doors between the two explosive wagons, linking them with det cord. The block of Semtex was in the front wagon, and the det cord also linked to chemical fuses Keenan had stuck in some of the explosives packages.

It hadn't taken long. He'd decided on a couple of timer pencils, after all. They were ten-minute jobs and already in place in the Semtex block and ready to be broken at the appropriate moment when the train was halted on the bridge.

In fact, for the past hour or so, Keenan had enjoyed himself more than he had in years. Casey and Kelly had returned to the guard's van and the whiskey bottle, but Keenan had made his way up to the engine and joined Ali and Halim on the footplate.

Ali had allowed him to handle the controls, drive the old engine, savor the wind in his face, the smell of steam, and Keenan had found it wonderful. As the train started up the steep gradient to Tank Five, he sounded the whistle. Yusuf had explained the necessity for the stop, and now Ali tapped him on the arm and took over. He started to slow the train down and up ahead was Tank Five.

Crouched behind the rocks halfway up the slope, Dillon and Billy waited, and suddenly Dillon's Codex rang.

He answered instinctively. "Who is it?"

"Ferguson. I wondered what was happening."

"We're at Tank Five and the train's just toiling up the slope, that's what's happening, so I'd get off the line if I were you, General."

The train ground to a halt below amid a hissing of stream. Ali and Halim got down from the footplate, followed by Keenan.

"The man himself," Dillon said softly. "That's Barry Keenan, Billy, and that's Kelly and the other is Casey," he added, as they arrived, each with an AK slung from his shoulder. Yusuf trailed at the rear.

The voices below were muted, as Dillon and Billy watched, and Halim brought a length of canvas tubing linked to the train, which he clipped onto the end of the outlet tube at the bottom of the tank and started to work a lever, which was obviously a hand pump. Dillon debated whether to call Villiers and decided to leave it until they were on the train. Kelly and Casey were laughing at something.

"We could knock them off now," Billy whispered. "Why not?"

"Because we can't be certain what Keenan's done on the train. He'll have everything ready to blow, probably timers. I suspect the explosives will be in the enclosed freight cars, but we need one of those b.a.s.t.a.r.ds to show us."

"I see your point."

At that moment, Halim uncoupled the canvas water tubes, Keenan got back on the footplate, and Kelly climbed up a ladder to the top of the front car and squatted there. Casey did the same, sitting behind him on the rear car. Ali and Halim followed Keenan and Yusuf moved to the rear of the train.

"The guard," Dillon said.

They watched him enter the guard's van and shut the door. Keenan, under Ali's supervision, was at the controls. He sounded the whistle, the train juddered, and there was a great cloud of steam.

"Move it, Billy," Dillon said and led the way, sliding down the slope at the rear of the blockhouse.

The train was moving now with a great clanking, and as it pa.s.sed they ran out onto the track, reached for the rail of the platform to the guard's van, and heaved themselves up. Keenan kept pulling the whistle line. Billy and Dillon, AKs ready, stood on either side of the door.

Dillon got his Codex out and called Villiers. He got an answer almost immediately. "Is that you, Dillon?"

"As ever was. They've taken on water. Billy and I are on the platform at the rear of the guard's van. We're going in hard, so do your best and let Ferguson know."

He clicked off, put the Codex in his pocket, and grinned at Billy. "I'm an older guy, so you can have the honor."

"b.a.s.t.a.r.d."

Dillon turned the bra.s.s handle and opened the door and Billy was through in a second, AK ready. At the desk, Yusuf turned in alarm as the two demons, dressed in black, appeared. Billy had him back against the desk, the muzzle of the AK under his chin.

"He'll kill you without hesitation," Dillon said in Arabic. "And the weapon is silenced. No one will know."

Yusuf was terrified. "Sahb, please don't." please don't."

"You speak English?"

"Yes."

"Then use it now, my companion has no Arabic. Answer my questions and live. Where are the explosives you carry?"

"On the two enclosed cars in the center of the train."

"The three men, the Irishmen, what have they done since you left Al Mukalli?"

"I don't know, Sahb. Sahb."

"You lie. Kill him, Billy."

Billy stood back and took aim and Yusuf cried wildly. "No, Sahb, Sahb, I speak the truth." I speak the truth."

"You still lie. You are Rashid Bedu, you and the engine driver and fireman. I know this because the Countess boasted you were her people. As this is so, you must know the train stops on the Bacu Bridge, where the Irishmen will blow it up. Is this not so?"

"Yes, Sahb. Sahb."

"So tell me the truth. What have they done, the Irishmen, since leaving Al Mukalli?"

Yusuf was in despair. "I only know that they have worked in the explosive cars for most of the time, but I was instructed to stay here, Sahb. Sahb. I have not seen what they have done." I have not seen what they have done."

It was obviously the truth, and Dillon lit a cigarette and pa.s.sed it to him. "Is it easy to get to those cars?"

"Yes, Sahb, Sahb, through the door, and there are walkways across the open cars." through the door, and there are walkways across the open cars."

"So you can go all the way to the engine?"

"Yes, Sahb. Sahb."

Dillon turned menacing. "Is there more to tell me or have you told me all?"

"I swear it on the life of my eldest son." He was obviously trying hard, sweat on his face. "They worked in the car for an hour or an hour and a half. Afterwards, two of them sat in here and drank whiskey. The leader joined Ali and Halim on the footplate. He's been driving the train."

"Driving it?"

"Yes, Sahb, Sahb, when we were taking on water, Ali told me he is like a young boy. He loves trains." when we were taking on water, Ali told me he is like a young boy. He loves trains."

"Did he tell Ali this?"

"No, Sahb, Sahb, he has no Arabic and Ali no English. It's just the way he behaves." he has no Arabic and Ali no English. It's just the way he behaves."

Billy said, "So what's the big deal, Dillon?"

"The big deal is he's busy up there, Billy, and that's good." He took Yusuf by the arm and pushed him to the back of the van. At that point, looking up the gradient, the train was doing perhaps twenty-five miles an hour. "I'll keep my word," he said to Yusuf. "I promised that if you told me the truth, I would let you live." He opened the rear door.

"But, Sahb, Sahb, I..." I..."

"Sahb, nothing. Jump and perhaps you live, stay and you certainly die." nothing. Jump and perhaps you live, stay and you certainly die."

Yusuf went down on the metal steps and jumped to one side of the track, where banks of sand covered the oil pipes. He rolled over several times and then the train went round a corner and he was lost from view.

"What now?" Billy said.

"We need either Casey or Kelly, either will do. That's why it's useful that Keenan is busy on the footplate. Let's go."

He opened the door and looked out across the open cars, able to see Kelly on top of the front explosives car and Casey on the one behind. The train was rattling along now, blowing up sand and emitting clouds of steam.

"Now what?" Billy demanded.

"I'll cross to that rear wagon and you stay here. When I get there, shoot Casey in the head. Knock him off the roof for me. Kelly's looking the other way. He won't see."

"Then what?"

"I'll entice Kelly down. It's a chance we'll have to take that he'll behave as I expect."

"Okay, you're the boss."

Dillon stepped out on the walkway, started across the swaying cars, and reached the rear door of the explosives car, the ladder up to the roof beside it. He turned and waved to Billy. Casey was trying to light a cigarette, the AK across his knees as he sat there. Billy took careful aim and shot him in the head, the muted crack of the silenced AK drowned in the noise of the train. Casey keeled over, slid down the slightly curved roof, and went over the edge, rifle and all.

Dillon looked back to the body at the side of the track, waited until the train went round another curve, then he mounted the ladder and peered over the edge. Kelly squatted there on the other roof, unaware that Casey had gone.

Billy had stepped back inside the guard's van out of sight. Dillon eased slightly down the ladder and called, "Kelly, help me." He went down the ladder all the way now and stood waiting, his AK ready.

The voice, m.u.f.fled by the train noises, was difficult to hear, but Kelly looked round and Billy watched, ready to shoot him if necessary. Kelly got up, slung his rifle over one shoulder, crossed to the end of the front car, and jumped to the second. He stood there, swaying, then came on.

"Casey, where are you?" he called as he reached the edge.

"Dead and gone, but you've got me, your old friend Sean Dillon." Dillon trained the AK on him. "Come on down or you're a dead man, too, and if I don't get you, my friend will," and Billy stepped out of the guard's van.

"Holy Mother of G.o.d, you, Dillon! It can't be."

"I said get down here."

Kelly did as he was told. Dillon took the AK from him and threw it down to the side of the track. He opened the door to the inside of the car as Billy joined them.

"Get in there," and he shoved Kelly in. "Open the outside door, Billy."

Billy did as he was told, and the interior was flooded with light. "Right, show me what Keenan did."

"Jesus, Dillon, he'll kill me." It was an instinctive and stupid reply.

Billy decided to take a hand and played the bad guy. "It's a waste of time, Dillon. Just let me throw him out."

"But he'd break his neck," Dillon said. "I mean, we're doing about forty miles an hour."

"So what?"

Billy rammed the muzzle of his AK into Kelly's stomach, forcing him back to the open door, and he cracked.

"No, Dillon, I'll show you."

"Get on with it, then."

Kelly turned to the boxes of explosives. "Barry put chemical fuses in this lot. They're linked by the det cord to the next car."

"And what's in there?"

"Semtex. They're on ten-minute timer pencils."

"Good. Now get a grip on that det cord and yank out the fuses." Kelly did as he was told. "There you go. That was easy, wasn't it? Now, next door and you can tackle the Semtex."

It was at the same moment that Keenan happened to turn and saw, to his surprise, that there was no sign of his men. They were very close to the bridge now, he could see it a mile ahead, as the defile through which the train ran widened. Uneasy, he mounted the walkway over the coal tender and water tank and reached the first car. The trap door in the roof was open. He'd done that deliberately to alleviate the heat inside-it wasn't good for Semtex, which could become unstable. He heard voices and peered in.

Billy had opened the sliding door, and Kelly, who had ripped out the chemical fuses and det cord, was removing the pencil timers from the Semtex. He turned to throw them out through the open door, and Keenan, in a blind rage, drew his Browning from his pocket.

"You stupid b.a.s.t.a.r.d!" He shot Kelly twice in the back, driving him out through the open door.

Billy fired up at him and Keenan stepped back. "Keep firing, Billy," Dillon called, ducked out, and went up the ladder to the roof.

The train was rocking and Barry was having difficulty keeping his feet under him. He fired wildly, the bullet going several feet to one side of Dillon. He tried to take aim again, then a look of amazement crossed his face.

"Christ, Dillon, it's you."

"G.o.d bless all here, Barry," Dillon said, and fired the AK on automatic, driving him back over the front end of the wagon to fall beneath the wheels of the train. A moment later and Billy joined him.

"Dillon, we did it."

"Saved the world again, Billy." Dillon got out his Codex and called up Villiers. "Mission accomplished, Tony. Keenan and his friends are stiffed and all the explosive charges are defused. We're almost at the bridge. Where are you?"

"Two miles the other side, but you'd better keep going. You could have trouble. The Rashid Scorpion pa.s.sed over me."

"Is that so? Thanks for the warning. See you soon and we'll stop the train then."