The James Bond Anthology полностью

‘No. We’re going to wait.’ At the expression on Leiter’s face, Bond held up a hand. ‘We’re going to send our report, in careful, guarded terms so we don’t get an airborne division landing on Windsor Field. And we’re going to say the Manta is all we need. And so it is. With her, we can keep tabs on the Disco just as we please. And we’ll stay under cover, keep a hidden watch on the yacht and see what happens. At present we’re not suspected. Largo’s plan, if there is one, that is, and don’t forget this treasure-hunting business still covers everything perfectly well, is going along all right. All he’s got to do now is collect the bombs and make for Target No. 1 ready for zero hour in around thirty hours’ time. We can do absolutely nothing to him until he’s got one or both of those bombs on board or we catch him at their hiding place. Now, that can’t be far away. Nor can the Vindicator, if she’s hereabouts. So tomorrow we take that amphibian they’ve got for us and hunt the area inside a radius of a hundred miles. We’ll hunt the seas and not the land. She must be in shoal water somewhere and damned well hidden. With this calm weather, we should be able to locate her – if she’s here. Now, come on! Let’s get those reports off and get some sleep. And say we’re out of communication for ten hours. And Disconnect your telephone when you get back to your room. However careful we are, this signal is going to set the Potomac on fire as well as the Thames.’

Six hours later, in the crystal light of early morning, they were out at Windsor Field and the ground crew was hauling the little Grumman Amphibian out of the hangar with a jeep. They had climbed on board and Leiter was gunning the engines when a uniformed motorcycle dispatch rider came driving uncertainly towards them, across the tarmac.

Bond said, ‘Get going! Quick! Here comes paper-work.’

Leiter released the brakes and taxi’d fast towards the single north–south runway. The radio crackled angrily. Leiter took a careful look over the sky. It was clear. He slowly pushed down on the joystick and the little plane snarled its way faster and faster down the concrete and, with a final bump, soared off over the low bush. The radio still crackled. Leiter reached up and switched it off.

Bond sat with the Admiralty chart on his lap. They were flying north. They had decided to start with the Grand Bahama group and have a first look at the possible area of Target No. 1. They flew at a thousand feet. Below them the Berry Islands were a necklace of brown spits set in cream and emerald and turquoise. ‘See what I mean?’ said Bond. ‘You can see anything big through that water down to fifty feet. Anything as big as the Vindicator would have been spotted anywhere on any of the air routes. So I’ve marked off the areas where there’s the minimum traffic. They’d have ditched somewhere well out of the way. Assuming, and it’s the hell of an assumption, that when the Disco made off to the south-east on the night of the third, it was a ruse, it’ll be reasonable to hunt to the north and the west. She was away eight hours. Two of those would have been at anchor doing the salvage work. That leaves six hours’ sailing at around thirty knots. Cut an hour off for laying the false trail, and that leaves five. I’ve marked off an area from the Grand Bahamas down to south of the Bimini group. That fits – if anything fits.’

‘Did you get on to the Commissioner?’

‘Yes. He’s going to have a couple of good men with day-and-night glasses keeping an eye on the Disco. If she moves from her Palmyra anchorage where she’s due back at midday, and if we’re not back in time, he’ll have her shadowed by one of the Bahama Airways charter planes. I got him quite worried with just one or two bits of information. He wanted to go to the Governor with the story. I said not yet. He’s a good man. Just doesn’t want too much responsibility without someone else’s okay. I used the P.M.’s name to keep him quiet until we get back. He’ll play all right. When do you think the Manta could be here?’

‘S’evening, I’d say.’ Leiter’s voice was uneasy. ‘I must have been drunk last night to have sent for her. Christ, we’re creating one hell of a flap, James. It doesn’t look too good in the cold light of dawn. Anyway, what the hell? There’s Grand Bahama coming up dead ahead. Want me to give the rocket base a buzz? Prohibited flying area, but we might as well go in up to our ears while we’re about it. Just listen to the bawling out we’ll be getting in just a minute or two.’ He reached up and switched on the radio.