The Killing Ground by Jack Higgins Read Free Book Online

reads the Times . It appears you’ve been gazetted in this morning’s issue, something about covert operations. Can’t imagine where they got that from,” Billy said.
    Dillon said, “To many more happy landings,” and raised the flask.
    Many more congratulations followed, until Roper opened a briefcase

T H E K I L L I N G G R O U N D
    39
    and took out a document pouch. “All right, Squadron Leader, this is for you. Flight details to Baghdad. It’s rather like that job we did a year and a half ago. Your passengers are Billy and Dillon. The purpose of the trip is contained in that file. You’ll wait for them, and on the return there’ll be one other passenger, a thirteen-year-old girl being held under restraint in Iraq. Dillon and Billy will recover her and bring her back home.”
    Lacey said, “The situation in Baghdad is still very rough. In the last two weeks, seven helicopters have been downed. Naturally, we’ll do our best, though.”
    “We know you will.”
    “When, sir?”
    “I’d say within the next twenty-four hours.”
    “Right, Major. Anything more?”
    Roper put a little mystery into his voice. “Squadron Leader, you will have seen many war films where the hero, being asked to do some deed of daring, is told it could win the war for us. Well, this is rather like that.
    There are security repercussions that would be hugely favorable for us if we can pull it off.”
    They took that very seriously indeed. “Just let us get on with it. We’ll get straight up to Farley now.”
    D I L L O N T U R N E D T O R A S H I D . “Caspar, you should know that Billy and I had dealings with the Rashid tribe ourselves the other year. With Paul, the Earl of Loch Dhu, and his sister, Lady Kate, both of them in turn, the leaders of the tribe.”
    “When they were still alive,” Billy put in.
    Caspar stiffened. “Did you have anything to do with that? The events were a huge shock to the people.”
    “It nearly cost them a railway bridge,” Billy said. “You probably know it—the Bacu? Spans a five-hundred-foot gorge, constructed during World War Two. The bridge almost got blown up.”

    40

J A C K H I G G I N S
    Rashid was most disturbed. “The earl and his sister were killed. That was you?”
    “My friend, you’re not telling us your secrets, why should I tell you ours?”
    “Incredible view from the bridge,” Billy said.
    Molly said slowly, “Are you trying to tell us you executed them?”
    “Notice the interesting scar on Billy’s face?” said Dillon. “That was Kate Rashid, as well as two bullets in the pelvic girdle and another in the neck. I know the rights and wrongs of these things are difficult to handle, but that’s the way it was. Believe me when I tell you, they were very bad people. Perhaps you should retire to your husband’s holding cell and try to come to terms with it.”
    Roper said, “And we are the good guys, Doctor. Confusing, isn’t it?”
    D O Y L E A P P E A R E D to escort them and Roper said, “You might as well sit in on this, Greta. The Rashid Villa is north of the city in Amara, and thanks to the genius of my equipment, I can show you it now. Amazing what we owe to the satellite. Look and marvel, children.”
    The villa was obviously the home of a wealthy man. There was no sign of bomb damage, it was surrounded by palm trees in clumps, and there was a sizable orange grove, plus lemons and olives. Boats drifted along the Tigris. “All very peaceful.”
    “You’d never think a war was going on,” Billy said. “Look carefully.
    Some women on the house terrace. Go through the orange and lemon groves. At least half a dozen male workers and the main gate is fortified.
    Three men down there, and I’ll bet those rifles they are carrying are AKs. A few tents in the grounds, though.”
    “Tough nut to crack.”
    “But not impossible.” On the river, a forty-foot speedboat flashed past. “Because of the state of things in the city, the boat business is booming. It