Read Online The Golden Gate by Alistair MacLean - Free Book Online Page B

jinxes.'

'You're quite mad.'

'A divine sort of madness. Instructions now.'

'I refuse.'

'You refuse? General Cartland?'

Cartland heaved himself upright and walked heavily down the coach. He took the phone and said quietly: 'Do what the madman asks. Don't you recognize megalomania when you hear it?'

"That was very unkind, General.' Branson smiled and retrieved the phone. 'You have the message, Hendrix?'

'I have the message.' Hendrix sounded as if he were being strangled.

'My third request. Call up a couple of squads of army engineers. I want two sets of steel barriers built on the bridge, one under either tower. They are to be strong enough to stop a tank and high enough - barbed at the top, of course-to prevent anyone from climbing over. The north barrier is to be unbroken, the south with a hinged central section, wide enough to permit the passage of a jeep, and capable of being opened from the inside-our side-only. The barriers will be anchored to the sides of the bridge by bolting or welding and secured to the roadway by pneumatically driven spikes. But the army will know a great deal more about such things than I do. I shall supervise the operations personally."

Hendrix seemed to be having some difficulty with his breathing. Finally he said: 'Why?'

'It's those nasty fogs that come rolling in from the Pacific all the time. More often than not they cover the bridge-in fact I can see one coming in right now.' Branson sounded almost apologetic. 'It would be too easy to rush us under fog cover.'

'And why the hinged section in the south barrier?"

'I thought I told you. To permit the passage of a jeep. For such things as negotiating committees, a doctor if need be and She transport of the best food and drink in town.'

'Jesus! You have your nerve, Branson."

'Nerve?' Branson was hurt This humanitarian consideration of the well-being of my fellow man? You call that nerve? Kings and presidents are not accustomed to going hungry. Among other things you don't want to go down in history as, Hendrix, includes, I'm sure, being the man responsible for starving kings and presidents to death. Think of the verdict of history.'

Hendrix was silent. He may or may not have been thinking about the verdict of history.

Branson went on: 'And we must not forget the delicate sensibilities of royalty. Before the barriers are in place we'd like to 'have a couple of mobile latrine vans in position. Equipped, of course, to the very highest standards - and that does not include being loaded to the gunwales with FBI agents. You have all that, Hendrix?'

'It's been recorded.'

'Then set the wheels in motion. Or must I call in General Cartland again?'

'It will be done.'

'Now?'

'Now.'

Branson cradled the phone on his knee and looked at it wonderingly. 'And he didn't even tell me I couldn't get off with it' He lifted the phone again. 'Last request, Hendrix, but the most important one. The President is temporarily incapacitated. How can one talk to the leader of a leaderless nation?'

The Vice-President is already in Chicago. He's on his way to O'Hare airfield now.'

'Splendid. Splendid. Co-operation without even asking for it But I'm afraid I'll also have to ask for the co-operation of one or two other senior ministers of the government I know it's asking for a lot but I feel -'

'Spare me your schoolboy humour, Branson.' There was an edge to Hendrix's voice now but it was a tired edge. 'I suppose you 'have some people in mind?'

'Just a couple, that's all.' Branson had a gift for sounding eminently reasonable when making the most unreasonable demands.

'And if you get them and the Vice-President together here I suppose you'll make all three of them hostages too.'

'No. You've only got my word for it, of course, but no. You're losing whatever grip you had, Hendrix. You don't kidnap negotiators. If you did you'd have to negotiate with someone else and so on down the line until we came to someone like you.' Branson awaited for comment but Hendrix