Just then a truck rolled up. Cavalier could see Dubois behind the wheel. Castro, Leni and Hollos were with him. Dubois was first to see what was happening. He took out a revolver and ran towards the plane. He shot Amaz in the head. She fell to the ground, motionless. Cavalier dashed for the cockpit. Dubois fired again, catching him in the side as he slid into the seat. Cavalier pulled out his gun and fired, causing Dubois to run for shelter behind a tree. Cavalier started the engine with his right hand and fired again with his left, forcing Dubois to remain behind cover.

Cavalier manoeuvred the machine. He heard shots being fired and the bullets pinging against the fuselage. He waited until the plane seemed to have momentum before he began the lift, which had to be much sharper than any pilot would like. The plane swerved, bounced and was airborne. Cavalier struggled with the joystick.

‘Lift, you darling! Lift, you bloody beast!’ he yelled. The plane obeyed but not before the wheels clipped the treetops. The Cessna wobbled clear, as if uncertain whether to crash into the ravine or continue straight. It dipped a stomach-churning twenty metres into the ravine, then lifted and held its line so that it was clear of the opposite cliff-face one hundred metres away. Yet it was still listing to starboard close to the magnificent waterfall.

Cavalier was forced to fly too low over it. He was in no mood to take in the cascading natural beauty that sparkled in the strong moonlight. He kept struggling with the controls until he steadied the reluctant machine.

Cavalier’s adrenaline subsided. He noticed that blood was seeping into his clothes. He became more conscious of the pain caused by the bullet six inches below his heart but to the side of his torso. He pulled out some towels from a small compartment and wrapped them around the area he had been hit. With the plane on auto-pilot, he scrambled for the first-aid kit that he always carried and bandaged the wound.

He sent another text to Wombat.

Wombat. Am travelling with a ton of stuff to Chiang Mai. Have been shot in the side. Losing blood. Have ambulance ready at Chiang Mai airport.

18 A HOSTILE RECEPTION

18

A HOSTILE RECEPTION

The 351-kilometre flight to Chiang Mai took two hours in the Cessna, which performed well in the, at times, rough weather. Cavalier’s main worry was the bullet wound. He had been able to limit the bleeding yet some dribbled down his stomach and legs and into his sneakers. He had to fight falling asleep but managed to keep alert by flying off the instruments when he reached a heavy bank of cloud over Chiang Rai.