Nikos froze at the corner of the hut and looked about him . The moon was high in the sky , three-quarters full and casting its milky light over the cold November landscape . The thirty-year old freedom fighter looked up and down the main thorough-fare of the prison camp - no one was about . No doubt the guards were cloistered away in the warmth of their timber hut over by the entrance , probably huddled in their greatcoats close to the boiler , with a deck of cards upon the scarred ancient table . Nikos smiled thinly ; tonight would be the best chance he would get . He thought briefly back to the events in the dormitory - the bribing of Alexander , the dorm's prisoner Intendant , drawn from their own ranks to watch over them , the body of the guard Costain he and Major Larouse had hidden under the floorboards in the icy cavity there , and the disabled alarm system that young genius Leonhardsen had dealt with - thirty minutes only he had warned , before the lack of renewal in the power-map became evident even to the dumbest guard .
Nikos took a deep breath and imediately regretted it , only just managing to avoid a hacking cough as he dragged in the freezing air of Salisbury Plain . He bent low and walked quickly to the perimeter fence ; if Larouse had got his message out to the outside , and he swore that there was no possibility of failure in this , then they would be ready and waiting for him . For a heart-stopping moment Nikos stood by the guard-wire and stared into the bleakness beyond , then as if rising out of the very ground itself two grey-swathed men came into view , nodded abruptly at the would-be escapee and drew back a section of fencing . Nikos almost stopped breathing as he stepped hurriedly through - the alarm failed to destroy the eery midnight silence . Leonhardsen knew his stuff that was for sure .
"Quickly" hissed one of the two men , gesturing fiercely with his free hand , the other holding a Stewart sub-machine gun .
Nikos needed no urging . He crossed quickly to his rescuers . Neither paid him much attention , bending to secure the fence in its previous position , then indicating with hand signals that they proceed swiftly towards where the lights of a jeep shone dimly in a depression just beyond the clear ground surrounding the prison camp . Nnikos ran doubled over in a manner similar to his new friends . They scrambled all three into the back of the vehicle . Only then did anybody speak , the taller of the two men extending his hand ,
"Daffyd Powell , Wolf" he announced himself
Nikos took the hand , gripping it tightly aware that his future might well depend upon the impression he should make at this moment ,
"Nikos Sandrovich , latterly of the Double-I S"
No further words were spoken as the jeep roared away , rearing up the gentle incline towards the main road , then heading down the darkened highway in the direction of London .