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Oddjob got to his feet。 So did the whole of Goldfinger's team。 The faces of the Koreans were indifferent; unchanged; only their eyes flickered constantly like nervous animals。 The
Germans were pale; grim。 Nobody looked at anyone else。 Silently they filed towards the exit and lined up; waiting。
Tilly Masterton touched Bond's sleeve。 Her voice trembled。 'Are you sure they're only asleep? I thought I saw some sort of。。。 sort of froth on some of the lips。'
Bond had seen the same thing。 The froth had been pink。 He said; 'I expect some of them were eating sweets or something when they fell asleep。 You know what these Americans are … always chewing something。' He softly mouthed the next words。 'Stay away from me。 There may be shooting。' He looked hard at her to see she understood。
She nodded dumbly; not looking at him。 She whispered out of the corner of her mouth; 'I'm going to get near Pussy。 She'll look after me。'
Bond gave her a smile and said 'Good'; encouragingly。
The train clicked slowly over some points and slid to rest。 There came one blast of the diesel's windhorn。 The doors swung open and the different groups piled out on to the platform of the Bullion Depository siding。
Now everything went with military precision。 The various squads formed up in their battle order…first an assault group widi sub…machine guns; then the stretcher…bearers to get the guard and other personnel out of the vault (surely an unnecessary refinement now; thought Bond) then Goldfinger's demolition team … ten men with their bulky tarpaulin…covered package … then a mixed group of spare drivers and traffic…control men; then the group of nurses; now all armed with pistols; who were to stay in the background with a heavily armed reserve group that was to deal with any unexpected interference from anybody who; as Goldfinger had put it; 'might wake up'。
Bond and the girl had been included in the mand Group which consisted of Goldfinger; Oddjob and the five gang leaders。 They were to be stationed on the flat roofs of the two diesel lootives which now stood; as planned; beyond the siding buildings and in full view of ?the objective and its approaches。 Bond and the girl were to handle the maps; the timetables and the stop…watch; and Bond was to watch out for fumbles and delays and bring them at once to Goldfinger's attention to be rectified by walkie…talkie with die squad leaders。 When the bomb was due to be fired; they would take shelter behind the diesels。
There came a double blast from the windhorn and; as Bond and the girl climbed to their position on the roof of the first diesel; the assault squad; followed by the other sections; doubled across the twenty yards of open ground between the railway and Bullion Boulevard。 Bond edged as close as he could to Goldfinger。 Goldfinger had binoculars to his eyes。 His mouth was close to the microphone strapped to his chest。 But Oddjob stood between them; a solid mountain of flesh; and his eyes; uninterested in the drama of the assault; never flickered from Bond and the girl。
Bond; under cover of scanning his plastic map…case and keeping an eye on the stop…watch; measured inches and angles。 He glanced at the next…door group of the four men and the woman。 They were gazing; in frozen attention; at the scene before them。 Now Jack Strap said excitedly; 'They're through the first gates。' Bond; putting half his mind to work on his own plans; took a quick look at the battlefield。
It was an extraordinary scene。 In the centre stood the huge squat mausoleum; the sun glinting off the polished granite of its walls。 Outside the big open field in which it stood; the roads … the Dixie Highway; Vine Grove and Bullion Boulevard … were lined with trucks and transporters two deep with the recognition flags of the gangs flying from the first and last vehicle of each convoy。 Their drivers lay piled up outside the shelter of the surrounding guard wall of the vault while; through the main gate; poured the tidy disciplined squads from the train。 Outside this world of movement there was absolute stillness and silence as if the rest of America was holding its breath at the mittal of this gigantic crime。 And outside lay the bodies of the soldiers; sprawling where they had fallen … the sentries by their pill boxes; still clutching their automatic pistols; and; inside the protecting wall; two ragged squads of soldiers in battledress。 They lay in vague; untidy heaps; some bodies athwart or on top of their neighbours。 Outside; between Bullion Boulevard and the main gate; two armoured cars had crashed into each other and now stood locked; their heavy machine guns pointing; one at the ground and the other at the sky。 A driver's body sprawled out of the turret of one of the vehicles。
Desperately Bond looked for a sign of life; a sign of movement; a hint that all this was a careful ambush。 Nothing! Not a cat moved; not a sound came out of the crowded buildings that formed a backdrop to the scene。 Only the squads hurried about their tasks or now stood waiting in their planned dispositions。
Goldfinger spoke quietly into his microphone。 'Last stretcher out。 Bomb squad ready。 Prepare to take over。'
Now the covering troops and the stretcher…bearers were hurrying for the exit; getting down under cover of the guard wall。 There would be five minutes' delay to clear the area before the bomb squad; now waiting bunched at the main gate; would go in。
Bond said efficiently; 'They're a minute ahead of time。'
Goldfinger looked past Oddjob's shoulder。 The pale eyes were aflame。 They stared into Bond's。 Goldfinger's mouth twisted into a harsh snarl。 He said through his teeth; 'You see; Mr Bond。 You were wrong and I was right。 Ten more minutes and I shall be the richest man in the world; the richest man in history! What do you say to that?' His mouth spat out the words。
Bond said equably; 'I'll tell you after those ten minutes are up。'
'Will you?' said Goldfinger。 'Maybe。' He looked at his watch and spoke rapidly into his microphone。 The Goldfinger squad loped slowly through the main gate; their heavy burden slung from four shoulders in a cradle of webbing。
Goldfinger looked past Bond at the group on the roof of the second diesel。 He called out triumphantly; 'Another five minutes; gentlemen; and then we must take cover。' He turned his eyes on Bond and added softly; 'And then we will say goodbye; Mr Bond。 And thank you for the assistance you and the girl have given me。'
Out of the corner of his eye; Bond saw something moving … moving in the sky。 It was a black; whirling speck。 It reached the top of its trajectory; paused and then came the ear…splitting crack of a maroon signal。
Bond's heart leapt。 A quick glance showed him the ranks of dead soldiers springing to life; the machine guns on the locked armoured cars swinging to cover the gates。 A loudspeaker roared from nowhere; 'Stand where you are。 Lay down your arms。' But there came a futile crackle of fire from one of the rearguard covering party and then all hell broke loose。
Bond seized the girl round the waist and jumped with her。
It was a tenfoot drop to the platform。 Bond broke his fall with his left hand and hoisted the girl to her feet with a je