Fact1: Limbani is held in remote prison in Zembala guarded by unit of Ndofa 's personal troops known as Simbas, Fact2: Faulkner had worked on previous operations officers, Fact3: RAF pilot has been smuggling currency for London mafia, Fact4: former soldier in South African Defence Force wishes to return to homeland, Fact5: mercenaries With tacit approval of fly to Swaziland where they are equipped United Kingdom 's government
Output: Allen Faulkner Richard Burton, a British mercenary and former army colonel, arrives in London to meet the wealthy and ruthless merchant banker Sir Edward Matheson Stewart Granger. The latter proposes a risky operation to rescue Julius Limbani Winston Ntshona, the liberal but imprisoned President of a Southern African nation who is due for execution by General Ndofa, the man who deposed him. President Limbani is held in a remote prison in Zembala, guarded by a unit of General Ndofas personal troops known as the Simbas. Faulkner accepts the assignment and begins recruiting fortynine mercenaries, including officers he had worked with on previous operations: Capt. Rafer Janders Richard Harris, a skilled military tactician who now works as an art dealer, and Lt. Shawn Fynn Roger Moore, an RAF pilot who has been smuggling currency for the London mafia. Fynn also brings in penniless South African Pieter Coetzee Hardy Kruger, a former soldier in the South African Defence Force who wishes to return to his homeland and buy a farm. With the tacit approval of the United Kingdoms government, the mercenaries fly to Swaziland where they are equipped and physically trained. Before the operation begins, Janders exacts a promise from Faulkner to watch over his only son, Emile, should he not survive the mission. The mercenaries infiltrate Zembala via HALO jump, and then infiltrate the prison facility — rescuing an alive, though sick, Limbani. The group then occupies a small airfield to await pickup, deeming the mission a success. Back in London, however, Matheson cancels the extraction flight at the last moment, having secured copper mining assets from General Ndofa in exchange for President Limbani. Stranded deep in hostile territory, the abandoned mercenaries fight their way through bush country, pursued by merciless Simba troops. Many men, including Coetzee, are killed along the way. The mercenaries make their way towards President Limbanis home village in Kalima, intending to rally support for a rebellion, but discover the people are too illequipped to fight. An Irish missionary living there informs the group of an old Douglas Dakota transport aircraft nearby that they can use to escape. As the Simba troops close in, the group stage a last stand on the airfield while Fynn starts the Dakotas engines; mercenaries board the aircraft under fire and many more are killed. Janders is shot in the leg and unable to board; at Janders begging, Faulkner is forced to kill him, sparing him from capture and torture. The thirteen survivors finally manage to land at Kariba Airport, Rhodesia, but Limbani dies from a gunshot wound sustained during the escape. Three months later, Faulkner returns to London and breaks into Mathesons home, forcing him to empty the cash in his wall safe — amounting to half a million dollars — to compensate the surviving mercenaries and the families of those who died. Faulkner then kills Matheson and makes a swift getaway with Fynn. The film ends with Faulkner fulfilling his promise to Janders by visiting Emile at his boarding school.