Ken Follett: Lie down with lions

Rahmi's introductions were nervously perfunctory: "Pepe. Ellis. My friend."

Boris was a broad-shouldered man wearing a white shirt with the sleeves rolled to show meaty, hair-covered forearms. His blue serge trousers were too heavy for this weather. Over the back of a chair was slung a black-and-tan checked jacket which would look wrong with the blue trousers.

Ellis put his backpack on the rug and sat down.

Boris gestured at the brandy bottle. "A drink?"

Ellis did not want brandy at eleven o'clock in the morning. He said: "Yes, please—coffee."

Boris gave him a hard, hostile look, then said: "We'll all have coffee," and went to the phone. He's used to everyone being afraid of him, Ellis thought; he doesn't like it that I treat him as an equal.

Rahmi was plainly in awe of Boris, and fidgeted anxiously, fastening and unfastening the top button of his pink polo shirt while the Russian called room service.

Boris hung up the phone and addressed Pepe. "I'm glad-to meet you," he said in French. "I think we can help each other."

Pepe nodded without speaking. He sat forward in the velvet chair, his powerful bulk in the black suit looking oddly vulnerable against the pretty furniture, as if it might break him. Pepe has a lot in common with Boris, thought Ellis: they're both strong, cruel men without decency or compassion. If Pepe were Russian, he would be in the KGB; and if Boris were French he'd be in the Mafia.

"Show me the bomb," said Boris.

Pepe opened his briefcase. It was packed with blocks, about a foot long and a couple of inches square, of a yellowish substance. Boris knelt on the rug beside the case and poked one of the blocks with a forefinger. The substance yielded like putty. Boris sniffed it. "I presume this is C3," he said to Pepe.

Pepe nodded.

"Where is the mechanism?"

Rahmi said: "Ellis has it in his backpack."

Ellis said: "No, I don't."

The room went very quiet for a moment. A look of panic came over Rahmi's handsome young face. "What do you mean?" he said agitatedly. His frightened eyes switched from Ellis to Boris and back again. "You said ... I told him you would—"

"Shut up," Boris said harshly. Rahmi fell silent. Boris looked expectantly at Ellis.

Ellis spoke With a casual indifference that he did not feel. "I was afraid this might be a trap, so I left the

mechanism at home. It can be here in a few minutes. I just have to call my girl."

Boris stared at him for several seconds. Ellis returned his look as coolly as he could. Finally Boris said: "Why did you think this might be a trap?"

Ellis decided that to try to justify himself would appear defensive. It was a dumb question, anyway. He shot an arrogant look at Boris, then shrugged and said nothing.

Boris continued to look searchingly at him. Finally the Russian said: "I shall make the call."

A protest rose to Ellis's lips and he choked it back. This was a development he had not expected. He carefully maintained his I don't-give-a-damn pose while thinking furiously. How would Jane react to the voice of a stranger? And what if she were not there, what if she had decided to break her promise? He regretted using her as a cutout. But it was too late now.

"You're a careful man," he said to Boris.

"You, too. What is your phone number?"

Ellis told him. Boris wrote the number on the message pad by the phone, then began to dial.

The others waited in silence.

Boris said. "Hello? I am calling on behalf of Ellis."

Perhaps the unknown voice would not throw her, Ellis thought: she had been expecting a somewhat wacky call anyway. Ignore everything except the address, he had told her.

"What?" Boris said irritably, and Ellis thought: Oh, shit, what is she saying now? "Yes, I am, but never mind that," Boris said. "Ellis wants you to bring the mechanism to Room Forty-one at the Hotel Lancaster in the rue de Berri."

There was another pause.

Play the game, Jane, thought Ellis.

"Yes, it's a very nice hotel."

Stop kidding around! Just tell the man you'll do it—please!

"Thank you," Boris said, and he added sarcastically: "You are most kind." Then he hung up.

Ellis tried to look as if he had expected all along there would be no problem.

Boris said: "She knew I was Russian. How did she find out?"

Ellis was puzzled for a moment, then realized. "She's a linguist," he said. "She knows accents."

Pepe spoke for the first time. "While we're waiting for mis cunt to arrive, let's see the money."

"All right." Boris went into the bedroom.

While he was out, Rahmi spoke to Ellis in a low hiss. "I didn't know you were going to pull that trick!"

"Of course you didn't," said Ellis in a feigned tone of boredom. "If you had known what I was going to do, it wouldn't have worked as a safeguard, would it?"

Boris came back in with a large brown envelope and handed it to Pepe. Pepe opened it and began counting one-hundred-franc notes.

Boris unwrapped the carton of Marlboros and lit a cigarette.

Ellis thought: I hope Jane doesn't wait before making the call to "Mustafa." I should have told her it was important to pass the message on immediately.

After a while Pepe said: "It's all there." He put the money back into the envelope, licked the flap, sealed it and put it on a side table.

The four men sat in silence for several minutes.

Boris asked Ellis: "How far away is your place?"

"Fifteen minutes on a motor scooter."

There was a knock at the door. Ellis tensed.

"She drove fast," Boris said. He opened the door. "Coffee," he said disgustedly, and returned to his seat.

Two white-jacketed waiters wheeled a trolley into the room. They straightened up and turned around, each holding in his hand a Model "D" MAB pistol, standard issue for French detectives. One of them said: "Nobody move."

Ellis felt Boris gather himself to spring. Why were there only two detectives? If Rahmi were to do something foolish, and get himself shot, it would create enough of a

diversion for Pepe and Boris together to overpower the armed men—

The bedroom door flew open, and two more men in waiters' uniforms stood there, armed like their colleagues.

Boris relaxed, and a look of resignation came over his face.

Ellis realized he had been holding his breath. He let it out in a long sigh.

It was all over.

A uniformed police officer walked into the room.

"A trap!" Rahmi burst out. "This is a trap!"

"Shut up," said Boris, and once again his harsh voice silenced Rahmi. He addressed the police officer. "I object most strongly to this outrage," he began. "Please take note that—"

The policeman punched him in the mouth with a leather-gloved fist.

Boris touched his lips, then looked at the smear of blood on his hand. His manner changed completely as he realized this was far too serious for him to bluff his way out. "Remember my face," he told the police officer in a voice as cold as the grave. "You will see it again."

"But who is the traitor?" cried Rahmi. "Who betrayed us?"

"Him," said Boris, pointing at Ellis.

"Ellis?" Rahmi said incredulously.

"The phone call," said Boris. "The address."

Rahmi stared at Ellis. He looked wounded to the quick.

Several more uniformed policemen came in. The officer pointed at Pepe. "That's Gozzi," he said. Two policemen handcuffed Pepe and led him away. The officer looked at Boris. "Who are you?"

Boris looked bored. "My name is Jan Hocht," he said. "I am a citizen of Argentina—"

"Don't bother," said the officer disgustedly. "Take him away." He turned to Rahmi. "Well?"

"I have nothing to say!" Rahmi said, managing to make it sound heroic.

The officer gave a jerk of his head and Rahmi, too, was handcuffed. He glared at Ellis until he was led out.