Алистер Маклин - Red Alert

‘Why plainclothes?’ Graham said. ‘Surely an extra hundred uniforms would be more daunting to someone like Ubrino?’

‘And frighten him off?’ Kolchinsky replied. ‘Remember, he doesn’t know that we know the vial is destined for the Offenbach Centre. If the grounds were swamped with uniformed guards he might turn back and make his demands from a hideout anywhere in the country. Then where would we be? No, we have to play this as covertly as possible. He’s sure to have a rough idea of how many security staff are employed by the Offenbach Centre. It’s imperative that he isn’t suspicious when he gets there. As you said, we won’t find him now. Tomorrow’s our last chance.’

Graham finished his coffee and got to his feet.

‘Are we still going to have this meeting tonight?’

‘That all depends on when the two of them get back. Why, is there something on your mind?’

‘I’ve got a few questions to put to Calvieri. I can do it now, or later.’

‘Fabio told me about your little theory linking Calvieri to Ubrino. It doesn’t hold any water, Michael. You’re letting your emotions get the better of you.’

‘The fact remains that someone tipped off either Ubrino or the Francia brothers about our movements this afternoon. Who knew we were going to the chalet? You, me, Sabrina, Fabio, Kuhlmann and Calvieri. Who would you suspect?’

‘Calvieri never left this room from the time we had our briefing until the time Kuhlmann received Fabio’s call requesting back-up. When could Calvieri have warned them? I’m the first to take notice of your hunches, Michael, but this time you’re way off the mark.’

‘Someone tipped them off, Sergei. There are two bodies in the mortuary to prove it.’ Graham glanced at Sabrina. ‘And it could so easily have been three.’

‘We don’t know that they were tipped off, Michael. It’s pure speculation.’

‘I still want to talk to Calvieri,’ Graham said.

‘There’s enough tension as it is without you adding to it. Leave him alone. And that’s my final word on the subject.’

Graham threw up his hands in frustration and sat on the edge of the bed.

The telephone rang. Kolchinsky answered it.

‘Sergei, it’s C.W.,’ Whitlock said at the other end of the line.

‘C.W.?’ Kolchinsky replied in surprise. ‘How did you know we were here?’

‘Jacques told me. I can’t talk for long. Young and I are here in Berne.’

‘I know.’

‘You know?’ It was Whitlock’s turn to be surprised.

‘I had a photograph of you sent out from New York. You were recognized by one of the staff at the airport. Where are you staying?’

‘That doesn’t matter at the moment. Young’s setting up a hit on Calvieri.’

‘When?’

‘Now. This is the first chance I’ve had to call you since we got here. Young picked up a case from a locker at the airport. It has to be a high-powered rifle.’

‘Where are you calling from?’

‘A call box opposite your hotel. Young went into the building behind me a couple of minutes ago. It’s my guess he’ll lure Calvieri out to the front of the hotel. What do you want me to do?’

‘Stop him. It’s gone far enough. Are you armed?’

‘I wish I was. I had to leave the Browning behind when we fled the boarding house in Rome.’

‘Do you want back-up?’

‘No back-up, thanks. If Young suspects for one moment that I’ve double-crossed him he’ll use the transmitter to detonate the watch. I’ll get him myself.’

‘How?’

‘You let me worry about that. Keep an eye on Calvieri all the same. Try and keep him in the hotel. I’ll call you back later.’

‘C.W.’ be careful.’

‘You can count on it,’ Whitlock said and hung up.

Kolchinsky recounted the conversation to Graham and Sabrina. He thought for a moment, then said, ‘Sabrina, I want you to go down to the foyer. If Calvieri does show his face I want you to keep him occupied until I give you the all-clear sign.’

‘How am I supposed to keep him occupied?’

‘I’m sure you’ll think of something,’ Kolchinsky said, opening the door. ‘Now go on, you’re wasting time.’

‘I still say C.W. needs back-up,’ Graham said, after Kolchinsky had closed the door.

‘No back-up.’

‘He’s unarmed–’ ‘Michael!’ Kolchinsky snapped.

‘I’m as worried about him as you are but he specifically said no back-up. All we can do is wait for his call.’

‘All we can do is hope for his call,’ Graham muttered, then crossed to the tray to pour himself another cup of coffee.

Whitlock emerged from the call box and looked up at the building behind him. Three floors. Several of the third-floor windows were illuminated. The rest of the building was in darkness. Young wouldn’t risk using the third floor. And the first floor was also out. He wouldn’t get the right angle on his shot from there. Which left the second floor. Whitlock glanced at his watch. Young already had a five-minute head start. Whitlock walked towards the alley at the side of the building. He suddenly froze mid-step and the woman behind him stumbled against his arm. He muttered an apology without taking his eyes off the man in the fawn trenchcoat who was standing at the entrance to the alley. He held a black doctor’s bag in his gloved hand. It was the same man Whitlock had seen at the boarding house in Rome. Escoletti looked about him casually, then disappeared into the alley. Whitlock continued to stare at the spot where Escoletti had been standing. How had he found them so quickly? What if he managed to overpower Young and take him away for questioning? What about the transmitter?

Whitlock moved cautiously towards the alley, intent on following Escoletti at a distance.

As Whitlock had predicted, Young had chosen the second floor for the hit. Getting into the building had been easy. The door leading into the alley was unlocked. Once inside he had discovered that the building was some kind of youth centre. According to the bulletin board, the first floor housed an arts and crafts workshop, the second floor a martial arts club and the third floor a discotheque. And only the discotheque was open that evening. The noise would provide the perfect cover for the hit. Nobody in the building would hear the gunshot.

He had passed a couple of teenagers on the stairs between the first and second floors but neither of them had given him a second glance as they made their way to the exit. The double doors were padlocked on the second floor. It took him a few seconds to pick the lock, then he eased one of the doors open and went inside. The street light shone dimly through the Venetian blinds. He could see the padded mats laid out neatly across the wooden floorboards. Then he noticed the two glass cabinets against the wall. He whistled softly to himself as he stared at their contents. One of the cabinets contained a pair of sheathed tachi, the Japanese sword traditionally worn suspended from the belt.

The second cabinet contained ninja weaponry: kama, the sickle used for cutting corn, which doubles as a lethal weapon; kusari-gama, a sickle attached to a lead ball with a chain; nunchaku, the corn-beater, consisting of two short lengths of wood joined by a chain; sai, an iron dagger protected by two lateral hooks which is used to check, or deflect, the tachi; shuriken, the small, iron projectile with sharp, serrated edges; and the tonfa, a twenty-inch oak rod with a cylindrical handle fixed three-quarters of the way along its stem.

Young stared, fascinated, at the assortment of weaponry until a loud horn blast from a taxi in the street below brought him sharply back to his senses. He crossed to the Venetian blinds where he opened his slim, black case and carefully removed the sections of the specially designed detachable Mauser SP66 sniper rifle which he had asked Wiseman to get for him. He screwed on the Zeiss 1.5-6x42 zoom telescopic lens then reached through the Venetian blinds and opened the window. He had a perfect view of the main entrance to the Metropole Hotel. He took a cordless phone from the case and rang the hotel. It was answered by one of the switchboard operators and he asked for Calvieri’s room.