Алистер Маклин - Floodgate

‘Yes.’

‘How many people are going out there?’

‘Apart from yourselves? The three of us, Mr Riordan whom you haven’t met but have read about, Joop and Joachim. Why?’

‘Please. My turn for questions. You travel in the mini-bus?’

‘Well, no. We’d hoped there would be plenty of room in the truck.’

No, indeed, van Effen thought. They wanted to keep the closest possible eye on the three of them and the precious contents of the truck. ‘How many cars?’

‘Cars?’ Agnelli looked faintly surprised. ‘No cars. Why?’

‘Why?’ Van Effen looked at the ceiling, then at George, then back at Agnelli. ‘Why? Tell me, Mr Agnelli, have you ever transported stolen Government property before?’

‘This will be a new experience for me.’

‘I want two cars. One to follow the truck at two or three hundred metres, the other to follow the first car at a similar distance.’

‘Ah! Well, now, I appreciate this. You do not wish to be followed.’

‘I have a rooted objection to being followed. One chance in a million. We do not take that chance.’

‘Good, good. Joop and Joachim. I’ll phone now.’

‘Last question. We forgot to discuss this. Do we return to the city tonight?’

‘No.’

‘You should have told us. We do require a toothbrush or two. However, we guessed right and packed some gear. Three minutes in the lobby.’

Back in his room van Effen said: ‘George, I’ve said it before and say it again. Your career has been a wasted one, ruined and misplaced. That was splendid, quite splendid.’

George made a mock-modest gesture of depreciation. ‘It was nothing.’

‘How to establish a moral ascendancy in one easy lesson. They’re going to go out of their way not to step on our toes. And did you gather the impression, George, that they need us more than we need them. Or, at least, that they think so?’

‘Yes. Intriguing.’

‘Very. Second, they know that they’re not going to be followed. It was our suggestion, so that makes us trustworthy?’

‘Anyone can see that. It will also, we trust, make them relax their vigilance.’

‘We trust. Third, again thanks to you, it is certain that Agnelli has no idea whatsoever who I am. Agnelli is sadly in need of a course of instruction from you. He’s a poor dissembler and overreacts too easily. It is not possible, that, knowing who I was, he could have sat at the same table without giving himself away. Lastly, it seems fairly certain that we’ll be safe until or unless they find out who we are or until we are no longer of any use to them – when they have achieved whatever it is they want to achieve, that is. But I think the latter unlikely. I could understand them wanting to dispose of us if we were to betray their identity but their identity is already well known – the names of those in Dessens’ house last night will probably be in every major newspaper in Europe this morning. Or by night-fall. And the TV and radio. I asked Mr Wieringa to make specially sure about that. And didn’t you love all this talk about limiting themselves solely to pure psychology and being interested only in cash returns? You believed him, of course?’

‘You can always trust a man like Mr Agnelli.’

Agnelli, O’Brien and Daniken were waiting in the lounge when the two men descended. Van Effen said: ‘Fixed?’

‘Yes. But one thing we overlooked – or I overlooked. I said I’d call them back. I didn’t know whether to ask them to come here or not.’

‘We’ll let them know when we move out in the truck.’

‘Why not call them from here?’

Van Effen looked at him as if in faint surprise. ‘Do you ever make two consecutive calls from the same phone?’

‘Do I –’ Agnelli shook his head. ‘And to think that I thought I was the most suspicious, most security-conscious person around. Do we move now?’

‘The heating in Dutch army trucks is rather sub-standard. I suggest a schnapps. We have time?’

‘We have. Very well. Until the Lieutenant comes, I assume.’

‘He doesn’t join us. We join him. That’s why I suggested a schnapps. Takes him a little time.’

‘I see. Rather, I don’t. He’s not going to join –’

‘He’s leaving by the fire escape. The Lieutenant has a penchant for unorthodox exits. Also, he’s bashful about calling attention to himself.’

‘Unorthodox. Bashful. I understand now.’ Standing by what appeared to be a freshly painted army truck in an otherwise empty, brightly lit small garage, Agnelli surveyed the rather impressive figure of Vasco who was now attired in what was obviously a brand new Dutch army captain’s uniform. ‘Yes, I understand. The desk staff in the Trianon would have found the change rather intriguing. But I thought – um – the lieutenant was a lieutenant?’

‘Old habits die hard. You don’t change a man’s name just because he changes his suit. Promoted last month. Services to Queen and country.’

‘Services to – ah, I see.’ Agnelli, it was clear, didn’t see at all. ‘And what’s this bright orange dagger flash on the radiator?’

‘ “Manoeuvres. Do not approach.” ’

‘You don’t miss much and that’s a fact,’ Agnelli said. ‘May I look inside?’

‘Naturally. I wouldn’t like you to think that you’d bought a pig in a poke.’

‘This, Mr Danilov, is the most unlikely looking pig in a poke that I’ve ever seen.’ Agnelli had inspected the neatly stacked and, in the case of the missiles and launchers, highly gleaming contents of the truck and was now actually rubbing his hands together. ‘Magnificent, quite magnificent. By heavens, Mr Danilov, when George here is given a shopping list I must say that he delivers. I wouldn’t have believed it.’

George made a dismissive gesture. ‘A little assistance from the Lieutenant here. Next time, something a little more difficult.’

‘Splendid, splendid.’ Agnelli looked towards the front of the truck and at the heavily side-curtained bench seat behind the front seats. ‘That, too? I see, Mr Danilov, that you share my passion for privacy.’

‘Not I. Senior Dutch army officers on manoeuvres.’

‘No matter. Mr Riordan, I am sure, will be delighted. When you meet him you will understand why. He is a man of a rather striking appearance and rather difficult to conceal, which is a pity, as he does like his privacy.’ Agnelli was silent for a moment, then cleared his throat and said: ‘In view of all this and the very, very stringent security precautions you have taken, Mr Danilov, I do feel a bit – in fact, very – diffident about asking – but, well, do you mind if Mr O’Brien here carried out a closer inspection?’

Van Effen smiled. ‘I’ve often wondered what Mr O’Brien’s function might be. But this? Well, I’m slightly puzzled. If Mr O’Brien knows more about explosives and arms than we three do, then he must be Europe’s leading expert and our services would seem to be superfluous.’

‘Explosives, Mr Danilov?’ O’Brien was an easy smiler and had a pleasant light baritone voice, a natural for the rendering of ‘When Irish eyes’. ‘Explosives terrify me. I’m an electronics man.’

‘Mr O’Brien is being modest,’ Agnelli said. ‘He’s an electronics expert and one of the very best in the business. Security. Alarms. Installation – or deactivating.’

‘Ah. Burglar alarms. Photo-electric rays, pressure pads, things like that. Always wanted to meet one of those. It’ll be a pleasure to watch one at work. Little enough scope, I would have thought, for an electronics man around an army truck. Wait a minute.’ Van Effen paused briefly then smiled. ‘By all means go ahead, Mr O’Brien. I’ll take long odds against you finding one, though.’