Алистер Маклин - Floodgate

‘Go on.’

‘The nuclear devices are most definitely not intended for use on the Haringvliet dam and this for three reasons. Firstly, I don’t relish the prospect of vaporizing myself. Secondly I want the sluice gates to remain intact and in perfect working order. Thirdly, I intend to take over the dam.’

Van Effen sipped his drink in silence for a few moments, as if to take time out for thinking. Not only had he known that the Haringvliet was Samuelson’s target, he’d been equally convinced that Samuelson had had no intention of destroying it.

‘How very ambitious. And how do you intend to set about this takeover?’

‘It’s already half done. About forty hours ago a skilled electrician carried out a very delicate and all but undetectable job of sabotaging three turbo-generators.’

‘The devil he did. He was an employee?’

‘Naturally.’

‘And Dutch?’

‘Yes. Twenty thousand dollars, I’ve always found, has a most profound influence on even the most patriotic of souls. Besides, he had no idea what we had in mind. He, of course, was given the opportunity to trace the source of those faults and when he failed they called in experts from Rotterdam. Those four are currently lodged in a cellar beneath us. They are being well fed and cared for as you can see for yourself any time you wish.’

‘That will not be necessary. And then, of course, you sent in your own four experts.’

‘Yes. Alas, all four have criminal records and have served prison sentences but they have the saving virtue that they are probably the four best safe-crackers in the country. They also have a considerable knowledge of electrics.’

‘Such men could not have been easy to come by,’ van Effen said. He paused then said: ‘Wrong. They could have been easily come by.’ He looked at Romero Agnelli. ‘Your brothers in prison, of course. They must have the names and track records of every outstanding – by their standards – criminal in the country.’

‘They are very able men,’ Samuelson said, ‘but better at safe-cracking than electrics.’

‘Their purpose being, of course,’ van Effen said, ‘to locate and deactivate all the alarm systems in the dam – pressure pads, rays, panic buttons and whatever. Also to discover the location of both on-duty and off-duty guards.’

‘Not to deactivate. Not yet. Might not even be necessary,’ Agnelli said. ‘The rest, yes. There were one or two points about which they were uncertain so they asked permission to bring in the best turbo-generator experts in the country.’

Van Effen nodded. ‘And, of course, they got the best expert in a totally different field. O’Brien. Very clever, I must admit.’

Samuelson waved a hand. ‘All Romero’s work. He would have made an excellent divisional officer. Has O’Brien returned, by the way?’

Leonardo left the room and returned with an O’Brien who was totally unlike his real self owing to the fact that he had acquired a beard and a moustache.

‘Sorry about this,’ O’Brien said. Wincing more than slightly he tore off both moustache and beard. ‘As I’m going aboard with you, I thought the sudden transformation of a civilian engineer into a Dutch army sergeant-major might have caused some eyebrow raising.’

Samuelson said: ‘How is everything?’

‘Ready to go,’ O’Brien said.

‘One point,’ George said. ‘How are we to recognize those four – ah – colleagues you have on the dam. We don’t want to point guns at the wrong people.’

‘A good point,’ Agnelli said. ‘All four are dressed in very light blue overalls.’

‘And carrying only tools in their tool-bags?’

‘The odd pistol. A few gas grenades. Useful things like that.’

‘I’d like some of those,’ van Effen said. ‘Gas grenades, I mean. In a small satchel or suitcase. Like Mr Samuelson, I’m averse to unnecessary violence and the people on the dam are, after all, my adopted countrymen. If it’s necessary to restrain any of them I’d much rather do it with a whiff of gas rather than a bullet.’

‘My sentiments exactly,’ Samuelson said. ‘You shall have them.’

‘One further point,’ van Effen said. ‘How are you going to account for the presence of two civilians in an army group?’

‘Aha!’ Samuelson smiled broadly. ‘Civilians, but not just ordinary civilians. You are two senior members of the Amsterdam police specialist antiterrorist squad. That should fit the bill rather nicely, don’t you think?’

‘That’s nice,’ van Effen said. ‘I always wanted to be a policeman. How do you propose to gain entrance to the dam, Mr Samuelson?’

‘Nothing simpler. We land on the roadway on the dam. First, of course, we send a radio message to the dam to the effect that there is a suspicion, nothing more, that the FFF may be thinking of making an attack on the dam either from the sea or from the river side and that patrol boats will be approaching from the river side and a destroyer from the sea side. We, of course, shall be there first – it’s only a few minutes flying time from here. They will be ordered to maintain complete radio silence – no transmissions, no receptions.’

‘The simplicity of true genius,’ van Effen said. ‘You have your nerve. The young ladies, of course, remain behind?’

‘Most certainly not. I wouldn’t have Kathleen and Maria miss this splendid dénouement for all the world. The rear of the helicopter will be screened off and the four ladies will remain in hiding until we have taken over.’

‘It has occurred to you that the other two girls might scream for help or attempt to overpower Kathleen and Maria?’

‘They find it difficult to scream for anything when they’re gagged and difficult to attack anyone when their hands are tied behind their backs. As an additional precaution, Joop will be with them. Joop is very useful with a gun.’

‘You think of everything,’ van Effen said. He hoped Joop wasn’t too useful, for then Joop would have to die.

Samuelson rose, went to a desk and brought out two sheets of paper. ‘These are the ground and elevation plans of the Haringvliet dam. Leonardo, go and bring the others here. I want every man to know exactly what to do, to know exactly where every guard will be on duty, where the off-duty guards and workers are, and where each man on duty may reasonably be expected to be. There will be no slip-ups.’

Daniken returned just as Leonardo left. In seconds only Leonardo returned, bringing with him Joop, Joachim and the two nameless RAF youths that had been at the other windmill, four older men in their thirties and forties whom van Effen had not seen before and two of the guards he had seen before. The last six looked very tough, very competent. They all crowded round the table, followed by van Effen, Vasco, George, Samuelson, Romero Agnelli, Daniken and O’Brien. Only two men were missing – Willi, who was locked up in a cellar somewhere and Riordan, who was presumably above such mundane and secular matters.

Although it was Samuelson who had called the meeting it was Romero Agnelli who conducted the meeting. His organizational abilities were indeed quite remarkable. He pointed out to each man exactly where he was to go and what was expected of him. He also insisted that they coordinate their watches so that each man should know exactly what time he should be at any given place. This took about five minutes. He then started it all over again. When he started a third time van Effen, accompanied by George and Vasco, headed resolutely towards the bar. Samuelson, smiling, came after them and moved behind the bar.

‘You get easily bored, Mr Danilov?’

‘I don’t have to be told the same thing twice, far less three times.’

‘You have a point. Maybe I am overdoing it a bit.’ He looked at his watch. ‘I find this a bit worrisome. I should have thought the truck would have been here by this time.’