Colin Forbes - Year of the Golden Ape

^ Attached to the nuclear device now planted deep inside the empty oil tank was a tinier mechanism – also a miniature receiver of the type used by aircraft model-makers. The receiver, which would set the timer mechanism going, could only be activated when a radio signal reached it. The radio signal would come from the miniature transmitter LeCat was now carrying with him. One turn of a switch and nothing on God's earth could stop the nuclear device detonating at the pre-set timing.

^ There was tension also in Paris, over five thousand miles away, where it was eleven in the morning, where an emergency meeting of the Cabinet had been called at the Elysee Palace. Earlier, Karpis of the FBI, after obtaining agreement from Washington, had phoned through direct to Paris, asking for information on a certain Jean Jules LeCat. The request – because of the world news bulletins – travelled like an electric shock through the upper echelons of the French government.

^ At first ministers considered telling Karpis that there must be some mistake, that LeCat was still in the Sante prison, that the San Francisco terrorist was clearly an impostor. French logic, however, prevailed – this was far too big an issue to risk any kind of deception. They argued about it for some time – the record shows that the meeting went on for over two hours – and then a realistic decision was taken.

^ The Surete Nationale transmitted to Inspector Karpis a detailed technical report on LeCat's known criminal activities-the political side was omitted. Reading this report in San Francisco, Karpis found it illuminating and not a little frightening. The man they faced was no common thug; he was a man of enormous experience in the more violent aspects of human activity, obviously had some skill as an organiser, and had at one time lived in the United States. The FBI man skipped some of the technical data, so he saw no particular significance at that moment in the reference at the end. 'Also expert in the remote control of explosives, that is, detonation by radio signals…'

^ The next communication from LeCat over the ship-to-shore came at 4am. Again, MacGowan was warned not to interrupt. 'You will warn the American ambassador to the United Nations that he should stand by to receive a message from you later. There will be a time limit for you to decide whether or not you will agree to my demand. If you do not agree, all the hostages will be shot at the expiry of the deadline …'

^ Theentire action committee was assembled inside the Governor's office as LeCat began talking. They watched MacGowan as he sat grim-faced in front of the speaker, knowing that he just had to sit there and take it while the French terrorist lectured him, told him what he had to do, that he must not interrupt. MacGowan interrupted.

^ 'If you shoot them now you won't have any cannon fodder left for the deadline,' he said brutally. 'I've listened to you – now you damn well listen to me. I'm providing a bus…'

^ Peretti winced, certain that this was not the way to handle it, that there was going to be a disaster, that MacGowan had the wrong approach altogether. LeCat's voice burst in, filled with venom.

^ 'As I was saying,' MacGowan interrupted, 'transport for you to escape is being provided. Whether we will ever let you use it is another matter – it depends entirely on what you propose, whether we agree. Now, get on with what you were saying…'

^ 'We will board the ship immediately. And I will not speak with you again unless you give me some proof that all the hostages are at this moment alive and well – alive ^ and ^ well. Put Captain Mackay on the air if you want me to speak to you again…'

^ MacGowan's voice was a growl, Peretti was pale-faced with apprehension, the other men inside the room were leaning forward in their chairs, their expressions tense. Gen. Lepke had his head on one side like a bird, listening, watching MacGowan. They were ^ ^

^ There was a pause, some static crackle, confused noises at the other end on the bridge of the ^ Challenger ^ half a mile from Pier 31. MacGowan had his head down, staring fixedly at the speaker from under his thick eyebrows as though he could see his opponent, as though he were facing a hostile witness in the box. The seconds ticked by and the tension inside the room became almost unbearable. They were all still waiting for the sound of shots, their bodies tensed as though they might be the targets.

^ Firm, steady, unemotional, this was Mackay's first contact with the outside world since the terrorists had seized his ship four days earlier. It was, MacGowan thought, remarkable. 'Are all your crew still alive and well, Captain?' he asked. 'I want to know the position aboard that ship…'

^ 'We are all alive, we are all well, at the moment. And that includes our American passenger, Miss Betty Cordell.'

^ 'We will do everything we can to see you are released safely,' MacGowan said slowly and deliberately. 'We shall continue negotiating for that end,' he went on, knowing that LeCat was listening. 'But no one must be harmed or I shall immediately stop all negotiation…'

^ There was a flurry at the other end, a grunt of pain which every man inside the room felt, then LeCat repeated his instruction once more that no aircraft, no surface or underwater vessel must approach them and abruptly went off the air. Someone in the room let out a deep sigh and then everyone started stirring restlessly, getting up and walking about to ease the tension out of their muscles.

^ 'Because unlike me, you never were a trial lawyer. That man out on the ^ Challenger's ^ bridge is an egomaniac – I'm beginning to get to know him and I can hear it in his voice. For the first time in his life he has a huge audience – everything he says or does is reported across the face of the earth. He knows it, he likes it. His only trump card is he holds the lives of those hostages in his hands…' MacGowan leaned across his desk. 'He's not throwing that away – yet. And the main demand is yet to come – he'll not shoot anyone until he's made that demand. My bet is we still have a few hours left…'

^ 'Your bet is on the lives of twenty-nine people,' Peretti snapped. 'I'm not that much of a gambler.'

^ Gen. Lepke had been staring across the room with a faraway look, as though something had just struck him. 'Has he always made that reference to no underwater vessel approaching the tanker?' he asked. 'I'd like to see the transcripts of all the exchanges you've had with him so far – and the radio signals, too.'

^ Gen. Lepke moved very quickly when he left the room. He knew he had little over an hour to act because soon after seven it would be sunrise. Alone in another office, he put through a call to the Marine base. The dolphins, which had been brought from San Diego for training in the Bay, were sent out within a few minutes of his making the call.

^ At 6.25am Mac the dolphin slipped away from a Marine launch anchored offshore and began swimming strongly into the Bay. Jo, the second dolphin, followed him almost immediately. They swam at a depth of ten feet under the surface, heading for the only ship within half a mile, the tanker ^ Challenger, ^ with Mac in the lead. He came to the surface for air at regular intervals, a graceful creature who had a great affection for his trainer, Marine Sergeant Grumann. It was dark, steamy and fogbound above the surface at that hour, and he went under again with a sense of relief, at home in his natural element as he came closer and closer to the motionless ship.

^ Attached to his nose was a sucker-like disc, rather like a compass set in a rubber base. He had got used to having this strange contraption fixed to him; for days recently Sergeant Grumann had taken him out into the Bay, had then released him and 'pointed' him in a certain direction. He knew exactly what he had to do and he enjoyed the work; even more he enjoyed returning to the launch when Grumann would reward him with a fish. He swam on, a menacing shape moving through the water with a power and sureness no Olympic swimmer could have emulated.