Десмонд Бэгли - Running Blind

I smiled at her. ‘I’ve come to collect you. We’ll be leaving soon.’

‘That’s a matter of opinion,’ said Kennikin. ‘How do you expect to do it?’

‘In the normal way — through the front door,’ I said.

‘Just like that!’ Kennikin smiled. ‘And what about Slade?’

‘He’ll be returned unharmed.’

‘My dear Alan! Not long ago you accused me of being unrealistic. You’ll have to work out a better exchange mechanism than that.’

I grinned at him. ‘I didn’t think you’d fall for it but, as you said, one has to try. I daresay we can work out something equitable.’

‘Such as?’

I rubbed my chin. ‘Such as sending Elin away. She’ll contact our friends and then you exchange Slade for me. The arrangements can be made by telephone.’

‘That sounds logical,’ said Kennikin. ‘But I’m not sure it’s reasonable. Two for one, Alan?’

‘It’s a pity you can’t ask Slade if it’s reasonable or not.’

‘You make a point.’ Kennikin moved restlessly. He was trying to find the flaws in it. ‘We get Slade back unharmed?’

I smiled apologetically. ‘Er... well — not entirely. He’s been leaking blood through a hole, but it’s minor and not fatal. And he might have a headache — but why should you care about that?’

‘Why, indeed?’ Kennikin stood up. ‘I think I can go along with you on this, but I’d like to think about it a little more.’

‘Not for too long,’ I said warningly. ‘Remember the time limit.’

Elin said, ‘Have you really captured Slade?’

I stared at her, trying to pass an unspoken message and hoping to God she didn’t let me down. ‘Yes. Our friends are taking care of him — Valtyýr is in charge.’

‘Valtyýr!’ She nodded. ‘He’s big enough to handle anyone.’

I switched my eyes back to Kennikin and tried not to show too much relief at the way Elin had played that one. ‘Buck it up, Vaslav,’ I said. ‘Time’s a-wasting.’

He came to the decision quickly. ‘Very well, it shall be as you say.’ He looked at his watch. ‘I also shall lay down a time limit. If there is no telephone call within two hours then you will die regardless of what may happen to Slade.’ He swung on his heel and faced Elin. ‘Remember that, Elin Ragnarsdottir.’

‘There’s just one thing,’ I said. ‘I’ll have to talk to Elin before she leaves to tell her where to find Valtyýr. She doesn’t know, you see.’

‘Then you’ll do it in my hearing.’

I gave him a pained look. ‘Don’t be an idiot. You’d know as much as I do, and that might be unwise. You’d know where Slade is and you might be tempted to get him out. And where would that leave me?’ I stood cautiously. ‘I talk to Elin privately or not at all. It’s another stalemate, Vaslav, but I’m sure you understand that I have to look out for my own skin.’

‘Yes, I’m sure you do,’ he said contemptuously. He gestured with the gun. ‘You may talk in the corner, but I remain in the room.’

‘Fair enough.’ I jerked my head at Elin and we walked over to the corner. I stood with my back to Kennikin because, for all I knew, lip-reading in six languages might have been one of his minor talents.

Elin whispered, ‘Have you really got Slade?’

‘Yes, but Valtyýr doesn’t know about it, nor anyone else. I’ve sold Kennikin a credible story but not the true one. But I have got Slade.’

She put her hand to my chest. ‘They took me so quickly,’ she said. ‘I couldn’t do anything. I was afraid, Alan.’

‘That doesn’t matter now,’ I said. ‘You’re going to walk out of here, and this is how you do it. You...’

‘But you are staying.’ There was pain in her eyes.

‘I won’t be staying long if you do as I say. Listen carefully. You’ll leave here, walk up to the road and turn left. About half a mile along you’ll come to a big dream-boat of an American car. Whatever you do, don’t open the boot. Just climb into it and go like a bat out of hell to Keflavik. Got that?’

She nodded. ‘What do I do there?’

‘See Lee Nordlinger. Raise a storm and demand to see a CIA agent. Lee and everyone else will deny having such an article on the premises, but if you persist long enough they’ll dig one up. You can tell Lee it’s about the gadget he tested; that might help. Tell the CIA man the whole story and then tell him to open the boot of the car.’ I grinned wryly. ‘But don’t call it the boot or he won’t know what the hell you’re talking about. Call it the trunk.’

‘So what is in there?’

‘Slade,’ I said.

She stared at me. ‘He’s here ! Just outside this house!’

‘It was all I could do at short notice,’ I said. ‘I had to act quickly.’

‘But what about you?’

‘Get the CIA man to make the telephone call. You’ll have just on two hours from the time you leave here, so you’ll have to be bloody persuasive. If you can’t do it in time or if the CIA man won’t be persuaded, then make the call yourself and spin Kennikin some kind of yarn. Set up a meeting to exchange me for Slade. It might be phoney but it will buy me time.’

‘What if the Americans won’t believe me?’

‘Tell them you know about Fleet and McCarthy. Tell them you’ll give it to the Icelandic newspapers. That should produce some kind of reaction. Oh, yes; and tell them that all your friends know exactly where you are — just as insurance.’ I was trying to cover all the possibilities.

She closed her eyes briefly as she memorized her instructions. When she opened them, she asked, ‘Is Slade alive?’

‘Of course he is. I told Kennikin the truth about that. He’s damaged but alive.’

She said, ‘I was thinking the CIA might believe Slade rather than me. He might even know the CIA people at Keflavik.’

‘I know,’ I said. ‘But we have to take that risk. That’s why you must tell the whole story before producing Slade. Get your oar in first. If you pitch it really hot they won’t just let him walk out.’

She didn’t seem too happy about that, and neither was I, but it was the best we could do. I said, ‘Make it fast, but not so fast that you have an accident in that car.’ I put my hand under her chin and tipped her head up. ‘Everything will be all right. You’ll see.’

She blinked rapidly. ‘There’s something you must know. That gun you gave me — I’ve still got it.’

It was my turn to blink. ‘ What!’

‘They didn’t search me. I have it on me — in the holster under this anorak.’

I looked at her. Her anorak was admittedly very loose and no sign of the gun was visible. Someone had slipped. It was unlikely that an Icelandic girl would be armed, but even so it was bad workmanship. No wonder Kennikin went off pop periodically about the quality of his team. Elin said, ‘Can I pass it to you safely?’

‘Not a chance,’ I said regretfully, aware of Kennikin at my back. He would be watching like a hawk, and a Smith & Wesson .38 pistol isn’t something you can palm in your hand like a playing-card. ‘You’d better keep it. Who knows, you might need it.’

I put my hand on her good shoulder and drew her towards me. Her lips were cold and hard under mine, and she trembled slightly. I drew back my head, and said, ‘You’d better go,’ and turned to face Kennikin.

‘Very touching,’ he said.

‘There’s one thing,’ I said. ‘Your time limit is too short. Two hours isn’t enough.’

‘It will have to do,’ he said uncompromisingly.

‘Be reasonable, Vaslav. She has to drive through Reykjavik. The day is getting on and by the time she reaches town it will be just after five o’clock — right in the middle of the rush hour when people are going home. You wouldn’t want to lose Slade because of a traffic jam, would you?’