Red Alert

Ten

Thursday

‘What time is it?’ Graham asked.

‘Five minutes later than the last time you asked,’ Sabrina replied, exasperated. ‘And ten minutes later than the time before that. And fifteen–’

‘Okay, you’ve made your point. Ask a civil question and all you get is sarcasm.’

‘That’s rich coming from you, Mike–’

‘Sabrina, please,’ Paluzzi interceded quickly, his hands raised defensively. ‘We’re all on edge, let’s not make it any worse than it already is.’

Paluzzi sat behind the wheel of the white BMW 735i that Kuhlmann had had delivered to the hotel for them that morning. Graham sat beside him. Sabrina and Calvieri were in the back. They had been parked in the street that overlooked the Offenbach Centre for the past forty minutes, waiting for Kolchinsky to call them on the two-way radio lying on the dashboard. So far only silence. Paluzzi stared at the building in the distance. He remembered the official opening earlier in the year when one critic had called it ‘a monstrous glass and aluminium bandbox, without the ribbons’. He could see what the critic had meant. There was nothing appealing about it. A ten-storey building, cylindrical in shape, with a glass and aluminium exterior and a flat roof to accommodate a helipad. Helicopters had been landing and departing regularly in the last forty minutes and he was sure the traffic would get busier as the day wore on.

‘What’s the time?’ Graham asked, nudging Paluzzi’s arm.

Paluzzi pulled back his sleeve to reveal his gold Cartier watch.

‘Nine twenty-four. Where’s your watch?’

‘It got bust on the mountain yesterday. I’ll send it to the jeweller’s when I get back to New York. It’s pretty special to me.’

‘Was it a present from your wife?’

‘Yeah,’ Graham muttered, then lapsed into silence.

Paluzzi turned his attention back to the Offenbach Centre. The more he looked at it, the more he came to agree with the critic. Berne, a beautiful, medieval city, had always rebuffed the advances of modern development, and planning permission had been granted to Jacob Offenbach, the Swiss multimillionaire, only on condition that the Centre was built on the outskirts of the city, away from the charm of the Old Town district. The people of Berne had never taken it to their hearts, calling it the Raumschiff, the spaceship, because of its futuristic appearance and design. It would never be accepted by the locals, and he could see why.

‘Does anyone mind if I smoke?’ Calvieri asked, breaking the silence.

‘Yeah, I mind,’ Graham bit back, then threw up his hands dismissively. ‘What the hell, I’m going for a walk. Do what you want.’

‘Don’t go far,’ Paluzzi said. ‘Sergei could call at any moment.’

‘Stop panicking, I’m only going to that fruit and vegetable shop over there.’

Graham forced himself not to slam the door behind him. Sliding on his dark glasses, and then thrusting his hands into his pockets, he walked the length of the narrow street to the shop. He crouched in front of the display outside, which was shaded from the sun by a white canopy, and tested the apples for their ripeness. He suddenly became aware that he was being watched. He looked up. A five-year-old boy stood in the doorway, pointing a toy gun straight at him. Graham feigned a look of surprise and slowly raised his hands. The boy glanced with alarm at Graham’s chest. Graham looked down. His bolstered Beretta was visible.

He immediately got to his feet and covered the holster with his jacket.

The boy stared fearfully at him, then ran into the shop. Graham cursed himself but a hand grabbed his arm before he could go after the boy. He spun round to find Sabrina behind him.

‘What happened?’ she asked, then glanced towards the doorway after he had told her. ‘I’ll talk to him. He’s hardly going to understand you, is he?’

Graham nodded and she disappeared into the shop. She emerged a minute later with a brown-paper bag in her hand. The boy was with her.

‘Magnum!’ the boy shouted with a wide grin, then pretended to shoot at Graham before hurrying up the street and disappearing into one of the houses.

‘He thinks I’m Magnum?’ Graham asked in amazement.

‘I told him you were a real-life Magnum. It certainly appealed to him.’

She took an apple from the bag and tossed it to Graham. They crossed the street to the site of a demolished house and sat on what remained of the front wall.

‘I’m sorry I snapped at you in the car,’ she said at length. ‘I had a pretty rough night. I don’t know how much sleep I actually got. About two hours, probably.’

‘That much?’ Graham replied, turning the apple in his hands. ‘I doubt I even got an hour.’

‘How did you pass the time?’

‘I watched television, there wasn’t much else to do.’

She sat forward, her elbows resting on her knees.

‘I tried to but I found I couldn’t concentrate for more than a few minutes at a time. In the end I was just glad of the background noise. I don’t think I could have coped with the silence.’

‘I know what you mean. There was a soccer match on one of the channels. I stayed with it for the whole game but I still couldn’t tell you the score. Hell, I couldn’t even tell you who was playing.’ He tugged back her sleeve to check the time: 9.37. ‘Twenty-three minutes left. And here we are sitting around waiting to die.’

She put a hand lightly on his arm. ‘I hate this waiting as much as you do, but you know that Sergei’s right. If Ubrino did see us, he’d be sure to bolt. Then what?’

Paluzzi jabbed the horn and, climbing out of the car, beckoned them frantically to him. They ran to the car.

‘What is it?’ Graham asked breathlessly.

‘Sergei’s just been on the radio. Ubrino’s been caught inside the building but he won’t say anything unless Calvieri’s there.’

‘Did he have the vial on him?’ Sabrina asked, getting into the back.

Paluzzi glanced at her in the rearview mirror and shook his head.

‘He’s been searched from head to toe. It wasn’t on him.’

‘Was he wearing a disguise?’ Graham asked.

‘Not when he was caught,’ Paluzzi replied, starting the engine. ‘But he must have worn one to get into the building. How else would he have got past the guards?’

‘It doesn’t make any sense!’ Sabrina exclaimed, looking at Calvieri. ‘Why would he take off the disguise once he was inside the building? It’s almost as if he wanted to get caught.’

Calvieri shrugged. ‘We’ll find out soon enough. The main thing is he’s been caught.’

Paluzzi put a siren on the roof and drove the short distance to the southbound motorway. He took the turn-off for the Offenbach Centre and came to a stop three hundred yards further on in front of a red and white boom gate. An armed guard approached the car. Paluzzi produced the pass provided by Kuhlmann and, after checking it, the guard gave him directions to a side entrance where Kolchinsky would be waiting. The guard then gave the order to lift the boom gate. Paluzzi slid the car into gear and drove into the grounds.

Pantechnicons of varying shapes and sizes, covered with the logos of the world’s media, lined the sides of the road and spilled over into the massive car-park which had been designed to take two thousand cars.

There wasn’t a space available. Paluzzi drove around the perimeter then turned into the alley indicated by the guard and stopped beside a fire escape. Kolchinsky, who had been standing by the door, hurried forward to meet them.

‘Why all this cloak and dagger stuff?’ Calvieri asked, climbing from the back of the car. ‘Why can’t we use the main entrance like everyone else?’

‘Because we’re armed,’ Sabrina answered, patting her bolstered Beretta hidden discreetly beneath her beige jacket. ‘If we used the main entrance the X-ray machines would go berserk.’

‘Have you managed to get anything out of Ubrino yet, Sergei?’ Graham asked as they followed Kolchinsky to the door.

‘He refuses to say anything until he’s seen Calvieri.’

The guard at the door stood aside to let them pass then closed it again behind them. They were in the main foyer, which bustled with activity as journalists sought last-minute interviews with the politicians as they made their way towards the lifts. Kolchinsky took four ID passes from his pocket and handed them out.

Graham clipped his to his jacket pocket.

‘Where did you get the passport photographs from?’

‘The Colonel brought them with him,’ Kolchinsky replied as they walked towards the lifts.

They took the lift to the fifth floor where Ubrino was being held in one of the conference rooms. Kolchinsky stopped outside an ornately carved oak door and knocked twice, paused, then knocked twice more. The armed guard inside peered through the spy hole then unlocked the door to admit them. The room was small and windowless, with a rectangular mahogany table and fourteen matching chairs around it. Kuhlmann dismissed the guard and Kolchinsky introduced Paluzzi and Calvieri to Philpott.

Philpott turned to Ubrino.

‘Well, Calvieri’s here now. Where have you hidden the vial?’

Ubrino merely shrugged his shoulders.

‘I’ll find out,’ Graham hissed angrily.

Philpott put a hand lightly on Graham’s arm, then looked at Calvieri.

‘Talk to him. Maybe you can coax it out of him.’

Calvieri crossed to where Ubrino was sitting and patted him on the shoulder.

‘He doesn’t know where it is.’

‘How do you know that? You haven’t even asked him yet,’ Kolchinsky said.

Calvieri took a small transmitter from his pocket and held it up for them to see. It was the size of a cigarette lighter.

‘He doesn’t know because I never told him.’

Paluzzi stared at Calvieri in horror.

‘You’ve been behind this all along. And we’ve played straight into your hands.’

Graham slid his hand behind his back, feeling for his bolstered Beretta.

Calvieri touched the detonator with his forefinger. ‘The transmitter’s linked to a small charge of plastic explosive attached to the side of the cylinder. It’s powerful enough to break both the cylinder and the vial in half. Question is, Mr. Graham, can you draw your gun and kill me before I push the button?’

‘Let it go, Mike,’ Philpott said without looking at Graham.

Graham’s hand dropped to his side.

‘Now, I want you each to remove your handguns and place them on the table. One at a time. Ladies first.’

Sabrina removed her Beretta, using her thumb and forefinger, and put it on the table. Graham and Paluzzi did the same.

‘You won’t get away with this, Calvieri,’ Kuhlmann rasped sharply.

‘Get away with what? You don’t even know what I want yet.’

‘What do you want?’ Philpott asked.

‘All in good time, Colonel. In the meantime, would you put the key for Riccardo’s handcuffs on the table next to the guns.’

‘I don’t have it. The guard took it with him.’

‘I wouldn’t insult the intelligence of the UNACO Director. Please don’t insult mine.’ Calvieri smiled at their startled expressions. ‘Oh yes, I know who you work for. When you refused to tell me I did a little investigative digging of my own. It took a while but I got there in the end.’

‘How did you find out?’ Philpott demanded.

‘I have my sources, let’s leave it at that. Now, the key.’

Philpott put the key on the table, then turned back to Calvieri.

‘You killed Zocchi, didn’t you?’

‘Had him killed,’ Calvieri corrected, then picked up the key and unlocked one of the cuffs. He gave the key to Ubrino to unlock the second one himself. ‘I must say all your little theories about Zocchi certainly kept me amused these past few days. I knew that with him dead the authorities would have no option but to call us in to help them find the vial. And I was the only Brigatista Signore Pisani would trust with such a delicate task. That’s how the plan came into being in the first place. And as you said, Paluzzi, you played straight into my hands. Riccardo didn’t have the vial on him when he got here, that would have been too dangerous. I had it with me. I knew we wouldn’t be searched when we entered the building. I passed it on to a sympathizer in the foyer. It’s already been secreted somewhere in the building. So I have you to thank for helping me smuggle it past the guards.’

Ubrino tossed the handcuffs on to the chair then collected the handguns from the table. He handed two to Calvieri and tucked the other into his belt.

‘Where does he fit into all this?’ Paluzzi asked, indicating Ubrino.

‘He’s been my inside man in Rome for the past six years. I knew you would immediately suspect Zocchi if Riccardo was involved in the break-in at the plant.’

‘How did you get in?’ Kuhlmann demanded of Ubrino.

‘I pose as maintenance engineer,’ Ubrino replied in a thick Italian accent. ‘Nino Ferzetti, that is his name. We have the same build and height. He wear the beard and glasses. It is an easy…’ he trailed off and looked at Calvieri. ‘Travestire?’

‘Disguise,’ Calvieri answered.

‘Si, it is an easy disguise for me. I carry his pass so the guard do not stop me.’

‘Where’s the real Ferzetti?’ Philpott asked.

‘At home, sleeping off the effects of a spiked drink he had last night.’

Calvieri pointed to the door behind them. ‘I think you’ve taken up enough of my time as it is. Colonel, call me when you have a number where I can contact you. And make it soon. The longer you delay, the less time there will be to process my demands.’

‘One last question, Calvieri,’ Paluzzi said. ‘Why the Offenbach Centre?’

‘It’s quite simple. The summit is being covered by journalists from all over the world. You can’t do anything overt without alerting them. I’m sure you all know what happened in 1938 when Orson Welles narrated The War of the Worlds on American radio. There was unprecedented panic across the country. Can you imagine that on a global scale?’

‘I’ll call you in a few minutes,’ Philpott said brusquely, then walked to the door.

‘There is one more thing,’ Calvieri said. ‘Sabrina stays with us.’

‘Like hell she does,’ Graham snapped.

‘I was talking to Colonel Philpott.’ Calvieri retorted, then whispered to Ubrino, who immediately drew the Beretta from his belt and aimed it at Kuhlmann.

‘You have five seconds to comply otherwise Kuhlmann will be shot. Then Kolchinsky–’

‘Okay, you’ve made your point,’ Philpott cut in. He turned to Sabrina. ‘We’ll have to do as he says.’

‘I understand, sir,’ she replied with a quick smile.

‘What the hell do you need her for?’ Graham demanded. ‘You’ve got the detonator, isn’t that enough?’

‘I’ll only use the detonator as a last resort. In other words if my demands are not met. Sabrina’s the deterrent to stop you and Paluzzi from getting any heroic ideas about storming the room like a couple of over-enthusiastic schoolboys.’

‘I’m going to come after you when this is over, Calvieri,’ Graham said menacingly. ‘I don’t care where you go, I’ll find you. That’s a promise.’

‘In that case I look forward to seeing you again, Mr. Graham. Please close the door on your way out.’

Ubrino waited until they had left, then locked and bolted the door behind them and handed the key to Calvieri.

Sabrina sat down and looked up at Calvieri.

‘Are your demands really worth the lives of millions of innocent people?’

‘Don’t try to play on my emotions, Sabrina, it won’t work.’

‘I didn’t know you had any,’ Sabrina shot back.

‘Manette,’ Calvieri said to Ubrino and pointed to the handcuffs.

Ubrino pulled Sabrina’s hands behind her back and snapped the handcuffs over her wrists. He grinned at her, then reached out to touch her face. She kicked at him savagely, catching him full on the shinbone.

‘Tell your poodle to keep his hands off me,’ she snapped, her eyes blazing at Calvieri.

‘I’m sure he’s learnt his lesson,’ Calvieri replied, casting a disdainful glance towards Ubrino. He took the Beretta from Ubrino’s hand, ejected the clip, pocketed it, then threw the gun on to the table.

‘Leave her alone. She isn’t one of your wide-eyed recruits. She’d kill you without batting an eyelid.’

‘Nobody does that to me, especially not a woman,’ Ubrino hissed through his clenched teeth.

‘You just won’t learn, will you?’ Calvieri pointed a finger of warning at him. ‘I won’t tell you again. Leave her alone.’

The telephone rang. Calvieri answered it.

‘It’s Philpott. I’ve set up a base in the manager’s office. Extension 2-57.’

‘I’ll be in touch.’ Calvieri replaced the receiver and looked across at Ubrino. ‘We’re in business.’

Dieter Vlok was a short, athletically built man in his late forties with black hair and a neatly trimmed black beard. He had been widely regarded in his native West Germany as one of the country’s leading hotel managers, first at the Vier Jahreszeiten in Hamburg, then at the Bremner’s Park in Baden-Baden, before he went to Switzerland to take up his most challenging post to date, that of general manager of the Offenbach Centre.

His office, situated on the tenth floor, had a breathtaking view of the city spread out in the distance. He stood motionless by the window as Philpott described the latest developments to him. Although he had been briefed that morning, he was still finding it hard to believe that such a catastrophe could be unfolding on his own doorstep.

‘As I said this morning, it’s imperative that we keep this under wraps,’ Philpott said in conclusion, then sat back in the padded chair behind the desk. ‘If the press get the slightest whiff of a story, God knows the pandemonium that would result.’

‘Of course, I understand,’ Vlok replied, turning to face the others. ‘I just find it hard to comprehend. This man Calvieri knows what will happen if the vial is opened and yet he says he’s quite prepared to do it if his demands are not met.’

‘What do you expect? He’s a terrorist,’ Graham retorted gruffly.

‘Even so, what can he hope to achieve?’

‘We’ll find out soon enough,’ Philpott replied. ‘That’s why we’ll need to use your office as a base.’

‘It’s at your disposal. Any calls for me will be put through to my assistant. Not that I need the room anyway. I’ll be down in the conference hall making sure everything runs according to plan for the opening ceremony at eleven o’clock.’

‘Do you have an architect’s plan of the building?’ Philpott asked, tamping a wad of tobacco into the mouth of his pipe.

‘Not here. There’s one in the safe at reception. I’ll have it sent up to you.’

‘No, we have to keep our presence here as quiet as possible. Mike will go with you.’

‘Of course. I’m sorry, I’m not used to this kind of secrecy.’

‘How can we contact you if we need you?’ Kolchinsky asked.

Vlok opened his jacket to reveal a bleeper attached to his belt.

‘Ask the reception to page me if you need me. Anything at all.’

‘I will, you can be sure of that,’ Philpott replied.

Vlok looked at his watch. ‘I better get down to the conference hall.’

Philpott gestured for Graham to go with Vlok, then sat back in the chair and lit his pipe. He waited until they had left before looking across at Kolchinsky.

‘Have you got C.W.’s number? We’re going to need him here.’

‘I was thinking the same thing.’ Kolchinsky took a black notebook from his pocket, opened it at the relevant page, and put it on the desk in front of Philpott.

‘When are you going to tell the delegates about Calvieri?’ Kuhlmann asked, pacing the floor in front of the desk.

‘When we know his demands. There’s no use calling meetings every five minutes. And for God’s sake, Reinhardt, stop pacing about like an expectant father. It’s driving me crazy.’

Kuhlmann sat down beside Kolchinsky on the leather sofa but within seconds he was back on his feet. He crossed to the window.

‘I should have barred Calvieri from Switzerland when I had the chance. But no, I let you talk me out of it. Now look what’s happened. Why did I listen to you?’

‘Barring him wouldn’t have solved anything,’ Philpott said, reaching for Kolchinsky’s black book. ‘He’d just have gone somewhere else.’

‘But at least he wouldn’t be in Switzerland,’ Kuhlmann retorted.

‘So that’s what it’s all about,’ Philpott snapped, then swivelled round in the chair to face Kuhlmann. ‘We have a saying in English, Reinhardt, “If you can’t take the heat, get out of the kitchen.” Perhaps it’s just as well that it’s your last year in office. You obviously can’t take the heat any more.’

Kuhlmann was silent.

Philpott picked up the receiver and dialled the number of the boarding house where Whitlock was staying.

‘C.W.?’

‘Yes sir,’ Whitlock answered, recognizing Philpott’s Scottish brogue.

‘I want you to get over to the Offenbach Centre right away. I’ll have a security pass waiting for you at the main gate. We’re on the tenth floor, the manager’s office.’

‘I’m on my way, sir,’ Whitlock replied.

Philpott replaced the receiver and looked at Kolchinsky.

‘We’re going to need handguns for Mike and C.W. Major Paluzzi, what weapon do you use?’

‘Same as Mike and Sabrina. A Beretta 92.’

Kolchinsky got to his feet. ‘So that’s two Berettas and a Browning.’

‘I want you carrying as well, Sergei.’ Kolchinsky nodded. ‘I’ll get on to it right away. There’s a phone in the outer office I can use.’

‘Oh, and Sergei, get a couple of cheap wristwatches for Mike and C.W. as well.’

The telephone rang.

Kolchinsky froze, his hand on the handle of the communicating door.

‘Get the guns, Sergei,’ Philpott said. He picked up the receiver as Kolchinsky disappeared into the outer office.

‘Yes?’

‘What’s going on up there?’ Calvieri demanded. ‘I called a minute ago and the line was engaged. Let’s get something straight right from the start. That line is to remain open at all times. Is that understood?’

‘Perfectly,’ Philpott replied.

‘I’m going to issue my demands now. Are you ready to write them down?’

‘I’m ready.’

‘My demands are twofold. Firstly, the Italian Prime Minister, Enzo Bellini, who is attending the summit, will call a special press conference for five o’clock this afternoon at which he will announce that he is stepping down as the leader of our country on the grounds of ill-health. He has had problems with his heart in recent years so this will give credence to his story. I do have a television set in the room, Colonel, so if he doesn’t appear at exactly five o’clock I’ll press the button. It’s that simple.’

‘And what do you hope to achieve by getting Bellini to resign?’

‘You let me worry about that. You just make sure he gets the message.’

‘And the second demand.’

‘There are sixteen countries represented at this summit. Between them they will pay the sum of a hundred million pounds to the following five revolutionary organizations: Action Directe in France, the Red Army Faction in West Germany, the Red Brigades in Italy, Euskadi ta Askatasuna, ETA, in Spain, and the Irish Republican Army in Britain. Twenty million each. They have until five o’clock this afternoon to have the money ready for collection.’

‘That’s impossible. They won’t be able to raise that kind of money in seven hours. Make it a more realistic deadline.’

‘Six hours and fifty-four minutes to be precise. Once they have seen Bellini resign on television a member of each organization will call the Foreign Office in their particular country with details of where they want the money to be delivered. They will then call me when they have recovered the money. But they will only call when they are sure that they are safe and that no homing devices have been hidden amongst the notes. They each have a special password, known only to the two of us, so don’t try anything foolish like using some of your own people to call me pretending to have the money. Then, once I have received all five calls, I’ll contact you again to arrange for a helicopter to fly Riccardo and me out of here.’

‘What about Sabrina?’

‘She’ll come with us, at least for part of the way. I’ll then call you in the morning to tell you where to find the vial and the transmitter.’

‘I’ve told you, getting hold of that kind of money–’

‘If, however, the governments refuse to pay the ransom,’ Calvieri cut in, ignoring Philpott’s protestations, ‘try and stall for more time, or even try to evacuate the building by staging some fake bomb hoax in order to conduct a search, I won’t hesitate to press the button.’

‘I’ve told you, Calvieri, they won’t be able to raise that sort of money in seven hours.’

‘Why do you persist in insulting my intelligence, Colonel? We both know the leaders of those five countries alone could raise twenty million pounds by making a single phone call. And they could arrange to have the money ready for collection in half the time I’ve given them. Please call me when you know their decision. They have exactly six hours and fifty minutes left.’

The line went dead.

Philpott replaced the receiver then looked at Kolchinsky who was hovering by the door.

‘Have you arranged for the handguns to be brought here?’

‘Yes.’ Kolchinsky gestured to the pad Philpott had used to jot down the demands.

‘What does he want?’

Graham came in before Philpott could reply. He dumped the three rolled-up blueprints on the desk then looked at them both carefully, suspicious of the sudden silence.

‘What’s wrong?’

‘Calvieri’s just called the Colonel with his demands,’ Kolchinsky replied.

‘What are they?’ Graham asked Philpott.

‘I was about to announce them when you arrived.’ Philpott relit his pipe, then recounted the demands.

‘I’d say they got off lightly,’ Kolchinsky said, then pushed a cigarette between his lips and lit it.

‘I agree,’ Philpott replied. ‘He could have asked for ten times that amount and they would still have had to pay up.’

‘What’s to say he won’t keep the transmitter and ask for another hundred million once his demands have been met?’ Graham asked.

‘Absolutely nothing.’ Philpott looked at Paluzzi who was sitting thoughtfully on the couch. ‘What do you make of the Bellini angle?’

‘Have you been told about Calvieri’s plans to form a coalition between the Red Brigades and the PCI?’

Philpott nodded. ‘Sergei briefed me on the phone last night.’

‘That’s your answer. Without Bellini the coalition would become a distinct possibility.’ Paluzzi got to his feet and crossed to the window. He stared up at the sky, then turned back to them. ‘As you know, the NOCS have a senior mole on the Red Brigades committee. What I’m about to tell you has to be strictly off the record.’

‘We understand,’ Philpott replied softly.

‘The Red Brigades have infiltrated the PCI. Nothing unusual in that, you might say. It wouldn’t be, but their mole is the Deputy Prime Minister, Alberto Vietri.’

‘Good God,’ Kolchinsky muttered in horror. ‘And if Bellini steps down, Vietri takes over as Prime Minister.’

‘Leaving the floodgates open for the Red Brigades to overrun the PCI,’ Graham added.

‘In theory,’ Paluzzi replied. ‘It’s the Red Brigades’ most closely guarded secret. Now that Pisani’s dead, there are only two committee members left who know about Vietri’s duplicity: Calvieri, and our mole. So you see, if it were ever made public the finger of suspicion would immediately point at our mole.’

‘Unless something were to happen to Vietri,’ Graham said. ‘An accident of some kind.’

‘It will, believe me,’ Paluzzi replied coldly. ‘Alberto Vietri will never become Prime Minister of Italy.’

‘You’re proposing…’ Kuhlmann trailed off as he stared at Paluzzi. ‘That would be murder.’

‘What do you suggest, Commissioner?’ Paluzzi asked, the sarcasm not lost on Kuhlmann.

‘Threaten to expose him publicly unless he agrees to resign. Politicians fear scandals more than anything else.’

‘It’s a nice scenario, Commissioner, but you’re overlooking one small point. What if Vietri calls our bluff? We don’t have a shred of evidence to back up our accusation. All we have is the word of an informer. And he’s hardly going to hand over any incriminating evidence to us, is he? He might as well put a gun to his head and pull the trigger.’

‘Why should Vietri–’

‘Reinhardt, that’s enough!’ Philpott reached for his cane and stood up. ‘Major Paluzzi doesn’t need a lecture from you on how to handle his domestic problems.’

‘Are you condoning murder, Malcolm?’ Kuhlmann challenged.

‘I don’t have the time to stand here and argue with you, Reinhardt. Vietri doesn’t concern us. Calvieri and Bellini do. I suggest you keep that in mind.’ Philpott moved to the door, then turned back to Kolchinsky. ‘I’m going to see Bellini before I meet the other leaders. I think it’s only right to put Calvieri’s demands to him first. I want the four of you to go through the blueprints while I’m gone and make a list of all the places where the vial could be hidden.’

‘It’ll be like looking for a needle in a haystack.’

‘I’m well aware of that, Mike, but it’s better than sitting around here for the next seven hours hoping that one of the cleaners will find it.’

Paluzzi waited until Philpott had left the room before crossing to the door.

‘I’ll be back in a moment. I have to call headquarters in Rome.’

‘To arrange for Vietri to meet with an accident?’ Kuhlmann said.

‘To arrange for Calvieri’s apartment in Milan to be taken apart, brick by brick if necessary. It might throw up a clue. Satisfied?’

Kuhlmann looked at Kolchinsky after Paluzzi had disappeared into the outer office.

‘Perhaps Malcolm was right after all. Perhaps the heat is getting too much for me these days.’

Kolchinsky maintained a diplomatic silence. He picked up the nearest blueprint, sat down and unrolled it across the desk.

Enzo Bellini was a small man in his early sixties with snow-white hair and a craggy face lined from the pressure of years in the forefront of Italian politics. He spoke no English. Cesare Camillo, a handsome man twenty years his junior, was acting as interpreter. Camillo was one of Bellini’s senior aides who was already being tipped as a future PCI leader. He had represented Bellini at the briefing called by Philpott and Kolchinsky that morning.

The two men sat facing Philpott in a small antechamber behind the conference hall. Bellini remained silent as Philpott, through Camillo, explained the first of Calvieri’s demands to him. His face was expressionless as he listened to Camillo, his hands gripping the table in front of him tightly.

Philpott waited until Camillo had finished translating his words, then sat back in the chair and stared at Bellini’s bowed head.

‘I thought I should tell you first rather than just announce it in front of the other leaders.’

Camillo translated. Bellini said nothing.

‘I’ve arranged to meet the others in five minutes’ time to put Calvieri’s demands to them. I need to know if Signore Bellini is prepared to accede to the demands before I see them.’

Bellini listened silently as Camillo translated Philpott’s request, then spoke in a barely audible voice, his eyes never leaving Philpott’s face.

‘Under the circumstances, Signore Bellini feels he has no alternative but to resign. It is a small price to pay for the safety of Europe and its peoples. I will represent Signore Bellini at this meeting. He feels he has nothing more to contribute.’

‘I understand,’ Philpott replied softly.

Bellini got to his feet and walked to the door. Philpott stared after him. A broken man. He had merely passed on Calvieri’s demand but he still felt a sense of guilt. It was a feeling he couldn’t seem to shake off.

Camillo closed the door behind Bellini, then turned to Philpott.

‘Calvieri seems to think that by forcing Signore Bellini to step down it will bring the chances of a coalition between the PCI and the Red Brigades that much closer to fruition. He couldn’t be more wrong. We may not be a popular government, but we are loyal to each other. And especially to Signore Bellini. We’ll close ranks at the top. The Red Brigades won’t get a look in. Our deputy Prime Minister, Signore Vietri, will see to that. He hates the Red Brigades more than anyone else in the cabinet. Calvieri’s in for a big surprise. A very big surprise.’

Philpott closed the folder in front of him. If it were up to him he would tell Camillo where Vietri’s true loyalties lay. But it wasn’t. He had already chided Kuhlmann for interfering in Italy’s domestic problems. Not that Camillo would believe him anyway. Not without proof. He suddenly remembered Paluzzi’s words. Alberto Vietri will never become Prime Minister of Italy. Camillo may yet be right. Calvieri could well be in for a big surprise.

The meeting had been convened in a soundproof room down the corridor from the conference hall. The fifteen leaders were all present, along with the aides who had represented them at the morning briefing (it cut out the need for translators for those leaders who didn’t speak English, minimizing the chances of a security leak).

Philpott felt like a headmaster as he stood in front of them detailing the demands he had received from Calvieri. There was a moment’s silence after he had finished speaking, then the room was filled with the sound of angry voices as the delegates conferred, outraged at the audacity of Calvieri’s demands. Philpott allowed them to let off steam. After all, they were politicians. Finally he clapped his hands, bringing them to order.

‘We have to discuss this rationally if we’re going to reach any kind of decision.’

‘Where is Signore Bellini?’ a voice called out.

Philpott looked at Camillo and indicated that he should answer.

‘Signore Bellini is meeting the rest of our delegation. He won’t be attending the opening ceremony. He feels it would be better if one of his senior ministers was there from the start. I have already informed the chairman.’ Camillo gestured to the Swiss President, who nodded in agreement. ‘He has asked me to represent him at this meeting.’

Philpott raised his hand before anyone could speak.

‘I can understand how you must all feel about the way Signore Bellini has been treated, but it’s neither the time nor the place to discuss it. We must address the second of Calvieri’s demands, the payment of a hundred million pounds to the five terrorist groups.’

The Dutch Prime Minister raised a hand to catch Philpott’s attention.

‘Do you believe he would press the button if his demands were not met?’

‘Yes,’ Philpott replied bluntly.

‘He’s a madman!’ someone called out.

There was a murmur of agreement.

Philpott shook his head.

‘No madman could have pieced together an operation like this. It’s been meticulously planned down to the last detail. Every loophole’s been plugged. We’re not dealing with some two-bit hoodlum here. He’s probably more intelligent than most of us in this room. And that’s not something I’d say lightly.’

‘Couldn’t your people launch a commando-style operation on the room and recover the vial?’ the Norwegian Prime Minister asked.

‘Out of the question,’ Philpott replied. ‘The room has no windows. The only way in is through the door. And that would have to be blown. When I left the room Calvieri had his finger on the button. All he would have to do is press it if we made any attempt to storm the room.’

‘These questions aren’t getting us anywhere,’ the British Prime Minister snapped irritably. ‘If Colonel Philpott thought there was a chance of recovering the transmitter intact he would have told us already. Obviously there isn’t. It’s something we have to accept. And the sooner we come to a decision, the sooner the wheels can be set in motion to get the vial back safely.’

Philpott nodded gratefully to the Prime Minister. They went back a long way. One of the Prime Minister’s first tasks on coming into office had been to forward Philpott’s curriculum vitae, together with a personal letter of recommendation, to the Secretary-General of UNACO for consideration as Director. He never knew whether the letter had helped to sway the Secretary-General’s decision but he had always been grateful for the Prime Minister’s unswerving belief in him. It had made his job that much easier.

‘I can only advise you,’ Philpott said, looking around slowly at the faces in front of him. ‘The final decision rests with you. And as the Prime Minister has said, we don’t have much time. It’s imperative that you reach your decision as soon as possible.’

‘What choice do we have?’ the British Prime Minister said. ‘It’s not as if we’re dealing with a hijacked aeroplane or a kidnapped businessman. We’re dealing with a lethal virus which could potentially kill millions. A virus without an antidote. If it were just our lives at risk, I’d certainly say we should stand firm against the demands. But it’s not. Much as it goes against everything I believe in, I say we pay the ransom.’

‘One hundred million pounds in the hands of terrorists,’ the Austrian Chancellor said, breaking the sudden silence. ‘They will be able to buy enough arms to carry out horrendous attacks across Europe. It will snowball into a bloody conflict, you mark my words.’

‘Do you think I want to contribute to their coffers?’ The British Prime Minister’s eyes were blazing. ‘None of you has campaigned more vociferously than I have to unite our countries in the fight against terrorism. It sticks in my throat to have to pay one penny to these murderers, but I don’t see that we have any choice.’

‘You misunderstand me, Prime Minister,’ the Austrian Chancellor said defensively. ‘I was not criticizing you, it was merely an observation. In fact, I wholeheartedly agree with what you say.’

‘A hundred million is a small price to pay for the safety of our people,’ the Swedish Prime Minister added. ‘We will pay our share of the ransom.’

‘The French Government, too, will pay its share of the ransom,’ the aide announced on behalf of the Prime Minister.

Philpott raised his hands as the noise intensified around him.

‘It’s no use everyone talking at the same time. There’s an easy way to settle this. Is there any government who will not pay its share of the ransom?’

There was silence.

‘I’ll pass your decision on to Calvieri. Naturally we’ll do everything in our power to find the vial before the deadline but I have to admit our chances of doing so will be remote, to say the least. The search will have to be undertaken in complete secrecy if we’re not to alert Calvieri and provoke a catastrophe. It’s the only way we can prevent the press from getting hold of the story.’

‘We understand that,’ the Swiss President said, speaking for the first time. ‘The money will be ready for the five o’clock deadline.’

Philpott nodded.

‘Naturally I’ll keep you all up to date on any developments that may arise during the day. But as I said, I don’t hold out much hope of finding the vial before five o’clock.’

‘We know you and your team will do your best,’ the British Prime Minister said.

‘I only hope that will be enough,’ Philpott replied.

Whitlock had arrived at the Offenbach Centre while the meeting was in progress and was poring over one of the plans with Graham when Philpott returned to the office. Philpott lit his pipe and recounted briefly what had happened at the meeting.

‘At least they’ve agreed to pay the ransom,’ Kolchinsky said.

‘As a last resort,’ Philpott replied. ‘We’re going to have to pull out all the stops to find the vial before five o’clock. If the ransom is paid it’ll not only be a psychological victory for world terrorism, it’ll also leave us with a lot of egg on our faces. It’ll be the perfect ammunition for those politicians who’d like nothing better than to see UNACO disbanded. I can just imagine what they’ll say. We worked with Calvieri from the start. A known terrorist. We even helped him smuggle the vial into the building.’

‘We had no way of knowing he was the mastermind behind the whole thing,’ Graham said angrily.

‘We know that, but you can be sure our opponents will use it against us. We have to find the vial if we’re to save face.’ Philpott stabbed the stem of his pipe at the blueprint on the desk. ‘Have you compiled the list yet?’

Kolchinsky handed a sheet of foolscap paper to Philpott.

‘We’re going to have to draft in more personnel, Malcolm. There are over fifty possible hiding places on that list. We’d never be able to cover them all thoroughly by five o’clock.’

‘I had the same thought on the way back from the meeting,’ Philpott said. ‘I don’t think I realized just how big the building was until then. It means more people are going to know about the vial. That’s something I was hoping to avoid. But it can’t be helped. Five extra men, maximum. The search has to be undertaken in secrecy.’

‘I’ve got four men on standby at the airport,’ Paluzzi announced. ‘I had them flown in this morning in case we needed them. They’ve been on the case since Monday so there will be no need to waste time briefing them.’

‘Get them over here as quickly as possible,’ Philpott told him. ‘There’s no time to lose.’

Paluzzi disappeared into the outer office to use the telephone.

‘Michael came up with something while we were going through the plans. What if Calvieri gave the vial to a woman? We don’t have Sabrina to check the women’s cloakrooms.’

‘Good point.’ Philpott looked at Kuhlmann. ‘We’ll need your best policewoman. I’ll brief her personally.’

‘I’ll get on to it right away,’ Kuhlmann said, and left the room.

Philpott read through the list.

‘You’re going to need some kind of cover to make it easy for you to move about the building without drawing unnecessary attention to yourselves.’

‘I’ve already seen to that,’ Kolchinsky replied. ‘Vlok’s bringing up half a dozen maintenance overalls for us to use.’

Paluzzi returned.

‘The men should be here in about fifteen minutes. One of my deputies, Captain Molinetti, has taken a team of men to Milan to search Calvieri’s apartment. He’ll only call if they come up with something important. I’ve told him to ask for you.’

‘I look forward to hearing from him,’ Philpott replied, then reached for the receiver to call Calvieri.

Calvieri replaced the handset and gave Ubrino a thumbs-up sign. Ubrino punched the air in delight and grinned at Sabrina, his animosity towards her forgotten in his moment of triumph.

‘You haven’t won yet,’ Sabrina snapped, glaring at Ubrino. ‘Five o’clock’s still a long way off.’

‘It will be for us, stuck in here,’ Calvieri said, then sat down opposite Sabrina. The transmitter was still clenched tightly in his left hand. ‘I don’t think your colleagues would agree with you, though. They have six hours left to find the vial. So much ground to cover and so little time in which to do it. And to make matters worse, they have to conduct the search in complete secrecy. It wouldn’t do to alert the media, would it? So many problems to overcome. And even then they still won’t find it. All that time and effort wasted.’

‘Don’t count on it,’ she retorted, eyeing him coldly.

‘I don’t underestimate any of you, believe me. That would be suicidal. I don’t expect them to sit around idly waiting for the deadline. Of course they’re going to try to find the vial. But I bargained on that when I was planning the operation. That’s why I’ve had it hidden where they’ll never find it.’

‘Where?’

Calvieri smiled faintly and put his finger to his lips. ‘There’s a saying in Latin. Vir sapit qui pauca loquitur.’

‘The man is wise who talks little,’ she translated.

‘In other words, know when to hold your tongue.’

‘You should have borne that in mind yesterday.’

‘I don’t follow you,’ Calvieri said with a frown.

‘When you were so quick to tell Mike and me about your plans to put Italy back on its feet again. Now you’re threatening to destroy it, along with countless other nations around the world. You can’t have it both ways. Question is, which is the truth?’

‘I’m sure you’re going to tell me,’ Calvieri said.

‘I don’t have to. You answered it yourself when you insisted that I remain here with you.’

‘I see what you’re getting at,’ Calvieri said, keeping up the sarcasm. ‘You think I was telling the truth yesterday. And by holding you here I’ve prevented you from passing information on to the leaders which could have had a bearing on their decision whether or not to pay the ransom.’ He chuckled softly to himself. ‘It’s a fascinating theory but unfortunately there’s one major flaw in it. Why didn’t I insist on holding Graham and Paluzzi here as well? They know just as much about the coalition as you do.’

‘Because they don’t know you like I do,’ she replied quickly. ‘Fabio knows you, and the other Brigatisti, like a teenager knows his favourite band. He knows your family histories, who your associates are and what you’ve done since joining the Red Brigades. But he doesn’t know you as a human being. I got to know you as a person over these past few days. Take that incident in Venice. You treated that runaway as if he were your own son. And it would be the children who would be the first casualties if the virus was ever released into the atmosphere. You know you could no more press that button than send that kid back to the orphanage.’

Calvieri put the transmitter on the table and clapped lightly.

‘Bravo. A wonderful speech. So touching.’

Ubrino grinned at Sabrina. ‘So much for your theory, bella.’

Calvieri held up the transmitter in front of Sabrina.

‘It’s like nuclear weapons. Are they just a deterrent, or would they be used as a last resort? Bluff and counter-bluff. It’s all a game.’ He shifted his chair round to face the television screen, then looked back at her, a faint smile on his lips. ‘Or is it?’

Philpott arranged for the final briefing to be held at 11.15 in the boardroom on the tenth floor. He was the last to arrive, having left Kuhlmann in Vlok’s office to man the telephone. After taking his place at the head of the table he took his pipe and tobacco pouch from his jacket pocket and put them beside the folder he had brought with him. He took a wad of tobacco from the pouch and as he tamped it into the mouth of his pipe he looked around slowly at the faces watching his every move. Paluzzi and his men sat on his left, Kolchinsky, Graham and Whitlock on his right. Sergeant Ingrid Hauser, the policewoman he had briefed only minutes earlier, sat beside Whitlock. She was in her late twenties with a stocky figure and curly black hair. Her confident manner had already impressed him.

‘Coffee, sir?’ Whitlock asked, indicating the tray in the middle of the table.

Philpott shook his head and carefully lit his pipe. He exhaled the smoke upwards, then opened the folder in front of him.

‘I’ve divided the list into four sections. I want you to work in teams. Two to a team.’

‘I’ll work with C.W.,’ Graham said.

Philpott shook his head.

‘Your Italian’s non-existent. Sergei’s and C.W.’s isn’t much better. You’ll each be paired off with one of the Italians. They can cover for you.’

‘I’ll work with Fabio, then,’ Graham said.

‘I’m keeping you two well apart,’ Philpott replied, jabbing the stem of his pipe at each of them in turn. ‘I’ve read the Corfu report. You’re a bad influence on each other.’

Graham and Paluzzi grinned like a couple of mischievous schoolboys.

‘C.W., you’ll work with Major Paluzzi. You’ll be Team One.’ Philpott looked at Paluzzi. ‘I need two men to work with Sergei and Mike. Who would you suggest?’

‘Sergeant Visconti can work with Sergei,’ Paluzzi replied, patting the arm of the swarthy man sitting beside him.

Philpott jotted down the name.

‘You’ll be Team Two.’

‘Lieutenant Marco can work with Mike. They know each other from Rome. He’s also the most level-headed one amongst us. He certainly won’t be a bad influence on Mike.’

There was a ripple of laughter from the Italians, which Marco dismissed good-humouredly with a flick of his hand.

‘You’ll be Team Three. Which leaves you as Team Four,’ Philpott said, pointing his pen at the two men sitting between Visconti and Marco.

‘Sergeants De Sica and Alberetto,’ Paluzzi said.

Philpott wrote the names down, then handed out the four lists.

‘Teams One and Two will assume the identity of security agents. Teams Three and Four will be maintenance men. That way you’ll be able to gain access to the areas specified on your lists. I’ve tried to spread the workload evenly throughout the four lists but if a team does fall behind it’s up to them to contact me and I’ll try and get one of the other teams to help them out.’ He turned to Paluzzi. ‘I assume your men are armed?’

‘Beretta 92’s,’ Paluzzi replied.

‘Good.’ Philpott looked at Kolchinsky. ‘The handguns you ordered arrived just before I came here. They’re in the office.’

‘What about the maintenance overalls?’ Graham asked.

‘They’re also in the office,’ Philpott answered.

‘Dieter Vlok has given me four bleepers which work off the system he has in his office. Each team will carry one. You’ll be bleeped only in an emergency so please respond promptly. Call the office from the nearest house phone. The extension number’s on each of the lists. And one last point. For God’s sake be careful of the metal detectors at the main entrances. You shouldn’t need to leave the premises but if you do and you get into any difficulties, call the office. If I’m not there you can speak to Commissioner Kuhlmann. We’ll smooth things over. But under no circumstances are you to call on each other for help. I don’t want any public confrontations with the security staff. Is that understood?’

There was a murmur of agreement.

‘Well, I think that about covers everything,’ Philpott concluded, closing the folder. ‘All that remains now is for me to wish you luck. You all know what’s at stake. That alone should be enough of an incentive.’

Kolchinsky got to his feet, signalling that the briefing was over. The others followed him out of the room.

Philpott remained in his seat after they had gone. He was thinking about Sabrina. Was it any wonder that there was still only one female field operative at UNACO. No one had yet come close to matching her abilities. She was a cut above the rest. And that included the majority of her male colleagues as well. Graham was the exception. The maverick. Philpott regarded him as second only to Jacques Rust, in his opinion UNACO best ever field operative. But Graham had only been with them a year. He would become the best, given time, especially if Sabrina remained his partner. Their record was unparalleled. They had solved every case to date. Until now. If only she were there to partner Graham now…

He pushed the thought from his mind, reached for his cane and got to his feet. He picked up the folder and pipe and left the room, closing the door behind him.