Deadlock (58 page)

She opened the door and was propelled inside by the muzzle of the Luger. Peter Brand was sitting behind a vast desk whose surface was empty except for three telephones in varying colours.

'This gentleman . . .' She felt silly as soon as she had spoken.'. . . forced his way in and asked for you. I thought it was Mr Hipper.'

Brand jack-knifed upright out of his chair.

'What the bloody hell is going on . . .'

His right hand reached for an alarm button concealed under the desk. Hipper placed the muzzle against the side of the girl's skull.

'One mistake and she's dead. That's better.' He reached inside his trench coat pocket and produced a length of strong twine, threw it on the desk. 'Tie her hands behind her back. She lies on the carpet on her stomach while you do it. Then lash her ankles. Try anything funny and she goes first.'

'I'm sorry about this, Nicole,' Brand said as he came round the desk, 'but we'd better do what he says.'

'What about you?' Nicole bleated.

'Don't worry. It will work out in the end. It's a kidnapping, a ransom demand will follow, I expect . . .'

Brand knelt by the prone girl holding the two strands of twine. He bound her wrists, then her ankles as Hipper stood well back, the Luger aimed at Nicole. On his knees, he looked up at Hipper.

'What happens next?'

'Open that wall cupboard over there.'

'It's my private bathroom . . .'

'Open the bloody thing. That's better. Now carry her inside and dump her on the floor. Get on with it. We're leaving in a minute.'

Brand hoisted up the girl, carried her inside the luxurious bathroom, placed her gently on the floor, resting her head on a bathmat he rolled into a makeshift pillow.

'Hurry it up,' snarled Hipper. 'Now shut the door.'

Brand closed the heavy door, walked to the far side of his spacious office as Hipper lowered the gun and pulled the handkerchief down over his neck. He joined the banker.

'Can she hear us?' he whispered.

'No chance. That door is inches thick. I tied her loosely so she'll free herself within the hour. Now she's a witness to the fact I've been kidnapped. How is everything at Rotterdam?'

'Marine barracks blown up on schedule. It's the talk of the city from something I overhead at Rotterdam Airport. All the marines wiped out . . .'

Brand was startled. 'I didn't bargain for anything like that. Klein said the minimum of force would be used. I don't like this . . .'

'But then there's nothing you can do about it now. The machine is in motion, can't be stopped. Hadn't we better get moving? How did you get rid of all the servants?'

'Gave them the night off . . .' Brand sounded nervous as he slipped on his coat. 'Told them I was holding a confidential conference of bankers.'

'And were you doing that?'

'Of course. To cover myself. Don't worry. They won't start arriving for another hour. We hold these nighttime meetings to avoid publicity. I'm ready. You have a car?'

'Of course.'

Before he alighted from the car at Brussels Airport Hipper, still wearing his outsize dark glasses, pulled up the collar of his trench coat to hide the lower part of his face.

He walked very close to Brand as they walked across the reception hall on their way to the helicopter. He had a nasty shock when one of a pair of policemen patrolling called out to the banker.

'Good evening, sir. Off on your travels again?'

Brand, who rarely smoked, took a cigarette out of his pack and lit it slowly as Hipper stood shoulder to shoulder with him. The cigarette incident would be remembered later, would indicate he'd been in a nervous state. Nicole would confirm he had given it up, that he only smoked at times of high tension.

'It's a fact,' he called back in French. 'Sometimes I think I spend more time in the air than I do on the ground.'

They walked on and Hipper let out his breath through moist lips. The pilot was waiting, reached up and lowered the stepladder leading inside the Sikorsky. A few minutes later they were airborne. Destination: Findel Airport, Luxembourg City.

'How many marines were killed?' Brand asked as the Sikorsky flew on through the night, red and green lights flashing. He had lit another cigarette.

'No idea.' Hipper had lost interest. 'We have this ready to put up outside your bank in the Avenue de la Liberté.' He opened up the brief-case he had propped against the seat.

This
was a notice in French, German and English. It announced that the Banque Sambre was temporarily closed owing to an electrical breakdown. Business would be resumed as soon as possible.

'Klein doesn't miss a trick,' Brand snapped after a glance at the notice.

'He is a great organizer,' Hipper agreed in his normal soft voice.

Brand puffed at his cigarette. The Sikorsky dipped and pitched for a few seconds. Brand felt the sweat on his hands. All those Dutch marines killed. There would be a tremendous outcry. He was wondering whether Brazil would be remote and safe enough for him when this was all over. As for his Belgian wife, owner of the bank and frolicking about in New York, he didn't give a damn. Be glad to get rid of the bitch who never stopped yacking away. But this marine business . . . Hipper seemed to sense his misgivings as the Sikorsky flew over the lights of Namur below. Maybe it was that second cigarette, Brand thought later.

'No turning back now, Mr Brand,' Hipper remarked. 'Only one way. Forward. According to plan. You are going to be a very rich man.'

'Do shut up. Let me think.'

* *

Chabot sat behind the wheel of his parked van, pretending to read as he watched people walking up and down the flight of steps. Above him loomed Euromast, a blaze of lights shining from the restaurant windows three hundred feet up. He wore a boiler suit, the type of garment favoured by a plumber or electrician. Beside him on the seat was a large bag which might have contained the tools of his trade.

'What's the situation?'

Chabot stiffened, looked out of the side window into the face of Klein who was now wearing a military-type leather overcoat and a peaked cap of the type often liked by German students. He had changed from his chauffeur's uniform in a back street.

'Two minutes to go.' Chabot had checked his watch. 'Situation normal. A number of people dining in the restaurant - no sign of security. But those launches at the end of the basin have police aboard. IN!O more than half a dozen. They are taking no interest in Euromast.'

'Your men are ready? And those in the vehicles parked just a short distance away? I don't see Legaud and his command vehicle.'

'Just pulled in behind me,' Chabot commented, looking in his wing mirror. 'Everyone is ready.'

'And Faltz knows what to do when you reach the restaurant.'

'I've told him enough times. He's dressed like a certain kind of American. Behind me in this van.'

A cluster of visitors, leaving, appeared at the entrance. They moved slowly on full stomachs, spreading across the steps as they began to descend to the street. Klein took one last look round.

'Now!' he said. 'Storm the tower.'

'A pleasure . . .'

Klein moved back, carrying an executive case, as Chabot got slowly out of the car after beating a tattoo on the rear of the cab. The rear doors opened, men climbed out, also clad in boiler suits, carrying bags.

The driver of the vehicle behind Legaud saw the movement and hammered the same tattoo signal. The rear doors of his vehicle opened and five men wearing sports clothes and carrying various cases emerged.

They converged towards the crowd of visitors as the third vehicle spilt out more men. Marler walked alongside Klein, carrying his sports bag as Lara followed them. There was a muddle on the steps. Visitors stood aside, apologizing and nodding their heads.

Inside the entrance a Luxembourger went straight up to the ticket counter, walked round it, thrust an automatic hard against the collector's hip. The weapon was below counter level and could not be seen by other visitors leaving the elevator.

'Stay cool,' the Luxembourger advised. 'Why get killed for what they pay you? Just keep your eyes down, go on counting the money. Act normal - you may live . . .'

Faltz, wearing a loud check sports jacket and light khaki slacks, carrying a large holdall, entered the empty elevator. A heavily-built man, he squeezed close to the control panel as Klein, Marler, Lara, Chabot and three other men crammed themselves inside. Faltz pressed the button for restaurant and was the first to step out of the lift. Carrying the hold-all in his left hand he walked into the restaurant, looked round.

It was half-full of diners eating, drinking, staring out at the lights of the city. He walked across to an empty table at the far side where he could cover the whole room. Perching his hold-all on a chair, he unzipped it.

Three masked men burst into the restaurant through the entrance, armed with Uzi machine-pistols. The leader stood in the centre of the trio and shouted his command in English.

This is a raid. No one will get hurt unless they resist. You get up slowly from your tables, hands stretched out in front . . .'

There was a stunned silence for several seconds. In the sudden silence the only sound was the clatter of cutlery dropping on to plates.

'Get moving!' the leader shouted. 'Assemble by the lift. Now!'

The scrape of chairs being pushed back, the shuffle of feet as men and women stood up and extended their hands in front of them. Two men stood up suddenly from one of the elevated tables. Each held a pistol, gripped in both hands, aimed at the intruders.

Faltz whipped out his own Uzi, took quick aim, shot them both in the back. One crashed forward on the table, scattering plates on the floor; his companion slumped back and disappeared below the table. A woman screamed. Everyone turned to look at Faltz. The leader of the trio at the entrance shouted again.

'Nothing will happen to you if you move fast. Come on - into the hall by the elevators . . .'

'No more casualties,' the masked Klein whispered. 'We just want them out of here - out of the building.'

The diners were filing forward now, hands extended, threading their way between the tables, women clutching handbags under their arms. The trio parted on either side of the exit, their weapons aimed at the crowd. Klein backed into the hall, watching over the black silk handkerchief tied round his face. Other men were below at ground level, one man in a boiler suit at the door stopping other people entering, telling them there was a fault in the elevator system. His companions would be out of sight, waiting to escort diners from the building as they left the elevator.

Klein pushed his way inside the restaurant. Yes, they had remembered: waiters and staff were being hustled out of the kitchen. Faltz, holding his Uzi, slipped across the room to where Klein stood.

The bodies - two of them. I checked their pockets. They were police. They're dead. What do we do with them?'

'Later.' Klein's tone was abrupt. They'll come in useful.'

Marler had disappeared. Leaving the elevator, he had made straight for the outside platform. Carrying his bag, he walked slowly round, close to the rail, staring down. No sign of hostile activity. Yet. The restaurant windows - plus their height - would have muffled the shots from the police launches at the end of the basin.

He didn't know it but inside the launches the river police were eating a quick meal prior to their turn to patrol the Maas. He continued his tour until he reached a point in the shadows out of sight of anyone. Opening his bag, he assembled his rifle, screwed on the infra-red telescopic sight and shoved the stock hard against his shoulder.

He was looking down into the deserted park. Small shrubs came up so close in the lens he felt he could reach out and touch them. Holding rifle and bag below rail level, he completed his circuit of the platform and stood back from the entrance to the interior.

The first elevator load had gone down, the cage had returned, more customers and staff were being escorted inside. They moved silently, slowly, fearfully and shuffled their feet.

Klein checked his watch. The marine barracks would have been destroyed. Prussen would be on his way to Euromast- and soon the alarm would be raised. The crowd of diners hurrying down the steps outside would be seen, would find someone to tell about their ordeal.

He walked out on to the platform past Marler and peered over the edge. From Legaud's control van a man was reeling out a cable. He had already reached the top step and as Klein watched he disappeared inside the building. Communications were almost established.