Red Alert (26 page)

2.60

311 just won't learn, will you?' Calvieri pointed a : warning at him. 'I won't tell you again. Leave e.'

; telephone rang. Calvieri answered it.

i Philpott. I've set up a base in the manager's office.

ion 157.' be in touch.' Calvieri replaced the receiver and

I across at Ubrino. 'We're in business.'

Vlok was a short, athletically built man in his late i with black hair and a neatly trimmed black beard, ad been widely regarded in his native West Germany : of the country's leading hotel managers, first at the r Jahreszeiten in Hamburg, then at the Bremner's Park den-Baden, before he went to Switzerland to take up I most challenging post to date, that of general manager

: Offenbach Centre. iifHis office, situated on the tenth floor, had a breathtak ; view of the city spread out in the distance. He stood tionless by the window as Philpott described the latest :lopments to him. Although he had been briefed that ig, he was still finding it hard to believe that such (catastrophe could be unfolding on his own doorstep.

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

'Of course, I understand,' Vlok replied, turning to face others. 'I just find it hard to comprehend. This man alvieri knows what will happen if the vial is opened and : he says he's quite prepared to do it if his demands are at met.'

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'What do you expect? He's a terrorist,' Graham re torted gruffly.

'Even so, what can he hope to achieve?'

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

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

'Do you have an architect's plan of the building?| Philpott asked, tamping a wad of tobacco into the mout of his pipe.

'Not here. There's one in the safe at reception. I'll ha\ it sent up to you.'

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

'Of course. I'm sorry, I'm not used to this kind secrecy.'

'How can we contact you if we need you?' Kolchinsk asked.

Vlok opened his jacket to reveal a bleeper attached i 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 th conference hall.'

Philpott gestured for Graham to go with Vlok, then s back in the chair and lit his pipe. He waited until the had left before looking across at Kolchinsky. 'Have yc got C.W.'s number? We're going to need him here.'

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

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ben are you going to tell the delegates about t!?' Kuhlmann asked, pacing the floor in front of gfesk.

ben we know his demands. There's no use calling igs every five minutes. And for God's sake, t, stop pacing about like an expectant father, ^driving me crazy.'

Cuhlmann sat down beside Kolchinsky on the leather but within seconds he was back on his feet. He to the window. 'I should have barred Calvieri i Switzerland when I had the chance. But no, I let you : me out of it. Now look what's happened. Why did I

i to you?'

jp*Barring him wouldn't have solved anything,' Philpott reaching for Kolchinsky's black book. 'He'd just : gone somewhere else.' |*But at least he wouldn't be in Switzerland,' Kuhlmann

ted.

|sSo that's what it's all about,' Philpott snapped, then

veiled round in the chair to face Kuhlmann. 'We have

aying in English, Reinhardt, "If you can't take the heat,

lout of the kitchen." Perhaps it's just as well that it's

ar last year in office. You obviously can't take the heat

more.' llCuhlmann was silent.

lilpott picked up the receiver and dialled the number be boarding house where Whitlock was staying. |Ł.W.?' jfYes sir,' Whitlock answered, recognizing Philpott's

tish brogue.

|*I want you to get over to the Offenbach Centre right *y. I'll have a security pass waiting for you at the main e. We're on the tenth floor, the manager's office.' I'l'm on my way, sir,' Whitlock replied.

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Philpott replaced the receiver and looked at KolchinskyJ '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 9Z.'

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

'I want you carrying as well, Sergei.'

Kolchinsky nodded. Til get on to it right away. There'| a phone in the outer office I can use.'

'Oh, and Sergei, get a couple of cheap wristwatches 1 Mike and C.W. as well.'

The telephone rang.

Kolchinsky froze, his hand on the handle of the cor municating door.

'Get the guns, Sergei,' Philpott said. He picked up receiver as Kolchinsky disappeared into the outer offic 'Yes?'

'What's going on up there?' Calvieri demanded. 'I calle a a minute ago and the line was engaged. Let's get somethin !l straight right from the start. That line is to remain op at all times. Is that understood?'

'Perfectly,' Philpott replied. | Tm going to issue my demands now. Are you ready I I: write them down?'

Tm ready.'

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

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id what do you hope to achieve by getting Bellini to _i?'

i|Y-ou let me worry about that. You just make sure he (the message.'

nd the second demand.'

IfThere are sixteen countries represented at this summit, en them they will pay the sum of a hundred million i to the following five revolutionary organizations: Directe in France, the Red Army Faction in Germany, the Red Brigades in Italy, Euskadi ta ma, ETA, in Spain, and the Irish Republican in Britain. Twenty million each. They have until f o'clock this afternoon to have the money ready for tion.'

at's impossible. They won't be able to raise that of money in seven hours. Make it a more realistic lline.'

hours and fifty-four minutes to be precise. Once if have seen Bellini resign on television a member of organization will call the Foreign Office in their alar country with details of where they want the to be delivered. They will then call me when they recovered the money. But they will only call when fare sure that they are safe and that no homing devices been hidden amongst the notes. They each have a , password, known only to the two of us, so don't nything foolish like using some of your own people 11 me pretending to have the money. Then, once 1 (received all five calls, I'll contact you again to arrange \helicopter to fly Riccardo and me out of here.' bat about Sabrina?'

e'll come with us, at least for part of the way. I'll i'tall you in the morning to tell you where to find the land the transmitter.'

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'I've told you, getting hold of that kind of money --'

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

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

'Why do you persist in insulting my intelligent Colonel? We both know the leaders of those five countrk alone could raise twenty million pounds by making single phone call. And they could arrange to have th money ready for collection in half the time I've give them. Please call me when you know their decision. The have exactly six hours and fifty minutes left.'

The line went dead.

Philpott replaced the receiver then looked at Kolchinsk who was hovering by the door. 'Have you arranged the handguns to be brought here?'

'Yes.' Kolchinsky gestured to the pad Philpott had us to jot down the demands. 'What does he want?'

Graham came in before Philpott could reply, dumped the three rolled-up blueprints on the desk looked at them both carefully, suspicious of the sudc 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 arrive Philpott relit his pipe, then recounted the demands.

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

'I agree,' Philpott replied. 'He could have asked for i

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that amount and they would still have had to pay

lat's to say he won't keep the transmitter and ask, tanother hundred million once his demands have been

?' Graham asked.

flAbsolutely nothing.' Philpott looked at Paluzzi who sitting thoughtfully on the couch. 'What do you make ' Bellini angle?'

ave you been told about Calvieri's plans to form a ion between the Red Brigades and the PCI?' ilpott nodded. 'Sergei briefed me on the phone last

>

IfThat's your answer. Without Bellini the coalition aid become a distinct possibility.' Paluzzi got to his : and crossed to the window. He stared up at the sky, i turned back to them. 'As you know, the NOCS have tior mole on the Red Brigades committee. What I'm at to tell you has to be strictly off the record.' pWe understand,' Philpott replied softly.

Red Brigades have infiltrated the PCI. Nothing jal in that, you might say. It wouldn't be, but their : is the Deputy Prime Minister, Alberto Vietri.'

God,' Kolchinsky muttered in horror. 'And if i steps down, Vietri takes over as Prime Minister.' avhig the floodgates open for the Red Brigades to

the PCI,' Graham added.

i theory,' Paluzzi replied. 'It's the Red Brigades' most ply guarded secret. Now that Pisani's dead, there are f two committee members left who know about Vietri's ficity: Calvieri, and our mole. So you see, if it were made public the finger of suspicion would immedi ' point at our mole.'

Jnless something were to happen to Vietri,' Graham 'An accident of some kind.'

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'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 resign. Politicians fear scandals more than anything else,'

'It's a nice scenario, Commissioner, but you're overlook ing one small point. What if Vietri calls our bluff? We don's have a shred of evidence to back up our accusation. All' have is the word of an informer. And he's hardly going 1 hand over any incriminating evidence to us, is he ? He mig as well put a gun to his head and pull the trigger.' 'Why should Vietri - '

'Reinhardt, that's enough!' Philpott reached his cane and stood up. 'Major Paluzzi doesn't need lecture from you on how to handle his domestic prob lems.'

'Are you condoning murder, Malcolm?' Kuhlmar challenged.

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

'It'll be like looking for a needle in a haystack.'

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

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Paluzzi waited until Philpott had left the room before sing to the door. 'I'll be back in a moment. I have to I headquarters in Rome.' f*To arrange for Vietri to meet with an accident?'

ilmann said.

|'To arrange for Calvieri's apartment in Milan to be apart, brick by brick if necessary. It might throw >a clue. Satisfied?'

NCuhlmann looked at Kolchinsky after Paluzzi had disired into the outer office. 'Perhaps Malcolm was it after all. Perhaps the heat is getting too much for me

days.'

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

Bellini was a small man in his early sixties with v-white hair and a craggy face lined from the pressure Fyears in the forefront of Italian polities. He spoke no Jish. Cesare Camillo, a handsome man twenty years i junior, was acting as interpreter. Camillo was one of Hini's senior aides who was already being tipped as a are PCI leader. He had represented Bellini at the briefing

by Philpott and Kolchinsky that morning, ic two men sat facing Philpott in a small antechamber rind the conference hall. Bellini remained silent as Philt, through Camillo, explained the first of Galvieri's de rids to him. His face was expressionless as he listened to lillo, his hands gripping the table in front of him tightly. Philpott waited until Camillo had finished translating iwords, then sat back in the chair and stared at Bellini's head. 'I thought I should tell you first rather than ', announce it in front of the other leaders.'

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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 1 Signore Bellini is prepared to accede to the demands before j I see them.'

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

'Under the circumstances, Signore Bellini feels he has j no alternative but to resign. It is a small price to pay for.] the safety of Europe and its peoples. I will represent I Signore Bellini at this meeting. He feels he has nothingj 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 j Philpott. 'Calvieri seems to think that by forcing Signore 1 Bellini to step down it will bring the chances of a coalition 1 between the PCI and the Red Brigades that much closer] to fruition. He couldn't be more wrong. We may not be j a popular government, but we are loyal to each other. "I And especially to Signore Bellini. We'll close ranks at the \ top. The Red Brigades won't get a look in. Our deputy j Prime Minister, Signore Vietri, will see to that. He hates 1 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