Brazil frowned, nodded his head, sat back while Gustav inserted the tape in the machine on his desk, pressed the play button. Nothing changed in his expression as he heard what was on the tape. Brazil had iron self-control. When the tape ran out Gustav looked at his boss expectantly.
'I had seen her go into that phone box before.' he explained. 'So, thinking she might use it again, I attached one of my recorders inside the box. The same recorder which I put under Jose's desk.'
'Leave the tape with me.'
'You don't want me to…'
'I want you to go and get on with your work.'
He waited until Gustav had left, got up, locked the door and returned to his desk. Gustav had rewound the tape before leaving. Brazil pressed the play button and listened again.
… the scoop of your career… I can give you the real story of Leopold Brazil… I was able to photograph the sheets from those files…
… one hundred thousand pounds for the information…
When the tape was finished Brazil rewound it, extracted the cassette, slipped it into his pocket. He sat down again behind his desk, his expression grim.
I trusted her, he thought. I paid her a huge salary, but even that wasn't enough. More treachery among my own ranks. Greed is her driving force. Loyalty to no one except her hideous self.
Brazil spent a long time gazing at the opposite wall, replaying in his mind what he had heard on the tape. He pulled himself together with a jerk, switched on the radio.
Now he would never be able to send the second signal – which would have obliterated all world communications. But he had done enough to give Marov the opportunity to seize full control. Russia was now again a major power, a menace which would wake up the West.
Newman had sat in his own room for awhile. He was writing down in his swift hand the gist of his conversation with Eve Warner. Then he had a good wash, brushed his hair, and went along to Tweed's room.
Tweed was listening to the World Service as more and more reports came through. Paula sat in a chair close to Philip as they also listened. Tweed switched off the radio when Newman was let in by Philip.
'Brazil has achieved a lot of his plan,' he told Newman. 'It's strange, but I still find myself agreeing with the blackguard's ideas. I'm sure Brazil planned to send a second signal – probably to do it himself as he was at the ground station – but you stopped him by destroying the ground station. Which is a blessing.'
'Why?' asked Newman.
'One of our agents flew out of Russia before Marov shut down the frontiers. He tried to call me from Frankfurt and talked to Monica when I wasn't available. There have been rumours of Russian troops massing on the border separating Russia from Ukraine. I'm sure Marov – with the aid of the considerable Russian population there – planned to occupy Ukraine. Then we would have faced a huge world crisis.'
'Because Ukraine has a long border with Poland.' Newman suggested.
'Exactly.' agreed Tweed. 'The Russian Army would have loomed over Western Europe. People forget they still have most of the immense armoury of weapons they built up during the Cold War. And it's quite definite that a proclamation has been issued, making all the previously private shops state concerns. Bread rationing has been brought back. The Russian people may not enjoy queuing up but they'll know there is bread to be bought at controlled prices daily.'
That's Communism.' Newman objected.
'No, it isn't. Marov is being very clever. He's using the bits of Communism which guaranteed food supplies - but the proclamation was issued in the name of All The Russias. The ailing President signed it, but Marov has countersigned it. So we know who is now in charge.'
'Their economy is still in ruins.' Newman objected again.
'Not really. It was when Gorbachev dabbled with a capitalistic economy – and the Mafia took over. It's also been announced the state is taking over all the factories -including those making armaments. With the borders shut down tightly the economy will stabilize.' He changed the subject. 'You took a long time having a bath.'
Newman glanced at Philip, then told them about his long phone conversation with Eve. Philip exploded.
'There you are! She's shown her true face. She'll do anything to grab hold of money.'
'I think she'll try and get back to me.' Newman commented. 'If she does I'll listen again and say nothing.'
'While you were enjoying yourself.' Tweed said with wry humour, 'I had a call from Monica. Howard is spinning round in circles again. I got a taxi over to Beck's HQ. I needed a safe phone to call the PM.'
'What happened?' asked Paula eagerly.
'Howard had disturbed the PM. Of course. I quietened him down, suggested he immediately created a second Rapid Reaction Force, despatched it to Germany. Then brought back conscription. And made the announcement in the House of Commons before he informed Washington. I said Britain would appreciate some strong leadership. That got him.'
'And what about Brazil?' asked Philip.
'Oh, we're going to finish him off, one way or another.'
48
Gustav came out of his room at the Baur-en-Ville and ran into Eve, just returning from a long session in the bar. His ugly face twisted into what he imagined was a grin, but only succeeded in being a sneering grimace.
'The boss isn't too pleased with you.' he said.
'Oh, really? That's funny. I thought it was the other way round. That he wasn't at all pleased with you. How do you know about me? I think you're lying.'
She waited. Having provoked him she wanted him to give her more information. It was a tactic she often used. Gustav grimaced again.
'A little birdie told me.'
'And what was the name of the little birdie?'
'Wouldn't you like to know? I have to go out now.'
The air simmered with hostility between them. Eve was determined to make him talk.
'I see you're all dressed up for another trip out on the town. Looking for another woman who's cheap enough to accommodate you?'
'I'm going out to keep an eye on the Schweizerhof.' he spat out, enraged. The boss thinks maybe Tweed and his lickspittles are back in town.'
'And you haven't caught on to what he really wants?' she snapped, her mind moving like lightning, bent on revenging this insulting creep. She lowered her voice. 'He wants you to kill Tweed. Think of the great fat bonus he'd give you if you could pull that off.'
Gustav, who was an expert in street fighting – better still in a gun battle – was rather thick, as she had correctly assumed. He stared at her.
'You think that's what he really wants?'
'Of course it is, you stupid man.' She was still seething with anger although careful not to show it. 'He often gives instructions in a suggestive way – assuming you'll have the brains to catch on to what he's telling you to do.'
'I see.'
Gustav unlocked the door to his room, went inside as Eve peered through the open door. Taking a 7.65mm Luger out of a drawer he had unlocked, he slipped it into his deep coat pocket, came out, locked the door. He leered at her.
'You don't think I can do it, do you?'
'Damned sure you can't.' she replied, egging him on.
As she watched him disappearing round a corner she began to think maybe she had gone too far. Running back to her own room, she put on a cashmere coat, locked her door, and ran along the corridor before he vanished into the street.
