transport — which is in itself an extremely rare occurrence — always travel in convoy. If you want to get them to their destination they’ll have to travel by helicopter.’ ‘Not in my helicopter, they won’t,’ Daniken said firmly. ‘Mr Daniken, I believe you to be an expert helicopter pilot.’ Vasco’s voice being in the assumed condition it was, it was difficult for him to speak coldly, but his eyes were cold enough. ‘The cobbler should stick to his last. I’m an expert on missiles. A missile cannot be armed until it’s in flight. It’s obvious that you’ve never been in military helicopters. What do you think the Russian gunships use in Afghanistan? Pea-shooters?’ Daniken remained silent. ‘I also think the other weapons and explosives should be removed otherwise you’re more than liable to be asked what armoury you’ve taken them from and to what armoury or army unit you’re taking them. Mobile army controls tend to be very curious, very alert and very persistent — especially when they know there’s a national emergency alert out.’ Daniken looked unhappy. ‘But the detonators
‘The detonators,’ George said comfortably, ‘will be in their velvet sockets, wrapped in cotton wool, in a lead- sheathed steel box and resting on my lap.’ He let a note of irritation creep into his voice. ‘Do you think I want to have myself blown up, far less your damned helicopter?’ ‘I shouldn’t imagine so. ‘It was Samuelson who spoke. ‘What do you think, Romero?’
‘I don’t have to think, Mr Samuelson.’
‘Neither do I. Totally agreed, gentlemen. Excellent precautions. We shall drive the truck down to the helicopter tonight and transfer the missiles and the rest of it after the staff have retired, which may be rather late especially as they, too, will be watching their TV sets at midnight. Not that it matters that much. They are well accustomed to the mysterious goings-on of film companies.’ He paused. ‘I wonder if one of you three gentlemen would care to supervise the transfer of those materials.’ ‘I will,’ George said immediately. ‘No coward like a big coward.’ He looked at Daniken. ‘It looks like being a rather bumpy flight tomorrow. As this is an ex-military helicopter, I assume you have clamps, lashings and other devices to secure things that. have to be secured?’ ‘We have,’ Daniken said. He still looked distinctly unhappy. ‘Seems to be all,’ van Effen said. ‘Mr Samuelson, I’d like another snooze before this midnight broadcast. Not that I’m convinced that we’ll see anything. Even if there am ships or helicopters around with searchlights, visibility in this driving rain will be zero. George? Lieutenant?’ ‘Me, too,’ George said. ‘Any more of this brandy and I’ll be dropping those detonators all over the place.’
Vasco was already on his feet. Without as much as a glance at the four girls they left and made their way up the stairs. In the corridor above van Effen said admiringly: ‘You really are a couple of fearful liars. Have a word with Julie, George?’
‘Certainly not.’ George spoke in a lofty tone. ‘We professionals operate on a higher level. ‘He produced a folded bit of paper from his pocket and replaced it.
‘Splendid. Vasco, we approach our bedroom door. Has anything occurred to you?’
‘Visitors.’
Once inside, van Effen carried on a brief conversation about the weather, the best way of securing the missiles and other weapons aboard the helicopter and their conviction that the truck should have no trouble in getting through to its destination while Vasco carried out his usual meticulous inspection. After a few minutes he returned from the bathroom and put his fingers to his lips.
‘Well, me for bed,’van Effen said. ‘Any gallant volunteers to keep the midnight watch?’
‘No need for anyone to keep a watch,’ Vasco said. ‘I have a travelling alarm.’
Seconds later all three were within the bathroom which had both the mirror and overhead lights on. Van Effen and George had gone in first, from darkened bedroom to darkened bathroom followed immediately by Vasco, who left the now lit bedroom door slightly ajar and turned on the light as he entered. He then switched on the overhead shower in the bath. ‘One doesn’t have to be a genius to know that O’Brien is elsewhere,’ Vasco said. ‘He could never have been responsible for the crude device that’s attached to the underside of my bed. The one device that can’t be deactivated without a listener knowing is inside a shower head — the listener can hear it being unscrewed — and even if there were other bugs in here, which there aren’t, no one can hear a thing over the sound of a shower. Odd, but a fact.’
‘You’re just like our big friend here,’ van Effen said. ‘You should have joined the criminal ranks years ago. You’d have made a fortune. Well, the FFF should now have a tape-recording reassuring them that there’s no way they can fad. Let’s have a look at that note, George.’ George did so and van Effen read it out.
“Something goes on which neither Annemarie nor I understand but which may be of use to you. We have become quite friendly with our two lady criminal ‘kidnappers’ and if they are criminals so are Annemarie and 1. Hardened criminals don’t go around looking as if the day of judgement is at hand and trying all the time not to have tears in their eyes. They do.”’
Van Effen broke off and looked thoughtfully at George. ‘Anyone see Julie slip this note to you?’
‘No.
Vasco was perturbed. ‘What if Julie, I’m sorry, sir, your sister — you must remember I don’t know her — has told them about us?’ ‘Rubbish!’ George said. ‘As you said, you don’t know her. Peter’s faith in her intelligence, judgement and intuition is total, as is mine. In fact,’ George added confidentially, ‘she’s a lot cleverer than he is.’ ‘That was quite uncalled for,’van Effen said coldly. ‘ “Kathleen is quite definitely the one who is under the most pressure. She is definitely afraid of Samuelson or something that Samuelson might do. Maria is under less pressure but doesn’t seem to like what her brother Romero is up to. But she seems to like him and I have to admit that he has been very kind and courteous to us since they took us away.
‘ “I think that, in their own way, they are as much prisoners as we are. I think Kathleen and Mafia are here under a form of coercion just as Anne and I are hem under coercion, but a different kind of coercion.” ‘ ‘ “Coercion,”’ Vasco said. ‘That’s the word you used. On the veranda, remember?’
‘I remember. “We’re here — Annemarie and I — simply because we were abducted. They are here, I’m sure, because they have been misled, tied to, because appeals have been made to their love or loyalty or some misguided sense of honour or all three. I think that they, especially Kathleen, have been lured here under totally false misapprehensions”.’ ‘Jesus Christ!’ For once George’s massive calm had deserted him. ‘I’ve heard of rare cases of telepathy between twins but she’s only your young sister. That’s what you said, almost word for word.’
‘Nothing to do with telepathy. Great minds tend to think alike. Still question her intelligence, judgement and intuition, Vasco?’ Vasco shook his head very slowly, several times, and said nothing. Van Effen looked at George. ‘Hah! And you still think she’s cleverer than I am?’ George stroked his chin and said nothing. Van Effen read on and his face became very still. ‘Maybe you were right at that, George. Listen to this last paragraph.’
‘ “I know why Maria is here. Despite her disapproval of what Romero is up to, there is a genuine bond of affection between them. As for Kathleen, I have mentioned that she is afraid of Samuelson and whatever he has in mind. I have also mentioned misguided love and loyalty. I am convinced that she is Samuelson’s daughter.” ‘
There was a considerable silence then George said: ‘I take back what I said about her being smarter than you. She’s smarter than the three of us put together. She has to be right. There’s no other explanation.’ Van Effen set fire to the note and flushed the ashes away. Then they turned off the shower and left.
Vasco shook van Effen by the shoulder. ‘It’s time, Mr Danilov.’ Van Effen opened his eyes and, as always, was instantly awake. ‘I didn’t hear the 2 a.m. bell.’
‘Turned it off — I’ve been awake for some time. George.’ Only Samuelson, the Agnelli brothers and Daniken were in the living-room when the three men arrived.
‘Just in time, gentlemen, just in time,’ Samuelson said. Even though normally cheerful he seemed to be in uncommonly good humour that midnight, a condition that could possibly have been accounted for by the bottle of brandy and glass by his side, but which was almost certainly due to an anticipatory euphoria. ‘Ten minutes and we’re all back in bed.’ ‘Not me,’ George said. ‘I’m staying here. Your loading supervisor, remember. When do we begin the transfer?’
‘Of course, of course. Half an hour say. Leonardo, we are neglecting our guests.’
While Leonardo proceeded to remedy the neglect, van Effen looked at Samuelson. He bore no resemblance to Kathleen but that meant nothing: she probably took after her Irish mother. Van Effen didn’t doubt his sister’s conviction.
The same announcer, whose depth of depression seemed to be matched only by his remarkable stamina, appeared on screen just after midnight. ‘It is with regret that we have to announce that we will be unable to show live the threatened breaches of the Flevoland dykes when and if they occur. It is impossible for our TV cameras to operate in conditions of total darkness and torrential rain. We are, however, in constant radio-telephone touch with a number of observers and will inform you at once as soon as any positive news is at hand.’ His image faded from
