allow it. You’re a talented man, Major. Up to now your judgment rang with practical logic. And nobody appreciates more than me the great help you have been to us. However, I cannot take any chances of alarming von Till. I repeat, the ship and the heroin must reach Chicago without interference.”
“Von Till is already alarmed.” Pitt was Very definite. “He can’t help but be wise to you. The British destroyer and the Turkish aircraft that shadowed the Queen Artemisia from Ceylon to the Aegean were a dead give away that INTERPOL was on to the heroin. I say stop him now, before anymore of his ships load or unload Illegal cargo!”
“Until that ship deviates from its set course, and not before, I insist on a hands off policy regarding von Till” Zacynthus broke off for a few seconds, then he went on quietly. “You must understand: Colonel Zeno, Captain Darius and myself are narcotics men. If we are to do our job efficiently we cannot concern ourselves with white slavery, stolen gold or illegal transportation of known criminals. It sounds cruel and heartless, I admit, but INTERPOL has other good men and departments who specialize in these crimes.
And they would say the same thing if this particular ship carried a cargo that was under their jurisdiction.
No, I’m sorry, we may lose von Till in the end, but at that we’ll lock up the biggest illegal drug distributors in North America, not to mention, drastically cut the outside flow of heroin.”
There was a short period of silence, then Pitt exploded angrily.
“Bull-shit! If you round up the heroin, the submarine and its crew, and every dope peddler in the States, you still won’t stop von Till The minute he finds new buyers he’ll be back with another boatload of drugs.” Pitt waited for a reaction. There was none.
“You have no authority over Giordino and me,” Pitt continued. “Whatever we have to do from here on in, we’ll do it without any cooperation from you.”
Zacynthus’ lips were pressed tightly together. His eyes stared fiercely at Pitt, then he glanced at his watch.. “We’re wasting time. I have only one hour to get to the Kavalla Airport and catch the morning flight for Athens.” He pointed his pipe at Pitt like a gun. “I dislike losing arguments but you leave me no alternative. My regrets, Major. Though I am deeply in your debt, I must once again place you and Captain Giordino in custody.”
“The hell you will,” Pitt said coldly. “We’re not going to oblige.”
“You will suffer the indignity of forcible arrest if you don’t” Zacynthus patted a holstered forty-five automatic that clung to his hip.
Giordino lazily rose from the ground and grabbed Pitt by the arm. He was grinning “Don’t you think this would be a pretty good time for Giordino the Kid to practice his quick draw?”
Giordino was wearing a tee shirt and khaki pants; there was no sign of a tell-tale bulge. Pitt was mystified, but his confidence in his old friend was firm. He looked at Giordino with a mixture of hope and suspicion in his eyes.
“I doubt if you’d ever find a more opportune moment.”
Zacynthus unsnapped the holster flap over the forty-five. “What the devil have you got up your sleeve this time? I must warn you—”
“Wait.” The rasping voice came from Darius. “If you please, Inspector.” The murderous intent. “I have an account to settle with these two.”
Giordino was not to be hurried. He ignored the threat from Darius and spoke as calmly as if he were asking Pitt to pass the potatoes. “My cross draw is sheer art, but actually I’m faster from the hip. Which would you like to see first?”
“About now,” Pitt said more curious than amused, “I’d settle for a fast draw from the crotch.”
“Stop! Enough!” Zacynthus gestured his pipe irritably. “I suggest you be sensible and cooperate.”
“How do you intend to keep us on ice for three weeks?” Pitt asked.
Zacynthus shrugged. “The jail on. the mainland has excellent accommodations for political prisoners.
Colonel Zeno here might be persuaded to use his influence and get you a cell overlooking the—”
Zacynthus’ mouth abruptly dropped open in midsentence; his brown eyes narrowed in helpless rage and he froze as immobile as a City park statue.
A tiny gun, no larger than an ordinary cap pistol, had suddenly materialized in Giordino’s hand, the pencil thin muzzle pointed directly at the spot between Zacynthus’ eyebrows. Even Pitt was caught off guard.
Pure logic told him that Giordino had been bluffing; the last thing he or anyone else expected was for Giordino to produce an honest-to-god firearm.
15
A gun, no matter if it looks small and insignificant or massive and downright mean, is always a perfect attention getter. To say that Giordino was the center of attraction would be a classic understatement He played the role to the hilt; the automatic held at full arm’s length, a grim smile on the face. If academy awards were given for sheer bravado, ‘he’d have won at least three.
For a long moment no one spoke. Then finally Zeno rammed a fist into one hand. A wane smile etched his swarthy face. “It was I who said you two men were cunning and dangerous, and yet, I am foolish enough to keep offering you new opportunities to prove it.”
“We don’t relish these embarrassing little scenes any more than you do,” Pitt said equably. “Now if you gentlemen will excuse us, we’ll close up shop and go home.”
“No sense getting shot in the back.” Giordino Waved the baby automatic negligently at the three narcotics officers. “We’d better borrow their guns before We exit stage right.”
'That won’t be necessary,” Pitt said. “No one is going to pull any triggers.” He looked into Zacythus’
eyes, then into Zeno’s — and found them thoughtful and speculative. “It’s really a stand off. You’re tempted, but you won’t shoot us from behind because you’re all honorable men. Besides, it wouldn’t be practical, the investigation of our deaths would only prove to be a messy affair. Von Till would love that.
On the other hand, you know damn well we won’t shoot back because we don’t have nearly enough at stake to kill any one of you.
“Patience, I ask nothing but patience on your parts for the next ten hours. I promise you Zac, we will meet again before sunset, and on much friendlier terms.”
Pitt’s voice seemed strangely prophetic, and the speculative look in Zacynthus’ eyes changed to blank puzzlement.
Pitt was briefly tempted to prolong the game of cat and mouse, then he thought better of it Zacynthus and Zeno appeared resigned to defeat, but not Darius. The huge brute moved two steps forward, his face was
flushed with anger and his fists opened and closed like the shells of two giant South Pacific clams. It was clearly the time to beat a quick and orderly retreat.
Pitt moved slowly around the front of the truck, using the hood and fenders as a barrier between him and Darius. He climbed behind the steering wheel, wincing slightly as the sun splashed seat burned his naked thighs and back, and started the engine. Giordino followed him into the cab, never taking his eyes off the men beside the Mercedes, the gun very level in his hand. Then calmly, without any sign of desperate speed, Pitt smoothly shifted gears and aimed the truck toward Brady Field and the First Attempt’s whaleboat dock. He glanced in the rearview mirror, then to the road and back to the mirror again several times until the three figures in the road disappeared when the truck rounded a curve through an ancient grove of olive trees.
“Nothing like a gun to even the odds,” Giordino sighed, leaning back comfortably against the seat.
“Let’s see that popgun.”
Giordino passed it butt first. “You’ll have to admit, it came in damn handy.”
Pitt studied the Lilliputian gun, looking up from time to time to dodge potholes in the road. He recognized it as a vest pocket Mauser, twenty-five caliber, the type European women favored for protection; it could easily be concealed in a purse or garter. It was only good for close-in work; past ten feet the accuracy, even in the hands of an expert was hopeless.
“We must consider ourselves extremely lucky.”
“Lucky hell.” Giordino grunted flatly. “That little baby evened the odds Why do you think the old time gangsters called a gun an equalizer.”
