Charlie’s argument – and the sometimes shouted opposition to it – occupied a lot of the morning and continued into the afternoon and appeared to end with his winning it, although it was decided to maintain the GertrudeStrasse monitor. Charlie was sure one of the German agencies at the conference – countei-intelligence if not antiterrorism but most likely both – would try a lot more, because any service in the world would have done. But his main concern was to avoid Polish interference, which was why he stirred up the resentment he did, deflecting them from the en route hotels. They still hadn’t been demanded by the end of the day – proving the point of which he didn’t remind them that too many people involved in too much organization overlook basic essentials – which Charlie accepted to be only a temporary oversight. To be sure, as he needed to be, he’d have to make his move at Kalisz. Poznan had only ever been a failsafe insurance.
On the flight back to Berlin, conveniently separated from Schumann, Hillary said, There wasn’t anyone back there who didn’t think you were the most arrogant son-of-a-bitch they’d ever met: I even thought so and I know different. When are you going to tell me what you’re up to?’
‘Soon,’ lied Charlie. Knowing Hillary as well as he now did, he knew it would be impossible to get her active participation: unfair – wrong even to consider it. This was his personal fight – his revenge for the threat against Sasha – no one else’s.
She grinned, beside him. ‘You think they’ll have our room at the Kempinski wired for sound and pictures?’
‘More than likely,’ accepted Charlie.
‘I’ll ask for the film when everything’s all over.’
This time there was only one day’s delay between Charlie’s successful connection to GertrudeStrasse and his interception at the U-bahn station. It was the same olive-skinned driver who detoured for even longer around the eastern part of the city, with Charlie braced more against an outburst of rear-view realization than the springless jarring of the Trabant. The exchange was on the Karl-LiebknechtStrasse, directly outside the cathedral, the body-search as efficient as before. It was a different Mercedes. Turkel said immediately Charlie entered the vehicle, ‘So we have a deal?’
‘They’ve accepted your offer.’
‘The same thing.’
‘Not until they’re satisfied how the payment is to be made and the handover achieved.’ Charlie saw the car had gone completely around the square to drive p ast the cathedral a second time. The huge guard sat as before, arm at the ready along the seat back.
‘I presume they want cash? The Russians usually do.’
‘Yes.’
‘And in dollars? They usually want dollars, as well.’
‘Yes.’
‘Peasants!’
‘Peasants only trust gold.’
‘It’s still a lot of paper.’
They’d picked up FriedrichStrasse, although going east, and Charlie wondered how close the surveillance was. ‘The Americans print $1,000 notes. Twenty-two thousand $1,000 notes takes up far less room in the boot of a car than eight plutonium cylinders. Three large-size suitcases should hold it quite adequately.’
Turkel shrugged, seemingly disinterested. ‘You will guide the delivery vehicles to Wannsee, to the lay-by near the lake buildings: that’s why we went there, for you to be familiar with it. The man who picks you up at the U-bahn will be there, to identify you to the people who are going to examine the containers and guarantee everything is genuine. Before you do that, you will have introduced me to the Dolgoprudnaya people. While the canisters are being checked, I will show them the sights of Berlin, from the comfort of a car…’ Turkel held up a mobile telephone of which Charlie had until that moment been unaware. ‘… The line will be kept open, throughout the cylinder check. The moment I hear everything is satisfactory, I will hand over the money and at Wannsee my people will take delivery of your cargo. Does that sound satisfactory to you?’
Charlie could think of so many objections – chief among them his own personal intention – that he had difficulty deciding where to begin. So he said, ‘No! It is completely unsatisfactory.’
The rejection brought the stir Charlie expected from the heavy man in front.
Turkel said, ‘Why not?’
‘You’d have no guarantee the Dolgoprudnaya wouldn’t try to steal the money before handing over the plutonium. They’d have no guarantee you wouldn’t try to steal the plutonium before handing over the money.’
‘ Would they try?’
‘Of course they would! Just as you’d try to get the plutonium without paying for it.’
‘Enough!’ barked the man in front. The interjection – and the way the man leaned over the seat towards him – so startled Charlie that he physically jumped.
‘No!’ stopped Turkel, extending a stopping hand towards the man. ‘It’s all right.’ He turned, smiling, to Charlie. ‘What’s your alternative?’
The bastard had intended trying to hijack it! He was paying too much attention to his own plots and not enough to anticipating those of everyone else, Charlie told himself. ‘Sobelov is coming personally,’ Charlie disclosed for the first time. ‘He hopes this will be the first of several transactions…’
‘… That would be interesting…’ interrupted Turkel.
‘… Then this must go perfectly,’ resumed Charlie. ‘After proving to Sobelov the money is in the cases it will be taken by you both to a safe deposit vault or a left-luggage facility. Sobelov gets the key…’
‘But…’ tried Turkel, but now Charlie held up the halting hand. ‘But Sobelov doesn’t get the money until you’re satisfied: your money is safe. So you can personally ensure the plutonium cargo is genuine
…’ He looked quizzically at the small man. ‘But not in the open, at Wannsee. That really wasn’t practical, was it?’
Turkel shrugged, unembarrassed.
‘Rent a warehouse. Or use a facility you already own or trust. We won’t go there until after the money is deposited. Be there, with your experts – take us there yourself even – and personally see it approved.’ They were so far at the eastern edge of the city that signposts were actually indicating Frankfurt am der Oder. There were still four days before Sobelov’s delivery drivers were due at Kalisz.
‘That seems to ensure safety on both sides,’ agreed the man.
‘We must foreshorten the meeting procedure,’ insisted Charlie. ‘Sobelov won’t wait around for days, like you’ve made me do.’
‘When’s Sobelov arriving?’
‘The fifteenth.’
‘Do you enjoy the Ganymed?’
‘I’ve become very familiar with the menu.’
‘The Ermeler Haus then. My guests. One o’clock.’
‘Sobelov will have people with him,’ warned Charlie.
Turkel smiled. ‘I’ll have people with me. Some to make sure I’m not being tricked and others to show how unhappy I’ll be if it’s attempted.’
They dropped Charlie at the FriedrichStrasse U-bahn and on his way westwards Charlie tried to isolate the suspected German observation but couldn’t. Hillary was sorting through shopping packages when he got to their room. At once she announced that Schumann expected them upstairs. The German said ‘thieving bastard’ when Charlie related Turkel’s virtually admitted hijack intention and nodded to the warehouse alternative.