`Justice, mate,' Cardon said aloud. 'You did that to our Paula. Enjoy yourself..
He was back in his old position, lying behind the top of the ridge when he saw a sight which made him wonder if he could believe his own eyes. The Yenan – its engines so silent he had no warning of what was coming – raced ashore at full speed, its momentum carrying it through the shallows and half-way up the beach.
Smaller than the Mao, it was still a large vessel. Cardon stared as the huge whale-like shape, its prow carving a deep fissure in the sand, rocketed ashore. For a moment it remained upright – half on the beach, half in the sea. Then it keeled over to port with an earth-shaking smack and lay still.
A fleet of dinghies with green lights and full of men with Balaclavas landed on either side. Norlin's troops stood waiting and as dazed passengers emerged they were handcuffed. Any resistance was discouraged with a tap on the head with a gun barrel.
Tweed's launch appeared, paused off shore. Tweed and the others were so anxious to reach land they stepped into the sea and trudged the last few yards on to the beach. Cardon ran to greet Tweed who had Paula clutching his arm.
`I have Starmberg trussed up like a Christmas turkey.' `Christmas has come early this year,' Tweed replied.
52
`Landslide…'
Otto Kuhlmann had acted swiftly, ruthlessly, on receiving the codeword. In the middle of the night his teams of armed men surrounded the new colony of houses to the west of Blankenese.
They had arrested twenty men aged between twenty- five and forty and two women. A huge cache of arms and explosives had been found – together with aerial photos of Hamburg and Frankfurt airports. Their papers had been checked and found to be excellent forgeries.
`You are charged with being accessories to the attempted murder of Hugo Westendorf and others,' Kuhlmann had informed them.
`That should hold them behind bars for a very long time,' he had told an aide with relish.
`Landslide…'
Benoit in Brussels had acted with equal speed once he had been given the codeword. At the same hour chosen by Kuhlmann armed detectives in convoys of cars had sealed off the new village of Vieux-Fontaine outside Ghent.
Twenty-five people, including three women, had been hauled out of bed. After they were taken away in police vans the houses had been turned over. More weapons, more explosives had been found – again with detailed aerial photographs of Zaventem and Liege airports, so detailed they gave the lengths of individual runways.
`Sabotage and terrorism are the charges,' Benoit had told his prisoners. 'You will be our guests for an eternity.' `Landslide..
A large force of Special Branch officers had raided Moor's Landing at 3 am. Ironically, the assault team had come up the Beaulieu River and ashore at the landing stage – the route Tweed was convinced had been used by Stealth ships to bring in the infiltrators. Before dawn twenty-eight adults, including two women, aged between thirty and thirty-five, were taken aboard a fleet of vehicles driven in by road and disguised as tradesmen's vans. Detailed plans of London Airport, Gatwick, and Standstead were found, plus bombs with timer mechanisms and weapons.
The Special Branch officer in command made no comment.
53
`Well, that cleans up that,' Newman remarked.
`No, it doesn't,' Tweed contradicted him. 'We still have to unmask the identity of Vulcan – probably Wand's most dangerous agent in Europe. Also we have to detect the assassin – the woman who injects cyanide without a second thought.'
They had driven through the night after the climax on the Danish beach – driving south across the Danish border back into Germany. In the early hours of the morning they had arrived back at the Four Seasons in Hamburg.
Paula, Newman, Butler, Nield and Cardon were now assembled in Tweed's old room overlooking the Binnen Alster. It was noon and the only person who seemed fresh was Tweed, who had got up early.
`I went to Berliner Tor,' he told them. 'Thanked Otto and phoned Inspector Nielsen, Benoit and the Special Branch in London. Also Commander Noble at the Admiralty. He has flown a team of experts to examine the Yenan. The Danes have been very co-operative. A huge lifting dock is on its way across the North Sea to collect the Yenan.'
`The energy of the man,' commented Paula, who had dark circles under her eyes.
`Now you've eaten' – Tweed waved to the relics of a room service meal on several trolley tables – 'we must leave at once for the airport. We have a flight to catch home.'
`Where maybe we can get a rest?' Marler suggested.
`Suit yourself,' Tweed told him. 'I've phoned London Airport and there will be cars waiting to take us straight down to the New Forest.'
`Why there?' Paula enquired.
`Because I also phoned Copenhagen and spoke to reception at the d'Angleterre Hotel. They confirmed the Burgoyne Quartet checked out yesterday afternoon. Special Branch told me Leopard's Leap and The Last Haven – Burgoyne and Fanshawe's homes – have people at home. That is where we will expose Vulcan. And find our murderess. Not a pleasant woman.'
A December chill gripped the New Forest. Paula noted that as darkness fell mist trails crept among the bare trees. She shivered as Tweed drove along the drive of The Last Haven. There were lights in the Scandinavian-style house.
In the rear of the car sat Butler and Nield. They had all surrendered their weapons to Tweed at the Four Seasons on arrival. He had taken them to Berliner Tor, had handed them over to Kuhlmann. He had also arranged for fresh weapons to be supplied to everyone except himself – as they drove away from London Airport. Paula, who sat beside Tweed, asked her question as they proceeded up the drive.
`Where are Newman, Marler and Cardon going to now?'
`Why, to the Brigadier's residence next door. I've issued an invitation for him to join us. With the glamorous Lee Holmes, of course.'
`Of course,' she replied acidly.
`Had to hold our little tete-a-tete at one of the houses,'
Tweed continued in buoyant mood as he pulled up. `You think you know who Vulcan is?' she asked. `Yes, I do.'
`And the murderess?'
`Again, yes.'
Paula restrained her cat-like curiosity. In any case, she was sure Tweed wouldn't tell her anything at this stage. As he reached out to press the bell the door swung inward. Willie Fanshawe stood there in a smart but rumpled navy blue blazer and grey slacks. With his figure, Paula was thinking, he'd never look immaculate. He beamed with pleasure, stepped forward and kissed Paula on the cheek. 'I say! What a bit of luck. Completed the circle, haven't we? Eh, Tweed? You met us here. Then we hopped all round Europe. Now, back again to base! Must say I'm entranced to see you. Bit of a flattener – getting back to the New Forest. Wonder why they call it that? It's an old forest! Do come in. What about your two chaps out there?'
Butler and Nield had climbed out of the car. They made no move towards the house. They'd received their instructions from Tweed – patrol the grounds behind the house.
`I think they'd sooner get a breath of fresh air,' Tweed replied. 'They've been driving for hours,' he lied.
`Then come on in you two.' Willie took Paula by the arm. Beyond the heavy front door they walked straight into the L-shaped living-room furnished in Scandinavian style. To Paula it seemed years since they had last entered this house. 'Sit yourself down on the couch,' Willie urged as he relieved her of her trench coat.