Deadlock

There was a brilliant flash of light. Night briefly became day. A thunderous roar almost deafened him. A cloud of vapour obscured the whole barracks area. As it drifted away he saw the building had vanished, leaving behind a scatter of rubble across the parade ground. The van had disappeared and there was a great hole as though a meteorite had landed.

As he made his way towards the staircase, towards the motorcycle waiting in the street, Prussen was trembling.

46

Closeted with Newman only in a room at police headquarters, Tweed used the scrambler phone to call Park Crescent. Monica relayed the message she had received, repeating it.

'How is it going?' she asked.

'Not perfect yet. We still haven't located Klein. I have the feeling we shall soon.'

'One more thing. Cord Dillon arrived from Washington. Since you weren't here he talked with Howard. Don't think he liked his reception. He's flying to Rotterdam to see you. Howard told him you were there. I'm sorry.'

'Not to worry, I'll cope. 'Bye for now.'

Tweed repeated to Newman the gist of the message that it was Rotterdam. No doubt this time. 'And that,' he said grimly, 'I think is the last message from Olympus before the balloon goes up. I'm very worried about Olympus.'

'Who by some chance is inside Klein's organization. Hence these reports?'

'In a nutshell. If Klein ever suspects Olympus that will be the end of my agent. Still, there's not a thing I can do about that. Oh, and Cord Dillon, Deputy Director CIA is on his way over here. I think he's heard those rumours there is an American mixed up in this business. We'll just have to see when he gets here.'

'A rugged type,' Newman commented.

'You could say that…'

Van Gorp came into the room and did not look happy. With a sigh he straddled a chair and waved his hands in a gesture of frustration.

'I've been in touch with Marine Control, issued the warning. They refuse to pass it on to the various ships' masters – unless the warning is confirmed by the Minister who is attending a late night Cabinet meeting. The Minister, I'm sure, will refuse.'

'On what grounds?' demanded Tweed.

'The usual ones. Lack of positive evidence. The man I spoke to at Marine Control said he had little doubt the whole thing was a hoax. Couldn't convince him.'

'Jesus,' said Newman.

'Yes,' Van Gorp agreed, 'we may need His help before long.'

He looked up, called come in as someone rapped on the door. A uniformed policewoman entered, holding a sheaf of papers. Tweed noticed the papers were quivering.

'You're needed very urgently, sir.'

'Excuse me. Back in a minute.'

'Now what,' Tweed mused as they waited. 'That girl's hands were trembling.'

'Maybe Van Gorp is a harder taskmaster than we realized,' Newman joked. Anything to lighten the atmosphere of tension he sensed was building up. He lit a cigarette. He had taken only a few short puffs when Van Gorp reappeared, his face ashen. He closed the door carefully.

'What's wrong?' Tweed asked.

'Something terrible, really appalling. You remember that I had the marines confined to barracks – with the Minister's approval?'

'Yes.' Tweed stood up. 'What has happened?'

'A tremendous explosion – unprecedented power – just took place at the barracks. God knows how many marines are dead. Others badly injured. The entire unit has been wiped out. It must have been several very big bombs…'

'No, just one,' Tweed told him. 'And this is Klein's first opening strike. Clever-fiendishly. He has eliminated what he thinks is the one assault group which could cause him trouble. I'm terribly sorry to hear your news. It's a tragedy. But I must also point out it gives us the measure of what we are up against…'

The uniformed policewoman appeared. 'The Hague is calling you,' she told Van Gorp.

Before he left he asked Tweed a question.

'I'm still stunned. What was that you meant by the one assault group, etc.?'

'Klein doesn't know there's an SAS unit waiting at Rotterdam Airport…'

'I'll remember that when I deal with this phone call.'

He was away longer this time. Tweed unfolded a map of Rotterdam extending to Europort and the coast and studied it. Newman stood alongside him as Tweed drew a circle with a felt tip pen round Euromast.

'We should be sending men there now,' he was saying when Van Gorp came back.

The Dutchman had recovered his normal poise, stood erect and pulled at his moustache before he spoke. His manner was crisp, commanding.

'Guess what? The Minister has reinstated me. I asked for it to be put in writing.' He grinned cynically and then became businesslike. 'The warning to all shipping lying offshore is being transmitted at this moment – with the full backing of The Hague.'

'It may be too late,' Tweed warned.

'We'll take it as it comes. More important. The Dutch PM is calling your PM, asking for permission to use the S AS force if necessary. I suspect the Minister of the Interior is taking full credit for that general alert I sent out earlier – even in an emergency like this politicians never lose a chance to gain kudos.'

'In that case,' said Tweed, 'I'd like a private word with my colleague, Blade. I can send him out to the airport to alert the SAS team.'

'Do it. He's waiting downstairs with the others.'

Tweed was talking to Blade in a small room on their own when Van Gorp appeared. During their few minutes alone Tweed had told Blade about the destruction of the Dutch marine unit.

'Ruthless type of bastard, this Klein,' Blade had commented. 'Still, with us it's always no holds barred. I'll drive at once to the airport, get the lads to kit up inside the charter aircraft. We'Sl need three plain vans backed up to the machine. That way we can leave unseen the moment you tell me where to head for…'

Van Gorp was terse. 'Permission granted to use the SAS unit. Your PM laid down one condition – which was accepted. The unit takes its orders from you, Tweed.'

'I'll pass on the message to the troop commander,' Blade said and left.

'It's carnage out at the marine barracks," Van Gorp told Tweed. 'Pure carnage. Reports keep coming in, every one worse than the last.'

'In that case we'd better get to Euromast fast. With plenty of armed men. I want Newman and Butler with me. Benoit will come, too, I'm sure…'

Alighting from the Sikorsky at Brussels Airport, Hipper told the pilot to wait, found the hired car he'd phoned ahead for, and drove straight to Peter Brand's headquarters in the house of Avenue Franklin Roosevelt.

When the front door was opened after he'd used the speakphone, Brand's secretary, Nicole, a Belgian brunette, found herself looking at a small plump man wearing a trilby pulled down over his forehead which did not quite conceal shocks of red hair. He also wore a handkerchief tied below his eyes and dark glasses. His right hand held a Luger pistol.

'Oh, my God! I thought you were Mr Hipper…'

'That's because I'm a good mimic.' His voice was gravelly.

As he replied Hipper shoved the Luger muzzle into her midriff, backed her into the palatial marble-floored hall, slammed the door shut with his right foot.

'Who else is in the house?' Hipper demanded. 'Fool with me and I'll blow a hole right through you.'

'No… one. The servants have been given the day off…'

'Except Peter Brand. Take me to him.'

He followed her up the broad winding staircase and along a landing to a heavy mahogany door. She rapped on it automatically with a shaking hand. A voice called out, 'Enter.'

She opened the door and was propelled inside by the muzzle of the Luger. Peter Brand was sitting behind a vast desk whose surface was empty except for three telephones in varying colours.

'This gentleman…' She felt silly as soon as she had spoken.'. .. forced his way in and asked for you. I thought it was Mr Hipper.'