Eddie flinched in shock. Nina! She had been with the convoy—
A hand squeezed his arm, hard. He snapped his head around to find Zane staring at him with a grim but determined expression. ‘There’s nothing you can do,’ whispered the Israeli.
‘But Nina—’
‘There’s nothing you can do,’ he repeated. ‘Not now.’
Stomach churning with rage and fear, Eddie looked back at the scene below. Holmes was talking with Leitz, apparently convinced. The middleman nodded, then addressed the group. ‘Everyone is in agreement? Then payments must be made within the next twenty-four hours, via secure electronic transfer. I will provide each of you with the necessary details.’
‘It’s a lot of money,’ said Hertsmore, ‘but God, it’ll be worth every penny.’
‘It will indeed,’ said Kroll. ‘Now, gentlemen, I hope that soon it will be safe for me to come out of exile and meet you all in person. Until that day, we must all work tirelessly to build the New Reich. Heil Hitler!’
‘Heil Hitler!’ The chant echoed around the library as Kroll’s image disappeared.
‘Computer, close application,’ said Leitz to the television. The videoconferencing program was replaced by the desktop. ‘Here is the account information,’ he said, handing out business cards. ‘Burn the card after you have transferred the money. The transfers will be encrypted and will pass through many proxy accounts, but it is still best to be safe.’
‘That fat fucker,’ Eddie snarled as Leitz showed the group to the exit. ‘If anything’s happened to Nina—’
‘Stay calm,’ Zane interrupted. ‘Wait for the others to leave. We need to interrogate Leitz.’
Though still furious, Eddie recognised a change in the Israeli’s attitude. ‘I thought you were going to hack his computer?’
‘The situation’s changed. If you want to know what’s happened to your wife, this will be the quickest way.’
‘And what about Leitz? If he tells that Nazi arsehole that he had a visit from Mossad, he’ll go underground again!’
Zane gave him a humourless smile. ‘Accidents happen. It’s a long drop from that balcony…’
‘Don’t fuckin’ kill him until we know what’s happened to Nina.’ Eddie watched as the library emptied, then moved back to the door. Leitz’s visitors were crossing the hall below, the white-suited man going with them. ‘Okay, let’s have a little chat…’
17
It took Leitz over thirty minutes to see all of his guests out; with men this rich and powerful, pleasantries were expected. But eventually only his security detail remained as company. The extra men he had brought in to ensure privacy could now be dismissed, but he decided to do that once he had concluded the day’s business.
He went upstairs to his office. A cool breeze blew from the balcony through the elegant room as he entered—
The door slammed shut behind him.
Leitz instantly knew from its speed and force that something more than a stray gust had closed it. Without even a glance back, he lunged for his desk, right hand darting underneath it to find—
Nothing.
‘You after this?’ said a voice from the balcony.
Eddie stepped into view, holding a gleaming chrome automatic. ‘Nice little gun,’ he told the frozen Leitz. ‘Sphinx 3000, innit? Don’t see many of these.’
‘Don’t move,’ Zane said from behind the middleman, thumbing the hammer of his Barak.
Leitz took the click as intended: a warning. He slowly raised his hands. ‘What do you want?’ he said in a level but cautious voice.
‘Information. Move away from the desk, to your right.’
Leitz cautiously stepped sideways. Zane patted him down, finding that he was unarmed. ‘All right,’ said the Yorkshireman as he entered the room, aiming the Sphinx at its owner’s chest, ‘since you’re dressed as the Man from Del Monte, you’d better fucking say “Yes!” to everything. Okay?’
‘I should say yes, I suppose,’ Leitz replied, regarding him icily.
‘Good lad. Now, first things first: what the fuck has that fat Nazi bastard done with Nina?’
‘He means Dr Nina Wilde, in Alexandria,’ said Zane, seeing the broker’s incomprehension. ‘Your client Erich Kroll said he took the statue from her — the statue that tells you how to find the Spring of Immortality.’
Leitz narrowed his eyes. ‘You heard our discussion? That is unfortunate.’
‘Yeah, for you,’ said Eddie. ‘Where is she?’
No answer was immediately forthcoming. Zane stepped closer to the white-suited man. ‘If you don’t talk, he’ll kill you for personal reasons. Or I’ll kill you for professional reasons. Either way, you’ll be dead, and we’ll still get what we need from your computer.’
‘Your accent,’ said Leitz, eyeing him. ‘Israeli. You are with the Mossad?’ For the first time, there was unease beneath his even tone.
‘Not me,’ said Eddie firmly. ‘I’m just a concerned citizen.’
‘Answer the question,’ Zane ordered.
‘Very well.’ Leitz turned back to Eddie, though he kept Zane in his peripheral vision. ‘Yes, Kroll’s men took back the statue earlier today.’
‘And what’d they do with Nina?’ Eddie demanded.
The answer emerged with reluctance. ‘Dr Wilde and two others, a man and a woman, are still alive. I know this because I was asked to arrange transport for them.’
Relief flooded through the Englishman. ‘Thank God,’ he said, glancing at Zane. ‘And the other woman must be Macy. They’re okay!’
‘For now,’ the Mossad agent replied. ‘But the only reason they’re still alive is that Kroll wants something from them. Once he gets it…’
The fear for Nina’s safety returned. ‘Okay, where are they going?’ Eddie demanded, rounding the desk to face off against the broker. ‘You arranged transport — to where?’
Leitz’s expression hardened. He ignored Eddie, instead addressing Zane. ‘If you are with the Mossad, and you are here, now… then you are a member of the Criminal Sanctions Unit, are you not?’
‘Answer him,’ Zane ordered.
‘I believe that Benjamin Falk was in charge of the CSU.’ For the first time, Leitz’s expression revealed something other than cold restraint: a small, sneering smile. ‘Until recently. Very recently.’
Zane advanced another step, raising his gun at the other man’s face. ‘You shut your mouth.’
The smile coiled more tightly. ‘It is a shame. All those years of faithful service, only to die on the streets of Egypt. Very sad, very sad indeed—’
Zane lashed out with the Barak, striking Leitz’s head and knocking off his glasses. The broker staggered. ‘I told you to shut up!’
‘Get a grip,’ Eddie warned. ‘He’s still got guards hanging around, remember?’
Zane glared at him, but made a visible effort to calm himself. He grabbed Leitz by his lapel, shoving the gun hard against his chest. ‘Where is Erich Kroll? Where is he taking Dr Wilde? Tell us, now! Or I’ll kill you.’
Leitz seemed to acquiesce. ‘Okay, okay! Everything you need is over there.’ He gestured at the desk. Eddie and Zane instinctively glanced towards it. ‘On my… computer.’ The unexpected pause instantly put Eddie on alert, but he didn’t know why—
He found out a moment later. ‘Alarm!’ said Leitz — and a piercing siren shrieked as the computer’s voice recognition obeyed the command.
Eddie flinched at the aural assault, as did Zane—
Leitz moved with shocking speed, one hand slicing up to seize Zane’s gun and force it away from his own chest — towards the Englishman.