Graham clipped his to his jacket pocket.
‘Where did you get the passport photographs from?’
‘The Colonel brought them with him,’ Kolchinsky replied as they walked towards the lifts.
They took the lift to the fifth floor where Ubrino was being held in one of the conference rooms. Kolchinsky stopped outside an ornately carved oak door and knocked twice, paused, then knocked twice more. The armed guard inside peered through the spy hole then unlocked the door to admit them. The room was small and windowless, with a rectangular mahogany table and fourteen matching chairs around it. Kuhlmann dismissed the guard and Kolchinsky introduced Paluzzi and Calvieri to Philpott.
Philpott turned to Ubrino.
‘Well, Calvieri’s here now. Where have you hidden the vial?’
Ubrino merely shrugged his shoulders.
‘I’ll find out,’ Graham hissed angrily.
Philpott put a hand lightly on Graham’s arm, then looked at Calvieri.
‘Talk to him. Maybe you can coax it out of him.’
Calvieri crossed to where Ubrino was sitting and patted him on the shoulder.
‘He doesn’t know where it is.’
‘How do you know that? You haven’t even asked him yet,’ Kolchinsky said.
Calvieri took a small transmitter from his pocket and held it up for them to see. It was the size of a cigarette lighter.
‘He doesn’t know because I never told him.’
Paluzzi stared at Calvieri in horror.
‘You’ve been behind this all along. And we’ve played straight into your hands.’
Graham slid his hand behind his back, feeling for his bolstered Beretta.
Calvieri touched the detonator with his forefinger. ‘The transmitter’s linked to a small charge of plastic explosive attached to the side of the cylinder. It’s powerful enough to break both the cylinder and the vial in half. Question is, Mr. Graham, can you draw your gun and kill me before I push the button?’
‘Let it go, Mike,’ Philpott said without looking at Graham.
Graham’s hand dropped to his side.
‘Now, I want you each to remove your handguns and place them on the table. One at a time. Ladies first.’
Sabrina removed her Beretta, using her thumb and forefinger, and put it on the table. Graham and Paluzzi did the same.
‘You won’t get away with this, Calvieri,’ Kuhlmann rasped sharply.
‘Get away with what? You don’t even know what I want yet.’
‘What do you want?’ Philpott asked.
‘All in good time, Colonel. In the meantime, would you put the key for Riccardo’s handcuffs on the table next to the guns.’
‘I don’t have it. The guard took it with him.’
‘I wouldn’t insult the intelligence of the UNACO Director. Please don’t insult mine.’ Calvieri smiled at their startled expressions. ‘Oh yes, I know who you work for. When you refused to tell me I did a little investigative digging of my own. It took a while but I got there in the end.’
‘How did you find out?’ Philpott demanded.
‘I have my sources, let’s leave it at that. Now, the key.’
Philpott put the key on the table, then turned back to Calvieri.
‘You killed Zocchi, didn’t you?’
‘Had him killed,’ Calvieri corrected, then picked up the key and unlocked one of the cuffs. He gave the key to Ubrino to unlock the second one himself. ‘I must say all your little theories about Zocchi certainly kept me amused these past few days. I knew that with him dead the authorities would have no option but to call us in to help them find the vial. And I was the only Brigatista Signore Pisani would trust with such a delicate task. That’s how the plan came into being in the first place. And as you said, Paluzzi, you played straight into my hands. Riccardo didn’t have the vial on him when he got here, that would have been too dangerous. I had it with me. I knew we wouldn’t be searched when we entered the building. I passed it on to a sympathizer in the foyer. It’s already been secreted somewhere in the building. So I have you to thank for helping me smuggle it past the guards.’
Ubrino tossed the handcuffs on to the chair then collected the handguns from the table. He handed two to Calvieri and tucked the other into his belt.
‘Where does he fit into all this?’ Paluzzi asked, indicating Ubrino.
‘He’s been my inside man in Rome for the past six years. I knew you would immediately suspect Zocchi if Riccardo was involved in the break-in at the plant.’
‘How did you get in?’ Kuhlmann demanded of Ubrino.
‘I pose as maintenance engineer,’ Ubrino replied in a thick Italian accent. ‘Nino Ferzetti, that is his name. We have the same build and height. He wear the beard and glasses. It is an easy…’ he trailed off and looked at Calvieri. ‘Travestire?’
‘Disguise,’ Calvieri answered.
‘Si, it is an easy disguise for me. I carry his pass so the guard do not stop me.’
‘Where’s the real Ferzetti?’ Philpott asked.
‘At home, sleeping off the effects of a spiked drink he had last night.’
Calvieri pointed to the door behind them. ‘I think you’ve taken up enough of my time as it is. Colonel, call me when you have a number where I can contact you. And make it soon. The longer you delay, the less time there will be to process my demands.’
‘One last question, Calvieri,’ Paluzzi said. ‘Why the Offenbach Centre?’
‘It’s quite simple. The summit is being covered by journalists from all over the world. You can’t do anything overt without alerting them. I’m sure you all know what happened in 1938 when Orson Welles narrated The War of the Worlds on American radio. There was unprecedented panic across the country. Can you imagine that on a global scale?’
‘I’ll call you in a few minutes,’ Philpott said brusquely, then walked to the door.
‘There is one more thing,’ Calvieri said. ‘Sabrina stays with us.’
‘Like hell she does,’ Graham snapped.
‘I was talking to Colonel Philpott.’ Calvieri retorted, then whispered to Ubrino, who immediately drew the Beretta from his belt and aimed it at Kuhlmann.
‘You have five seconds to comply otherwise Kuhlmann will be shot. Then Kolchinsky–’
‘Okay, you’ve made your point,’ Philpott cut in. He turned to Sabrina. ‘We’ll have to do as he says.’
‘I understand, sir,’ she replied with a quick smile.
‘What the hell do you need her for?’ Graham demanded. ‘You’ve got the detonator, isn’t that enough?’
‘I’ll only use the detonator as a last resort. In other words if my demands are not met. Sabrina’s the deterrent to stop you and Paluzzi from getting any heroic ideas about storming the room like a couple of over-enthusiastic schoolboys.’
‘I’m going to come after you when this is over, Calvieri,’ Graham said menacingly. ‘I don’t care where you go, I’ll find you. That’s a promise.’
‘In that case I look forward to seeing you again, Mr. Graham. Please close the door on your way out.’
Ubrino waited until they had left, then locked and bolted the door behind them and handed the key to Calvieri.
Sabrina sat down and looked up at Calvieri.
‘Are your demands really worth the lives of millions of innocent people?’
‘Don’t try to play on my emotions, Sabrina, it won’t work.’
‘I didn’t know you had any,’ Sabrina shot back.
‘Manette,’ Calvieri said to Ubrino and pointed to the handcuffs.
Ubrino pulled Sabrina’s hands behind her back and snapped the handcuffs over her wrists. He grinned at her, then reached out to touch her face. She kicked at him savagely, catching him full on the shinbone.