‘Tell your poodle to keep his hands off me,’ she snapped, her eyes blazing at Calvieri.
‘I’m sure he’s learnt his lesson,’ Calvieri replied, casting a disdainful glance towards Ubrino. He took the Beretta from Ubrino’s hand, ejected the clip, pocketed it, then threw the gun on to the table.
‘Leave her alone. She isn’t one of your wide-eyed recruits. She’d kill you without batting an eyelid.’
‘Nobody does that to me, especially not a woman,’ Ubrino hissed through his clenched teeth.
‘You just won’t learn, will you?’ Calvieri pointed a finger of warning at him. ‘I won’t tell you again. Leave her alone.’
The telephone rang. Calvieri answered it.
‘It’s Philpott. I’ve set up a base in the manager’s office. Extension 2-57.’
‘I’ll be in touch.’ Calvieri replaced the receiver and looked across at Ubrino. ‘We’re in business.’
Dieter Vlok was a short, athletically built man in his late forties with black hair and a neatly trimmed black beard. He had been widely regarded in his native West Germany as one of the country’s leading hotel managers, first at the Vier Jahreszeiten in Hamburg, then at the Bremner’s Park in Baden-Baden, before he went to Switzerland to take up his most challenging post to date, that of general manager of the Offenbach Centre.
His office, situated on the tenth floor, had a breathtaking view of the city spread out in the distance. He stood motionless by the window as Philpott described the latest developments to him. Although he had been briefed that morning, he was still finding it hard to believe that such a catastrophe could be unfolding on his own doorstep.
‘As I said this morning, it’s imperative that we keep this under wraps,’ Philpott said in conclusion, then sat back in the padded chair behind the desk. ‘If the press get the slightest whiff of a story, God knows the pandemonium that would result.’
‘Of course, I understand,’ Vlok replied, turning to face the others. ‘I just find it hard to comprehend. This man Calvieri knows what will happen if the vial is opened and yet he says he’s quite prepared to do it if his demands are not met.’
‘What do you expect? He’s a terrorist,’ Graham retorted gruffly.
‘Even so, what can he hope to achieve?’
‘We’ll find out soon enough,’ Philpott replied. ‘That’s why we’ll need to use your office as a base.’
‘It’s at your disposal. Any calls for me will be put through to my assistant. Not that I need the room anyway. I’ll be down in the conference hall making sure everything runs according to plan for the opening ceremony at eleven o’clock.’
‘Do you have an architect’s plan of the building?’ Philpott asked, tamping a wad of tobacco into the mouth of his pipe.
‘Not here. There’s one in the safe at reception. I’ll have it sent up to you.’
‘No, we have to keep our presence here as quiet as possible. Mike will go with you.’
‘Of course. I’m sorry, I’m not used to this kind of secrecy.’
‘How can we contact you if we need you?’ Kolchinsky asked.
Vlok opened his jacket to reveal a bleeper attached to his belt.
‘Ask the reception to page me if you need me. Anything at all.’
‘I will, you can be sure of that,’ Philpott replied.
Vlok looked at his watch. ‘I better get down to the conference hall.’
Philpott gestured for Graham to go with Vlok, then sat back in the chair and lit his pipe. He waited until they had left before looking across at Kolchinsky.
‘Have you got C.W.’s number? We’re going to need him here.’
‘I was thinking the same thing.’ Kolchinsky took a black notebook from his pocket, opened it at the relevant page, and put it on the desk in front of Philpott.
‘When are you going to tell the delegates about Calvieri?’ Kuhlmann asked, pacing the floor in front of the desk.
‘When we know his demands. There’s no use calling meetings every five minutes. And for God’s sake, Reinhardt, stop pacing about like an expectant father. It’s driving me crazy.’
Kuhlmann sat down beside Kolchinsky on the leather sofa but within seconds he was back on his feet. He crossed to the window.
‘I should have barred Calvieri from Switzerland when I had the chance. But no, I let you talk me out of it. Now look what’s happened. Why did I listen to you?’
‘Barring him wouldn’t have solved anything,’ Philpott said, reaching for Kolchinsky’s black book. ‘He’d just have gone somewhere else.’
‘But at least he wouldn’t be in Switzerland,’ Kuhlmann retorted.
‘So that’s what it’s all about,’ Philpott snapped, then swivelled round in the chair to face Kuhlmann. ‘We have a saying in English, Reinhardt, “If you can’t take the heat, get out of the kitchen.” Perhaps it’s just as well that it’s your last year in office. You obviously can’t take the heat any more.’
Kuhlmann was silent.
Philpott picked up the receiver and dialled the number of the boarding house where Whitlock was staying.
‘C.W.?’
‘Yes sir,’ Whitlock answered, recognizing Philpott’s Scottish brogue.
‘I want you to get over to the Offenbach Centre right away. I’ll have a security pass waiting for you at the main gate. We’re on the tenth floor, the manager’s office.’
‘I’m on my way, sir,’ Whitlock replied.
Philpott replaced the receiver and looked at Kolchinsky.
‘We’re going to need handguns for Mike and C.W. Major Paluzzi, what weapon do you use?’
‘Same as Mike and Sabrina. A Beretta 92.’
Kolchinsky got to his feet. ‘So that’s two Berettas and a Browning.’
‘I want you carrying as well, Sergei.’ Kolchinsky nodded. ‘I’ll get on to it right away. There’s a phone in the outer office I can use.’
‘Oh, and Sergei, get a couple of cheap wristwatches for Mike and C.W. as well.’
The telephone rang.
Kolchinsky froze, his hand on the handle of the communicating door.
‘Get the guns, Sergei,’ Philpott said. He picked up the receiver as Kolchinsky disappeared into the outer office.
‘Yes?’
‘What’s going on up there?’ Calvieri demanded. ‘I called a minute ago and the line was engaged. Let’s get something straight right from the start. That line is to remain open at all times. Is that understood?’
‘Perfectly,’ Philpott replied.
‘I’m going to issue my demands now. Are you ready to write them down?’
‘I’m ready.’
‘My demands are twofold. Firstly, the Italian Prime Minister, Enzo Bellini, who is attending the summit, will call a special press conference for five o’clock this afternoon at which he will announce that he is stepping down as the leader of our country on the grounds of ill-health. He has had problems with his heart in recent years so this will give credence to his story. I do have a television set in the room, Colonel, so if he doesn’t appear at exactly five o’clock I’ll press the button. It’s that simple.’
‘And what do you hope to achieve by getting Bellini to resign?’
‘You let me worry about that. You just make sure he gets the message.’
‘And the second demand.’
‘There are sixteen countries represented at this summit. Between them they will pay the sum of a hundred million pounds to the following five revolutionary organizations: Action Directe in France, the Red Army Faction in West Germany, the Red Brigades in Italy, Euskadi ta Askatasuna, ETA, in Spain, and the Irish Republican Army in Britain. Twenty million each. They have until five o’clock this afternoon to have the money ready for collection.’
‘That’s impossible. They won’t be able to raise that kind of money in seven hours. Make it a more realistic deadline.’