“Now what the hell…?”
It was exceedingly puzzling. He closed the door and prowled through the empty cabin. What was going on? There was a bottle of vodka on the table and he opened it and took a healthy drink, then grimaced. What foul stuff. Where were Chvosta and the girl? Not here and not in her cabin. Something not too good was going on. Klaus sensed it, more of an animal feeling than a rational conclusion. He felt the short hairs stir on the nape of his neck. Something very wrong was happening. Dr. Wielgus must hear of it at once. As he left he jammed the door shut, as he had done in the other cabin, and made his way towards the elevator. He pressed the button and while he waited he decided to make one more stop before reporting to Wielgus. He would get the Uruguayan doctor and have him look at Fritz again. This would disturb all of them in the Admiral’s suite which was a good thing. He wanted them all awake and bothered just as he was.
But no one came when Klaus knocked on the door. He knocked a second time and, suddenly, had a gut feeling that something was very wrong. He had not had this sensation in years — but he recognized it well enough. It was the worry you got when everything was quiet before an attack — or before the bombers came in on you. Something was happening on this ship and it was not good. He did not knock again but instead inserted the end of the bar and heaved. The door moved open slowly. The lights were on and the room was empty. He went in, the bar ready in his hand, closing the door and looking around. Nothing. No signs of disturbance or fuss. Just nothing. And all three men were gone. He grabbed for the phone and quickly dialled a number. It rang twice before Wielgus’s sleepy voice answered.
“Something is very wrong, Herr Doktor, very wrong indeed. I went to the cabin of the Czech and the girl and they are gone, not in their cabins…. “
“What are you saying, Klaus? Do you know what time it is?” Wielgus was annoyed, his night’s rest disturbed.
“Yes, sir. It is after four in the morning. But more important — there is no one in the suite of the Uruguayans. Not a soul.”
Wielgus was wide awake in an instant. Treachery and deceit were about him at all times. Now that they had passed over the diamonds, and the arms shipment was on the way, were these little tinpot dictators planning to squeeze him out? It was possible. But it wasn’t going to happen. They could play their murderous little games with one another — but not with him!
“Stay there!” he ordered. “The Paraguayan suite is right across from that one. Turn off the lights, try to see if anything is going on there. If these swine are trying to pull a fast one they have another guess coming. They must all be in on it, the Czech and all. They have set us up, that’s what they have done. Perhaps the munitions ship does not even exist and all of those cables were fakes! Verdammte! Stay there, observe, I’ll wake the others and get them here. We must plan. We must hit them before they discover that their little ruse has been discovered.”
Klaus clicked off the light and smiled into the darkness. The Doctor would appreciate him even more after this night’s business was over. He had uncovered a plot of some kind and would help to set things straight. After this had been done there would be gratitude and Klaus would see to it that it was financial gratitude in a large measure. Enough to buy a house, a barn, a few horses, some women. The future was going to be very, very good indeed.
He eased the door open a crack to look out into the empty corridor. Nothing. He held it that way, patiently, for a long time. He would stay on watch until he saw something or the Doctor phoned him back. He was on watch, on guard, defending his comrades. It was like the war again….
There was the sound of approaching footsteps and the mutter of men’s voices. He eased the door shut until they had passed, then opened it. There were two of them and they were using a key to let themselves into the Paraguayan suite. They only stayed a few minutes;
Klaus saw their faces clearly when they left. He hurried to the phone; Wielgus picked it up on the first ring.
“Two men,” Klaus said. “They went into the other suite, then left again. South Americans. It is very interesting, sir…. “
“What do you mean? Speak up.”
Klaus smiled, pleased with himself. “One of the men I have never seen before, though I am sure he is not with either government party. The other man, I have seen his picture often in Uruguay^ His name is Josep and he is the leader of the revolutionaries, the Tupamaros.”
“You are absolutely sure? Positive?”
“Without a doubt. My life upon it.”
“Then it can only mean one thing.” Seething anger filled Wielgus; his teeth grated together so loudly with uncontrollable rage that Klaus could hear the sound at the other end of the telephone conversation.
“This entire operation has been penetrated, spied upon by the resistance forces — and now they have captured these stupid play-acting politicians! They are after the diamonds, the arms ship, who knows — they must want everything. They shall not get it, Klaus. All they will get is a bullet. Stay there. Do you have a gun with you?”
“No, I’m sorry…”
“We’ll bring you one. We will hit them now, instantly, before they discover that they have been found out. Wait for us.”
Klaus, again at the door, heard his comrades coming down the corridor a few minutes later. He hurried silently to meet them.
“Nothing changed,” he reported.
“Good,” Wielgus said. He handed Klaus a pistol. His face was grim; the same expression mirrored by the four Nazis who stood behind him. “I have thought about what we must do while we were on the way here. I will knock on the door and say that I must talk to Stroessner about the arms shipment at once. They will open the door. You will take care of whoever opens the door____”
“It is dangerous,” Klaus protested. “One of the others must go in your place.”
“No. This is my responsibility. Come! Before we lose the advantage of surprise.”
Klaus stood out of sight to one side as Wielgus knocked on the door, again and again. A voice finally asked in Spanish what was going on.
“It is Doctor Wielgus. I must see the General at once.”
“I am afraid that he is asleep…. “
“I don’t care. Open now, immediately.”
After a short hesitation the lock rattled and the door opened a crack. The room was dark beyond. The Army Sergeant from Stroessner’s party looked out at them.
“I’m sorry, Doctor, but everyone is asleep. I had specific orders…. “
He stopped as Klaus’s gun appeared over Wielgus’s shoulder, pointing him straight in the face.
“Hands in sight,” Wielgus ordered. “Walk backward. One wrong twitch and you are dead.”
They moved into the room. The lights came on and the armed Germans rushed in after them. Admiral Marquez was staring at them, tied to a chair with a gag in his mouth, his wounded aide unconscious on the floor beside him.
“How very interesting,” Wielgus said, looking about. “Watch this man closely. Guard the door, no one to enter — no matter what the excuse. Come, Klaus, we will look in the other room. I’m sure we will find something just as interesting in there as we did here!”
25
The roaring of the flame stopped as the engine room rating turned off the acetylene torch.
“That does it,” he said. “As neat a job as if I were trained in the profession. Maybe I ought to take it up as a trade after we make port. Robbing safes can’t be more dangerous than this blinking voyage…. “
“Stand aside,” Josep ordered, pulling the sailor’s shoulder. The heavy steel door of the vault was still glowing red from the torch, but the entire locking mechanism had been cut away.