The Danger. Part 23

Iwould,anddid,andheansweredimmediately.Whataterrificchange,Ithought fleetingly,frommydisasterwithPucinelli'ssecond-in-command, "Canyourmenworkatnight?"Isaid.

"Ofcourse."

"Tonyfoundthekidnappers,"Isaid.

"Idon'tbelieveit!"

"Itshouldbepossibleforyoutoarrestthem."

"Wherearethey?"

"Er,"Isaid."Theyareextremelyalert,watchingforanysignofpolice activity.Ifyouturnuptheretoosoonitwouldbecurtainsfortheboy.So wouldyou...um...actonoursuggestions,withoutquestioningthem,andpositively, absolutelynotalteringtheplaninanyway?"

Therewasafairpause,thenhesaid,"AmIallowedtoapprovethisplan,or not?"

"Er...not."

Anotherpause."Takeitorleaveit?"

"I'mafraidso."

"Hm."Hedeliberated."Thekidnappersonyourterms,ornotatall?"

"Yes,"Isaid.

"Ihopeyouknowwhatyou'redoing,laddie."

"Mm,"Isaid.

Afinalpause,thenhesaid,"You'reon.Allright.What'stheplan?"

"Youneedenoughmentoarrestatleastthreepeople,"Isaid."Canyougetthem toyourChichestermainpolicestationbyoneinthemorning?"

"Certainly."Hesoundedalmostaffronted."Plainclothesorinuniform?"

"Idon'tthinkitwillmatter."

"Armedornot?"

"It'suptoyou.Wedon'tknowifthekidnappershaveguns."

"Right.Andwherearemymentogo?"

"I'llcallyouwithdirectionsafteroneo'clock."

Hesnorted."Notverytrusting,areyou?"

"Idotrustyou,"Isaid."OtherwiseIwouldn'tbesettingthisupforyouat all."

"Well,well,"hesaid."Theironmaninthekidglove,justasIrather suspected.Allright,laddie,yourtrustwon'tbemisplaced,andI'llplayfair withyou.AndI'lltearthebothofyoutoshredsifyoubungleit."

"It'sadeal,"Isaidthankfully."I'llcallyouatthestation."

IwentbacktothewatertowaitbutheardnosqueakfromTony;andlongafter ithadgrowndarkIdrovetowherewe'dagreedtomeet,andtransferredhimand hisequipmentfromboattocar.

"Theysimmereddownabitinthehouse,"hesaid."Theyhadaphonecallfrom Peter,whoeverheis,andthatseemedtosteadythemabit.PityIcouldn'thave fixedataponthetelephone.Anyway,Peterapparentlytoldthemtocarryon withthelookoutandnotdumptheboyunlesstheycouldseethepoliceoutside."

Hegrinned."WhichIhopetheywon'teffingdo."

"No."Istowedthepowerpacksintheboatbesidealargeamorphouscanvasbag.

"OurfriendEaglerpromised.Also..."Ihesitated,"I'vethoughtofanother safeguard."

"Tricky,aren'twe?"Tonysaid,whenItoldhim."Butyes,wecan'tafforda b.a.l.l.s-up.Wantanutbar?Goodasdinner."

Iateanutbarandwesatquietlyandwaited,andagoodwhileafterone o'clockItelephonedtoEaglerandtoldhimwhenandwheretobring-and conceal-hismen.

"Tellthemtobesilent,"Isaid."Notjustquiet.Silent.Notalking.Nonoisy feet.Absolutelysilent."

"Allright."

"Waitforus,forTonyandme.Wewillcometomeetyou.Wemaybealongtime afteryougetthere,we'renotsure.Butpleasewait.Waitinsilence."

"That'sallyou'retellingme?"hesaiddoubtfully.

"We'lltellyoutherestwhenwemeetyou.But.i.t'sessentialtogetthetiming right...sow.i.l.l.youwait?"

"Yes,"hesaid,makinguphismind.

"Good.We'llseeyou,then."

IputthereceiverdownandTonynoddedwithsatisfaction.

"Allright,then,"hesaid."Howareyournerves?"

"Lousy.Howareyours?"

"Tobehonest,"hesaid,"whenI'mdoingthissortofthingIfeeltwiceas aliveasusual."

IdroveusgentlybacktoItchenorandparkedinarowofcarsroundthecorner fromthekidnappers'house.Therewasonlyonestreetlamp,weakandawayona corner,whichpleasedTonyparticularly,ashewantedtimeforustodevelop nightvision.Heproducedatubeofmakeupandblackedhisfaceandhands,andI tunedintothebugsagainforafinalcheckup.

Therewasnonoisefromeitherofthem.

Ilookedatmywatch.Two-fifteen.Eagler'smenwereduetobeinpositionby two-thirty.Withluckthekidnapperswouldbeasleep.

"Blackyourface,"Tonysaid,givingmethetube."Don'tforgetyoureyelids.If youhearanyonewalkingalongthestreet,squatinacornerandcloseyoureyes.

It'salmostimpossibletoseeanyoneintheshadowswho'sdoingthat.Standing upandmovingwithyoureyesopenandgleaming,that'splayingsillyb.u.g.g.e.rs."

"Allright."

"Andbepatient.Silencetakestime."

"Yes."

Hegrinnedsuddenly,thewhiteteethsatanicinthedarkenedface."What'sthe goodofyearsoftrainingifyouneverputthemtoeffinguse?"

Wegotoutofthecarintothequietdesertedstreet,andfromthelarge shapelesscanvasbaginthetrunkTonyextractedhisintricateandlovingly tendedharness.Iheldthesuppleblackmaterialforhimwhileheslidhisarms throughthearmholesandfastenedthefrontfromwaisttoneckwithazip.It changedhisshapefromlithenormalitytoimitationhunchback,thepowerpacks onhisshoulderslumpyandgrotesque.

Theharnessitselfwasama.s.sofpockets,bothpatchedonandhanging,each containingsomethingessentialforTony'spurpose.Everythingwasinpockets becausethingswhichweremerelyclippedon,asinaclimber'sharness,clinked andjingledandalsothrewoffgleamsoflight.EverythingTonyusedwasmatt blackandifpossiblecoveredinslightlytackybinding,foragoodgrip.I'd beenutterlyfascinatedthefirsttimehe'dshownmehiskit,andhadalsofelt privileged,ashekept.i.tsveryexistenceprivatefrommostofthepartners,for feartheywouldbanitsuse.

"O.K.?"hesaid.

Inodded.Heseemedtohavenotroublebreathing,butmyownlungsappearedto havestopped.Hehadgonein,though,withhisbarehandsinmanyalandwhere tobediscoveredwasdeath,andIdaresayacaperinanEnglishseasidevillage seemedapicnicbesidethose.

Hepressedaninvisiblek.n.o.bsomewhereupbyhisneck,andtherewasasmall m.u.f.fledwhineasthepowercameon,steadyingtoafainthissinaudibleattwo paces.

"Fine,then,"hesaid."Bringthebag."

Itookthecanvasbagoutofthetrunkandquietlyshutandlockedthecar.Then withoutanyfusswewalkedinourblackclothesasfarasthecorner,whereTony seemedtomeltsuddenlyintoshadowanddisappear.Icountedtenasagreed,slid tomyknees,andwithcautionandthumpinghearttookmyfirstdimviewofthe target.

"Alwayskneel,"Tonyhadsaid."Lookoutslookatheadheight,notnearthe ground."

Thehouse'spavedgarden,weed-grown,wasinfrontofme,butdimlyperceived, evenwithnight-accustomedeyes."Movetothehousewall,ontherighthand side,"Tonyhadsaid."Benddouble,headdown.Whenyougetthere,standup, facethewall,stayinanydeepshadowyoucanfind."

"Right."

Ifollowedhisinstructions,andnooneshouted,noonesetupaclamorinthe house.

AbovemeonthewallIcouldsee,lookingup,adarkirregularshadowwhereno onewouldexpectamantobe.NooneexceptpeoplelikeTony,whowasclimbing thebarewallswithsuckerclampsfastenedonbyabatterypoweredvacuumpump.

Tonywhocouldgoupatowerblock,forwhomtwostorieswereadoddle.

Iseemedallthesametowaitforseveralcenturies,myheartthuddinginmy chest.Noonewalkedalongtheroad;noinsomniacs,nopeoplehumoring importunatedogs.Suss.e.x-by-the-Seawasfastasleepanddreaming,withonly policemen,LibertyMarketandperhapskidnapperswideawake.

Somethinghitmegentlyintheface.Iputmyhanduptocatchitandfastened myfingersroundthedanglinglengthofblacknylonrope.

"Tiethebagon,givetheropetwotugs,I'llpullitup,"Tonyhadsaid.

Iobeyedhisinstructions,andthecanvasholdalldisappearedintothedarkness above.

Iwaited,heartracingworsethanever.Thensuddenlythebagwasdownwithme again,butheavy,notempty.Itookitintomyarmsandgavetwomoretugson therope.Theropeitselfdroppeddownintotheshadowsroundmyfeet,andI begantopullitinawkwardly,myarmsfullofbag.

Ididn'thearTonycomedown.Hisskillwastrulyamazing.Onesecondhewasn't there,thenextmomenthewas,stowingthelastofthereleasedclampsinto voluminouspockets.HefeltfortheropeIwastryingtowindinandhadit collectedintotheholdallinaflash.Thenhetouchedmeonthearm,andwe bothleftthescrubbygarden,mehuncheddoubleovermyburdenandTonyalready slidingoutofhisharness.Onceintheroadandoutofanypossiblesightof thehouseIstooduprightandgraspedthebagbybothhandles,carryingitin onehandasonenormallywould.

"Here,"Tonysaidquietly."Rubthisoveryourface."Hegavemesomethingmoist andcold,asortofsponge,withwhichIwipedawayagooddealoftheblacking, andIcouldseethathetoowasdoingthesame.

Wereachedthecaronsilentfeet.

"Don'tslamthedoors,"Tonysaid,dumpinghisharnessontothefrontpa.s.senger seat."We'llclosethemproperlylater."

"O.K."

Itookthebagwithmeintotherea.r.s.eatsandremoveditspreciouscontents: oneverysmallboy,kneesbenttohischest,lyingonhisback,withcoilsof blacknylonropefallingoverhislegs.Hewasmorethannormallyasleepbutnot totallyunconscious:unwakablydrowsy.Uncombedblond-browncurlsoutlinedhis head,andacross.h.i.+smouththerewasawidebandofmedicatedstickytape.I wrappedhimintherugIalwayskeptinthecar,andlaidhimalongtheback seat.

"Here,"Tonysaid,pa.s.singmeabottleandatinyclothoverfromthefront seats,"this'llcleantheadhesiveoff."

"Didtheydothis?"Isaid.

"No,Idid.Couldn'triskthekidwakingupandbawling."Hestartedthecarand droveoffinonefluidmovement,andIpulledtheplasteroffgentlyandcleaned thestickinessaway.

"Hewasasleep,"Tonysaid,"butIgavehimawhiffofether.Notenoughtoput himrightout.Howdoeshelook?"

"Dopey."

"Fairenough."

HedrovequietlytowhereI'dtoldEaglertotakehismen,whichwastoanother oftheelevenhousesonhislist;totheonewhichhadhadtheelectronic antiburglardevice,agoodhalfmileaway.

Tonystoppedthecarshortoftheplace,thengotoutandwalkedoff,and presentlyreturnedwithEaglerhimself,alone.WhenIsawthemcomingIgotout ofthecarmyself,andforamomentinthedimlightEaglerlookedbitterly disappointed.

"Don'tworry,"Isaid."He'shere,inthecar."

EaglerbenttolookasIopenedareardoorgently,andthen,relieved, straightenedup."We'retakinghimstraighttohismother,"Isaid."Shecanget herowndoctor.Onetheboyknows."

"But..."

"n.o.buts,"Isaid."Whatheabsolutelydoesn'twantisapolicestationfullof brightlights,loudvoices,anda.s.sortedofficials.Fair'sfair,wegottheboy, yougetthekidnappers.Youalsogetthemediacoverage,ifyoudon'tmind.We wantourtwoselvesandLibertyMarketleftoutofitcompletely.We'reuseful onlyaslongaswe'reunknown,bothtothegeneralpublicandespeciallytoall prospectivekidnappers."

"Allright,laddie,"hesaid,listeningandcapitulatingpaternally."I'llstick tothebargain.Wheredowego?"

Tonygavehimdirections.

"Ileftacanisteroftear-gasthere,"hesaidcheerfully."Itookitasa precaution,butIdidn'tneeditmyself.Ithadatimeronit."Helookedathis watch."Iset.i.ttogooffsevenminutesfromnow.There'senoughinittofill thehouse,moreorless,soifyouwaitanotherfivetotenminutesyoushould haveaniceeasytask.TheairwillbeO.K.tobreatheaboutthen,b.u.t.their eyeswillbestreaming...thatis,iftheyhaven'talreadycomeout."

Eaglerlistenedenigmatically,neitherobjectingnorcommending.

"Thekidwasonthetopfloor,"Tonysaid."Hewaswearingoneofthoseharness thingstheyputinprams.Hewastiedtothebedwithit.Icut.i.toffhim,it's stillthere.Alsothere'ssomefloorboardsup.MindyourP.C.sdon'tfalldown thehole.G.o.dknowswherethey'dgetto."Hefishedintothecarandbrought fiveca.s.settetapesoutoftheglovecompartment."Thesemakegoodlistening.

Youplaythemtoourfriendswhenyouhavetheminthenick.Noone'sgoingto confesswheretheycamefrom.Buggingotherpeople'sconversationsain't gentlemanly.AndrewandIneversawtheserecordingsbefore."

Eaglertookthetapes,lookingfaintlybemused.

"That'saboutallthen,"Tonysaid."Happyhunting."

Heslidintothecarbehindthesteeringwheel,andbeforeIfollowedhim,I saidtoEagler,"Thekidnappers'leaderisduetojointhemtomorrowortheday after.Idon'tsupposehe'llcome,now,buthemighttelephone...ifthenews doesn'tbreaktoosoon."

EaglerbentdownasImaneuveredmyselfintotherea.r.s.eat."Thanks,laddie,"he said.