“I know his wife,” said Leiberwitz. “I know Rebecca.”
“I suppose you would.”
“I’m godfather, to Yatzik.”
“He’s told me about Rebecca. And the children,” said Karen.
“He’s sacrificed the right to expect to be in charge.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“I want you to know what you’ve cost him.”
“But he is still in charge, isn’t he?”
“Here maybe,” said Leiberwitz. “He might not be later.”
Four miles away, in the Grand Hotel du Cours in the town of Sisteron, Deaken looked angrily at Swart and said, “They’re moving, for Christ’s sake! The freighter’s gone and now they’ve got lorries at the villa. How much longer are we going to wait?”
“Soon now,” soothed the South African, unhappy at the way they were using the man.
Mitri came with his customary discreet quietness into the stateroom to give Azziz the message that had been relayed from the Hydra Star. The Arab scanned it, then looked up at Grearson and Marinetti. “They’ve received instructions,” he said. “They’ve got to go to Toulon. A berth has been scheduled for them there.”
“They won’t do anything until they’re sure the boy’s OK,” said Marinetti. “They’re the best trained group of guys I’ve come across.”
Grearson turned at the sound of the departing tender.
“Carole and the other girls talked about spending a couple of days ashore shopping,” said Azziz. “I thought it best to get them out of the way.”
Grearson hoped Carole wouldn’t be gone too long; after this was over, he wanted to relax.
35
Kahane was facing the door and saw him first, starting up with concern, then the others turned and Greening said, “What happened?”
On the way back to Sisteron the cut over Levy’s eye had begun to bleed again and he had completed the journey with a handkerchief over the wound.
“He made a break,” said Levy.
“So you needed help there too?” said Leibenwitz.
“He’s where he should be, waiting to be freed,” said Levy, irritated by the constant challenging. Azziz had started to cry when he had realized that he was to be left alone without help, the defiance going at last. Levy couldn’t shake off the feeling of sickness at abandoning him. His only concern was to hurry now, so that the boy could be released.
“Everything’s ready,” said Kahane. “Lorries gassed up… everything.”
“Where’s the woman?”
“She’s safe and untouched,” said Leiberwitz. He paused and then said, “No one else wanted to.”
Levy moved forward, instantly aware of Leiberwitz tensing, wanting a physical confrontation. He stopped, fighting for control. Leiberwitz smiled, as aware as everyone else in the room of the retreat.
“She’s necessary for what is to happen,” said Levy.
“We know how necessary she is,” sneered Leiberwitz.
It was a childlike exchange but he was losing ground. Levy realized, and there was already sufficient disarray among them. “The freighter is coming into Toulon,” he announced.
There was a stir among the group, breaking the tension between Levy and Leiberwitz.
Levy went on, “We only want the small arms, rifles, the rockets and the launchers. According to Underberg, the Marriv is at berth thirty-eight. There’ll be people there waiting. Underberg’s people. The guns are coming into berth twenty.”
The attention upon him now was absolute and Levy decided they were back under control-everyone except Leiberwitz.
“Will there be any resistance?” asked Greening.
Levy shook his head. “That’s why the boy’s been moved; and why only the girl is going to know where he is. Azziz has been warned that you don’t know anything… that it would be pointless putting up a fight, because only his son will suffer.”
“You know,” said Leiberwitz. “Aren’t you coming to the docks?”
“Not immediately,” said Levy. “But I’m coming. 1 don’t want anything to start until I get there.”
“So who decided you wouldn’t break under pressure?”
“Haven’t we other people to fight?” said Levy. There was so much more to do and already he felt very tired.
“Sure you’ll still be able to?” persisted Leiberwitz.
“Yes,” snapped Levy. “I’ll be able to.” Already the boy had been chained in the house at Allauch for three hours. “Let’s get going,” he said, trying to indicate an energy he didn’t feel.
Obediently they all stood, except Leiberwitz.
“Aren’t you up to it?” said Levy, scoring.
The other man hurried to his feet. “We’ll see soon enough,” he said.
“Remember,” warned Levy, stopping them at the door. “I don’t want any approach to the freighter until I get there.”
Leiberwitz looked to Levy, towards the stairway and then back to Levy again. “I’ll be there,” he said. “Will you?”
Levy remained in the downstairs room while the lorries reversed out onto the road and then accelerated away. At the foot of the stairway he halted, hand against the balustrade, thinking back to Leiberwitz’s question. Throughout all the planning and preparation he had never had any doubts. But now he did. He wasn’t sure he wanted to fight.
Levy sighed and began climbing the stairs.
“This is it!” said Swart, as soon as he learned of the lorries’ departure. The people with him were already briefed, moving at once to their cars. The man he had sent for Deaken caught up with Swart in the car park.
“He’s not in his room, and I can’t find him anywhere in the hotel.”
“Damn!” said the Director.
“His wife’s still at the house,” said the observer who had returned with the news about the lorries. “Just one man with her, as far as we could guess.”
“We’ve still got a car at the house?” said Swart.
“Yes.”
“It’s the weapons shipment that’s important. That’s what we’re here for.”
“What about Deaken?”
Swart only hesitated for a moment.
Then he said, “Leave him. Nothing can happen to her if we’ve got the house covered.”
36
Deaken decided he had been stupid to believe their promises. They’d never intended to help him. They just wanted to use him, like every other bastard had wanted to use him since the whole thing began. No one gave a damn about Karen. Not Azziz or Grearson or his father or Muller or Swart. No one. Bastards, all of them. He didn’t need them; didn’t need any fucking one of them.
Despite the burning anger, Deaken still moved carefully along the road, sure that once Swart noticed his absence from the hotel he would try to intercept, to prevent any interference with their plan of campaign. Bugger them.
There was only one thing that mattered, that had ever mattered. Getting Karen back. He had much to apologize to her for, he knew. The ridiculous, unnecessary delays-days when he should have acted instead of letting other people take control.
He walked, alert to the slightest danger, twice jumping sideways and concealing himself behind the bordering hedge to avoid being spotted by any passing car. On the third occasion a whole cavalcade roared by and when Deaken risked a glance it was too late to confirm whether it was the South Africans looking for him.
He wished he had a gun; but he didn’t imagine any of the people he had seen issued with them would have been careless enough to leave one lying around. But then he didn’t know how to use a gun. He didn’t know anything about safety catches and cocking mechanisms or automatic firing. So how was he going to get her away? Deaken was forced to accept that he didn’t know. Just that somehow he would.
The ground dipped and then rose again to provide a vantage point from which to observe the hollow where the house lay. Trees obscured it up to the roofline. The road and the distant knoll from which he knew the South Africans kept observation were completely hidden; but Deaken realized that by cutting away from the road he would be able to make his approach without being visible to anyone. And the gathering darkness would help too.