‘The answer used to be to go in at an angle,’ Tom picked up again. ‘Drill in above or to the side of the hardplate and get at the lock pack that way. So the high-end safes now have a re-locker mechanism. A plate of tempered glass that shatters if you try to drill through it, releasing a set of randomly located bolts which lock the safe out completely. Some of them are even thermal, so that they trigger if you try and use a torch or plasma cutter.’
‘So you can’t open it?’ Given what she’d just heard, it seemed like a fair, if depressing conclusion.
‘Everything can be opened, given the right equipment and enough time,’ Archie reassured her. ‘You just need to know where to drill.’
‘Manufacturers build in a drill point to most types of safes,’ Tom explained, running his hand across the safe’s metal surface as if trying to divine its location. ‘A specific place where locksmiths can more easily drill through the door and, for a safe like this, a hole in the glass plate to get at the lock. They vary by make and model, and if you get it wrong…’
‘You trigger the re-lockers.’ Allegra nodded in understanding.
‘Drill-point diagrams are the most closely guarded secret in the locksmithing world,’ Archie sighed, before turning to face Tom. ‘We’ll have to get them off Raj.’
‘Who’s Raj?’ She asked.
‘Raj Dhutta. A locksmith we know. One of the best.’
‘It’s too late for that.’ Tom shook his head. ‘Even if he could get it to us in time, it would still take hours to drill through the hardplate with the kit I’ve got.’
‘Then your only option is a side entry.’ Archie dragged three crates out of the way to give them access to the safe’s flanks.
‘And then in through the change-key hole,’ Tom said.
‘You what?’ Archie gave a disbelieving, almost nervous laugh.
‘It’ll take too long to drill back through into the lock pack. It’s the only way in the time we’ve got.’
‘What’s a change-key hole?’ Allegra asked with a frown. Hardplate. Re-locker. Change-key. Part of her wondered if they were deliberately tossing in these terms to confuse her.
Dominique interrupted before Tom could answer, breathing heavily as she hauled Tom’s equipment bag behind her.
‘Did you get lost?’ Tom asked, surprised it had taken her so long.
‘I got out at two by mistake,’ she panted. ‘I was banging on the door like an idiot until I realised that I was on the wrong floor. They all look the same.’
‘And there was me thinking your new boyfriend was showing you his torch,’ said Archie, grinning.
‘I’ll bet it’s bigger than yours,’ she retorted, screwing her face into an exaggerated smile.
‘Stop it you two,’ Tom said as he knelt down and unzipped the bag, and then carefully lifted out the magnetic drill rig.
‘What about all that?’ Allegra asked, nodding towards the paperwork in the third room.
‘What about it?’ Archie frowned.
‘It’s evidence. Proof of every deal the Delian League has ever done. We can’t just leave it.’
‘Why not?’
‘Because this isn’t just about Santos and Faulks. There’s enough in there to bring the whole organisation down and implicate everyone who has ever dealt with them.’
‘Have you seen how much of that shit there is?’ Archie snorted.
‘We could photograph some it,’ she suggested. ‘We’ve got three hours. That’s more than enough…’
‘Two hours,’ Dominique corrected her.
‘What?’ Tom’s head snapped round. ‘You said…’
‘According to his calendar, Faulks just cancelled his last meeting,’ she explained, holding up her phone. ‘That means he could be here any time after three.’
‘Shit,’ Archie swore, then shot Tom a questioning glance. ‘Can you do it?’
‘No way.’ Tom shook his head emphatically, running his fingers distractedly through his hair. ‘It’s a three-hour job. Two and a half if we’re lucky.’
‘Then we need to buy you some more time,’ Archie said. ‘Find a way to keep Faulks away from here until we’ve finished.’
There was a long, painful silence, Tom glaring at the safe door as if it was somehow to blame for the change in Faulks’s schedule, Dominique flexing her fingers where they’d gone stiff from dragging the bag.
‘Come on,’ Archie snorted eventually. ‘Nothing? Anyone?’
‘Can you get to the surveillance cameras?’ Allegra asked.
‘The patch panel’s probably next to the server room downstairs,’ Dominique said with a nod. ‘Why?’
‘It’s just…I might have an idea. Well, it was your idea really.’
‘My idea?’ Dominique looked surprised, the brusque tone she’d reserved for Allegra up until now softening just a fraction.
‘Only it’ll never work.’
‘Perfect!’ Archie grinned. ‘The best ideas never do.’
SEVENTY-ONE
Free Port, Geneva 20th March – 3.22 p.m.
‘What did you think?’ Verity asked, fixing her lipstick in the mirror.
‘Which one?’
The Bentley tacked into the warehouse car park, the chassis leaning gracefully into the bend.
‘Sekhmet. The Egyptian lion goddess.’
‘Oh, that one,’ Faulks sniffed, looking disinterestedly out of the window.
‘Don’t go all shy on me.’ Verity glanced across, wiping the corner of her mouth where she had smudged it slightly. ‘What did you think?’
‘I don’t like to bad-mouth the competition,’ Faulks gave a small shake of his head as the car glided to a halt.
‘Liar!’ Verity laughed. ‘You thought it was a fake, didn’t you?’
‘Well, didn’t you?’ He threw his hands up in exasperation. ‘And not even a very good one. The base was far too short.’
‘Are we here?’ Verity glanced up at the ware-house’s rusted façade with a dubious expression.
‘Don’t sound so disappointed,’ Faulks laughed. ‘Most people don’t even know I have this place, let alone get to come inside.’
‘In that case I’m honoured.’ She smiled.
‘Anyway, I’m moving. They’re knocking it down. It’s a shame, really. I’ve been here almost since I started. Grown quite attached to it over the years.’
‘I never took you for a romantic, Earl,’ she teased.
‘Oh, I’m an incurable romantic,’ he protested. ‘Just as long as there are no people involved.’
Logan stepped round and opened her door. But as Verity went to get out, Faulks placed his hand on her arm.
‘Can you give me five minutes? I just want to make sure everything’s set up.’
‘Of course.’ She sat back with an indulgent smile although there was no disguising the impatience in her voice. ‘There are a few calls I need to make anyway.’
Nodding his thanks, he led Logan inside where they both signed in.
‘New tenants, Stefan?’ Faulks asked, surprised to see four names above his.
The guard checked that no one else was listening then leaned forward with a grin.
‘Just until the end of the month,’ he whispered excitedly. ‘They’re making a porno and wanted somewhere…discreet. You should see the two girls they’ve got! The director said I could go and watch them shoot a couple of scenes later this week.’
Faulks mustered a thin smile.
‘How nice for you.’
They rode the lift to the third floor and traced a familiar path round to corridor thirteen, stopping outside Faulk’s suite. Unlocking the door, he stepped inside and then stopped.
‘That’s funny,’ he muttered.
‘What?’ Logan followed him inside, immediately alert.
‘The alarm’s off. I was sure I’d…’
Logan drew his gun and stepped protectively in front of him.
‘Wait here.’
Treading carefully, he stepped over to the door to the middle room, eased it open and then peered inside. His gun dropped.