Red Alert (5 page)

A year later he and Sabrina were on a stakeout at the Marseilles docks when they came under fire from the drug smugglers they had been watching. He was hit in the spine, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down. He was given a senior position at the Command Centre after his release from hospital, and was promoted to head the European operation when his predecessor was killed in a car crash. He was widely tipped to become the next UNACO Director when Philpott retired in four years' time. That had already given rise to speculation that Kolchinsky would replace him in Zurich with Whitlock taking over as deputy director when he was retired from the field, also in four years' time.

'Hello, C.W.,' Rust said when Whitlock entered the room.

'Jacques,' Whitlock replied, his handshake formal rather than friendly.

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'I'll leave you two to it,' Carmen said, emerging from the kitchen where she had put the roses in some water.

'Where are you going?' Whitlock asked.

'Does it matter?' she retorted.

'Of course it matters,' Whitlock shot back. 'I don't want you walking the streets by yourself at this time of night.'

'He's right, Carmen,' Rust said to her. 'This part of the city's crawling with pickpockets and bag-snatchers.'

'Don't worry, I don't intend to walk the streets by myself.' She looked at Whitlock. 'You know where I'll be. If, of course, you remember our honeymoon.'

'You know where she's going?' Rust asked once Carmen had left the room.

Whitlock nodded. 'There's a small bistro not far from here on the rue de Crenelle. We ate there most nights when we were here on our honeymoon. It's ironic, isn't it? We started our marriage in this room, now it looks like we're going to end it here as well.'

'Don't talk like that, C.W. - '

'Like what?' Whitlock cut in sharply, his eyes blazing. 'You know damn well why our marriage is in such a mess. She wants me out of the firing line at UNACO, I want to stay because I know I have a future with the organization. We chose Paris as neutral ground. No fights. No UNACO. Three weeks to try and save our marriage. What happens? Three days after we get here you call to say that I'm on a Code Red standby. All leave's been cancelled. She's got every right to be mad, Jacques. Every right.'

Rust nodded sombrely. 'I know what you're saying, C.W., but we have to use Strike Force Three. More to the point, we have to use you.'

Whitlock sighed deeply and patted Rust on the shoulder. 'I'm sorry, Jacques, I didn't mean to fly off the

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handle at you like that. I know we wouldn't have been recalled unless the situation was critical. It's just so frustrating not being able to make Carmen understand that.'

'I don't like it any more than you do, C.W. You know how fond I am of Carmen. I hate to see the two of you like this.'

'I know,' Whitlock said softly, then sat on the edge of the bed. 'What's the assignment?'

Rust told him about the breakin at the plant, the stolen vial, Ubrino's demands and the death of Zocchi. 'Mike and Sabrina will be handling that side of the case. You're going undercover. We received a report today to say that Wiseman's brother is out for revenge. He's already hired a gunman to find his brother's killer.' He took a blue folder from his attache case, opened it, and handed a photograph to Whitlock. 'That's the wheelman he wants to use. His name's Reuben Alexander, a Londoner of Jamaican extraction. You're going to take his place.'

'But I don't look anything like him. All we've got in common is that we're black.'

'Alexander's camera-shy. In fact, he takes it to extremes. That's why we think you'll be able to pull it off without any hitches. That's a police photograph you've got there. And it's the only one they've got, apart from his official mugshots.'

'I take it Wiseman's never met him?'

Rust shook his head. 'Wiseman only put the scheme together when he heard of his brother's murder. Alexander's been in custody for the past fortnight. He's due in court tomorrow. That's when they intend to spring him.'

'I don't get it, Jacques. Why not just have Wiseman and this gunman picked up until we've recovered the vial?'

'On what charge? All we have is the word of an in43

former. Richard Wiseman is a three-star general. He also happens to be one of America's most decorated war heroes. If we pulled him in without any evidence we'd have the Pentagon down on us like a ton of bricks. We have to keep this whole thing as quiet as possible. Imagine the pandemonium if word ever got out about the vial. This way we can make sure that Wiseman won't get under our feet. It's imperative that Ubrino's given as wide a berth as possible if we're to have any chance of recovering the vial.'

'Who's the gunman?'

'His name's Vie Young. They served in Vietnam together. That's all we know about him at the moment. We're having him checked out, the information will be waiting for you by the time you reach London.'

Whitlock handed the photograph back to Rust. 'Who's my contact in London?'

'A Major Lonsdale of Scotland Yard's antiterrorist squad.'

'Aren't we handling the switch ourselves?'

'Now, the British authorities wouldn't hear of it. It was either the antiterrorist squad, or nothing. We had no choice. Lonsdale will brief you further once you get to London.'

'What time's my flight?'

'Ten o'clock.'

Whitlock checked his watch. 'It's gone seven-thirty already. You'll have to excuse me, Jacques, I still have to break the news to Carmen.'

'Go on,' Rust said softly. Til see myself out.'

They shook hands, then Whitlock grabbed the key off the dresser and left the room. He took the lift to the foyer, handed in the key, then emerged out into the cool nig! air and strode briskly to the bistro a hundred yards away

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on the rue de Crenelle. It was exactly as he remembered it. The whitewashed exterior walls, the green and white awning over the entrance and the umbrella-shaded tables spilling out on to the pavement. He went inside. It was ,- packed. Carmen sat at the counter, tracing her finger absently around the rim of her empty glass.

'Can I buy madame another drink?' he asked over her shoulder.

'That's the fourth offer I've had since I came in,' she replied.

'What Frenchman can resist a beautiful woman?' he said, trying to catch the barman's attention. 'What time are you leaving?' 'My flight's at ten o'clock. I'm sorry -- ' 'Save it, I've heard it all before,' she interceded, snap| ping her fingers to catch the barman's attention. She asked \ him to refill her glass. I 'Monsieur?' the barman asked Whitlock. I 'The gentleman was just leaving,' she answered. When I the barman had gone she turned to Whitlock. 'Thanks for I the second honeymoon, all three days of it. I suppose I \ should be grateful it lasted that long.' | 'Carmen - '

'Leave me alone!'

He kissed her on the cheek. There was nothing he could say.

She stared ahead of her as he left the bistro. She was damned if she would give him the satisfaction of seeing the tears in her eyes.

45

THREE

Tuesday

The BA 707 touched down at Heathrow at midnight, ten minutes behind schedule. Whitlock took a taxi to the address in East Acton he had been given in his brief. It turned out to be a red-brick bungalow with a low wooden fence running the length of a small, neat garden. The gate squeaked as he opened it. An old intelligence trick. He instinctively looked around. The street was deserted. He took a key from his pocket and unlocked the front door, dumping his overnight bag at the foot of the hallstand. He switched the light on and took in the unobtrusive patterned carpet, the pale-blue walls and the framed photograph of the Queen which hung between the two doors to his right. The first door led into a lounge. The second led into a bedroom. He glanced at his watch. 12.45. He had no idea when the antiterrorist squad were going to brief him. Tonight? Tomorrow morning? It was up to them to contact him. He certainly wasn't going to wait up for them. He picked up his overnight bag and j headed for the bedroom, turning on the light at the wall j switch as he went in.

The man in the armchair facing the door was in his j mid-thirties with a pale complexion and cropped blond ' hair. The automatic in his right hand was aimed at the j centre of Whitlock's chest.

Whitlock recognized it as a Browning high power, al favourite handgun of the British special forces. He dumped]

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his bag on the bed. 'Are Scotland Yard's antiterrorist squad always so cordial to foreign visitors, Major Lonsdale?'

The man picked up a photograph of Whitlock from the table beside him, looked at it, then put it down again, laying the Browning on top of it. 'You can never be too careful these days,' he said with a grin, then got to his feet, hand extended. 'George Lonsdale.'

Whitlock shook his hand.

'Your accent intrigues me,' Lonsdale said. 'Eton? Harrow?'

'Nothing so grand, I'm afraid. Radley.'

'Really? I'm an Old Etonian myself.' Lonsdale clapped his hands together. 'Well, how much have you been told about the London operation?'

'Only that you'd be my contact once I got here.'

'I guessed as much. Let's go through to the lounge, we can discuss the details in there.' Lonsdale slipped the Browning into his shoulder holster then picked up a folder from the table and led the way. He switched on the light and indicated the drinks cabinet in the corner of the room. 'What's your poison?'

'I wouldn't say no to a scotch and soda. No ice.'

'Coming up,' Lonsdale replied, crossing to the cabinet.

'We always keep a bit of alcohol in our safe houses. It can

get pretty frustrating being cooped up in a place like this

for days on end. We find that alcohol helps to relieve the

tension.' 'As long as it's taken in moderation.'

'You sound like a commercial for AA,' Lonsdale said i.with a smile and handed Whitlock his drink. He raised i his own glass. 'Here's to a successful operation.'

Til drink to that,' Whitlock replied, taking a sip of his twhisky.

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Lonsdale sat down facing him. 'How much do you know about Alexander?'

'I read his background history on the plane. What I don't know about him isn't worth finding out. One thing does puzzle me, though. If Wiseman doesn't know what Alexander looks like, how can this Young be sure he's springing the real Alexander from the prison van?'

'Young's hired a couple of locals who've worked with Alexander in the past. It's Young's insurance against snatching the wrong man. One of them, Dave Humphries, is on our payroll. It was him who tipped us off about Young in the first place.'

'But if they both know what Alexander looks like, where does that leave me?'

'It's all been taken care of, don't worry. Humphries has agreed to identify you as Alexander in exchange for a small financial incentive.'

'What about the other man?'

'He won't be there. In fact, he's sitting in a police cell right now. And he'll remain there on suspicion of some trumped-up charge until after the breakout in the morning. It's too late for Young to draft in a new accomplice so it will just be the two of them.' Lonsdale removed a silver cigarette case from his inside jacket pocket and offered it to Whitlock, who declined with a raised hand. Lonsdale lit one for himself and pocketed the case again. 'Our original idea was to change vans en route to the Old Bailey but the problem is, we don't know where Young intends to spring you. It could be at any point along the way. We're going to have to be there from the start.'

'How many men in the van?'

'Two of us up front. We're also using our own men to l act as your fellow prisoners. The last thing we need is a j mass breakout.'

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'What time are we due out of the police station?' 'The hearing's scheduled for two. I haven't finalized I the exact time of departure with the station commander [yet but it should be around eleven-thirty.' 'What about Alexander?'

'He'll be our guest for a few days. We'll hand him back to the prison authorities when we get the nod from your chaps.'

'How have they taken it?'

Lonsdale chuckled. 'They're well pissed off, because it's going to look like they lost Alexander. Too bad, it's something they'll have to accept.'

Whitlock pointed to the folder. 'Has anything come f through on Young?'

Lonsdale nodded. 'I read it while I was waiting for you. ome partner you've got there. Seems he ran with a New |York gang until he was eighteen when he was drafted into /ietnam. He turned out to be an exceptional soldier, and er the US pulled out in '75 he joined the French Foreign ;ion. Spent eight years with them, then deserted and vent to Central America to fight against the Sandinistas. it now works with the death squads in El Salvador.' He nded the fax from the Command Centre to Whitlock, ben stood up and moved to the window. He turned back > Whitlock. 'Married?'

Whitlock's fingers instinctively tightened around his ass. He put it down on the table, hoping Lonsdale hadn't ticed. 'For six years.' 'What does your wife do?" 'She's a paediatrician. How about you?' 'I've been married for eleven years. Cathy used to be a cher, but now she's a full-time mother. Jill's nine, ally's five. Cathy's expecting again in October. We ady know it's going to be a boy this time. Quite a

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relief, I'm beginning to get outvoted on everything at home. At least we men will be able to stick together. Have you any children?'

Whitlock shook his head. Just as well, he thought to himself. 'What time will you be here?' he asked.

'About ten. That will give us plenty of time to get tol the police station.' Lonsdale drank down the rest of hisl Scotch in one gulp. Til leave the folder with you and pickj it up in the morning. I'll see myself out. Good night.'

Whitlock returned to the bedroom after Lonsdale hadl left the house. He thought about Carmen as he got ready! for bed. He had an insane impulse to ring her but hel quickly talked himself out of it. He switched off the light! and climbed into bed, pulling the sheets up to his chin. I What was going to happen to them? He knew he would! lose her if he stayed with UNACO. It was inevitable.] She was always worried about him when he was on I assignment: worry which was affecting her work. Or sol she claimed. But what was the alternative? Leave UNACOl to set up some security consultancy that advised Fifth] Avenue boutique owners how best to protect their premJ ises? That wasn't for him. He loved the challenge of his! work. He only wished he knew how to convince Carmen. I He stifled a yawn, turned over, and closed his eyes. Within] minutes he was asleep.