by Ray Saunders
“Never better,” she replied.
“What do you have in mind for today?” I asked her.
“The hotel has some tennis courts, and you can hire the equipment, so I’d like to play some tennis. Do you play?”
“Yes. I play regularly when I’m at home,” I told her.
“Good. Then shall we meet up in half an hour?”
“Okay, you’re on.”
I grabbed some coffee and a croissant, then got ready to meet her. Waiting for her, I stood looking out, and noticed a car pulling out from the side of the hotel. It looked similar to the one that I thought might have been following me yesterday. I also caught a glimpse of the driver who looked Chinese.
I began to feel uneasy, and although it could be that I was getting paranoid about the possible Triad threat, the uneasiness would not go away.
Zola came, and we went to the hard courts. When we began playing it soon became clear that she was a particularly good player. Her game tested mine, and I struggled to keep up with her. She beat me rather easily and when she came to the net, I asked her how she had learnt her skills.
“There is very good coaching in South Africa,” she said.
“For the Whites,” I said.
“Unfortunately, yes. But I think things will change. There’s a man named Nelson Mandela who is campaigning to end Apartheid. He’s been imprisoned but the United Nations has condemned it.”
“I know about that,” I said, “but it’ll be a long time before anything changes, as we don’t seem very anxious to get involved with changing things.”
“You’re a pessimist!” she said.
“No, just a realist about the nature of the real world.”
We left the courts for a shower and agreed to meet later for lunch.
***
Back in my room, my thoughts turned to what would happen if Zola got the deal she wanted from the British government. I would then be recalled, and my job working for MI6 would become redundant. But what about Christine Turner? I still hadn’t told them that she had come back to me and brought the diamonds. I could not just return to England and leave her stranded here. On the other hand, I did not like the thought of handing her over to the authorities, knowing that she could face a spell in prison. I tried to think of a way to square her with the authorities, but it eluded me.
There was a knock on the adjoining door and Zola entered.
“I’m going out to do some shopping, Matt.”
“Well, I’d better come with you,” I said.
“No, I’ll be all right. I won’t be long.”
With that she left.
I was about to follow her when the phone rang. It was Christine.
“How did you get this number?” I asked her.
“Well, I knew where you were, and the hotel reception put me through to your room.”
“What is it you want?”
“I’m frightened, Matt. I went out for a walk along the lake, and I’m sure a man followed me back here.”
“You probably imagined it.” I tried to console her.
“No. I stopped several times and he continued following me.”
“Where are you now?”
“I’m in my room.”
“What is it you want me to do?” I asked.
“I don’t feel safe here alone, can you come back?”
I thought for a moment. I should not be leaving Zola, but the kid was obviously upset, and I somehow felt responsible for her.
“All right,” I said, “I’ll be there in about half an hour.”
We hung up.
I pocketed my gun and wondered what to do about the diamonds. I had hidden them in the recess under the bottom drawer of the wardrobe. I checked that they were intact, and could not think of a better place, so I left them there.
I watched the road behind me as I drove to Vevey and was certain that I wasn’t followed. When I arrived, I went straight to Christine’s room.
“Thank you for coming, Matt,” she said, putting her arms around me.
“It’s all right, kid, just relax and tell me why you’re so scared.”
“I’m sure he followed me back here, and I’m frightened in case he plans to do something tonight.”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know. If it is those Triads, he may think that I have the diamonds.”
“Well, you don’t have them, so what can he do, even if he approaches you?”
“If he doesn’t believe me, what then? He might try to force me to tell him where they are.”
“Okay,” I said, “if you’re right, and the chances are you’re just worrying over nothing, tell him that I have them.”
“But that would put you in danger, Matt, and I wouldn’t want to do that.”
I removed her hands and stood back. “That’s what I’m being paid for, and I can take care of myself if they try anything.”
I did not feel as confident as I tried to sound but she needed the reassurance.
“Can you stay here tonight?” she persisted.
“Look,” I said. “I’ve been given the assignment to keep an eye on Zola Peterson, until our people can strike a deal with her. After that’s done, I’ll be able to try to get you off the hook.”
She relaxed a little and I took her hand.
“I tell you what,” I said. “I’ll stay here until it’s time for dinner, and then I’ll bring you back to your room and you can lock yourself in. I will tell the desk that you are not to be disturbed. Then I’ll have to go.”
“Will you come back tomorrow?”
“I’ll try my best, but it depends on my orders. Don’t worry though, I won’t skip off and leave you here stranded on your own.”
“Thanks, Matt. Are you certain that you can’t stay tonight, can’t I tempt you?”
She held herself close to me, and I remembered the night when I couldn’t resist her.
Half of me urged that I grab hold of her and stay, and the other half was telling me not to be a bloody fool, she was just a kid and needed my protection.
I managed to stand back and compose myself.
“You know what I’ve said about us getting involved. I can’t give in now and jeopardise this whole operation. You have to trust me to do the right thing and get us both free from the entanglement of this operation.”
I could see that she was not convinced but I had to get the job done, so that I could go back home and take up the offer of that place in the country.
We finished dinner early, and I took her back to her room. Telling her to lock the door and not open it to anyone, I kissed her on the cheek and left.
***
Driving back to Lausanne I thought that I had better ring Steve to see what was happening at his end.
When I arrived, Zola was not in her room. I went down and asked the clerk if he had seen her.
“No, sir. Miss Peterson went out earlier this afternoon and hasn’t returned yet.”
I thought for a second. “Was she alone when she left?” I asked him.
“No, sir, there was a man with her.”
“Can you describe him?”
“He was quite an elderly gentleman in a dark suit and had grey hair.”
That was not much to go on, but it didn’t sound like a Triad. On the other hand, they probably came in all shapes and sizes.
I was about to leave when Zola came in.
“You had me worried,” I said. “Who was the man you went out with?”
“Oh, that was Professor Chinn. He’s from China, and I met him once in South Africa.”
We continued talking as we went to our rooms.
“What did he want with you?”
“He’s here with a Chinese trade delegation and came to see me.”
“Why?”
We reached our rooms and went in, continuing our conversation inside.
“He knows about my work and has offered me a place in the University of Peking to continue my research.”
“We
ll, that can’t be of interest to you, can it? If you work in China, they will monopolise anything you come up with.”
“The facilities I’m being offered are better than anything I’ve known, and he says that my work will be given to the international institutions for everyone’s benefit.”
“You don’t believe, that do you?”
“I think he’s genuine, and I said that I’d let him know shortly.”
This was not good news, and I left her to go and phone Steve.
He’d left his office, so I left a message saying it was urgent that he contact me. With that I went back to my room. I knocked her door and she opened it, and I went through.
“I’ve been thinking,” I said. “Why don’t you wait until you know what my government can offer you. After all, you would be given more freedom in England, than you’d get in China.”
“You don’t understand, Matt, when scientists get engrossed in their work, there’s no time for anything else.”
“All work and no play, isn’t good for you, remember?”
She smiled. “I know what we said the other night, and I enjoyed the night with you, but that part of my life isn’t as important as my work.”
“What exactly is your work, that makes it so all consuming? I can see that removing the use of pesticides is important, and I know that you’re dedicated to your research but it’s not the only thing in life.”
“You don’t understand, Matt,” she replied. “My research has led me on to genetic engineering. This is the manipulation of genes using biotechnology.”
“You’re losing me now. I’m short of knowledge in understanding that,” I told her.
“I’ll try to explain it to you. It involves changing the genetic make-up of cells and modifying them for a specific purpose. Before long, these procedures will result in alterations to DNA molecules, not only in plant life but also in humans. I believe that this will eventually result in the eradication of the cancer aggressive cells in humans, and the prevention of disease.”
I could see by that how important this was. “By what you’re telling me, it could also lead to the creation of a super race, so wouldn’t it be wise to stop it?”
She looked at me with a serious expression. “That’s not possible. Like the splitting of the atom, once it’s been done, you can’t put the genie back in the bottle.”
“Okay,” I said. “You’ve convinced me. I can see now why so many people want to get their hands on it first.”
I knew she was a very committed person, with a will to make her own decisions, and any attempt that I made to convince her otherwise would be useless.
“Will you promise to wait until you know what my people can come up with, before you decide?”
She paused before answering. “All right, but I can’t keep Professor Chinn waiting too long.”
With that I left her and returned to my room.
***
I woke early and went down to breakfast. It’s a meal I resent having to rush, but it was necessary that I contact Steve. He had just arrived at his office when I phoned.
“What is it, Matt? They said you left a message, and it sounds urgent.”
“It is. Zola Peterson has been offered a deal to go to China.”
“Jesus Christ, why would she want to do that?”
“She knows a professor that she met in South Africa, and he contacted her yesterday, and made her a tempting offer.”
“How did he get to meet her?”
“He came here to the hotel, and she spent the afternoon with him.”
“Why didn’t you stop them?”
I had to think of something quickly, as I could not let on about Christine.
“They met in the lobby before I was about to join her and had left before I got there.”
“I thought you had my instructions to take care of her,” he cursed.
“Yes, and I told you I wasn’t a bloody nursemaid.”
We both realised this was getting us nowhere.
“I’ve got her to agree to wait, until she gets your offer, but it better be quick,” I said.
“All right, I’ll get on to London and see what’s happening. Ring me back in an hour.”
I thought that I would kill the time and drive along to check on Christine. I could phone Steve from there.
She was in her room and greeted me.
“You, all right?” I asked.
“Yes, but I didn’t sleep much. I kept worrying about what was going to happen to me.”
“Nobody troubled you then?”
“No, but I’m nervous.”
“I know that it’s tough on you, Christine, but my hands are tied for the moment. So long as you stay here and don’t use the Alpine, you’ll be safe. That’s the best I can do for now.”
I could see that the strain was telling on her, and I wished that I could do more to help her.
“Look,” I said. “I have to make a phone call, then what say I take you to lunch?”
“Thanks, Matt, I’d appreciate that. It’s miserable being cooped up here.”
“Right. You stay here and get ready, and I’ll be back in a jiffy.”
The bluebell girl put me through, and Steve came on.
“What’s happening?” I asked him.
“There’s been a hitch,” he said. “It has to go through the channels, and they want to know more about what Peterson can do for us. It seems that we have our scientists working on something similar, and they’re not far off a breakthrough.”
“That’s just the whole point,” I argued. “She has the key for that breakthrough, and you need to act fast if it’s not to be lost to China.”
“I can see that, Matt, but you don’t understand how things work with the establishment. They always act slowly.”
“Then get them to move their arses, so that I can bring home the bacon,” I exploded.
He laughed. “Well, you’d better make sure that you do. I’ve had a query about the length of your stay here, and what it’s costing us. You’re way over budget.”
“Bugger the budget!” I grumbled. “This prize is waiting at the end of the rainbow, and if I can pull it off, the country will be well rewarded.”
“I know that, Matt, and I’m on your side but I have to wait for instructions.”
“What about Carl Linstead?” I asked.
“As far as I know he’s still at the US Embassy, and our people are keeping a watch on him.”
“Okay,” I said, “I’ll ring you again later.”
I collected Christine and took her to lunch. As we returned to the hotel, I had that uneasy feeling that someone was watching us but said nothing to Christine.
***
I drove back to Lausanne and re-joined Zola.
“There’s no news from London yet but I’m ringing later, and I’ve asked them to hurry up with their offer,” I told her.
“I hope it doesn’t take too long. I shall have to make a decision soon.”
“I know that, and I’ve tried to hurry them, but the wheels of government departments turn slowly.”
She nodded. “Have you heard anything about Carl?” she asked.
“As far as I know he’s still in Bern at the American Embassy.”
“I’ve been wondering whether it wouldn’t be better for me to join him in the States, if he gets a deal to go there,” she said.
“But you were emphatic that you didn’t want that,” I argued.
“I know, but I’m getting weary of all this bargaining, and I just want to get on with my research.”
I nodded. “Don’t give up now on your fight to get this universally recognised, I’m sure you wouldn’t be able to live with yourself if this got into the wrong hands.”
“Yes, you’re right, Matt, but it’s all very frustrating.”
“Nothing worthwhile ever comes easy,” I said.
Chapter 8
I rang Steve and gave him an update. “When will we be making Zola Peterson an offer?” I asked
him.
“They’re sending a scientist out to speak to her, he should be here tomorrow,” he said.
“Well, he’d better be, or it could be too late. She’s very keen on the Chinese offer and thinks they will honour her wishes.”
“Can’t you dissuade her?” he urged.
“No, she’s too intent on completing her work, and wants to be the first to crack it.”
“Well keep trying, I can’t do more right now.”
“What’s happening about Carl Linstead?” I asked.
As far as I know he’s still negotiating with the Americans. They’re keeping quiet about it, but we’re quite sure he’s still holed up at their embassy.”
“Is there any news on Christine Turner?” I asked him, thinking I would keep up the pretence of not knowing about her whereabouts.
“No, she hasn’t shown up yet. We’re still watching the ports and air terminals but so far she hasn’t shown,” he said.
That told me that they were still keen to find her, but she would be safe for the time being.
“Okay, I’ll pass on your news to Peterson, and hope she’ll agree to wait, and speak to this scientist that’s coming here. Ring me here at the hotel as soon as he arrives so we can arrange the meeting.”
“I’ll do that, Matt, just as soon as I know what’s happening.”
With that he rang off.
By the time I had explained to Zola about our scientist coming to meet her, it was early evening, and we agreed to meet later for dinner in the hotel.
***
I showered and changed, then began wondering again what to do about Christine. It was likely that after our chap met with Zola tomorrow that I would no longer be required. That would mean they would send me home. If I stayed on and did not tell them why, it would look suspicious. They would also stop paying my expenses.
That did not worry me as I had enough funds of my own in my bank in Brig to cover it, but what then? I could not stay here with Christine indefinitely and besides, I needed to get back to take up the offer of that place in the country, that Mr Smith had promised me.
I needed a drink, and when I met up with Zola we went down to the bar.
I ordered two martinis and we sat down.
