by Jack Higgins
“One thousand Marlboro cigarettes, my gift to you.”
Goulos almost went berserk. “These things are like gold, so expensive. Almost too good to smoke, but I will.”
“Here, have one of mine for the time being and let’s have a drink,” Constantine said.
Goulos went to the cistern, opened it, and took out a bottle. “This is a German wine called Hock. Marvellous when cold and the cistern is better than an ice box.”
He got a corkscrew and opened the bottle, poured two glasses, and accepted one of Aleko’s cigarettes. “Wonderful.” He expelled the smoke. “So I die a little earlier. Who cares? I hear you’re doing really well with the smuggling these days.”
“Fair.”
“What nonsense, you make a fortune. So what do you want with your poor old cousin?”
Aleko poured more Hock. “You’re family, Goulos, and I love you, but if you let me down in this affair, I’ll kill you myself.”
“That important?” Goulos said. “Well, what are families for? So tell me.”
“Castle Koenig,” Aleko said.
Goulos stopped smiling. “You’ve got a problem there?”
“I could have. A serious problem. Tell me anything you can.”
“Well, this American family has owned it for years. The present member is, or was, a colonel in the Israeli Army, name of Levy. The family have always been well liked locally. He used to have holidays as a boy, learned some Greek, but these days” – he shrugged – “it’s not the same.”
“In what way?”
“Well, he always had caretakers, Zarchas and his wife, because he only came to the castle now and then, but about two months ago he fired them without explanation.”
“And then?”
“Five young men turned up, all Israelis. They’ve been there ever since. One of them, called Braun, does the shopping at the village store. He doesn’t have Greek, so uses English.” He poured Aleko another glass of Hock. “They’re there now, I know that for a fact, also Colonel Levy. What’s it about, Constantine?”
“Bad people is what it’s about,” Aleko told him. “I think they’re holding two women captive.”
Goulos smiled beautifully. “Now isn’t that a coincidence? Little Stefanos, my goat boy, was on the slope close to the castle a few days ago. He was in the olive grove looking for a stray, and he could see into the courtyard. Someone drove in in a vehicle, then two of the Israelis helped a woman out and took her in the main door between them.”
“My God,” Aleko said. “That’s it.”
“No, there’s more. He was up there again yesterday when the same thing happened, only this time the woman involved had to be carried inside.”
Aleko banged on the table. “Like I said, bad people, my cousin.”
“So what will you do about them?”
Aleko smiled. “Oh, something appropriate.” He stood up and shook hands. “Enjoy your cigarettes,” and he opened the door and went back to the Suzuki.
When he returned to the taverna, his nephews and Stavros were sitting at the bar, the only customers, Anna standing behind.
“What happened?” she demanded.
“First I phone Brigadier Ferguson, then I’ll explain.” He went through to the office and was back in five minutes. “Right,” he said. “What do you want to know?”
Ferguson had taken the call while seated in the back of his Daimler on the way to Farley Field. He had never felt such elation. He sat there thinking about it, then phoned the President on his mobile. Cazalet was in the sitting room at the White House having coffee and sandwiches with Teddy, when he took the call.
“Total confirmation, Mr. President. My local contact has established they are there.”
“Thank God!” the President said. “What happens now?”
“We’ll do whatever we have to tomorrow. I’ll be there with Dillon and Blake Johnson and my local people. I’ll keep in constant touch.”
“Thank you,” Cazalet said, then turned to Teddy. “They’re there,” he said simply. “They are there at Castle Koenig. Ferguson has had it confirmed.”
The one fly in the ointment was the weather. At Farley Field the rain fell monotonously as Ferguson was sitting in the small office the station commander had loaned him, talking to Blake and Dillon. Captain Vernon and Lieutenant Gaunt came in. Gaunt unfolded a chart across the desk.
“There we are, Brigadier, direct flight over France, Switzerland, northern Italy, and down the Adriatic Sea to Corfu.”
“How far?”
“Almost fourteen hundred miles.”
“How long will it take?”
“I’d normally say three hours to allow for any eventualities, but weather in mainland Britain is so bad at the moment that they won’t give me a departure time until eight A.M.”
“Damn!” Ferguson said.
“Sorry, Brigadier, nothing I can do.”
“Yes, not your fault. Proceed on that time scale, then.”
Vernon went out and Dillon opened the French window and looked out at the rain. “A hell of a night.”
“I know, don’t rub it in,” Ferguson said.
It was Blake who stated the obvious. “Even if we don’t get to Corfu by noon and still have to cross the island by Range Rover, it won’t make much difference. Whatever the plan, when it comes to attacking Castle Koenig, it must be under cover of darkness.”
Ferguson nodded. “You’re right, of course.” He pushed back his chair and stood up. “A few hours sleep, gentlemen. Let’s grab them while we can,” and he led the way out.
FOURTEEN
It was still raining the following morning when they took off, rising through the bad weather steadily until they leveled off at fifty thousand. Sergeant Kersey brought coffee, and tea for Dillon, and retired.
“Can we go over again what Sergeant-Major Harley delivered?”
Ferguson told him, and Dillon nodded. “That seems adequate. I’m glad you remembered the door charges.”
Ferguson said mildly, “I would remind you, Dillon, that I have been doing this sort of thing for even longer than you.”
“Is that a fact?” Dillon said innocently. “I didn’t think you were that old.”
“A nineteen-year-old subaltern on the Hook in the Korean War, as you very well know.”
“I always heard that was a bad place,” Blake said.
“You could say that. Trench warfare, just like the First World War. You’d sit there in a regiment of seven hundred and fifty men and the Chinese would attack in divisional strength, usually around twelve thousand.” He shrugged. “Old men’s stories. Who cares?”
“Well, you got a Military Cross out of it, and that’s not bad for nineteen, you old bugger,” Dillon said. “Let’s look at that map again.”
Ferguson took it from his briefcase and unfolded it. It was quite simply a large-scale map of Corfu. “Here we are, Vitari, that’s Aleko’s village, and he said Castle Koenig was about fifteen miles north.”
“But not marked,” Blake said.
“Well, it wouldn’t be, it’s not that kind of a map.” Ferguson looked at Dillon. “You think it can be done?”
“Under cover of darkness, yes.”
“There is one problem. Aleko and his chaps are good men and as fine a band of cutthroats as I’ve ever used, but against Judas, or Levy, as I suppose we must call him now…” Ferguson shook his head. “A first-class soldier, and I would deduce that every one of his men has served in the Israeli Army.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Dillon said. “This is a one-man operation anyway. Aleko and his boys simply land me and stand out to sea and wait for a signal to come back when needed.”
“The worst idea I ever heard of,” Blake Johnson told him. “I think you’ve forgotten how to count, Dillon. Levy has five men that we know of – that’s six including him – and we got that information from you. Now what the hell are you going to do? Sneak in there and kill them one by one like a bad action movie?”
“I know the interior of the castle, I know where to go.”
“You don’t damn well know. You were on the third floor, and so was Marie de Brissac, and you only know that because they took you down to the cellar. Oh, I was forgetting. They took you to the great man’s study, so you know where that is. Other than that, you know squat.”
“So what are you saying?”
“That you need backup, my fine Irish friend, and here I am.”
“It’s not your kind of game.”
“Two tours in Vietnam, Dillon, and I’ve killed a few times in the FBI. It’s beyond argument.” Blake turned to Ferguson. “Tell him, Brigadier.”
Ferguson smiled. “Frankly, I rather took it for granted. I even brought a jump suit and flak jacket for myself.”
“Now I know the world’s gone mad,” Dillon said.
“Yes, on reflection, I’ll stay with the boat. Useful, that flak jacket, though, if we come under fire, but I’m hungry. Sergeant Kersey!”
Kersey came through from the galley. “General?”
“I keep telling you, it’s Brigadier in the British Army. I don’t know what these two want, but I’d like tea, toast, and marmalade. I’m just in the mood.”
“Coming right up, General,” Kersey said deliberately and returned to the galley smiling.
In his study, Colonel Dan Levy, also known as Judas, was standing at the window looking out, an unlit cigar in his mouth, when there was a knock at the door and they all came in, led by Aaron, and stood in a semicircle.
Levy turned to face them. “Good morning, gentlemen.”
“Colonel.” Aaron nodded. “You sent for us.”
“The operation is obviously at a critical point. The President has to make the decision to sign Nemesis day after tomorrow.”
It was David Braun who spoke. “Colonel, do you really think he will?”
“I don’t know. The one thing I’m certain of is that I will surely execute his daughter if he does not. My mind is fixed on that.” He looked hard, incredibly determined. “Is there anyone here who doubts that?”
He looked from one to another searchingly. “Is there anyone here who doubts the cause we fight for?”
It was Aaron who spoke. “Of course not. We’re with you to the end. Whatever it takes.”
“Good. So, the next forty-eight hours is critical. How are the women, David?” he asked Braun.
“I took the Bernstein woman back to her own room for the night.”
Levy cut in. “Not the Bernstein woman, David. Give her the proper title. Personally, I admire her greatly. They could do with her in the Jerusalem Criminal Investigations Department.”
David Braun looked uncomfortable. “I took the Chief Inspector back to her own room for the night. I haven’t taken her to join the countess yet because I was leaving breakfast until after this meeting.”
“Give them anything they want.” He laughed harshly. “A champagne breakfast. Why not?”
“Any further orders, Colonel?” Aaron asked.
“Not that I can think of. Frankly, we have nothing to worry about. As I’ve told you before, I have eyes and ears everywhere. Navy Seals are not going to attack us, gentlemen, Special Forces are not going to parachute in, and not just because they don’t know where we are, but because the President of the United States knows that if he made one move, his daughter would die on the instant. Isn’t that so, Aaron?”
“Of course, Colonel.”
“So simple it’s a work of genius,” and Levy threw back his head and laughed. “Come to think of it, I am a genius,” and his eyes glistened.
They shifted uncomfortably and Aaron said, “We’ll get moving then, sir.”
“Good. Usual two prowler guards tonight in the grounds. Two hours on, four hours off. Dismissed, gentlemen.”
Once outside, Moshe, Raphael, and Arnold moved away, leaving David Braun with Aaron. Braun was agitated, and Aaron said, “Have you got a problem?”
“For the first time, I’m beginning to think he’s mad. Maybe some of that Sinai sun got into his brain.”
“Let him hear you talk like that and you’re dead, you fool. Now pull yourself together and get their breakfast.”
Braun got Hannah from her room and took her along the corridor. “I hope you slept well?”
“You don’t give a damn whether I slept well or not, so why pretend?”
He unlocked the door to Marie de Brissac’s room and ushered Hannah in. “I’ll have breakfast ready in a little while.”
Marie came out of the bathroom. “What was that?”
“Just Braun. He’s gone to get breakfast.”
“He’s late this morning. I wonder why?”
Hannah went to the window and peered through the bars. There was a fishing boat passing by not too far from the bay. “Now if only it was flying the flag of its country, we’d know where we were. Roughly.” Hannah laughed.
Marie gestured to her easel. “What do you think?” The charcoal sketch was fleshed out in color now and was quite excellent. “Watercolors wouldn’t have been right, so I had to use crayon.”
“It’s marvelous,” Hannah said. “Can I have it? I’d love to have it framed.”
In the same moment, realizing what she’d said, she burst out laughing. “Well, that’s optimistic, anyway,” Marie told her.
Ten minutes later, the door opened and Braun pushed the trolley in. “Scrambled eggs and sausages this morning.”
“Are they kosher?” Hannah asked.
“Oh, we take what we can get.” He lifted the cover of a dish. “The bread is locally baked and the honey is local, too. Coffee is in the thermos flask.”
“And the champagne?” Marie asked and took the bottle from the ice bucket. “Whose idea is this, Judas’s?”
Braun shifted uncomfortably. “Well, yes, he thought it might cheer you up.”
“The condemned man ate a hearty breakfast?” Hannah put in.
“Very hearty if he had this to go with it,” Marie said. “Louis Roederer Cristal, nineteen eighty-nine. Judas has taste, I’ll say that for him. Mad, of course, but tasteful.”
“He’s a great man,” Braun burst out. “In the Yom Kippur War, when the Egyptians took us by surprise, Judas was in command of some of the most strategic bunkers, with a hundred men under him. They fought like lions in that burning Sinai heat. When they were relieved, there were only eighteen left alive.”
“A long time ago,” Marie said. “I’d have thought he’d have got over it by now.”
Braun was angry. “Got over what? Arab hatred, the constant attacks by terrorist groups like Hamas? What about Lebanon, and the Gulf, when Iraq targeted us with missiles?”
“All right, we hear you,” Hannah told him.
“No, you don’t, and you a Jew. You should be ashamed. What about Aaron’s brother shot down over Syria and tortured? What of my two sisters, blown to pieces in a student bus?”
He was very agitated and Marie said, “David, calm down, just calm down.”
“And Judas.”
There was a pause and Hannah said softly, “What about him?”
“His mother, his married sister, decent people over from America to spend time with him, killed in a Jerusalem bus station bomb. More than eighty people killed or wounded. This is funny?”
“David, nobody thinks it’s funny,” Marie told him.
He opened the door and turned. “You think I enjoy this, Countess? I like you. I like you a great deal. Isn’t that a huge joke?”
He went out, locking the door, and Hannah said, “Poor boy, I do believe he’s in love with you.”
“Well, it won’t do him any good or me,” Marie said. “But let’s get on with the scrambled eggs, and we might as well open the champagne.”
“Why not?” Hannah said. “You know the story about Louis Roederer Cristal and why it’s the only champagne bottle you can see through?”
“No, I don’t think so.”
“It was designed by Tsar Nicholas of R
ussia. He said he wanted to be able to look at the champagne.”
“And look how he ended up,” Marie de Brissac said and popped the cork.
At that moment the Cretan Lover, Stavros at the wheel, passed Castle Koenig a few miles off shore. Aleko was also in the wheelhouse, Yanni and Dimitri worked at the draped nets. Aaron, on the battlements with Moshe, focused a pair of Zeiss glasses, bringing the boat into sharp focus. He lowered them.
“Just a fishing boat.”
Moshe took the glasses from him and took a look. “The Cretan Lover. Yes, I’ve seen that one tied up in Vitari when I go for supplies.”
He handed the glasses back to Aaron, who said, “I’ll be glad when it’s over, one way or the other, but over.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” Moshe said and walked away, an MI6 slung from his left shoulder.
In the wheelhouse, Aleko focused the old binoculars from his navy days, and every line of the castle came into prominence, sharp and clear.
“Two men on the battlements,” he said softly, “one of them with a rifle.” He ranged across the bay. “Seagoing motor cruiser on one side of the jetty, speedboat on the other and a powerful one from the look of it. I bet that baby does thirty knots.” He nodded to Stavros. “I’ve seen enough. Let’s go home.”
As they turned out to sea, Stavros said, “You’d need an army to get into a place like that.”
“Maybe not. Let’s see what Ferguson comes up with.”
When the Gulfstream landed at Corfu Airport, it taxied under instruction to a remote area where there were older hangars and a number of private planes. There was a police car waiting there with a driver, a young captain standing beside it. He came forward as Ferguson led the way down the ladder.
“Brigadier Ferguson?” he said in fair English, and shook hands. “My name is Andreas. Colonel Mikali phoned me from Athens with orders to offer you every facility.”
“That’s kind of him,” Ferguson said.
“Customs and immigration are taken care of, and I have a Range Rover for you. Is there anything else I can do?”
