The African Diamond Trilogy Box Set

by Christopher Lowery

  Dubai, United Arab Emirates

  ‘Hello Angela, chérie. How are you feeling?’ Elodie Lacroix spoke in her most solicitous tone; she couldn’t afford to upset the Brazilian girl, they still needed her for a few more days. ‘Oh, my dear, I’m sorry, too many martinis last night? Well, never mind, you can stay home and recuperate. I just spoke to the bank manager, and unfortunately he can’t see us today, so I booked an appointment for tomorrow afternoon. Is that alright? Good. I’ll call you later to see if you feel like going out this evening. Lie down and rest and you’ll feel better. Au revoir, chérie.’

  Angela put her phone down, relieved she’d got over that hurdle. Elodie hadn’t sounded suspicious, but she was terrified of saying the wrong thing now she was so close to getting away. She checked her watch. It was twelve-thirty, another hour before Coetzee would arrive. She sat by the door, her packed bags beside her, nervously checking her watch every few minutes, waiting for the bell to ring. After a while, she decided to turn her phone off. It was safer that way.

  Dubai, United Arab Emirates

  ‘How about a sandwich in the canteen, Ed? It’s one o’clock and I’m famished.’

  The Liverpudlian looked at the time on his screen. ‘Sorry, Sharif, no can do. I promised to see Lynne for a quick bite. I’d better be off right now, or I’ll be in trouble. See you later.’ He grabbed his document case and went out to his car, to drive home to pick up Coetzee.

  A few minutes later, Shen came into Sharif’s office again. ‘I just talked to Tom, he’s pretty excited with your progress. He agrees, if we can deliver earlier then we should. How about we go for some lunch with Ed and talk it through?’

  ‘I just asked him, but he’s gone off to see Lynne. I’ll come with you and we can pin down the last details.’ They went down to the canteen together. Sharif could already see his name in lights: The man who delivered Lee-Win Mark VII and ACRE 2017.

  Ipswich, England

  ‘Hello, Marius. I see you’ve been busy, well done. Hang on and I’ll patch Emma into the call.’ It was nine a.m. UK time, and Coetzee had rung to give a progress report.

  Emma came on the line. ‘Mr Coetzee, I’m overwhelmed. You’re another Julius Caesar, “Veni, vidi, vice”, you certainly came, saw and conquered, in one night no less. You have our heartfelt thanks.’

  Knowing that Coetzee didn’t like praise, Jenny asked, ‘What’s the situation now?’

  ‘I’m picking Angela up in a half hour to go to the bank and then straight on to the airport. She has a flight at six-fifteen. I’ve already got a video confession and a signed withdrawal letter. The lawyer says that’ll get Leo out tomorrow morning.’ He explained the background to the accusation and the reason for the delay. ‘She’s a decent girl, just in a desperate situation and she made a bad judgement. I don’t recommend putting her in a Dubai prison for making a mistake that she’s now remedying. Those XPC people are cunning and vicious, and everything tells me there’s something going on there.’ He made no mention of the unusual interest shown by the US Homeland Security Department.

  ‘Are you talking about the previous man, Scotty?’

  ‘I think there could be a connection. In my view, Leo shouldn’t show his face there again. When he leaves that prison, he should get out of Dubai and find a safe place with people he trusts, on the double.’

  Emma said, ‘It sounds like you have something in mind, Marius.’

  ‘From what I can work out, Leo was framed because he found something out that he shouldn’t. That’s his problem, sometimes he’s too smart for his own good. Anyway, he’ll be bearing a big grudge and try to find out what’s really going on. If it’s bad, he’ll want to prevent it, so he’ll need a technical environment to do that.’

  ‘And you just happen to have such an environment?’

  ‘We’ve got a lot of brainpower and technical gizmos that I don’t really understand, but if this turns out to be a serious matter, he’d be safe down there and well-placed to give it his best.’

  ‘What do you think, Emma?’

  ‘Well, as far as Angela goes, I suppose Marius is correct, two wrongs don’t make a right. If Leo’s prepared to stay there one more day, he should be the judge of that.’

  ‘He already confirmed that, Emma. He forgives her.’

  ‘Of course he does. And as far as taking him down to Delmas, I think once again it’s up to him. He’ll know what he has to do and where he can best do it. So, as long as you can swear he’ll be safe with you, I think we have to agree with his decision. Jenny?’

  ‘He’s no longer a boy, and you’ve always encouraged him to follow his own path. This may turn out to be more difficult than Marius imagines, but I’m sure he’ll want to do it.’

  ‘OK, ladies, sounds like we have a decision. I’ll collect Leo in the morning and see what he wants to do, no pressure. But just in case, I’ll have two tickets to Joburg ready in my pocket.’

  Dubai, United Arab Emirates

  Shen used his time in the canteen to stoke Sharif’s now burning desire to claim the credit for the launch. He left him at one-thirty and went down to see Daniel Oberhart in the network centre. He was in an irritable mood.

  ‘I don’t have time to chat, Shen, I’m too busy keeping the network clear for all the continual testing and preparing the customer support team for when we launch the new products. Even if everything goes perfectly, it’s going to be hell for a while.’

  ‘Well, I’ve got great news for you. Sharif and Ed are convinced we’ll have a finished package in a couple of days. Tom wants to send it off early, to show Shanghai what we can do, so by the end of the week you should have plenty of time on your hands to worry about customer service.’

  Oberhart gave a rare smile. ‘I heard you’d been pressing to get it out, prove that Leo wasn’t irreplaceable.’

  Shen was immune to subtlety. ‘Whatever. The main thing is, we’ve got the job finished ahead of schedule. Get ready for the customer reaction when Shanghai sends it out, it’ll be terrific.’

  Daniel made a call as soon as he left the room. ‘Hi Dad, I finally got some good news. We’re back on track.’

  Shen went back to Ed’s office. It was empty. He couldn’t remember the Liverpudlian ever going out for lunch, he usually missed it or grabbed something from the canteen. On a whim, he called the Corner House café and asked for Lynne. After a moment, he heard, ‘This is Lynne, who’s calling?’ He quickly said, ‘Sorry, my mistake,’ and cut the line.

  He called Elodie, ‘Have you spoken to Angela?’

  ‘I called her a little while ago, she’s not feeling great. Everything’s set for tomorrow.’

  ‘So she didn’t insist on going to the bank today? Isn’t that a little strange?’

  ‘She said tomorrow would be fine. Why the interrogation?’

  ‘It’s Ed. He said he was lunching with that waitress, Lynne, but he’s not, she’s working.’

  ‘Maybe he’s sitting with her in the café?’

  ‘OK. I’m a little nervous, I’ve had a very stressful morning. But I managed to get everyone to agree to send the package to Shanghai this weekend.’ He paused, waiting to hear some praise.

  Elodie knew him well. ‘That’s fabulous, darling, well done. So why are you nervous?’

  ‘I don’t know. Just a feeling something’s wrong. Can you check on Angela again?’

  ‘I’ll give her a quick call.’ She rang Angela’s mobile again. It switched to the message service immediately.

  ‘Merde.’ Elodie ran out to the car park and drove to Dubai Marina in record time, vainly calling Angela’s number twice more. There was no answer from Angela’s intercom, and she had to wait impatiently for ten minutes for someone to exit through the door of the building before she could get inside and go up to the third floor. She rang the doorbell and knocked for a full minutes, but no one answered.

  Elodie rang Shen back. ‘She’s not here. The scheming bitch must be with Ed. But where are they?’

  Washingt
on DC, USA

  For the sixth week in a row, General William ‘Billy’ Chillicott was working on a Sunday. He’d woken up to a flurry of FYEO messages from Homeland Security, the US NATO Mission office in Brussels and one of his close friends at the Defence Department. They all said the same thing: satellite surveillance showed massive movements of Russian troops and naval vessels that had started three days ago and were continuing apace. His day off would be consumed by examining and analysing satellite images and related reports from various intelligence services, and participating in the several conference calls he had already been invited to attend.

  Since he’d lost his beloved Madelene after a three-year fight against cancer, working weekends was sometimes a welcome option to fill in the time and keep his mind occupied. Teenage sweethearts from high school days, in 2015 they’d just celebrated forty happy and fulfilling years when she finally lost her last battle.

  Billy’s father had been a military ‘lifer’ and he had followed in his footsteps, going to the Air Academy High School El Paso, Colorado, where he first met Maddie. He spent four years at the Air Force Academy, the last two involved as a research scholar at the Institute for National Security Studies, his chosen major. They were married shortly after he emerged from the academy as a second lieutenant with a Bachelor of Science degree, and moved immediately to San Antonio, Texas, where he started his career with the 25th Air Force, part of the US Intelligence Community, USIC.

  For the next twenty years, as he progressed to ever more senior roles with various parts of the huge USIC machine, eventually becoming one of their key senior representatives at NATO, Maddie was always at his side. They moved all over the US and then around the world, bringing up two sons and a daughter on the journey. Raising small children on the move wasn’t easy, but it never fazed Maddie, she loved the life and she loved Billy and she just adapted. He missed her more than he could bear.

  General Chillicott’s present official title was Special Projects Director for the National Protection and Programs Directorate of the Department of Homeland Security. This custom-made role meant he could do pretty much what he wanted, so long as he was always available to bring his enviable knowledge and experience to bear on whatever new threat presented itself, both inside and outside the borders of the North American continent. What he wanted to do today was watch his grandson’s Sunday softball game, but it wasn’t going to be possible. When Mother Russia made a move, the world took notice, and usually experts like Billy Chillicott were asked to find out why.

  He called his eldest son and made his excuses, then prepared a large pot of coffee. It looked like being a long day.

  THIRTY-SIX

  Dubai, United Arab Emirates

  Sunday, 11 July 2017

  Mr Kapoor was a tall, slim, dapper Indian gentleman with a gleaming smile and a firm handshake. He invited Coetzee and Angela into his office, where he had several documents already prepared. His solicitous manner confirmed Jenny Bishop’s standing in the bank’s clientele and he quickly went through the identity checks, ticking numerous boxes as Marius answered his questions and showed his passport.

  ‘And how much cash do you require, Mr Coetzee? My instructions were to have available up to $50,000.’

  ‘Actually, Angela will be travelling, and cash is too cumbersome and too risky. What we would prefer is a transfer to Banco Santander Brasil. She has the details for her account at the branch in Sao Paulo. Will that be acceptable?’

  ‘Perfectly. It will take a few minutes more, but I agree it is much safer. I’ll arrange it right away. For what amount?’

  He seemed disappointed when the South African replied, ‘Twenty thousand is the agreed amount. Is that right, Angela?’

  ‘

  Sim, Marius. That’s exactly the right amount. Please say thank you so much to Mrs Bishop, I will never forget the two of you. And Leo, of course,’ she added.

  Ed drove around the terminal while Coetzee walked Angela through to the check-in desk. She was crying again. ‘I can’t believe these last few days. First I do a terrible thing to Leo to get some money, then I find out I’ve been lied to and I’ll be in trouble, and now all my problems are solved. It’s like a dream come true.’

  ‘Just make sure it stays that way. I’d be surprised if Shen and his girlfriend don’t try to contact you again today. You’re still a hot property as far as they’re concerned, and they’ll want to protect their investment.’ He checked his watch. ‘It’s three-thirty, so you should be through security by four. Your flight’s at six-fifteen, so you have about an hour and a half to wait. Have you got any money?’

  She nodded, ‘A little. Enough for the trip expenses.’

  He gave her a fifty-dollar bill. ‘I’m taking no chances. When you get through security, go and sit in a busy café near your departure gate and have a coffee or something to eat, and read a book or a magazine. Switch off your mobile. Don’t look at anyone, don’t talk to anyone, just sit quietly and wait until your flight’s called, then go straight to the gate and get on your plane. Understood?’

  ‘Sim, I understand. Obrigada, Marius. I promise not to get in trouble and spoil everything you’ve arranged.’

  There was a long line at security control, and Coetzee left her there with her carry-on luggage. ‘Adeus e boa sorte, goodbye and good luck, Angela. It’s been interesting.’

  This time she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him on both cheeks. ‘Come and see me in Sao Paulo, Marius.’ As he walked away he heard, ‘And bring Leo.’

  Dubai, United Arab Emirates

  It was after four when Ed got back to the office, after dropping Coetzee off at his flat with Leo’s laptop. The South African’s words were ringing in his ears, ‘I don’t know what these people are doing, but they’re not playing tennis. Watch what you do and say, and stay out of trouble. If there’s any sign of problems, call me.’

  He went down to the lab and found Sharif running tests. ‘How’s it going?’

  ‘Same old, same old. Everything seems to be perfect. I like the clean-up you did on Leo’s patches, it’s made my final design really easy. To tell you the truth, I’m like, just spinning my wheels now, it’s as good as it’s ever going to be.’

  ‘Cool. We’ve got plenty of time to spare now.’

  ‘Too much. I was talking to Shen about moving the deadline up. If we don’t need the time, let’s sign off asap.’

  Ed’s antennae were alerted. Leo was right. Shen was pushing to release the package early for some reason. ‘What did you have in mind?’

  ‘Why not Wednesday? We can run everything by Tom and Shen tomorrow and get their buy-in, then sign off the package.’

  ‘I was thinking of looking for ways to improve efficiency, it’s a bloody big bundle. I’m sure we can tighten it and slim it down a little, if we use a week or so of our extra time.’

  Sharif looked disappointed. ‘I think you should talk to Shen about that, he’s pretty keen to wrap it up. Oh, I forgot, he was looking for you at lunchtime.’

  ‘I’ll go up and see him now.’ Ed went back upstairs, preparing himself for a difficult discussion. Shen’s office door was closed, and he knocked and went in. ‘Sorry, Sharif said you wanted to see me?’

  ‘Hi, Ed. That’s OK. He told me you went to see Lynne, no hassle.’

  Ed was immediately suspicious. Shen was never this friendly. ‘I forgot she was working today, so I waited around and we had a drink and a chat. I guess I missed the time, sorry.’

  ‘Not a problem, you haven’t had much time off and the results are there to see.’

  ‘Thanks. What was it you wanted?’

  ‘Sharif says he’s ready to sign off this week. What do you think?’

  ‘He just told me, and personally, I’d like a little more time. The debugging is complete, so we know the package is stable and won’t fall over, it’s solid. But because we were under the cosh I cut a few corners and it’s not as tight and efficient as I’d like. If I have another week or so
, I think I can tighten up some areas and slim it down. Daniel says we can test all day and night if we want, so I’d like to take advantage of the time. I’m all in favour of beating the deadline, but I’d like to produce the best possible solution.’

  ‘We seem to have a divergence of opinion. No problem. I’ll speak to Tom and we’ll get together tomorrow to take a final decision. OK?’

  The Liverpudlian left the office, and Shen immediately made a call on his mobile. ‘Ed just got back. He says he went to see his girlfriend, but I don’t buy it, I’m sure he was with Angela and we don’t know where. Now he says he’s not keen on releasing the package this week, and that makes me suspicious. There’s no reason to delay any longer, it’s already wrapped up.’

  ‘OK. Let’s think here.’ Elodie was tired of Shen’s ability to think without any apparent result. ‘Angela’s not at her apartment and Ed was gone for three hours, right? And you think someone might be influencing him to hold back. There’s also this US general in the picture somewhere.’ She racked her brain for a moment. ‘Has anyone from the office visited Leo in prison?’

  ‘No one. Hatim told us nobody would be allowed to see him until after the trial, and that hasn’t even been fixed yet.’

  ‘When did you last hear from him, the lawyer?’

  ‘I’ve seen him only once, after Leo was arrested, but he called Tom two days ago, on Friday, after the plea hearing.’

  ‘Get him on the phone. Put him on the speaker and keep your mobile on. Ask him if there’ve been any developments.’

  Hatim answered immediately. ‘Good afternoon, Shen. What can I do for you?’

  ‘I haven’t heard from you in a couple of days, and I wondered if there were any new developments in this crappy business with poor Leo.’

  ‘I intended to call this afternoon. I’ll be coming over there tomorrow to give you an update. Could you fix an appointment for me with Tom, at two-thirty?’