Part 27 (1/2)

'Thank you. You are so so rea.s.suring...' rea.s.suring...'

Newman's callousness was deliberate. He was preparing Nancy psychologically for the dash to the French frontier. He continued questioning Seidler.

'How does Grange test the gas masks?'

'He started using animals. I once saw an obscene sight - a chimpanzee escaped. It was wearing a gas mask, clawing at it to try and get it off its head...'

'And then?'

'He decided he had to progress to testing the masks on human beings. He uses the patients - they're terminal, anyway. I arrived late in the Lear jet from Vienna a few weeks ago with the previous consignment. A c.o.c.k-up at Schwechat Airport outside Vienna. The driver of the van waiting for me at Belp was ill - food-poisoning, he said. I had to take over the wheel and drive to the Clinic well after dark. I saw a woman - one of the patients she must have been - running in the grounds wearing a gas mask and a bathrobe. She was trying to tear off the mask while she ran. They were firing canisters from something at her - the canisters burst in front of her...'

'So where do they get the gas from?' Newman demanded.

'How the h.e.l.l do I know? I certainly never brought any gas out of Czechoslovakia. Luckily they didn't see the van - so I turned it round and arrived at the Clinic later. The Swiss Army is guarding that place...'

'How do you know that?'

'I've caught glimpses of men in Swiss uniform - inside that gatehouse and patrolling the grounds at a distance. We're in real trouble, Newman, the worst kind...'

'What goes on inside that laboratory - and inside the atombunker atombunker?'

'No idea. I've never been there...'

'I'm still not convinced. Give me your full name...' 'Gustav Manfred Seidler...'

'And you brought these gas masks on the orders of Dr Bruno Kobler of the Berne Clinic?'

'I told you that. Yes. He takes his orders from Grange...' 'Seidler, why did you do this?'

Tor money, a lot of money. One other thing, I have a girl-friend in...'

'That's enough!' Newman rapped out.

He walked over to a large arm-chair which stood with its tall back to Seidler who suddenly frowned and crossed the room to stare at the miniature tape-recorder Newman had placed there and turned on during Seidler's brief absence when they first arrived. The German grabbed for it but Newman grasped his arm and shoved him away. Seidler's expression was livid.

'You b.a.s.t.a.r.d!' Seidler exploded.

'Part of any self-respecting newspaper man's equipment,' Newman lied as he pressed a b.u.t.ton and ran the tape to the end. 'Some take notes, but I thought that might inhibit you...'

'So that was what you bought today in that shop in the Marktga.s.se,' Nancy commented as she peered over the back of the armchair.

'I want you to find somewhere to hide this, Nancy...'

Newman had extracted the small tape and he handed her the machine. He next took the gas mask Seidler had left on a table and placed it on the working top in the kitchen under the glare of the spotlights which illuminated the galley. Standing back a few feet, he took from his pocket Nagy's small Voigtlander Vitoret 110 Vitoret 110 camera and attached one of the flash-bulbs he had purchased from the same shop. He took four pictures of the mask with flashes and then excused himself, asking Seidler to guide him to the lavatory. camera and attached one of the flash-bulbs he had purchased from the same shop. He took four pictures of the mask with flashes and then excused himself, asking Seidler to guide him to the lavatory.

'Through that door where I went when we arrived,' Seidler told him sullenly. 'You'll find it on your right when you get inside...'

Hidden in the lavatory, Newman pulled up his trouser legs and concealed the miniature tape inside the thick sock on his left foot. The film from the camera he shoved down inside his other sock. When he came out Seidler was putting the gas mask into one of the suitcases and-snapping the catches shut.

I'll keep this if you don't mind...'

'It's your property. Why the sudden desire for cleanliness, Nancy? We've got to get out of here fast before something unfortunate happens.'

She was crouched by the huge open fireplace filled with logs, using a dustpan and brush to sweep up the hearth. She stood up, put the pan and brush back inside a cupboard and rubbed her hands clean of dust.

'You wanted the tape-recorder hidden. It's underneath the logs,' she snapped.

'That's a good place. Thanks, Nancy.' Newman turned towards Seidler. 'You were saying something about a girlfriend - I didn't think you'd want her details on record...'

am grateful...' Seidler swallowed and showed signs of emotion. If anything happens to me I would like her to know. She had nothing to do with Terminal. Will you take down her address and phone number? Erika Stahel...'

Newman wrote the details in his notebook with a wooden expression as though he had never heard of her. He went on writing and then froze for a second at Seidler's next words.

'She works for Dr Max Nagel, the big Basle banker. Nagel is the only man powerful enough to oppose Grange. He has just left Basle for Berne to attend some medical reception at the Bellevue Palace..

'The reception tomorrow?' Nancy asked sharply.

'I don't know when. Hadn't we better leave this place?'

'Immediately,' responded Newman. 'And prepare yourself for a rough ride. I'm driving like h.e.l.l along the road to Le Bra.s.sus...'

'Why Le Bra.s.sus?' Seidler queried, picking up the suitcase containing the gas mask.

'Because we want to avoid Le Pont - after what happened at the station. G.o.d knows what could be waiting for us there.'

Nancy had washed up the pan, their mugs and replaced them where she had found them. She was carrying the opened jar of coffee which she said ought to be taken away. No trace of their visit remained when Seidler, still nervy and anxious to leave, opened the front door. There was a score of questions Newman would have liked to ask him but the priority was to move, to get over the border into France. Newman held the front door key Seidler had handed him. The first shot was fired as Newman locked the door while Seidler and Nancy were heading for the Citroen parked under the trees. In the cold silence of the night the report was a loud Crack!

'Run!' Newman yelled. 'Crouch down! Get into the car for Christ's sake!'

The second shot - Newman now realized it was a rifle - was fired in rapid succession. Stumbling down the icy steps, holding the second suitcase Seidler had left behind in his left hand, Newman saw the case Seidler had taken jerk out of his hand. The shot had pa.s.sed through the case. Seidler picked it up and continued his shambling trot towards the car which Nancy had already reached, unlocked and opened the doors.

A third shot was fired, a fourth - neither came anywhere near them. That was when Newman realized there was a second rifleman - firing at the first. The night reverberated with a fusillade of shots.

The wind blew and there was a strange weather phenomenon Newman had never seen before. A wave of snow dust, as fine as salt particles, cruised a foot high across the lower slopes, swirling round his ankles as he reached the car. Seidler had dived into the rear seat, Nancy was in the front pa.s.senger seat. She had inserted one of the keys Newman had given her on their arrival while he studied the old house, in the ignition. He slid in behind the wheel, slammed the door, drove out from under the trees and a rifle shot grazed the bonnet.

'Oh, Jesus!' said Nancy. 'What's happening?'

'It's weird - there are two of them. One firing at us, the other firing at the first marksman. Christ, how many people know we're up here?'

The sound of the shots faded as he drove as fast as he dare. In their headlights the road was gleaming like a skating rink. He pa.s.sed through the main street of L'Abbaye and the village seemed deserted. Now for Le Bra.s.sus - and the French border. That was when he heard again the sound of the chopper coming closer.

Le Bra.s.sus VD - the road sign said - was a village of ancient villas, stark trees and gardens fronted with beech hedges half-buried under a coating of snow. Again deserted. They had left the lake behind. Newman pulled out of a skid and drove on. - the road sign said - was a village of ancient villas, stark trees and gardens fronted with beech hedges half-buried under a coating of snow. Again deserted. They had left the lake behind. Newman pulled out of a skid and drove on.

'The second case I threw in the back,' he called out. 'It contains what, Seidler?'

'Old newspapers. Where are you taking me?'