Part 9 (1/2)

'I don't think I've had the pleasure'

'No Probably not But at least you'll have heard of hi: his name is often in the papers - his first name, that is He is said by the media to be the most wanted international terrorist on the books'

'Ah' Bond opened his nition to cross his face''ThatFranco You're putting out a contract on him?'

Murik nodded

'How do I find him?'

'By staying close to ht direction All you have to do is remove him - but not until you're told You will also do it in prescribed way The moment will come, in the operation I am about to set in motion, for Franco to disappear Vanish Cease to exist, leaving no trace'

'For that kind of ht even throw in his birth certificate'

Murik shook his head In a chilling voice he said, 'That has already been taken care ofYouwill be his death certificate'

Both men were silent for a ered a knob on the console in front of hiht in the eye

'And the money? How shall I receive it?' he enquired firmly

'You will be free to collect f50,000 in bank notes of any currency of your choosing a week from today at my bank in Zurich I assure you it is the e for you to call them from here tomorrow - on the public telephone system, of course I have no private connection I shall leave you alone to ascertain the nuement personally But I can allow you only one call to Switzerland'

'Sounds fair enough,' Bond said, wildly thinking that here was a heaven-sent opportunity for getting word out to M But he knew full well the call would be monitored and intercepted the moment he tried any sort of bluff It was on Bond's lips to ask ould happen should he fail and Franco escape, but he rean to walk calet ready for dinner now, Mr Bond Then I would suggest a good rest It is likely to be an active and taxing week' There was no suggestion that Bond ht like to consider the proposal, no polite enquiry even as to whether he would accept Murik had already assureed and the contract sealed

Bond started to follow Murik towards the door and as he did so, caught sight of one of the weapons on display in the Laird's collection On a srenades and other devices stood a cutaway German S-Mine, fro protruding rod housing the trigger Bond knew the type well and the display version showed clearly how deadly theuntil only the tip of the slender trigger showed above the ground An unlucky foot touching the trigger activated the mine, which then leaped about seven feet into the air before exploding to scatter frags loaded into the sides of the device

The cutaway S-Mine had been so arranged as to show the ball bearings in position, and also separately A small pile of these steel balls, each about a centimetre in diaht size for Bond's purpose Loudly he asked - 'You're tied up with this Franco fellow? In this scheme of yours?'

Before Murik had time to stop and reply, Bond had quietly reached out his hand and scooped three of the ball bearings froht, as Murik turned

'I a into the finer points, Mr Bond' Murik stood by the exit as Bond caught up with his you should know, I suppose' Murik's voice was loith a rasp like the cutting edge of a buzz saw 'Yes, friend Franco has contacts aanisations in the world He has provided me with six suicide squads to infiltrate half-a-dozento die for their respective causes if need be For them, if my plan works, it will mean vast sums of anisations Terrorists always need money, Mr Bond, and if the plan does not work, it is of no consequence - to the suicide squads, at least' He gave another of his unpleasant chuckles, before continuing 'All theseto sit in nuclear control rooms and if necessary, produce what you have called the China Syndroe part of the world will be contaminated, and millions will die from radioactive fallout I personally do not think it will happen - but that is up to et these squads into the reactor control rooh Franco, trained them so they can carry out destructive actions at e ransoet half of the final ranso to his prior arrangements It is up to Franco to come to me in order to collect his share He has even tried to tellfor assurances that the money will reach them Lies, of course It is Franco hiet none'

They were now back in the ed hall Murik quietly closed the door to the armoury

'You will understand, Mr Bond, that I do not intend Franco to collect anything For one thing, he is the only living person ould be able to tie me into this operation - identify in to question the terrorist squads For the other' - he shrugged lightly - 'I need all the money myself in order to build ht It is all for the benefit of ht down the desire to point out the terrible risk that Murik would be taking The facts of Operation Meltdoere like a kaleidoscope in hishe was certain: hired and fanatical terrorists are unstable in conditions of stress However strongly Anton Murik felt about the ultiht well be out of his control once the terrorist squads were in place

More than ever, Bond realised that he must make a bid for freedom They made their way slowly, side by side, to the foot of the stone stairway

'There is one thing,' Bond said calmly, hands clasped behind his back

'Go on,' Murik encouraged hiements at a respectable City company

'If you want Franco removed,' Bond continued politely, 'to ah protect your little secret and to save on expenses why should I suppose you'll not have Caber and his men similarly dispose of me as soon as I've done the job? And why not anyway siet Caber to dump him in the loch?'

Murik stopped in ood, Mr Bond You show yourself to be the ht to question e gestion I would not wish Franco's remains to be discovered on my doorstep'

Murik said this in a tone ofback to the stairs

'As to your oellbeing,' Murik continued, 'it is by no means assured byabout Caber's longed - for revenge He is a savage man, Mr Bond, but I can control him All the same, I should point out that neither could you be sure, had you declined my offer, that I would not be able to make your future life - or death - very unpleasant The choice remains yours Even now you can walk out of here freely, without a penny, and spend every ht catch up with you No one would believe the cock-and-bull story youto the police, or anyone else So you have only reater risks lie on my side of the contract'

'Youonup with Franco at the lasta ested for me?'

'Precisely ' Murik flicked the switch and the vault was once again plunged in gloohtride

The names of the six nuclear power stations were in the forefront of Bond'slike a looped tape in his head His knowledge of nuclear power, and the location of reactors throughout the world, was sketchy; though, like his colleagues, he had done a short course on the security of such power plants

Indian Point Unit Three was somewhere near New York City - he knew that because of a re a seminar A serious accident at any of the three Indian Point plants could cause grave problems in New York itself It was the same with San Onofre One, situated a hundred eles There had been criticis of that plant so near a possible off-shoot of the San Andreas fault, he recalled

Heysham One was in Lancashi+re, near the coast, and only recently operational Saint-Laurent-des-Eaux Two, in France, he kneas in the Orleans area As for the East and West German reactors - Nord To, and Esenshamm - Bond had no clues

At least he had the nae that they were subject to terrorist squad takeover on Thursday Small squads in the control rooms, the Laird had said Get out, Bond's experience told him Get the inforgan's boys from MI5 almost certainly had Murik Castle under surveillance, and it would not take long for troops to move in If they were on the ball, Franco would already be in the FBI's sights in the United States It should not take much to pull him; and if part of Meltdoas already under way, strict security at the target points would mop up the suicide squads Bond did not have ti of the delicate intricacies of Murik's plan Already there was enough on his mind, and it was essential for him to appear completely relaxed in front of Murik, Mary-Jane Mashkin and Lavender Peacock The old adage about the best forht not be either tactically or strategically sound on a battlefield, but here, round the Laird of Murcaldy's dinner table, Bond kneas his only salvation He drew the talk around to his favourite subject of golf, and took over the conversation, launching into a long and aahly embellished description of a round with Bill Tanner, and Bond felt it was perfectly within the interests of the Service to slander M's Chief-of-Staff outrageously Even Murik appeared to be aht up in the telling that he had to pull hi down to earth as he faced Anton Murik alone over the table Little passed between the twofrom the Laird, who obviously felt he had already told Bond too much about his plans As they finally rose, he placed a hand on Bond's arm and said, 'Stay alert,' the note of co here in a day or two, and I shall want you on hand all the tio out and earn your lish aeloga- one that breaks faith - and knew that, if Murik was going to break faith with desperate men like Franco's terrorists, there would be little likelihood, had Bond really been a contracthis way Franco's death would undoubtedly be followed quickly by Bond's own deood intentions

As he said goodnight to Murik and the ladies, Bond took heart fro that she would come to his room as soon as the castle was quiet Back in the East Guest Room, Bond heard the tell-tale thud as the electronic lock went on after the door was closed Murik was not a reat care would be required once Lavender arrived He nowonly the essential hardware and clothes into the larger case, then laying out other necessary items on the bed: the fake Dunhill, the pen alarm - which he would use to put M on alert once he was clear of the immediate vicinity of Murik Castle - and a small flat object that looked like a television remote control This last he placed next to the car keys When the moment came, speed would be essential He wished now that there had been the opportunity to s into the castle He would have felt a sht of logic he should trust no person in this place, not even Lavender Peacock But, as far as M was concerned, 007's job was complete - the basic information was to hand and ready to be reported Maybe the Saab would have to run soauntlet, but if his luck held and Lavender really was the girl he thought, it would only be a matter of hours before M would have a special unit -their way into the castle Last of all, Bond laid out a pair of dark slacks and a black roll-neck sweater, together with the dullest-coloured pair ofthe three steel ball-bearings, filched froed into the dark clothing, stretched out on the Sleepcentre, and lit a cigarette Near his right hand lay the last piece of equipment, a wide strip of thick plastic, one of many odds and ends, screwdrivers, wires and such, provided by Q'ute Ti on the reh, it would be best to have soram in his head

Six nuclear power stations were to be taken over by small suicide squads Murik had stressed that the squads were small, and would occupy the control rooms This probably meant that Anton Murik himself, with his many contacts in the hierarchy of ide nuclear power, had been able to supply identification and passes for the terrorist groups

From what little Bond knew of nuclear power stations, the control rooms were self-sufficient and could be sealed off from the outside world With desperate and deterht with danger

If Meltdown did happen, and even if troops and police were brought on to the six sites, it would take time to break into those vault-like rooms Besides the authorities would be loath to precipitate matters, particularly if they knew the terrorists were prepared to die - and take a lot of people with the systeically, Anton Murik would bedemands at some very early point From what the little man had said, the demands obviously concerned money or valuable convertible items alone It would be a lot of money; and, if Murik was as shrewd as he seeovernments of countries like Britain, the United States, France and Ger in to terrorist blackravest dilees, aircraft, eaue and find a way to stall overnes would consist of large tracts of land; cities; seas; rivers; and ht in a deadly pollution that would be devastating, and could even alter the whole course of the world for decades to come

It was, Bond decided, the ultimate in blackmail - worse even than the threat of a therreat city For this very real threat meant - technically at least - that six nuclear cores would not only wreck six plants, throwing their radioactive filth over large areas, but also bore their way, gathering heat, through the earth itself - possibly producing radioactive expulsion at other locations on the way, and certainly at the final point of exit Anton Murik was thorough He would have worked out every move, down to the smallest detail, fro of his deht down to the collection of the ransom, and the point where Bond would rid him of Franco - and he would rid himself of Bond Yet there was still one factor for which Murik had not accounted: the circuer-happy, death-wish uncertainty of any terrorist group under pressure This thought - above anything else - strengthened Bond's coet out and back to M as quickly as possible

It was al before he heard the click of the electronic lock Bond sprang like a cat from the bed, the strip of plastic in one hand, the other scooping up the trio of ball bearings Gently he pulled back on the door, allowing Lavender to enter the roonalled silence, then slipped one ball-bearing into each of the circular bolt housings, softly tapping all three, so that the bearings rolled gently to the far ends of the housings If Bond's thinking was accurate the s would hts the 'on' lights would be activated in the castle switchboard room If luck ith theone unnoticed

Bond then inserted the thick plastic strip over the bolt heads, to prevent the back into place Only then did he partially close the door