Part 28 (2/2)

'Shall we just score one up for your boy, Bobby?'

'G.o.d bless you, Andy Robins!'

'Calm seas and fair winds, Uncle Cyril!'

After long debate between Hazel, Hector and Paddy it was decided that regardless of the cost they should get rid of any incriminating equipment left on board the Golden Goose Golden Goose. Accordingly the Bushmaster cannon were dismounted from their emplacements and together with all the ammunition they were dumped into the Mascarene Basin in over five thousand feet of water. All three AAVs followed them with their turrets and seac.o.c.ks wide open.

Once she was clean the Golden Goose Golden Goose stopped over in the roads of Dar es Salaam harbour and sent 146 men ash.o.r.e by ferry. Each of the pa.s.sengers was dressed in civilian clothes and carrying a fat cas.h.i.+er's cheque drawn on the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation. Bernie and Big Nella Vosloo were waiting at Dar es Salaam airport to fly them up to Qatar in the Hercules. From there they dispersed across the globe on commercial airline flights. Paddy was still not in any condition to travel so he remained on board, with his self-appointed Russian nurse. They sailed on down to Cape Town where the BBJ was waiting. It took Paddy and Nastiya up to Moscow, where Nastiya wanted to get her mother's approval for what the two of them had in mind. stopped over in the roads of Dar es Salaam harbour and sent 146 men ash.o.r.e by ferry. Each of the pa.s.sengers was dressed in civilian clothes and carrying a fat cas.h.i.+er's cheque drawn on the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation. Bernie and Big Nella Vosloo were waiting at Dar es Salaam airport to fly them up to Qatar in the Hercules. From there they dispersed across the globe on commercial airline flights. Paddy was still not in any condition to travel so he remained on board, with his self-appointed Russian nurse. They sailed on down to Cape Town where the BBJ was waiting. It took Paddy and Nastiya up to Moscow, where Nastiya wanted to get her mother's approval for what the two of them had in mind.

Hector and Hazel stayed over at Dunkeld Estate for a week to sample uncle John's latest vintage and render comfort and support over the loss of his beloved sister Grace. When he learned that the scores had been settled and that Hazel had carried out the execution in person John was well on the way to a full recovery. The BBJ returned from Moscow and flew Hector and Hazel back to Houston.

During the flight home they discussed what had to be done with the contents of Adam Tippoo Tip's attache case. Finally they agreed that if the funds could be recovered from the bank accounts using the pa.s.swords and usernames they had acquired, then they would have to be returned to their rightful owners. As soon as they were back in Texas they made the first attempt at recovery. First they opened a numbered account in Switzerland. Then Hector went online and used his fluent Arabic to type in the username and pa.s.sword of Adam's account at the Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

's.h.i.+t! It works!' he breathed as the files opened on the screen with miraculous rapidity.

'Don't swear, darling,' Hazel told him primly, 'it'll bring us bad luck.'

Hector pointed to the balance on the bank account. 'Do you think eight hundred and fifty-seven million US dollars is bad luck?'

'It will be, unless you can transfer it into the Swiss numbered account.'

'Hold your breath and pray,' he told her, and typed in the instructions. 'Here we go!' He hit the 'Submit' b.u.t.ton, then let out a whoop of triumph. 'It has accepted the instruction! The money has been transferred!'

'Check that it's gone in,' Hazel suggested. Quickly he opened their Swiss account.

'It's there!' he gloated. 'Look at it! Eight hundred and fifty-seven million dollars!' He took her in his arms and waltzed her twice around the room.

'Now, let's be serious.' She stopped him at last. 'Let's get the rest of the lolly.' They sat down in from of the computer again, and worked away for the next three hours. At the end of that time they stared in awe at the screen.

'We've scooped the pot!' Hector said in sepulchrous tones. 'We've got the lot. Every last b.l.o.o.d.y dollar. A smidgen over two billion dollars.'

'Okay! Go ahead and swear. I was wrong. It does seem to bring us good luck.'

'There is a magnum of Roederer Cristal champagne in the fridge. What d'you think? Shall we?'

'I think it's obligatory,' she agreed. They toasted each other and absent friends, and then got down to the next item of business.

'Right!' said Hazel. 'Can we establish who paid the money into Adam's accounts?'

'Yes, of course. We just open Adam's bank statements. It's all there.'

'And we have their account numbers to return all the money to?' she asked.

'Not all of it. We have to reimburse Bannock Oil for all the expenditure of equipping and mounting the expedition to Gandanga Bay.'

'Yes, of course. But we must keep all of this at arm's length. We can never admit that we had any part in the raid on the pirates. We broke nearly every law in the book when we did that.'

'As for the refund of expenses to Bannock Oil, I will talk to Prince Mohammed in Abu Zara. We can route the money through him as oil royalties.'

'Will he do that for us?'

'Not for us, but for a nice little commission,' Hector said with a shrug. 'Apart from being the Prime Minister and Minister of Mines, he is also head of both the army and police force, and governor of the Central Bank of Abu Zara. People tend to do what Princey says without kicking up a fuss.'

Hazel laughed. 'He sounds like my kind of guy. But how do we get the money to the others that Adam Tippoo Tip robbed?'

'Have you got a really reliable lawyer?'

'A whole platoon of them,' she agreed.

'Your chosen lawyer will contact each of them separately under a confidentiality agreement. He will explain that his anonymous client has negotiated with the pirates and received a substantial refund of the extorted funds. If they sign a guarantee of secrecy, then they are in line for a distribution of a portion of this amount. You can bet that they will jump at the offer.'

Hector was right; Prince Mohammed channelled the money into the Bannock coffers, and the s.h.i.+p owners and insurance companies who had suffered losses performed like Olympic athletes jumping at their offer.

While all of this was in process Hector and Hazel found the time to fly to Moscow for the wedding of Nastiya Voronova and Paddy. On the way they picked up Cyril Stamford in Taiwan, where the Golden Goose Golden Goose was being refitted. Cyril was now officially employed as the full-time captain of the vessel, and Nastiya had particularly asked Hazel to see to it that he was present at the wedding. Hector could not see the reason why Cyril's presence was planned so carefully by the two girls. It was only when Nastiya introduced Cyril to her mother that matters became clearer. Galina Voronova was a tall and stately lady of fifty-seven years whose long hair had turned silver blonde. Looking at her it was obvious from whom Nastiya had inherited her own spectacular beauty. was being refitted. Cyril was now officially employed as the full-time captain of the vessel, and Nastiya had particularly asked Hazel to see to it that he was present at the wedding. Hector could not see the reason why Cyril's presence was planned so carefully by the two girls. It was only when Nastiya introduced Cyril to her mother that matters became clearer. Galina Voronova was a tall and stately lady of fifty-seven years whose long hair had turned silver blonde. Looking at her it was obvious from whom Nastiya had inherited her own spectacular beauty.

Cyril and Galina shook hands and she said in excellent English, 'You are a sea captain. That is very romantic!'

Cyril stammered something unintelligible and paled beneath his tan. He seemed actually to sway on his feet as he stared at her. Hazel squeezed Hector's arm and murmured just loudly enough for only him to hear, 'Bingo!' Then she and Nastiya exchanged self-satisfied glances.

After the wedding ceremony in the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, Hazel handed Nastiya her contract with Cross Bow Security. She had appointed Nastiya the new a.s.sistant chief director of the company. When Hector and Hazel flew back to Houston Cyril Stamford was not on board the jet. It would be at least another three months before the Golden Goose Golden Goose was ready for sea and he had that time to spare. For reasons which he fondly believed were known only to himself, Cyril had decided to stay over in Moscow for a while. was ready for sea and he had that time to spare. For reasons which he fondly believed were known only to himself, Cyril had decided to stay over in Moscow for a while.

Hector and Hazel had a mountain of work awaiting their attention in Houston, including the Bannock Oil AGM and a j.a.panese delegation anxious to discuss deepwater drilling in the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean, so it was almost a month after their return before they had the opportunity to fly to the ranch in Colorado. After breakfast on the first morning they walked up to the mausoleum on top of Spy Gla.s.s Mountain. Old Tom greeted them at the door.

'They told me you was coming, Miss Hazel and Mister Hector,' he said, 'so I got in the flowers. Arum lilies for Mister Henry and roses for Miss Cayla, like always.'

'You are a good man, Tom.' Hector watched from the doorway as Hazel arranged the flowers, and when it was done she called him. They knelt side by side on the purple velvet cus.h.i.+ons that Tom had placed at the head of Cayla's marble sarcophagus.

'I'm not very good at this prayer business,' Hector warned her gently.

'I know. Leave this part to me,' she replied. She was very good at it. The tears welled up in Hector's eyes as he listened to her.

It was just a little short of two hours before they went out onto the lawn again. The sky was grey with dense snow clouds. They sat together on the stone bench. A snowflake settled lightly on Hazel's nose. It tickled, so she wiped it away.

'Winter's coming early this year,' she said. 'd.i.c.kie tells me that the geese have already flown south.'

'Cayla and Henry have gone with them,' Hector agreed. 'They weren't there today.' He looked back at the mausoleum.

'You also sensed that?'

'They won't be coming back, Hazel. They have gone for ever. Only the memory of them will remain with us.'

'I know.'

'Don't be sad, my darling.'

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