Inoddedandhepaddledagoodwaynorthwardsbeforestoppingagaintodeploy thelines.Againwedriftedonthetide,apparentlyintentoncatchingour breakfast,andTonybenttohisk.n.o.bs.
Thevoicewhenitcamenearlytippedmeoutoftheboat.
"Givethelittlebleederhisbreakfastandtapeoffhisnoiseifhestarts whining."
Thevoice-unmistakablythevoice-whichwehadheardonthetapeinJohn Nerrity"shouse.Notoverloud,butcrystalclear.
"MyG.o.d,"Isaidnumbly,notbelievingit.
"Bingo,"Tonysaidwithawe."Holyeffingh.e.l.l."
Adifferentvoiceonthetapesaid,"Hewon"teat.i.t.What"sthepointoftaking itupthere?"
"Son,"saidthefirstvoicewithexaggeratedpatience,"dowewantourlittle goldminetostarvetodeath?Nowedon"t.Takehimhisbreadandjam,andshut up."
"Idon"tlikethisjob,"thesecondvoicecomplained."Straightup,Idon"t."
"YouwerekeenenoughwhenIputyouupforit.Goodwork,yousaid;thosewere yourwords."
"Ididn"treckononthekidbeingso..."
"Sowhat?"
"Sostubborn."
"He"snotthatbad.Pining,mostlike.Youconcentrateonthepayolaandgetup thebleedingstairs."
Tonynippedacoupleofswitchesandforawhilewesatinsilencelisteningto thefaintslapofthewateragainstourowndriftingboat;andthenthesecond voice,soundingmuchmoredistant,said,"Hereyouarekid,eatthis."
Therewasnoaudiblereply.
"Eat.i.t,"thevoicesaidwithirritation,andthen,afterapause,"I"dstuffit downyourthroatifyouweremine,yousnottylittlesod."
Tonysaid"Charming"underhisbreathandbegantopullinthelines."Heard enough,haven"twe?Thatsecondbugisonthetopfloor,facingthestreet."
Inodded.Tonyreversedhisswitchesandthesecondvoice,downstairsagain, said,"He"sjustlyingtherestaring,sameasusual.Givesmethew.i.l.l.i.e.s.
Soonerwe"reshotofhim,thebetter."
"Patience,"thefirstvoicesaid,asifhumoringanidiot."Yougottoletthe mansellhishorse.Standstoreason.Oneweekwegavehim.Oneweekiswhat he"llget."
"We"renotcollectingthefivemillion,though,arewe?"Hesoundedaggrieved.
"Notachance."
"Wewerenevergoingtogetfivemillion,stupid.LikePetersaid,youdemand fivetofrightenthedadsandtakehalfamillionniceandeasy,n.o.bones broken."
"WhatifNerritycallsintheForce,andtheyjumpus?"
"Nosignofthem,isthere?Beyourage.TerryandKevin,they"dspotthelaw theminuteitput.i.tssizetwelvesoverthedoorstep.Thosetwo,theygot antennaewhereyou"vegoteyes.Nooneatthehotel.Nooneatthehousein Sutton.Right?"
Thesecondvoicegaveanindistinguishablegrumble,andthefirstvoice answered,"Peterknowswhathe"sdoing.He"sdoneitbefore.He"sanexpert.You justdowhatyou"rebleedingtoldandwe"llallgetrich,andI"vehada bellyfulofyourgrousing,Ihave,straightup."
Tonyputthesingleoaroverthesternoftheboatandwithoutfussorhurry paddledusofftowardswherewe"dsetout,againsttheswirlingincomingtide.I rolledupthefishinglinesandunbaitedthehooks,myfingersabsentminded whilemythoughtspositivelygalloped.
"Don"tlet"stellEagleruntil..."Isaid.
"No,"Tonyanswered.
Helookedacrossatme,halfsmiling."Andlet"snottellthechairmaneither,"
Isaid."OrGerryClayton."
Tony"ssmilecameoutlikethesun."Iwasafraidyou"dinsist."
"No."Ipaused."YouwatchfromthewaterandI"llwatchfromtheland.O.K.?
Andthiseveningwe"lltellEagler.Onourterms."
"Andthelowprofilecanrestineffingpeace."
"Youjustgetthatvacuumpumppurringlikeacatanddon"tfalloffanyhigh walls."
"Inourreport,"Tonysaid,"wewillwritethatthepolicefoundthehideout."
"Whichtheydid,"Isaidreasonably.
"Whichtheydid,"herepeatedwithsatisfaction.
NeitherTonynorIweretotallycommittedtotheadvice-onlypolicyofthefirm, thoughwebothadheredtoitmoreorlessandagreedthatinmostcirc.u.mstances itwasprudent.Tonywithhis.e.xceptionalskillstendedalwaystobemore activelyinvolvedthanI,andhisreportswerepepperedwithphraseslike"it wasdiscovered"and"asithappened"andneverwiththemoretruthful"Iplanted adozenillegalbugsandheard..."or"Iletoffasmokecanisterandunderits cover..."
Tonysteeredtheboatbacktowherewe"dleftthecarandrapidlysetupa duplicatereceivertoworkthroughthecar"saerial.
"Thereyouare,"hesaid,pointing."Leftswitchforthelowerfloorbug,middle switchforthetopfloor.Don"ttouchthedials.Rightswitch,upformetotalk toyou,downforyoutotalktome.O.K.?"
Hedugaroundintheamazingstoreshecalledhisgearandwithanodof pleasuretookoutaplasticlunchbox."Long-termsubsistencesupplies,"he said,showingmethecontents."Nutbars,beefjerky,vitaminpills...keepyou fightingfitforweeks."
"Thisisn"ttheSouthAmericanoutback,"Isaidmildly.
"Savesalotofshopping,though."Hegrinnedandstowedthelunchboxinthe rowingboatalongwithaplasticbottleofwater."Iftheworstshouldhappen andtheydecidetomovethekid,we"reindeadtrouble."
Inodded.Troublewiththelaw,withLibertyMarketandwithourowninescapable guilt.
"Andlet"snotforget,"headdedslowly,"thatsomewherearoundwehaveTerry andKevinandPeter,allwiththeirantennaequiveringlikeeffingmad,andyou neverknowwhetherthatcra.s.sb.a.s.t.a.r.dRightsworthwon"tdriveuptoNerrity"s housewithhisbluelightflashing."
"He"snotthatcrazy."
"He"ssmug.Self-satisfied.Justasdangerous."
Heputhisheadononeside,considering."Anythingelse?"
"I"llgobacktothehotel,paythebill,collectthecases."
"Right.Givemeabuzzwhenyou"reonstation."Hesteppedintotheboatand untieditspainter."And,bytheway,doyouhaveadarksweater?Black,high neck?"
"Yes,Ibroughtone."
"Good.Seeyoutonight."
Iwatchedhimpaddleaway,ashortishfigureofgreatphysicaleconomy,every movementdeftandsure.Hewavedgoodbyebriefly,andIturnedthecarandgot onwiththeday.
Chapterthirteen.
THEHOURSpa.s.sedslowlywiththemixtureoftensionandboredomthatIimagined soldiersfeltwhenwaitingbeforebattle.Halfofthetimemypulseratewasup inthestratosphere,halfthetimeIfeltlikesleep.Atonlyonepointdidthe watchjerkfromstandbytonerve-racking,andthatwasatmidday.
FormostofthemorningIhadbeenlisteningtothebugonthelowerofthetwo floors,notparkingthewholetimeinoneplacebutmovingaboutandstopping forawhileinanyofthestreetswithinrange.Thetwokidnappershadrepeated agooddealofwhatwe"dalreadyheard;grouse,grouse,shutup.
Dominicatonepointhadbeencrying.
"Thekid"swhining,"thefirstvoicesaid.
Iswitchedtothetopfloorbugandheardthelonelyheartbreakinggrizzle,the keeningofachildwho"dlosthopeofbeinggivenwhathewanted.Noonecameto talktohim,butpresentlyhisvoicewasobliteratedbypopmusic.
Iswitchedtothelowerbugagainandfeltmymusclesgointoknots.
Anewvoicewa.s.speaking."...ablokesittinginacaracoupleofstreetsaway, justsittingthere.Idon"tlikeit.Andhe"sabitlikeoneofthepeople stayinginthehotel."
Thefirst-voicekidnappersaiddecisively,"Yougoandcheckhimout,Kev.If he"sstillthere,comerightback.We"retakingn.o.bleedingrisks.Thekidgoes downthechute."
Thesecond-voicekidnappersaid,"I"vebeensittingatthisruddywindowall morning.There"sbeennooneinsighthere,sussingusout.Justpeoplewalking, notlooking."
"Wheredidyouleavethecar?"Kevindemanded."You"vemovedit."
"It"sinTurtleStreet."
"That"swherethisblokeissitting."
Therewasasilenceamongthekidnappers.TheblokesittinginthecarinTurtle Street,hisheartlurching,startedhisengineandremovedhimselffast.
AredlightonTony"sradioequipmentbeganflashing,andIpressedtheswitch totalktohim."Iheard,"Isaid."Don"tworry,I"monmyway.Talktoyouwhen Ican."
Idroveamileandpulledupinthecarparkofabusypub,andbeatmyearsto catchthemuchfaintertransmissions.
"Thebloke"sgone,"avoiceeventuallysaid.
"Whatdoyoureckon,Kev?"
Thereplywasindistinguishable.
"Therehasn"tbeenasmelloftheForce.Notaflicker."Thefirst-voice kidnappersoundedasifheweretryingtorea.s.surehimselfasmuchasanyone else."LikePetersaid,theycan"tsurroundthisplacewithoutusseeing,andit takeseightseconds,that"sall,toputthekiddownthechute.Youknowit,I knowit,wepracticed.There"snowaythepolicewouldfindanythingherebut threeblokeshavingableedingholidayandalittlegambleonthecards."
Thereweresomemoreindecipherablewords,thenthesamevoice."We"llboth watch,then.I"llgoupstairs,ready.You,Kev,youwalkroundthebleedingtown andseeifyoucanspotthatblokehangingabout.Ifyouseehim,giveusa bell,thenwe"lldecide.Peterwon"tthankusifwepanic.Wegottogivethe goodsbackbreathing,that"swhathesaid.Otherwisewegetnothing,savvy,and Idon"twanttohavegonethroughallthisaggravationforaholeinthe bleedingpocket."
Icouldn"thearthereplies,butfirst-voiceseemedtohaveprevailed."Right then.Offyougo,Kev.Seeyoulater."
IwentinsidethepubwhereIwasparkedandateasandwichwithfingersnotfar fromtrembling.Thelowprofile,Ijudged,hadneverbeenmorejustifiedormore essential,andI"driskedDominic"slifebynotstickingtotherules.
TheproblemwithdodgingKevinwasthatIdidn"tknowwhathelookedlikewhile hecouldspotmeeasily,andprobablyheknewthecolor,make,andnumberofmy car.Itchenorwastoosmallforhandyhidingplaceslikemulti-storyparks.I concludedthatasIcouldn"triskbeingseenIwouldhavetogivetheplacea missaltogether,anddrovebyaroundaboutroutetoreachItchenorCreekata muchhigherpoint,nearerChichester.Icouldnolongerhearthebugs,buthoped toreachTonydownthewater;andherespondedtomyfirstinquirywithafaint voicefullofrelief.
"Whereareyou?"hedemanded.
"Upthecreek."
"You"vesaidit."
"What"shappenedinthehouse?"
"Nothing.Whateverthatchuteis,thegoodshavenotyetgonedownit.But they"restillquiveringlikeeffingjellyfish."Hepaused."Effingbadluck, themhavingtheircarinthatstreet."
Hewas.e.xcusingme.Iwasgrateful.Isaid,"I"dbeenthereonlytenminutes."
"Wayitgoes.Kevisbackwiththem,incidentally."
"I"llbehere,ifyouneedme."
"O.K.,"hesaid."Andbytheway,itwastheonecalledPeterwhopickedthe goodsup.Sweetasadaisy,theysaid.Peterphonesthemeverydayand apparentlymightgotherehimselftomorroworthedayafter.Pitywecan"t wait."
"Toorisky."
"Yeah."
Weagreedonatimeandplaceformetomeethim,andswitchedofftoconserve thepowerpackshehadwithhimintheboat.Listeningtothebugswasfarmore important,and,besides,drainedthebatteriesless.
Therewasalwaystheslightchancewithradiothatsomeonesomewherewouldbe casuallylisteningonthesamechannel,butIreviewedwhatwe"dsaidand thought.i.twouldn"thaveenlightenedoralarmedanyoneexceptthekidnappers themselves,evenifwehad,onthewhole,soundedlikeacoupleofthieves.
Istayedbythewaterallafternoon,inornearthecar,butheardnomorefrom Tony,whichwasinitselfasignthatthestatuswa.s.stillquo.Atafewminutes tofiveIdroveinlandtothenearesttelephoneboxandputacallthroughto Eagler.
Hewasoffduty,thestationsaid.Whatwasmyname?
AndrewDouglas.
Inthatcase,wouldIringthefollowingnumber?