Iwould,anddid,andheansweredimmediately.Whataterrificchange,Ithought fleetingly,frommydisasterwithPucinelli"ssecond-in-command, "Canyourmenworkatnight?"Isaid.
"Ofcourse."
"Tonyfoundthekidnappers,"Isaid.
"Idon"tbelieveit!"
"Itshouldbepossibleforyoutoarrestthem."
"Wherearethey?"
"Er,"Isaid."Theyareextremelyalert,watchingforanysignofpolice activity.Ifyouturnuptheretoosoonitwouldbecurtainsfortheboy.So wouldyou...um...actonoursuggestions,withoutquestioningthem,andpositively, absolutelynotalteringtheplaninanyway?"
Therewasafairpause,thenhesaid,"AmIallowedtoapprovethisplan,or not?"
"Er...not."
Anotherpause."Takeitorleaveit?"
"I"mafraidso."
"Hm."Hedeliberated."Thekidnappersonyourterms,ornotatall?"
"Yes,"Isaid.
"Ihopeyouknowwhatyou"redoing,laddie."
"Mm,"Isaid.
Afinalpause,thenhesaid,"You"reon.Allright.What"stheplan?"
"Youneedenoughmentoarrestatleastthreepeople,"Isaid."Canyougetthem toyourChichestermainpolicestationbyoneinthemorning?"
"Certainly."Hesoundedalmostaffronted."Plainclothesorinuniform?"
"Idon"tthinkitwillmatter."
"Armedornot?"
"It"suptoyou.Wedon"tknowifthekidnappershaveguns."
"Right.Andwherearemymentogo?"
"I"llcallyouwithdirectionsafteroneo"clock."
Hesnorted."Notverytrusting,areyou?"
"Idotrustyou,"Isaid."OtherwiseIwouldn"tbesettingthisupforyouat all."
"Well,well,"hesaid."Theironmaninthekidglove,justasIrather suspected.Allright,laddie,yourtrustwon"tbemisplaced,andI"llplayfair withyou.AndI"lltearthebothofyoutoshredsifyoubungleit."
"It"sadeal,"Isaidthankfully."I"llcallyouatthestation."
IwentbacktothewatertowaitbutheardnosqueakfromTony;andlongafter ithadgrowndarkIdrovetowherewe"dagreedtomeet,andtransferredhimand hisequipmentfromboattocar.
"Theysimmereddownabitinthehouse,"hesaid."Theyhadaphonecallfrom Peter,whoeverheis,andthatseemedtosteadythemabit.PityIcouldn"thave fixedataponthetelephone.Anyway,Peterapparentlytoldthemtocarryon withthelookoutandnotdumptheboyunlesstheycouldseethepoliceoutside."
Hegrinned."WhichIhopetheywon"teffingdo."
"No."Istowedthepowerpacksintheboatbesidealargeamorphouscanvasbag.
"OurfriendEaglerpromised.Also..."Ihesitated,"I"vethoughtofanother safeguard."
"Tricky,aren"twe?"Tonysaid,whenItoldhim."Butyes,wecan"tafforda b.a.l.l.s-up.Wantanutbar?Goodasdinner."
Iateanutbarandwesatquietlyandwaited,andagoodwhileafterone o"clockItelephonedtoEaglerandtoldhimwhenandwheretobring-and conceal-hismen.
"Tellthemtobesilent,"Isaid."Notjustquiet.Silent.Notalking.Nonoisy feet.Absolutelysilent."
"Allright."
"Waitforus,forTonyandme.Wewillcometomeetyou.Wemaybealongtime afteryougetthere,we"renotsure.Butpleasewait.Waitinsilence."
"That"sallyou"retellingme?"hesaiddoubtfully.
"We"lltellyoutherestwhenwemeetyou.But.i.t"sessentialtogetthetiming right...sow.i.l.l.youwait?"
"Yes,"hesaid,makinguphismind.
"Good.We"llseeyou,then."
IputthereceiverdownandTonynoddedwithsatisfaction.
"Allright,then,"hesaid."Howareyournerves?"
"Lousy.Howareyours?"
"Tobehonest,"hesaid,"whenI"mdoingthissortofthingIfeeltwiceas aliveasusual."
IdroveusgentlybacktoItchenorandparkedinarowofcarsroundthecorner fromthekidnappers"house.Therewasonlyonestreetlamp,weakandawayona corner,whichpleasedTonyparticularly,ashewantedtimeforustodevelop nightvision.Heproducedatubeofmakeupandblackedhisfaceandhands,andI tunedintothebugsagainforafinalcheckup.
Therewasnonoisefromeitherofthem.
Ilookedatmywatch.Two-fifteen.Eagler"smenwereduetobeinpositionby two-thirty.Withluckthekidnapperswouldbeasleep.
"Blackyourface,"Tonysaid,givingmethetube."Don"tforgetyoureyelids.If youhearanyonewalkingalongthestreet,squatinacornerandcloseyoureyes.
It"salmostimpossibletoseeanyoneintheshadowswho"sdoingthat.Standing upandmovingwithyoureyesopenandgleaming,that"splayingsillyb.u.g.g.e.rs."
"Allright."
"Andbepatient.Silencetakestime."
"Yes."
Hegrinnedsuddenly,thewhiteteethsatanicinthedarkenedface."What"sthe goodofyearsoftrainingifyouneverputthemtoeffinguse?"
Wegotoutofthecarintothequietdesertedstreet,andfromthelarge shapelesscanvasbaginthetrunkTonyextractedhisintricateandlovingly tendedharness.Iheldthesuppleblackmaterialforhimwhileheslidhisarms throughthearmholesandfastenedthefrontfromwaisttoneckwithazip.It changedhisshapefromlithenormalitytoimitationhunchback,thepowerpacks onhisshoulderslumpyandgrotesque.
Theharnessitselfwasama.s.sofpockets,bothpatchedonandhanging,each containingsomethingessentialforTony"spurpose.Everythingwasinpockets becausethingswhichweremerelyclippedon,asinaclimber"sharness,clinked andjingledandalsothrewoffgleamsoflight.EverythingTonyusedwasmatt blackandifpossiblecoveredinslightlytackybinding,foragoodgrip.I"d beenutterlyfascinatedthefirsttimehe"dshownmehiskit,andhadalsofelt privileged,ashekept.i.tsveryexistenceprivatefrommostofthepartners,for feartheywouldbanitsuse.
"O.K.?"hesaid.
Inodded.Heseemedtohavenotroublebreathing,butmyownlungsappearedto havestopped.Hehadgonein,though,withhisbarehandsinmanyalandwhere tobediscoveredwasdeath,andIdaresayacaperinanEnglishseasidevillage seemedapicnicbesidethose.
Hepressedaninvisiblek.n.o.bsomewhereupbyhisneck,andtherewasasmall m.u.f.fledwhineasthepowercameon,steadyingtoafainthissinaudibleattwo paces.
"Fine,then,"hesaid."Bringthebag."
Itookthecanvasbagoutofthetrunkandquietlyshutandlockedthecar.Then withoutanyfusswewalkedinourblackclothesasfarasthecorner,whereTony seemedtomeltsuddenlyintoshadowanddisappear.Icountedtenasagreed,slid tomyknees,andwithcautionandthumpinghearttookmyfirstdimviewofthe target.
"Alwayskneel,"Tonyhadsaid."Lookoutslookatheadheight,notnearthe ground."
Thehouse"spavedgarden,weed-grown,wasinfrontofme,butdimlyperceived, evenwithnight-accustomedeyes."Movetothehousewall,ontherighthand side,"Tonyhadsaid."Benddouble,headdown.Whenyougetthere,standup, facethewall,stayinanydeepshadowyoucanfind."
"Right."
Ifollowedhisinstructions,andnooneshouted,noonesetupaclamorinthe house.
AbovemeonthewallIcouldsee,lookingup,adarkirregularshadowwhereno onewouldexpectamantobe.NooneexceptpeoplelikeTony,whowasclimbing thebarewallswithsuckerclampsfastenedonbyabatterypoweredvacuumpump.
Tonywhocouldgoupatowerblock,forwhomtwostorieswereadoddle.
Iseemedallthesametowaitforseveralcenturies,myheartthuddinginmy chest.Noonewalkedalongtheroad;noinsomniacs,nopeoplehumoring importunatedogs.Suss.e.x-by-the-Seawasfastasleepanddreaming,withonly policemen,LibertyMarketandperhapskidnapperswideawake.
Somethinghitmegentlyintheface.Iputmyhanduptocatchitandfastened myfingersroundthedanglinglengthofblacknylonrope.
"Tiethebagon,givetheropetwotugs,I"llpullitup,"Tonyhadsaid.
Iobeyedhisinstructions,andthecanvasholdalldisappearedintothedarkness above.
Iwaited,heartracingworsethanever.Thensuddenlythebagwasdownwithme again,butheavy,notempty.Itookitintomyarmsandgavetwomoretugson therope.Theropeitselfdroppeddownintotheshadowsroundmyfeet,andI begantopullitinawkwardly,myarmsfullofbag.
Ididn"thearTonycomedown.Hisskillwastrulyamazing.Onesecondhewasn"t there,thenextmomenthewas,stowingthelastofthereleasedclampsinto voluminouspockets.HefeltfortheropeIwastryingtowindinandhadit collectedintotheholdallinaflash.Thenhetouchedmeonthearm,andwe bothleftthescrubbygarden,mehuncheddoubleovermyburdenandTonyalready slidingoutofhisharness.Onceintheroadandoutofanypossiblesightof thehouseIstooduprightandgraspedthebagbybothhandles,carryingitin onehandasonenormallywould.
"Here,"Tonysaidquietly."Rubthisoveryourface."Hegavemesomethingmoist andcold,asortofsponge,withwhichIwipedawayagooddealoftheblacking, andIcouldseethathetoowasdoingthesame.
Wereachedthecaronsilentfeet.
"Don"tslamthedoors,"Tonysaid,dumpinghisharnessontothefrontpa.s.senger seat."We"llclosethemproperlylater."
"O.K."
Itookthebagwithmeintotherea.r.s.eatsandremoveditspreciouscontents: oneverysmallboy,kneesbenttohischest,lyingonhisback,withcoilsof blacknylonropefallingoverhislegs.Hewasmorethannormallyasleepbutnot totallyunconscious:unwakablydrowsy.Uncombedblond-browncurlsoutlinedhis head,andacrosshismouththerewasawidebandofmedicatedstickytape.I wrappedhimintherugIalwayskeptinthecar,andlaidhimalongtheback seat.
"Here,"Tonysaid,pa.s.singmeabottleandatinyclothoverfromthefront seats,"this"llcleantheadhesiveoff."
"Didtheydothis?"Isaid.
"No,Idid.Couldn"triskthekidwakingupandbawling."Hestartedthecarand droveoffinonefluidmovement,andIpulledtheplasteroffgentlyandcleaned thestickinessaway.
"Hewasasleep,"Tonysaid,"butIgavehimawhiffofether.Notenoughtoput himrightout.Howdoeshelook?"
"Dopey."
"Fairenough."
HedrovequietlytowhereI"dtoldEaglertotakehismen,whichwastoanother oftheelevenhousesonhislist;totheonewhichhadhadtheelectronic antiburglardevice,agoodhalfmileaway.
Tonystoppedthecarshortoftheplace,thengotoutandwalkedoff,and presentlyreturnedwithEaglerhimself,alone.WhenIsawthemcomingIgotout ofthecarmyself,andforamomentinthedimlightEaglerlookedbitterly disappointed.
"Don"tworry,"Isaid."He"shere,inthecar."
EaglerbenttolookasIopenedareardoorgently,andthen,relieved, straightenedup."We"retakinghimstraighttohismother,"Isaid."Shecanget herowndoctor.Onetheboyknows."
"But..."
"n.o.buts,"Isaid."Whatheabsolutelydoesn"twantisapolicestationfullof brightlights,loudvoices,anda.s.sortedofficials.Fair"sfair,wegottheboy, yougetthekidnappers.Youalsogetthemediacoverage,ifyoudon"tmind.We wantourtwoselvesandLibertyMarketleftoutofitcompletely.We"reuseful onlyaslongaswe"reunknown,bothtothegeneralpublicandespeciallytoall prospectivekidnappers."
"Allright,laddie,"hesaid,listeningandcapitulatingpaternally."I"llstick tothebargain.Wheredowego?"
Tonygavehimdirections.
"Ileftacanisteroftear-gasthere,"hesaidcheerfully."Itookitasa precaution,butIdidn"tneeditmyself.Ithadatimeronit."Helookedathis watch."Iset.i.ttogooffsevenminutesfromnow.There"senoughinittofill thehouse,moreorless,soifyouwaitanotherfivetotenminutesyoushould haveaniceeasytask.TheairwillbeO.K.tobreatheaboutthen,b.u.t.their eyeswillbestreaming...thatis,iftheyhaven"talreadycomeout."
Eaglerlistenedenigmatically,neitherobjectingnorcommending.
"Thekidwasonthetopfloor,"Tonysaid."Hewaswearingoneofthoseharness thingstheyputinprams.Hewastiedtothebedwithit.Icut.i.toffhim,it"s stillthere.Alsothere"ssomefloorboardsup.MindyourP.C.sdon"tfalldown thehole.G.o.dknowswherethey"dgetto."Hefishedintothecarandbrought fiveca.s.settetapesoutoftheglovecompartment."Thesemakegoodlistening.
Youplaythemtoourfriendswhenyouhavetheminthenick.Noone"sgoingto confesswheretheycamefrom.Buggingotherpeople"sconversationsain"t gentlemanly.AndrewandIneversawtheserecordingsbefore."
Eaglertookthetapes,lookingfaintlybemused.
"That"saboutallthen,"Tonysaid."Happyhunting."
Heslidintothecarbehindthesteeringwheel,andbeforeIfollowedhim,I saidtoEagler,"Thekidnappers"leaderisduetojointhemtomorrowortheday after.Idon"tsupposehe"llcome,now,buthemighttelephone...ifthenews doesn"tbreaktoosoon."
EaglerbentdownasImaneuveredmyselfintotherea.r.s.eat."Thanks,laddie,"he said.