The QE2 Is Missing

Hank stopped suddenly, aware that he had almost gone too far. Frances’s face was white and drawn, her eyes brimming with tears. He took both her hands in his, raised them and kissed them.

“I didn’t mean to make it sound so utterly disgusting. But that’s the way it is. These are the kind of men that we are dealing with.”

“Killing is too good for people like this…. “

“No,” he said grimly. “Killing is good enough. They must be stopped and they must be killed. The world will be well rid of vermin like this. Sorry, I shouldn’t say it that way. I’m beginning to sound like them. Simply — they must be stopped.” He looked at his watch and quickly drained his cup of coffee. “I’ll have to go back now. Things will start moving fast once the diamonds change hands and we have the details about the arms ship. So one more thing. You must promise me now that you won’t go near our room today.”

“Isn’t that asking an awful lot?”

“Not if you think of it as a battleground instead of a cabin. How are you with a pistol? Have you killed many people with one?”

“If you think for an instant that you are being hysterically funny, you are not.” Frances was angry now, trying to pull her hand away from his, but he would not let go.

“I’m not making jokes. I’m deadly serious. If you are there when any trouble starts I’ll be worrying about you instead of the job that has to be done. Do you understand?”

“Yes, I do. But can’t you get out of there as well?”

“I could — but I don’t want to. There are too many Tupamaros involved, and not enough of us. I’m just afraid if they run things their way, well, the situation might get out of hand. I can take care of myself. Just as long as I know that you are safe. Will you do as I ask?”

Frances smiled. “The lady gives a reluctant yes. I’ll go to the sauna and sweat the dregs of the alcohol out of my system, then have my hair done, see a film this afternoon. There is plenty to do.”

“Good. Look into the Lido Bar once in a while. I’ll either be there or I’ll leave a message with the barman, Sean. Is it a deal?”

“Fine. Good luck, my love.”

She stood up suddenly as he started to leave and embraced him, kissing him soundly and warmly, to the great pleasure of the dining room staff who had had a boring morning so far.

It was still before nine a.m. when Hank returned to his cabin, yet the others were already there. They had ordered coffee — Hank wondered what the room steward, Robert, made of all this — and the air was thick with the smoke of dark Latin tobacco. The same three men were present as the night before; the other Tupamaros were gone.

“We have a first plan of action,” Uzi said. “Some of the Paraguayans and the Tupamaros have been assigned to cover any of the opposition who don’t show up in the suite next door. Including Wielgus, there are six Germans in all. Their cabins are being watched. Stroessner and the Admiral each have two aides with them as bodyguards, but since they are all close by we are organizing our main forces here. The fat man, Chvosta, might be a threat, as well as his female assistant. We think that the diamond expert can be discounted as a threat. So our forces have been deployed accordingly.”

Leandro Diaz chose this moment to interrupt.

“There is one other factor that you should all know. I think it will be a great help in the hours ahead. I waited until now to tell you, since if the knowledge leaks out the man is dead. You know the Sergeant with Stroessner’s party, Sergeant Pradera? Well — he’s our undercover agent.”

“You are sure of this?” Josep asked.

“There is not the slightest doubt. He is the inside man who has supplied us with all the details of the conspiracy. They have no suspicion of him or they would not have assigned him to this mission.”

“This is very good news,” Uzi said.

“Better than good, remarkable.” Josep paced the room, ticking off on his fingers his points as he made them. “Firstly — is he a fighting man?”

“The best in the Army.”

“Good. Then his presence there, on the inside, is worth ten men outside in any attack. Secondly — he must be contacted and instructed when to act.”

“No,” Diaz said firmly. “We cannot risk compromising him. If there is the slightest hint of suspicion he will be killed at once. We will just have to count upon him to act correctly when the time comes. But all of your men must be informed of his identity, that is why I told you about him now. We cannot have him killed by some stupid accident.”

“I don’t like it.” Josep was angry. “There can be no free agents in an operation like this. If he is not contacted my men will treat him like anyone else in the opposition…. “

“That’s enough,” Uzi broke in. “You will tell your people about him, Josep. We each control our own troops in our own way. Is that clearly understood? And, Leandro, does this Sergeant know that we are here?”