‘Lieutenant Denholm understands his orders perfectly clearly;’
‘In which case, cast off.’
The wind was fresh, but not strong, and it took the Angelina quite some time to overcome its initial inertia and reach a speed of three or four knots. Slowly the Ariadne dropped astern and after fifteen minutes it was at least a mile distant.
‘Excellent,’ Andropulos said. ‘Rather gratifying, is it not, when things go exactly according to plan.’ There was no hint of undue satisfaction in his voice. ‘Tell me, Commander Talbot, would you believe me when I say that I am genuinely fond, very fond, of my niece and her friend Eugenia and might even come to regard Mrs Wotherspoon in the same light?’
‘I don’t know why I should believe you and I don’t see why it should concern me. It could be.’
‘And would you believe me when I say I wouldn’t harm a hair of their heads.’
‘I’m afraid I do.’
‘Afraid?’
‘Osiers wouldn’t believe it, or wouldn’t know whether to believe it or not. Which makes them perfect hostages.’
‘Exactly. I don’t need to say that they will come to no harm in my hands.’ He looked thoughtfully at Talbot. ‘You are singularly incurious as to the reasons for my conduct.’
‘I am very curious. But one does not become a wealthy businessman by engaging in idle tittle-tattle. If I were to ask you, you would tell me exactly what you wanted to tell me. No more, no less.’
‘How very true. Now, a different point entirely. The three young ladies pose absolutely no threat to me. Yo*u and Van Gelder are a very different kettle of fish. My two friends and I regard you as highly dangerous individuals. We think you are capable of concocting devious and cunning plans and using a great deal of violence in putting those plans to the test — if, that is, you thought there was the slightest chance of success. You will understand, therefore, that we will have to immobilize you. I will remain by the wheel here. You two gentlemen, accompanied by the three ladies, will proceed to the saloon where Aristotle who, as you will readily understand, is very good at knots, will tie you hand and foot, while Alexander, who is every bit as proficient with a gun as Aristotle is with ropes, will ensure that proceedings are conducted in a peaceful fashion.’
Hawkins was bent over Professor Wotherspoon who was lying half propped-up on a sofa in the wardroom. Wotherspoon, dazed and making odd choking noises that were part way between moans and curses, was struggling to open his eyes. Finally, with the aid of his fingers, he managed to do just that.
‘What the hell has happened?’ The watchers had to strain to catch his words, which were no more than an asthmatic croak. ‘Where am I?’
‘Take this.’ Hawkins put an arm around his shoulders and a glass of brandy to his lips. Wotherspoon sipped, gagged, then drained the contents.
‘What has happened?’
‘You’ve been banged over the back of the head,’ Grierson said, ‘and not lightly, either. “Sapped”, I believe, is the current term. By the butt of the revolver, I should guess.’
Wotherspoon struggled to a sitting position. ‘Who?’
‘Andropulos,’ Hawkins said. ‘Or one of his criminal friends. Some more brandy is in order, Doctor?’
‘Normally, no,’ Grierson said. ‘In this case, yes. I know the back of your head must hurt badly, Professor, but don’t touch it. Bruised, bleeding, puffy but no fracture.’
‘Andropulos has hijacked your vessel,’ Hawkins said. ‘Along, of course, with the atomic mine. He has also taken hostages.’
Wotherspoon nodded and winced at the pain it caused him. ‘My wife, of course, is one of them.’
‘I am sorry. Along with Irene Charial and her friend Eugenia. There was no way we could stop them.’
‘Did you try?’
‘Would you have tried if you saw the barrel of a Colt screwing into your wife’s temple? And two other guns screwed into the temples of the two other ladies?’
‘I hardly think so.’ Wotherspoon shook his head. ‘I’m trying to come to terms with the situation. With a head like an over-ripe pumpkin about to burst, it’s not,easy. Talbot and Van Gelder. What’s happened to them?’
‘We don’t know, of course. Clapped in irons, handcuffed or some such, I should imagine.’
‘Or permanently disposed of. What in God’s name is behind all this, Admiral? Do you think this fellow Andropulos has gone off his rocker?’
‘By his own standards, he’s probably under the impression that he’s perfectly sane. We have every reason to believe that he is a,long-term and highly professional criminal operating on a hitherto unprecedented international scale. Terrorism and drugs would appear to be his forte. There is no time to go into that at the moment. The immediate point is that Lieutenant Denholm is very shortly leaving in the launch to follow them. Do you feel up to accompanying him?’
‘Follow them? Board and capture them? I should say.’
‘As you as much as said yourself, Professor, your mind isn’t yet firing on all cylinders. If the launch were to go within a couple of miles of the Angelina its engine beat would probably detonate the atomic mine.’
‘As you say, I’m not at my best. But if you have any spare rifles or pistols there would be no harm in taking them along. Just in case,’
‘There will be no firearms. If there were to be any exchange of fire you know where the first bullet would lodge, don’t you?’
‘Yes. You do put things so nicely. Less than an hour ago you were prepared to restrain me at all costs. You seem to have changed your mind, Admiral.’
‘It’s not my mind that has changed. It’s the circumstances.’
‘A rapid change in circumstances,’ the President said, ‘does give one a rather more balanced view of life. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that I enjoyed that lunch, but then, a couple of hours ago I didn’t expect or wish to have any today. Although the memory of the treachery will be with us for a long time one has to admit that the discreet if tragic settlement of the Pentagon question removes a major burden of worry. But that was only a local and, let us confess it, a basically selfish concern.’ He waved the paper he held in his hand. ‘This, of course, is what matters. The good ship Angelina, with this damned bomb aboard, is heading steadily south-east and with every second that passes it is putting another yard — or is it two? — between itself and all the horrors of Santorini. It is not too much to say, gentlemen, that a holocaust of unimaginable proportions has been averted.’ He raised his glass. ‘I give you a toast, Sir John. The Royal Navy.’
The President had barely returned his glass to the table when a messenger entered. The President glanced at him briefly, looked away, then looked at him again. All traces of satisfaction drained from his face.
‘Bad news, Johnson?’
‘I’m afraid so, Mr President.’
‘The worst? The very worst?’
‘Not the very worst. But bad enough.’
The President took the message, read it in silence, then looked up and said: ‘I’m afraid our celebrations have been rather premature. The Angelina has been hijacked.’
Nobody repeated the word ‘hijacked’. Nobody said anything. There didn’t seem to be anything to say.
‘Message reads: “Angelina and armed mine hijacked by Andropulos and two criminal associates. Five hostages taken — Commander Talbot, Lieutenant-Commander Van Gelder and three ladies, one of whom is Andropulos’s niece. Physically impossible for Angelina to return to area so major danger no longer exists. Will keep you posted hourly. Our major and only concern now recovery of hostages.”‘
‘Dear me, dear me,’ Sir John said. ‘This is distressing. Both ominous and confusing. Here we have this madman — or genius, who knows how much truth there is in the old maxim that they are the two sides of the same coin — loose in the Levant with an armed atomic mine aboard. Does he know that it’s armed? One rather suspects he doesn’t. Where have the three ladies suddenly appeared from and what were they doing aboard one of Her Majesty’s frigates in the first place? Why, of all improbabilities, should this villain elect to kidnap his own niece? And why, not to mention how, did this same villain kidnap the captain of the frigate and one of his senior officers. And where, in the name of all that’s holy, does he hope to sail his ship, cargo and prisoners, when he must know that every ship and plane in NATO will be searching for him? But he does so hope. That is obvious. His long and spectacularly successful criminal career, undetected until now, proves that he is a devious, cunning and brilliant operator. He has another scheme in mind. Not a man, as we have now learnt to our cost and should have known from his record, to be underestimated. A villain, indeed, but a very resourceful villain.’