Night Probe! Read online

  "You're taking quite a chance, Mr. Pitt. My crew could come marching through the door any second."

  "If anybody comes marching in here," Pitt said nonchalantly, "it'll be my crew. While you were waltzing with that walking muscle on the floor, your crew got securely stowed away in the engine room."

  "My compliments," replied Shaw. "You walk softly and carry a big wrench."

  Pitt shoved the tool into the side pocket of his windbreaker and sat down. "They were very cooperative.

  But I guess that happens to men when they stare into the business end of an automatic rifle."

  Pain waves shot up and down Shaw's back. His lips pressed together and his face paled. He tried a few bending exercises, but they only made matters worse.

  Pitt watched him. "I suggest you see an osteopath after you notify MI6 of recent events."

  "Thank you for your concern," Shaw muttered. "How do you come to know so much?"

  "You became an instant celebrity when you-looked into the cameras of our survey vehicle. Heidi Milligan recognized your face, and the CIA fleshed out your past."

  Shaw's eyes narrowed. "Commander Milligan is on board your ship?"

  "You're old friends, she tells me. A lovely girl, and savvy too. She conducts our historical research."

  "I see," said Shaw. "She laid out the path for your salvage operation."

  "If you mean that Heidi pointed out the location of Harvey Shields' cabin, yes."

  Shaw was always amazed at the frankness of the Americans. Pitt, on the other hand, was always irritated by the British preference for fencing around.

  "Why are you here, Mr. Pitt?"

  "I felt the time had come to warn you to lay off."

  "Lay off"

  "There's no law that says you can't sit in the bleachers as a spectator, Mr. Shaw. But keep your boys out of our salvage area. The last one tried to play rough."

  "You must be talking about Mr. Gly there."

  Pitt looked down at the inert body. "I should have guessed."

  "There was a time when I might have made him a good match," said Shaw wistfully.

  Pitt smiled a smile that warmed the room. "I only hope I'm in as good a shape as you when I'm sixty-six."

  "Good guess."

  "Weight one hundred and seventy pounds; height six feet one inch, right-handed, numerous scars. No guess, Mr. Shaw. I have a copy of your biography. You've led an interesting life."

  "Perhaps, but your accomplishments far outstrip mine." Shaw smiled for the first time. "You see, I have a file on you too."

  Pitt looked at his watch. "I must be getting back to-the Ocean Venturer. It was a pleasure meeting you."

  "I'll see you to your boat. It's the least I can do for a man who saved my life."

  Two men stood guard on the deck outside. They were about the size and shape of polar bears. One of them spoke with a voice that seemed to come up from his socks when he spotted Shaw.

  "Any problems, sir?" Pitt shook his head. "None. Are we ready to shove off?"

  "Everyone is aboard except us."

  "Go ahead. I'll follow."

  Both men gave Shaw a don't-try-anything-funny look and climbed over the side to a launch moored beside the tug.

  Pitt turned and said, "Give my regards to General Simms."

  Shaw peered at Pitt with continued respect. "Is there anything you don't know?"

  "There's lots I don't know." Pitt's expression turned devilish. "For one thing, I never took the time to learn backgammon."

  God, Shaw thought, the man is beyond wonder, but he was too much the professional not to see the icy shrewdness beneath the outer layer of friendly warmth. "I shall be happy to teach you sometime. I'm rather good at the game."

  "I'll look forward to it."

  Pitt held out his hand.

  In all his years in the deadly business of espionage, this was the first time Shaw ever recalled shaking hands with the enemy. He stared into Pitt's eyes for a long moment.

  "Forgive me for not wishing you luck, Mr. Pitt, but you cannot be allowed to find the treaty. Your side has everything to gain. Mine has everything to lose. You must understand that."

  "We both know the score."

  "I would very much regret having to kill you,"

  "I wouldn't like it much either." Pitt straddled the railing, paused and threw a wave. "Break a leg, Mr.

  Shaw." And then he dropped onto the foredeck of the launch.

  Shaw stood for several minutes, watching the tiny boat until it became lost in the darkness. Then he wearily walked down to the engine room and released Dr. Coli and the tug's crew. When he returned to his cabin, Foss Gly was gone.

  A crowd of nearly one thousand people stood outside the residence of the Prime Minister, applauding and waving placards and hand-painted banners in French and English, wishing Charles Sarveux well as he arrived home from the hospital. The doctors had insisted that he be transported by ambulance, but he firmly ignored their advice and rode home in the official limousine, impeccably dressed in a newly purchased suit, his scarred hands concealed by a pair of oversize kid gloves.

  One of his party advisers suggested he keep his bandages in plain view to evoke public sentiment. But Sarveux would have no part of gimmicky politics. It was not his way.

  The pain in his hip was excruciating. His arms were stiff with scar tissue and exploded in agony every time he attempted to move them. He was thankful the crowds and reporters were too distant to see the sweat that ran down his face as he smiled through tight lips and waved to their cheers.

  The car passed through the gate and stopped at the front steps. Danielle rushed up to the door and threw it open. "Welcome home, Charles-"

  The words stuck in her throat when she saw the tortured face, deep-etched in ashen, suffering "Help me inside," he whispered. "Let me get a Mountie-"

  "No," he cut her off. "I will not be taken for an invalid."

  He twisted in the back seat and placed his feet on the ground, his body half in, half out of the car. He took a moment to steel himself against the torment, then hooked one arm around Danielle's waist and swayed to a standing position.

  She nearly went down under his weight. It took all her strength to hold him upright. She could almost feel the agony emanate from him as they shuffled up the steps of the landing. At the doorway he turned and flashed the famous Charles Sarveux smile at a bevy of reporters across the drive and made a thumbs-up sign.

  Once the front door closed, his iron will gave out and he began to sink to the carpet. A Mountie swiftly pushed Danielle aside and grabbed him around the shoulders. A doctor and two nurses materialized, and together they gently carried him up the stairs to his room.

  "You were mad to play hero," the doctor reprimanded Sarveux after settling the Prime Minister in bed.

  "Your fracture is far from fully healed. You might have caused serious damage and set back your recovery."

  "A small risk to assure the people that their leader is not a vegetable." Sarveux smiled weakly.

  Danielle came and sat on the edge of the bed. "You've made your point, Charles. There is no need to exert yourself." He kissed her hand. "I beg your forgiveness, Danielle."

  She looked at him in confusion. "Forgiveness?"

  "Yes," he said softly so the others in the room did not hear. "I undervalued your spirit. I always looked upon you as a wealthy child whose only aim in life was to nurture a great beauty and indulge in Cinderella fantasies. I was wrong."

  "I'm not sure I understand . . ." she said hesitantly.

  "In my absence you stepped into my shoes and took up the reins of office with dignity and determination," he said sincerely. "You have truly proven that Danielle Sarveux is the first lady of the land."

  Suddenly she felt a, deep sadness for him. In certain respects he was perceptive, and in others he seemed naive. Only now was he beginning to appreciate her capabilities. And yet her desires completely eluded him. He could not see that she was an illusion, could not guess the extent of her
deceit.

  By the time he came to know her fully, she thought, it would be too late.

  Sarveux was in his robe, seated on the sofa and staring at the television set, whei Henri Villon entered his room later that night. A news commentator was standing in the middle of Quebec Street, surrounded by a huge crowd of cheering people.

  "Thank you for coming, Henri."

  Villon looked at the TV. "It's done," he said quietly. "The referendum for full independence has passed.

  Quebec is a nation."

  "Now the chaos begins," said Sarveux. He punched the OFF button on the control box and the TV set went dark. Then he turned to Villon and motioned to a chair. "How do you see it?"

  "I'm certain the transition will be smooth."

  "You're overly optimistic. Until a general election can be held to install a new government, Quebec's parliament will be in turmoil, a golden opportunity for the FQS to rise up out of their sewer and make a power play." He shook his head sadly. "Jules Guertier's death could not have come at a worse time. He and I could have worked together in softening the road. Now I don't know."

  "Surely you feel that the vacuum left by Jules can be filled?"

  "By whom? You perhaps?"

  A hardness came into Villon's eyes. "No man is better qualified. My efforts were instrumental in putting across the referendum. I have the backing of the trade unions and financial institutions. I am a respected party leader, and most important, I am a Frenchman who is highly regarded by the rest of Canada.

  Quebec needs me" Charles. I shall run for president and I'll win."

  "So Henri Villon is going to lead Quebec out of the wilderness," said Sarveux caustically.

  "French culture is more alive today than ever before. My sacred duty is to nourish it."

  "Stop waving the fleur-delis, Henri. It doesn't become you."

  "I have deep feelings for my native land."

  "You have deep feelings for only Henri Villon."

  "You think so little of me?" snapped Villon.

  Sarveux stared him in the eye. "I had a high opinion of you once. But I watched as blind ambition transformed a dedicated idealist into a devious schemer." Villon glared back. "I think you should explain yourself."

  "For starters, what possessed you to black out a third of the United States at the James Bay power project?"

  Villon's expression turned impassive. "I felt it was necessary. The blackout was meant as a warning to the Americans to keep their hands off of French affairs."

  "Where did you get such an insane idea?" Villon gave him a bemused look. "From you, of-course."

  Sarveux's expression went blank.

  Suddenly Villon began to laugh. "You really don't remember, do you?"

  "Remember what?" Sarveux asked mechanically.

  "In the hospital after the plane crash, your mind was confused from the anesthetic. You raved about Canada being in great peril if the wrong people discovered the vulnerability of the control booth at James Bay. You were vague on the meaning. But then you instructed Danielle to tell me to consult Max Roubaix, the long-dead garrote murderer."

  Sarveux sat mute, his face unreadable.

  "A damned clever riddle, considering it came from a scrambled brain," Villon continued. "It took me a while to figure the parallel between Roubaix's favorite weapon and an energy stranglehold. I thank you for that, Charles. You unwittingly showed me how to make the Americans dance to the mere flip of an electrical switch."

  Sarveux sat in silence for a moment, then he looked up at Villon and said, "Not unwittingly."

  Villon missed the point. "Pardon?"

  "Danielle did not hear the raving of a delirious man. There was a great deal of pain, but my mind was clear when I told her I wanted you to consult Max Roubaix."

  "Playing some sort of childish game, Charles?"

  Sarveux ignored him. "A very old and dear friend said you would betray my trust and the faith the Canadian people had in you. I could not bring myself to believe you were a traitor, Henri. But I had to be sure. You took the bait and threatened the United States with energy blackmail. A grave mistake on your part, antagonizing a superpower in the next yard."

  Villon's mouth tightened in an ugly grin. "So you think you know something. To hell with you and to hell with the United States. As long as Quebec controls the St. Lawrence River and the hydroelectricity from James Bay it will be we who dictate to them and western Canada for a change. The Americans' righteous and holy preaching has made them clowns in the eyes of the world. They sit smug in their stupid morality, caring only about their private assets and bank accounts. America is a fading power on the way out.

  Inflation will finish their economic system. If they dare try and ram sanctions down Quebec's throat, we'll cut their circuits."

  "Brave talk," said Sarveux. "But like so many others, you'll find that underestimating their resolve never pays. When their backs are to the wall, the Americans have a habit of coming out fighting."

  "The guts have gone out of them," Villon sneered.

  "You're a fool." Sarveux could not suppress the chill that ran through him. "For the good of Canada I will unmask and break you."

  "You couldn't break a shop clerk," Villon mocked him.

  "You haven't got a shred of solid evidence against me. No, Charles, soon the English-speaking bastards will kick you out of office, and I'll see to it you're not welcome in Quebec. It's about time you woke up to the fact that you're a man without a country." Villon rose and pulled a sealed envelope from his breast pocket and dropped it rudely in Sarveux's lap. "My resignation from the cabinet."

  "Accepted," Sarveux said with grim finality.

  Villon could not leave without one parting insult. "You're a pitiful creature, Charles. You haven't come to grips with it yet, but you have nothing left, not even your precious Danielle."

  At the doorway Villon turned for a last look at Sarveux, expecting to see a man drowning in despair and defeat, his hopes and dreams shattered beyond repair.

  Instead, he saw a man who was inexplicably smiling.

  Villon went direct to his office in the Parliament building and began cleaning out his desk. He saw no purpose in waiting for morning and suffering through a multitude of goodbyes from men he neither respected nor liked.

  His chief aide knocked and entered. "You have several messages-"

  Villon waved a hand and cut him off. "I'm not interested. As of one hour ago I am no longer minister of internal affairs."

  "There is one from Mr. Brian Shaw that sounded quite urgent. Also, General Simms has been personally trying to reach you."

  "Yes, that North American Treaty affair," Villon said without looking up. "They're, probably begging for more men and equipment."

  "Actually it's a request for our navy to escort the American ship off the wreckage of the Empress of Ireland."

  "Fill out the necessary papers and sign my name to them. Then contact the commanding naval officer of the St. Lawrence District and have him carry out the request."

  The aide turned and started for his office.

  "Wait!" Villon's French fervor suddenly welled up within him. "One more thing. Instruct General Simms and Mr. Shaw that the sovereign nation of Quebec no longer relishes British meddling in her territory, and they are to cease all surveillance activities at once. Then get a message to our mercenary friend, Mr. Gly.

  Tell him there's a fat bonus for giving the NUMA ship a rousing farewell party. He'll understand."

  They came late the following morning, ensigns flying and half the crew smartly turned out to stare at the Ocean Venturer. The foam fell away from the bow to a gentle wave; the beat of the engines slowed as the Canadian destroyer eased to a stop on a parallel heading two hundred yards to the south.

  The radio operator came up to Pitt and Heidi who were standing on the bridge wing. "From the captain of the destroyer H.M.C.S. Huron. He requests permission to board."

  "Nice and courteous," mused Pitt. "At least he asked."

&
nbsp; "What do you think is on his mind?" asked Heidi.

  "I know what's on his mind," replied Pitt. He turned to the radio operator. "Extend my compliments to the captain. Permission to board granted, but only if he honors us by staying for lunch."

  "I wonder what he's like?" Heidi murmured.

  "Who else but a woman would care?" Pitt laughed. "Probably a spit-and-polish type, cool, precise and very official, who talks in Morse code."

  "You're just being nasty." Heidi smiled.

  "You wait." Pitt grinned back. "I bet he climbs up the ladder whistling "Maple Leaf Forever."

  Lieutenant Commander Raymond Weeks did nothing of the sort. He was a jolly-looking man with laughing gray-blue eyes and a warm face. He had a pleasant ringing voice that came out of a short body with a noticeable paunch. With the right stuffing and a costume he'd have made a perfect department store Santa Claus.

  He leaped lightly over the railing and walked unerringly up to Pitt, who was standing slightly off to one side of the welcoming committee.

  "Mr. Pitt, I'm Ray Weeks. This is indeed an honor. I was absorbed by your work on the Titanic raising.

  You might even say I'm a fan of yours."

  Charmingly disarmed, Pitt could only mumble, "How do you do."

  Heidi nudged him in the ribs. "Spit and polish, heh?"

  Weeks said, "Beg your pardon."

  "Nothing," Heidi said brightly. "An inside joke."

  Pitt recovered and made the introductions. It was, to his way of thinking, a wasted formality. That Weeks had been well briefed was obvious. He seemed to know everything about everybody. He expounded on a marine archaeological project that Rudi Gunn had nearly forgotten, even though he had been its field director. Weeks was especially solicitous to Heidi.