"Fuel's always kept topped up. My job. Lord Worth's orders."

"What direction did they go?"

'Thataway." Gorrie indicated with an outstretched arm.

"Well, the birds have flown. Might as well be on our way."

"Just like that?" Roper registered surprise.

"What do you expect me to do that the police can't?"

"Well, for starters, we could call in the Air Force."

"Why?"

"They could force it down."

Mitch.e.l.l sighed. "There's a great deal of c.r.a.p being talked about forcing planes down. What if they refuse to be forced down?"

"Then shoot it down."

"With Lord Worth's daughters aboard? Lord Worth wouldn't be very pleased. Neither would you. Think of all the cops that would be out of a job."

"Lord Worth's daughters!"

"It's all this routine police work," Roomer said. "Atrophies the brain. Who the h.e.l.l do you think that helicopter has gone to pick up?"

Once clear of the heliport, Roomer extended an arm. " 'Thataway,' the man said. 'Thataway' is northwest. The Wyanee Swamp."

"Even if they'd taken off to the southeast they'd still have finished up in Wyanee." Mitch.e.l.l pulled up by a public booth. "How are you with McGarrity's voice?" Roomer was an accomplished mimic.

"It's not the voice that's hard. It's the thought processes. Til give it a try." He didn't say what he was going to try because he didn't have to. He left for the booth and was back inside two minutes.

"Campbell filed a flight plan for the Seawitch"

"Any questions asked?"

17O.

"Not really. Told them that some fool had made a mistake. Anyone who knows McGarrity would know who the fool was that made the mistake."

Mitch.e.l.l started the engine, then switched off as the phone rang. Mitch.e.l.l lifted the receiver.

"Jim here. Tried to ring you a couple of times, fifteen minutes ago, five minutes ago."

"Figures. Out of the car both times. More bad news?"

"Not unless you consider Lord Worth bad news. Touchdown in fifteen minutes."

"We got time."

"Says he's coming up to the house."

"Sent for the Rolls?"

"No. Probably wants to talk private. And it looks as if he's planning to stay away some time. Ordered a bag packed for a week."

"Seven white suits." Mitch.e.l.l hung up.

Roomer said: "Looks as if we're going to have to do some bag-packing ourselves." Mitch.e.l.l nodded and started up again.

Lord Worth was looking his old self when he settled in the back seat of their car. Not quite radiating his old bonhomie, to be sure, but calm and lucid and, to all appearances, relaxed. He told of his success in Washington, for which he was duly and politely congratulated. Roomer then told him in detail what had happened in 171.

his absence: this time the absence of congratulations was marked.

"You've notified Commander La.r.s.en of your suspicions, of course?"

"Not suspicions," Mitch.e.l.l said. "Certainties. And there's no 'of course' and no, we didn't notify him. Tm primarily responsible for that."

"Taking the law into your own hands, eh? Mind telling me why?'*

"You're the person who knows La.r.s.en best. You know how possessive he is about the Sea-witch. You yourself have told us about his anger and violence. Do you think a man like that, duly forewarned, wouldn't have a very warm reception waiting for the kidnapers? Stray bullets, ricocheting bullets, are no respecter of persons, Lord Worth. You want a daughter crippled for life? We prefer that the kidnapers establish a bloodless beachhead."

"Well, all right." The words came grudgingly. "But from now on keep me fully informed of your intentions and decisions." Lord Worth, Roomer noted with sardonic amus.e.m.e.nt, had no intention of dispensing with their unpaid services. "But no more taking the law into your own hands, do you hear?"

Mitch.e.l.l stopped car and engine. Roomer's amus.e.m.e.nt changed to apprehension. Mitch.e.l.l twisted in his seat and looked at Lord Worth in cool speculation.

17X.

"You're a fine one to talk." "What do you mean, sir?" There were fifteen generations of highland aristocracy in the glacial voice.

Mitch.e.l.l remained unmoved. "For taking the law into your own hands by breaking into and robbing that a.r.s.enal last night. If Roomer and I were decent citizens and law-abiding detectives, we'd have had you behind bars last night. Not even a billionaire can get away with that sort of thing, especially when it involves the a.s.sault and locking up of the a.r.s.enal guards. John and I were there." Mitch.e.l.l was not above a little prevarication when the need arose.

"You were there." Most rarely for him, Lord Worth was at a loss for words. He recovered quickly. "But / wasn't there,"

"We know that. We also know you sanctioned the break-in. Ordered it, rather."

"Balderdash. And if you actually witnessed this, why did you not stop it?"

"John and I take our chances. But not against nine men armed with machine guns."

This gave Lord Worth pause. They had their figures and facts right. Clearly they had been there. He said: "Supposing any of this rigmarole were true, how in G.o.d's name do you tie me up with it?"

"Now you're being a fool. We were also at your heliport. We saw the truck arrive. We saw 173.

Alistair Madman nine men unload a fairly ma.s.sive quant.i.ty of more than fairly lethal weaponry into one helicopter. Then a man drove the truck away-an army truck, of course-back to the a.r.s.enal from where it had been stolen. The other eight men boarded another helicopter. Then a minibus arrived, carrying twelve heavily armed thugs who joined the other eight. John and I recognized no fewer than five of them-two of them we've personally put behind bars." Roomer looked at him admiringly, but Mitch.e.l.l wasn't looking at Roomer, he was looking at Lord Worth, and both voice and tone were devoid of any form of encouragement. "It came as a shock to both of us to find that Lord Worth was consorting with common criminals. You're sweating a little, Lord Worth. Why are you sweating?'*

Lord Worth didn't enlighten them as to why he was sweating.

"And then, of course, you came along in the Rolls. One of the very best sequences we got on our infrared movie camera last night." Roomer blinked, but that Lord Worth believed Mitch.e.l.l Roomer did not for a moment doubt: everything that Mitch.e.l.l had said, even the slight embellishments, Lord Worth knew or believed to be true, so he had no reason to doubt the truth of the camera fiction.

"We actually considered phoning the nearest army HQ and having them send along some 174.

armored cars and a trailered tank. Even your thugs wouldn't have stood a chance. We thought of going down the road, blocking the Rolls and holding you until the army arrived-it was perfectly obvious that the helicopters had no intention of leaving until you turned up. Once captured, G.o.d knows how many of them-especially those who had already served prison terms-would have jumped at the chance of turning state's evidence and incriminating you. It's quite true, you know-there is no honor among thieves." If Lord Worth had any objections to being categorized as a thief, it didn't register in his face. "But after the standard bit of soul-searching we decided against it."

"Why, in G.o.d's name?"

"So you admit it." Mitch.e.l.l sighed. "Why couldn't you do that at the beginning and save me all this trouble?"

"Why?" Lord Worth repeated his question.

It was Roomer who answered. "Partly because even though you're a confessed lawbreaker, we still have a regard for you. But mainly because w.e didn't want to see your daughters confronted with seeing their father behind bars. In hindsight, of course, we're glad we didn't. In comparison with the kidnaping of your daughters, your own capers outside the law fade into a peccadillo."

Mitch.e.l.l started the motor again and said: "It is understood that there will be no more pecca- 175.

Alistalr MacLean dilloes. It is also understood that there will be no more talk about our taking the law into our own hands."

Lord Worth lay back in his study armchair, His second brandy tasted just as good as his first-it seemed to be his day for brandies. He hadn't spoken a word for the rest of the trip- which, fortunately, had been mercifully short, for Lord Worth had felt urgently in need of restoratives. Not for the first time, he found himself silently blessing his kidnaped daughters.

He cleared his throat and said: "I a.s.sume you are still willing to come out to the rig with me?"

Mitch.e.l.l contemplated his gla.s.s. "We never expressed our intentions one way or another about that. But I suppose someone has to look after you and your daughters."

Lord Worth frowned. There had, he felt, been more than a subtle change in their relationship. Perhaps the establishment of an employer-employee status would help redress the balance. He said: "I feel it's time we put your co-operation on a businesslike footing. I propose to retain you in your professional capacities as investigators-in other words, become your client. I shall not quibble at your demanded fees." He had no sooner finished than he realized that he had made a mistake.

Roomer's voice was coldly unenthusiastic. "Money doesn't buy everything, Lord Worth.

176.

Particularly, it doesn't buy us. We have no intention of being shackled, of having our freedom of action curtailed. And as far as the fees and your skyVthe-limit implication are concerned, the h.e.l.l with it. How often do we have to tell you we don't trade money for your daughters* lives?"

Lord Worth didn't even bother frowning. The change in relationship, he reflected sadly, had been even greater than he had realized. "As you will. One a.s.sumes that you will be suitably disguised?"

Mitch.e.l.l said: "Why?"

Lord Worth was impatient. "You said you saw some ex-convicts boarding the helicopter. People you recognized. They'll surely recognize you?"

"We never saw 'em before in our lives."

Lord Worth was properly shocked. "But you told me-"

"You told us big black lies. What's a little white lie? We'll go aboard as-say-your technological advisers. Geologists, seismologists- it's all the same to us, we know nothing about geology or seismology. All we need are business suits, horn-rimmed gla.s.ses-for the studious look-and briefcases." He paused. "And we'll also need a doctor, with full medical kit and a large supply of bandages."

"A doctor?"

"For extracting bullets, sewing up gunshot wounds. Or are you naive enough to believe that 177.

Alfstafr MacLean no shot will be fired in anger aboard the witch?"

"I abhor violence."

"Sure. That's why you sent twenty heavily armed thugs out to the Seawitch during the night? Fine, so you abhor violence. Others welcome it. Can you find us a doctor?"

"Dozens of them. The average doctor hereabouts rates his scanning of X-rays a very poor second to the scanning of his bank balances. I know the man. Greenshaw. After seven years in Vietnam, he should fill your bill."

Roomer said: "And ask him to bring along two spare white hospital coats." "Why?" Mitch.e.l.l said. "Want to look scientific, don't you?** Lord Worth picked up the phone, made the arrangements, replaced the instrument and said: "You must excuse me. I have some private calls to make from the radio room." Lord Worth's sole reason for returning to his house was to contact his inside man, Corral, and have him, without incriminating himself, inform Benson, who had hosted the Lake Tahoe meeting, that the government intended to blast out of the water any foreign naval ships that approached the Seawitch. An exaggeration but, Lord Worth thought, a pardonable one. Despite the secretary's promise, Lord Worth placed more faith in his direct approach.

178.

Mitch.e.l.l said: "Which one of us do you want to go with you?"

"What do you mean? 'Private,' I said." His face darkened in anger. "Am I to be ordered around in my own house, supervised as if I'm an irresponsible child?"

"You behaved responsibly last night? Look, Lord Worth, if you don't want either of us around, then it's obvious you want to say something that you don't want us to hear." Mitch.e.l.l gave him a speculative look. "I don't like that. You're either up to something we wouldn't like, something shady maybe, or it's a vote of no confidence in us."

"It's a personal and highly important business call. I don't see why you should be privy to my business affairs."

Roomer said: "I agree. But it so happens that we don't think it is a business call, that business would be the last thing in your mind right now." Both Mitch.e.l.l and Roomer stood up. "Give our regards, to the girls-if you ever find them."

"Blackmail! d.a.m.ned blackmail!" Lord Worth rapidly weighed the importance of his call to Corral compared to the importance of having Mitch.e.l.l and Roomer around. It took all of two seconds to make up his mind, and Corral was clear out of sight at the wire. He was sure that the two men were bluffing, but there was no way he could call their bluff, for that was the one sure way of provoking a genuine walkout 179.

MacLean Lord Worth put on his stony face. "I suppose I have no option other than to accede to your threats. I suggest you go and pack your bags and I'll pick you up in the Rolls."

Mitch.e.l.l said: "Packing will take some time. I think it would be more polite if we wait here until you're ready."

Lord Worth mentally gnashed his teeth. "You think I'd head for a telephone the moment your backs are turned?"

Mitch.e.l.l smiled, "Funny the same thought should occur to the three of us at the same instant, isn't it?"

189.

Chapter 7

C/OMMANDER La.r.s.en and Scoffield observed the approach of the North Hudson helicopter with surprise but without undue concern. Lord Worth customarily gave advance warning of his arrival but could occasionally be forgetful on this point. In any event it was his helicopter and just about his expected time of arrival. They sauntered across the platform and arrived at the northeast helipad just as the helicopter touched down.

Surprisingly, no one emerged immediately from the machine. La.r.s.en and Scoffield looked at each other in some perplexity, a perplexity that 181.

Alistafr MacLean was considerably deepened when the disembarkation door slid back and Durand appeared in the doorway with a machine pistol cradled in his hands. Just behind him stood a similarly equipped henchman. From their shadowed position it was impossible for them to be observed by any of the rig duty crew.

Durand said: "La.r.s.en and Scoffield? If you are carrying weapons, please don't be so foolish as to try to use them." The boarding steps swung down. "Come and join us."

The two men had no option. Once aboard, without taking his eyes off them, Durand said: "Kowenski, Rindler-see if they're armed."