Читать книгу Manipulation - D.K. Wilde - Страница 17

Posing as honeymooning tourists, Wade and Crystal wandered past Rue des Rois. Hands deep into the pockets of his Armani double breasted woollen coat, collar upturned and Russian Cossack sheepskin hat low down over his face; his eyes scanned like a radar. Crystal wearing her equally fashionable long padded coat, fur hat, leather gloves had her arm linked through Wade’s. The wind and snow was intensifying by the minute. The streets were deserted with the occasional shopper darting from one retail outlet to the next. After two more passes Wade was confident there were no guards or external CCTV. About to cross the street, Bart and the same Asian guard, Wade had fought in Ucluelet, exited the building.

Doubling back, they followed Bart and the Asian to an apartment complex in downtown Geneva. Watching from a café across the street, Bart and the Asian returned ten minutes later. The Asian was carrying a rigid Samsonite case and was struggling with its heavy contents.

They followed them back to Rue des Rois. Wade called Kiwi and Jacko and instructed them to make their way to the apartment and do a sweep. He advised Crystal would meet them there and when finished they were all to head back to the Hotel.

Wade entered the rear of the building. He discarded his jacket and hat and made his way down the corridor. The walls and doors, of the diamond cutting house, were plated glass. Coved vinyl floors and an exceptional high level of bright white lighting. Each room had a single fixed stainless steel table, one stool with cutting tools, large magnifying glass and a further light hanging from the ceiling.

The glass walls enabled Wade to confirm that he was alone on this level. Listening for sounds and voices he made his way deeper into the building. At the rear a set of stairs led both up and down. A calculated assumption suggested underground so he headed down; three levels.

The lowest level was a storage area. Boxes lined the walls and a packing table was in each room. The entire area was kept impeccably clean. Wade found a small door concealed in the lift motor room. Entering he found himself in the underground tunnel system and this time he heard voices. Following the sounds, he came upon a small enclave that was being used as an operations room. Bart, the Asian, two guards and a further two suited men, of Arabic appearance, were standing around a table. The case was open and Wade saw one half contained grey uncut diamonds whilst the other had glistening, polished diamonds.

“So Professor, are you offering the uncut or polished version as your down payment?” asked one of the Arabic men, in perfect Queens English.

“Actually Nariz, we are offering both, as a sign of good faith,” replied the smiling Bart.

“Excellent Professor, we appreciate this and when do you want your first shipment?” asked the second Arabic man.

“As you are aware we lost both of our production facilities a few months back, along with Doksal, our man in charge, but Troy and I always had a contingency plan. So if you could arrange delivery to Genoa in six days, I will send through the address. It is important that the Plutonium 239 is undetectable,” replied Bart.

“Understood,” said Nariz as the two men and the guards were escorted, by the Asian, out of the tunnel.

When certain that nobody was in earshot, Bart dialled his mobile phone. “Troy, it’s me. Arabs are paid and we get the plutonium in six days.”

Bart paused as he listened to a response and then continued, “I need two more days to finish emptying the accounts and then Li can get rid of Johansen and Staker. I have finalised the explosives for the Hadron and I was thinking we should probably blow it the day before the delivery in Genoa.”

Another response from Troy and then Bart continued, “I agree and we need to disassociate ourselves from the Wolves … I’ll meet you there at 11.”

Trying to piece the information together Wade waited until Bart and the Asian had left the building and then went on a reconnaissance of the tunnels.