The Angry Hills - Leon Uris [79]
Chesney’s slitted eyes followed Thanassis as the scholarly appearing man turned and walked from the room.
Chesney struggled to his feet and waddled to the phone, searched out a number and dialed with a pencil, unable to fit his finger into the dial holes.
“Hello...”
“Hello, Konrad?”
“Yes.”
“This is Chesney, Julius Chesney.”
“What is it?”
“Could you and Zervos come up to my place right away?”
“At this hour of the morning, Julius?”
“It concerns a mutual friend of ours. An American chap, I believe....”
“I’ll be right over.”
“Yes... And Konrad, dear fellow, do bring your check book with you.”
Chesney studied the harassed face of Konrad Heilser. Usually the German was a picture of complacency but now he was tense and drawn and snappy. Zervos, the diamond display case, sat beside him.
“Drink?”
“Scotch, double,” Heilser said.
Zervos agreed to the same.
Chesney waddled to the bar.
“Now then, Konrad. What I am about to say is of great interest to you....”
“Get to the point. If you know something about Morrison, how much do you want?”
“You are getting ahead of yourself, Konrad. Very well. I am about to fall heir to complete information on his whereabouts. I want fifty million drachmas for the information—not a drachma less.”
“Fifty million! Are you insane?”
“Don’t tempt me, dear fellow. I’m liable to ask for the Acropolis too.”
“Fifty million is out of the question.”
“Then, gentlemen, let me say it is beyond my bedtime. I believe you know your way to the door?”
Heilser fumed. Again he was in the clutches of the dregs of humanity. Fifty million would wipe out the personal fortune he had worked so hard to gather in Greece. He thought quickly. He’d force half the amount from Zervos—and he’d see to it that Chesney never left Greece alive. He looked at Zervos. The fat man shrugged.
“He drives a hard bargain, Konrad. We have little choice.”
“Very well,” Heilser muttered. “Where is he?”
Chesney held up his fat palm. “Ahhhh, not so fast, not so fast. You will cable the money to my bank in Argentina. As soon as I receive confirmation of the deposit...”
“You swine!”
Chesney laughed and cracked his knuckles and reached for the platter of olives on the table. “I may add, dear fellow, that you must move rather quickly. A British submarine will pick him up within forty-eight hours. And, Konrad, as an extra little bonus, I will also deliver Lisa Kyriakides and her children at no extra charge to you.”
The German snatched his hat from the table. “You will receive confirmation of the deposit by tomorrow, noon.”
They started to leave but Zervos was puzzled about something. “Just why do you want your money in Argentina?” he asked.
“It is like this, Mr. Zervos. I don’t trust you. I trust Herr Heilser, but I don’t trust you. And it is my very candid opinion as a learned correspondent that Germany is going to lose this war.”
He popped an olive into his mouth.
SEVEN
PAPA-PANOS HELD A flickering candle. Lisa, Mike, Dr. Thackery and Michalis stood in a tight circle. Thanassis stood a few paces behind them, leaning on a wine keg.
“Set your watches, everyone. It is now exactly twelve, noon,” Dr. Thackery said.
They strained their eyes in the poor light.
“Today it will be dark at ten minutes past seven,” Dr. Thackery continued. “At seven-thirty we begin to make the move from Athens. By eight-fifteen we should reach Chalandri and pick up your two boys, Lisa.”
She nodded.
“From Chalandri we dash for the coast. We will be traveling on secondary roads and it will not be too fast.” He unfolded a map and placed it on the cement floor. Everyone knelt over it. Thanassis moved from the wine keg and bent over Lisa’s shoulder. Dr. Thackery’s pencil traced a line. “At this point along the Gulf we will have to take off by foot. You will be met by a man—he will take you to the rendezvous cove. The man’s name is Meletis. Now, after you reach the Gulf it will be over an hour’s hike. You reach the Gulf no later than ten-thirty.”
Dr. Thackery drew an X on the map. “This is rendezvous point. Sheltered