The Trojan boy

by Ken McClure

  Moving as casually as they could in the circumstances they approached the area where they had seen the woman and the boy. Jarvis stopped at a hot dog stand that had no queue beside it and bought two. He handed one to Avedissian and said, 'We are just returning to our seats.’ They approached the head of the aisle leading to row 'B' and looked down, Jarvis casually taking a bite of his hot dog and pretending to be having trouble with the contents escaping from the side into the napkin. Avedissian looked at the seats and saw that he need not have bothered. The seats were empty. They were as lifeless as tombstones. The boy had gone. They were too late.

  Jarvis put the glasses slowly to his eyes and looked over to where Innes had been sitting. Innes was looking directly back at him. For a few seconds the two men looked at each other across the floodlit diamond. 'Another couple of minutes, damn you,’ Jarvis muttered under his breath.

  Avedissian grew aware of some commotion behind them and knew that the policeman must have come round. He said so to Jarvis. 'Use the empty seats!' whispered Jarvis. Avedissian moved down the aisle and into the row where they had seen the woman and the boy. 'Sit apart,’ said Jarvis behind him, already in the act of removing his jacket to alter his appearance as much as possible.

  Avedissian relied on munching his hot dog to create an aura of innocence but his pulse rate was topping one hundred and thirty as two policemen slowly passed the end of the row and looked along it. One was rubbing his jaw.

  A home run down on the diamond helped break the spell and Avedissian leapt to his feet with those around him, uttering what he hoped was a convincing, 'All right, all right!' The policemen moved on to look at the occupants of the next row and Jarvis shot a quick glance in Avedissian's direction. Avedissian raised his eyes to the heavens in reply.

  The game ended and thirty thousand people became intent on leaving the stadium, but at that moment Avedissian loved them all for they were his guarantee of anonymity. As he moved along the row to the aisle Jarvis said that they should split up, Avedissian should return to the gate where Kathleen would come out. He would make his own way out. As they parted at the top of the aisle Jarvis said, I’ll meet you in the park by the hotel. Tomorrow at ten in the morning.’

  Kathleen had already emerged from the stadium and was waiting outside when Avedissian finally managed to get round the perimeter through the throngs of people. 'We were too late,’ he said.

  'Are you all right?' she asked anxiously.

  Avedissian held her close, suddenly feeling the after-effects of the intense strain that he had been under. He assured her that he was. 'God, I need a drink,’ he muttered.

  'Let's go back to the hotel,’ said Kathleen. 'Unless we're supposed to do something else?'

  Avedissian shook his head in reply.

  Avedissian lay flat on his back on the bed and let out a great sigh of appreciation for the air-conditioned quiet of the room. It was an island in the sea, an oasis in the desert. Kathleen brought him his drink and sat down on the edge of the bed to ask, 'What happened at the stadium?'

  Avedissian told her and Kathleen exclaimed, ‘That was a crazy thing to do,’ when he told her about climbing out on the ledge.

  'It seemed a good idea at the time,’ said Avedissian, but now he cringed at the thought of how the venture might have ended. 'God, I was so scared,’ he confessed.

  Kathleen smoothed the hair back from his forehead in a gesture of affection and Avedissian looked up at her. 'You have gentle hands, my lady,’ he said softly. Kathleen bent down and kissed him lightly on the lips.

  'When I looked down and…’

  'Sssh…' whispered Kathleen and kissed him again.

  This time Avedissian was aware of how warm her lips were. He responded by pulling her to him and searching her mouth with his tongue and was aroused by the fact that she did not pull away. He ran his fingers through her hair to cup her face between his hands and look at her questioningly. She just smiled.

  Avedissian whispered, 'I want you.'

  'I know,’ replied Kathleen softly. She got up from the bed but did not move away. Instead she started to undress, looking at Avedissian all the time as she did so. When she had finished she stood there and asked in a whisper, 'Do you still want me?'Avedissian held out his arms in reply and crushed her to him. 'I want you so much,’ he murmured.

  As they lay in the silent aftermath, Kathleen opened her eyes and looked at Avedissian. He responded by leaning over and kissing her lightly on the shoulder.

  'Post coitus omne animal triste,’ whispered Kathleen.

  'After love… all animals are… sad?' was Avedissian's unsure translation.

  Kathleen smiled and nodded.

  'I didn't know you were a Latin scholar?'

  There's a lot you don't know about me,’ said Kathleen.

  'I want to know everything.'

  Kathleen gave a shake of the head and whispered, 'There won't be time.'

  'But we'll make time. When this is over we can…'

  Kathleen put her finger on Avedissian's lips. 'Don't talk of the future,’ she said.

  'But if I object to your preoccupation with the past and you object to mine with the future all we have left is the present,’ said Avedissian.

  That's all we ever had,’ replied Kathleen distantly. 'Kiss me.'

  Avedissian kissed her.

  There was a fountain in the park. Avedissian and Kathleen chose to sit beside it where they could see people approaching from all directions and settled down to wait for Jarvis. They had got there at ten minutes to ten so that by a quarter past, when Jarvis had still not appeared, they were beginning to get anxious. Avedissian got to his feet for the second time and strolled round the fountain to check his watch once more when he returned.

  'Do you think something has gone wrong?' asked Kathleen.

  Avedissian shrugged his shoulders and sat down again.

  They were joined on the bench by an old man who unwrapped a plastic bag and began feeding bread-crumbs to the birds, apparently oblivious of everything else around him. As the pigeons started to gather round their feet Avedissian indicated to Kathleen that they should get up and start walking. They walked slowly round the fountain, courting the outer edge of a fine spray mist and using it as an antidote to the morning sun that was already very hot.

  ‘There he is,' said Kathleen.

  Avedissian looked and saw Jarvis walking towards them on the broad path that led up from the gate. 'About time too,’ he muttered.

  'I'm sorry I'm late,’ said Jarvis. 'I had to make new arrangements.'

  'About what?'

  'About everything. The kidnappers contacted Innes early this morning and told him that the boy will not be handed over here in Chicago.’

  ‘Then where?'

  'Kansas City.'

  'Why the change?' asked Kathleen.

  'Maybe something spooked them at the stadium or maybe it's just a last minute change of venue to stop anyone planning a sophisticated double-cross. Now there won't be time. The exchange will be made tonight.’

  'So we go to Kansas City?'

  'It's no big deal,’ said Jarvis. 'I've booked your flight and hotel. Here are your tickets.’

  'How long will it take?' asked Kathleen.

  'About an hour.’

  'Do we all travel together?' asked Avedissian.

  'I'm going first, you two travel later this afternoon. I'll contact you when you arrive.’

  'Do you know where Innes is staying in Kansas City?' asked Kathleen.

  The kidnappers told him to check in at the Plaza Hotel. Our team plan to get there first. The room should be bugged by the time I get there. Why do you ask?'

  'No reason,’ replied Kathleen. 'Good luck.’

  'The same to you. See you later.’

  They watched Jarvis leave the park and hail a cab then Kathleen turned to Avedissian and said, 'Do you realise that by this time tomorrow it could all be over?'

  'A nice thought,’ replied Avedissian. On impulse he sto
pped at a flower seller and bought a single red rose to give to Kathleen. She smiled and said, 'Another nice thought.’

  EIGHT

  Avedissian looked down at the great flat expanse of the mid-western United States and said to Kathleen, 'America's heartland.’

  'Dorothy lived down there,’ said Kathleen.

  'Pardon?'

  'The Wizard of Oz. Dorothy lived in Kansas.’

  'Of course, how stupid of me,’ replied Avedissian with mild sarcasm that made Kathleen smile. 'It was my favourite story when I was a child,’ she said. 'An aunt gave the book to me one Christmas and it made a lasting impression.’

  'With me it was "The Billy Goats Gruff",’ said Avedissian.

  'What an admission,’ said Kathleen.

  The sun was shining brightly when their plane swept into Kansas City International Airport but the weather did not feel as nice as it looked when they got down on the tarmac and felt the high humidity. Kathleen saw Avedissian run his finger round the inside of his collar and agreed. 'It's sticky,’ she said.

  Arriving as they had on an internal domestic flight they were through with airport procedure in a matter of moments and on their way into Kansas City by cab.

  'You folks here for the convention?' asked the driver.

  'Yes,’ replied Avedissian, not sure of what he was agreeing to but feeling that it might be the safest answer.

  'You both doctors?'

  So it was a medical convention, thought Avedissian, how fortunate.

  'Just me,' he replied.

  'You guys have cost me a fortune over the years and I've still got my bad back,' complained the driver over his right shoulder.

  'Backs can be a problem,' agreed Avedissian unhelpfully.

  ‘That sign back there said "Missouri",' said Kathleen, changing the subject.

  'Yes ma'am, Kansas City is half in Kansas, half in Missouri. Your hotel is in Missouri.'

  The wail of a police car siren proclaimed their arrival in the city. An eruption of concrete into the sky confirmed it.

  'Not many people about,' said Kathleen for the streets were practically deserted.

  'Not many shops either,’ said Avedissian.

  'Folks moved out into the suburbs a long time ago,' said the driver. The shops went with them. Theatres, movie houses too. Nobody lives in town any more. Folks drive in the morning and home again in the evening, no call for them to linger.'

  Avedissian and Kathleen accepted the explanation in silence and found something depressing about the place. Kansas City looked as if some dreadful plague had destroyed all the inhabitants and left a series of towering concrete tombstones to their memory.

  'Crown Center,' announced the driver, slowing and turning off the road along a drive lined with the flags of all nations. They hung limp and lifeless in the still, humid air.

  Four miles to the south, in the Plaza Hotel, Innes and Roker waited for the kidnappers to contact them. Relations between them had been at a low ebb since the events at the stadium in Chicago. They were still arguing about it.

  'We could have had the boy by now if you hadn't been so damned stupid!' said Innes.

  'We had to try,’ insisted Roker. 'It's our money! Don't forget it.'

  ‘I’m hardly likely to. All you succeeded in doing was to let them know that we can't be trusted.'

  'We don't know for sure that they knew we were going to try for the boy in the stadium,’ said Roker.

  'Of course they knew!' said Innes. They were watching us all the time. They must have been watching the zone round the empty seats too. They would have seen Shelby and these other two clowns as soon as they moved anywhere near!'

  'We had to try,’ repeated Roker.

  'I just hope you've learned your lesson,’ said Innes. 'Play it straight from now on or you'll blow the whole deal.’

  'Don't lecture me, Innes!' said Roker angrily. 'If there's any more crap out of you I'm going to pull NORAID out of this whole damned thing! I never liked it from the start. In fact, if you ask me, that little bastard Kell is some kind of nut!'

  Innes could see that he might have pushed the American too far. Whatever his personal feelings of frustration, he had to recognise that NORAID were the source of the money. Antagonising them was going to be counter-productive. In fact, if he personally wrecked Kell's plan by pushing Roker past the limit it was going to get him less than nowhere; it was going to get him dead.

  The thought of Kell's wrath introduced an immediate note of conciliation to Innes's voice. 'I apologise,’ he said quietly. 'We are all a bit edgy over this thing; it's so important to all of us. After all these years we're standing on the very verge of success and a free Ireland.’

  Roker appeared to calm down too and they sat in silence for a moment before the telephone rang. It was the kidnappers.

  'Do you have the first password?'

  'One moment.' Innes turned to Roker and said, They want the password.'

  Roker took the phone and said, 'We didn't get a good look at the boy.'

  Innes bit his tongue. Roker was still playing the fool.

  'You saw the child at the stadium,’ said the voice calmly.

  'He was too far away,' said Roker.

  'You might have got a closer look if you hadn't planned to double-cross us.'

  Innes shot Roker a look that said, 'I told you so'.

  'We'd still like to see him close up,' continued Roker.

  'That will not be possible.'

  'Supposing we refuse to pay?'

  ‘Then we will sell the child back to the British. Make up your mind. You've got ten seconds.'

  Roker bit his lip and Innes held his breath. 'All right,’ he said. 'It's Account Number 4494552 in the bank you specified. The inspection password is Parthenon.'

  Thank you. We'll be in touch.'

  The phone went dead and Innes breathed a sigh of relief. 'You really push your luck don't you,’ he said to Roker.

  'It was worth a try,’ said Roker.

  Ten minutes later the phone rang again and the same voice as before said, 'Your deposit has been verified. We will hand over the child to you this evening in exchange for the second password.'

  'What are the arrangements?'

  'We will bring the child to you at the hotel at eleven o'clock. Any attempt to double-cross us this time will result in disaster.'

  'How many people are permitted?'

  'As many as you like,’ said the voice. The boy will be carrying an explosive device, not large, just enough to blow his head off. When we have completed the transfer you will be told how to disarm it.'

  'What's to stop you transferring the money and killing the boy anyway?' asked Roker.

  'A dead child is of no use to either of us,’ said the voice.

  'Very well, we agree.’

  'Until tonight then.’

  Once more Innes let out the breath that he had been holding and said, 'You heard what he said about explosives? For God's sake don't try anything.'

  'I won't,’ replied Roker with bad grace.

  Jarvis arrived at the Crown Center Hotel at five-thirty and found Avedissian and Kathleen drinking coffee in their room.

  'It's all set,’ he said. The child is to be handed over tonight in the Plaza Hotel at eleven o'clock.’

  Then the team managed to bug Innes's room in time?' said Avedissian.

  'It was perfect. Innes and a man called Roker, who seems to be handling NORAID's end of things, were contacted by the kidnappers this afternoon.’

  Avedissian felt his stomach go light with excitement. 'So the team is all ready?' he asked.

  'I don't know,’ replied Jarvis looking worried.

  'What do you mean?' asked Avedissian.

  'I haven't been able to contact them.’

  'Haven't been able to contact them?' repeated Kathleen in astonishment.

  'I don't understand it either. The phone number I've been using has gone dead.’

  'But everything depends on this,’ insisted Avedissia
n. 'If the team aren't on the spot the IRA will get the boy!'

  'You don't have to tell me that,’ said Jarvis quietly and Avedissian backed off.

  'Don't you have some other number? The London number? Can't you contact Bryant and tell him something's gone wrong?' he asked.

  'I've tried. All the lines are dead.'

  The team were supposed to supply me with an emergency medical kit,' said Avedissian.

  'We can only hope that you won't need it.'

  There was absolute silence in the room for a few moments.

  Avedissian looked at Jarvis and said quietly, 'You're the expert. What do you think has happened?'

  Jarvis shook his head and said, 'Something major must have gone wrong, they must have had to change all the numbers. There's no other explanation.'

  'Where does that leave us?' asked Kathleen.

  'On our own,' said Jarvis. He looked at his watch and shrugged. 'Seven hours to go and we're on our own.'

  'What can we do?' asked Kathleen.

  'We can try to get the boy back on our own,' said Jarvis. Avedissian and Kathleen exchanged glances.

  'Do you think that's really possible?' asked Avedissian.

  'Let's count our blessings, shall we?' said Jarvis adopting a positive air. 'Innes's room is bugged and his phone is tapped. The receiver equipment is in my room at the Plaza and both systems are linked to a cassette recorder via a voice actuator.'

  'A what?'

  'A voice actuator. It just means that the recorder switches off again after thirty seconds of silence.'

  'So you're not missing anything by being here?' said Avedissian.

  'Precisely. If there are any more messages from the kidnappers or changes of plan they will be recorded for us, so our intelligence is good. It has been all along.'

  ‘So what do you want us to do?'

  I suggest we all go back to the room at the Plaza and wait for the exchange; We will hear everything that goes on in Innes's room so if we see an opportunity to rescue the boy after the exchange we can act on it. If not then we might be able to gather some information about what the IRA intend to do with the boy in the immediate future. It might be useful when we re-establish contact with Bryant.'