Major Paluzzi and leave it at that.'
'Very well,' Calvieri replied, the resentment obvious in
his face.
'<; Kolchinsky took a pack of cigarettes from his pocket
;and offered one to Paluzzi, who refused with a quick
57
shake of his head. Calvieri took one. Kolchinsky lit it for j him, then his own, and discarded the match in the ashtray beside him.
'Has Pisani briefed you?' Paluzzi asked, sitting on the bed beside Graham.
Calvieri nodded. 'I called him when I got here. He wanted to be here in person but he wasn't up to it. He's deteriorating fast. The doctors are doubtful he'll see out the year. At this rate he won't see out the summer. You did tell them about him?'
'They know,' Paluzzi replied.
'He asked me to put myself completely at your disposal. We're just as concerned as you are about getting the vial back safely.'
'That's good coming from you,' Graham snapped. 'It's a bit late to lock the stable door. The horse bolted two days ago.'
'It was an unauthorized operation, Mr Graham. The committee didn't know anything about it until the following day.'
'And that's your excuse? Your organization is in such a shambles that the right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing any more?'
Calvieri inhaled deeply on the cigarette and moved to the window. A school bus had stopped on the other side of the street. He could see several of the children inside laughing as they play-fought on the back seat. How many of them would die if the virus were to be released into the atmosphere? He turned away, unable to look at their innocent faces.
'Where do you think Ubrino's hiding?' Kolchinsky asked Calvieri.
'I'd say he is still in Rome. His friends are here. They'll shield him. Unfortunately the Rome cell has always been
58
he maverick in the organization. That's how someone ike Zocchi became their brigade chief. It could.never have lappened in any of the other cities.'
'He could also be in Venice,' Paluzzi said.
'Venice?' Calvieri asked in surprise.
'He was posted up there for a few months a couple of rears ago. It's about the only time he and Zocchi were ever apart.'
'I didn't know he was ever in Venice. It proves how mysterious the man can be.'
'I doubt he'd have gone to Venice, though," Paluzzi concluded after a moment's thought. 'It's a moderate stronghold, that's why he didn't last there very long. No, I'd have to go along with Calvieri. He's almost certainly still here in Rome.'
'I used to be the senior cell commander here twelve f years ago,' Calvieri said. 'I've still got contacts in the city, r I've already told them to find out what they can. If Ubrino's rhere, they'll pass the information on to me. The problem 1 will be trying to pin him down. He knows he'll have to |keep moving to stay one step ahead of us.' I 'I suggest you split up into teams,' Kolchinsky said. t'Sabrina, you work with Calvieri. And stick to him like a peech.'
Calvieri shrugged. 'That's fine by me.'
'Her Italian's as good as your English, that's why I've [paired her with you.' Kolchinsky turned to Graham. 'You jwork with Major Paluzzi.'
'How's your Italian?' Paluzzi asked Graham.
'Nonexistent.'
'We'll manage,' Paluzzi said with a smile.
Kolchinsky picked up his attache case and got to his
t. 'You'll have to excuse me. I have several phone calls
make.'
59
'So have I,' Calvieri said. 'Hopefully one of my contactsj will have come up with something by now.'
'Where do we start?' Graham asked Paluzzi.
'Neo-Chem Industries. My men have been there all) night. I think it's time to see what they've found.'
Paluzzi parked his white Alfa Romeo Lusso in the car-parkl opposite the plant's main entrance. They got out and hej used a transmitter to lock the doors behind them.
They crossed the car-park and mounted the steps lead-J ing into the foyer. The front of the reception desk had! been boarded up to hide the bullet holes. The wall behind] it had already been redecorated. In fact, the only sign of I the breakin was the chipped
'Very well,' Calvieri replied, the resentment obvious in
his face.
'<; Kolchinsky took a pack of cigarettes from his pocket
;and offered one to Paluzzi, who refused with a quick
57
shake of his head. Calvieri took one. Kolchinsky lit it for j him, then his own, and discarded the match in the ashtray beside him.
'Has Pisani briefed you?' Paluzzi asked, sitting on the bed beside Graham.
Calvieri nodded. 'I called him when I got here. He wanted to be here in person but he wasn't up to it. He's deteriorating fast. The doctors are doubtful he'll see out the year. At this rate he won't see out the summer. You did tell them about him?'
'They know,' Paluzzi replied.
'He asked me to put myself completely at your disposal. We're just as concerned as you are about getting the vial back safely.'
'That's good coming from you,' Graham snapped. 'It's a bit late to lock the stable door. The horse bolted two days ago.'
'It was an unauthorized operation, Mr Graham. The committee didn't know anything about it until the following day.'
'And that's your excuse? Your organization is in such a shambles that the right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing any more?'
Calvieri inhaled deeply on the cigarette and moved to the window. A school bus had stopped on the other side of the street. He could see several of the children inside laughing as they play-fought on the back seat. How many of them would die if the virus were to be released into the atmosphere? He turned away, unable to look at their innocent faces.
'Where do you think Ubrino's hiding?' Kolchinsky asked Calvieri.
'I'd say he is still in Rome. His friends are here. They'll shield him. Unfortunately the Rome cell has always been
58
he maverick in the organization. That's how someone ike Zocchi became their brigade chief. It could.never have lappened in any of the other cities.'
'He could also be in Venice,' Paluzzi said.
'Venice?' Calvieri asked in surprise.
'He was posted up there for a few months a couple of rears ago. It's about the only time he and Zocchi were ever apart.'
'I didn't know he was ever in Venice. It proves how mysterious the man can be.'
'I doubt he'd have gone to Venice, though," Paluzzi concluded after a moment's thought. 'It's a moderate stronghold, that's why he didn't last there very long. No, I'd have to go along with Calvieri. He's almost certainly still here in Rome.'
'I used to be the senior cell commander here twelve f years ago,' Calvieri said. 'I've still got contacts in the city, r I've already told them to find out what they can. If Ubrino's rhere, they'll pass the information on to me. The problem 1 will be trying to pin him down. He knows he'll have to |keep moving to stay one step ahead of us.' I 'I suggest you split up into teams,' Kolchinsky said. t'Sabrina, you work with Calvieri. And stick to him like a peech.'
Calvieri shrugged. 'That's fine by me.'
'Her Italian's as good as your English, that's why I've [paired her with you.' Kolchinsky turned to Graham. 'You jwork with Major Paluzzi.'
'How's your Italian?' Paluzzi asked Graham.
'Nonexistent.'
'We'll manage,' Paluzzi said with a smile.
Kolchinsky picked up his attache case and got to his
t. 'You'll have to excuse me. I have several phone calls
make.'
59
'So have I,' Calvieri said. 'Hopefully one of my contactsj will have come up with something by now.'
'Where do we start?' Graham asked Paluzzi.
'Neo-Chem Industries. My men have been there all) night. I think it's time to see what they've found.'
Paluzzi parked his white Alfa Romeo Lusso in the car-parkl opposite the plant's main entrance. They got out and hej used a transmitter to lock the doors behind them.
They crossed the car-park and mounted the steps lead-J ing into the foyer. The front of the reception desk had! been boarded up to hide the bullet holes. The wall behind] it had already been redecorated. In fact, the only sign of I the breakin was the chipped
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