Read Online The Steel Spring by Per Wahlöö - Free Book Online

else indistinguishable.
    ‘Quite right,’ said the tall one. ‘We don’t need to answer your questions. There’s a state of emergency in force. You’ve broken the current regulations; you’re a hazard to public safety.’
    Jensen said nothing.
    ‘You’re seriously ill and we are going to take care of you. Don’t be afraid.’
    ‘Don’t be afraid,’ the other one repeated in a low voice. He fished in the pocket of his white coat and brought out a syringe. Fingered it and said in a pondering tone, as if directing the question to himself:
    ‘What’s his blood group?’
    ‘What’s your blood group?’ asked the tall one, sterner than ever.
    ‘Rhesus negative,’ said Jensen.
    The man with the syringe appeared to brighten up for a moment.
    ‘Excellent,’ he said to himself. ‘Excellent. Now make him get out.’
    ‘Get out,’ said the tall one.
    Jensen sat there in silence.
    ‘We have extraordinary authority. The epidemic must be stopped. I’m sure you understand that. Do as we say. Obey.’
    ‘Where are you going to take me?’
    ‘To the main hospital,’ said the tall one.
    ‘Section C,’ mumbled his colleague.
    ‘I can find my own way there.’
    ‘Come on out now. We haven’t got time for all this.’
    ‘Rhesus negative,’ mumbled the little one, fingering the syringe.
    ‘We’ve got more important things to do,’ said the tall one.
    ‘Fine,’ said Jensen. ‘Goodbye.’
    He reached over and pressed the button.
    The window slid upwards and closed. The man with the syringe jumped, and then started to wrench wildly at the door handle. His colleague with the severe look took him by the arm to calm him down, and began to walk towards the ambulance. The little one looked back over his shoulder with a crafty expression.
    The two doctors got into the front seat without shutting the doors and started doing something. A moment later, Jensen saw the bearded man holding a microphone up to his mouth, moving his lips.
    He immediately flicked a switch on the dashboard to activate the frequency finder. Within fifteen seconds, he had located the right wavelength. It was apparently less time than the man in the ambulance had taken to get through.
    ‘Main hospital, over. Main hospital, over … Damn, they’re not answering. No wait, here we go.’
    There was a sudden blare from the radio. A male voice said in a distant croak:
    ‘Main hospital here. Over.’
    ‘Vehicle 300 here.’
    ‘Yes? Where are you?’
    ‘South motorway, at …’
    Loud crackling. Jensen lost contact. He retuned. It took about thirty seconds, but then he could make out their voices again.
    ‘A police car?’
    ‘Yes.’
    ‘A police inspector?’
    ‘Yes.’
    ‘Bring him straight here.’
    ‘He refuses to come.’
    ‘Are you armed?’
    ‘Yes. We’ve got a pistol. But …’
    ‘Yes? But what?’
    ‘We don’t know how to use it.’
    ‘Idiots.’
    There was a brief pause. Then the voice said irritably:
    ‘Okay. We’ll send a sanitary patrol. Keep him there.’
    Jensen started his engine and backed rapidly away from the ambulance.
    ‘He’s clearing off,’ the ambulance man said in dismay.
    Jensen was already passing them. In the rearview mirror he saw the white van start to move.
    ‘He’s getting away.’
    ‘Which way’s he heading?’
    ‘North.’
    ‘No problem. Follow him. He’ll have to stop at the entrance to the communication tunnel. He won’t get any further.’
    Jensen stepped on the gas and the ambulance disappeared into the drizzle. At the next exit he turned right and left the motorway.
    A quarter of an hour later, he heard another exchange on the radio.
    ‘That policeman …’
    ‘Yes?’
    ‘He’s vanished.’
    The voice was graver than ever, but seemed to have lost some of its severity. This time it was a woman who answered.
    ‘It doesn’t matter,’ she said nonchalantly. ‘He can’t get into the restricted zone, whatever happens.’
    ‘We need to get back now.’
    ‘You do that. Don’t