The Einstein Pursuit

61

As a young man, Zidane had worked for an industrial radiography company owned by his father. His job was to transport canisters of material used in X-ray technology — the derivation known as iridium 192 — to and from the various facilities that produced and utilized the radioactive isotope.

During one of his deliveries in northern Africa, a canister of iridium somehow fell from his truck. It was discovered by two children, who played with it for five days before presenting it to their grandmother. Unfortunately, the radiation damage caused by the iridium led to severe chemical burns in the case of the children, as well as thyroid and breast cancer in several relatives and neighbors. At the time, it was assumed the kids must have pried the canister open or it had been damaged when it had fallen from the truck. After further study, it was determined that the company had improperly contained its product.

The family had been exposed to the iridium for less than a week.

Zidane had been transporting the element for more than a year.

His contact with the radiation had been intermittent, but the sum total of its effect would make itself known. By the age of forty, Zidane had undergone a multitude of biopsies to remove tumors throughout his body. By fifty, he had been diagnosed with a wide variety of cancers. Though he had managed to evade an immediate death sentence — the cancers were fought with aggressive surgery and intensive chemotherapy — the doctors did not give him much time.

Determined to live, Zidane used the modest inheritance from his father’s estate to finance anything that might discover a cure for his ailments. Along the way, his efforts made him a vast fortune and eventually led him to Tomas Berglund, who gave him something much more important than money.

Tomas Berglund gave him hope.

Payne and Jones had saved many scientists at the laboratory in Rakovnik, but they had failed to deliver the two things they had promised Masseri: Tomas Berglund and Hendrik Cole.

With nothing to trade for Sahlberg and no idea where to look for Cole, they were forced to strike a new deal with Masseri. They knew they couldn’t put their trust in him entirely — after all, he had double-crossed Cole — but so far he hadn’t led them astray.

He had told them where to find the lab.

He had told them where to find Berglund.

And he had told them where to find Cole.

They hoped Masseri could help them again, which was why they reluctantly agreed to meet him in Prague. The same café as before. This time, the three of them together as the nightly festivities of the Old Town Square carried on around them.

Payne realized this would be a renegotiation, so he did his best to establish his position as one of strength. ‘It looks like you’ve lost your leverage.’

Masseri scoffed. ‘How do you figure that? I still have Dr Sahlberg.’

‘True, but how do you plan to collect? Cole’s not an idiot. He knows exactly how we found him in Rakovnik. If you try to deliver Mattias, he’ll cut you from ear to ear.’

Masseri smiled. ‘In that case, Sahlberg is no use to me. I guess I’ll leave him to rot.’

‘He’s of plenty use to you,’ Payne insisted. ‘He’s the only thing keeping me from leaping across this table and crushing your windpipe. I want him back.’

Masseri smiled. ‘I want double what Berglund was offering. In exchange, I will tell you where I have hidden Sahlberg.’

Payne shook his head. ‘Not a chance. I’m not altering our previous deal. I retrieve Tomas Berglund, and you hand over Mattias.’

‘How do I benefit from that?’ Masseri asked.

‘We’re still going to kill Hendrik Cole.’

All things considered, Masseri knew it was his best option. He couldn’t turn Sahlberg over to Cole. Not now. Not after his double-cross. Cole would kill him on sight. And if he couldn’t strong-arm Payne into paying for Sahlberg — and it certainly looked like Payne had no intention of paying a ransom — then at least Cole’s death would keep him from looking over his shoulder for the rest of his life.

His only other option was to kill Sahlberg, dump his body in the river, and disappear for as long as possible. But as he looked into Payne’s eyes, he knew the MANIAC would stop at nothing to avenge the loss of his friend. Killing Sahlberg would be a death sentence.

‘What do you need from me?’ Masseri conceded.

Jones answered. ‘We need a location. Where would Cole take Berglund for safe keeping?’

‘He doesn’t want to keep him safe. He wants to trade him for cash as quickly as possible. And guess who benefits the most from Dr Berglund’s continued existence?’

‘Harrison Zidane,’ Payne answered.

‘Exactly,’ Masseri said with a smile. ‘If Cole grabbed Berglund, it’s safe to assume that he has every intention of getting the most value for him. And it’s rather obvious Zidane has the deepest pockets and the most motivation.’

‘You think he’s taking him directly to Zidane?’

‘That’s what I would do,’ Masseri said. He leaned forward to make his point. ‘Harrison Zidane is in no condition to stray far from home. Until the hospital he is financing in Como is completed, he needs to remain in close proximity to the laboratory you destroyed or to his villa on the lake. He went to the lab for treatments, but Berglund went to him for checkups.’

Jones considered their options. ‘I’m guessing you’ve seen his place in Como. What kind of security are we talking about?’

‘Zidane keeps his own security force on hand at all times. Ex-Mossad, British SAS, former special forces, and so on. And that’s just to guard his artwork. There’s no telling what changes he’ll make once he hears about Rakovnik. And this time, you won’t have the element of surprise. He and his men will be waiting for your arrival.’

If Cole headed directly to Italy, there was no way for Payne, Jones or Dial to beat him to Lake Como. He simply had too much of a head start. Fortunately, Dial didn’t need to be in Italy to mobilize his troops. He managed that with a phone call.

Though they had no power to make arrests, there was nothing in the Interpol charter that prevented them from observing suspects. At Dial’s insistence, NCB agents from the Milan office were patrolling the waters of Lake Como before the sun came up. And their timing couldn’t have been better. Had they waited even fifteen minutes longer to follow Dial’s order, they would have missed the small powerboat as it slipped into Zidane’s private dock at dawn.

The agents watched as three men stealthily made their way from the water to the house. The first was the driver of the boat. The second was Tomas Berglund. The third — the injured man pushing Berglund as he stumbled up the steps to the villa — was Hendrik Cole. They were greeted by a throng of security personnel, each carrying the kind of firepower seldom seen on men protecting exclusive waterfront estates.

‘They’ve arrived in Lake Como,’ Dial told Payne and Jones as he disconnected the call from the Milan office. ‘They’re at Harrison Zidane’s house. And your informant was right about the guards. The property is protected by at least ten heavily armed men.’

‘I’d prefer heavy men with no arms,’ Jones cracked.

‘Me too,’ Payne admitted.

Dial frowned. ‘Guys, I’m worried about your safety here. If you approach from the front, the guards can take you out long before you reach the shore. Not to mention anyone who happens to be in the water at the time.’

‘Who said anything about the front?’ Jones asked as he pulled out his tablet computer and showed Dial several images of the back half of Zidane’s property. It consisted of a sheer rock face that extended several hundred feet in the air and protected the villa like a castle wall.

Dial looked at him like he was crazy. ‘You can’t be serious.’

Jones deadpanned. ‘I’m always serious.’