Page 78 of Clive Cussler The Iron Storm
“Thank you, Joe. I think I could manage this myself, but having you along just tripled the odds. Do you know the police armory on Eighth?”
“No, but a cabbie will.”
“We rent out part of it and keep a lot of equipment and arms there, including some dynamite. I’m sending an agent to meet you. He’ll have our key.” Bell gave him some specific instructions and told him to wait at the armory for additional instructions.
“You’re really going to sneak aboard a battleship?” Archie asked with a skeptically raised eyebrow.
“That’s probably the least crazy thing I’ve done in the past few weeks. What about you? Where are you with finding Balka Rath?”
“Thanks for assigning an impossible task, by the way,” Archie said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “So much to go on. Really handsome, maybe dark eyes and hair, probable foreign accent. Give me a break.”
“So you got nothing?”
“Did I say that? In what only can be described as brilliance on mypart, I found a girl who’d met him on the night he killed a courier who’d just gotten off a boat from Europe. Hanna Muntean is her name. She’s a waif who runs errands for criminals, mostly Romani as near as I can tell. She’s all but admitted to being in love with Rath, but turned against him recently. Again a guess on my part but I don’t think she realized how dangerous he was until he hurled the courier out a tenement window. She’s been helping me find the truck Balka is using along with her brother.”
“Where is she now?”
“My place.”
“Is that wise? She may be a waif as you say, but even street kittens have claws.”
“Relax. Everything of real value is in the safes. She never leaves the house without an escort and someone from the staff is always up and about no matter the hour. And since she’s set eyes on Master Dashwood of the quick smile and flashing eyes, she’s been on her best behavior.”
“Fickle little thing.”
“At that age, everyone is.”
“No luck locating the truck, I take it.”
“Big city, few hundred miles of roads, the odds were long, but I needed to keep her safe since she’s on Rath’s list of loose ends and she needs to feel she’s maybe putting her old life behind her.”
“I’m actually surprised he left her alive when he killed the courier,” Bell remarked. “But don’t worry, you’ll get your chance to nab him if we’re too late and theSaarlandopens fire. Balka will have to drive close to the targeted firing sites in order to radio adjustments back to the ship.”
“And by nab you mean…?”
“Arch, even if we stop Karl Rath from leveling the city, I won’t consider this a success if Balka escapes. He’s worse than his brother according to a woman who knew them both. You get the chance, you put him down like a rabid dog.”
“Woof woof.”
40
As the night wore on,more and more moving pieces were put into play. James Dashwood had arrived shortly after meeting Joe Marchetti at the armory and accessing the explosives. Zane Grey and Vernon Grimm showed up an hour later. They’d berthed theAlice N.at a commercial slip on the East River near Fortieth Street. Grimm had already had her tanks filled and had a mechanic lined up to inspect her engine in the morning. Both men renewed their vow to see this through to the end. Bell got them rooms in the Knickerbocker for the night.
For himself, he managed to get some sleep on the couch in his office.
A little after dawn, Eddie Tobin phoned in. He had dozens of people keeping a weather eye out for any sort of warship, but so far no one had seen a thing.
Betsy’s shift had ended at midnight and had been replaced by Fred Wright, a probationary employee only on his second month. Hewas astute enough to have a fresh pot of coffee brewed by the time Bell ended his call with Tobin and emerged from his office yawning broadly.
Bell poured himself a mug, sipped, and told Wright, “You just earned my vote for your probation meeting. Put a call through to Mr. Van Dorn in Philadelphia. It’s early, but it’s why he gets paid the most. He’s staying at the Bellevue-Stratford.”
At nine, Archie returned with his new charge, Hanna. She wasn’t at all what Bell had expected. He’d assumed she’d be shy and tentative. Instead, she shook his hand with a firm grip and looked him in the eye when she said it was a pleasure to meet him. She had an accent, but it was more charming than distracting.
“Why are you helping us?” Bell asked when the pleasantries were over.
She darted a glance at Archie, but turned back to Bell. “My people,” she started, but then faltered. Bell saw her clench her jaw to give herself strength. “My people have been hated across most of Europe for centuries and that hatred has taken root here, too. If it is ever learned that Roma were involved in something as terrible as what Balka is planning, that hatred will only grow worse. I fear there will be pogroms here as there have always been back home.”
Bell scratched at the stubble on his chin. “Wise beyond your years, I see. And Balka Rath?”
