Uli loosened his tie. The car was air-conditioned but his Siberian bulk wasn’t designed for the short walk from the vehicle to the building, his ultimate destination.
The car swung into a drop-off zone below a towering skyscraper. Uli waited while his driver got out, walked around the vehicle and opened the rear door. Uli forced his huge bulk off the rear seat and stood up. He almost gasped from the humid air. He swore he could feel it sucking the oxygen out of his lungs.
‘Wait here,’ he said to the driver and limped towards the revolving doors at the base of the office block.
Uli glared at the people milling around the reception area and stalked towards the elevators. He stepped into the next available elevator car and held his hand up to a hopeful young secretary who tried to enter the elevator at the same time.
‘Room for one only,’ he intoned. ‘The sign says this has a maximum weight capacity.’ He chuckled to himself as the elevator doors closed and began to rise through the bowels of the building. No such thing as a skinny rich Russian.
The elevator stopped and Uli stepped out into a sumptuous reception area. A woman behind a granite-effect desk looked up, smiled at him as he approached, then stood up.
‘Mr Petrov?’
He nodded.
‘We’ve been expecting you,’ she said. ‘I trust you had a good flight yesterday?’
‘Yes,’ said Uli, not wanting to waste time talking to his business partner’s minions.
The receptionist interpreted his curtness correctly and beckoned him to take a seat. ‘One moment please, Mr Petrov,’ she said, ‘Mr Delaney is waiting for you.’
She dialled a number and announced his arrival, then turned back to her work.
Uli looked up as a door opened down the corridor next to him and Delaney appeared. Petrov stood up and walked over to him, his hand outstretched. Delaney laughed loudly as he walked down the corridor towards the reception area, shook Uli’s hand and held the door open to the boardroom for the other man.
‘Uli, it’s good to see you.’ Slapping the man on the shoulder as he walked past, Delaney followed him into the room and closed the door behind him. ‘Have a seat.’
Uli ran his hand through his hair, looking around. ‘Is this room clean?’
Delaney nodded. ‘I had my security experts sweep it half an hour before you arrived – they check it every morning but we delayed it today so we could seal the room off once they’d finished until you got here.’
Uli nodded, visibly relaxing. ‘I got your message. Exactly how is this idea of yours going to help us?’
Delaney walked round the board table, stopping to look down through the floor-to-ceiling windows at the river traffic passing below. ‘I’ll keep it simple – and only because I don’t have time to run through the science of the stuff today, okay?’
The other man nodded. Delaney outlined his plan while the Russian stared at him, open mouthed.
Delaney finished, pulled out a chair and sat down. ‘That should protect your gas interests and my coal business for the next thirty years at least.’
Uli held up his hand. ‘Okay. You’ve convinced me. Now – what do you need?’
Delaney grinned. ‘I was hoping you’d ask. I need one of your Russian ice-breakers. The fastest ship you can get.’
Uli raised an eyebrow. ‘An ice-breaker?’
Delaney nodded. It needs to be in the East Siberian Sea by the beginning of February. Without fail. Think you can do it?’
Uli scratched his chin. ‘Let me make some phone calls. I’m sure I can come up with something.’
Delaney grinned maliciously. ‘You’d better. All or nothing, remember? I expect all the stakeholders in this joint venture to deliver on time. That’s what you agreed to.’
Uli smiled and held up his hands. ‘Morris, I’m sure you’re a Russian at heart,’ he chuckled. ‘There’s no need for threats. You can count on me.’ He stretched back in his seat.
Delaney stood up, striding across to a small cabinet on the far side of his office. ‘Drink?’
Uli nodded. ‘Of course, if you are.’
Delaney poured two glasses of brandy and handed one to Uli.
Uli sat down on the leather sofa. ‘So what are your plans?’
Delaney grinned. ‘Well I never divulge all my aces, as you know.’
The other man inclined his head slightly, in agreement. ‘And what are you going to do to make sure this can’t be pinned on us?’
‘Hit a big enough target so everyone will automatically assume it’s another extremist terrorism group. They’ll never pin it on us – they’d never believe this industry would do anything so extreme to protect its assets.’
Uli blew the air out of his cheeks. ‘You’re a genius. Who else is on board with this?’
Delaney grinned. ‘You know I give every stakeholder the same protection as you. No-one, apart from me, knows who else is an investor in this project. Let’s just say one or two like-minded individuals who are concerned about their businesses.’
Uli nodded. ‘Fair enough. Can you tell me what the target is going to be?’
‘Not yet.’
Uli stood up, drained his drink and stretched. ‘Alright. How many casualties?’
Delaney shrugged. ‘A few. Think of it as collateral damage, as the military like to say.’
Uli laughed out loud. ‘Perfect.’ He turned towards the door. ‘What happened about that English academic causing all the trouble in Europe?’
Delaney laughed. ‘Oh, it’s all gone quiet on that front. I don’t think he’ll be causing us any problems in future.’
Chapter 9
Sutton Courtenay, Oxfordshire
Dan steered the car down the narrow lane. As they neared Sarah’s cottage, he pulled out to drive around a parked car and jumped when she gasped and clutched his arm.
‘Dan, stop!’
‘What is it?’ he asked, slowing.
‘It’s him! Oh my god – he’s at my house!’ Sarah pointed. A man stood outside the cottage, staring up at the building.
Dan turned the car in the opposite direction, executed a smooth turn and began to drive back down the lane.