Believed Violent (19 page)

Terrell lifted his heavy shoulders.

“Give me proof,” he said quietly, “and I’ll arrest the President himself. Big names mean nothing to me. All I want is proof.”

As Hamilton got to his feet, he smiled wryly.

“I’m sure, but Washington doesn’t work like that.”

It was while he was driving to the airport to catch the plane to Washington that Lindsey was giving Nona her final instructions. She had passed a restless night, but during the night, she had made up her mind to be as unco-operative with Lindsey as she dared. Lindsey had warned her that there was a microphone operating in Forrester’s cave. Everything she said to him would be heard. But what Lindsey didn’t know was that Forrester was an expert in the deaf and dumb sign language. In the past, when making tape recordings of the sounds of various instruments to do with friction, he had given his instructions to Nona in sign language. She also had become expert so that they could converse together without spoiling the tape.

Lindsey was saying, “He had a good night. He has been drugged. You know what to say. Show him the newspaper, then persuade him to talk to me. You understand?”

Nona nodded.

“All right, then go ahead. I’ll be listening.” Lindsey gave her his charming smile. “There is no time to waste. It is important, Miss Jacey, that you should succeed.”

She took the newspaper and followed Lindsey out of the cave. At the entrance to the L-shaped cave, he touched her arm.

“Go ahead,” he whispered. “Remember it is certainly more important to you than to me that you succeed.” The threat was there although it was softened by the smile.

She found Forrester sitting in the lounging chair, his legs crossed, his hands in his lap.

She walked straight up to him and put the newspaper across his knees.

“Please look at this,” she said, knowing Lindsey was listening.

Forrester stared up at her, then he smiled.

“Hello, Nona. Sit down. What is this?”

Tlease look at it,” she repeated and sat down.

He glanced at the paper, then stiffened slightly as he saw the big photograph of himself spread across the front page. He looked at the smaller photograph of Fred Lewis. He read the glaring headlines:

Dr. Paul Forrester Escapes.

Personal Nurse Bludgeoned to Death.

He continued to read, his face remote, his hands shaking a little making the paper rustle. He read of the intense search for him. He looked at the photographs of the circling helicopters and of the troops jumping down from parked trucks to fan out for a house-to-house search. He read the warning:

Dr. Forrester is believed violent. If you see him, don’t attempt to approach him. Telephone Police Headquarters. Paradise City 7777.

Finally, he put the paper down and looked at Nona.

“You have read all this?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“Do you believe it?”

“It is what they think,” she returned, then her fingers sprang into life. They said to him in sign language: “No, I don’t. There is a microphone here. They are listening.”

Forrester’s eyes became very alert. He sat for some moments, staring at her, then he smiled and nodded.

“I want to think about all this,” he said. “Please give me time to think. Please don’t speak to me.”

They looked at each other, then they began to talk rapidly to each other in sign language.

“Answer my questions,” Forrester spelt out. “It’s the formula?”

“Yes.”

“The Russians?”

“Yes. They say you will be treated well in Moscow.”

“Have they the formula?”

They must have.”

“I didn’t kill this man. I want you to believe me.”

She nodded.

“I believe you. I never thought you did.”

Aloud, Forrester said, “I don’t understand any of this. I thought you told me Warren sent us here. From this newspaper, I have escaped. I seem to have killed my attendant. I remember nothing.” His fingers spelt out, “I must talk to whoever is handling this. Don’t worry . . . it will be all right.”

Nona said aloud, “There is someone who can explain all this to you, Dr. Forrester. Will you talk to him?”

“I suppose so . . . yes, but I want you to stay with me.”

“All right. I’ll get him.”

She stood up and walked across the sandy floor of the cave, turned the corner and found Lindsey waiting.

“He is ready to talk to you,” she said.

“Yes. I’ve been listening,” Lindsey said. “You have done very well.” He felt a twinge of conscience as he looked at her. Radnitz had said there were to be no loose ends. Once she had completed her task, she would have to be handed over to Silk. She would be far too dangerous to be free. “As he wants you with him, let us go together.”

By now Nona had come to realize the worth of his quiet, charming smile. It sent a shiver down her spine. She went with him back to the cave where Forrester was sitting, waiting.

Lindsey took the chair opposite Forrester. Nona moved into the shadows and sat on another chair, away from them.

“I am acting on behalf of the Russian Government,” Lindsey said to Forrester. “They want your formula. You have had a mental breakdown. Unfortunately, during this breakdown, you killed your Chief Assistant and also your male nurse. You escaped from the sanatorium in which you have been for the past twenty-eight months. You escaped by hitting your nurse with such violence you killed him. By sheer coincidence one of my operators found you wandering the streets. He brought you here where you are quite safe. The Russian Government will give you every protection. They want your formula. Only you are able to decode it. In return for decoding the formula, we will get you away and you can settle in Moscow where you will be treated very well and live very comfortably. First, Dr. Forrester, you must decode the formula. However, if you don’t wish to co-operate, then you will be returned to the sanatorium and you will remain there for the rest of your life . . . not a happy thought. Would you like time to think about this or are you prepared to decode the formula now . . . I have it with me.” Lindsey took from a slim brief-case he had brought with him a photocopy of the formula and offered it to Forrester.

Watching, Nona was thankful to see Forrester’s hand was steady as he took the stiff sheet of paper and looked at it. He dropped it on the table.

“Yes, I would need time to think about it,” he said after a long pause.

“I don’t want to press you,” Lindsey said smoothly, “but time is important. Can you decode the formula, Dr. Forrester?”

Forrester reached forward and picked up the photocopy. He began to study it. Nona got the idea that he was deliberately taking his time while he thought. A tense three minutes passed, then he looked at Lindsey who could scarcely conceal his impatience.

“It is possible,” he said, paused and then went on, “but I am not doing it.”

Lindsey’s smile faded.

“I’m afraid you have no choice,” Dr. Forrester,” he said, sitting forward.

“No choice? Surely that is an exaggeration. Tell me why I have no choice.”

“If you don’t decode the formula,” Lindsey said, a slight rasp in his voice, “then you will be returned to the sanatorium . . . or should I call it the asylum? You don’t want that to happen, do you?”

“But why not?” Forrester asked. “I’ve been there a long time. I am very well looked after.” He studied Lindsey’s lean set face for a long moment, then went on, “The mistake you are making is you imagine I want my freedom. I don’t. I have arrived at a mental state of complete indifference . . . when all this . . .” he waved to the photocopy, “means nothing to me. No threat from you nor anyone else could possibly influence me. My life is of no value to me. I don’t care if I live or die. You should realize this. I could even prefer to be dead.”

Lindsey stared at him. He felt a sudden cold sweat break out on his hands. He thought of Radnitz and that arrogant message:
I return November 15th. Expect successful results
. He thought of Silk and his silenced gun. Forrester’s calm, steady gaze worried him.

“You could be persuaded, Dr. Forrester,” he said.

“You think so? Tell me how,” Forrester said quietly.

Lindsey hesitated. He wondered if he should consult Dr. Kuntz then decided he would have to handle this himself.

“I have two men working for me,” he said. “They are not entirely human. I could order them to make you decode the formula.” He paused, staring at Forrester. “Sooner or later the body and the spirit break. Why should you endure such Stupid and unnecessary suffering?”

“No one could break me,” Forrester said. That is a stupid and unnecessary threat.”

Lindsey took the tin of sweets from his pocket. He selected a raspberry coloured sweet, stared at it, then put it into his mouth.

They would begin at first with our little friend here,” he said, nodding to Nona. “That would be bad for your morale. She has already met the man who would deal with her . . . an animal.”

Nona turned cold, but she remained still, watching Forrester. He turned his head slowly and looked at her, his smile reassuring, then he turned back to Lindsey.

“I’m not going to be dishonest with you,” he said. “I could say, of course, that I had forgotten how to break the code, but I haven’t. I could decode the formula in twenty minutes, but I do not intend to do so. Please listen to my reasons carefully. During the months I have been locked away, I have had plenty of time to think seriously about my invention. It may be difficult for you to understand that inventing something new is a challenge to certain people ― like myself. However, once the invention has been invented people like myself must ask themselves if this invention could become a menace. This is the reason why I have told no one about my invention. I wanted first to convince myself that I had invented something not Only useful but something that could not threaten the peace of this sick, sad world.” Forrester leaned back in his chair, looking down at his hands. “I suppose this is the crank in me. I know my invention is worth several millions of dollars, but money never has nor ever will interest me. When I was in Washington I was approached by Russian and Chinese agents who offered me any money I cared to name for the formula. I refused. They threatened me as you have threatened me. Still I refused. I have decided that my invention is not for this present age. Later, perhaps, when the world has become more adult, it can be safely used, but not now, and when it is used, it is for every nation, not just one.”

Lindsey drew in a slow breath of exasperation.

“I’m afraid, Dr. Forrester, we can’t wait. You will decode the formula or take the consequences. The girl will suffer first, and you will watch her suffer.”

Forrester again looked reassuringly at Nona, then he smiled at Lindsey.

“I don’t think so. Would you say, because of my formula, that I am, as I sit here, worth anything from three to five million dollars?”

Lindsey’s eyes narrowed. He hesitated, then nodded.

“I suppose so.”

“Yes . . . I think that is a fair estimate. You must understand I am what is called a crank. I have already told you I don’t care if I live or die. I trust you are intelligent enough to accept this statement as the truth. I repeat: I don’t care if I live or die. So what I am now going to do is to get out of this chair and walk out of this cave and I am taking Miss Jacey with me.”

Lindsey stiffened.

“Look, Dr. Forrester, you have been ill . . .” he began, but when Forrester got to his feet, he called sharply: “Silk!”

Silk, listening to all this, snatched off his headphones and came silently and quickly to the entrance of the cave. He stood under one of the powerful lights and stared at Forrester with his one gleaming eye. Looking at him, Nona caught her breath. The horror she felt from the ravaged, cruel face went through her like a knife stab.

“You will stay here, Dr. Forrester,” Lindsey said, jumping to his feet. “I don’t want to use force, but I will have to if you won’t co-operate. You are not leaving here until you have decoded the formula.”

Forrester regarded Silk who stood guarding the exit of the cave. He studied the evil, vicious face with interest.

“Is this the specimen you are threatening me with?” he asked Lindsey.

“Yes, and there’s another who will work on the girl,” Lindsey said. “I’m sorry about all this, but you are forcing my hand. Now, doctor, please be sensible. Please decode the formula and let us have no more dramatics.”

“Miss Jacey and I are leaving,” Forrester said. “Do I sound confident? I am confident. Let me tell you why. I have already stressed the point, but I will again repeat it: I am completely indifferent whether I live or die. When I was threatened in Washington, I realized I could be kidnapped and tortured. So I took precautions. Since that time I have always kept by me a capsule of cyanogen. It is in my mouth now. I have only to bite on it and I shall be dead. If you try to stop Miss Jacey and I leaving here, I will bite down on the capsule. Have I made myself clear?”

Silk made a move forward, but Lindsey waved him back. He stared at Forrester who was looking calmly at him.

“I don’t believe you,” Lindsey said, his face now pale, his voice uncertain. “You can’t bluff me, Dr. Forrester.”

“It isn’t bluff,” Forrester said. “It is an experiment in psychology. Alive, I am worth three to five million dollars. Dead, I am worth nothing. Listening to you, studying you, I have come to the conclusion that you are very concerned with money. I know you would not hesitate to tear out my nails or to use a hot iron on me, but what you can’t do, what you can’t even contemplate doing is to lose millions of dollars. I am not going to prove to you that I have the capsule in my mouth. I am leaving, and if you make any attempt to stop me or Miss Jacey, you will have destroyed millions of dollars.”

Lindsey’s face turned into a snarling, frightened mask.

“If you leave here, you will be caught, you fool!” he rasped. They will put you back into a padded cell! Give me the formula, and I swear I will get you to Moscow where you can start a new and important career! You will be honoured . . . you will be able to continue your experiments.”