The Collectors - Book Four: Diamonds and Sand (The Collectors Series 4) (32 page)

             
Petros stripped to his briefs, collected Bear’s clothes, dumped them in a laundry bag and handed them to Hans.”

             
“Do you need these back?”

             
“Burn them.”

             
Petros collapsed exhausted on the bed. “What happens now?” he asked himself. He lifted his mobile and pressed the keys to contact Amadou.

             
It buzzed three times. “Petros, my friend. You are in Malta?”

             
“We are in the German embassy. Your contact, Ibrahim the undertaker, planned our disposal. He couldn’t have known we were carrying diamonds. I think it was simple, take the money you promised but fail to deliver the goods.”

             
“The man’s a fool,” said a stressed Amadou.

             
“His men are confined on board and the boat impounded. I took a large lump of concrete out of the dock wall.”

             
“So long as you’re safe. Those men and the boat are of minor importance but any man who schemes to cheat me pays the ultimate price.”

             
“Thanks for your help.”

             
“You’re welcome.” By unspoken consent, the connection went dead.

             
“Bath’s free and the water’s boiling,” said Bear as a wall of steam trailed after him.

             
“Any dry towels.”

             
“Plenty for you.”

             
A knock on the door forced Bear to grab his bathrobe.

             
Petros opened the door and faced a bright, middle-aged blonde woman with a white trolley covered by a sheet. Her brown eyes studied Petros’ face. “I am the embassy nurse. May I check your friend’s head wound?”

             
“Please, my big fat friend is there.”

             
The nurse walked straight to Bear, grabbed his head with both hands removed the bandage and poked at the wound. “I will clean out the infection. Please lie on your side and face me.”

             
Bear closed his bathrobe in a failed attempt to cover his person.

             
The nurse laughed. “You men believe we think of one thing.” With deftness she scraped the mess away. Bear clenched his teeth as she dug deep.

“C
lean, bleeding and the antiseptic will work. Sit up and I will bandage. When you return to England have a doctor check. You may need a few stitches.”

             
Bear remained still as she wrapped the bandage around his head. “That feels much better.”

             
“And so it should,” said the nurse. “I am a professional. Don’t get it wet.”

             
She placed the used instruments into a stainless steel dish, covered it up and started to leave. “Men. Why are you so embarrassed? Such a little thing.”

             
Both men heard her laughing as she strolled along the corridor.

***

Amadou’s frown creased his face. Ibrahim had been prepared to double-cross him. He was no longer trustworthy. A swift solution was necessary.

***

Hans knocked, opened the door and entered, his arms filled with carrier bags. “One suit each, three shirts and a tie, plus underwear, socks and shoes. You will wear these for dinner, tonight.”

Bear
emptied each bag’s content on his bed. “This must be yours, PK.” He tossed three white shirts still in there cellophane wrappers to the top of the other bed. In a few minutes paper littered the floor and items of clothing covered both beds.

“What time
’s dinner?”

“Be ready at seven thirty.
”

Petros wandered across to the window
. To his right and left the Mediterranean stretched out before him. With a click, he opened the doors to the balcony, stepped out and sat in a white plastic chair. The garden below contained a mixture of flowering shrubs. At this hour it remained shaded from the fading sun. He punched the memory button on his mobile and in a few seconds heard his home phone ringing.

In the bedroom
Bear snored.

Chapter Twenty - Four

No sunlight shone into Ibrahim’s office. He turned from the window and sat at his desk. A shudder swept through his body as the door creaked open. He whirled round to face a figure dressed from head to toe in black. “Who are you and what do you want?” he screamed.

“
My name is unimportant but you know why I am here. You cannot be trusted and my unique services are necessary. In this world, a man has friends or enemies. Please do not beg for your life, your fate is assured.”

Ibrahim
’s jaw dropped. “Whatever they’re paying you I’ll double it.”

The intruder laugh
ed. “That’s the difference between you and me. I can be trusted to complete my work. Two choices exist, one will be painful. What do you prefer?”

“I will pay you four times
your contract.”

“
Your imminent death has made you foolish. Show me the money.”

Ibrahim pulled a sheet of wood from against the wall before operating the button
which disclosed his safe. With shaking hands he opened the steel reinforced door. He turned his head as a sense of self-preservation filled his mind. His right hand groped for and grasped the Glock. With a dive to the right his huge frame twisted as he fired three times into a void. The bullets thudded into the plaster, producing a fine cloud of dust.

A knife s
liced the air and entered Ibrahim’s chest, then another from a different direction pierced his neck.               “You made a decision to play the survival game. I enjoy my work so much more when I have an opponent.”

A
nother blade entered his right thigh as blood spewed from his mouth.

“I am bored. Put the Glock on the floor
and we will talk.”

Ibrahim coughed and splutte
red. “Fuck you.” As best he could, he emptied the pistol’s magazine firing in every direction.

The intruder waited until the weapon clicked empty. “What are you going to do now?”

Ibrahim responded with a gurgle. The intruder walked across, smiled as he bent over the bloody carcass. “They always believe I’ll be merciful and end their pain.” One by one, he removed the blades twisting them as he did. With a grunt, he grabbed Ibrahim’s feet and dragged him into the workshop where three coffins lay on trestles. A trail of blood stained the floor. With the aid of a chain hoist, he deposited Ibrahim into the nearest box.

Ibrahim
, his breathing shallow and irregular, stared at the ceiling from one of his own coffins.

“It will be quicker this way,” said the man as
he lifted each arm and sliced the wrist. “Those who know such things tell me it’s a painless way to die.” He slid the lid into its recess and screwed it in place. Removing his mobile, he made one call. “The package is ready.” 

             
In the office, he shut and secured the safe, picked up the Glock and left but remained close enough to view the rear entrance.

             
Several minutes’ later two men in traditional Arab dress arrived with a donkey cart. In seconds, the blood-streaked coffin vanished amongst the maze of streets. The man in black lit a cigarette and disappeared in a labyrinth of narrow streets. Where they dumped his contract was of no concern.

Chapter Twenty - Five.

Hans knocked on Petros’ and Bear’s bedroom door at seven thirty prompt.

Bear shouted, “Come.”

“Please follow me,” said Hans. On descending the stairs, he led them to double mahogany doors and pushed them open. “Your places are marked. The ambassador and his wife will be with you in a few minutes.”

             
Petros and Bear, wearing their new clothes, strolled into a large airy room. The glistening mahogany table stretched from one end of the room to the other but today had a mere four place settings.

             
“We could have eaten in the kitchen,” said Bear.

             
A single door in the far wall opened and a middle-aged man and woman entered and strolled towards them. “Mr Kyriades and Mr Morris. Ralf Schwarz.” He shoved out his hand demanding it to be shaken. “My wife, Uta, decided that as you are our guests we should dine in here. Please take your seats and we can talk, drink, and eat. We both want to hear how you found those diamonds after so many years.”

             
An attractive dark-haired, young, slim woman entered pushing a hostess-trolley.

             
“Your salad, madam,” she said.

“
The roast beef and vegetables for me, Elaine,” said the ambassador.

             
“Sir,” said Elaine.

             
“Roast beef,” said Petros, “and vegetables.”

             
“Plenty of beef and pile the vegetables high. Roast parsnips are my favourite,” said Bear.

             
“Ambassador, please forgive my partner but he lives to eat.”

“
Not a problem. If there’s something you need please do not hesitate to ask. Elaine, you may leave. We will help ourselves to dessert. ”

Uta talked nineteen to the dozen in between nibbling at her raw vegetable salad.

When the main course finished the ambassador said, “My wife has hogged the conversation. The recovery of the diamonds. Please tell.”

Petros recalled the first time Eva contacted them and reiterated the main points
, stressing the recent uprisings in many German cities but omitting the death of her and the others. “Research is the key and friends in the right places.”

“I
agree. Your flight’s arranged. Breakfast, I’m afraid, at the crack of dawn but you should be back home by midday. On arrival, an embassy car will collect you. Tell the driver where you want to go.”

Petros glanced at Bear
, “Ambassador, my apologies but the German government owe us a great deal of money.”

The ambassador
gave a broad grin. “By the time you return to your room, you will find a banker’s draft for fifty million pounds sterling. I understand the diamonds may be worth more when cut and polished. If I were you, I’d accept and say thank you.”

Petros kicked Bear
’s ankle. “Accepted with pleasure, sir.”

“Coffee or something
stronger?” He pressed a button under the table and Elaine returned.

“A brandy please
,” said Petros.

“Make that two
,” said Bear.

             
The ambassador paused. “Elaine, the bottle of brandy reserved for special guests and three glasses. My wife will take coffee in our private quarters.”

             
Uta pushed back her chair. “I will say goodnight, gentlemen. It was interesting to meet you. Have a safe journey.” She bent and kissed her husband on the cheek. “I tire these days.”

             
Petros and Bear stood as Uta gave a big smile and left.

             
Elaine entered with three brandy glasses and a three quarters full bottle of brandy on a silver tray. “When you’re finished, leave the glasses on the tray. There’s a note for night security to return them to the kitchen.”

             
The ambassador poured three large measures and raised his glass. “Good health.”

             
Two hours later three men shook hands.