53
The women and all but one of the txxjyguards got into the
first limousine, and they left.
Rojas got into the passenger seat, and the remaining body-
guard slid behind the wheel of the second limo. •mey pulled
out of the Alhambra's gate as the first limo flashed past
Carter, then tumed the opposite way and headed off into the
night.
Carter waited until the limousine 's taillights all but disap-
EEared in the distance, and then he pulled away from the side
of the road and headed after them.
For a time there was some doubt in his mind as to where
Rojas and his man were going. But after they hui gone way
out to Newham—which was far to the east of London—they
tumed back to the northwest, and then he knew. They were
headed up to Bamet. The Chåteau Le Favre. When they hit
the E8 and headed directly west, he was certain.
Carter the next exit, the 450SL through
the silent, dark British tounüyside.
It was very late at night—or early in the morning, depend-
ing on your point of view—when Carter turned onto Wood
Street, the main street of Barnet. There was absolutely no
traffic stimng as he found a phone booth and lcx)ked through
the directory for the Chateau Le Favre.
There was no listing.
He called information, but they had no listing for such a
place either, the operator no doubt thinking Carter crazy for
looking for a French restaurant at that hour.
He went back to his car and got behind the wheel. For a
minute or two he remained there, staring vacantly at the
phone tx)0th.
It would actually quite simple. He could call AXE in
Washington and have them vouch for him here with the
Barnet police. They would tell him what he wanted to know.
54
NICK CARTER
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NICK CARTER
But that was too risky, given his orders. Rojas was not to
know or even that he wasn't what he presented
himself to be. Nothing more than a very rich playboy. With
incredible guts and even better luck.
Carter started the car and drove off, his mind working. It
would have been too risky to have directly followed Rojas
and his driver out here. Sooner or later they would have
spotted the headlights behind them.
He drifted out toward the E8 where it came into town and
merged with the other highways, and suddenly he had it.
He pulled into an all-night service station-restaurant,
parked in the rear, and went into the restaurant.
As he had hoped, there was a gift shop for tourists to the
area. Included was a magazine rack and book display. He
found the book he was looking for almost immediately:
Homes of Note in Watford, Barnet and Cheshunt. The
Oiåteau LR Favre was listed in the index, as Carter
it might
The guide cost him more than three pounds. He took it
back to the restaurant, where he ordered a cup of tea and a
muffin with marmalade, and started reading.
The home had been built in the late 1600s in Lisieux in the
Calvados region of France. In 1787 a terrible fire all but
destroyed the twenty-seven-room mansion, but eleven years
later it had been rebuilt by an attorney from Paris who had
somehow managed to survive the terrible purges both during
and after the Revolution.
In the late twenties the home was sold to a wealthy Indian,
who had it carefully dismantled, brought to England, and
reconstructed stone by stone on its present site near Bamet.
Since then, the Mansion had changed hands several times.
It had been slightly damaged during the Second World War,
had been opened as a mental hospital in the early fifties, and
since 1977 had been maintained as a private residence by an
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55
55
Arab gentleman originally from Kuwait. His telephone was
unlistd
The hopee was situated on 150 acres of hilly, heavily
wooded land that had once a game preserve of King
Richard the Lion-Hearted.
Carter finished his snack, paid, and left. Ihe mansion was
way out on Axeton Manor Road to the west of town, and the
gave explicit directions for how to find it. Fifteen
minutes later he was passing a small attached to a
rockpile, that announced LE FAVRE.
He drove on for another few hundred yards he
pulled over to the side of the rozxi and the car in a
wide, grassy ditch. He pcxketed the keys and headed up
through the wcxxLs, angling back toward the driveway he had
passed.
He crossed a low, barbed wire fence—highly unusual for
England , Carter noted—and the land climbed gently from the
low, flat area through which the highway had run. At the
crest of a hill, Carter looked down on the Chåteau Le Favre.
The house was very large, with dormers, chimneys, and
balconies to either side of the main entrance and along the
sides.
Several cars were parked out front, including the
limousine in which Rojas and his had left the
Alhambra.
For a minute or two Carter remained where he was, study-
ing the house and its grounds. But there was little to seen.
There was no movement. No one came or went. And only the
windows in the front right rooms were lit. All else was in
darkness.
Finally Carter made his way down the hill, cmssing the
road well back from the house so that if anyone were on guard
duty, he would not seen.
It tcx)k him fifteen minutes to work his way around to the
56
56
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NICK CARTER
side of the house and then up the front right balcony.
where he managed to get to one of the windows.
Ihrough the gap in the Carter could see Rojas
seated with two other men. Both of them looked hard. weath-
erbeaten, but both of them were dressed to the nines.
They had familiar faces. but Caner did not recognize
them. They lcxüed almost like soldiers to him. with their
erect bearing. their short haircuts. and their direct motions.
Rojas had a briefcase that he stood up and ogrned on the
big oak desk.
One of the other men pulled something out of the brief-
case. and Carter got a gcxxi look at it.
It was money. A bundle of money. British B'unds. If the
briefcase was filled with money. there was a lot there.
Rojas was delivering money to these men. But who were
they? And for what was the money payment?
Carter stared at the two men for a long time. memorizing
their faces, before he left the window.
Глава 5 Пятая глава
Carter went around to the back of the house, then crossed a
narrow courtyard the garage, where he slipped into
the and crouched down.
From where he was he could s.æ the back of the house, and
tyyond the west side he could see the driveway that led out to
the highway.
When Rojas left, Carter wcRild know it.
The weather was that morning, and a few clouds
to float across the star-studded sky. finally it txgan to
drizzle, a desultory, chilly rain that soon soaked Carter to the
skin.
It was after four in the morning when Rojas's limousine
finally left, and a half hour after that before the lights in the
house all went out.
Carter waited until five, then he moved from his hiding
place, crossed the courtyard, and came up to one of the rear
entrances to the house.
Through a window beside the door he could see a short
corridor that led into what to be a pantry. Canned
goods and other focxLstuffs were stacked on shelves. A door-
way seemed to lead into the kitchen.
57
58
NICK CARTER
The door was locked with a deadbolt, but as far as Carter could tell, the window was not alarmed.
He wrapped the butt of his Luger in his handkerchief and carefully broke one of the windowpanes near the sash lock, then removed the fragments of glass.
Quickly he unlatched the window, slid it up, and climbed inside. He turned, went through the pantry, and stepped into the kitchen.
It was a very large room, with the professional equipment needed for cooking banquet-sized meals. Directly across from where he stood were the large serving doors that apparently led into the dining room. To the right was another, narrower door that probably led to the rest of the house.
He silently crossed the kitchen, put his ear to the narrow door, and listened. If anyone had heard the breaking glass, which he felt was highly unlikely, they’d have been stirring by now. But there were no sounds from the house other than what he took to be the ticking of a large clock.
The door opened onto a long vestibule from which narrow stairs rose to the second floor—the servants’ staircase, Carter guessed—and which led to the main hallway at the front of the house.
Carter turned from the stairs and followed the corridor to the front, where he stopped again to listen in the shadows at the foot of the main staircase.
A grandfather clock chimed the half hour in the living room to the right.
The study, where he had seen Rojas hand over the money to the other men, was to the left. Entry was through a set of double doors with wide brass hinges, long handles, and a very large, ornately hooded lock.
It took Carter less than half a minute to spring the two-hundred-year-old lock with his stiletto, and he pushed open...
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and closed silently and ,study the into ,doors the
.m.
his out took Carter .tudy. the in light no almost WQS There
and ,desk the of direction general the in it aimed ,penlight
.n. it _flashed
behind seated man large a of impression brief the got He
Carter's when up coming was a.rm man's nle .esk. the
.X(t). the for diving ,left rolled Carter .ut. went penlight
weapon silenced a of plop soft characteristically The
and tE,en had Carter where right the tO once ,twice sounded
once rolled he legas right s' Cafler from away inches just then
.till. perfectly lay then ,again
his held then ,sleeve his of out stiletto his sliprrd Carter
A .esk. the behind from came fabric of rustle a as breath
.uiet. was then ,creaked floorboard
remained Carter ,time long very a like what For
was man Theother .uscle. a moving not ,was he where lying
moment brief the ln .rofessional. a wa.S He •. the doing
one as him recognized had he ,face s' man the seen had Carter
.oney. the handed had Rojas whom tO men tWO the of
of look The .omplexion. Weatherbeaten .air. Short-cropped
.is. now And .an. hard a
this then and ,ca.me dawn the long be not would lt
both for over would darkness the in seek and hide of game
tO Carter for difficult increasingly tEcome would lt .em. of
being without car his tO retum and house the of out get
.etected.
if point this tubesat the godown cwationcould lheentire
than other something wa.S Carter that fact a for knew Rojas
leaving him saw someone If .be tO himself presented he what
.lt. would Rojas ,him identify could and place this
wa.S desk the across man The .ing. one meant Which
•. or minute next the within And .ie. tO have tO going
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mouth his the toward head his tumed Carter
evena darkness the ln .nce. coughed and ,hand free his with
.und. the of direction the by fooled be would pro
muzzle the ,door the toward shots tW0 fired gunman The
.arrel. silencer the through visible barely just flash
that in stiletto the threw and knees his tO rose Carter
in shots more tWO fired then ,grunted gunman The .irection.
and left farther swung had Carter but ,direction Carter's
.sk. the of level the below ducked
.ilent. absolutely was study the Again
knew He .blade razor-sharp the with man the hit had Carter
,wound s1Fficial a been have could it But .act. a for that
.eg. or am man•s the in
holstered his for tuxedo his inside carefully reached He
-screw was He .ilencer. the for xket€p his inside then ,Luger
hit something when barrel the endof the onto silencer the ing
.kin. his of out nearly He .esk. the
shoved were book a like sounded what and papers Some
the tO sank presumably gunman the then and .esk. the from
•. soft a with floor
as Wilhelmina onto silencer the screwing finished Carter
,hand right his in automatic the Holding .p. stood slowiy he
the amund himself eased silently he ,left his in penlight his
.esk.
an just for on light the flipped he ,position in wa.S he When
nie• .necessary wasn't it But .ight. feinted then .instant
at clawing hands his ,open eyes his ,ide. his on lay gunman
lhere' .temum. his below just haft the tO buried stiletto the
.hirt. white his of front the down bl)K(d of lot a was
his down laid Carter .esk. the of back the around Once
man•s the studied He .body the beside knelt and Luger
his Or .familiar looked man the Somehow .eatures.
.before seen had Carter that tYF a just wa.S face
wiped carefully and chest man's the of out Hugo eased He
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making first ,it sheathed then ,shirt man's the on blade the
his on or knife the on left blcxxj no wa.S there SUR absolutely
Carter ,jacket or shirt own his on be blcxxi any Should .hands
without hotel the into back get tO able tx not would he knew
.ojas. tO back getting word
there But .kets. his searched and over man the rolled He
BPK To lighter cigarette a than other nothing wa.S
.igarettes. Players of pack a and ,LB love with
interest of nothing desk the of search quick A
-ordi an tE tO apFEared desk the at worked Wtxxver .ither.
filled were Thedrawers .invesmentcounselor bankeror nary
book apfx(intment The .m(rts. and corporate with
which of few a ,meetings for messages cryptic contained
various atx.(ut or at meetings as decipher tO able was Carter
.establishments banking Paris and London
side the inoneof found was interest itemof single neonly
-well A .dictionary English-Arabic an wa.S lt .drawers
-Car and ,desk this at worked Wh)Ever .ictionary. thumbed
done just had he man the not was it suspected strongly ter
.is. regular a on Arabs the with dealt evidently ,with battle
.. it ,money their lnvesting
could Carter ,Rojas here? doing gunman the wa.S what So
would stature and interests business manofhis A .nderstand.
this owned whoever know tO cause of plenty have doubt no
.dead here lying ma.n the not But .place
,windows the tO over went and Luger his up picked Carter
Already .lookedoutside and back curtains the heeased whcre
lt .ky. the of lightening a wa.S there east the tO
end the come would dawn the with And .soon dawn be would
.ndetected. here of out getting for chances his of
tell would that house the in here something wouldbe There
run had he But .it of certain almost was He .something him
.ime. of out
and them 0EEned _Carter .utward. swung windows The
62
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NICK CARTER
stepped out onto the veranda. He reached back inside and
made sure the curtains were closed as before, then shut the
windows. He was unable to relock them. But he figured it
would most likely go unnoticed.
He made his way directly across the driveway, then into
the woods and up the hill.
It was raining again, this time very hard by the time he
climbed over the barbed wire fence and made it down to
where he had parked the Mercedes in the grassy ditch.
He got into the car, started the engine, and eased back up
onto the highway heading back toward Barnet.
It was pushing eight o'clock, and the morning traffic was
horrendous by the time Carter made it back to the Ritz and
turned his car in at the front door.
He had loosened his tie, and he staggered up the steps and
into the lobby, the doorman's eyebrows raising.
Carter figured there'd be no way he could have made it into
the hotel at this hour without running into one of the staff, no
matter which entrance he used. And if he had been caught
sneaking around, questions were bound to be asked, ques-
tions that would most certainly get back to Rojas.
He was walking a tightrope here. If he stumbled and fell, it
would mean the end of this operation and possibly even his
own death.
It was better, he had figured, to enter the hotel openly.
He stumbled halfway across the lobby and nearly fell. A
bellman rushed across and took him by the elbow.
'Here, sir, let me give you a hand," the man said
"What the hell's the matter with you?" Carter snapped,
pulling his arm away. He straightened up—as if he had just
noticed where he was-and resolutely, but still unsteadily,
made his way the rest of the way across the lobby. He got his
key at the desk.
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and inside back reached He .eranda. the onto out stepped
the shut then ,fore. a.S closed were curtains the sure made
it figured he But .em. relock tO unable was He .indows.
.unnoticed go likely most would
into then ,driveway the across directly way his made He
.ill. the up and wc«ds the
he time the by hard vety time this ,again raining wa.S lt
tO down it made and fence wire barbed the over climbed
.itch. grassy the in Mercedes the parked had he where
up back eased and ,engine the started cars the into got He
.Barnet toward back heading highway the ontO
was traffic morning the and ,o'clock eight pushing wa.S lt
and Ritz the tO back it made Carter time the by horrendous
.oor. front the at in car his turned
and Steps the up staggered he and ,tie his loosened had He
.raising eyebrows doorman's the ,obby. the into
into it havemade could he way no be d' there figured Carter
no ,staff the of one into running without hour this at hotel the
caught been had he if And .sed. he entrance which matter
—ques ,asked tO bound were questions ,nd. sneaking
.jas. tO back get certainly most would that tions
it ,fell and stumbled he If .here a walking was He
his even possibly and operation this of end the mean would
.cath. own
hotel the enter tO ,figured had he ,better was lt
A .llé. nearly and lobby the across halfway stumbled He
.eltx(w the by him took and across rushed bellman
.said man the ",hand a you give me let ,sir ,Here'.
Caner "you? with matter the hell's the What"
just had he if up--—as straightened He .away a,rrn his pulling
,unsteadily still but ,resolutely was--—and he where noticed
his got He .lobby the acrOSS way the of rest the way his made
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63
no are tirre '. .Mr ,No" nostnls s' ücle Tbe
substantial rairr a tren has Öalth,'ÄJ ,Essagesß
".yrre cashier R.tr) with ECG.lnt ycmar tO d+hlt
things tWO re' rreü lf" .0QKily. sajd gcxxi,"Carter at•s%'
".sr«rts mxr arxi cbeats it's لو ca-Ct I
"suite? your tO up coffee have I Shall. Yes,sir"
bacon q:rne up me And not? Why" .laughed Carter
.toast q.(rne maytr arxi ر.o little A •. spwis eggs,arui ة
he where ,elevator the to way his and He
car the and shut slid rs«& the as wall bæk the agænst leaned
.up starta:i
asked elevator eldedy t}E "sir? ,luck o' Bit"
.pleasantJy
.luck SOT•ne haj I 'tmtin damned re' iSYou .gnnned Caner
".leaners. the tO R0Jas TCY(k
".ir. ,Frard SoI'0
his lurred؛ Carter "big? won I why hear you Did"
.ords.
liding؛ were doors the and ,floor his tO come They
tO tuming ,said man elevator the ,t' I .sir ,No" .n.
.im.
the off and wall the from away pushed Carter
,cheat couldn't American South wiJy ضطا عسة .car
".hy•. that's
elevator the as gasp man old the hear almost could Carter
.down back went car the and shut slKj doors
his tO humed Carter as comdor in one no was nere
and tuxedo qx.iden his off m:eled He. in himself let arvl rry.vrn
and weg«ns the with along ,weapons His. beap a in it left
waylay tO triad lwi who men the frørn taken ha.i he waJlets
.rawer. a lntO went ,jhambra. the near roai the on him
finishing just WZS He .shaved then ,shower aquick tmk He
64
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.ast. his with anived service room when dressing
-exces rnan the tipped Caner ,drunkenness feigning Still
pumps formal and tuxedo his away take him had and ,sively
.leaning. for
,breakfast his down wolfed he ,again alone W&S he When
.igarette. a lit and cognac of shot stiff a himself poured then
sleep tO up keyed (t)X entirely was he but ,tired very was He
.et. just
had He .ird. tren had salvos opening the ,eanwhile.
was lt .ack. stmck had Brazilian the and ,Rojas prodded
tk would the what see tO interesting be tO going
.avre. ßl Chåteau the at out incident morning's the after
tO going was He .at. for wait tO going wasn't Carter But
.again Rojas push
and guns the pocketed own his on strapped He
•. his left and ,goons tWO Rojas's from wallets
the acrOSS way his made he ,erect stiffly himself Holding
shower a taken just had who might ma.n drunken a a.S lobby
.behavior best very his on be tO trying was and
a that he and ,knew he ,heads few a turned He
.im. tRhind in fell men s' Rojas of pair
he and ,taxi a him hail d)k(rman the had Ca1ter ,utside.
of edge the at Memorial Albert the to him take driver the had
.ark. Hyde of west just Gardens Kensington
he yards ahundred within and ,park the out.entered got He
he path the up racing men s• Rojas see tO time in back doubled
.en. just had
and taxi passing a hailed he ,Road Kensington on out Back
He .appened. had what knew tails tWO his bcfore gone WXS
the of rest the of most for park the in be d' they figured
.moming
then .Park Regents of side north the tO cab the took Carter
,station underground Wood John•s .t. the tO walked he
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65
being wasn't he sure make tO times three back doubling
train a on and below he followed
.iccaiilly. toward back heading
Bond the at gotoff and Circus atOxford trains switched He
Grosvenor tO streets the through humed then ,station Street
.mbassy. .U.S. the tO Square
,r)'X(m waiting the in of nurnlxr a were lhere
dire threatening was who woman vociferous one including
need if President the even alxi tYr against action
..
and desks vacant the of one on phone a up picked Carter
.ffice. s' the dialed
answerd secretary his ",Four-two-one"
the using Carter sm(tted had staff embassy the of One
young three with adiscussion from away broke he and ,phone
.m. the across staned and women
here arn I that Leland •. tell Please .Carter isNick ll(is*'
".immediately. him with speak must l .mbassy. the in
.emanded. secretary the "this? is Who"
",Ziggy tO along message my pa.SS and dear a be Just"
of handful a tO only known nickname the using ,said Carter
.le.
one hold Please" ,said she then But .asped. secretary lhe*
".. .fr. ,oment.
embassy the a.S up looked he and ,said Surely,"Carter"
-ap ,suit corduroy a wearing man young a ,employee
.ached.
These doing? re' you think you do what but ,me Excuse"
"—telephones public aren't
.pleasantly asked Carter "sir? ,you help I May"
think you do What me? SSHelp .puttered. man young ne
—doing re' you
. . .Mr ,you help I may ,Now .rking. l'm"
CARTER NICK
66 NICK CARTER
‘Hodgkiss,’ he said, then sputtered something else, but Carter held him off as the ambassador’s secretary, now a completely diffident woman, came on the line.
“Mr. Carter, sir?”
“I’m still here.”
“Mr. Leland will see you immediately.”
“Will you send someone down for me?”
‘Have one of the staffers bring you up, sir.’
‘Right,’ Carter said, and he hung up the phone.
‘Hodgkiss, my lad, we’re off to see the ambassador’
“What?”
Carter took the young man by the elbow and steered him across the reception area to the elevators. ‘Which way?’
‘Up, fourth floor, but you can’t go up there without an appointment.’
“I have one,” Carter said, punching the button for the elevator.
Ambassador George Leland took Carter into his office and dismissed a very surprised Hodgkiss. Inside, with the door closed, Leland poured them both some coffee.
“Still can’t get used to tea at this hour of the morning . . .” the ambassador began.
‘Is this room secure, sir?”
Leland looked at him sharply, but a second later he nodded. ‘Yes, it is. It’s swept every morning.’
“What have you been told about my job here, sir?”
“Not much, Carter, other than that you’d be here and to give you a hand if necessary. I’m assuming you’re in need of some assistance now?”
‘Just a large padded envelope and a secure telephone to Washington, sir.’
Leland nodded. He picked up his phone. ‘Maggie, get me
67
an alpha-one circuit to Washington. Mr. Carter will be using it.’ He handed the phone to Carter. ‘When you’re finished, I’ll be in the outer office with your envelope.’
‘I won’t be long,’ Carter said. The ambassador left, and within a couple of minutes Carter had his Washington number.
Although it was very early in the morning in Washington, Hawk came on the line almost immediately, his voice particularly gruff. ‘You’re breaking security.’
‘Yes, sir, but I’m going to need some help.’
‘Just a moment,’ Hawk said. Carter could almost see the man lighting a cigar and perhaps switching on a tape recorder even though all of his calls, even at home, were automatically recorded at AXE headquarters on Dupont Circle. ‘Go ahead, N3.’
Quickly and succinctly, Carter related everything that had happened to him since he had arrived in London scarcely twenty-four hours ago.
‘Sounds like you’ve stirred up a hornets’ nest.’
‘Yes, sir.’
‘It also sounds like Rojas is dealing with some pretty tough people. But we expected that. Were they Russian or Eastern European?’
‘Neither, sir,’ Carter said. Hawk was referring to the two men in the study at the Château Le Favre. ‘And they weren’t Middle Eastern. They seemed English. Or maybe South African.’
‘There’s a good man there in our London embassy, Lowenstein. He’ll be able to work up sketches for you, and we’ll take it from there.’
‘Thanks, sir. Meanwhile, there’s quite a large pile of money in my account at the Ritz.’
‘Yes, congratulations. Finance will be happy for a change.’
68 NICK CARTER
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little a money that needing be lill .sir ,that just lt's"
'.onger.
from thousand hundred of couple a have You"
cards credit your plus ,understand I what
tO going He's .Rojas from abundle won sir,butl've ,Yes"
i: of AII .back it want
.autiously. said Yes?"Hawk"
".ut. transferred is money the if know will people His"
"—Nick ,it process can we But"
be tO has money the AII" .lll. cut ir,"Carter. ,that not lt's"
,some lose l'll Perhaps .gain. meet We'll .ight. in left
likeacarrot remain tO got more,butit's some win l'll perhaps
".ose. s' donkey the of front in
".ater. or scx«ner ,win will You"
and nip seem tO has it But .ill. I I .ir. ,yes ,Oh'
in be tO has always money the least at Or .hile. a for tuck
".ojas. for ,sight plain
ll' they although ,bay at Finance keep l'll .right,Nick AII"
"Germany? for leaving you will When .owl. probably
,Sir?t"
-min twenty call the got just I .aden-Baden. .Germany'.
.O. responding were you what that's Thought .go. utes
".aden-Baden. tO way his on is and London left just Rojas
"hotel? What .own. hadn't I ,ir. No."
".arkhotel. Brenners The'
".hours of acouple within leaving be l'll .ir. ,you Thank"
.id. Hawk ",luck "G
ambassador the to out went he ,up hung Carter When
padded large a had man The .ffice. outer the in waiting
.over handed he which ,envelope
of care in Rojas tO the addressed quickly Caner
the of front in ,en. and ,Baden-Baden in hotel deluxe the
stuffed he ,ambassador startled the and secjetary wide-eyed
PLAY HAND DEATH
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the two guns and the two wallets inside, and stapled the
envelope closed.
'Get this across in the diplomatic pouch, then see that it
gets delivered, " Carter said
Leland nodded but said nothing.
SIX
Baden-Baden, an ancient city, was founded by the Roman
emperor Hadrian in the second century a D. It is situated at the
edge of the Black Forest and among other things is noted as a
health spa because of its hot mineral springs.
Carter wanted Rojas to know he was being chased but
didn't want it to be obvious, so he took the boat-train from
London to Paris, then the train to Strasbourg. He hired a
limousine to take him the final few miles north and across the
border to the German city.
But neither Rojas nor Carter had come to Baden-Baden for
its springs or its history. Rojas had come because of the
casino at which baccarat was featured. And Carter came
because he was on the hunt.
Carter managed to sleep for nearly six hours on the trip
over, and he was refreshed as he got out of the limo in front of
the Parkhotel on Schillerstrasse. The casino was nearby, and
the hotel was one of the better in Germany.
He had had the Ritz call ahead for reservations, and inside
he was given the VIP treatment. Only his signature and
passport were required; everything else had been taken care
of for him.
At the desk he had the hotel manager promise to telephone
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NICK CARTER
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NICK CARTER
the casino and make credit arrangements, and then he went
upstairs to his suite to dress for the evening.
It was well after six o'clock when Carter had finished in the
bathroom. He had nearly finished dressing in his freshly
cleaned tuxedo, when room service showed up with a bottle
of very good champagne.
"I didn't order this," Carter said.
"No, sir," the room service waiter said, wheeling in the
cart. He made a show of opening the wine.
"Complimentary?"
"Actually no, sir. A card comes with it," the waiter said.
He handed Carter a card in a small envelope, then poured a
glass of the wine. Carter tipped him, and the man left.
The card was written in what was obviously a woman's
hand: Enjoy. From an admirer.
The champagne was very expensive and very good. Carter
lit a cigarette, then telephoned for a reservation at the
Schwarwaldgrill restaurant downstairs for eight o'clock.
He turned on some music, then took a glass of champagne
out on the terrace. England had been overcast and rainy. Here
the weather was cool but clear. The smells from the nearby
forest and the park just behind the hotel were sweet. Carter
breathed deeply, exhaling slowly.
This assignment was slowly working into something he
enjoyed. Later this evening he would challenge Rojas at
baccarat, a game that any trained monkey could play ...
any lucky monkey, that is. But it did demand courage,
something Carter instinctively felt Rojas lacked. He would
have preferred to continue playing poker or even craps,
which took a certain amount of skill with percentages. Even
roulette, if played correctly, was a game of skill, as was
blackjack. But baccarat—-or chemin de fer or punto banco,
however it was called demanded nothing more of its
players than guts.
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Washington, D.C., his apartment, and the embassy
cocktail party circuit seemed a long way off at this quiet,
contemplative moment. For years, it seemed, he had sat
around idly while the world and her real problems passed him
by. He had been frustrated during the months of relative
inactivity. So frustrated in fact, that he had been worried
about going overboard on whatever his next assignment
might be.
But now he was beginning to feel comfortable. His old
sense of challenge had come back. Rojas was up to some-
thing serious. Carter's job was not merely to stop whatever it
was, but he had to find out what Rojas was doing, who he was
doing it for, and if possible, bend it to America's advantage.
He looked at the card that had come with the champagne.
There was only one woman who could possibly know he was
here: Carmella Perez.
She had come on to him at the casino in the Ritz and again
at the tables in the Alhambra. Was she interested in him? Or
did playing cards dangerously just turn her on?
Inside, Carter poured himself another glass of champagne,
then tied his bow tie, strapped on Wilhelmina, made sure
Hugo and Pierre were in their proper places, then pulled on
his jacket.
He sipped at the champagne, then pocketed his lighter and
put a dozen cigarettes into his gold cigarette case, which went
into a breast pocket.
He finished the glass of wine, then left his room and took
the elevator downstairs. He dropped the key off at the desk,
then sauntered across to the bar and ordered an Asbach-
Urhalt brandy:
"Guten Abend, Herr Carter," the barman said. "Your
table is ready anytime you wish it."
Carter smiled and inclined his head slightly. The word had
spread swiftly. Carter, the high roller from London, was
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NICK CARTER
here. No doubt in pursuit of Rojas, the other high roller.
There would undoubtedly be a crowd at the casino this
evening. And if the fight continued for another evening, the
crowd would be even larger.
It was exactly what Carter wanted. Attention. Not so much
that Rojas would run, but enough to make the man very
nervous. . so nervous, in fact, that he'd make mistakes.
He sipped at his brandy, lit another cigarette, then glanced
across the bar toward where a trio was setting up for the
evening
'Good evening, Mr. Carter," a woman said behind him.
Without turning he knew who it was.
"Senhorita Perez,"
he said, facing her. He got to his feet.
"Slumming?"
She laughed, her voice as lovely as her face. 'There must
be a different connotation to that term than I am aware of."
"No."
'Then I would say no, I am not slumming. I am doing the
opposite. " She shook her head. "I am confused. Is such a
thing possible?"
Carter smiled and held the barstool for her while she sat.
"Sure,
, " he said, taking his own seat. 'It's called 'puttin' on
the ritz.' "
She laughed again. "That is an old song..."
"That's right," Carter said. "I think Fred Astaire sang it
in a thirties' movie musical."
The barman came, and Carmella ordered a glass of white
wine. Carter finished his brandy and ordered another.
"Thank you for the champagne,'
" Carter said, watching
her eyes. They widened slightly.
"Champagne?" she asked innocently.
"It doesn't matter. What brings you here this evening? I
thought you would be with Rojas and his entourage."
Their drinks came.
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"I have been sent to spy on you. Find out what you are
after. Find out who sent you. Find out how it is you are here
so soon in Baden-Baden.
"I'm after Rojas's money. My own greed has sent me.
And I too had spies back at the Ritz who told me you had
come here."
"You intend following Juan along the circuit?"
"Depends upon what the circuit is. "
"You know-London, here, Monte Carlo, Las Vegas.
The circuit."
"As long as I win and he loses."
"Mr. Carter.
"Nick."
"Nick. Do not do this. It is a foolish mistake. Juan will
..do something very bad. He must win, you know? He
cannot lose.
"Something very bad . . . he'll have me killed?"
"Yes."
"He has had others killed?'
Carmella looked away in frustration for a moment. "I did
not come here to have this kind of a conversation with you. I
came here to warn you. Do not challenge Juan."
"And your introduction was the champagne?"
No," she said. "Juan sent it to your room. He told me
what to write on the card."
'Then you've discharged
your duties," Carter said
coldly. He turned away.
"You no longer have to remain
here. His goons are no doubt watching me."
She reached out and touched his arm. 'No, you do not
understand, Nick."
He turned to her. "What?"
"It's not that way with ... me."
Carter said nothing.
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NICK CARTER
She had looked away, but she turned back and looked
defiantly into his eyes. "When I first saw you at the Ritz, and
then again at the Alhambra, I..."
Carter held his silence.
"I was attracted to you."
Carter suddenly felt like a bastard, but this pretty young
woman would be a way to get to Rojas. "It's all right. .."
he started
She picked up her wineglass, took a sip, carefully set the
glass back on the bar, and then without warning slapped
Carter hard in the face.
"Bastard, " she hissed. She got off
the barstool and stormed out of the lounge.
The barman rushed up. "Is there anything the matter, mein
Herr?"
"Everything's fine, " Carter growled. He threw back his
drink, left the bar, and presented himself to the maître d',
who seated him immediately.
He ordered another bottle of the champagne Rojas had sent
up to his room, a half-dozen oysters on the half shell, soup,
salad, and the pheasant.
Throughout the meal, Carter was short with the waiters
and the busboys who served him. He was in a savage mood,
which he figured was just as well for whatever might happen
at the casino that evening. But he was troubled because he
could not bring himself to identify the exact nature of his
mood. Or the exact cause of it. Although way back inside he
knew damned well what had set him off.
He finished the wine and his meal. Afterward, he had
coffee and a Rémy, tipped ostentatiously, and left the hotel,
walking around the corner to the casino.
The fresh air, rather than calming him down, deepened his
black mood, so that by the time he'd paid his way into the
salle privée of the casino, he was eager to meet Rojas at any
game the man preferred and grind him into the floorboards.
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To say the casino was ornate was an understatement. Red
damask wallpaper competed with brightly lit crystal chan-
deliers hanging from a heavily molded ceiling in which
garish rococo paintings were gilded and back-lit.
Nearly all the men were dressed in tuxedoes, the women in
evening dresses and dripping with jewels. Among many of
them, there seemed to be a bored indifference to their elegant
surroundings. But it was a studied disregard. Carter had seen
it before in others who were trying, usually without much
success, to be sophisticated.
There were a lot of Arabs in this group, many with Western
girl friends. He had noticed the same thing in London. They
were the people nowadays who had the real money to spread
around.
The salle privée was fairly large. Carter did a couple of
turns around the room, snagging a glass of champagne from a
passing waiter, without spotting Rojas or his group. They
were probably still back at the hotel. It was relatively early.
He had had the hotel advance him some cash on his credit
account. The actual cash would be coming from London very
soon. In the meantime, everyone assured him that his marker
would be good here for as much as he wished.
A couple of good-looking older women were seated at the
blackjack table. Carter joined them, laying a thousand-mark
chip on the square in front of him.
Both women glanced from his face to the chip, their eyes
widening slightly. They had been playing with hundred-mark
tokens.
Carter's first two cards were a pair of tens. He doubled up
his bet, drawing a five on one, another ten on the other. He
split the second pair.
One of the ladies had gone bust, but the other held. Carter
hit his first pair, drawing a seven for a bust. He drew an ace
on one of his tens for blackjack, and a nine on the other.
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The dealer went bust, and the woman next to Carter, who
had held with what turned out to be sixteen, clapped her
hands.
In the next round Carter went bust, so he doubled his bet to
two thousand marks.
In the third, fourth, and fifth draws Carter was beat by the
dealer, each time doubling his bet, so that by the sixth hand
he'd laid out 32,200 marks. A number of people had gathered
around the table. Another older woman joined them.
The cards were dealt. The dealer's up card was a ten.
Carter drew a pair of fives. It was a pair that was usually
never split. The chances of getting a ten-to make
twenty—were very good. But the dealer's ten meant that he
too had a good chance for twenty.
Carter split his pair, was dealt a ten first out, and a nine for
the second five
The crowd behind him was loving it. Carter was in a tight
spot. If he stayed, he lost automatically. If he hit. he had a
good chance on both hands of busting.
He scratched for a first hit, which was a six for a three-card
twenty-one. The crowd was respectfully silent. He scratched
for a hit on the second of the pairs. then drew an ace for
fifteen. He grinned and scratched for another hit, drawing a
deuce for seventeen. The crowd ate it up
Carter showed the lady beside him his hand. She clucked
and shook her head.
'What will you do, monsieur?" she asked
"I need another card, " Carter said. turning back to the
dealer.
The card came, and Carter made a great show of looking at
it. The crowd gasped. He had drawn a trey for twenty.
The dealer flipped his down card over. It was a nine. He
had to stand at nineteen. The crowd applauded as Carter
flipped over his cards and collected his 64.400 marks.
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79
"That was very well done, monsieur, " the French woman
next to him said.
Carter got up and tossed the dealer a hundred-mark chip.
"Danke, " he said. He leaned over and pecked the woman on
the cheek. "Merci."
"For what, you lovely man?"
"For your luck."
The dealer nodded his thank-you, and Carter turned away
from the table directly into Rojas, who stood there with two
of his goons behind him and one of his young women-not
Carmella Perez-beside him.
'You are a very lucky man, Mr. Carter, " Rojas said.
Carter's black mood had faded when he gambled, but it
came back now. "I would have thought you'd had enough in
London."
The atmosphere in the room was suddenly electric. Those
who knew or suspected something might occur between
Rojas and Carter were watching carefully. The others in the
room simply knew something exciting was starting to hap-
pen.
Rojas was a study in admirable self-control. 'In London
we played poker. Your game. Here the specialty is bac-
carat. "
"I beat you at a man's game, why not try a woman's
game?" Carter snapped. He started to brush past Rojas, but
the businessman stopped him.
'Before we begin, senhor, can you tell me what it is you
do not like about me? Why are you so obviously out to get
me?'
Carter stepped back and looked into the man's eyes. He
smiled. "I don't like being waylaid on English country
roads."
'I do not know what you are talking about ..
'Then you haven't received my package from London
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NICK CARTER
yet?" Carter asked. 'The one with the wallets and the
guns?"
Rojas's eyes went flinty. 'It was you."
"No, senhor, it was your people. I don't like being man-
handled."
"You were lucky. "
'Yes, " Carter said. 'Perhaps. Now, do you wish to talk,
fight, or play cards?"
Rojas did not say anything for a moment or two. Then only
the people nearest them could actually overhear the conversa-
tion between Rojas and Carter, but everyone else understood
that something dangerous was occurring.
'You are a confident man. Perhaps too confident?"
"As long as I'm not being seriously challenged, I can
afford to have a good time, " Carter said. This time when he
stepped by, Rojas made no move to stop him.
Carter walked around the blackjack tables to the two bac-
carat tables nearest the front entrance to the private room.
One of the tables was already occupied with a half-dozen
players. At the other, two Arabs were waiting along with the
casino's observateur, who sat in his tall chair.
The velvet rope was clipped back, inviting players. Carter
stepped up to the table, nodded to the man in the tall chair,
then to the Arab gentlemen.
"Permit me to introduce myself. .." he began, but the
observateur motioned him toward a seat.
'That will not be necessary, Herr Carter. We know you."
Carter sat, lit a cigarette, then ordered a cognac. Rojas
showed up a few moments later. He too was recognized, and
he sat across the table from Carter.
"Welcome, Herr Rojas, " the observateur said respect-
fully.
'We are here to play serious baccarat, " Rojas said pomp-
ously. Carter barely suppressed a smile.
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"Of course, mein Herr, " the man in the tall chair said.
Both Arabs sat up. They had very large piles of markers
beside them. They were not shills, Carter decided. But they
would provide the impetus for Rojas to bite off as much or
more than he could chew. If Rojas did not pick up Carter's
bet, the Arabs would. But Carter figured that if he had to, he
could coast when Rojas had the bank. It would further anger
the man.
Several decks of cards were shuffled and placed in the
wooden shoe, which was nothing more than a mechanical
dealer. The shoe was offered to Carter, who accepted it.
Carter laid down 25,000 marks in chips, a respectable
opening even for this casino.
Rojas immediately covered the bet. 'Banquo, " he said.
The Arabs bet between themselves, which was not strictly
legal, but no one stopped them.
Carter deftly flipped the cards out of the shoe, and the
croupier, who showed up at the very last moment, used his
long-handled paddle to deal them out.
Rojas grinned and flipped his cards over. He was showing
a natural nine. Carter had only a six. The croupier shoved
Carter's bet across to the Brazilian.
Carter laid down 50,000 marks. Rojas again covered the
bet. The two Arabs sat back, fully aware now and respectful
of the fact that this was some sort of a personal contest
between Rojas and Carter.
Carter dealt the two cards each. Again Rojas flipped his
over, this time coming up with a natural eight for a win.
Carter had drawn a pair of queens, a zero.
This time he laid out 100,000 marks. Rojas hesitated, a
slight grin coming to his lips.
"Is there something the matter?" Carter asked. "Perhaps
you wish to drop out so soon, Senhor Rojas?"
'Your rather simple strategy here seems to be the same as
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NICK CARTER
it was at the blackjack table."
"And that is?"
"Double your bet each time you lose. Sooner or later your
luck will change and you will make a killing."
Carter smiled. "Simple but effective. "
"But not real gambling."
"You have a suggestion to make the contest more interest-
ing?"
Rojas inclined his head. "At the Alhambra you took from
me in the neighborhood of three quarters of a million pounds.
That is equivalent, more or less, to two and a half million
marks. What say to a bet, including what you've won here
this evening, of an even three million marks?"
Carter seemed to think about it for a long time. A lot of
people had gathered around the table standing silently behind
the velvet ropes. The salle privée manager came up. Carter
looked at him. The man nodded, the movement almost im-
perceptible. It meant Carter's credit limit was good.
'Very well," Carter said. "An even three million
marks."
SEVEN
It seemed as if most of the activity in the casino had
temporarily come to a halt. Word had spread that there was
action at a baccarat table. Very big action. Three million
marks, after all, was considered to be a major bet in any
casino in any country amongst any company. Even the
Arabs, whose incomes were annually in the tens of millions,
sat back respectfully to watch the North American and the
South American go at it.
Three fresh decks were loaded into the shoe, which was
passed to Carter.
Carter was brought another cognac, and Rojas a glass of
Perrier. There was one good thing about the game of bac-
carat, Carter thought. As long as you kept your manners, it
did not matter if you were drunk or sober. Playing the game
demanded only luck, not skill.
Deftly he slapped out the first three cards from the shoe.
The croupier discarded them, and slowly, one card at a time,
he slipped out two cards each. The croupier passed them.
Rojas eased his cards up so that he could just see their
value. A slight smile flickered across his lips. He laid his
cards back.
Carter eased his cards up. He too grinned. He had drawn a
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NICK CARTER
king and a five. Possibly the worst combination in baccarat.
To make anything out of it would be very difficult.
Rojas sipped his sparkling water.
"Another card, senhor?'" Carter asked
Rojas took his time about shaking his head and saying no.
Carter slipped a card out of the shoe for himself, but before
he turned it face up as was required, he lit a cigarette and took
a sip of his cognac.
'Before we go any further, senhor, would you be in-
terested in making the contest more interesting still?" Carter
asked.
"You have not shown your draw."
"No."
«You are bluffing. You had a bad hand, perhaps a three or
four, and now you are trying to bid me out of the game."
"If you had drawn an eight or a nine, you would not still be
talking, senhor. And unless I am mistaken, you are a wealthy
man for whom a few million marks cannot be so catas-
trophic."
Rojas's nostrils flared. "What have you in mind?"
"I would like to double the bet."
A gasp went through the crowd. When it was over, there
wasn't a sound in the salle privée.
"To six million marks?" the croupier asked.
"If Senhor Rojas is interested, " Carter said.
After a moment one of the Arabs sat forward.
"If the
gentleman is not interested, I would be happy to pick up the
three million. You are lucky, Mr. Carter, but not that
lucky."
"That won't be necessary, '" Rojas said. The observateur
nodded to Rojas, extending his limit. Rojas turned back.
'The bet is six million marks."
Carter smiled, finished his cognac, and turned his cards
over one by one, starting with the king for zero, then the five,
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leaving his last card still down.
Rojas was grinning broadly. The Arabs were smiling too.
The crowd held its breath. Rojas did not have an eight or a
nine, otherwise he would have declared his natural. The way
he was smiling meant he probably had a seven.
''You have one more card, " Rojas said.
"So I do, " Carter agreed. He flipped the card over. There
was a gasp followed by pandemonium as everyone realized
that he had turned over a four, for a total of nine. No matter
what Rojas had, Carter was the winner.
Rojas was livid. On a signal from the observateur, the
casino's security people moved in around the South Ameri-
can's bodyguards, who were shaking like the big cats in a zoo
at feeding time.
Carter sat back, calmly smoking, and looked into Rojas's
eyes. The Brazilian, the tremendous effort visible on his
face, forced himself to calm down.
"Another game, senhor?" Carter asked.
A sudden hush fell over the crowd.
Rojas slowly shook his head. "Not this evening, I think.
My luck cannot stand up to such an onslaught as yours."
Carter inclined his head, shoved his chair back, and stood
up. He made no move to touch the huge pile of oblong
markers in front of him on the table. That would have been
very bad form.
"I think ten percent would be an appropriate thank-you to
the casino. I don't need the cash in any event, " Carter said
haughtily. The observateur nodded his thanks on behalf of
the casino and the velvet rope was pulled back.
Four of the casino's security men immediately fell in
behind Carter and escorted him slowly across the salle
privee, down the stairs, across the main entry hall, and
outside.
"May we suggest a car to your hotel; Herr Carter?" one of
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NICK CARTER
the security men asked.
"By all means, " Carter said.
He climbed into the back seat of the huge Mercedes 600
that slid up the driveway, and within a couple of minutes he
was being deposited at the hotel.
Carter watched the car leave, then he went into the hotel,
got his key, and took the elevator up to his suite.
He was tired. It was a combination of the excitement, the
danger, and some jet lag that was finally catching up with
him, as well as the drinks he had had this evening.
The lights were on low, and music was playing from the
stereo when he opened the door to his suite. Immediately he
fell back, pulling out his Luger.
For several long moments he stood there in a half crouch in
the doorway. Cautiously he eased himself inside, shut the
door behind him, and carefully made his way down the short
corridor and into the main sitting room.
A bottle of champagne and two glasses had been set up in
an ice bucket on the sideboard. Only one light was on. The
stereo was playing something that sounded like Mozart, and
the door to the bedroom was open, a light shining from
within.
This smacked of Rojas's touch. But how had he gotten his
people up here so quickly? It didn't make a lot of sense.
Unless he had contemplated losing. . . .
Across the large sitting room, Carter flattened himself
against the wall beside the bedroom door and carefully
looked inside. The bed had been turned down, the door to the
bathroom was open, and he could hear someone singing. It
was a woman.
Carter went into the bedroom—a round in the Luger's
firing chamber, the safety off—and crossed to the bathroom
door.
Carmella Perez lay soaking in the large tub, the whirlpool
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jets on, her eyes closed as she hummed a little tune. There
were no soap bubbles, only the circulating water swirling
around her lovely body.
Carter watched her for a moment, admiring her slender
legs, her elegant neck, and her ample breasts. She was a
beautiful woman, but she was trouble of a different sort with
Rojas. Gambling was bad enough. Women and gambling
were an explosive combination.
Later, he told himself. If he had to, he would use this
woman to hit Rojas even harder. But for now he did not need
the complication.
'Time to leave, Senhorita Perez, " Carter said, holstering
his Luger and stepping across the bathroom.
Carmella opened her eyes, looked up, and smiled, her
moist lips parted, her perfect white teeth gleaming.
Her smile died as Carter reached down into the tub, re-
leased the drain, and shut off the whirlpool.
"What.?" she sputtered.
He turned, got a large bath towel from the rack, and held it
out to her. 'Time to go back to your boss. I'm afraid he will
be in great need of comforting this evening. "
Carmella just looked up at him for a long time, then she
shook her head. "You and he gambled?"
Carter nodded.
"You won?"
Carter grinned. "Six million marks. At his own game,
too."
"Deus, " she said softly. She stood up, the halo around her
nipples very dark, as was the small tuft of hair at her pubis.
Her complexion was tawny and flawless.
Carter held the towel for her, and she stepped out of the tub
into it, hugging it closely. She had pinned her hair up,
exposing the back of her neck. She looked up into Carter's
eyes. She smelled wonderful. At that moment he was very
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NICK CARTER
tempted to say the hell with it and take her into his arms.
Instead he turned and went back into the bedroom. Her
clothing was tossed over a chair. She followed him out.
'Please do not make me go like this," she said.
"It will be for the best."
'I am sorry for . . . downstairs."
'What do you mean?"
"For in the bar. . . for slapping you. I thought you meant
to use me to get at Juan.
'I had considered it," Carter admitted.
Her eyes widened. "But not now?"'
"I didn't say that."
"You bastard. " she started, but she cut it off. "Are
you serious? Did you truly beat him in the casino? Six million
marks?"
Carter nodded. "I've told you the truth, now you tell me
what you're doing here in my suite."
Carmella was clearly very worried. "I came to seduce
you, " she said offhandedly.
"Obviously, " Carter said dryly. "Did Rojas send you?"
She shook her head. 'No. If he knew I was here now like
this, he would surely kill me. Especially now that you have
hurt him again. " She looked at him. "He is certain you are
working for the CIA."
Carter opened his mouth to speak, as if he were shocked.
But then he threw his head back and laughed out loud. 'The
CIA?" he said and roared. 'That's rich! The stupid bastard
gets beaten by a gambler, and immediately he thinks it's
some nefarious plot by the American government!"
Carmella was watching him intently, Carter noticed be-
tween guffaws. Was the look in her eyes a little too shrewd?
"I came to gamble. It's what I do. And I am very good at
it. I've been around gaming tables for most of my life. ]
understand the people. I understand how to take care of
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myself. And now it's time for you to go. Get dressed."
"'And if I don't go?"
"I'Il call Rojas and ask him to come fetch you, " Carter
snapped. He turned on his heel and went back through the
bedroom and into the living room, where he poured himself a
glass of champagne.
He shrugged off his jacket, laying it over a chair, undid his
tie and top button, and slipped out of his shoulder holster,
making sure the safety was on. He laid the Luger aside and
went to the window, where he looked outside.
The sky was clear, but it looked cold. It wouldn't be too
terribly long before there was snow here, he thought. Perhaps
when this was over, he'd take his vacation somewhere in
Switzerland, or perhaps Austria. He hadn't been skiing in a
long time.
One part of him felt sorry for Carmella Perez. The other
part of him, however, the part that didn't quite buy her story
that she was here of her own free will, was wary.
He heard her behind him, pouring herself a glass of cham-
pagne. In the windowpane he could see her reflection. She
had slipped on one of his dress shirts. She wore nothing else,
as far as he could see.
For a moment she lingered by his Luger. She reached out
and touched the elastic strap of the shoulder holster. When
she looked up she didn't seem quite so sure of herself as she
had been when she walked into the room.
Carter turned around. "I thought I told you to get dressed
and get out of here."
"Do you always carry a gun?"
'When I'm doing any serious gambling, yes. Especially
when I'm gambling with men like your boss. "
"We have not heard of you."
'Heavy losers usually don't advertise those who beat
them."
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'You always win?" she asked, a slightly amused expres-
sion on her face.
"I make it my business to win. Always."
"Juan will kill you if you continue. Perhaps it is already
too late."
"And you will help him?"
She shook her head. "I warned you earlier this evening,
and I am here now to warn you again. Get out of Baden-
Baden. Leave Juan alone. He is a dangerous man. He too
always wins."
"What about you, Carmella? Do you always win?"
"I came here to be with you."
"And afterward?"
'You will leave, and I shall return to Juan. " Her lips were
moist. Her eyes sparkled. Carter figured his earlier assess-
ment of her, that she simply enjoyed danger, was probably
very close to the truth. And yet there was an element to her,
something undefinable, that bothered him.
She came languidly across the room, sipping her cham-
pagne as she walked.
"I may not leave Baden-Baden after all, " Carter said,
making no move to reach out for her. She stopped just inches
away from him. She had put on some perfume, its scent light
and very lovely.
'You say you are a gambler, Nick. You have gotten what
you came for. Leave now, in the morning, before it is too
late."
Carter smiled. 'You said before it might already be too
late."
She put down her glass, reached out, and began undoing
Carter's shirt studs. He made no move either to aid or hinder
her. She ran her hands up his chest, then pulled his head down
so that she could kiss him, her tongue brushing his lips.
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She looked up into his eyes. 'That does not excite you?
Perhaps you do not like women . . ."
Carter grinned. He put down his champagne, gathered
Carmella in his arms, and kissed her deeply, holding her
close against his body, feeling her breasts through the thin
shirt material.
When they parted she was flushed.
'You are skilled at other things besides gambling, " she
whispered.
Carter stepped past her and went to where he had left
Wilhelmina. He picked up the Luger and turned back to
Carmella. Her eyes were wide.
"Will you shoot me then?"
He said nothing. Instead he took the clip out of the gun,
then ejected the single live round from the chamber, which he
pocketed. He turned and went into his bedroom, where he got
undressed. He shoved the ammunition and his weapons
under the bed on his side, first making certain that Carmella
was not watching from the doorway. Then he went into the
bathroom, turned on the shower, and stepped under the
water.
The spray felt wonderful on his tired, tense body, and for
the first few moments he willed himself not to think about
anything except the moment. But the thought intruded that it
was unlikely Rojas would remain in Baden-Baden after his
humiliating defeat in the casino.
Carter grinned. When he was on the hunt, his blood flowed
and his senses seemed to take on a new sharpness, a
heightened sensitivity.
The shower curtains were shoved back and Carmella,
again nude, stepped in with Carter.
Without a word she took the soap from him and began
lathering his entire body, working from the top down, mov-
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ing slowly, her hands easing the aches from his sore muscles,
lingering here and there when she encountered pronounced
scar tissue.
He finally pulled her to her feet, and their slippery bodies
came together. This was all a setup, Carter thought. Either
that, or she was out for kicks. Either way it was dangerous as
hell. But at that moment he found he didn't give a damn. She
was a desirable woman. When it was over he would take the
consequences.
He kissed her, his hands running down her back to the
roundness of her buttocks. She leaned back and looked up at
him.
"You are a particularly beautiful man," she murmured
Her half-closed eyes were filled with longing.
The water beat down on them both. Carter slowly turned
around, carrying the girl with him, the hard spray rinsing
them off. Finally Carter reached out and shoved aside the
shower curtains, then reached back and turned off the water.
Carmella's eyes had been closed. She opened them and
looked up.
Carter brushed his lips against hers, cutting off what she
was about to say, then he reached down and picked her up,
and stepped out of the shower.
A warm glow came off her body, and yet she was shivering
in Carter's arms. She kept wetting her lips, and her breath
was coming rapidly as he carried her out of the bathroom.
He placed her on the king-size bed in the middle of the
large bedroom, and slowly he kissed her forehead, her nose,
her cheeks, her lips, her chin, her neck.
She arched her back and moaned. Her nipples were erect,
and she was already nearly dry from the shower.
"Nick ..." she breathed
He kissed her breasts, taking her nipples between his teeth
and biting gently as he ran his fingertips slowly along her
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flanks. Her entire body vibrated like a plucked guitar string.
Carefully his lips worked their way between her breasts
and down her stomach to her gently rounded belly, her hips
coming up to meet him.
Her legs spread for him as he went lower, kissing the
insides of her thighs and the backs of her knees. Every time
he touched her with his lips, or his tongue, or his fingertips,
she jerked as if receiving electric shocks.
He rose up and brushed his forefinger between her legs,
and she gasped in pleasure, her entire body going rigid for
one tense moment.
Her eyes were tightly closed, her tongue flicking in and out
as she reached down and held his head in her hands.
"Oh, Nick," she breathed again. "Mãe do Deus, touch
me again..."
He lowered himself, his tongue finding her, and she cried
out.
Suddenly he rose up and entered her, thrusting deeply into
her quivering body.
She was very good, her long, lovely legs wrapped high
around his middle as she drew him deeper and deeper in
perfect rhythm with her needs as well as his.
And then they were both at the end, holding each other
tightly, pushing harder and harder, the almost unbearable
pleasure continuing in waves, their bodies totally in tune with
one another.
Gradually their movements subsided, punctuated by mo-
ments of shivering, intense sensation, until they lay spent in
each other's arms.
Slowly Carter became aware of his surroundings. Carmel-
la's eyes were open. She was looking up at him. Smiling.
For a long moment Carter just looked down at her, feeling
her body against his, feeling her breasts against his chest,
feeling her moistness still surrounding him. But then he
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noticed a slight glint of triumph in her eyes, and he pushed
away, rolling over.
Two of Rojas's goons stood in the doorway. their guns
drawn. They were grinning
Carter relaxed. He glanced over at Carmella, who had
shrunk away. It had been a setup.
EIGHT
Carmella got dressed and left immediately, but Carter was
allowed to clean up. Rojas's men had found his Luger in the
sitting room, but as far as they knew, it was the only weapon
he possessed.
"Hurry, senhor," one of them said as Carter emerged
from the bathroom.
"So your boss is mad that I beat him at cards, " Carter said,
crossing the room and sitting on the edge of the bed. He
pulled on his socks. The men were on the other side of the
room, watching him. He bent down for his shoe, scooped up
his stiletto from beneath the bed, and shoved it, haft-end first,
inside his left sock. He quickly slipped on his shoes and stood
up.
Carter put on his jacket, and one of Rojas's men quickly
frisked him, finding nothing.
Together they left the suite and took the elevator up to the
penthouse. Neither of the goons said a thing. They were both
very large men, at least six-four and 250 pounds.
"It must be a real interesting job, ' Carter said to them as
they were riding up
One of them looked at him but said nothing.
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"I mean. traveling around the world with Rojas, seeing all
those gorgeous women. seeing all the booze and the gam-
bling . . . and not being able to touch one bit of it. "
'Shut up. or I will break your arm," one of them said.
Carter chuckled. "Anytime you'd like to try it. pal. just
say the word."
The elevator doors opened, and they went down the broad.
tastefully decorated corridor to a huge set of double doors.
One of the gorillas rang the doorbell.
The doors opened a second later, and Carter was hustled
inside the large. richly furnished penthouse.
Rojas sat at the bar in front of a vast expanse of glass that
overlooked the casino. A half-dozen more bodyguards were
with him in the main sitting room. One of his women lounged
on a long couch.
"Ah. Mr. Carter, I'm so glad you could join me. " Rojas
said.
Carter crossed the room to him. ''Up here counting your
losses?"
Rojas smiled indulgently. 'Let me see. it's cognac you
enjoy, is that not correct?*
Carter nodded and sat next to the South American at the
bar. The barman poured him a healthy measure of a very old
French cognac in a snifter.
Rojas nodded for the man to leave.
'Evidently you did receive my little package. " Carter
said, sipping his drink
"Package. . .?' Rojas started to ask, but then recogni-
tion dawned in his eyes. "It was you after all who sent me the
guns and the wallets. You were not simply playing a little
joke."
Carter nodded.
"Whatever for? They do not belong to me or to any of my
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people. Besides, where did you get them?"
"I found them in a trash heap on the road near the
Alhambra. If they're not yours, I suggest you turn them over
to the police. People so inept that they'd lose their weapons
like that shouldn't be allowed to carry them in the first place.
Don't you agree?"
Carter could almost hear Rojas's goons in the background
grinding their teeth. The woman on the couch giggled.
Rojas turned around to her, a forced smile on his lips. "It is
time for you to leave, my dear."
The girl sat up, a pout on her round face that changed to
fear when she realized what kind of a mood her boss was in.
She jumped up without a word, and left.
Behind the bar was a large mirror. In it Carter could see the
reflected image of the entire sitting room. Two of Rojas's
bodyguards were stationed by the door. The other four were
positioned around the room. None of them was relaxing.
They were all ready for whatever might occur.
Carter didn't think they'd be so brazen as to fire their guns
here in the hotel. The two who had come for him carried big
.357 magnums without silencers.
With his stiletto in his sock, Carter figured if worse came
to worst he could hold Rojas hostage until his people backed
down, giving him enough room to get out.
''How is your drink?" Rojas asked, turning back.
"You didn't have me brought up here to feed me good
cognac. You're mad that I beat you at the casino."
'You cheated."
Carter almost climbed all over the Brazilian, but one of the
bodyguards was on him, pinning his arms back. Carter had to
play the role, otherwise Rojas would be less inclined to
believe he was the professional gambler he claimed to be.
Slowly Carter let himself fall back, willing his muscles to
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relax. Rojas finally nodded, and the bodyguard released his
grip. Carter straightened up, adjusted his clothing, and took a
deep drink of his cognac.
"I never cheat, Rojas, " he said. 'I don't have to with
gamblers like you."
"What do you mean by that?"
"You're a poor gambler. You're an amateur."
"I have had my share of luck, until you."
"You've not gambled against a professional. You've
probably played against bored playboys, perhaps rich
widows who don't know any better, and of course oil-rich
Arabs, most of whom have more money than sense when it
comes to things like this."
Rojas just stared at him, a thoughtful expression in his
eyes.
Carter glanced at the bodyguards, who were all very alert
now.
"That, and the fact that you surround yourself with yes
men. There isn't one person here who could tell you the truth
if you didn't like it."
"What sort of truth?"
'That you're a fool," Carter said, tensing for an attack.
Rojas went white. It took him almost a minute to regain
enough control so that he could speak. There was pure hatred
in his eyes. "I called you up here, Mr. Carter, to see if I could
talk some sense into you. There is no room for a man such as
yourself on the amateur gambling circuit."
"Are you threatening me?"
"Yes, 1 am, " Rojas said. He got off his barstool. 'Just so
there will be no misunderstanding, I want you to understand
that tomorrow I shall be leaving for Monte Carlo. Some old
friends will be there, and I shall be playing at the casino. I
wouldn't want to see you show up there. You would most
certainly get hurt. Badly."
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