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Back Angels of Vengeance Save as PDF
Chapters (68)
  1. Blurb
  2. CONTENTS
  3. Dedication
  4. CHARACTER LIST
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. TWO MONTHS LATER
  60. ONE YEAR LATER
  61. TWO YEARS LATER
  62. FOUR YEARS LATER
  63. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  64. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  65. Also by John Birmingham
  66. ALSO BY JOHN BIRMINGHAM
  67. Copyright
  68. Cover

‘I will prepare a threat assessment for Mr Culver,’ she promised. ‘And I’ll make sure it gets to him with priority, but that will require some give on your part. As much as the domestic politics are irrelevant, they’re also inevitable. You’re just going to have to accept that, Ty. The NIA, in particular, are going to be pissed.’

‘Oh, those weenies are always pissed. It’s their natural state of being.’

‘Well, for once they’ll have reason to be,’ Caitlin stated firmly. ‘Nobody’s saying you can’t gather intelligence. Or that you shouldn’t. But if you’re going to do it, would it kill you to let us know?’

McCutcheon was gracious enough to look abashed. ‘I suppose not. As long as we know we’ll be taken seriously.’

‘That I can guarantee,’ she said. ‘I’ve only been working for the Chief of Staff for a short time, but he impressed me as man who takes threats seriously. Now, if we can finish reviewing these files, we should talk to the Governor again before heading back to Temple and reporting in. Then, if you have no objections, I would like to set up an office over here.’ She framed the statement as a question and left it hanging.

‘Colonel Murdoch, are you sure about that?’ asked Musso.

‘I’m sure I need to be here, sir, but whether or not they will have me is another matter.’

She smiled at McCutcheon, suffusing more warmth into the gesture than she’d allowed herself to display all morning. He still seemed a little nonplussed by the suggestion, but as she suspected, Tyrone was a sucker for a pretty girl.

‘Well, I’m sure we’d love to have you for a sleepover, Kate, if General Musso can bear to let you out of his sight.’

‘Good,’ said Caitlin. ‘I’d like to wrap this up as quickly as possible.’

44

DARWIN, NORTHERN TERRITORY

Julianne had called a taxi for the trip from Doctors Gully out to Coonawarra Base Hospital, before adding the number to the phone’s contacts list, growing ever more adept at negotiating the Nokia’s wealth of functions. Her new jacket was just long enough to conceal the SIG Sauer holstered in the small of her back, but she’d have to be careful about bending over or raising her arms. Not a good look for a young lawyer on the rise, letting everybody know you’re armed. Even in free-port-era Darwin. On the other hand, she’d been able to augment her disguise after coming across a pair of suitably bookish-looking spectacles in a bedside drawer, obviously left behind by the previous occupant.