Gannon waved at the elderly barman for more drinks.

‘So?’ said Willis.

‘What?’

‘You didn’t ask me here to complain about the security services, did you?’

Gannon grinned. Willis knew him too well. ‘There’s a drug-dealer we’d like to sort out. Gerald Carpenter.’

‘I know the name.’

Gannon smiled. Of course the American knew the name. Carpenter was one of the biggest players in the country, and his escape from Shelton prison had been plastered across the newspapers for the best part of a week.

‘Why didn’t you sort him out when you had him?’ asked Willis.

Gannon’s eyes narrowed. ‘What are you getting at, Matt?’

‘Don’t try to kid a kidder,’ said Willis, evidently enjoying Gannon’s discomfort. ‘The papers might fall for that crap about the Real IRA breaking into Shelton to get their men out, but I’m a bit too old to believe in fairy stories.’

‘So what do you think happened?’

‘I haven’t a clue. But I know one thing for sure. The Real IRA don’t have the expertise to break into a shoebox, never mind a high-security prison.’

‘And?’

‘Hell, I don’t know, Allan. Why don’t you tell me? Four men in black use an RPG to blow their way into a high-security prison. They cut all communications, overpower a couple of dozen trained officers and disappear into the night with two prisoners from the remand wing. Sounds like special forces to me, buddy.’

‘You might be right.’

‘Then there was the other prisoner that got out with Carpenter. What was his name?’

Gannon shrugged.

‘Macdonald,’ said Willis thoughtfully. ‘Armed robber. Seems strange company, doesn’t it? A big-time drug-dealer and a small-time thief. I mean, if the Real IRA had gone to all that trouble, don’t you think they’d have gone the extra mile and broken into the Special Secure Unit and got a few of the boyos out?’

Again, Gannon shrugged.

Willis leaned back in his chair and sipped his whiskey, watching Gannon over the top of his glass. ‘So, where were you when it all went bang?’ he asked.

‘I was playing squash with my staff sergeant.’

‘You win?’

‘I did,’ said Gannon.

‘Interesting,’ said Willis.

The barman brought over their drinks and they waited until he’d gone back to the bar before continuing their conversation. ‘We’d like to undo the damage,’ said Gannon.

‘All the king’s horses?’

‘And all the king’s men. Snag is, we don’t know where Humpty Dumpty is.’

‘But you’re looking?’

‘The Regiment doesn’t have that expertise. And the security services don’t usually react favourably to requests from us for help. We work for them, not vice versa.’

‘And you’re looking for the two of them? Carpenter and Macdonald?’

‘Just Carpenter.’

Willis looked up at the ceiling. ‘Why am I not surprised?’ he mused.

‘Just the big fish,’ said Gannon.

‘And you’re assuming he’s left the UK?’

‘He’d be mad to stay,’ said Gannon.

‘And am I to assume that’s the end of it, so far as MI5 and MI6 are concerned?’