Contents ( 84)
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- THIRTY-NINE
- FORTY
- FORTY-ONE
- FORTY-TWO
- FORTY-THREE
- FORTY-FOUR
- FORTY-FIVE
- FORTY-SIX
- FORTY-SEVEN
- FORTY-EIGHT
- FORTY-NINE
- FIFTY
- FIFTY-ONE
- FIFTY-TWO
- FIFTY-THREE
- FIFTY-FOUR
- FIFTY-FIVE
- FIFTY-SIX
- FIFTY-SEVEN
- FIFTY-EIGHT
- FIFTY-NINE
- SIXTY
- SIXTY-ONE
- SIXTY-TWO
- SIXTY-THREE
- SIXTY-FOUR
- SIXTY-FIVE
- SIXTY-SIX
- SIXTY-SEVEN
- SIXTY-EIGHT
- SIXTY-NINE
- SEVENTY
- SEVENTY-ONE
- SEVENTY-TWO
- SEVENTY-THREE
- SEVENTY-FOUR
- SEVENTY-FIVE
- SEVENTY-SIX
- SEVENTY-SEVEN
- SEVENTY-EIGHT
- SEVENTY-NINE
- EIGHTY
- EIGHTY-ONE
- EIGHTY-TWO
- EIGHTY-THREE
- Acknowledgements
‘So what?’
‘You haven’t done your research at all, have you?’
‘I . . .’ Romeo trailed off, which confirmed Cunningham’s suspicions.
‘See, this is why you screw things up. Piss poor preparation. If you’d done your homework, you’d know that Woolwich is next door to Belmarsh, and that there’s a tunnel that connects them. Which means no opportunity to get near Mansour as he travels between prison and court.’
‘So how does that help us?’ Romeo Meyer sounded genuinely confused.
‘Clearly it doesn’t. But if proceedings are being delayed because of the attack, that gives us time to get them to change the court. Do you follow that?’
‘I . . .’
Romeo paused. Cunningham presumed the over-privileged lug had finally caught up.
‘But how will you change the court? Away from Woolwich?’
‘You don’t think the president of the United States can get the Brits to move a man from one court to another?’
‘Well . . .’
Cunningham stopped listening as the concealed door next to Hodge began to open. The door leading from the White House Office.
The lack of either a knock or an announcement told Cunningham that President John Knowles was about to enter the Oval Office.
‘I’ll call you back once the arrangements are made.’
Cunningham disconnected the call as two Secret Service agents stepped into the room and stood aside, flanking the doorway. They were followed by Knowles and then Nicolas Dupart. The two men were in mid-conversation. Both looked as fresh as they had at the morning meeting.
It was the exact opposite of how Cunningham felt, but at least he could now see a way forward now. Knowles would have to be told about how things had played out, he realised. But not yet. Not until Cunningham had resolved the situation.
And certainly not with Dupart in the room.
Cunningham had no intention of telling him any of this.
‘You’re making yourself at home, Kelvin.’ Knowles’ tone was serious. As close to a reprimand as Cunningham ever received.
The deputy assistant chose to ignore it. He had too much on his mind to be concerned with a presidential tantrum.
‘Nick.’ Cunningham acted as if Knowles had not spoken. He focused his attention on Dupart. ‘You’re still here? I thought you had other business to attend to.’
‘It can wait,’ Dupart replied. He said no more.
Knowles looked quizzically at the two men. Clearly he was curious about whatever conversation he had missed, but Cunningham had no intention of bringing the president up to speed. He turned to the six Secret Service agents who had entered the Oval Office with Knowles.
‘All out,’ he ordered.
General Secret Service protocol does not allow for the president to be alone and without a protective detail. But there are exceptions, one of which was the Oval Office, on the proviso that there is an agent immediately beyond each of the room’s four doors.
Cunningham turned towards Knowles as the detail vacated the room. He opened his mouth to begin, but he did not get the chance as he saw Knowles’ eyes sweep past him.