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
‘Elizabeth.’ It was Meyer’s voice. Rough and deep. The stereotype of a tough guy.
‘Jack.’ Kirk noticed a slight break in her voice. A sign of weakness she could not allow. She corrected it with a cough. ‘It’s been a long time.’
‘We both know this isn’t a social call, Elizabeth.’
‘Do we?’ Kirk lied. A lifetime of professional dishonesty had prepared her for this moment. ‘I have no idea what you’re talking about.’
‘I need to see you.’ Meyer ignored Kirk’s response. ‘To put an end to this before it blows up and more people get hurt.’
‘More people?’ Kirk feigned confusion. ‘What people?’
‘Don’t play games with me, Elizabeth. Believe me, this could just be the beginning. Whatever your boy managed to pull this afternoon, he won’t get that chance again. He’s going down. Don’t be dragged down with him.’
‘I genuinely have no idea what you mean.’
‘THIS ISN’T A FUCKING GAME, ELIZABETH!’
Kirk pulled the phone away from her ear as Meyer’s voice screamed out of the handset. The shout was a surprise. She had never liked Jack Meyer, but in all the years she had known him she had at least admired his professionalism.
It’s not like him to lose it, she told herself. Which means this is going badly.
Dempsey is moving too fast for them. It’s left them playing catch up.
Kirk had to make the most of their advantage. She had to buy Dempsey as much time as she could. Which meant dragging out the pretence. She injected some emotion into her voice as she spoke again.
‘Look, Jack, whatever this is—’
‘I’m on my way to New York now,’ Meyer interrupted. ‘Wheels down in an hour, I’ll be in the Brooklyn Field Office by seven p.m. Meet me there then. Don’t be late.’
The line went dead, but Kirk kept the phone in hand – still against her ear – and pressed ‘nine’.
She had arrangements to make, and time had just become of the essence.
‘Ma’am?’
‘Henry. The flight arrangements to Montreal and Kabul. I want you to book another set.’
‘When, ma’am?’
‘Tonight. As soon as possible.’
‘It will take a few hours, ma’am. We were lucky to get the last set up.’
‘Do whatever it takes. But make sure that it’s tonight.’
‘Ma’am.’
‘Now, where are we with locating Dempsey’s team?’
FIFTY-SEVEN
Will Duffy awoke with a start.
The sound of his mobile’s ringtone was muffled, while the buzzing of the handset’s vibrating alert seemed weakened. Neither was enough to wake most people, but then Duffy had always been a light sleeper.
He climbed to his feet, his mind fully awake and entirely clear. He had fallen asleep on the reclining leather chair, in front of a television that was perpetually set to whichever channel was showing the latest boxing news.
He turned in a complete circle as he looked for the source of the ringtone, only to realise that the handset had slipped into the side folds of his chair. It explained the low volume and the suppression of the vibration, both of which increased as he retrieved it.