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
‘What’s that make it?’ Dempsey asked with a smile. ‘Advantage you?’
The giant hesitated for a second.
Looking for a smart answer, Dempsey realised.
‘I don’t play ball games, agent,’ he finally offered. ‘Combat sports only.’
Dempsey failed to suppress a laugh at the answer.
‘Is that supposed to intimidate me, son?’ he asked, a smile growing across his face.
For a moment the giant seemed flustered. An instant more and it was gone, but Dempsey had noticed the reaction. It added to the picture already forming in his mind.
‘It’s not supposed to do anything. And trust me, if I wanted you intimidated, you would be.’
‘Sure I would.’
‘Enough small talk.’ The giant’s patience had not lasted long.
‘Fine by me,’ Dempsey replied. ‘You want to know what I know.’
‘Soon enough,’ the giant replied.
His confidence was back. No doubt renewed by the sight of five more armed men approaching the marketplace.
The Blackspear team, Dempsey surmised. Minus the three we killed.
The giant did not acknowledge their arrival as he continued.
‘But first you’re going to tell us where we can find Eden Grace?’
‘Grace is dead. She was killed escaping from the house your friend’s here shot up.’ Dempsey indicated the newly arrived Blackspear five. ‘She bled out halfway down the hill.’
‘Bullshit. They’d have found her body. She’s here somewhere. Call her out.’
‘I told you. She’s dead.’
‘OK. Then I’ll call her out.’
The giant placed a hand to his mouth and shouted at full volume.
‘GRACE, YOU’VE GOT TEN SECONDS. IF YOU’RE NOT OUT HERE BY THEN, THIS LIMEY SONOFABITCH DIES.’
‘Kill me?’ Dempsey kept his tone certain. No hint of concern. ‘You can’t kill me. You need to know what I know about your employers. You need to know how far this investigation has gone.’
The giant turned to face Dempsey, his expression as arrogant as his voice.
‘You really think that, do you? You really think I give a shit about your investigation? I hate to disappoint you, pal, but I ain’t got no orders to find out what you know. You’re alive so I can flush out that bitch Eden Grace. She’s who we want. Not you.’
He looked at his watch, turned his head back towards the clearing and re-raised his catcher’s mitt of a hand to his mouth.
‘YOU HEAR THAT, GRACE? I DON’T NEED THIS MOTHERFUCKER. SEVEN SECONDS GONE. SO IF YOU’RE NOT OUT HERE ON A COUNT OF THREE . . .’
It took less than one.
Dempsey watched as Grace walked out from the cover behind which he had left her. The building was behind Dempsey, and so she was walking towards the ten armed men.
‘Romeo Meyer.’ Grace’s voice was strong. She sounded fearless as she strode forward. ‘I should have known you’d follow in your father’s footsteps.’
‘Funny you should mention my dad,’ Romeo shouted back, raising his pistol. ‘He asked me to make sure I gave you this.’
Dempsey knew what was about to happen. Determined to place his body between Grace and Romeo – to protect her in any way he could – he had already started to run towards her. But even as he moved he knew that he was attempting the impossible.