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
‘Fuck the Secret Service,’ Romeo replied. ‘What she got, she got for betraying my dad in New York yesterday. Shit like that, it doesn’t stand. Not in my family.’
‘Jack Meyer is the Secret Service, you idiot.’
Dempsey took a step towards Romeo as he spoke. It was all he could do to not rush the man. Not to rip out his throat before his men could intervene.
Romeo took a step back in turn. Dempsey found the reaction instructive. Still, when Romeo spoke he remained belligerent.
‘Who the hell are you calling an idiot?’
‘I’m calling you an idiot. The idiot son of the assistant director of the Secret Service. A man who just admitted that his father sent a death squad to come and kill me in New York yesterday. A death squad thwarted by Agent Grace here. Not to mention, the same idiot who just tried to kill Agent Grace in full view of a witness.’
‘You’re only a witness if you live.’ Romeo seemed less sure of himself. Confused by Dempsey’s confidence. ‘And we both know you won’t.’
‘You’re not even going to deny it, then? Any of what I just said?’
‘Why the hell would I deny it? I’ve been sent to this country to put you in the ground. So what the fuck do I care what you hear?’
Dempsey sensed the uncertainty in Romeo’s voice. It was time to end this.
‘So why am I not in the ground already?’
‘What?’
‘You heard me, Romeo. Why am I not dead already, if that’s all you’re here for? We’ve been speaking for five minutes. You have me outnumbered ten to one and I don’t even have a weapon. So why the hell am I still breathing?’
‘Dempsey, go—’
‘I’ll tell you why. It’s because your father needs to know what I know. His little organisation, they need to know how compromised they really are.’
Romeo looked around him. Towards his own four men, and to what was left of Cunningham’s Blackspear team. Dempsey could tell what was on his mind.
He knows I’m right, but he doesn’t want to admit that and lose face.
Dempsey looked back to Grace. She did not have the time for him to drag this out. He had to cut through Romeo’s conflicted machismo.
‘So, you want me to tell you what I know?’
‘I couldn’t give a shit what—’
‘Yes you could, Romeo. Whether you want to admit it or not. So let’s go, shall we? Your father, Jack Meyer of the US Secret Service, works for an organisation that has infiltrated the White House, and which is currently blackmailing President John Knowles. It’s also infiltrated the Secret Service. Probably via your father. And probably not too deep beyond that. In fact, I’m willing to bet it goes no further than you five arseholes here.’
‘You think?’ Romeo did exactly what Dempsey had expected of him. Eager to regain the upper hand – to save face in front of his team – he jumped on the first mistake. ‘Oh, there’s more than just us five, buddy.’