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
‘How did they know to contact you?’
‘I . . . I don’t know. But Victor was . . . a rich man. Mega bucks. That kind of money . . . buys anything. Including . . . intelligence. Who knows how . . . they would have got wind . . . of anything. But once they knew . . . the story was from Afghanistan . . . they could have found out . . . there were only five . . . five agents operating there. One of them . . . was me.’
Dempsey nodded. That made sense.
It was a bloody fishing expedition.
‘So what did you tell them?’
‘Nothing they didn’t . . . already know.’
‘So it’s possible Victor didn’t know any details,’ Dempsey concluded. ‘Unless they found the information elsewhere?’
‘I . . . doubt it. My source is the only one . . . only one I know of,’ Quilty wheezed. ‘And he wouldn’t say . . . anything without talking . . . to me first.’
‘Which would mean that Victor was killed for it anyway, just in case.’
‘It . . . it looks that way. And now . . . they’re watching me.’
‘Yes,’ Dempsey agreed, speaking almost to himself. ‘Which I guess brings me back to why I’m here.’
Quilty looked Dempsey in the eye and gave a weak, weary smile.
‘To tell me I’m . . . I’m in danger? I think we’ve . . . covered that . . . son.’
‘Whoever it is out there watching you, Tom. Whoever it is they work for—’
‘John Knowles,’ Quilty interrupted. ‘Let’s not . . . let’s not be . . . delicate about it now.’
‘OK, for now let’s say that,’ Dempsey agreed. ‘Knowles was willing to kill over five hundred innocent people to get to Victor. To keep what he knew hidden. If he’ll do that, he’ll sure as hell come for you.’
‘And yet four . . . days . . . later and I’m . . . I’m still alive. What does . . . what does that . . . tell you?’
Dempsey paused. Thought for a moment.
‘They’re not sure you’re the source.’
‘Exactly. They . . . they must have . . . the same suspects . . . the other four agents . . . I’m . . . I’m just one of . . . them.’
‘And you think that makes you safe? There was enough to point them towards you, Tom. What if they find the proof it was you?’
‘If they . . . get to that . . . to that point, let . . . them . . . come.’
‘Tom, I—’
‘Do I look . . . look like . . . a man with lots . . . to . . . lose, son? They come for me . . . at least I . . . at least I get to go . . . to go down with a . . . fight. I’m looking . . . looking forward to seeing the amateurs . . . try. They’ll be in for a few . . . for a few surprises . . . trust me.’