That’s the coward’s opt-out, she heard Mark say. Words are powerful and have reach. Use them.

He was right. There was only one thing to do now. And that was to put the story out there.

There would, no doubt, be a price to pay, and in that moment, Ava both accepted that and almost welcomed it.

64

McNab sat back in Mark’s chair and surveyed his new abode. Provided with Mark’s backup laptop, which Abu-Zar had not surrendered to the police, a smartphone and a vehicle at his beck and call, he was back in business.

Plus he had a place to sleep, food when required and all the coffee he could drink.

Also, judging from the big burly guy hanging around outside his new office, they’d provided him with a bodyguard. He suspected the bodyguard was armed, but had decided not to question this. As a police officer, it was better not to know.

It appeared that taking Mark down may have been an error on the enemy’s part. Who pisses off associates of the mujahidin? Added to all of that, he’d been assigned Firash as his driver, Abu-Zar’s son, the one whose life Mark had saved, according to Ava, and now a knowledgeable man about town, who had been a confidant of Mark’s.

A full and frank conversation with the boss about his present circumstances had allowed him another forty-eight hours in London, after which he was expected to get the train back to Glasgow. McNab hoped and intended that it would be enough time for his plan to unfold, especially with his new allies on board.

During his conversation with the boss, he’d stressed his concern for Ava’s safety. ‘Most of her investigation was done in tandem with Mark. And he’s dead.’

The boss had assured him that Ava was under police protection on Orkney. Then he’d sprung the bad news. McNab had listened with mounting concern to the story of the brother, missing again. This time with the girl he’d rescued from the Orlova.

‘We’re hoping they’ve gone into hiding, but we can’t rule out the possibility that they’ve been picked up by associates of Go Wild. If so, there’s a chance she may have been taken south,’ the boss had said.

McNab had asked about cruise ships at that point. ‘According to Ollie, the Go Wild empire has exclusive cruise ships operating worldwide, all of them with helicopter pads for the transfer of visitors. It wouldn’t be that difficult to get her off the island.’

In his mind’s eye, he could already see the girl being whisked away from under their noses.

‘Police Orkney are checking everything within their manpower capabilities,’ the boss had told him.

There had been some positive news from the call, with the identification of the Glasgow fire victim.