‘In ’87 he was taking out IRA insurgents in Northern Ireland. Same year, his SAS unit got deployed to end the Peterhead Prison riot, here in Scotland. Blew their way in and stopped it before the rioters even knew what was happening. Four years after that, it was Operation Desert Storm, search-and-destroying SCUD missiles the Iraqis were trying to lob into Israel. Then in Bosnia in 1997 he was with the unit that shot dead a Serb war criminal called Simo Drljaca.’

‘This just keeps getting better.’

‘The following year they did a snatch mission in Serbia against another war criminal, Stevan Todorovic. Tracked the guy to a remote hideout in the mountains, kidnapped him in the dead of night and whisked him back into Bosnia to be arrested. After that, in 2001, yer man was sent to Afghanistan for Operation Trent, fighting against the Taliban—’

‘All right, all right, I get the picture.’

‘There’s probably more, all kinds of black-ops crap that nobody without a top-grade security clearance even knows about. He finally retired in 2003, rank of Colour Sergeant. Moved to Italy with his wife, been living there ever since.’

‘And now he’s honouring us with his company here in Scotland. Lucky us.’

‘It’s a worry. Someone with this bastard’s skills could be dangerous, if he starts sniffing around.’

‘I’d call that an understatement. All thanks to you, I might add.’

‘Chief, this guy would’ve turned up even if we’d killed McCulloch. In fact that would’ve probably made things worse.’

‘I’d say it’s bad enough as it is, don’t you? Where is he now?’

‘At his nephew’s house. Baird followed him there earlier and he’s watching the place. I spoke to him just before I called you. The old guy is still there. What should we do? You want him taken care of?’

‘If I said yes, what makes you think you’re up to the job, after last time?’

‘This will be different. No more screwups.’

‘He needs to disappear. Gone. Vanished. Not a trace. The sooner the better, before he starts talking to too many people and drawing attention.’

‘Baird can handle it. Knife job, quick and dirty, no witnesses, while the old guy’s still at the house. He won’t even see him coming.’

‘No. Baird’s just a violent retard. From what you say, the old guy will chew him up and spit out the bones. I think you’d better pull Baird off McCulloch’s tail before he gets spotted or somehow manages to mess things up for us. I have other plans.’

‘Like what?’

‘It takes a pro to deal with a pro. I’m sending in Hacker.’

Chapter 12

The Normandy coast

Two days later