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Back Time for the Dead Save as PDF
Chapters (94)
  1. Cover
  2. Time for the Dead
  3. Dedication page
  4. Map
  5. Epigraph page
  6. Prologue
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. 61
  68. 62
  69. 63
  70. 64
  71. 65
  72. 66
  73. 67
  74. 68
  75. 69
  76. 70
  77. 71
  78. 72
  79. 73
  80. 74
  81. 75
  82. 76
  83. 77
  84. 78
  85. 79
  86. 80
  87. 81
  88. 82
  89. 83
  90. 84
  91. Epilogue
  92. Acknowledgements
  93. About the Author
  94. By Lin Anderson

Harry had shaken his head. ‘I was back in Glasgow by then and out of the army. And I’m not the only Afghan veteran littering the streets. Then Sugarboy turns up. Said he’d been looking for me. Gave me money and some snow. Told me he was getting out of the arrangement. He had a plan.’

What that plan was, Harry didn’t know. ‘But he said it involved the Scorpion.’

‘Is that a person?’ McNab had said.

Harry had shrugged. ‘Some bastard’s nickname, I think. Sugarboy didn’t say. A link in the chain, I suppose. But definitely one he was afraid of.’

The boss had risen from his desk now and was at his customary thinking place by the window.

‘Is it possible that Private Galbraith didn’t fall from that mountain?’

‘Anything’s possible, sir. The PM’s this morning. Maybe the pathologist can interpret the wounds enough to give us a clearer picture of when and how he died.’

The boss shook his head. ‘The facial injuries on both Watson and the possible Galbraith, coupled with the fact neither men had identification on them, seems just a little convenient, don’t you think, Detective Sergeant?’

It had certainly delayed identification, and had given anyone involved a window to get well away before either body was found. McNab said so. ‘Plus the possible fall or suicide angle,’ he added.

‘Find out if Harry disclosed anything else to Ellie. He seems to have trusted her enough to agree to come in here. If they talked there could have been something said in the passing which turns out to be important.’

‘Will do, sir.’

The boss picked up the statement again. ‘So we find Malcolm Stevenson, bring him in and charge him for the knife attack on McArthur, and I tackle Her Majesty’s Ministry of Defence on their part of the proceedings.’

McNab didn’t say that the boss’s declaration sounded a bit like a wish list, but he thought it nonetheless.

66

Afghanistan

They bathe me, murmuring at the scratches and bruises that pepper my body. I am kept fed, given sweet tea to drink and urged to consume some of the milky liquid given to the new mother in her extremity. When I refuse, they point to a cushioned bed and mime sleep.

Eventually, to please, I accept the porcelain cup and drink.

I have lost track of how long I’ve been in what feels like an Afghan version of heaven. At least twice the father has come to the outer room and the older woman has spoken with him. I can make out only scattered words and phrases, but I suspect he’s being told that his wife and baby still need me, the nurse.

He accepts, I think, because he cannot bear to deny his wife and child anything that will aid their survival.