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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

McNab smiled. ‘Didn’t want to frighten the troops, eh?’ He paused. ‘Where are you staying, soldier?’

McArthur gave a dismissive laugh. ‘Well, it’s not in a home for heroes.’

‘What if I found you somewhere to go when you get out of here?’ McNab offered.

Suspicion snaked across the marked face.

‘Like a cell, you mean?’

‘Like a room. Somewhere you can recover.’ McNab almost added, and maybe hide from Malky, but didn’t.

‘You think you’re fucking Santa Claus?’

‘Maybe Christmas just came early for you.’

McNab emerged into the night air and took a deep, cold breath.

Despite his questions, Prince Harry had stuck to his story that he’d stabbed himself and dropped the knife down a nearby stank, somewhere between his Argyle Street pitch and the alley.

Drains would have to be checked in the vicinity, of course, but McNab knew the story to be a big fat lie. If what he imagined had happened was in fact true, then McArthur was well aware that once Malky found out he was alive, he and others would come looking for him. Then he would indeed become dead meat, whether he got his next heroin hit or not.

The question McNab now asked himself was why, when he knew McNab was likely tailing him, would Malky stab McArthur on his way out?

An answer immediately presented itself.

He thought I would ignore what looked like a spaced-out junkie and, for whatever reason, he wanted McArthur dead.

The why of that was what McNab found most interesting.

It was a legal requirement that notification should be made to the MOD if any serving soldier was arrested. One who had been discharged under a cloud, the MOD weren’t so interested in. Even if the former soldier had been injured in the line of duty.

If the army was a family, McNab had discovered in the process of his enquiry, it was one that was no longer interested in its son Private Harry McArthur.

McNab wondered what it was Prince Harry had done to piss them off so badly. He hadn’t been jailed, as far as McNab was aware, but he’d obviously committed some sort of crime while serving. If he was already using out there in Afghanistan, and let’s face it, there was an ample supply, then that in itself would have been enough. If they suspected he was involved in a supply line . . .

McNab found himself nursing a suspicion that getting to know Prince Harry better might just bring him a little closer to the Sandman.

28

Rhona crossed the silent square to the welcome lights of the Isles hotel.

The clouds had departed and above her the night sky was lit by a myriad of stars. It would be colder tonight because of it. She thought of the cottage, any heat from the stove having long ago dissipated in her absence.