“So do I, but the times are changing very rapidly and we must face that. Global terrorism provides a whole new perspective. It’s not that you’re wrong, Hannah, but it’s not that Ferguson is wrong either. And one final point. As in all things, each of us has personal choice.”
“Which means?”
“If you really feel strongly about this matter, it would be better if you resigned. Better for yourself. In fact, better for everyone.”
“How strange,” Hannah said. “That makes me feel as if I’d be running away.”
“It’s the best I can do, I’m afraid. Can I offer you a cup of tea?”
“No, thanks, I’d better get on.”
Dillon got up at once and slipped out through the Judas gate, where he lit a cigarette and stood waiting. She came out a few minutes later.
“What are you doing here?”
“Oh, I thought I’d hang around outside and see how you got on.”
“You were right. She is a remarkable woman.”
They started along Harley Street. “Are you still with us, then?”
“I suppose so. I’ll give it another week or two and see. As I was leaving, she said the strangest thing.”
“And what was that?”
“That when Christ told us to turn the other cheek, he didn’t tell us to do it twice. What on earth is that supposed to mean?”
Dillon grinned. “It makes perfect sense to me,” and he hailed a cab.
At Dunkley in Kent, the visibility was poor in the pouring rain as Smith eased the Navajo down on the old decaying bomber runway and rolled to a halt by the decrepit hangars. A white Ford Transit was parked nearby, a man in a cloth cap and bomber jacket holding an umbrella.
Tod got the door open and they all piled out with their bags. Smith peered out, and Kelly said, “Keep your mobile with you at all times. When I call, you come running.”
“You can rely on me, Dermot, but I’m best out of it now.”
He closed the door, went into the cockpit and took off fast a moment later. Dermot led the way to the Transit, holding out his hand.
“So you came yourself, Danny.” He turned to Fahy and Regan. “Danny Malone. Runs the best pub in Kilburn, the Green Man, and a good friend from the great days.”
“Sure, and I thought I’d come myself, Dermot.” They got in and he climbed behind the wheel. “And I’ve spoken to your aunt Molly about China Wharf, only she isn’t there, Dermot. She’s spending time at Brighton with an old friend.”
“Well, that’s a damn shame,” Tod put in.
“No trouble. She told me where a key was hidden and I checked and it was there. I’ve been to the supermarket, stocked you up with provisions. You’ll be as right as rain. The job? Is it big?”
“When the time’s right,” Kelly said. “Dillon’s involved. That’s all you need to know. Maybe we’ll get him this time.”
At the Ministry of Defence, Hannah knocked on the door of Ferguson’s office and went in, followed by Dillon. Ferguson, at his desk, looked up and sat back.
“So you’re both part of Omega now. We should form a club.”
“A very exclusive one, sir,” Hannah said.
“Did you see Susan Haden-Taylor?” She nodded. “And what did she think?”
“What did you expect her to think?” Dillon said. “That difficult decisions are the privilege of rank whereas we, the poor bloody foot soldiers, just pull the trigger?”
“Oh, shut up for once, Dillon,” Ferguson told him. “Have you made any decision yet, Superintendent?”
“If I could think it over for a week or so, sir, I’ll soldier on.”
The phone rang, he picked it up. “Ferguson.” Suddenly he smiled. “Excellent. I’ll be with you shortly.” He put the phone down. “It looks like you’ll have to, Superintendent. That was Dalton. Selim wants to see me. You’d both better come along.”
China Wharf was a relic of the old tea clipper days, but times had changed and most of the warehouses were developed or boarded up and awaiting their turn. Danny Malone unlocked the door and led the way in, followed by the others. There was a large sitting room, all the furniture old-fashioned, a kitchen on the same scale. He put the key on the table.
“Two bedrooms and a bathroom down the hall, five bedrooms and two bathrooms upstairs from when it was a lodging house.”
“It’ll be fine,” Kelly said, and turned to Tod. “I’ll phone Ashimov and let him know we made it. Then we’ll get together with him and Novikova, see what she’s got.” He rubbed his hands together. “Now bacon and eggs, a good old fry-up, sounds good to me. But who’s going to cook it, that’s the thing.”
“Well, not me,” Danny Malone said. “I’ll be off now. You let me know if there’s anything else I can do,” and he went out.
At Holland Park, they stood with Miller and looked through the false mirror. Selim sat at the table drinking tea, while Dalton sat on the other side and they chatted.
“You are a very reasonable man, Mr. Dalton,” Selim was saying.
Miller said, “Fred’s done a really good job on him, General. I actually think he’s about ready to see reason.”
“Then in we go,” and Ferguson led the way.
Selim and Dalton stopped talking and Dalton stood up, but Selim remained seated. “You wanted to see me,” Ferguson said. “Do I assume you’re going to be sensible?”
“General, I know you are not the Gestapo. You won’t wire up my extremities, or inject me with succinylcholine or put me in a bath of water until I nearly drown. It isn’t the British way. But I do know that you will sentence me to death if, as you have threatened, you return me to Iraq or anywhere else in the Middle East.”
“So what is your decision?”
“I’m a contemptible coward who believed in my mission but is quite simply afraid to die. As you rightly point out, it would be slow and painful. So, yes, I will co-operate.”
“Fine.” Ferguson stayed calm. “But you must tell me everything, and I do mean everything. Not only the names of the wretched young men drawn into your world of violence, but the identities of your sponsors, the moneymen, the Belovs.”
Selim was just as calm. “You can never touch Belov. He’s much too powerful.”
“That may be true, but we can damn well try.”
“Good luck to you. However, I do have terms.”
“Terms?” Ferguson frowned.
“Certainly. I will deal only with you. I will talk only with you. Mr. Dillon may have saved my life in Iraq, but he killed friends of mine while doing it. I respect Superintendent Bernstein, but she is Jewish and it would not be seemly. The sergeants have treated me decently, so I have no objection to them. However, I don’t like this place.” He shook his head. “I really don’t like it at all. We are in the middle of London. There are too many of my brothers around here, too many people who would surely try to kill me if they knew I was here, no matter how good the security is. Is there somewhere else we could go?”
“Jesus, son, you don’t want much,” Dillon said.
Hannah turned to Ferguson. “Huntley Hall, sir. It’s away from here, and the security’s just as good.”
“That’s true. Roper could come down and handle the technical stuff.”
“No,” Selim said. “I said only you, and I meant it.”
“I shouldn’t think that would be a problem, sir,” Hannah said. “Roper could handle it by remote. He’s done it before.”
Selim said, “Huntley Hall?”
“It’s a lovely old house in St. Leonard’s Forest near Horsham, about an hour and a half from London. It used to be Lord Faversham’s place. When he died, he left it to the nation. There’s lots of woodland. Excellent pheasant shooting.”
“And now you’ve turned it into the kind of place where the only things that get shot are intruders?”
Dillon laughed. “You’ll love it.”
Ferguson stood up and said to Dalton and Miller, “Get him ready. I’ll go home and pack. When I return, we’ll drive down to Huntley. Be prepared to stay for as long as it takes. Dr. Selim, I’ll see you later.”