“And what’s going to happen to the senator and myself when Cabrera finds out what’s happened?”
“What can he find out?” Navarro replied, shrugging his powerful shoulders. “You’ve kept to your side of the deal. We won’t touch any of the shipments until they’ve cleared customs. That puts you in the clear. We’ll be taking all the risks.”
“And how will we explain the loss of the shipments to the cartel? Cabrera’s going to get suspicious after a while.”
“Get your senior men to throw a couple of their minnows to the cartel every now and then to keep them satisfied.” Navarro gathered together the photographs, put them back in the folder, then placed it on the desk in front of Tillman. “Show them to Scoby. I’ve got the negatives locked away in a safe place. You can take the tapes as well if you want. I’ve got copies.”
Tillman took the folder and the box of audio cassettes. “And if the senator refuses to go along with your plan, you’ll see to it that the negatives and a set of the tapes are made public?”
“You’re very astute,” Navarro replied with a smile. “I believe you’re off to England for the weekend. It’ll give the two of you time to consider my more than generous offer. When are you flying back?”
“Monday morning.”
“Then I’ll expect your answer by Tuesday. Shall we say ten o’clock, here in my office?”
“Very well,” Tillman replied tersely as he packed the last of the cassettes into his attaché case.
“There is one other thing,” Navarro said. He nodded to Varese who produced an attaché case and placed it on the desk. Navarro unlocked it and opened the lid. “Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars in cash. All in untraceable notes. We can match whatever the Colombians gave you. Just a little incentive to help you make up his mind.”
“I didn’t know we had a choice,” Tillman replied, eyeing the money which was laid out in neat bundles in the case.
“Of course you have a choice,” Navarro replied, locking the case again. “After all, isn’t that what America’s all about?”
Varese placed the case at Tillman’s feet.
“Well, it’s been a pleasure meeting you,” Navarro said, extending his hand again.
Tillman ignored Navarro’s hand then, picking up both attaché cases, walked to the door.
“Oh, I almost forgot,” Navarro said as Varese opened the door for Tillman. “Bon voyage.”
Tillman eyed Navarro coldly then turned and left the room without a word.
It was already dark by the time the Swissair Airbus finally touched down, nearly three hours behind schedule, at Kloten International Airport. A thick blanket of snow covered the perimeter of the airfield and the snow plows were continually having to clear the fresh snow as it drifted down across the city. And, according to UNACO’s weather charts, the situation was set to deteriorate over the next twelve hours. Eastman had been assured before he left London that the Swiss authorities would assist them in every way possible once they touched down at Zurich. Their contact in Lausanne would be Captain Philippe Bastian, one of the most experienced officers in the Swiss anti-terrorist squad.
A black Mercedes was waiting for them on the runway when they disembarked. The driver, a plainclothes police officer, immediately drove them to another section of runway where a police helicopter was waiting to fly them on to Lausanne.
“You wanted to see me, Dom?”
Lynch looked around at Kerrigan who was standing in the doorway. “Come in, Liam. And close the door.”
Kerrigan entered Lynch’s study and closed the door behind him.
“It’s a breathtaking view during the day,” Lynch said, gesturing to the darkness beyond the window. “I’m really lucky to have got this place.”
“I’m sure you didn’t ask me here to discuss the view from your window,” Kerrigan said bluntly.
“No, of course not,” Lynch replied, turning back to Kerrigan. “Sit down, Liam. Drink?”
Kerrigan eased himself into the armchair by the door. “No drink. I’m going to need my wits about me if we’re to get McGuire tonight, especially in these godforsaken conditions.”
“Yes, it’s definitely getting worse,” Lynch muttered, crossing to the drinks cabinet and pouring himself a whiskey.
“Still no news of the weapons?”
“Nothing yet,” Lynch replied with an apologetic shrug. “And this weather won’t help matters any either.”
Kerrigan banged the chair arm angrily with his fist. “Those pigs will probably be in the country by now. Christ, if those guns don’t arrive soon they’ll get to McGuire first.”
“The weather’s going to work against them as well, you know.” Lynch sat down behind his desk and looked across at Kerrigan. “I want to talk to you about Fiona.”
“What about her?” Kerrigan retorted suspiciously.
“I think she’s cracking under the pressure of being put in charge of the cell in Sean’s absence.”
“Cracking?” Kerrigan snorted. “I guess that’s one way of putting it. But the Army Council made the decision to put her in charge and until they relieve her of that responsibility, there’s nothing any of us can do about it.”
“You don’t like her, do you?”
“Not particularly, no. But she’s Sean’s girl and that’s why I tolerate her.”
“That’s where we differ.” Lynch took a sip of whiskey then turned the glass around thoughtfully in his hand. “Sean and Fiona are good friends of ours. He was my best man. She was Ingrid’s chief bridesmaid.”
“I was at the wedding, you know,” Kerrigan was quick to point out.
“It upsets me to see her like this. You said just now that there was nothing any of us can do about it. Well, that’s where you’re wrong.”
“You know the rules, Dom. I can’t call the Army Council unless it’s an emergency. What would I tell them? That she’s cracking? Where’s my evidence? The Army Council don’t deal in suspicions and rumors. Only facts. And anyway, they think she’s bloody marvelous. That’s Sean’s fault for falling so heavily for her.”
Lynch finished his drink and placed the glass on the desk. “You can’t call the Army Council. But I can.”
Kerrigan’s eyes narrowed. “And tell them what?”
“What I’ve seen since she got here. What can they do to me? I’m not part of your cell. And I’d only be calling because I’m worried about her, which will be true.”
Kerrigan chewed his lip thoughtfully. “When are you going to call them?”
“When you’ve gone,” Lynch replied.
“It’s good thinking, Dom. For her, and for the cell.”
“I’m doing it for her. Period. And only because she’s got a hell of a future ahead of her with the Provos. I don’t want to see her burnt out before she’s thirty.”
“You always were a pragmatic one, Lynch,” Kerrigan said with an edge of sarcasm. He got to his feet. “You call, mind.”
“I’ll call,” Lynch assured him. “But in the meantime you do as she says, no matter what she tells you to do.”
“As if I wouldn’t,” Kerrigan replied with a look of mock innocence.
“I know she’s riding you, Liam. But let it go. Because if you cross her you’re going to find yourself in a whole load of trouble when you get back home. You remember that.”
“I can look after myself, Dom. Don’t you worry yourself about that.”
There was a knock at the door. Kerrigan opened it. Ingrid looked around the door at her husband. “Alain’s here.”