I sat in silence for a while. So there it was. The gospel of Kirk’s death, according to Gilby. If I believed him then my work here was done. And if I had any sense I would report back to Sean and get the hell out of there before the shooting started.
I didn’t even have to explain my departure to the other students. They’d all heard Todd telling me I was finished. They were all fully expecting me just to pack up and leave . . .
But then there was just the small matter of my promise to Gregor Venko. A promise bound by blood, in all its forms.
“Who were the men in the Peugeot?” I said suddenly. “The ones who ambushed us in the forest. Were they Venko’s men?”
“Father, or son?”
“Either,” I returned, just as succinctly, “or both.”
“Son. His bodyguards, I believe. I rather think Venko sent them to try and intimidate or force us to give him back without having to use him to trade for Heidi. It’s only after their attempts failed that he’s come prepared to make a deal. It would explain why we haven’t come under significant fire until now.”
I remembered again Blakemore’s words to the Peugeot driver. “Try this shit again and next time we send you the kid’s ears.” It all made such perfect sense now. How would they have talked that one away to a man like Gregor Venko?
“And now Gregor’s decided to handle things personally,” I murmured.
Gilby inclined his head. “As you’ve seen.”
“So, if that’s the case,” I said slowly, “who was behind Blakemore’s death?”
“That was an accident,” Gilby said quickly. Much too quickly.
I met the Major’s gaze level, held it there. He had the grace to break away first. “You looked at the scene as much as I did – probably more. The fact he was hit before he went over isn’t in doubt,” I said. And because the need to know was deep and biting, I added with an edge dipped in acid, “And now you’ve lost another man. Your forces are being depleted, Major, at a faster rate than you can sustain.”
The hit was a direct one, but the response wasn’t quite what I expected. “Oh, Mr Rebanks isn’t lost,” he said tightly, a flush forming along his pale cheekbones. “Although in my opinion he more than deserves to be dead.” Shock kept me silent, and my silence pulled more out of the Major than questions would have done.
“Dealing weapons from my school,” Gilby gritted out with quiet vehemence, more to himself than to me. “Dealing them to the very men who would use them against us!” He sucked in a breath, fought for control. After a few moments his colour began to subside, calming as his temper ebbed.
Rebanks was still alive. Thank God for that!
“Oh yes,” he went on bitterly, “he deserves to be dead.” He looked up sharply then and I can’t have hidden the emotions that were rioting through my mind.
Astonishment and disbelief came and went across the Major’s own features. “Good God,” he said softly. “It was you.” As he said it another realisation came riding in on the back of the first. “You thought you’d killed him,” he said and I saw him take another mental step back.
“Yes,” I said. There wasn’t much else I could say. I could only hope to distract him. “What’s happened to Rebanks?”
Gilby gave a grunt. “This place was built to house an extensive wine cellar,” he said, briefly showing his teeth. “Mr Rebanks is languishing in new underground quarters until I’ve cooled down enough to decide exactly what to do with him. You probably did me a favour there.” His voice was mild. Only the expression on his face told me he might be lying.
“I wasn’t the only one at the armoury last night,” I said quickly. “Somebody else set that damned fire alarm off. You do know you’ve got the German security services on your tail, don’t you?”
“I couldn’t ignore the possibility,” he acknowledged, but his face darkened at this new infringement on his territory. “They indicated that they would allow me to act with autonomy in this matter until Heidi was released. I should have known they wouldn’t play by the rules.”
Startled, I asked, “They know you’ve kidnapped Ivan?”
The Major inclined his head reluctantly. “Not officially, of course, but yes, they know we’ve got him, all right. In the manner of governments the world over,” he added, his voice sour, “they’re more than happy to overlook it – providing I hand him over when the girl is safe.”
I sat up straight, feeling my scalp prickle with apprehension, ignoring the aching protest of all corners of my body. “Does that mean you’ve no intention of going through with this exchange?” I said carefully.
Something like a spasm twisted across the Major’s face. He passed a hand across it, then let it drop into his lap, his shoulders rounding in defeat.
“God knows,” he said. He tried a smile but couldn’t really raise it. “The words ‘rock’ and ‘hard place’ spring to mind. I’m down on manpower and running out of options.” He eyed me again. “You seem to be the one with all the answers today,” he said with heavy irony. “Any suggestions?”
It was thrown down carelessly, so he could snatch it back without dishonour, but underneath I knew the Major wasn’t joking. He was deadly serious.
For a few moments I sat without speaking, then said, “Have you heard of a man called Sean Meyer?”
“Of course,” Gilby said promptly. The name had resonance for him, I saw. It changed things. “After that business in Colombia last spring, how could I not? The whole industry was buzzing with it.”
I’d no idea what had gone on in Colombia, or what Sean’s involvement might have been, but now didn’t seem the time to ask.
Instead I said, “Well Sean’s the reason I’m here. He asked me to come and find out what happened to Kirk.”
He looked surprised at that, and not a little sceptical. “But why, of all the highly-trained personnel undoubtedly at his disposal, did someone as good as Meyer choose you for such a mission?”
I shrugged, and learned that I hadn’t loosened up much since the last time I’d tried it. “Sean was one of my instructors in the army,” I said. “He felt that someone from outside the industry, as you put it, would stand a better chance of passing unnoticed.”
The Major said, “Ah,” and the way he said it spoke volumes. I remembered, too late perhaps, our conversation after the abortive first-aid sim, and the excuse I’d given then for leaving the services. I knew I couldn’t deny the link he’d just made without it seeming that I did protest too much. Better to keep quiet and hope I could gloss over the significance.
“Sean’s here,” I said now. At Gilby’s raised eyebrow, I added, “In Germany. I can give you his number. Call him.”
Still he hesitated. I leaned forwards in my seat, picked up a pen and scrawled the digits across the corner of his virgin blotter.
“Look, you’ve just said yourself that he’s good. Let’s face it – against Gregor Venko’s private army you’re going to need all the help you can get.”
“Including you?” the Major asked, and his voice was wry again.
“Including me,” I concurred.
I got to my feet, trying not to stagger, trying not to groan out loud. Movement outside the window caught my eye. When I looked, in the distance I saw the first of the pupils beginning to straggle back from the assault course.
The Major caught my distracted gaze and turned his head, following their progress across the grounds.