Алистер Маклин - Dead Halt

“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.”

“At last.” Lynch stood up and looked at Kerrigan. “The guns have arrived.”

“Then let’s go,” Kerrigan said.

Fiona waited until the voices had died away then eased open the door and peered out cautiously into the hallway. It was deserted. She emerged into the hall and closed the door silently behind her. She automatically glanced toward the study door. Her suspicions had first been aroused when she had overheard Lynch asking Kerrigan to meet him in his study. Why the secrecy? Now she knew. She had overheard the entire conversation. Well, almost all of it before she had to duck into the room opposite when she had heard Ingrid approaching. Lynch was going to call the Army Council. She doubted they would listen to him. As Kerrigan had said, there was no evidence to taint her reputation. But what if Lynch’s call planted a seed of doubt in their minds? What if she was recalled after the operation? No, she couldn’t afford to take that chance. Not with so much at stake …

She went into the bathroom further down the hallway, flushed the toilet, then made her way to the lounge.

“We were about to send out a search party for you,” Lynch said as she entered the room.

“I was in the toilet,” Fiona replied. Her eyes flickered to the man beside Lynch.

“This is Alain,” Lynch told her. “The weapons have finally arrived. Hugh and Liam are busy transferring them from Alain’s car to my car. I’ll pick my car up in the morning.”

“Thanks, Dom.”