Shaun Hutson - Knife Edge

'No calls,' said Andrews as he shut the door behind them.

'I'm not going to waste your time,' Doyle said. 'And I'm in a hurry too.'

He glanced around the office.

It was immaculate. Neat, tidy. More potted plants. There were photographs on the walls to his left and right.

Doyle wandered across and looked at them.

Andrews pictured with Elton John.

Another of him with Sharon Stone.

With Tom Cruise.

There was even a Gold Disc mounted on one wall. The inscription read: To Mike. May Your Rock Always Roll. Presented by

Andrews watched as Doyle scanned the photos and other memorabilia.

'We've looked after all of them at one time or another,' he said smugly, pulling at his goatee.

'It's not your clients I'm interested in, it's one of your employees,' Doyle told him, turning to face him. 'Kenneth Baxter.' Doyle sat down opposite the other man. 'I need to speak to him.'

'Can I ask what it's to do with?'

'How much do you know about him?'

'I'm his employer, not his brother,' said Andrews and Doyle wasn't slow to catch the note of sarcasm in his voice. 'I know he's good at his job. He wouldn't be working for me if he wasn't. As for personal details, it depends what you want to know.'

'I'm not asking for his inside leg measurement,' Doyle snarled. 'What do you know about his record?'

'What record?'

'Don't fuck me about, Andrews. His record before he joined your company.'

'I know he was in the paras and-'

'So you know he was dishonourably discharged for flogging army explosives and weapons to the IRA and the UVF?'

Andrews was silent for a moment. 'It was never conclusively proved,' he said quietly.

'Bollocks. Who told you that? Baxter?'

'Even if it was true, his military record was exemplary. His training and experience made him a perfect choice for personal security.'

'How many of your other employees have got criminal records?'

'Look, who the bloody hell do you think you are? Who I do or don't employ is my concern. This is my business.'

'I couldn't give two fucks about your business. I just want to talk to Kenneth Baxter.'

'He's working.'

'Where?'

'Upper Brook Street. He's with two other men. They're taking care of some members of the Saudi Royal family.'

'I need an address.'

'I can't just pull him off a job on your say so. I need to know more details.'

'That's classified information. Just give me the address.'

'Number eight,' Andrews muttered.

'Can I use your phone?' Doyle asked, pulling the object towards him.

'Be my guest. Anything else you'd like while you're here?' Andrews said scathingly.

Doyle ignored him and dialled.

The voice at the other end of the line was Calloway's.

'Send some men to number eight Upper Brook Street,' Doyle instructed. 'Pick up Kenneth Baxter for questioning.'

Calloway asked what Doyle intended doing next.

'I'm going to see Julie Neville again.'

Calloway asked what for.

'A chat,' Doyle said and hung up.

He got to his feet.

'You've got no right to harass my employees,' Andrews said menacingly. 'I could lose money over this.'

'Send me the fucking bill,' chided Doyle, heading for the door.

Andrews rose in his chair but Doyle gestured for him to sit down, pulling open the door.

'I'll see myself out,' he said quietly. 'I know you're a busy man.'

And he was gone.

He strode across to the lift, aware that the secretary was watching him, his boot heels clacking loudly on the polished floor.

The lift arrived and Doyle stepped in, rode it to the ground floor and made his way out.

He looked at his watch.

Next stop Lambeth. The safe house.

He slid behind the wheel of the Datsun, pulled the orange disabled sticker from the front windscreen and pushed it into the glove compartment.

Fuck it. He had to get a parking space somehow.

Doyle switched on the cassette, music filling the car.

'… If that's the only thing that's stopping war, then thank God for the bomb…'

He switched it off again.

Another glance at his watch.

Tick-tock. Tick-tock.

As he drove he looked around. At the cars. The buildings.

So many places to hide an explosive device. He drove on.

'I want to talk to Doyle.'

DS Colin Mason recognised the voice immediately.

He reached for a pen on his desk and scribbled the time on the corner of a pad then, with the end of the Biro, he pressed another digit on the phone.

'Doyle's not here, Neville. Can't you talk to me?' Mason asked.

'I want the mechanic, not the fucking oily rag,' Neville growled.

Mason gripped the receiver more tightly, trying to control his anger.

Fuck you, you psychotic bastard.

'I know you're tracing this call by the way,' Neville continued. 'You're wasting your time. Just like you were at Euston.'

'Round one to you, eh?' Mason said, barely able to contain his fury.

'Not just the round, the whole fucking fight, shit-head. Now let me talk to Doyle.'

'I told you, Doyle's not here.'

'Well, fucking find him.'

'Look, I'm going to patch you through to my superior, he might know where Doyle is.'

Mason hit another couple of buttons.

As he did so the office door opened and a uniformed man stuck his head through.

'Get this fucking call traced. Quick,' the DS snapped.

'I told that other cunt, I want to speak to Doyle,' Neville rasped.

Inside the Mobile Operations Vehicle, Calloway glanced at his watch as he listened to Neville.

'Listen to me, Neville,' the DI implored.

'I don't want to listen to you. Besides, you're not the one to start giving ultimatums, are you?'

'I'm not giving you ultimatums, I'm asking you to listen.'

There was a second's silence at the other end of the phone.

'Neville?'

'Yeah, go on, I'm listening.'

'This can stop now, before anyone else is killed.'

'Fuck you. It stops when I get what I want, and I think the quicker you give me what I want, the better for everyone. The next bomb goes off in less than ten minutes.'

'Why are you killing innocent people? Your own people?'

'They're not my people. They couldn't give a fuck about me now. As far as they're concerned, I did my bit when the fighting in Ireland was going on. They don't want to know me now. My people were in Ulster with me. Other soldiers. Men like Doyle.

'Do you know Doyle?'

'I know what he did.'

'You know he wants to kill you?'

Neville chuckled.

'He'll try. What the fuck do I care? Do you think that frightens me?' Neville snarled. 'Do you think I'm frightened of dying?'

'No, I don't, I just don't understand why so many other people have to die too.'

'Don't try to understand. Besides, if you give me what I want nobody else has to die, do they? The quicker you give me my daughter, the quicker this is all over.'

'Where's the next bomb, Neville? At least give us a chance to find it.'

'Fuck you. Put Doyle on.'

A light flashed on the console in front of Neville and he pressed the button to switch the other phone to speaker.

'We've got the trace,' Mason informed him. 'Leicester Square.'

'I'm waiting for Doyle,' Neville said again.

Calloway gripped the receiver more tightly.

'You've got to give me time to contact him, I-'

Neville cut him short. 'Time's up. I'll speak to you after the next bomb.' He laughed.

'Go to hell!' roared Calloway.

'Already been,' Neville said and hung up.

There was a loud rumble followed closely by a thunderous crash.

Clouds of dust billowed upwards in a choking cloud.

Stephen Casey stood on the corner of Lower John Street, one corner of Golden Square, and watched as the rubble tumbled down the chute before clattering to rest on the pile already gathered in the large skip to his left.