Jack Higgins - Day of Reckoning

'St Richard's Dock,' Baxter said. 'They turned all the old warehouses into offices and such last ear.'

'Any housing, apartments?' Billy asked.

'No.'

'Then what the hell are they up to? Pull in at the end of the street and give me those glasses.'

Baxter parked in the shadow of a wall and they got out. Billy focused the glasses, as the Jagos and the other two got out and went down stone steps to the shingle beach beside the river. They started to walk, and Billy watched, for they were clearly seen in the strange green glow of the glasses.

'The tide's out,' Hall said. 'Otherwise, they'd be swimming.'

'They've disappeared,' Billy said. 'We'll wait.'

It was ten minutes later that the Jagos and the others reappeared and walked back along the beach. They climbed the steps, got in the station wagon, and drove away.

'Okay,' Billy said. 'Get the torch from the Range Rover, Joe, and we'll take a look.'

He found what he was looking for with no trouble, an arched entrance to a tunnel, dark and wet, lichen growing over the ancient stoneware. There was a damp river smell to everything. He led the way, probing the darkness with the torchlight, and came to a huge rusting iron grille gate. There was a lock, everything corroded tight.

'So what are they up to?' Baxter asked.

'God knows, but we'll find out. Back to Harry,' and he turned and led the way out.

In his personal booth at the end of the bar at the Dark Man, Harry Salter sipped beer and listened. 'St Richard's Dock. I've got a piece of that, Billy.' He called to Dora and she came round the bar. He put an arm round her waist. 'Have a look in the file in my office, love, St Richard's Dock.'

'Anything for you, Harry.'

'Yes, I know that, only just get me the bleeding file.'

She was back in a couple of minutes. He opened the file, took out a plan and checked it. 'Two merchant banks, estate agent, property developers, two restaurants, the White Diamond Company.' He sat back. 'Jesus Christ, no, they couldn't. I mean, a place like that these days. It's state-of-the-art security. The bleeding works. I can't believe this.'

Strangely, it was Billy who said, 'Just take it slowly, Harry. Let's consider what they were doing on the beach in that tunnel.'

'You're right, Billy, you're learning.' He turned to Hall. 'Have a look in the saloon bar. See if that old geezer Handy Green's in. He usually is. Used to be a barge captain. There's nothing he doesn't know about the river — more than me, and that's saying something.'

Hall went off, and returned a moment later with an ancient and wizened man, all shrivelled up inside a reefer coat and jeans.

Salter said, 'Handy, my old son. Come and join us for a drink. I think you might be able to help me.'

'Anything, Harry, anything I can do, you know that.' 'The thing is, Handy, I've got a problem. You know St Richard's Dock?'

"Course I do, Harry.'

'They've redeveloped all the warehouses, office, all that.'

'Finished it last year. I used to work the boats, the old sailing barges from there when I was a kid.'

'There's an interesting thing,' Harry said. 'Billy happened to be on the beach there and noticed the entrance to a tunnel.'

'Well, he would, if the tide was out. If the tide's in, the entrance is covered. It's called St Richard's Force.'

'What the hell is that supposed to mean?' He took the large brandy Dora brought and gave it to the old man.

'Oh, it's a medieval thing. Force meaning pressure, and when the tide goes up, the water goes in that tunnel like you wouldn't believe.' Handy swallowed his brandy greedily. 'The thing is, Harry, it's an interest of mine, London under the ground. There's tunnels from Roman times, Norman times, Tudor sewers, then the Victorians covered everything up. I mean, all these modern multi-storey buildings and office blocks haven't the slightest idea of how many tunnels and sewers go through their foundations.'

'And you do?'

'Always been an interest of mine.'

'And St Richard's Dock?'

'Riddled, Harry, it's like a honeycomb down there.' 'Are you sure?'

'Harry, I've got old books with maps, Victorian.'

'Really?' Salter turned to Billy. 'Do me a favour, Billy, take Handy round to his place and get these books. I'll phone Ferguson, tell him what we've got.' Which he did, and Ferguson, alerted on his mobile, returned to Pine Grove.

An hour later at Pine Grove, Handy Green sat with Roper and showed him some very interesting plans in some very old books. Roper checked the information, then got to work. Ferguson and Salter watched with Billy. Baxter and Hall were in the canteen. The screen came alive with ground plans.

'Extraordinary,' Roper said.

'What is it?' Ferguson asked.

'A network of Victorian tunnels and sewers adjacent to the St Richard's Dock infrastructure. There are places where you'd only need a sledgehammer to smash through Victorian brick into the St Richard's basement.'

'So what's that bleeding mean?' Salter demanded.

Roper said, 'Let me check the St Richard's specifications.' His fingers moved on. Finally, he nodded. 'Interesting. State-of-the-art security, but it's all external. If you come up like a mole, you're home free.'

'That's it, it must be,' Salter said.

'I'd say.' Roper turned to Ferguson. 'Brigadier?'

'Looks like it, but when are they going to do it, that's the thing.' He turned to Salter and his nephew. 'Will you stay on the case? We know the place, but we need to know the time.'

'Well, I don't think it's on Tuesday, if you follow me. Not from what Manchester Charlie Ford indicated. It'll be a week to two weeks.'

'Well, do what you can.'

A pleasure, Brigadier. It makes a change being on the right side for once. Come on, Billy, we'll leave and take Handy with us. Tell you what, we'll keep an eye on the beach.'

They left, and Ferguson said to Roper, 'Do you have anything for me on County Louth?'

'I've extracted everything I can from Regan. From what I've surmised, I've done a breakdown on the Kilbeg place. Do you want a quick look?'

'If you like.'

When Roper was finished, Ferguson sat there thinking about it. 'A tricky one.'

'Very.'

'But I think it should be done sooner rather than later, in view of what's happened.'

'I'd be inclined to agree.'

'Let's have something in the canteen and wait for Dillon and Blake.'

'Just one thing, Brigadier.'

'Feel free.'

'I'm an old Irish hand, and I tell you now, there's no way you can drive into that coastal area of County Louth and pretend to be tourists.'

'Yes, I can see that. You're suggesting a sea approach?' 'It's the only way.'

'Show me County Down, Louth, the Scottish coast.' Roper tapped it up obediently. 'There you go.'

Ferguson said, 'What would you say about Oban on the west coast there? Would that be a suitable point of departure?'

'Perfect, Brigadier.'

'Excellent.' Ferguson took out his mobile and called Hannah Bernstein at the office. 'Dillon not in yet?'

'Just landed at Farley Field, sir.'

'Good. I want him down here, Blake, too. Things are moving, Superintendent. We're going to make an Irish expedition. Speak to transportation. A motor cruiser, that kind of thing.'

'Certainly, sir. Home port?'

'Oban. Any equipment Dillon needs, we'll call him when he arrives. Make the meeting here and come yourself. I'm sorry, but I may have to put you in harm's way again.'

'It's what I'm paid for, sir.'

Dillon and Blake wolfed bacon and eggs and listened to Ferguson and Roper.

Hannah said, 'I think it might be useful if Dillon and Sergeant Major Black had another chat with Regan, sir, just to make sure he's being honest.'

'A sensible idea,' Ferguson said. 'Let's do it.'

They went up to Roper's suite first and he showed them the situation at Kilbeg on the screen. 'It's very remote, a village on the coast, population a hundred or so. Scattered farms, hard-line Catholic Republicans. You couldn't move an inch without the whole countryside knowing.'