Jack Higgins - Day of Reckoning

Daz ignored him. 'Yes, well, nothing requires some very careful stitching. How many would you say, Martha? Fifteen? Perhaps twenty. In the circumstances, I don't think a local anaesthetic will do. We'll need a general. Get Doctor Hamed for me. I know he's here. He can assist.'

'Now, look here, I don't want to be on my back,' Blake said. 'I've got things to do.'

'Not if you have a crippled shoulder for the rest of your life.'

Martha said, 'Do as you're told, Mr Johnson. You're not a stupid man.' She turned to Dillon. 'Leave him to it. Check in this afternoon.'

'For God's sake, Sean,' Blake said.

'No problem. If you're not fit, you can come up to Oban tomorrow with Hannah and Regan.'

At that moment, Billy Salter drove up to St Richard's Dock in the Range Rover and parked. He got out and walked along the embankment to where an old Ford van was parked, opened the door, and got in beside Joe Baxter, who was looking down at the shingle beach through a pair of old binoculars. He lowered them.

'What is it?' Billy asked.

'Well, having nothing to do, we checked out that cafe where Manchester Charlie Ford has breakfast. The thing is, he wasn't only with the big beast.'

'Go on, surprise me.'

'Connie Briggs.'

'Well, that's good. He's about the best on any kind of electronic security system in London.'

'I know, he's a genius.'

'Who else?'

'Val French.'

'Jesus. The big expert with the thermal lance. Cut up those security boxes on that Gatwick gold bullion job like sardine cans. We all know that.'

'So do Scotland Yard, but they couldn't prove it.' 'So why are we here?'

'They all came down in a Toyota van. We followed. They got out carrying a couple of canvas bags, went along the beach, the tide being out, and went along to the tunnel entrance. Sam's down there now, tucked behind that old wreck.'

Billy took the binoculars, focused them, and at that moment Manchester Charlie Ford and the others came out of the tunnel and went back to the steps up to the dock.

They all got in the Toyota and drove away. 'Give me the torch and let's take a look.'

'Let them go,' Billy said.

The tunnel was damp from the receding early morning tide, the brickwork green, as Billy switched on the torch. The rusting iron grille was there as before. The only difference was that the huge old lock had gone and the gate responded to a strong heave.

'Well, well,' Billy said. 'Let's take a look.'

They followed the tunnel, sloshing through two or three inches of water. It seemed to go on forever and there were side tunnels.

'All right,' Billy said. 'Enough is enough. We're under the dock and there's nothing important. Let's go back.'

They arrived back at the Dark Man at noon and found Salter in his usual booth. He listened and nodded.

'Okay, it's on, and it's got to be the White Diamond Company. I'll check with Ferguson.'

At that moment, Ferguson and Dillon walked in.

'I can't believe it,' Billy said. 'We were just talking about you and here you are.'

'Magic, Billy,' Dillon said. 'It's with me being from County Down.'

'What are you after, Brigadier?' Salter asked.

'Cottage pie for lunch and an indifferent red wine would do, for a start.'

'Yes, well we've got news for you,' Billy said, and told

him.

Ferguson took out his mobile and called Roper at Pine Grove and relayed the information. 'I'm concerned with timing here. It's just occurred to me. If you could access the White Diamond Company, we might find something is going on.'

'Leave it with me, Brigadier.'

Ferguson put his phone down. 'So, we could be in business, gentlemen. It's an OBE for you, Harry, for services to the country.'

'Fuck off, Brigadier.'

Dora appeared. 'Cottage pie, love, and a bottle of that Krug champagne, as Dillon's here.'

She walked away and Dillon said, 'It's the great man you are, Harry.'

'What are you trying to do, you little Irish git, butter me up?'

'Actually, yes. I need a favour.'

'What favour?'

'I need a master diver, and the only one I know on short notice is Billy.'

Salter was totally shocked. 'You've got to be kidding.'

'No. My American friend Blake took a bullet in the shoulder and won't be too fit. I'm taking a boat into a remote part of the Irish coast, where there's an underground bunker full of the wrong kind of weapons waiting to be used in the next round of the Irish troubles. I intend to blow it to hell, and as friend Fox has a financial interest, I'll get extra pleasure.' He turned to Billy. 'Listen, you young dog, it'll be a good deed in a naughty world. Are you with me?'

Billy had an unholy light in his eyes. 'By God, I am, Dillon. These fucks come over and blow up London. Let's go and blow them up.'

'Billy?' his uncle said.

Ferguson's phone rang. He listened, then said, 'Fine. I'll talk later.' He drank a little champagne. 'That was Major Roper. He's accessed the White Diamond Company's computer. They're receiving a consignment of top-grade diamonds on Thursday. Ten million pounds' worth.'

Dillon said, 'So we know where we are.' He turned. 'Harry?'

Salter said, 'What the hell, we're with you.'

'Excellent.' Dillon smiled. 'It's Scotland for you, Billy, and a nice sea voyage.'

'Christ,' Billy said. 'I get seasick.'

'We'll stop at a pharmacist and get you some pills on the way to Farley Field. That'll be three hours from now, after which you'll be winging your way north.'

'I've never been to Scotland,' Billy said.

'Well, we'll take care of that.' Dillon smiled as Dora brought plates of food to the table.

'Cottage pie and Krug champagne, and God help Brendan Murphy.'

SCOTLAND

IRELAND

Blake was flat out when Dillon called at Rosedene to check on his condition. Hannah was with him. Daz was at the university, but Martha was there.

'He'll be fine, but not particularly fit for a while,' she said, and frowned. 'He's not going to get up to any nonsense, I hope, Mr Dillon? I know what your lot are like, and he honestly isn't up to it.'

'I know, Martha. I know. We'll take it as it comes. I'm flying off to Scotland, so keep the Superintendent here informed.' 'Trouble again?' she asked.

Always is.' He kissed her cheek.

'Oh, well,' she said, and gave him the ancient toast. 'May you die in Ireland.'

'Oh, thanks very much.' Dillon laughed. 'See you soon.' He and Hannah left.

On the way to the Dark Man, she said, 'It could be a hard one, Sean.'

'I know, and Blake won't be up to it. Frankly, in his condition, he'd be a liability.'

'What do you want me to do?'

'Try and lose him. With luck, you won't have to do much. Maybe Martha could give him a pill.'

'Always the practical one, aren't you.'

'He's a good man, Hannah, I'm the bad one. I don't care about that, but I do care about him.'

'I'll never understand you.'

'I don't understand me. Join the club. I'm just passing through, Hannah, I'd have thought you'd have realized that by now.'

Dillon phoned ahead, and Billy was waiting outside the Dark Man with his uncle, Baxter and Hall.

Harry said, 'I actually care for this young bastard, so bringhim back in one piece, Dillon. Notice I didn't say try, so don't let me down, because if you come back alone. .'

'I get the picture,' Dillon said. 'In you get, Billy.'

The driver put the case in the boot and Billy sat in front, nervous and excited. 'Christ, Dillon, what have you got me into?'

'High adventure, Billy. You'll come back and join the Marines.'

'Like hell I will. Independent spirit, me.'

At Farley Field, the department's quartermaster, a retired sergeant major, waited with his list.

'All loaded, Mr Dillon. Walthers with Carswell silencers, three Uzi machine pistols with silencers. Stun grenades, and half a dozen of the fragmentation variety, in case you have trouble, plus the Semtex and timers.'