Andy McNab - Payback

Danny suddenly remembered that Kev had barked out an order to him as he dragged him away from Benny’s body the previous evening. ‘He said something to me – told me to tell you.’

‘Tell me what?’

‘It was numbers or… or letters. Yeah, it was letters.’

‘Think, Danny, you’ve got to remember.’

Danny had been doing his best to force from his memory everything that had happened during those few horrendous moments. Nightmarish images came back to his mind, but he made himself concentrate on the last few words Kev had shouted at him.

‘It was something like PD or PQ. And mainframe. He said mainframe.’

‘PJHQ mainframe?’

‘Yeah, that’s it,’ said Danny excitedly. ‘That’s exactly what he said. I was meant to tell you but-’

‘It doesn’t matter, Danny.’

Danny saw his grandfather’s look of disappointment. ‘What? What’s wrong?’

‘Big Kev only came up with something I’d already thought of, but it’s a non-starter.’

‘Why? What does it mean, this PJHQ?’

‘It’s Northwood, the Permanent Joint Headquarters, a command centre. It’s just up the road from Northolt. What Kev was saying is that there must be some record of me as a K on the mainframe computer. Evidence, Danny, official evidence. If there is anything, it makes perfect sense for it to be at Northwood, and every mainframe in the country can be accessed from there.’

Danny jumped to his feet and a shower of pine needles cascaded down as he crashed into the overhead branches. ‘So we go there. We get in and find out what we need.’

Fergus wiped pine needles from his face. ‘Impossible, Danny. I could never get over the Northwood fences. Even before yesterday, I couldn’t have done it, but now-’

‘I can do it!’

‘No! No way!’

‘If it’s our only chance, I’ve got to try. And maybe Elena can hack into the mainframe. She got into Fincham’s e-mail before.’

‘Danny, it’s one of the most secure places in the UK. We’d never-’

‘Look!’ said Danny, bringing down another shower of pine needles. ‘People have hacked into the Pentagon, and NASA. If there’s nothing else, we’ve got to try it.’

Fergus nodded. He’d been turning over the idea of breaking into Northwood ever since the flight into Northolt, but had abandoned the idea because of the old injury to his leg. The fresh wound made any attempt by him a total impossibility. But maybe Danny could do it – if he was prepared to let him try.

‘We need to sort ourselves first. Cash, medical aid, change of clothes and transport. Spark that phone up.’

Elena answered the call almost immediately. ‘What’s happening?’

Danny smiled: that was Elena, straight to the point as usual.

‘There’s a bit of a problem – my friend was hurt yesterday. Quite a bad leg injury.’

‘Hurt? But last night he said-’

‘I know. We didn’t want to worry you.’

‘You’re always doing this!’ Elena was furious, as well as worried. ‘Lies, or half-truths.’

‘Yeah, look, I’m-’

‘Just tell me what you want me to do.’

‘I’m going to hand the phone over now and you need to listen carefully. Got that?’

‘Yes,’ said Elena curtly.

Fergus came on the line. ‘We need you to come to Abergavenny. We need some cash – quite a lot, so that we can get back and sort a few things.’

‘What things?’

‘It’s better not to talk about that now. Get the train from Paddington to Newport and change there for Abergavenny. Come out of the station, walk to the main road and turn right. There’s a cafe in the bus station car park. You two can RV there. You won’t need to stay. Get a return ticket, and we’ll liaise with you again when we get back. Understand?’

‘Yes.’

‘Text your progress. Thanks – bye.’

The line went dead.

‘And thank you so much for all your help and support, I don’t know what we’d do without you,’ growled Elena as she pressed the disconnect button.

Even at weekends there was a virtually constant stream of traffic passing Foxcroft throughout most of the day. But there were fewer buses, and realizing there would also be fewer trains running, Elena went online and worked out a schedule for her journey.

She also needed to come up with a plausible cover story for Jane and Dave Brooker because she had made a decision of her own. If Danny and Fergus thought she was going to raid her bank account, travel all the way to Wales, hand over the cash and then wave goodbye, they could think again. She was going to help. She was going to stay, for at least one night. And anyway, if Fergus had a serious leg injury, they would need her help, not just her cash.

It wasn’t unheard of for Elena to spend a night or two with one of her friends, and as far as the owners of Foxcroft were concerned she had always been completely truthful. She was their model resident: straight-As student at school; polite; responsible; considerate; mature. She had coped with the disappearance of her best friend Danny six months earlier and had philosophically accepted that her failure of a father had let her down yet again and been packed off back to Nigeria.

And besides, Elena was at an age when she had to be allowed some freedom. It was part of growing up, and Jane and Dave had to judge when they could allow the kids in their care to start preparing for their life after Foxcroft. With some kids that could be a big problem, but not with Elena. She was straight, honest and trustworthy.

So when Elena told Jane a pack of lies, Jane believed every word.

‘I’m staying with Alice tonight, maybe tomorrow as well. We’re working on a project together and it’s easier at her place than here. Her mum says it’s OK.’

Jane smiled. She’d met Elena’s school friend Alice and liked her. ‘That’s fine, love. Should I call Alice’s mum, just to have a word?’

Elena arched her eyebrows as if to say, Jane, please! Don’t embarrass me. Don’t treat me like I’m a child.

It was a risk. If Jane made the call and discovered that no such arrangement had been made, then Elena’s credibility would be blown for good. But Jane trusted Elena. Completely.

‘You have a lovely time. And call me this evening.’

‘I will. Thanks, Jane.’

Elena felt bad as she went back to her room, but lying had been her only option. She threw some clothes into a bag, and then slipped in her laptop as well, knowing she had to be contactable on the Internet. She made sure she had her building society debit card, and then hurried downstairs and went out to catch her bus.

As soon as she stepped out of the front door, she was followed.

Elena had no reason to believe anyone would be tailing her. If the woman – whose name she still didn’t know – wanted to make contact it would be done by e-mail. That was the arrangement, and Elena had checked her messages before leaving. There had been nothing. So she walked towards the bus stop thinking about Danny and meeting up with him in a few hours’ time.

As she reached the bus stop she felt the hand on her shoulder. She froze, and the memory of her terrifying encounter in the alley behind Foxcroft came back to her. At least here in public nothing like that could happen: although there was no one at the bus stop, there were people around and cars passing, and for a moment Elena thought of calling out or running back to Foxcroft. But that would only lead to unwanted questions, and at the very least a delay in getting to Danny.

Slowly Elena turned round and her eyes widened in shock.

‘Hello, babe.’

It was cold in the forestry plantation. The wind had grown stronger and was whipping through the fir trees. Danny was wearing Kev’s Barbour and Fergus had the green fleece around his shoulders.