Jack Ford - Dead Edge - the gripping political thriller for fans of Lee Child

Pushed him off.

Made sure he sat back down in the chair.

‘Sorry, your honor. It’s just important the court understands…’

‘Mr Edwards, I hope you’re not going to start lecturing the court.’

‘No…No, it’s just my client has been in Africa for the past few weeks and…

The judge brought the gavel down hard, prompting Cooper to think of the end of a record breaking bid at Christie’s auction house. ‘Sit down, counsellor, you can save the speech till after lunch.’

‘But…’

With his waxy pallor further bleached by the rows of fluorescent lights which’d just been flicked on, and his Southern state voice sounding like each word was being played by an over tightened instrument from Manny’s music store, Judge Saunders said, ‘Mr Edwards, I advise you to listen to me, not least because my highly acidic stomach will not sit quietly through a long speech telling me how remorseful your client is for not turning up for his court-ordered psychological sessions, nor how contrite he is about the fact he’s only done three hours of the fifty-two hours’ community service he was sentenced to on June 9th. Whilst I’m sure your reasons will certainly try to appease the state of Colorado, at this moment in time, counsel, they certainly won’t appease me. I therefore think it’s wise to take a recess. However, let me warn you and Mr Cooper here: even when the irregularities of the body are once again in a state of contented realignment, I have to say that after hearing from the treating doctor on Mr Cooper’s psychological and drug rehabilitation progress report earlier, I already feel inclined to revoke his formal probation.’

‘Your honor, I…’

‘Mr Edwards, cut it right there and save the surprised look for the junior judges; we’ve all been to law school… You and your client were warned this might happen when the court changed Mr Cooper’s probation from summary to formal. And I’m sure I don’t have to remind you that to get your client to attend court today, the sheriff’s office had to pick him up from whatever hole he was hiding in. So it seems clear to me with no progression being made, even with the gift horse of prohibition, that a jail term, with sentencing in a couple of weeks, might be the only way to proceed. So if I were you, Mr Edwards, I’d think very carefully about what you’re going to say to the court this afternoon when we return at two thirty.’

4

e4 d6

The call came as no surprise, nor what was said, nor how it was said. Rounded. Meticulous pronunciation intentionally concealing the foreign accent. ‘We had a deal.’

‘Not that deal. You know that was never on the table. It’s impossible. I told you that before. I would never and could never agree to it. You know that.’

‘What I know is you have to make this happen. However you do that is entirely up to you,’ the caller said.

‘I won’t be put in this position.’

‘You won’t? Are you sure about that?’

‘Abso-goddamn-lutely.’

There was a pause before the caller said. ‘Then we carry on until you’re persuaded otherwise. Though I am surprised. I would’ve thought the message of bombs and countless dead would be enough to make you realize there’s only one way out of this… The toll of the dead is in your hands.’

‘Goddamn you! I gave you all I could.’

The caller laughed mockingly. ‘No, we gave you all we could. You got what you wanted and now we want something in return.’

‘You had it already. There is no more. And you know nothing was ever one sided. What we had was a fair deal. We both know that and we both got what we needed… Look, even if I wanted to do this, what you’re asking is an impossibility. I can’t do it on my own. There are two people needed to make such an action happen. It isn’t just me. It’s not like before.’

‘Then you find a way for the other person to see it your way. I don’t think you want a war. I think you have enough of those already… But if it does come to that, it’ll be like nothing you’ve seen before. Hell will be unleashed.’

‘And you don’t think there’d be a war, a massive fall-out if I did what you were asking? You do know who he is and what he stands for?’

The contempt from the caller was palpable. ‘What you say he stands for.’

‘What I know he stands for. What you’re asking doesn’t make sense! It’s not in either of our best interests, because we’ll end up coming after you… It can only end one way. Jesus Christ, you gotta see that this will cause a resurgence and reignite everything we’ve fought against for the past few years… I can’t do it. The answer’s no.’

The caller’s tone was light but heavy with threat. ‘I pride myself on my English but it seems you’re not understanding me clearly. This is not a negotiation. We shall cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Their habitation is the fire and you will suffer in this life and go to hell in the next.’

‘Listen to me and listen carefully…’

The caller interrupted. ‘No, it’s you who’ll listen… Eventually you’ll realize you need to sacrifice a pawn to continue with the game you started.’

‘But it isn’t a pawn, is it? We’re not talking about a pawn.’

‘That depends on how you look at it. And in case you think that this is just an empty threat, we have another reminder for you. Hopefully this one will help to persuade you to come to the right decision.’

‘You bastard. You don’t have to do this.’

‘Look at it this way. At least you’ve got a warning this time… Next Wednesday, the government building. Eighteen forty-five hours. Chatham, Illinois… Do what you think’s right.’

5

Nf3 O-O

‘What the hell did you think you were doing in there?’

Earl Edwards slammed Cooper hard against the cool tiles of the court house restroom, reminding Cooper of the fact Earl had been the high school wrestling champion.

‘Earl, listen…’

He slammed again. Only this time harder. High school state champion three years running.

‘Don’t. I don’t want to hear any crap coming out of your mouth, Coop. But I do want to know why only one of us was trying back there? It’s always the same with you, Coop. Destroy everything you got going for you. If it’s jail you want to go to, carry on doing what you’re doing.’

A bald guy on the wrong side of two hundred pounds walked in. Looked at them. Walked right out.

‘What do you want me to do, Earl?’

‘I want you to let me do my job! And let me tell you something, Coop, you’re not making that easy. Look at you. We’re here to try to convince the court you got it together. That you’re willing to do the programs. But can you do that? The hell you can. You come here so wired I’m surprised you can even hold your head up… Where did that tall, handsome, clean-living guy go to, Coop?’

This time Cooper slammed Earl hard. Reminding him of the fact he’d been the armed forces wrestling champion… Four years in a row. ‘Don’t pull that one on me, Earl. Not you. I’m trying, okay. Things have been a bit tough lately.’

‘Coop, you’re losing it, man. We all get what’s going on. We all feel for you, but when’s it going to stop? You’ve messed up your marriage. You’re messing up your job. And it’s starting all over again.’

‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

‘I’m talking about Ellie.’

There it was again. The shot. Only this time it wasn’t done with a small-caliber pistol. This time Cooper felt the hit from a Remington pump.

His breathing was fast. Hard. Short. Shallow. Damn it, he could hardly get his breath.