John Gardner - Win, Lose Or Die

There were still three people he needed to talk with. Clover, the luscious Nikki, and one other mentioned in the disturbing list of naval personnel the late Ed Morgan had wanted checking out. He could leave getting reports back on the Russians, but his own kind would have to be looked into now.

He was dog-tired, and there was little likelihood of getting any sleep for at least another twenty-four hours, so he stretched, jammed his cap on and went up to the highly secure holy of holies, the Communications Room, set on the first deck, directly below Flight Operations and the bridge. An aggressive marine challenged him and he showed the pass which had been issued to him, together with other materials on joining Invincible. Apart from Sir John Walmsley, the communications staff would probably be the only ones who realised their special Security Officer was really a disguised “funny”. The Duty Communications Officer certainly did, you could tell by his eyes, and the quick flick of his head when Bond showed him his authority for using the Intelligence Computer which had a direct satellite link with GCHQ, Cheltenham.

They exchanged code words, and a few heads were raised as the Communications Officer took him across the busy room to the little sealed-off area, opening the door and following him in to boot up the big Cray Computer. Once done, the DCO tactfully left him alone.

The beast’s screen shimmered green, and Bond typed in the first set of digits that would wake up the lads in Cheltenham.

STATE AUTHORITY the computer asked him in large black letters.

Bond typed in MERRY-GO-ROUND.

GIVE BACK-UP flashed on to the computer.

26980/8 Bond typed.

TYPE OF INFORMATION REQUIRED? queried the silent machine.

DATA ON ROYAL NAVY PERSONNEL SERVING NOW BIRDSNEST TWO he told it.

WHAT OPS? it asked.

LANDSEA “89 AND POSSIBLY STEWARDS’ MEETING.

SPECIFICS: STATE FULL DOSSIERS OR RELEVANT SECURITY CLEARANCE BOTH INPUT NAMES - SURNAME FOLLOWED BY GIVEN NAME AND RANK IF KNOWN Bond methodically typed in the list recalled from Ed Morgan’s last words on earth.

In a matter of seconds, the machine began to throw dossiers at him on the screen. One at a time they came, and he could scroll up and down them, reading the official lives of all those Morgan had requested. He went through six dossiers and selected the “OK” on each when he had finished.

The seventh was LEADING WREN DEELEY, SARAH.

The response came up, fast and flashing NO LEAD! NC WREN DEELEY, SARAH ATTACHED TO BJRDSNEST flVO PLEASE WAIT He waited. Then NO LEADING WREN DEELEY, SARAH SHOWS ON RECORD. PLEASE REPORT YOUR SUPERIOR OFFICER IMMEDIATELY The name had rung a bell. Yes, he recalled the pyjamad figure as he hurried towards the heads with Clover. Clover had sharply told her to get back into her cabin.

So, he would now see Clover and Nikki. Then, last of all, the non-existent Leading Wren Sarah Deeley; There was no way he could report anything to his superior officer.

Bond went back to his cabin and sent a message out that he required to see First Officer Pennington WRNS, immediately.

Will you Join the Dance?

He had sent for coffee, and now sat sipping the strong, black brew. Across the desk, Clover Pennington, looking nervous, picked up her cup - white; no sugar.

“Clover, the situation is quite simple. The guards were off for about ten minutes. I know that. Then one of them, with you in tow, came banging at my door just after twenty-five past one.

So, in those ten minutes two things happened. First Ed Morgan left the cabin he was sharing with two other American bodyguards and went to the Wrens’ heads. We don’t know why. Maybe he had a date.

Maybe he wanted to be somewhere he was unlikely to be disturbed, the Wrens’ heads was the most likely place he could be alone.” The second choice, Bond knew, was the most probable truth.

“While he was there, someone came in behind him and slit his throat. Quickly, quietly, and very efficiently. It could have been one of his buddies, or one of the Russians, even Moggy Camm, one of Admiral Sir Geoffrey Gould’s Flag Lieueys. On the other hand, it could have been the Russian lady .

“Nikki the Rat?” she said it with no trace of humour.

“Nikki, yes. Or, First Officer Pennington, it could have been you, or one of your girls. We still have to discuss the question of how Morgan’s body was found. You said it was one of your Wrens. Which one?”

“Leading Wren Deeley.” Her hand shook, shaking the cup. So much so that she had to put her other hand up to steady it.

“Okay, Clover. We both know whose side you’re on, because you came storming into the villa on Ischia, having almost had me killed .

She suddenly appeared to steady herself. “I saved your life as it happens. We blew the BAST girl to hell and gone. You were there. We triggered that explosion before you could get close. It was, as they say, a button job.”

“Right, Clover. after spending time with me at Northanger you went back to Yeovilton and collected your girls. Girls you’d already worked with.”

“Yes.”

“Then how do you explain Leading Wren Deeley? The girl who found friend Morgan’s body?”

She took another sip of coffee, then said, “James, I just can’t explain her. Those last few weeks at Yeovilton were spent going through all the drills with the girls - all the stuff we would have to do for Stewards’ Meeting. I came back from Northanger and one of my Leading Wrens had gone sick. They had simply put Deeley in her place.

I had a bit of a row with the Executive Officer about it. I also had to go through the training with Deeley on her own. Thank God, she’s smart and a quick study, as they say in the theatre.” Bond looked into her eyes. They were steady and nothing stirred or moved within them.

“You baby-sat me in Ischia with a team, right?”

“You know it’s right.”

“And you’re still watching my back here, in Invincible?”

“Part of my orders, yes. It isn’t easy, James.”

He let the pause hang between them for almost a minute.

“I’ve checked you out, Clover. You appear to be absolutely clean.”

“What d’you mean? Checked me out?”

“I’ve been onto our records in London with a list of names.

You come out clean, and you’ve done all the courses for my particular service.

“Of course I have. Damn it, I’ve been in the Royal Navy for six years.

“Then why didn’t you run a check on Deeley?”

“I didn’t think it .

Bond hit the desk with the flat of his palm. “Who do you think was responsible for Ed Morgan’s death?”

She gave a long sigh, “Nikki the Rat. She arrived in the heads very conveniently, just after Deeley found the body.”

“Don’t be naive, Clover. You saw the state of those heads, they were awash with blood. We made one hell of a mess in the corridors just getting the body looked at and moved. Footprints all over the place. When we arrived - you, me and the marine there was one set of smudged footprints leading out. Deeley, you say, found the body, followed quickly by Nikki Ratnikov. Deeley actually went into the heads, yes?”

“Yes.” A very small voice.

“Nikki stood outside the bulkhead and screamed her head off, right?”

She nodded.

“Then Deeley came out. In a state? You haven’t told me any of this, yet. But I’m presuming it. Am I right?”

She took a long sip of coffee. “The screaming woke me. After all, my cabin’s almost opposite the heads.”

“Yes?”

“I came out and there was Nikki screaming - “Standing just outside the bulkhead?”

“Yes.”

“And Deeley was inside, with her feet paddling in blood?”

A quick, almost reluctant, nod. “She was in a state. Just standing there looking at the body and the blood. Frozen there.