The doors sighed open and a middle-aged couple got out, leaving Gormley quite alone, but just before the doors hissed shut again two men got in – and their ESP-aura washed over him like a wave of icy water! Yes, and now he could put faces to feelings.
Dragosani and Batu sat directly opposite their quarry, stared straight at him with cold, expressionless faces. They made a strange pair, he thought, not designed with any degree of compatibility. Not outwardly, anyway. The taller one leaned forward, his sunken eyes reminding Gormley yet again of Harry Keogh. Yes, they were like Keogh’s eyes in a way, probably in their colour and intelligence. And that was especially strange, for set in this face one got the impression that by rights they should be feral or even red, and that the intelligence behind them was barely human at all but that of a beast.
‘You know what we are, Sir Keenan,’ the stranger said in a voice deep as it was dark, whose Russian accent he made no attempt to disguise, ‘if not who we are. And we know who and what you are. Therefore it would be childish simply to sit here and pretend that we were ignorant of each other. Don’t you agree?’
‘Your logic leaves little room for argument,’ Gormley nodded, imagining that his blood was already beginning to cool in his veins.
“Then let us continue to be logical,’ said Dragosani. ‘If we wanted you dead, you would be dead. We have not
lacked the opportunity, as I’m sure you know. And so, when we leave the train at South Kensington, you will not attempt to run or make a fuss, or bring unnecessary attention to yourself or to us. If you do, then we will be forced to kill you and that would be unfortunate, of benefit to no one. Is this understood and agreed?’
Gormley forced himself to remain calm, raised an eyebrow and said: ‘You’re very sure of yourself, Mr er – ?’
‘Dragosani,’ said the other at once. ‘Boris Dragosani. Yes, I am very sure of myself. As is my friend here, Max Batu.’
‘ – For a stranger in this country, I was about to say,’ Gormley continued. ‘It seems to me that I’m about to be kidnapped. But are you sure you know all you need to know about my habits? Mightn’t there be something you’ve overlooked? Something your logic hasn’t taken into account?’ He quickly, nervously took out a cigarette lighter from his right-hand overcoat pocket and placed it in his lap, patted his pockets as if he searched for a packet of cigarettes, finally started to reach inside his overcoat.
‘No!’ said Dragosani warningly. As if from nowhere he produced his own weapon and held it before him at arm’s length, pointing it directly into Gormley’s face, so that the older man looked straight down the rifled barrel of the stubby black silencer. ‘No, nothing has been overlooked. Max, could you see to that, please?’
Batu got up, eased himself on to the seat next to Gormley, drew the other’s hand slowly back into the open and took the Browning from Gormley’s trembling fingers. The safety catch was still on. Batu released the magazine and pocketed it, gave the automatic back to Gormley.
‘Nothing at all,’ Dragosani continued. ‘Unfortunately, however, that was the last wrong move you’ll be allowed
to make.’ He put away his gun, folded his slim fingers into his lap. His posture was unnatural, Gormley decided: very sinuous, almost feline, very nearly female. He didn’t know what to make of Dragosani at all.
‘Any more heroics,’ Dragosani continued, ‘will result in your death – immediately!’ And Gormley knew he wasn’t bluffing.
Carefully, he pushed the useless automatic back into its holster, said: ‘What is it you want with me?’
‘We want to talk to you,’ said Dragosani. ‘I wish to … to put some questions to you.’
‘I’ve had questions put to me before,’ Gormley answered, forcing a tight smile. ‘I imagine they’ll be very searching questions, eh?’
‘Ah!’ said Dragosani. Now he smiled, and it was ghastly. Gormley felt physically repulsed. His man’s mouth gaped like a panting dog’s, where elongated teeth gleamed sharply white. ‘Ah, no. There’ll be no bright lights in your eyes, Sir Keenan, if that’s what you mean,’ said Dragosani. ‘No drugs. No pincers. No hose to fill your belly with water. Oh, no, nothing like that. But you will tell me everything I want to know, of that I can assure you . . .’