FERGUSON ON HIS SECURE LINE FINISHED TALKing to Blake Johnson. The American said, “What happens now that Ryan is dead? WoUld yon say the location has died with him?” “Definitely not, otherwise why would they have returned to Scotstowa? My Chief Inspector, as I told you, is there undercover, Dillon in hot pursuit. A man of infinite resource and guile. He’ll sort it out, he always does. He’ll find out where that damn boat is.” “And then?” “Job for the Royal Navy’s salvage section. Something nice and discreet. Make it look like an exercise.” He laughed. “One thing is certain. There’s no way our friends can mourn a proper salvage operation on that boat, not now.” “The President will he pleased to hear that.” “And so will the Prime Minister when I tel4 him in the morning. I’ll keep you up to date on future developments naturally.” “I’d appreciate that, Brigadier.” Ferguson, sitting by the fire at his flat, put the
z83 phone down and went to the drinks cabinet and poured a large whiskey.
“Come on, Dillon,” he said softly. “Sort the buggers out.”
DILLON AT THAT MOMENT WAS ON THE HILL outside the village, the Toyota parked in the shelter of the wood. He scanned the front of theLoyalist with his binoculars, then had a look at the Avenger at anchor out there in the harbor.
“And where will you be, Hannah my love.’? Still in bed at this time in the morning I shouldn’t wonder,” he said softly.
Dawn was coming up fast now and the morning was gray and grim, the damp clinging mist shrouding everything, and rain fell relentlessly. He lit a cigarette and wondered how he was going to play it, and then the front door of the-oyalist opened and they all came out, Jack Barry, Kathleen, Sollazo, and Mori with Hannah Bemstein between them. Stringer stood in the doorway talking to Barry, then went inside.
“Sweet Mother of God!” Dillon said and followed them with his binoculars as they walked down the slipway and got into the green inflatable and cast off.
The outboard hammered into life and they moved away. Dillon got into the Toyota and started the engine.
KEVIN STRINGER, MAKING ANOTHER POT OF TEA in the kitchen, was aware of a slight creaking as the
back door opened. He turned and Dillon smiled at him.
“Dear God, it’s you, Sean,” and Stringer’s throat went dry.
“A long time, Kevin. So what’s been happening here 7” “What do you meanT’ Dillon took the Waither from his pocket. “This thing makes hardly a sound and you know me. I’ll put you on sticks, so tell me.:’ “Please, Sean, ‘I’m only a middleman on this. I listened in when the woman was on the phone. She identified herself as a Chief Inspector and spoke to a Brigadier Ferguson. Mentioned you and Liam Dew lin.” “So, as they’say in bad movies, all is revealed.” “Michael Ryan’s dead,” Stringer said. “A heart attack.” “I know that,” Dillon said. “I know everything.
So they’re going out to Irish Rose.’ “That’s right.” “And the Chief Inspector?” “Jack said she’d be a useful hostage if you turned up. The Ryan girl wanted to kill her. ,So did that bast tard Mori.” “Is that a fact? Well we can’thave that, so let’s get down to the jetty fast before they leaxe.”
ON THE AVENGER BARRY WAS AT THE WHEEL, the two women sitting on the bench beside him. Sol-lazo was on the stern deck with Mori and starting to
raise the anchor when Stringer’s voice boomed across the water.
“Jack, Dillon’s here.” “Jesus, Mary and Joseph!” Jack Barry said and switched off the engine.
He went out on deck and Sollazo and Mori joined him at the rail. “Is that him?” “As ever was.” He raised his voice. “Is it yourself, Sean?” “And who else?” Dillon called back. “Let’s talk.” I’ll be over.” Barry turned to Mori. “Pull the inflatable in.” He shook his head. “The mad has-
“You sound as if you like him,” Sollazo said.
“He was like a son to me. The great days we knew together in Deny in the old days leading British paratroopers a fine ogd-dance.” Mori shaded his eYes with a hand. “He doesn’t look much to me.” ‘: Barry dropped into the inflatable and looked up.