LITMIR.BIZ

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blade, and stabbed at the base of his right buttock before tumbling out against him.

      He howled in agony, kicking at her, discharging the Glock twice into the ground. Dillon’s hand swung up and he shot him in the centre of his forehead, hurling him back against the Mini. He slid to the ground and sat there, eyes open.

      Sara said, ‘I wonder what he’s staring at?’

      ‘Who knows?’ Dillon said. ‘Eternity, if there is anything out there.’ He closed Abu’s eyes. ‘You’re a remarkable woman, and you saved my life.’

      She lifted her hands. ‘Look at them, Sean, not even the hint of a shake. Would you say that was normal?’

      ‘What it indicates is that you’re a warrior of the Old Testament Sword of the Lord and Gideon variety, and thank heaven for it.’

      The rain became heavy and driving, and Dillon took her hand and they ran to the shelter of a deep doorway, where Sara said, ‘It’s as if something’s trying to wash it all away, the blood, everything. What happens now? Nobody seems to be interested.’

      ‘They wouldn’t be,’ Dillon said. ‘Not in what’s happening in a wasteland like this, a mile away from the main road and civilization.’

      He produced his silver cigarette case, put one in his mouth. Sara said, ‘Give me one.’

      ‘You don’t smoke.’

      ‘Now and then.’ She snapped her fingers. ‘Come on!’

      She took the one he offered, his Zippo flared, and she inhaled without coughing. ‘When did all this start?’ he demanded.

      ‘Afghanistan,’ she said. ‘A godsend on occasions.’

      ‘I can see where it would be,’ he told her. ‘So enjoy, while I speak to Roper.’

      Which he did, hurrying across to another doorway and calling in, giving Roper a swift and accurate account of events.

      Sara was sitting on a ledge in the corner of the doorway when he went back. ‘Teague and the disposal team will be here in half an hour. You’ll just have to hang on. Would you like another cigarette?’

      ‘Why not.’ He gave her one, and she said, ‘Our own private undertaker.’

      ‘Abu will be six pounds of grey ash about two hours from now.’

      ‘And how long has Ferguson been getting away with this?’

      ‘Since Ireland and the Troubles. He was annoyed by really bad guys evading punishment because of human rights lawyers and the like. So, in a sense, we stopped taking prisoners. It saves a hell of a lot of court time. You don’t approve, do you?’

      ‘Don’t be too sure about that. Afghanistan was a cruel taskmaster. Perhaps it dulled the senses. Exposure to the butchery of children, innocent civilians, made one indifferent to the lives of those who had murdered them. If anything, a quick bullet seemed too easy for them.’

      ‘Had anything happened to make you feel that?’

      ‘Six months before the fuss at Abusan when they gave me an MC, I was on a similar gig with three brigade reconnaissance guys. We touched on a village called Mira and came under fire from the Taliban. We poured it in, they gave up. We found fourteen dead, mainly children. It looked like two families, with four young women who appeared to have been raped.’

      ‘And the Taliban?’

      ‘They stood there, hands on heads, impassive and unconcerned as I passed along the line, Glock in hand. I reached the last one, and he smiled and pursed his lips as if to kiss me, so I shot him between the eyes and worked my way backwards, taking out all four.’

      It was quiet there in the rain, and Dillon said softly, ‘And what did your three companions do?’

      ‘There wasn’t much they could do, it had happened so quickly. They swore to keep their mouths shut, not that it mattered. BRF duties are some of the most dangerous in the army. They were dead, one by one, over the next four months.’

      ‘Which leaves you alone with your guilty secret?’

      ‘Not quite, Sean, now that I’ve told you.’

      Dillon put an arm around her shoulders. ‘I’m glad you did, girl, perhaps I can help carry your burden.’

      ‘But there is no burden,’ she said. ‘Those men deserved what they got. I don’t feel the slightest guilt in the matter, so what does that say about me?’

      Dillon actually laughed. ‘God save us, Sara, I can’t help you there, being in the same boat.’ He passed her the pack of cigarettes. ‘Have another if you want, I’m going to check out the Mini.’

      His clothes were completely soaked now, and Abu had slumped onto his side. Dillon pulled the body away from the car and laid the corpse out on its back.

      He crossed himself and, remembering Abu’s final words, murmured, ‘You’ll know all about it now, son.’

      He turned to the Mini and inspected it as best he could. The passenger door required a bang to close it, but the fact that the gates standing half open had bounced out of the way on the Mini’s passage into the yard meant there was little damage. The lights still worked, and he found that he could drive it around the yard. As he was doing that, a large black van coasted in silently and four men in black overalls got out.

      ‘Good to see you in one piece, Mr Dillon,’ the man in charge said. ‘No injuries, I trust?’

      Dillon shook hands. ‘I’m in perfect working order, and so is Captain Gideon, Mr Teague.’

      ‘A pleasure to see you, ma’am,’ Teague said as Sara approached.

      Two of his colleagues were already easing Abu into a black body bag, the third had righted the Montesa and was wheeling it to the rear of the van.

      ‘No problem with the bike, we’ll dispose of it, but I’d be obliged if you would show me what happened with the London cab.’

      Which Dillon did, Sara following them. They stood on the broken end of the wharf, and Teague shone a powerful torch. ‘Forty feet down and possibly a depth of thirty feet. Remember, the Thames is fiercely tidal, so the wreck of the cab could be swept away. No exchange of fire?’

      ‘Absolutely not,’ Dillon told him.

      ‘So if it ever was examined – say, by the river police – it would pass as a very unfortunate accident.’

      ‘Which you could say it was, in a manner of speaking,’ Dillon told him.

      ‘So that’s what we’ll leave it as.’ Teague turned to Sara. ‘What a world we live in, ma’am. So pleased you’re in one piece. The Mini being usable, Mr Dillon, I presume you’ll be driving back to Holland Park?’

      Dillon turned to Sara. ‘Would you rather go home?’

      ‘I think that would be a good idea. I’ve got to face them sometime, put on a show of normality.’ She held out her hand to Teague. ‘I’m sure we’ll meet again, but I hope it’s later rather than sooner.’

      She went to the Mini, and Teague said, ‘A remarkable lady.’

      ‘You can say that again. That Al Qaeda assassin had me in his sights, and she took him on with a spring blade. Saved my life.’

      ‘So you owe her, and big-time. Always remember that, my friend.’ Teague shook hands, went to the van where the others waited, got in, and was driven away.

      Dillon went to the Mini, where he found Sara behind the wheel. He slipped into the passenger seat. His only comment was ‘When you drop a gear and put your foot down hard, there’s a huge power surge. It’s the supercharger.’

      ‘Thanks, I’ll bear that in mind,’ she told him, switched on, and drove away. He selected a CD and music drifted out. Fred Astaire.

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