these people used the word ‘we’. They’re in the shit, and all of a sudden it’s ‘we’. If the job went wrong it would have no father but me.
I calmed down. ‘That’s why you want a K – it’s a deniable op?’
He nodded.
Why me? I said, ‘Isn’t this a job for the security cell? They’re used to investigations. This isn’t my sort of work.’
‘This isn’t something that needs to go any further within the service.’ There was irritation in Elizabeth’s voice. ‘I particularly wanted you for the job, Mr Stone, as I understand you know Sarah better than most.’
I looked at her, still trying not to show any emotion. She’d raised a knowing eyebrow as she said it. Shit. I tried to look puzzled. ‘I know her, if that’s what you mean, and I’ve worked with her, but that’s about it.’
She tilted her head slightly to one side. She knew I was lying. ‘Really? I was informed that the relationship between you was somewhat cosier. In fact I was told that the reason for your divorce after leaving the military was due entirely to your relationship with Sarah Greenwood. Am I mistaken?’
She wasn’t, and I now understood even more. They had chosen me because they thought I knew her well enough to have a chance of finding her. They were fire-fighting, and they were using me as Red Adair. Fuck ’em, let them sort their own shit out. I might be pissed off, but I wasn’t stupid. It was excuse time. ‘It’s not going to work,’ I said. ‘The US is a big place, and what am I going to do on my own? I haven’t seen her for ages and we weren’t that close. What can I do? What’s the use of even getting on a flight?’
Lynn bent down to pick up my quick-move kit. ‘You will be going on the flight. You will start an investigation to find her. If not, I’m afraid you will find yourself in gaol.’
I felt like saying, ‘Come off it, that’s the sort of line I use myself when I’m threatening people. You can do better than that.’ But I had learned the hard way to keep my mouth shut, and it was just as well I did. Lynn had my daysack on his knees now.
‘Credit us with a little intelligence, Nick. Do you really think we don’t know the full events of last year?’
My stomach lurched and I knew my cheeks were starting to burn. I tried to remain calm, waiting to hear what he had to say.
‘Nick, your version of events leaves out a number of details, any of which will put you behind bars if we so choose. We haven’t investigated the money you kept, or the unlawful killings you performed.’
That sounded rich coming from a man who had sent me out routinely to ‘perform’ unlawfully. But I knew that they could stitch me up if they wanted. It was par for the course; I’d even been part of the stitch-up sometimes. I now knew how it felt.
There was an outside chance they were bluffing. I stared at him and waited to see what else he had to say. I soon wished I hadn’t, because it gave Elizabeth another opening.
‘Mr Stone, let us consider your situation. What, for example, would happen to the child in your guardianship if you were imprisoned? Her life must be difficult enough as it is, I should have thought: new country, new school…’
How the fuck did they know all this? I thought I’d already been given my incentive, but obviously not. They didn’t come any less subtle than this. I had to clench my fists to control myself. I felt like kicking the shit out of both of them. They knew it, and maybe that was why Godzilla was in the driving seat. It’s always unwise to fuck with a man who has a neck bigger than your own head, especially if he probably has enough weaponry in the footwell to shoot down a jumbo jet. I took a deep breath, accepted I was in the shit and let it out again.
Elizabeth carried on as Lynn opened my daysack. ‘Having found her, report back where she is and what she’s doing. Then await further instructions.’
I turned back to Lynn. I knew she had finished and he
I calmed down. ‘That’s why you want a K – it’s a deniable op?’
He nodded.
Why me? I said, ‘Isn’t this a job for the security cell? They’re used to investigations. This isn’t my sort of work.’
‘This isn’t something that needs to go any further within the service.’ There was irritation in Elizabeth’s voice. ‘I particularly wanted you for the job, Mr Stone, as I understand you know Sarah better than most.’
I looked at her, still trying not to show any emotion. She’d raised a knowing eyebrow as she said it. Shit. I tried to look puzzled. ‘I know her, if that’s what you mean, and I’ve worked with her, but that’s about it.’
She tilted her head slightly to one side. She knew I was lying. ‘Really? I was informed that the relationship between you was somewhat cosier. In fact I was told that the reason for your divorce after leaving the military was due entirely to your relationship with Sarah Greenwood. Am I mistaken?’
She wasn’t, and I now understood even more. They had chosen me because they thought I knew her well enough to have a chance of finding her. They were fire-fighting, and they were using me as Red Adair. Fuck ’em, let them sort their own shit out. I might be pissed off, but I wasn’t stupid. It was excuse time. ‘It’s not going to work,’ I said. ‘The US is a big place, and what am I going to do on my own? I haven’t seen her for ages and we weren’t that close. What can I do? What’s the use of even getting on a flight?’
Lynn bent down to pick up my quick-move kit. ‘You will be going on the flight. You will start an investigation to find her. If not, I’m afraid you will find yourself in gaol.’
I felt like saying, ‘Come off it, that’s the sort of line I use myself when I’m threatening people. You can do better than that.’ But I had learned the hard way to keep my mouth shut, and it was just as well I did. Lynn had my daysack on his knees now.
‘Credit us with a little intelligence, Nick. Do you really think we don’t know the full events of last year?’
My stomach lurched and I knew my cheeks were starting to burn. I tried to remain calm, waiting to hear what he had to say.
‘Nick, your version of events leaves out a number of details, any of which will put you behind bars if we so choose. We haven’t investigated the money you kept, or the unlawful killings you performed.’
That sounded rich coming from a man who had sent me out routinely to ‘perform’ unlawfully. But I knew that they could stitch me up if they wanted. It was par for the course; I’d even been part of the stitch-up sometimes. I now knew how it felt.
There was an outside chance they were bluffing. I stared at him and waited to see what else he had to say. I soon wished I hadn’t, because it gave Elizabeth another opening.
‘Mr Stone, let us consider your situation. What, for example, would happen to the child in your guardianship if you were imprisoned? Her life must be difficult enough as it is, I should have thought: new country, new school…’
How the fuck did they know all this? I thought I’d already been given my incentive, but obviously not. They didn’t come any less subtle than this. I had to clench my fists to control myself. I felt like kicking the shit out of both of them. They knew it, and maybe that was why Godzilla was in the driving seat. It’s always unwise to fuck with a man who has a neck bigger than your own head, especially if he probably has enough weaponry in the footwell to shoot down a jumbo jet. I took a deep breath, accepted I was in the shit and let it out again.
Elizabeth carried on as Lynn opened my daysack. ‘Having found her, report back where she is and what she’s doing. Then await further instructions.’
I turned back to Lynn. I knew she had finished and he
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