count the money or something. But it’s a really good sign.’
‘How come?’
‘They’re interested in you,’ James explained. ‘For all we knew, Hagar’s crew had fifty kids all eager to work for them and you wouldn’t get a look-in for weeks. Did he take your mobile number?’
Ryan nodded. ‘When I got back to The Hangout I asked for his number, but he just laughed.’
‘What about the girls?’ James asked.
Ryan looked mystified as he laid four slices of bread on the countertop. ‘What girls?’
James laughed. ‘It was a disco, wasn’t it? So I assume there were girls there.’
‘Oh right,’ Ryan said. ‘There were a few fit girls, but I never got a chance to talk to any of them.’
‘Keep your eyes peeled for an ex of someone who might know stuff,’ James said. ‘Are you still messed up over that Natalka chick you met in Kyrgyzstan?’
For a second Ryan wondered how James could know, but as a mission controller James would have read all the records of his past missions.
‘It’s a year since we had to go our separate ways,’ Ryan said. ‘I still think about her though.’
James nodded. ‘I fell in love on a mission a couple of times.’
‘Was that with Kerry Chang?’ Ryan asked.
James laughed. ‘Nah, I was usually cheating on Kerry.’
‘Is Kerry still your girlfriend?’
James nodded. ‘But she’s at university in California so I don’t get to see her much.’
‘Bummer,’ Ryan said.
As Ryan flipped the sizzling rashers he felt his iPhone vibrate in his pocket. He backed away from the noisy pan so that he could hear the deep voice in his ear.
‘It’s Ali,’ the guy said.
‘Ali who?’
‘You went to Dirtyburger for me last night.’
‘Oh, sorry!’ Ryan said. ‘You never gave me your name.’
As Ryan spoke he pointed at the pan and gestured for James to take over the cooking.
‘Busy today, son?’
‘No,’ Ryan said. ‘Just moved into the area. No idea what to do with myself.’
‘Well, you wanna earn twenty-five quid for a few hours’ graft?’
‘Sure,’ Ryan shrugged.
‘I’ll text you a location, Youssef will meet you there.’
*
Fay and Ning rode the bus back to Totteridge, then began the half-hour tube journey to Kentish Town. It was a beautiful day. Their carriage was empty apart from a woman with a buggy at the opposite end, but Fay’s huge smile made Ning uneasy.
‘Why so happy?’ Ning asked. ‘Aren’t you worried?’
Fay shrugged. ‘I’ve been dreaming about getting Hagar back since my aunt died.’
‘But your mum and aunt were smart and Hagar got them.’
‘The therapist at Idris said I was a pathological thrill seeker ,’ Fay said. ‘A danger addict.’
‘Where do we start?’ Ning asked. ‘I mean, presumably we don’t just ask for directions to Hagar’s house and then shoot him.’
Fay laughed. ‘First off, it’s unlikely Hagar even lives in a dump like Kentish Town. Second, I don’t just want to kill Hagar. I want to get right in his face and make him mad first.’
After riding the escalator out of Kentish Town tube station, Fay and Ning walked away from the shops and restaurants and headed for the Pemberton estate.
‘That’s The Hangout youth club,’ Fay said. ‘Hagar’s people used to run a lot of small-time stuff out of there.’
‘Like what?’
‘Street-level dealers, mostly,’ Fay said. ‘They recruit local kids to do the jobs nobody else wants.’
‘Are we going inside?’
‘No point,’ Fay said.
Instead, Fay led Ning to a shabby underground garage block, through a park that seemed seedy even on a bright summer’s day, and finally to an industrial estate where a man lay sleeping on his back.
‘He’ll do,’ Fay said.
The man was dirty, dressed in a denim jacket, football shorts and filthy trainers. His legs were so skinny that you could see every bone and tendon and he had scabs all over his body.
‘Is he a drug addict?’ Ning asked, looking shocked.
‘Of course,’ Fay said.
‘How come?’
‘They’re interested in you,’ James explained. ‘For all we knew, Hagar’s crew had fifty kids all eager to work for them and you wouldn’t get a look-in for weeks. Did he take your mobile number?’
Ryan nodded. ‘When I got back to The Hangout I asked for his number, but he just laughed.’
‘What about the girls?’ James asked.
Ryan looked mystified as he laid four slices of bread on the countertop. ‘What girls?’
James laughed. ‘It was a disco, wasn’t it? So I assume there were girls there.’
‘Oh right,’ Ryan said. ‘There were a few fit girls, but I never got a chance to talk to any of them.’
‘Keep your eyes peeled for an ex of someone who might know stuff,’ James said. ‘Are you still messed up over that Natalka chick you met in Kyrgyzstan?’
For a second Ryan wondered how James could know, but as a mission controller James would have read all the records of his past missions.
‘It’s a year since we had to go our separate ways,’ Ryan said. ‘I still think about her though.’
James nodded. ‘I fell in love on a mission a couple of times.’
‘Was that with Kerry Chang?’ Ryan asked.
James laughed. ‘Nah, I was usually cheating on Kerry.’
‘Is Kerry still your girlfriend?’
James nodded. ‘But she’s at university in California so I don’t get to see her much.’
‘Bummer,’ Ryan said.
As Ryan flipped the sizzling rashers he felt his iPhone vibrate in his pocket. He backed away from the noisy pan so that he could hear the deep voice in his ear.
‘It’s Ali,’ the guy said.
‘Ali who?’
‘You went to Dirtyburger for me last night.’
‘Oh, sorry!’ Ryan said. ‘You never gave me your name.’
As Ryan spoke he pointed at the pan and gestured for James to take over the cooking.
‘Busy today, son?’
‘No,’ Ryan said. ‘Just moved into the area. No idea what to do with myself.’
‘Well, you wanna earn twenty-five quid for a few hours’ graft?’
‘Sure,’ Ryan shrugged.
‘I’ll text you a location, Youssef will meet you there.’
*
Fay and Ning rode the bus back to Totteridge, then began the half-hour tube journey to Kentish Town. It was a beautiful day. Their carriage was empty apart from a woman with a buggy at the opposite end, but Fay’s huge smile made Ning uneasy.
‘Why so happy?’ Ning asked. ‘Aren’t you worried?’
Fay shrugged. ‘I’ve been dreaming about getting Hagar back since my aunt died.’
‘But your mum and aunt were smart and Hagar got them.’
‘The therapist at Idris said I was a pathological thrill seeker ,’ Fay said. ‘A danger addict.’
‘Where do we start?’ Ning asked. ‘I mean, presumably we don’t just ask for directions to Hagar’s house and then shoot him.’
Fay laughed. ‘First off, it’s unlikely Hagar even lives in a dump like Kentish Town. Second, I don’t just want to kill Hagar. I want to get right in his face and make him mad first.’
After riding the escalator out of Kentish Town tube station, Fay and Ning walked away from the shops and restaurants and headed for the Pemberton estate.
‘That’s The Hangout youth club,’ Fay said. ‘Hagar’s people used to run a lot of small-time stuff out of there.’
‘Like what?’
‘Street-level dealers, mostly,’ Fay said. ‘They recruit local kids to do the jobs nobody else wants.’
‘Are we going inside?’
‘No point,’ Fay said.
Instead, Fay led Ning to a shabby underground garage block, through a park that seemed seedy even on a bright summer’s day, and finally to an industrial estate where a man lay sleeping on his back.
‘He’ll do,’ Fay said.
The man was dirty, dressed in a denim jacket, football shorts and filthy trainers. His legs were so skinny that you could see every bone and tendon and he had scabs all over his body.
‘Is he a drug addict?’ Ning asked, looking shocked.
‘Of course,’ Fay said.
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