no idea where I can contact you we simply can't work together.'
'He said you were not only very clever, but also very tough and never gave up. I'm not living at the flat off Ebury Street any more. I've moved to The Hangman's Noose. It's a pub in the East End near Reefers Wharf. You could always get me there or, if I'm out, speak to Herb, the owner.'
'Is he trustworthy?'
'He should be.'
'Why, if I might ask?' interjected Mark, who had kept silent while he watched her.
'Why?' She turned on him. 'Because at one time he served with bloody Military Intelligence.' She took a folded sheet from her shoulder bag, handed it to Tweed. 'That is a list of the probable targets tonight.'
Tweed read slowly through the typed list. He was careful not to show his anxiety. He looked straight at her.
'This covers a lot of territory. My guess is that Herb, with his Army experience, has helped build up this list.'
'You've hit the nail on the head.' She smiled. 'He also said you were very quick on the uptake.'
'Herb, you mean?'
'No, the man who sent me over here as the Messenger to warn you. You said there will be six of us . . .'
'Seven. Including yourself.'
'We'll need transport to move us from the West End to the East.'
'And we have loads of it,' said Harry Butler. 'In all makes and sizes.'
'I've worked out how we'll travel,' Tweed announced. 'Three cars. I'll drive Car One with Paula next to me. Newman will drive Car Two with Lisa and Mark as passengers. Car Three will be yours, Harry, taking Pete Nield with you, if he does ever get here.'
'He will,' Harry said. 'And mine will be the four-wheel drive. I've reinforced the ram at the front. Might come in useful.'
'Could I go to the bathroom?' Lisa asked as she finished her coffee. 'That was very good,' she added, turning round to look at Monica. 'Thank you.'
'I'll take you,' Paula volunteered. The two women left the room.
'Well, what do you think of her?' Tweed enquired, glanc ing round the office.
'She'll do,' said Butler. 'I've been watching her.'
'Resourceful, reliable.' Newman gave his verdict.
'I second Bob,' Mark agreed.
'I case you're interested in my opinion,' Monica began, 'I think she's the tops. And in a rough-house my bet is she'd give a good account of herself. Notice the steel rims on the toes of her shoes?'
'No, I didn't,' Newman admitted.
'That's because she'd covered the steel with thick polish.'-
'Sounds as though she could be an asset in our car,'
Mark said to Newman. 'And I thought we'd have to look after her . . .'
'You may find she has to look after you,' Monica commented wickedly.
'Weapons,' said Harry.
'I'm taking my Smith & Wesson,' Newman remarked.
'Now listen.' Tweed raised his voice. 'There is to be no shooting on this expedition. Only if your life is in danger or you fear serious injury. The police will be there.'
'When it's all over,' Newman replied cynically.
He had just spoken when Pete Nield came in. He gave Tweed a little salute.
'Sorry I'm so late. Saw an accident on my way here. A lady had a broken leg. As usual, no one knew what to do. I lifted her into the back of a car which was going to drive her to a hospital. Got a glass of water from a nearby house and got her to swallow a couple of painkillers. Always carry stuff like that with me.'
'Ruddy walking medicine chest, you are,' Harry snorted.
The two men often worked as a team, knew they could always rely on each other. The contrast between them was striking. Butler always wore a shabby windcheater, denims which had seen better days, a pullover ragged at the cellar. Whereas Nield, slim and erect, was smartly dressed in a blue suit with shirt and tie.
Tweed began talking, bringing Nield up to date tersely with everything that had happened. Nield listened care fully, perched on the edge of Paula's desk. Tweed repeated his warning about the use of firearms, showed him Lisa's list of targets, which caused Nield to whistle softly.
'Going to try and level London to the ground,
'He said you were not only very clever, but also very tough and never gave up. I'm not living at the flat off Ebury Street any more. I've moved to The Hangman's Noose. It's a pub in the East End near Reefers Wharf. You could always get me there or, if I'm out, speak to Herb, the owner.'
'Is he trustworthy?'
'He should be.'
'Why, if I might ask?' interjected Mark, who had kept silent while he watched her.
'Why?' She turned on him. 'Because at one time he served with bloody Military Intelligence.' She took a folded sheet from her shoulder bag, handed it to Tweed. 'That is a list of the probable targets tonight.'
Tweed read slowly through the typed list. He was careful not to show his anxiety. He looked straight at her.
'This covers a lot of territory. My guess is that Herb, with his Army experience, has helped build up this list.'
'You've hit the nail on the head.' She smiled. 'He also said you were very quick on the uptake.'
'Herb, you mean?'
'No, the man who sent me over here as the Messenger to warn you. You said there will be six of us . . .'
'Seven. Including yourself.'
'We'll need transport to move us from the West End to the East.'
'And we have loads of it,' said Harry Butler. 'In all makes and sizes.'
'I've worked out how we'll travel,' Tweed announced. 'Three cars. I'll drive Car One with Paula next to me. Newman will drive Car Two with Lisa and Mark as passengers. Car Three will be yours, Harry, taking Pete Nield with you, if he does ever get here.'
'He will,' Harry said. 'And mine will be the four-wheel drive. I've reinforced the ram at the front. Might come in useful.'
'Could I go to the bathroom?' Lisa asked as she finished her coffee. 'That was very good,' she added, turning round to look at Monica. 'Thank you.'
'I'll take you,' Paula volunteered. The two women left the room.
'Well, what do you think of her?' Tweed enquired, glanc ing round the office.
'She'll do,' said Butler. 'I've been watching her.'
'Resourceful, reliable.' Newman gave his verdict.
'I second Bob,' Mark agreed.
'I case you're interested in my opinion,' Monica began, 'I think she's the tops. And in a rough-house my bet is she'd give a good account of herself. Notice the steel rims on the toes of her shoes?'
'No, I didn't,' Newman admitted.
'That's because she'd covered the steel with thick polish.'-
'Sounds as though she could be an asset in our car,'
Mark said to Newman. 'And I thought we'd have to look after her . . .'
'You may find she has to look after you,' Monica commented wickedly.
'Weapons,' said Harry.
'I'm taking my Smith & Wesson,' Newman remarked.
'Now listen.' Tweed raised his voice. 'There is to be no shooting on this expedition. Only if your life is in danger or you fear serious injury. The police will be there.'
'When it's all over,' Newman replied cynically.
He had just spoken when Pete Nield came in. He gave Tweed a little salute.
'Sorry I'm so late. Saw an accident on my way here. A lady had a broken leg. As usual, no one knew what to do. I lifted her into the back of a car which was going to drive her to a hospital. Got a glass of water from a nearby house and got her to swallow a couple of painkillers. Always carry stuff like that with me.'
'Ruddy walking medicine chest, you are,' Harry snorted.
The two men often worked as a team, knew they could always rely on each other. The contrast between them was striking. Butler always wore a shabby windcheater, denims which had seen better days, a pullover ragged at the cellar. Whereas Nield, slim and erect, was smartly dressed in a blue suit with shirt and tie.
Tweed began talking, bringing Nield up to date tersely with everything that had happened. Nield listened care fully, perched on the edge of Paula's desk. Tweed repeated his warning about the use of firearms, showed him Lisa's list of targets, which caused Nield to whistle softly.
'Going to try and level London to the ground,
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