The Hostage (49 page)

She was going to have to kiss him goodbye, and on the lips, deeply, her tongue inside his mouth, the way they had last said goodbye. She would rather not. He did not repulse her. On the contrary, she still found him attractive, liked him even. It was a strange place to be. He gently put his lips on hers and held her tightly. Their mouths opened and their tongues explored inside each other’s. He suddenly grabbed her more tightly and held her close to him, as if afraid she would escape.

Then the moment was over and he had to let her go. He released her and she stepped back, her hands on his arms for a moment, and then they were gone, like the string of a balloon ascending out of reach.

‘See you,’ she said as she turned and went to the top of the stairs.

‘Melissa?’ he said. She looked back at him. ‘There’s something I want you to know. There are many reasons why I’m not going to do what they want me to do tonight, but the most important one is you.’

‘I don’t know what you mean,’ she said, genuinely curious.

‘You will. I can’t explain more than that . . . I regret a lot in my life. Some things you get into and can’t get out of.’

She knew what that was supposed to mean but she didn’t know how to respond.

‘I love you very much. That’s never been a lie,’ he said.

She felt suddenly very sad for him, more than she did for herself. She knew how much he loved life and that it was over for him, but only then did it dawn on her how horrific it was going to be for him. He would be in jail for the best part of his life if not all of it. And he would be alone, as spies were kept, so that they could not pass on information that might still be useful to an enemy. She found herself moving into his arms once more and holding him. Poor Bill.

He was surprised by her sudden move and could feel her tremble ever so slightly. She had been different all evening, and now this, as if there was something wrong between them, as if she was saying goodbye also. And then it all fell into place. She knew. Of course she knew.That was the only explanation. She had come to see him to get him away from his apartment. That’s why she was acting so strangely. He held her shoulders and gently moved her back to look into her eyes.

Bill opened his mouth to say something just as the grey door to the roof opened and Brennan stepped out holding a gun.

‘I can’t stand any more of this focken tripe,’ he said.‘You’ll have me in focken tears if you go on any longer, so you will.’

Aggy and Bill snapped their heads in his direction and froze at the sight of the gun.

‘Open the door to your apartment, Billy,’ he said. ‘Nice and easy. And you, you focken bitch. I’ll blow your focken brains out if you so much as twitch in a way I don’t fancy.’

Aggy slowly released Bill. If the Irish accent wasn’t enough to warn her who this man might be, everything else about him demanded respect. ‘That’s a handy route you’ve got there, Bill, from one building to the other across the roof,’ Brennan said with a grin. ‘The door, Billy boy.’

Bill took his key from his pocket and opened it.

‘Now. Both of you put your hands on your head, link your fingers together, and walk inside.’

Aggy and Bill obeyed and entered the apartment. Brennan pushed her forward into Bill’s back, shut the door, and stayed by it, keeping a good couple of yards between him and the two of them.

‘First things first,’ Brennan said. ‘Are you armed, Billy?’

Bill shook his head.

‘Take your jacket off anyway and toss it over here.’

Bill did as he was told. Brennan felt the pockets and dropped the coat. ‘Raise your arms and do me a little twirl,’ he said.

Bill raised his arms and slowly turned so that Brennan could see he was unarmed. ‘Raise your trouser legs.’

Bill bent down and pulled up his trouser legs, one after the other.

‘Fine,’ Brennan said. ‘Keep your hands on your head . . . Now you, little missy. Come ’ere.’

She walked over to him with her hands on her head. ‘Turn around and face Billy,’ he said like a schoolteacher. She obeyed. ‘That’s a good girl. Now let’s see what weapons you have on you.’

He shoved the barrel of his gun into her neck with one hand while the other moved round to her front and started to frisk her all over, slowly. ‘Nice tits,’ he said as he squeezed them gently, one after the other. He felt all around her waist. ‘Got a crotch piece by any chance?’

She shook her head.

‘Mind if I feel anyway? I like to be invited.’ He moved his hands down to the front of her trousers. Aggy tensed. He found her zip and pulled it down. As he slid his hand inside Aggy looked away from Bill, not wanting to see him watching. Brennan slipped his hand under the elastic of her panties. Her every instinct was crying out to react, to lash out, but she kept control. He pushed slowly down and as he reached the top of her vagina she was almost unable to contain the pressure to spin on him and tear his face off. Then, as if he sensed it, Brennan jammed the gun into her neck, reminding her it was there. It was enough to make her take hold of herself. There was no point in committing suicide just because this scumbag was feeling her up, and the lessons she had learned in the past year about Brennan’s type were enough to leave little doubt he would pull the trigger.

Bill tried to keep his eyes on Aggy’s, even though she would not look at him, but he couldn’t help glancing down at Brennan’s hand violating her. Brennan’s eyes were on Bill’s, a dark smirk on his face, as if inviting him to make a move. Brennan was slightly taller than Aggy and had to drop his shoulders to push down further until his fingers went between her legs.

Aggy was suddenly aware that there was no sign of any emotional change in Brennan, no indication that he was actually turned on by what he was doing. She jerked as he slipped his fingers inside her, the gun jamming tighter into her neck at the same time. It might have pushed her over the top had she sensed any arousal in him, but there was none. He was trying to terrorise her and Bill. That was a different kind of challenge in a way. It was intimidation, not rape. The selection course had in some way prepared her for this challenge, conceptually. Brennan was playing with her mind. She could handle that, as long as he didn’t go any further.

‘I can see why you like this one, Billy. She’s tight as an arse,’ he said. He pulled out his hand and licked his fingers. ‘Tastes good too,’ he grinned. Planting his hand on her back he pushed her harshly towards Bill. She caught herself on a chair and arrogantly straightened to face him while she did up her jeans.

‘I think I must’ve heard all your conversation out there, the best parts of it anyway . . . Well, well, well. My luck is changing. A focken Pink, and a girly one at that. I’ll be famous now for sure . . . So, Bill.You said you weren’t going to do what you were told to do tonight. Is that right?’

Bill had made up his mind. He had accepted the price of such a decision, though he had hoped it might be a while longer before they collected. Surprisingly, he had no qualms about remaining committed to his decision, admittedly made easier with Aggy beside him. ‘Apart from being a huge mistake politically, it’s wrong,’ he said.

‘And you came to that decision all by your lonesome, did you?’

‘You must see it. It doesn’t make sense, killing thousands of people. Omagh was a mistake. This is a thousand times worse.’

Aggy didn’t know what he meant.

‘Omagh was a success, say what you like,’ Brennan said. ‘There’s nothing we could do wrong now. Every pain we inflict on the Brits, we push them closer to giving us what we want. They can’t say no. We’ve beaten them and they know it. The peace treaty’s a load of bollocks. We even give them crap weapons we wouldn’t use any more as part of the decommissioning deal while we get new ones in the back door. They know it but still say thank you and have a nice office in Parliament if you want to, why don’t you. They’re ready to give us it all, Billy boy. This will speed them along a wee bit . . . Christ, I’m even beginning to sound like I’m runnin’ for focken election meself now.’

Aggy was trying to piece together what she knew about this attack they were referring to. Stratton had talked about destroying something, obviously a bomb of some kind. Bill was supposed to put it where it would be hugely destructive to human life and had changed his mind. That’s what Bill was referring to when he said he was not going to do it. Besides all that there was something familiar about this thug. Aggy had seen him before, or perhaps it was a photograph. She couldn’t place it.

‘I only heard about you a couple of days ago,’ Brennan said to Bill. ‘I never knew we had a mole in Brit intelligence. And MI5 too. I’m told you’ve done some great work for the cause.’

Bill glanced at Aggy. She hadn’t flinched. It confirmed that she knew.

‘So, what do you think?’ Brennan asked Aggy. ‘Pretty smart of us.’

‘I don’t know what you’re talking about or what’s going on,’ she said. She might as well take that tack. She had nothing more to lose.This arsehole was itching to kill her anyway.

Brennan chuckled. ‘Not that it matters. The most important thing is that you’re here, that’s the main thing, and him being in love with you and all that soppy stuff.You see, I’m going to need a bit of incentive here for Bill to do his little job. I figured the threat of a bullet in the back of his head might do it, but then again it might not. He might just tell me to go fock meself. But since he’s declared his undying love for you it makes it all so much more simple for me . . . Billy, if you don’t do the job, I’m going to kill her, then you. What about that then? Is that incentive enough?’

Bill stared at him, his mind racing, searching for a plan, anything.

‘Tell you what,’ Brennan went on. ‘If you say no, I’ll kill you, then I’ll rape her, since I’ve already got a taste for her, if you know what I mean, then I’ll kill her. Does that sound any better?’

Bill’s only choice was to comply and move the game along. An opportunity might present itself. It had to. There wasn’t one here.

‘Tell you the truth,’ Bill said, with a subtle smile on his face.‘I was only on the fence about not doing it.Threatening my life alone would be enough to convince me the job’s a great idea.’

Brennan grinned. ‘I was told you were a smart one. Just don’t get too smart,’ he said, his grin fading. ‘There’s a reason they sent me to look after such an important prize. I’ll get the job done if I have to do it myself. You’ll both be dead if it comes to that . . . So, where is it?’

Bill didn’t move. Brennan levelled the gun. ‘If you tell me you don’t have it I’ll focken shoot you right here and now.’ It was not an idle threat.

‘In that cupboard,’ Bill said.

‘Go get it then. What am I, your focken servant?’

Bill went to the sideboard opened it, and reached in among the blankets. When he pulled out his hand, it held the large vial of rose-coloured liquid. Brennan was fascinated.

‘Amazing how one tiny bottle could kill so many people,’ Brennan said. ‘I’m humbled by whoever invented it.’

Aggy realised this was no explosive. And Bill held it with such care and respect.There were a limited number of explanations.

‘Where’s the case?’ Brennan asked.

‘There,’ said Bill.

Brennan saw it on the floor, recognising the hatbox beside it. He lifted up the case, placed it on the table and opened it. ‘Put it inside,’ he said.

Bill placed it carefully into the space cut out of the sponge.

‘Shut it,’ Brennan said. Bill closed the lid and fastened the two clips. Brennan picked up Bill’s jacket and tossed it at him. ‘Put it on.’

Bill pulled on the jacket.

‘Now. We’re going for a walk, then a little ride, all three of us. I want you to remember this. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter where that stuff ends up broken in this city. It’s going to end up somewhere. Personally, I’d take it down to the nearest busy pub and just pour the stuff into someone’s pint and that’ll be the start of it. But the powers that be, God bless ’em, want to make their point, and so we’re going to Millbank. If at any time I think you two are intending to fock with me I’ll not hesitate to blow both your focken heads off and pop down the pub with the stuff meself. The result’ll be the same in the end. In fact I’d like the excuse to do that.’

Brennan studied them both, looking for any sign of a challenge. Both appeared to have understood, although the girl looked at him coldly. ‘You,’ he said to Aggy. ‘Pick up the case.’

She’d heard enough by now to know that the liquid was a seriously toxic poison or chemical. Stratton obviously knew. She could understand why he never told her. It would have dominated her thoughts. She would obey everything this mad bastard told her to do. Stratton was out there somewhere and he would have a plan. She wondered what it was.

 

Stratton was crouched in the front garden of a terraced house, in the bushes just beneath the bay window, through which a family could be seen on couches watching television. It was the ideal position from which to observe the front doors of the apartment building. He wondered what was taking Aggy so long to get out of there. It had been a good five minutes since he saw them enter the building. Shadows moving across the ceiling indicated someone was in the apartment. While he had been sitting silently he had thought about Aggy and Lawton’s relationship and wondered how serious it had become. Perhaps she had fallen in love with him. Stratton had no concerns about her loyalty, but people in love were capable of irrational things. He chased the thoughts from his head to stay in keeping with his own rules. Too much hypothesis was unhealthy in this business.

He went through his plan again, which was, as he liked to put it in simple military terms, straightforward until it got complicated. Whenever Aggy eventually came out he would allow her to walk away without alerting her to his presence. It didn’t matter where she went or ended up, she was out of the game, her job done. If there was surveillance to be done she would be of no use because the target knew her. If Stratton could he would tell her to go home. Since she had no mobile phone hopefully she would come to that conclusion herself.