Live Fire (44 page)

‘Any idea what Bradshaw’s doing?’

‘We’re not geared up for that,’ said the Major. ‘Once they leave the military we don’t keep tabs on them. We’d have to run a check through the cops or other agencies, and you wouldn’t want me to do that because it’ll start raising red flags.’

‘Thanks’ said Shepherd.

‘There’s more,’ said the Major. ‘That other arms dealer you wanted checking out. Marcel Calvert. He’s dead.’

Shepherd closed his eyes. Richard Yokely knew about Calvert. Had the American gone to Nice and killed him? ‘What happened?’

‘He was knifed in his house. Nothing was stolen so the local cops don’t think it was a robbery, but a knife killing doesn’t sound like a professional hit.’

Shepherd opened his eyes. He doubted Yokely would kill with a knife. But if not Yokely, then who? ‘A knife is personal,’ said Shepherd. ‘But Bradshaw didn’t know Calvert. It was Kleintank who put him in touch with him.’

‘Might be just one of those things,’ said the Major. ‘If Bradshaw is a Muslim convert preparing to wreak havoc on the West, he’d hardly be likely to stop to knife an arms dealer, would he?’

‘Who knows?’ said Shepherd.

‘Now, do you want some really bad news? The phone number you gave me was last used in Calais.’

‘Shit,’ said Shepherd.

‘It was used to call another UK pay-as-you-go number,’ said the Major. ‘That was in France, too. Since then they’ve remained switched off. You don’t have to be a detective to work out that he was either coming over on the ferry or through the Eurotunnel. Presumably with his missiles.’

‘When was this?’

‘Two days ago.’

‘Shit,’ repeated Shepherd.

‘You must have suspected as much,’ said the Major.

‘Yeah, but having it confirmed brings it home,’ said Shepherd. ‘And it sure as hell cuts down on my options. Can you find out where he is?’

‘That’s not easy, Spider,’ said the Major. ‘If it was me, I’d talk to the spooks but the lovely Charlotte is still very tight with Five and I’m sure they’d be straight on to her. And I’m guessing you wouldn’t want that.’

‘She won’t be happy if she knows I went behind her back,’ admitted Shepherd.

‘And is there a reason why you can’t be up front with her?’

‘It’s complicated,’ said Shepherd.

‘I’m not sure what else I can do,’ said the Major. ‘I can keep a watching brief on the phone he used. And the number he called. I have a contact at GCHQ who’ll do it as a favour. And I suppose I can have some of our military intelligence people have a sniff around if I make it clear that it’s to be kept away from other agencies. But, hand on heart, that’s all that’s within my gift right now.’

‘Thanks, Major.’

‘I wish I could do more, Spider.’

Shepherd’s Ricky Knight phone began to ring and it Mickey Moore was calling. ‘I’ve got to go, boss. Sorry.’ Shepherd cut the connection and answered Mickey.

‘Where are you?’ said Mickey, with no preamble.

‘My villa.’

‘We’re on,’ said Mickey.

‘When?’

‘The clock’s ticking,’ said Mickey. ‘Get around to our office at three o’clock this afternoon and have your bag packed. Just hand luggage. We’ll be back in three days.’ The line went dead.

Shepherd walked outside and paced around the swimming-pool, considering his options. He didn’t have many, and most of those involved Charlotte Button getting very, very angry. Button demanded complete loyalty from her agents, and there would be hell to pay if she ever discovered that he had done a deal with Richard Yokely behind her back.

The girl poured lemon vodka into three ice glasses then shoved her gloved hands into her padded jacket and jogged up and down, her breath feathering in the freezing air. Shepherd carried the drinks to where Mickey and Mark were sitting. The three men downed them and hurled the ice glasses at the walls of the bar.

‘It’s all sorted,’ said Mickey. ‘Your mate Sergei can get the RPGs to Holland and I’ve got mates there who use fast boats to bring wacky-baccy into the UK so they’ll get them over for me.’

‘First, Sergei isn’t my mate – I don’t want any flak if he lets us down. I met him for the first time on your shooting trip to Cambodia.’

‘Relax, mate,’ said Mickey. ‘Sergei is sound.’

‘And, second, I hope you can trust your wacky-baccy mates. They’ll be screwed if they get caught bringing RPGs into the country.’

‘They never get caught,’ said Mickey. ‘They’ve been doing it for years. They use rib boats with massive engines and they can outrun anything that Customs have. They’ll bring our gear over to the Northumbrian coast and we’ll pick it up there. Chopper and Davie are already in the UK, and Barry’s in Ireland, fixing up our transport there. The Russian assures me that the RPGs will be in France tomorrow. You’re flying to Dublin today with me and Mark, and we’ll drive over on the ferry to Holyhead.’

‘There’s no direct flights between Bangkok and Dublin,’ said Shepherd.

‘We’ll go via Amsterdam,’ said Mickey.

‘Where do we stay in Ireland?’

‘We’ll be straight on to the ferry. If all goes to plan we’ll be back in three days.’

‘Are you still treating me like a mushroom or can I ask a question?’ said Shepherd.

‘Depends on the question,’ said Mickey.

‘The take is going to be what?’

‘We won’t know for sure,’ said Mickey. ‘Money moves in and out every day. Could be anywhere between ten and twenty million.’

‘Well, my question is, what do we do with the money? I don’t think we’re going to be flying out with suitcases full of cash.’

Mark laughed. ‘We give it to the laundryman,’ he said.

‘So when do I get my share?’

‘When we all do,’ said Mickey. ‘The guy we use, he’s solid. We’ve used him before.’

‘So basically we hand between ten and twenty million quid to this guy in the UK and we get on a plane to Thailand?’

‘That’s the plan,’ said Mickey.

‘And what’s his cut?’

‘Fifteen per cent,’ said Mickey.

‘Bloody hell,’ said Shepherd. ‘That’s almost as bad as the taxman.’

‘He’s worth every penny,’ said Mickey. ‘Once he’s got the money, it’s as good as in the bank.’

‘I’m assuming you won’t tell me who he is so I can check his references?’

Mickey chuckled and waved at the waitress for more vodka.

‘The thing is, Mickey, you’re asking me to hand over my share of twenty million quid to a guy I don’t know. I’m not thrilled about that. What if he does a runner?’

Mickey leaned closer to Shepherd and grinned wolfishly. ‘We know where he lives and where his kids go to school, and he knows that we know.’

‘I’m not complaining,’ said Shepherd. ‘But I’m putting a lot of faith in you. And him.’

The waitress carried a tray of vodka shots over and placed it on the table. ‘We know what we’re doing, Ricky,’ said Mickey. ‘We’ve got a winning formula, and so long as we stick to it, we’ll do just fine.’

‘I’ll drink to that,’ said Shepherd, and picked up his ice shot glass. They all drank their vodkas down in one and then smashed the glasses against the wall.

Bradshaw rested the ladder against the side of the removal van and held it as Kundi climbed up and onto the roof. ‘What do you think?’ asked Bradshaw.

Kundi knelt down and tapped it. ‘It’ll cut like butter,’ he said.

‘And can you weld something in there to hold the piece until we need to remove it?’

‘I think I can run a metal rim around the bit I cut out and then it’ll sit back in place. I can’t guarantee it’ll be waterproof.’

‘That’s not a problem. We won’t be taking it out in the rain.’ He held the ladder steady as Kundi climbed down.

The two men walked to the back of the van and pulled down the tailgate. Talwar, Chaudhry and al-Sayed were waiting by the oxyacetylene equipment they would use to cut the hole.

Bradshaw pulled himself up onto the tailgate, then helped Kundi climb inside. They peered up at the inside of the roof. Bradshaw mimed holding the missile launcher on his shoulder and showed Kundi where he should stand, close to the back of the van. ‘This is how we do it,’ said Bradshaw. ‘Jamal will be in the back, sighting through the hole in the roof. Samil will be with him, in case a problem arises. They’ll have limited vision, so I’ll be nearby, watching the approaching planes from a vantage-point. As soon as I’ve selected a target, Rafee and Kafele are to lower the tailgate, allowing the backblast to escape. Jamal will fire the weapon, and I will video it. Once the missile is fired, Jamal is to drop the remains of the launcher, rush with Samil to my car and we drive off. Rafee and Kafele torch the van, then run to the second car and drive in the opposite direction.’

‘Why does Jamal fire the weapon?’ asked Chaudhry.

‘It doesn’t matter who fires it. We’re doing this together,’ said Bradshaw. ‘We’re a team.’

‘If it doesn’t matter, why can’t I be the one to fire it?’

‘Jamal is older,’ said Bradshaw. ‘That’s the only reason.’ Chaudhry’s enthusiasm was admirable, but had to be tempered with deliberation. ‘This will be the first of many attacks, brother,’ he said. ‘We are not
shahid
, not killing ourselves, we’ll live to fight again and again. There will be other occasions when you will pull the trigger.’

Chaudhry nodded. ‘I’m sorry, brother,’ he said. ‘You are right.’

Bradshaw smiled. ‘Allah is right, brother. I am just His servant.’

As soon as he got back to his villa, Shepherd phoned Charlotte Button. ‘It’s on,’ he said. ‘We leave tomorrow. I’ll be told then what flight, but we’re going through Amsterdam so I don’t think there’ll be too many options.’

‘The target?’

‘They’re still playing Secret Squirrel.’

‘Do you think there’s a trust issue?’

‘I think it’s the way they are, that’s all.’

‘I don’t want you doing this without any back-up,’ she said. ‘I want some form of electronic surveillance if nothing else. I need to get a GPS locator to you.’

Shepherd knew she was right. ‘The Dublin to Holyhead ferry would be the best bet,’ he said. ‘We’re flying from Bangkok to Amsterdam, amsterdam to Dublin, and taking vehicles over on the ferry. You could slip me the locator there and get the cars tagged.’

‘I’m on it,’ she said.

‘How far do you want me to run?’ asked Shepherd.

‘There are no lives at risk, the way I understand it.’

‘Straight in through the wall, grab the cash and off over the fields. They’ll be armed but they’re not expecting trouble. Yates and Black are already in the UK – I assume they’re travelling under different names. They’ll be picking up the RPGs. Wilson is in Dublin, arranging transport.’

‘And have they said what they’re doing with the money? One assumes they don’t take it with them back to Thailand.’

‘They’re giving it to the Indian laundryman to put into the banking system.’

‘Any idea who this financial wizard is?’

‘Need-to-know,’ said Shepherd. ‘And I don’t need to know. All I know is that he’s Indian and they’ve used him before. They haven’t let slip with a name and I haven’t been able to push it.’

‘Let it run all the way then,’ said Button. ‘We can’t afford to let them get back to Thailand but I would like to pick up whoever it is that’s doing their laundry. Are you okay with that?’

‘Makes my life easier,’ said Shepherd. ‘When will you pull them in?’

‘Are they leaving the same way they arrive? On the ferry?’

‘I assume so,’ said Shepherd.

‘Then we’ll take them as they’re about to leave the country. I’ll have people at Holyhead and we’ll have the airports covered too, just in case.’

‘What shall I tell Razor?’ asked Shepherd.

‘As soon as you leave, he can pull out,’ said Button. ‘Tell him I look forward to seeing his expenses claim.’ Shepherd laughed. ‘Yours too,’ said Button.

‘Don’t worry,’ said Shepherd. ‘I’ve been keeping receipts.’

‘Is there anything else?’

Shepherd screwed up his face. He hated lying to his boss but if he told her what he’d learned from Richard Yokely she’d never forgive him. And neither would Yokely. ‘Sort of,’ he said. ‘But it’s off the case.’

‘I’m listening.’

Shepherd gritted his teeth. Then he took a deep breath. ‘Remember I mentioned the Brits who’d been buying the Grail from Kleintank?’

‘Vividly.’

‘I was talking to Mark tonight and apparently he’d been chatting to Kleintank while Mickey and I were giving the Grail the once-over. He’d got a name from Kleintank. Paul Bradshaw. Former army.’

‘Why would Kleintank open up to Mark Moore?’

‘They were just chatting,’ said Shepherd, cringing because he knew how weak his story was. ‘Kleintank also said Bradshaw had been to see an arms dealer in Nice by the name of Marcel Calvert. I only found out tonight.’

‘Okay, I’ll get Bradshaw checked out. And this Calvert. Did Moore tell you anything else?’

Shepherd wanted Button to check the phone Bradshaw was using, but there was no good reason for him to have the number. ‘That’s all, pretty much. Mark likes to talk when he’s had a few, and we did a lot of drinking tonight.’

‘All right, Spider, you take care of yourself. Call me as soon as you know what flight you’re on and I’ll have surveillance ready.’

Shepherd ended the call. Guilt formed a hard knot in his stomach and he knew his relationship with Button would never be the same again.

Bradshaw sounded the horn of the Ford Mondeo he was driving. Three short blasts followed by a slightly longer one. The metal door rattled up and al-Sayed stepped to the side to give him room to drive in. He eased the Mondeo past the removal van and parked behind it, followed by Kundi in a Volvo. They had bought the Volvo for cash at a south London auction. Like the Mondeo it was less than two years old and he had pronounced it in good condition. They had filled the tank at a petrol station on the way back to the self-storage depot, and Kundi had checked the engine oil and tyre pressures. Al-Sayed brought the door down while Talwar and Chaudhry walked over to the Volvo.

‘It’s nothing special,’ said Chaudhry. He unwrapped a stick of gum, folded it in half and popped it into his mouth.

‘They don’t need to be special,’ said Bradshaw. ‘They need to be nondescript. They need to blend. Once we’ve carried out our task, we won’t be driving away at high speed. We’ll be driving at a regular speed obeying all the rules of the road, and we’ll hide among the thousands of other cars that’ll be on the road.’