Deadly States (Seaforth Files by Nicholas P Clark Book 2) (54 page)
Read Deadly States (Seaforth Files by Nicholas P Clark Book 2) Online
Authors: Nicholas P Clark
231
Alexa followed them
into the room.
“No Jack,” Deeley began. “Before you start giving me a lecture let’s
save us both a lot
don’t give a damn.”
“No lecture mate. Just a couple of
questions, then a bullet in your
head,” said Jack.
Deeley grinned. His teeth were covered in blood.
“A bullet to the head would be preferable to
one
of your insipid
speeches,” Deeley said, through gritted teeth.
“Sit your arse down,” Jack ordered.
Deeley sat in a chair in front
of a desk, where a visitor might sit.
Alexa watched Jack carefully while Barry kept an eye on the corridor
outside through a crack in the slightly ajar door.
“Now tell
me all you know about the people in this country who
are behind the chemical and biological weapons,” Jack said.
“If I was to tell you everything that I knew about that Jack then
we would be here for days. I
don’t mind finding the time to do that,
but I have a feeling that you are quickly running out of time. Minutes
rather than days.”
“You let me worry about that. Talk.”
“Jack, you know that the weapons are on the move. You know that
the families in charge of the shipments are untouchable. In short, you
know that there is not a goddamed thing that you can do about any
of this. Now be a good boy and save yourself. I will order my men to
stand down and you and your friends will be free to go. I won’t even
send my men after you.”
Jack laughed.
“I’ll say this for you Deeley, you have some balls on you. Big, leathery balls,” Jack said.
“You
don’t believe me Jack? Think about it;
Alexa is not the only
one here today who didn’t want to go through with my plan. Though
I’m sure there are those who will pretend that they are happy with the
idea that will change their minds once they are back home and safe in
their own countries. I will not lift a finger to stop them. I don’t need
of time and effort.
You
don’t agree with me and I
to.”
“And there it is,” Jack said. “The clanking sound of the other shoe
falling.”
“Well Jack, you would have been disappointed if I made it easy for
you.”
“So, what have you done?”
“Each delegate has
been set a task specific to their
own circumstances. They have twenty four hours to complete that task.”
“And if they don’t?”
“Now this is the part that will be of great interest to you and your
friends. This
entire facility
has
been
pumping weaponised anthrax
through the ventilation system for the past two hours. There is a 48
hour window before the disease finally kicks in and once that happens
there is no stopping it. For those delegates who decide to walk away
from my
organisation they will die. For those who carry
out the test
that I set for them, they will be given the cure. Now, this is where it
gets interesting Jack. One way
or the other your time here on earth is
coming to an end. The only
question left to answer is do you want it
to end in the next day or two, or would you like a few more years?”
“Bullshit.
You intend to kill us
one way
or the
other. There is no
way in hell that you will let
me go back to London knowing what I
know,” Jack said.
“Grow up Jack, do you really
believe that I
haven’t already taken
care of
our masters back home? I am untouchable. I am running this
show.
And if you
kill
me here and now,
my
next in command will
carry out my orders.”
“Soyou are just going to let us go and give us the cure,” Barry said.
“Yes Barry. And if you allow Jack to kill me then you are screwed.
My life for your lives. It is a fair deal.”
“Tell me where the cure is or I swear to god I will blow your head
off right now,” Jack said, as he pressed the gun to Deeley’s head.
“If I tell you do you promise that you won’t shoot me? That none of
you will shoot me?”
“I promise,” Jack said.
Deeley could die another day; he was not prepared to sacrifice Alexa simply to satisfy his own need for revenge. Deeley turned to Barry
and Alexa. They nodded their heads in agreement.
“Okay then.
You will find the cure in the
main safe back at the
embassy. The combination to that safe is 7791234.”
Suddenly Jack drew
out and stuck Deeley
on the side of the head.
He used
much
more force this time and Deeley
was
out
cold.
He
slumped onto the floor in a heap.
“The explosives are still good to go, right?” Jack asked.
“Sure mate,” Barry replied.
“Good. I promised that I wouldn’t shoot him. I
didn’t say anything
about blowing his psychotic arse to kingdom come.”
As they
made their way
down the corridors they
met with very
little resistance. The two guards standing next to the cars at the front
of the facility were neutralised before they got a chance to raise their
weapons. Jack got behind the wheel of the first car he came across with
the keys still in the ignition. Within
minutes they were clear
of the
factory and speeding back towards the city. Barry checked his watch.
“Any minute now,” he said.
There was a short
pause before a
massive explosion and fireball
erupted from the factory.
Four
more
lowed. They
barely looked back. Soon
city would be sealed off and they
didn’t have time for any delays. Their
lives depended on the honesty
of a man for whom the very notion of
honesty was an alien concept. Jack had a really
bad feeling. Deeley
would have his revenge on them, from beyond the grave.
huge
explosions
quickly
folevery road in and
out
of the
Deeley had been clinging to Jack like a sulphurous odour since they
got back from the Middle East. He was at the safe house in London
moments after Jack sat
down to relax
on the soft leather sofa and he
sat in the corner of the briefing room as Jack relayed what he had been
up to during his time “off the radar”. Jack found his presence very odd
as he had not given Jack any special instructions about what he should
or shouldn’t say about the events of recent weeks. Why was he there?
Why was he staying so close to him? On several
occasions Jack also
lost his composure with Deeley’s constant presence—
what the hell do
you want?
Three days of intensive debriefing had left Jack feeling tired
and irritable. If this was the kind of treatment his organisation put its
own agents through he would hate to be an
enemy in their hands,
Jack
mused.
At
one
point,
and to amuse
himself,
Jack
began
to
describe
one of the hotels he stayed in in mind-numbing detail. Well,
they had
pressed him over and over again to give more detail. Mission
accomplished.
As the final
session
drew to a
close Jack got a
sense
that
he
was
forgiven—the
intensity
with
which
the
two
men
interviews