eyes.
“That Vectra,” he said, nodding in the direction the car had taken. “It picked us up outside the ferry terminal and he’s been with us ever since.”
“Oh come off it,” Paxo argued. “We’ve barely gone five miles and you’re already seeing ghosts behind every rock! It’s just a Vauxhall, for God’s sake.”
“On tweaked up suspension but standard wheels, with twin aerials on the back and no dealer stickers, four up,” Sean said, shaking his head. “I don’t think so.”
Daz frowned. “So who do you think they were?” he asked.
Sean shrugged. “Security services, cops, maybe even the paramilitaries,” he said softly. “I was rather hoping you might be able to tell me that.”
“There’s no reason for any of that lot to be after us,” William said, his voice even and apparently guileless. “Why would there be?” But he glanced at Daz as he spoke, as if looking for confirmation that the other man hadn’t told Sean anything during their little heart-to-heart.
“Really?” Sean said. “Well, in that case, it must be me.”
At first I thought he was joking but, when he didn’t smile, I realised he meant it.
“I think it might be best if I went my own way today,” he said when nobody spoke. “I’ll meet up with you at the hotel tonight.” With that he nodded, shut his visor, and toed the Blackbird into gear.
“Sean! Hold up a minute!”
He’d already begun to move off when he caught my shout and stopped again, putting his feet down. I nudged the side-stand down on the ‘Blade and climbed off to go and talk to him. It was easier than having to paddle the bike round. I yanked my helmet off as I reached him and he did the same. Only difference was that I’d forgotten about the radio wire that I’d threaded down the neck of my leathers and damn-near strangled myself until I unplugged it.
“What the hell’s going on?” I demanded quietly.
Sean eyed the rest of the group, who were watching us with undisguised curiosity. He flicked his eyes back to me. “I haven’t been back to Northern Ireland since I came out,” he said flatly. “I operated here, Charlie, and trust me when I say I did some serious damage. It’s been a while, but some people have long memories. That Vectra might be following this lot, or it might be following me. Better to find out for sure, don’t you think?”
“But how did they know you were coming?”
He shrugged again. “It’s not difficult to find out,” he said. “The ticket was booked in my name and that might have raised a few flags. It was only done yesterday, which might explain why they’ve been so clumsy about the tail – short notice.”
I thought about that for a moment. I didn’t like it, but I could see the sense. “OK,” I said, stepping back. “I’ll keep my eye on them. You take care, Sean.”
“Yeah,” he said with a grim smile, “you too.”
***
After Sean had gone, heading back towards Belfast, I took station at the back and spent as much time watching my mirrors as the road ahead of me. That turned out to be easier said than done.
Daz set up a furious pace, taking no prisoners as far as making sure the group stayed together was concerned. He sliced past slower-moving traffic on his side of the road with blatant disregard for what might be coming the other way. This time, Tess’s intimate grip seemed a lot more necessary. She was wrapped round his back with her head tucked in like she couldn’t bear to watch.
Paxo matched him, one wild move after another, hunched over the tank of his Ducati, sliding across the seat to just about put his knee down on every roundabout.
William was less inclined to suicide and, I noted with relief, Jamie seemed content to follow him rather than try and keep pace with the lead pair. One less thing for me to worry about.
We dropped down into Larne, leapfrogging a line of trucks all bound for the freight boats to Cairnryan and Stranraer. Daz headed off up the A2 coast road, and then I had the scenery to watch as well.
I hadn’t expected the Antrim coast to be quite so spectacular but in places it took your breath away. The road ran right along the edge of the Irish Sea and at one point it had actually been cut through the rock which rose over the top of our heads like a rugged gothic archway.
Eventually, Daz broke his silent concentration long enough to report, “OK, lads, this is it,” and we pulled over into the gravel car park of a sprawling stone-built hotel overlooking a small bay. I couldn’t help but be relieved that we’d all survived the first part of our journey intact and, despite Sean’s concerns, unmolested.
We slotted the bikes in alongside each other and cut the engines. After the combined edgy roar of our exhaust notes, the gentle grumble of the surf rolling up onto the shingle was like a kind of furry silence.
“Nice choice,” William said approvingly, looking first at the deserted beach and then at the hotel entrance. He didn’t seem at all ruffled after the energetic ride, his broad face carrying its usual impassive mask of calm.
On the other hand, when Paxo thrust off his helmet he was panting like he’d been starved of oxygen in there. His narrow face was sliding with sweat and even his mini mohican had wilted. He glared at Daz.
“Mate, what is wrong with you?” he demanded. “You got a fuckin’ death-wish all of a sudden?”
Daz turned on him with a grin that had overtones of manic about it. “What’s up, Pax?” he shot back, close to jeering. “Never thought I’d see the day when you couldn’t keep up with me when you’re solo and I’m carrying ballast.” He ignored – or was too hyped up to see – the scathing glance Tess fired off in his direction. “You losing your nerve or what?”
Paxo moved in close, bristling, the way I’d seen him do with Jamie that day outside the hospital.
“My nerve’s good, mate,” he gritted. “Can you say the same?”
