He was the biggest operative on the assault although everyone looked like a giant in the outfits. He looked over at Jasper, who was quietly staring into space, chewing his tobacco. Pete was the other side of the room studying a copy of the ship’s blueprints. The three Americans had been divided up into the three teams. They would have preferred to stay together as a single team but that had been overridden. Since they had not trained with the rest of the men the variation in two standard procedures was considered a danger in such a confined space. They could live with that though and had not argued. It was after all the wisest choice and at least they were going in.
Captain Singen checked his watch. In this situation he would not have the power to give a ‘go’ under any circumstances, even if Hank were dragged on deck and hung by his neck from the cargo winch. The priority was the virus and the decision to charge on board, guns blazing, to capture it was going to have to come from on high. That might happen in the next second or days from now.
Bill opened the door to the apartment building and held it open for Aggy. He still hadn’t worked out how he was going to tell her she couldn’t come in. They had hardly talked on their walk. He thought they might pop into a pub for a drink but she didn’t suggest it and he didn’t feel like it either, so they kept on walking the streets in a large square until they ended back at the building.
Because of her strange attitude he had suspected she was looking for a way to tell him it was over between them; that would have upset him even though he knew it was over anyway. But when he asked her if everything was okay she smiled and apologised for being so distant and explained that she had family matters on her mind and her silence had nothing to do with him. That only made him wonder if he should announce the end of the relationship himself, but that would only lead to questions and explanations he was not in the mood to create. What bothered him most was how she would think of him when she eventually learned he had been the IRA mole. He wanted to find a way of saying goodbye that would contain some sort of hidden message, something she would understand the meaning of later. It would take something special to convince Aggy he had not been her sworn enemy. But as proud as he was of his gift for the gab he couldn’t find the words in the twenty minutes they had been walking.
He followed her up the stairs and when they arrived at his front door she stood back from it.
‘Well, then,’ she said. It was a clear message that this was to be their parting point and that she was not coming inside. Once again Bill was hurt by the rejection even though it saved him doing the same to her.
‘I understand,’ he said, lying, curious as to why she did not want to come in. He began to wonder why she had come to see him in the first place.
‘I don’t think you do,’ she said, stepping closer and putting her arms around his neck. She had already decided she would remain affectionate towards him, not because of any urge to but it was the least suspicious thing she could do. She was compensating for her inability to act natural with him earlier, worried that he might be wondering why she had come over. But her task was complete. It didn’t really matter after she left. She had given Stratton his twenty minutes.This would be all over soon anyway, and Bill would be arrested.
Bill held her tightly, wanting her terribly, knowing this was the last time he would hold her.
‘I suppose I’ll see you over the water,’ she said.
‘Yes . . . Maybe we can hop down to the Golden Harp next Friday. That band last week was good, wasn’t it?’
‘They were,’ she said.
‘Remember you have that op Tarquin coming up next week. I hear they’re going to let you plan that one. Your first op.’
‘Seriously,’ she said. ‘The weapons cache in Omagh?’
‘Team leader. I heard the CO give it the nod himself,’ Bill said with a wink. Deep down, behind the smile, he was suddenly missing his job in Ireland too. It had become so much more fun since he started seeing Aggy. ‘You’ll be running the detachments before you know it,’ he said.
She smiled with difficulty. His comment only served to fuel bitterness towards him. Not just because of his deceit but every op Bill had anything to do with or could conceivably know about would be cancelled. And anyway, her career was over, even after this little job. She had always wanted to run her own op. Now, just as that was about to happen, it was all over.
He moved a strand of hair off her brow, an excuse to touch her and look at her face, her eyes, her perfect lips. ‘You are so beautiful,’ he said.
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.
