Miller and Taylor were both unarmed and made no further effort to move. Tom slowly got to his feet so as not to cause any alarm. A nurse appeared from a room behind Simpson, attracted by the commotion. Simpson glanced behind as he heard her exclamation and waved the gun in her direction.
“Get away,” he screamed and she scurried away down the corridor.
“Give up, Tony,” Miller begged. “We called it in already. This place will be swamped with armed officers within minutes.”
“They better be careful then. Wouldn’t be good to see someone as famous as this get harmed.” He pushed the gun a little closer to Melanie’s face.
“Why?” Miller asked, hoping to buy some time while the armed response team arrived.
“Had no choice, it was help them or go to prison for a very long time.”
“What did they have over you?”
“Doesn’t matter,” Simpson said dismissively.
“Was it you?” Miller asked.
“What do you mean?”
“Was it you betrayed Brian Potter?”
Simpson went pale at the mention of a name from the past he had tried hard to forget. He said nothing but the silence told Miller what he wanted to know. Of all the times Simpson had been forced to provide information, it was the occasion he detested himself the most for. He had known Brian Potter personally. Been drinking with him and shared a joke. Simpson knew what they would do to him but had still told them how to find him.
“You bastard,” Miller swore. “He didn’t deserve to die like that. No man should.”
“I agree but it was a very long time ago. Times were different then. Everyone on both sides has dark secrets we don’t want to remember. Even you!” Simpson didn’t really believe what he was saying. He just felt the need to defend himself.
“The difference is the rest of us didn’t betray our friends,” Miller snapped back.
Miller, Tony and Tom were creeping forwards but not seeking to close the gap on Simpson who was only succeeding in moving very slowly as Melanie was making his job harder by dragging her feet.
Simpson used his forearm to wipe the perspiration from his brow. “By the way, satisfy my curiosity,” he asked. How did you get on to me?”
“The Godfather, Miller said simply.” Seeing Simpson didn’t understand he explained further. “There’s a point where Marlon Brando warns his son that whoever comes to broker peace will betray them. No matter how much they trust the individual and it seems impossible he would betray them. I thought of that when you turned up at the hospital. Then I called Jones and he knew nothing about us holding Connor. Said you were retiring and taking a holiday. Very remiss of you not to bother informing him.”
“I was going to tell him in the morning. After my visit here tonight.”
“I’ll give you another line from The Godfather. At one point in the film Don Corleone says ‘revenge is a dish that tastes best when it is cold.’ There is no escape for you now. Nowhere you can hide. I will hunt you down wherever you go and make you pay for what you did to Brian.” Miller’s tone was cold and carried absolute conviction.
“Good luck,” Simpson retorted.
“You know that Connor is already dead?” Miller asked, feeling very pleased with himself.
“What do you mean?”
“That was just a dummy in the bed.”
Simpson looked shocked by the revelation. “You always were a clever bastard.”
“Satisfy my curiosity, Tony. Did you have someone in Ireland give us the lead that they had an informant called Jones?”
“A nice idea but no. Jones was always my cover name. Seemed a better idea than Smith at the time. I did smile when that idiot Jones became my boss.”
Simpson was edging backwards along the corridor still keeping the gun to Melanie’s head. “Keep your distance,” he warned. “I won’t hesitate to shoot her or you. Another death will make little difference now.”
Tom looked at Miller for inspiration but just received a gentle nod as a warning to do nothing. He didn’t like feeling powerless to help Melanie. He could see she was in pain as Simpson had his arm clamped tightly around her windpipe, as he dragged her back by the throat.
Simpson was now twenty meters away and about to round a curve in the corridor that would put him temporarily out of sight. Tom realized it would also afford an opportunity for them to close the gap without being seen. He was under no illusion that he could rush Simpson the way he had the two IRA kidnappers.
Tom hadn’t heard of Brian Potter but he understood from what he’d heard that he had been betrayed by Simpson. Now this same Simpson was threatening all of them and in particular Melanie. Tom once again felt out of his depth and this time he needed the professionals to rescue Melanie but he wasn’t confident they would be able to do so, without her being harmed.
It was the nightmare scenario he’d hoped to avoid, when she had refused to go back to the States. He’d let his own selfish motives get in the way of doing what was best for her. He should have driven her to the airport and made her get on a plane. It was what Miller had wanted to do. But no, he had been too worried if he did that he would never see her again. He had played his hand very wrongly.
Had Simpson also been responsible for the attack on Colin? Tom didn’t pretend to fully understand what was going on here but there was a fair chance he was involved. Tom remembered the sense of optimism he was feeling when he left Colin’s room just a short time earlier. Now here he was plummeting the depths again.
