A Devil Is Waiting - Jack Higgins [45]
Henri Legrande was in the workshop repairing an antique chair when Kelly hurried in to warn him of Owen Rashid’s imminent arrival. He was worried, and it showed.
“What the hell are we going to do?”
“Well, for one thing, we still keep quiet about the Dark Man affair and the business with the woman last night,” Henri told him. “Failure is the last thing Abu wants to hear about, so not a hint to Rashid. So we tell him we’ve been making a general reconnaissance, checked out the Salters’ pub, followed Holley from the Dorchester to Highfield Court, where the woman lives, sussed out the situation at her house.”
“And you followed them to Hyde Park,” Kelly said.
“Exactly. Not bad for two days.”
There was no time for more, because the bell sounded as the shop door opened and Owen Rashid called, “I’m here. Where are you?”
Henri produced a bottle of Beaujolais and three glasses. They sat around the workbench, and Owen told them exactly what Abu had said. Henri offered the defense he and Kelly had prepared, pointing out that he had followed Sara and Holley to Hyde Park and witnessed Ali Selim’s speech and the riot that had followed.
“We’ve been on the case—surely you can see that?”
“I can, but that isn’t the point. I’ve told you what Abu said. The bullet in the back, the car bomb.”
“I heard you,” Henri told him. “Fire from heaven.”
“And can you handle that?”
Henri got up and went to a door in one corner. He reached up to a lintel, found a key and opened it, and switched on a light. “Have a look, why don’t you?”
Owen was amazed. There were three shotguns, two Lee Enfield rifles and an AK-47, ranged neatly against one wall on racks. A shelf on the other side displayed a number of handguns. There were boxes of assorted ammunition and several large tin boxes painted khaki green.
“What’s that?” Owen asked.
“Semtex in one, pencil timers in the other. I’ve had this stuff for years. The guns came from house sales. It’s astonishing what turns up in the antiques business.”
Kelly was examining a Beretta. “This is in lovely condition.” He replaced it on the shelf and took another. “Walther PPK with a Carswell silencer. Real stopping power.”
Owen said, “When did you last use any of these?”
“This particular weaponry? Never. It just came into my possession through the house sales, as I told you. The Semtex is a different matter, but I’ve kept it carefully preserved. I’m sure Jack has told you my story. It was last used many years ago when I sought retribution for a great wrong.”
They went out, and he locked the door, then poured them each another glass of wine. Owen said, “Fire from heaven, a spectacular to ruin the President’s visit and demonstrate the power of Al Qaeda. Would you be up for that—a car bomb?”
“I don’t see why not.”
“It would be like old times to Jack here, he was involved in so many similar affairs during his IRA past. But why are you sure of yourself?”
So Legrande told him. “As Jack knows, I have a cancer. Six months is all I’ve got.”
Owen pretended shock. “My God, that’s terrible.”
“No it isn’t, it’s a fact, so I don’t give a damn about anything anymore. That’s why I took on the job.”
“And if the woman were involved?”
“To me, my friend, she is no longer a woman as you mean it. She is a soldier, and a damn good one, so she is just another member of Ferguson’s team.”
Owen nodded. “So what do you intend to do?”
“I haven’t the slightest idea what Holley plans for this evening. With a man like him as my quarry, I’ll certainly wear a bulletproof vest. I may be on borrowed time, but there’s no need to hurry things. All I can say is that if a suitable opportunity presents itself, I’ll take advantage of it, but Abu must understand that I can’t promise anything.”
“Which is perfectly reasonable,” Owen said. “The only problem there is that he’s the most unreasonable sod I know.” He stood up. “I’d better go and leave you to get on with it. I’ll be in touch,” and he went out.
Lunch at a Lebanese restaurant in Shepherd Market had been so convivial that it lasted