Midnight Runner - Jack Higgins [78]
She kissed him on the cheek and said in an Ulster accent, "Your hair looks dreadful. I suppose you've been up to fun and games again."
"Absolutely, Martha." The gurney came in, pushed by two paramedics. "Be good to this one, Professor," he said to Bellamy. "He's a Medal of Honor winner. He received a gunshot wound in the right shoulder approximately four hours ago."
"What treatment has he gotten?" Dillon told him, and Bellamy nodded. "Prepare him for the theater, Sister, and you and your friend can check back later." He smiled. "And shampoo your hair, Dillon, just for me."
T hey got a taxi, and he and Billy shared it to Stable Mews. Billy said, "She's got to be stopped, doesn't she?"
"I'd say so."
"And that means us?"
"I'd say so again, Billy, if you're game."
"You know I am, Dillon. But I won't tell Harry until the last minute. He'd only worry. When do you think it will be?"
"Well, you heard her tell Keenan and his boys to be in Dublin tomorrow morning. The job itself is scheduled for three days from now."
Billy nodded. "That's good. I'd like to get on with it."
The taxi rolled up to Stable Mews and Dillon got out with his bag. "Oh, and Billy," he murmured, "I also wouldn't tell Harry you've just been using a shooter now. As you say, it gets him worried."
"He'll know," Billy said gloomily, and left.
Within minutes, Dillon was in the shower, shampooing his hair vigorously, the black dye trickling everywhere. Only when his blond hair was spotless again did he step out and towel vigorously.
He pulled on black cords, a black Armani shirt, and his old flying jacket, combed his hair, and checked himself in the mirror.
"Not bad, you old sod," he said softly, and his Codex rang.
Ferguson said, "Where are you?"
"Stable Mews. I'm on my way."
"Make it Roper's. I'll see you there, I've had him check this Bacu place. And don't forget the recorder."
Dillon put it in his pocket, left the cottage, went to the end of the street, and hailed a cab.
D illon found Roper at his computers, but no sign of Ferguson as yet. Roper was working away at the keys and downloading a mass of material. He stopped and looked Dillon over.
"You're looking well, but I suppose action and passion suit you. Ferguson filled me in about the gunplay. What about Quinn?"
"Having surgery at the moment with Henry Bellamy at Rosedene. A bullet in the right shoulder delivered by a rather old-fashioned Webley thirty-eight."
"Webley? God, they must be hard up for weaponry. What went wrong?"
"Quinn simply froze when he was face-to-face with them. He could have shot the man involved but couldn't pull the trigger. Billy had to do it for him."
"I imagine he's taken it badly."
"Exactly. Especially as they weren't any real challenge. There were three of them and not very good. Billy got two, I took care of one. Amateurs, really. We left them damaged, not dead."
"So, a successful trip."
Dillon took out the recorder. "Thanks to you. We've got everything Keenan and Kate said to each other."
"I look forward to hearing it. Ferguson told me the target, and I went into Rashid Investments' projects for Hazar and the Empty Quarter."
The doorbell sounded, he pressed the electronic switch, and a moment later Ferguson and Hannah came in. "There you are," he said.
"As ever was." Dillon smiled at Hannah and kissed her on the cheek. "God bless, Hannah."
"You've been in the wars again, Sean."
"For a good cause." He held up the recorder. "You want to hear it, General?"
"I damn well do." Ferguson sat down and Dillon switched it on.
Afterwards, Ferguson said, "It's even worse than I thought. How in the hell do we handle it?"
"You could always ring her up," Dillon said cheerfully. "And say, 'Hello, Countess, I have a tape of a certain conversation between you and a notorious IRA bomber. We know what you intend.'"
"Yes, but what does she intend?" Roper said. "To blow up a railway bridge--her own bridge--in disputed territory where no