Solo - Jack Higgins [52]
He got the barn door open, Morgan turned away, aware of him moving inside. The Land-Rover door slammed as O'Hagan got in. There was a colossal explosion, a blast of hot air and Morgan was flung forward on to his face.
He got to his knees, turned and found Seumas trying to get up, clutching his arm where a piece of metal was embedded like shrapnel.
The barn was an inferno, the wreck of the Land-Rover blazing fiercely.
Morgan was aware of the sound of an engine, dragged Seumas to his feet and shoved him into the trees, crouching down beside him. The jeep approached. It braked to a halt and Rafferty got out.
He walked forward, a hand shielding his face from the heat, going as close as he dared. Morgan stood up and emerged from the bushes.
'Rafferty?'
As Rafferty swung to face him, Morgan emptied the Sterling in three bursts, driving him back into the furnace of the barn. He threw the Sterling after him, picked up Seumas and got him to the jeep.
As he climbed behind the wheel he said, 'Do you know where we can find you a doctor? A safe doctor.'
'The Hibernian Nursing Home for the Aged. It's two miles this side of Ballymena,' Seumas told him and fainted.
Morgan removed the camouflage uniform in the washroom and stuffed it into a laundry basket. Underneath, he still wore his ordinary clothes. He checked his wallet, then washed his face and hands and returned to the small surgery.
The old doctor, Kelly, who appeared to run the place and a young nun were bending over Seumas whose arm and shoulder were bandaged. His eyes closed.
Doctor Kelly turned to Morgan. 'He'll sleep now. I've given him an injection. Good as new in a week.'
Seumas opened his eyes. 'You going, Colonel?'
'Back to London. I've things to do. You know, you never did tell me your second name.'
The boy smiled weakly. 'Keegan.'
Morgan wrote his London telephone number on the doctor's prescription pad and tore it off. 'If you think I can help any time, give me a ring.'
He moved to the door.
'Why, Colonel? Why did they do it?'
'From what I could gather, Tully had come up with some scheme or other that Liam didn't approve. He was going to inform the Army Council. I suppose this was Tully's way of stopping that.'
'I'll see him in hell first,' Seumas said and closed his eyes.
At the first public telephone box he came to, Morgan phoned Army Intelligence Headquarters at Lisburn and in as convincing an Ulster accent as he could muster, indicated where Brendan Tully and the Sons of Erin might be found, although he suspected they would already be long gone.
Then he caught a train in Ballymena for Belfast and went straight to the Europa where he booked out. By three o'clock he was at Aldergrove Airport waiting for the London flight.
John Mikali, twenty-eight thousand feet over Sweden, en route for Helsinki, was working his way through the file on Asa Morgan. The GRU man at the Russian Embassy in London had really been most thorough. Not only every aspect of Morgan's career in finest detail, but also details of his known associates, with photographs. Ferguson figured prominently as head of the anti-terrorist squad, Group Four, and so did Baker, although Mikali was already familiar with the Yorkshireman. Deville had a file on Special Branch personnel and Mikali had spent many hours in the past scanning their faces. Had done the same with their counterparts in Paris, Berlin and most other major cities he was in the habit of visiting.
He studied Asa Morgan's photograph again for quite a while then leaned back, thinking about it.
Not that he was worried. There was no way Morgan could get to him. Not a single clue, not a hint of a lead. The tracks were too well covered.
A blonde stewardess, an attractive girl with an excellent figure which was definitely enhanced by the navy blue uniform of British Airways, leaned over him.
'Are you giving a concert in Helsinki, Mr Mikali?'
'Yes. The Brahms Number One tomorrow night with the National State Orchestra.'
I'd love to come if I can get a ticket,' she said.