CHAPTER FOURTEEN

They flew back to England first class. Bex thought the boys deserved it, after everything that had happened. The business couldn’t really afford it, but that’s what credit cards and overdrafts were for. They’d get the money back – somehow.

‘Did you report what happened, back there?’ Kieron asked. He had the remains of a lobster thermidor on the plate in front of him, along with a glass of champagne Bex had allowed him to order. Sam, beside him, had discovered that his seat could go completely flat. He was lying down, covered with a blanket, playing a game on the tablet he’d been handed when they boarded. Bex suspected he might never want to get off.

‘I’ve briefed Bradley about everything,’ she said, ‘and he’ll pass it on to MI6. They need to know what Todd Zanderbergen was up to. They’ll liaise with Shin Bet and the FBI to close the company down.’

‘And we just go home and pretend nothing happened?’

She nodded. ‘That’s right. Nothing did happen. Remember that. Or, rather, don’t remember that.’

He took another sip of his champagne and glanced around the first-class cabin. ‘I could get used to this lifestyle,’ he said appreciatively, settling back in his seat. ‘I swear there are movies on these tablets that haven’t even been released in the cinema yet.’

Bex closed her eyes briefly. Mention of MI6 had caused a seed of concern to germinate in her mind. They weren’t any closer to finding out who the traitor was in the organisation – the one who was working with the neo-fascist Blood and Soil thugs in the UK. That was next on her agenda. As soon as she got back, she and Bradley needed to investigate that.

And make some money, quickly.

Kieron suddenly seemed to perk up. He sat up straight, gazing intently ahead of him.

‘Sam,’ he said urgently. ‘Sam!’ He hit Sam’s leg underneath the blanket.

Sam emerged like a tortoise coming out of hibernation. ‘What?’ he asked, blinking. ‘I’m on level twenty!’

‘See those blokes on the other side of the cabin?’ Kieron pointed, and Sam turned his head to look. ‘Do they look familiar to you?’

Bex looked as well, feeling a slight twinge of concern.

‘Dunno,’ Sam said. ‘They look pretty radical.’

‘That,’ Kieron said firmly, ‘is Lethal Insomnia.’

‘You’re kidding!’

Bex settled back in her seat and closed her eyes. The boys were fine. She’d be fine too, with a bit of sleep.