‘YOU’RE making good progress.’
‘Who are you?’ Tallis stared at the man.
‘Your doctor.’
Tallis was in bed. His left hand and arm were partially encased in plaster. There was a large dressing on his back, a light bandage on one knee. He felt muzzy.
‘Mr Kennedy asked me to look after you,’ the doctor explained with a smile that denoted he felt honoured by the request.
Tallis glanced around at the pale green walls, the French windows, orange autumn light sifting through the glass. From his bed he had a fine view of the gardens. Two wagtails shot along the lawn at speed. The clinic, Tallis thought. How useful to have a friendly quack on site who didn’t ask questions. He wondered whether the man was a specialist in the treatment of bullet wounds as well as torture.
‘How long have I been here?’
‘Two days. We had to sedate you. Fortunately, the wrist was a clean break.’
Tallis threw back the covers, awkwardly swung his legs round, attempting to plant both feet on the floor. He felt hollow-eyed, swathed in exhaustion. ‘Where are my things?’
The doctor’s expression shot through with alarm. ‘Mr Tallis, I really don’t think—’
‘And my phone. I need my phone.’
‘You really are in no state to—’
‘Keys to my car.’
‘I strongly advise—’
‘Hell, man, at least find me a pair of shorts.’
The door swung open. ‘What’s all this?’ Kennedy said, advancing on Tallis.
The doctor instantly paled. ‘I did warn him in the strongest of terms, but he wouldn’t listen.’
‘It’s all right, James,’ Kennedy said. ‘Leave this to me.’
The sight of Kennedy alone triggered a host of thoughts Tallis hadn’t begun to elucidate. Ergul and Alpi were stooges for the CIA, but was there truth in their assertion?
Kennedy broke into a wide smile.
‘What?’ Tallis said. He felt extraordinarily agitated. Maybe they’d pumped him full of amphetamines or something. After all, Kennedy was in the right business.
‘You’re standing stark bollock naked looking as if you want to take the whole world on.’
‘I’d like some clothes.’ Tallis knew he sounded pissy.
‘I’ll arrange it, but first you eat and then we talk.’
‘But—’
‘Tallis, everyone who matters is being kept in the loop.’
‘There’ve been no terrorist attacks?’ Please, God, Tallis thought.
‘We’re safe for the time being.’
And you would know, Tallis thought, immediately quashing the thought. ‘I still need to get up,’ he insisted, feeling very unwell indeed.
‘Another twenty-four hours of bed rest isn’t going to make any difference to anyone other than you.’
Tallis looked into Kennedy’s eyes, eyes that in some lights appeared to be without guile. He didn’t know what he believed any more. Perhaps that was good. In the great scheme of things, opinions counted for little. ‘How did you know where to find me?’
‘My patch. My job to know.’
Wasn’t a very plausible argument, Tallis thought, feeling far too muddled to debate the whys and wherefores. ‘Why did you save me?’
‘Because I could. Is that good enough?’ Kennedy twitched a smile.
‘Yeah.’ Tallis smiled uncertainly. ‘Thank you.’
He must have fallen asleep. When he awoke it was pitchblack. He switched on the overhead light, eyes blinking and adjusting to the shifting shadows. A set of clean clothes had been placed on the only chair in the room. Both his watch and phone had thoughtfully been left on the side-table next to the glass and jug of water. He picked up the watch: 03.43. Wincing with pain from the lacerations on his back, wrist throbbing, he gingerly slid out of bed and took the phone to the window, switching it on, wondering if he had enough battery. Sure enough, the phone bleeped into action, notifying him that he had two missed calls, one from Lavender, one from Asim. He played both. Lavender’s was along the lines of Has something happened and get in touch. Asim’s was more coded: Trouble on the horizon from our friends in America. Damn right, Tallis thought.
Four bars appeared in the right-hand side of the screen. He had power. He had a signal. Protocol dictated he call Asim. Instinct led him to Lavender.
‘Great to hear your voice,’ she said, sounding not the least bit sleepy.
‘Thought that was my line.’ He smiled.
‘I was told to stand down until further notice. What the hell happened?’
Tallis told her.
‘I should have followed you.’ She sounded glum.
‘Tail-end Charlie.’ He laughed.
‘Very funny.’ She didn’t sound amused. It was the first time, he realised, that she’d suffered a sense of humour failure.
‘You can’t track me twenty-four hours a day.’ Pity, he thought. The idea of having her near held real appeal.
‘Those Turkish bastards got dangerously close to nailing Kennedy as an informer,’ she said. ‘I wonder why they didn’t tell the rest of the Commission.’ Because they had bigger fish to fry, Tallis thought. ‘Think they were behind Gabriel’s killing?’ Lavender said.
‘Beginning to look that way.’ Or their American employers bore the responsibility. He hadn’t told her about Ergul and Alpi’s claims of Kennedy’s incitement to terrorism. Asim could pick the bones out of that one.
‘So what happens next?’
‘I’m going to speak to Asim, see if there’s been any developments. There’s another meeting of the Commission on Friday.’
‘Why?’
‘Interesting, huh?’
‘Yeah, but so soon.’
‘Is that a problem?’
‘Will you be well enough?’
‘If I’m well enough to speak, I’m well enough.’ He smiled again. He really liked hearing her voice. She felt like the only bit of sanity in a very crazy world.
‘Same place, same time, then?’ She laughed.
‘Actually, no. We’re heading down to London.’
‘Great, gives me a chance to dress up.’
‘Don’t think they’re planning a meet at a fashion house.’
‘Heard the phrase when in Rome,’ she joked. ‘I’ll stand out like a sore thumb tricked out in leathers.’
That he very much doubted, but he saw her point. ‘What had you in mind?’
‘Wait and see,’ she said playfully. ‘Something else.’
‘Yeah?’
‘The fair-haired guy.’
The bloke who’d been tailing him, he remembered. ‘What about him?’
‘Think he’s in the mix?’
Tallis paused, trying the notion out for size. ‘Either he’s with the American contingent or he’s working a number all of his own.’ Or maybe there are too many drugs flowing through my bloodstream, Tallis thought.
Next he called Asim, gave him the equivalent of a debrief.
‘And they definitely mentioned the name David Miller?’
‘That’s what spooked me. I reckon Koroglu and his paymasters at the CIA recruited Alpi and Ergul to spy on Kennedy and his associates. The Americans are convinced that Kennedy is involved in terrorism.’ Something, Tallis suspected, they’d long ago leaked to Asim. ‘They already had a line going on him in Turkey, then I pop onto the scene, first in Turkey then here in Britain as Kennedy’s right-hand man. As far as they’re concerned, I’m part of the alleged plot. You mentioned we had trouble with our American friends.’
‘Lots of sabre rattling. With the foreign adventure costing the American presidency dearly, the hardliners are looking for scalps.’
Everyone knew the love affair was over, Tallis thought. The Transatlantic alliance was in shreds over Iraq. The climate had changed from one of admiration to one of mutual suspicion and blame. Not even a change at the top was going to shift that kind of mindset overnight.
‘We’re largely applauded for our intelligence and skill at averting terrorist attacks. However, in some quarters it’s believed that we’re not doing a good enough job at weeding out extremists. They’re particularly sensitive because, according to a declassified document, the US is under threat from a-Q sleepers.’
Tallis thought again about the fair-haired stranger who’d been tailing him. Was he back on the trail? He mentioned the prospect to Asim. ‘Lavender spotted the guy and took photos. Locations include the clinic and premises at Lye and Walsall.’
‘And this individual appeared on the scene before your abduction? Hell of a coincidence.’
Yeah, Tallis had to admit. Either that, or there were an awful lot of different people after him.
‘Get her to email the photographs to me,’ Asim said. ‘As for the guy they call Koroglu…’
‘So he does have a name?’ Probably a Brad or a Grady, Tallis thought spitefully.
‘I’ve got no specific intelligence of his involvement,’ Asim said, neatly sidestepping the question, ‘but I think it might be a sensible precaution for you to avoid home ground. Either stick with Kennedy, or use the safe house. You’ve spoken to Lavender?’
‘Yes.’
‘So she’s up to speed on Friday’s meeting?’
Tallis confirmed that she was.
‘I’m going to put measures in place to have the main players monitored.’
‘Is that a good idea? We only need someone to slip up and the whole meet’s off.’ And the cell, if there was one, would be shut down for ever.
Asim paused, clearly considering the merit of Tallis’s argument. ‘It’s critical you don’t let Kennedy out of sight.’
‘What if we have another sidebar situation?’
‘Let’s hope you don’t. Whatever happens, yours and Kennedy’s cover must not be blown. Sure you’re up to it?’
He wasn’t. He needed rest and time to heal. Fortunately, only his left wrist was broken. Had it been his right, he’d have been in serious trouble—that was his gun hand. Tallis assured Asim he was good to go. ‘Something else,’ he began. ‘When I was going through Kennedy’s stuff, I found a notebook of names of contacts. Right at the back there was one name that didn’t seem to fit in with the rest.’
‘Yeah?’
‘Mephisto.’
‘That it? Mephisto, not Mephistopheles?’
‘Does it make a difference?’ Tallis said, scratching his head.
‘Didn’t you study Goethe at school?’
‘Goethe?’
‘Late eighteenth-, early-nineteenth-century German dramatist.’
‘Grease was the closest I got to drama.’ He’d heard of Goethe, of course, but to say he’d studied him at school would be a lie. Kennedy didn’t strike him as being the highly educated type so what was such a reference doing in his notebook?
Asim was in full flight. ‘Goethe wrote Faust in 1808. It was considered to be his masterpiece. Faust was a legendary magician who was said to have sold his soul to the devil. Mephisto is another name for the devil.’
Christ, Tallis thought, although, for the life of him, he couldn’t see the connection. Unless…
‘What about the Turks’ claims about Kennedy?’ Tallis said.
‘About him inciting the crime lords to commit terrorist acts? Has to be bluff,’ Asim said firmly. ‘Every piece of intelligence has to be looked at and taken seriously,’ Asim said, calm in his voice, ‘but do you really think he’d be that stupid?’
‘Or that devious.’
Asim said nothing for a long moment. ‘If he’s about to do what they say, he’s achieved something quite remarkable.’
I’ve pulled off something quite remarkable.
That’s what Tallis was afraid of, he thought, Kennedy’s words after the Commission meeting, hurtling back to haunt him.