“Are you delivering that?”
He glanced at the resealed flap. “Yes, it’s for Sir Peter Carroll’s eyes only.”
A guard escorted him towards the lift, same as ever. The door pinged open and a half-familiar face greeted him. It took a second to place him — Sir Peter’s chauffeur. They exchanged the briefest of smiles and Trevor — that was the name that had eluded him — subtly tapped his own chest as he passed, mirroring where Thomas held the envelope over his bruise. By the time he’d turned around, Trevor had gone.
* * *
Three raps and there he was, back in the spider’s lair.
“Please take a seat, Thomas.”
He leaned forward and passed the envelope. If Sir Peter had looked pale before, by the time he’d viewed the contents he was positively anaemic. “What . . . is it that you want?”
Thomas smiled, a little smile to let the old man know that things were about to change. “These are my terms. You’ll sign an executive order today, prohibiting Karl and me from being moved to separate teams without your express consent — which, of course, will be up to Karl and me. Bob Peterson’s to be transferred immediately — I don’t care where — and Christine Gerrard promoted in his place.”
Sir Peter shrank back in his chair, like a slug at a salt-fest. As Thomas looked up, even Churchill’s portrait seemed shocked at such audacity. Well, bollocks to them both.
“Are we finished, then?”
The cheeky bastard. “No, there’s the small matter of forty thousand pounds outstanding — for Miranda.” He put his hands on the hallowed desk. “And let’s be clear: if you or your representatives ever take an interest in the private lives of anyone associated with me again, you’ll wish they hadn’t. You can keep the photos — they’re copies.” He stared at Sir Peter, waiting until the old man broke eye contact; it took about thirty seconds. A voice in his head muttered ‘overdramatic,’ but he shushed it silently.
“So now what, Thomas? I presume you know about my new working relationship — with Mr McNeill’s associates?”
It wasn’t a surprise, but it still left a bitter aftertaste. Karl had explained the rationale: run Sir Peter Carroll as a double agent; preserve the SSU, blah blah blah. It stank, however you pitched it, even if Karl was right and it suited the greater good.
“What happens is that I collect the money and then I’m out of here.”
The bundles of notes were lifted from a safe behind the desk, all ready and waiting; he didn’t bother to count them. Sir Peter handed them over solemnly, like a school prize; Thomas stashed them in a carrier bag.
“I hope you’re not thinking of leaving the Surveillance Support Unit. You’re a resourceful man, Thomas. I can always use a good man like you.”
Thomas picked up the bag. He was halfway out the door when he turned and looked back. “Not any more.”
THE END
Get the next book in the series now!
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A young woman lies dead at an army base. Was it really an accident?
Thomas Bladen works in surveillance for a shadowy unit of the British government. When Amy Johanson is killed during a weapons test, Thomas and his partner Karl are determined to get to the bottom of it. They must protect Amy's friend Jess, the only witness they have, who plays a dangerous game of seduction and lies. Meanwhile, Thomas’s girlfriend Miranda and her family are once again put in the firing line.
Can Thomas get justice for Amy, solve the mystery of Karl’s past, and decide who he can really trust?
My thanks to the following people:
Christine Butterworth, David Brown, Elizabeth Sparrow, Helen Rathore, Jane Pollard, Jeremy Faulkner-Court, Kath Morgan, Martin Wood, Michael Wise, Richard Coralie, Sarah Campbell, Sue Louineau, Susie Nott-Bower, Villayat Sunkmanitu and Warren Stevenson.
Glossary of British Slang Terms
British slang: US equivalent
’andouts: handouts/charity
’scuse: excuse
4 X 4: four wheel drive vehicle/off-roader
arse: ass
bitter (type of drink): ale
blighty: informal/nostalgic term for England / the UK
bollocking: a severe reprimand
bollocks: nonsense (noun)/damn (exclamation)
booze cruise: ferry trip to bring back cheap alcohol
cheers: when not used as a toast can mean thank you
chuffed: pleased/delighted
civil servant: government worker
clogging: filling/blocking
Cockney Sparra: Cockney Sparrow - native Londoner
comprendez: do you understand [French]
craic: an enjoyable time [Irish]
Diwali: Hindu religious festival of lights
dogsbody: servant or underling
downed: drank
dunno: don't know
durn’t: doesn't
easy-peasy: trouble free
exocet: type of missile
fat chance: slim chance
Feng Shui: Chinese system of balancing energies
get it down yer: drink this
give them a tug: pull them in for questioning
had a skinful: was drunk
hen party: bachelorette party
industrial estate: industrial park/trading estate
jammy: lucky
Jaysus: Jesus [Irish]
lamped: beat up/punched
landed one on: punched
matey: friendly
might’a: might have
mobile: cellphone
Murphys: common Irish surname
nicked: arrested/busted
nought: zero
o’him: of him
oik: peasant/lowlife
okey dokey: OK
on’t: on the
oppo: work buddy
owt: anything
Oxbridge: Oxford and Cambridge Universities, equivalent to Harvard or Yale
paracetamol: painkiller
plonked: placed something without care
poss: possible
prat: jerk (derogatory)
promo: promotional film
quid: one UK pound (currency)
Rififi: a classic French gangster movie
s’pose: suppose
scrunched: squeezed into a ball
shandy: ale or lager mixed with a soft drink
shiter: crappier
skint: poor
snidey: contemptuous
Sotheby’s: Name of a premier auction house
summat: something
sussing out: weighing up someone's character or motives
ta: thank you
telly: TV
tenner: ten pound note (currency)
tête à tête: meeting between two people (French)
tha: you
tossers: jerks (derogatory)
tutted: expressed disapproval
walkie-talkie: two-way radio
wi’: with
yer: you
zip-gun: home-made firearm
Thank you for reading this book. If you enjoyed it please leave feedback on Amazon, and if there is anything we missed or you have a question about then please get in touch. The author and publishing team appreciate your feedback and time reading this book.
Our email is [email protected]
http://joffebooks.com
You can follow the author on his blog or twitter account
www.alongthewritelines.blogspot.co.uk
@DerekWriteLines
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Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
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Chapter 20
Chapter 21
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Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
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Glossary of British Slang Terms
STANDPOINT a gripping thriller full of suspense Page 32
