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STANDPOINT a gripping thriller full of suspense

Page 32

by DEREK THOMPSON


  “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!

  http://www.amazon.co.uk/LINE-SIGHT-gripping-thriller-suspense-ebook/dp/B00XIOAOBK/

  http://www.amazon.com/LINE-SIGHT-gripping-thriller-suspense-ebook/dp/B00XIOAOBK/

  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 jasper@joffebooks.com

  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

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Glossary of British Slang Terms

 

 

 


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