Henry turned to face the fence, hardly able to see anything through the tight steel mesh, and laid his forehead on the criss-cross strands, standing there until he became aware of a presence behind him. Without looking, he knew it would be Donaldson.
‘I thought you’d be up for this, Henry,’ Donaldson said. ‘That’s why I brought you here and trusted you,’ he said accusingly, hurt.
Henry could not bring himself to turn because he knew that something very fundamental had changed in the relationship between him and the Yank. There was now no more burying his head in the sand. He had seen up close and personal just what sort of a man Donaldson was, or had become. Now there was no going back. He either had to accept it, or not. Henry was lost for words as he choked something back in his throat.
‘That guy and his pals are out to kill the Secretary of State today, and I will do anything within my power to prevent that happening. This is a war, Henry. You know that.’
Henry’s nostrils flared as rage boiled inside him.
Donaldson went on. ‘We are dealing with mass murderers, people who want not only to destroy our way of life, but us too,’ he said reasonably. ‘He would have killed you today. He’s already had a hand in murdering two of your colleagues. I saved your life today.’
‘And for that I’m eternally grateful,’ Henry said truthfully. He now turned to look upon his friend, tears beginning to well.
‘And they are planning to kill Ms Rice today. Just for your information, maps, itineraries, photos and descriptions of venues have been found in that house this morning … and also the clothes Ali was wearing when our surveillance team latched on to him early this morning — covered in the blood of your colleagues, who stumbled on him, Akbar and Rashid, and maybe others, planning an assassination.’
Henry recalled how Ali had been dressed when he’d answered the door, how he had smelled. Clean, fresh, as though he’d just had a shower.
And to confirm his thoughts, Donaldson said, ‘The shower upstairs is clogged with blood.’
‘How do you know Akbar was there?’
‘We’ve had a forensic and CSI team at the scene who specialize in dealing with scenes like these. They’ve got fast-track DNA equipment in their vehicles and Akbar’s DNA has been found in several locations in the house already … simple.’ He shrugged. ‘He’s on the loose and the Secretary of State’s life is on the line.’
‘Cancel the visit, then,’ Henry suggested.
‘Can’t be done … she’s a politician and she won’t be seen to bow down to the threat of terrorism. It’s our job to make sure the hit doesn’t happen.’
‘More fool her.’
‘It’s a principle, Henry. The world is at war, and we have to do anything we can to win, don’t you see?’
‘You sound as brainwashed as them,’ Henry said. ‘Another side of the same coin.’
Donaldson stared at him.
‘I know that guy tried to kill me and I know I’ve got a lot to thank you for over the years and today, but you need to know one thing about me …’
‘What’s that?’ Donaldson asked, a sneer on his lips.
‘I believe in the rule of law, ultimately, and human rights and that the end does not justify the means and all that shit. I know all that stuff trips us up, makes it almost impossible to operate and I know that if I’d had to kill Ali this morning to stay alive myself, I would’ve done … but he’s alive, I’m alive, and now the process of law should take over, not the rule of the fuckin’ jungle-’
‘You’re in a dream world, Henry … I brought you here today because I thought you were in and understood what was going on. Obviously I was wrong and I’ve compromised myself because of it.’
‘Has Ali told you anything?’ Henry asked.
Donaldson looked involuntarily at the floor and scuffed his foot. ‘No,’ he admitted, ‘but he will.’
‘In that case, you’d better get back up there, hadn’t you? Put a dog collar round his neck, maybe that’ll help.’
Without warning Donaldson leapt at Henry, went for his throat and pinned him against the metal fence with a crash. His face, red, furious, dangerous, was nose-to-nose with Henry’s, who gagged for breath and tried unsuccessfully to prize the American’s big fingers from his windpipe. Then, just as he was about to say something, Donaldson seemed to realize what he was doing. He relaxed his grip and let Henry go, who fell to his haunches, choking and massaging his throat.
Donaldson spun on his heels and stalked back inside, leaving Henry alone in the courtyard, gulping for air, aware that in the space of just over an hour, his friendship with Karl Donaldson had ended more dramatically than he could ever have imagined and that his whole day had been turned on its head.
Seventeen
A huge area surrounding the house on Balaclava Street had been cordoned off. Traffic diversions were in place and the police were out in numbers to keep onlookers from pouring in and trampling any evidence there might be.
Henry stood just inside one of the stretched police tapes at the junction of Randal Street and Limbrick, speaking to a bleak faced chief constable and Detective Chief Superintendent Dave Anger.
‘This is completely horrendous,’ FB was saying. He was more affected than Henry had ever seen.
‘Incredible,’ Anger said, shaking his head in disbelief.
Their eyes were on Henry, but not in a critical way for once. They knew the full story leading up to why Angela Cranlow and Graeme Walling had knocked on the door in Balaclava Street and understood that no one could have suspected that the officers were stepping from a routine inquiry, albeit concerning a murder, into the world of international terrorism. FB seemed to have been hit particularly hard and was struggling to take in the enormity of the event … as was Henry.
He fished out a pack of Nurofen tablets he’d bought from a nearby chemist and thumbed a couple out of the blister pack, tipped his head back, filled his mouth with saliva and tossed them into the back of his throat, swallowing them with ease.
‘Two cops dead, terrorists on the loose intent on murdering the American Secretary of State who, despite the warning, is determined to visit the town and mingle … shit!’
‘Why can’t you pull the plug on the visit?’ Henry said plaintively.
‘Because politicians don’t have the sense they were born with,’ FB commented dryly, ‘and because we are expected to protect her.’
And because your own job would be in question if you took the unpopular step of cancelling it, Henry thought, but didn’t say anything.
‘Fortunately she’s been delayed in Liverpool, which has given us a bit of time to draft in virtually every remaining bobby from around the county who isn’t involved in the visit. There’ll be more cops than crowds.’
‘Let’s hope nothing happens anywhere else for a few hours,’ FB said grimly. ‘If the nuclear reactor blows in Heysham, it’ll just have to burn and destroy the known world.’
‘And nothing’s come from this Ali guy?’ Anger asked Henry, who shook his head and bit his tongue … but only for a moment.
‘How the hell is it going to be explained that the Americans are torturing people in Blackburn?’ he demanded.
FB gave him a stern look. ‘Shut it, Henry,’ he said. ‘What people don’t know won’t hurt them, got that? Blab one word, and you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.’
Henry could hardly believe his ears, but yet he wasn’t surprised to discover that the people ‘up there’ were colluding in such unlawful acts. After all, it’s a war, he thought resentfully. ‘We’ve totally lost this if we can’t do things by lawful means,’ he bellyached.
‘Fine words, Henry. Admirable sentiments. You’re getting very highly principled in your old age and it’s very commendable …’
‘Don’t patronize me, Bob.’