Free Bonfire by Mark Arundel Page B

said.
    ‘I don’t know if you’re a gambler or an optimist,’ I said.
    ‘I’m neither,’ Jerry replied. If losing Magda concerned Jerry Lombroso, his voice hid it well.
    ‘I still get the money, right?’ I said.
    ‘You do,’ Jerry said. I had the feeling Jerry knew something important.
    ‘Is the Chief with you?’ I asked.
    ‘No, no, he’s not,’ Jerry replied.
    ‘I want to speak to him,’ I said. There was a pause. I could hear the cogs turning inside Jerry’s head.
    ‘All right,’ he said. ‘I’ll ask him to call you.’
    ‘Hold off on the Wildcat until I’ve spoken to him,’ I said.
    ‘All right, if you’re sure,’ Jerry said.
    ‘The tracker implants,’ I said. ‘Are you monitoring them?’
    ‘No, no, I’m not,’ he replied.
    ‘Before the Chief calls me, find out Magda’s location and whether her heart is still beating,’ I said. ‘Can I track the implant signals from this phone?’
    ‘You can, but you’ll need the software,’ Jerry said.
    ‘Can you upload the software to my phone?’
    ‘I’ll look into it,’ Jerry said.
    ‘Do it quickly,’ I said. I ended the call and then wondered what it was that Jerry was not saying.
    The head of British SIS [ SIS: secret intelligence service ] watched Jerry Lombroso lower the phone from an ear that looked decidedly pink and waited for him to speak.
    The Islamic extremists have taken Magda from her father’s house,’ Jerry said. The Chief joined his hands together by linking the fingers as if in prayer. He even closed his eyes. Jerry watched him. The seconds passed. Jerry thought about his wife shopping in Knightsbridge. He wondered how much money she would spend. The Chief opened his eyes and looked up. ‘Hayes wants you to call him,’ Jerry said. ‘And he wants us to upload the software to his phone so he can trace the signals from tracker implants.’
    ‘Did he ask about his money?’
    ‘Yes, he did,’ Jerry replied.
    ‘Even the best mercenaries are still mercenaries,’ the Chief said. ‘Legionnaires who grew up in Belfast and can never go back only have allegiance to one thing.’ Jerry wondered if that was true. He kept quiet on the subject.
    The Chief looked at the screen. Using his fingers, he enlarged the map. The coloured dots flashed. He spoke without looking up. ‘Jerry, do you know what the intelligence service considers are the most and least important attribute?’
    ‘No, I don’t,’ Jerry said.
    ‘Trust,’ the Chief said. ‘The most and least important attribute of a good intelligence service is trust . Trust is both everything and nothing. Only by testing can one discover which.’ Jerry decided not to comment. ‘Jerry, never trust someone who doesn’t have anything to lose. A desperate person will promise the earth.’
    ‘You told me we could trust Hayes,’ Jerry said.
    ‘Yes, I did and we can trust him,’ the Chief said. ‘We can trust him to achieve our objective.’
    ‘…the elimination of Suleiman Al Bousefi,’ Jerry said.
    ‘Yes, the elimination of Suleiman Al Bousefi,’ the Chief repeated.
    There was a pause.
    ‘Shall I have the software uploaded to Hayes’ phone?’ Jerry asked.
    ‘Let me talk to him,’ the Chief said.
    ‘When will that be?’
    ‘Oh, soon,’ the Chief said. ‘I just need to think for a short while.’ The Chief put his hands together again and then closed his eyes.
    Jerry looked at his wristwatch and then at the tracker dots on the screen. He thought about Hayes and noted that Magda’s heart was beating faster.

9          Do not mistake a goat's beard for a stallion's tail.
     
    Cakes had an expression that Mick and I had seen before. It made his forehead overhang so that his eyes almost disappeared. The single line of his mouth was set as if a stonemason had carved it with a hammer and chisel.
    From behind the wheel of the Ford, Mick leant through the open window and looked up at us. Cakes and I were standing on either side. In the empty sky, directly