Greta Novikova had been standing in the stern of the Kathleen, Belov and Tod Murphy in the wheelhouse, when the explosion took place in the engine room. The two men didnt stand a chance, but the force of the blast, a great wind, drove her across the stern rail as the shattered boat lifted and then dove down to its last resting place. She plunged headfirst into the water, lucky enough to slide to one side and miss the propellers. She went under, and surfaced, turning as the sea swallowed the Kathleen. An undertow sucked at her as if greedy to take her with it, and frightened and dazed, she screamed and kicked out toward the cliffs of the point.
There was a trench in the seabed at that place, fully fifty fathoms deep, so that as the Kathleen descended rapidly, there was turbulence on the surface, waves driving toward the small beach, increasing in force and taking her with them.
In the moonlight, she saw Ryan plunging knee-deep in the water to reach for her. She cried out, he grabbed, waist-deep in water, pulling her close.
Ive got you. He waded onto the beach, pulling her behind him. He held her close as she gasped for air. Who was with you?
Belov Tod Murphy.
And Kelly and the others?
There was a shoot-out at Drumore Place. I dont know. You must take me there.
Belov Tod Murphy.
And Kelly and the others?
There was a shoot-out at Drumore Place. I dont know. You must take me there.
Jesus, woman, youre in no fit state to go anywhere. Theres blood on your face. You must have taken a hell of a battering.
I must find out whats happened to Major Ashimov. I must.
And it was Kelly he was worried about. After all, if Kelly was still around, there was the IRA to consider.
He patted her shoulder. Ive got the Land Rover at the top of the steps. Ill take you now.
Yuri Ashimov knew none of this, for he was unconscious, facedown at Drumore Place, not dead, in spite of the two bullets Billy Salter had pumped into him, thanks to the nylon-and-titanium vest hed been wearing beneath his shirt. An invention of the Wilkinson Sword Company, it was efficient enough to block even a.44 bullet. On the other hand, the shock to the cardiovascular system usually caused unconsciousness for a while.
Lying there, he stirred and groaned, moved a little and pulled himself up. He shook his head to clear it, remembering firing his pistol at Dillon, knocking the AK from his hands, thinking hed got the bastard and then the shot catching his shoulder, spinning him round, and his last memory, Billy Salters face as hed fired the heart shot. There was a chair nearby; he reached for it, pulled himself up and sat down. He heard a footfall and one of Kellys men, Toby McGuire, appeared in the archway.
What happened to you? Ashimov asked harshly.
I was waiting in the summerhouse. Somebody jumped me. Knocked me out with a rifle stock.
Where is everybody?
Kellys dead and ONeill. I was up and around when Dillon and the other guy came out on the terrace. I kept out of the way, but I heard what they were saying.
And what was that?
Toby McGuire took a deep, shuddering breath and told him about the Kathleen and what had happened.
Ashimov sat there thinking about it. So thats what he said about Major Novikova? If she wasnt willing to take the risks, she shouldnt have joined?
That was it. Then he said to this guy Billy, I expect our day will come.
Oh, it will. Ashimov nodded. You can count on it. So they went?
He said he had all the keys to the cars in the courtyard. Two hours to Belfast and then home, thats what he said.
Right. Ashimov rose, picked up his pistol from the floor and put it in his waistband.
McGuire said, What happens now? Its a right mess.
Yes, it is. But we made some contingency plans, well be all right. The main thing is that youre still on board. Is that understood?
McGuire looked baffled. Right, Major.
It isnt so much what I say, its what the man in Dublin says. The Provisional IRA will take care of the cleanup here. Therell be a new team to take over from Kelly and youll be a part of it.
If you say so, Major.
I do. Now go to the kitchen and see if you can find some spare keys for the cars.
On my way.
McGuire went out and Ashimov went along to Belovs study and sat behind the desk with the satellite phone and rang a Moscow number. It was astonishing the clarity of these things, he thought, and also thought of Greta, surprised at how angry he felt.
A voice said in Russian, Volkov. Whos this?
Ashimov at Drumore. We have a problem.
Explain.
When he was finished, Volkov said, Thats certainly inconvenient, but our backup plans are in place. Youll need to come to Moscow for a meeting at once.
Of course. Send a jet for me.
Youll make the new arrangements with the IRA?
No need everythings still set.
Excellent. The death of Belov would be very inconvenient to our business plans.
Of course.
Another performance from Max Zubin would be in order, I think.
I agree.
On the other hand, the fewer people who know, the better. The locals should not be told that Belov is dead.
You mean I should withhold the information from the IRA?
That would seem sensible.
All right.
Good. Ill arrange the plane. See you soon.
Ashimov switched off the phone, put it down and thats when he received the shock of his life. He looked up to find Greta Novikova standing in the doorway, Patrick Ryans arm around her, and he was amazed at the feeling of joy that flooded through him. He had never been a man to feel much emotion for anyone and surprised himself by rushing round the desk and embracing her.
Greta, I cant believe it. I heard what happened. He kissed her, then held her at arms length. My God, what happened to you?
I cant believe Im here, she said. What about you?
Salter thought he killed me, but I was wearing body armor. Belov? Murphy?
Gone, she said. Its a miracle Im here, and she explained about the blast.
There was blood on the left side of her head and he examined it. Its not too bad, but it might need a couple of stitches. Well get that fixed by the good sisters at Saint Marys near Ballykelly.
The Sisters? She was bewildered.
Theyre a nursing order. Belov does a lot for them.
Ryan had gone away and now returned with the kitchen first-aid box. He rummaged in it and produced a large bandage, and Ashimov patched her up. McGuire was hovering in the background. Greta staggered a little and Ashimov caught her.
Take it easy. Ill take you upstairs to your room so you can change.
What for?
Were going to Moscow. A plane is coming to pick us up. As he led her out, he said to the other two, Wait for me.
In Dublin, Liam Bell sat in the sitting room of his apartment in a warehouse development. He was reading the evening paper, his spectacles giving him the look of a schoolteacher, which, in his youth, hed been. Many years of dedicated service to the IRA had take him as far as Chief of Staff. Hed resigned a year earlier to nurse his wife through terminal cancer and another had taken his place in the command structure. Now he was bored out of his mind and thirsting for action any kind of action and his phone rang and presented him with some.
Ashimov said, Mr. Bell? Yuri Ashimov. Several years ago, you made a promise that we could call you if needed.
You still can.
Do you know a man called Sean Dillon?
Indeed I do. If that bastards on your back, youve got trouble.
Listen to me. Would you be prepared to move in here with, say, half a dozen IRA men? Id make it worth your while.
I thought you had Dermot Kelly and his boys?
Not any longer.
What happened?
Ashimov gave him a version of events that excluded any participation by Belov. Anyway, a general cleanup is in order. You can rely on Patrick Ryan. Hes a good man.
I was two years in the Maze Prison with him. Hes one of our own. Bell laughed harshly. What a bastard Dillon is. Ive had my brushes with him. Anyway, Ive phone calls to make, recruiting to do. You can leave it with me.
And the disposal of the corpses?
Im an expert in that department.
Ill keep in touch.
Ashimov walked through to the terrace and found Ryan and McGuire standing by the body of Kelly.
Poor old Kelly, McGuire said. He never knew what hit him.
And thats a fact. Ashimov took a silenced pistol from his left-hand pocket and shot McGuire in the side of the head. He went down like a stone, and Patrick Ryan jumped back, hands raised, fear on his face.
No, for Gods sake.
Not you, you fool.
But why?
Because he knew Josef Belov is dead and that doesnt suit me or those involved with me in Moscow. Listen here. You know Liam Bell, an old friend, I think.
Ryan was astonished. Of course. I was in the same cell at the Maze Prison with him.
Ive spoken to him in Dublin. Hell be here within hours with a crew. Hell take over everything Kelly was responsible for, and hell take care of this lot. He stirred McGuire with his foot. Theyll do a satisfactory disposal job.
I see.
Hell expect you to fit in, you know.
I could do that, Ryan said slowly.
I want you to be my eyes and ears. Ill make your fortune, Patrick, put the Royal George in your name. Would you like that?
Ryans face lit up. That would be grand.
One thing. Nobody, not even Liam Bell, must know that Belov went down on that boat. It was just Tod Murphy as far as Bell knows.
Ryan took a deep breath. Right, Im your man.
Good. McGuire should have some keys in his pocket. Get them, would you?
Ryan fished them out.
Excellent. They walked through to the hall and Greta came down the great stairs in a fawn coat and black trouser suit, a traveling bag slung over one shoulder. You look better, a lot better. Lets get moving. Ill be in touch, Patrick.
They went out and Ryan waited. He heard one of the cars start up outside and then move off.
It was very quiet, too quiet, but hed taken a step on the kind of journey from which there was no going back.
The convent looked more like a country house than anything else, but inside it was a very different story. The nuns were a nursing order, the Little Sisters of Pity, and Belov had put a great deal of money into the place, a couple of operating theaters, all sorts of medical facilities. The result was a facility that was of great benefit to the local farming community, and a further enhancement of the Belov name.