The White Scorpion (The James Ryker Series) by Rob Sinclair

Author:Rob Sinclair [Sinclair, Rob]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Boldwood Books
Published: 2024-07-28T00:00:00+00:00

23

‘You’re telling me you didn’t know about the surveillance,’ Ryker said as Winter, phone to his ear, stared out of the windscreen of his parked car at the corner of the white wall that ran around Benyu’s villa a hundred yards away.

‘I didn’t know,’ Winter said.

‘And you’ve no idea whose it is.’

‘I don’t. And that’s an honest answer.’

‘But it could be ours?’

Winter sighed. ‘If it is, I’ll be seriously disappointed.’

‘Well, whoever it is, they had drone surveillance on Muampa. Which possibly means they had footage from the day Muampa was taken. If we can get⁠—’

‘I understand,’ Winter said. ‘If there’s drone footage of the assault too, we may be able to identify the vehicle Muampa was taken away in. And who took Jenkins and Strickland. I’ll get working on it. Is there anything else?’

‘What about the Russians?’

A sigh. Ryker had already explained what they’d found on Kirill Yakovlev. That was all news to Winter, though mention of Russian involvement – interference? – was certainly potentially significant.

‘I’ll let you know,’ he said.

Winter ended the call. He started the engine and pulled back out into the road and moments later he was outside the tall entrance gates of Benyu’s compound. The green jeep fitted with a hefty machine gun was still there. After lengthy scrutiny of his ID, he was let through and he parked up in front of the entrance to the villa.

Inside the main reception hall, he spotted a familiar face. A rough-looking bearded man with weathered skin and bloodshot eyes. A smart gray suit stretched over a heavily muscled frame. The man looked over. Showed no recognition of Winter, who stood and waited for his chaperone, whoever that might be today.

‘Afternoon,’ Winter said, nodding to the guard.

‘Afternoon.’

‘You’re another of the Cathcart guys, I presume?’

A slightly suspicious look. ‘Yeah.’

‘I’ve met a few of your team already. And you are?’

‘Brett Lewis.’

‘There’s certainly plenty of you about.’

‘You might have noticed there’s a bit of a powwow around here at present.’

‘Indeed.’

Off in the distance, along the corridor that led to Benyu’s office, Winter saw Engonga approaching. He set off toward him.

‘See you around,’ Winter said as he passed Lewis and on to Engonga, a man he’d met only a few times in the past, but who he knew a lot about. Previously one of Benyu’s closest allies in the Chabonese military, he had a past as dark as anyone else’s, despite his recent pretense in his role as a cabinet minister.

The two men shook hands and exchanged pleasantries.

‘Is he free now?’ Winter said.

‘Let’s go and see.’

They headed toward Benyu’s office in silence. Winter had no need for chitchat. Engonga knocked on the office door and the two men stepped inside when prompted.

‘Peter,’ Benyu said, getting up from his desk chair. ‘I don’t see you for so long, then two times in a week. What is it they say in Britain about buses?’

‘If you step in the path of one it’ll turn you into mincemeat?’

A look of confusion flashed across Benyu’s face before his casual smile returned.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.