Cold Justice : A Novel (2021) by Middleton Ant

Author:Middleton, Ant [Middleton, Ant]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

33

Mallory wasn’t sure what the next step was, but he knew Scott would need to lie low for a while. They would need clothing, food and a pair of new phones in case they got separated. He told Scott to get cleaned up while he went out for supplies. Before leaving the hotel, he sent a short email to an acquaintance on the east coast of the United States. He knew Jake ‘Mac’ McIlroy was a night owl, so he hoped that he would be awake to see the message.

Mac replied almost immediately with a phone number. The email came through when Mallory had walked less than five minutes from the Hauer Hotel. He took a look around for somewhere quiet to talk. There was an old church just down the street. Its windows were boarded up, but there was a set of wide steps leading up to the front door. He sat down on the top step and dialled the number. The position gave him a clear view of the street in both directions.

Rather than the usual pleasantries, Mac answered the phone with, ‘What the hell are you doing in Johannesburg?’

‘I keep asking myself the same question.’

He explained the situation quickly, confident that he didn’t have to go slowly or explain too much in order for Mac to keep up. As soon as he told him about Scott’s blond American captor, he knew why Mallory had got in touch.

‘It’s not outside the bounds of possibility that he could be one of ours. Then again, he could be a lot of things. Russian maybe?’

‘A Russian accent’s difficult to mistake for an American one,’ Mallory pointed out.

‘I wouldn’t say that. I’ve met Russians who sound more like an authentic New Yorker than I do.’

‘Nobody immediately jumps to mind, though?’

‘No, but I can make some calls. Somebody will know who this guy is.’

‘That’s perfect, thank you. Can I give you a call back in a few hours? It’ll be from a different number, I’m going to pick up a burner.’

‘Sure thing, Mallory.’

‘Thanks, Mac.’

Mallory hung up the call and thought for a minute. He had met Mac in Iraq almost a decade before, and the two had kept in touch ever since. He was one of the few contacts Mallory had in American intelligence who hadn’t retired or moved on to the private sector. It was a long shot, but if anyone knew why an American with training was working with a Johannesburg gang, he thought Mac might be able to find them.

The beginnings of a plan were forming in Mallory’s mind. They could hole up in three-star splendour at the Hauer for a couple of days. He could leave Scott there relatively safely while he ventured out. With any luck, Mac would come back with some information he could use to get close to whoever had hired the gang to kidnap Scott. Failing that, he might be able to draw them out himself.

Either way, he needed to find out exactly who they were up against.

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