Retribution by John Sneeden

Author:John Sneeden [Sneeden, John]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: John Sneeden
Published: 2021-02-10T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Drenna had to admit she was shocked to hear that Driscoll’s team had already located Botha. It was nothing short of impressive. Like Nikita Petrov, Botha was one of the cagiest and most cautious criminals on the planet.

“Did you pick him up on CCTV?” Drenna asked.

“Unfortunately, electronic surveillance is no longer an option. We lost access shortly after finding the footage I sent you. Nice’s security team discovered that someone had breached their firewall, and they blocked us.”

“Did they realize it was MI6?”

“We don’t think so,” Driscoll said. “In fact, we could go back in if we wanted to. My tech guy says he could punch through the protections they put in place, but he also said there was a risk in doing so because if we got caught a second time, then the authorities would know that they’re dealing with a sophisticated hacker. And if they suspected that, there’s a good chance they would bring in the DGSI.”

“So how did you find him?”

Driscoll pulled the plate of mussels in front of him and speared two with a tiny fork. “To be honest, I have to give Alan Bowles all the credit. He pulled Botha’s dossier and went back through everything we had on the man. In particular, he focused on his habits.” Driscoll ate the mussels then looked at Drenna. “I’m sure you remember his biggest weakness?”

Drenna thought back on her knowledge of Botha’s dossier. It had been a while since she had read it. While little was known about his personal life, she did remember that he was a known philanderer. “Women?”

“That’s true of about ninety percent of the men we have to deal with. I’m talking about something much more specific to him.”

Drenna thought for a moment but was unable to come up with anything. “Sorry, you got me.”

“He’s a connoisseur of expensive scotch.”

Drenna nodded. “Now that you mention it, I do remember he had a penchant for whiskey in general and scotch in particular. But how did that help you find him?”

“If you’ll remember, he was known to frequent a number of bars in Cape Town. I think Alan just put two and two together. He had already been seen walking around Nice in the evening, so why not assume he was going to get his fix at one of the local watering holes.”

“Why take that risk?” Drenna asked. “Why not just send one of his men out to buy a few bottles of his favorite brand?”

“I think it goes back to what you said before. Whiskey isn’t the man’s only weakness. He could certainly drink on his own, but the lure of going out in search of female company is just too strong.” Driscoll paused briefly. “You also have to remember that he and Petrov believe they pulled the wool over our eyes in Montenegro, and that gives them a false sense of security. In their minds, the only way they get caught is if they happen to cross paths with an intelligence officer. And what are the odds of that happening in Nice? It’s not exactly known as a hotbed of spies.

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