Read A Delicate Truth A Novel for Free Online

water, two men aboard. He was still watching them when his encrypted cellphone began cooing its stupid melody. Jeb grabbed it from him, dowsed the sound, handed it back.
    ‘That you, Paul?’
    ‘Paul speaking.’
    ‘This is Nine. All right? Nine. Tell me you hear me.’
    And I shall be Nine, the minister is solemnly intoning, like a Biblical prophecy. I shall not be Alpha, which is reserved for our target building. I shall not be Bravo, which is reserved for our location. I shall be Nine, which is the designated code for your commander, and I shall be communicating with you by specially encrypted cellphone ingeniously linked to your operational team by way of an augmented PRR net, which for your further information stands for Personal Role Radio .
    ‘I hear you loud and clear, Nine, thank you.’
    ‘And you’re in position? Yes? Keep your answers short from now on.’
    ‘I am indeed. Your eyes and ears.’
    ‘All right. Tell me precisely what you can see from where you are.’
    ‘We’re looking straight down the slope to the houses. Couldn’t be better.’
    ‘Who’s there?’
    ‘Jeb, his three men and myself.’
    Pause. Muffled male voice off.
    The minister again:
    ‘Has anyone any idea why Aladdin hasn’t left the Chinese yet?’
    ‘They started eating late. He’s expected to leave any minute. That’s all we’ve heard.’
    ‘And no Punter in sight? You’re absolutely sure of that? Yes?’
    ‘Not in sight as yet. I’m sure. Yes.’
    ‘The slightest visual indication, however remote – the smallest clue – possibility of a sighting –’
    Pause. Is the augmented PRR breaking up, or is Quinn?
    ‘– I expect you to advise me immediately . Understood? We see everything you see, but not so clearly. You have eyes-on . Yes?’ – already sick of the delay – ‘Plain sight, for fuck’s sake!’
    ‘Yes, indeed. Plain sight. Eyes-on. I have eyes-on.’
    Don has struck up his arm for attention.
    In the centre of town a people carrier is nosing its way through night traffic. It has a taxi sign on its roof and a single passenger on the rear seat, and one glance is enough to tell him that the passenger is the corpulent, very animated Aladdin , the Pole that Elliot won’t touch with a barge. He’s holding a cellphone to his ear and, as in the Chinese restaurant, he is gesticulating magisterially with his free hand.
    The pursuing camera veers, goes wild. The screen goes blank. The helicopter takes over, pinpoints the people carrier, puts a halo over it. The pursuing ground camera returns. The winkingicon of a telephone, top-left corner of the screen. Jeb hands Paul an earpiece. One Polish man talking to another. They are taking it in turns to laugh. Aladdin ’s left hand performing a puppet show in the rear window of the people carrier. Male Polish merrymaking replaced by disapproving voice of a woman translator:
    ‘ Aladdin is speaking to brother Josef in Warsaw,’ says the woman’s voice disdainfully. ‘It is vulgar conversation. They are discussing girlfriend of Aladdin , this woman he has on boat. Her name is Imelda. Aladdin is tired of Imelda. Imelda has too much mouth. He will abandon her. Josef must visit Beirut. Aladdin will pay for him to come from Warsaw. If Josef will come to Beirut, Aladdin will introduce him to many women who will wish to sleep with him. Now Aladdin is on his way to visit special friend. Special secret friend. He love this friend very much. She will replace Imelda. She is not gloomy, not bitch, has very beautiful breasts. Maybe he will buy apartment for her in Gibraltar. This is good news for taxes. Aladdin will go now. His secret special friend is waiting. She desires him very much. When she opens the door she will be completely naked. Aladdin has ordered this. Goodnight, Josef.’
    A moment of collective bewilderment, broken by Don:
    ‘He hasn’t got fucking time to get laid,’ he whispered indignantly. ‘Not even him.’
    Echoed by Andy, equally indignant:
    ‘His