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and if your head of security is on that boat, he’s also One Para and a damned Prod.’
    ‘Which you are yourself,’ Dillon reminded him and shrugged to Kate. ‘One of the few in the IRA.’
    ‘So what am I doing here?’ Bell asked.
    ‘Business, Mr Bell. As you’re so well informed, you’ll know I am Executive Chairman of Rashid Investments, and you’ll know we have big plans for development in Ulster.’
    ‘I had heard.’
    ‘Can we talk?’
    Bell nodded to the barman. ‘We’ll use the snug.’ He led the way to a door, opened it to usher her through, and turned to Dillon. ‘Sean?’
    ‘You still don’t understand,’ Kate told him. ‘Dillon is here only as a minder. My business is with you, and you alone, on behalf of Rashid Investments.’ She turned and nodded to her brother. ‘George, join us.’
    The door closed. Dillon turned and said to the barman, ‘I know it’s early in the day, but it’s cold out there and pouring with rain, and I’m County Down myself, so let’s celebrate and get the Bushmills out.’
    There was a fire in the open hearth of the snug, chairs on each side and a small coffee table in between. Kate Rashid sat down, her brother standing behind; Bell sat opposite and lit a cigarette, Liam Casey stood behind.
    ‘So, the word is that Rashid Investments are having problems with their plans in Northern Ireland, and need a little protection.’
    ‘Not really, Mr Bell. That’s a story even Dillon believes. No, I don’t need you to guard the door, as it were; you’re far too talented for that.’
    ‘Really? Then what do you need me for?’
    ‘Last year you killed General Petrovsky in Chechnya, and also blew up most of his staff.
    The world in general thought the Chechen freedom fighters had scored a great coup, but I know that you were paid one million pounds by Chechen sources in exile in Paris.’
    ‘Do you now?’
    ‘Oh, yes.’
    His face was calm. ‘You or your famous brother, the Earl, isn’t it? A man to reckon with, and all the money in the world, I hear.’
    ‘Not quite, but close. You’ve never met, of course.’
    ‘Almost. He was a Lieutenant in the Grenadier Guards. Crossmaglen in South Armagh. I was with one of my best snipers. Your brother and a small patrol were moving in. My man had him in his sights, then a helicopter dropped in with another twenty Guardsmen and we had to run for it.’
    ‘If you’d shot him, you’d have missed a big payday.’ She pushed the briefcase across. ‘Have a look.’
    He flicked the catches and lifted the lid. Inside were rows of fifty-pound notes. ‘How much?’ he asked.
    ‘A hundred thousand pounds as evidence of good faith. You keep it, whatever happens. My brother’s gift to you.’
    ‘And what do I have to do?’
    ‘You may or may not know about this, but the Americans and Russians intend to prospect for oil in Hazar. The Sultan brokered a deal for them. It involved assassinating my brother.’
    ‘The Sultan’s dead. It was in the papers.’
    ‘Exactly. One of his assassins almost killed me. My brother shot him dead. He’s that kind of man.’
    ‘He would be. Irish time, Lady Kate. Me, Dillon, Casey here, your brother - we’re all cut from the same piece of cloth. But there’s more here. I know I’m a bastard, but I’m a clever bastard.’
    ‘All right. I’ll tell you. It involves my mother and a man called Igor Gatov.’
    Afterwards, Aidan Bell said, ‘Excuse the language, but they’re all fucks. The Americans, Russians, Brits. They use people, then throw them away like a paper cup.’
    ‘So for once, we teach them a lesson. And I do mean a big lesson. We go straight to the top. I hear Jake Cazalet is a good man, but so what? Someone pays for people like Gatov, and ultimately it must be the one in supreme power. For President Jake Cazalet, you get two million. Now are you in or out?’
    Liam Casey said, ‘Jesus.’
    Bell sat looking at her. ‘You’re mad, woman.’
    ‘No, perfectly serious. As I