BLOOD DRAGON by Freddie Peters (books to get back into reading .TXT) 📕

on the side of the couch and hugged it against her chest. “I was sitting next to his bed in hospital, very close … holding his hand … I was trying not to cry …” Cora bent forward to pick up her tea and took another sip.

Nancy moved around from the seat she had chosen opposite her friend to the place next to her. She laid a hand very gently on her shoulder.

“Is that possible?” Nancy tried to recall Ollie’s image. The tubes and monitors, the gurgling and clicking of machinery around his bed making sure he was still alive. He had been given oxygen, but she couldn’t remember whether his entire throat had been immobilised.

“He hasn’t got a …?” She gestured with her fingers at her neck.

“Only a nasal cannula, then,” Nancy added gently. Eyes soft, encouraging Cora to carry on.

“It’s only one word.” Cora held the blanket closer, fingers turning white as she dug them into the soft woollen material.

“I might have dreamt it.” Cora took her time to finish the mug of tea.

“I know how hard it must be.”

“Innocent …” Cora turned her face to look into Nancy’s eyes. She had believed it so much when she had left the hospital yesterday, but today she was no longer so sure.

Nancy held Cora’s gaze. A friend was being honest, and doubt had crept in … a good thing. “How did his voice sound?”

Cora gave a little sob. Nancy decided she believed her.

“Did he try anything else, any other signs?”

“I felt his fingers trembling, but the doctor warned me about that. It could be an automatic reaction to touch. The doctor did not want to give me false hope.” Cora closed her eyes, trying to remember the scene.

“Did you tell the medical team?”

Cora shook her head.

“But why?” It was important. This was not a reproach, justa concern.

“I was not on my own … Nat came with me.” Cora hesitated. “I should have gone alone. It felt … intrusive . I can’t explain better than that.” She opened her eyes again. “I hoped another familiar voice might help, but she didn’t seem to want to know.”

“How so?” Nancy slowly removed the hand from her friend’s shoulder.

“She was detached. As though it was someone she didn’t know lying on the bed.”

Nancy waited.

“I didn’t want to tell her what he said … it felt too …”

“… optimistic?” Nancy ventured.

Chapter Thirteen

“You came alone?” Pole greeted Commander Ferguson at the lift but said very little otherwise.

“This is not an official investigation, at least not yet.”

And it would almost certainly never be. Pole moved the documents that had accumulated on the only chair facing his desk and offered it to Ferguson. Marsh would not want a scandal to erupt and the head of the counter terrorist command would not want that either. It was bad for both promotion and reputation.

Somewhat reassuring … Pole would simply finish his career in a cupboard somewhere, perhaps not even in London. Ferguson was speaking but Pole only managed to catch the end of the sentence.

“… been limited.”

Pole frowned and it did the trick.

“Don’t you agree? The list of people who knew about the terror group location was small.”

“But we are talking MI6. Or perhaps I credit them with too much efficiency and power.”

“I’m not denying it is their job to find out about these types of groups and their movements. But the way they interfered, asking for our assault to be delayed, is suspicious. They knew the location of that bloody lot almost as quickly as you and I had found out.”

“Perhaps they knew it already.” Pole ventured.

“If that’s the case, MI6 should have informed C-T command at the highest level.”

“Well … I’m sure they are a little flexible with that obligation.” Pole’s hands were spread wide over his desk. He did not want to start fidgeting with his iPhone or anything else that lay on his desk.

Ferguson pushed his stocky body into the back of the chair. His cold gaze ran over Pole.

“You are not saying it is appropriate that MI6 should have interfered?”

“Absolutely not …” did that sound a little too keen? Pole sat back. “I’m simply saying that we may be spending a lot of time on a wild goose chase.”

“Listen.” Ferguson softened a little. “I understand you trust your team, as I do mine. I can’t imagine any of them tipping off the agency. Not their style. But if someone did, would you not want to know who that person was?”

“I agree … if there was such person, I would.”

“And so would Marsh.” Ferguson added, unusually keen to side with The Super.

Pole sighed. “I can’t say I’m enthusiastic, but I think you’re right … let’s find out whether there was a leak in our teams.”

Ferguson relaxed in his seat. He needed Pole’s co-operation and Pole had gathered he would rather obtain it with his blessing.

“Let me give some thought as to who worked with me on the case.”

“And do try to think about who could have had access to the information.”

“Ferg, I do know how to run an investigation!” Pole tried to sound humorous rather than irritated.

Ferguson ignored the remark. His mind was already elsewhere. “There was you, of course.”

Pole stared pointedly. But the commander was simply drawing a list by order of seniority.

“Your DS Andy,”

Ferguson hesitated. “Your external advisor, Nancy Wu.”

“She did not have access to the information, and the discovery of that terrorist cell was not discussed with her.”

“Still, we need to be exhaustive … right?”

Pole nodded. Ferguson was right. No matter how much Pole wanted this inquiry to be over, he needed to retain control of it at his end.

“We need to add Yvonne Butler. She is the Head of Forensic at one of the labs we instructed on the case. I’ll get in touch with her to see who else apart from her was involved.”

“Good man.” Ferguson crossed his muscular legs and his face said it all. He was not moving anytime soon, at least not until