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

Pole still hadn’t touched his food. “But surely they must be protecting data … That sounds reasonable.”

“There is reasonable and reasonable.” Harris didn’t mind Pole pushing back. “I agree that the protection of research is essential, but this is done through cyber security, not necessarily through upgrading the security systems of an entire building. The property is fitted with anti-spying kit MI6 at Vauxhall Cross would be proud of.”

Pole swallowed the piece of egg and moved onto the bacon and toast. It was surprisingly good. Pole took a few mouthfuls, looking at the mounting traffic outside.

“You’d like me to get a warrant to take a look at the place? You’re not the only one …” He was still looking outside. His conversation Nancy still rankled. The day had become lighter despite the heaviness of the clouds. “I’d like to take a look around myself as well, to be honest.”

“That’s the spirit.” Harris raised his cup of tea.

“I don’t need MI6 to raise my spirits.”

“But a bit of extra information from the agency doesn’t go amiss.” Harris had almost finished his plate of food, chasing the last few baked beans with a piece of toast.

Pole faced Harris again. “What’s in it for you in all this?”

Harris pulled away from the table and settled back into his chair. “Just because it’s you, Pole … I don’t mind telling you I’m being opportunistic here. China is increasingly on the radar of my agency and so is biotech.”

Pole was aching to know more but it would be pushing his luck. “Going back to the drugs side of the Wilson case, my DS is following up the original line of inquiry.”

“Regarding drugs?” Harris cocked his head.

“That’s right.”

“That’s not a bad idea. Search their offices for something less contentious than their research programme.”

“That’s the only card I have to play at the moment.” Pole finished his cup of tea. “I have absolutely nothing suspicious to go on otherwise.”

“I’ll see whether I can find out a bit more about the drugs aspect of your inquiry … You said you found it odd that the NCA was tipped off so quickly about Wilson’s whereabouts in Camden. I agree, it’s almost too good to be true.”

“I need to know whether someone else had an interest in making us find Ollie that quickly.” Pole stopped himself. Harris picked up on the idea and raised an eyebrow.

“The last incident at the hospital is also a huge issue. Someone managed to get in … and knew exactly what police protection he had.” Pole volunteered.

Harris placed his forearms on the table, leaning over them. “Another agency?”

“Perhaps … I need to know whether another agency or someone within that circle is involved.”

“Is your DS looking into Wilson’s background? … Uni, friends …”

“Why?” Pole frowned.

“You’ll find that the drugs element is going to come back … and for what it is … though I don’t want to tell you how to do your job …” Harris’s voice trailed.

“Spit it out.” Pole nodded.

“Wilson had a history … needed detox after finishing his PhD. Might have dealt a little too, but I don’t buy that.”

“Noted … anything else?”

Harris grinned and then grew serious. “As you know, Ms Wu has attracted the attention of the agency, not mine, the one across the pond, and my contact is gathering information about her. If there is something I need to know about her in order to manage the CIA, now would be a good time Inspector Pole.”

Pole arranged his knife and fork together across his plate. “Then you’d better watch your back, Harris … Ms Wu seems to have found an introduction at Vauxhall Cross.”

* * *

“Too early.” Nancy looked at her watch. Despite the late night, she had got up at 6am, made the first cup of tea of the day, settled in front of the Bloomberg news channel and ignored what the presenter was saying. She had convinced Cora to return to her friends’ flat. Beth, Charlie and Johnny had sworn they would take turns in looking after her, vowing to do a better job than even Scotland Yard could.

Nancy had been curious about how they had escaped the police car parked in front of their building for protection, and the protection officer in their flat. They all shrugged and told her about the fire exit at the back of the building … the alarm never worked so it could be opened without attracting attention. Nancy had given them a mild bollocking and made them promise to arrange to have it repaired or else DS Branning would be told about it.

The fact that she was now contemplating using Cora’s idea to get into Viro-Tech had not been discussed, and Cora knew better than to ask in front of her friends. Perhaps she did not even believe Nancy was serious.

Nancy couldn’t help but smile. To the arty gang, she would look like a nicer version of their mums, a little funkier, a little more fun perhaps … but not someone that would take risks of the magnitude she was used to taking.

She moved back to her study, sat in the armchair at the desk and contemplated her handiwork. On the left-hand side, the details of their father’s case and on the right that of Ollie Wilson. The connection between the cases was tenuous and yet she had written China in bold letters on a sheet of paper at the intersection of the two.

Nancy picked up the yellow writing pad that she had left on the desk the night before and started jotting down the long list of questions she needed to focus on, the habit of a lifetime that had always paid off.

No question was too hard or too direct.

How far had Pole gone to source the information he had found about her father?

What would MI6 expect from her in return for their help?

How close had her father been to the Chinese Communist Party, more specifically Deng Xiao Ping?

As she penned