Edge of Danger by Jack Higgins

this?’ George Rashid said.
    ‘I have to be. It’s why I’m still alive.’
    ‘Okay, so we’ve got a down-to-earth President who doesn’t want a fuss and likes to be on his own,’ said Paul. ‘You know damn well that the perimeter of that area will be well monitored by the Secret Service.’
    ‘Exactly.’ Bell opened the briefcase again, took out a map and unfolded it. ‘See, from the President’s house we have a seafront of beach and sand dunes. But at the rear, we have this area of marsh, very unusual for Nantucket; it’s the only spot like it on the island. It stretches in quite a way: high reeds, water, mud, a paradise for bird watchers. Cazalet loves it. Goes for a run along the paths every morning with his dog, and good old Clancy Smith running behind. Smith has a gun under his left arm and an earpiece, naturally, but there’s no one else around, unless his friend Blake Johnson happens to be there that weekend and decides to join in the fun. If he turns up, I’ll stiff him, too.’
    There really was a heavy pause now and it was Kate who said, ‘Everything you say makes sense, but there would be no way you would get inside the perimeter, inside the marsh.’
    Bell smiled. ‘Sorry, I haven’t explained. You, my lord, have a house on Long Island, I believe?’
    ‘That’s right.’
    ‘You’ll supply me with a boat - a Sport Fisherman will do - and someone to pilot it. We’ll sail up to the area and drift around a mile or so offshore. You’ll also find me a Dolphin Speed
    Trailer. Those things have two large batteries and travel underwater. Liam and I will go scuba diving, something we’re good at, and then invade the marsh underwater into the reeds.’
    ‘Then what?’ Michael Rashid asked.
    ‘Then wait for Cazalet, shoot him and Clancy Smith, and bugger off out of there. It’ll take a little while for Harper to wonder why he hasn’t heard anything and in that time we’ll return with the Dolphin to the Sport Fisherman, then get back to Long Island, where you’ll have a Gulfstream waiting to get us the hell out of there and onwards to Shannon.’
    He paused, emptied his glass then said to Paul Rashid, ‘Will it do?’
    Rashid said calmly, ‘I think it will do very well.’ He turned to his brother George. ‘Another Bushmills for Mr Bell.’
    It was Kate who said, ‘That’s quite a script, but what if the script goes wrong? What if it doesn’t work?’
    ‘Nothing is certain in this life,’ said Bell. ‘There’ll be dicey bits, but if we prepare this properly, it should work.’
    ‘Then see that you do prepare properly,’ said Paul. ‘Remember, we’ll only get one chance at
    this. If you fail, Cazalet’s security will become so heightened it’ll be impenetrable. And then we’ll have to go through the trouble of finding another target.’
    ‘Another target?’ said Michael.
    ‘I told you, brother. One way or another, someone is going to pay.’
    There was silence. Then Bell turned to Kate. ‘Will you be handling the organization of what we need?’
    She glanced at Paul, then nodded. ‘Anything you want.’
    ‘All right. The Sport Fisherman I’ve already mentioned, the Dolphin Speed Trailer, diving equipment for two.’
    ‘Weaponry?’ Paul Rashid asked.
    ‘I prefer basic AK assault rifles, with silencers. A couple of Brownings with Carswell silencers. That’s all. Very simple, if things go well.’
    ‘You said if again,’ Kate told him.
    Bell smiled. ‘Oh, Lady Kate, I’ve been at it for twenty-eight years, and if you knew how often the best-laid schemes go wrong, you’d understand why I’m a cynic. Now’ - Bell took a card from his pocket - ‘your one hundred thousand pounds was nice, but I want the next instalment now. That’s
    my Swiss bank account. One million on deposit against the three.’
    Paul Rashid nodded. ‘Of course.’ He took the card and passed it to Michael. ‘See to it.’ He smiled. ‘Champagne is indicated, I think.’
    ‘A nice