for colleagues and chauffeurs holding up signs for clients.
Then, to his surprise, Archer saw two people he recognised. They were standing in the middle of the hall, both looking up at the flight board, Danny White, aka Chalky, and Ryan Fox, members of the ARU’s First Team and two of Archer’s closest friends.
Chalky was Archer’s age, twenty eight, and although a similar build to his best friend he possessed very different colouring, with brown eyes and dark hair. As it was summer he was tanned, making him look almost Mediterranean and a real contrast to Fox beside him, who was five years older, had sandy blond hair and was whippier, almost a physical representation of his animal name-sake. Both men were naturally light-hearted and always good company, but they were also as tough as nails. Each had taken bullets for the Unit before, and although he’d absorbed a huge amount of punishment in the last several years Archer had never been shot, so in that regard both old friends had something on him which they never failed to remind him.
Archer saw they were both dressed in jeans and a navy blue polo shirt with the ARU logo in white on the left side of the chest, police uniform but not their tactical gear. Each also had his sidearm, a Glock 17 in a holster on his hip, which meant they must have cleared their presence with the Heathrow police before they entered the building. Turning, Chalky suddenly saw the NYPD quartet and hit Fox on the shoulder, who popped a last piece of a chocolate bar into his mouth and swivelled to face the approaching four detectives, stuffing the wrapper into his pocket.
Archer took the lead and the two groups met up beneath an Arrivals board.
‘Look who’s back,’ Chalky said, giving Archer a bear hug. ‘Twelve months on and still so damn ugly.’
Briefly returning the hug, Archer stepped back, waiting for the mocking comment that normally followed.
‘That’s it?’ he said. ‘No more insults?’
‘I’ll let you off today,’ Chalky said.
Once Archer and Fox exchanged a similar greeting, Archer turned to make introductions.
‘Guys, this is Chalky and Fox. You two, this is Josh Blake, Lisa Marquez and Matt Shepherd, our NYPD sergeant.’
They all shook hands and exchanged greetings. Apart from Josh and Chalky, none of them had met each other before and it was a surreal moment for Archer as his past and present suddenly collided.
‘Your analyst called and gave Cobb a full debrief,’ Chalky said to Shepherd after shaking his hand. ‘We’ve just been stood down after a month-long operation so we’re free to help unless a major threat comes in. Cobb’s volunteered our HQ for you to use as your base.’
‘He’s got a number of our team working on this already,’ Fox said. ‘And he sent the two of us over here to pick you up.’
‘We appreciate it,’ Shepherd said, nodding to the two men. ‘Thanks.’
‘Any progress on Stanovich and Payan’s location?’ Marquez asked.
Fox nodded as he turned and headed towards the exit, the group walking with him.
‘The Met took a call forty minutes ago from Stanovich at 5:50pm. It was diverted to us.’
‘What did he say?’ Archer asked.
‘Apparently he has Vargas somewhere in the city. He knows that she’s an NYPD detective too; he wants two million pounds by 8pm or he kills her.’
‘Proof of life?’ Archer asked.
Fox shook his head. ‘Afraid not.’
‘You get a trace?’ Shepherd asked, as they approached the exit to the Terminal.
‘We did. He called from a housing estate in Brixton,’ Chalky said. ‘It’s a neighbourhood in the south of the city on the other side of the Thames. Cobb sent the rest of the task force over there to take him down.’
He turned to Archer.
‘Porter’s leading the raid.’
‘So are we heading over there?’ Marquez asked.
Chalky shook his head. ‘Our guys will handle it. Cobb wants us all back at HQ. Now you’re here, we’ll set up a command post and get a real time
Then, to his surprise, Archer saw two people he recognised. They were standing in the middle of the hall, both looking up at the flight board, Danny White, aka Chalky, and Ryan Fox, members of the ARU’s First Team and two of Archer’s closest friends.
Chalky was Archer’s age, twenty eight, and although a similar build to his best friend he possessed very different colouring, with brown eyes and dark hair. As it was summer he was tanned, making him look almost Mediterranean and a real contrast to Fox beside him, who was five years older, had sandy blond hair and was whippier, almost a physical representation of his animal name-sake. Both men were naturally light-hearted and always good company, but they were also as tough as nails. Each had taken bullets for the Unit before, and although he’d absorbed a huge amount of punishment in the last several years Archer had never been shot, so in that regard both old friends had something on him which they never failed to remind him.
Archer saw they were both dressed in jeans and a navy blue polo shirt with the ARU logo in white on the left side of the chest, police uniform but not their tactical gear. Each also had his sidearm, a Glock 17 in a holster on his hip, which meant they must have cleared their presence with the Heathrow police before they entered the building. Turning, Chalky suddenly saw the NYPD quartet and hit Fox on the shoulder, who popped a last piece of a chocolate bar into his mouth and swivelled to face the approaching four detectives, stuffing the wrapper into his pocket.
Archer took the lead and the two groups met up beneath an Arrivals board.
‘Look who’s back,’ Chalky said, giving Archer a bear hug. ‘Twelve months on and still so damn ugly.’
Briefly returning the hug, Archer stepped back, waiting for the mocking comment that normally followed.
‘That’s it?’ he said. ‘No more insults?’
‘I’ll let you off today,’ Chalky said.
Once Archer and Fox exchanged a similar greeting, Archer turned to make introductions.
‘Guys, this is Chalky and Fox. You two, this is Josh Blake, Lisa Marquez and Matt Shepherd, our NYPD sergeant.’
They all shook hands and exchanged greetings. Apart from Josh and Chalky, none of them had met each other before and it was a surreal moment for Archer as his past and present suddenly collided.
‘Your analyst called and gave Cobb a full debrief,’ Chalky said to Shepherd after shaking his hand. ‘We’ve just been stood down after a month-long operation so we’re free to help unless a major threat comes in. Cobb’s volunteered our HQ for you to use as your base.’
‘He’s got a number of our team working on this already,’ Fox said. ‘And he sent the two of us over here to pick you up.’
‘We appreciate it,’ Shepherd said, nodding to the two men. ‘Thanks.’
‘Any progress on Stanovich and Payan’s location?’ Marquez asked.
Fox nodded as he turned and headed towards the exit, the group walking with him.
‘The Met took a call forty minutes ago from Stanovich at 5:50pm. It was diverted to us.’
‘What did he say?’ Archer asked.
‘Apparently he has Vargas somewhere in the city. He knows that she’s an NYPD detective too; he wants two million pounds by 8pm or he kills her.’
‘Proof of life?’ Archer asked.
Fox shook his head. ‘Afraid not.’
‘You get a trace?’ Shepherd asked, as they approached the exit to the Terminal.
‘We did. He called from a housing estate in Brixton,’ Chalky said. ‘It’s a neighbourhood in the south of the city on the other side of the Thames. Cobb sent the rest of the task force over there to take him down.’
He turned to Archer.
‘Porter’s leading the raid.’
‘So are we heading over there?’ Marquez asked.
Chalky shook his head. ‘Our guys will handle it. Cobb wants us all back at HQ. Now you’re here, we’ll set up a command post and get a real time
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