They're beautiful.' > And now for the bad news, he thought, pocketing : box. It was never going to be this easy. 'Unfortunately, Mr Slater, there are more people alved than just you and me . . .' | Here we go, thought Slater.
|j 'And Bolingbroke's - although at times we may that it did -- does not exist in a constitutional aum. There is a board of governors to be tasidered, and there are the laws of the land ..." | Get on with it. If you want to bin me, then say so. and admirable as your behaviour might seem a certain point of view, the fact remains that you are caused the violent deaths of two men while ing on the staff of this school. Caused their deaths, rer, in circumstances which do not appear to lit an argument of self-defence.' 'Mr Pembridge--'
'In the final analysis, Mr Slater, the fact that you are llbrmer SAS soldier gives you no special rights. Upon covering the state of affairs in the sick bay, you juld have rung the police, who are not quite the jdding incompetents that you seem to assume. For 3ur information - and I have been given dispensation tell you this -- the two young men that you killed tie under surveillance by Special Branch. By all ccounts a major operation has been compromised.' Slater stared at him, disbelievingly. 'Compromised!
53
The Hit List
Two members of your security staff are shot dead. A boy is kidnapped at gunpoint. Another boy who tries to defend him is stabbed in the guts--'
'Mr Slater, there is no need to raise your voice.'
'And you talk about an operation being compromised?'
'Mr Slater, you will kindly keep your voice down. The school is aware that some sort of incident occurred last night, and that it related to a break-in at the sick bay, but that is all. The story doing the rounds at the moment -- a story I have not discouraged - is that a member of the security staff intercepted a burglar.
'Now, as you know, there are only two and a half weeks of this term left to run. Miss Burney and two of the boys involved in last night's debacle -- Ripley and Boyd-Farquharson - are in hospital in Reading, and upon their release they will go straight home. Masoud al-Jubrin is being flown to Saudi Arabia as we speak, and Mrs Mackay will be taking extended leave. None of those involved will be returning to Bolingbroke's until the beginning of the January term.'
'And me?' asked Slater sourly. 'How extended is my leave to be?'
'Mr Slater, a cheque is waiting for you in the bursar's office. To your back pay, the school has added the sum of 20,000 pounds penceBefore you take possession of this cheque, however, we would ask you to sign a prepared form stating that your contract with Bolingbroke's School has been terminated by mutual consent. You will also -- although this has not been put in writing -- agree
54
Chris Ryan
per to mention the events of last night outside of
ch inquests and courts of inquiry as may demand jur co-operation. This school has many friends, Mr ater, and those friends would be very unhappy if Jverse publicity concerning Bolingbroke's were to be
jadcast. So unhappy, in fact, that not even your Mr
rk would be able to help you. Do we understand
ch other?'
'I think so,' Slatersaid coldly.
'I'm sorry it has come to this. You have done good for the rugger team. I fully expect us to beat Wellington.'
Twenty-four hours later, Slater was coaxing his ten pear-old Saab down the drive for the last time. The arriers around the lodge, he noticed, had been emoved. On impulse he stopped the car and peered in Dugh one of the windows. The interior was srted and the monitor screens were blank. There no sign that two men had died violently here, or adeed that the place had ever been occupied.
'Took 'em away in a van,' came a quiet voice from ehind him. 'Big fellers, the both of them.' It was the groundsman, Jimmy McCracken. He was folding a quarter bottle of Teacher's whisky, and it vzs almost empty.
'What did you see, Jimmy?' asked Slater. 'There's a lot of blood in a man,'
|j 'And Bolingbroke's - although at times we may that it did -- does not exist in a constitutional aum. There is a board of governors to be tasidered, and there are the laws of the land ..." | Get on with it. If you want to bin me, then say so. and admirable as your behaviour might seem a certain point of view, the fact remains that you are caused the violent deaths of two men while ing on the staff of this school. Caused their deaths, rer, in circumstances which do not appear to lit an argument of self-defence.' 'Mr Pembridge--'
'In the final analysis, Mr Slater, the fact that you are llbrmer SAS soldier gives you no special rights. Upon covering the state of affairs in the sick bay, you juld have rung the police, who are not quite the jdding incompetents that you seem to assume. For 3ur information - and I have been given dispensation tell you this -- the two young men that you killed tie under surveillance by Special Branch. By all ccounts a major operation has been compromised.' Slater stared at him, disbelievingly. 'Compromised!
53
The Hit List
Two members of your security staff are shot dead. A boy is kidnapped at gunpoint. Another boy who tries to defend him is stabbed in the guts--'
'Mr Slater, there is no need to raise your voice.'
'And you talk about an operation being compromised?'
'Mr Slater, you will kindly keep your voice down. The school is aware that some sort of incident occurred last night, and that it related to a break-in at the sick bay, but that is all. The story doing the rounds at the moment -- a story I have not discouraged - is that a member of the security staff intercepted a burglar.
'Now, as you know, there are only two and a half weeks of this term left to run. Miss Burney and two of the boys involved in last night's debacle -- Ripley and Boyd-Farquharson - are in hospital in Reading, and upon their release they will go straight home. Masoud al-Jubrin is being flown to Saudi Arabia as we speak, and Mrs Mackay will be taking extended leave. None of those involved will be returning to Bolingbroke's until the beginning of the January term.'
'And me?' asked Slater sourly. 'How extended is my leave to be?'
'Mr Slater, a cheque is waiting for you in the bursar's office. To your back pay, the school has added the sum of 20,000 pounds penceBefore you take possession of this cheque, however, we would ask you to sign a prepared form stating that your contract with Bolingbroke's School has been terminated by mutual consent. You will also -- although this has not been put in writing -- agree
54
Chris Ryan
per to mention the events of last night outside of
ch inquests and courts of inquiry as may demand jur co-operation. This school has many friends, Mr ater, and those friends would be very unhappy if Jverse publicity concerning Bolingbroke's were to be
jadcast. So unhappy, in fact, that not even your Mr
rk would be able to help you. Do we understand
ch other?'
'I think so,' Slatersaid coldly.
'I'm sorry it has come to this. You have done good for the rugger team. I fully expect us to beat Wellington.'
Twenty-four hours later, Slater was coaxing his ten pear-old Saab down the drive for the last time. The arriers around the lodge, he noticed, had been emoved. On impulse he stopped the car and peered in Dugh one of the windows. The interior was srted and the monitor screens were blank. There no sign that two men had died violently here, or adeed that the place had ever been occupied.
'Took 'em away in a van,' came a quiet voice from ehind him. 'Big fellers, the both of them.' It was the groundsman, Jimmy McCracken. He was folding a quarter bottle of Teacher's whisky, and it vzs almost empty.
'What did you see, Jimmy?' asked Slater. 'There's a lot of blood in a man,'
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