he’s very dangerous. That’s why we’ve got to stop him.’
‘Have you spoken to MI6?’ asked Mitch.
‘Nope. All I know is that Gerald’s bosses in Whitehall have had a word with him. He’s agreed to us coming back in on this one.’
Mitch grinned. ‘He’s not going to be a happy bunny,’ he said.
‘That’s his problem,’ said Nelson. ‘But his realproblem is stopping Deacon, and he knows it. So, we meet up at 10 a.m. at MI6 HQ.’
‘I’ll be there,’ said Mitch.
14
Mitch walked into the small ward in the military hospital. All the way to the hospital he had been on the alert, keeping an eye out for Deacon in case he struck again. Two Moons was lying on his bed, earphones on, nodding in time to some music. He took the earphones off as he saw his friend. Mitch walked over and sat down on the chair beside the bed. He produced a small bunch of grapes, which he put on the bedside table.
‘What are they?’ asked Two Moons, regarding them suspiciously.
‘It’s sort of a tradition to bring grapes when visiting a patient in hospital,’ replied Mitch, smiling.
‘Fruit!’ snorted Two Moons. ‘I don’t like fruit. I like candy. I got shot in the leg – I deserve candy.’
‘What can I say? Fruit is better for you,’ said Mitch. ‘Anyway, I like grapes.’ And he picked one off the bunch and popped it in his mouth.
Two Moons looked at Mitch. ‘Let me get this straight,’ he said. ‘You brought me a bunch of grapes so you can eat them?’
Mitch popped another grape into his mouth and nodded. ‘Yep,’ he said. ‘That’s part of the tradition. You bring the grapes and then eat them yourself.’
Two Moons thought this over, and shrugged.
‘You English are crazy,’ he said finally. He noticed the bandages around Mitch’s wrists. ‘The colonel told me what happened. Sounds like Jimmy stitched you up real bad.’
‘It could have been worse,’ said Mitch. ‘The bomb might have gone off – in which case I wouldn’t be sitting here eating these grapes.’
‘No, and I’d be getting a visit from one of the others,’ said Two Moons, smiling. ‘Like Gaz, for example. He likes candy.’ Two Moons fell silent.Finally, he said in a serious tone, ‘Jimmy really tried to kill you?’
‘Yep,’ Mitch replied.
‘Son of a bitch!’ muttered Two Moons.
‘Look at it from the positive side,’ said Mitch. ‘He didn’t try to kill you. He’s your friend.’
‘Not any more he ain’t,’ grunted Two Moons. ‘Next time I see him, he’s gonna get it. No holding back.’
‘That’s what Gaz said, too,’ Mitch told him. ‘Glad to know we’re still on the same side, Two Moons.’
Two Moons looked uncomfortable for a second, then he nodded. ‘It ain’t easy to admit someone you thought was your friend is really your enemy,’ he said.
Mitch sighed. ‘I know. It’s happened to me before. Shame we have to learn this kind of thing the hard way.’
‘Trust only each other,’ said Two Moons.
‘Absolutely,’ agreed Mitch. He gestured towards Two Moons’ leg. ‘So, what do the doctors say?’
‘They’ve sewn me up nicely. They reckon I’ll beout of here the day after tomorrow.’ He grinned. ‘But that’s just their opinion. Me, I reckon I’ll be walking out of here today.’
Mitch frowned. ‘I think, for once, you ought to listen to what they say. Another day or so isn’t gonna make a lot of difference.’
Two Moons shook his head. ‘This conference thing is only a couple of days away. I want to be there for the action.’
‘Not if you’re still only working on one leg,’ said Mitch. ‘Me and the rest of the boys will be worried about you the whole time, which could mean we take our eyes off the ball when Deacon turns up with his gang of assassins.’
Two Moons scowled. ‘That’s what the colonel told me,’ he said. ‘And Benny, when he came to see me. You guys been talking behind my back?’
‘Nope,’ said Mitch. ‘It’s just logical. You stay and
‘Have you spoken to MI6?’ asked Mitch.
‘Nope. All I know is that Gerald’s bosses in Whitehall have had a word with him. He’s agreed to us coming back in on this one.’
Mitch grinned. ‘He’s not going to be a happy bunny,’ he said.
‘That’s his problem,’ said Nelson. ‘But his realproblem is stopping Deacon, and he knows it. So, we meet up at 10 a.m. at MI6 HQ.’
‘I’ll be there,’ said Mitch.
14
Mitch walked into the small ward in the military hospital. All the way to the hospital he had been on the alert, keeping an eye out for Deacon in case he struck again. Two Moons was lying on his bed, earphones on, nodding in time to some music. He took the earphones off as he saw his friend. Mitch walked over and sat down on the chair beside the bed. He produced a small bunch of grapes, which he put on the bedside table.
‘What are they?’ asked Two Moons, regarding them suspiciously.
‘It’s sort of a tradition to bring grapes when visiting a patient in hospital,’ replied Mitch, smiling.
‘Fruit!’ snorted Two Moons. ‘I don’t like fruit. I like candy. I got shot in the leg – I deserve candy.’
‘What can I say? Fruit is better for you,’ said Mitch. ‘Anyway, I like grapes.’ And he picked one off the bunch and popped it in his mouth.
Two Moons looked at Mitch. ‘Let me get this straight,’ he said. ‘You brought me a bunch of grapes so you can eat them?’
Mitch popped another grape into his mouth and nodded. ‘Yep,’ he said. ‘That’s part of the tradition. You bring the grapes and then eat them yourself.’
Two Moons thought this over, and shrugged.
‘You English are crazy,’ he said finally. He noticed the bandages around Mitch’s wrists. ‘The colonel told me what happened. Sounds like Jimmy stitched you up real bad.’
‘It could have been worse,’ said Mitch. ‘The bomb might have gone off – in which case I wouldn’t be sitting here eating these grapes.’
‘No, and I’d be getting a visit from one of the others,’ said Two Moons, smiling. ‘Like Gaz, for example. He likes candy.’ Two Moons fell silent.Finally, he said in a serious tone, ‘Jimmy really tried to kill you?’
‘Yep,’ Mitch replied.
‘Son of a bitch!’ muttered Two Moons.
‘Look at it from the positive side,’ said Mitch. ‘He didn’t try to kill you. He’s your friend.’
‘Not any more he ain’t,’ grunted Two Moons. ‘Next time I see him, he’s gonna get it. No holding back.’
‘That’s what Gaz said, too,’ Mitch told him. ‘Glad to know we’re still on the same side, Two Moons.’
Two Moons looked uncomfortable for a second, then he nodded. ‘It ain’t easy to admit someone you thought was your friend is really your enemy,’ he said.
Mitch sighed. ‘I know. It’s happened to me before. Shame we have to learn this kind of thing the hard way.’
‘Trust only each other,’ said Two Moons.
‘Absolutely,’ agreed Mitch. He gestured towards Two Moons’ leg. ‘So, what do the doctors say?’
‘They’ve sewn me up nicely. They reckon I’ll beout of here the day after tomorrow.’ He grinned. ‘But that’s just their opinion. Me, I reckon I’ll be walking out of here today.’
Mitch frowned. ‘I think, for once, you ought to listen to what they say. Another day or so isn’t gonna make a lot of difference.’
Two Moons shook his head. ‘This conference thing is only a couple of days away. I want to be there for the action.’
‘Not if you’re still only working on one leg,’ said Mitch. ‘Me and the rest of the boys will be worried about you the whole time, which could mean we take our eyes off the ball when Deacon turns up with his gang of assassins.’
Two Moons scowled. ‘That’s what the colonel told me,’ he said. ‘And Benny, when he came to see me. You guys been talking behind my back?’
‘Nope,’ said Mitch. ‘It’s just logical. You stay and
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