Read Online Cut to the Chase by Ray Scott - Free Book Online Page A

you. Your bloody courier brought them with him into the University, he palmed the flash drive to me and then they started chasing him all over the building when the lights went out. Obviously he got away, because when I left the building and reached the hotel they locked onto me.’
    â€˜All right! How did you know what you got was what we wanted?’
    â€˜Jesus Christ! I didn’t bloody well know and I still bloody don’t! I just assumed. It could only have been that or pornographic films. Maybe that’s what the head of ASIS was after.’
    He ignored Wallace’s sally.
    â€˜These Americans, who are they?’
    â€˜One of them is something to do with computer software,’ Wallace answered sulkily. ‘One of the others is an engineer, I’m not sure what the others are. What are you going to do? Shoot them?’
    â€˜Look…all right!’ Major Lincoln drummed the top of the desk with his fingers. ‘I’m sorry, I was just a bit het up, that’s all, that the security police should have got onto you…that is…the courier!’ he added hastily. ‘Are they trustworthy?’
    â€˜I would say so, yes!’ Wallace answered. ‘Hell and Damnation! They’re Americans, if we can’t trust them who the hell can we trust? They helped me to get here, I’ve already told you if it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t be here – those bastards would have…caught up with me,’ Wallace shuddered at the thought and again thought longingly of Melbourne. ‘God knows where I’d be but for them.’
    â€˜How long are they here for…in the country I mean?’
    â€˜Two of them leave in the morning for Los Angeles,’ Wallace said. ‘The others…oh hang on! Yes, one of them is an outside auditor for an American banking firm here in Jakarta; he goes next week. Can’t recall what the other bloke was, but he goes home the day after tomorrow, I do know that. I don’t think they’re together, they just met here last night, same as they met me, and they were out on the town. Thank God they were.’
    â€˜All right!’ Lincoln rose and extended his hand. ‘Thank you, Mr Wallace, and well done.’
    â€˜Hang on a minute, how do we get back to the hotel?’
    â€˜By cab’
    â€˜The hell we do! We’ve got half the security police force outside waiting for us.’
    â€˜They won’t bother you now.’
    â€˜Oh really, do they know that?’
    He thought about it and then nodded.
    â€˜All right, we’ll get you all back.’
    They drove them back in two batches, Major Lincoln and Wallace slipped out of a side gate in an inconspicuous sedan while the four Americans were taken out through the front gates in the embassy limousine. He heard later that the limousine had taken them on quite an extended tour of the city before disembarking them at the front of the hotel. By that time Wallace was already back in his room and packing all his gear into his suitcase. He resolved to leave Jakarta as soon as possible…never to return.
    Wallace saw Warren Hamilton and Jack Durham briefly at breakfast the next morning; they looked at him quizzically as he approached them. They had nearly finished their meal and were ready to be off. Their bus to the airport was due in about 10 minutes.
    â€˜Hi Harry,’ Warren called out. ‘It was quite a night, last night.’
    â€˜Quite a night,’ Wallace agreed. ‘Mind if I join you.’
    They cleared a place for him and Wallace sat down. They chatted for a few minutes and then the receptionist announced over the address system that their bus was at the door. They all exchanged business cards, handshakes and claps on the back and then the two Americans trooped out. Wallace felt devastated after they left as he had at least until 6.00 pm when the next flight departed, if he could get on it, or until midday the next day when he