she had the eidetic memory Ballatyne claimed, then anything that had passed before her eyes, whether plans, proposals, strategy or Force distribution, was firmly lodged in her head. Add to that the untold hours of conversations she would have been privy to in her work as ADC to the Deputy Commander ISAF, and the flow of paperwork it would have produced, taking in UN, American and Joint Task Force personnel, from General David Petraeus on down, and it was a hell of a lot of exposure. But nothing technological. Did that make her any less saleable? He didnât know.
He flicked through the notes and saw that the absenteesâ homes were being monitored along with known family members, a reminder of how much the MOD and government valued their retrieval. A margin note stressed the difficulty involved due to the spread of the families, with a question mark regarding extra funds to be made available to cover the inevitable shortfall if the hunt continued for too long. Phone and email logs were being trawled for clues, and mobiles were being tracked for possible signals. These were proving difficult to follow due to the variety of networks involved in the UK and overseas.
Harry wondered aloud how long any of them had got.
âHow do you mean?â
âIf what Ballatyne says is true, Deakin and his crew donât beat about the bush. If they think someone knows too much about them, but isnât keen on joining, they take them out. If these four have been approached already and havenât jumped on board, theyâll be living on borrowed time.â
âHow real do you reckon Paultonâs involvement is? Doesnât sound very likely to me; getting his hands dirty with deserters, trauma victims and misfits.â
Harry didnât have an answer to that one. Heâd been thinking about Paulton more or less constantly. Heâd have been happier being able to give Rik some specific clues to follow, rather than the supposition he was working on. Heâd shown him all the names the MI5 man had used, but was almost certain they would lead nowhere. Paulton was too canny; heâd work on the old adage of never revisiting old territory. That included using old aliases and code names. The risk of bumping into figures from his past was too real. And wherever Paulton was right now, he wouldnât be living in a straw hut with a donkey for transport, the ageing white man standing out like a tart at a tea party. Heâd feel trapped and ultimately vulnerable, something a man with his background of intrigue and double dealing would find intolerable. Wherever he was, it would have to be close to good lines of communication, multiple routes in and out and surrounded by a community where he could blend in and become part of the backdrop. The invisible man.
Rik was reading his mind. âSpain would be good. All those creaky old expats to hide among. Modern, sophisticated, good transport, fleshpots. Everything.â
Harry shook his head. âItâs a retirement community; probably crawling with ex-cops, former spooks and civil servants, all bored out of their skulls and looking for excitement. Paulton may have been secretive and with a mania for different names, but he wasnât faceless. Someone would recognize him sooner or later. Theyâd want to grill him, chill him or turn him in for the reward.â
âGood point, Holmes.â Rik glanced at the screen and did a double take. âWell, thatâs another one accounted for. Staff Sergeant Pollockâs turned up alive and well.â
Harry looked. It was an email from Ballatyne. Pollock had walked into a police station in Ripon, Yorkshire, accompanied by his former wife, and handed himself in. Heâd been hiding near Bournemouth for the past seven weeks after skipping from Germany and had run out of money. And he was homesick.
It proved one thing: the Protectory didnât get to everyone. Or maybe they were being extra choosy
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