Read Online Untouchable by Chris Ryan - Free Book Online Page A

Alex. ‘She’s worried I’m going to try for the armed forces again.’ Some time ago Alex had applied to join the army but had been turned down. He’d been gutted, but he’d never quite let go of the dream.
    They walked on. Instead of wiry grass swishing against their legs they felt brittle twigs which smelled charred. The gamekeepers had been out burning heather, which kept it in good condition to provide cover for the birds.
    ‘Parents, huh?’ said Li. ‘Always trying to wrap you in cotton wool.’
    ‘Yeah,’ said Alex. ‘Can’t be easy for Mum, though. She gets so worried about Dad. Hey – were you checked out by the police before this trip? To see if you had any criminal history before they let you look after the kids?’
    Li nodded. ‘Yeah. I was dead scared what they’d turn up. All these things we’ve done over the past few years – I know it wasn’t illegal but I’d hate my parents to know about it.’
    Alex agreed. ‘I was scared stiff until they gave me the all-clear.’ He turned his torch on to check his compass. It was fully dark now; the torch would have to stay on.
    ‘So what does the future hold for you, Li?’
    ‘I have an uncle with a traditional martial arts school in Shanghai.’
    Alex asked, half joking, ‘Is there a Cheong style of martial arts?’
    ‘Actually there is. There are thousands of traditional family styles of martial arts throughout the country.’
    ‘And might the Cheong academy be getting a dynamic new sensei?’
    Li sighed. ‘I don’t know. I’d really, really like to carry it on. They all say I’m the natural successor, but I don’t know if I’m ready to settle down.’
    Settle down. The words made Alex feel sad.
    Li stopped and shone the torch around. ‘Hey,’ she whispered. The beam caught a stone wall twenty metres away.
    ‘That’s it,’ said Alex.
    They crept up in silence. The bothy was dark. Alex’s torch reflected off the windows in a white slick. He peered inside. It all looked much the same as earlier that day.
    Li tried the door. ‘Locked.’
    Alex stood back and shone his torch over the building. It looked peaceful and quiet, like an empty house.
    Li went and stood close to him. ‘What now?’
    ‘I feel like a right twit. But I’d like to stay for a bit, see if anything happens.’
    There was a low stone wall that went round one side of the bothy, like a garden wall. They sat down beside it, huddling into the shadow. The two friends could have carried on their conversation, but now things were different. This was a mission.
    After about ten minutes a new sound joined the peaceful night sounds. At first it was barely noticeable, like a buzzing insect, but bit by bit it became louder. An engine. Coming their way.
    Li gripped Alex’s arm. Two pinpoints of light bounced up the hill. Headlights.
    Alex’s mind raced. He hadn’t expected a vehicle – by the sound it must be a quad bike; he’d thought it would be somebody on foot. Had there been a vehicle the previous night? There could have been, parked behind the bothy.
    Would the driver see them in the headlights? They hadn’t come kitted out for camouflage. Alex’s combat trousers were khaki, which looked pale at night. Why hadn’t he worn black? They hadn’t got camouflage cream on either. ‘Hide your face,’ he hissed to Li.
    The bike pulled up beside the bothy and the engine stopped. A torch flashed around, then a figure was at the door. The lock clicked and the hinges creaked open. A shadow passed inside, its footsteps like sandpaper on the gritty floor inside. There was a golden flare as a match was lit, followed by a softer glow that lit the room gently. The paraffin lamp.
    A second figure remained on the bike, a cigarette glowing red and lighting up his hands. The acrid tang of the smoke drifted over to Li and Alex. He was only ten metres away from them. They stayed very, very still. The other figure came back out of the bothy. The lighted cigarette was mashed under a boot.