K2 Series - Book 6.
K2 go on the offensive - the final battle, Johno's ulimate solution to the problem.
Excerpt:
'Johno, what you doing visiting your old man in hospital?' Beesely light-heartedly enquired, sitting up in bed. 'Bored were you? Need someone to take the piss out of?'
'Nope, needed a chat, off the radar. C'mon, we're going swimming.'
Covering his torso in a t-shirt, Johno carried a reluctant Beesely on his back and down the pool steps, one hand on the silver railing.
In the warm water Beesely let himself float, aided by a bright yellow lifejacket. 'So, what's this all about?' he quietly asked.
Johno dragged his father to the far side of the pool, where water gurgled noisily. He held his gaze on Beesely for several seconds. 'I know why Helen came here.'
Beesely frowned his lack of understanding with that statement. 'I would have thought it obvious why she came, and not for your charms, that's for sure!'
Johno smirked. 'That was the first clue.' 'Clue?'
'To why she really came. Who gave her a nudge, and why.'
Beesely was shocked. 'Are you suggesting she's been compromised?'
Johno checked over his shoulder at two guards stood now at the far end of the brightly lit pool. 'Would you have seen any scenario ... where a woman like her jumps into bed with me?'
'A bit far fetched, yes, but I didn't want to pry - I figured you knew what you were doing. So, what have learnt? Is she a threat to K2?'
Johno steadied himself with a stationary breaststroke. 'No, not a threat to K2, she needs us to help her.'
Beesely copied Johno's breaststroke, manoeuvring closer. 'Help her do what ... exactly?'
Johno's features hardened. 'Take revenge for the British people. For Portsmouth.'
Beesely stared hard. 'Not Luchenkov? Someone pulling his strings?' Johno nodded. 'Who?' Beesely nudged.
'If you don't know you can't react the wrong way if you meet them.'
'Government level?'
'Nope, private body, not much of a political agenda. If they did ... then I could respect what they do.'
Beesely stared at the water's surface for several seconds, taking a reflective breath. 'You'll strike at them with K2?'
'Big time,' Johno carefully mouthed. 'And ... Helen?'
Plausible deniability - as they say.'
'Does she know you're onto her?' Johno shook his head. 'Otto onto her?'
Again Johno shook his head. 'And he can't know yet. Like you, he needs to ... react in the right way, he's not much of an actor.'
'Unlike you!' Beesely said with a proud smile. 'Best there is,' Johno said with a grin.
'Do you ... care for Helen?' Beesely delicately broached.
'Sure, adds a lot of quality to my life. Proud to walk around with her on my arm.'
'Did Mike really ... you know?'
'Yeah, bit of a paradox there. UK got hit, caused her to get kicked out, scared him off, just as she was ... requested, if not ordered, to come here, to see if she could use K2 to attack this group.'
'When you came back from Malta -'
'No, Mossad didn't tip me off - I don't think they know. If they do know, and didn't tell us ... then, well a bit naughty. No, I went for a swim and a priest approached me, spilt the beans. Lucky break.'
'And could this ... priest have been lying, working for-'
'No, he told me Molarini had been prepped ready for the chair.'
'Ah. Sacrificial lamb?'
Johno nodded. 'Still, we need to proceed as if I'm a thick git.'
Beesely cocked an eyebrow. 'Shouldn't be so hard for you.' Johno smiled widely, Beesely softly asking, 'And is... God tied into this?'
'Yeah, but they ain't pulling the strings. So we'll need a new operation title, something along the lines of ... Quadruple Bluff.'
'Should be interesting. You covered all the bases?' 'No, I like to see the ground in front of me before I firm up my ideas.'
Beesely had drifted away, grabbed now by Johno and brought back. 'You'll risk K2 to attack this group?' he cautiously enquired.
Johno lifted his eyebrows, offering an enigmatic grin. 'There's a paradox there that I'll explain at some point.' He features hardened as he took a moment. 'But after what they did to the UK - hell yes, all out, them or us when the time comes.'
'That's why the dispersal - some of it survives.'
Johno agreed with a nod. 'The priest told me a lot, hinting at stuff he didn't really understand, but stuff we know about. It all clicked into place. And ... before this is over you'll thank old boy Gunter.'
'What?' Beesely puzzled, astonished. 'Keep it in mind for later. You'll see.'