Page 23 of Savage Reckoning

“Oh, yes,” Jack agrees and raises an eyebrow at Jed O’Neill, seated opposite him the other end of the table. “You have something for us?”

“Sure do. We tracked down the launch site close to a disused quarry. Remote place, lots of ‘keep out’ signs that seem to do the trick. All packed up and gone by the time we arrived, but the tracks were there. They would have had a van, probably, but no more than that.”

“I’m checking CCTV in the vicinity for any sightings of a vehicle that fits the bill,” Casey chips in from beside her husband. “Nothing so far.”

Jack inclines his chin to acknowledge her input. “Go on.”

Jed continues. “Two men, probably. And they knew what they were doing. We know from the crash investigation that the weapon used was a FIM92 Stinger. A portable surface-to-air missile that can be launched from the shoulder.”

“They’re manufactured in Germany and Turkey,” Casey informs us, “under licence, and used by almost thirty countries worldwide. There are a lot of them about.”

“We only need to find one,” Jack observes.

“I’m on it. The manufacturers are both secure, so most likely it’s an ex-military weapon. There are a few routes that the weapon could have taken to get into our enemy’s hands, and I’m tracing them.”

“When you say ‘a few’…”

“Three or four. I’ve already ruled out two.”

“Good. Keep at it. Anything else?”

“Sokolov,” Casey informs us. “He’s in the UK.”

Jack’s eyes narrow. “Where?”

“London currently. He flew in late yesterday. My sources say he’s here to settle the score with whoever destroyed his flesh business and re-establish his line.”

“Does he even know who he’s at war with?” Jack enquires.

Jed takes up the tale. “He knows Ethan was in Minsk, and he’s assuming it was him who killed Fedor. He’s also convinced Ethan murdered you as well, Gabe, since you disappeared from the scene.”

Gabe smirks. “Stupid bastard. Can’t he even put two and two together?”

I listen to this with astonishment. I knew Ethan, Tony, Aaron, and Rome went to Belarus to rescue Arina’s family, but I hadn’t realised Gabriel was there as well. Before I can ask what the hell is going on, Jack continues.

“I want eyes on Sokolov. I want to know who he talks to, where he goes. Tony, can you sort that?”

Tony nods, and Jack continues.

“Sokolov is not our primary target since we don’t think he organised the hit on the chopper, but I don’t want him on the loose on our doorstep, taking us by surprise. If he or any of his known associates even look in our direction, we’ll take him out. Agreed?”

Everyone nods.

“Meanwhile, theories. I want a list of every known arsehole who potentially could have launched that fucking missile. Anyone we had run-ins with. Disputes, deals gone bad. Who might have a motive, however feeble?”

There’s no shortage of ideas.

“What about the Morrisons? That property deal in Birmingham…?”

“Or Dmitri Verkov? We took over his clubs last year, and he wasn’t best pleased about paying protection.”

“Luis Carlos wanted an alliance with us to bolster his crackpot money-laundering operation, but Ethan turned him down flat.”

“The Jacobses never got over us moving in on their operation in Aberdeen…”

Casey is making notes. She’ll be delving into all of these and anyone else we can possibly put in the frame.

“Whoever it was, they’ll know by now that they failed in their mission, and we can be fairly sure they’ll try again.” Jack rakes his steely blue gaze round all of us. “The moment those bastards break cover, I want to know.”

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