Page 77 of Savage Redemption

I survey the room.Ten men are seated around the conference table, another five lounge around the perimeter of the room. Apart from the men, Cristina, Megan, and Magda are also present. I outline the situation, as far as I know it.

“So,” I conclude. “The question is, do we intervene or stay out of it?” My organisation is not a democracy, the final decision will be mine. But I find it pays to listen to advice.

“San Antonio knew the risks when he went there,” Rome observes.

“True,” I concur. “Anyone else?”

“We owe him. After the fire.” This from Cristina. “Yes, he knew what he was potentially letting himself in for, but still…”

“Rosie didn’t know,” is Jack’s contribution.

Tony chips in. “Are we sure of that? After what happened to her before, she can’t be under any illusions about how dangerous men like Kaminski can be.”

I tend to agree with Tony, but I don’t think naïveté is exactly a capital offence. “Men like Kaminski? You mean, men like us, surely.”

“Oh, no.” Tony isn’t having that. “We’re nothing like him. We wouldn’t murder an innocent girl, a young mother, just because she got in our way. Just because she made a silly mistake.”

A chorus of muttered agreement and nods ripples round the room. Everyone sees the distinction, and no one is content to let events take their course.

“I guess we’re going to Tenerife, then,” Rome announces. “Should be nice, this time of year.”

“Magda? How quickly could we?—?”

“It’ll be faster by jet,” she replies. “And safer, too, in this weather. Between me and Jamie and the two choppers we could get a dozen men to Oban airport within, say, two hours.”

“I’ll check with our ground staff at Oban and make sure the jet is ready to leave as soon as we get there.” Cristina is already scrolling on her phone for the number of the ground staff coordinator. The private jet is permanently on standby at Oban, our link to the rest of the world. “I assume Magda will fly it. Will a dozen men be enough?”

Magda got her fixed wing licence a couple of years ago. There isn’t that much call for it, we mostly rely on the choppers, but just occasionally it’s very useful indeed. And Cristina has a point about the number of men we might require. I have no idea how many men Kaminski can muster at short notice, but it’s sure to be more than twelve. “Jack? How many at Caernbro Ghyll?”

Caernbro Ghyll is the mansion on the outskirts of Glasgow which used to be our family home before I relocated all of us to Caraksay. It now serves as our mainland headquarters and provides accommodation for as many of our men as require it.

“Twenty or so. I can get them mobilised, but it would probably be quicker if we fly from Glasgow. They could be there in an hour. Oban’s a lot further by road.”

“Agreed. Glasgow it is. Magda? Cristina? Any problems with that?”

They both shake their heads.

“I can easily touch down briefly at Glasgow to collect our reinforcements. I’ll go and organise the transport at our end. Depart in thirty minutes?” Magda darts from the room.

Jack is already on the phone to Nico, currently in charge at Caernbro Ghyll. He ends the call. “That’s sorted.”

The room empties within moments. The men need no further instructions. This is a well-practiced routine. They’ll all the on the forecourt, equipment loaded, when it’s time to depart. Megan and Cristina are the last to leave. I call the pair of them back.

“Megan, we could do with having you on board. There’s no telling what condition Rosie and Adan will be in when we get to them.”

“Fair enough, boss. I’ll go put a field kit together.”

I wait until the door swings shut behind her. “Sweetheart? You said ‘we’. ‘Whenweget there.’”

“Yes.” She glares at me. “I want to come.”

“You know that’s impossible. I need you here. You run this place while I’m away.”

“You could leave one of the men behind. I want to be there. San Antonio saved my boy.Ourboy.”

“I know that. That’s one of the main reasons we’re going in after him, and you need to trust me to get the job done.”

“I do trust you. Of course I do, but?—”

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