Part 16 (1/2)

Hex had a horrible thought. 'That day you rescued the dog and brought it here, she was with you. Did the gamekeepers get a good look at her?'

Amber thought. 'Only as much as they noticed me. But we're being careful, trying to stay out of their way. Tiff's broadcasting what she's been doing and where she's been doing it. What if she starts spouting about our ”night orienteering”?' She looked at Hex. 'Should we warn her? She could be in danger too.'

'She wouldn't believe us. We're better trying to stay invisible. But she's a time bomb.'

Outside, the hills were covered in a shroud of fine mist as the rain came in. Hex decided that was the best signal he was going to get and dialled.

Alex was ready for the call. He, Li and Paulo stood in the shaft at the entrance to the pothole. Li and Paulo sheltered from the rain while Alex stood in the open area in the middle so the satellites in the navigation system could see him. It wasn't the only entrance, but it was the best place for staying out of sight in case there were people looking round the factory site.

Rain drummed on Alex's hood, formed rivers around his feet. Above him, the leafy fronds of summer vegetation hung over the hole, heavy with water. It was like standing at the bottom of a well.

'Hope you're keeping that thing dry,' was Hex's opening line.

'We gave it a couple of rides over the b.u.mps in one of those narrow shafts. It's got a few scratches. How's life at the Ritz?'

'Warm and dry,' was Hex's rejoinder.

Touche, thought Alex. Serves me right for trying to wind him up.

'We lowered a camera into the factory and took some pictures. We think there's a waste dump somewhere, full of blue barrels, which might be good evidence. We found the ventilation shaft to the factory, which we think will be useful. How about you?'

'Not much yet. Except I was right about the quads having trackers. They found them.'

Alex let his breath out as a whistle. 'Well, they obviously went looking for us pretty thoroughly. You guys be careful there.'

'The laird's definitely in on it. When the gamekeeper came back with our quad they went and had a quiet chat.'

'We thought he was too,' said Alex. 'Anything else?'

'He's covered his tracks well,' said Hex. 'I looked through the Glaickvullin Lodge accounts and it all looks squeaky clean.'

'You looked at the accounts? Maybe there are less obviously incriminating things. The factory's a transcontinental container. He must have got a JCB to dig a big hole and he must have bought the container. Was there anything like that in the accounts?'

'No,' said Hex. 'He must have paid cash.'

'Have you got that handover time yet?'

'No.'

'As soon as you do, we've got a plan. Speak to you again in an hour.' He cut the connection and crouched gratefully back into the cave.

Li s.h.i.+vered. 'Have they got the handover time?'

Alex shook his head.

Paulo looked at his watch. It was nearly seven o'clock. 'We've got about three hours until sundown.'

Alex took his rucksack off and walked down the pa.s.sageway in search of more shelter. 'Well, they're enjoying the high life.' He brought out an individual gas stove. 'Anyone fancy a brew?'

Hex got up from the window seat. 'They've found the factory, they've got a plan. All we've found is Tiff. We've got to step up, get active.'

'The laird's behind this, isn't he?' said Amber. 'We need to watch him in private somehow. He must have an office. Is there anywhere we can get a plan of the whole place?'

Hex went to the ornate gilded desk. Several brochures were laid out in a fan shape. He picked them up and showed them to Amber. 'There might be something in these.'

He riffled through one about the restaurant and catering. Amber took one about leisure facilities. She glanced through it while Hex opened another one. 'Hey, this one's business facilities,' he said.

He looked like he'd had an idea but Amber couldn't see the significance. 'And?'

'Conference room, ISDN facilities, broadband internet access... In the accounts was a bill for extending the ISDN line from the conference room to the laird's office. It wasn't that expensive, so it can't have been far. A few metres at most. I'd bet good money that the laird's private office is next door to the conference room.'

He went to his Gore-Tex jacket, which hung on its own in the cavernous wardrobe, and began taking things out of his pockets. He tossed two small silver cups onto the bed his Bluetooth headphones. Then he unbuckled his toolkit from his belt and unrolled it.

Amber watched, none the wiser. 'So what's the plan?'

'You book the conference room. We'll need that as our operations room. Better make it for the next few hours.' He levered the cover off one of the headphones. 'I'm going to make this into a bug.'

Amber crossed to the desk to call reception. 'So one of us will have to go into the laird's office and plant it.'

Hex nodded. 'That's right.'

23.

THE L LION'S D DEN Amber opened the window of the conference room, letting in the smell of wet foliage and the sounds of frantic kitchen activity from the bas.e.m.e.nt floor below. A cable snaked out of the window, along the wall and in through the corner of another sash window about two metres along. The window of the laird's office. How convenient, thought Amber, they've left a trail.

But its location was less convenient. Although the room was on the ground floor, the alleyway behind formed a chasm alongside the bas.e.m.e.nt kitchens. Tall, galvanized dustbins stood beside an open door. The actual drop was about five metres onto solid concrete. The only thing that connected the window she was looking out of and the laird's window was a narrow stone ledge. How slippery would it be, in the wet?

She closed the window and sat down next to Hex at the conference table.

He snapped the cover onto the bug. 'Sorry it's so big. You'll have to find something to hide it in.'

Amber slipped it into her pocket. 'So long as it works.'

'It'll work,' said Hex. 'Any speaker can be used as a microphone and vice versa. They're the same components put together in a different way.'

'And you can pick it up from here?'

'It's Bluetooth,' said Hex. 'So long as I'm within range I can hear them.'

He went with Amber to the window and looked out. 'Jeez,' he said. 'Are you sure you can make it?'

Amber's voice was resolute. 'Li would do it without turning a hair.'

Hex stepped back. His heart was in his mouth as Amber put one leg over the sill, and then the other. She put her hand up to the open window frame, pulled herself up into a standing position and stayed there for a moment, getting her balance. Then she swung back in.