Page 138 of Everything That Kills Me
Zeph swallowed hard. “No tongues.”
At least that made Thomas chuckle but Zeph was scared of him.
“I’ll tell you what I can but I want to know stuff too,” Zeph said. “If it gets out that I’ve been talking to you, I’ll be sacked.” More than sacked.
“From GCHQ? I know that was what you wanted. But you’re in London. Ah… Seconded to…MI5?”
Zeph nodded.
“I’m not surprised. I suppose they recruited you at Cambridge.” He huffed. “Specialist in facial recognition?”
Another nod.
“I’ve been ID’d near Al-Talib?” Thomas asked.
“Yes.”
Zeph could see how annoyed Thomas was.
“In case you’re thinking of throwing me in the Thames, I’m not the only one who picked you out.”
“Right.”
“You were only seen three times in proximity to the Saudi. That could be coincidence.”
“But you kept looking once you’d seen me?”
“Yes. I’m guessing we might spot you a lot more if my boss decides to extend the parameters. Is Al-Talib a target?”
“Why were you tracking him?”
“Just doing my job,” Zeph said. Maths. The simplest sum. Putting two and two together. “We’re not told much but I know Al-Talib’s a bad guy. Are you planning to kill him? That’s whatyou and Jack do, isn’t it?” Zeph lowered his voice even more. “Kill people.”
“What makes you say that?”
“I saw the blood and mess outside the house in Middleton. Heard gunshots while I was hiding. You and Jack were calm. You knew what you were doing. Jack stayed to deal with the bodies while you got rid of me. You didn’t call the police. Not that you’ll care but my father wants nothing to do with me. If I’d knocked, he wouldn’t have let me in. I spent Christmas Day shivering in a beach hut.”
Thomas stared at him.
“You don’t hide and move around because you’re in witness protection. You do it because of your job. You kill for money. Professional assassins.” Zeph didn’t want to be right but he strongly suspected he was.
“Jack doesn’t want to do it. Not anymore.”
Really?Zeph’s heart jumped. “Since when?”
“Since he fell in love with you.”
Zeph clapped his hand to his mouth to stop the gasp escaping.
“And no, he didn’t tell me that but…” Thomas shrugged.
“Then why did he disappear from my life?”
“Because killing is the easy part. Getting away with it is much more difficult. No matter how careful you are, every hit leaves traces. Relationships are dangerous whatever the other person’s job. But you told him you wanted to work for GCHQ and now you do. Our world and yours are incompatible. Jack is indelibly linked to his past and to me and my past. Unfortunately, now your facial recognition software has me in its database, it makes it more difficult to complete my mission without being identified. Can you wipe my details off your system?”
Zeph thought about it. “Possibly.” It would be risky, especially if Evan noticed.
“Possibly isn’t good enough. I need Jack’s help. If Al-Talib isn’t dead by Saturday, the people who’ve contracted me, will kill Jack.”
