Allegiance Read Free Page B

wasn’t going to let the weather stop him. And Stephanie had given up trying to stop him years ago.
    Five minutes later, Durant had parked the Land Rover outside a residential hotel where the lighting was reasonably good, and sprinted across the road and down a narrow side street to the meeting place. He was soaked to the skin within seconds and by the time he got to Splinters, there was no doubt in his mind that he would spend Christmas Day in bed, dosed with foul-smelling medication and wishing he’d been more prepared for the weather.
    The rain was coming down like a solid sheet of water and the meeting place, a bus stop on the Victoria Embankment at the entrance to the harbour, was well chosen: exposed, isolated, dangerous. A warm coffee shop would have been better, but when it came to meetings with informers, Durant knew that the best-chosen spots were often the least comfortable. No active opposition or crooked contact of Splinters would risk going out in this weather, at midnight, on Christmas Eve. The meeting place was safe. No chance of surveillance.
    Splinters looked bad at the best of times, and tonight, Durant thought, he looked at his worst. The few long grey hairs left on his head lay plastered across his wet face, his eyes barely visible through the dark folds which surrounded them. An ugly scar ran from his forehead to his chin. The life of an informer was a precarious one. Constantly living in fear of detection, running with the dregs of society while secretly reporting valuable information to the Agency, Splinters had had his share of trouble. But he had also secreted invaluable street-level intelligence to Durant which had led to major breakthroughs. The scars were trophies, earned on the street, and Durant knew he was proud of them.
    Splinters was shivering and the thin coat wrapped around his skeletal frame did little to keep the rain out. He wasn’t afraid of the rain, or the cold, or the police or any of his many enemies or confederates. His only fear was that Durant would one day find he was no longer useful and terminate his services. Durant was more than his handler – he was brother, friend, fellow spy. He loved Durant. He had no one else.
    ‘Kevin, sorry, it’s raining like hell, man.’
    ‘It’s okay, Splinters, it’s not your fault.’ He didn’t mean it to sound facetious, but it did anyway. ‘What’s up?’
    ‘Hey, Kevin, my face hurts in the cold. You still don’t smoke?’
    ‘No, but if I did, I would be lighting up about now.’
    Splinters fumbled in his pocket and pulled out a single cigarette, which he held for a second in his shaking hand, and then shrugged as the rain all but destroyed it. He tossed it onto the pavement. ‘Bad habit anyway. It’ll kill me one day.’
    Durant smiled. ‘Don’t worry about it.’ He slipped Splinters a twenty.
    ‘Thanks, Kev. I’ll give it back to you, I promise you.’
    ‘It’s fine, don’t worry. What’s happening? Must be important.’
    Splinters coughed violently for all of thirty seconds, spat on the pavement, apologised; spat again, coughed again. ‘I met someone I thought you might be interested in.’
    Durant was cold and wet, and he wanted to get home to Stephanie. Alexis was six years old and he wanted to wake up on Christmas morning with her and watch her open her presents. Christmas morning. It was only five hours away. ‘I’m interested, go on.’
    ‘You know Frank?’
    ‘Nigerian Frank?’
    ‘No, the panel beater guy in town, the ugly guy who steals cars, strips them down, I’ve mentioned him before. Burnt his workshop down for insurance, remember?’
    ‘No, but anyway, what about him?’
    ‘He came to me at about six. Said there was a guy looking for papers. You know, they always come to me first, they know what I can do for them.’
    ‘You’re the best, Splinters, no question.’
    Splinters used his finger to flick a long strand of wet hair off his face and smiled proudly. ‘That means a lot to me. I