Tested by Fire David Costa (ereader with android .txt) 📖

front of the target, one behind, and one keeping level on the opposite side of the street. The comms were working perfectly, and the team eventually joined up with the target when he sat unaware off them in the reference area of the Manchester Central Library.

April Grey sat down two desks to the right of the young man. Joe Cousins browsed the reference books on shelves in front of him while Steve Harrison sat near the exit doors reading today’s newspaper copies. April moved close enough to see that the young man was browsing the Internet page for Ernest Hemingway and his life.

A scholar, maybe a budding writer, she thought.

‘OK, guys, nearly time to get to Weatherspoon’s,’ said Harrison over the airwaves. ‘Let’s go. I think we can call this a successful morning.’

‘Roger,’ came the responses.

Reece drove through central Manchester and around the area of Deansgate at least four times, all the time watching the traffic, the people, the streets, and the buildings as they passed by. Up close, Mary noticed the change in him from the casual Joseph, who always, to her at least, appeared relaxed and calm, to the Joseph she now saw, concentrated, focused, quiet, intense.

‘Are you OK, Joseph?’

‘Yes, why do you ask?’

‘You seem so distant, as if you’re somewhere else.’

‘Don’t worry about me. I was just thinking if we don’t stop these people, I could be responsible for the death of the Prime Minister.’

‘Don’t be silly. You’re doing everything you can to stop them. That’s all you can do; no more, no less.’

He smiled. ‘Have you been to Manchester before?’

‘I came once on a shopping trip to the Trafford Centre when it first opened, a long time ago. We stayed one night, then back to Belfast, not much time for sightseeing. What about you? Do you know Manchester well?’

‘Not really, since I arrived, I’ve driven and walked around this section especially and studied maps and aerial photographs, but I’m getting a feel for the place. I would prefer Belfast or London, even though there seems to be fewer people than London and not as many foreigners, so hopefully Costello will stand out. His favourite landscape would be the countryside, empty roads, hills small towns, and villages like the place he comes from…more room to move about.’

There he goes again, she thought. Back to the work, the Joseph who can’t relax, back on the job. Maybe one day she’ll see him with his guard down, see the real Joseph underneath, the real man, or maybe he could never change.

‘Right, let’s find a parking space, then meet with the rest of the team. I’ll introduce you as Mike. They already know you’re my agent so don’t worry about people knowing who you are, who you are doesn’t matter to them. Your security is safe. They’re here to do a job and you’re part of the team that’ll help them get that job done.’

‘Nice to be wanted.’

‘Don’t worry, I’ll look after you. You’ll be with me most of the time, it’s just good that they get to know you and you them. Knowing each other in the flesh so to speak makes things easier when we are out there doing the job. Anyway, I’m starving. I need a bite to eat, how about you?’

‘I’m famished.’

Reece parked just of the Town Hall Square in one of the side streets and put a few coins in the parking meter displaying the ticket on the inside of the windscreen. They found the rest of the SG9 team in the Weatherspoon’s restaurant already waiting at a table near the back with two spare chairs for Reece and his agent. This was the Joseph she wanted to know, was getting to know, to see him working with his team, the secret Reece. The one she thought cared, the one she wanted, more than he knew. As they entered the restaurant, she’d noticed the way he looked around without moving his head.

Would there ever be a time when the professional side would relax, just switch off, she thought as he placed his hand in the small of her back and guided her to the table where the rest of his friends were sitting. Reece introduced her as Mike and going around the table, introduced the rest of the team, first names only; no need to complicate things.

‘Well, how has your day gone?’ Reece asked no one in particular.

‘We’ve had a good morning getting to know the place better,’ said Joe. ‘We took a dummy target from the station to the library. Good run, good comms. We’re ready for any surveillance foot or mobile in this area.’

‘Great, before we go on, have you all ordered, we’re starving.’

‘Yes, our drinks and food are on the way, you need to order at the bar. Our table number is 44,’ said Cousins.

‘What would you like?’ Reece asked Mary.

‘Whatever you’re having.’

Reece went to order at the bar. Mary noticed the people around the table looking at her. She smiled and looked back.

‘Welcome, Mike, it’s nice to meet you at last,’ said April.

‘It’s nice to meet you all too,’ said Mary.

‘Well, I can tell you from everyone here we very much appreciate what you’re doing for us and Joseph,’ Grey replied.

Reece returned and sat beside Mary, placing a glass of wine in front of her and a large diet Coke with ice for himself on his beer mat.

‘Now we’re all acquainted, I want to bring everyone up to date. We’re still catching up on the CCTV and ANPR from the port in Holyhead to the Manchester area. The PSNI are also checking out the van but all the family will say is that it belonged to their dead father and they sold it to an unknown male for a few hundred quid. The police are trying to put pressure