smallhobbit

Lucas looked up from the drawers he was hunting through.  “It sounded like the crash of a broken window,” he said.

“Local yobs?”

“Somehow I doubt it.  It means we’ve got company.  Clearly we’re not the only ones taking advantage of Corrigan’s temporary absence.”

Hurriedly, they left the room and slipped down the corridor.  They were just in time, hearing footsteps coming up the stairs confirmed the accuracy of Lucas’ deduction.

They could hear Russian voices exclaiming as the two newcomers searched the room Lucas and Adam had just vacated.  But the Russians searchers were not as discrete, files and boxes being hurled to the floor as they presumably hunted unsuccessfully for what they sought.  Then there was a shout of triumph and the two went back down the stairs, arguing as they departed.

Lucas and Adam returned to the room.

“Is it worth continuing to look?” Adam asked.

“No, they found the second part of the key.  Fortunately, they didn’t realise we’d already found the first and have assumed it’s elsewhere.  Equally fortunately they didn’t torch the room, which the man wanted to do.”

“Right, let’s get out of here and update Ros on the situation.”

“We can also tell her where they plan to go next.  The woman said it must be at Corrigan’s office.  They won’t risk going there till this evening, so I suggest we set up a welcoming committee for them.”

They drove back to the Grid, where Ros agreed that they should intercept the two Russians when they entered Corrigan’s office.  She telephoned his superior and made arrangements for a team from Section D to be in place.

They were all in position when the two Russians entered Corrigan’s office.  As before they immediately began to empty the contents of the drawers onto the floor.  Quietly, Lucas stepped inside the office, his gun raised, Ros close behind him.

The woman must have heard something, for she spun round, but Lucas said, “I hate to crash your party, but I would like you both to raise your hands without trying anything clever.”

“And can I suggest you hand over the second part of the key, which I’m sure you still have in your possession,” Ros said.

The man muttered something in Russian to his colleague, but she grimaced, opened her bag, and passed over something which looked like part of a cypher. 

Ros accepted it and put it in her pocket.  “Very wise,” she said.  “You will be detained overnight and then released, after which I suggest you return to your own country.”  Then she called, “Thomson!”  A man in a dark suit came in.  “Please take these two away.”

Once they had gone, Ros said, “Right, let’s get this back to Malcolm.  Now we’ve got both parts he should be able to find out how widespread Corrigan’s organisation was.”