'But what would Shamrock be doing there?'

'I can remember when it would have been the most natural thing in the world to come to Algeria in search of revolutionary training camps,' Dillon told him. 'Both of us did it.'

'That was then, this is now,' Holley said.

Dillon nodded, 'But if he is there, even just passing through, there must be some purpose to his visit. And I intend to find out what.' As he stood up he said, 'Before facing Ferguson, I'd like to call in at Rosedene and check on Mickeen Oge. Is that okay with you?'

'Be my guest,' Holley said. We'll go straight there.' The moment they walked in to the lounge at Rosedene, the Matron, Maggie Duncan, appeared and greeted them warmly.

'How is he?' Dillon asked.

'Much as expected, Sean, but Professor Bellamy just looked in to see a few patients. I'm sure he'll be with you soon. There is one thing. You can't go into Mickeen's room without supervision. He's all wired up, as it were. A very delicate balance. You can go and have a look at him through the viewing window. Room Nine down the corridor.'

They stood together, peering in at the dimly lit room. Mickeen was festooned with cables leading to electronic equipment, tubes into his body from several bottles of fluid. His sleeping face was very pale, no colour there at all.

'He's just like a waxwork,' Holley said.

'More like a corpse, poor devil.' Dillon shook his head. 'A living death is pretty terrible, when you think of it.'

'But if he doesn't know what's happened to him,' Holley shrugged. 'They say that some people waking up from this state have no idea of all the time passed.'

'That's right.' Professor Bellamy came up behind them.

'This condition is one of the strangest known to medical science. He could wake up at any moment or he could languish in the comatose state for months, occasionally even longer than that.'

'So we're keeping him alive with the help of modern electronics and drugs?' Dillon said, and he sighed heavily. 'God help me, I don't know what's right and what's wrong any more.'

Bellamy patted his shoulder. 'At least he's here, Sean, getting the very best of attention. It could have been much worse. Anyway, I must finish my rounds. I'll see you again. By the way, are you aware of what happened to Billy Salter last night? You've been away, of course.'

'Yes, and thank God for the vest,' Dillon said.

'It certainly saved his life, but two forty-five-calibre rounds delivered to the heart area at a range of ten or twelve feet has not left him in the best of conditions. I've released him, but he needs to take it easy for a while. He's not fit to play any of your usual games, Sean.' Bellamy took off his spectacles and rubbed an eye. 'You're his friend and I'm appealing to you.'

'You can rely on me, I promise, Professor.'

'Excellent.' Bellamy walked away.

'Shall we?' Holley asked.

'Yes, let's go and see the old sod and get it over with.'

He followed Holley across the hall and out of the front door.

A LGERI A

11

Holley drove and Dillon called in to Roper, who cut in on him instantly and said, 'I thought you'd be coming straight here. The General's been asking for you.'

'Do we get blasted out of the water for being naughty boys?'

'I don't think so. He's dark and sombre. I can't remember seeing him in such a black-dog mood. There's a kind of despair there because we aren't making progress, and the attempt on Billy's life last night greatly worried him.'

'So it should,' Dillon said. 'We've just been talking to Bellamy at Rosedene. He released Billy, but he's not happy about his health. I gave him my word that we wouldn't get Billy involved in anything active for a while, and I mean to keep it. Bellamy's put him together again more than once. He can't keep doing it.'

'How was Mickeen?'

'Comatose is the word they're using, and that sums it up. But listen, Roper. Something seriously important's just turned up from Malik in Algiers. I'm handing you over to Daniel, who'll fill you in.' When Holley was finished, Dillon cut in. 'What do you think? It could give Ferguson a shot in the arm.'

'It's an interesting prospect, to put it mildly,' Roper said. 'But we shouldn't discuss it without the General present. I'd get here as fast as possible if I were you. I imagine he'll bring that council of war forward.' Ferguson, catching up on paperwork at his desk in Cavendish Place, was galvanized by Roper's call.

'What incredible news. I'm just finishing the Peshawar report for the Prime Minister, then I'll come straight round. Have everybody there. This might be some sort of breakthrough for us.'

Harry Miller was already on the premises, enjoying a workout in the gym, which left the Salters. Roper hesitated, then thought, well, there was no harm in having Billy in on the discussion, as long as they didn't send him out into harm's way. He contacted Billy and found him at the Dark Man, told him Ferguson had called a meeting and wanted everyone there.

Billy sounded subdued. 'What's he up to now?'

'That's for him to say, but it's important. Are you okay?'

'Of course I am.' Billy was irritated. 'Why wouldn't I be?'

'Only asking,' Roper said. 'We'll see you then,' and he got to work researching Omar Hamza and the Khufra marshes. It was an hour later when Ferguson arrived at Holland Park to find everyone waiting for him in the computer room. He was full of energy, and it showed.

'I don't know how much you all know about why we're here, so let's start from scratch. Daniel, just go through the conversation Malik had with you.'

Which Daniel did, ending with an observation about Hakim. 'I've known Ali Hakim for years; he's probably Malik's best friend. A Military Police Colonel, highly regarded in government circles, a specialist in anti-terrorism. I don't need to tell you that Algeria has problems with fundamentalists just like other countries in the Middle East, and the government don't like Al Qaeda.'

It was Harry Salter who made the obvious point. 'But what would Shamrock be doing there in the Khufra?'

'We don't know. Hakim's informant simply mentioned a mystery Westerner staying with Omar Hamza who called him Shamrock.'

'I've had a thought on that point,' Roper said. 'There has been more than one bombing in Algeria during the last three months, by a jihadist group thought to be linked to Al Qaeda. They've tended to go for police barracks. The most recent one caused eighteen deaths and forty-seven wounded. Perhaps Shamrock has a link with all that.'

'That's just supposition again and it doesn't help in the slightest,' Ferguson said to Roper. 'Let's go to the source. You have Hakim's personal mobile number. Get him now and put him on speaker. Everybody else, keep quiet.' 'Colonel Ali Hakim?' Roper said in Arabic. 'I have Major General Charles Ferguson for you.'

'A great pleasure,' Hakim said in English.

'I won't beat about the bush, Colonel,' Ferguson told him. 'We've heard about the conversation you had with Hamid Malik regarding Omar Hamza, and mentioning the name of Shamrock.'

'Ah, yes, but I'm afraid I can't help you there. That name has only just come to my attention as someone Hamza is involved with. Apparently, he could be British. He certainly isn't Arab. I don't even know how far his involvement with Hamza goes. He is an unknown entity to me.'

'Well, not to me,' Ferguson said. 'Tell me, how would you go about your expedition into the Khufra?'

'There is a small fishing village on the coast, called Dafur, with a population of only seventy or eighty. It has two good jetties that Rommel's people constructed in the war. There's even a crumbling landing strip for aircraft, which the coastguard can use in emergencies. I have two large police launches and fifteen thugs in uniform who just love those who say no to them so they can knock them down.'