On dangerous ground

Morgan looked at her, horror on his face. "Asta, what are you saying?"

"Please, Carl, you must understand. I love you, I always have. No one else has ever loved you as I have, just like you love me."

The look on her face was that of the truly mad and Morgan seemed to come apart. "Love you? There was only one woman I loved and you killed her."

The Browning swung up, but already Dillon's hand was on the butt of the Walther in his waistband at the rear. He shot Morgan twice in the heart. Morgan went down and Luca reached for the Celeste. Dillon turned, his arm extended, and shot him between the eyes and the Capo went back over the chair.

In the same moment Asta screamed, "No!" She shot Dillon twice in the back, driving him facedown across the table, then she turned and ran out through the French windows.

Dillon, having difficulty breathing, almost unconscious, was aware of Ferguson calling his name, distress in his voice. His hands found the edge of the table, he levered himself up and lurched to the nearest chair. He sat there, gasping for breath, then reached for the Velcro tabs on the bullet-proof waistcoat, opened them, and took it off. When he examined it, the two bullets she had fired were embedded in the material.

"Would you look at that now?" he said to Ferguson. "Thank God for modern technology."

"Dillon, I thought I'd lost you. Here, have a drink." Ferguson poured red wine into one of the glasses on the table. "I could do with one myself."

Dillon took it down. "Jesus, that's better. Are you all right, you old sod?"

"Never better. How in the hell did you get here?"

"Gagini flew me in and I parachuted."

Ferguson looked shocked. "I didn't know you could do that."

"There's always a first time." Dillon reached for the bottle and poured another glass.

Ferguson toasted him. "You're a remarkable man."

"To be honest with you, Brigadier, there's those who might think me a bit of a bloody genius, but that could be a subject for debate. What happened to the Covenant?"

Ferguson went to Luca, dropped to one knee, and felt in his inside pocket. He stood up, turned and unfolded the document. "The Chungking Covenant, that's what it was all about."

"And this is how it ends," Dillon said. "Do you have a match and we'll burn the damn thing?"

"No, I don't think so." Ferguson folded it carefully, took out his wallet, and put it inside. "I think we'll leave that to the Prime Minister."

"You old bastard," Dillon said. "It's a Knighthood you're after so it is."

He got up, lit a cigarette, and went out to the terrace and Ferguson joined him. "I wonder where she is? I heard some sort of car leave when I was trying to revive you."

"Long gone, Brigadier," Dillon said.

There was a roar of engines overhead, a dark shadow swooping down to the meadow. "Good God, what's that?" Ferguson said.

"Ha

"I shan't forget," Ferguson said.

Ha

"Do you have a problem with this, Chief Inspector?" Ferguson asked. "Let me tell you what happened here." Which he did.

She took a deep breath when he was finished, and on impulse went and kissed him on the cheek. "I'm glad to see you in one piece."

"Thanks to Dillon."

"Yes." She looked again at Morgan and Luca. "He doesn't take prisoners, does he?"

"Four more in the grounds, my dear."

She shuddered and Dillon came in through the French windows with Gagini. The Italian stood looking down at Luca and shook his head. "I never thought to see the day. They won't believe he's gone in Palermo."

"You should put him in an open coffin in a shop window like they used to do with outlaws in the Wild West," Dillon told him.

"Dillon, for God's sake," Ha

"You think I was bad, Ha

At Punta Raisi it was raining as they waited in the office. Lacey looked in the door. "Ready when you are."

Gagini came through the hangar with them and walked across the apron. "Strange how it all worked out, Brigadier, I thought I was doing you a favor when I got in touch with you about the Chungking Covenant, and in the end you do me the biggest favor of all. You got rid of Luca for me."

"Ah, but that was Dillon's doing, not mine."

Dillon said sourly, "Don't get too worked up, Major, there'll be someone to take his place by tomorrow morning."

"True," Gagini said. "But some sort of victory." He held out his hand. "Thank you, my friend. Anything I can ever do you only have to ask."

"I'll remember that."

Dillon shook hands, went up the steps into the Lear, and settled in one of the rear seats. Ferguson sat opposite him on the other side and Ha

Ha

"I'm tired, it's been a long day and I can still smell the cordite and the blood, Dillon, is that so strange? I don't like it." She exploded suddenly, "My God, you just killed six people, six, Dillon. Doesn't that bother you?"

"What am I hearing?" he said. "Some sort of fine interpretation on this? The kind of morality that says let your enemy do it unto you, but don't do it unto him?"

"All right, so I don't know what I mean." There was no doubt that she was genuinely upset.

Dillon said, "Then maybe you're in the wrong job. I'd think about that if I were you."

"And how do you see yourself, as some sort of public executioner?"

"Enough, both of you." Ferguson opened the bar box, took out a half bottle of Scotch, poured some into a plastic cup and handed it to her. "Drink that, it's an order."

She took a deep breath and reached for it. "Thank you, sir."

Ferguson poured a generous measure into another cup and passed it to Dillon. "Try that." Dillon nodded and drank deep and the Brigadier poured himself one.

"It's the business we're in, Chief Inspector, try to remember that. Of course, if you're unhappy and wish to return to normal duty?"

"No, sir," she said. "That won't be necessary."

Dillon reached for the bottle and poured another and Ferguson said, "I wonder what happened to that wretched young woman?"

"God knows," Dillon said.

"Mad as a hatter," Ferguson said, "so much is obvious, but that isn't our problem," and he closed his eyes and lay back in the seat.

It was at about the same time that Asta arrived at the gate of Luca's Villa. She kept her hand on the horn and the guard appeared on the other side. He took one look and hurriedly opened the gate and she drove through and up to the house. When she got out of the station wagon, the door opened at the top of the steps and Luca's houseboy, Giorgio, appeared.

"Signorina. You are alone? The Capo and Signore Morgan come later?"

She could have told him the truth, yet for some reason hesitated and at the same time realized why. If Luca was still alive she could still use his power and she wanted that power.

"Yes," she said, "the Capo and Signore Morgan are staying at Valdini on business. You will get in touch with the chief pilot of the Lear. What is his name?"

"Ruffolo, Signorina."

"Yes, that's right. Find where he is and tell him to get out here as fast as possible and get in touch with our contact at the airport. There is a Lear from England there. It may have already left, but get all the information you can."