Soft Target Read Online Free PDF Page A

of his video-camera as Hendrickson climbed out of the car and ran across the car park, the umbrella low over his head. 'What do we do, sir?' he asked.
    Hargrove sighed. He opened his eyes, put his transceiver to his mouth and clicked the transmit button. 'Alpha One,
    everyone stand down. Repeat, everyone stand down.'
    Hargrove paid for the drinks and carried them to the corner table of the pub. Shepherd was taking off his black leather gloves and nodded his thanks as the superintendent placed the Jameson's and soda in front of him. His hair was wet and the shoulders of his coat flecked with water.
    'It's not how I'd have played it, Spider. That's all I'm saying.'
    'I had seconds to make up my mind,' said Shepherd,
    stuffing the gloves into his coat pocket. 'What did you expect 24 me to do? Tell him I had to check with my boss?' He took a sip of his whiskey.
    'No one's saying it wasn't your call,' said Hargrove. He sat down on the bench seat next to Shepherd and stretched out his legs. He had been in the back of the Transit van for the best part of four hours. 'I'm just reminding you that we've spent two months setting up Hendrickson and I wouldn't want to put that at risk for the sake of a maybe down the line. Plus, we've got Hendrickson's partner tucked away in a safe-house. He'll be none too happy when I tell him he's got to stay there for the foreseeable future.'
    'I figure it'll take a few days at most. I'll fix up a meet to see if she's serious. I'll go in wired up, get her to pay a deposit and we can leave it at that. If her husband's knocking her around the court'll probably go easy on her so there's no point in busting a gut.'
    Hargrove cupped his hands round his brandy glass. 'You'll be going in blind,' he said. 'All we have is a first name.'
    'She's a battered wife,' said Shepherd. 'I doubt I'll be in any danger.'
    'I don't like it, Spider. There are too many ifs, buts and maybes.'
    Shepherd leaned forward. 'Boss, if she doesn't talk to me,
    she might find someone else.'
    Hargrove nodded thoughtfully. 'Forty-eight hours, that's all I can give you.'
    Shepherd looked pained, but the time frame wasn't up to him. 'The ball's in her court,' he said. 'Hendrickson wouldn't give me her number.'
    'If she's serious she'll call. If she isn't, it's a waste of time anyway. Forty-eight hours, Spider. Then we arrest Hendrickson.'
    Shepherd opened his mouth to argue but the superintendent silenced him with a wave. Shepherd had worked with 25 Hargrove long enough to know when he'd reached his limit.
    Forty-eight hours was all the time he had.
    Roger Sewell was a big man, a good three inches taller than the superintendent, and thirty kilograms heavier. He had receding hair that he'd grown long and tied back in a ponytail,
    and a goatee beard. He was wearing a grey suit but had taken off his tie and thrown it on to the hotel bed.
    'No bloody way am I spending another night in this shit hole,' he said. 'I was promised a safe-house not a two-star bloody hotel.'
    'It's forty-eight hours,' said Hargrove, patiently. 'Two days.'
    'Two days during which that bastard Hendrickson is going to be ripping my company apart,' said Sewell. He pointed an accusing finger at the superintendent. 'Are you going to reimburse me for any money I lose on this?' He didn't give the superintendent time to reply. 'Of course you're bloody not. What if he empties the bank accounts and transfers the money off-shore. Then I'm fucked with a capital F,
    aren't I?'
    'Today's Friday,' said Hargrove. 'You have my word that by Monday your partner will be in custody and you'll be free to do whatever you want. Just give me the weekend, Mr Sewell.'
    Sewell paced over to the window. 'They won't even let me go to the bloody pub. This is Leeds, for God's sake. No one knows me in Leeds. I wouldn't be seen dead in Leeds.'
    'It's too much of a risk, Mr Sewell,' said Hargrove. 'If anyone recognises you and mentions it to Hendrickson, he'll know he's been set up and he'll run.'
    'So