State Of Emergency: (Tom Buckingham Thriller 3) Read Online Free PDF

member.
    ‘Is there anything you can think of that might have given Randall cause? Maybe when he was your driver?’
    Rolt looked away for less than a second, as if something had occurred to him, but he swiftly covered it with a show of indignation and glared at Tom. ‘I said no.’
    ‘Let me know if anything occurs to you.’
    ‘Well, he’s gone so there’s nothing to worry about.’
    Tom’s expression showed he didn’t agree.
    ‘What?’
    ‘He may not have acted alone. There may be more.’
    Rolt sighed, as if he was already tiring of the subject. ‘Aren’t you being a bit melodramatic?’
    Tom ignored the comment. ‘And we have to be realistic about the details of his demise leaking out.’
    ‘Well, don’t worry about it. Not your problem.’
    He was wrong. It was very much Tom’s problem.
    Rolt shook his head again, apparently still stung by Randall’s disloyalty. ‘Takes your breath away, doesn’t it? I mean, why did I bother?’
    Tom didn’t respond. During his time inside Invicta he had found he understood far more about its members than Rolt – a non-soldier – ever would. Yet most of them regarded Rolt as their saviour and he in turn made a great show of compassion for them, though now Tom suspected it was just that – a show.
    Rolt’s uncompromising views about Muslims had been no secret, but his sudden shift into politics had taken everyone by surprise. The whirlwind election campaign meant he had neglected Invicta. But was that the extent of Randall’s grievance? Had he and others felt abandoned for a while? Was that enough to make him want to kill?
    Rolt gathered up the last few papers from his desk. ‘Well, I’m disappointed, but what can you do? You extend the helping hand and …’ His voice trailed away. There had been more than a hint of self-pity in it. But it was revealing that he didn’t seem to care much that a once loyal associate had attempted to take his life.
    Tom took a slightly different tack. ‘You used to cast yourself as a bit of an outsider, like them. Randall probably wasn’t expecting you to throw in your lot with one of the mainstream parties. Maybe he felt – left behind.’
    Rolt was clearly mystified. ‘But I can be so much more effective now, instead of shouting from the sidelines. Besides, we’ve got bigger problems, with the country imploding.’
    ‘I know that, but he may not have seen it that way.’
    Rolt had once confided in Tom that deep down he thought of his supporters as damaged goods, looking for an outlet for their bitterness about the wars they’d fought and the lack of recognition they had received. The idea that he might owe them anything for their loyalty had been obliterated by his overweening vanity and hubris.
    ‘But even to think of such a thing! The man must have completely lost it. Must have been the drink.’
    Tom couldn’t help himself. ‘Well, it wasn’t an impulsive choice. He came prepared. As well as the gas and the Glock, there was a loop of wire in his pocket and a Bowie knife. So he was well and truly bombed up.’
    Rolt was starting to look bored, the full reality of what Tom was saying just bouncing off him. Suddenly he beamed. ‘You tell it straight, no matter how uncomfortable it is, Tom. I’ve always liked that in you. Now, to business.’
    He wasn’t about to let anything get in the way of his appointment with destiny.
    Tom shrugged. ‘Well, that’s just the way I am.’ And because he couldn’t resist it, he added, ‘Good job you didn’t stay at the hotel.’
    Rolt bit his lip – Tom’s comment seemed to spark off another worrying thought. Then he shrugged. ‘Well, at least he’s out of the way. One less problem to worry about, thanks to you.’ He grinned. ‘Good work, man.’
    It wasn’t good at all. It was shit work, not that Rolt would ever understand that. Tom felt like decking him. The strain of all the months he’d spent working under cover inside this snake pit had started to wear him