The Death Trade Read Online Free PDF

Iranian Army. Remember, they were at war with Iraq for eight years.”
    â€œWhy do I sense the worst coming?” Dillon asked.
    â€œBecause it did. He was killed in nineteen eighty-six, and unfortunately his wife was with him. She’d visited behind the lines, they went for a spin in a spotter plane and were shot down.”
    Sara said, “So how old was Declan?”
    â€œSixteen, and an only child. His mother hadn’t been able to have any more children.”
    â€œIt must have been hell for him.”
    â€œIt was,” Roper said. “I’ve got the photo to prove it.”
    The boy in the photo wore desert combat fatigues and the red beret of a paratrooper, a pistol strapped to his right knee, an AK-47 assault rifle crooked in his left arm. The eyes were haunting in the young face, the cheeks hollow.
    Sara took a deep breath. “What happened?”
    â€œHe was at school here in London at St. Paul’s, flew back to Iran right away, but missed the funeral. After that, he simply joined the queue of peasant boys at the recruiting office, of which there were many, joined up, and kept his head down to avoid the search for him. There was another two years of war, during which he jumped five times into ‘action’ without having been trained for it. It was during the second year that Emza Khan traced him and he was promoted to the officers corps. He was an acting captain at the end of the war and all of eighteen. He’s forty-two now and unmarried.”
    There was silence after that for the moment. Dillon said, “Well, all I can say is it must be the Irish in him. Having said that, I’d buy him a drink anytime.”
    Sara said, “A remarkable story, and you’ve gone to a lot of trouble telling us. Is there a reason?”
    â€œThe handout from the London Embassy’s press office covers the award of the Legion of Honor to Simon Husseini and makes the point that Emza Khan, Chairman of Cyrus, will be visiting to support him.”
    â€œIs Khan’s son going?”
    â€œI shouldn’t imagine so, with his track record. They wouldn’t want any more scandal. However, the military attaché from Princes Gate, Lieutenant Colonel Declan Rashid, respected war hero, will be in attendance, all staying at the Ritz.”
    â€œIt will be just like old home week,” Dillon put in.
    â€œBut isn’t this going to be rather obvious?” Sara asked. “Our presence there?”
    Dillon said, “There isn’t an embassy in London that doesn’t know about Charles Ferguson’s motley crew. They know who we are and we know who they are. The real work in our line of business is finding out what everyone else is up to, and that includes our friends. Take Claude Duval. A strong right arm to us, but France will always come first.”
    â€œI suppose you’re right, although it does get complicated on occasion,” Sara said.
    â€œIt’s a damn sight better than Afghanistan, and you’ve got the permanent limp to prove it. So content yourself. If you don’t mind waiting till I change, you can drop me off at my place on the way home. We’ll share a cab. You’ve had too much to drink.”
    She laughed out loud. “You’ve got the cheek of the devil, Sean Dillon.”
    â€œIt’s been said before.” He grinned. “But think of the pleasure it gives you helping out a poor ould fella like me.” He was gone before she could reply.
    â€”
    E mza Khan had purchased the apartment on top of a tower in Park Lane because it was within walking distance of the Dorchester and it pleased him to have all of the amenities of one of the world’s great hotels so close to hand. As time went on, he’d fallen in love with the rural sweep of Hyde Park. Finally, the city by night captivated him, the lights stretching into the darkness as if stars had come down from heaven to please him.
    Just now he was