The Judas Gate Read Online Free PDF Page B

Muslims fighting out there.’
    Malik laughed. ‘Daniel, one hears stories, but this is nonsense, pure myth.’
    ‘I’m afraid not, old friend. I’ve seen the evidence, heard recordings of radio communications in the heat of battle,working-class accents from many of the great cities in the UK.’
    ‘I don’t believe it.’
    ‘I’ve heard it, Malik. In fact, Ferguson, Dillon and Miller have just had a meeting with the President in Washington to work out what to do about it.’
    Malik was stunned. ‘All right, supposing it is true, what can anyone do to prevent it? If young British Muslims decide to take a holiday in Pakistan to visit the old folk, then end up in a training camp in Waziristan, who can stop them? It’s impossible.’
    ‘Well, Ferguson and his people are at least going to make an effort, and I’ve offered to help.’
    Malik was truly shocked. ‘But why you, Daniel? This is not your business. You could be asking for big trouble.’
    ‘I have a grasp of the Muslim world that few Christians do. I speak Arabic and, as a young volunteer in the IRA, I was trained in terrorism at Shabwa. I wonder if Shabwa is still in business. And Omar Hamza, the camp commander? What a bastard he was.’
    ‘He would be seventy or more if he is still alive. Shabwa closed down some years ago, though. The IRA no longer used it and, as things changed for the German groups and ETA and the like, there was little need for the facility,’ Malik said. ‘The thought of young British Muslims using it, though… Why on earth would they want to come to Algeria for their training?’
    ‘You could have said that about the young Irishmen too,’ Holley told him. ‘Anyway, I’m out of here, off to London.’
    ‘Are you going to see Ferguson?’
    ‘Yes, I want to hear what he intends to do. I feel very strongly about this matter. If there is anything I can do, I will.’
    Malik gave in. ‘So be it. The blessing of Allah go with you. Do take care, Daniel.’
    ‘Don’t I always?’
    It was very quiet sitting there in the darkness, the long white curtains ballooning like sails at the window, and Malik went out to find a full moon and the terrace flooded with light. The vista in the night of the harbour below was astonishingly beautiful. He loved this city, always had, just as he loved Daniel Holley, but trouble and Daniel seemed to belong together naturally, and Malik was filled with a grim foreboding.
    ‘What now?’ he asked softly, leaning on the balustrade. ‘What next?’

   3   
    The Gulfstream landed at Farley Field late that night. Ferguson’s Daimler was waiting, as well as the Mercedes provided by the Cabinet Office for Miller.
    ‘We’ll get together later,’ Ferguson said. ‘I’ve got to get cracking and prepare that report for the Prime Minister.’
    His Daimler moved away and Miller said, ‘We’ll take you to Holland Park, Sean.’ His driver, Arthur Fox, was behind the wheel.
    ‘Care to join me for a late dinner there?’
    ‘No, I need to get to Dover Street and sort this sack of mail that Arthur has brought me. Ferguson’s not the only one with problems. I’ve got the Cabinet Office on my back.’ Mentioning his sister, he added, ‘I had a text fromMonica while you were asleep. She’s enjoying being Visiting Professor at Harvard so much, she’s agreed to an extension.’
    ‘She didn’t tell me.’
    ‘Maybe she’s going off you, you mad Irish bogtrotter.’
    ‘And pigs might fly,’ Dillon told him. ‘Tell her congratulations and I’ll be in touch. Now we’ve got an hour before we get to London, so start on your mail and let me sleep.’
    Two hours later, the Malik Shipping plane landed at London City Airport and taxied to the private facility—Daniel Holley had decided to leave Paris earlier than he had planned. His diplomatic passport sped him through and, forty-five minutes later, he was at the Dorchester, where he found Concetto Marietta, the guest liaison manager, waiting to escort