Under the right circumstances – absolutely.
So what do you want me to do, Uncle Tage? she said as the car approached the motorway bridge.
His voice sounded sad:
A lot of peoples lives are at risk, Rebecca. If we dont manage to catch Henrik tonight, then we will all have to do whatever we can to stop him. And I do mean whatever, if you understand me?
He paused briefly.
Obviously, you can choose not to accept the assignment. No-one would blame you. I can have a word with Eskil Stigsson …
They passed under the bridge and she couldnt help glancing up at the railing above. For a few moments she imagined she could see someone up there. A dark-clad figure in a hood.
No! she said, a little too loudly, and saw Edler looking at her in the rear-view mirror.
No, thanks, Uncle Tage. That wont be necessary, she said, as calmly as she could. Just as you say, theres too much at stake. Im very grateful for everything youve done already …
Dont mention it. We need the right people in the right positions. People we can rely on. We all agree on that, Stigsson, my employers and I.
He patted her knee again.
Youre so like your father, Rebecca, have I already said that? Conscientious, loyal, reliable, no matter what the circumstances. Those qualities are getting harder and harder to find in todays egocentric society …
She couldnt help blushing.
In the gloom of the back of the car, if she squinted slightly Uncle Tage looked very like Dad. His posture, his slightly archaic way of speaking, even the way he smelled was almost the same.
Cigars, aftershave, and something else.
Something that brought a rather sad lump to her throat.
He was pinned down on the floor, with Jeff lying motionless on top of him. The van was bouncing and lurching along on the gravel track, the strut holding one of the seats digging into his leg all the way. Weirdly, he couldnt hear any sounds around him above the high-pitched whistling tinnitus noise that seemed to be rebounding round his head. He pressed his hands against the floor and tried to pry himself free.
Suddenly he felt Jeff move, and a moment later the heavy body rolled off him.
At the same time his hearing returned.
What the fuck happened? he yelped.
The barn! Nora shouted.
W-what? He tried to get up off the floor.
The barn exploded, she yelled, trying to wedge herself against one of the side windows.
The roof fell in, then there was an explosion … The sky was full of smoke and there was no sign of the helicopter. Dont know what happened!
The explosives … Jeff coughed. The explosives and detonators were in the Polo, next to the welding tubes. The boot was open. And there was chemical fertilizer in those white sacks in the corner …
HP struggled up into the seat next to Jeff. The big mans eyes were closed and HP could clearly see his muscular chest rise and fall under his soaking wet t-shirt.
The van flew over a bump and HP found himself on the floor again.
There was a thud, then the van veered sharply to the left, and suddenly the sound of the road changed.
Nice driving, Kent! Nora yelled towards the front seats, and Kent muttered something in reply.
Were out on the main road, she said, helping HP up.
Hows your … ? He nodded to her blood-streaked face.
She put her hand to her head, then stared at the blood on it.
Shit! she said. I hadnt noticed, must be the adrenalin. Ive got the first-aid box in the front …
She clambered past him and slipped into the front passenger seat.
He leaned forward to ask if she needed help, but a hand pulled him back.
Jeff had his eyes open.
Thanks, he said quietly.
No worries, HP mumbled.
Jeff nodded, then shut his eyes again.
Theres a petrol station up ahead, can you pull in there? Nora said to Hasselqvist.
HP leaned over to look out of the side-window. A large plume of smoke was clearly visible above the forest, but there was no sign of the helicopter.
Theres a car-wash shed round the back, pull in there. We can lie low till it gets dark, Nora went on.
Hasselqvist drove through the forecourt of the petrol station and around the back of the shop to the car-wash shed, a corrugated metal box with a row of vacuum cleaners and buckets along one wall. A lone pensioner was washing the windscreen of his old Saab, but otherwise it was empty. Hasselqvist stopped the van and they sat in silence for a few moments.
Nora was using the mirror behind the sun-visor to inspect the wound to her head.
Ow, shit … she muttered as she used a pair of tweezers to pull a razor-sharp splinter the size of a one-krona coin from the wound.
Can you press here, please, HP?
Sure.
He leaned over her head.
Right, take this compress and hold it down, as hard as you can.
He did as she said, trying to get his hands to stop shaking from the adrenalin rush.
Were fucked, Hasselqvist suddenly blurted out. They know where we are, what van were driving. Weve got no chance …
No-one said anything.
Because surely no-one thinks it was a coincidence that that fucking helicopter showed up? Hasselqvists voice was steadier now. If we set off now, we can be back in the city by midnight. We can come up with a new plan, find another way to …
There is no other way, Kent! Nora snapped. And you know that perfectly bloody well! If we give up now, we might as well not bother. And that means the Game will win. Is that what you want?
Hasselqvist didnt answer.
We havent got any stuff, Nora, all our equipment just went up in smoke, Jeff muttered. Without it we dont stand a chance of getting into the Fortress …
Total silence descended inside the van.
Actually, we do, HP said after a while, but they all seemed too upset to hear what he said.
You asked me to put together a backup plan, remember?
He looked at Nora, and finally got a reaction.
I know how we can get in, but it means youll have to do as I say …
Far in the distance they could hear sirens getting closer. It sounded like several of them.
We have to go, Hasselqvist whimpered.
Hang on, HP said. The cops always switch their sirens off when they get close to their target …
So they dont scare the bad guys away … he added when no-one seemed to get what he meant.
So as long as the sirens are still on, they havent got to where theyre going. Get it?
The sirens were close now, at least three of them, maybe more.
Nora glanced at HP.
Hasselqvist moved his hand to the ignition key.
HP put his hand on his shoulder.
Just relax, Kent. Its the fire brigade, I swear, he said quietly.
The sirens were so close that the sound echoed round the little tin shed, making the old boy look up from his insect-smeared windscreen. Then they slowly diminished in strength. Thirty seconds later they vanished altogether.
You can get moving now, Kent, HP said, patting Hasselqvist on the shoulder. Head north …
He leaned back in his seat and tried to gather his thoughts.
By the way, theres something weve forgotten … he said as they pulled out onto the main road.
Did anyone see how Manga got out?
26
Game change
The new van smelled of car-freshner. Jasmine. Or possibly just new car smell …
It had taken him ten minutes or so to steal it from a multi-storey carpark, which meant he was losing his touch. As an extra precaution he had nicked a couple of licence plates from another car, in case the vans owner was quick to report it stolen.
They had spent about an hour in a run-down industrial estate, getting changed and sorting out the new van. White overalls and full-face protective masks that he pulled out of the sports bag, along with a couple of large stickers for the van. Two identical rucksacks made of rigid plastic, fastened in four different places across the chest, making them look like something from a science fiction movie. One for him and one for Jeff. And everything courtesy of the Fensters little emporium.
The forest track they were now parked in lay almost opposite the road leading to the Fortress. The lamps surrounding the steel gate were just visible a few hundred metres away through the dark forest.
Everything was ready.
Time to get moving …
Okay, lets get going. Keep your fingers crossed that its going to work.
Three nods in response, two confident, from Nora and her brother, and one more hesitant from Hasselqvist.
And youve got everything ready? Name-badges in place?
More nods.
Hows your head, Nora?
Okay, the skin adhesive seems to be working.
Good!
HP took a deep breath.
Okay, off we go then …
Hasselqvist seemed to hesitate for a moment, then started the engine and put the van into gear.
Shame about Manga, Nora said once theyd started to move.
Yeah, HP muttered.
Are you sure theres no way he could have got out? Hasselqvist said.
No chance. When everything went up he was still shut in behind us … Nora said.
HP swallowed to clear the lump in his throat.
Besides, we must have called his mobile at least twenty times, and he hasnt answered.
They turned onto the newly surfaced tarmac road and drove up towards the gate, a massive thing fixed to solid concrete pillars on either side. As if that wasnt enough, there was a saw-toothed metal bar set into the tarmac, stretching right across the roadway. On top of the pillars were double rows of floodlights, and, just below them, aluminium camera boxes. Trying to force the gates with anything less than a tank would be utterly futile.
There was a large yellow warning sign on the end of the concrete bunker that was evidently the gatehouse. The sign was partially obscured by black plastic, but the wind had shredded it enough for the text to be clearly visible.