butt into Dillon’s back, sending him down on his knees. They lifted him up and put him in a chair.
The young man said, ‘You are Sean Dillon, an ex-IRA enforcer now working for Brigadier Charles Ferguson of British Intelligence. You are staying at the Al Bustan with a good-looking lady called Amy Cooper who is really Chief Inspector Bernstein of Scotland Yard’s Special Branch.’ He shook his head. ‘Jewish. We don’t like Jews here in Beirut. They’ve given us a lot of trouble.’
‘Well, good for them,’ Dillon said.
One of the men clouted him across the side of the head and the young man said, ‘My name is Omar, that is all you need to know. I’m with the Dark Wind group. You’ve heard of us?’
‘Yes, I’ve heard of you.’
‘I know why you are here. To find an Irish Protestant terrorist called Daniel Quinn who is here to do a deal with Selim Rassi of the Party of God and a piece of KGB slime called Ilya Bikov.’
‘You’ve a vivid imagination.’
One of the men hit Dillon again and Omar continued, ‘You were following Callaghan tonight, Quinn’s right-hand man. You were a nuisance, Mr Dillon. You see, we of Dark Wind don’t care for the Party of God at the best of times, but in this case, we would like the plutonium for ourselves.’
‘So what’s stopping you?’
‘Like you, I don’t know where Quinn and Selim are hanging out. However, we do have Callaghan at the bottom of the well on the other side of the courtyard. He won’t like it down there, he won’t like it at all, and neither will you.’
‘I see,’ Dillon said. ‘I’m to have a bath, too?’
‘You will end up dirtier than you went in, Mr Dillon. It’s rather unpleasant. I don’t think Callaghan will last the night. He’ll talk by morning.
‘You seem sure about that.’
‘Oh, I am. You see, I’ve had a rather ingenious idea. I’ve nothing against you, so I’ll have a message sent to Walid Khasan and the Chief Inspector offering to sell you back.’
‘Now, isn’t that kind of you,’ Dillon said.
‘Ah, but there’s a catch. Once down there with Callaghan you go to work on him. I don’t care how you do it, but you get him to tell us where Quinn may be found.’
‘Is that all?’ Dillon said.
Omar got up, came round, put a cigarette in his mouth and lit it. ‘Enjoy it, Dillon – your last for some time – and be sensible. You see, if you don’t get Callaghan to talk, I won’t sell you back. I’ll have you shot.’
Dillon smiled at Anya. ‘See where an interest in good-looking women gets you? I should have listened to my Aunt Mary.’
Anya laughed out loud and Omar smiled. ‘I like you, Dillon, but business is business.’ He nodded to the two men. ‘Take him.’
They led Dillon along the passage, across the courtyard and into the barn. They paused at the well while one of them removed his handcuffs, then slipped the loop over his head.
‘Over you go,’ he ordered.
Dillon climbed over the wall and they lowered him down into the darkness. He was aware of the water, cold and clammy, the stench. He glanced up as he slipped out of the rope and saw them peering down. They pulled up the rope.
Dillon turned, aware of the other man against the wall. ‘Would you be Francis Callaghan?’
‘Who in the hell are you?’
One of the men called in English, ‘Have a good night,’ and the light was turned out, leaving only the darkness.
Dillon said, ‘I’m supposed to be Harry Gaunt working for the United Nations and staying at the Al Bustan.’
‘Supposed to be.’
‘I’m Sean Dillon. Does that name mean anything to you?’
‘My God, I can’t believe it. The big IRA gunman that turned sides and works for Brit Intelligence?’
‘The same. I was following you.’
‘And why would you do that?’
‘I want Quinn, Francis me boy. We know all about this plutonium deal and Selim Rassi and Bikov, so don’t bother to deny it.’
‘Screw you,’ Callaghan said.
‘Have you heard from Belfast lately? Daley, Jack Mullin and four more of your lads, all dead, Francis. Six at one blow, just like the tailor in the fairy tale, only his were flies on a slice of jam and bread.’
‘You’re a bloody liar.’
‘Sorry, old son, but it’s the truth. I stiffed five of them myself.’
There was a silence for a moment, then Callaghan said, ‘Jesus!’
‘He can’t help and neither can I. You see, they don’t need me. They’re going to sell me back to my people, turn the odd pound. But you – either you come up with the right answers or they’ll have your balls.’
‘I’ve got to think this out.’ Callaghan sounded desperate.
‘Well, you’ve got a long, cold night ahead of you to make a decision.’ Dillon waded across the well, feeling at the wall. ‘My God, this place stinks.’ There was a movement in the water. ‘Rats, too. All the comforts of home.’
Callaghan said, ‘I hate rats.’
‘Well, son, I think you’ll be used to them by morning.’
Dillon found a ledge, sat down, water up to his waist, and folded his arms.
It was perhaps an hour later that the light came on again above. Dillon glanced up and saw Walid Khasan peering over the wall.
‘Are you there, Mr Dillon?’
‘Yes,’ Dillon called. ‘And Callaghan’s with me.’
‘I’m sorry, my friend, they picked me up when I returned to the café.’
‘Are you joining us?’
‘No. Omar, their leader, has decided he’ll ransom you for one hundred thousand English pounds. I’m being released to go back to the hotel to inform Chief Inspector Bernstein. I just wanted to assure myself you were alive and well.’
‘I’m alive and in the well, as you can see,’ Dillon told him. ‘I don’t know for how long. Double pneumonia coming up, I shouldn’t wonder, it’s rather cold down here.’
‘Try and hang on. I’ll be back, and don’t worry.
