AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Tudor didn’t bat an eyelash. “You have some other motive than just being in town? Please, Don, give me credit for sussing that out on my own.”
“Very well.” Fitzroy fumbled for words for a few seconds, and then he said, “We’ve had a friendly relationship, Jack. I truly hope that will continue.”
The lines in Tudor’s forehead grew as he looked at the man on the sofa. “Why on earth would it not continue?”
“Because I’ve come to talk to you tonight about one of your clients, one of your assets, and something dark and dangerous you’ve gotten yourself involved in.”
Tudor kept his eyes fixed on Fitzroy, but he downed his tequila. When he put the glass back down, he said, “I facilitate my assets’ contracts, I don’t have any operational purview to their—”
“I know how it all works, old boy,” Fitzroy said coldly.
Tudor appeared taken aback by the sudden turn of tone in his friend. “Of course you do. So why are you coming to me with questions about—”
“This is different. You have an asset, at least one asset, involved in these technology killings around the world, and I have it on good authority that there are large and serious geopolitical stakes at play in all this that I’m not certain you are aware of.”
Tudor said, “What is it that you are asking me?”
“I’d like to know who is behind this whole thing.”
The Welshman laughed. “And you think I would know that?”
“I think you know something. I know Lancer is involved, and if he’s involved, then you are involved.”
“Why do you think Lancer is involved?”
Fitzroy replied, “Four days ago he killed a U.S. government employee in California. Then he attacked two people in Guatemala. The next day, he assassinated a Russian businessman and a Russian computer engineer in Mexico City.” Fitzroy paused. “As well as inflicting other collateral damage. He’s also suspected of killings in Boston and Toronto.”
“How do you know this?”
“I might be out to pasture, Jack, but I do still hear things.”
Tudor cocked his head now. “You used to be MI5, but this isn’t domestic, so it’s not MI5’s purview. Does that mean you are working with Legoland?”
Legoland was the nickname for MI6, British foreign intelligence, so called because of the architecture of its building in London.
“I’m not working for anyone. I’m retired, just as I told you. I’m just an extremely concerned citizen who would like to get to the bottom of what is happening, because it certainly seems to be foretelling of very dark events on the horizon.”
“I don’t know any details about Lancer’s operations.” Tudor waved a hand. “There are cutouts upon cutouts. I stay clean.”
Fitzroy looked over to Court, but before he said anything, Court nodded gently.
The older man turned his attention back to Tudor, who had not noticed the glance away. “Jack…ever since you started your company, you’ve wanted one thing from me. One thing I wasn’t in a position to give you.”
Again, Tudor seemed confused by the change in subject. Nervously he looked up to Fitz’s guards, as if he didn’t want them listening in to this. Addressing Fitzroy, he said, “Yeah…what about all that?”
“What if I told you I could make the introduction that you seek if you will only allow me to know what you know about what’s going on?”
Tudor cocked his head in surprise. “What game is this?”
“It’s no bloody game. It’s a promise. From me. You help me with some intel on the client and the operation afoot, and I put you in touch with the man you’ve been after for years.”
“When you worked on the sharp end,” Tudor asked, “did you give up your clients or your assets to anyone who asked?”
Fitzroy glanced again at Court, but only for an instant. Court looked back, and gave Fitzroy a little wink. The Englishman said, “I’m not anyone, am I? I’m your friend. I’m the man who can help you get what you want, and despite your tough exterior, I do believe strongly that you don’t want to be a party to whatever the Chinese are cooking up on the weaponized artificial intelligence front.”
“The Chinese?” Tudor said it as if he were surprised, but he wasn’t particularly convincing.
“Bloody hell, man,” Fitzroy added. “Do something for the good of humanity.”
