Deception Read Online Free

scanned the brief details. Cpl Neville John Pike, age 36. 251 Signals Squadron. Specialties include ECM (electronic countermeasures) and IT systems design. Service in Iraq, Somalia and Afghanistan. Unmarried, no family. It was followed by Pike’s eight-digit service number and an address in Clapham, south-west London.
    â€˜Is this all?’
    â€˜How much do you need? There’ll be full backgrounds on the others, mainly because they’re out in who the hell knows where. But this one’s probably the simplest.’ He flicked a hand at the suit, who stood up and carried a black nylon bag across the room and placed it by Harry’s side. ‘Taser and cuffs,’ Ballatyne explained. ‘Just in case. We don’t need any more shooting for a while. I’m sure you’ll be able to use them if you have to.’
    â€˜I’ll do my best,’ said Harry. He’d done a two-hour course once, part of a new equipment training module. It hadn’t been a great success. He’d forgotten to switch the Taser on and got stamped on by an instructor posing as a rioter. ‘This is all a bit personal for someone on your level, isn’t it?’
    â€˜Level?’ Ballatyne blinked.
    â€˜Well, you’re, what – Ops Director at least? Handing over bits of paper and bags of equipment is below your pay grade, I’d have thought.’
    â€˜I suppose so. But I owed you the first couple of meetings at least. Later on you’ll be dealing with a man named Cullum. He’s currently putting together the file for you, along with personal data and background on the absentees. He’ll provide you with whatever other information you need. I’ll need a secure code for the data – something you’ve never used before.’
    Harry thought about it and gave him the six-digit number from the back of his watch. Ballatyne wrote it down. ‘What’s that – your mangled birth date?’
    â€˜No. The model number of my iPad.’ It wasn’t, but he didn’t think Ballatyne would check. He picked up the slip of paper. ‘What makes this so important to Six? You don’t normally go chasing deserters.’
    â€˜You’re right. It shouldn’t be our problem, but things have changed in the last few years. People like Pike are highly trained and educated; they carry enormous detail in their heads about new developments in equipment and tactics, systems and strategies. And Two-Five-One Signals Squadron takes the best. Even their average member these days is a mine of saleable information to the right people. What we’d like to do is find out who’s doing the buying.’
    â€˜That doesn’t explain why Six and not Five.’
    â€˜It’s the way it is.’ Ballatyne tapped the table before standing up. His minder moved to the door and checked the street. ‘Two military cops are keeping watch on the house where Pike’s gone to ground. They’ll assist you in collecting Pike, and take him to Colchester. Before they do, however, we’d like you to question him and find out where he’s been for the last three months. It’s a little outside the standard procedure, but if you can get anything out of him it might help. Good luck.’ With a brief nod he walked out on the heels of his minder, leaving Harry alone with the black bag.

FOUR
    T he house where Corporal Neville Pike had gone to ground was a tired-looking Victorian pile near Clapham Common, south London. Yet to be swept up by developers and gentrified, it seemed to be resisting change, unlike many of its neighbours which were proudly displaying radical facelifts and makeovers. Pike was in number 11 on the third floor, according to Ballatyne’s watchers, where he’d been holed up for three days living off pizza deliveries from a shop on the corner.
    Harry buzzed the array of buttons until someone let him in, then climbed the stairs and knocked on the