UN tomorrow. Until then, we’re still honoured guests of the Venezuelan president, so we might as well make the most of it. Dinner, I think?’
There was a chorus of agreement from round the table. The group broke up, heading back to their rooms to freshen up and change. Eddie followed Mac out, catching up with the Scot in the corridor. ‘Mac. A word?’
‘Something the matter, Eddie?’ Mac asked innocently.
‘You know bloody well there is. Why do you want to come with us?’
‘For exactly the reasons I told Nina. I’m honestly keen to see what she’s going to find. And since I flew halfway round the world, I think it would be a shame to go home right before the interesting part.’
‘You didn’t think being shot at by a Hind was interesting?’
‘There’s interesting, and there’s interesting.’ Mac smiled; then his expression became more serious. ‘I may be getting on, Eddie, but I’m not some invalid. And I want to make the most of life before I become one. As I told Nina, I ran some half-marathons after I recovered from losing my leg, but I doubt I could manage another one.’
‘Good job you don’t need to. You’ve got a free bus pass now.’
‘Very amusing. Although I do like being able to get home without having to pay. Once I’m there, though . . .’ A regretful tone came into his voice. ‘It’s rather an empty place, truth be told. Especially in the evenings. I want something to do, and people to do it with.’
Eddie was taken aback by his friend’s confession. ‘Why didn’t you say something before? I could have come over to England more often.’
‘I don’t want sympathy, Eddie,’ Mac snapped. ‘I want to play my part!’
‘But you do, though. You do that consulting work for MI6, you’ve helped me and Nina out of trouble – Christ, you even saved a roomful of world leaders from getting blown up last year.’
‘We mostly have Kit to thank for that,’ said Mac. ‘But the point is, I don’t want to suffer a gradual slide into senescence—’
‘Into what?’
‘Crumbling decrepitude. I’d rather keel over dead on the spot from a heart attack before I reach seventy than shrivel away in a hospital ward stuck full of tubes.’
His words summoned up an image in Eddie’s mind: his grandmother, small and helpless in the hospital bed, face covered by an oxygen mask. ‘Yeah,’ he said quietly. ‘That’s no way to end up.’
Mac recognised his change of mood, and understood its meaning. ‘Sorry. I didn’t mean to be quite so . . . blunt.’
‘That’s okay.’ He forced away the depressing mental picture. ‘So what you’re saying is, you want to fight to the end.’
‘To coin a phrase, yes.’ A wry smile crinkled Mac’s features. ‘Although I could do without literally fighting. I’ve had more than enough of that!’
‘But you really think you’re up for it? Jungles, mountains, death roads?’
‘If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have asked to go in the first place, would I?’ He clapped the younger man on the shoulder. ‘I already had you carry me to safety once in my life. Twice would be embarrassing. I still have my pride!’
‘Well . . . all right,’ said Eddie, feigning grudging acceptance. ‘So long as I don’t have to share a tent with you.’
‘If that were going to happen, I’d back out right now!’ They both laughed. ‘Better get ready for dinner. See you soon.’ He headed down the hallway.
Eddie watched him go, then returned to his own suite.
In his room, Kit changed his shirt and put on a jacket, and was about to leave when he paused, thinking, then took out his phone. Listening at the door to make sure nobody was about to knock, he made a call. ‘This is Jindal.’
‘What is it?’ came the terse reply.
‘Dr Wilde thinks she has found the location of the last statue segment, in northern Peru. I’ll be accompanying her on the expedition.’
‘Good. Do whatever is necessary to ensure she recovers it. The future of the world depends on our obtaining all three statues. And, having spoken to her, I think she may be sympatahetic to the Group’s goals.’
‘I’ll see to it,’ said Kit, but the call had already ended.
He was taking a huge risk by not telling his paymasters what had happened at the Clubhouse: that Stikes had tortured information about his true mission out of him, despite his best efforts to resist. The mercenary leader now knew of the Group’s existence, even if he had no specific