to know I have an excellent tuxedo for you to wear. You want to look smart when you meet your maker, do you not?’
Leeson was right. The vest was Victor’s size. It fitted exactly as it should. That didn’t surprise Victor. They knew his sizes because they had taken his clothes when he’d first arrived at the farmhouse. That had been a smart deception. It was reasonable and predictable that Leeson would be cautious and would seek to ensure there were no weapons or recording devices on Victor’s person. Victor hadn’t anticipated Leeson would want his clothes for any other reason. Jaeger had done a fine job spreading out the plastic explosives to make the vest as thin as possible and the weight distribution as even as it could be. Hook and eye straps secured it in place.
Leeson was right about the tux too. It was an expensive, high-quality outfit. The jacket and shirt were a size too big, but that was to accommodate the vest beneath. Victor dressed in the antechamber of the old mill, watched by his team.
‘You plug the phone in like this,’ Hart said when Victor had finished dressing.
Victor nodded.
‘You can’t tell he’s wearing it.’ Dietrich smirked. ‘You’re the best dressed suicide bomber in history.’
Francesca entered the room. She carried a small serving tray on which rested a glass of water. Next to the water stood a small plastic bottle of prescription drugs. Next to the bottle sat a small white capsule.
‘What’s this?’ Victor asked.
‘It’s a sedative,’ Hart explained. ‘Anxiety medication. It’ll keep your heart rate low and ensure you stay relaxed. You won’t be scared. You’ll be quite content, in fact. If you go into that embassy sweating and panicking, security are going to be on to you long before you get within kill range. We know you’re the ice man, but this will help you keep extra cool. You’ll probably feel a little dehydrated and your throat will be dry. There won’t be any lasting damage. Not that that will matter, of course.’
‘Comforting to know.’
‘An added benefit is that it will make you pliable and suggestible. Which you should be glad about. If you get scared and try to back out at the last minute you’ll get your wife and child killed, and you don’t want that, do you?’
‘I don’t need the drug.’
‘I’m guessing there are a lot of things about this that you don’t need, but need and necessity are two different things in this case. Take the capsule.’
‘Do I seem like the kind of man who is going to panic?’
‘No, but we’ve come too far to start taking risks.’
‘I’m not taking it. I need a clear head for this.’
‘You don’t. Francesca will put you in position. You’ll be told when you’re in range. You just need to be able to push a button.’
‘I’m not taking it,’ Victor said again.
‘Then Dietrich is going to get his knife wet early. What should be cut off first?’
‘Just take it,’ Coughlin said. ‘For your family’s sake.’
Victor took the pill from the tray with the thumb and index finger of his right hand. He put it in his mouth and used the same hand to pick up the glass of water. He brought it to his lips and took a drink. He swallowed.
‘That wasn’t so hard, was it?’ Hart asked.
Victor placed the glass back down on the tray. He cleared his throat.
‘He didn’t swallow it,’ Francesca said. ‘It’s still in his mouth.’
‘He’s not going to be that stupid. Are you, Kooi?’
Victor didn’t answer. His lips remained closed.
Francesca was insistent. ‘I’m telling you it’s still in there.’
‘Check his mouth,’ Leeson said.
Hart approached Victor, who backed off a step. Leeson motioned to Dietrich, who moved behind Victor.
‘Hold still, compadre,’ Hart said.
He used one hand to grip Victor’s jaw and pull open his mouth. Victor didn’t resist. Hart peered inside.
‘Lift your tongue up.’
Victor did.
‘He’s clean,’ Hart said. ‘He’s swallowed it.’
‘You heard him cough,’ Francesca said. ‘He could have brought it back up.’
‘There’s no capsule in his mouth,’ Hart said.
‘Make him take another one.’
Hart shook his head. ‘One is more than enough for someone his size. He takes two and he’ll barely be able to walk. He’s taken it. He’s not going to risk the lives of his loved ones for the sake of a little pill.’
‘Correct,’ Victor said.
‘It won’t take long to get into your system,’ Hart said. ‘And it won’t last long either, but that doesn’t make too much difference to you. Just don’t drink any alcohol with it.’
‘Now