"Tonight?" "Tonight." "Blackie's orders." "You can read, can't you?" "Turned us down flat." "They think we're bluffing." "They'll soon find out!" "You can deliver?" "Yes." "I'm ready." "You suddenly look pale." "Cold, that's all." "Got a cold coming." "Tonight?" "You'll be paying us off, then?" "Later." "Blackie'll drop by with the cash, you'll drop by afterwards." "You'll be paid." "Right, I'll be closing the alley on time tonight." "Not a place to be hanging around." "What's the matter?" "Someone was here." "You think he heard?" "It's not a night for taking chances, is it?" "I'll attend to him." "You split now;" "I'll see you later." "Yes, hallo." "Cowley?" "Speaking." "Fraser." "Listen, I'm on to something." "Something big." "I saw your report." "No." "No, not the drugs business, something else." "I ran across it purely by chance." "Well, don't talk in riddles, man." "What is it?" "I can't talk now." "I'll meet you in the usual place." "Fifteen minutes." "Fraser?" "Fraser!" "Fraser!" "Eh, hold on, man!" "I've got you." "Had a drink with him just two nights ago." "He had a premonition, you know." "Oh, yeah?" "What about?" "Oh, what do you think?" "That he was gonna die." "Well, that's the safest prediction I've heard in a long time." "Hope you didn't take any bets on it." "You know what I mean." "I'd like his belongings, personal effects, everything." "Yeah, I know what you mean." "Did he say anything?" "No." "What was he working on?" "Drug ring." "Undercover." "So, where was Benny?" "He was working on his own." "What, on a drugs case?" "He was on to something else." "That's why he phoned me." "Something big, he said." "What else did he say?" "Cowley?" "Speaking." "Fraser." "Listen, I'm on to something." "Something big." "I saw your report." "No, not the drugs business, something else." "I ran across it purely by chance." "Well, don't talk in riddles, man." "What is it?" "I can't talk now." "I'll meet you in the usual place." "Fifteen minutes." "Fraser?" "Is that it?" "That's it." "That noise." "What was it?" "Here." "Score card." "To a bowling alley." "Fraser, calling from a bowling alley?" "And we know which one." "Get over there, the pair of you, and stake it out." "What do we look for?" "Well, don't ask me, Bodie!" "That's your job, what you're paid for." "Sniff hard, be alert, anything unusual" "Yes, sir, we understand, sir." "I should hope you do." "Stake out." "Running all the way, sir." "Okay, where do we start?" "Start?" "Start what?" "Dunno." "How many stake outs you been on, Bodie?" "Uh, not many." "Yeah, you're lucky." "And they were just looking at houses." "Yeah, well, you just look, listen, and observe." "What?" "Do nothing, you mean?" "What d'you want us to do?" "Announce we're on a stake out?" "Maybe we should just yell out, "Anybody want to confess?"" "This could be a meeting place." "Yeah, it could be." "Yes, but who's meeting who, and why?" "Now, the guy with the peanuts, over there." "What about him?" "Aw, come on, Bodie." "Wait." "I've got my money on them." "Oh, come on!" "We stand around, we stand around for ever, don't we?" "Yeah, sometimes it takes for ever." "I mean, can you see anyone acting suspicious?" "Yeah." "Us." "Come on, let's play." "Money?" "You played much?" " You?" " I asked first." "Okay." "Loser buys drinks." " You haven't played." " How d'you know?" "'cause if you had, you'd have wanted larger stakes." "Can't be very good for the figure." "Oh, I dunno." "Listen, you get the gear, I'll have a look around, all right?" " Yeah." "What size?" " Nine." "What are you staring at?" "You're very good." "Do you want size twos?" "Uh, no, eight and nine, please." "Here." "Must have thought we were beginners." "They've given us ones with holes in." "Eh, which one d'you want?" "That one." "You have played before, haven't you?" "Got the time?" "Yeah, if you've got the inclination." "You got a watch?" "It's wrong sometimes." "Not tonight it's not." "Do you want a game?" "No." "I'm busy." "Bit edgy, wasn't she?" "Maybe she just doesn't fancy you." "Hallo." "It's Frank." "Where are you?" "Back in Bedford." "It's, uh, ready." "Have you dealt with Jack?" "No, he hasn't turned up yet." "But Blackie's here." "It's definitely tonight." "You fix that guy?" "Don't worry." "We're in the clear." "Must be." "We'd have heard something by now." "What happened?" "I dealt with it, okay?" "I'll tell you all about it when you get here." "Well, I'm leaving now." "Good." "See you later." "Good evening." "Size?" "Nine." "Forty p., please." "Thank you." "How do you score?" "Oh, just get lucky, I guess." "Oh, yeah?" "How should I know?" "Just add up the one you knocked down." "Hey, how many do we play for?" "Three-oh-one." "That's darts." "So?" "You look terrible." "I don't feel too good." "It's all there." "Thanks." "Get yourself some aspirin and go to bed." "You've earned it." "I'll, I'll do that." "What's up with you?" "Stake outs are a waste of time." "Yeah, well, nine out of ten of them are." "Still, look on the bright side." " What's that?" " I'm winning." "Bodie." "Move." "Well, he's got a fever, but he's ice cold." " Hey, can I help?" " We can manage, thanks." "Better leave it to me." "I've got medical experience." "Yeah, well, we're students." " At Guy's Hospital." " All, all the same" "Look, we can manage, thanks very much." "Okay?" "And give us some room there, will you please?" "Hey, not everybody was interested." "What happened there?" "Guy fell over." "Passed out." "He was, uh, sick." "Well?" "Pulse rate's way down, breathing's far too shallow." "He's in a very bad way." "What is it, Doctor?" "There's no blueing around the lips, and yet it looks like some kind of poisoning." "Poisoning?" "Self-administered?" "Well, I'm not clairvoyant." "I'd have to run tests and that would take time." "And he hasn't got much time." "He's dying." "Bad time to go-- with five thousand in your pocket." "Swallows." "Swallows." "Swallows?" "Get back to that bowling alley and take backup with you." "Benny okay?" "Benny--anyone!" "Just get back there." "Swallows?" "What d'you mean, man?" "Tell you what, Benny, stay here." "And if you're very good, we'll send a lemonade out." "Yeah." "How was he?" "Oh, fine." "Yeah, it was just a touch of flu, I think." "You wanna play?" "Not particularly." "Why not?" "You weren't losing by much." "Hiya!" "Didn't he turn up?" "Who?" "Whoever it is you're waiting for." "That clock's still right." "Maybe I should go to work there?" "That's not what we're here for." "Could be exactly what we're here for." "Yeah, all right, go on." "Chat her up." "That's a very coarse way of putting it." "Oh, you mean there's another way?" "Yes, I prefer interrogation, investigation." "On account of the fact that I'm very conscientious about my work." "Cheerio." "Cheerio." "Hallo." "You're one of the guys that took that man to hospital, aren't you?" "That's right." "What happened?" "Why, do you know him?" "Never seen him before." "When a customer passes out on the premises..." "You know what I mean." "We don't want him suing the company." "Oh, he won't be suing anybody." "Why?" "Not unless you infect your customers with flu, he won't." " Ahh, the flu?" " Yeah." "That's okay, then." "Want a Coke?" "Play a lot, do you?" "Not really." "What d'you do?" "I'm a dental receptionist." "You don't like dentists, right?" "I wouldn't know." "Haven't seen one in years." "I get as far as the Crown, though, you know, the pub on the corner." "Have a few drinks." "Dutch courage." "Pain goes away?" "Yeah, phone up from there, cancel the appointment." "How often does that happen?" "Oh, about twice a week." "You need help, don't you?" "Don't you?" "Can we go somewhere where we can talk?" "What, outside?" "Yeah, okay." "Why not?" "Say, how about giving me a workout?" "Yeah, sure." "Here." "Oh, no." "Bowls." "Oh, waste of time, I'm afraid." "I'm strictly a beginner." "A friendly game." "You never know, you might learn something." "Am I supposed to take that personally, mister?" "Come again?" "When I threw out a challenge a while ago, you weren't interested." "A while ago didn't suit me." "Satisfied?" "Oh, I get the point." "And I don't like it." "Listen, uh, don't mind me." "You two just go ahead and play." "Oh, no." "He asked you, mister." "All right, we'll make up a threesome." "Any objections?" "Why not?" "You happy, now?" "Oh, you want I should smile a lot?" "Look, mate, with a shoulder like you've got, you shouldn't play bowls, anyway." "There's nothing wrong with my shoulder." "There is with what's on it." "Come on, let's bowl." "By the way, how was that guy?" " What, the hospital case?" " Yeah." "I never stopped to find out." "You--?" "Strange, you being a medical student." "Yeah, I know." "Well, to tell the truth, my heart's not in my work." "I'm just a victim of a family tradition, you know?" "Are you two going to play or just talk?" "Play!" "Play, play..." "I'm gonna play." "You bowl every Thursday, do you?" "Eh?" "Is that what you wanted?" "How about thirty pounds?" "Eh?" "All right, twenty-five." "Hope you're a good dental receptionist, 'cause you make a lousy hooker." "Look, I need the money." "Oh, yeah?" "Why d'you need that?" "I just need it, that's all." "Hold still." "Oh, right." "What's the name of your pusher?" "I'm not waiting for my pusher, I'm waiting for my friend!" "Okay, what's your friend's name, then?" "Johnny, but he's not a dealer." "Oh, everyone's called Johnny." " Johnny, he's not a dealer" " What's his name?" "Johnny." "He's not a dealer" "What's his name?" "Fraser." "But he's not a dealer." "Fraser." "You waiting for John Fraser?" "Are you?" "You know him?" "Where is he?" " Yes, I know him" " Where is he?" "I should say, I used to know him." "Right." "Fraser was bringing you a fix, right?" "So, when?" " It wasn't" " When?" "This morning." "But he didn't show." "Yeah, so what happened?" "Well, he called me, he knew I needed it, but he... put it off." "Why?" "Eh?" "Why'd he put it off?" " No, no" " Come on, he must have said!" "He must have said something." "Now think!" "He was going on about... swallows." "Yes?" "Swallows?" "Swallows." "What does that mean?" "I don't know." "Look, let's make it ten pounds and you can come back to my place." "Oh, no." "You are coming back to my place." "Take her in, Benny." "Tell the Cow she was waiting for Fraser." "I wouldn't waste your time on him, darling." "He doesn't know what twenty quid looks like." "Bad luck." " How about that, then?" " Your foot was over the line." "It was nowhere near it!" "It was a foul throw." "Ah, no, it was a good one." "He's right." "You keep out of it!" "I was watching, real close." "Yeah, well, I was bowling." "Then bowl again." "Ah, you really want to push your luck, don't you?" "Terribly sorry!" "He's terribly sorry." "He drinks a lot, you know." "I'm trying to sober him up." "Carry on with the game." "What're you doing?" "What are you doing?" "I'd have killed him!" "He'd have killed him." "He's not well." "I got a strike." "He'll be all right in a minute, thank you." "All ten pins!" "Yeah, you have a ten-pin strike." "And you blow your cover, don't you?" "Eh?" "Little David like you, smashing a Goliath into a jigsaw puzzle." " How'd that look?" " Very good, just now." "Well, on stake outs, Raymond, you are a seven-stone weakling and you let people kick sand in your face." "Eh?" "I'm a seven-stone weakling." " Two Cokes, please, love." " Right." "Ask me about the girl." "I never encourage boasting." "Here you are, sir." "She was waiting for Fraser." "Was she?" " How much?" " Thirty." "She said, "Swallows."" " Swallows?" " Swallows." "What does it mean?" "I don't know." "Just... swallows." "Birds?" "Swallows aren't birds, are they?" "Fraser chasing birds?" "Yeah." "Could it be?" "Yeah." "That blonde girl, whoever she is, she's involved in that drugs case." "Fraser was on about something else." "What else?" "I just had to meet him there, that's all." "Pity he didn't talk, then." "Yeah." "He said..." "something about..." "Bedford." "Bedford?" "Bedford." "Well, that's enough for me." "We haven't finished our game yet." "You've got me beat;" "I concede." "Oh, one thing." "Just remember:" "you can lose a battle, but win the war." "Mr Black Man." "Why couldn't Fraser've been more specific?" "He didn't intend walking onto the point of a knife, that's why." "Well, they'll be closing soon." "Yeah, eleven-thirty." "Nothing." "It's a waste of time!" "Nothing!" "Hey!" "Why don't we just, um, run everybody in?" "And give Cowley a late night questioning them all?" "Yeah, that's right." "We could go home." "He'd be full of praise, too." "Praise?" "Well, I wouldn't want to take the credit for an idea as good as that, would I?" "Yeah, you'd admit it was me." "Hmm, yeah." "Well, grudgingly." "And with just the right touch of..." "admiration." "Know what you are, don't you?" "I know what you think I am." "Frank should be here any time." "Call me as soon as he arrives." "You going straight to Bedford?" "Yes; call me there." "Take a look over there." "Already have." "Not the birds, the fellah." "Just the fellow we're looking for." "Yeah, you do take family snapshots, don't you?" "Oh, I can explain" "Any sudden noise or movement could result in a broken arm." "Two broken arms." "Found someone smaller, have you?" "Oh, not now." "I haven't got time." "No time for the likes of me, is that it?" "Oh, that's all we need." "Show him your card, Ray." "Yeah, I will." "In a minute." "What's he trying to do?" "Oh, he's making a jigsaw puzzle." "You're busted." "Get an ID on this one, will you, Benny?" "What for?" "Impeding the course of justice." "See you." "And this one likes to take pictures." "Cowley might like to see what develops." "It's not a coach, you know!" "It's a hobby." "It's just a hobby." "Book him." "Breach of the peace." "Can I... have my camera back, please?" "Come on, David Bailey." "What about the black man?" "Taylor." "Martin Taylor." "Truck driver." "No record." "He's been in an ugly mood because his girlfriend walked out on him." "Oh, yeah." "Kerrigan." "Sir?" "Here, right here." "Look, that's Ray Kerrigan, Special Branch." "What's he doing at that bowling alley?" "Get me Hunter." "No, wait!" "I'll go over there and see him myself." "Now, George, how would you know about Kerrigan?" "Here." "Did you take these?" "I didn't know you went in for this kind of thing, George." "You've got taste." "We're crossing wires, Hunter." "Special Branch and CI5, we're crossing wires." "I've already got two men staking out that alley." "Why?" "Because I lost a man, tonight." "Fraser." "Fraser." "He was good." "And he left me a lead to the bowling alley." "But that's all he left me." "I'm sorry about Fraser, George." "But Kerrigan's been tailing Blackie for weeks." "Blackie?" "Thomas Black, Blackie, the fat man here." "He heads this nihilistic White African group that are all talk and no teeth." "But just the same, we have to watch them." "Does that help?" "What do they want?" "The usual stuff." "Remove all sanctions, recognise White Africa, or else." "Or else what?" "Or else nothing." "Just vague threats, George." "Hell, there's not enough of them to do any real harm." "Hunter." "Could I speak to Mr Cowley, please?" "Yes." "For you." "Aye." "Hallo, yes?" "We just got an ID on the man in hospital." "His name is Jack Thallwood, a laboratory engineer at Purlbright." "Purlbright, sir, the nuclear waste recycling plant." "I know what happens at Purlbright." "Thank you." "Do you mind?" "What's this about Purlbright?" "Nothing." "I hope." "Dr Binney, please." "George Cowley." "They're a very small group, you say." "Do they have funds?" "Blackie's pretty rich, but" "Ah, Dr Binney." "Have you made that diagnosis yet?" "We're in the middle of it now." "'Course, these things take time." "We have to make comparisons, eliminations." "If I gave you a lead, would you make an educated guess?" "Well, what is it?" "Could he be suffering from plutonium poisoning?" "I see." "Thank you, Doctor." "A small group, Hunter." "How would a small group wield real power?" "What would they need?" "Oh, no." "I think, oh, yes." "Where's Blackie now?" "Kerrigan tailed him back to Bedford." "Bedford!" "Why the devil didn't you say that before?" "'Cause you didn't ask me." "We'll need a chopper and a nuclear bomb squad." "Bomb?" "We are closing now." "Thank you." "C'mon, boys and girls, bed time." "C'mon, boys and girls!" "You're late." "Nothing wrong, is there?" "No, no, I was delayed, that's all." "Traffic." "Well, don't let that happen on your way out." "Don't worry, I'll be long gone." "I reckon I'll be away from the fall-out area in ten minutes." "It's all set up." "You just press that button, there, to activate it." "Then how long have I got?" "Twenty-five minutes." "When this baby goes, it'll take everything within a radius of five miles with it." "And if anything should go wrong" "I go with it!" "That's it, then?" "That's it, then." " Excuse me." " Yes?" "Do you belong to the Swallows Bowling Club?" "Yes--?" "I'll give you a lift." " It's all right, I've got my" " That's quite all right!" "Go!" "Wou... would you mind te..." "just telling me who you are?" "What, what the hell are you playing at?" "Where are we going?" "Back to our place." "Good night." "Hallo?" "Frank's been and gone." "I'm set." "Good." "You push it at midnight and then get out of there." "Kerrigan." "He still in there?" "Yeah." "He just took a phone call." "What is this?" "Cowley, Major Tilden, Ray Kerrigan." "Major?" "Nuclear Bomb Squad." "Yes, Major, we'll rush the place." "But be right behind us." "And if he goes anywhere near a button or a lever, kill him." "Right?" "Sir, what's going on here?" "An atom bomb." "Sit down." "Where's Cowley?" "He's out." "Chasing atom bombs." "Oh." "Nothing here." "Then search the house." "C'mon." "All right, where is it?" "Where have you hidden it?" "You find it." "We will, we will." "It isn't here." ""Black Friday."" "Huh." "That is ironic:" "White Africa, Black Friday." ""It could have been a clean, white Friday if your government had taken us seriously." "If they had, then London wouldn't be a wasteland today."" " London!" " Friday's tomorrow--!" "The hell it is." "Friday's fifteen minutes away; it's eleven-forty-five." "It's hopeless." "I must have more men." "It's in London, Major." "But where in London?" "Your team's the only one equipped to deal with an A-bomb, Major?" "There's another in Scotland, but" "Let's go, then." "Back to London." "We might just make it before Friday." "You'd better come, too." "So, what've we got?" "A bomb." "An A-bomb." "An atom bomb." "Yeah, but where, when?" "Well, it's got to be linked to the bowling alley." "Uhm, it has to." "That's where it started." "That's where we found him." "He arrived late, carrying a holdall yet didn't play didn't play." "But he left a few minutes later without the holdall which is about..." " ...bomb size." " ...bomb size." "Right." "Right." "Cowley here." "Treat it as a red alert." "All priority personnel, governmental, the monarchy to proceed to fall-out shelters." "What about the little people?" "Like you and me, Hunter?" "The bowling alley." "It must be!" "We don't know that." "It's the only other place we do know about." "Pilot." "Pilot!" "Put this chopper down as near as possible." "Cowley here." "Have a car standing by." "Don't move-- anything at all." "Frank?" "Did you prime it?" "Did you hit the button?" "Did you?" "crazy for us!" "There are other bomb squads" "Tell him, Major." "About a hundred thousand people in this country have the knowledge, and, with plutonium, the means, to make an A-bomb." "But it has to be crude, unstable." "Worse than handling nitro at a hundred and thirty degrees." "Put the wrong hands on a bomb like that and it's as good as a detonator." "What time is it?" "Five minutes past." "It's primed." "At midnight, it was primed!" "We've got to turn back!" "Midnight?" "So it's a time fuse?" "Yes, yes." "Twenty-five minutes." "Now turn this thing around!" "Twenty-five minutes!" "Five of them gone already." "When are you going to put this damned thing down?" "About five or six minutes." "Five or six minutes." "We won't make it." "Don't you see?" "We've got to turn back!" "Well?" "It is activated." "It's all going well, Frank." "Well!" "We're not even supposed to be here!" "Look, we've got twenty minutes if we go now." "Well, for God's sake, it's your lives, too!" "Then fix it." "Take these off!" "Now calm down and start thinking." "I want to know exactly what you need." "Right." "Tool kit." "Traitor!" "Dirty traitor!" "He's out cold." "Right." "Go on, lads, quick." "Son, get him into the car, over there." "Right." "Off we go." "Now wake up!" "We've got work to do!" "Come on." "Is this all there is?" "Is it?" "That's it." "Ah, I shall need those." "Now, I want you to hold it here and here, okay?" " Me?" " Yeah." " All right?" " Yeah." "Now, keep a firm hold because I'm going to pull it out." "Got it?" "I've got it." "It's jammed, it's jammed!" "I can't shift it." "Look, can you get the blade of the screwdriver, inside that lip there," "and just lever forward as I pull, okay?" "In there." "And just lever forward gently and smoothly." "One... two... go." "Ah, it's coming." " Next bit?" " Yeah." "Now, it's coming." "It's coming." "Now again." "Just keep it coming." "Keep it coming." "Now, hold the tension there while I take this, this screw out." " Have you got it?" " I've got it." "And again." "Okay." "Here she comes." "Now, you can take the screwdriver away." "Now, don't even breathe." "Keep the bomb very still." "Have you got steady hands?" "I don't know." "How'd you like to find out?" "Hold that very, very still and level." "Okay?" "What is it?" "I can't remember." "I can't remember!" "Red." "Yes." "Yes, it's red." "Well, take your time." "You've got thirty seconds." "No, no, don't touch it!" " It's all right." " How?" "He did it." "Well, who is he?" "A die-hard for the cause who wasn't quite ready to die yet." "Well, I always say any organisation is only as good as the man at the top." "And you two, you're both damned good." "Very damned good."