Colin Forbes [Tweed and Co 05 Deadlock (epub)

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.DEADLOCKCOLIN FORBESPANPan Macmillan AustraliaAUTHOR'S NOTEAll the characters portrayed are creatures of the author'simagination and bear no relationship to any living person.Also residences and companies are non-existent.Deadlock Copyright © Colin Forbes 1988 The Power Copyright © Colin Forbes 1994The right of Colin Forbes to be identified as theauthor of this work has been asserted by him in accordancewith the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.All rights reserved.No part of this book may be reproduced ortransmitted in any form or by any means, electronic ormechanical, including photocopying, recording or by anyinformation storage and retrieval system, without priorpermission in writing from the publisher.Deadlock first published 1988 by William Collins Sons & Co.LtdThe Power first published 1994 by Pan Books LimitedThe combined hardback edition published 1999 byPan Macmillan Australia Ply Limited This paperback edition published 2000 byPan Macmillan Australia Pty Limited St Martins Tower.31 Market Street, SydneyISBN 1 86515 1939This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not,by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out.or otherwise circulated without the publisher's prior consentin any form of binding or cover other than that in whichit is published and without a similar condition including thiscondition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.Printed in Australia by McPherson's Printing GroupFOR JANECONTENTSProloguePart One: PhantomPart Two: The Long PursuitPart Three: DeadlockEpilogue==========Prologue==========Breckland.Shrouded by dense fir forest on three sides, The Bluebell pub seemed like a haven from the April storm to the seven villagers drinking inside.Night was a cloak, further isolating the ancient two-storey building.The gale rattled the windows, rain lashed the mullion panes, a single tile was torn from the roof.There was a deathly hush along the drinkers as they heard the clatter of the falling tile.Although death was the furthest thought from their minds.Outside the pub the distant cottages of Cockley Ford were blurred silhouettes.No lights showed in the tiny Norfolk village.It was eight o'clock.Ted Jarvis, ploughman, clad in an old check shirt, corduroy trousers tied at the ankles with pieces of string, a shabby windcheater, broke the silence.'Well, let's get on with it.Are we all agreed? We're having nothing to do with this crazy foreigner and his mad plan.Money isn't everything.''Now, Edward, there's more to it.' Mrs Rout, postmistress, clutched her glass of port, her voice raucous and domineering as she settled her plump body inside her favourite wooden chair - next to the bar.The other villagers - greedy lot that they are - have to be told.And no nonsense.No argufying.Without us they can't do a thing.That's the long and short of it.'Everyone, including Joel, the barman, nodded.Mrs Rout had spoken and that was an end to it.She drank more of her port.The other four men - Ben, the tractor driver; Eric, the lad who was simple in the head; George, the grocer; and William, the ditch digger nodded again.Mrs Rout drove her point home.Then there's that new doctor just come.Portch.Don't like him.Not one of us.Anyone needs doctoring goes to Ransome at Cockley Cley.'The heavy wooden door slammed open.A weird figure stood inside the doorway.Mrs Rout stiffened.She opened her mouth to speak but only a croak of fear emerged.She had thought it was the gale which had forced open the door.The figure wore a Balaclava helmet.Over that he wore a yellow oilskin with the hood half-pulled down across the helmet.Rivulets of water ran off the oilskin, dripping on to the scoured wooden floor.In gloved hands he held an Uzi machine pistol.He stood motionless, the cold eyes behind the helmet slit surveying the room with its smoke-blackened beams supporting the ceiling.The eyes noted the position of each of the seven villagers who looked like frozen waxworks.Then he began operating the gun.In short bursts.A fusillade of bullets swept the room as he arced the weapon [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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