Patriot Games - vastav

know that.'
"I agree," James Owens said. "If they're this anxious to talk with us, they might be
anxious enough to tell us something useful. Of course, there is an element of risk.
You could take someone with you."
Ashley thought about that one. There was always the chance that he'd be
kidnapped, but . . . The strange thing about the PIRA was that they did have a code
of conduct. Within their own definitions, they were honorable. They assassinated
their targets without remorse, but they wouldn't deal in drugs. Their bombs would
kill children, but they'd never kidnapped one. Ashley shook his head.
"No, people from the Service have met with them before and there's never been a
problem. I'll go alone." He turned for the door.
"Daddy!" Sally ran into the room and stopped cold at the side of the bed as she
tried to figure a way to climb high enough to kiss her father. She grabbed the side
rails and set one foot on the bedframe as if it were the monkey bars at her nursery
school and sprang upward. Her diminutive frame bent over the edge of the mattress
as she scrambled for a new foothold, and Ryan pulled her up.
"Hi, Daddy." Sally kissed him on the cheek.
"And how are you today?"
"Fine. What's that, Daddy?" She pointed.
"It's called a cast," Cathy Ryan answered. "I thought you had to go to the
bathroom."
"Okay." Sally jumped back off the bed.
"I think it's in there," Jack said. "But I'm not sure."
"I thought so," Cathy said after surveying Jack's attachment to the bed. "Okay,
come on. Sally."
A man had entered behind his family, Ryan saw. Late twenties, very athletic, and
nicely dressed, of course. He was also rather good-looking, Jack reflected.
"Good afternoon, Doctor Ryan," he said. "I'm William Greville."
Jack made a guess. "What regiment?"
"Twenty-second, sir."
"Special Air Service?" Greville nodded, a proud but restrained smile on his lips.
"When you care enough to send the very best," Jack muttered. "Just you?"
"And a driver, Sergeant Michaelson, a policeman from the Diplomatic Protection
Group."
"Why you and not another cop?"
"I understand your wife wishes to see a bit of the countryside. My father is
something of an authority on various castles, and Her Majesty thought that your
wife might wish to have an, ah, escort familiar with the sights. Father has dragged