Brute Force

118

The bow end of the hold was soon bathed in light.

I got slowly and painfully to my feet when told to do so.

Mairead turned to Dom. 'You too.'

She filmed us both as we made our way to what had been transformed into a well-lit performance area and stood facing each other.

I saw Tallulah over Dom's shoulder, still trying to console Ruby. She cuddled her, rocked her back and forth in time with the movement of the boat.

I glanced at Dom. His eyes told their own story.

He nodded in the direction of the camera. 'What is it you want me to do?'

I kept my head down, focusing on the position of the two Russians. Their top halves had disappeared into the shadows thrown by the beams of light directed at me and Dom, but I could see their boots.

'You're going to interview Nick. Ask him about the Bahiti.'

'Bahiti? I don't understand—'

'You don't have to. Your man's going to tell you. Nick, I want you to speak to the camera. Dominick, when he's told you, you're going to ask him a direct question. Ask him if he was the man who killed Ben Lesser. And Nick, you're going to say yes.'

'Ben Lesser?'

'My father. Nick murdered my father.'

The camera zoomed in on me.

'Isn't that right, Nick? You're going to tell us the truth for the first time in your sorry little life. If not, everybody dies.'

Tallulah could contain herself no longer. 'I've got a child here, for God's sake! She doesn't have to watch this. Let her go.'

Mairead turned and filmed her. 'Oh but she does. She needs to know. She's the age I was when Nick took my daddy away from me.'

The time had come. I wasn't exactly match-fit, but I was running short of choices.