Private Games

Chapter 54

THE ORBIT’S OBSERVATION deck revolved slowly clock-wise, offering a panoramic view of the interior of the Olympic Stadium where several athletes and coaches were inspecting the track, and of the Aquatics Centre that Knight had only just left.

Standing at the deck’s railing in a cooling east wind that sent clouds scudding across a leaden sky, Mike Lancer squinted at Knight and said: ‘You mean the television guy?’

‘And Greek antiquities curator at the British Museum.’

Jack Morgan said, ‘Does Scotland Yard know about this yet?’

Knight had called Jack Morgan and had been told that he and Lancer were up on the Orbit, inspecting security on the Olympic flame. Knight had rushed over. He nodded to Jack’s question and said, ‘I just spoke with Elaine Pottersfield. She has squads en route to the museum and to his house.’

For several moments there was silence, and all Knight was really aware of was the smell of carbon in the air, coming from the Olympic cauldron burning on the roof above them.

‘How do we know for sure that Daring has gone missing?’ Jack asked.

Knight replied, ‘I called his secretary before I called Elaine, and she told me that the last time anyone saw Daring was last Thursday night around ten o’clock when he left the reception for his exhibit. That was probably six hours after Selena Farrell was last seen as well.’

Lancer shook his head. ‘Did you see that coming, Peter? That they could have been in on it together?’

‘I didn’t even consider the possibility,’ Knight admitted. ‘But they both served with NATO in the Balkans during the mid-1990s, they both had issues with the modern Olympic Games, and there’s no denying the DNA results.’

Lancer said, ‘Now that we know who they are, it’s only a matter of time until they’re caught.’

‘Unless they manage to strike again before they’re caught,’ Jack said.

The LOCOG security adviser blanched, puffed out his lips, and exhaled with worry. ‘Where? That’s the question I keep asking myself.’

‘Somewhere big,’ Knight said. ‘They killed during the opening ceremony because it gave them a world audience.’

Jack said, ‘Okay, so what’s the biggest event left?’

Lancer shrugged. ‘The sprints have drawn the most interest. Millions of people applied for seats in the stadium this coming Sunday evening – the final of the men’s 100-metre sprint – because of the possibility of a showdown between Zeke Shaw and Filatri Mundaho.’

‘What about today or tomorrow? What’s the ticket everyone wants?’ Knight asked.

‘Has to be the women’s gymnastics, I’d think,’ Jack said. ‘Carries the biggest television audience in the States, anyway.’

Lancer glanced at his watch and reacted as though his stomach had just soured. ‘The women’s team final starts in less than an hour.’

Anxiety coiled through Knight as he said, ‘If I were Cronus, and wanted to make a big statement, women’s gymnastics is where I’d attack next.’

Lancer grimaced and started heading for the lift, saying, ‘I hate to say it, but I think you may be right, Peter.’

‘What’s the fastest way to the gymnastics venue?’ Jack demanded, hustling after the LOCOG member.

‘Blackwall Tunnel,’ Knight said.

‘No,’ Lancer said. ‘Scotland Yard’s got it closed during the competitions to prevent a possible car bombing. We’ll go by river bus.’