es'

'We need to get you to police headquarters, to the rape suite. You've got to see a doctor.'

'That's not important now. I'm alive. Tony might not be for much longer. You've got to do something, Petra.'

Before Petra could say anything, she heard the distinctive ring of her mobile. 'Let me get that,' she said, gently extricating herself from Carol's grasp. She got to her feet and retrieved her bag.

'Hi, babe.' The voice was familiar, its cheerfulness dislocating in the context of the apartment.

'Marijke?'

'That's right. Guess where I am.'

'What?'

'Guess where I am.'

'I have no idea,' Petra said impatiently.

'I'm nearly at Zoo Station. In a cab. So, where do you want me to meet you?'

'What? You're in Berlin?' Petra wondered if she was losing her mind. This was insane. What the hell was Marijke doing in Berlin?

'I have to go to Koln tomorrow, so I decided I'd make a detour and stay with you. I thought you'd be pleased.' Marijke had realized that Petra was less than delighted and couldn't keep the disappointment from her voice.

'Jesus, Marijke, this is the worst possible moment... No, hang on, you can help me here. I've no time to explain, but I need you to come to Carol's apartment. Can you do that?'

'Of course. Where is it?'

Petra gave her the address. Til see you soon. I'll explain. I've got to go, I'm sorry,' she added, glancing over her shoulder to see Carol hauling herself upright using the chair for support. 'Petra, you've got to find them,' she said urgently.

'I will, I will.' She crossed back to the desk and grabbed the phone. 'Marijke's on her way. She'll take you to the police station.'

'What's Marijke doing in Berlin?' Carol asked, sounding as confused as Petra felt.

'Flick knows.' Petra punched in a number and waited impatiently for an answer. 'Hello? Shark, is that you? Thank God you're still there. Listen, I need you to do something. I haven't got time to explain, but Radecki and Krasic have to be brought in right now. I want you to talk to KriPo, SchuPo, traffic, everybody. I want every cop in the city looking for them and I want them now.'

For some unfathomable reason, The Shark was laughing. 'Hey, Petra, it's not often I get the jump on you,' he spluttered.

'What? You mean they're already in custody?'

'No, but I can see Radecki from where I'm sitting,' he said.

'What?'

'He's on TV - Business Berlin. You know, that live studio programme where they get smart suits to talk to the politicos.'

'He's at the TV studios now?' She couldn't believe her luck.

'Well, yeah. I mean, like I said, it's live.'

'Thank you, God,' Petra breathed. 'Shark, who's around?'

'Well, there's just me from the squad. There's still three of the Special Ops guys here with their boss; they're typing up their reports about the raid on the farm. I wish I'd been there, it sounds wild. Oh, and there's a couple of Brits here too, looking for you actually.'

'Brits?'

'Some top man called Morgan and one of the desk jockeys from Den Haag, Gander or something.'

Suddenly, Berlin was the only place to be. 'Never mind them. Tell them to talk to Plesch. Can you put the Special Ops commander on? Now, Shark.' While she waited impatiently, Petra covered the mouthpiece and spoke to Carol. 'I can't believe this. Radecki's doing a live TV show right now. We can put a tail on him, hopefully he'll take us straight to Tony.'

'Oh God, that's right. I forgot. When he got here, he said he had to go to the TV studios. Jesus, I'm such a fucking fool,' Carol moaned.

'No, you're not, you're traumatized.' She looked at her watch. 'The show's only been on air for seven minutes. It's a forty-five-minute programme. The studios are only five minutes from here. It's going to be OK.' She heard a voice in her ear and held a hand up to indicate to Carol that she was back on the phone.

'Hello? It's me, Becker. Listen, I need your help. We've been mounting a major operation against a guy called Tadeusz Radecki. He's just raped and beaten one of our officers, and we believe he's planning to kill one of her associates. I haven't got time to go through the proper channels, but there's a man's life on the line here. Can you get mobile and meet me outside Channel Five in twenty minutes? We can tail Radecki

If from the studios, maybe manage to stop this going down?'

'Can't you get KriPo to handle this?'

Petra gave it everything she had. 'We haven't got time. Look, I wouldn't ask if it wasn't vital. Radecki and his sidekick Krasic are the worst. Drugs, guns, illegals - they move them all. And they're killers. They know they're blown and, if we don't get them now, we could lose more than a life.'

'Oh, fuck it. Why not? OK. We'll see you outside Channel Five in twenty.'

'I owe you,' she said.

'Fucking right you do. See you there.'

She replaced the phone with an enormous sense of relief. 'I think we've got him,' she said quietly. 'We know where he is. We can tail him and pray he takes us to Tony in time.'

Carol was on her feet and wobbling towards the bathroom. 'He must have gone straight to the TV from here. Tony must still be alive.'

'Where are you going?' Petra demanded.

'I'm going for a shower. You're not leaving me behind.'

'Don't be crazy. You need to see a police doctor, we need to take evidence of what he did to you.'

Carol continued on her way, undaunted. 'This doesn't matter. We've got enough on Radecki to put him away forever. I need to be with you. I need to be sure Tony's OK.'

'No way,' Petra protested. 'You're in no fit state to go anywhere. That's why Marijke's coming here, to take care of you.' II 'I'm coming with you,' Carol said stubbornly.

"There's no time. I'm leaving now.' Petra picked up her bag and made for the door.

'You can't do this to me, Petra,' Carol shouted.

'Yes, I can. Because it's the right thing. I need to concentrate on catching Radecki and saving Tony's life. I don't want to have to worry about you as well. You stay here. I'll call you as soon as there's any news.' She was about to open the door when the intercom buzzed. Petra grabbed the handset. l]a? She listened for a moment, then pressed the door-release button. 'Marijke is on her way up. I'll call you. I promise, I'll call you.'

Petra opened the door and walked down the hall to the lift. Not in her wildest imaginings could she have come up with this scenario for her first meeting with Marijke. It was hard to picture anything less romantic than leaving her to comfort a rape victim while Petra went in search of a killer.

The doors opened and the two women faced each other. Petra couldn't stop the smile. Taller than she'd imagined, but far more attractive in the flesh than in the photographs Marijke had sent her. 'Hey,' she said. 'Your timing is terrible.'

'I thought you'd be pleased,' Marijke said huffily.

'Christ, Marijke! Carol's been raped, Radecki's taken Tony prisoner and he's going to kill him. I can't think about anything else right now.'

Marijke's face crumpled in shock. 'How is this?'

Petra pushed past her into the lift, gabbling all the while. 'Somehow, Carol's cover has been blown. I don't know how, I haven't had the chance to ask her. Radecki raped her, beat her. She's in a hell of a mess. I need to try and stop him killing Tony. You have to look after Carol, she shouldn't be alone.' She gave Marijke a quick kiss on the lips and gently steered her out of the lift. Til call.' As the lift doors slid closed, she shouted, Tm really pleased you're here, Marijke.'

Stunned, Marijke stood staring at the brushed steel doors. This wasn't the encounter she'd fantasized about. She wasn't sure if her English was to blame, but she thought Petra had told her Carol had been raped and Tony was about to be killed. It was hard to take in. Only a few hours had passed since she had talked to them both on the phone. She raised her eyebrows, shrugged her backpack more firmly on to her shoulder and started looking for 302.

The door was ajar, and she could hear the sound of running water. Marijke stepped inside, closing the door behind her. Now she could hear that it was a shower cascading from behind a door on her left. She put down her backpack and knocked hard enough to be heard over the downpour. 'Hello?' she called tentatively.

The water stopped. 'Marijke?' a voice said.

'It's Marijke, yes.'

'Come in, it's not locked.' The shower resumed. Marijke entered to find a woman she presumed was Carol Jordan leaning against the wall of the shower cubicle, scrubbing herself with a bar of soap. Her face was a mess. The soft tissue had ballooned, her nose was clearly broken and her eyes were shrouded in bruises. That her wet hair was plastered to her head only made it look worse.

'I'm so sorry,' Marijke said.

'I'm doing OK,' Carol said. 'Really, I am.'

'I think you should not be washing yourself like this?' Marijke said.

'I've been through this once with Petra. This isn't important. Tony's what matters now.' Carol reached up and turned off the water again. 'Could you pass me a towel? And maybe help me out of here?'

Marijke leapt to her aid, wrapping her in one of the fluffy bath sheets that hung on the rail. 'I don't understand what's happening.'

Carol closed her eyes, exhausted with the effort of standing in the shower. 'I need to sit down,' she said. Marijke steered her to the toilet. 'Get me some clothes from the bedroom, would you? I can't face going in there just yet. It's across the hall. Jeans and a sweater, underwear, whatever. I'll explain, I promise.'

While Marijke was gone, Carol managed to make a reasonable job of drying herself. She could hardly bear the pain when she tried to towel between her legs. She didn't want to think about the damage Radecki had done to her. There would be the rest of her life to contemplate that.

Marijke came back with an armful of clothes. 'You don't just want a dressing gown?' she said. 'I'm going out,' Carol said wearily. 'I don't think so,' Marijke said. 'You don't stand properly.' 'I need to be there,' Carol said. 'Will you help me dress?' 'OK. But you tell me what's going on, please.' Carol groaned. 'It's a long story. And I don't know all of it.'

Marijke squatted down and started to put Carol's socks on. 'So make a start with what you do know.'

The TV company had clearly devoted all their lighting budget to their studios, Petra thought. If any public car park had been this badly lit at night, the customers would have complained it was a mugger's paradise. Still, she supposed, it was safe enough, given how hard she'd found it to get past the security guards on the gate. If Kamal had been heading for a live TV appearance and not the GeSa, Marlene would never have got to him.

She pushed the search button on the radio, irritated by the inane phone-in that had just started. What was keeping Radecki? The programme must have finished a good fifteen minutes ago. Surely he hadn't stopped to have a drink with the presenter and his fellow guests? He couldn't have left already; at night, the only way out of the building was via the back entrance and the car park. Besides, from where she was sitting, she could see Radecki's black Mercedes with the unmistakable profile of Darko Krasic behind the wheel.

God, she hoped they were going to lead her to Tony. And that he was still alive. For all she knew, Radecki could have been lying to Carol. Tony could have been murdered before that Polish bastard turned up at the apartment. What she couldn't work out was how Carol's cover had been blown. They'd been so circumspect. How had Radecki connected Tony and Carol? And why had he kidnapped Tony? How had something that was in perfect shape this morning turned into a pile of crap by evening?

Well, maybe they'd get some answers by the end of the night. She had confidence in the arrangements she'd made. There were three other cars out there besides hers. The Shark was driving one of the Special Ops guys. There were two others in an unmarked police car. And the Special Ops commander was driving his own SUV. She hadn't been best pleased to discover he had Larry Candle and some other British cop called Morgan on board, but she wasn't in any position to tell them to fuck off and leave this to the locals. At least all the drivers knew the drill about swapping the tail car at regular intervals. She didn't think there was any way that Krasic could lose them.

The rear entrance of the studio complex opened and three men walked out, clearly in conversation. She spotted Radecki at once. Normally, she would have alerted the rest of the team, but they'd agreed to keep radio silence. With a pair of villains as sophisticated as Radecki and Krasic, it paid to keep risk to a minimum. And even then, as recent events had proved, they could still wreak havoc.

Radecki shook hands with the other two men and walked briskly to his car. Krasic had the lights on and the engine running before he got there. Petra started her engine as the Merc glided out of its bay and headed for the exit. She followed at a discreet distance, catching up as the barrier rose. The Mercedes turned left, and, as agreed, she turned right, flashing her lights at the other cars. They set off in a staggered convoy while she did a three-point turn in the middle of the street and tagged along behind the SUV.

None of them noticed the black BMW Z8 that fell in behind Petra's car.

'That's them,' Carol said excitedly as the Mercedes pulled out of the car park. 'Go, Marijke, go!'

'Wait a minute. We know Petra and her people will follow. We must make sure we don't get in the way. If she sees you, she'll send you home.' Marijke watched intently, noting the car that had followed the Mercedes was turning round to tuck in behind the three vehicles that had already formed a tail.

'Now?' Carol demanded.

Marijke nodded and pulled out. 'Now is good.'

'Thanks,' Carol said again, leaning back in the seat and wishing the pain in her head would subside. She'd swallowed four paracetamol before they came out, but they hadn't made even a dent in her suffering.

Arguing with Marijke hadn't helped. The Dutch detective had been adamant that they were staying put, Carol equally adamant that they didn't have a moment to lose. After a couple of minutes of getting nowhere, Carol had staggered off towards the door. 'You can't keep me here against my will,' she'd said. 'It's not your jurisdiction,' she'd added with a sardonic edge.

'What are you going to do? Follow him in a taxi?' Marijke had protested, snatching up her backpack and following Carol out of the apartment.

'I know where I can get a car.' She looked at her watch. 'They're still on air for another fifteen minutes. A cab to the car, then drive to the studios. I might just be in time.'

'You're not thinking about driving?' Marijke protested.

'How else am I going to get there?'

'You've got a head injury. You lost consciousness. You could pass out. You could kill yourself.'

Carol shrugged, wincing. 'Well, there's one way to avoid that. You drive.' --/.

Marijke had never met anyone more stubborn. She threw her hands in the air. 'OK. You win. Where's this car?'

'Radecki's apartment. He left the keys for me in case I wanted to use it.'

They were lucky. A cruising taxi passed within a minute of them reaching the street and soon they were standing on the pavement outside Radecki's building. 'You'd better get the car,' Carol said. 'I look like I've already been in a road traffic accident. Just tell the security man you're me and that Herr Radecki left the keys for his BMW.'

Marijke ran off, leaving Carol propped up against the wall. Left alone, with no action to distract her, there was nothing to keep the nightmare at bay. Her mind's eye betrayed her, flashing up the defiling images she wanted permanently erased from inside her head. Radecki's face above hers, the tearing invasion of her body, the transformation of something previously enjoyable into an excursion into brutality. The terrible sense of loss that left her feeling bleached and split open. And the tears that leaked from her eyes in spite of her best intentions.

There was nowhere to go to wrench her mind away from it. It was as if her past had been sprayed with defoliant, withering before her eyes to a shrivelled meaningless husk. And the future was something she dare not think about, since a future that didn't contain Tony promised nothing but sempiternal guilt.

Rescue came in the unlikely form of a BMW roadster roaring up the ramp from the underground garage. Carol limped across the pavement and gingerly lowered herself into the passenger seat. 'I don't know the way,' she said, feeling herself on the point of tears yet again.

Marijke smiled. 'I do. I asked the car park man. It's very near, he says. Just a couple of minutes away.'

Carol looked at her watch. 'We're going to be too late. The programme finished ten minutes ago.'

'Well, we better hurry.' Marijke put her foot down and the car leapt forward.

The car park attendant had been right. The studio was only a few streets away. 'I bet we've missed him,' Carol said morosely as they parked twenty yards away from the gate.

'I don't think so,' Marijke said. 'Two of the cars we passed on the way in had a driver sitting inside. And a passenger too, I think.'

Carol closed her eyes and let herself believe. 'The tag team. Thank you, Petra.'

They hadn't had long to wait. And now they were part of the convoy that might, just might save Tony's life.

They had been driving for about twenty minutes, doing exactly what they were supposed to. Every few minutes, the lead vehicle in the tail would turn off down a side street then double back and pick up the rear, leaving a fresh set of headlights in Krasic's mirror. Petra had no idea where they were headed. The one good thing was that they clearly weren't making for Radecki's apartment. That had to increase the chances that they were going to wherever Tony was being held captive.

They'd headed out east along Karl Marx Alice, and now they were on the fringes of Lichtenberg. Petra was second in line, behind the SUV. Suddenly, the Mercedes swung right into a small industrial estate near the railway marshalling yards. The SUV carried straight on, and Petra switched off her lights before she made the turn. She hung well back, keeping the Merc's tail lights in view. The brake lights burned bright for a moment, then it went dark. Petra turned off her ignition, fearing they might notice her engine, and coasted to a halt. She could see the outline of The Shark's car in her rear-view mirror, black against the outline of a warehouse. Petra switched off the interior light and got out of the car, avoiding the reflex of slamming it shut. She palmed her | Walther and dropped her bag into the driver's footwell.

Seven shadows loomed up behind her. 'They've stopped 3 just ahead. About fifty yards,' Petra said in a low voice. 'We need to check it out. Let's fan out and come at it front and side. If we're sure they've got Tony in there, I go in first. Special Ops behind me. Shark, you stay outside, cover our backs. Is everybody cool with that?'

The Special Ops commander grinned, his teeth flashing white. 'Sounds solid. I'll take the front with you. You two, come up on the left. And you, go with The Shark round on ' the right. We'll link up at the front if it's all clear.'

'We're coming with you,' Morgan said.

'I don't think so,' Petra said firmly.

'Look, I don't know what the fuck Tony Hill is doing in the middle of my operation, but he's a British citizen, and I am not taking a back seat here. I'd stake my pension that I've done a lot more operations like this than you have, Detective Becker.'

'Have you got a gun?' Petra demanded.

'No.'

'Then you're a liability.'

TO stay well back.'

'We're wasting time here,' the Special Ops commander muttered. 'Let him come. If he gets shot, it's not our responsibility.'

Petra threw her hands up in the air. 'Fine. You come with us, but the desk jockey' - she pointed at Candle - 'goes with The Shark.'

Morgan nodded. 'OK. So let's do it.'

Someone yanked one end of the tarpaulin, spilling Tony on to the hard concrete floor. He felt his skin abrade as he skidded off the tarp, but he lay still, apart from his eyes blinking in the sudden light. He didn't have the energy for more. Radecki was standing in front of him, arms folded, legs apart.

'You lied to me,' he said conversationally. 'Please take that rag out of his mouth, Darko.'

Krasic leaned down and jerked Tony's underpants from his mouth. He'd become so dehydrated that he felt pieces of skin rip off with them. His tongue felt like a giant salami lying dead in his mouth. Even if he'd had anything to say, he doubted he could manage it.

'It was a good lie,' Radecki continued. 'Part of me almost believed it. I admit, I wanted to believe it. She's a beautiful woman. Well, I should say, she used to be a beautiful woman. I don't think her looks are going to work so well for her in the future.'

Tony tried not to show the pain Radecki's words gave him. He kept his gaze level, his eyes unflinchingly on the other man's face.

'I set her a little test, you see. I knew she was hot to fuck me last night, but she held back. If you were telling the truth, I knew she'd come across if she thought that playing hard to get was going to cost her our little deal. But if you were lying, she could never fuck me, could she? Because then all her evidence would be tainted. If it ever came to court, my lawyer would destroy her.' He unfolded his arms and thrust his hands in the pockets of his trousers. It was a strut, and Tony recognized it as such.

'And so, I demonstrated to my own satisfaction that you were indeed lying.' His mouth curved in a humourless smile. 'But I fucked her anyway. I fucked her mouth, I fucked her cunt, I fucked her ass. You should be grateful that I'm going to kill you, because after what I did to her, you'd never want to go near her again.'

There was a sort of relief in the confirmation of his imminent death, Tony thought. At least he wouldn't have to live with the guilt. He tried to speak, but nothing came out.

'I think our guest needs some lubrication, Darko.'

Krasic disappeared, returning with a bottle of mineral water. He crouched down and grabbed Tony by the hair, pouring the freezing water over his face and into his open mouth. Tony spluttered and gagged, but his mouth was no longer agonizingly dry.

'You were about to say something, Dr Hill?' Radecki said politely.

'You're boring me,' Tony croaked. 'Just finish the job.'

Radecki pouted. 'What is it with you Brits? You've got no sense of fun. That bitch Carol wouldn't even put up a fight. But then, maybe she was enjoying it?'

Tony wasn't going to rise to such transparent bait. He said nothing.

'You know why I'm going to kill you? It's not because you lied to me. It's because your people killed Katerina. She had done nothing wrong except to love me. Oh, and of course she had the misfortune to look like a convenient detective. So, I have to live with that.' For the first time, his face showed an emotion other than triumph or contempt. 'Just as Carol Jordan will have to live with the fact that what she is has cost you your life.' He pulled a gun out of the waistband of his || trousers.

Tony closed his eyes and waited.

Carol reached for the door handle. 'Hold on,' Marijke said.

'Why? Petra's crew are all out of sight. We've come this far, I want to be there.'

'Think about it,' Marijke said, reaching to take Carol's hand Bl in hers. 'It may be this is not the place. If Petra will see you, she will be angry. She will make us go away. You know this is the first time we have met? I don't want her to think I am a fool. Anyway,' she carried on over Carol's objection, 'you cannot walk so far, I think. We wait and see, and if they go in, we drive down and you can see it all for yourself?

'I'm sorry, Marijke. I'm not thinking straight. You're right.'

'I know this is hard. You love him, yes?'

'Yes. I love him.' She'd never admitted it to another living soul. It was rather late to be starting now, but Carol felt she owed Tony that affirmation at least. 'But I don't think he's ever believed it.'

'You are lovers, yes?'

Carol shook her head. 'It's a complicated story. The circumstances were never right. Or so we thought.' She sighed. 'I wish now it had been different.'

'Don't despair. He's probably still alive. Petra will get him out.'

Carol squeezed the other woman's hand. 'Marijke, even if he gets out of this alive, there's not a chance in hell that we can be together. Not after what Radecki did to me tonight. Besides, it was me who brought him here, remember? If I hadn't asked him to come, he'd be home now. Safe and well.'

There was nothing more to be said, Marijke thought. At least, not now. She had seen too many rape victims over the years to offer platitudes now.

Petra took a deep breath and set off, walking fast but stealthily towards the spot where she'd seen the lights die. The empty Mercedes was parked outside a small building with corrugated metal walls and roof. There was a big roller door in the middle of the frontage, with a small wooden door set to one side. There was no cover between them and the door, but equally there were no windows to reveal their approach.

She put her head down and ran for it, her trainers almost silent on the asphalt. She flattened herself against the wall on one side of the door, Morgan and the Special Ops commander lined up on the other. Petra inched sideways, putting her ear to the door. Nothing. She shook her head. He winked at her and took a small hand drill from one of his many pockets. He placed it against the door and delicately turned the brace. Even standing next to him, Petra couldn't hear a thing.

Once the hole was made, he inserted a small microphone, then handed her a single earphone. Radecki's voice echoed loud and clear in her head as if someone had flicked a switch. '... oing to kill you? It's not because you lied to me. It's because your people killed Katerina. She had done nothing wrong except to love -' Petra ripped the earphone out.

'He's in there. Tony's in there. Radecki's threatening him. We need to go in now.'

He nodded. 'Stand clear.'

Petra jumped back as he drew his semi-automatic machine pistol and blew the lock out of the door in a single burst of fire. He kicked the door open and raced inside. She was at his heels, gun drawn for the second time that night. She had no idea where Morgan was, nor did she care.