She tilted her head incredulously and her hair swung out, and a mouthful of sausage, pushed aside in her disbelief, was pressing out her cheek.
"Whaat?"
"I'm leaving," Terry nodded, shuffling, so deep he was nearly bowing. Sarah's eyes widened and she chewed heavily and hard, shaking her head.
"No, no, come on, Tel, be straight with me. You can't leave. It's all airtight, why would you want to?"
"I've got to, got to. I can't go on. Malik called last night. A car carrying some stuff on me was searched and confiscated at a military checkpoint in Kandahar. Sooner or later, they're going to come knocking. If I stay it'll all come down."
"What sort of stuff?"
"It was going overland...for an investor. A profile, some details."
"Identity?" Sarah was loud, and they both looked around. No one in the cafe was paying them any attention.
"Malik thinks so," Terry went on, "but not the current project. One of his people put it together. He hadn't read it."
"Shit. Whatever happened to chain of trust?"
Terry shrugged and lifted a skewered shard of crispy bacon to his mouth.
"You're just going to go, then. Leave everything," said Sarah.
Terry bowed his head again and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand before answering.
"Yes." Nodding, bowing. "I don't like risks."
"What are you going to do?"
"I...I've got another passport."
"You screwed an extra one out of the budget?" She was angry.
"No, I paid for it."
"In what name?"
Terry smiled at Sarah and she looked quickly out of the window of the cafe, pursing her lips.
"Sorry Sarah," he said.
"That's okay," she sighed. "That's okay."
They stopped eating as a waitress refilled their coffee cups and both of them looked up at her vacant face, away from each other. The waitress smiled emptily and walked away.
"Fucking Malik," said Sarah.
"He wouldn't have done it lightly," said Terry. "He's a practical guy. Don't think less of him because of this."
"Will we still get the investor? Who is it?"
"Someone European. Old money."
"Takes all sorts."
"These days, yes."
Sarah, her plate empty, slid her knife and fork together and sat back in her chair. She stared at Terry, who was breaking the yolk of his egg and slowly teasing it onto a slice of toast.
"Details in a car."
Terry looked up at her as he bit into the bread and nodded again.
"Hasn't this guy heard of the fucking Internet?"
Terry shrugged and covered his mouth to speak as he ate.
"Doesn't trust it."
"Old money."
"Yeah."
"Why does he want paper on you? Why does he want that much information when he's got Malik?"
"He's worried, Malik says. Worried the war on terror could easily turn into a war on the drugs grown in the countries nearby. Wants to be able to rely on his people."
"That's Malik's end, not ours."
"Malik wanted to present his credentials. He's apologised. It's not so bad. I trust you."
"Well, I'll give you credit for timing. You've done all the work, Terry. You're leaving just as the waiting starts. You'll get your cut of the first shipment and a little from anything else we bring in the same way."
"Thank you, Sarah. That's kind. How much from each of the other shipments?"
"We'll probably step up the quantity if all goes well this time..." she trailed off and looked at him meaningfully.
"It's okay, I won't want to crash in on that. Just a...royalty, if you like. A little something for a guy who helped set things up. Maybe five or six percent of take?"
"Five percent of the original take. We'll bring in much more if it comes off."
"Sure, that's fine."
"How will I get it to you?"
Terry sat up and looked at Sarah and she stiffened; it was as though he was already out of the team, out of her management, out of her control. He was thinking for himself. He looked different.
"I'll give you a few numbers for me," said Terry. "Try all of them in a week's time...if there's no answer try them all again the week after that. We're getting cash, right?"
"Yeah. I don't like it but transferring money electronically is getting expensive...and dangerous," said Sarah.
"I know a guy in Sweden who might be able to help you with that." Terry sipped his coffee. "Financial markets systems specialist. He won't be cheap, but he'll probably be cheaper than going through the Swiss."
"Give me his number when we get back to the house. Do you want your share through him?"
"No, I'll swing by and pick up the first lot...after that, we'll see. I might want to start investing, if you're running well."
"You could make a lot of money," said Sarah.
"I'd like that," said Terry.
The waitress padded past and Sarah caught her eye.
"Can we have the bill, please?" said Sarah.
"It's okay," said Terry. "I'll get this."
