Mitch, Nick and Adam stood with William Irwin, the head of the SO19 unit and David Byrnes, the head of security for the London Underground. They waited while Byrnes spoke to a staff member. Mitch looked around; the office had no natural light, was tucked into a forgotten corner at Charing Cross station and had a distinct damp odor. Taking up most of the back wall was a map of the Underground that had begun to peel away from the wall at each corner.
Mitch referred to his notes and Byrnes’s title. He whispered to Nick: “Byrnes looks like his room: out-of-date, faded. He’s been in the job too long.”
“Was thinking the same thing,” Nick agreed. “I’m guessing the biggest security scare he’s had is probably a parcel left on board a carriage.”
“Even then, he would have called in the cops.”
Byr
