48 A New World OrderRaven had arrived at Portendown well in advance of Ricard and briefed the team of biological researchers at the centre. Drake had contacted him to arrange the exchange of the two women. Twelve hours later, Ricard was in custody, having simply been dropped off at the gates of Portendown. Hearing the series of air locks activate and de-activate, Raven looked up casually from his desk in one of the research labs. Ricard entered slowly, dressed in a white biological protection suit, flanked by two soldiers and followed by the Centre Director, Professor Liam O’Connell.
‘She’s clean. We took her box of tricks and stripped her just to be safe,’ O’Connell said, taking a seat next to Raven.
‘Why have you brought me here?’ Ricard demanded, taking a seat without being offered on
