Bridging the Gulf (Aka Engulfed)

by Malcolm Hollingdrake

  Three operatives from MI5 will travel to Northern Cyprus tomorrow, two travelling as a husband and wife, the third travelling alone. Their mission will be to track the target at all times. We are fortunate in having four days, we must ensure we use them wisely."

  Philip Haslem-Parr, representing MI5, broke in at that moment. "We’ll also be closely monitoring Hanna's girlfriend, as well as looking at his last place of work. As soon as we have anything it will be distributed on the network. I trust we’ll have the full co-operation of all the services." He looked back at the Commissioner.

  "I’ll be meeting the Home Secretary in an hour and I’ll put the relevant points to him. I know he’s brought the matter to the PM's attention so we’ll meet again in two days when I can furnish you all with a definite plan of action that’s fully sanctioned. Please keep each other very closely informed."

  ***

  Roy had not managed in his attempt to get a black Vitara 4x4. Tongus had one but it was out on rental, he would see if he could get it for him later. Roy had to make do with a blue one; at least it was a dark colour. He had purchased camouflaged hunting clothes, a foil safety blanket and down sleeping bag. His plan for the next two days would be to drive out to St Hilarion Castle combing every part, particularly the 'drop' area and the vantage point that he would use. He would also locate and familiarise himself with the forestry roads in the vicinity that he might use should there be a problem. He wanted to be confident of everything.

  ***

  The SAS three-man team had been on exercise in Cyprus for four days when the call came through with the mission details. They had less than twenty-four hours to plan and would be moving out the following morning.

  ***

  Mr and Mrs Mason disembarked at Ercan Airport and a taxi drove them to the Palm Beach Hotel, probably the best hotel in Gazimagusa. Their twin-bedded room was a superior one. They showered before eating. Bob rang reception to book a hire car for early the following morning. He was assured it would be there for 6am.

  They had worked together in the past. They were an excellent team. Bob had been with the service for three years and Pippa, her friends called her Pip, two. They left the hotel and took a taxi to the town centre, a mere two minutes and then walked the mile to Roy's apartment. They wanted to get a feel for the place, to look over their target. There was a light on but the external shutters were almost closed. Bob went to the front door and looked at the lock before joining Pip.

  "Looks pretty straight forward to me," said Bob. "I'll do early watch tomorrow."

  On returning to their hotel, Pip went down to the Turkish bath. Tall and slender she managed immediately to attract the attention of more than the waiters. Bob rang home leaving the message that they had arrived safely and they would be sightseeing from first light. Jim Bentley would arrive the following day.

  In Bradford, another operative of MI5 had watched and waited for Joan to leave the house; he would need five minutes. He moved through the terraced house swiftly and efficiently. Two microphones were placed in both telephones; both were infinity bugs. Once activated they would pick up everything that was said in the room by dialling in a code. Nothing else was disturbed and the operative left the house as he had found it. A minute later the telephone rang twice and stopped; the bugs were active. He then walked down the street, climbed into the waiting police car and they drove to the outskirts of the Industrial estate that contained D.M. Business Machines. Dressed in black, he moved along the footpath taken by Roy earlier, found the window and was in quickly. He moved through the rooms conscious the alarm had been activated. It took him three minutes to place the same devices in telephones in the main offices. A few cupboards were turned over to make the break-in seem like petty theft then he left, walking swiftly to the car. A distant siren could be heard but by the time it arrived he was long gone.

  Back in Cyprus, in a small building in the barracks, the SAS team toiled with the planning, the logistics were most important. Toes would ensure he had everything he needed. Dressed as tourists, Stan and Colin would travel through the border at Dekhelia and then on through the Turkish border. Toes, a sobriquet earned by his losing two from his left foot to frostbite in a climbing expedition some years earlier, would be concealed in a compartment of the Land Rover. This was necessary as tourists were only allowed a single day in the north. Toes would be left with his equipment and the others would return to the south. They would collect him when the job was completed. Equipment too would be concealed in every available space in the Land Rover. Once over the border, they would make their way into the hills and locate the castle.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Bob woke just before the alarm and moved to the hotel window, the balcony afforded a breathtaking view out to sea. The light of the morning was painting the sky yellow and the sea reflected its beauty. Behind him the only sound heard was Pippa's gentle, rhythmic breathing. He moved into the bathroom, washed and dressed before collecting the rucksack he had packed the night before. As promised, the dark green Seat was waiting. He signed the forms and took the keys from the Receptionist.

  There was little traffic. He drove past the school and onto the dual carriageway that once linked Varosha, the newer suburb of Famagusta. Varosha, however, was now trapped behind wire, deserted, a No Man's Land created with the establishment of a Green Line in 1974. Hundreds of homes, shops, flats and hotels were left empty.

  The ancient city walls were to his right and as the car climbed the hill a large, black statue filled the windscreen. He negotiated the roundabout. In two minutes he was there. He parked down the road watching the two flats for any sign of life. There was none. The Vitara sat in the shade of the palm tree, it had not moved. He opened the rucksack removing a small black device; it was a transponder. It worked like a tracker device sending signals to satellites and then bouncing them back to a receiver that would pinpoint the device.

  There was a magnet to one side. Bob slipped out of the car and walked past the blue vehicle. He stopped to do up his bootlace and stuck the transponder behind the rear bumper before walking on. He circled the houses before returning to the car. He did not want to remain in the vicinity of the flat longer than necessary. Northern Cyprus is one of those places where everybody knows what everyone else is doing, and if they do not it does not take long for them to find out. Bob's vigil was soon spotted by neighbours and curiosity was aroused. They would find out the identity of this man and the nature of his business. This insularity had its drawbacks but it would certainly be an advantage for Roy. Bob drove the car back to the hotel and ordered breakfast, his morning jaunt had made him hungry.

  ***

  The news of the break-in brought Drew to the office early; he was the first there. A police officer was waiting and they checked the premises together.

  "Looks like the alarm scared them off, you've been lucky, Mr McKenna. Please check through and should you find things missing I'd be grateful if you'd call this number. The fingerprint boys will be out later so if you can evacuate this room it might help."

  Drew thanked the officer. It certainly was no way as bad as he had thought. The phone rang twice but stopped as he attempted to pick it up. He thought nothing of it. The two MI5 operatives could now hear Drew moving about. They would hear everything that went on in the main rooms. If Roy were to call, they would know instantly.

  Joan woke early too. The bed was warm and cosy and her thoughts drifted to Roy, she could almost feel his touch. She leaned over and picked up the phone. The ringing tone in Cyprus was different and it always made it seem millions of miles away. Not a million miles away a tape recorder was activated and the same ringtone was being recorded.

  "Good morning, beautiful man. I'm lying here, warm as toast just thinking about you, so I thought I'd just call to say good morning."

  "You're full of surprises. I can just imagine that lovely body of yours too. It won't be long before you're here."

  "I suppose you've a busy day planned with some
floozy by the beach whilst some of us are taming children."

  "I'll certainly be on the beach but I'll be alone, I can assure you of that."

  "Must go. Remember, I love you."

  "I love you, too."

  The phone call ended and the listener switched off the recorder. He could, however, still hear everything in the room.

  ***

  The three men had loaded the Land Rover well. Toes climbed into the false floor concealed under the rear seat. They drove towards the British checkpoint, sharing a joke with the soldiers on duty before crossing No Man's Land. To both sides were the ruined houses. The Green Line was no respecter of property, it cut through roads, houses and even the capital Nicosia; this was dead land. They rounded the bend and on the left was the Turkish border post. A red and white barrier barred the road. As their vehicle approached, a policeman and soldier moved to the roadside. The soldier stood to the rear of the vehicle and the policeman smiled.

  "Morning." He looked at each of the occupants in turn. "May I see your passport and papers?" He took them into the hut and wrote down the names from the passport and the number from the pass. He handed them back and included some details of the Greek atrocities carried out on the Turks before the invasion; the propaganda war continued. "Enjoy your visit in Turkish Cyprus." He saluted and walked over to lift the barrier.

  The Land Rover moved forward and each man waved and smiled. The road ran downhill into Gazimagusa, a road full of potholes. Few people travelled this road apart from the UN and the occasional lost tourist. They were soon well on their way. Reading the map Stan suggested they would be there within the hour. He was a few minutes out in his approximation and was ribbed for it. Toes kept up a constant grumble about the driver knowing every bloody pothole on the northern side but for the most part they simply ignored him.

  They had arranged to hide the equipment Toes needed after helping with the first recce. They would also decide on an emergency rendezvous (ERV) should things go wrong.

  They stopped in a quiet area of the pine forest and helped Toes from his hole. He stretched and straightened his clothes before moving up the winding path that ended in a small car park overlooking the jousting ground below the castle. They had agreed to look at the castle plan first. They chatted briefly to the attendant at the small tollbooth before walking through the barbican, following the path sharp left, passing ruined buildings until they arrived at a gateway. Stan stopped and removed the copy of the map and a GPS system. They could see they needed to be higher, the co-ordinates were very close. They continued through the remnants of the once magnificent royal living quarters, then the barracks, before breaking out onto the roof of a tall tower. They all stood and marvelled at the view.

  "Bingo," muttered Stan. "This is it, 'X' marks the spot."

  Roy had arrived twenty minutes before them and was watching their slow progress up the pathway from a higher castellated tower, his binoculars trained on the one with the map. Toes caught a flash from the sunlight reflecting off the lens and his stiffening and his look alerted the others. They then knew they were being watched, perhaps innocently, but they could not take the chance. There had been three cars in the car park. They adopted their tourist mode, each being photographed before descending to the car.

  "Bit sloppy lads, if it was our man, he could have seen our interest in the tower. Let's hope not, so early in the game. Well spotted." They both patted Toes on the back.

  On leaving they drove back the way they had come and took a forestry road that ran below a ridge. Somewhere near, which was safe and offered a view of the castle, they would leave their man.

  Toes had been thorough in his packing. He could be spending five nights in the open. As well as essentials he was equipped with a cryptographic radio that would link him to the many listening stations in the south. The ninety-nine square miles of sovereign bases bristled with antennae, they were the ears of England and the States for communications from the Middle East. He also carried a mobile phone, he just never knew where or what situation or place he might find himself in and the radio might have to be abandoned. He also had for good measure, long-range night vision glasses, his fighting knife, three stun grenades and an HK P7 9mm pistol and suppressor.

  "Fuck me, Toes, you've enough here to start a bleeding war. You are here to observe, not solve the Cyprus problem on your ownsome."

  "Boy Scouts' motto. As you can see, I’m very prepared."

  They covered the stashed equipment with camouflaged netting before driving into Girne. Roy moved through the castle looking carefully at different routes away from his eyrie. He had not suspected the three tourists.

  ***

  Bob woke Pippa with a gentle shake and pointed to the coffee on the bedside table. She smiled and yawned before moving to pick up the cup. The covers fell from her shoulder and the light through the thin nightshirt silhouetted her breasts. Bob looked and then looked away. She was a stunner.

  "How did it go this morning? Tracker in place?"

  "No problem at all. There's been no signal so I guess he's still asleep. Do you want breakfast?"

  Pip shook her head. She tossed the covers back and went onto the balcony. Now her whole body was silhouetted. Bob felt a movement in his groin and had to look away, trying to concentrate on the job in hand and not the obvious distraction.

  "You going to slum around all morning?"

  Pip turned and walked towards the bathroom. He heard the shower. Just then the bleeper sounded.

  "Pip, we're active."

  She continued her shower, knowing there was no rush to chase, they would simply track his route and then follow at a safe distance. Jim held the black box. It was no larger than a paperback book. There was a screen showing a green map of the area and below a co-ordinate read out for the moving marker. Controls below could enlarge or reduce the scale of the map on screen. He continued to monitor the screen but busied himself with packing provisions for the day. Pip would need her own. They planned for her to follow the Vitara, note its activity and then plot the journeys on a map; there might be a pattern which could help them later. This information would be phoned home. Bob had some house breaking to do, a tricky operation at the best of times, but here where every neighbour had eyes and ears in every part of their anatomy it would be doubly difficult. They would stay in contact by each using a Magellan GPS pager system. This ensured the absence of a telephone bleep and allowed brief messages to be sent immediately.

  Bob exited the room, leaving the pack and key on the bed for Pip, he had no doubt she would be in the shower for some time. He began the walk to Roy's flat. The sun was warm. He planned as he walked.

  The Vitara had indeed gone and the road looked empty. An old man turned out from a side road and wished him good morning in Turkish. He waved and smiled as the man wobbled past. It took him only seconds to open the front door, five minutes to search the flat. He noticed the camouflaged clothing and night sights, making a mental note, but there was no computer. The planting of the bugs was easy, one in each of the phones and one in the kitchen, concealed behind the picture. Before leaving he glanced outside through the shutters and then slipped out.

  Pippa was climbing the mountain road, both windows were down and her mousy hair blew freely. The GPS showed the Vitara stationary and she would soon be close. The road to the castle was bumpier and she was soon driving past the jousting ground and turning onto the car park. The Vitara was there. She checked her e-mailer and Bob had left a simple message, his task was complete. She typed a congratulatory note and sent it. The things you could do today with satellites never ceased to amaze.

  She left the car and entered the ruins, sitting briefly at a vantage point that allowed her the full view of the road she had just used. The sun warmed and she lifted her skirt high on her thighs and stretched back to take full advantage of her brief stay. She could see the Vitara and therefore there was little need to move. It was the tumbling of small pieces of soil and stones that brought her to her
senses. She turned sharply and looked up, the dazzling yellow of the sun strained her eyes and for a moment she was blinded.

  "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I lost my footing. I should really have sensible footwear."

  Roy's body blocked the sun from her face and she focused on the apologetic figure.

  "There’s no harm done. I shouldn't really be soaking up all this sun. I should be exercising my mind and appreciating the wonders of this beautiful relic." Pippa stood up and straightened her skirt. It was then that she noticed Roy's hand.

  "I can certainly recommend the view from the seats at the Queen's window. Please allow me to show you."

  Reluctantly Pippa allowed herself to be escorted higher, through the bowels of the fortress until they came to the window. It took her breath away. The sheer fall of the cliff face, the view through to the coast and the azure sea and sky that merged without horizon made her agree, this stranger was right.

  "My name's Roy, Roy Hanna." He held out his hand.

  Pippa did not respond immediately, she let the name sink in before turning with a smile that masked her annoyance at being so foolish. "I’m Pippa. My husband and I are here for a short break. Have you been here long?"

  They talked freely as they walked back down. It was hard to believe that this man could be responsible for the bombings but then again, she was aware more than most, that in her line of work, first impressions could be deceptive. She stayed amidst the ruins and thanked Roy for his kindness, expressing the hope that they might bump into each other again as they were both in Gasimagosa. She sat, the dampness under her arms was the tell-tale sign that she had been under pressure, as she watched Roy make his way to the Vitara.