Tested by Fire

by David Costa

  ‘All right, let’s get on top of this, Sir Ian. When will your people move in?’

  ‘We hope to have the details of which apartment the terrorists are in just after 8 a.m. We’ll be moving in shortly after that. Now that the SAS are finished in Irlam, they’re back at Barton being debriefed and reassigned to the apartments. In the meantime, SG9 have the building under surveillance and Gold Command are moving a police cordon in to secure the access to the area once our people move in.’

  Throughout the briefing, Sir Martyn Bryant had said nothing. Now he spoke, giving both the PM and Sir Ian a chance to drink what was now a cold coffee.

  ‘And you’re happy we have the communications in Irlam screwed down so that the terrorists in the apartments have no idea their friends have already gone?’

  ‘As much as we can. The media are only getting a small gas explosion briefing at the moment. Of course, we can’t be one hundred per cent, but at the most they’ll be confused. Mobile coverage has been closed down with no signals going in or out. If they do try to run, we’ll be ready for them.’

  The Prime Minister stood and shook the hand of both men.

  ‘Thank you, gentlemen, I hope our next meeting sees the end of this. If you’ll excuse me, I have meetings to get to. I’ll also be briefing them regarding the operation in Irlam and the upcoming one here, under the strict embargo that they’re sworn to secrecy until it’s over.’

  Bryant and Fraser shared the lift down to the foyer.

  ‘You have my mobile number, Sir Ian. Keep me informed every step of the way. I’ll be here in the hotel holding meetings with the police, and members of the Intelligence Committee and Cobra to update them on your progress.’

  Sir Ian Fraser left by the rear entrance to the hotel. His driver spotted him and pulled up at the door. Sir Ian got into the rear seat behind his bodyguard sitting in the front passenger seat. Sir Ian always thought it less dangerous to him if he got into the car himself instead of someone having to hold the door open for him.

  ‘Take me to the hanger at Irlam please.’

  No more needed saying. He phoned Jim Broad and told him he was on his way.

  Reece and Steve Harrison had arrived at the hotel a few minutes after 6 a.m. Mike was waiting in the reception area and smiled when she saw Reece come through the door.

  ‘Ready?’ asked Reece.

  ‘As always,’ she replied.

  Reece was pleased that she’d dressed sensibly for the day, dark blue jeans, black trainers, and a blue hooded top with a white coloured blouse underneath. Reece thought no matter what she wore, she always looked beautiful.

  ‘Steve is outside in the car. We will have to go near the apartments to keep up a surveillance presence for the minute. Are you OK with that?’

  ‘Yes, no problem, let’s go.’

  By the time they got back to the Square, the troop assault on the house had started. Reece waited in the car with Mary and Harrison. From the little they could hear over the communications with the hanger, they knew that there had been deaths at the Irlam house. Reece knew not to radio the hanger or phone Jim Broad. There would be no answer while they were busy with the ongoing assault operation.

  He waited in silence with the others until his phone buzzed with a call coming in from Broad. Reece listened without comment as Broad brought him up to date with the operation in Irlam.

  ‘Where are you now?’ Broad asked when he’d finished.

  ‘We’re waiting for the caretaker to arrive with eyes on the building as we speak.’

  ‘Great, I’ll try to get Middleton’s people there after we’ve debriefed them.’

  ‘Thanks, let me know when they’re on their way. What about the police cordon?’

  ‘I’ve spoken to our friend Mr Lockwood personally. He’s been told from on high to give us any support we ask for. I know they have the equivalent of SO19 uniform police trained in building assaults, but I’ve told him we have enough people of our own to deal with this, so no mistakes, David.’

  ‘No pressure there then. We have it covered for now and with any troop backup well covered. I just hope you can keep a tight blackout on the Irlam operation until at least 8 a.m. and we get the chance to speak to the caretaker and identify exactly where these people are in the building.’

  ‘That’s just over an hour away so I hope we can keep the lid on it until then. GCHQ are keeping all Internet and mobile phone communications closed down in the area until eight at least. They will also be doing the same around the apartment once you find out where they are.’

  ‘Any name for the caretaker yet?’ Reece asked.

  ‘Oh, yes, I forgot to say, it’s Kevin Williams. He lives in Salford but has been out at a party all night not known where not answering his phones.’

  ‘No problem, we’ll keep an eye out for him, will let you know when he’s here.’

  Chapter Sixty-three

  Inside apartment C12, in the Great Northern Tower block, all three terrorists had been up for about an hour. Coffee had been made in the pot twice and the conversation had gone over the plans for the day. The clock on the wall said it was 7.45 a.m. There was no TV, but the radio was tuned into Radio Manchester and the usual traffic report stated the usual traffic jams around the approaches to Manchester City Centre on a working weekday morning. Mohammad was dressed in his suit and getting ready to leave for the Conference after the eight o’clock news.

  They had gone over the plan for the day a number of times. Mohammad would go to the Conference then, at around 9 a.m. make his way to the Midland Hotel and from inside hopefully give a heads up to Costello that the target was on his way to the rear exit. Lyndsey laid out the plan of attack at the same time as the attack would be going down, she would be sitting in the van in the NCP car park ready to move to the front of the Great Northern Tower to pick up Costello. All would then get out of the area in the confusion when Imtaz and Waheed detonated their bombs.

  Costello had looked through the scope of the rifle three times already since the light had improved. He could easily pick out people walking between the hotel and the main Conference building. It was still too early for the delegates, so they had to be Party workers or security. There was little or no wind and as the light became stronger, he had no doubt in his mind that he could hit every target he’d looked at in the head, with a follow up to the main torso, in plenty of time before the target crossed the open ground to safety. He’d kept the sliding glass doors slightly open, so there was no need for movement which might be seen from the ground in daylight. This had made the room cold, so all three were wearing a coat over their clothes, even with the central heating on full blast the room was freezing at this time of the early morning, before any warming winter sun had risen in the sky. This was also why they were on to their third pot of coffee.

  ‘I think I’ll leave now and get a full English breakfast in one of the cafés, without the bacon,’ said Mohammad. ‘I’ll text when I’m through security and into the Conference area.’

  Lyndsey looked at her phone and noticed she had no signal. ‘My phone signal has dropped out must be a problem.’

  Both men checked their phones noting the same problem.

  ‘All right,’ said Lyndsey ‘Let’s not panic, it could be a local problem but let’s not take any chances. Mohammad, you go ahead with the plan, go get your breakfast, get yourself a newspaper. If all is OK and you’re happy you’re not compromised, exit the hotel’s rear door. If you think there is a problem, open the paper as if you’re going to read it. If you do sense danger, we’ll pull out and you do the same. It would be better to live for another chance than to get caught unnecessarily.’

  ‘What about Imtaz and Waheed?’ asked Costello.

  ‘They will be martyrs to the cause and the distraction they’ll make will help us retire to fight another day. Their deaths wouldn’t be in vain, they’ll strike a great blow in the name of Allah,’ replied Lyndsey.

  ‘Mohammad, walk out of the door at 9 a.m. exa
ctly. I don’t want to be bent down looking through the scope for hours.’

  ‘I can do that.’

  ‘We should be able to see you at a stretch from our view here anyway but that would help me.’

  The radio brought their attention back to the announcer bringing the eight o’clock news. There was nothing significant and the mention that the Prime Minister Peter Brookfield would address the Conservative Party Conference at eleven thirty this morning meant to the three people in the room that the operation was still on.

  Reece had been listening to the same broadcast in the car and the fact there had been no mention of the house in Irlam meant that Jim Broad had done his job and stopped any news of the suspected gas explosion getting out for the minute. The next broadcast at eight thirty would be different. As the radio station turned to the traffic and weather reports for the day, Reece noticed a man in a long dark coat with its hood up approach the door to the Great Northern Tower and press the buttons on the entry keypad. Reece could see the man through the glass door turn left and using a set of keys from his pocket open a door to the left of the lift and stairs.

  ‘I think our caretaker has arrived. Mary, you come with me. When I question him, it might be good to have a woman with me to keep him calm two unknown men this time of the morning might spook him, and we want his quick support. Steve you stay here and keep your eyes open.’

  Reece pressed the radio mike. ‘Alpha Team, I’m going to have a chat with our caretaker stay alert.’

  April Grey and Joe Cousins replied, ‘Roger that,’ as did Alpha Control.

  Leaving the car Reece and Mary quickly crossed the space to the door of the Tower Block and Reece pressed the button for the reception.

  Chapter Sixty-four

  When the man answered the door, Reece was surprised. In his mind, caretakers were always old retired men but then he remembered this young-looking man opening the door had been out all night at a party. Kevin Williams looked like a twenty something student wearing blue jeans with trainers and a Pink Floyd T-shirt. He was about six-foot with his black hair tied back in a ponytail. He was thin build with brown eyes on a thin face with a small goatee beard. Reece produced his security services ID and he could see the immediate look of fear on the man’s face although Reece thought that was probably to do with the strong smell of the pot he’d obviously been smoking at his all-night party.

  ‘Mister Williams, my name is Joseph. Can we have a few moments of your time?’ Reece didn’t bother to introduce Mary as he knew Kevin Williams wouldn’t ask, his eyes were still fixed on the identity card inches from his face.

  ‘Yes, of course, come in.’

  ‘Is there somewhere we can talk in private?’ asked Reece as he returned his ID to his pocket and Mary followed him into the hallway.

  ‘Oh yes, of course. This way.’

  They followed him into the small office he’d come out of before answering the door. Reece noticed there was a real nervousness both in Williams’s demeanour and voice, he would have to proceed gently if he was to get the help he wanted.

  The office was small. More like a broom cupboard than an office with a desk with a laptop and a CCTV screen showing the front door and what Reece assumed to be the fire escape door at the rear of the building. There was two small swivel chairs and a small four drawer filing cabinet. Williams sat down on the chair at the desk. Reece and Mary continued to stand.

  ‘What’s this all about?’ asked the nervous caretaker.

  ‘You’re not in any trouble, Mr Williams. Your party life is none of our concern,’ said Reece.

  He could see from the caretaker’s face that he knew what Reece meant. His smoking habit was obvious but when he realised he wasn’t in trouble, he relaxed.

  ‘I’ll help in whatever way I can.’

  ‘We’re interested in a new tenant who may have moved in yesterday. Do you have these records?’

  ‘If they moved in yesterday, then the first I might know about it is if they’re on my system here.’ As he spoke, he pointed at the laptop.

  ‘Can you fire it up please and check now?’ said Reece.

  He was glad he’d gone in softly softly with this man. He’d seen people in the past who, when being questioned by someone like Reece, automatically start to put barriers. Quoting their rights and asking for legal representation.

  ‘Yes of course.’ Williams turned to the laptop and after pressing a few buttons he brought up a screen showing the list of tenants in the building.

  ‘The only new tenant moving in yesterday was a Mister and Mrs Grey in apartment C12.’

  ‘What floor is that and what direction do the windows face?’ asked Reece.

  Mary was impressed how Reece had worked this man and got him onside without pressure.

  ‘As the number says, it’s C12 so on the twelfth floor. It faces to the back of the building with a balcony and patio type glass doors onto the balcony.’

  ‘Did you see or speak to them?’ asked Reece.

  ‘No, they could have come in at any time to view it or move in. I didn’t see them. I only see people when they have problems or if we cross in the hall. The estate agents that are registered with my system just update it remotely when people move in or out.’

  ‘Does your front door CCTV record people coming in and out?’

  ‘Yes, it’s on a twenty-four-hour loop before it wipes itself and starts again at 9 a.m. every day.’

  Reece looked at his watch 8.15 a.m. Something’s going our way for a change, he thought.

  ‘Can you bring the CCTV up from around 4 p.m. yesterday?’

  ‘Yes, no problem.’

  Again, the caretaker pressed a few buttons on the keyboard and a grainy picture of the front door entrance came up on the laptop screen. The clock in the corner of the screen showed the time running down from 4 p.m. As it was nearing the end of the working day and students returning from college, there was a lot of people coming and going.

  Looking over the caretaker’s shoulder, Reece asked, ‘Can you fast forward it until I ask you to stop?’

  ‘Yes, no problem.’

  For the next few minutes Reece and Mary watched the screen, Reece asking the caretaker to freeze the frame on two occasions until at 5.23 p.m. he asked him to freeze the screen once more. The pictures were in black and white but even though the picture wasn’t very clear, he could see it was a woman wearing a scarf but Reece believed it was Sharon Lyndsey. Reece made the caretaker replay the frame five or six times and took a screenshot with his mobile as the caretaker informed him, he couldn’t do it because of confidentiality for clients.

  ‘Breach of confidentiality will be the least of your worries,’ said Reece. ‘If you obstruct me anymore, you’ll be doing twenty years in Strangeways.’ The look on the caretaker’s face told Reece he got the message.

  It was the best that Reece could do, and he didn’t have time to argue. Playing the footage again, Reece pressed his hand hard into the caretaker’s shoulder and shouted, ‘Stop.’ A tall man wearing a baseball cap with a clear NY logo had entered the building about twenty minutes after the woman. The man was carrying a large bag of some sort over his shoulder. Mary gasped, Reece could see from her expression and the fear in her eyes she knew who it was.

  ‘Are you sure, Mary?’ he asked.

  She looked closer at the frozen picture. The man was looking straight ahead but had lifted his head slightly to see what floor the lift was on. It wasn’t a full-face picture but enough for Mary to see the nose and mouth. This, along with the way the man had walked from the door to the lift, confirmed for her that she was looking at Sean Costello.

  ‘Yes, I’m sure, I wish I wasn’t.’

  That was good enough for Reece. He stepped outside the office and spoke into his body mike.

  ‘Alpha Control and Alpha Team, be aware that we’ve confirmed identification of Sean Costello in this building believed at this time to be in apartment C12. I’m going through the last twenty-four hours of CCTV and
we have him entering the building fifteen minutes after a woman who may be Lyndsey around 5.30 p.m. yesterday. I’ll check the rest of CCTV which isn’t great quality.’

  Reece went back into the caretaker’s office and took another photo of the man and sent both photos out to the team and Jim Broad. He spoke to the caretaker, ‘Let’s keep going through it until this morning.’

  Stopping the CCTV on two more occasions, he watched their target, Tourist One, enter and leave the building returning with the carryout dinner they’d seen him buy the night before. Now he knew for certain it was food for Lyndsey and Costello and that all three were still in the building, most likely in apartment C12.

  When the CCTV had caught up with the clock on the wall of the office, it was now 8.30 a.m. Residents were starting to come and go through the front door.

  April Grey’s voice came over the radio confirming that Tourist One had just left the building and had turned right in the direction of Peter Street and the front of the Midland Hotel.

  ‘Alpha Four, keep with him, everyone else hold your ground,’ instructed Reece.

  Steve Harrison left the warmth of the BMW and followed Mohammad keeping fifty yards between them. April Grey stayed in the BMW parked near the entrance to the NCP car park and Joe Cousins sat in the car on the Peters Street side of the Square. Looking to his right he could see the front door of The Great Northern Tower Apartments and looking straight ahead he could see the disappearing figure of Tourist One followed by Steve Harrison.

  Mohammad had stayed in the apartment to have another cup of coffee and listen to the radio. The fact there was still no signal on anyone’s mobiles didn’t bother him. He’d been living in the north-west of England for far too long to let what was a regular occurrence such as the loss of a mobile signal bother him. When he left and turned right at the front door of the building, he felt the fresh air on his face and realised the temperature had lifted slightly and the sun was breaking through the clouds with a little heat reaching the ground where he walked.