Chasing Aquila

by James Hume

  ‘Unknown problems could be potential booby traps, or unknown locks to protect their vital documents. We’ll therefore have a safecracker as part of the team as well, sir.

  ‘We’ve monitored the phone all this week, and it would appear, from the accents, that agents from the north of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland call in with their sales figures on a Monday, the central belt of England and Wales on a Tuesday, and London and the South of England on a Wednesday. The highest code number we’ve heard so far is GB27. If we use the info Sandra got in Glasgow, where the agent had a population of about a million to work with, then that would mean London could have eight agents, and then they’d have nineteen other major cities around the country with agents.

  ‘If we assume they’re the largest cities, it gives a population of about eighteen million. From the Glasgow info, that means these agents in total would have a target of eighteen thousand tablets per month, or about four thousand five hundred tablets per week.

  ‘Now, the actual total sales from those that reported last week came to just over four thousand, from twenty five agents. We had no return from GB06, Glasgow, clearly not yet re-allocated, or from GB16, location unknown. But it still means they’re well up to target, and it’s a significant business in this country.

  ‘At the moment, we only know the code number and their sales. With this info from Amsterdam, we can link the code number to a name and address, and then it’s up to the regional SB heads to validate the suppliers.’

  Burnett nodded. ‘Good. So how do we do that, Sandra?’

  ‘Well, sir, if they follow the pattern of Glasgow, they’ll sell in up-market pubs on a Thursday, Friday and Saturday. We need to follow them and get photos of them dealing that we can present in court.’

  ‘Right, I’ll get on to all the SB regional heads and let them know what we want. Will you be in Glasgow or Germany that night, Sandra?’

  ‘In Germany, sir. My deputy can handle things in Glasgow. He’s already involved.’

  Bill arrived. ‘Good morning, all.’ He shook hands with everyone.

  Burnett said, ‘We’ve just approved Sandra’s and Malcolm’s plans for the raid, which I think you know about. How did it go with the HS?’

  ‘Very well, sir. He’s really chuffed about the offer from the Dutch government, and will take them up on it. So that’s good.

  ‘On the legal side, his advisors suggest he uses . . .’ he checked his notes, ‘. . . the Emergency Powers (Defence) (No 2) Act 1940, which has just been extended by Parliament again. It gives him powers to apprehend, try in special courts, punish and detain any person whose detention appears to him to be expedient in the interests of public safety.

  ‘He wanted to get the Opposition on side to make the whole process easier, and met with Churchill. He explained his aim to prevent the British becoming addicted to these new pills, and told him the only losers would be the Germans, who make and sell the tablets, and a few drug dealers. Churchill agreed. ‘Let’s stuff the Germans again,’ he’d said, with a smile.

  ‘When Parliament’s united like this, they can use all sorts of shortcuts, and so they plan to table an amendment to the Regulations, that would make methamphetamine drugs illegal in this country. It will happen on the seventh of January, their first day back, and should go through on the nod. That will then become the basis of an Order in Council, signed by the King a day or so later. And that’s it. These drugs would then become illegal in this country until they repeal these powers. So, it’s a short-term fix, but it allows us to act right now without a lengthy process in Parliament to change the existing drug laws.

  ‘This also allows us to use these powers in British War Zones, so we can use it to prosecute Timmermann in Germany if we want. So, what do you think? Neat, huh?’

  Burnett nodded. ‘Great. Well done to our legal eagles. Okay, let’s fire ahead with our plans. I need to go now, but I’d like you to give me a list of all the points I need to cover with the SB regional heads on this. Can you do that for me, please?’

  Sandra and Malcolm nodded. ‘Yeah, we’ll do that, sir, and leave it with your secretary.’

  ‘Good. And let’s discuss it on Tuesday next, that’s the eighteenth, to make sure we’ve captured everything we need. Talk later.’ He swept out of the room.

  The three of them went to Malcolm’s office and developed the list for Burnett. They agreed to think about it over the weekend and finalise it on Monday by phone.

  Sandra asked Malcolm’s secretary to book her a seat on the one o’clock train to Glasgow, and put on her smart dark-blue coat and hat to catch a taxi to Euston. Bill came out with her and went to get into the taxi.

  ‘You don’t need to come, Bill. I’m fine.’

  ‘Oh, I know. But we’ve had quite a week, and it just gives us the chance to wind up and agree our next steps.’ He got in and sat beside her.

  They chatted about their plans all the way to Euston. At the station, he bought a platform ticket and walked down the slope with her towards the train. They strolled past the board that announced ‘Welcome to the Coronation Scot by LMS.’

  ‘What will you do for Christmas?’ he asked.

  She smiled. ‘Oh, mum and I go to my sister’s in Ayr. Her two kids enjoy the full magic of Christmas. So it’s a nice relaxed time. What about you?’

  ‘Much the same. My parents and I go over to my brother’s place. It’s usually good fun. But it’s not really what I want to do.’

  Her heart beat faster and she felt her cheeks flush. The noises of the station all seemed louder somehow. ‘Oh? What do you really want to do?’

  He hesitated. ‘Cards on the table?’

  She stopped at her coach and glanced up at him. ‘If you like.’

  ‘I’m going to miss you, Sandra. It’s been an incredible week, and we’ve got on so well together. I just hope it might be something we can build on. If I’m honest, I haven’t felt this way for a long time. And if I’m really honest, I’d love to spend a few days with you in a lochside retreat somewhere just to see if there’s something special there. Forgive me if I’ve gone too far, but I just think it’s better to be open about it.’

  Her heart thumped and she looked up into his eyes. He seemed desperate for a positive response. She was tempted, but it was still too soon for her, and her professional brain kicked in. She smiled. ‘Well, thank you for being so honest, Bill, but let’s wait till we complete this project, huh? Let’s not complicate things. It’s been a great week, though, and I look forward to seeing you again soon.’ She stuck out her hand and he shook it.

  She lifted her case, boarded the train, and sank into her seat. He stood on the platform, and smiled at her, until the train moved off. A bit like a little boy lost, she thought.

  The door to her emotions had clanged shut the day the love of her life had died. Now, for the first time, Bill had prised it open, and it felt kind of nice.

  Chapter 10. Eddie

  Every morning, his three pills haunted and taunted Sam. Haunted because he didn’t have any more, and taunted because he couldn’t get any more. He wanted to repeat his one fantastic experience so far – to feel on top of the world, have crystal-clear thinking, and make love all night and all day to a beautiful woman. But he had to resist it. He didn’t want to use one until he had a further supply in his hand. Maybe today, he thought, as he shaved. Maybe today.

  Just after nine, Johnny came round with the car. Sam joined Eddie in the back.

  ‘Morning. How’re you today?’ Eddie asked.

  San nodded. ‘Okay. Hope Fergus has the answer for us.’

  ‘Well, he sounded positive last night.’

  ‘Good.’ Sam thought about Fergus. A long time friend of the family who ran the equivalent of the McFadden business in Edinburgh. He and Sam’s dad had been mates from way back. They’d met regularly before the war, but only a couple of times since.

  Fergus welcomed them to his home in Morningside. Dressed in an open-necked shirt, a Fair Isle pullo
ver and grey slacks, he looked really fit, thought Sam. Johnny and Tam Dunlop, Fergus’s enforcer, settled at a table in the window. Sam spread himself on a sofa, with Eddie and Fergus on other sofas, in front of the fire.

  Sam leaned forward. ‘You’ve got something for us, Fergus?’

  ‘I have, Sam. And it’s different from our usual business.’

  ‘In what way?’

  ‘We found the lad you wanted – eventually. We nailed him in the bar of the Balmoral Hotel a couple of nights ago, and made him an offer he couldn’t refuse.

  ‘His name’s Ron Baxter. He’s a quantity surveyor, whatever that is, and answered an ad in the local paper for a new business opportunity selling these tablets. A guy in London controls the whole supply network, and Ron has the franchise for Edinburgh.

  ‘He’s in with four up-market bars, but we offered to sell through our sixteen pubs and two nightclubs for a big discount, and give him protection on top. Would increase his volume by more than five times. He checked with London, and they approved it. They’re obviously interested in volume, and there’s lots of money in it. And it’s legit. So as far as I’m concerned, it’s open sesame, Sam. He’ll come over later to talk to you. He’s very open about the business.’

  ‘Great, Fergus. Have you tried one of these pills yet?’

  ‘No, I’m a bit old for that now, but Tam tried one. He says they’re magic. His wife didn’t know what had happened. He banged her every which way for two days. Right, Tam?’

  Tam laughed. ‘Yeah, right, boss.’

  Mmm, brave man, thought Sam. He’d never dream of doing that with Helen.

  The doorbell rang. Tam left and returned with a well-built lad in a suit and tie.

  Fergus stood up. ‘Come in, Ron. Let me introduce you.’

  They all shook hands and Ron sat at the other end of Fergus’s sofa. He looked over at Sam and Eddie. ‘Good to meet you. How can I help?’

  Sam sat back. He’d let Eddie answer.

  Eddie glanced over at Sam and picked up the cue he should start. ‘Yeah, it’s good to meet you too. We’re interested in handling this business for Glasgow, either through yourself, like you do with Fergus, or even on our own direct. What do you think?’

  ‘Have you got the same type of business as Fergus – you know, pubs and nightclubs?’

  ‘Yeah, we have nineteen pubs and three nightclubs, but we also have good connections into other up-market pubs.’

  Ron grimaced. ‘It’s too much for me to handle on top of Fergus’s business. You’ve got to go to Amsterdam and collect supplies. Christ, I’d be on a plane every week. But there must be someone in Glasgow, similar to me, you could work with.’

  Eddie looked puzzled for a moment. ‘Just a sec. You go to Amsterdam for supplies? How do you pay for them? You can’t take that amount of cash out of the country.’

  ‘Well, you can, if you do it right. You buy a special suitcase from the company that has secret sections in it. You could never tell they’re there. You use them to take the cash out and bring the pills back.’

  Shit, thought Sam. And that woman detective had taken Thomson’s suitcase away with her. Had she figured it out?

  Eddie glanced over at Sam. ‘And when you bring the pills back, do you just keep them in the case, or do you store them somewhere else?’ Eddie asked.

  ‘Well, you buy a special writing bureau from the company. It has a secret compartment in it. Again, you’d never know. That’s what I use.’

  Sam sat stunned. He’d examined the writing bureau in Thomson’s front room, and had missed this. Shit. And the bag the woman detective had taken away from Thomson’s flat could have contained the contents of the secret compartment, if she had figured that out as well. Jesus Christ. This company operated at a different level from him. He needed to up his game. He now wanted this business more than ever.

  Eddie nodded. ‘Sounds good. To come back to your opposite number in Glasgow, we happen to know he died in an accident a couple of weeks ago.’

  ‘Bloody hell.’ Ron looked shocked.

  ‘So, what would happen to that business in Glasgow now?’

  ‘Well, we have to ring Andrew every Monday – he’s the boss of the UK business – and tell him our sales figures for the previous week. If you fail to do it for any reason, he will re-allocate the franchise. So, he’s probably re-allocating Glasgow as we speak.’

  Shit, thought Sam. He couldn’t let that happen. He wanted that business. He cut in to the conversation. ‘We’d like to take over that franchise, Ron. Could you phone Andrew, tell him we’ve met, and that we could put a team on this quickly to build up the business in Glasgow again, similar to what you’re doing in Edinburgh?’

  Ron nodded. ‘Yeah, sure.’

  Eddie leaned over towards Sam. ‘Just before we do that, could we have a word?’

  Sam glanced over to Fergus, who stood up. ‘Aye, no problem. Use the dining room. Come on, I’ll show you.’ Fergus guided them across the hall.

  Sam stood at the window. ‘Got a problem, Eddie?’

  ‘I don’t have a problem in principle, but I’d like to clarify some details before we commit to something on the phone.’

  ‘Okay. What details?’

  ‘Do you plan to take this franchise in your own name?’

  ‘Yeah.’

  ‘Well, let’s just think about it for a minute. Look at Fergus. He’s piggybacking on Ron. He’s got none of the risk. Ron’s the one taking the risk. He travels to Amsterdam with cash and back with drugs. And you should maybe do the same. Now, it may not be much of a risk, but it’s still a risk. Put the franchise in someone else’s name. Use Oscar, or one of his people. Let them take the risk.’

  Sam pursed his lips. Oscar ran the drug business for the family. He’d known Dan from their school days, and they were complete opposites. Where Dan was cold, down to earth and blunt, Oscar was warm, sophisticated and smooth. He was also a key figure in the Glasgow arts scene, and a member of the Citizen’s Theatre. For people in these circles, he could find a cocaine supplier within an hour. Few knew he ran a ruthless drugs operation targeted on up-market areas of Glasgow. ‘Hiding in plain sight’ he said.

  Oscar technically reported to Sam, but his long term relationship with Dan gave him real influence. Sam largely let him get on with it, with a weekly meeting to monitor figures.

  ‘Fair point, Eddie. But I see this as a different business – different market – different users. Let’s leave Oscar to do his thing. And his people are just glorified message boys. We need something better here. To me, there are two key points.

  ‘First, Fergus doesn’t have anything like our cocaine business, and that’s vulnerable to this new drug. I don’t want to piggyback on someone else. I want full control of it. I want to make sure I can build this new business up, but not affect our existing business.

  ‘Second, this boss guy Andrew could re-allocate the Glasgow franchise any time. Now, I don’t want to lose it because I need time to find the right one of Oscar’s people to use as a front man. To me, it’s time critical. Use my name today to get this business. We can always change it later if we need to.’

  Eddie shrugged. ‘Okay, I see your point. You’re the boss.’

  They went back to the lounge.

  ‘Right, we’re ready to make that call.’ Sam looked at Fergus. ‘Can we use your phone, please. Fergus?’

  He stood up. ‘Sure. Go ahead. There’s an extension on this table if you want two on the line. Come on, Tam. Let’s go through to the kitchen and leave them to it. Give us a shout when you’re finished.’ They left the room.

  Ron picked up the phone and asked for the number. Sam and Eddie listened together on the extension.

  ‘Hello?’

  ‘Andrew. It’s Ron, GB09, from Edinburgh here. How are you today?’

  ‘I’m good. What can I do for you?’

  ‘I’m with a couple of lads here who want to acquire the Glasgow franchise for our products. They seem pretty good – ver
y professional – and have a similar business to Fergus here in Edinburgh that we spoke about a couple of days ago.’

  ‘Do you know why they’re interested?’

  ‘Well, I’ve got them here. Ask them yourself. They’re Sam and Eddie.’

  ‘Okay. Put them on.’

  ‘Hi Andrew, Sam here. Thanks for talking to us. As Ron says, we’re interested in the Glasgow franchise. We believe we could do a great job for you.’

  ‘I see. What makes you think the Glasgow franchise is available?’

  ‘Well, I assume it is. The guy that ran it was a mate of my brother-in-law, and he died two weeks ago.’

  ‘Jesus. What happened?’

  ‘As I understand it, he broke an ankle and hobbled around on two crutches. At home one night, he overbalanced, fell into the fireplace and cracked his head open. They called an ambulance, but he was dead by the time it arrived.’

  ‘Bloody hell. Now I know why I’m not getting a reply to my letters.’

  ‘Well, I think he lived alone. I don’t know who’d look after his mail.’

  ‘Right. Well, each franchisee must call in every week with his sales figures, and if he fails to do that, we can re-allocate it. So, in the circumstances, I should re-allocate Glasgow. So, tell me a bit about yourself and your business.’

  ‘Okay, I run a pretty successful business in Glasgow. We have nineteen pubs and three nightclubs, and have good connections into other up-market pubs. Hence the reason why we think we could move big volumes of these tablets quickly.’

  ‘Have you tried the product?’

  ‘Yeah.’

  ‘What do you think of it?’

  ‘Absolute bloody magic.’

  Andrew laughed. ‘Yeah, we think so too. How old are you?’

  ‘Thirty-four.’

  ‘Good. So, Ron speaks well of you, and I like what I hear. I’ll agree that you can run the Glasgow franchise. Do you want me to run through the main points to make sure you’re happy with them?’