Light of the Sun: They always make a mistake and when they do, we kill them...

by David Costa

  ‘How did your meeting go?’

  ‘It went OK, but I think it will mean more work for a few days for myself and Matthew so you might be on your own for a while.’

  ‘What’s it all about Joseph. Will you be in danger?’

  ‘I can’t tell you too much, the less you know about these things the better, but this I can tell you, it’s basically a watching job. We will be working with other people to gather information for our bosses to keep them happy.’

  ‘These other people you will be working with. Does it include a woman?’

  There it was! The question he knew would come. Mary could read him like a book when it came to his job, and she knew if he was going to be working on a watching brief then there would always be the possibility that there would be a female operative working with him.

  ‘Yes, one of the other team is a woman operator, why?’

  ‘Oh, I don’t know, just instinct, I think. It’s hard enough for me not knowing what you’re doing all the time and I understand. The secrecy, the need to know, you’ve always explained but I know when you must work closely with others sometimes there will be a woman and I suppose I’m a wee bit jealous that it’s not going to be me by your side. What’s she like? Is she beautiful, no, don’t tell me I’d rather not know? But is she beautiful Joseph?’

  Reece smiled and taking her in his arms kissed her.

  ‘You never have to worry about another woman beautiful or not, she is there like me to do a job, no more no less. I love you Mary, no one will ever be able to take your place.’

  Now it was her turn to smile, and she poured a little more wine.

  ‘Right answer, Mister Reece.’

  Simons came out of his bedroom.

  ‘I hope one of those glasses is for me?’

  ‘Of course, help yourself,’ said Mary.

  ‘Great I needed that,’ said Simons as he took a large swig from his glass, ‘London updated, and we are to go ahead as agreed at the meeting but keep them informed.’

  ‘By the sound of things, you’re both going to be busy tomorrow, so I suggest we finish this bottle of wine and get an early night.’

  ‘Matthew and I have a few things to discuss but it won’t take long.’

  ‘Then I bid you both goodnight, but don’t stay up too late. Are we still walking up to the café in the morning?’

  ‘Yes, and Matthew too if he wants to join us.’

  ‘No thanks. I’ve had a long day and I’ll need a lie-in if you don’t mind guys.’

  ‘Just me and you then Mary.’

  Chapter 9

  The Arab, as was his usual routine, began his day as the sun was rising, leaving the villa for a three-mile run then ten lengths of the pool before a simple breakfast of bread and fruit washed down with two cups of strong coffee. After a quick shower he drove to the Grand Bazaar in the city and once again met with the General of the Quads Overseas Operations outside the same café where they’d met before. This time they were alone and as far as he could see the General’s bodyguards were keeping a low profile because they were nowhere in sight. The Arab told the General he had found the two students he needed for the next part of the operation. He also requested that he provide two new passports, giving him the details that were required, he would send him the photos later. The General described what the operation needed and how he should proceed. He knew the Arab would proceed as he would see it, and that the details he had given to him would only be used as the outline. The meeting lasted just over an hour. At the end of their conversation the Arab now knew the target and was pleased as he drove back to the villa that he had recruited the right people to complete the operation with success. As he left the café he did not notice the dust covered blue Toyota Hiace van further down the street. If he had, he would have noticed that the rear windows were black one-way reflective glass. The kind of glass that would protect the two Mossad agents inside, who could take their photos without being seen. Their target for the morning had been the Quads General. The man he had met with was unknown to them, and they had no idea that the batch of photos they transferred later that day would raise so much interest at Mossad HQ in downtown Tel Aviv.

  Kalil brought the two students to the villa, not trusting the task of such an important assignment to anyone else, he appreciated that as the operation would be led by the Arab, the fewer people who knew of it the better. He did not stay long and after a coffee left for the city where he had business to see to, before returning to the training camp. The Arab showed the students to their rooms which were a great improvement on the tents and Porta cabins they had been staying in during their training. He told them to shower and change into fresh clothes to get rid of the desert sand, then meet with him on the open terrace where the cool breeze was blowing gently through the olive trees that surrounded the property.

  One hour later the two students sat beside each other facing the Teacher who had a large file on the table between them.

  ‘We will eat later. But first I’m sure you’re both curious about a couple of things. First, why did I choose you and second, what are we going to do? So, do you have any questions?’

  Both remained silent.

  ‘I’ll start with the first question which in a way answers the second. You both have the skills I’ll need if we are to complete our mission. You both know how to use weapons and communications. You both know something of the use of nuclear weapons. More importantly, you are both committed to the cause even if your reasons for being here are different. But most of all to me you’re still fresh, still with much to learn, skills that only I can teach you. I’ve been given a mission that consists of three parts. This is your first lesson, security, for your own part in the plan, you will work alone. You may have to kill someone to complete your part. Are you willing to do that if you have to, or if I ask you to?’

  Both students nodded.

  ‘Even if the person you have to kill is to your knowledge a good Muslim?’

  Both students looked at each other before nodding once more.

  ‘Good, because there may be a time or a reason when you will have to kill someone Muslim, Christian whoever. You must always continue to believe in the reasons you’ve joined this Holy War. The same reasons why I’ve chosen you. The Jihad is more important than our lives. If it is to succeed, we must always believe that. As I told you yesterday, you’re the students, and I’m the Teacher. For this operation you will be working in Europe under my command and with different identities. We are finished for now, so you may go to your rooms to pray and rest. Before you do, I need to take your photos for your new passports. We will talk more around dinner this evening when I’m sure you will have many questions which is only natural.’

  The students never said a word and having posed for their photos taken on the Teacher’s camera phone, retired to their rooms while he forwarded their pictures to the General.

  The empty plates after dinner on the veranda showed the students enjoyed eating something better than the training camp food. The evening breeze was blowing gently through the trees surrounding the villa. The Arab, who liked to cook, had made the meal. The conversation included how the students felt about their training, world events, and the news of the day. The Arab spoke with a quiet voice, a voice that both students listened to with concentration, neither wanting to miss anything being said by the Teacher.

  ‘I’ve chosen you both for an important operation. You each have in your own way a particular set of skills that Allah needs. You both speak English and from now on that is the only language we will use between us; here, now and wherever you are when you leave here on your tasks which I’ll explain to you each in turn alone. The part you will each play will involve your own individual skills. At the start of the operation, you will be working on your own, but like the jigsaw, if you’re successful, we will all come together at the last part to complete our mission. Therefore, I’ll brief you alone. The less each of you know about the full jigsaw, the safer our security wil
l be. When we each complete our parts and we come together at the end game, only then will you understand why this has to be this way.’

  ‘Are we to sacrifice ourselves for the sake of Allah?’ asked Shama.

  The Arab could see no fear in her eyes nor hear fear in her voice when she asked the question. He could sense she did not fear death and he respected her even more for being brave enough to ask it.

  ‘No, my child I know you both have dedicated your lives to the cause of Islamic Jihad. You both knew from the start that there would always be the possibility to give your life to that cause, to be a sacrifice to Allah if needed. The operation I will describe to you both will not require you to give that sacrifice, but to send hundreds of the enemies of Allah to hell and if the operation goes well to live, where you will be known among the soldiers of Allah, as one of his great heroes. If you do die during that operation then you will be among the greatest of the Martyrs and will pass easily into paradise to sit at the feet of Allah and hear him call your name. For now, you will rest tonight. With the early morning we will run, swim, and keep fit; then your education for the operation will begin, when I’ll teach each of you what is expected. We do not have much time and there is much for you to learn and understand, so be awake with the sunrise and ready for the day and to fight as a soldier of Allah and Jihad. Inshallah, the future is in God’s hands so until tomorrow, relax. This evening take a walk, enjoy the night sky, we will talk in the morning.’

  Chapter 10

  Jim Broad had spent the morning at his desk reading through the many intelligence reports from his SG9 agents around the world and the other files from MI6, MI5, and GCHQ, that linked into his own team’s operations on the ground. Broad always tried to be in the office for 7am to get ahead of things before the day brought its own problems. He read for the fourth time the update from Matthew Simons, telling him what was happening in Malta and the meeting with the Mossad agents. The circulation notes at the top of the page showed the restricted readers who would have access to these reports, the Prime Minister, Sir Martin Bryant, the head of MI6, MI5, and Broad. The need to know strictly restricted to these few. Only they knew who and what SG9 were. Their job to find and eliminate those terrorists threatening the UK. It had taken Broad the full hour he allowed each day to satisfy himself that he had read enough, and to feel he was fully up to date with what was going on in the world he inhabited. The red-light button on his desk phone started flashing indicating that Sir Ian Fraser was on the secure line.

  ‘Good morning Jim, how’s things?’

  ‘Not bad Sir Ian. What’s up?’

  ‘I suppose you’re up to date with today’s reports and the Malta operation?’

  ‘Yes, just finished reading them it looks like our people have a grip on things down there.’

  ‘Yes, but something has come in this morning which might interest you and have some influence on what your team in Malta are doing. Could you meet me at my office in an hour for a chat, I don’t like spending too much time on these things.’

  Broad knew of ‘C’ and his old-fashioned methods where he preferred to see people’s faces over a table rather than a voice on the phone.

  ‘Yes, that’s not a problem see you in one hour.’

  ‘Good man, see you then.’

  Putting the phone down, Broad lifted the Malta file one more time to make sure he had all the answers for his meeting with Sir Ian, then buzzed his secretary to arrange for his driver to have the car ready in ten minutes. London traffic was light and even though he was early for his meeting, Sir Ian had Broad brought into the office as soon as he arrived forty-five minutes after leaving his own.

  ‘Have you read the overnight reports?’ asked Fraser.

  It was a question where Fraser already knew the answer. He knew Jim Broad was a creature of habit and was always in the office early just to make sure he could answer questions when they came. Fraser felt it was only good manners to ask his Black Ops Chief such a question.

  ‘Yes, I think I’m up to date.’

  This answer let Fraser know that Broad had read the reports but that he was aware that there was something he did not know, and that was why the summons to the office of ‘C’ instead of a chat over a secure line.

  ‘I see our people have met up with the Mossad crew,’ said Fraser smiling.

  Seeing his boss smile when asking a question was a rare thing and it helped Broad relax. Whatever it was that Fraser was going to tell him it was not going to be trouble.

  ‘Yes. Everything is looking good, and I expect them to get back to us later today after they do some work with the two Mossad agents.’

  ‘It’s early days and I want you to know that Sir Martin Bryant has been in touch with me, to say that if we need anything, he can contact the British High Commissioner in Malta to get it for us, no questions asked.’

  ‘I’m not too happy with any involvement from civil servants, even Bryant or High Commissioners,’ answered Broad.

  ‘Don’t worry, Jim. I told him the same thing while thanking him at the same time. Apparently, the High Commissioner is an old university chum of his, and, according to him, understands the need-to-know philosophy. But we should always keep contacts like these sweet. Do not burn our bridges as it were. But why I really asked you here concerns a call I had this morning which may have some bearing on what is happening in Malta. The call was from Kurt Shimon in Tel Aviv. It would appear they have an ongoing operation in Iran during which their agents photographed a meeting between a high-ranking Quads officer and another man, who from their files, they’ve subsequently identified as our friend the Arab.’

  Fraser pushed a file across the desk to Broad before continuing.

  ‘As you can see Jim the photos are excellent and better than anything we have on file here, so I suggest we get them out there to our people on the ground as soon as. I suspect knowing how Mossad operate, these pictures do not tell the full story, so we need to suspect everything we are being told. I like Kurt Shimon, but I don’t love him. He’s in the same business as us protecting his country and, like us, we have some secrets we don’t tell everybody and that includes our friends.’

  ‘You mean the CIA?’

  ‘I mean everybody, but especially the CIA. Their big problem since 9/11, is any information they get they react on, and most of the time they react too quickly by sending in the heavy cavalry or just hitting everything with a drone. We are a bit more subtle. Let us find out what the bastards are up to first before we blow up half a city block just to get one guy.’

  ‘Mossad haven’t held back from doing just that in the past,’ said Broad.

  ‘I know that only too well, so let’s keep some of our cards close to our chest as well. Like you, I read a report; but it only tells half the story. I want you to talk to Reece before he meets up with these Mossad people today. Send him the photos but tell him to keep them to himself and Simons. I want to see if their people have the same photos and if they share them with us. Tel Aviv will presume we will give them to our people in Malta, but I want to see if they’ve given them to their own people. There may be something going on here that Shimon doesn’t want us to know, the full picture may be hidden, so let us play it slowly and let us see if they have any more cards up their sleeve.’

  ‘I hope they aren’t playing games. These people we are dealing with don’t play for fun, they play for real.’

  ‘I see in the report that the plan for today is to sit and watch, to try to work out what this Iranian is up to. Have you any thoughts on what might happen next?’

  ‘It’s a wait and see game, but if he comes ashore with anything that looks like a bomb or a weapon, between our guys and the Mossad team, we should be able to handle it.’

  ‘You mean take him out?’

  ‘If we need to, but he’ll have those Hezbollah bodyguards, so let us hope it won’t come to that. Reece is experienced enough and knows the land in Malta, so he’ll make sure the Israelis know the score. We will work
with them if the threat concerns both our countries, but we will not be taking orders from them. If we consider that threat needs to be eliminated, we will work alone if we need to.’

  Sir Ian stood and walked to the large window overlooking the Thames. Broad could see he was deep in thought and waited to allow those thoughts to surface.

  ‘Right Jim. You get back to your office and update Reece on the way forward. I have a meeting with the PM in Downing Street at ten and I will do likewise. The Arab is the terrorist poster boy and with this Quads Colonel arriving in Malta most likely working with him, they’re up to something big. If we can nip it in the bud before it gets too far all the better, but for the moment we don’t have enough of the picture to do that, so tell Reece what we need. After I have seen the PM, I’ll give Tel Aviv a call to see if I can push them for more information on what they think this meeting between The Arab and the Quads General in Tehran was all about.’

  Broad sent the photos to Reece then called him.

  ‘Good morning David. I thought you would like something juicy to start your day, a nice photo of our friend the Arab. Do you like it?’

  ‘It’s better than the one Matthew brought. So, do we still think there is some connection between him and our Iranian friend here?’

  ‘We do, especially as he was meeting with an Iranian Quads General. ‘C’ thinks so as well. He is briefing the Prime Minister as we speak. We want you to be wary of our Mossad friends let them tell you the story of the meeting and the photos. Don’t let them know you’re aware of them yet. Have you everything you need?’

  ‘Yes, for now.’

  ‘If you run into any problems with the locals, the British High Commissioner to Malta is an old school buddy of Sir Martin Bryant. I don’t know if he would be of any use but horses for courses when needed. His name is Sir Julian Richardson Smith. Good luck today, we can catch-up later.’

  Bryant keeping his finger in the pie, thought Reece. Only if really needed was an understatement.