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

by David Costa

  ‘After the MI5 watchers followed the man from the Iranian Embassy, we had another look at our photo coverage of the Embassy around the same time.’

  Taking the pointer, she pressed the button. Two photos were displayed on the giant screen. One showed two men walking into the Embassy and in the other, one of the men walking back out again.

  ‘I want you to notice. When the men go in, we know one from his dress business suit, the surveillance, and photos to be the man we refer to as the Arab. The other whose face isn’t clear; we don’t know yet. After a while, the second photo shows this other man leaving the building on his own this time carrying what appears to be a canvas bag. Remember these photos were taken before our surveillance teams were on the ground.’

  Pressing the zoom button on the pointer she brought the area of the man’s face and head into sharper focus.

  ‘I want you to take special notice of the black and white chequered shemagh around the man’s neck. He walks with his head down to avoid a full facial photo which is partly successful as this is the best image, we have of him.’

  Pressing the buttons once more she brought up the photo of the man leaving Finsbury Mosque the day before, showing his face covered in a black and white chequered shemagh.

  ‘I believe this is the same man in both photos and is our third member of the terrorist team. He favours the Arab headdress, and that might be his downfall if we spot him again, something for our teams to watch out for. This photo is being circulated to our teams as we speak, and copies are being sent to your phones right now.’

  Almost on cue the mobile phone in Reece’s pocket buzzed.

  Francis sat back down and Broad spoke once more.

  ‘This man was carrying a bag, and I’m sure it wasn’t containing sweets from the sweet shop. You all have everything we have, and I believe enough you will need to get these people. I’ll be available here until the end of this operation. To keep things simple, we’ve given the three people we know simple code names. The Arab, the man in the suit Target One, the younger man with the shemagh Target Two, and the woman Target Three. I’ll keep everyone informed including ‘C’ and I’m sure Sir Martin Bryant will do the same with the Prime Minister. Unless there are any more questions let us get out there, people, and get a result.’

  No one spoke and with everyone got up to leave, Broad beckoned Reece and Anna to stay.

  ‘I’ve spoken with ‘C’ and Kurt Shimon and they both are thinking as one on this. Mossad and SG9 will work together on this to the very end. David you will work with Anna. Palo will stay here with me and Matthew Simons. No matter what comes in from the ground, we will try to give you a heads up to enable you to get there first and if possible, eliminate this threat. We don’t want these people escaping or using the justice system to become heroes to their cause. Do you have a problem with this?’

  ‘No,’ said Anna.’

  Having experience of killings on city streets Reece waited a few seconds before replying.

  ‘We know these people are here to kill. They will not care how many, and from what we know already, the Arab has killed before either by himself or by using others to do his dirty work for him. They will not worry who gets in the way if we try to stop them, so from that point of view I have no problem. But the biggest problem for us is the hundreds of people who are on the streets, not including security forces who will be around at the same time. The ideal scenario would be for us to corner them in a building where either ourselves or the Special Forces get into a one-to-one situation and take them out. That carries danger as we saw in Manchester when one of the targets set off a suicide bomb during a house assault killing one of our SAS troopers. I think in the situation we are in, any action by SG9 in the open carries more risk. In such a situation, we can back-up the Security Services and take them out in whatever way we can, but that might also include capturing them alive.’

  ‘I understand what you’re saying, David. The terrorists need to be found first. Then we can decide what we are going to do. That is why I’ll be here for every second, helping with that decision, are you happy with that?’ said Broad.

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Then let’s get out there and good luck. Your team will have the call signs Alpha One and Two to help the control team know when you’re around the other surveillance teams, so that, if necessary, we tell them to hold or pull back to allow you free rein. The SAS will be mobile in two transit vans with the call signs Tango One and Two to give you back-up. Your cars have bulletproof glass. In the boot you will find police marked baseball hats and protection vests with a couple of fully loaded H&K MP5 rifles. So, hopefully everything you need. Let me know if you require anything else. If we get any more information, I’ll let you know immediately. Everything else you will hear over the air.’

  ‘I’ve already had a run in the BMW, it’s just what we need in London. Have you seen how many German built cars there are out there?’

  ‘That’s why our surveillance teams like them David, there’s so many. They blend in and the bad guys can’t tell which one is being driven by the good guys.’

  Broad then sat down beside Sir Martin Bryant who had remained behind listening to the conversation. Reece, like Broad, did not trust politicians, and as much as Bryant would want everyone to believe he was one of the boys, they both knew his first loyalty was to the politicians he worked for. From his years of experience in Northern Ireland, Reece knew how the politicians had helped stoke the fires of war by protecting themselves, rather than allowing the security forces to take on the enemy. Instead of demanding a complete surrender, the politicians had let them off the hook, brought in the Peace Process and The Good Friday Agreement; allowing mass killers to walk out of prison after serving just two years and giving those not captured get of jail free cards. The politicians will always go the way of the next vote.

  For now, it was time to get back to work and doing the thing he was best at, tracking down bad people and dealing with them.

  ‘Do you fancy a coffee?’ Reece asked Anna.

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Let’s head for the cafeteria, I’m sure we will find two people you need to know.’

  Reece was right, sitting at one of the tables right where he expected them to be, were Harrison and Cousins. The building had three such places, one for the civil servants who carried out all the admin chores, one for the MI6 agents where they sat now, and a private dining room on the same floor as the office of the Director of MI6, where he ate and could entertain visiting politicians and fellow heads of the world’s intelligence services.

  ‘Anna, let me introduce you to Steve Harrison and Joe Cousins, hereafter to be known as Alpha Two. Gentlemen our friend from Mossad, Anna.’

  The two men stood and shook hands with Anna.

  ‘Welcome Anna, I hope you don’t have to spend too much time with David, he can get you into trouble,’ said Cousins.

  ‘That’s why I’m here, he already has.’ said Anna laughing.

  Reece left and returned with two black coffees with milk on the side. Anna was already deep in conversation with both Cousins and Harrison.

  ‘Your friends are typical undercover David. They tell you a lot yet at the same time say nothing.’

  ‘I taught them everything they know, but not everything I know. Can you imagine what the conversation would be like, if we really did know what each of us were up to in our past lives, we would all have to sit here with our mouths zipped shut. Someone once said, the thing about keeping secrets; it’s a lot easier if you don’t know them in the first place.’

  All four raised their cups to toast the sentiment.

  ‘OK people, we need to get out on the ground both on foot and mobile. The information points to them being somewhere in the Edgware Road area. It’s a long road, so that’s where we start. I know the basic outline of the road so we will start out on foot, parking up nearby. It’s dark now and most of the shops will be closed, so it will just be the take-aways and restaurants ope
n at this time of the day. The rush hour traffic that lasts for three hours in London will still be clogging up the streets, so if we walk the area for now, we will find it easier than having to negotiate the traffic. Do you have everything you need?’ he asked the men.

  ‘Yes, we picked up our weapons and ear radios and the car has all the extras required,’ replied Cousins.

  ‘Good we need to keep in close contact, and at the same time be aware of the other agencies operating out there.’

  Reece had been right about the traffic. Despite there being a congestion charge for people driving in the city nothing had changed. The people somehow found the money for the charge and the traffic was still congested.

  As they drove through the city, they tested the comms linking in with each other and letting the control room know they were out on the ground and available for updates.

  It was almost 7 p.m. when they parked up on Connaught Street just off Edgware Road itself. The street was still busy and the two parking spaces where timed for payment parking was until 6 p.m., so they were now free to park until 7 a.m. the next day.

  ‘Steve, you stay here with the cars while we go for a walk,’ said Reece.

  Reece knew it wouldn’t go down too well if one of the cars was stolen with a high-powered rifle inside and full of equipment. Reece also knew that Harrison had a previous life as one of the MI5 watchers. He had spent quite a few hours walking the streets of London, following suspects and he would know this area better than the rest of them.

  ‘No problem, I can listen to my favourite hour on Classic FM,’ replied Harrison.

  ‘As long as you keep one ear for us,’ said Reece.

  ‘Always.’

  Reece informed control that Alpha One was moving on foot in the Edgware Road area. He knew the communications were encrypted to avoid listening radio enthusiasts or the opposition hearing the conversation, but he still had the instinct to say as little as possible.

  The rain had stopped, the pavements wet and the air cold. Why hadn’t he stayed in Malta, thought Reece?

  Chapter 23

  As the SG9 team parked up and started their reconnaissance walk around the area, the Arab, now dressed in a green parka and jeans, opened the door to the apartment on the Edgware Road and walked up the stairs to meet with his students as arranged. He had called in a supermarket to pick up a bag of groceries which he placed on a bench in the kitchen.

  ‘Good evening my children,’ he spoke.

  They both stood to greet him.

  ‘You both look worried, come let us sit down at the table and talk. Hassan, bring the bag.’

  Yasmin poured them yet another mug of coffee and sat down with the two men.

  ‘Let’s see what we have.’

  The Arab unzipped the bag and took out the contents, one item at a time. First there were two handguns; German made 9 mm Glock pistols. He checked that each had a full magazine. He then slashed the slide of each gun putting a 9mm round in the breach. The Embassy Deputy First Secretary had already supplied the Arab with the gun that now rested in the pocket of his parka jacket. All three guns ready to fire. Beside them he placed three fully loaded spare magazines.

  ‘You will keep these with you at all times even when you sleep. You do not surrender if cornered. If you must die for the cause of Jihad then take many of the infidels with you.’

  He reached into the bag again and produced three passports and three credit cards and handed one of each to his students.

  ‘When our mission is complete, we will use these new identities to help our escape. The credit cards are in the same name as the passports, and you can use them to buy hotel rooms and flights. After our mission, take transport as soon as you can out of the city and go to Bristol, where you will find it safe to stay in a hotel for a few days. After this short stay you will get a flight from Bristol to any European airport. From there it will be easier to get back to Iran. Don’t travel or stay together you will be safer on your own.’

  Once again he reached into the bag and produced three plastic Tupperware boxes. The students could see they were just like the ones they had used at the training camp in Iran. The lids were closed, and they could see the plastic explosives inside with a detonator pushed into the explosives and two wires coming from the detonator through a hole in the lid. The wires were then linked to a mobile phone which was taped to the outside lid.

  ‘You have both seen these at the camp?’

  Both students nodded.

  ‘Good, then Kalil taught you well. That is one of the reasons I’ve chosen you for this mission. You have learnt well my children. Now we are going to put all that training to real use in attacking the enemies of Allah. Do you have any questions?’

  ‘We have trained in putting this type of bomb together,’ said Hassan, ‘the question is, how we detonate them.’

  ‘A good question Hassan, it is my intention that we should not be near when they detonate. Today I spotted what I think was the enemy looking for us. I lost them easily when they started to follow. They know we are here, and they’re out there in the city, so we need to be extra careful. The final part of our mission will take place in two days’ time. Before I answer your question, Hassan. Yasmin how was your day as a tourist?’

  Yasmin took out her mobile phone and opened the photos she had taken in Trafalgar Square and handed the phone to the Teacher.

  ‘As you can see, the square was busy despite the time of the year and the cold weather. I saw nothing of the enemy that was not unusual, just some uniformed police on foot, no more than two at a time walking through the square. Any attack would be over before they knew what hit them.’

  ‘That is good my child, and you’re sure you were not followed?’

  ‘As sure as I can be.’

  ‘Good, good. On Friday it will be your mission to go to the square and leave one of these boxes.’

  Lifting one of the boxes he pointed to the mobile phone.

  ‘Now, my children, to answer your question, Hassan. You will notice each box has a different coloured dot on top. The one with the green dot will be left here. It has a one-hour delay. On each box there are two buttons. The blue one switches the phone on and the red one starts the timer, then you will have time to get away. When all our boxes have been armed you will get a train or to Bristol. The enemy won’t expect you to go in that direction, they will think that you are still in the city, but the timer will give you enough time to get away.’

  ‘And the second bomb?’ asked Hassan.

  ‘The mission is two pronged. The box with the blue dot is for Yasmin to place in Trafalgar Square. It has a two-hour delay giving Yasmin time to escape. It will attack the confidence of the population and their tourist industry killing many infidels. The third one with the red dot is the most important, which Hassan and I will deliver. It has a three-hour countdown giving us plenty of time to leave the target area. It will destroy the economic heart of the infidel for many years to come perhaps even for good. Have you ever heard of Canary Wharf?’

  ‘Yes, it’s mentioned in the A–Z book,’ replied Hassan.

  ‘What it might not mention is that it’s the financial heart of Europe. All the big banks and financial companies are based there. This is our main target. Using one of these boxes with what we have in our walking stick will cripple these important institutions for years to come. It will be one of the greatest blows we can make against the Great Satan and the Jihad will praise our names.’

  Both students looked at the Arab and smiled.

  ‘Why must we wait for two days,’ asked Yasmin. ‘Surely we put ourselves at more risk of being discovered by waiting. We could go tomorrow.’

  ‘Have patience my child. When we visited the Deputy First Secretary at the embassy today, he told me that on Friday there’ll be the unveiling of a plaque at the opening of a new office building in Canary Wharf by the Princess Royal, the daughter of the British Queen. We will time our attack to coincide with the unveiling at 3 pm. As for th
e risk, the risk is no more than it would be if we went tomorrow. If you remain in this area and don’t expose yourselves unnecessarily, we will be safe enough to fulfil our mission.

  ‘There is no reason to leave, I’ll return on Friday morning, be ready. You have your phones. Contact me if you have any problems. On Friday morning we will make a short video describing our mission to be put on the Internet after our mission is complete.’

  He reached into the bag once more and produced three full face covering balaclavas.

  ‘As this is not a martyr mission and we will be involved in many more in the name of Allah and the Jihad, we will have our faces covered for the video. Now I must return to my hotel. Do not forget your prayers tonight my children. Pray that Allah will bless you and our mission.’

  The Arab stood and drank down the last of his coffee, before leaving the two students to their thoughts and prayers.

  The Arab pulled the apartment door behind him and having a quick look around, turned to walk towards the bottom of Edgware Road and Marble Arch.

  It was Reece who spotted him first, the man had just pulled up the hood of his parka as he walked along the street. Reece noticed the way the man kept looking from side to side and behind while trying to appear natural. It was the years of doing this for real that made Reece realise it was anything but natural. He spoke into his radio mic.

  ‘Alpha One to control I have eyes on a possible for Target One.’

  Immediately the reply came back from the desk operator at control.

  ‘Roger Alpha One, confirm your location.’

  ‘Edgware Road walking towards Marble Arch wearing a green parka with the hood pulled up and blue jeans.’

  ‘Roger Alpha One. You are the only call signs in that area. I’m alerting the Red Team who are on their way to support you. Should be with you in ten.’

  Reece continued with Anna thirty yards behind him, with Cousins walking on the other side but trying to stay close to be parallel with the target.