by David Whaley
Every few minutes from then on a trickle of officers would enter the room greeting the ones already present, engaging in humorous banter.
Then, at two on the dot the supervisors walked in including the inspector where everyone stood up in response and PS Shire proceeded to call out the days postings.
Natalie was again posted to AO 21 Lates but this time single crewed which caused her to scan the room for Daniel as, on paper, they had been posted with each other every day for that set of shifts. He wasn’t there.
When parade had finished and everyone started leaving the room, Natalie approached PS Shire to have a quick word.
“You okay, Nat,” asked PS Shire.
“Yeah, I’m fine but was wondering where Daniel is.”
“He called in sick this morning saying only that he felt really rough.”
“Okay, just wondered really.”
Natalie then went and booked out her car, checking it for unreported damage whilst also ensuring the lights and sirens were working correctly. With the necessary checks completed, she was out on the road and ready to start accepting calls.
The first five hours of the shift went by with very few calls coming in, emergency and otherwise, whereby the calls that I come in resulted in nothing more than an intelligence report here and a child come to notice report there.
A ringing sound then rung out throughout the car, Natalie momentarily forgetting about the private call function on her personal radio.
“Go ahead,” Natalie said, pressing the call accept button that also allowed her to transmit when pressed down.
“Nat, we need you back at AO,” said the familiar voice of the inspector referring to Lakeford police station.
“Yeah? Okay, travelling time from Lakeford BR station.”
Natalie terminated the call and she turned her car around heading back unsure of the task soon to be at hand.
At the police station, Natalie made her way to the supervisors office where another two police officers stood outside; one she knew who was on her team, the other she didn’t but had seen around the police station from time to time.
“We’ve been told to wait here,” said the unknown officer.
“Any idea why we’ve been called?”
“Ain’t got a clue,” replied Elliot Kemp from her team.
They spent a further fifteen minutes introducing themselves to the unknown officer, introduced as Joshua Hartman, and spoke about general policing topics when another two officers arrived. There was something different about them. They were wearing blue overalls and, this time, unknown to everyone in the hallway when it suddenly dawned on Natalie, especially when she confirmed it with Joshua. They were all CBRN trained.
CBRN stands for Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and its officers are specialists able to respond to criminal offences involving these categories but have largely been used in response to terrorist related incidents. It was CBRN where Natalie and Elliot had transferred from together only a year ago where she had spent two.
The police officers dressed in blue overalls entered the supervisors’ office saying only that they were ready and they all followed them to the briefing room.
Inside, everyone was ushered to take a seat where the two full time CBRN officers, both male, stood at the front of the room.
“Hello everyone and thanks for coming to assist us,” said the attractive thirty something man with short brown hair. “We are CBRN officers, if you hadn’t already guessed, as are all of you. I am PC Epsom and my colleague here is PC Rowland.”
PC Rowland then sat down at the already logged on computer terminal and unlocked it by entering his password.
“The reason you are here is to assist us with the search of a house but we are short staffed due to another six houses also being searched involved in this operation where we will be searching each property simultaneously. John will now take you through the briefing,” continued PC Epsom.
John Rowland turned on the projector attached to the ceiling using the remote control and the projection screen illuminated taking a few seconds to focus. The title of the briefing, clearly typed above the Metropolitan Police logo, was ‘Operation Retrieve.’
“Welcome everyone. The searches being carried out today are being conducted under the operation name of ‘Retrieve,’” introduced PC John Rowland clicking the mouse to proceed to the next slide. “There are seven properties in total to be searched consisting of houses and flats, council and privately owned. The searches will be conducted simultaneously and are all located within the Metropolitan Police District and we are to search in a methodical manner. We are looking for unlabelled containers of liquid, however, be vigilant. Should you locate labelled containers that you find the slightest bit suspicious, then seize it. We do not know the colour of the liquid nor do we know the consistency.”
PC Rowland ran through the details of the warrant and the court in which it was obtained, reminding the officers of the necessity to consider humans rights and the provisions in which the warrant legally allows them to breach.
He then informed the officers that the search was in relation to terrorism, running through some sections of the terrorism act and which power they would be using to seize any items.
“The property we are going to be searching is 2 Orford Road, a house with two floors,” continued PC Rowland then going through a floor plan of the property. “All officers present will be fully kitted up in hazmat suits and providing this is worn and sealed up at all times within the property and whilst handling seized items, there should be no health and safety implications. Any questions?”
“That is a very thorough briefing but you haven’t explained where the intelligence has come from that has caused you to obtain an emergency warrant,” stated PS Shire.
“Nick, you better answer that one. Have you heard yet?”
“Not yet,” replied PC Nick Epsom. “I apologise to everyone for the lack of information in that respect. We are waiting to hear from the commander overseeing this op on whether or not we are permitted to divulge that information, but if we are it will be back here during the debrief. I must mention though, that everything contained within this briefing and any information you receive later must stay between us. We leave in five minutes. Hazmat suits are in the back of our van.”
The supervisors went back to their office and the police officers went to the yard where they removed their stab vests before clambering into the back of the blue, unmarked transit van pulling on their CBRN suits. They left off the headwear to put on when they arrive.
They took a seat in three of the four rear seats set against the wall of the van whilst PC Epsom and Rowland sat in the front, the former driving, and they set off into the darkness.
Twenty minutes later they arrived at 2 Orford Road where they all got out of the van, PC Epsom armed with the enforcer, and they donned their headwear rushing up to the front door.
PC Epsom readied himself in an optimum position to get enough of a swing to force the door. Having established that there were no deadlocks on the reverse side of the door, only a single Yale lock, he held the enforcer waist height and pulled it back. Seconds later, he let out a single swing following through the lock and forcing the door to open first time.
Natalie checked her watch as she rushed in to secure the property. Nine in the evening. She had a smile on her face, satisfied that at that precise moment a series of raids were being conducted like clockwork, and in regards to terrorism no less, the occupants therein being served with a copy of the warrant.
The police officers entered each room searching for any signs of life for them to detain, but the shouts of, “clear,” signified the property was empty. A common thought shared with each of the officers was that the property was very clean and tidy.
The search of the house then began.
The ground floor was searched first in every possible hiding place: in the fridge and the oven, under the sofa, in the lamp shades and under loose floorbo
ards but nothing was found.
The next step was to tackle the upstairs.
Here, they checked under the beds and mattresses, in the toilet cistern and in the cupboards again resulting in nothing being found.
The final step was to tackle the garden area, namely the shed that looked too big for the small, quaint and overgrown lawn.
“This looks promising,” suggested Elliot as he opened the sheds double, thin wooden doors revealing shelves packed with chemistry equipment as he momentarily recalled the science lessons he had at school. However, he was in the bottom group.
They all entered and started the search working their way around the room starting from the door, each eager to reach the fridge in the furthest corner finding it a strange item to find in a shed.
They looked high and low finding only empty containers that, perhaps, once contained the substance they were after.
Eventually, they had reached the fridge and Natalie carefully opened the door. All five CBRN officers, still dressed in full hazmat suits, peered inside.
There, on the middle shelf, stood a single jam jar containing, not jam, but a clear and slightly misty liquid causing PC Rowland to go outside to the van and retrieve two containers, both different in shape and size.
Back at the unidentified substance, PC Rowland placed the small cylinder shaped container of the two and removed the lid then setting it onto the floor. He carefully took hold of the jam jar, containing the substance, with both hands slowly lowering it to the floor and into the container. He then secured it by twisting the screw top lid tight into place.
Natalie, remembering her time with CBRN, prepared the larger square, thick walled container, noticing the foam packing with a deep circular cut-out in the middle. PC Rowland took hold of the sealed cylinder container securing the jam jar with both hands. He carefully placed this into the purpose made slot where Natalie closed the box. She clipped it locked using the metal fasteners labelling the box appropriately in the spaces provided.
With this complete, PC Epsom made a phone call and waited in the living room for the researchers to collect their find which only took half an hour.
The researchers collected the sealed box and took away their hazmat suits to be incinerated leaving within a few minutes for their lab. A few more minutes later and the police officers were en route back to the police station whilst PC Rowland made another phone call to the commander to update him about their find.
Commander Gibson was said to be pleased about their apparent success as the other properties turned up mostly nothing but a few items of only partial interest in regards to the investigation. He also authorised PC Epsom and Rowland to reveal what they know.
At the police station, Natalie and the remaining CBRN officers, along with the supervisors, gathered in the briefing room once again.
“Okay. Thank you for all your help today,” said Nick Epsom. “And, of course, to the Sergeants and the Inspector for allowing us to utilise their resources. Now, the item we found today we believe to be a noxious liquid and I have a DVD to show you which is an exact copy of the one sent to the Prime Minister late this morning. All will be clear once you watch it. We will also require a statement from each of you explaining your role during this operation. May I also reiterate, that everything you know and are about to find out does not leave this room.”
John Rowland, meanwhile, prepared the DVD player and the overhead projector loading the disc and pressing play on the controller.
Immediately, an image of a male, well into his fifties, appeared on the screen and although he appeared British, in the background were fabric curtains with Arabic writing on them.
“We believe this man to be Derek Claridge who has access to all the addresses searched today,” said PC Epsom.
A short pause and this well dressed man started speaking with a British accent.
“Mr Prime Minister. By now you have probably guessed by the stereotypical contents within this image I have portrayed that we are, what you would call, a terrorist organisation. Yet, we only fight for what is right. I am the founder of ‘The British Equivalent’ acting unofficially on behalf of ‘Al Qaeda’ standing up for what we both believe in. Our values. Although we are newly formed, we are many and are capable of great things which you are about to find out.
We have already released a biological virus into ventilation systems across the UK in which the news has called ‘The Mysterious Illness,’ who also state that the infected toll has reached ten thousand. However, this virus is harmless but makes all those become even more aggressive than they have already been. We have carried out extensive tests on small animals where, although the results have thus far been similar, it is evident that humans react more severely. We call our virus TBE-1.
Don’t worry; there’s a cure in a secure location. The virus itself has a kill switch where the airborne virus dies within 36 hours, it affects only those with lower immune systems, and you can stop it.
Our demand is simple. For years our Brothers and Sisters and Children, all of whom are innocent, have been murdered by your actions. Remove your Army from Afghanistan and publicise your intention to do so. Please know, Mr Prime Minister, that we will reply if we are not satisfied.
Failure to comply will result in the death of millions of your people and me revealing this video to them publicly.
You may choose not to believe me, but you have already seen what we are capable of.”
The DVD then cut out.
Chapter 5
Natalie was asked to stay on for an extra four hours as night duty were short staffed and she in on their parade in the parade room.
Thanks to the conversations between the few officers around the room, she soon learnt of the recent update about the virus in that it had actually infected, at the latest count, at least 100,000 people in the UK. This including two thirds of their team and a quarter of her own. The DVD and the news broadcasts she had watched became outdated as every minute past.
Natalie tried to work out when the thirty six hours would elapse but without knowing exactly when the virus had been introduced she could only assume, since her time dealing with the infected, that it was near extinction.
When the new sergeant came on duty, accompanied by PS Shire also staying on, he entered and read out the postings. Natalie found herself, yet again, continuing the posting alone on AO 21 lates. Once the briefing had been read out advising of potential panic forecast to rage through the Lakeford streets, she was back in the same police vehicle and heading out the gates once more.
The first hour went by with few calls, as had her early turn shift and because there were allegedly no units available, rendering Natalie to have a sense of déjà vu, she accepted a call. This call was to report an unexpected death of a male where LAS were on scene and had pronounced life extinct.
On arrival, Natalie was briefed by the LAS as to the circumstances of their findings.
“Officer,” said the female paramedic, in full green uniform, as she greeted Natalie.
“Hiya. What’ve you got?”
“Well,” said the male paramedic. “Usually when we come to these jobs, there is an evident cause of death that at lest we can suspect. In this case we haven’t. It looks as though he was in good health with nothing but paracetamol, in terms of medication at the address that were simply bought over the counter-“
“Overdose?” suggested Natalie.
“Doubt it. All the tablets are still in their blister packs.”
Natalie quickly established that there was no next on kin at the address but was reliably informed by the paramedics that his sister was in fact on her way.
The deceased, a twenty six year old, had no medications around his one bedroom flat indicating that maybe he didn’t suffer from any medical conditions that tied in with what the paramedics had said. Of course, Natalie, looked more carefully than the paramedics but the place was clean. The fridge was filled with ingredients to make many variations of salads indicating he
had a healthy lifestyle, the cigarettes on the counter to the side of it would suggest otherwise.
On examining the body, armed with the information from the paramedics that the estimated time of death was only around two hours ago, Natalie noticed that his skin was a greyish/yellow colour; too soon to be related to rigor mortis setting in.
“Where… is he?” came the voice of a distraught female crying as she crashed through the front door of the flat.
“Hello? Who are you?” Natalie enquired knowing full well from the reaction alone approaching the female in the hallway, closing the door to the deceased’s resting place.
“I’m his sister. I’m… Becca. Where is he? Is he…?”
“I’m afraid your brother is dead and he’s in the bedroom… I’m sorry for your loss,” sympathised Natalie. “If you wish, you can see him. It appears as though he may have died in his sleep. But, before you do, can I ask you a few questions about your brother?”
“Yeah… that’s… of course, officer. Go ahead.”
“Thank you Becca. Can I take his name, first of all?”
“He is… he was… Ben Grayson.”
“Did Ben have any medical conditions?”
“No… wait! He wasn’t diagnosed with anything… but, the last two days or so, he scared me when he told me over the phone that he had been coughing up blood… and he was rude about it. He refused to go to the hospital, but personally, I think he had that illness that’s been on the news.”
“Okay. That’s all I need for now. Ben is in here,” said Natalie pushing the door open.
Becca entered the bedroom and Natalie left her to mourn by which time the paramedics had finished their paperwork, Natalie proceeding with hers, and left the property.
Whilst waiting for Becca to re-emerge from the bedroom, she conducted her checks within the property to ensure there were no signs of a break in, contacted the night duty supervisors and made enquiries with the coroner appraising him of the death and finding out about the undertakers that will be coming to collect the body, providing her mobile number as a point of contact.
