Bearings: The Compass Trilogy Part One
Page 11
*****
O’Hanlon had driven to Belfast airport and left his car in the long stay carpark… He then boarded a bus to take him to Victoria Street train station. Once there he walked along the platform and threw the Jaguar keys onto the rails. He continued walking up to the multi-storey carpark in Glengall Street where he had a dark blue Opel Vectra parked ready for such an occasion. He was going to head south along the A12 Westlink on to the M1 then travel on to Dublin. He hadn’t thought about where he would go after that.
“Starling, we believe the second component of the operation is blown, we have reason to believe you could be burned…. Treat all approaches as a threat, dry clean is that understood…?”
“Yes Chief… That’s understood…”
“Do you know if Backpack has a mobile phone…?” “Yes…It has been used on several occasions…”
I gave an affirmative nod to the room… “Hold position for further instructions ok…?” “Yes Chief, I’ll watch my back…”
I instructed the DO to be ready for an escalation then I rang Robin…
“Robin we have reason to believe the Belfast operation is blown. Stakeholder has fled…No sir; he was unable to follow… We also believe Backpack is in communication with the mainland, mobile phone reception is available for another two hours…I want to give Starling the order for weapons free…”
I listened briefly then replied…
“Yes sir, Starling is weapons free…”
Before I hung up Chris was dialling Starling’s mobile phone. He then passed it to me…
“Starling you are weapons free understood…?” “Yes, weapons free, understood…”
“We will inform the carrier; hopefully you may receive assistance if required, good luck…”
“Chris let’s put together an Exfil Op in case we need to recover him rapidly…”
“Aye, I’ll get Charlie too…”
*****
O’Hanlon checked his watch, got out of his car and walked to
the public telephone box. He had stopped in a layby in Drogheda…
“Do you know McQueen has a tail, has had since Belfast…?”
“Yes I do, a white Ford Mondeo; he’s been on her arse all the way… And I’ve been on his, so I have… The three of us are all nice and cosy on the ferry to Rotterdam so you better be quick before I can’t use this thing…”
“Why the fuck wasn’t I told…! I’ve had a certain someone instructing me to vanish saying they’ll tidy loose ends. I’m on my way to my house in the Glenveagh, so I am. I think it’s time for you to tidy a couple of things up…”
“What about the girl…?”
“Forget about before, when you see her get the keys, then you can do what you like with her… Deliver them then I think you should stay the fuck away from here…. Have you got that Garvie…? Stay the fuck away…!”
O’Hanlon hung up, had a look around then got back into his car to continue to Dublin… He was hopeful Dillon Garvie would pass on the false information about Glenveagh; they’d be looking for his red Jaguar anyway….
He had no idea that the incendiary device attached to the vehicles inlet manifold was just eighteen minutes from detonation, a device which was armed with the use of the accelerator…
*****
At 2050 Starling made his final call to the Duty Officer, he had managed to eavesdrop on one of Backpack’s phone calls… She had been saying goodnight to her son, assuring us all was well and a successful dry clean procedure, he agreed to use the ship’s communication system if the operation deteriorated and to make contact when convenient after disembarking. He was then briefed in on the Exfiltration Operation, if needed…
“Ok, let’s recap what we have… Chris…?
“We have surveillance assistance from the Dutch and the Belgians, border to border, to include Exfil. Two named German BND officers, Herr Torsten Kuefer and Frau Karolin Traugott who will be waiting for him at RAF Bruggen just over the border… Charlie…?”
“We believe Backpack is to collect keys to a property which will be used as a depot and safe house for PIRA in readiness for a new offensive. She will at some point visit her sister and possibly Bezold.
There has been no use of multiple transports on this occasion, so far. The subject vehicle has remained constant. The Dutch General Intelligence, AIVD, have also drawn a blank in regard to suspect vehicles at the port in Rotterdam…”
Chris and I were writing Charlie’s observations on the white boards as he spoke. I decided to finish the narration…
“We are certain that a Compass field officer, Rod Catlin has compromised the overall operation leaving us with no alternative but to inform the shadowing officer to be weapons free as he may be blown. Our other subject codenamed Stakeholder is now believed to have fled…. His current whereabouts are unknown… The RUC are actively seeking his vehicle and have sent a team to check his property in the Glenveagh National Park. There is reason to believe that a lilywhite is also active…”
As this was being discussed within our group we hadn’t seen Robin as he walked into the office and sat on the corner of the desk…
“So gentlemen, that’s very comprehensive…”
Chapter Thirteen
O’Hanlon’s first instinct was that he had hit something, such was the sudden and explosive impact of the vehicles bonnet on the windscreen but he sensed he was still moving… He pressed heavily on the brake, however the older carburettor fitted to the inlet manifold had jammed open during the initial detonation of the small incendiary device. Fuel was now being sucked and burnt greedily by the spreading fire. The flames which engulfed the engine bay were now bubbling and blistering the paint on the wings and front door pillars, shattering the thin glass in the already melting wing mirror housing… He felt rather than saw the rapidly growing flames around his feet and he tasted rather than saw the initial thin grey acrid smoke filling his lungs.
As he panicked to release the seat belt a huge blast of superheated air hit him, pinning his body back into the driver’s seat and searing his exposed flesh and burning his hair and eyebrows… Together with the now thick black smoke rapidly filling the cabin he had no chance. The smoke and flames were now fighting their own private battle to see which would envelop him first…
The door glass shattered allowing the outside flames to ignite his already smouldering clothing as the fire inside feasted on the newly available oxygen… His last conscious act was to watch the passenger seat erupt in flame…
*****
At 2300 Starling decided to call it a night. He had shadowed Backpack to her cabin and after waiting thirty minutes he was confident she had also. His cabin was one deck up so he’d had one final smoke while walking the ship’s promenade deck, he had just double locked the cabin door and reclined on his bunk when there was a gentle knock. He was under the impression the ship’s crew had been instructed to leave him alone…
Instinctively unholstering his Glock he padded shoeless to the door… Looking through the spy hole he saw a white shirted male…
“Who is it…?”
“Captain’s compliments sir, we have a message from the mainland…”
“Ok, one minute please…”
Starling opened the door halfway only showing the left side of his body to allow the door to shield his Glock in his right hand, the man spoke quietly…
“Would you accompany me to the bridge sir…?”
Starling let out a sigh…
“Hold on… I need to put my shoes back on…”
He turned away… The last movements he’d ever make…
The door opened to reveal Garvie holding a silenced Walther 9mm… Starling’s brain registered the searing red hot poker like pain for only a millisecond, he was dead before he fell forward heavily onto the bunk he had so recently be leisurely reclining on…
Garvie closed the door silently and approached the body, crouching he needlessly fired another head shot. He then lifted the body by the
shoulders struggling with the dead man’s weight and dragged it to the small cabin’s bathroom… After some difficulty he managed to wedge the body in the shower, tying both wrists to the wall mounted storm handle with a towel. He then closed the bathroom door and inserted a coin into the lock’s emergency release turning it anti clockwise to secure it… On leaving the cabin he pocketed the two electronic paper door keys…
Garvie walked calmly to the promenade on deck nine, lit a cigarette and leaned against the ship’s rail; he then very casually dropped the silenced automatic into the North Sea… His and McQueen’s vehicles were parked on the lower car deck; the Mondeo which Starling had been driving was on the mechanised upper… The two of them would be long gone before it would need to be moved…
*****
At 0200, Chris, Charlie and I were woken by the Duty Officer. We three had stayed and used our office sofa beds…
“Excuse me Chief; I have the RUC Special Branch on the telephone for you…”
I rubbed my eyes and stretched, squinting at the new bright light invading the darkness…
“Ok, thanks Phil, wake the other two would you…?”
“I have done sir; Charlie is getting coffee as we speak…”
I pointed to my desk phone… “Thanks, is it on this one…?” “Yes Chief, line seven…”
I rose and walked to my desk switching the lights on as I went… “Section Chief, good morning…”
“Hello Chief… Seamus O’Brien, RUC Special Branch… We’ve searched the country property and the bookmakers. There is no sign of him. We do have the subject vehicle however. It was found at Belfast airport, in the long stay car park… A search of the Terminal CCTV was negative though. None of the gate cameras picked him up…
“Ok, thank you Seamus… What’s the plan now…?”
“Well, we have officers viewing the banks of CCTV for the city, we are focusing our attention on the multi-storey car parks, the train stations and of course the port, he may have managed to catch the last ferry to Liverpool or Scotland. There are officers checking Larne too… He could also have gone south into the Republic…”
“That’s understood Seamus. Thank you for your assistance. We have officers at the respective ports here… We will let you know the outcome….”
“One last thing Chief, and Charlie will back me up on this; if the Provos have got to him it means his job is done… If he has been laundering money for an op’ the deal has been set up…”
I allowed that piece of encouraging information to reach the darkest recesses of my brain before I replied…
“Thank you Seamus, I understand what you’re saying…” “Well, goodnight, I mean good morning to you Iain…”
I walked out of my office to the tables which faced the wall boards and sat heavily on the desk, picked up a coffee and looked at them both…
“They’ve drawn a blank so far and we’ve heard nothing from our side either… Seamus mentioned that he could well of headed south or PIRA may have got to him, what do you think…?”
“I think if PIRA had, there would have been movement noticed and flagged. That’s not to say they don’t want him as bad as we do and aren’t quietly looking too…”
Chris was looking at the image of the two cars as he said…
“The Astra may be a clue. It has Republic plates and PIRA do like heading south to catch their ferries, also psychologically, it’s the
quickest way to feel you’re out of the country too… Who do we have stationed there…?”
“It’s Starling’s patch…So, no one… I don’t really want to try to task a Box officer, not unless it’s absolutely necessary. I’ve had my fill of Wright-Stevens for the moment… I think I’ll get Norm over there… Yeovilton or Chivenor should be able to drop him; I’ll get on to that now…”
“I’ll give Norman the good news…!”
“Thanks Chris… Charlie, have a chat with the Garda and see if there has been anything tonight…”
“Aye I’ll do that the now. I’ll tell them to expect a chopper too…”
*****
The only transport incident of note which the Garda had to deal with was a supposedly innocent car fire on the M1 motorway north of Dublin. Although information was scarce, we asked for permission for Norman to look, this was agreed. The subject vehicle was being transported to the Garda’s Vehicle Investigation Unit based at their Headquarters in Phoenix Park. The unit was part of their Stolen Motor Vehicle Investigation Unit, SMVIU. Like the UK the Republic of Ireland had access to a sixty three country database through Interpol and Europol.
At 0545 Norman had stepped aboard a Royal Marine Puma helicopter at Chivenor for a short trip to Casement Aerodrome. This facility, on the outskirts of Dublin, was the home of the Irish Air Corps and the Garda Air Support Unit. He would land at 0630 approx. then be transported to Phoenix Park. He would not only view the vehicle but also return with information on the missing Opel Astra and banking information which would tie in with McQueen’s first trip. She had visited a branch of the Allied Irish Bank to exchange two hundred and twenty five pounds of Sterling into Irish Punts, no doubt to purchase her ferry travel, bus transfers etc.
The Rotterdam ferry was due to dock at 0815 local which was 0715 UTC, we had half an hour so a trip to the Mess was in order.
The day began rapidly at 0640. It was the RUC…
“Chief, the CCTV of Backpack’s ferry departure has given us great images of the subject and the vehicle they also confirm the welfare of your man…”
It went quiet then Seamus cleared his throat…
“We can also confirm the stolen Opel Astra with the false Republic plates was on board too although we have nothing on the driver. His pic…”
I began to interrupt however Seamus carried on…
“Hang on; we have a lot for you… His picture has come up negative here; we are uploading it to your section now. We also have excellent images of Stakeholder leaving the Jaguar at the airport also CCTV at the bus terminus has him boarding a Bus Eireann which has a direct link to Victoria Street train station… There he walks along the platform concourse disposing of an item on the track, we’ll get what it is but we must wait for the Translink track engineers…”
“That’s superb work Seamus, more than what we ever hoped for. We rea’…”
He had interrupted again…
“Iain we have more, you must learn to be more patient young man…!”
“We have Stakeholder leaving Glengall NCP in a navy Opel Vectra, a Vauxhall Cavalier in the UK. We couldn’t catch the plates but we
do have a lovely still image of his face at the pay booth… We believe he has headed to the Republic… The bookmakers has also been petrol bombed, the ground floor is gutted…”
I waited to hear more but this time there was silence…
“That’s answered a question… Outstanding Seamus… I will pass your findings on to the Director. I’m sure he will want to express his gratitude to the Home Secretary...”
Seamus O’Brien knew what that meant and allowed himself a satisfactory smile. The RUC Special Branch had suffered a great deal after the RAF Chinook disaster this clearly would be seen as a huge leap out of that shadow. I called Charlie…
“Charlie get on to Norm, the vehicle is now his top priority. The Garda say it’s a dark saloon correct…?”
Charlie nodded adding…
“Yes, they had a great deal of difficulty removing what was left of the body…”
The mental image that created didn’t help my indigestion, I carried on…
“The RUC confirm Stakeholder driving a navy saloon… They also confirm that the stolen Astra was driven onto the Liverpool bound ferry…”
The gravity of that didn’t escape him…
“The bookmakers has also been destroyed…”
“Norman has their INTEL take on that, Sarah is in, I’ll get her…” “Charlie, I need Chris too…”
They both entered my office…
“Yes Chief…”
“Chris, get on to Snipe… We need the IMINT from his SLR as soon as possible… Recall Raven from Stranraer and inform him to head to Liverpool. I want him and Cormorant to review their port CCTV… We’ll leave Hull for now. The images will probably be corrupt anyway… I’ll start on the boards ready to give Robin a walk through…”
“Aye, gaffer…”
The consensus of opinion was that the car fire north of Dublin was the demise of O’Hanlon. For the RUC to confirm he was driving a navy blue saloon and the Garda to give an equally similar description didn’t require one’s imagination to work too hard. There wasn’t very much we could do now with this aspect of the operation. We now needed to turn our attention to McQueen and the lilywhite following her. During all of Starling’s communications with Compass he never once mentioned that she had company, this led us to believe that the follower was working independently of her. Was he making sure she concluded business appropriately…? Or was he ready to end her, again once she had concluded business…? We also felt sure there were one or two PIRA members in Europe who while not necessarily pulling the strings were very much intrinsic to their overall operation…