***
Garside addressed his cabinet team the next morning. ‘Gentlemen’ he said through gritted teeth, ‘my telephone has not stopped ringing this morning. I have had calls from America, France and from companies all over Europe demanding to know why I am not protecting their employees. Now I want to know what the hell is being done to stop this terrorist activity.’
Mark Slattery was the first to speak. ‘My officers at three of our Containment Pens had three visitors who claimed they were businessmen who had been kidnapped and threatened earlier that evening. They had no identification so we could not verify who they were. They were taken into custody until we were able to establish who they were. After they had made some phone calls, it was verified that they were indeed who they said they were and were given transport to their homes.’
‘How come they did not have ID, was that stolen’ Garside asked.
A barely noticeable smirk cracked at the corner of Slattery’s mouth, ‘initially yes their belongings were taken... and so were all of their clothes. A large parcel arrived at Police Headquarters this morning and it contained all of their possessions. We were unable to establish who had delivered the parcel.’
Dark foreboding shadows covered Garside’s face as he tried to contain his anger. ‘Are you telling me Commissioner that these important business partners were not only kidnapped but forced to walk through our streets naked, humiliated, shamed?’
‘I’m afraid so Sir.
‘This is becoming intolerable and must be stopped. What do you propose to do Commissioner?’
‘I have already identified the main business leaders in the city and allocated 24-hour security for them with immediate effect. Major General Keatson has offered military personnel to help, but I would be reluctant to use uniformed soldiers for that role. I’m sure it wouldn’t be a good message to show the world that our business leaders need armed military protection.’
‘You’re absolutely right Mark; we must show the business community that it is safe to do business here. So any protection activity must be kept low key.’ Garside said. ‘In the meantime I want every resource we can spare to find these terrorists and neutralise them. Henry, I would expect that you are using your operatives in this task?’
Henry Mason looked a little uncomfortable, ‘in fact Sir most of my men are engaged in more global activities and matters of national security. I’m sure you will agree that if I redeploy them then we leave ourselves open to all sorts of international terrorism and espionage. I must maintain that cover.’
‘Yes yes, I understand’ Garside said impatiently. He dismissed his cabinet with the exception of his Intelligence chief.
‘I have a plan that you may be interested in Tony.’
‘Let’s hear it please.’
‘I believe that the one way to get at this group whoever they are is to set a trap that we can use to capture them and find out who they are and how they operate. We only need to grab one or two of them and I can assure you I will extract all that they know about the people they are working with.’
‘So what’s this trap you propose to set?’
‘I would like a rumour spread to the police that William Boyce, our banker, is willing to join the rebels. Whoever is leaking information to them will give them enough to encourage them to want to pick him up and take him to their base. Now of course it won’t get that far because we will be watching him night and day and when they come to collect, we will be there ready to snatch them.’ Mason waited for a response.
‘Bill Boyce doesn’t need to know what is going on I take it?’
‘That’s correct Tony, he won’t be contacted because we will have captured them before they get anywhere near him.’
‘Ok get on with it, the quicker we get these criminals out of my hair, the better.’
John Judge Page 35
