Eight

by James R. Vance

  There is to be some action after all, thought Petra. She eased herself forward into a more attentive position. “Harcourt seems convinced that S.I.S is proposing a raid.”

  “There is an assault planned by Special Forces and all personnel involved are on immediate stand-by. We are awaiting final approval. Joint ops and government agencies are in favour, but there is still some opposition at a higher level. There is reluctance to implement a raid where casualties will be inevitable. The fear of collateral damage involving innocent guests would invite severe international condemnation. Dumas is clever enough to realise this.”

  “The detectives and I have been invited. Is that significant?”

  “As far as he is concerned, the greater the number of guests, the more protection it affords. They become his human shield allowing him the opportunity to assemble all our targets but simultaneously render them untouchable.”

  Rob looked across the crowded miscellany of boats at their moorings in the old port. “We think that Roche evaded capture by a cross-country route to Saint Tropez where he probably joined the party on Dumas's yacht. They are due to arrive in Marseille tomorrow morning.”

  “I take it that the principal targets are Al Qaeda people. Can we not intercept them? How will they be arriving at the villa?”

  “That's the problem. Some may have already flown into local airports like Nice, Montpellier and Marseille. Some could be already en route across the Med. In addition, there are road and rail networks and of course, helicopters direct to the villa. It's impossible to cover every possibility. There isn't the manpower.”

  “How many targets are we talking about?”

  “No more than five or six, excluding Dumas, Roche and Alexis.”

  Petra was stunned. “Alexis? What has Alexis done?”

  “We're not too sure. It's possible that he was responsible for the destruction of Roche's house. What do you think?”

  “But the police were still there. He wouldn't…would he?” She slid off the bed, strode towards the door and turned abruptly to face Rob. “Anyway, how could he manage something like that?”

  “As I said, we're not sure. It could have been Roche himself or even Dumas. It had to be destroyed. There was too much evidence in that cellar linking them to the transit of suicide bombers. The explosion also destroyed the garage next door. It was probably a cover for the stolen cars that they used. Forensics discovered metal bed parts in the wreckage. It's possible therefore, that it also contained facilities for temporary accommodation. The device had probably been in place for some time. A simple coded phone call detonated it.”

  “But Alexis hated Roche. He thought that he was responsible for his father's death. Why would he try to protect him by destroying evidence? They fought each other when I was in the house.”

  “You were unconscious for most of the time, unaware of what ensued afterwards. Roche is probably sitting on the deck of the Etoile Olympique, as we speak. Initially, it seemed that Alexis had also disappeared but turned up rather inexplicably in the cellar. For some unaccountable reason, we lost track of him following his departure from the gendarmerie.”

  Petra became defensive. “Why do you keep banging on about Alexis? He's an accountant in Limoges. He told me about his work.”

  Rob smiled. He was enjoying this. “Yes, and you told him that you were a researcher studying at the university.”

  Petra's head dropped. “Shit! How stupid am I?” She joined Rob at the window. “I still don't understand. How does Alexis fit into all this?”

  “He was not on our radar until recently. We checked him out. Routine background stuff revealed little apart from odd meetings and occasional phone calls with Dumas. That started ringing alarm bells.”

  He turned to scrutinise her face. He wanted to see her reaction to his next bombshell. “We also know that a young man similar to him stayed overnight at the Grand Hotel Europe in St. Petersburg, where meetings of Al Qaeda leaders took place over several days. We have received confirmation since then that at least one of them, yet unidentified, flew on to Dubai and Lebanon. That's it.”

  Petra turned away and sank once again onto the bed. “Bloody hell.” She smoothed the crumpled duvet. Her eyes adopted a glazed expression. “And to think that…”

  “What?” Rob asked.

  She averted her eyes. “It doesn't matter.”

  Rob grinned. “You slept with him.”

  “Bastard,” muttered Petra under her breath.

  “Well, well…sleeping with the enemy! Have you no scruples?”

  “Shut it. You're enjoying this, aren't you? It's your way of paying me back.”

  “Not at all…I'm grateful. You've exposed Roche for what he is; you've made a connection with Alexis…excuse the pun,” Rob coughed, stifling another smile “and you've wormed your way into the inner sanctum of Michel Dumas. What a different performance to your previous efforts. Having said that, you did lose an expensive Sig Sauer, but that's salary deductible.” He sat on the bed alongside her. “Petra, just accept it all as one big learning curve.”

  “Don't start patronising me now, after laughing at me.”

  Rob became serious again. “Talking of guns, when you visited the villa, were you or Harcourt body searched?”

  Petra shook her head. “Not even our bags were checked. They could have searched the car. They took it away to park it somewhere. I must admit that, with such impressive security, I was surprised that we were not checked out.”

  “Unless the entrances have in-built scanning systems.”

  “I did manage to carry a gun with me today disguised as separate items in my cosmetics bag. I found it in the kit that I received in Limoges.”

  Rob returned to the window. “Call your detective friends. We need to meet up tonight. I have a proposal.”

  8888

  They met in Harcourt's room. It was the largest of the three hotel bedrooms that they each occupied. Petra and Harcourt sat on the bed, Massey in an armchair, Rob on a stool by a desk. He had a lot to explain.

  “The various factions associated with Al Qaeda extremist operations are undergoing radical changes. Apart from a minority of entrenched militant fundamentalists, the world of Islam is losing confidence and patience with its current strategy. Their bombing campaigns in Iraq and now specifically in Afghanistan and Pakistan are killing more Moslem men, women and children than the ‘western infidels’.

  “The supposition that the occupying coalition forces would become demoralised and that pressure would grow to withdraw the troops has failed. As you are probably aware, the Taliban in Afghanistan, for example, are ready to fill the void. We have intel that, to restore credibility in their jihad, they are about to refocus and concentrate their militancy on a more global scale, reverting back to the concept of their more notable successes like 9/11, the London bombings, the Bali nightclub and U.S.S. Cole.

  “To co-ordinate similar atrocities globally amid western and pro-western democracies, they have recruited several key players to form yet other nebulous networks…Al Qaeda franchises. From our sources, we believe that six Islamist chiefs have each taken over regional responsibility for North and South America, Africa, Far East Asia, Europe and Australasia. Bin Laden and his close associates are retaining control of the Middle East, where we believe that they will scale down such operations to create complacency and simultaneously win back support. Intel has identified all of these new commanders except the one designated with responsibility for Europe. We think that he met with other group leaders a few days ago in St. Petersburg but, unfortunately, we lost him. We believe that the meeting was possibly to finalise details or to negotiate some further deal. We're not sure.”

  Petra remained silent, too immersed in her own thoughts about Alexis. What, if any, was his involvement?

  “This ‘we’ that you use so liberally,” Massey asked. “Can you enlighten us?”

  “I refer in general to the Fusion Task Force, which includes Interpol, members of the United
Nations Al Qaeda and Taliban monitoring teams, national anti-terrorist units, MI5, the C.I.A. and S.I.S…in other words, everyone involved in counter-terrorism, national and international security.”

  Massey pressed. “So, for which outfit do you and Petra work?”

  “I'm not prepared to disclose non-relevant information.” Rob spurned the question and continued. “We believe that the general intention is to flood selected countries in these six regions with fully trained and equipped suicide bombers. There is a never-ending flow of volunteers primed to attack densely populated targets. Our guess, from current information, is that some of these potential bombers are already in place in the U.K. with a mandate to hit major cities or possibly football and other major sports venues that attract large numbers. Initially, they will attach themselves as sleepers to existing cells nationwide. They will employ similar tactics elsewhere in other countries.

  “For the Al Qaeda network, the major problem is logistical: how to stealthily position the bombers and their kit in designated target areas. When they have achieved that end, we believe that a constant series of attacks will take place worldwide, creating terror and panic on a scale unprecedented since World War II. An even worse scenario is that it could culminate with bioterrorism attacks or even a nuclear explosion.”

  Harcourt wanted to establish some relevance locally. “How does Michel Dumas and his set-up fit into all this?”

  “Dumas is a procurer, a facilitator, motivated by money as opposed to religious ideology or misplaced fanaticism. He is involved for purely financial reasons. We believe that one of his associates, our young French friend, Alexis, is some kind of negotiator. As a go-between, he will have access to valuable contacts.” Rob glanced quickly at Petra, who sat quite unmoved on the bed.

  “He will have his reasons for being involved. On the other hand, people like Ludovic Roche are simply on the payroll to take the risks and to deliver the end product…in our case, the potential suicide bombers probably brought over from North Africa by Dumas's yacht. There will be counterparts of Dumas and his associates in other countries who will undertake similar roles, not for the cause, but for monetary gain. Tomorrow presents a one-off opportunity to take out some of this new Al Qaeda hardcore and to prevent or at least delay a global catastrophe.”

  Massey was concerned. “If these bombers are already in the U.K., how do you propose detecting them?”

  “That's where you guys will come into play, supported by MI5, the counter-terrorism unit and the national security services. That is work already in progress. Our objective is to annihilate the source by chipping away at the major players. The key to our success will be intelligence. That is why tomorrow's operation could be vital.”

  Rob unfolded an A3 sheet on the desk and called them to join him. “This is a sketch plan of the interior and exterior of Dumas's villa. We have produced it from satellite images and info from our man on the inside, Tom Cathcart, whom you have already encountered, I believe. I want to explain in rough detail our plan of action based on the intel gathered over the past few weeks. It's complex, risky and dangerous. It requires precision, courage and total commitment. With you guys now on the scene as guests, we can include you in the action, but more of that later.”

  Rob moved away from the desk. “I suggest that we take five, break for a coffee or some other liquid refreshment, stretch our legs and return with clear minds.”

  Harcourt slid from the bed. “Who wants coffee? There's also the option of the mini-bar, of course.”

  Petra selected a bottle of Evian from the refrigerated cabinet and joined Rob near the window. “Do you think Alexis will be there?”

  “Missing him?”

  “I can't believe that he's mixed up in this. He has so much to look forward to. Why would he involve himself with terrorist organisations?”

  “As I said earlier, he has his own agenda. His situation and his role is complex. Without all the details, you would find it difficult to comprehend. He's young and inexperienced. We have prepared a file on him at Lyons. You've obviously spent time with him. What are your thoughts? Were you aware of anything strange about him?”

  Immediately, Petra's thoughts turned to his grandmother, but Katherine had been adamant that Alexis was unaware of his historical background.

  “You've gone quiet,” Rob said. “Was there something?”

  “No, nothing. I was just reflecting on our conversations together. Roche's alleged involvement over the death of his father seemed to be his main obsession. He is somewhat headstrong, but apart from that, he seems like any other twenty year old. I met his grandmother. She was a bit strange. She wittered on about Russian history, reminiscing about her past. I suppose that's natural at her age.”

  “No references to terrorism, Islamic fundamentalism or Al Qaeda?”

  “Nothing.” She recollected a fleeting remark from their conversation in Le Capricorne. She said nothing.

  “I'm sure that you will soon have some answers,” Rob said, pointedly. He returned to the desk and addressed the detectives. “Gather round and I'll brief you on the general outline of tomorrow's game-plan. You'll be pleased to know that your presence at the villa will have some value, after all.”

  They congregated around the desk on which the layout of the villa became the focus of attention. Rob stood to one side to enable them to conceptualise his narrative with the sketch plan.

  “We have conducted covert negotiations with Canal+, the French TV station. They have agreed to make arrangements to cover the engagement at the villa on their news channel.”

  “Why?” Massey asked. “What's so special about his daughter's engagement party?”

  “It's a celebrity thing. She's a top fashion model in France and her intended is a young politician, supposedly destined for a top position in the government,” Rob replied.

  Harcourt smiled. “A future replacement for Nicolas Sarkozy and Carla Bruni, I presume.”

  “Whatever.” Rob showed some irritation with the unnecessary interruption. “Dumas was extremely enthusiastic about their offer, believing that the news report would increase his credibility and popularity in influential circles. The film crew will consist of a camera operator, a sound recorder and an interviewer. All three, however, will be Interpol field operatives. Their role is threefold. By arrangement with Dumas, they will film the speeches and some ceremony where there will be an exchange of the couple's rings. That is scheduled to take place in the main marquee at 16.00hrs. However, for our benefit, they will also film as many guests as possible. Finally, they will use their presence to plant a small explosive device in the vicinity of the marquees, but at a safe area from the assembled guests to ensure that no-one suffers injury.”

  Harcourt was puzzled. “Whatever for?”

  “It will be merely a distraction…more about that later. We have explained to Dumas that it will be necessary to take excess footage in all areas. We have promised to edit the film for his approval before eventual broadcast. Consequently, they have permission to roam freely. Apparently, no vehicles will have access to the grounds of the villa. There will be a temporary parking area on a patch of terrain outside the perimeter walls where we intend to station the TV support vehicle as a decoy. We will have the technology inside to analyse all the footage and match against our database. This process will enable us to identify the targets that we expect to attend and any others that may be of interest.”

  Massey was a stickler for detail. “Let's say that they achieve all that amid tight security. How long will it take to check?”

  “Look, it can be accomplished in minutes,” Rob replied, his patience running out. “The G.I.G.N. special forces team, a French equivalent of SWAT, will be at the ready beyond the rear perimeter wall of the compound. Confirmation of the militants’ presence will be communicated to their team leader and to Tom Cathcart.”

  “Why Cathcart?”

  Massey was beginning to annoy him. “If you let me finish, that will become obvious.�
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  Petra stifled a smile. She was accustomed to lengthy briefings and knew that they should withhold questions until the end.

  Rob continued. “Cathcart has already informed us that each member of the villa's security team will be working three hour shifts with a half hour respite between each. They will also change over locations with every new shift. Apparently, that arrangement is to ensure that they remain fresh and alert at all times. His morning stint is at the entrance, the afternoon places him in the pool area and the evening one in the villa. He will have three Sig Sauer P220 handguns, one for each of you. Because he is a trusted member of their security team, they do not subject him to body searches when he reports for duty. He will secrete the weapons with their magazines in the filtration unit by the pool during his afternoon shift.”

  “What about surveillance?” Harcourt asked, thinking of the cameras that had homed in on them at the pool. “Surely, all this covert activity will be captured by the security cameras?”

  “According to Tom, the marquees will obstruct many areas. For example, the marquee erected as an evening dance-cum-disco venue will hide the rear of the pool area completely. One of you must use it as cover to slip unnoticed onto the pool terrace to retrieve the guns during Tom's period of duty in that area. I suggest that Petra undertakes that specific assignment.”

  “Why do we need guns?” asked Massey.

  “At 18.00hrs, Tom's role in the villa changes. His extra responsibility is to guard the garden exit from the library.” Rob pointed to a point on the sketch plan. “Two other security guards are to protect the library entrance inside the villa. Because of his demand for armed security in this specific location, we believe that Dumas will be meeting with his associates inside the library at that time.

  “At precisely 18.30hrs, Tom will dial a code to activate the explosive device near the main marquee. This is where we can use your presence. The blast will create sufficient noise, panic and distraction to provide you with the opportunity to enter the villa, head for the library, disarm the two guards and render them inoperative. That includes shooting them if necessary. They could possibly be wearing bullet-proof vests, so it's crucial to aim for the head.”