sThe Quiet Wart

by The Quiet War (ARC) (epub)

  ‘And how do you know that?’ Halliday said.

  ‘Surprise surprise! We were listening, as well as watching. Now get to the point,’ Dorsch interrupted.

  ‘You know that spying like that is illegal? If you try to use it against me in any way, I’ll make sure you spend a long time in prison,’ Halliday said.

  Sean knew that it was coming; the point when Halliday stopped playing games and started to make threats. The problem he had was that Halliday was right. Any attempt by Sean to use the information would automatically incriminate him, and given that the target was the British Prime Minister, it wouldn’t take a great leap of imagination for the prosecution to manipulate the charge into one of espionage.

  ‘It seems we’re at somewhat of an impasse, Mr McManus. You have information that I don’t want published, and you can’t publish it. So, please, get out of my way. You may be able to destroy my life, but you’ll be destroying your own in the process.’ Halliday moved to push past Sean, but Dorsch put his arm out and stopped him.

  ‘What about me, you arrogant pig? How are you going to stop me publishing it?’ Dorsch said, looking even more threatening than normal in the dim light. Sean could see that Halliday was scared by the sudden outburst and the sight of Dorsch blocking his way.

  ‘The same will go for you: a long term in prison,’ Halliday said, less confidently than before.

  Sean was going to stop Dorsch, but maybe he had it right.

  ‘First, you don’t even know who I am; and second, I’ll just put it on YouTube anonymously. I don’t need to publish it like a journalist. By the time you get out of your bed in the morning, it’ll be all over the world, and if your wife doesn’t put a hatchet in your head, the British people will put one in your career. You think anybody will give a shit where the video came from?’

  Impressed and a little intimidated at the same time, Sean realised that Dorsch hadn’t become a billionaire by mistake.

  Suddenly, Halliday looked like a deer caught in the headlights. Sean could tell that he wanted to go on the counter-attack and make some threats, but each time he went to speak, he stopped, obviously realizing that he was cornered, with no realistic way out.

  ‘You bastard!’ He looked at Sean, finally with real sincerity in his eyes. ‘It was just a little spin; something to boost my votes for the election. It was Anna’s idea and I thought it was brilliant. There’s no real harm done. We’ll get back in, once the election’s over, and everything will be back to normal.’

  ‘Back to normal?’ Sean shook his head. ‘You do know that she suspended you so that she can change the voting structure? So, when you get back in, you’ll have no power to block anything. She played you so that you wouldn’t take it too far. She’s probably done the same to all the others, so that they think it’s just a political game, rather than a real threat to sovereignty.’

  ‘What? No, that’s impossible,’ Halliday said.

  ‘No, it’s not. Think about it,’ Sean replied.

  After a few moments of silence, Halliday put his hands over his face. ‘Fuck! What’ve I done?’ he said. ‘If they change the voting structure, we’ll have to leave. We can’t be part of a Union that we have no say in.’ Halliday was talking to himself and didn’t expect input, as the implications of his actions hit home.

  ‘You do know that Anna Faustein’s a neo-Nazi?’ Sean said.

  His earpiece suddenly exploded with Liz’s voice. ‘Sean, I thought you said you weren’t going to mention that! What if he’s the leader of the bloody Fourth Reich?’ she exclaimed.

  Aware that he’d taken a gamble, Sean wanted to see Halliday’s reaction when he was down, when he wasn’t thinking as quickly as normal.

  ‘What?’ he looked at Sean, removing his hands from his face. ‘But she’s the head of an EU party. They’re not Nazis.’ He shook his head.

  ‘They’re not, but she is. We think she’s secretly trying to manipulate EU legislation to make the environment right for a Nazi resurgence across Europe,’ Sean said.

  ‘It wouldn’t take much,’ Halliday admitted, clearly without thinking.

  ‘What?’ Sean replied quickly.

  ‘I shouldn’t have said that. Sorry.’

  ‘What did you mean by it?’ Dorsch said angrily.

  Halliday looked at the angry Dorsch and then faced Sean. ‘Our intelligence services are reporting massive growth in neo-Nazi organisations. They’re presenting a more moderate image, attracting more respectable voters. They play very heavily on the issues created by the financial crisis, and it’s working. It’s only a matter of time before a far-right party wins a general election in a European country. Then god help us, because pretty much all of them are just fronts for neo-Nazi groups.’

  ‘Doesn’t it seem odd to you that they’d use the EU as their vehicle? Most nationalist parties are completely against the EU and would scrap it,’ Sean said, genuinely looking for Halliday’s experienced political opinion on a question that had been troubling him throughout the investigation.

  ‘It depends what they see as their nation. If they conform to Hitler’s ideal of one Europe under Nazi control, then it makes perfect sense.’

  Nobody spoke for a little while as the reality of Halliday’s words sunk in. Throughout the investigation Sean had never thought there was any real risk of the Nazis actually taking over the EU; he’d just thought they were positioning themselves to influence it. Halliday obviously thought differently, and Sean had to bow to his superior knowledge.

  ‘What are you going to do?’ Sean asked.

  ‘I’m going to play Ms Faustein at her own game. I’ll play along like everything’s going as planned, then I’ll put a vote to the British people and with the right push, they’ll vote to leave the EU. It’s our only option if we want to remain a sovereign nation.’

  ‘What about the Nazis?’ Sean asked.

  ‘That’s for you to deal with. If I say anything it’ll just look like sour grapes and I’ll look like a crank. You have to get firm proof and then publish. It’s the only way.’ Halliday looked into Sean’s eyes: he was the politician again, negotiating his way out of a difficult corner. But this approach suited Sean. He still wanted to get his story, even if he didn’t mention Halliday’s involvement.

  ‘Can I rely upon you for help if I need it?’ Sean asked.

  Halliday considered the question briefly. ‘Yes, as long as you destroy everything you have on that tape and promise me that you’ll never try to publish any of the events of tonight.’

  It was Sean’s turn to think. Halliday would have no way of knowing if the information had been destroyed, or whether Sean would stick to his word about not including him in his piece. But Sean still believed in honour and if he made a promise, he’d keep it… as long as Halliday kept his side of the same bargain. ‘Okay, it’s a deal. How do I get hold of you if I need you?’ Sean asked.

  ‘Contrary to common belief, I actually have a mobile phone. Very few people have the number and it’s often with my private secretary, but I do have one.’

  Sean took out his iPhone and keyed in the Prime Minister’s private number.

  ‘Gentlemen, I trust we have an accord?’ Halliday questioned both Sean and Dorsch.

  ‘Yes,’ they said in unison, although Sean could sense Dorsch’s reluctance.

  ‘Okay. Then I really do need to go.’ Halliday walked past Sean and around the corner, disappearing into the dimly lit park.

  Chapter Forty-Nine

  Friday, 12th February. Brussels, Belgium.

  The conversation around the large, oak dining table was vibrant as each discussed the events of the evening.

  ‘We still don’t know much. Anna could be either the leader or the number two,’ Sean said.

  ‘Stefan’s info said that the number two was high up in the EU, so that would make it likely that it’s her,’ Liz added.

  ‘But Wagner also said that the person they call the Führer is also in some way related to Hitler, so she could be eithe
r,’ Dorsch countered.

  ‘Yep,’ Sean agreed. ‘Either way, we don’t have a shred of evidence that we can use against anybody.’

  ‘We do know three of the four, assuming that we’re right about Grossi, that is. We should put round-the-clock surveillance on all of them,’ Clive said.

  ‘We’re already watching Faustein and Grossi, but I can have men on Wagner by the morning,’ Dorsch said.

  ‘Good, then let’s pick it up tomorrow. I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted,’ Sean said.

  When Sean climbed into bed, Liz was sitting up waiting for him, clearly not in the mood to sleep.

  ‘I can’t believe you just let Halliday off the hook like that,’ she said.

  ‘Do you think I should have hung him out to dry?’

  ‘Well, yes, but that’s not actually my point. You’d caught the British Prime Minister — a married man with two children — indulging in kinky sex with a German MEP whom he’d publically rebuked just hours earlier. Then he admitted that it was all a sham to fool the voters.’

  ‘Yes,’ Sean nodded.

  Liz shook her head. ‘By anybody’s measure, that would be the scoop of a lifetime. Given that it’d be your second scoop of a lifetime, it would propel you from a guy that might have got lucky once, to a global rock star; you’d be a journalistic legend.’

  ‘Yes,’ Sean nodded again.

  ‘Look, I know the Nazi and EU story is probably more politically important, but as far as readability and public outrage, the Halliday story would trump it every time. I know you’ll say that there are legal issues etc., but we could get around those.’

  ‘You’re probably right,’ Sean admitted.

  ‘Then why did you let him off?’ Liz asked, her face contorted. ‘I thought that’s what you wanted: recognition; career success. I always thought you were really ambitious.’

  ‘I am, and you’re right,’ Sean agreed.

  Sean’s apathy was getting Liz frustrated. Her face wracked with confusion. ‘Then why? I don’t understand,’ she said, quietly, almost despondently.

  ‘I did it for Praew,’ Sean said.

  ‘What? What do you mean? What’s Praew got to do with it?’ Liz said, her tone picking up, but her confusion increasing.

  Sean smiled. ‘From now until the general election, I have the British Prime Minister in my pocket. When the time’s right, I’m going to give Mr Halliday a call on the mobile number he gave me, and ask him to put pressure on the Home Secretary to approve Praew’s residence application.’

  The words hit Liz like a train crash and her face suddenly lit up. ‘Oh my god, Sean, you’re a genius! He’ll never be able to refuse.’ Then she stopped smiling and looked at him seriously. ‘Are you sure? I mean, this is it — everything that you’ve ever dreamed of, right there in your hands — and you’re going to give it away for Praew?’

  Sean lowered his head and stared into Liz’s eyes. ‘There’s nothing in the world I wouldn’t give away for you and Praew. So yes, I’m certain.’

  Chapter Fifty

  Saturday, 13th February. Brussels, Belgium.

  Sean and Liz were woken early in the morning by Clive.

  ‘Anna Faustein’s up and heading in the direction of the airport. Dorsch’s guys are on her. They’ll find out where she’s going and we’ll follow in his plane.’

  ‘I’ll stay here with Praew and if you don’t come back by Sunday night, I’ll take the train to London. I need to get her back to school,’ Liz said.

  ‘You can’t do that. What about Koryalov?’ Sean asked.

  ‘She has to go back some time. We can’t just hide forever.’

  ‘I know, but let’s deal with Koryalov first.’

  Staring helplessly at Sean, Liz pleaded. ‘Okay, but do something soon. I’ll stay here and do some home schooling with her for now, but ...’

  ‘Good, you’ll be safer here with Dorsch’s men,’ Sean agreed, climbing out of bed and heading for the shower.

  Ten minutes later he was in the back of a Mercedes S Class, with Clive, Steve and Pete, being driven to the private terminal at Brussels International Airport. There was no traffic so early on Saturday morning and they pulled up outside the hanger less than fifteen minutes later. Dorsch was already inside, waiting for them at the reception counter.

  ‘She’s flying to Berlin. I’ve got people waiting for her there, but we’ll get there before her anyway. Her flight doesn’t leave for another half an hour.’

  *

  The flight to Berlin took just over an hour and they were soon sitting outside the main passenger terminal at Tegel airport. The 1970s’ curved concrete façade swept away into the distance as Sean peered through the darkened glass window of the Range Rover that had collected them. Dorsch was in the front passenger seat and Clive was in the rear with Sean. At the other end of the terminal, Pete and Steve were in another car with two of Dorsch’s men, waiting.

  ‘She’s coming through now,’ the voice of another of Dorsch’s men said from inside the terminal. ‘She’ll be at the south side door.’

  When Anna strode out of the glass doors of the terminal building pulling a carry-on suitcase, she looked as confident as ever, dressed in a neat black business suit and carrying a thin, black, leather briefcase. To Sean though, she looked different: she was now the target. ‘She must be going to a meeting. That’s not how she dresses outside work,’ he commented.

  A black BMW 7 series arrived at the kerbside next to her and a uniformed chauffer quickly jumped out to open the door. Anna didn’t wait, opening the door herself before climbing into the limousine.

  Both cars followed the BMW through the streets of north Berlin for fifteen minutes, before they came out from under a bridge and curved right, onto the ultra-modern Moltkebrücke, which spanned the River Spree. On the other side of the river, the BMW slowed and indicated to turn right. Both of Dorsch’s cars continued through the curve to the left and didn’t stop.

  ‘Why aren’t we following?’ Sean asked.

  ‘That’s the Bundeskanzleramt; the home of the Chancellor. We can’t stop around here,’ Dorsch said. ‘We’ll put one car in either direction and pick her up when she leaves. At least we know who she’s meeting.’

  It would be normal for a person in Anna’s position to meet with the German Chancellor, but Sean’s mind raced. Could that be who we’re looking for… the Führer?’

  ‘I don’t suppose she could be… I mean Dorfman… the Führer?’ Sean said

  ‘I’ve given that some thought. She’s from a party linked to Faustein’s party and although she claims to be from the centre of politics, it’s not the way she acts. She runs the country like a dictator and takes no prisoners. I wouldn’t be surprised if she was involved in some way,’ Dorsch said.

  Instinctively, Sean picked up his phone and called Liz. ‘Hi, Liz, could you get me as much background as possible on Gretal Dorfman?’

  ‘The German Chancellor?’

  ‘Yes. Anna Faustein’s just gone into her residence.’

  ‘My god, Sean, be careful. Give me a few hours and I’ll see what I can come up with.’

  When Sean clicked the phone off, he was still processing things in his mind. ‘It doesn’t really make sense though; a national head of state making the EU irreversibly more powerful than the state. They’re the people who stand to lose the most,’ he said.

  ‘That depends on whether she’s pulling the strings in the background. She probably has the ability to vote Faustein in or out as party leader, it’s an effective means of control,’ Dorsch said.

  Images of the news articles that Sean had read over the years, which claimed that the German Chancellor was really in charge of events at the EU, suddenly sprang into Sean’s mind. He’d always written them off as nonsense, because he couldn’t see how it could work, but that was before he understood the power of the transnational political parties and their links to national party leaders.

  ‘They’d need to be confident that they had the ri
ght person before they transferred the overt power like that. Whoever it is would have to be beyond corruption; totally loyal to the cause,’ Sean said.

  ‘Like the granddaughter of Adolf Hitler?’ Clive suggested.

  The two other passengers suddenly fell silent.

  ‘Surely not! Surely that’s nonsense!’ Sean said quietly.

  But the others didn’t speak.

  Author's Note

  The European Peoples Party (EPP) is by far the strongest party in the European Parliament. It also boasts 14 of the 28 EU Commissioners as members, including the Commission President.

  In a federal Europe, the leading party would also provide the President of Europe, the most powerful person in the world.

  The EPP is heavily influenced by the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU); a political party which is led by the current Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany.

  Chapter Fifty-One

  Saturday, 13th February. Berlin, Germany.

  Anna’s car came back out onto Willy Brandt Strasse two hours later and turned right, towards the centre of Berlin. Following behind, they were soon out of the gleaming modern structures of the government buildings and into some of the few remaining historic structures that had survived the Allied bombing of the Second World War.

  After a few minutes, the BMW came to a halt outside a sandstone building with burgundy awnings above its windows. In the distance, the Brandenberg Gate dominated the area and Sean scrutinised the edifice he’d seen on TV so many times growing up. It was something that had become the symbol of the struggle between East and West during the Cold War; the most prominent point on the Berlin Wall.

  They’d stopped on the former communist side and Anna climbed out of the car, while a hotel porter took her bags. After stretching her back, she sauntered through the doors of the Hotel Adlon.