by Gary Weston
'That day can't come soon enough as far as I'm concerned. Good job, Paul.'
'Thanks. You haven't seen Ringo Starr again, have you?'
'No. I'll be really worried if I see John Lennon.'
* * *
D I Andersen went over the plans to escort the politicians from the airport to the conference centre with the Chief. 'Once we get them into the centre, the I S S will take over.'
'Dale. I've a confession to make.'
'Why do I get the feeling I'm not going to like this?'
'Because you're not. I saw Sandra.'
The mention of the Chief's sister made Andersen shudder. 'When?'
'A few days ago. A very brief meeting.'
'Not to arrange a family reunion, I suspect.'
The Chief shook his head. 'She's been tracking a terrorist plot to attack the conference.'
'The centre's tighter than a drum. Terrorist attacks are always put into the equation as a given. They are not regarded as an afterthought.'
'That's what bothers me. We know it; they know it.'
'Chief. What exactly did she say?'
'The conference is going to be hit. Sandra is convinced about that.'
'And?'
'We have to be ready.'
Andersen sighed. 'And that's it? Useful, Chief. Really useful.'
Chapter 55
Friday night, the mansion was filling up with Steve's relatives. Just the men. Ferret and Nick were on barbecue duty, and Sandra had filled chilly bins with beer and chatted easily to the men. It was a bit of an odd mix, but nine men and one woman mingled merrily together and to an outsider, it looked like a pleasant evening of friends enjoying an informal meal. They all helped with the cleaning up and then they settled in the lounge. Sandra predicted Frank would kick things off, and he did.
'Sandra. As much I have enjoyed the company of you and Ferret, do you have things to tell us?'
Sandra looked at Ferret. 'Over to you.'
Ferret, never happy being in the spotlight, said, 'Nick and I have made solid progress.'
'Man, the stuff I've learned,' said Nick. 'I would never have thought we could achieve so much in such a short time.'
'But you have no plan?' said Steve.
'I think we have enough for the basis of forming a plan,' said Ferret. 'Bear in mind, these people have been planning this for many months. We have had just a few weeks to unravel their plots. Why don't we use what we know as a foundation to come up with something we can hit back with.'
Frank said, 'I saw the news. There are security people tripping over each other. You two seriously think we can come up with something they can't?'
Sandra said, 'Tomorrow's another day, Frank. We'll work on it then. I'm relying on you to be the Devil's advocate. I want you to look for flaw's, weaknesses and potholes.'
'I'll take some convincing to be involved in this. I can't speak for the others, but I'll listen to what you have to say. I suggest we have an early night and see if this thing has legs, tomorrow.'
Sandra looked at Ferret. One thing was clear, there was still plenty left to do.
Chapter 56
After a leisurely breakfast, it was time to get down to business, Sandra sitting by Steve on the settee. Ferret and Nick had arranged copies of their notes for everyone and had a whiteboard set up on an easel.
'Right,' said Ferret. 'Some things we know. Some things we can take a good educated guess at. First. How many are we talking about? We have taken the number from the amount of different emails sent out. On three separate occasions, forty six emails were sent out simultaneously. There are no other people on this email list. This computer is only used for anything to do with communication for the attack. Nothing else.'
Nick said, 'On a decent laptop, he can be anywhere in the country and stay in contact with the others. The messages we have intercepted are written in a simple code, once the source language is known. These people are from five different countries, and they've used an old dead language as a common language. The language is actually an ancient one. Not used today. You would be amazed how many dead languages there are. Using individual letters from that, using a code program Ferret has, then translating that into English, the true message is revealed.'
'Wow,' said Hank. 'From a few clues you found some old unused language, then worked out the code they used to make sense of the messages?'
Ferret said, 'My computer can take most of the credit. Nick's skills with languages was invaluable. I couldn't have done it alone.'
Frank said, 'I'm impressed. But how much have you decoded?'
'I've put most of it on the notes,' said Ferret. 'They plan two methods of attack. One thermonuclear, the other some kind of gas. Maybe biological or chemical devices. The details are still a little sketchy. A sizable nuclear device could be contained in a large suitcase. Same for the chemical weapon. We know the politicians are staying confined to the centre for the entire conference. No sightseeing. This many leaders together would be a prime target. The CIA appreciate that, but were dismissive of our man as being the one behind it.'
'Question,' said Steve. 'You say two attacks. Why not one? Why not combine both thermonuclear and chemical?'
'Because the one would in all probability wipe out the other. The nuclear reaction would render the chemicals or biological effects useless. At least the real possibility of that makes it unlikely they would combine the two.'
Frank said, 'A sort of belt an braces approach. Try one thing, and if that doesn't work, try the other.'
'Possibly,' said Sandra. 'But I think both would definitely be used, just at different times or places.'
Titch said, 'Is it likely to be some kind of virus?'
'Too hit and miss,' said Ferret. 'I think more of a nerve gas.'
'Through the air conditioning vents, I'd expect,' said Steve.
'Maybe,' said Sandra. 'If this was nineteen eighty. Sorry, Steve. The security agents will have checked the entire system inside and out a dozen times. Same for the water supply.'
'This is nuts,' said Frank. 'You have information. Good stuff, too, but it should go to those with the resources to deal with it.'
'Not something I'd rule out, and believe it or not, if I thought that would work, no worries,' said Sandra. 'But think about this. The same way you lot were watching the police try to deal with the crime you set up, the terrorists will be doing the same at the centre. Any hint of suspicion by our agents, most if not all of the bad guys will scatter. Then sometime in the future, reemerge to create havoc in some other way. They're watching the centre and the agents. When the police were trying to find you, you were all watching the police and you had no idea Ferret and I were closing in on you. To me, that gives us an edge.'
'That makes sense,' said Steve. 'They would be too busy watching the conference centre to notice us.'
'Hmm. I can see that,' said Frank. 'But we still have no plan.'
'We all need to work on it,' said Sandra. 'Frank. Let's cut a deal. Work with us until tomorrow evening. If we still have nothing to work on, Ferret and I will simply pack our bags, hand over the info and call it a day.'
All eyes were on Frank. Nick said, 'Frank. Just the rest of the weekend. What do you say?'
Frank shrugged. 'Okay. I'm here all weekend, anyway. Nothing to lose.'
'Thanks, Frank,' said Sandra.
Chapter 57
Titch said, 'You know the email addresses of all the other forty six, right?'
'Of course,' said Ferret. 'And yes, we could use that to hack into them if we wanted. But the more we do that, the more we risk tipping our hand. Less is more. Also, I'm thinking they will have dedicated computers. I'll tap in but only as a last resort. What we need to do is to use the emails we've already downloaded and translate the message into English from the old language and then use the basic decoding system to find the true meaning. That's time consuming. Let's team up in pairs and take the pile of stuff and work through it. Anything that looks interesting, we'll all pounce on
it.'
That agreed, they paired up, Ferret with Sandra, Nick with Frank, the others sitting around the dining table. They had their own pile of emails, a copy of the letters from the old language and a copy from the code. It was all about tedious methodical slog. The hours ticked away. Food and drinks were consumed on the job. Nick and Ferret were the “experts” and were consulted at regular intervals.
Any new word was written on the white board, against the ancient language word and the code letters. It was like learning two new languages in twenty four hours. After thirteen straight hours, they had reached the point where letters were floating in front of their eyes. Titch and Hank were falling asleep on the table.
'Come on, people,' said Steve, yawning. 'Bed.'
Ten tired people dragged themselves off to bed. Most of them had headaches they wouldn't wish on their worst enemies. Except perhaps for terrorists.
Chapter 58
The following morning, they were bracing themselves to start again.
'I'll never nag my kids about doing their homework ever again,' said Frank, stretching and yawning.
Sandra had refilled the coffee percolator and passed Frank a black strong mug. 'Frank. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your input. Can I tell you something?'
'Of course.'
'I have sacrificed just about my entire adult life for a dream. An illusion. Do you know the conclusion I've come to?'
'Go on.'
'The fundamental problem with planet Earth is countries. Borders. Control. So much energy is expended trying to protect those borders, those countries. One day, and I believe this with all my heart, there will be no such thing as countries. No people fighting for scraps of this and bits of that. The energy expended on weapons, armies, death, instead it will all go into feeding us all, education and health care.'
Frank smiled. Not something he did easily. 'You are a lovely lady. That dream you have isn't going to happen in our lifetime. Do you have family?'
A pained look crossed her face. 'My biggest sacrifice. My family is closer than you'd ever believe. Frank. Don't lose your family the way I've lost mine. Pack your bags and go back to them. There's no shame in that.'
Frank put his mug down and leaned back against the bench-top. 'No. Not yet. I promised you I would stick around for the full weekend. besides...'
'What?'
Frank grinned. 'I love the way Steve looks at you. That brother of mine loved Camila so much. For awhile he died inside. He just limped along, one day to the next. He's a good looking guy. A few women set their sights on him but none could pin him down. Now he wants to be pinned down.'
'Frank...'
'Hear me out. I suspect you're a tumbleweed, never putting down roots. Let him down gently.'
There was the sound of other people appearing behind them. It was time to go back to work. 'Maybe I don't want to let him down at all.'
* * *
'Is this the letter S?' Hank asked.
'Let me see,' said Nick. 'Yes. Which makes the word number six.'
'And this is a D?'
'Yes.'
'Then I have an address.'
Ferret took the sheet of paper from him and went to the whiteboard. 'That's an A not an E.' He wrote the address out. 'Twenty six, Darwin Road, Tarrville.'
Nick was already on the computer. 'Here it is. A small farming village, about eighty miles away.'
'Go satellite,' said Sandra.
'Zoom in,' said Ferret.
'Looks like an old farmhouse,' said Steve. 'We should pay a visit.'
'No,' said Sandra.
Frank said, 'No? Are you serious?'
'Deadly. Which is something I am and you aren't. We aren't going anywhere. Ferret and I will go.'
'I'm not letting you do that,' said Steve. 'I'm going with you.'
'We need you here. We don't need you there. Time to go, Ferret.'
Chapter 59
Sandra could tell Ferret was thinking hard. 'What?'
Fred Ducket hadn't spoken a word as he drove them to their destination. 'He's falling in love with you.'
She didn't try to deny it. 'I can't afford love. Not now.'
'Suppose...'
'Just drive.'
'Suppose you were normal.'
'Thanks.'
'I meant not a woman who could kill a man twice your size with a flutter of your eyelashes.'
Sandra looked out at the passing scenery and chuckled. 'Even I can't do that.'
'All I'm saying is, a woman of a certain age...'
'Fred, don't piss me off.'
'Don't get angry. Anyway, you wouldn't kill me while I'm driving.'
'I wouldn't kill you full stop. Are we there yet?'
'That depends on whether you want us to drive up to their front door and press the bell.'
'We need to stretch our legs.'
Ferret drove through the village, pulled up and parked off the road. 'The house is nearly two miles further on. We can park the car here and leg it. This enough exercise for you?'
'As long as you can keep up.'
She wasn't joking. Ferret was panting running after her. They ran out of the village, ducking and diving, until they reached the dry stone wall surrounding the target house. 'You really need to work on your fitness.'
'I...I...I'm the computer guy. I fly a desk.'
'Six months with me, you would almost be useful.'
'I thought I was useful.'
'You can drive. That's a skill. Right. A test for you. We are out in the open, middle of nowhere, hiding behind a wall, there are probably external cameras all around the property. We are here. We want to be in there. Suggestions?'
'We wait until dark?'
'Seriously? That the best you got? Stay here and play I spy for the next six hours?'
'I'd win that game. There's only one spy here, and I'm looking at her.'
'Right now, that's probably a good thing. See that?'
'What?'
'Nothing. No vehicle.'
'It could be in the garage.'
'Take a good look at the drive. Lots of muddy ruts up until the house. Beyond that, nothing. He might have other stuff in the garage or he can't be bothered to use it. Nobody home.'
'Got that. But if the cameras are on, they'll know we have paid a visit.'
'I thought you were some kind of technical wizard. You can doctor that once we are inside.'
'What if the house has an alarm?'
'Don't be stupid. Of course it has. I have every faith in your abilities. You just need to deactivate it.'
'Sandra...'
She ran up the drive and Ferret followed. She smiled at the camera above the front door. From her pocket she took what she needed. Five seconds of fiddling with the lock and the door opened. 'Wipe your feet. We don't want to leave a calling card.'
'Heaven forbid.'
'Here's the alarm. Twenty seconds.'
Ferret closed his eyes. 'Something stupidly simple.'
'You're the man for the job, then.'
Ferret keyed in the year. 'Done. Not much thinking been going on in here.'
'I find that strangely reassuring.'
Inside, it looked like any other basic farmhouse. Sandra said, 'You fix the camera recording. I'll do the useful stuff.'
Ferret couldn't be bothered to respond. He found the CCTV recording, wiped his and Sandra's uninvited entrance and looped the previous half hour of recording.
Sandra asked, 'Got a memory stick on you?'
'I never leave home without one. What are you doing?'
'Getting into this guy's hard drive.'
Ferret shook his head. 'Like that? Mind if a real expert does it?'
'I'll check the yellow pages. See if I can get one.'
'Go take a look around. I got work to do.'
'Okay. I'm guessing that's the on switch.'
'What would I do without you?'
'Live happily ever after?'
'Go.'
'I'll check the garage first
.'
Leaving Ferret to deal with the computer, she went out the back door. It was quite clear why the garage wasn't used to park a vehicle. The roof, what was left of it, had collapsed and was beyond repair. Taking a quick look inside through a broken window, she could only see some rotten old timber and rubbish. She went back in the house and searched drawers and cupboards. Three minutes later, they were done.
'Anything?' asked Ferret.
'Only everyday life stuff. Invoices for power bills, that kind of thing. I've photographed some of it, and made a note of the alias he's using, but I doubt it will lead anywhere. This place is fully paid for, just an old house and small section of land carved off the farm. No evidence of earning a living.'
'He's being funded. These people aren't short of money.'
Sandra said, 'He's just keeping his head down, waiting to strike. Have you got everything off his computer?'
'Yes. This one is off-line so it can't be hacked into. This is where anything useful would be stored. I'm ready to go. Let's move it.'
Sandra was peaking out the front window, making sure the coast was clear. 'Wait. I thought I heard...damn. He's here.'
Ferret froze. 'That's not Ringo Starr, is it? What the hell do we do now?'
'Out the back way. Reset the alarm. Hurry.'
They heard the car door slam on the drive at the side of the old farm house. Ferret reset the alarm and he followed Sandra out of the back door. She relocked that door as the front door was being opened.
'Keep down,' she whispered. 'This way.'
Crouching down, they went along the far side of the house. The nearest wall was fifty yards away. Sandra beat Ferret to it and cleared it in a single bound. Ferret wasn't as nimble, his foot catching the top of the wall and he landed heavily on the grass verge.
'You poor old thing,' said Sandra, helping him to his feet.
'I'll live.'
Ferret limped behind Sandra to the car and they drove back to the mansion. The relief on the faces of the eight men told of the anxious three hours waiting for their return.
