The Olympus Project

by Ted Tayler

  “I think I’ve worked out what happened back there” he said “when we get to the safe house I bet you a dollar to a donut that all three of the lads had a mobile phone too. If they had all reached the optimum positions that they’d sussed out, each of them would have dialled out at half past one. Whoever constructed the bombs wired cheap mobiles in place, then did a quick shuffle of the backpacks; he gave one of the numbers to each of the bombers and got them to play ‘pick your backpack’ before they left Milton Keynes.

  It was a version of ‘Russian Roulette’; they didn’t know which of their colleagues they were blowing up or whether they were sending themselves to kingdom come. Zunairah realised things had gone wrong and was dialling like mad, praying that she had her own number or Habeeb’s.”

  “It’s just as well she didn’t” said Athena, who was starting to regain her usual composure.

  “We were lucky” said Colin.

  “We’re nearly at the safe house.” said Rusty “Where were you heading ma’am before all this kicked off?”

  Athena told them about her mother being in hospital awaiting an operation in the morning. Rusty wanted to avoid driving around London in the ambulance any more than absolutely necessary; he suggested Phoenix accompanied Athena to the West End so that she could visit her mother as planned.

  “After you’ve done that Phoenix, here are my keys; you can pick up the firm’s car from the NCP car park on Bayswater Road. Sorry we left it a bit of a distance away mate. Then you’d better travel back to Larcombe together. Do you need to go home for some things first ma’am?

  Athena nodded and added “I think Phoenix and I can sort something out.”

  “What will you be doing Rusty?” asked Colin.

  “Cleaning up” Rusty replied “we’ll let Brad and his team take their transport back to Milton Keynes; my lads and the paramedics will squeeze into the ambo with our guests. It’ll be cosy, but it’s only for a couple of hours.”

  “What about her?” asked Athena, nodding towards Zunairah.

  “She comes with us ma’am; there are a few places we could get rid of a body in London that I know of, but we don’t want to be hanging around until the early hours. Events at the station will have alerted the police and possibly MI5 as well. Fortunately, we didn’t leave too many clues for them.”

  “Apart from the CCTV!” said Athena.

  “Not really” smiled Rusty “Larcombe hacked into the cameras to get eyes on the bombers for us; when they checked out of the system they turned a few of the problematic ones off! We won’t appear on anything the police might arrange to view.”

  “So we’re home clear then” said Colin.

  “Don’t count your chickens mate” said Rusty “the boss might want a word with you yet!”

  CHAPTER 21

  The ambulance pulled into the underground parking space of a three bedroom maisonette in Park Steps. Rusty rang his crew and arrangements were made to transfer the two terrorists upstairs once the coast was clear.

  Colin was gobsmacked that Olympus was using a property at the luxury end of the market as a safe house. Athena could see he was confused.

  “Where would you least expect to find people who let’s be honest, operate outside the law? Only an idiot would rent a two up, two down in Hackney.”

  “You two had better be on your way” suggested Rusty.

  Colin and Athena got out of the ambulance and headed up the ramp towards the street. Rusty watched them go. He wanted to see if they would hold hands before they disappeared from sight; they didn’t.

  “I suppose you were trying to save my life Phoenix” said Athena once they were well away from the car park “so I’d better thank you.”

  “My pleasure” said Colin.

  “I had no idea you were stalking me! I didn’t realise that Erebus thought I needed a wet nurse!”

  “From the conversations I’ve had with him when we meet in the orangery, he’s very fond of you. I was told to make sure nothing happened to you in London and get you back to Larcombe safe and sound.”

  “How was I going to get into trouble? I was spending a couple of days with my parents, for heavens sake!”

  “Erebus was afraid that you might attempt some ‘lone wolf’ revenge attack on the terrorist cell; because of your partner.”

  Athena was quiet for some time as they continued towards Beaumont Street.

  “I’m sorry” Colin said “it must still be very difficult to come to terms with. I remember what I was like when my wife Sue died; I shut down all my emotions and threw myself into my work.”

  “Erebus must think highly of you” said Athena eventually, changing the subject. “Cosy meetings in the orangery; I bet you even get the best crockery?”

  They had reached the hospital where Mrs. Fox was tucked up, with all mod cons, waiting to go under the knife first thing on Friday morning.

  Colin told Athena he would retrieve the car from the NCP place and return for her whenever she was ready to leave. He watched as Athena made her way up the steps to go inside. She stopped at the doorway and checked her watch, it was almost two o’clock.

  “Pick me up at three please Phoenix. I won’t stay too long with Mummy; my father is probably here too and we don’t want to tire her.”

  “Three it is ma’am” Colin replied.

  Athena came back down the steps and put her hand on his arm.

  “Erebus was right; if I had been armed and stumbled upon the situation you encountered at Oxford Circus I would have killed all five of them in a heartbeat; regardless of the danger to myself and to the integrity of the Olympus Project.

  I shut down all my emotions too when Simon died. I don’t know whether I’m ready yet to trust myself to feel something again. How do you know it’s time?”

  “I’m probably the last person to ask” said Colin and turned away to head off to Bayswater Road.

  Colin reached the car park and found the firm’s car; then he drove to Paddington to pick up his luggage. By the time he’d done the round trip he only had a short time left to while away waiting for Athena. He pulled alongside the entrance to the private hospital at three precisely. Athena came out, immediately followed by her father!

  “Vincent Gardens please driver” Athena said calmly.

  “I thought we would have grabbed a taxi darling” said her father quietly “one can’t be too careful with these minicab people.”

  “Don’t worry sir” said Colin “this is a free trip, isn’t it ma’am.”

  He loved winding Athena up; she was looking daggers at him when he checked the rear view mirror.

  “Do you know this man?”

  “Barely” said Athena through gritted teeth.

  “I’m sure we’ll know more about one another after the drive back west later.” Colin said brightly “It’s good to meet you sir. I hope your wife makes a complete recovery after tomorrow’s operation.”

  “Thank you” said Mr. Fox “sorry, I didn’t catch your name?”

  “You can call me Pat sir.”

  Colin glanced in the rear view mirror. Athena was looking out of the window.

  “That one went right over her head!” thought Colin, as he started to drive back to Belgravia.

  Meanwhile, the ambulance had left the safe house and was chugging sedately along the M4 towards Bath; the driver was all too aware of the extra weight on board for one thing and out of habit he didn’t want to attract any unwanted attention by speeding or using his lights and siren.

  There was no rush to get anyone on board to a hospital; one passenger was beyond help, others were probably already realising their prospects for the future weren’t great and Rusty and his team were glad of the chance to relax.

  On the M1 Brad and his team were heading home. They were dropped off in Milton Keynes and then they disappeared to their own home town or city. As Olympus agents they were on standby twenty four seven, waiting for the call to do what they had been trained to do; deal with the bad guys. Brad had
one more place to check out; the maisonette.

  He parked a distance down the road and took a pair of binoculars out of the glove compartment. There was no sign of anyone in or around the building.

  “Neighbourhood Watch my arse!” he said “looks like I’ll have to do it then.”

  He rang the local police and reported a possible break-in, he supplied the address and when he was asked for his name he hung up. He sat in the car for about twenty minutes before a police car arrived. Twenty minutes after that first responder, the place was swarming with people in high viz jackets and paper suits.

  Brad drove back to his house on the outskirts of MK; not a bad result today, he thought, we took the bombers out and lined up the rest of the cell for the authorities to pick up. All without a scratch; he would sleep well tonight.

  When Brad was sat in front of his TV checking whether the news carried anything about the Oxford Circus furore, Colin was sat outside the Fox residence waiting for Athena.

  The sound of the red door slamming shut warned him of her arrival; he leapt out of the car and opened the boot. He stood with his hand on the rear driver’s side door handle, in case she was still mad at him and wanted to ride in the back; she glowered at him and left her case on the floor by his feet and walked around to the front passenger door and got in.

  “Hurry up!” she shouted and Colin put her case in the boot alongside his own kit and did as he was told.

  “Pat?” she said quizzically.

  “Yes ma’am?” asked Colin, keeping a straight face with some difficulty.

  “No, you stupid man, why Pat for heaven’s sake?” she insisted.

  “They’re never as funny when you have to explain them Athena” he said with a laugh “let’s just leave it at that.” He whistled a few bars of the ‘Coronation Street’ theme tune as he negotiated the A4 traffic.

  The further they travelled away from London the easier the conversation flowed; they seemed in tune regarding the topics that were off the agenda. There was no mention of terrorists; her mother’s operation, her late partner or Colin’s past life before Pulteney Weir. In fact Colin found that Athena was excellent company. When he turned the nose of the car into the driveway of Larcombe Manor, he sighed.

  “I imagine you must be tired Phoenix” said Athena.

  “A bit” replied Colin “but actually I’m just sorry that we’ve arrived back already; it’s been fun chatting to you.”

  “We don’t have to stop talking if you don’t want to” said Athena.

  Colin stopped the car outside the main building. He turned towards her.

  “If you’re not too tired; how about I go and slip into something more comfortable?” she whispered.

  “If you’re sure” Colin said.

  “Great” said Athena “I’ll see you in the pool in fifteen minutes.”

  With that she got out of the car, retrieved her case from the boot and left Colin sat in the driver’s seat all hot and bothered.

  “Bloody hell” he said as he drove to his quarters “she is so going to be worth it when she finally stops pissing me about. Still, beggars can’t be choosers, at least she’ll be in that costume again and that’s something I suppose!”

  Colin should have remembered the well known phrase about ‘the best laid plans’ because when he got to his room he found the dreaded ‘post it’ note from Erebus.

  ‘Need to speak. Urgent.’

  Colin groaned. He changed his clothes and looked longingly at his swimming trunks in the drawer; not tonight!

  He found Erebus in the drawing room; he was alone.

  “Ah Phoenix, there you are. Sit down. This isn’t something I’m familiar with but, let me see… what is it they say? Do you want the good news or the bad news?”

  “I’m sorry…” said Colin, but Erebus held up a hand.

  “The good news first I think; the Devon police are viewing the demise of Sir Godfrey Penrose as an ‘accidental death’. Our view is that the material you left at the scene provided a glimpse into his murky past that some people would prefer didn’t surface. We think the coroner will find it difficult to come to any other conclusion under the circumstances.

  On Sunday you will travel north to complete the Dunfermline mission; you will have the items you require ready for you by tomorrow evening.”

  Colin shuffled his feet; he was glad to hear the good news, but what was coming next?

  “You will recall your first few days here at Larcombe Manor; it was made crystal clear that the authorities should be given not one scintilla of a suspicion about our activities. You were sent to London to prevent Athena from exacting revenge on Al Qaeda, the umbrella organisation that controlled both the bombers who killed her partner and those you met today.

  By drawing attention to yourself at the station, you risked being identified as your true self, Colin Bailey; a killer that everyone believed was dead. By calling out to warn Athena, using the name she is known by here at Larcombe and not in the outside world, you risked exposing all of us to closer examination. I’m very disappointed Phoenix.”

  “Things could have gone very differently at the station” said Colin “we were fortunate. The first three bombers were taken out of the game in text book fashion. Rusty had to take a risk though to take Rehman down and the Jaffri girl could easily have had her own or his phone number on her mobile. If she had, Rusty and I would be in body bags, plus quite a few innocent bystanders.

  More important than that, Athena would have been blown to pieces too; your second in command walked right into the middle of the kill zone. I had to protect her if the Olympus Project is to carry on after you’ve gone.”

  “I see your point Phoenix and it is well argued. The surveillance section will be reviewing their procedures to see if we could have prevented these gaps in our knowledge. It was a risk sending the teams into the station and surrounding area without knowing that all five cell members were carrying bombs. That cannot happen again; remember the lessons learned today Phoenix and be on your guard.

  Because we were able to knock out most of the CCTV equipment in the area and since generally, the teams kept things under the radar, the authorities don’t have a lot to go on. There were no bodies left lying around. We have a cleaning crew based in London for such eventualities; they were summoned to the scene minutes after you dashed out of the concourse with the girl on the stretcher. Some of her hair, skull, and brain etcetera are in the sewer system and heading out to sea by now.

  When you and Rusty performed your heroics, the panic among the crowds meant that very few of the witnesses the police have tracked down can provide credible statements. We’re doing all we can to keep fogging the mirror, if you like, so they never see the full picture. There has been so sign as yet of them using crime scene people to comb the area for forensic detail. It will need a close eye for another forty eight hours, but we should be able to breathe easily by Monday.”

  “Once again sir, I’m sorry to have been so careless; it won’t happen again. Do we have any news from Brad in Milton Keynes?”

  “Of course, there was one more piece of good news old chap! The police were tipped off about a possible burglary and bless the locals they called in the security guys once they found the data we had left. Brad has people standing by to let us know when any of the other links in the chain are arrested. There will almost certainly be a series of dawn raids in the Midlands in the morning. It’s nice to be able to throw a bun to the official arm of the law every now and then.”

  “A pity that they drop the bloody thing though as often as not” said Colin.

  Erebus managed a thin smile.

  “Off you go then Phoenix; good hunting next week. At our group meeting this morning we had a chat about you by the way; after you’ve completed the job we think you deserve a holiday. It will give you time to recharge your batteries. So far we have kept you here at Larcombe as opposed to sending you out into the field, as we have with Brad for example; you have probably guessed wh
y.”

  “I hadn’t really thought it all through sir; no doubt it was for my own good,”

  “Firstly, having ‘head hunted’ you, we needed to assess whether we had made a good choice. Secondly, we wanted to provide you with a safe haven where your real identity could not be discovered. Finally, if we had made an error of judgement, then it was easier to rectify if you were on our doorstep.”

  “The pet cemetery again!” said Colin.

  “That won’t be necessary old chap; you have proved beyond doubt to be the useful acquisition that I convinced Athena and the others you would be.”

  “Will I return to Larcombe after my short vacation?” asked Colin.

  “I’m duty bound to ask Athena for her opinion Phoenix; with her up in London until this evening we couldn’t make a firm decision.”

  “I understand. If that’s all for tonight sir, I think I’ll turn in.”

  “Good night Phoenix. Sweet dreams!”

  Colin walked back to his quarters, wondering where he might go for a few days after he’d been up to Bonny Scotland. He’d avoid Aberdeen definitely and the other cities that Maiden’s Hair had visited on their tour. There was no point in risking anyone recognising his alter ego Owen Collins the roadie. Surely there was somewhere he could go that had live music, a bar and a comfortable bed? He decided he would have a search on his laptop as soon as he got in and make some plans.

  It was late and the stable block was quiet when he slipped into his room.

  “I thought you were never coming back” whispered Athena sleepily.

  Colin was startled but recovered his composure and turned on his bedside light.

  “Erebus called me urgently. I’m sorry I missed our swim.”

  Athena pulled back the sheet that covered her. She was wearing her costume.

  “I didn’t want to swim alone; when you didn’t arrive I came here to see where you were. I saw the note from Erebus and I was tired; I stretched out on your bed, rested my eyes for a second and then before I knew it, there you were.”