The Tau Directive

by Tomas Black

  “Would that be a way in?” asked Drum.

  “It hasn’t been used in many years but it may be possible, I think. Unlike other glaciers, this one is relatively stable. The tunnels may still be intact.”

  There was a ruckus at the back of the hanger. Magnús paused his presentation. The door opened and closed with a loud clang and a short man in an oversized parka walked towards them, escorted by two armed USAF airman. It took Drum a moment to realise it was Marco Salenko.

  ~~~

  Marco Salenko looked tired and haggard as he was taken to a table away from the rest of the group. The sergeant at arms remained by his side.

  McKay pulled Drum and Mei to one side. “Marchetti and I think you two should talk to him first and find out why he’s here. You’ve had the most dealings with the man. A lot is going on here that I’m not happy about.”

  Drum nodded and waited until McKay had returned to the rest of the group. He turned to Mei. “Let's grab some coffee and see what he wants.”

  “Are you sure we can trust him?” said Mei.

  “No, but we won’t find out what he wants standing here.”

  Drum walked to the coffee urn and filled two mugs. They made their way over to Salenko and Drum dismissed the sergeant at arms. He handed a steaming mug to Salenko. “Thought you could use this.”

  “Thanks.”

  “So tell us, Salenko, why are you here?”

  Salenko cradled the mug in both hands and stared into the hot black coffee. He looked up and smiled. “Sorry, it’s been a long flight. Flew in from London once I knew you were here. Haven’t slept very well these past couple of nights.”

  “How did you know we would be here?” asked Mei.

  Salenko smiled again. “Come now, Mei, you know the answer to that question.”

  “Jane,” said Drum.

  Salenko nodded. “Jane has been keeping me updated. I had a feeling Kovac would end up here.”

  “Where have you been?” asked Drum.

  “Oh, one of the many bolt-holes I have around the world. London, actually. I stayed close but I knew that Tau would be looking for me. It would only be a matter of time before I ended up in the clutches of that madman Vashchenko. Why Kovac ever entertained dealing with the man is beyond me. Coming here was my last best hope of staying alive.” He laughed nervously. “Hope I wasn’t wrong.”

  “Why didn’t you tell us what was going on?” asked Drum.

  Salenko shook his head. “Tau has penetrated all parts of the security apparatus—even yours, Mei Ling. It’s been difficult knowing who to trust.”

  “What makes you think you can trust us?” said Mei.

  Drum looked at her and wondered what she was thinking.

  “Jane trusts you—at least within an acceptable probability.”

  “So, why are you here?” asked Drum.

  “You’re going to need my help. I know the facility you’re planning to breach and I’ve brought you something that may help you neutralise Kovac’s robotic dogs and wipe out Tau.” He waved to the sergeant at arms who was standing nearby. The man walked over. “There are several bags in my vehicle. I need them brought in.”

  The sergeant at arms looked at Drum for confirmation.

  “Check them outside first.”

  The man nodded and walked towards the door.

  Salenko turned to Drum. “You must neutralise Tau before Kovac transfers it to the APU—the array, as you call it. Once transferred, it won’t take Tau long to break its encryption. After that …”

  Drum looked hard at Salenko. There was something he wasn’t telling them. “Why didn’t you raise the alarm about Kovac sooner?”

  Salenko looked at Mei and was about to say something when the sergeant at arms returned with another airman carrying a large crate.

  “It’s some form of device,” he said. “But we couldn’t detect any explosives.”

  Drum stood and called to Hazard. “Over here, mate. Check this out for me.”

  Hazard looked at the crate. “You want me to do this here?”

  Drum looked at Mei, who shrugged. “May as well.”

  Hazard inspected the crate, then carefully unlatched it. He lifted the lid to reveal a cylindrical device of gleaming chrome and steel. He looked it over and scratched his head. “Nothing I’ve seen before. What is it?”

  “Something I had the engineers at the university construct. It’s a powerful generator,” said Salenko.

  “For what?” asked Hazard.

  “For producing an EMP—an Electro Magnetic Pulse. It should take out any electrical appliance within a half kilometre radius.”

  “It’ll take out Tau and the array—but it will also take out Jane,” said Drum. “Are you prepared for that?”

  Salenko grimaced. “Jane accepts what must be done. Both AIs must be destroyed. They have both grown too powerful.” He turned to Mei. “Are we in agreement?”

  Mei nodded but said nothing.

  “Will this be enough?” asked Hazard.

  “We must destroy the entire complex,” said Salenko, “to be sure.”

  Hazard smiled. “Now you’re talking.”

  Something still nagged at Drum. “You still have the keystone?”

  “Yes,” said Salenko, “but not on me. It’s somewhere safe. It’s the reason I had to make a run for it.”

  “Why did you split up the keystones in the first place?” asked Mei. “Why not simply hide them?”

  “I didn’t split them up,” said Salenko. “It was Jane.”

  CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

  Glacier

  Drum steadied himself on the deck of the converted fishing trawler as it pitched and rolled in the swell of the cold arctic sea, twenty kilometres off the Icelandic coast. According to the captain, they were rounding a spit of land called Látrabjarg on the northwest peninsula of the country, a place renowned for its rugged coastline punctuated by many fjords. Drum took a few deep breaths of the cold, salty air and watched as the skyline brightened to a pinky-orange hue, bathing the far off snow-capped mountains in a strange ethereal glow. It was probably the most beautiful dawn he had ever seen.

  The cabin door opened, and Stevie staggered out, the strong wind ripping into her slight frame. Drum caught her by the arm and pulled her over to the railings. “Not got your sea legs, then?”

  “Oh, God, I had to get out of there,” she said, hanging over the side. “Brock is making bacon rolls.”

  Drum smiled. “Not long now. A few hours at most.”

  “If I’d known I’d be stuck on a boat for five hours solid, I would have stayed in Cambridge. Why couldn’t we drive?”

  “The ice station is in a remote location on the edge of the glacier. Most of the roads are impassable this time of the year. And getting close by chopper wasn’t an option because of their radar. This seemed the best idea.”

  “Right.” Stevie sighed and looked up at the brightening sky. “It is a beautiful part of the world. I never expected Iceland to be so …”

  “Scenic?”

  She nodded.

  Drum detected something in Stevie’s voice. He’d heard it before in soldiers entering combat for the first time. A restlessness, the dread anticipation of things to come. “It’ll be alright, Stevie. You’ll be safe on the boat. We’ll be in and out in no time.”

  She turned to him, holding on to the railing as the boat rose and fell in the sea's swell. She looked pale and scared. “It’s happening again, isn’t it?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “London, the raid. This is what you do—you and Brock. Guns and killing.”

  He didn’t know what to say. A part of him knew she was right. His life had been one long war. Even his father had paid the price for his continued involvement with the security services. And now he had dragged her into the fray. How many others?

  “I’m sorry, Stevie. I didn’t intend to involve you in this mess.”

  She shook her head and stared out to sea. “No, I’m sorry. I sho
uld not have said that. I’ve screwed up as well. My past … Jeremy. It’s all a mess.” She turned to face him and gripped his arm. “Promise me you’ll get Jeremy out, Ben. I’ll never forgive myself if he comes to any harm.”

  “Don’t worry, Stevie. I’ll get him out.”

  “Promise?”

  He reached for her and held her tight. “We got Harry out, didn’t we?”

  She looked up at him and nodded. “We had Fern.”

  She was right. They had Fern. He wondered what she was doing. Probably in some New York restaurant being wined and dined.

  “C’mon,” he said. “Let’s get out of the cold and grab some coffee. I could murder one of those bacon rolls.”

  Stevie turned pale and she ran back to the railing. “I’ll stay out here for a bit.”

  Drum smiled and stepped back into the warmth of the trawler’s interior and made his way to the mess room. The team were all assembled, tucking into breakfast.

  “Just in time,” said Brock, stepping out of the small galley. “Bacon or sausage?”

  Drum smiled. “One of each, I think.”

  Brock laughed. “Help yourself. Plenty to go round.”

  Drum took a seat at the mess table and poured himself a coffee. “Stevie’s indisposed at the moment.”

  “Oh, dear,” said Alice. “Does she need some company?”

  “She’ll be alright. Give her a few minutes. We should go over the plan one more time.” He turned to Magnús, who was lounging in the corner. “The ice tunnel bothers me. Are you sure there is a way through?”

  Magnús stood up. “Ya, I’m sure. I speak to other guides. They think so, too. The only problem is the door to the complex. It is likely to be frozen. But we have brought a small welding torch, just in case.”

  “Right,” said Drum. “According to Salenko, the other side of the door is the core room where they store the drilled ice samples. Once inside, we’ll contact Jane. She’ll—”

  “It is not a she,” said Mei. “Let’s be clear on that. It is a sophisticated program. In the wrong hands, this program is as dangerous as Tau.”

  “Right,” said Drum. “Once inside, Jane will be our eyes and ears—but make sure you study the layout of the complex in case communication is compromised.” He turned to Hazard who was munching down on a bacon roll. “Hazard?”

  Hazard wiped his mouth with a paper napkin. “Right, me and the sergeant here will work our way towards the server room and plant explosives on each of the racks with a thirty-minute timer—old fashioned mechanical type which shouldn’t be affected by the EMP blast.”

  “I still think thirty minutes is too short a time,” said Sergei, “what if we get delayed? We could be caught in the blast.”

  “Unlikely,” said Hazard. “I’ve calculated a low yield explosive based on the size of each room. It should destroy what’s inside but shouldn’t affect the structural integrity of the building.”

  Sergei grunted and nodded.

  “We’ll then proceed to the comms room on the same level and do the same,” continued Hazard. “We’ll meet back at the rendezvous, topside.”

  “Good,” said Drum. “Poacher?”

  “Magnús and I will provide oversight at the edge of the glacier, topside. I’ll provide covering fire if needed.”

  “Right,” said Drum. “The rest of us will get to the control room and plant the EMP. It shouldn’t affect us, but I’d prefer to activate it using a remote from outside the room.” Drum paused, “The only fly in the ointment is Jeremy Burnett. We don’t know where they’re keeping him.”

  Stevie, stepped into the cramped mess room. “Jane will know. Make sure you have your phones on you at all times and make sure you keep them in the Faraday pouch I’ve provided. It should protect them from the EMP.”

  “Where was the young man’s last location?” asked Alice.

  “In a holding area near the control room,” said Drum. “But I suspect he’ll be close to Kovac.”

  “As will Vashchenko,” said Alice.

  ~~~

  Fern sat at the bar of the airport cafe, sipping an espresso. She had drunk far too much on the flight over and was now paying the price. Jet lag and alcohol, she reminded herself, don’t mix. She glanced up and saw Misha making his way over. She waited until he had sat down.

  “Well, any news?”

  “A large group flew in on a military transport which taxied to an American hanger. According to my friend, they were kitted out in Arctic clothing.”

  “Your newfound friend, the baggage handler,” said Fern, sceptically.

  “Don’t mock. It is a small airport and these people are well placed to observe the comings and goings of most flights. Didn’t they teach you this at police school?”

  “It’s called the Academy not ‘police school’. And no, they didn’t teach us that at Hendon.”

  She realised that she was probably being crabby. “Where are they going?”

  “They’re heading north. A remote location close to a glacier. An old ice station.”

  “Why there?”

  Misha shrugged. “This is what my friend tells me. They hired a boat yesterday—run by his cousin. He says that this Captain Larsson knows the area well. He tells me the roads are impassable this time of year. They left early this morning. We are not far behind.”

  “You realise Drum is not on some sightseeing trip. If this is going down as it did in London last year, then someone’s in for a shitload of trouble.”

  “I remember.”

  “And even if your son is with them, we can’t just barge in and pull him out.”

  Misha looked down “I have to try.”

  “Think about it, Misha. Drum arrived on a military transport, which means he’s almost certainly accompanied by his old SAS troop. If we turn up unannounced, we’re just as likely to get shot.”

  “He won’t shoot you.”

  Fern put down her coffee cup with a clatter. “This is why I’m here, isn’t it!”

  “You are here for Drummond, I am here for Sergei. We make a good team, yes?”

  “Fuck you, Misha. I knew this was a bad idea,” but she thought he had a point. If she was to get to Drum, she needed Misha’s help. The question was, did Drum need her help? “How do you propose to get to this ice station if the roads are impassable?”

  “Ah, my friend tells me about a supply chopper that flies in every few days. It lands at a private hanger in the next town. I say we look. Perhaps we can persuade the pilot to take us.”

  Fern was familiar with Misha’s form of persuasion. “We pay him, Misha. No violence.”

  “Of course,” he said, smiling.

  ~~~

  The boat moored up in the shallows of the fjord. Magnús gave it a name that Drum couldn’t pronounce. The water was calmer, away from the roiling ocean, much to Stevie’s relief. Alice came up to him as they were lowering an inflatable skiff over the side.

  “Be careful out there,” she said, gripping his arm.

  He smiled, “Yes, mum.”

  “I mean it. I’ve lost your father, I don’t want to lose you.”

  He nodded. “I’ll be fine. Brock will take good care of me. He normally does. Don’t worry. Just keep an eye on Stevie.”

  “I will.” She turned to look at Stevie who was watching from the bow. “Listen, Ben. Just get Jeremy out. Forget about the rest.”

  “I have to do what I came to do, Alice. You know that.”

  “Just don’t take any unnecessary risks.”

  “I won’t.”

  “Captain,” shouted Brock. “It’s time to go.”

  Drum checked his watch and slung his MP5 over his back. He climbed over the side and onto a ladder. “I’ll call you when it’s time to put the kettle on.” He clambered down the ladder and jumped the last metre into the skiff. Brock started the small outboard motor and pulled away from the boat.

  The fjord rapidly bottomed out and they were soon pulling onto a rocky beach. There was little wind
in the shelter of the fjord, which was protected by rising granite cliffs on either side. A grassy valley extended onwards from the beach and slowly rose on either side to rugged cliffs that sloped upwards to the glacier beyond. It was as if a giant hand had gouged a great rent in the land and left it to weather and crumble.

  Hazard and Brock secured the skiff while the rest of the team unloaded their gear. Drum had the dubious honour of carrying their only EMP, wrapped in a makeshift rucksack that he slung over his back.

  Magnús stepped forward and addressed the group. “Make sure each of you has a pair of ice grips for your boots and your safety helmet. Keep them on your belts until we are on the ice.” He held up his ice axe. “Keep this with you at all times.” He waited for the team to assemble. “Follow me.”

  The group drudged behind Magnús in single file, each carrying a Bergen of climbing equipment and ammunition. Hazard brought up the rear with his explosives strapped to his back.

  Mei caught up to Drum and kept in step beside him. Her Bergen looked huge on her small frame, but she seemed to be coping with the weight without too much effort. “Are you really going to destroy both programs?” she said.

  “I thought we agreed that was the plan.”

  “I understand but both programs could teach us a lot.”

  He gave her a sideways glance but kept up the pace just behind Magnús. “They have taught us a lot, Mei. They have taught us we’re not ready for this level of sophistication in machine intelligence. You were right when you said that Jane was just as dangerous as Tau. Both have exceeded their original programming in ways we don’t fully understand. Perhaps it’s time we paused and examined what we are doing before it’s too late.”

  “I guess you're right.” She shifted her pack on her back and fell in-line behind him.

  The team made good progress and covered the several kilometres to the base of a granite cliff that rose gently to a flattened top a few hundred metres above them. Magnús called for a stop. They unburdened themselves of their packs and sat on the mossy rocks that punctuated the base of the cliff.