by Brian Cain
CHAPTER SIX
Bella had time to think on the way to the airport, as the chopper rotors thumped away above her she originated her own plan of attack. Working so closely to Stanton had affected the way she operated; she too had adopted an autonomous thought train reading way between the lines. Stanton had forged indirect links with the CIA and French Secret Service, Bella maintained the same contacts and she knew she might need help, not with Finland authorities but her own ranks. She studied the identification papers and passport supplied and thought they would draw attention to her visit, she was supposedly to masquerade as a high class French prostitute in town to fill the needs of her target, if her targets body was found in Finland she could be easily linked to the scene. She knew her target well and could not fathom the fact he would sell Polaris information to overseas buyers. He was a minister deeply involved in the business world, he had little to no contact with authorities that would be capable of lifting plans for the complete Polaris plan, in fact, this was impossible as they were kept in different places under diverse conditions to avoid the exact happening she had been assigned to sanction.
This was the first time Stanton had been called away separating the pair after such a short debrief on returning from an overseas operation involving engagement on foreign soil. The more she thought about things the more cherries came up indicating a jackpot, she noticed her elite observers at the airport and destroyed her supplied ID. She used her own identity boarding the plane as Bella Fonteyn using her British passport invoking diplomatic immunity should it be required, now everyone knew where she was. She felt more comfortable with this tactic for as Stanton she had learned to trust no one.
One thing that always stood out to Bella was the smell of a new country when landing at its airport, Finland always had this clean fresh bouquet, she thought this may be attributed to spending time in South Africa so recently, the smell of death lingering in her mind. The target had chosen the Hilton, Bella thought this was due to its close proximity to international terminal two, this was also a trait favouring her, no vehicular travel to access the target. Bella had no problems negotiating customs, she openly condoned she was on government business at the British consulate. The room was on the first floor also leading her to believe the target wished to spend as little time as possible exposed to public elements. Her timing at the elevator within the Hilton was perfect queuing at one then darting to another open and empty just before the doors closed leaving anyone not sure of her destination floundering amongst tourists.
She found the room and knocked loudly on the door, the target rose nervously from the room's small table kicking the chair away anxiously. He stood at the door holding the handle with his ear securely on the doors surface and listened. He heard nothing, waited a few seconds then asked. "Who is it?"
"Bella."
"Bella Fonteyn?"
"Yes, come on Gordon its cold out here, I just happened to find out you were at the airport and thought I'd say hi."
Gordon Sheldon opened the door on the security chain, he saw Bella and smiled. He released the chain letting her in; she kissed him on the cheek, her bouquet filled his nose and his genitals responded. He looked up and down the corridor seeing no one, closed the door behind him watching Bella's shapely form stroll into the room. His greying hair, white shirt and dark slacks looked a bit establishment, the room stank of bourbon, cigar smoke and sharp after-shave. Without hesitation or fear, Bella placed her handbag on the table, sat down, opened it and began to assemble a handgun concealed as parts of the bags framework. Gordon watched inquisitively as within seconds she began to screw a silencer on the odd-looking weapon. "Bella that looks like a gun, have you.... oh god no." His look changed to one of terror.
Bella pointed the gun at his chest he sat on the bed only a few feet from her, she stood up. "You're brief case and luggage open it or I'll kill you on the spot," said Bella.
"Pleas Bella I can explain."
Bella cocked the weapon. "I'll count to three." Sheldon quickly fumbled around under the bed pulling out his brief case and a one small suitcase of hand luggage. "Open them up on the bed then step clear." She waved the weapon menacingly at Sheldon. He obliged standing up against the wall to her right. She pulled papers from his brief case and found a folder marked 'Top Secret'. She studied the contents sitting back down at the table, after glancing at a few pages she looked at Sheldon. "Sit down Gordon." He sat nervously in front of her on the opposite side of the table, she used both hands to study more of the paperwork fumbling with her gun at times. She got up and with one hand upended his suitcase, it contained nothing but clothes and toiletries', she checked the lining but it was clean. She sat back down at the table looking blank and read some more of the paperwork going right through to the end giving some pages just a glance, Sheldon had no idea what she was thinking. She stood back up ransacking the rest of the room one handed, she found nothing. "Okay Gordon, tell me what you're up to."
"Look I've got financial problems, I was just trying to make ends meet."
Bella put her gun down on the table close to her hand. Sheldon went at ease. "Polaris, what can you tell me about it."
Sheldon looked puzzled, the lines on his face closed up and he ran his hand across his greying hair. "Polaris, I don't know anything about Polaris. Just what the relevant ministers have outlined. Why do you ask?"
"Whom exactly were you intending to sell this information to?"
"Russian shipping companies have offered a fortune for it, of course it's a silly move on my behalf, I've ruined my self and family, stupidity." He hung his head looking at the floor."
"Have you ever spoken to any contacts overseas about the Polaris plan?"
Sheldon looked drained and was going pale, he shook his head. "No, only this information here, I've amassed it whilst going about my ministerial duties."
"Shipping plans and prices for the next two years, negotiations with overseas clients, contacts with influence and power in the shipping industry of the west. Who ever has this information would be able to out fox and out bid contracts worth billions of dollars shipping oil and cargo around the globe."
"Yes I arranged to give it to the highest bidder, Russian, they should be here in a couple of hours."
"Then you're off to Sweden."
"Yes."
"Good that'll still happen, only difference in five minutes."
"Bella these people are Russian gangsters I'll be killed."
"Someone wants both of us dead Gordon, I was sent here to sanction you."
Sheldon looked ghastly. "Good god no."
"You were loaded with having stolen the Polaris plan and selling it to the KGB."
Sheldon stood up. "That's absurd."
Bella nodded. "Yes exactly what I thought but I'll keep an open mind. We nearly ended up in the middle of Moscow and indeed would be dead or as good as and the info in this case would surely have put pay to that. Bruce Hurst saved our lives, we need to get back to England as soon as possible, no matter what you're up to I have a friend who needs your input. Hector Boesky, his name is among the contact list in this folder, you've dealt with him?"
"Yes, he put me in touch with the people I'm supposed to see here."
"Hector Boesky is a double agent, John Stanton requested he be put under surveillance over a year ago. By the information you have here he is working on the Grimsby docks."
"Yes, he’s a consultant there or several shipping companies even those from the Middle East. In fact he has an office at Grimsby and visits every dock in the UK Wales and Ireland."
Bella picked up the phone and made several calls none to official channels, she failed to contact Stanton but requisitioned a exec jet sitting on the apron at Helsinki Vantaa. Without Stanton, she was vulnerable, they would need to leave immediately and put down in Sweden. She wanted to stick to the trail suggested by Hurst as so Stanton could trace her movements. She changed her clothes to slacks, conservative blouse and let her hair down falling to the top of her buttocks, h
er jet-black straight hair shielding her face from view by just tilting her head forwards slightly. Bella had Sheldon dress as far out of character as available clothes would allow, shorts and thongs added to his suitcase at the last moment should he have a chance to access a pool on his travels, and a round beach hat colour bright green made of towelling that Sheldon detested. She stashed Sheldon’s brief case in his suitcase making room by sacrificing clothes, retaining the information in case it was required to barter for life.
Bella led the way holding her head forwards her face was hidden, Sheldon pulled the hat down on his head his eyes partially veiled, they made their way to departures. The executive jet had been mustered within short walking distance of terminal two and within half hour they were airborne heading for Stockholm.
