Red Hawk Rising

by Peter William Hall

  Another vehicle pulled up and Hamilton got out and walked over. “Right. Get the three victims into the back of the van and you two take it back to our base. We’ll take the fourth one with us. Corporal Hill, you come with me. Let’s get this all cleaned up before we get curious onlookers.” The whole action had taken no more than six minutes and the street was clear again. Even the bloodstain on the pavement was wiped up. Hamilton and Andy sat in the back of the car with the handcuffed person between them. The driver was ordered to go to RAF Handwell. Nothing was said until they arrived at the main gate. Hamilton indicated for Andy to get out and he did the same. Out of the car, Hamilton explained that they had been tapping all the telephone calls at the Argonaut Industries security office since Andy’s little escapade. The calls intercepted today alerted them to the planned hit.

  Andy thanked him and then said, “That man Anderson was watching me on the train. What was that all about?”

  Hamilton responded, “Apparently you are a marked man. We received a tip from overseas that you had been somewhat zealous in a previous assignment and the enemy wanted payback. We’ve been keeping an eye on you for your sake.”

  Andy smiled rather wryly. “Well, thanks. I guess this incident tonight never happened.”

  “Correct,” replied Hamilton. “Take care. We’re a long way from finished. Safe travelling tomorrow.” He shook hands and got into the car and it drove off. Andy sighed and turned and went in through the gate, showing his I.D. to the guard as he went through.

  CHAPTER 5

  The next morning (Saturday 24th) Andy packed his gear ready to leave. Mike walked across to the mess with him for breakfast. “You got back without any trouble I see.”

  Andy grinned and said, “No worries. What did you expect?”

  Mike grinned back and replied, “Well, you might have been picked up by a nice looking blonde!” Andy just smiled. “Sheila was really impressed with you. She thinks you’re great and no doubt she will be trying to match-make next time you are over.”

  “It was a great evening,” replied Andy. “You are a lucky guy. You’d better marry her. I think Sheila’s great.” Mike seemed to grow an inch taller at the remark.

  “Yes, it’s heading that way.” They went in and had breakfast. After breakfast both men headed for the office, Andy to pick up his travel documents before leaving. As he was signing for them, the officer in command of detachment came out of his office and told Corporal Hill that a car was going into the city and would drop him off at the railway station. He gave him an envelope and told him to sign for it.

  “Give this to Flying Officer Goodhew when you arrive at Wensley Electronics. He is the officer i/c Radar. I know you won’t lose it. The team is working today so you will be taken straight to Wensley Electronics. There will be a driver to pick you up at the movements office at Newcastle Station.” Andy signed for the envelope and put it inside his tunic. It would be safe there.

  A driver came into the office and the officer pointed to Andy. “Drop Corporal Hill off at Piccadilly Station before going on with your other errands.” The driver nodded. Corporal Andy Hill thanked them and said he would be in touch; then he went out to the car.

  At Piccadilly Station, Andy headed for the ticket office and changed his travel warrant for a ticket. He checked on the time of the train to York, where he would change for a train to Newcastle, and headed for the newsagent to buy a paper. As he came out, he saw a familiar face — it was his previous protector from MI5. The man shook his head slightly and Andy understood. No doubt he would be on Andy’s train and nearby, if not in the same compartment. Ten minutes later, the train came in and Andy boarded it near the front. He found a compartment with no seats reserved and took a seat with his back to the engine. The train pulled out and Andy relaxed with the newspaper.

  Back in Manchester city, Major Garasov was receiving a report from one of his agents. Apparently the four men who had gone to eliminate Corporal Hill had not reported in, nor had it been possible to contact them. Garasov asked why there had been four and not just two as he had ordered. The man shrugged his shoulders and said, “That’s how they wanted to work it. They thought four would be able to cover any situation.” Apparently, the team that had been recruited for the job were not Russian nationals or even local agents. Garasov felt that if something had gone wrong then it would be difficult to trace it back to the Russian Consulate. The men had been paid a third of the money upfront and if they did not appear to collect the rest then he would have to assume that things had gone wrong. That would mean that Corporal Hill was still alive and a threat. The next attempt would need to be by a trained professional.

  Hamilton was contemplating his next move. Last night’s attack on Corporal Hill had put a different complexion on things. Two of the assailants were dead and the other two had already been transferred south to a secure location for interrogation. The bodies of the deceased were in a special morgue, undergoing checks, and the van was safely hidden and being stripped down. He was beginning to understand why Hill was not popular with the other side. The man was lethal, even without a weapon. The question was — who had ordered the elimination of Hill and was it connected with the present situation at Argonaut Industries?” That was important to know. He knew the Russians would like Hill out of the way. If the tapped call was a relayed message from the Russians, as he suspected, then the people involved may have been a convenient connection to arrange the ‘hit’. Either way, they may have to move and close off the leak rather than feed dummy information. It was also time for him to move on to the next contractor. The next most sensitive piece of equipment was the radar. If the scientists were correct, then this model would be more advanced than anything the Russians or Americans had. That made it a logical target. He decided that he’d better follow Corporal Hill north. Besides, that lad seemed to attract ‘action’ and it might be good to be nearby. He picked up the ‘phone to London.

  Out in the North Sea, a Russian trawler was heading south from the Arctic Circle. One of its holds had a catch of cod that would be very saleable in England. Captain Petrovsky had sailed north under instructions, fished for cod and was now headed south. He had no doubt that he would soon have new orders. He had been told to stay at sea instead of taking the agent back to Russia and he had to have a reason for going into a British port. The cod would help. High overhead, a RAF Shackleton of Coastal Command was taking photographs of the trawler. With its sensitive cameras it didn’t need to fly low to make an identification. It was near the end of its long patrol and the crew would be happy to touch down at their base.

  The train to Newcastle was slowing down as it went through Durham Station. Looking out of the window he had a magnificent view of Durham Cathedral and the castle. The two buildings were set on a hill in a loop of the river. The old Norman cathedral was very imposing, with its twin towers at the end overlooking the River Wear. Memories of walks along the river bank below the cathedral came flooding back. He wondered how his parents were and whether he would have time to visit them. There had been no time when he had returned from overseas. Although he was due leave, he hadn’t been allowed to take it due to the present urgency. The journey up had been uneventful. The MI5 man had kept an eye on him in York station but made no contact. He was on the train a couple of compartments away and had walked past a couple of times, obviously keeping a check on him — and nearby passengers. Andy had been wondering who had initiated the attempt on his life. Hamilton had said it was a past assignment but could it be linked to the present one? It was hard to know. He tended to think that it was the latter reason and could only link it in to the incident with the cleaners. That was now in the hands of MI5. Andy got up, slid the compartment door open and went out into the corridor of the carriage. He wanted to stretch his legs and also see the bridges as they crossed the River Tyne. The train was slowing as it travelled through the Team Valley on the outskirts of Gateshead. The train crossed over on the King Edward Bridge and, looking east, he saw the th
ree bridges — a familiar sight. Then the train was drawing into Central Station. It was still a busy station but not as busy as it had been a few years ago. Andy went back into the compartment and pulled his bag off the rack before heading for the carriage door. He noticed the MI5 man, Anderson, waiting in the corridor. He then moved in behind Andy. They got off the train and headed for the barrier. The porter took Andy’s ticket and Andy headed for the movements office that existed for the armed forces personnel. Anderson seemed to just melt away. Andy went into the movements office and saw a RAF driver sitting there. Showing his movements authority, he asked about transport to Wensley Electronics. The army sergeant at the desk nodded toward the driver who got up and indicated Andy to follow him. A Vanguard Phase 1 with RAF markings was parked outside. The driver was a leading aircraftman and said his name was Higgins. He had been detached from RAF Acklington to provide transport for the radar team working at Wensley Electronics. He pulled out of the station concourse and headed towards Mosley Street to get onto New Bridge Street and then the Shields Road. On the way over, Higgins bemoaned the fact that they had to work this weekend. He had planned to go up to Amble to see his girlfriend and he hoped she wouldn’t be put out by this. Andy told him that he wasn’t the only one put out since he had hoped to visit his parents that weekend. The complex was near Byker, not far from the famous Parsons Works. In its early days, Wensley had been contractors to Parsons but when the Second World War came, they were able to diversify into the newer field of electronics, becoming contractors to the Ministry of Defence. Now they specialised in radar and associated equipment.

  The car turned into the grounds of Wensley Electronics and pulled into a parking spot near the administration. They both got out and LAC (Leading Aircraftman) Higgins led the way into the building. He showed Andy where to register and after completing the register, Higgins took Andy down to the office of Flying Officer Goodhew and left him there. Andy knocked and at the “Come in!” he went in, came to attention and saluted.

  “Corporal Hill reporting in, sir.”

  “At ease, Corporal.” Taking the envelope from his tunic, he handed it to Flying Officer Goodhew and said that the officer in charge of the detachment had asked him to deliver it personally. Goodhew took the envelope and nodded him to a chair. As he opened the envelope, he said, “I understand that you are to study the radar unit and its different components from the perspective of a system design for trials analysis. How long do you think you will need here?”

  Andy suggested that two to three days should be enough. “I also want to compare contractors’ documentation to see how well they align for our purposes, sir.”

  “Good. I’ll hand you over to Senior Tech Thompson. He’ll introduce you to the members of this section. We’re billeted at RAF Ouston, on the western outskirts of Newcastle. It’s a bit of a run but the alternative was the Fenham Barracks of the RNF — and that doesn’t appeal. Don’t upset the electricians of this company. We’ve had a lot of trouble with them. Their leaders are all sympathisers of the Communist Party, if not members.”

  Andy nodded and replied, “I’ll take care, sir.”

  Goodhew picked up the ‘phone and dialled Senior Tech Thompson. After putting the ‘phone down he said to Andy, “If you turn right as you go out of this office and head down the corridor, Senior Tech Thompson will meet you there.” Andy got up, saluted and left the office. A tall, rangy senior tech came out of a lab. and waved to Andy. As they met, he shook hands and said, “Call me ‘Sarge’. It’s a lot easier.” Andy nodded agreement and followed him back into the lab. where both RAF and civilian personnel were at work on a module of the radar unit. “Grab a stool and watch and listen. We’ll sit down with some schematics a little later.” With that, Andy found a stool to sit on and Sarge Thompson went back to the task in hand. Over his shoulder he said to Andy, “We’re calibrating this unit and it’s a bit tricky so bear with us.” Andy got out his notepad and jotted names and comments from the conversations. There was Corporal Technician Lance Williams and Corporal Dan Brennan working on the module, along with a couple of Wensley Electronics staff and a ‘boffin’ from Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough. The module contained the klystron, one of the most sensitive parts from the security aspect. It was a key factor in the amazing sensitivity of the radar in detecting an aircraft despite electronic counter measures being used to hide the aircraft’s approach. Suddenly, a circuit card failed and they switched over to the duplicate. Dan Brennan removed the faulty card and slid the tray back into place and locked it in. He went over to shelving, holding the spare parts to get a replacement card. There wasn’t one there. Puzzled, he went over to the stock cards for items held in the laboratory to see whether he had been mistaken. The stock record showed that there should have been a spare circuit card. “Hey, Sarge, that spare card is missing. It’s on the record as being here but there’s no sign of it.”

  “Let’s finish this, Corp, and then we’ll have a good look for the missing part,” replied Sarge Thompson. Andy looked on with interest.

  It took another twenty minutes to finish the calibrating. “Corporal Hill, start with this manual while I help look for the missing card,” said Sarge as he handed Andy the manual. He and Corporal Brennan and one of the Wensley Electronics staff started checking the spare parts on the shelves. Not finding the missing card on the shelves they checked all the other possible places in the laboratory without success.

  “What happens now?” Andy asked Sarge.

  “We’ll order another one from the warehouse and notify them that one has gone missing. The trouble is, this is the third time in the last two weeks,” was the reply. The Wensley staffer didn’t seem bothered by this, as though it was a common thing in the factory.

  “Were they all different parts?” asked Andy.

  “I’m pretty sure they were,” chimed in Corporal Brennan.

  “Nothing we can do about it now,” said Sarge, looking at the other RAF guys as if to say, ‘Drop the matter until we can talk privately’. Looking at his watch, Sarge said to the ‘boffin’, “Do you want to do any more today?”

  The boffin shook his head. “No, let’s pack up for the day. I think I’ll take tomorrow off and be back in on Monday. What about your team, Sarge?”

  Sarge shrugged and said, “It depends on Flying Officer Goodhew. He’ll let us know.” They finished packing test equipment and calibrators away and left it to the Wensley staffer to lock up.

  “Take the manual with you, Corporal Hill,” said Sarge. Andy nodded and packed it in his haversack. With a chorus of ‘Goodnights’ to the Wensley staffer, they left the room and headed down to the common room to meet up with other RAF personnel, resulting in a chorus of greetings from them as they entered the room and a round of introductions to Andy.

  Flying Officer Goodhew walked in and the buzz of conversation stopped and everyone stood. “Well, it’s been a long day, team. We are still behind schedule but we’ll take tomorrow off and be back on duty on Monday. Next week we will need to push things along. I understand that the CO has talked to the management here and they may get a visit from someone from Air Ministry to push things along. It may have the opposite effect with the Electrical Trades Union. We’ll have to do what we can without causing a strike. Okay, see you Monday.” They all came to attention, Flying Officer Goodhew saluted them and left the room. Andy picked up his bag as they all started for the door and out to the RAF bus.

  Higgins was at the wheel of the bus and Flying Officer Goodhew was driving the Vanguard himself. Soon they were heading back down Shields Road, past Parrish’s department store and over the Byker Bridge towards the city. They were familiar sights for Andy. The bus passed Grey’s Monument and headed through Gallowgate, past St. James Park (the home of Newcastle United football team) and west of the city. They passed the army barracks (home of the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers), grim looking behind a high wall. Andy was relieved that they hadn’t been billeted there. The bus headed along the Stamfo
rdham Road, out through Westerhope and into open country. RAF Ouston was 13 Group H.Q. and was situated in pleasant rural surroundings. The actual staff of 13 Group H.Q. was not so big these days but the accommodation and facilities for larger manning made it good for detachments such as No. 28 JSTU. Andy had mixed feelings being back in Northumberland. The bus pulled into the base and Andy had to check in. The duty NCO arranged for him to be issued with bedding and Corporal Brennan helped carry it over to their barrack room. Here, all except the senior non-commissioned officers shared the same barrack room. Higgins and some others were getting changed into civilian dress and heading out of the base for the weekend. Andy followed Brennan to the mess for an evening meal. They chatted over the meal. His surname and accent meant that he was from the north-east. Dan said that his family was from Wark, on the North Tyne. He had joined the RAF as a boy entrant and qualified as an electrician. His role on the radar team was primarily cabling, of which there was plenty. When the electricians at Wensley Electronics had gone on strike, he had continued the work on the modules so that testing could commence. The Electrical Trades Union shop steward had complained but since he was a qualified, non-union electrician and a member of the military they had no case. The design principles were from Farnborough, hence the ‘boffins’ involved at this early stage. Andy told Dan that he was from Alnwick. His father had been in legal practice in Brisbane for a while but returned to Alnwick. Andy had done tertiary studies at Rutherford Technical College before being called up. As they chatted, Lance Williams joined them. He had been on the telephone organising to visit people in Corbridge on the morrow and invited Dan and Andy to join him. His friends had told him to bring friends if he wanted to. Lance was from Cwmbran in South Wales and had joined the RAF as an apprentice. He had met these people through his interest in the Roman occupation of Britain. There were plenty of remains west of Wylam. Dan and Andy agreed to join him. For them, it would not be worthwhile trying to visit families in Wark and Alnwick on a Sunday without private transport. After the meal they decided to get changed and head out to a local hotel for a beer and a game of darts.