The Phoenix Series Box Set 1

by Ted Tayler

  Rusty could just see Colin on the far side of the busy concourse. He gave him the thumbs up to confirm that the first part of the mission had been a success. The time was now twenty past one.

  Colin breathed a sigh of relief. Those three young men wouldn’t be bringing their version of ‘Death in the Afternoon’ to Oxford Circus today. What of the other two though?

  Habeeb and Zunairah were making their way separately towards the surface. They had arrived from Victoria a few minutes earlier. Everything was going as planned. Irfan, Karim, and Arshad were about to appear. Together the five of them would cause mayhem and fear in the centre of the capital city.

  For the two students who had been steadfast in their refusal to become westernised, despite being born and brought up in the UK, politics ranked ahead of any religious fanaticism driving them.

  These two had recruited the other three at college. They persuaded the three students they were discriminated against by the society they thought had nurtured them. Although they grew up in Britain, they were not considered British by many. They exploited their Muslim identity crisis and helped them develop a more radical interpretation of Jihad. Encouraged them to embrace activism to combat the alienation they felt and seek revenge for the injustices that young Muslims suffered in Britain. The students had been vulnerable subjects and followed their mentors like sheep.

  Habeeb and Zunairah emerged from the underground and positioned themselves in their appointed places. They looked across the concourse for their colleagues; there was no sign of them. What was keeping them? It was twenty-eight minutes past one.

  Colin saw Habeeb first. He searched the same side of the building for the girl. As soon as he spotted her, he called Rusty.

  “I’ve got eyes on them both Rusty. There’s a problem mate; both are carrying backpacks. There were five bombers, not three.”

  Rusty signalled to Brad to move closer to where Colin is standing. The three men poised, ready to react as soon as they saw any movement from either terrorist to use a mobile phone. Because he couldn’t see Irfan and the others Habeeb hesitated, should he make his call or wait a while longer?

  Brad called his men from Team 1 and 2. They were on standby in the entrance hall of the station. The ambulance crew hadn’t needed everyone in the vehicle while they transferred their prisoners to a safe place. Six ex-SAS men were ample for three lads. Brad learned that the ambulance was on the return journey and that two paramedics plus Team 3 stood guard over the three would-be bombers.

  The concourse teemed with people rushing to and fro. Rusty decided to take out Habeeb Rehman first. He ordered Team 1 to create a disturbance; something to distract the terrorist. The sound of someone shouting they had lost a wallet lifted over the general hubbub, a scuffle broke out a few yards away from the male terrorist. Rusty had used the ploy to cover the ground between them quickly and was on top of Habeeb in seconds. He took him to the floor before he had time to blink.

  Zunairah looked frantically left and right; she couldn’t see Habeeb. Where were the others? It was time. She got her mobile phone out of her purse.

  Colin still watched her. Someone strode across his eye-line. He recognised that walk. It was Athena. She had shopping bags and a large bunch of flowers and was heading for the entrance to the trains.

  “Athena,” he shouted, “hit the ground, now.”

  Athena spun around and saw Colin. She couldn’t work out why he was there in London, but the urgency in his voice convinced her she was in danger. Athena darted around the nearest corner and crouched by the wall, with her hands overhead.

  Zunairah dialled. She looked straight at Colin who was now moving towards her, dozens of people pushed and shoved at him as panic took hold. Women screamed. Children were in danger of being trampled underfoot. A small crowd showed an unhealthy interest in Rusty as he frog-marched the disorientated Habeeb out of the station with one of his team.

  Colin drew his pistol as he got nearer to Zunairah. Her phone was ringing out, but nothing was happening. The eyes that stared at him from the narrow slit of the niqab were full of hatred. She dialled again. Colin was a foot from her now; he raised the gun and shot her between the eyes. As she slumped to the floor Colin saw Brad with a paramedic running towards them with a stretcher.

  Colin let them scoop up the dead girl and rush her away. He followed them after he had grabbed Athena by the arm. She cowered close to the wall, clearly frightened and traumatised after her experiences. Colin thought she looked as if she was trying to say something to him, but she was struck dumb with shock.

  One minute later the ambulance pulled away from the station into the busy traffic. Colin was on board. Zunairah’s body on one side, Habeeb tied up securely on the other. Rusty guarded him.

  “Where are the others?” asked Colin.

  “Brad and the rest of the team members are making their way to where we have stashed the terrorists. They are using the transport they came in from Milton Keynes,” replied Rusty. “Olympus think of everything, you know that mate. We dropped the other three off at a safe house near St George’s Fields. It’s a ten-minute drive.”

  “Go on Rusty, say it.”

  “What the fuck were you thinking?”

  “Until you called me in on this caper, my whole concentration for the past couple of days has been on keeping Athena safe. Erebus wants her around to carry on Olympus after he’s gone. I didn’t think; I yelled out.”

  Athena stared at him, realisation dawning.

  “Have you been stalking me?”

  “Only following orders,” he replied.

  Rusty looked at the two of them and wondered if he might have missed something. Phoenix had a thing for her. Who’d have thought? He changed the subject. They had better get back to what was important and discuss the terrorist cell.

  “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 doughnut that those three lads had a mobile phone too. If they had each reached the prime position 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 phone 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 would blow up or whether they were sending themselves to kingdom come. Zunairah realised things had gone wrong and kept dialling, praying she had her own number or Habeeb’s.”

  “Just as well she didn’t,” said Athena, who was regaining her usual composure.

  “We were lucky,” said Colin.

  “Almost at the safe house,” said Rusty. “Where had you been heading, before this started?”

  Athena told them that her mother was in the hospital awaiting an operation in the morning. Rusty wanted to avoid driving around London in the ambulance any more than necessary. He suggested Phoenix accompanied Athena to the West End so 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 that we left it some distance away. Then you’d better travel back to Larcombe together. Do you need to go home for a few things first Athena?

  Athena nodded and added, “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 few hours.”

  “What are we going to do with her?” asked Athena, nodding towards Zunairah.

  “This one comes with us. There are a few places we could get rid of a body in London that I know. We don’t want to be hanging around until the early hours though. Events at the station will have alerted the police and MI5. Fortunately
, we didn’t leave too many clues for them.”

  “Apart from the CCTV,” said Athena.

  “Not even that,” smiled Rusty. “Larcombe hacked into the cameras to get eyes on the bombers. When they checked out of the system, they switched off a few of the problematic ones. We won’t appear on any screens the police might check.”

  “So we’re home and hosed then,” said Colin.

  “Don’t count your chickens,” 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 made to transfer the two terrorists upstairs once the coast was clear.

  Colin was gobsmacked that Olympus used the property at the luxury end of the market as a safe house. Athena saw his confusion.

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

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

  Colin and Athena got out of the ambulance and climbed the ramp towards the street. Rusty watched them go, wondering if they would hold hands before they disappeared. They didn’t.

  “I suppose you were trying to save my life Phoenix,” said Athena once they got 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 my conversations with him when we meet in the orangery, he’s fond of you. I had orders to make sure nothing happened to you in London and get you back to Larcombe unharmed.”

  “How could I get into trouble? I was spending time with my parents, for heaven's sake.”

  “Erebus feared that you might try a ‘lone wolf’ revenge attack on the terrorist cell; because of your partner.”

  Athena sat quietly for a time as they continued towards Beaumont Street.

  “I’m sorry,” Colin said. “It must still be very difficult coming to terms with what happened. When my wife Sue died, I suppressed my emotions and threw myself into my work.”

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

  They reached the hospital where Mrs Fox was tucked up, with all mod cons, waiting to go for her operation 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. She stopped at the doorway and checked her watch. Just before two o’clock.

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

  “Three o’clock it is, ma’am,” Colin replied.

  Athena came back down the steps and touched his arm.

  “Erebus was right. If I had been armed and stumbled upon the scene 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 suppressed 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 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 there was only a short time left to while away waiting for Athena. He pulled alongside the entrance to the private hospital at three o’clock on the dot. Athena came out, followed by her father.

  “Vincent Gardens please driver,” Athena said calmly.

  “I thought we’d grab a taxi darling,” her father said, “one can’t be too careful with these minicab people.”

  “Don’t worry sir,” said Colin, “a free trip, isn’t it miss?”

  He loved winding up Athena; she looked daggers at him when he checked the rearview mirror.

  “Do you know this man?”

  “A little,” said Athena through gritted teeth.

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

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

  “Call me Pat, sir.”

  Colin glanced in the rearview mirror. Athena was staring out of the window.

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

  Meanwhile, the ambulance left the safe house and chugged along the M4 towards Bath. The driver was aware of the extra weight on board. 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 no doubt realised their prospects for the future didn’t look great, and Rusty and his team took advantage of the chance to relax.

  On the M1, Brad, and his team headed home too. Once they got dropped off in Milton Keynes, they disappeared to their own hometown or city. As Olympus agents, they were on standby twenty-four-seven, waiting for the call to do what they were trained to do; dispose of the bad guys. Brad had one more place to check out; the maisonette.

  He parked a distance further up the road and took a pair of binoculars out of the glove compartment. He saw no sign of anyone in or around the building.

  “Neighbourhood Watch my arse,” he said, “looks as if I’d better do it then.”

  Brad rang the local police and reported a possible break-in, he supplied the details and when asked for his name he ended the call. He sat in the car for twenty minutes before a police car arrived. Twenty minutes after that first responder, the place swarmed with people in high-viz jackets and paper suits.

  Brad drove back to his house on the outskirts of MK. A decent result today, he thought, we took the bombers out and lined up the rest of the cell for the authorities to arrest. Completed without a scratch; sleep would come easy tonight.

  While Brad sat in front of his TV checking whether the news carried a report on the Oxford Circus furore, Colin 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 by 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 and got into the passenger seat.

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

  “Pat?” she asked.

  “Yes, ma’am?” asked Colin, just managing to keep a straight face.

  “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 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. Both in tune with the topics that were off the agenda. They made no mention of terrorists, her mother’s state of health, her late partner or Colin’s past life before Pulteney Weir. In fact, Colin found Athena 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 truth be told, I’m just sorry we’ve arrived back so soon. It’s been fun chatting with 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 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 feeling hot and bothered.

  “Bloody hell,” he said as he drove to his quarters. “She is so going to be worth it when she stops messing me around. Still, I mustn’t grumble too much, at least, she’ll be in that costume again and that’s something I suppose.”

  Colin should have remembered the well-known phrase, 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 at his swimming trunks in the drawer. Not tonight.

  He found Erebus alone in the drawing-room.

  “Ah Phoenix, there you are. Take a seat. 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. The Devon police are viewing the demise of Sir Godfrey Penrose as an ‘accidental death’. Our view is that the items you left at the scene provided a glimpse into his murky past that several people preferred didn’t surface. The coroner will find it difficult to come to any other conclusion under the circumstances. On Sunday, you will travel north to finish the Dunfermline mission. You will have the items you need ready for you by tomorrow evening.”

  Colin shuffled his feet. He was glad to hear the good news, but what came next?

  “No doubt you recall your first few days here at Larcombe Manor. I made it crystal clear that the authorities should be given not one scintilla of suspicion of our activities. We sent you 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 everyone believed 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 us to closer examination. I’m very disappointed Phoenix.”