Collins sat there fretting. He removed the safety strap from the gun on his hip and phoned Jonathan. “In five minutes,” he said. “Start the engine and bring it round the front. Park in the emergency bay and do not move no matter what anyone says.”
“Okay,” said Jonathan. “Five minutes.”
Eventually Dr Alding looked up and said to The Grey Man, “I have some good news. What you have is a form of glaucoma. It is unusual for it to have affected both eyes at the same time but not unheard of. It can be reversed by a simple operation as long as you do not leave it too long.”
Collins stepped up. “Can you do this operation?” he said.
“Yes. It is just routine,” said Dr Alding. “But I will of course need a full theatre set for laser eye treatment.”
“Okay,” said Collins thinking fast. “I need you to come with us.”
The doctor’s eyes went cold. “I don’t think so,” he said. “I am happy to do the operation but cannot schedule you in until next week assuming I can book a theatre.”
“I am afraid you do not understand,” said Collins. “We have been spotted coming here by some very nasty men and they will want to speak with you and I can assure you they will not be gentle.”
“I will take my chance,” said Dr Alding now looking very worried.
“Let’s try this a different way,” said The Grey Man. He pulled from his jacket a wad of bills that had been in his escape bag. “Here is ten thousand pounds. If you come with us now a further one hundred thousand pounds will be deposited into a bank of your choice this afternoon which you can verify. After the operation a further five hundred thousand pounds will be added. If anyone asks, you can say you were kidnapped and forced to perform an operation at gun point which should make everything okay. We are, after all, very dangerous men.”
At the same time The Assassin pulled out his 9mm Glock and laid it on the table near the wad of money. The message was less than subtle. “Trust me,” he said. “I promise you that you are doing this country a great service.”
Dr Alding smiled and said, “I just need to make a quick call to my housekeeper.”
“Sure,” said Collins. “As long as I can listen in.”
The doctor dialed a number and put it on speaker phone. “Hello, Mrs Leith. I am going away for a trip with some friends for a week or so. Can you look after the house?”
“Certainly Dr Alding,” replied Mrs Leith with a cultured accent. “Have a nice time.”
The doctor grabbed his old black Gladstone bag and packed it with equipment, drugs and bandages that he felt might be needed.
He then rang down to his secretary, again on speaker phone. “Sorry Ruth,” he said. “Something has come up so can you cancel my appointments for the next few days?”
“I hope everything is alright?” came Ruth’s concerned voice.
“No problems,” said Dr Alding. “Just some urgent family business to attend to.”
He turned to Collins and The Grey Man. “Ready when you are,” he said.
Surge saw The Grey Man, Collins and the doctor leaving the building. He got out of the car checking the watcher was still unconscious and ran across the road. The three men got in the back of the Range Rover as quickly as they could without attracting attention, the doctor and Collins helping The Grey Man. Surge jumped in the front. Jonathan gunned the engine and they were away. “Not too fast,” said Surge. “Do not bring attention to us.”
Jonathan, although pumped with adrenalin, slowed down. Three miles down the road they stopped in a quiet lay-by and Surge and Collins reversed the number plates again, putting back the original plates.
Jonathan headed towards the coast. Collins and The Grey Man looked happy. “I assume,” said Surge finally. “That since the good doctor is with us, something can be done?”
“Absolutely,” said Collins. “Now the game changes.”
Chapter 20
The Tide Turns
Danny the Dipper, woke up on a hospital bed with a splitting headache. He had a doctor bent over him and a nurse standing at the end of the bed. He pushed the doctor away and sat up carefully spinning his legs and putting his feet on the ground.
“I’m fine,” he said pushing passed the doctor. Feeling a bit woozy, he walked unsteadily but as fast as he could to the reception then out the front doors to see a black Range Rover pulling away with the marks inside. He struggled over to the car to see Bob unconscious on the driver’s seat. He pulled open the door and shook him until he woke. His jaw was hanging at an unnatural angle and was obviously broken. Danny put his arm around Bob and together they lurched into the reception where a nurse took care of Bob.
Danny went back outside and phoned his boss, Sumi.
“We had them,” he said. “But they attacked us and got away.”
“Right stay where you are,” said Sumi. “Someone is coming and if I was you I would tell them everything.”
“Sure,” said Danny.
Sumi then phoned up The Enforcer and explained what had happened.
“Tell your guy I am in Birmingham,” said Keith Poole. “But I will be there in two hours, he’s not to move or open his mouth to anyone.”
Keith turned the new XF Jaguar onto the M42 and opened up the throttle. He raced as fast as he could trying to avoid the speed traps and keeping an eye out for the police. An hour and fifty minutes later he got to hospital. Screeching to a halt in the car park he spotted Danny the Dipper straight away. “Oh my God,” he thought. “What a joke!”
In Keith’s eyes Danny looked exactly what he was, a small time thief and pickpocket, scruffy jeans, an old ripped jacket with a flat cap, small lined face with beady eyes. Everything he did looked furtive. “No wonder he got jumped. Is this the best we have got?” thought Keith.
He walked up to him and could see Danny getting worried as he looked up at the bulk of The Enforcer. “Tell me everything,” he demanded.
“Well, they broke Bob’s jaw and he is in surgery now. You should see him, what a state,” he said in a high pitched rush.
The Enforcer grabbed him with one massive hand and in a show of strength lifted Danny up until both his feet were off the floor and slammed him into the wall so hard his teeth shook.
“Listen,” The Enforcer whispered into Danny’s ear. “I couldn’t give a fuck about your mate, you understand? If they ripped off his arms and beat him to death with the soggy ends it would cause me no pain whatsoever. Now you had better let me know what happened before you need a bit of surgery yourself.”
He slammed him hard into the wall again and then let him down slowly until his feet finally touched the pavement. Danny’s face was flushed and he brushed the front of his old jacket down and tried to compose himself before he spoke,
“I was sitting in reception and in came two old men, one in a wheelchair who obviously could not see. They both had hats pulled down to cover their faces but I knew it was them. I went to call Bob but the next thing I knew I was waking up on a hospital bed. I managed to get outside and saw them speeding off. I checked and they have taken the doctor with them.”
“Okay,” said Keith. “Good, good. Now you had better have got the number plate.”
“Sure,” said Danny and reeled of the number.
“Well done,” said Keith and drew a wad of notes from his pocket. Here’s a couple of grand for you and your pal. Contact Sumi for more and let him know to keep looking and to keep in touch.”
Keith reported into John Sea who then phoned Sir Thomas.
“This changes everything,” said Sir Thomas. “If they have the doctor then obviously something can be done to get The Grey Man’s eyesight back and if that happens, all hell will break loose. Give me that number plate.”
John Sea read it out and Sir Thomas punched it into the computer. Immediately a name and address in Newcastle came up. He read it out to John Sea.
“I doubt this is them,” he said. “But tell your guys to go careful.”
“Now I suggest,�
�� continued Sir Thomas, “That we stake out every eye hospital and clinic that can perform operations. There are not that many so let’s hope we get lucky. They cannot keep the doctor for long or his disappearance will get noticed. I would think they will move in the next forty eight to seventy two hours. I will try to divert as many men as I can. Phone me back within the hour and I will have a complete list of operating theatres that we can divide up. I will also have a number of hit squads based throughout the UK.”
“I thought you did not want to get directly involved,” said John Sea.
“I don’t. It is going to cause me no end of trouble, not to mention possibly an end to my career but trust me if The Grey Man gets to see again and that team get operational, you and I are dead so I am having to take the risk.”
. . . . . .
Jonathan drove quickly and carefully back to Swanage, this time avoiding the ferry but taking the long way round into the lush English countryside, through the ancient village of Corfe and passed the beautiful ruins of Corfe castle that had been destroyed by Oliver Cromwell in the English Civil war. No one spoke, each lost in their own thoughts.
Just outside Swanage he pulled over for fuel and he and Surge went into a small supermarket where they stocked up with fresh food and other supplies. Back at the house he parked in the garage and closed the garage door before everyone got out. Surge cooked a simple meal of pasta and tomato sauce and they all sat round the kitchen table to eat. The Grey Man let his cool before lifting the bowl up to his chin and spooning in every mouthful very carefully.
Afterwards they all went into the front room which was fast becoming their operations centre. Collins looked at the doctor and said, “Tell us about the operation.”
“It is a relatively simple operation,” he said. “The Glaucoma is caused by a raising of pressure in the eyes called IOP which shuts down the flow of liquid in the eye and can, if not treated, cause permanent damage to the optic nerve. Luckily in this case we have caught it quickly so that does not appear to have happened. However, if I do not operate soon, it most certainly will. All I need to do is give a local anesthetic in the form of eye drops and the patient looks into a light for about ten minutes. The laser cuts a slot in the eye reducing the amount of liquid and opening up the tracts. With this done the pressure will drop, the liquid will flow again and the eyesight will be restored. The patient will need to keep a blindfold on for twelve hours and then stay in a darkened room for another twelve. After that he should be fine.”
“Since we have you, they will know we are planning this operation and every surgical unit in the country will be covered,” said The Grey Man to the doctor.
He faced the rest of them. “They will also know that waiting is not an option either for me, or to have the doctor with us for too long or finally for all of us to hide in the UK for any length of time. We need to move quickly and if we do they will confront us.”
They all went quiet for a moment.
“Can we go abroad?” said Jonathan.
“Not easily,” said Collins. “All ports and airports will be on alert and we are conspicuous no matter how we try to disguise ourselves. We would also need to split up and I am loath to do that. We also have the problem that once we are abroad we still need to find a hospital.”
“I may have a solution,” said Dr Alding and they all looked at him. “I have periodically being doing some consultancy for a small engineering and optical company in Dorchester. As you know England has some of the finest small engineering companies in the world and this company are, and I say this confidentially, working on the latest series of lasers for eye surgery. They have a small theatre set up to demonstrate their equipment to potential customers with some terrific equipment. It is not exactly sterile but I assure you it is good enough.”
“Could you talk to the owner and get permission?” asked Collins.
“Not a chance,” said the doctor. They would get shut down and I would get struck off if anyone knew an unlicensed operation was being performed there. You will have to break in.”
“Give me the name and address,” said The Grey Man. Turning to Jonathan he continued, “Jonathan, I need your eyes.” Jonathan smiled and went to get the laptop.
Two hours later they all gathered again. Jonathan set up the laptop so everyone could see the screen.
“There is good news and bad news,” said The Grey Man. As he talked Jonathan let the computer scroll through photographs of the engineering company gleaned from various places on the net. “E&O Engineering is privately owned, very profitable and well respected in the industry. Many of their lasers are bought by the competition and incorporated into their equipment due to the high standard of the design and build quality. Everything is manufactured and finally assembled on the spot to keep the secrets and integrity of their designs.”
“What’s good for us is that they only work one shift and the business remains closed over night. There are no security guards or dogs, neither do they have any external security lighting pointed at the building, just ones illuminating the car park. They do not even have gates. We can drive straight in up to the front door.”
“The bad news is that they are security minded and they obviously do some military work as the burglar alarm is quite sophisticated. They have advanced sensors on doors and windows, pressure plates, the works. Also, because they are on an industrial estate, they even have a large alarm siren which will wake up half of Dorchester and bring the police running in minutes if it goes off.”
Jonathan pulled up a picture of the front of the building and they could see a large orange fog horn type siren half way up the wall.
“Can you neutralize or turn it off?” asked Collins.
“If I had my eyesight back I could,” said The Grey Man. “But without offending young Jonathan it would take too long to teach him and one small mistake and they would know. This kind of alarm is very up-to-date and looks for cyber attacks.”
Collins went quiet. It looked ideal but without The Grey Man they had no idea how to break in. He was an Assassin and Surge was a breaker, this was The Grey Man’s area and he was unable to help.
Jonathan piped up, “What if we kidnap the owner and get him to open up?”
“Then I am out,” said Dr Alding. “It is bad enough what I am agreeing to. I am not going to be party to kidnap!”
“We would be out as well,” said Collins to Jonathan. “We are not the bad guys son, we fight the bad guys. What if this owner decided to be a hero, what would you have us do? Me shoot him or Surge beat him up? No, we do not kidnap innocents. We need to think of another way.”
Jonathan hung his head a little, “Sorry,” he said. “I wasn’t thinking.” Surge put a reassuring hand on his shoulder and then stepped forward. Collins was surprised as Surge was usually the last one to speak during this type of discussion.
“Anyone heard of a surge generator?” said Surge. Everyone shook their heads. “About ten years ago I was working in the Ukraine and we had to break into a munitions factory. I was working with a team from the Stazi, the former KGB, and we were in a similar situation when one of the team used one of these on the system and knocked the burglar alarm out.”
“What is it?” asked Collins.
“A very common piece of equipment,” continued Surge. “They are used to find cable faults on the national electricity grid. As the wires get old they develop faults that can cause electricity to stop flowing, these faults are intermittent and very difficult to find. A surge generator uses a bank of large capacitors which are charged from the mains. When they are connected to the system the capacitors are discharged and they send down a huge pulse of electricity which will automatically centre on the weakest part of the cable, i.e where the fault is. Once there, it literally blows the huge cables apart and from there it is easy to find the fault. Connect this to the burglar system through the wiring on the siren and it will absolutely melt the burglar alarm instantly.”
“But we will need the power
in the building for the lasers,” said Dr Alding.
“No problem,” said The Grey Man. “All burglar alarms are separately wired on their own grid. If not all you would need to do is shut down the main power to turn them off.”
“How big are they and how do we get one?” said Collins.
“They are about the size of a small washing machine,” continued Surge. “They are standard equipment for anyone who fixes the national power grid, usually kept in the back of the engineers’ vans.”
Collins turned to Jonathan and The Grey Man, “Can you find me one of these guys who works locally?”
Within twenty minutes they were back. “There is an engineer who lives not fifteen minutes from here,” said The Grey Man. “The depot he works out of is just south of London over eighty miles away so almost certainly he will be working from his home office.”
Collins turned to Surge, “Let’s go have a look.”
Chapter 21
Thieving
The engineer lived in a nice little house on the edge of a small modern housing estate just back from the sea. Surge pulled the Range Rover on to a verge and they sat in the dark. The engineer’s white van was parked in his driveway and it had, in large but faded letters on the side, GP Fault finding HV and LV and a telephone number.
Collins got out and wandered down the road. Everything was silent except for the faint whispering of television sets as he passed each house. He bent down to tie up his shoelace as he got to the van and took a look at the back doors. Instead of the manufacturer’s lock, there was now a strong hasp and a large standard padlock. He moved along the side of the van and looked back through the side windows. He could see all of the equipment, various cables and tools and a large box which he assumed was the surge generator. He checked for any alarms but there did not appear to be any.
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