Sam looked back up at Strayker, “this man was at the
Hacienda eating in the room I observed,” he turned the photo of Professor Hooke around towards his audience.
Sam took several seconds looking at the grainy photo before responding, “this other one looks like one of the other men at the table.”
Strayker spoke, “thank you, you may both leave now.”
“Well gentlemen; it appears we now know where the Professor is,” the Prime Minister turned to Pierce Evans, “how soon can you have your two men back in Bucaramanga?”
“They can be there later today Ma’am.”
“Good have them carry out surveillance only; at the hacienda, we want to know if the Professor is staying there or if he is relocated.”
“Yes Ma’am.”
“Also have your department secure the Professor’s family
but make it look like they are still staying at the hotel and find out what you can on this Toledo Verdugo man?”
“Jonathan; have the local Police detain anyone whom breaks into the research facilities in Hertfordshire.”
“Yes Ma’am.”
The Prime minister looked at Sir’s Richard Davis,
Robert Fox and Toby Percival the three chiefs of the armed forces; gentlemen Major Strayker will need support
from your respective services.”
The prime Minster finally looked to Strayker, “Major it
would appear we may be in need of the OSC to rescue the Professor.”
“Certainly Ma’am,” replied Strayker.
“One final point gentlemen; yesterday at Ruth’s funeral we were all very lucky to be alive today; Major if you would be kind enough to explain?”
“Thank you Ma’am, although the circumstances for being there were awful, two teams of OSC were deployed at the crematorium prior to you attendance. It made sense to utilise this as an ideal training situation, however a man posing as a grounds man was seen with an AK-47 weapon his intentions it would seem were to use it on the congregation including all of us in here.”
Strayker paused for a moment, “as he went for the weapon one of the team’s snipers took him out, no one at the service was aware of this.”
The men around the table began muttering when Jonathan Troy spoke, “Major has he been identified?”
“Yes, we have identified him as one Paddy O’Neil a known IRA militant.”
Strayker picked up a separate manila coloured envelope
and passed it to Jonathan Troy, “all his details are in there.”
“Well gentlemen unless anyone has anything else to report, I think we can adjourn.”
Everyone with the exception of Strayker left the room, the door closed and the Prime Minister spoke, “Major you wish to speak privately with me?”
“Yes Ma’am.”
“Please continue.”
“We have tracked down Ruth’s killer he is in Sri Lanka; Max is preparing two teams to go there, obviously in light of this meeting I feel that the mission should be suspended and rescheduled after our more current issue in South America.”
The Prime minister stood up, walked to a nearby window, and looked out into the back garden that was surrounded by a high wall beyond this was the famous horse guard’s parade where the annual trooping of the colours is conducted. “How long would it take to prepare the assault in Bucaramanga?”
“Taking into consideration the two operatives flying back out there and reaching the location, liaising with the armed forces and the logistics I would say we would be ready to go in ninety-six hours.”
“How many teams will you send in?”
“Four teams should suffice Ma’am.”
“Well then; let Max pursue the Sri Lanka objective and if
he is back in time he can join the South American mission otherwise use a suitable replacement.”
“Thank you Ma’am.”
Strayker left the room; Edward’s was outside waiting, Strayker climbed into the back seat, “take me to Whitehall place Edward’s.”
“Yes sir.”
Hester’s Copse England
Operational home of the OSC
Lat = 51 degrees, 12.8 minutes North
Long = 0 degrees, 57.1 minutes West
Thursday 29th December 1988.
Ten-twelve hours GMT
Hester’s Copse is the OSC’s operational base situated two miles Southwest of RAF Odiham near Hook in Hampshire, well away from prying eyes.
RAF Odiham near Hook in Hampshire originally a temporary summer landing ground, opened in 1936 as an Army Co-operation base. Tactical reconnaissance and fighter roles
followed before the base began an affiliation with transport duties; currently Chinook helicopters are based there.
The base had several buildings, sleeping quarters, a mess, admin block and a secure block to detain prisoners along with an interrogation room, the largest building was on the south side and was utilised for firearms practice.
Max was in his office having just completed the planning for the raid into Sri Lanka, using up to date Intel from ICIS.
A knock on the door interrupted him, “Come.”
The door opened and Eagle six entered, “sir the teams are ready for their brief.”
“Thank you Vas, I’ll be along in five minutes.”
Eagle six turned and left the room.
Vas Dembo was a sixth generation Namibian bushman originating from the Bushveld region along the North-eastern border with Angola the Caprivi Zipvel region.
He had come to England at the age of seventeen nine years ago. For the first few years, he managed to take on labouring jobs until his British citizenship was approved. He then applied for the army where his skills with languages were quickly noted; fluent in Portuguese, Afrikaans and his native language of Oshiwambo he quickly entered the intelligence corps.
Strayker had met him on a few occasions relating to the Northern island conflict and had earmarked him quickly when setting up the new unit.
Dembo’s hair light brown in colour was a close-cropped number one grade cut. His face complexion like the rest of his body was a light chocolate colour pigment; his eyes had a permanent squint with crow’s lines extending from them to the cheek line. The most remarkable point about him was his height; five-feet five inches tall together with his slight build projected the appearance of a small man of no significance.
However he was a Martial arts expert In Hap-Ki-Do; Hapkido is a complete self-defence system, it incorporates the redirection of force found in Aikido and
Jujitsu, the devastating joint locks and throws found in Chinese systems, and the kicking technique of Tae Kwon Do. Hapkido incorporates both “hard” and “soft”
techniques.
Five minutes later Max entered the operational room.
Dembo gave the command “Attention.”
The twelve men rose from their seats and stood to attention.
Max walked to the front and faced the men, “as you were.”
The men sat back down.
Max began his briefing, “as some of you are aware a very good friend of ours lost her life on the Baros island mission, Ruth had many good qualities and our ethos is that we do not let the bad guys go unpunished, our mission is to deliver retribution to the man whom killed her.”
Max picked up a number of folders and passed them around the room; he paused as they opened them.
The photo you are looking at is Ajaz Ahmed he was the leader of the attack on Baros Island and is the man we are going to kill; at present we have him located in Sri Lanker in Mutur, part of the newly formed North east
province.”
“Please turn to page two.”
On page, two was a satellite photograph of Mutur a
long
with a hand drawn diagram of localised area.
The sketch you are looking at is the building Ahmed is using; it is located adjoining one of the tributary water inlets, we will parachute into the sea one mile east of Shell bay deploying two Rigid inflatable’s, and then row into the bay locate the building and take him out, any questions?”
No one responded, Max spoke, “okay we have thirty minutes to get to the airbase at Odiham, dismissed.”
23 Harpenden Lane Redbourn Village
Hertfordshire UK
Lat = 51 degrees, 48.1 minutes North
Long = 0 degrees, 23.7 minutes West
Friday 30th December 1988.
Twenty-three thirty five hours GMT
Raid on AGB Research centre
Redbourn village is mentioned in The Doomsday Book made for King William the Conqueror in 1086.
Describing a parish little changed from Saxon times, yet then living under Norman rule, a well-established, thriving, and agricultural community.
Ramón and his four men had made good time on their flight into Heathrow, the house they were now in was a property that had been rented; the same one that had been used when he was last here a couple of weeks ago when Professor Hooke had been abducted.
Yesterday they had done some recognisance on the AGB Research Centre in nearby Harpenden and had discovered that it was closed down for the Christmas holidays.
The only security was at the main gate where there were two elderly security guards, it was apparent they took turns doing a mobile patrol around the facility.
Ramón had decided that tonight would be the best time to
enter the research centre, with that all five of them were now travelling in a rental Renault people carrier with Ramón driving.
They had found a lay-by on the B487 Redbourn lane a
quarter of a mile from the research centre, giving them access across a field and through the wooded area to the west of the research centre.
Ramón parked up in the lay-by and they all exited the vehicle and went to the back where Ramón lifted the tailgate.
Inside was a holdall bag containing their weapons.
Ramón did not expect any trouble; they were in England very different from the streets of South America, however he had not stayed alive this long without being extra careful.
Ramón opened the holdall that contained five AR-15 semi-automatic rifles.
The rifles had entered the UK on Ramón’s last visit having come in on a shipping container.
The rifle fires a small calibre 5.56 high velocity round at three thousand two hundred feet per second, with a 20 round staggered-column magazine, each man checked his weapon and inserted a magazine, they pulled the bolt back to engage the first round into the chamber, and a spare magazine was taken as back up.
The night was dry with clear skies, a new moon was
watching over the Earth with a frost beginning to form.
The men were wrapped up well but still could feel the cold biting at their bodies that were more acclimatised to warmer temperatures.
Ramón closed the tailgate and signalled the men to follow him across the open field.
A pair of eyes behind a pair of Zeiss night vision binoculars followed them across the field.
The man watching was Phil Warring one of six MI-5 operatives that had been watching the research centre for the past two days, five had clocked three of Ramón’s gang the previous day but as no attempt to enter the facility had been made, no action had been taken.
Warring reached into his pocket for his radio transmitter, “listen up everyone we have company and it looks like they are heavily armed.
Warring was aware they were heavily outgunned; MI-5 operatives did not carry weapons however in a nearby house a team of specialist firearms officers from the Metropolitan Police were on hand.
Hertfordshire police did not have any designated firearms teams, so it had been decided to utilise the Metropolitan Police force’s operational firearms support unit designated PT-17
Sergeant Paul Fleming was the leader of the six-man team,
he had been listening in on his radio transmitter and
heard Warring’s transmission, he pressed the button on the radio, “Sergeant Fleming to Warring over.”
Warring replied, “go ahead, over.”
“Let them into the facility; we will take them when they exit over.”
“Roger that,” replied Warring.
Fleming and his crew were kitted up with flak jackets, each man carried a Smith & Wesson model 28 revolver and a
Heckler and Koch HK-93 firing the point-223 calibre Remington cartridge from a twenty-five round magazine.
Thirty-one year old Fleming was a good six feet tall with dark close-cropped hair.
Born in Rhodesia he had served two years with the Rhodesian police up until nineteen eighty, when in February of that year general elections were held, that led to the election of Robert Mugabe the first prime minister of the newly formed Zimbabwe.
Fleming had a British passport and had left the country coming to England where he joined the Metropolitan Police the same year.
His radio crackled as a transmission from Warring came through, “Warring to Fleming they have reached the facility our eyes have them going to the South east side
over.”
Fleming replied, “Have your eyes on the security guards
over.”
“Yes both are in the guard station at the main gate, over.”
Fleming paused before replying, “okay Warring withdraw your people, and I don’t want them in the way and have someone disable their vehicle over.”
Warring replied, “roger that out.”
Fleming and his team moved out of the house in Flowton grove turning right immediately onto Hatching green.
Ramón and his men had reached the research centre rounding the facility on the Southeast side through another wooded area and were now fifty yards from the security main gate building off Hatching green.
Two of his men crept up on the guards, quickly entering the building and knocking both guards out.
One of them went over to the main control system and found the shutdown control; he flicked the switch and all the CCTV’s and the main alarm system were disabled, the other one snatched one of the unconscious guards security passes then both men hurried back to join Ramón.
The group headed for the main door, the security pass gained them access into the building.
Ramón pulled out a piece of paper with a diagram drawn by
Professor Hooke showing the direction to his office.
Ramón went up the main corridor turned first left and then second right finding the professor’s office second door down on the left.
The security key card accessed the office; Ramón switched on the lights he was now on his own at this point, two of the men had stationed themselves at the front door the other two just around the corner from the Professor’s office.
On the piece of paper was the combination to the office safe, Ramón dialled the combination in turned the lever and the door opened.
There were several documents in the safe but Ramón knew exactly what he was looking for and found it amongst the others; in a black folder with the words Project Reaper stencilled on it.
He quickly opened it scanning the pages, it looked a lot of gibberish to him but it appeared to be the documents he had come for.
He quickly slid the folder into one of his large coat pockets he closed the safe turned out the light and exited the door back into the corridor; re-joining his two men and they walked back to the main door where the remaining two men were waiting.
As Ramón approached the door one of the doormen
sig
nalled with his finger to his lips to be quiet.
Warring and his team had pulled back a good distance however Warring was still able to see clearly with the binoculars.
He had seen the guards being disabled and the five men enter the main door to the building, at this moment two of the MI5 team were currently letting the air out of the tyres of the Renault people carrier.
Warring had communicated this information to Fleming over the radio.
Fleming and his team had reached the gatehouse about five minutes after Ramón’s men had disabled the two guards, they were now tactfully fanning out across the front of the main entrance using whatever cover they could find.
Ramón moved to the main door and spoke to the one whom had given the hand signal, “what is it Bernardo?”
“Señor I saw some movement over by the security gatehouse,” the man replied.
Ramón asked, “one of the guard’s maybe?”
“I don’t think so señor, there were several of them.”
Ramón reached into one of his pockets and withdrew a small set of binoculars the sort you would use at a sports meeting, with the clear night and the moon in its first quarter there was adequate light for him to see
reasonably well.
He scanned the area several times but was unable to
detect anything.
He spoke to Bernardo, “you and Chico go out and take a look we will cover you from here.”
Bernardo and Chico opened the door and moved cautiously outside.
As soon as they were outside with the door behind them still open a voice bellowed out, “armed police lay down your weapons and lie down on the ground now...”
Bernardo and Chico panicked they raised their AR-15 semi-automatic rifles and began to fire in the direction of the voice.
Fleming who had bellowed out the order was knelt down behind a car near the security gatehouse when several of the AR-15 rounds hit the vehicle shattering the side glass.
Fleming spoke into his radio, “open fire.”
The police firearms team opened up with their HK-93’s.
Both Bernardo and Chico took fatal hits the HK-93 Remington rounds knocking them both backwards of their feet.
Project Reaper Page 10