by Peter Kozmar
“How long do you think we’ll be here?” Andy asked.
“Who knows,” Gamzova said with a shrug, “could be hours … even days.”
Sergeant Mendez re-appeared, made his way towards the flight crew and after a brief exchange, led them away. Gamzova moved away from Andy to the far side of the canteen and made a call from her cell phone. Andy looked out over the airfield. In the distance he could see a cordon of airport fire tenders and police cars surrounded their jet. One vehicle stood out from the others, a bomb disposal truck, parked next to the jet.
Gamzova came over with a pair of binoculars she’d found near the canteen, handed them to Andy while gesturing to the phone, held to her ear, by way of an explanation for not talking. He nodded his understanding and she moved away to continue her call. With a magnified view, Andy watched as a figure dressed in a cumbersome bomb disposal suit stood next to the bomb and appeared to examine it. After several minutes the figure moved away, and a small tracked robot rolled towards it.
Andy turned his attention to the suspected bomber who remained where he fell. The figure in the bomb disposal suit stood over the body and took photographs. They clearly wanted to process the scene quickly without the potential bomb slowing their investigation. The person in the bomb disposal suit knelt down, Andy had to focus hard to see they were taking fingerprints from the body. The bomb disposal suit stood and moved slowly back to the relative safety of their command vehicle.
Andy looked towards the perimeter fence, where he saw police officers in a line and slowly edging forward looking for clues to reveal the sniper’s hide and firing position. He turned his attention back to the bomb disposal robot just as it fired something at the suspect package dislodging it from its hiding position in the aircraft. He could see the package had broken into small pieces. Moments later two members of the bomb squad approached the broken suspect device and started to examine it in detail. One of the team took photographs of the broken device while another waved a chemical detector at it.
Gamzova ended her call and approached Andy. “What can you see?” she asked.
He lowered the binoculars, “They are still looking for the sniper’s hide and they’ve neutralised the suspected device which they’re now examining.” He held the binoculars up for her to survey the scene for herself.
“With the suspected device safe, they should make progress with the dead man,” she said. They both turned as the door to the canteen opened and in walked the two pilots. Behind them trailed a police officer who they’d not seen previously.
CHAPTER 18
As the pilots returned to their seats the police officer approached Andy and Gamzova. “I’m Detective Ricardo Carlito and I’m in charge of this investigation. I need to ask you a few questions about today’s incident,” Carlito said by way of introduction. He shook their hands and gestured for them to follow him out of the canteen.
They moved quickly down the stairs to the ground floor and along a corridor lit by large neon strip lights. At the end of the corridor they were met by three more officers. “Mr Flint if you could come with me, Ms Gamzova if you could accompany my two colleagues,” Carlito instructed.
One of the officers raised a hand and gave a slight wave at Gamzova then headed into an interview room. Gamzova followed him; behind her trailed a second officer. Carlito opened the door to an adjacent interview room as a cue for Andy to enter before following along with the last officer in the corridor. “Please take a seat, this shouldn’t take long,” Carlito pointed to a chair on the opposite side of the only table in the room. Andy did as he was instructed.
“What would you like to know?” Andy asked.
“I’d like to hear about today, in as much detail as you can remember, from the moment the plane landed please,” Calito replied.
“Okay, so, after we landed we decided to go to the executive lounge to use the facilities to freshen-up. I left the plane first, leaving Ms Gamzova behind putting on her shoes. As I was leaving the plane, I saw the first officer, Chris Jackson, doing his routine pre-flight checks of the jet in preparation for a smooth exit once the refuelling had been completed. I was about half way to the executive lounge when I heard a commotion behind me.
“I turned and saw Ms Gamzova fighting with someone who appeared to be a member of the ground crew. I ran back to help her, but by the time I reached them, she had already neutralised and restrained him. Ms Gamzova told me that she had seen him put something in the front wheel mechanism of the aircraft. I looked and found a small black object magnetically attached inside the wheel casing which looked out of place. The first officer came over and confirmed the object wasn’t supposed to be there at which point he notified the Control Tower. We moved a safe distance away and waited.”
“Did you know the man who had been shot?”
“No.”
“Have you seen him before?”
“No.”
“What line of work are you in?”
Andy shifted in his chair unsure of how exactly to answer the question given what had transpired over the last few days. He chose to be economical with the truth by providing a ‘catch all’ reply which was factually correct but lacking detail: “I’m a self-employed private consultant specialising in investigations covering multi-national organisations.”
“Are you working with Ms Gamzova? We understand she is a member of the Russian Security Services?”
“I’ve been retained by both the American and Russian Governments. The Russian Government insisted Ms Gamzova works with me and I didn’t refuse,” Andy offered a forced smile which looked more like a pained grimace. Then he added, “It has worked out okay.
“You don’t need to go into any specifics, but do you know of anyone who would want to kill either of you?
“A few days ago someone took a few shots at me while I visited the US Embassy in Moscow.”
Carlito smiled, “Ah yes, it made it on to our news. That was you?”
“Yes. They didn’t catch the shooter.”
“Maybe, this was another attempt to silence you … and Ms Gamzova?”
“Yes, this time with a bomb.” Andy leaned back in his chair and clasped his hands behind his head, “But, if they were so keen to kill me, why take out the bomber and not use the shot on me or Ms Gamzova?
“That’s a good question,” Calito also leaned back from the table, “it demonstrates that whoever is trying to kill you has multiple methods at their disposal. The bomber, when he was captured, presented a problem for them – so, they neutralised him.”
Andy nodded in agreement as Carlito continued, “You haven’t answered my question,” Andy looked puzzled, so Carlito repeated it, “Do you know who would want to kill you?”
“No, I don’t.”
“Can you tell me what you and Ms Gamzova are working on? Maybe that will yield some clues?”
“I can’t, I’m sorry, it’s a sensitive matter which touches some very wealthy people and their Governments. I’ve signed a confidentiality agreement and, despite this interruption, that still stands.
“That’s an explosive mix – money and power – are you sure you can’t tell me anything?” Carlito asked then, with a menacing smile, “You know, if you don’t help, I can detain you for withholding important information from my inquiry.”
This guy is starting to be a pain in the ass. “Okay, well you’ll have to ask the Russian or American Governments to get those answers, and good luck with that … I can’t tell you anymore. I don’t know the man lying on the tarmac, never seen him before, and details of my current assignment isn’t going to help you identify him.”
Carlito didn’t look happy. He rapped the table with his knuckles twice rapidly and stood up as though he’d come to an important decision. He walked towards the door and, as he reached it, he turned to face Andy, “I don’t think there is much more to discuss. Let’s go back upstairs. For your own safety, don’t leave this building without me.”
Carlito led Andy back to the
canteen. Andy decided to break the tension which formed between them by making polite conversation. “I watched the Bomb Disposal Officer out on the air field. That’s one job I couldn’t do.”
“Yeah, it takes a special person to do that job. I couldn’t do it either,” Carlito said, his tone a little more relax, “this job has its stresses. That one takes it to a higher level.”
“Who’s the officer who examined the suspect device?” Andy asked.
“The officer out there today is Captain Ortega.”
Back in the canteen Andy could see the pilot and co-pilot from the plane reading newspapers drinking coffee and casually glancing up at the sports channel. He noticed Gamzova was missing. Probably still being questioned.
“If you’ll excuse me, I need to speak with my colleagues. Make yourself as comfortable as possible.” Carlito turned and walked away briskly. Andy grabbed a soda and bacon sandwich with extra ketchup from the servery before joining the pilots.
“Can I sit with you guys?” he asked.
“Sure,” Baddeley replied pointing to an empty seat to their left.
Andy sat and started to eat his sandwich and took a drink of his soda. A short time later Gamzova appeared looking relaxed as she made her way to the windows to see what was happening with the jet. “It looks like we should be able to leave shortly. They’ve removed the device and the body from the tarmac.”
How did your questioning go?” Andy asked.
“Nothing of concern for me. I detained a man who had appeared to have attached a device to our aircraft, he wasn’t part of the ground crew or employed by the airport, so had no lawful reason to be where he was. The police were on the scene at the time of the shooting, so that couldn’t be pinned on me, or us. So, on balance, I’d say that we’re in the clear and will be on our way soon.”
“How did you know he wasn’t employed by the airport?”
“Something didn’t feel right and then I noticed he was wearing sneakers not boots. The officers who were questioning me let slip they knew all the airports employees and didn’t know him so my instincts were right.” Gamzova replied with a matter-of-fact shrug. She got herself a coffee and chocolate cookie from the servery, rather than trust the instant from the machine, and returned to sit with Andy.
Andy spoke first, “Quite an adventure we’ve been having since we met.”
“Never a dull moment!” she paused, “I think you shouldn’t plan too far ahead. Just in case you don’t make it.” It sounded like a joke, but before Andy could reply, Carlito returned.
He smiled, flashing his perfect white teeth at them, and spoke. “I have good news. You are free to go. The bomb squad have declared your aircraft safe and there is no damage to it. We are certain none of you were responsible for the incident out on the airfield. We have swept the perimeter and placed armed officers around the area to deter the sniper from returning. You are all free to go. We’ll escort you to your aircraft and we’ll make sure you have an uneventful departure.”
“What have you found out?” Andy asked as it seemed odd Carlito seemed so chirpy.
“Normally I would tell you this is part of an on-going police investigation and we can’t release any further information. However, this isn’t a normal case and, since the shooting, I’ve had three unusual phone calls. The first, from our Chief Superintendent telling me this special investigation had an international dimension and I must show you and Ms Gamzova the utmost professional courtesy. He told me to share any information we have collected with you. The next call, from our Prime Minister,’ Carlito bristled with pride, “saying that, if I co-operated fully with the investigation, it could mean promotion for me. I can’t believe he rang me on my mobile and addressed me by my first name!” Yeah, right, he has advisors. “The final call came from my boss. He told me not to stuff this up and make sure you all leave Faro as quickly as possible,” his smile faded as he continued, “my boss said if I go rogue on this, he’d make sure that I’d be issuing parking tickets in Porto until the day I retire.”
“I see,” replied Andy.
Carlito scratched his head distractedly and continued, “The fingerprints of the dead man belonged to an Irish citizen with the name Seamus Murphy. He had a rap sheet which showed he was a bomb maker. We’re waiting for more information to come in from the British. Our investigation is focussed on where he got assistance. Murphy had to stay somewhere, so we are searching through accommodation and looking for accomplices.”
“What about the shooter?” Gamzova asked.
“We’ve found where the shot came from. A single shot at eight hundred metres means we are dealing with a pro. We’ve found the route the motorcycle took for their escape. The tyre tracks are common for almost all trail bikes sold in Portugal. I’ve just received a report of a burnt-out trail bike found fifteen kilometres from here. They found the bike in a remote area with no CCTV or witnesses.”
“Why kill Murphy?” Andy asked.
“If he hadn’t been caught, he’d probably still be alive, whoever hired him didn’t want any loose ends,” Carlito theorised looking at his watch, “Now, let’s get you on your way.” He stood as a way to indicate that their conversation was over and waited for them to move. No more questions, I wonder what you’re holding back!
Carlito led them out of the building to two heavily armoured police Range Rovers. Baddeley and Jackson climbed into the back of the front vehicle and Andy and Gamzova headed for the second. Carlito made his way to the front passenger seat in the lead vehicle with the pilots. Almost as soon as he closed the door the cars pulled away quickly and sped towards the waiting jet.
Once parked they were surrounded by over a dozen police SWAT officers dressed in full tactical gear who gazed into the distance, searching for signs of trouble. As Andy climbed out of the vehicle he could see more armed officers spread out at the perimeter fence and beyond. A police helicopter flew low at one end of the runway; marksmen leaning out of the side doors scanning for any threat with their weapons at the ready.
Andy got out of the vehicle and walked towards the aircraft and noticed the bomb disposal command vehicle parked on one side of the aircraft. He broke from the others and made his way towards the rear of the vehicle where he saw three uniformed officers, a woman and two men. Their laughter told him they had reached the end of a shared joke. The three bomb disposal officers were smoking and stood next to the fuel truck.
“Excuse me?” Andy said. They stopped laughing and turned to face him, “I’m looking for Captain Ortega. Where can I find him?” The group members smiled, Andy felt like he’d been left out of another joke.
“That would be me,” the woman announced, removing the cigarette from her lips and blowing grey smoke from her mouth, before stepping forward, “What do you want?”
Andy felt his face flush with a rash of embarrassment. He stared past the group at the truck they were smoking next to and all he could say was: “Should you be smoking here?”
Ortega snorted, “A bomb could kill me. An explosion from this fuel truck could kill me. Smoking this cigarette could kill me,” she paused, as if in deep thought, before continuing, “but my bet’s on Sergeant Cardoza’s driving.” The group laughed loudly as one of them shook his head and the other officer slapped him on his back.
Andy waited for the laughing to die down before he spoke again, “What can you tell me about the device attached to the aircraft?” The effect was immediate. Ortega put the cigarette back into her mouth and crossed her arms, one of the men gave Andy a once over, the other moved to shut him out of their circle. Carlito appeared by Andy’s side and gave Ortega a nod, “It’s okay. You can tell him what you know.”
Ortega uncrossed her arms and dropped her cigarette on the ground stamping it out with the sole of her boot. The other two followed suit. “The device was viable. It had a sophisticated design and had enough explosive to bring the aircraft down. The position of the device would have caused a catastrophic failure of the aircraft’s structure
killing all on board,” she looked at Andy and continued in a matter of fact, casual manner, “the detonator had two arming triggers, the first, a barometric switch set to trigger at five thousand meters. That trigger initiated a timer set for three hours, your journey would have terminated in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, and, by the time the first rescue vessels reached the splash site, most of the wreckage would have been on the ocean floor.”
She fixed Andy with a stare: “You’re a very lucky man.”
CHAPTER 19
The flight from Faro to Antigua was uneventful. By the time they landed, the adrenaline and excitement of the previous hours had worn off. Descending the aircraft steps, the dry heat washed over them like someone opening the door to a hot oven. Moments later they were joined by the pilots. The four of them said their ‘goodbyes’ under the gaze of a tall man with a white wide- brimmed hat. The man let them finish before approaching, he was dressed for the heat in white slacks, white shirt and a cream cotton jacket.
“Good afternoon. I’m Anthony Hampton, Mr Chousov’s assistant. You must be Mr Flint and Ms Gamzova.” Hampton spoke slowly with an upper crust English accent. Andy nodded, tired. “I heard what happened in Portugal, absolutely awful. I do hope you are both unharmed and in good spirits. Is there anything you need before I take you to meet Mr Chousov?”
“No, we’re good,” Andy replied while Gamzova shook her head.
“Great ... okay, if you’ll just follow me,” Hampton led them a short distance to a waiting helicopter. Andy and Gamzova climbed into the back seats while Hampton climbed in next to the pilot. They buckled themselves in and placed the large headsets on. The engine roared to life and a few seconds later the rotors started to spin, slowly at first and then faster. The headset, reduced the noise of the screaming turbine engines just a few feet above Andy’s head. With the Caribbean light so intense, he reached into his jacket and retrieved the sunglasses Baddeley had given him in Faro. Hampton’s voice sounded in the headphones: “In case you are wondering, we are meeting Mr Chousov on his yacht. It’s just a short hop from here so sit back and enjoy the view; it’s a great day to see Antigua from the air.”