Latent Hazard rkadika-1

by Piers Venmore-Rowland

  He looked at her. ‘I’m exhausted. I could do with a hotel where I know it’ll be really comfortable and quiet, and where the service will be first class. The prospect of a soft, comfy bed and a luxurious duvet at the moment is worth its weight in gold. Don’t worry, as soon as you’ve got my credit card working again, I’ll pay for it.’

  ‘The Savoy shouldn’t be a problem,’ said the accounts woman. ‘Although I can’t say that we’ve ever used them before. Let me give them a ring.’ She found the number, dialled and began talking to their corporate reservations department. In a matter of minutes she had everything lined up.

  To Rafi’s surprise she booked a two-room suite in Kate’s name.

  ‘It’s the commissioner’s suggestion,’ said the accounts woman. ‘He said that Rafi needed someone to vouch for him as, in the eyes of the public, he is still a terrorist.’

  It slowly dawned on Rafi that he had been oblivious to all the press coverage of the past week and the vilification to which he would have been subjected.

  ‘Fine,’ replied Kate with a gleam in her eye. ‘Good idea. Come on, let’s go.’

  On their way to the car, Kate picked up an old pork-pie hat and a scarf, and handed them to Rafi.

  As they were getting into the car, Neil Gunton arrived. ‘Goddamn it! We so nearly stopped them from doing any serious damage. I’m willing to bet that Stratford will be a defining point in the history of this country… People will soon be talking in terms of BS and AS – Before Stratford and After Stratford. Even in my book, the sheer scale of Stratford is mind-blowing.’

  Neil paused. ‘Sadly, though, I doubt if people will ever appreciate how much carnage your actions prevented. I was talking to one of our boffins; he described what a thermobaric warhead could have done to a waste storage pool at a nuclear power station. In his words, It would have made Stratford seem like an inconvenience. ’ Neil gave Rafi a pat on the back, shrugged his shoulders and went on his way.

  Chapter 6

  Thanks to the curfew, the traffic was unprecedentedly light. On their arrival at the Savoy Hotel, Kate went in and sorted out the formalities, whilst Peter, who had been driving, and Rafi waited in the car. She returned clutching a key card.

  Rafi put on the pork-pie hat and wrapped the scarf around his neck and lower face. He felt a bit of an idiot. They said their thanks and goodbyes to Peter and then made their way to the lift.

  ‘Are you very, very wealthy?’ Kate asked, while they were waiting. ‘One night here costs about the same as my monthly mortgage payment!’

  Rafi was too tired to explain that he simply wanted comfort and was willing to pay any price for it. The last week had been worse than anything he had ever known and he yearned to put it behind him.

  They arrived at the door to the suite. Kate opened it. ‘Wow! This looks fantastic. Do you normally live like this?’

  ‘No, I have a two-bedroom flat in north London. This is the first time for me as well.’

  Kate looked at him with a smile. ‘What makes you think that I haven’t stayed in a place like this before?’ she hesitated. ‘I have a confession to make. I hope you don’t mind but I’ve changed our suite from a two-bedroom to a one-bedroom, so that they could give our booking to a displaced family.’

  Kate looked at him anxiously, waiting for his reply. She felt as if she’d been caught doing something wrong at school.

  Rafi was too tired to care – he just wanted to get some sleep. He smiled at her as she opened the door. ‘Fine by me,’ he replied in a deadbeat manner.

  The apartment was opulent; a modest entrance hall gave way to a spacious sitting room, with windows overlooking the Thames below and the Millennium Wheel down the river to the right. To one side of the sitting room was a door leading into a spacious bedroom containing the father of all king-size beds and a large en suite bathroom.

  They were travelling light; they didn’t even have a toothbrush between them.

  Kate went to explore the bedroom and bathroom and came back proudly clutching a sumptuous white towelling robe in one hand and a toothbrush in the other.

  ‘What more could a girl want?’ she asked rhetorically, eyes shining.

  Where she’d got her second wind from, Rafi didn’t know. He was desperate to just crash out. ‘I’m ready to drop; let’s toss for who’s going to use the bathroom first,’ he suggested.

  ‘No need to do that,’ replied Kate, ‘Women and children first. I have already got the water running. In the meantime, will you order something to eat?’

  Rafi looked at her. ‘I’m too tired for food; can we see what’s in the bar?’

  Unlike other hotel rooms he had been in, this hotel apartment had its own bar area. He opened the refrigerator. ‘What would you like? Gin and tonic, fresh orange juice, wine, smart mineral water – you name it we’ve got it.’

  ‘Orange juice and a large gin and tonic, please.’

  ‘There’s some great-looking chocolate and the nuts look good. How about cashew nuts, crisps or chocolates with your drink?’ asked Rafi.

  ‘Anything. It all sounds great.’

  Rafi dug around in the refrigerator, carefully choose a few items and handed them to Kate, before taking a few for himself to a nearby armchair.

  Kate was smiling. ‘Thank you for all you’ve done. I hope that when this is over we’ll be able to get to know one another better.’

  ‘What was that about?’ pondered Rafi. He was too tired to consider whether it was an offer of friendship or something more.

  Kate took her two drinks, placed them by the side of the bath. ‘I won’t be long. If I fall asleep in the bath, feel free to wake me. In the meantime, I suggest you make yourself comfortable and have a stiff drink or two.’

  Rafi looked at her. ‘You can do the drinking for both of us.’

  ‘How silly of me, I forgot you don’t drink.’ And with that, she turned and walked off towards the bathroom. As she went, she unclipped her hair and gave her head a shake. A mass of deep auburn hair sprang out.

  It was the first time Rafi had seen her with her hair down. He gazed at her. She looked after herself well – her slight frame, though not curvaceous, was nicely proportioned and well toned. Her shoulder-length wavy hair looked soft and would undoubtedly be a stunning feature when washed and brushed. He was too tired to think any further.

  The sound of the running water stopped. Soothing splashes washed through the air. Rafi poured himself another large glass of fresh orange juice and looked out of the window. London seemed calm and still.

  He mulled over the twist of fate – this part of London had been spared the ravages of the explosion at Stratford. His mind wandered – had the wind been blowing in the opposite direction, it would have covered the City, and for that matter the West End of London, under a deadly blanket of radioactivity. Would the closure of the City of London have stopped the terrorist leaders from cashing in on their profits? Of course not; they would also have positions in Frankfurt and Chicago. His tired brain left it there.

  Rafi stood gazing out over the Thames, drinking his orange juice and enjoying the tranquillity. He heard the bathroom door open and turned to see Kate emerge, snuggled into a soft white bathrobe, clutching an empty glass in her hand.

  Her face lit up as she smiled. ‘This is my idea of heaven.’

  Rafi looked at her approvingly and replied, ‘Mine too. Would you like a top-up?’

  ‘I think I can do that, thanks. You can have that bath you deserve – and undoubtedly need,’ she said, holding her fingers over her nose like a clothes peg.

  As he walked past her to the bathroom he smelt a sweet orange aroma. The bathroom had the same smell, which now reminded him of her. He smiled as he discarded his scruffy clothing. He was looking forward to getting back into his normal clothes.

  The hot, gushing water of the shower was wonderful. He eventually got out and, after wrapping himself in a luxurious towel, walked back into the bedroom. The room was peaceful; Kate had turned off all th
e lights except for the small lamp on his side of the large bed. She was sound asleep, her damp hair framing her face against the background of the white duvet and pillow. Lying on the floor was her bathrobe. She stirred slightly; she looked beautiful – stunningly beautiful. She snuggled further under the duvet and continued her well-earned sleep.

  Rafi slipped off the bath towel, slid under the crisp duvet and turned the light out. As he drifted off to sleep, he reflected that something good had come out of the worst week of his life.

  Rafi awoke to find the curtains half open and noticed that it was dark outside. Kate was sitting at a small table by the window in her bathrobe; her mass of hair was neatly brushed and resting strikingly on her shoulders. He looked carefully at her face and the splashes of freckles on her cheeks and across her nose – she had an innocent schoolgirl-like quality. He liked what he saw.

  ‘Late lunch is served,’ she said. ‘Hope you don’t mind but I’ve taken the liberty of ordering a selection of things: a couple of starters – smoked salmon or pate – followed by medium-rare steak or Dover sole, a couple of delicious-looking gooey chocolate puddings… and loads of fruit.’

  Rafi opted for the pate and the fish, letting Kate finish off both chocolate puddings.

  Whilst they were eating, Kate thought about the person sitting opposite her. What was it about Rafi that made her want to be in his company? His inner strength? Perhaps they were soulmates? She hoped so. She worried that she had shown her feelings to him too soon.

  ‘I hope that was alright changing suites,’ said Kate, coyly.

  Rafi looked across at her lovely face. He’d been working alongside her for almost four days and hadn’t fully taken in how beautiful she was. ‘I’m glad you did,’ he replied. ‘If I wasn’t more enthusiastic earlier, I apologize. I didn’t know whether I was coming or going with tiredness.’

  She smiled and poured a cup of steaming coffee. They sat there, sipping their coffee and enjoying each other’s company.

  When they had finished their late lunch Kate got up and, looking at Rafi, said, ‘I have some bad news. Well, not that bad… Our time here is running short. We have got forty-five minutes before we have to leave. But before we go, I think we should get that off,’ she said, pointing at him.

  Rafi raised his eyebrows.

  She gave a beaming smile. ‘No, not what you are thinking. I meant that dirty Elastoplast bandage. Whilst you were asleep, I asked the manager for a medical kit.’ She opened the first aid box and pulled out a pair of scissors and a roll of bandage. She leant forward, took his hand and carefully cut the plaster from top to bottom. She finished and moved closer.

  ‘I fear this is going to hurt. If it’s anything like strip wax, it’ll hurt like hell – sorry.’

  She pulled the plaster with a sharp, prolonged tug. There was a quiet ripping noise as it pulled the hairs out of his arm. This was accompanied by the sharp hissing sound of Rafi sucking air in through his teeth.

  As Kate moved back, her bathrobe fell open across her chest, revealing a lovely and distracting sight. ‘That wasn’t too bad, was it?’ she said.

  ‘It was an eye-opener,’ he replied.

  ‘I’m here to please,’ she quipped and then realised why Rafi had gone quiet and was staring at her. She leant across and kissed him delicately on the cheek.

  ‘All in good time; unfortunately, we have things to do.’

  ‘Queen and Country and all that,’ he mocked.

  ‘You’ve got it in one,’ she grinned, pulling her bathrobe closed. ‘Let’s get you bandaged up.’

  Tenderly she strapped his wrist. ‘Your bruises still look very impressive. Are they painful?’

  He smiled at her. ‘In comparison to your strip wax treatment, not really!’

  ‘Time to get dressed,’ said Kate. ‘The manager has sent up a selection of clothes for both of us. They’ve hung them in the wardrobe. Have a look and see what you think. I’ve got a bit of tidying up to do in the bathroom.’

  They dressed in casual but smart new clothes. Rafi chose a white shirt, charcoal grey flannel trousers, dark blue blazer, black moccasin shoes and in case he had reason to venture outside, a smart blue wool overcoat. Kate opted for a light camel-coloured trouser suit, a creamy-white open neck shirt and a dark brown wool and cashmere overcoat. She looked stunning.

  ‘I hope your credit card is going to be working soon; there’s no way that mine will withstand the damage that I’ve run up since we got here!’ said Kate.

  ‘Don’t worry; we can sort it out manana.’

  ‘It must be nice to be rich.’

  ‘Yes, it must be. Unfortunately, this isn’t how I normally live,’ replied Rafi.

  ‘Well, I’ll want to be with you when it is like this.’ Kate chuckled and winked playfully at him.

  Rafi looked down at the clean dressing on his wrist. ‘And whenever I need cheering up all I have got to do is look at this bandage and think of you!’

  He pointed to the old hat and stripy scarf draped over the back of the sofa. ‘Will I need these?’

  ‘How about these instead?’ asked Kate, pointing to a new dark blue scarf and trilby hat. ‘You know, we really must get going. Jeremy and John are waiting for us downstairs.’

  Sure enough, a large unmarked police car was waiting outside.

  They sped through an eerily quiet London.

  ‘The curfew is still in place,’ John told them. ‘Thankfully, almost everyone is keeping their heads down. The people from COBRA and the PM have been on the radio and television to try to stop people panicking and advising them to stay indoors.’

  John turned left at Trafalgar Square, into Whitehall. ‘I hope you’re going to be on your best behaviour,’ he said as he turned right and stopped the car in front of the tall metal gates guarding Downing Street. John showed his police warrant card to the armed guards standing at the gate and they were let through.

  ‘We’ve been asked to act as your minders,’ said Jeremy. ‘Heaven only knows how long it’ll be before you get to see the Prime Minister. It must be chaos in there.’

  John stopped the car in front of Number 10. Kate and Rafi were ushered in.

  To Rafi’s utter surprise, they were met in the front entrance hall by the Prime Minister, with outstretched hands. He then led them through to the inner sanctum of Number 10. As they started walking he looked at Rafi. ‘I like the disguise,’ he said with a grin. ‘You’d make a good gangster.’

  The PM stopped. ‘I am afraid that there is a lot going on at the moment. Kate, I need Rafi for ten minutes or so. Would you and your colleagues see how things are progressing downstairs in the COBRA meeting?’

  Kate nodded.

  ‘Mr Palmer here will show you the way.’

  A dark-suited young man beckoned Kate to follow him.

  ‘Rafi, I’ve arranged for you and your economics team to meet here at 7.30 to discuss your concerns. We’ll be joined by the Chancellor of the Exchequer and a couple of people from his team.’

  The PM strode on, with Rafi following close behind. They arrived at his study door. The PM beckoned him into the room. They’d been in there for only a few seconds when the phone rang.

  The Prime Minister took the call. ‘My apologies, Rafi. I have the Mayor of London on the line. I am likely to be some while, perhaps you could find DI Adams and catch up on what’s been happening with the terrorists? If you go next door, I’ll arrange for someone to show you the way.’

  Rafi walked into the empty, adjoining office. He looked around, plumped for the comfiest chair, sat down and waited.

  A few minutes later, a smart, but soberly dressed woman appeared.

  ‘Excuse me for keeping you,’ she said with a hesitant smile. ‘I’ve been asked to show you the way to COBRA. Please come this way.’

  ‘Thank you,’ said Rafi, getting up a little unsteadily.

  They passed through a further set of security checks and descended some sets of stairs.

  Rafi looked at the woman h
e was following. Her cleancut, formal white shirt and black skirt were unremarkable, however her neat blonde hair was eye-catchingly beautiful.

  When they arrived at the subterranean briefing room, the woman turned. ‘I will come and get you when the PM is free.’ Her businesslike face was transformed by a fleeting smile.

  Rafi saw Kate chatting to a swarthy-looking man and went over to join them.

  ‘I was updating Kate on our progress,’ he told Rafi. ‘We are making headway, but it’s a massive large task. No doubt you want to know about the escaping terrorists? But first let me introduce myself. I’m Craig – MI5.’

  The young officer looked the opposite of Jeremy: short, thickset, dark haired – and almost uncouth.

  ‘Golden Sundancer is currently going like a bat out of hell round the Western Isles of Scotland, averaging almost forty knots. Her rendezvous with Northern Rose, north-west of Pentland Firth, went without a hitch. We now expect her to rendezvous with Highland Belle west of Stanton Banks, just before dawn tomorrow. Rosemarie is heading for the Straights of Dover. We estimate she’ll rendezvous with Golden Sundancer south of the Isles of Scilly, in the early hours of Sunday morning. The question is, are we right in believing that Golden Sundancer will head for Morocco?’

  He fell silent for a moment, as if collecting his thoughts. ‘The Navy has checked what vessels it has between the Scilly Isles and Morocco. At Gibraltar, they have HMS Scimitar and Sabre: two sixteen-metre fast patrol boats, capable of thirty knots plus. There is nothing else in the vicinity which can get close to matching Golden Sundancer’s speed. I understand that the boffins at the Admiralty are currently hatching a plan.’

  Craig paused. ‘Jameel is still in Marrakech where we’ve an agent keeping an eye on him. The sheikh’s private jet is scheduled to land there at 12.45 p.m. on Monday. He’s hired a helicopter for the afternoon and his plane is scheduled to take off again at 22.30 that evening.’

  Kate nodded.

  He continued. ‘We’ve looked at all the ports within range of the helicopter from Marrakech, in the time available. The Moroccan Atlantic coastline is long, but thankfully there are only three ports that we believe fit the situation: Safi, Mohammedia and Casablanca. For a number of reasons, Safi is the one our anoraks confidently predict they will use.’