Long = 77 degrees, 30.0 minutes West
Sunday 17th September 1989 (Next day)
Zero seven thirty hours EDT
By zero seven thirty hours, everyone was up, had helped themselves to the food from the kitchen, and were enjoying their respective meals.
Max was standing with a coffee in his hand, enjoying the fresh air and the beautiful canopy of the clear blue-sky above him, on the large terrace area the comprised on one side of four Roman style pillars that supported a wooden open style framework that had ivy growing over it.
The terrace area was surrounded on two sides by steps leading down onto the large garden area at the rear of the property.
The garden area had well-kept lawns interspaced with two main block-paved walkways one of which had several smaller ones spurring of it at right angles into the lawn areas.
There were numerous trees that were in full foliage with what appeared to be bird boxes attached to them, this created a very private environment.
A female voice behind interrupted his focus, “you know! During the winter months you have a clear view of the James River over the back,” Tracy Morris came alongside him and stood looking out across the gardens.
“Who’s place is this Tracy?”
“It belongs to my father’s brother and his wife; they are away in Europe for a month, lucky for us hey?”
“It’s a hell of a place, what does he do print money?”
Tracy let out a laugh and replied, “No; he is a surgeon and a very good one at that, he has a private practice here in Richmond.”
Max drained his coffee and said, “Time to get down to our work, shall we?”
Max turned and with his left arm beckoned Tracy to return to the house.
Back in the kitchen area, the teams had just finished clearing up as Max and Tracy came in.
Max said, “right everyone grab a chair we have work to do.”
The Kitchen had a long breakfast style bar situated down the centre of the room, with numerous foldaway style chairs that the men used.
Max had given the two teams a full briefing about their operation back at Hesters copse before their flight out of the UK.
“Firstly we will conduct two twelve hour surveillance and recon shifts on possible warehouse locations, Roy your team will have the first shift zero ten hours, Vas you have the night shift twenty two hundred hours. Tracy suggestions as where we can start?”
“Your Intel package states the truck was last seen on route 95 heading south between routes 295 and 64, that places it between the areas known as Chamberlayne and Joseph Bryan park.”
Tracy paused as she retrieved a large ordinance style map, unfolded it and placed it on the breakfast bar; with a pen, she circled the area.
The teams had now stood up gathering around the breakfast bar to obtain a better look at the map.
Tracy then drew a long elongated oval shape to the south of her first marking and said, “This area is the main warehousing area for Richmond, and it stretches from the Gambles hill area here on the west side along the north side of the James river over to Lower Rockets on the eastside of the river. Approximately five miles long and two miles wide.”
Max said, “That’s a hell of a lot area to comb through! I suggest we start on the west side up here on Gambles hill from the I-301 and slowly work our way to the other end. The warehouse in question will probably have very little activity around it but is sure to be guarded, probably covertly. I will ask GAIL to have our satellite do some pass overs of the area we may get lucky.”
Max looked down at the map and said, “It would appear we are about 5 miles from the Gambles hill area Tracy?”
“Correct Max, should take no more than ten to fifteen minutes.”
Max then used a pencil, divided the area vertically within the oval shape, into twelve zones from left to right, and numbered each one.
“I suggest we use this grid as our search criteria, no more than a day on each section, any questions?”
Tracy said, “Do you want me to take the first team out there?”
“That would be good Tracy, Roy I suggest we use three vehicles, firstly do a cruise of the area and see if anything stands out, also look for high-level observation points to scan the area from above. Once you are familiar with the area set up three OP’s with twenty minute check -ins, Roy I want you on the ground in a vehicle with Tracy, any questions?”
There was none, Max said, “Okay get your equipment together we have fourteen days to crack this.”
37
Boeing 747-200
British Airways flight G-BDHX
Aircraft Name
City of Coventry
Airspace over south west England
Approaching
Heathrow airport
London
Lat = 51 degrees, 28.3 minutes North
Long = 0 degrees, 27.1 minutes West
Sunday 17th September 1989 (Same day)
Twenty-three hundred hours and ten minutes BST
Patrick O’Rourke or Paddy as he was often referred to was seated in seat 65-F on the lower deck on the starboard side, in a four-seat configuration the last but one row at the back with one of the toilets behind.
The plane was only just over half-full and no one was sitting behind in the last row and the nearest other passengers were in rows sixty in front of them.
The handcuffs he was wearing for the last six hours and thirty minutes had become tiresome; the man next to him on his right in seat 65-G was a US air Marshall named Will Dexter a tall and powerfully built man.
Will Dexter had been a US Marshall for the last five years; the US Marshall’s agency was formed by the Judiciary Act of September 24, 1789.
The act specifically determined that law enforcement was to be the U.S. Marshals’ primary function.
The Marshals Service itself, as a federal agency, was not created until 1969.
The Marshals Service is responsible for apprehending wanted fugitives, providing protection for the federal judiciary, transporting federal prisoners, protecting endangered federal witnesses, and managing assets seized from criminal enterprises.
O’Rourke looked at the passengers in front and noticed many of them were asleep.
Patrick O’Rourke was a convicted IRA bomber and murderer, who had escaped British custody six months earlier and two months ago, had been arrested for a drink driving related offence in New York.
When the NYPD had checked up on him, it came to light he was wanted by the British, following several weeks of court appearances and his lawyers attempting to stop the extradition, he had finally been put on a plane back to England.
O’Rourke looked at his watch, around forty minutes to touch down he had a miniature whiskey on the fold down table in front of him that he had, had to persuade the air Marshall to allow him to have, saying he did not like the landing aspect of flying.
Will Dexter had acceded to the request his attitude to the request was, what the hell, what could one small drink do?
O’Rourke wriggled in his seat to reach for his cigarettes in his jacket pocket, he finally pulled one out and said to Dexter, “A light please Marshall?”
Will Dexter reached into his coat pocket, pulled out his plain street chrome Zippo lighter, and turned to face O’Rourke.
He rolled the wheel and immediately a flame appeared however immediately the flame expanded and he initially felt hot liquid on his face followed immediately by an excruciating burning sensation to his facial area.
Three things happened, instinctively he closed his eyes and dropped the lighter raising both his hands to his face and he let out a painful cry.
Just as the Marshall was reaching for his lighter, O’Rourke had taken a mouthful of the whiskey and then sprayed it from his mouth into
the naked flame of the lighter.
As the US Marshall was diverted by the pain, O’Rourke leaned forward, pulled the Marshalls Glock-17 handgun from his shoulder holster, and expertly wrapped the butt of the pistol across the nape of the neck.
The Marshall immediately fell unconscious and O’Rourke quickly looked around, no one had appeared to notice the attack.
He quickly searched the Marshall’s pockets for the keys to the handcuffs.
A minute later, he had undone them and placed them on the unconscious Marshall’s wrists.
He then grabbed a small bottle of water that the Marshall had been drinking and poured the contents over the Marshall’s face.
Although the Marshall was a big person, O’Rourke was sinewy and quiet powerful for his size, he wrestled the Marshall up and quietly manhandled him into the toilets behind their seats and into a sitting position on the floor area.
He undid the Marshalls trouser belt, looped it around his neck pulling it tight, and then wrapped the loose end around the basin tap.
He looked down at the Marshall and said, “nice to have met you Marshall,” he gave a cursory salute threw the handcuff keys into the sink and closed the door over.
Just at that point, the co-pilots voice came over the intercom system, “ladies and gentlemen, the captain has turned on the no smoking and seatbelt signs please extinguish any cigarettes return to your seats and put your
Seatbacks in an upright position, fasten seatbelts, and store tray table. The toilets are now off-limits thank you.”
O’Rourke found another empty seat near to the passengers that had been in front of his original seating position.
In the cockpit, the captain was in communication with Air traffic controllers at Heathrow Approach Control based in Swanwick, Hampshire, whose job it was to guide the aircraft to its final approach.
“BA G-BDHX we have you on radar at one hundred miles out, confirm speed as 325 knots and altitude as six thousand feet, over.”
“BA G-BDHX we confirm speed and altitude, over.”
“Roger that G-BDHX, you are clear to commence CDA for approach onto runway 09/27L, at thirty miles out maintain level flight to pick up ILS at twenty-five miles and then commence final approach, glideslope angle is three degrees over.”
“Copy that Heathrow approach, G-BDHX out.”
Considerable use is made of continuous descent approach (CDA) techniques to minimise the environmental effects of incoming aircraft, particularly at night.
As the aircraft approached the twenty-five mile mark, it picked up the instrument landing system (ILS), a beam that is aligned with the runway centreline in order to guide aircraft in a straight-line approach to the runway threshold for landing.
It consists of two signals, one giving vertical guidance (the glideslope) and the other indicating whether to fly left or right in order to line up with the runway (the localiser)
At this point, the aircrafts final approach is established and control is handed over to the Heathrow Tower.
“G-BDHX from Heathrow Tower, we have you at twenty-five miles out, you are clear for landing on runway 09/27L, confirm you are aware of the no reverse thrust once down, over.”
“Roger that no reverse thrust once down, commencing final approach and landing sequence Heathrow, G-BDHX, out.”
To reduce disturbance in areas close to Heathrow, pilots are asked not to use reverse thrust after landing between 23:00 and 06:00 hours local, unless they need to for safety reasons.
The captain said, “Lower the gear?”
The co-pilot operated the control and the eighteen huge wheels descended out of their respective under wheel wells.
There are 16 main landing gear wheels, and 2 nose landing gear wheels.
The co-pilot said, “Confirm landing gear is down and locked, operating landing flaps to down.”
The captain now had a visual of Runway 09/27L and began operating the yoke, pedals, and throttle to land the aircraft.
He continually had to trim the aircraft using a switch on the yolk, as the aircraft flew over the runway he placed the aircraft down on the main landing gear wheels and a few moments later the nose wheels touched down.
As soon as the nose wheels hit the deck, the aircrafts brakes were applied slowing the colossal aircraft rapidly.
“Heathrow Tower to G-BDHX welcome to Heathrow you are cleared to taxi to terminal-3 over.”
“Roger that Tower, taxing to terminal-3, G-BDHX out.”
Fifteen minutes later the aircraft had arrived at its designated parking apron alongside terminal-3, within minutes a jet bridge connecting the gate with the aircrafts forward port door was secured and the aircraft staff opened the cabin door.
Paddy O’Rourke joined the slow queue of people as they herded forward to the open door, ten minutes later he was out and walking towards the arrivals area.
He took the green route through customs and then entered the arrivals lounge area.
No one had challenged him or given him a second look; he made his way along the underground subway to Terminal-1 and found a taxi outside climbing into it he said to the driver, “Kilburn north London.”
The taxi driver replied, “Kilburn it is sir.”
Marshall Will Dexter came out of his unconscious state and as he moved, he felt an object around his neck tighten.
He immediately stopped, the pain on his face was now stinging and he noticed his hands were cuffed with his own handcuffs.
He also noticed his belt was missing; he raised his cuffed hands to his neck, felt the ligature, and quickly determined that it was his belt.
Marshall Dexter kicked out with both feet several times at the toilet door, it was giving way and a final kick swung the door open.
A flight attendant had heard the commotion and she had walked to the rear of the aircraft, starred down at the man on the floor of the toilet, and noticed his red face. Marshall Dexter managed a faint horse cry, “help me please?”
The attendant walked into the toilet and began to loosen the belt that had been wrapped around the tap; she then unbuckled it from the Marshal’s neck.
Marshall Dexter took in a long gulp of air and he was aware that the aircraft had landed due to the lack of the drone from the engines and said, “How long have we been down?”
“About twenty-five minutes,” replied the attendant.
The attendant had noticed a small key in the sink and picked it up.
Marshall Dexter noticed the key in her hand, raised his cuffed hands and said, “Would you?”
A minute later he was free from his cuffs and pulled his Marshalls badge from his inside pocket, he was also acutely aware that his Glock was missing from his shoulder holster.
He opened the wallet up, showed his identification to the attendant, and said, “Ma’am, I am US Marshall Will Dexter, I need you to take me straight to the airports security.”
The attendant said, “Follow me sir,” she turned and they both walked to the forward open door.
38
Search Zone-1
Gambles Hill
Richmond, Virginia
USA
Lat = 37 degrees, 32.5 minutes North
Long = 77 degrees, 26.7 minutes West
Sunday 17th September 1989 (Same day)
Nineteen fifty-four hours EDT
Roy and his team had begun the first recce of the zone-1 area at zero ten hours earlier that day and within an hour had found and set up three two man teams of ops on high buildings overlooking the zone area.
Roy and Tracy had cruised the area scanning the warehouses for any signs of unusual activity.
The zone-1 area had a small number of warehouses due to its location on the extreme peripheral area of the large area within the tasked area.
Roy had kept in touch with his team every twenty minutes giving and receiving SITREPS.
The three OP teams were scanning the area with high-powered binoculars and had identified nothing unusual.
Roy was acute enough to recognise that their target may be more easily identified later that evening, when everything had quietened down and that would no doubt put it onto Vas’s remit at the twenty-two hundred hour change over.
Tracy had parked up on a main road, she had quickly taken to Roy, and he was only an inch taller than she was but he had broad shoulders and a light coloured haircut to a number one cut and she really liked his Geordie accent, often having him too repeat himself.
Roy had also taken a shine to Tracy; he had never married and was aged twenty-eight the same age as Tracy.
Tracy said, “Do you fancy a coffee Roy?”
“Good idea Tracy, white with two sugars.”
“I’ll be right back Geordie boy.”
“I’ll be waiting Miss FBI!”
Tracy gave him a wicked smile and exited the vehicle crossing the road to a nearby diner.
Roy found himself watching her arse in her tight jeans as she walked away, he gave himself a slap across his right cheek and said to himself, “discipline Roy, discipline!”
His codetta came to life, “eagle 3 to eagle 4 SITREP over?”
“Nothing at the moment 3, if there is anything around here in zone-1; Vas may spot it later tonight.”
“Copy that 4 I will have eagle 6 contact you for an RV when he leaves here. In addition, GAIL will be having our satellite coming over from midnight tonight; she will sweep all the twelve zones; however it will take around eighteen hours to complete, over.”
Roy noticed Tracy returning with a couple of Styrofoam mugs and replied, “roger that 3, my coffees just arrived personal delivery by a very attractive waitress, eagle 4 out.”
Tracy had caught the tail end of the conversation through the open window and said, “So! I am a waitress now, Geordie boy?”
Roy raised both hands in submission and said, “I did say a very attractive waitress.”
“Good job too, I am glad you have noticed my female traits.”
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