by John Morris
His mind remained preoccupied with possibilities, until a calming memory invaded his thoughts. It was one of the last things Felicity had said to him. “Dan, let it go. You won’t resolve this now, you don’t have the information. Relax, and look after yourself. Prepare for the next battle.”
He jerked upright, aware he was close to Luton, and needed to complete his plan. Focused, he prepared a short text to send her when he landed. ‘Miss you, D xxx’.
Dan spoke to Veronica, and was guided to the hire car. He looked over the map of Luton airport and finalised his previous plans. He was ready to go, and was soon en route to his chosen destination; a part of the fence with good views of the hangar of his interest. He would need to wait twenty minutes for the cargo plane to arrive, so sent the text message to Felicity, and used the time to prepare. He practiced using the new drones, but readied a standard model for the coming mission.
The plane was a little late, but the day was still long. Waiting until the last moment, Dan sent the drone and positioned it on the top of the fuselage, overlooking the rear-offloading ramp.
The aircraft went inside the bonded hangar, and a seal was placed on the outside doors. Drone footage showed the cargo plane was turned around. It took longer than Dan expected, as if they were positioning it precisely. Almost immediately, a section of floor slid back, and people were roughly herded down steps that ran either side of a ramp.
The mix was unusual, consisting of a children’s corps, and a dozen women. All travelled light, except for two-dozen militia, who carried full kit bags, with Heckler & Koch MP5 assault rifles slung on their shoulders. Dan knew the aircraft was originally from ISIL held Libya, although the last leg was from Morocco.
As the people disappeared, a small tractor unit appeared nearby, like an airport baggage car. It reversed into the plane, and was coupled to a series of cargo trolleys. Dan had to follow them, so detached the light drone from the mother unit, and parked it on top of the contents of one trolley, hoping it would not be spotted.
Dan lost contact, and feared the worst, until a slight signal reappeared, growing stronger as presumably, people came to the surface. As visual came up, he reasoned they were inside a warehouse, and the signal indicated this to be half a mile due north. He needed eyes on, and quickly departed for the locality.
The satellite map showed a main road, and track leading into what looked like a derelict motor repair yard. Dan drove on, found a suitable parking place, and worked his way through wasteland inhabited by trees, and too many brambles. In time, he got eyes on a large, modern building hidden from the road.
There were vans and minibuses lined up outside, as if waiting for passengers and cargo. He breached the fence, and began placing transponders under each, the lead vehicle first. He had completed four out of six, when the building doors opened, and people herded towards the first minibus. He hurried to plant all the bugs, and made a dash for safety. He was momentarily exposed, but fortunately not spotted. Lying low, he took photographs of each van and number plate, and cautiously made his escape.
Dan returned to his car and reviewed footage of the small drone, repositioning it to get good internal coverage. More aware after his meeting with Bernie, he also focused on faces.
Afterwards he reviewed footage from the parent drone in the bonded hangar. Four lines of trailers, and two long trolleys with stout wooden boxes on board, were visible entering the tunnel, but none had appeared the other side. Once the cargo was offloaded, the rear ramp of the plane was raised, the underpass sealed. A small tractor moved the aircraft back, covering the access.
Dan considered the implications. The underpass was a lot of work, and not built recently. It was either an existing feature adapted from war years, or had been incorporated some while previously. Regardless, it must have been in use for several years. He asked Alison to check.
He waited as vans and minibuses took the influx of people to their destinations. A call to Alison ensured they were already being tracked. Once all the transients had departed, the warehouse doors were sealed, and the tractor units appeared from below. Dan recognised smuggling, and realised the returns of bringing spirits to UK from Morocco made good sense. Morocco was a wet country, alcohol plentiful, and probably a cheap copy of the expensive real thing.
As if for confirmation, the leader opened a couple of boxes, handing out bottles of whisky and cartons of cigarettes to his men. Minutes later he received a mobile call, and the doors were opened, and; a box van reversed in. The boxes were loaded on board, but they waited for a powerful looking man in a business suit to arrive, and check the cargo against the manifest. The all clear was given, and the light trucks departed.
The boss made a short call, and immediately, the doors opened to allow four SUV’s inside, before being closed again. Dan noted the yard outside remained empty, except for two armed guards that were well hidden.
The last two trolleys were brought up by tractor, and each was opened. The contents were thoroughly checked, but Dan recognised the substances at once: drugs. The boss used an electrical gadget to check the contents of the packages, and appeared happy. The cargo boxes were resealed, and loaded into the SUV’s, with two small boxes into the boss’ car.
While everyone was distracted, Dan flew the drone down, and landed on the roof of the second SUV. It was a risk, but one he was monitoring. Minutes later, the convoy departed, headed in different directions at the main road. Dan retrieved the small drone, and flew it back to his car, where he put it in its case.
He remained for the final play, monitored the hangar, and waited a long time for Customs and Excise to attend. It was late afternoon when they broke the seal and entered. The Captain, Vice Captain, navigator, and Hanger Manager met them. The only others were two warehouse personnel.
The inspection was cursory, and soon paperwork was signed, the cargo offloaded. After a final check, Customs departed, closely followed by the aircraft. They stopped at a nearby hangar. It was bonded, and used as an outgoing warehouse. Goods were cleared to be loaded, Customs apparently checking previously approved tickets against their log.
After Customs departed, three more people joined the flight crew, one of which Dan recognised from Bernie’s list. He kept the drone in place, until refuelling and pre-flight checks were complete, and the aircraft taxied for take-off. He flew the mother drone back, and watched the cargo plane take off, knowing he had covered all bases.
After updating Bude, Dan too, taxied for take-off. He was tired and wanted an end to the day.
Chapter 28 ~ Silence For Votes
Dan spent the night with Felicity. She cooked as he wrote up his log, updated the Director, and conferred with his team. Drained, they went to bed early, and he was asleep as soon as his head touched the pillow. Felicity watched over him for a while, smoothing his hair and brow in motherly fashion, knowing his day had been a tough one. She thought to get up and make a milk drink, but found herself rousing when he did.
Their awakening proved passionate, yet gentle, love replacing hedonistic pleasures of the flesh. Breakfast was leisurely, until Dan mentioned work. Felicity rang Alison at once, putting the call on speaker. “Hi Alison, do you need Dan today?”
“No way! He’s given me a week’s worth of work already, and Veronica has come in to help. Well, only because there’s little else for her to do out here in the sticks. Is he about?”
“You’re on speaker, and he’s listening.”
“Good. Stay away from us, Dan. Now, what is Martin to do?”
Dan spoke for the first time. “Get him monitoring all the drones and transponders, that’s becoming a full-time job. I need him up to speed. I particularly need to know where the Luton vehicles went, and I expect some to travel a long way. Martin, I need you to think about what these new people may be in UK for, because they do not fit the mould, except as suicide bombers perhaps. They carried few belongings. Work it out.”
Alison replied, “I’ll tell him, and show him what to do. Goodbye Da
n, enjoy your weekend off. Felicity, thank you. Keep him busy.”
“I intend to. Ciao.”
Felicity looked menacingly at Dan. He shrugged and replied, “What can I say? An operation of this scale usually has three, four times the number of people I’ve got. Damn, I’m slipping into work mode. Okay, what are we doing today, sweetheart?”
“That’s better. Today you’re taking me shopping. The Director was correct, we need our own home habitable, and the first thing I need is a decent bed. I’ll check that out when I’m working in Norwich. We need to pick up a microwave oven this morning, then at least we can cook.”
“I thought we had the Aga converted last week.”
“It would have been, except nobody was here to let them in. I made another appointment for ten this morning. That gives us an hour, and you five minutes to get ready. Get moving.”
The weekend passed as a hectic whirl of activity, but one so different from their jobs. Kevin and Neville arrived with strimmers and hedge cutters, and made inroads into the years of overgrowth.
Dan and Felicity spent time with Percy, whose home was in the process of being rewired. Dan liked the way the man was working, and booked their home as his next job.
Percy joined them later, seeking a break from his wife and her sister. “I just took Stella to the Cash and Carry and borrowed Alf’s van again. She’ll be chasing you for fourteen hundred quid when she sees you.”
“Thanks for the heads up. I’ll need to go to the cash point.”
“Ma’am, Stella has completed the off sales application for sale of alcohol. Would you be able to action it, say, quite soon?”
Felicity read the form. “This is approved. I’ll issue the certificate first thing on Monday. Attend me then. Now let’s see what the builders are up to.”
A time-served plumber turned up first. He was old-school, and relished the challenge. The Aga man arrived and removed the old boiler unit for checking, and de-scaling. He completed the job by adding a nearby gas point for a modern cooker. “You see Me’dear, these Aga’s are terrific in winter, but useless if you want a quick fry-up for breakfast in the middle of a hot summer. You needs a separate cooker, and maybe I just knows of a good one going for a song.”
“We are interested, show me.”
The Aga man returned a couple of hours later with an old cooker that had to be pre-war. “Cast iron, and as good as they come. Built to last they were in them days, not like today. Here, let me couple up and you can get a brew going.”
Within the miasma of professional help and pettifoggery, Dan and Felicity found a course they could chart, and left a key outside, so tradesmen could bring their home into the twenty-first century, while retro-fitting the old equipment.
Felicity joined her parents for Sunday lunch, where she and her father shared the joys of promotion. Dan stayed and retreated to the study to work. He found the environment to his liking.
Monday began early for both of them, and they realised that in future, they might only have weekends together. They held each other too tightly, as if afraid of losing the other. Words didn’t come, their emotions getting the better of speaking aloud. Felicity pulled away. “Until next time, lover boy. Think of me, but not too much.”
Her cheeky grin spilt the moment, and they went on their separate ways. Felicity left for the station, her plan to make a brief review before heading to her new job in Norwich. It took a little longer than she had hoped, but she cleared her desk, and approved Stella’s application. The liquor licence was given to Percy to deliver, and he departed at once.
Meanwhile, Dan drove to the office where he debriefed with Alison. “You were correct about the smuggling, and drugs. These Paki’s run the regional mafia, and are into everything. The booze and cigarettes end up via a main distribution warehouse, being sent out to small shops run by Muslims. Nearly all the small shops are run by Muslims.
“The main warehouse is in a no-go area. Even most Muslims are excluded. The vans and minibuses all belong to a ‘facilitation company’, as do larger vehicles: buses, lorries, and artics. The companies behind these places have four directors, three of which we already know. Veronica is compiling files on the unknown, and presumably local hood, who is named as fourth director. It’s a mess Dan.”
“Find out as much as you can. What about the women, the kids?”
“This opens a new can of worms. I ran face recognition software on all of them, and most of the girls were captured by Boko Haram in Chibok village, the others are from Kummabza village, both northern Nigerian school invasions. Two of them were deposited at a terraced house in Bristol, and have not been seen since. They carried a small backpack each. I sent this through as priority to Derek, who is currently monitoring. They suspect a twin suicide bombing in the city centre, either today or tomorrow.
“Derek said they have identified most that came through, and all are related to possible terror strikes in England. They thanked you for your efforts, asked for better images, and want more.”
“Good. We are getting somewhere at last. Anything on the underpass?”
“Nothing. I checked old records, rail, canal: Zilch. But I did find that during the war, the Raf had an air raid shelter and underground store.”
“Hmmm. They must have used it, extended it. Okay.
“I wish we had more staff, but we’ll have to cope. Martin, Percy, let me see your agenda for this week … Good, I’ll accompany you at first, show you the ropes, Martin?”
The lad gulped and said, “You will have to, I don’t have my pilots licence yet … I only need air miles, but with a qualified instructor. I have my helicopter licence though.”
“Merde! I will not let this operation be hampered by lack of a piece of paper. Veronica, I need a jet pilot trainer today, and at the end of today, I expect Martin to have his qualification. You can tag along too, until you get the hang of it again. This is vitally important to the success or failure of the entire project. Do I make myself clear?”
Dan stormed off, his team shocked at the vehemence of his reaction. None had witnessed that part of his character before, and hoped never to do so again.
Some minutes later, Veronica tentatively knocked on the internal shop door, and opening it, found Dan and Stella sharing a joke. He seemed relaxed and at ease. Was the before a play of his? Feeling heartened she said, “Dan, we leave in fifteen minutes, and I will accompany you to brush up. We finish this today. I presume you and Percy will attend to the visit, while we practice flying.”
“Great work. Just what I hoped for. About before, upstairs…”
She smiled and said, “I understand. Don’t apologise, it’s not needed, and doesn’t suit you. But, you better pack your bag, Sir.”
Dan and Percy spent the day in Leicester, whilst up above, Martin got his wings, and Veronica brushed up her flying skills. As Felicity had advised, Dan passed himself off as a detective, reporting to Inspector Wigglesworth for the project. It repeated as before, Percy ambling aside with the local community bobby, and gaining trust and information
During the course of the day, they were invited to speak to one other current community officer, and one recently retired. They began to get an angle on the Muslim community in Leicester, one that was well established over decades.
They were late back to the airstrip, but their transport was running even later. “What do you make of it, Percy?”
“This is a large city, Dan, generations of Muslims here, mainly Sunni, and their community roots are well established. The City, county, and local councils all seem to co-operate well with the Muslim community. But there are definitely no-go areas for non-Muslims. As the community relations officer said, ‘I have a sort of pass, and by that I mean I am tolerated. These are not places for females not wearing a niqāb to be seen in, or even a couple of lads late at night. The outward appearance is that of a diverse, multicultural society that is working. I fear the obverse is the actual fact. Sharia law is rampant. Isolationism and intolerance rule
the local streets’.”
“Yes, but it is that word, ‘appearance’ that worries me most. The retired officer, the only one with nothing to lose, intimated there were unofficial Muslim schools, and that areas of the city are under Sharia law. It sounds more like separatism to me, than multiculturalism.”
“Yes Dan, cultural cul-de-sacs, Muslim ghettos in the making. The city is too large for them to undermine in one go, so instead, they take over what used to be the towns that now comprise it.”
“Well, at least we discovered the illegal immigrants are going to city approved, charity organised housing projects. These are being projected as pioneering schemes for the inhabitants, and yet I note, all of the new developments, are within white dominated political catchment areas. Here look on the map. They won't be satisfied, until they turn England, into the same mess of a society they fled from.”
Percy studied the screen of Dan’s tablet, before saying, “Were this a town, it would be Muslim by now. Given the current influx continues unabated, I reckon only a few years before Muslims dominate the city. Are they blind? And they all have large families.”
“Apparently so. Remember that community centre we wanted to visit, but were denied entry? Being repainted doesn’t do it for me, there was no smell of paint. I’ll send a drone there and see what we find.”
The view came up on camera. There was minor work on repainting windows outside, and a distinct lack of community participation. Dan said, “This reminds me of those community centres over near Wymondham. I’m gonna park this drone and see what’s going on. I bet it’s a school for boys only.”
They were interrupted by a call from the airfield supervisor. “I have a message for you. Pilot Martin Edwards is making final approach.”
They realised the significance, and went to settle the bill.
Despite Martin gaining his pilot’s licence, and Veronica becoming confident at flying again, Dan changed his plans, and spent the days with the team on the ground. He clued Martin in to how Percy would walk aside, flicking his head or fingers as if to say, ‘go away’.