by John Morris
“But they run Luton, and other towns.”
“Exactly.”
“Then their enforcers are already on their way here.”
“We leave in minutes. Bring everything of value, you can never come back here.”
Back inside whispers passed between the occupants, and they quickly cleared the place out. While they were busy, Dan placed his own bugs in likely places, hoping to gain further intelligence. All three cars were quickly loaded, as Dan asked Martin to check their new friend’s car for bugs. He found two. Dan held them up and said, “Which of these cars travels the most, especially at this time of night?”
“The blue Passat, it’s an unofficial taxi.”
“Good.” Dan dropped the bugs into the air grill just below the windscreen, and smiled. “That should distract them. Time to go.”
They departed via a longer route, hoping to avoid detection. Dan was driving the resistance fighters’ car, sandwiched between their own. At the main junction, Martin in front, stopped and waited. The reason became clear moments later, when two SUV’s sped past, and turned into the direct access road to the house they had just left.
When the road was clear, they quickly left the village. Dan received an update from Veronica, complete voice recording of all words exchanged between Ayesha and the others. When they pulled into Mildenhall, Dan said with a smile, “Time for your interrogation.”
Dan led them to the mess, and they took snacks and drink back to a large table, and Dan paid the bill. Talk amongst them quickly flourished. Dan’s mobile was recording every word spoken, as usual.
A lot of information was exchanged, some of it sensitive, before Makaarim said, “Okay Dan. Why us? What do you really want from us?”
“I need you to help us take ISIL out of Luton, and any other Govenorates you have knowledge of. I need a priority list of targets and routes in for our forces. Mark them on a map, numbered, with a side panel stating what they are, and the best means of taking each out. I’ll expect that for early tomorrow morning. Thank you.”
“Dan, these are tribal people, they all work for their leader, so you need to take the leaders out first.”
“Thanks, we had come to the same conclusion. We have a deal?”
“I’m not sure. Let me get this straight, we help you, and you imprison us here. That doesn’t sound fair.”
“We just saved your lives, and you’re free to leave at any time. The question is, have you anywhere safe to go? I could have a word with the Commanding Officer and set you each up with a room at the Sergeant’s Mess. You should be safe once we take out Luton, which will be soon. I need information on local towns like Newmarket, Thetford, and Cambridge, we intend to clear the lot of them of extremists.”
“We have been in contact with some resistance groups, but I’ll need to work on them. We’re all very distrusting.”
“And rightly so. Let them know you’re helping us free Luton, and try them again once we succeed. We have a deal?”
“Yes, a deal, and thanks Dan. I guess it’s expensive here?”
“No, extremely cheap, tax free, but they only accept U.S. Dollars. There’s a change machine over there.”
Chapter 49 ~ The Battle for England
On the flight back, Ayesha copied the file she had received from Fatimah. Dan went through it as soon as he engaged autopilot. The information was detailed, and dovetailed with that provided by Makaarim. Arriving home he worked on it for one hour, before eating and sleeping.
Waking after an early night, Felicity left for work, and Dan set to writing several reports. His focus was taking Luton. His first report was sent to Sir Jack, who called him moments later. “Dan, we have almost cleared London and the south, except for a few tough enclaves. This is amazing intelligence you just sent through. We are going in, I’ll try to set things up for Wednesday.”
“That’s excellent. I’d like to blitzkrieg the nearby towns as well, roll from one to the next, leaving behind troops to ensure success.”
“I like the idea. That will clear a vast swathe of the country. I’ll need to speak to the army regards numbers of troops, especially those we leave behind. Thursday might be more reasonable to do the all of it.”
RAF Trimingham had been monitoring all flights into, and out of Luton, which no longer functioned as a regular airport. GCHQ Bude had satellite eyes on prime locations and targets, and patterns emerged that military could work to. Sinjun added his tactical viewpoint, and all was set for a series of simultaneous strikes, early on Thursday morning.
Later, Dan called the Mildenhall Station Commander, before he spoke to Makaarim. “You are giving us some great intelligence, keep up the good work.”
“Thanks Dan. We’re really enjoying it. Are we getting paid for this?”
“I’ll cover your living expenses if that helps. Any of you that prove yourselves of worth may be offered a job. How does that suit?”
“Hmmm. It’ll do for now.”
“I’ve just asked the Station Commander to provide you with secure computers and internet. I’d like you to expand your operation wherever possible, we’ll need to cover all Muslim Govenorates in England.
That afternoon, Felicity called Dan. “I have the information regards the Chief Inspector at Wymondham, but need Alison to check some things. I’ll need to talk to her direct, and send her information.”
“Great. What did you discover?”
“Later Dan, the file isn’t complete, that’s why I need Alison’s input.”
“Okay, sanctioned. I’ll call her now. Wait one minute and call her yourself. You coming home tonight?”
“Of course, but let’s meet at your office. I want to nail this son-of-a-bitch, and I think we almost have him.
“At least tell me something.”
“Okay. He was never fully vetted, hence Alison. Things were different in the days he joined the force. His past is sketchy, due to limited digital records, but I discovered that as an adolescent, he was placed in foster care. You’ll never guess who to.”
“Mohammad, Ali, or Hussein?”
“No, but almost as close: Sylvia Cartwright and Norman Harper.”
“Fuck! They run the scamming charity and are related to Mohammad.”
“Yes. They had one son, Walter Harper. Care to join the dots?”
“No. We both know it. Alison will either prove the connection, or disprove it. Do you have a second theory?”
“No, not really. Not one that would hold water, let alone evidence. I have to go. Work. This is more than a curved ball. Left field even. Until later, Dan. Ciao.”
Much later, Felicity entered the office. She saw Dan and Alison smiling unduly. “What have you got? Out with it.”
Alison replied, “You were spot on Ma’am. Chief Inspector Walter Cartwright changed his name by deed pole and used to be known as Walter Harper–Cartwright. He is in fact a mole for Mohammad. Before he joined the police, he was generally known as Walter Harper. There is little digital information relating, as most data was in physical form, but you nailed him.”
“How sure are you?”
“As of now, ninety-nine percent certain. By tomorrow, that will be one-hundred percent. I’m tracking his financial details and dealings, bank accounts, offshore dealings, especially with the wrong parts of the world, but most hidden from normal view. I think we got the foster parents as well. I’m following that up also.”
Dan asked, “What about direct evidence?”
“It’s all in the financial details, which are virtually complete. What I do is not easy. There are large payments from Mohammad to Walter Harper’s account in Panama. That’s a forwarder. I went after the usual suspects, and discovered the money ended up in the Cayman Islands, and he’s worth a pretty penny, if not quite a millionaire.”
There was a break of silence, as each of them absorbed the greater significance of the revelation. The impact of knowing was strong; the means to bring the full force of the law to bear, within reach.
&nb
sp; Dan said, “Felicity, Alison, I need you to relate this information to Benaris and Karen. Why are they caught up in this, or at minimum, taking a watching brief? Remember, the question of which side either of them are supporting, as yet remains unresolved.
“Excuse me, I need to write up my reports for tomorrow, and log my ruminations. I’ll be in my room at the inn. Knock my door when you get there, and I’ll come down to join you ladies for dinner. This is becoming ‘The Fifth Column Squared’. Bye for now.”
Alison responded, “Ah. The twenty-fifth column. Byeee.”
Luton airport was taken by stealth at five a.m. on Thursday, with little resistance. Mohammad’s Pakistani warehouse, and Luton University were locked down.
Dan flew in with Martin and Sinjun, and rendezvoused with one platoon of SAS. Dan and Sinjun knew many of the team, and after greetings, got down to finalise the assault on the offices of Mohammad, Ali, and Hussein. Regular soldiers would support them. They went in following the route Dan had previously used, and deployed troops on ingress, who took up secure and hidden positions.
Meanwhile, the main assault began against the enemy base in the council chamber of Luton. Bombs were followed by elite troops on the ground, and the building secured within minutes. The leader was killed in the strike, while others were put under guard.
The attack spread outwards from the centre, confusing sleepy militia, who were expecting attack from outside. Outer defences had turned inwards, when the exterior attacks began. Typhoons took out heavy armaments protecting the city approaches. Light tanks sped into the city, taking out sniper positions according to Dan’s information.
Meanwhile, Mohammad, Hussein, and Ali had rushed to their office complex. They assembled vital files and digital media for removal, and opened the safe. Dan’s forces entered and arrested them all. The information, plus that found hidden under filing cabinets, was removed immediately, as were two brothers Ali, other directors, and their chief officers. Waheed was one of those taken for questioning. Dan took control of his diary, while Martin stayed to run full search, including the offices of Anglo-Asian Holdings.
A military convoy took them to the nearby airport, the only part of Luton the attackers wholly controlled, and put them in separate, makeshift cells. Later they were moved to a secure facility for interrogation.
Although Luton was quickly cleansed of militia, many civilian agitators remained, and a roundup of those was underway. Hate-preaching Imams who had avoided deportation by their lawyers misusing the European Human Rights Act, were captured as well. They, along with protesting barristers and even magistrates, were sent for immediate trial. Most were found guilty of treason, and refusing to vow allegiance to Queen Charmaine. They were given the choice of execution or deportation, the sentences to be carried out immediately.
Many chose the latter, thinking to buy time to work angles. They were surprised to find themselves on crowded airliners, and deposited in different parts of the Middle East. Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan were popular destinations, with British authorities at least.
This new, harsh law had already begun in the country as a whole, as thousands of radical extremist Muslims had already departed England’s shores.
The main protagonists dealt with, the army went street-by-street, house-by-house, and workplace-by-workplace, asking all to vow allegiance to Queen Charmaine. The courts were exceptionally busy that day.
As the cleansing of Luton was effected, advance forces moved onwards, clearing towns like Newmarket and Thetford. Information provided by Dan’s team greatly helped with incisive action, as support forces followed, and courts of instant justice dispensed sentence. Drawing to the end of a long day, nearly all centres of Islamic power had been removed from western East Anglia, as far south as the M25.
One remained: Wymondham. Dan contacted Sir Jack. “Dan, this has been a remarkable day, and a great success for everybody involved. Once again, your information was spot on, as was Sinjun’s tactical analysis. I think we need him back on the payroll. Are you and your team ready to relocate?”
“No, although creating the new team remains a top priority.”
“Create it then, but stay where you are. You can begin recruiting. Some names have already been put forward. I’ll let you have them later today. You could start training them where you are.”
“You’re not hassling us to move?”
“No. Her Majesty suggested building a small, secure town to house our intelligence community, including wings from each of the three services. She wants to promote inter-agency trust and sharing. I have a site earmarked, which just happens to have a deep and disused section of the Underground running beneath. It’s ideal for creating underground bunkers, and offering other routes of escape, entrance and egress. Okay Dan, you can postpone. Now, what can I do for you?”
“We plan to take out Wymondham tomorrow, and Felicity is putting a team together. Her bosses back her to the hilt, and have the goods on the local police hierarchy. We’ll take the council chamber, as I need council records to complete our trap to expose Ali and Ali for providing false documents, and money laundering.”
“You have the evidence ready?”
“Most of it, yes. I just need to relate what actually occurred, to the books of Ali and Ali, and tie in council knowledge aforethought tomorrow. We can support this with the bullying and physical eviction of village inhabitants by Muslim thugs, and we have several fully documented cases lined up for court. Anglo-Asian Holdings were the main players behind this, so a trial of Mohammad, Hussein, and Ali will follow shortly.”
“I’ll see to it that you have a couple of platoons in support. One of our travelling courts of instant justice will be in Norwich at the beginning of next week. Pencil in Monday. We are having a wholesale clearance of rubbish. We’ll both ensure those from the complex you took are there the day before. You better tell Felicity to clear some cells.”
Late that day, Dan received the file of applicants from Sir Jack, and spoke to Alison. She forwarded the list to Veronica, and asked her to follow up, and prepare the recruitment process.
Strikes continued, Sheffield falling on Friday morning, and with momentum gathering with experience. The army machine rolled through sympathising areas nearby, supported by instant courts that pronounced sentences, which were quickly actioned. The next strikes were against Dewsbury and Rochdale.
Makaarim and her small team, became known as a group which ordinary people could contact for help. Although ISIL interlopers were also present online. Ayesha continued to assist, bringing in her own lines of independent information. As word of freedom spread, so did the amount of information Makaarim was able to supply Dan.
Volunteers continued to apply for the services, and not all for military positions. Cooks and medics came forward, and training camps became a bustle of fast-track skill set learning. One camp was dedicated to supporting and training European resistance groups, mainly from France, Switzerland, and Poland. They were also supported with the issue of small arms taken from enemy troops.
Elsewhere on Friday morning, the team assembled for breakfast at their office. Felicity spoke up when Percy joined them. “We take Wymondham today. Percy, what did you discover about Inspector Wheeler?”
“Not much Ma’am. She’s well respected by the lads, if a bit authoritarian, but she’s new. I’ve followed her a few evenings, and Stan Parfitt on most others. She sometimes visits Wymondham, and has been seen out with the Inspector. Stan said it looked more like business than pleasure. Twice they appeared to be quarrelling.”
“That’s interesting. So we’re virtually discounting a sexual relationship. There are other types. Let’s keep an open mind. Thanks Percy, Dan?”
“Inspector Khan is a member of a moderate Muslim society, one opposed to terrorism and ISIL. They try to counsel those in distress, and act to prevent British thuggery, like the EDF. They also publish leaflets, and hold meetings, some at schools, to teach others the ways of moderate and integrating Islam.
“Alison did a lot of research, and discovered that Karen Wheeler supplies him with information not readily available to the public, or to a police Inspector. She worked for a time as a Superintendent’s admin. Alison, with Colin’s assistance, traced emails from her, using the Super’s authority for release. The few she has on file, were forwarded to Inspector Benaris Khan.”
“Good work Dan. There will indubitably be more for turning up, but I have enough for court.”
“There’s one thing more. Karen’s grandfather was an Indian Muslim. Apparently he worked for the British Raj, and came to England as a young man, later marrying an English girl, and raising a family. I wonder what tales he told her younger self, when she sat upon his knee?”
“I’ll need to interview the pair of them, and will call George now. Otherwise, it’s time to move. I’ll take Karen into custody first, and tie up that loose end before it becomes a problem.”
As she readied to leave, Alison came down and handed her a thin folder. “This just came in, and you’ll want to read it before you leave, Ma’am. There’s a copy for you Dan, upstairs. Bon voyage.”
The file detailed unusual monetary transactions, to and from a secret account held by Benaris Khan. Felicity jumped up and shouted, “Got him!”
Dan rose and said, “I’ll check what these payments relate to. See you later, but a kiss before you go.”
Upstairs Dan said, “Great work Alison. There is more. I need to know why these payments were made.”
“Well, I’ve searched everywhere, even under the bed and mattress. That’s it.”
“Then check inside the mattress. I don’t know—rip up the floorboards, check behind the walls. There’s more to this. Run a search for him through our database, and then expand.”
“I’m on it, top priority, right?”