Operation Sabre

by Glenn Carter

  The PM lifted up the tank, handing it to Caterina and said, ‘Oh it’s heavy. Caterina would you mind paying for this and getting it into the car?’ She turned to Sergeant Palmer, ‘Now Palmer, how long have we got?’

  ‘Three minutes Prime Minister,’ replied Sergeant Palmer.

  ‘Right, just enough time to get a card.’

  As Caterina took the fish tank, Sharav noticed a small green and red mark on the underside of the tank. ‘Where have I seen that before?’ he said quietly to himself.

  The group moved off towards a card shop and left Sharav standing by the toy stall with his head down. Paul noticed and walked back to where Sharav was.

  ‘What’s up? You coming?’

  After a couple of seconds Sharav looked up and quietly said, ‘Code Red.’

  ‘What did you say?’ asked Paul.

  ‘Code Red! PM is compromised!’

  ‘Are you mad, I don’t see anything wrong!’

  Sharav started running towards the group, this time shouting into his watch ‘Code Red, CODE RED!’ All the other agents looked towards him as he pulled the tank from Caterina’s hands. He turned to Sergeant Palmer and calmly stated, ‘Code red, it’s a bomb!’

  21

  Accused

  The RaSP officers sprang into action. Sergeant Palmer and two other officers grabbed the PM and sprinted towards the exit. The rest of the officers cleared the way, knocking several people over. The PM’s feet were only occasionally touching the floor.

  Sharav was left holding the fish tank with Rachel and Paul standing nearby. Sharav very gently turned the tank over and looked at the symbol of a dragon eating a snake.

  ‘Are you sure about this Sharav?’ Paul said, sounding stressed.

  ‘Yes, remember we were shown a list of about thirty terrorist organisations? Some of them had symbols. This was one of them. Can’t remember the name.’

  Sharav placed the tank upside down on the ground and very slowly opened the battery compartment.

  To their horror they saw a digital display counting down. It was at 95 seconds.

  Rachel let out a scream and said, ‘We have to get everyone out of here!’

  Paul looked around frantically and spotted something on the wall. He sprinted over to the fire panel and broke the glass. The fire alarm sounded. The crowds started looking around, confused.

  ‘Everyone out!’ shouted Paul, ‘Out’.

  This caused some of the people near them to start walking towards the exit. Sharav looked down at the display, ‘73, 72, 71, 70, 69…’

  Rachel shouted, ‘Bomb! Everyone out!’ At first the screams came from those nearest to Rachel. Within ten seconds panic had spread throughout the shopping centre and families were sprinting for the nearest exit.

  ‘We are never going to get everyone out in time! People are going to die!’ shouted Sharav above the bedlam. Then Sharav grabbed the fish tank and started sprinting towards a side exit. It was a huge shopping centre, filled with bustling shoppers. Paul ran in front of Sharav, roaring at people to get out of the way. Sharav tried to communicate something to Paul, but his words were slurred. He started slowing down and then stumbled. Paul realised what was happening. Sharav was having another episode of narcolepsy. He was about to fall asleep.

  Paul turned around. Running backwards he saw Sharav fall forward, so Paul dived towards the bomb. He fell on his stomach with both arms stretched out. The fish tank landed on one hand and bounced. Paul stretched out again and managed to catch it. Paul stared at the tank waiting for something to happen. Sharav was now fast asleep on the hard floor. Paul glanced at the time. 19 seconds, 18, 17. He stood up, grabbed the tank and sprinted for the exit.

  Paul burst into the winter sunshine. He was blinded by the sunlight and strained his eyes to find a safe place for the bomb. All he could make out was cars. Sweat was now pouring off his forehead. Then he saw it. A bright yellow skip. He ran towards it. 8 seconds, 7, 6, 5. From 5 metres away Paul hurled the tank towards the skip. Before he had a chance to turn and run, the bomb exploded. Paul was knocked from his feet and his back slammed against a large silver van. He lay there perfectly still as pieces of wood, rubbish and paper fell around him. A minute later and still dazed, he pulled himself to his feet and walked towards the skip. Although scores of car alarms were sounding, he couldn’t hear anything, deafened as he was by the blast. Paper floated down around him like an absurd snowstorm.

  The next day, Paul, Rachel and Sharav were in a debrief session with William and Rob. They were in a small room with a large mirror. Rachel’s eyes were red with crying and Paul was worried about her. He’d rarely seen her cry. All five of them were seated around a white table. Paul wondered why the session was taking so long. At first, they had been interviewed individually and now as a group they faced many of the same questions. William and Rob took them carefully through every aspect of the morning, including what had happened the day before, conversations they had had on the day and very detailed information about the actual incident.

  William eventually stopped and sighed and then said, ‘Thank you for your patience everyone. I realise the questioning can seem a little repetitive, but it was a very serious incident yesterday.’ He turned to the boys, ‘You almost certainly saved the Prime Minister’s life and we are very grateful for that. You may go back to the dorms. Rachel, we would like a few more minutes with you please.’

  The boys returned to the residential area and spent time unwinding, waiting for Rachel to return. By 8pm, Rachel still hadn’t come back, so Paul went to find out what was happening. He met Rob walking down a corridor.

  ‘Hi Rob, listen have you seen Rachel?’

  ‘Yes, I saw her a couple of minutes ago. Please don’t worry Paul. She is feeling a little unwell. We have a doctor coming to check her out. She’ll be back soon.’

  The next day, Paul and Sharav kept a look out for Rachel and got increasingly worried when she didn’t return. Eventually William came to speak to them. He took them into a side room.

  ‘Rachel isn’t in a good way. I’ll be straight with you. We suspect that she may have had a part to play in the attempted murder of the Prime Minister.’

  Paul and Sharav were silent for a few seconds and then Paul shook his head, ‘What! Are you kidding? Rachel? She’s thirteen, she’s… small! Why on earth would she do that? Even if she wanted to, there is no way she would go through with anything. She wouldn’t hurt a fly.’

  Paul turned and kicked the wall hard.

  ‘Please calm down Paul,’ said William. ‘Listen, Rachel was the one helping the PM choose a toy for her daughter. From the intelligence we have gathered, the evidence is clear. Rachel directed her to that fish tank in particular. The one with a bomb in it. It is either one amazing co-incidence or she meant to do it. We also have the stall owner in custody.’

  ‘Wait,’ said Sharav. ‘Do you mean to say that Rachel is in custody? Have you charged her with anything?’

  ‘No, not yet. She has been arrested and we can hold her, without charge, for up to fourteen days under the Terrorism Act. She…’

  Paul interrupted, ‘William are you out of your mind? Terrorism? This is ridiculous.’

  ‘Boys I’m just doing my job; I know it’s hard to believe. Listen, the reason I came to speak to you is because we need your help. Paul, I wondered if you would mind speaking to your sister? She is refusing to speak to us. Not a word so far and we can’t help her or move this investigation forward unless she tells us her side of the story.’

  Paul agreed to speak to her. Ten minutes later an agent unlocked a door in the basement and allowed Paul into the room. He was shocked to see Rachel huddled in a corner, with an untouched tray of food and drink sitting on a table. She looked so much older and was white as a sheet. Rachel looked up at Paul with tears in her eyes. He walked over and crouched down beside her, putting his arm around her shoulder.

  ‘Rachel. What’s going on? You okay?’

  She said nothing.

 
‘Okay. I’m right here. I can wait.’ After ten minutes he looked at the tray beside them, picked up the glass of water and offered it to her.

  ‘Drink this Rach. It will make you feel better.’

  Rachel looked at the glass and sipped the water.

  ‘Rachel, why won’t you speak to them?’

  She looked up at the camera that was pointing down at them. Paul saw the red light blinking and understood. He quickly took a piece of chewing gum from his pocket, chewed it, stood on a chair and stuck it over the camera and microphone. Then he took one of the chairs and jammed it under the door handle.

  ‘That should buy us some time Rachel. Tell me you didn’t have anything to do with this?’

  Rachel slowly looked up at Paul and then he knew.

  ‘Oh Rachel, no. I don’t understand.’ Rachel started to sob.

  She was crying so heavily now that she couldn’t get any words out. By this time someone outside was trying to get in. They were rattling the handle and banging at the door. Eventually Paul pulled the chair away from the door and opened it furiously, trying to make himself as big as possible. There in front of him was Rob and two other agents. He pushed each of them back and then whispered angrily.

  ‘If you lot keep treating her like an animal, she is never going to talk. Give me more time and stop mucking things up!’

  One of the other agents said, ‘Okay Paul. You can have 15 more minutes. Don’t try to lock yourself in again though, okay? The agent put his hand on Rob’s shoulder, who reluctantly backed off and let Paul return to the room.

  22

  Pop

  Paul walked back into the room and sat down beside Rachel again, who had stopped crying.

  ‘Rachel I only have 15 minutes with you. Don’t worry, they can’t hear what we are saying. Tell me what’s going on.’

  Rachel was quiet for a couple of minutes and then said, ‘Paul I can’t tell you.’

  Paul took a breath, trying to remain patient, ‘Rachel I know you don’t want to tell me anything, but you are in serious trouble. Like serious, attempted murder trouble. Something is going on. At least tell me why you can’t say anything!’

  Rachel looked up at Paul and said, ‘They said they would kill Dad.’

  ‘Who said they would kill him?’

  And then it all started pouring out of Rachel. Like a bottle that had been uncorked. Rachel told Paul everything.

  ‘I don’t know who it was. But before we left Dublin, I got a text message. It said that I was to start training with MI2 and wait for further instructions. It said that if I didn’t follow their instructions exactly, they would kill Dad and we would never see him again. I thought that I could carry out some simple tasks and then they would let Dad go. I had no idea how serious it would get! I mean killing the Prime Minister!’

  Paul stared at Rachel; his eyes wide. ‘What about the fish tank?’

  ‘I got another text message on the morning of the bombing. And also, an email with a picture of Dad. He looked thin and really unwell. The message gave information about the shopping centre that we would visit and what stall to go to and even what toy to pick. I really didn’t want to do it, but I thought maybe it was just a bugging device and how bad can it be if they hear what the PM’s daughter talks about? I had no idea it was a bomb!’

  ‘Rachel, we have to tell someone! Sabre must have shared the information about where the PM was going to be. You can’t take the blame for this.’

  Rachel looked at Paul, her eyes beginning to fill again. ‘You can’t tell anyone! If the mole finds out they will do terrible things to Dad!’

  ‘Yes, but Rachel we have to stop this somehow. There must be someone we can trust. Who can we trust? What about William and Sharav? Is there anyone else?’

  Rachel thought for a while and then said, ‘Esmee. She is really lovely. I think she is safe.’

  An hour later Paul, William, Sharav and Esmee congregated in the moonstone office. The group listened to Paul as he urgently yet calmly retold Rachel’s story.

  ‘I wish you had told me about Sabre before now,’ said William.

  ‘I didn’t know who to trust, William,’ said Paul.

  ‘It’s okay, I understand.’

  Esmee sighed, ‘Oh now, this is terrible news, so it is.’ She looked at William, ‘William, I’ve got to know Rachel really well over the last couple of months, so I have. She doesn’t have a bad bone in her body, so she doesn’t. Her actions, although misguided, can be fully explained by the fear of losing her father. We have to do something.’ She reached out and placed her hand gently on Paul’s shoulder.

  ‘I agree Esmee, this is bad,’ said William. ‘And news of a potential mole is particularly disquieting. However, we have to follow the facts. Rob is leading the investigation and unless he can find proof to the contrary, Rachel will be in a lot of trouble.’ He looked over to Paul and Sharav. ‘Boys, Rachel mentioned text messages she received from this unknown person or organisation. We have to find those messages. Did she say where her phone was, Paul?’

  ‘Yes, she said it was in her room,’ said Paul.

  ‘Okay,’ nodded William. ‘Esmee, we need to check any communications that Rachel received through email or message. Please could you see if you can hack into her account and retrieve them remotely?’

  Esmee nodded.

  William continued, ‘Right boys, I want you to go to Rachel’s dorm and retrieve her phone so Esmee has a better chance of accessing those messages. Oh, and no-one is to see you doing this. If we do have a mole, we need to do this off the grid. You might want to leave your watches somewhere safe so you can’t be tracked. Apply the training you’ve received so far to complete the mission. I’d like you to meet back here about 6pm. That gives you a few hours.’

  The boys headed off to their dorm to plan the mission. They discussed the options, ‘Distraction or Deception.’ And finally decided that distraction would be the quickest and most effective approach. They casually exited the building via reception, talking loudly about going to the shops. Then when the security guard wasn’t looking, they sneaked back around to the side of the building. They waited patiently behind a bin for someone to come out from the side door. After fifteen minutes someone finally did. They didn’t have much time. As quickly and quietly as they could they reached the door before it closed and they re-entered the building. Up a short staircase they found what they were looking for. The fire alarm panel. Sharav moved down the corridor searching for a place to hide and came across a cleaning cupboard. He gave Paul the thumbs up and Paul then smashed the panel with his elbow and set off the alarm. He sprinted towards Sharav, who was squeezing into the cupboard. After thirty seconds they could hear the noise of people walking down the corridor as they made their way to the exit. The boys estimated that it would take approximately four to five minutes to clear the building. After five minutes Paul whispered to Sharav, ‘Okay I think it’s clear. I reckon we have about twenty minutes before the fire brigade let anyone back in.’

  They moved quickly towards the girls’ dorm and found Rachel’s room. Sharav started on one side of the room and Paul on the other. Paul raised his voice so he could be heard over the fire alarm, ‘Sharav, the phone isn’t here.’ Sharav looked over. ‘This is her room, isn’t it?’ Paul picked up a photo of his family and showed it to him.

  Sharav then said, ‘It’s got to be here, keep looking.’ Just then the fire alarm stopped and the boys knew they had to be much quieter. They spent another seven minutes searching the room from one end to another, carefully replacing furniture, clothes and knickknacks exactly where they had found them.

  Paul looked at Sharav and said quietly, ‘I don’t understand it. Absolutely no sign of the phone.’ Sharav pulled Paul’s sleeve, saying ‘We’ve got to go.’

  The boys returned to the cupboard and waited for everyone to come back into the building before making their escape through the side door and re-entering the building via the front door.

  At 6pm the
group was reunited. William and Esmee listened with grave expressions as Paul and Sharav explained how they had searched Rachel’s room and found nothing. Then Esmee spoke, ‘This is terrible. I have spent the last three hours accessing all the possible email servers that Rachel could have used in order to locate the emails she talked about. I couldn’t find a thing. Not even a trace. I’ve used forensic computer tools: I’ve also hacked into Rachel’s Internet Service Provider and accessed the backup of her inbox. Nothing.’

  William sighed. ‘Listen boys, it was worth a try. I’ll do my best to have Rachel transferred up to Edinburgh to a secure location where she can be visited by her Mum. We need to leave the rest of the investigation to Rob and his team. They will gather information over the next ten days and then, depending on the outcome, she will be charged or released. But I have to say, it’s not looking good.’

  23

  Operation Hinds

  That evening Sharav and Paul were in their dorm. As the mist of shock gradually faded, Paul started to pace angrily up and down the room.

  ‘This is ridiculous. What is going on! Rachel is being framed for this attempt on the Prime Minister’s life. The real criminals were obviously planning to hide all the evidence of their involvement and let Rachel take the blame. It was either going to be attempted murder or actual murder. We’ve got to do something about this, Sharav!’

  ‘What else can we do Paul? You heard Esmee. There was no sign of any messages and that phone has definitely disappeared.’

  ‘It makes no sense. Right, we need to follow the evidence. We need to fill in the missing pieces.’

  Sharav looked up, ‘Okay, all the evidence suggests Rachel is guilty. The missing evidence that would help clear her name is the important stuff. We need to get to that.’

  ‘Exactly!’ said Paul. ‘We don’t have long to clear her name. And actually, if we follow the evidence, I think this could lead us to Sabre and then to my Dad.’