The Wrath of Shakira
Page 11
OSC London
Whitehall place
Lat = 51 degrees, 30.4 minutes North
Long = 0 degrees, 7.5 minutes West
Max was in Strayker’s office reviewing the day’s events and collating all the information they had on the terrorists, “it would appear that we have only one main target on the mainland now Max; and that’s Hussein.”
“Correct sir; however it will not be easy tracking him down, shall we release his picture to the press and let them do some of the work?”
“Good idea Max; contact Miss Nelson to arrange it.”
“How do you want to deal with Shakira sir?”
“Vas Nelson has made contact Max; and will give us regular SITREP’s, once we know the layout etc, to the bastard’s lair; Everest has sanctioned the mission to go in and take him and his followers out.”
Safe House Three
Safe house three
Greenland road Camden
London NW 1
Lat = 51 degrees, 32.4 minutes North
Long = 0 degrees, 8.4 minutes West
Shakira’s home Sumbe Luanda
Lat = 11 degrees, 9.6 minutes South
Long = 13 degrees, 52.7 minutes East
Ali Hussein had walked the short distance from Saracen street to the nearby underground station of All Saints on the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) line, he changed trains at Bank for the Northern line arriving fifty-minutes later at Camden Town; he walked the short distance to safe house three located in Greenland road.
He immediately switched the television on, selected a news channel looking for anything about Saracen street, he only had to wait a few minutes when a female reporter from the scene began to report on the fire fight.
It was reported that all the terrorists had been killed at the scene and two armed officers wounded by a bomb blast, a live feed picture of Victoria Park appeared on the screen with another male reporter describing the vehicle chase and subsequent shootings at this location again reporting all the terrorists killed.
Hussein sat back in the armchair letting out a sigh, he was now isolated with no further contacts.
He made the long distance call to Shakira’s home explaining what had happened; Shakira listened to Hussein’s news.
“Things have not gone as well as planned; Ali my brother.”
“These new units from the OSC have dogged our progress, they are as ruthless as any mercenary unit and give no quarter, and I always believed the infidels would play by the rules.”
“We are entering a new era in terrorism and it appears the English have a leader that is prepared to give as good as they take.”
“I have no contacts left here Shakira, what do you want me to do?”
“Not so Ali; Omar has a brother named Tanish who has a legitimate military surplus business located outside London, he has a partner whom is English, I want you to go to him, and requisition the following equipment; when you speak to him give him my name and quote the following from the Quran; “fight in the cause of God against those who fight you.”
Shakira gave Hussein the details of the equipment with the contact address.
“One final thing Ali; Omar has a sleeper cell of six I will contact them and have them meet you at Tanish’s Place; when you arrive there I will give you your orders.”
Both men hung their respective phones up, Shakira sat for a while contemplating the loss of Omar and the others he came to a decision quickly, he called for Ben who was in the other room.
“Go bring me the new man named Vas; I have a proposition for him.”
Ben walked out the house towards the barracks.
Five minutes later Ben returned with Vas and left him with Shakira.
“You still interested in doing some killing for me?”
“I didn’t come looking for a job as a gardener.”
“How do feel about going to England to kill some people for me?”
“I thought you would want me to work on this continent?”
“Yes... normally that would be true however; I have an operation in England that is very important, if you go there and help resolve it, you would not only prove yourself to me but I would reward you handsomely.”
“Tell me your plan and I’ll tell you my decision.”
“No... it works only if you are in, and then I’ll enlighten you with what I want.”
“You don’t trust me do you?”
“You are an unknown commodity to me; would you if you were in my shoes?”
“I suppose not, I’m in; enlighten me with what you want.”
Shakira spent the next ten-minutes bringing Vas up to speed from the attack on his camp in Zimbabwe to the events in London.
The recent events were a surprise to Vas, as he had not had very little contact with home.
When Shakira had finished Vas spoke, “it would appear you have created your own little war with the English.”
“I want you to track down and kill the head of this unit named OSC and return back here when you have done so, Ben will accompany you and he will arrange transportation, you leave tomorrow, now send Ben into me.”
Vas left the room and indicated to Vas that he was wanted, “I’ll sien jou back at die barracks mon”. (“I’ll see you back at the barracks man”).
Shakira spoke to Ben in English, because Ben was reasonably fluent in it, however Shakira was the only one that new this, “I have given him the job of killing the top man of this British unit; take one of the Gulf stream’s to England, make contact with Hussein at this address, I’ll inform him you are coming you should be there within twenty-four hours.”
Ben replied; “leave it with me boss.”
“Ben; watch this man, if he fails kill him.”
Ben went back to the billet where Vas was lying down, “wan we gann’u?” (“When we going?”).
In des môreoggend,” (“In the morning”) replied Ben.
“Wens kom for des drink in des town Ben,” (“want to come for a drink in the town Ben?”) Replied Vas.
“Ja waa nog.” (“Yes why not”).
Whilst Vas had been lying on his bed he had been looking for the opportunity to get down to the town and see father Jacinto and use his phone, he was pleased that Ben had agreed to, going into the town for a drink.
As they walked over to the landrover Vas spoke, “could jou drup ek off at des kerk?” (“Could you drop me off at the church?”).
Ek dog jou wanted des drink?” (“I thought you wanted a drink”) replied Ben.
Ek is n Christen Ben, ek needs des blessing from des pa,” replied Vas. (“I is a Christen Ben, I need the blessing from the father”).
“Maak dit haast mon.” (“Make it fast man”).
“Gee ek tien minuut mon.” (“Give me ten minutes man”).
Vas found father Jacinto and quickly explained his need within a few minutes he had made the connection to ICIS at Biggin hill.
GAIL had intercepted the call recognizing the area code of the caller and had redirected it through to Strayker’s office she spoke. “Major the call I Dembo called from less than twenty-fours ago.”
Strayker spoke, “whose calling.”
“Sir; it’s me Vas.”
“Have you found this Shakira Umbobo?”
“Yes; and I have some hot Intel for you.”
Vas Dembo spent the next few minutes bringing Strayker up to speed.
“So you have been charged with killing me.”
“Yes sir.”
Strayker spent a couple of minutes providing Vas with a new briefing.”
Both men hung up and Vas returned to Ben who had been waiting in the Landrover.
“Let’s get sommige bier’s mon,” (“Let’s get some beer man”). Vas said.
OSC Whitehall Place
OSC Whitehall place
Lat = 51 degrees, 30.4 minutes North
Long = 0 degrees, 7.5 minutes West
Following his conversation with Vas Dembo; Strayker had put a call out for Max to return to his office.
Two hours later Max walked in, “what’s up sir?”
“I have just spoken with Vas Dembo he has caught up with Shakira.”
“So when do we go in sir?”
“We have a complication Max.”
Strayker spent the next few minutes recounting his conversation with Vas.
“This guy doesn’t know when to quite does he?” Max responded.
“Vas gave me the airfield they will land at, it’s a private one at Great Massingham in Norfolk between Kings Lynn and Fakenham, I have spoken with Vince over at ICIS and he has a new two way radio system called a codetta plus an up rated tracking device; I advised Vas we would place the necessary equipment concealed in the toilets behind the cistern at the airfield, Roy is waiting on the heliport upstairs for you, the chopper will take you to ICIS.”
Sumbe Luanda
Sumbe Luanda
Lat = 11 degrees, 9.6 minutes South
Long = 13 degrees, 52.7 minutes East
Flight journey to
Great Massingham Private Airfield Ipswich UK
Lat = 52 degrees, 46.4 minutes North
Long = 0 degrees, 39.9 minutes East
Friday 1st July 1988
The Gulfstream three had been airborne for seven hours at an altitude of thirty-nine thousand feet, six-thousand short of its service ceiling, at its cruise speed of Five-hundred and twenty-eight miles per hour; the pilot had begun the descent to refuel at Toulouse airport in southern France.
On board were Vas Dembo, Ben and five other men all mercenaries from the African continent.
Whilst back at the bar in Sumbe, Ben had become loose tongued from his consumption of alcohol and Vas had established the UK landing site, he had managed to get away from the bar unnoticed to another phone to relay the details to Strayker.
Most of the men had slept for the first part of the flight and were now waking as the Gulfstream was powering down on the descent.
The Gulf Stream was one of two belonging to Shakira both had been kept at an airfield just outside Sumbe town.
Vas had not expected the additional manpower, but had decided it was prudent not to query it.
The Gulfstream touched down with a light thump on one of the two bituminous concrete runways.
After a short taxing, it halted where the ground-handling crews chocked the wheels.
The pilot powered down the twin Rolls Royce Spey Turbofan engines, and announced they would be taking off again in twenty minutes and there would be no debarking from the plane.
A fuel tanker arrived within a few minutes and the delivery hose was quickly connected to the fuel intake.
The five mercenaries had mostly kept to themselves; Vas understood this, as he was an outsider an unknown quantity, Ben came over to him offering a bottle of water.
“Dankie Ben”. (“Thank you Ben”).
Ben turned and spoke to the five men, “come hier en sien my vriends Vas.” (“Come here and meet my friends Vas”).
They came over introducing themselves and within five minutes all of them were chatting in Afrikaans, they had all come from the Bulawayo region of Zimbabwe, all had been involved in the skirmishing when the country was known as Rhodesia and had met up with Shakira in nineteen-eighty after the elections when power was transferred to Robert Mugabe.
None of them had met a true bushman before and Vas found himself the centre of attention, this was all interrupted when the pilot announced they were ready for take-off, the men returned their seats and buckled up.
The Gulfstream taxied to the runway; the pilot applied the brakes and powered the twin engines up to two-thirds thrust, he released the brakes and the Gulfstream powered down the runway with only 3 miles per hour head wind the pilot applied twenty-two degrees of flaps.
As the speed hit one-hundred and five knots (one hundred and twenty one miles per hour) the nose wheel lifted, several seconds later the rear wheels were spinning in free air, the pilot retracted the undercarriage.
He banked the plane onto three hundred and thirty point three degrees, north by northwest direction he also applied the throttle control forward to achieve maximum thrust of eleven thousand four hundred pounds it took the Gulfstream eighteen minutes to achieve initial cruise height of thirty-nine thousand feet.
Arrival time at Great Massingham Private Airfield Ipswich UK seventy-five minutes
Great Massingham
Great Massingham Private Airfield Ipswich UK
Lat = 52 degrees, 46.4 minutes North
Long = 0 degrees, 39.9 minutes East
The two-hour twenty minutes’ drive from Biggin hill to Massingham airfield went smoothly, Max had commenced the drive and Roy had taken over on the outskirts of Cambridge where they had stopped at a roadside snack bar.
They had hired a Black coloured Vauxhall cavalier from a local garage in Biggin hill, and returned to ICIS to pick up their kit bags.
When they arrived at the airfield three OSC units in three non-descript vehicles met them.
Roy went to the men’s lavatory near to the control hut and placed the equipment for Vas on top of the cistern.
Max brought the three units up to speed with what was required.
His Codetta radio interrupted him it was Vince at ICIS.
“Max its Vince; I have an update on your party they have just taken off from Toulouse ETA about seventy-five minutes.”
Max looked at his watch; fourteen-ten hours, “Vince how do you do this?”
“Quite easy Max; I asked GAIL to uplink to a military satellite to track anything out of Sumbe, only two flights came up and only one heading in this direction it landed twenty-five minutes ago for refuelling and has posted its flight plan to your location; GAIL is tracking it as we speak.”
“Vince; I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again you’re a genius.”
“Thank you Max; would you like the plans call sign.”
“If I didn’t know you better Vince I would say your winding me up.”
“The call sign is Delta two, Alpha, Romeo, Bravo.”
Max made a mental note, “Vince contact me when she’s five minutes away.”
“No problem Max.”
Just at that moment Roy returned, “equipment placed for Vas sir.”
Max spoke to the group with the new Intel; he had noticed some suitable observation points when Roy had driven in.
The Red group were directed to the North end of the airfield by an outbuilding.
The Blue team to the west at another outbuilding.
The Green team at the South West corner of the airfield.
Max and Roy would remain at the main hanger alongside the control hut.
Ten minutes later, everyone was in situation.
Max looked at Roy; “now all we have to do is wait.”
“Well we have had plenty of practice over the years at this Max.”
At fifteen-hundred hours, an olive camouflaged Bedford truck with a tarpaulin cover over the rear entered the airfield and pulled up by the control hut, the driver a man of Asian origin jumped down from the cab, stretched his body and walked over to the control hut.
Max spoke to Roy, “I would bet my next month’s pay check this is the transport.”
“Looks a good bet Max.”
Max picked up his Codetta radio and contacted Vince he flicked the switch to the open channel for the other units to listen in, “Vince can you run a vehicle check if I give you a number.”
“One moment Max.”
&nbs
p; A few seconds later GAIL spoke, “Hello Max; you have a vehicle number for me to check?”
“Yes Gail; Victor, Delta, Alpha, six, five, two, Mike.
Roy heard the exchange, “smart man that Vince.”
“That he is Roy.”
GAIL’s voice came back on the radio; “Max the vehicle is registered to an army surplus company fifteen minutes from your location, and is owned by two men one of which is a man named Tanish Al-Bazzaz.”
“You say that like it should mean something Gail?”
“Max; one of the terrorists Roy took down at Saracen Street has been identified as an Omar Al-Bazzaz.”
“Could that be a coincidence Gail?”
“I am checking my data banks now for the replication of the name; Max.”
Both Roy and Max looked at each other in amazement, “don’t say it Roy; I know.”
A few moments passed before GAIL came back, “I have a ninety-nine percent confirmation on this, Police criminal records antecedents although spent on Omar Al-Bazzaz; confirm he has a brother named Tanish Al-Bazzaz.”
Max looked at his watch, fifteen O five hours, “what’s the ETA on the plane GAIL?”
“Ten minutes Max; they have had favourable tail wind.”
Max spoke into the radio, “all units listen up; one of the people leaving the plane is a one of ours, name Vas Dembo some of you may know him, I want Green group to take point with Blue group supplying the overlap tailing, any questions.”
There was silence; GAIL intervened, Max; the location of this army surplus is Lexham road Litcham, which is southeast of your current location, coordinates are 52 degrees, 43.4 minutes North, 0 degrees, 46.7 minutes East exactly six point nine miles.
Roy reached over to the rear seat and grabbed a road Atlas and quickly located their location and established their route to Litcham, “more or less a straight road out of here,” he commented to Max.
Max spoke to GAIL, “we have the location confirmed.”
A voice came over the radio, it was Major Strayker, “Max I have been listening in, I have given GAIL instructions to re-route a satellite to cover your operation.”