by Tim Jopling
Olsen listened to every word but still couldn’t take his mind off his wife at their new home in Hampshire and so wanted to be by her side. Just being at MI6 again, the people, the sounds, the memories, all of it made him feel uneasy and brought with it the fear of being treated so badly once again.
Ramsey continued his briefing and turned to face team S.U.C.O. ‘I want you to track down Jozef Kiprich and his men. Doubling security here isn’t enough, I want him stopped and in custody. Kiprich’s main target has to be the opening ceremony. A tall order by any means but I have faith in you all. Prevent whatever he has planned and ensure a trouble free Olympics.’ Ramsey looked at the team members who had all been listening to every word. He studied Olsen, who gave no response or sign of interest.
Jordan had taken on the information and was now hell bent on tracking down Jozef Kiprich, who had destroyed his glittering career. His confidence, within minutes, had already returned to its usual sky-high levels as an energised feeling took hold of him. He spoke for the first time, loud and brash. ‘I don’t know about anyone else here but I’m ready to go back to work. With the rest of the team under my command, I can bring you this guy on a plate!’
Ramsey pondered how he was going to tell the agent the bad news. ‘I appreciate that Jordan, although…I’m looking to have Olsen lead the way on this one.’
Jordan froze like a statue and blinked his eyes several times, looking like he was about to have a fit. ‘Uh…what? This again? You want Olsen to be in command of the team?’ Ramsey began to respond but Jordan wasn’t finished. ‘I’m the senior agent here, with over twenty years of experience!’
‘I can understand how you feel but I’ve made my choice. The matter is not for debate. You’ll be a welcome addition to the team, I promise you that.’
Jordan just sat in his seat, stunned at the revelation.
Ramsey felt like the control of the briefing was slipping from him and he took several steps forward. ‘I felt the team’s structure would be far more effective with Olsen leading and you, Jordan, offering vital support and experience. I still need you on this team. I need all of you.’
Jordan still felt disappointed not to be given the leadership of the team. He tried to reason with himself, just being back at MI6 had taken away the depression he had been suffering. Just stay with it, Olsen is a good leader after all. Just don’t screw this up! ‘Fine. I’ll stay. You guys would be lost without me, anyway.’
Ramsey finished his debrief. ‘Questions?’
Carter spoke first. ‘How did they attack us today? Looking at the facts, they knew Sam’s address; they knew the route Nigel and I were taking. I hate to say it but someone was working against us. Possibly from within MI6.’
‘I agree. The evidence is pretty damning. I am in the process of following up some leads. Finding a traitor is no easy job, whoever it is has covered his or her back very well. Hopefully I’ll have some more information to give you by the end of the day.’
Carter continued. ‘Anything from GCHQ? It sounds to me like we’ve been one step behind these guys from the start.’
‘That is why you have all been recalled, to get us back in control. The latest intelligence reports are just coming in; I want you all to begin working this case. The Olympics have to be our priority, along with apprehending Kiprich and his men.’ He looked at the team one more time. ‘That’s pretty much all I can tell you gentlemen. Dismissed.’ Ramsey paused by Olsen who was still in his seat. ‘Well?’
Olsen shifted in his chair. ‘Hold on.’ He said with irritation, not wanting to be rushed.
The room cleared leaving them alone.
Olsen turned to look at Ramsey first. ‘This is not easy for me, you know. You’re asking me to pretend like the inquiry didn’t even happen.’
Ramsey sat down opposite his former colleague. ‘I can understand that Sam. I would love to give you a week or more to think about it but time is against us and frankly, I need S.U.C.O. back together… now. It’s not going to be easy but I know you can do this.’ Ramsey paused for a moment. ‘You’re the only one that can lead this team.’
Olsen leant forward in his chair. ‘What about the inquiry?’
‘What about it?’
Olsen sighed. ‘You remember that, don’t you? Or has that been classified along with everything else? It might be easy for you to forget but I still think about what happened all the time. We were branded as traitors. Jordan made the mistake and yet we both know that Drake had us crucified. You want to tell me where you were during the inquiry?’
Ramsey thought about his response. ‘I can see being honest with you is the only way to go here.’ He said candidly. ‘I was hell bent on stopping that inquiry and believe me I did all I could. I confronted Drake with signatures of support and I tried to take over the service but he was one step ahead of me. I was held in a cell for the rest of the inquiry and then suspended by Drake until this very day when I’ve come back here for the first time. I did do all I could Sam and I’m sorry I failed you. Blame me if you want but we have a crisis here and I need you back in command.’ Ramsey’s calm demeanour never showed any sign of breaking.
‘It’s a little hard to just forget about the inquiry or the operation itself. You think it was easy for me…one minute I’m here, next I’m out of it.’
‘As I recall you left of your own accord. You didn’t have to. It was your decision.’ Ramsey replied but immediately regretted his choice of words.
‘My decision? I could have stayed sure, gone to work in records as an admin guy. It was just the ultimate insult.’ Olsen got up from his chair and started circling the table. ‘I have a wife now, a whole new life. This isn’t easy. I should be with her right now.’
‘You’ll do more use here, ensuring she won’t ever be in danger again.’
Olsen studied Ramsey’s face and looked to see if there was anything that he wasn’t being told. ‘That’s all?’ He sat down again. ‘If I were to say no-’
Ramsey took the seat opposite again. ‘Don’t say no.’
‘If I did say no, who would you put in charge?’
Ramsey sighed, not keen on where the conversation was going. ‘Well. Carter would be my choice though Jordan is the next ranking agent. If it were Carter, it would be his first operation in charge of the team, he’s more than capable but inexperienced in command.’ Ramsey raised his eyebrows and lowered his tone of voice. ‘He’d have to handle Jordan as well, no easy task.’
Olsen was not about to be rushed. ‘Just give me a minute here, ok? I’ll be out in a second. I just need a moment.’
‘Fine but just remember one thing, we’re in serious trouble here and I’m not just talking about recent events. You’ve been out of the loop for a while now and in that time the world has changed and not for the better.’ He rose from his seat to leave. ‘I want S.U.C.O. at the forefront and I’m willing to make you my S.U.C.O. Commander. Just…think about it.’
Olsen sat alone in briefing room one with his head in his hands. All he really wanted was to walk out of the door and return to his life of the past few months, to return to Rachel and protect her himself. One fear remained though, what if he couldn’t protect her himself and he lost her? Past operations took hold of him together with the powerful image of his former mentor Deane and fallen comrades, those who he had failed to protect in the past. This operation was different; it was here, in the UK. In the past, all of S.U.C.O.’s operations had been abroad, never on their own doorstep.
Olsen could feel the pressure on his shoulders, the consequences of failure. Throughout his career he had dealt with his own fair share of stress and pressure but this was different. The woman he adored was in danger and he knew in his heart he would not be able to rest until that had passed. How would he tell her that she was the reason he was going back to MI6? Was he really doing that? Olsen tried to work out the mess of thoughts in his mind and was pretty sure that was the case.
His closest friend could be seen outside in Operatio
ns Command. Carter had saved his life once before and risked everything in the process. Throughout his years in MI6, friends had come and gone. It was the nature of the job. The difference being that it had always been out of his control. There was no denying it, he wanted the easy option, to sit back and hope it would all work out. If it hadn’t been made personal then it would be far easier a decision but his wife was everything to him and he could never forgive himself if something happened. He rose from his chair, his decision made. Rachel won’t like it, she’ll probably leave me but if I go to Hampshire I can’t take the chance that this won’t get resolved. I just can’t take any chances! I can’t!
Ramsey handed the last intelligence report to an aide who began to scan through the pages. A more relaxed looking Olsen could be seen leaving the meeting room. ‘What’s the verdict?’ To Ramsey, the signs of insecurity in Olsen had gone.
‘I’ll do it, come back and lead the team through this one. I’m doing this for the team and no one else. After that, if I decide I don’t want to do this anymore then I don’t expect to hear from you or anyone at MI6 again. No matter the threat. Am I making myself clear?’
Ramsey permitted himself a smile. ‘That sounds just fine Sam, just fine. Whatever you decide to do, you have my word I will support you. We’ll work out the details another time.’
Olsen continued. ‘One other thing; I want a security team sent to my wife’s sister’s place in Hampshire.’ He handed Ramsey a note. ‘This is the address. I want S.U.C.O. agents Miller and Wheeler to be that security team. No one else. I trust them and my wife’s safety is everything to me.’
Ramsey studied the note and looked up. ‘Look Sam…I can assign ten of my MI6 agents to your wife and her sister, I have a feeling we’ll need all the S.U.C.O. agents we can get at this time.’
‘NO! I don’t want your inexperienced kids, I want two S.U.C.O. agents sent there by chopper right now or I walk.’ Olsen took several steps away and looked over to the door.
Ramsey held up his hands in agreement. ‘Ok! Fine. I’ll have Sampson and Miller sent there right away.’
‘What about Wheeler?’
‘Sam…I’m sorry but Wheeler was part of the attack on Drake.’
Olsen’s eyes went wide with sadness. ‘What?’
‘He’s being operated on right now. It’s going to be touch and go.’ Ramsey tried not to think about it for a moment longer.
Olsen shook his head in sadness and started to feel the unravelling atmosphere for the first time. ‘Just protect my wife, that’s all I ask. When will we know about Wheeler?’
Ramsey grimaced. ‘I’ll have someone contact the hospital, it’s going to be some time before we know.’ His eyes focussed on mug shots of Olsen’s attacker that were spread out on the nearest workstation. ‘You have a plan on breaking him?’
Olsen studied the photos of their hostage and was still trying to get back into the old routine. He thought it over for a moment. ‘It’s not going to be easy; this guy isn’t showing up on any of our records. We’re waiting to hear from C.I.A. to see what they have.’
‘I’m sure I don’t need to remind you that this is the only lead we have. We don’t have anything else.’
‘Don’t worry, we’ll get something out of him.’ Olsen glanced at Jordan and thought about his outburst in the briefing. ‘Alex, do you want to help me with this interrogation?’
Jordan looked up from his screen with a look of genuine surprise. ‘You don’t have to ask me twice.’ He smiled back at Olsen.
‘I’ll meet you in interview room one in 10 minutes.’ He turned to Carter nearby. ‘Dan, have the team start on those intelligence reports, contact GCHQ for any updates and get hold of all the security procedures currently in place for the Olympics opening ceremony. We all need to get up to speed on this.’ He watched his friend move off and dialled his wife’s mobile number. He sat back in the chair and felt comfortable in the command area, like he had never been away. The phone continued ringing as Olsen closed his eyes and almost willed it to be answered. The answer phone came on but he ended the call and promptly re-dialled. Again it rang repeatedly, until finally someone picked up.
‘I really hope you’re on your way here.’ Her voice still had touches of anger to it but there was a sense of vulnerability too.
‘Would you believe me if I said I wanted that more than anything in the world?’
Rachel sighed heavily and closed her eyes as she sat down in the living room of her sister’s three-bedroom house. ‘I just can’t believe this is happening. How can you do this after everything we’ve been through? I can’t go back to living that life again, not knowing if you’ll ever come back to me. I just can’t live that way again.’
Olsen tried to put every ounce of determination into his voice. ‘Sweetheart, if you only believe me on one thing then believe this, I am not coming back to work here full time. I just have to get involved in this case. I don’t have a choice.’
‘You do have a choice! Your place is here with me, they can deal with-’
‘No they can’t Rach, believe me they can’t. It’ll take too long to explain but this has very quickly become something personal. They wanted us dead and it wasn’t a coincidence at all. They did the background, they planned it out and you know what that means? It means that because they failed they’re going to try again.’
Rachel tried to control her fears. ‘You’re my husband, you should be with me and I need you more than ever.’
‘And I will, I promise you but in the meantime I have to be at the forefront and tackling this head on. I’d never forgive myself if something happened to you and I did nothing about it when in the past I’ve put my life on the line for people I’ve never met.’
The anger had faded from her voice now and it sounded quiet and so vulnerable. ‘Could you forgive yourself if you weren’t here to save me?’
Olsen didn’t even want to think about it. ‘That’s why I’m having two men sent to you now that I trust with my life. I’ve known them for years and they really are two of our best. Their names are Agents Don Sampson and Jason Miller. They’re good men Rach and they can protect you and your sister. Please believe me.’
‘I’m trying. I just can’t take in what’s happened that’s all.’
‘Rach, you have to believe me. I’m only doing this because there is a genuine chance they may come after us. I don’t want you put in any danger; I don’t want us put in danger! I promise you, when this is over, I’ll never go back to this. I’ll find something else.’ He listened for a response but none came. ‘Rach?’
‘Just come back to me Sam. For god’s sake, we’re not even 30 yet! Promise me you’ll be careful…no more risks!’
Olsen could hear his wife sobbing on the other end of the line. ‘I will; no more risks. Dan will look out for me. This will all be fine, I know it in my heart. I’ll keep in touch, baby.’
Rachel, still sobbing, managed a response. ‘You’d better.’
The re-instated Government agent gave a quick look around his surroundings before speaking again. ‘I love you Rach, so much it hurts. Just wait for me and I’ll return.’
‘I love you too Sam. Please be careful.’ Rachel Olsen dropped the receiver and burst into tears, hoping it wasn’t the last time she would ever talk to her husband.
Ramsey entered his office to find a whole stack of paperwork and internal post mounted on the desk. His attention drifted until he came to a brown envelope, which had his name on the front in large black lettering.
He paused as he emptied the contents of the envelope onto his desk. A DVD disk dropped out. He flipped the disk over with a pen. No markings were on either side. Ramsey looked through the rest of the post but it was all standard mail. Carefully placing the disk into a plastic wallet, he handed it to his assistant outside. ‘Sally, I want this disk analysed for any prints or DNA and then have the contents checked with Technical Support. I want the results back to me in the next 15 minutes. I’ll be in my office.�
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Jordan waited in interview room one and held a stare with the prisoner for a moment before looking away. He had been pleasantly surprised at being asked to be part of such an important interrogation and felt gratitude towards Olsen for giving him the chance. This day just keeps on giving me one surprise after another.
Olsen entered the room and immediately locked on to the prisoner who had tried to kill him and his wife. He exchanged a look with Jordan and both men sat down opposite the prisoner.
Olsen worked the controls on the digital recorder. ‘The time is…15:30 on Wednesday 25th July 2012. Agents Sam Olsen and Alex Jordan present with a terrorist suspect.’ Olsen looked at the suspect. ‘First off, you want to tell me why you were in my home today?’
Tomas Bognor sat up straight in the chair and said nothing.
‘How about a name? Do you speak English?’
Jordan looked at the hostage and could see a level of resolve he had seen many times. It was going to be a long morning. ‘The sooner you talk, the easier it will be on you.’
Bognor looked at both men, blinked slowly and focused his attention on the desk, anywhere but the two men in front of him.
Olsen got out of his chair and started pacing. The interrogation had barely lasted five minutes and he was already starting to lose his cool. ‘When did you arrive in the country? How long have you been involved in terrorist activities?’ Once again no response came as Olsen let out a sigh and gritted his teeth in defiance. He addressed the suspect, this time in a more forceful tone. ‘Let me tell you something. Today you broke into my home and tried to kill my wife and I. You made it personal.’ He put his hands on the table as his face came to barely an inch away from Bognor’s. His eyes were wide with anger. ‘WHY?’
Bognor didn’t flinch; instead a wry smile crept across his features.
Olsen kept his position and spoke in a lower tone. ‘Either you start talking or we’re going to assume you’re an enemy of this country and then you’ll really feel it.’