by Mark Arundel
I said, ‘What like the best boo-scare ever?’
There was still no smile. She said, ‘It’s a drug which induces cardiac arrest. Few pathologists know of its existence and none would test for it without good reason. It comes already prepared with the correct dosage in a syringe with the needle attached. You only have to inject the target. We recommend between the smallest two toes where the puncture wound is less likely to be seen.’
I liked her. She was fun.
I said, ‘...and this little piggy goes wee-wee-wee all the way home.’
Still nothing, not even a flicker. She produced a small plastic box with a snap shut hinged lid. Inside were two small syringes with the needles attached. Both separated in a purposely-designed moulded casing. She said, ‘There are two in case of any mishap.’ Then her eyebrows lifted just a little and she said, ‘Make sure you don’t accidentally inject yourself.’
That was better. I smiled again and said, ‘Thanks, that’s a helpful tip.’ For a moment, I thought I saw a tiny smile behind her eyes but then she glanced away and it was gone. She indicated for Mr. Bradshaw to continue. He lifted his briefcase onto his knee and opened it. He took out two white rectangular boxes and placed them on the table. He put his briefcase back on the carpet tiles and opened the first box. Inside was a largish, black, handheld device that I realised was my new phone. The communication equipment Mr. Bradshaw had told me about earlier. He switched it on and then held it up. The screen lit up. He told me, ‘This is the K106, your communication device for use between us and you. Leave it switched on at all times no matter where you are. The batteries are very powerful but even so, it will require charging exactly like a normal phone. He lifted up the second white box and told me, ‘The charger and assorted electrical adapters are in here. There is one suitable for Tenerife although, you may not be there long enough to need it. The K106 has embedded encryption software. It comes pre-programmed with contacts, numbers, template messages, coded key words and an individual ringtone. Mr. Bradshaw looked at the K106, pressed a sequence of buttons and an electronic rendition of “Rule, Britannia!” filled meeting room number six. I sang, ‘Rule Britannia, Britannia rules the waves, Britain never, never, never shall be slaves.’ I smiled. Neither Mr. Bradshaw nor Charlotte joined me.
I suggested, ‘Shouldn’t we stand up? And maybe salute or something?’ Still, two unsmiling, sober faces looked back at me. They were tough nuts to crack.
Mr. Bradshaw said, ‘It comes with an instruction manual. Please study the manual and then destroy it before you leave in the morning, understood?’
I said, ‘Perhaps I can practice by sending Charlotte some text messages?’ Mr. Bradshaw ignored me, but I noticed just the faintest of smiles crossed Charlotte’s lips. She was very attractive with skin like a hand carved marble statue. Maybe I was getting to her.
She opened a manila envelope and said, ‘Three thousand Euros for pocket-money expenses.’
I said, ‘I haven’t had pocket-money since I was a boy. Can I buy sweets with it?’ There was that purse of her lips again and this time, a faint dimple appeared on her cheek. I wondered if the marble statue had a soft centre.
She continued and said, ‘We’ve arranged a small villa for you to live in, instead of a hotel, as it will be much more private. The villa is on the edge of the town, close to the beach and the shops. I have all the details here. A local estate agent called Island Properties has rented it to us. Your contact name at the estate agent is Alicia de Cortes Silver. Already programmed into your K106 are the estate agent’s details and Alicia de Cortes Silver’s phone number. When you arrive at Tenerife airport, you will find a rental car waiting for you. We’ve booked it under your own name with the local rent-a-car firm. It’s about a forty-minute drive from the airport to the villa. We’ve received detailed driving instructions from Alicia and have a road map of the island. She has agreed to meet you at the villa when you arrive to give you the keys and show you around. Here is your detailed travel itinerary.’ Charlotte held up an A4 sheet of paper. ‘This contains all your flight arrangements and every other detail you will need,’ she told me. She paused for a moment, thinking, and then informed, ‘As I said, the only thing we don’t have yet is the exact location of where your target is living.’
I interrupted and asked, ‘Is there a problem with that?’
Her eyes were sure. She answered, ‘No, no problem.’ End of discussion. I let it go. After all, I was going on holiday.
Chapter 4
Once the players have organised their hands, the game begins with the opening bid.
‘I don’t have a car,’ I said.
The chair on which I sat in meeting room number six was beginning to feel as though the trolls had been at work again, and all the coffee and biscuits were gone. I was getting tired of this briefing despite Charlotte’s attractive presence.
Mr. Bradshaw was unhappy with my answer. He looked at me as though I had crawled out of a council dump. His large nose itched with annoyance and he rubbed it vigorously with the back of his hand.
I thought I should explain, so I said, ‘I didn’t have a car as a soldier. I’ve only been out a week. I’m still getting used to civilian life. I like walking although, not all the way to the airport, of course.’
Charlotte stepped in and said, ‘Your flight leaves at seven-thirty tomorrow morning and you have to check in an hour before at the latest and it’s a one hour drive from where you’re staying. I can take you. I’ll collect you in the morning at five-thirty.’
Mr. Bradshaw looked at her as if she had lost her mind. I suspect he would have suggested a bus or a train, or failing that, a cab.
I said to Charlotte, ‘Okay, sure if you don’t mind, thanks.’
She said, ‘That’s okay, I don’t mind.’
Mr. Bradshaw stood and lifted his briefcase. He gave Charlotte a sour look and said, ‘Well, I shall return to Vauxhall Cross then, Charlotte. I’ll leave you to finish up here.’ Charlotte nodded her agreement. Mr. Bradshaw turned to me and extended his hand. ‘Good luck,’ he said, which I supposed was his standard line in these situations. Winchester, I remembered had said the same thing. We shook hands and I said, ‘Thanks.’ He left the room and pulled shut the door. I looked at Charlotte and still hoping to get a proper smile said, ‘That was fun.’ She didn’t smile.
‘You must go home and pack,’ she said. ‘Don’t forget your passport, driving licence, money and summer clothes—the weather’s warm and sunny in Tenerife—and, of course, the K106.’
I ignored her and said, ‘I haven’t got any food at home. Why don’t we have dinner together? I don’t want to eat alone tonight and, anyway, I might think of some more questions to ask you.
She said, ‘I’m surprised you’re hungry after eating all the biscuits.’
I smiled. That was a yes. I said, ‘Do you know a good restaurant around here?’
‘Fortunately, I do,’ she said. ‘I didn’t eat any biscuits. I’m starving.’
The restaurant had a small bar with everything served from bottles through those silver pourers they attach.
‘What do you want?’ I said.
‘I’ll have a gin and tonic, please.’
The barman nodded.
‘And I’ll have a soda water.’
‘...yes, sir,’ he said.
When he returned with our drinks, Charlotte told him to charge them to the bill.
We found a small, round table against the far wall and sat down sipping our drinks.
Charlotte said, ‘Keeping a clear head for tomorrow?’
I didn’t reply.
We were silent while we looked at each other. I couldn’t tell what she was thinking. I wanted to ask her for whom she was really working, and what hadn’t she told me but I forced myself to show restraint.
Charlotte broke the silence. She said, ‘In your army file it said you were given a dishonourable discharge for gross insubordination, but it didn’t say what you had done.’ She widened her
eyes slightly, making it a question. I wondered whether she really didn’t know. Maybe she just wanted to see what I would say.
I told her the truth. 'I nearly killed a senior officer.’
‘Who was he?’
‘A man named Stafford.’
‘Why did you nearly kill him?’
‘He took me on a mission when he knew my mother was dying in the hospital. He didn’t tell me.’
‘What did you do to him?’
‘We fought and I almost broke his neck.’
‘What happened?’
‘When we got back from the mission and I found out my mother had died and he hadn’t told me she had been ill in the hospital I asked him why he hadn’t said anything. The reason he gave me was there wasn’t anything I could do about it anyway. I lost it. The next thing I remember I was being pulled off him.’ I paused and then added, ‘They asked me to leave. I was surprised.’
‘Their loss is our gain,’ she said. She sipped her gin and tonic and watched me. I studied her face.
‘Yes, I suppose so,’ I said.
There was a silence. ‘You wouldn’t know anything about it, would you?’ I asked. Her eyes never left mine. I didn’t get an answer.
She said, ‘How difficult was it for you to leave?’
‘The army’s been my life. Being booted out is the worst thing that could have happened to me.’
‘So what did you do?’
‘I contacted my only friend from school and asked him for help.’
‘What did he say?’
‘I was lucky. He’s been letting me stay with him.’
‘How’s that going?’
‘It’s a good job I’m leaving for Tenerife in the morning.’
Finally, Charlotte smiled. It had been worth waiting for. Her attractive face lost its serious edges and she appeared to relax for the first time since I’d met her.
I asked her, ‘Do you meet many of the men on Winchester’s roster?’
Charlotte delayed her answer for a moment while she thought. ‘You’re the first one I’ve met. I’m new to this line of work.’ Before I could ask her more she said, ‘I’m really hungry, shall we go through to the dining room?’
I nodded and said, ‘Yes, of course.’
At the table for two, the helpful waiter took our order. Warm smoked salmon starter followed by fillet steak for both of us. Charlotte ordered a glass of claret and I had another Coke, brought with a slice of lemon.
Charlotte was right about the restaurant, the food was good. When we had finished our starters, I said to her, ‘I have thought of another question.’
‘Oh, yes, what?’
'Does Geoffrey Button have any idea he’s a target?’
‘I don’t think so.’
‘He’s not expecting me then?’
Charlotte sipped her red wine and smiled. She said ‘Are you worried he might be waiting for you?’
I laughed and left it there. Charlotte Miller was clever. I knew there were things she wasn’t telling me; I just hoped they weren’t important things.
Our fillet steaks arrived on big white dishes with a spoonful of vegetables that looked like a rabbit was missing its lunch. This was the best meal I’d had all week. We both ate faster than was socially polite. However, neither of us minded and we both smiled at each other in shared enjoyment.
After five minutes or so, Charlotte took a break and drank some wine. She watched me, and then asked, ‘What do you think of the present financial and economic situation?’ That was an odd question to ask.
I said, ‘Most people are selfish and greedy which always leads to financial booms followed by economic busts. It’s just the way it is.’
‘Do you think it matters?’
‘It matters to all the people who lose their jobs and lose their homes. Capitalism forgets that economics is really about the people, not just the money.’
‘Do you think things could be done better?’
‘Things can always be done better. Progress is the living history of mankind.’
‘What would make it better?’
‘Badly regulated capitalism makes the selfish think their right and allows the greedy to steal at the expense of others.’
‘So, what’s the answer?’
‘A good start would be an honest, intelligent and independent government and the enforcement of strong controls.’ I smiled and said, ‘Plenty of stick.’
Charlotte smiled and nodded at me before resuming her meal. She looked up at me again and said, ‘That’s what I thought you’d say.’
I wasn’t sure how to respond to that, so I said, ‘Oh good.’
She smiled at me again and carried on eating. It felt like a test for something, but I didn’t know what. I watched her eat and figured I’d passed.
The waiter returned and asked if we wanted desserts. We both ordered the sticky toffee pudding with ice cream. After eating it, despite feeling very full, we both managed a coffee and a chocolate mint.
I sat back in my chair and rested. A good meal was just what I needed. I said, ‘Are you paying for this?’ Charlotte nodded her confirmation and said, ‘Expenses.’
‘I like my new job.’
She smiled and said, ‘We better call it a night. You have to get home and pack. We’ve got an early start in the morning.’
It was dry and cold outside. We shook hands. I said, ‘Do you know my address?’
‘Yes, it’s in your file.’
I’d only been there a week.
'Do you know how to get there?’
'I’ve got satnav in my car.’ She turned and walked away. I watched her go. She turned back and saw I was watching her. She smiled, waved and then carried on walking.
Outside, standing on the pavement, the night air curled around my body like a chilled glove. I pulled up my jacket collar and did up a button. The area was busy with people out for the night. I walked fast, back across the city, to keep warm and to get back to Tom’s quickly. My lungs filled with the fresh air and my heart rate quickened. I thought about all that had happened since four o’clock: my recruitment by Her Majesty’s government and meeting Charlotte. I smiled to myself. I felt excited. It was a good thing—for me, anyway. I thought of Charlotte again and smiled. However, the closer I got to Tom’s flat the more I had a nagging sense of unease as if something was not exactly as it should be. On the surface, everything was completely genuine; there wasn’t any doubt about that. Still, there was something. I didn’t know what, but I knew it was there.
Back at the flat, Tom and Linda were already in bed. I found my passport and driving licence. I packed my bag and then wrote them a note explaining something unexpected had called me away. I thanked them and said I’d be in touch. I knew I would be gone in the morning before they were up.
The settee didn’t feel so lumpy now and I quickly relaxed. A second before I fell asleep an unfamiliar electronic beep sounded. I checked the K106 and found a message: Don’t forget to set your alarm. Be outside 05:30hrs on the dot. Sleep tight, Charlotte. I dropped the K106 back into my bag and returned to the settee. The lumps had come back.
Before I fell asleep, I pictured the face of Geoffrey Button and I wondered what it was he had done.
Chapter 5
MISS CHARLOTTE MILLER
I hope I’ve chosen the right one, she thought. He certainly looks the part, she told herself, but she knew there was much more to it than just that. Her selection process had been thorough, although rushed due to the urgency of the situation. She had studied his face and it fitted. She could always read faces. His confidence in dealing with Winchester was a good sign, too. The F.O. was so formal. They always followed protocol. Charlotte was always amazed that they still got away with being so old fashioned. It wouldn’t always be like that, she thought.
She gave the cab driver her address in Mayfair, sat back and called Bartholomew Meriwether.
‘C, my dear, how did it go; was everything satisfactory?’ Charlotte often thought t
hat Meriwether’s voice sounded exactly like an English actor’s but she didn’t know which one.
‘It went well; he flies out tomorrow morning at seven-thirty.’
‘Excellent, well done. Are you sure he’ll go?’
‘I’m going to drive him to the airport myself.’
‘Yes, of course.’
‘I hope I’ve chosen the right one.’
‘Don’t worry my dear, I’m sure you have. Did S.B. ask any difficult questions?’
‘He tried, but he was torn between admitting he didn’t know what was going on and the desire to find out. I know he’s frustrated but I don’t know what he’s going to do. I’m going to have to watch him closely.’
‘Whatever may happen you’ll know what to do. Your judgement in these matters is impeccable, my dear.’
Charlotte ended the call. For all of Meriwether’s kind words she knew, the chances of things working out as she wanted were slim at best.
There was nobody waiting for her at home. She lived alone. She sent her chosen soldier a message on his K106 and then went straight to bed and fell asleep thinking of all the permutations that could unfold. She comforted herself with the thought that Chaos Theory explained so much.
Chapter 6
The bidding continues in a clockwise direction with each player either raising the bid or passing.
It was too early, too dark and too cold. As a soldier, I should have been used to it. I was used to it. I switched on the table lamp and got off the settee.
After drinking a mug of coffee, I fastened my bag, pocketed my passport, driving licence and wallet and then picked up the K106. I slipped it into my jacket pocket.
It was 05:29 when I stepped out of Tom’s flat and onto the pavement. The street was lonely except for a Siamese cat caught in the orange glow from the overhead street lamp. The Siamese gave me a laconic appraisal and then looked away with that particular disdain only felines have.