At RAF West Sanby, Corporal Hill was unaware of the widespread interest in him as the newspapers did not arrive on the base until mid-morning. Andy was busy typing up his report on an old Imperial typewriter. The duty clerk poked his head round the door and said, “Andy, you’re wanted in Flight Lieutenant Gaskin’s office.”
Andy waved a hand in acknowledgement and finished typing the sentence before getting up from the desk. He went across to the other office and knocked on the door. “Come in,” Gaskin called out. Andy went in and saw Hamilton seated in a visitor’s chair and Gaskin behind his desk. Andy saluted and waited for Gaskin to speak. “Ah! Corporal Hill, Wing Commander Hamilton wants to go through the incidents of yesterday. I believe you both know each other already. How is your report progressing?” he said.
“It’s half-complete, sir. I’m not a fast typist,” replied Andy.
“Fine. I’ll be over at the new HQ building, when you are finished,” said Gaskin and with that he stood up and left his office.
Hamilton pointed Andy to the other visitor chair. “We have some interesting developments, don’t you think?” he said as Andy sat down.
“Yes, sir,” he replied.
“Okay, tell me your version — and don’t leave out any details,” Hamilton said. Andy went on to describe the journey and what happened at Peterborough in detail, including the exclamation in Russian that he heard as the incident started to unfold. When Andy had finished, he pulled the roll of film out of his pocket and told Hamilton about his meeting with Jamie Rogerson. “I want to go down and see him later and he can bring me up to date,” said Hamilton. “I know he is in the same outfit as you and I have to get his report urgently and make an assessment of the overall situation. Before that we’ll get this film into the photographic section and get it processed. He can then tell me the importance of it.”
Andy then said, “If the suspects saw him taking these photos then he could be in danger. They may come looking for him to get the film.”
“Good point. We’d better move quickly.” The photographic section was part of the main administration building so Andy led Hamilton down the corridor from the JSTU office to the station adjutant’s office. He knocked and with the “Come in!” entered with Hamilton. Hamilton introduced himself to the duty officer and Andy was excused to return to his work. A telephone call was made and a corporal (the duty photographer) came down to the adjutant’s office and was told by the duty officer to develop the film urgently.
In Manchester, Garasov’s assistant reported that the London cell had received information about the change of plans for the delivery of the launcher and decided to try to retrieve the situation by hijacking the RAF truck carrying it. They felt that they had to act quickly rather than follow the usual procedure. Instead of the usual two-man team driving the RAF truck there were three, and one of them had stayed in the truck when the other two went into the cafe. Two of the hijack team had escaped and successfully returned to London. One was unintentionally killed. Garasov was angry, to put it mildly. Now both the RAF and MI5 would be taking greater precautions. It had endangered all of Garasov’s plans, which had been upset enough in recent times. He knew that the missile and control unit would be delivered to RAF West Sanby next week but now it would be too risky to attempt anything. Colonel Kharkov said that he would let Moscow know the situation so that Major Garasov was not held responsible. The two men then turned to discuss other matters before the colonel left to catch his plane.
Back in RAF West Sanby, the corporal photographer had developed the film and was busy making prints from the negatives. He smiled when he saw the photograph of Yvonne but realised the key photograph must the one of the men on the fishing boat. Using his initiative, he produced extra prints of that one. As soon as they were ready he took them down to Hamilton in the JSTU office. When Hamilton had looked at them he thanked the corporal and asked him to make two extra sets. The corporal nodded and went off to carry out the request.
Hamilton then went to see Corporal Andy Hill and asked him about the men. Andy pointed to the one he had seen in the bar of The Hound and Pheasant and said that he thought he was East European despite the name he used. The other one must be his ‘friend’. Hamilton was particularly interested in the metal suitcase the man was carrying. “Right, I’m going down to the village to see Jamie Rogerson. It’s opening time so I shouldn’t look suspicious. I’ll talk to you when I get back,” said Hamilton to Andy.
“Fine, sir,” was the reply, and Hamilton headed out of the building to his car.
Worried about the photographs, Berin wondered if he could get the camera from the barman of The Hound and Pheasant and remove the film. He looked innocent enough taking photographs of the harbour and boats but one couldn’t be too sure. Berin wondered whether he was living in the pub or boarding in the village. They were due to go fishing in the afternoon and he wondered if he would have time to go across to West Sanby and try for the camera. He walked across to the Penny Jane where Walmar was doing some maintenance and asked him if he could borrow the van for an hour, explaining that he needed to check on the Scottish barman at The Hound and Pheasant but he wouldn’t make any trouble. Walmar reluctantly agreed and gave Berin the keys to the van. “Don’t be more than an hour. We have to finish preparation to go fishing,” Walmar said. Berin waved a hand in understanding and headed for the van.
Fifteen minutes later he was parking outside the pub in West Sanby. Being a Saturday, the pub was serving lunches and locally-caught fish were on the menu. Berin went into the bar and ordered a beer. He was served by the publican and there was no sign of Jamie. Berin made as though he was going out to the toilet. Hearing voices in the lounge bar he stuck his head around the door and saw Jamie in conversation with a well-dressed distinguished looking man. They looked up as Berin opened the door and saw him with recognition on both their faces. An envelope lay on the table and Berin guessed it must contain the photos with him in them. He shut the door and went back into the bar, finished his drink and, with a wave to the publican, he left. Berin decided to go straight back to Parfleet St Peter and encourage an early departure for fishing. They wouldn’t be back until the early hours of Sunday. Berin wondered who the person was with Jamie the barman. Could he be from MI5 or some other British intelligence organisation? If that was so then was the Scotsman more than a barman? It would take time for them to check up on his fake identity but they would eventually find out that the real William Enderby had died in a road accident in Germany in 1956. It should give him enough time to complete his task but he decided to warn Moscow that he should be taken out soon.
Back at The Hound and Pheasant, Jamie had given Hamilton his reasons for photographing Bill Enderby and his friend. Hamilton gave Jamie one set of the photographs and said that he would keep the negatives. Pointing to the photograph of Yvonne, Hamilton warned Jamie not to put her in danger. They needed the co-operation of the local community. He said that he would have MI5 check up on the two men and see whether they had anything on them. He told Jamie to follow up on both men and see what he could find out from the locals. Hamilton also suggested that Jamie should try to transfer to Parfleet St Peter and monitor the movements of Walmar and Enderby. He pointed out that the appearance of Enderby’s friend coincided with the incident of the missing missile loading tractor and also the attempted hijack of the RAF truck at Peterborough. If Jamie could monitor the movements of Walmar’s fishing boat they might be able to link it to the intercepted transmissions. He thanked Jamie for his initiative, shook hands and left.
Jamie went back to the bar and thanked Bob, his boss, for helping out and explained that he had to make a statement over something he had witnessed. Bob nodded, guessing there was more to it and wondering what would come next.
It was lunchtime at RAF West Sanby and the members of the JSTU had access to the day’s newspapers. Very quickly the news of Andy Hill’s involvement in the attempted hijack spread through the unit. Some, who found it hard to believe, as
ked him about the truth of the report that he leapt onto the bonnet of a moving vehicle. Andy nodded and tried to brush it off. Lance and Dan remembered the incident at the pub in Stamfordham but kept quiet about it. They didn’t want to make life harder for Andy. It was clear to them that their pal was highly proficient in martial arts. After lunch, Andy went back to his bunkroom and settled down to write a report to Lutterworth and a letter to Alice. If he could get into Grimsby they would go in the Sunday postal collection. As Andy settled down to his writing, Hamilton was already driving through Louth on his way to London. He felt that the pieces of the jigsaw were coming together. He needed to talk with Air Vice-Marshal Denby after the meeting on Monday. For now, he needed to get home to his wife and have a day to relax before Monday.
Air Vice-Marshal Denby was leaving office in just as thoughtful a mood as Hamilton. He had attended a briefing at Admiralty House and part of the report had mentioned a Royal Naval vessel’s sonar picking up a submarine about four miles off the Lincolnshire coast at about 20.00 hours on the Friday. It was neither a Royal Naval nor a U.S. submarine. He would get Hamilton’s report on Monday and also Rogerson’s. Having received the report of the attempted hijack of the truck carrying the launcher, he felt certain now that someone was leaking information from either Luton or the supply section. Hamilton had cleared Luton. It was time to start closing the noose. Once the JSTU was fully assembled at RAF West Sanby he would put the plan into effect in conjunction with MI5.
Major Garasov left the consulate and drove to Stockport-Edgeley. He parked his car at the station and locked it. Looking around, he saw Janet standing by her car. She waved and Garasov walked over with an overnight bag. They greeted each other and he got into the passenger seat. They were going to drive north to Swaledale in Yorkshire with plans to book into the hotel at Hawes and go hiking on the Sunday. “How was your week?” Janet asked him as she drove off.
“Not the best one I’ve had,” he replied. “Needless to say, I can’t discuss it. How was your week?”
“Oh! Somewhat dull. My lectures were routine and it’s the usual stuff in the early part of the academic year,” replied Janet.
“Then we had better have a lively weekend to brighten us both up,” Garasov replied with a smile.
“Agreed,” said Janet as she weaved through the traffic heading north.
“Tell me about Swaledale,” said Garasov. “It’s an area that I’m not familiar with.” Janet obliged with a description of the Swale Valley, the surrounding dales and some of the hiking trails. They drove on to a weekend free from the issues of work.
***
It was 2.30 p.m. and Jamie was free until 5.30 p.m. He asked Bob if it was okay to slip over to Parfleet St Peter for a couple of hours. “I suppose you’re going to see that lass that’s taken a shine to you,” said Bob. Jamie nodded in an embarrassed way and gave a smile. “Here, take the van,” said Bob, tossing him the keys, “and don’t be late back.”
“I’ll be back,” said Jamie, “and I’ll put some petrol in the van for you.” Bob nodded appreciatively and Jamie headed out of the pub. Driving over to Parfleet St Peter, he thought about Yvonne and the advice given by Hamilton of MI5 and wondered what would happen if he did move to Parfleet. Would she be a help or a hindrance to his work?
Arriving in Parfleet St Peter, Jamie parked the van up the street as the area near the harbour was filled with visitors’ cars. It was a fine afternoon and people drove there for the seafood and the views. Three fishing boats had gone out on the high tide and two had come in and people always liked to watch the preparations and the unloading. Cameras clicked over the scenes. When Jamie arrived, the Penny Jane had already departed with the other boats. He went into the harbour shop and saw Yvonne behind the counter. She looked up from her work at the sound of the bell above the door ringing and her face broke into a smile at the sight of Jamie. Instinctively, she straightened up and tried to push hair back that was already back and under a hairnet. Jamie smiled at her and joined the queue to place an order. When his turn came, he ordered a coffee and a rock bun. “How long have you got?” asked Yvonne. “I should be able to have a break in half-an-hour or so.”
“Keep my order and make it in thirty minutes then,” replied Jamie. “I’ll go for a wander around and be back for your break.”
Yvonne smiled her thanks and said, “Fine, I’ll do that and see you then.” With that, Jamie turned and left the shop.
Jamie needed to find out the fishing patterns of the local boats and where each favoured fishing. The best way to do that would be to chat to one or two of the old-timers on the harbour or in the local pub. Yvonne could also have a reasonable knowledge but he didn’t want to use her and make her suspicious of what he was up to. Jamie wanted to find out if any of the fishing patterns fitted the triangulations that had been sent to him from Lutterworth and which fishing boat used that particular pattern. The old man that he had seen on a previous visit was busy talking to tourists and being photographed with his pipe in his mouth and mending fishing pots. It wasn’t the time to talk to him. The pub was closed for another couple of hours so he decided to go for a walk along the sea wall. Jamie headed north. He had been along the path before but this time he would try to identify things he might not have noticed before. After walking for about five minutes he noticed a well-trodden path leading up onto the sea wall from a track that ran between two fields. It seemed that people regularly accessed the sea wall from it. He wondered if they were local farm people or RAF personnel or both. Below the seaward side of the wall Jamie noticed a small hide with a couple in it watching the birds through binoculars. They also had a camera set up on a tripod. They were wearing overcoats against the chill air. A cool breeze blew from the north to spoil the effects of the autumn sun. The woman turned at the sound of his footsteps above them. Andy waved to her and walked on. In the distance, walking toward him, was another couple. Out to sea there were ships sailing from the Humber on the full tide. One, obviously an oil tanker, was riding high above its Plimsoll line after discharging its cargo. Several hundred yards offshore, one of the local fishing boats had its nets out. There was another much farther out to sea. He couldn’t see the third one so presumed that it was fishing further south. Jamie looked at his watch and decided that he had better turn back. He didn’t want to keep Yvonne waiting. Turning, he noticed the RAF base to the north-west. Missiles pointed skywards and the radar aerial rotated steadily. Apart from that, the place seemed quiet but Jamie knew that it was on constant alert. Walking back, the cool breeze was on his neck and Jamie turned up the collar of his anorak. It had seen better days, being one that he wore out in the mountains of Scotland.
Back in the village, Jamie headed to the fish shop-cum-cafe. The smell of fried fish and chips came through the door. In the harbour area, people sat out of the breeze eating their fish and chips. Others were sitting in their cars. It made Jamie feel hungry but he knew it was just the sight and smell. The fishing boats that had returned were now unloaded and the catches moved to the co-operative cold room. A couple of local women were working in there, gutting and filleting fish to fill a large order from a hotel in Louth. Yvonne was tidying up in the shop after the rush of customers. She saw Jamie walking towards the shop and set about making his coffee — white with two sugars, if she remembered correctly. Since it was an espresso machine, she decided to have a coffee herself. Yvonne then went to the cake counter and picked out the nicest looking rock bun for him as the machine hissed its contents into the two cups. Jamie walked through the door with a smile for her that made her feel good. It was a genuine smile that included his eyes and not just the face. She could see that he was pleased to see her and was more relaxed now that the crowd had gone. “Pick a table by the widow,” Yvonne said to him, “and I’ll be with you in a moment.” She heated the milk at the machine, the hot steam making a lot of noise as it heated the milk, poured it into the cups and set a tray. Picking the tray up, Yvonne walked from behind the counter and went o
ver to the table that Jamie had sat down at. She put the tray down and unloaded it, then leaned the tray against the table leg. “It’s good to see you again,” Yvonne said.
“Likewise,” responded Jamie.
“How have you been, Jamie?” she asked. “We didn’t have a chance to talk yesterday. Will you be able to come to the dance?”
“Don’t know yet,” he replied, “but I’ll know during the week. When I do, I’ll let you know.”
“I hope you can come,” was Yvonne’s response. She looked at him dreamily. Jamie decided to change the subject.
“I see Walmar had a third man on his crew yesterday. That was unusual, wasn’t it?” he asked.
Yvonne straightened up at the question. “I heard that he was a friend of Bill Enderby’s wanting to go out to see what it was like to work on a fishing boat,” she said.
“How did he go?” asked Jamie.
“That’s the funny thing. Apparently he didn’t come back with them. Dropped him off up the coast, I heard,” Yvonne responded.
“Ah, well. It takes all sorts,” said Jamie and thinking, “It looks as though he is linked to the other incidents that Hamilton was on about.” Changing the subject again, he said, “I can be a bit flexible about a day off. When do you have yours?”
Yvonne said that it usually depended on the tides but that the next week didn’t work in so she would have to arrange for a casual to come in and look after the shop for her. “I’ll work something out tomorrow and ‘phone you at the pub, okay?” Jamie said that it would be fine. He looked at his watch and said that he would need to head off within ten minutes. “What do you do for transport, apart from the boss’s van?” Yvonne asked.
“At the moment, the local bus, but I plan to buy a motorcycle to knock around on,” Jamie replied.
“I’ve got an old Morris Minor. I’ll pick you up when we go out. Okay?” Yvonne responded.
Red Hawk Rising Page 25