COLCHESTER
Sir William stared at the planning team's decision tree and its final seven targets.
"What's the matter, William? Cat got your tongue?" Lady Catherine inquired. "You're strangely silent."
The barrister undid his tie before responding, "Binky, it reminds me of something my teachers tried to drum into my head at Sandhurst. Went something along the lines of 'Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities'. For some reason that saying resonates in my feeble brain at this time."
Lady Catherine reached across the table and gently stroked his hand. "You remembered correctly. Actually, you just quoted Voltaire, William."
"Did I? That saying applies to all sides in this ridiculous conflict. Whether it's the Imams, the politicians in Whitehall or Washington, we've been slowly moving this ridiculous conflict to a point of no return for the last fifty years. And to what ends?"
"I need you to focus on a lower level, William. We can't stop to rationalize their actions right now. We need to find a way of providing a stable platform to drive forward our original peace initiative." Lady Catherine paused and turned to the Paratroop Regiment's planning team. "Gentlemen, you've done stalwart work this day. I would like you to be on standby for the next four days."
The senior officer intoned the required, "Ma'am" and together with his team withdrew from the room.
**
The MP turned to the Brigadier, Ronan and Sir William. "There you have it. Seven prime targets in the United States. Quetta in Pakistan as the offsetting target. How do we stop this? We have a team in Quetta – if that's what we can call it, and nothing in the West. Recommendations?"
The Brigadier studied the other three before breaking the silence. "William, how good is your source?"
"Triple A, but he's been out of contact for the last twenty-four hours. Now that's not a cause for alarm, but I'm not sure how good his sources were." Sir William mused quietly. "I'm not sure if this is a game within a game. You know what I mean, Deryck. We saw this in Basra when the Americans were panicking about the Iranian link."
"All that misinformation has been debunked since the Iraq Inquiry. If I were Rumsfeld or Cheney, I wouldn't show my face in public outside of America. They're just amateurs that have been the primary cause for devastating global problems. We have to find a fast way of validating this information. Where's Nobriega? Quetta?" The Brigadier turned to face Lady Catherine. "Who is supporting him?"
"He's gone off wire, Deryck." Sir William rubbed his eyes. "You know he doesn't trust the spooks or politicians. He's got five Jordanian Pathfinders that he trained ten years ago and one of Ronan's people."
"He's got a policeman with him? What the hell for? That'll be just a liability for him? How could you permit this, William?"
Ronan held up a placating hand. "She's the senior intelligence officer for my counter-terrorist unit, Deryck, and she can outshoot or outmuscle any of your lads. She's there because Christopher requested her."
The commanding officer of the Parachute Regiment arched an eyebrow in the direction of Sir William. "He did? Good Lord..."
Sir William chuckled. "...it's now what you think, you filthy-minded beast. No dirties, Deryck, they're more like nun and priest."
Both of the brigadier's eyebrows elevated as he hid his mouth behind his hand. "I see."
"No, you don't see. She's a professional and she has been appointed Mission Commander by me." Lady Catherine stood up. "William, Deryck is right. I want a complete review."
YOU ARE READING
The Shaddad Conspiracy
Adventure“Your murder victim was not an innocent, naive woman. She was on our terrorist watch list. The fact that she escaped from Basra and lived a normal life in London buggers belief, but she was planted here by a foreign government to wreck the Taliban p...
