STREETS OF MAYFAIR
LONDON
Ronan carefully navigated the sedan closer to Thames House. "Prometheus Zero, Jacobsen location please."
"Iron Hammer, subject is approaching Thames House on foot."
"Where is he?" Sir William demanded as Ronan slipped into a parking spot.
"Approaching Thames House on foot. Why would he be heading to the Joint Terrorism HQ, William?" Ronan responded as he squelched the microphone. "What's he doing there? Does he still have the necessary security clearances?"
"Subject is meeting with Section Head for Syria in the park opposite Thames House," the controller announced.
Ronan adjusted his earpiece. "Why are they meeting in a public park? Jacobsen's got to know we're following him, William?"
Sir William smiled. "He's the bait, Ronan. Our friends are going to send him on a merry-go-round. I would suspect that his next stop is the Foreign Ministry, then the House of Commons and finally the Ministry of Defence. The Soviets used to play this game. Same as the Israelis and Saddam's former regime. One, maybe two, of the four or five people he meets is our target."
"Then how the hell do we identify them, William?"
"When in Rome, do as the Romans do, Ronan. We're going to play by Mark's rules." Sir William fumbled in his jacket and retrieved a battered leather notebook. "Head over to Eaton Square. And pull over when you see the Knightsbridge Kindergarten. What time is it?"
"Almost three. Why are we going to a school? Do we know someone who attends that school? What are you doing William?"
"We're about to put the fear of God into these bastards."
"William, I will not be a part of this. Women and children ..."
"Ronan, drive! And let me have that headset, will you?" Sir William reached across the arm rest "For God's sake, Ronan. Trust me!"
The elderly barrister carefully pecked out his address. Pushing himself further over the armrest, he carefully typed a new encryption key as he muttered to himself. "This is Shaddad. Initiate your voice recognition please."
Ronan glanced at himself and the radio's control's display as he accelerated to the school.
"Please patch in XII Corps Commander."
Ronan turned left and slowed the heavy sedan to a snail's pace as he joined the caravan of Bentleys and other ultra expensive cars approaching the exclusive kindergarten.
"William, we're here."
"How do I switch to another channel on this damned machine?" Sir William muttered as he studied the console.
"Tell your controller on this net you're switching and to wait for you," Ronan explained patiently. He waited as Sir William complied.
"Who do you want, William?"
"Let me have that!"
WEST OF QUETTA
"Sorry," Christopher shouted as the motorcycle rattled over an undulating section parallel to one of the many trails.
Leaning forward, Alexandra shouted into his right ear. "Do you always pick the bumpiest path?"
Turning his head slightly as he steered the bike, Christopher responded, "I'm staying off the paths because that's where the plant the IEDs. On this path and at this speed, I should be able to spot if someone has disturbed this terrain. These bumps come from rain runoffs. Twenty more minutes and then I'll move over to the scrabble path nearer the cliffs. Try and keep your shins up!"
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...
