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  “So what’s your verdict on the show Max?”

  “Must admit Ruth; I thought I would be bored, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.”

  They had both spent the evening at a nearby West End theatre watching the musical show called CATS.

  “I told you would like it darling.”

  “Yes; as usual you are right in knowing me better than I know myself.”

  Ruth negotiated the junction and accelerated along Piccadilly heading towards Hyde Park Corner.

  Max said, “It was amazing how the show was virtually completely told through music with virtually no spoken dialogue in between the songs.”

  Ruth replied, “And that dance scene the Jellicle Ball dance sequence must have lasted ten minutes!”

  Before Max could reply a large black Chrysler car overtook them at high speed, Max’s keen eyesight clocked the number plate as the car cut back in front of them as 270 D 101.

  “That’s a U.S. Diplomatic car.”

  Before anything else could be said, another vehicle a dark green Range Rover overtook them at speed cutting in tightly on Ruth’s car, forcing her to brake hard.

  The all-round disc brakes with ABS on the two hundred and twenty-four brake horsepower two-litre engine brought the car to a complete stop in no time at all, on the slippery road surface.

  Ruth shouted at the driver of the Range Rover, “You bloody idiot, where did you learn to drive Beirut?”

  Max’s military mind had been jolted back into action, “get after them darling, something’s not right.”

  Ruth slipped the car into first gear and floored the accelerator the drive wheels momentarily lost traction on the wet surface before they attained grip catapulting the vehicle rapidly off in pursuit of the two vehicles now a quarter of a mile ahead and approaching Hyde Park corner.

  Her Cosworth was one of only five hundred that had been produced; this was to meet the minimum number of road-going cars required, meeting with approved racing rules.

  This allowed it to compete in certain motor racing competitions. With a top speed of one hundred and fifty four miles per hour, zero to sixty miles per hour in five point eight seconds it was one of the fastest production cars about.

  Max reached into the glove box and retrieved his Glock-19 and jammed a magazine into the handle, and then pulled the slide back engaging the first round.

  He also pulled out an OSC Codetta radio; the transmissions were routed through the OSC’s satellite Eagle Eye, cloaked via a complex encoded enigma, and were only able to be translated at ICIS.

  Max turned the radio on and said, “Tell me that I did put my kit bag in the boot before we came out Ruth?”

  Ruth had been concentrating intently on the pursuit and said, “Yes darling, now let me concentrate?”

  Ruth entered the large roundabout on Hyde Park corner and she began to negotiate it.

  Hyde Park Corner is a place in London, which is at the southeast corner of Hyde Park. It is a major intersection where Park Lane, Knightsbridge, Piccadilly, Grosvenor Place and Constitution Hill all converge.

  As they sped around the large roundabout, Max looked up at the large equestrian statue of The Angel of Peace descending on the Quadriga of Victory, placed on the top of Constitution Arch or as it is often referred to as Wellington Arch.

  What very few people were aware of was that within Wellington Arch was the second smallest police station in the world.

  The two vehicles in front were now entering Park Lane when both Max and Ruth observed bright flashes coming from the Range Rover.

  Max immediately said, “That’s gunfire the embassy vehicle is under attack!”

  4

  Sixteen minutes earlier

  The Savoy Hotel

  The Strand

  London.

  United Kingdom

  WC2R 0EU

  Lat = 51 degrees, 30.6 minutes North

  Long = 0 degrees, 7.3 minutes West

  Saturday 5th August 1989.

  Twenty-three twenty-five hours BST

  The Savoy Hotel is a hotel located on the Strand, in the City of Westminster in central London. Built by impresario Richard D’Oyly Carte with profits from his Gilbert and Sullivan operas, the hotel opened on 6 August 1889.

  It was the first in the Savoy group of hotels and restaurants owned by Carte’s family for over a century. It was also the first luxury hotel in Britain, introducing electric lights throughout the hotel, electric lifts, bathrooms inside most of the lavishly furnished rooms, constant hot and cold running water and many other innovations.

  The US ambassador Nathan Jackson was leaving the hotel following a fundraising event for an Aids charity, his Chrysler armoured car was waiting for him at the front entrance along with a bodyguard detail in another Chrysler vehicle.

  The two vehicles drove down the short road that was the entrance road to The Strand and then turned left, as they entered The Strand a Dark green coloured Range Rover that had been waiting, accelerated harshly and rammed the second of the two vehicles side on with its front bull bars, pushing the vehicle into a parked car.

  The driver of the Chrysler had taken the full impact and he immediately lost consciousness.

  The two other protection officers were pinned between the vehicles crushed side panels and the parked car.

  The Range Rover had immediately reversed off the diplomatic car and accelerated away from the scene pursuing the other Chrysler.

  The driver of the first Chrysler had seen his colleague’s vehicle being rammed and had immediately alerted the ambassador to buckle up.

  His colleague in the front passenger seat had pulled the radio handset from its holder and had switched the channel switch to channel seven the Metropolitan Police frequency.

  “MP from U.S. diplomat-1 we are under attack over!”

  One of the Police officers in the force control room in New Scotland Yard answered the call.

  “U.S. diplomat-1, receiving you over; current location and nature of attack over?”

  “We are currently heading west along Pall Mall and turning right into St James Street up to Piccadilly, our back up vehicle has been taken out. The vehicle following us is a dark coloured four by four, over.”

  “Roger that U.S diplomat-1, head down Piccadilly to Hyde Park Corner, and take the right at the roundabout and head up Park Lane. Once at the top turn right at Marble Arch onto Oxford Street. You should then be close to your embassy; we are sending assistance to you now, will advise on ETA over.”

  “Copy that MP, hope your guys are tooled up?”

  “An ARV will be requested to assist you, MP out.”

  In the control room, Inspector Steve Ball had been monitoring the call and had immediately spoken into his head set, “MP to Alpha-1 location over?”

  Alpha-1 was one of several Armed Response Vehicles (ARV’s) that patrolled the Capital, part of PT-17 firearms branch.

  Alpha-1 is crewed by three officers, the driver whose job is to get them as quickly and as safely to the incident scene, another in charge of communications and the third the observer whom plans the best route to the incident scene all are firearms trained, and carried a variety of weapons including handguns and shot guns.

  Alpha-1 replied, “Alpha-1 to MP present location Notting Hill Gate over.”

  Alpha-1 U.S. Diplomat-1 is under attack; their back up vehicle is down they will be heading towards Hyde Park Corner and then up Park Lane to Marble Arch. The pursuing vehicle is a dark coloured four by four over.”

  The reply was quick and professional, “MP from Alpha-1 on route out.”

  The Rover 800’s blue lights lit up and the siren wailed as the car accelerated rapidly through Notting Hill Gate onto the Bayswater road.

  Victor Tango-3 one of the Metropolitan Polices tr
affic OCU (operational command unit) vehicles was patrolling along Tottenham Court Road, crewed by Police constables Tony Wadsworth and Gerry Thaxton.

  They had overheard the transmission to Alpha-1, Pc Gerry Thaxton picked up the handset and said, “Victor Tango-3 to MP we are currently Tottenham Court Road, a minute away from Marble Arch, can we assist over?”

  “Victor Tango-3, make your way to Marble Arch and await further instructions over.”

  “Received MP, Victor Tango-3 out.”

  Gerry activated the blues and two’s as Tony dropped a couple of gears and booted the accelerator pedal.

  The Ford Sierra’s V6 two point three engine came alive and rapidly began to eat up the asphalt as it hurtled along Tottenham Court Road.

  Max had contacted ICIS using the Codetta and had informed Vince of the situation, GAIL had responded by saying, “Max; The Met Police are aware and have two units on route less than two minutes away, one is an ARV.”

  Before Max could reply both Ruth and himself noticed the Range Rover ramming the Chrysler into several parked vehicles boxing it in.

  Two men were leaping out of the Range Rover and had begun firing at the Chrysler.

  Max ordered Ruth to stop the car a hundred yards short of the shootout.

  He quickly looked at Ruth and spoke in to the Codetta, “Vince; they have rammed the diplomats car pinning it to some parked cars, I am going to intervene, advise the locals they have a friendly armed guy on the scene.”

  Vince replied, “On it now Max!”

  Max pulled his Glock from the glove box turned to exit the car and felt a tug on his sleeve, he looked around at Ruth, and the look in her eyes did not need interpretation.

  Max said, “Don’t worry darling I will be careful, remember I do this for a living!”

  Ruth gave him a knowing smile and said, “Go get them Max!”

  As Max stepped out of the car he heard the sirens of the Police response vehicles, he moved quickly up the road with his Glock ready using the natural cover of several park cars.

  The two-armed men were pouring fire into the stricken Chrysler, one had a pump action shotgun and the other had an AK-47.

  The Chrysler had been retro fitted to protection level T-7.

  This meant that it could prevent armoured piercing rounds, full metal jacket and pointed bullet rounds from entering the internal compartment area.

  The driver and his partner had drawn their handguns but stayed in the car with the ambassador knowing they were safe and help was coming.

  Max had made his way undetected by the assailants holding his weapon in the low ready position, that meant as he made his way along the road his weapon was lowered to a forty-five degree position down at the floor, enabling him to quickly raise the pistol and bring it on too the target.

  Max was now several yards away, he raised his pistol to the compressed ready position meaning the pistol was pulled in close to his body that would allow him to punch the weapon forward onto the target area, enabling him to shoot in mid-extension and eliminating over swing.

  He noticed one of the attackers pull something from his pocket and he quickly identified it as a grenade.

  Unlike the Police, Max was not required to give any warning to the two armed assailants for all intense and purpose, he was a highly trained professional killer and he quickly punched the weapon forward and fired two rounds in succession at the man with the grenade.

  The 9mm rounds burst out of the barrel at 1,230 ft/s, hitting their target in the head, in the street lighting you could see a plumed cloud effect as the man’s tissue and bone erupted.

  He fell to the ground like a puppet that had lost its strings with the grenade falling from his hands.

  The second man was turning towards Max bringing his weapon to target him; Max had already shifted his aim and again the Glock barked twice the rounds hitting the man directly in his torso knocking him back several feet, he was dead before he landed on the ground.

  Max was already moving extremely fast towards the Chrysler, his eyes partially trained on the two bodies on the floor and on the round object that was lying nearby.

  Without any thought for himself, he kicked the grenade with his right foot sending it spinning across the asphalt away from the Chrysler, Max immediately crouched down.

  As luck would have it, it dropped down through the kerb opening in a nearby water drain and a couple of seconds later it exploded, sending the surrounding asphalt and concrete and water skywards before it showered back down to the ground.

  The ARV had just turned onto Park Lane when the officers observed the explosion; the car came to a rapid halt several yards from the scene with the three officers bailing out of the car with their firearms drawn.

  One shouted at the lone figure with a handgun, “Armed Police drop your weapon hands above your head and walk towards us.”

  Max complied with the request placing his Glock on the ground raised both his arms and then walked towards the officers.

  The same officer then shouted, “Down on your knees and interlace your hands behind your head!”

  Max complied, one of the officers moved to his right and came around to the back of him, quickly cuffing him.

  Before anything else was said or done, a female voice was screaming from behind the two Police officers covering Max.

  “Leave him alone you bloody fool’s he has just done your job for you can’t you see that?”

  One of the Police officers turned around and noticed a tall red headed woman running barefooted towards them carrying a pair of high-heeled shoes in her one hand.

  He put his arms out and said, “Please Ma’am; do not come any closer we have the situation under control.”

  Ruth deliberately disobeyed him and carried on walking towards him.

  Max was watching the spectacle and had a smile on his face as he observed the woman he loved coming to his aid he muttered under his breath, “now that’s my girl!”

  The officer standing beside him did not quiet hear what Max had muttered and he said, “What did you say?”

  Before Max could reply the personal Police radios that the officers were carrying crackled and then a voice transmitted over them.

  “MP to units in Park Lane be advised you have a friendly armed man on the scene, named Colonel Max Storm the operational leader of the OSC, also be advised Chief Superintendent Attlee is on route two minutes away he will confirm Colonel Storms identity, MP out.”

  Max remained in his knelt position with his hands handcuffed behind.

  Ruth was now confronting the Police officer in front of her, “did you hear that? That’s Colonel Storm and I am with him so let me through?”

  “Sorry Ma’am we need to wait for the Chief Super to arrive.”

  A pair of headlights broke onto the scene and coming up Park Lane was a Jaguar XJ6 2.9 auto in Cashmere gold, with Cotswold trim.

  The car was being driven by Pc Paul Mason and in the back was chief superintendent Attlee.

  Pc Mason had been his driver for the past five months; he was a grade one Police driver and had been taught anti-hijacking driving counter measures.

  Pc Mason brought the car to a controlled smooth stop and exited the Jaguar walking around to the rear passenger door and opening it.

  Chief Superintendent Stanley Attlee stepped out and walked over to the three Police officers and a woman he immediately recognised as Ruth Nelson.

  He had joined the Metropolitan Police seventeen years ago at the age of nineteen.

  He was six foot four inches tall, with broad shoulders and dark brown hair that was swept back.

  He had been born in Romford a large suburban town in northeast London.

  Having completed his basic 16 weeks training at Hendon, he had been posted to Bow street police station on the
‘C’ division.

  He had been involved in many aspects of Police work and had recently been promoted from Superintendent to Chief Superintendent heading up the Special Operations Room in Lambeth.

  Ruth seeing him had turned and then walked over to him and said, “Stan; please have them release Max.”

  He replied, “It’s okay Ruth, the officers are just carrying out the standard protocols for a situation like this, wait here for a few moments.”

  The Chief Superintendent walked over to Max who looked up at him and gave him a big grin.

  He noticed a small fresh scar on Max’s left cheek, and recalled that three weeks ago a Russian SPETSNAZ had inflicted the wound on Max following a recent operation at the Russian embassy here in the UK.

  “Officer you can take the handcuffs of the colonel.”

  The Police officer leant down and removed the cuffs; Max stood up and gave his wrists a quick rub.

  He was handed his Glock by the Police officer who said, “Apologies sir!”

  Max replied, “No need for an apology officer; it’s good to see you and your colleagues did the right thing.”

  The Police officer nodded, Chief Superintendent Attlee looked over at the Chrysler and could see the occupants inside trying to get out.

  He said to one of the Police officers, “call the Fire brigade, it looks like they will need cutting out?”

  He then drew his gaze to the Range Rover and the two bodies and then looked at Max smiled and said, “Looks like your handy work Max?”

  Max spent a few minutes briefing The Chief Superintendent on what had happened.

  “I will need a formal statement off you and Ruth Max?”

  Max replied “no problems Stan and speaking of Ruth!”

  Chief Superintendent Attlee turned around and gestured to the Police officer to let Ruth through to them.

  Ruth ran over to Max, draped her arms around his shoulders, and kissed him.

  Unbeknown to everyone at the scene there was the presence of a third man, who was now exiting the Range Rover.

  He had been the driver of the Range Rover and had stayed inside the vehicle as his two comrades had carried out the armed assault.