The Wrath of Shakira Read online

  “Superintendent you don’t have the security clearance to know, please complete the identification procedure.”

  The Superintendent placed his right eye over the scanner and said, “Superintendent Attlee.”

  The female voice answered. “Confirmed Superintendent Attlee, clearance is granted up to twelve hundred hours today.”

  Superintendent Attlee looked around at Max, “Is that it.”

  “Not quiet.” Responded Max.

  The female voice spoke again. “Visitors escort please carry out identification.”

  Max stepped forward. “Max Storm eagle three.”

  “Eagle three confirmed access granted.”

  The plate glass door opened and the two sentinels moved apart. “This way Superintendent.”

  As they entered the briefing room, Roy barked an order. “Attention briefing officer present.” Every man in the room stood to attention. Max walked to the front followed by the Superintendent. “At ease men, Superintendent please have a seat.”

  “Good morning men; this is Captain Roy Smith some of you have met him before and this is Superintendent Attlee from the Metropolitan Police. The purpose of this morning’s operation is to locate this man.” Max held up a photo, “you will find a copy of this photo in the folders in front of you together with Police warrant cards.”

  Each man opened their respective folders and scrutinised the target.

  “This man is responsible for the bombing at Paddington station, he was seen exiting the station and we believe he left the scene by some sort of public transport. The game plan is for four teams of three to make enquiries in the surrounding areas at the time he entered the area, which was around O-six forty hours”.

  Max paused and produced a large street map of the Paddington area on a large white board.

  “Teams will cover the following areas, Praed street and everything southeast of it, Eastbourne Terrace and everything southwest of it, Craven road and to the southeast and finally Bishops Bridge up to Harrow road and Edgware road and what’s in the middle of it.

  The search area will radius for half a mile Roy will select the teams and give you your search areas, any questions?”

  There was no response Max looked down at his watch, it was O-five fifteen hours. “There is a tube train leaving Charring cross which is a two minute walk from here at O-five fifty two hours it will arrive in Paddington at O-six O-four hours. Right gentlemen I’ll hand you over to Roy, Superintendent would you care for a hot drink?”

  Superintendent Attlee followed Max out of the briefing room and down the hall to a rest room with hot drinks facilities. “What’s it to be tea or coffee?”

  “A coffee with milk and one sugar would go down well.”

  Superintendent Attlee sat down until Max brought the drinks over and sat down. “Well Superintendent all we now need is a little bit of luck.”

  “Mr.Storm.” Max raised a finger, “call me Max.”

  “Okay Max; I don’t understand why the Police have been cut out of the loop?”

  “Superintendent that’s a question only your boss can answer, look I can understand your concerns however we are all on the same side and looking for the culprits whom caused this mess.”

  “Yes I understand, but what I have just witnessed makes me feel uncomfortable.”

  “Okay superintendent; what I am about to say to you is top secret, remember in your position you are subject to the official secrets act.” Max paused long enough for Superintendent Attlee to nod in understanding.

  “We are members of the OSC; Operational Strike Command; our remit is to hunt down terrorists and eliminate them outside the United Kingdom, there is a strong possibility this investigation will go outside the United Kingdom.”

  “I thought that was where MI5, MI6 and the SAS worked?”

  “Yes you are correct MI6 or as they are known the secret intelligence service are intelligence gathers they also disrupt threats to UK citizens or assets, MI5 is responsible for protecting the UK, it’s citizens and interests, at home and overseas, against major threats to national security. However as you are aware we are still at war with the IRA and this is a full time commitment that draws heavily on these resources.” Max paused.

  “Our job is to seek out and destroy with extreme prejudice no courts or juries involved.”

  Superintendent Attlee sipped his coffee and silently evaluated what he had just heard. “So you are the ones who dealt with the bio-chemical threat a few months ago?”

  “Yes Superintendent, that was us.”

  Superintendent Atlee looked Max straight in the eyes, “The PM calls you the first and last line of offence, what I have just been briefly exposed to is certainly very unusual.”

  Max looked down at his watch. “It’s time for us to go hunting”.

  M11

  M11 Towards Stansted Airport

  Lat = 51 degrees, 42.4 minutes North

  Long = 0 degrees, 8.3 minutes East

  And

  Surrounding areas of Paddington station London

  Lat = 51 degrees, 31.0 minutes North

  Long = 0 degrees, 10.5 minutes West

  At that precise moment, Omar and Abu Wael were heading north along the M11 ten minutes from Stansted airport a suitcase was laying on the back seat. “Now remember Abu the suitcase needs to be left in the restaurant situated on the right in the international terminal on the ground floor, just go in and place it secretly and meet me back in the car.”

  “I will set the timer for Seventy minutes,” Abu replied.

  Back on the streets of Paddington, the teams were beginning their canvassing of the locals, bus drivers, cabbies and pedestrians, Max and Superintendent Attlee were floating around the area in Max’s Porsche.

  Roy Smith and his team were covering Praed Street; it was surprising how many people were up and about at this time of the morning, they were stopping people and showing the photo but with little positive response.

  Roy flagged down a black hackney carriage, showed his warrant card, “did you pick this man up from around here yesterday at this time?”

  The cabbie looked at the photo, “Nope I was off yesterday Guv, why not speak to me mate Alf, he’s parked just down the road, hop in and I’ll give you lift down no charge of course.”

  Roy jumped in and took the short journey down Praed Street stopping behind another hackney carriage parked in a taxi rank opposite the Great Western public house he jumped out thanking the cabbie.

  The cabbie named Alf was reading a newspaper when Roy knocked on his window showing the warrant card, the cabbie wound his window down. “Did you see this man yesterday at around this time?”

  The cabbie peered at the photo, “Yep that’s the guy I took up to Whitechapel road.”

  “Are you absolutely sure?”

  “No doubt about it officer dropped him off by the East London Mosque.”

  “What time was that?”

  “Around the time of the explosion.”

  “Wait here for a moment.” Roy walked around to the pavement, “Eagle six to Eagle three over.”

  Max was parked up on the Edgware road. “Eagle six go.”

  “Max I have a cabbie whom has positively identified the target and took him to the East London Mosque yesterday morning at the time in question.”

  “Good work Roy, ask him to take you to the drop off point and I’ll meet you there.”

  Back at Stansted airport, Omar had just pulled up at the main entrance. “You have ten minutes to deliver the package; I’ll meet you back here then.”

  Abu Wael climbed out of the car and removed the suitcase from the rear seat and entered the terminal, he was unaware of the CCTV camera overhead, as he turned right in front of WH Smiths from where he could see the restaurant.

 
Down at ICIS in Biggin hill Vince Edwards was asleep in his office when the desk phone awakened him; he rubbed his eyes and put on his spectacles looking at his watch O-seven hundred hours. “Vince here.”

  GAIL’s voice replied, “Hello Vince our terrorist suspect has just this minute shown up at Stansted airport, I have picked him up on their CCTV.”

  “Okay GAIL I am on my way up.”

  Three minutes later Vince was standing in front Of GAIL’s holograph. “Show me what you have.”

  The Plasma screen came to life and the image of a Middle Eastern man carrying a suitcase appeared making his way through to the main entrance. “It’s a one hundred percent match.”

  “Have you picked him up on the other cameras GAIL?”

  “But of course.” More images appeared showing the target walking across the concourse and entering the restaurant.

  “Sorry Vince no cameras in the restaurant.”

  “Okay keep locked onto the restaurant entrance while I phone Strayker.”

  Major general Strayker had heard the phone ringing as he walked down the corridor to his office; he entered and picked it up.

  “Vince here sir, GAIL has located our target.”

  “Where is he Vince?”

  “Just entered Stansted airport.” GAIL interrupted the conversation “Vince the target is leaving the restaurant the suitcase is missing”.

  Vince turned and looked at the image on the screen. Strayker responded, “What in hells name is going on Vince?”

  “Oh my god he’s left the suitcase in the restaurant and he’s leaving the terminal!”

  “GAIL connect me to Commissioner Dawson.”

  Abu Wael had entered the restaurant that had about thirty people seated around it, he located an isolated table by the back wall and sat down, he slid the suitcase under the bench seat against the wall and picked up the menu appearing to peruse it however; he was scanning his surroundings and nobody appeared to pay any interest in him. He stood up looked at his watch and walked out the restaurant.

  Commissioner Dawson was seated at his desk going over mundane reports when the phone interrupted him. “Dawson here.”

  “Robert; Strayker here we have located our terrorist and it looks like he has left another package at Stansted airport.”

  “This buggers taking the Mickey.”

  “Can I leave you to handle the evacuation and cordoning off of the area?”

  “I am on it this minute.”

  Max had arrived opposite The East London Mosque 82 to 92 Whitechapel road where he met up with Roy.

  “I have the cabbies details this is exactly where he dropped him off.”

  Max looked over at the Mosque; the dome and minaret towered magnificently amongst the local London buildings. “Superintendent what do you know about the Mosque?”

  “Intelligence is thin however; we have reason to believe certain elements are using it to recruit young men whom go over to Afghanistan to train in warfare.

  Max’s thoughts were interrupted by Strayker’s voice over his earpiece “Eagle three; Strayker here what’s your twenty.”

  “East London Mosque sir it’s where our terrorist was dropped off yesterday morning.”

  “Good work Max; he’s just turned up at Stansted airport and it looks like he has just left another device.”

  “This little shit is becoming a thorn in the side sir.”

  “Max I want you to gather your team up and concentrate them around the Mosque area I have a feeling he will show up there, The Met boys will sort out the airport; I will instruct Johnson to rendezvous there with your firearms.”

  “Roger that sir.”

  Commissioner Dawson had been busy making a phone call to the chief constable of Essex police and had accepted the help of SO13 the Met’s Anti-terrorist branch, he was interrupted by another call from Strayker.

  “Robert; Max and his team are going live with firearms down at the Whitechapel East London mosque, can you supply three unmarked cars with drivers for Max to use to tail these guys if necessary.

  “They will have the cars in ten minutes; I’ll have them meet Max at Whitechapel road and New road”.

  He then contacted the Divisional Commander of the Stansted division whom had put into action the forces major incident plan, the county’s emergency services and the airport authority swung into action and forty minutes later the airport had been cleared of passengers and employees all aircraft on site had been moved to a safe distance.

  The control tower had implemented a holding pattern for all incoming aircraft, in order to redirect them to alternative airports.

  Bomb disposal officers were on the scene and had sent in an RV (remote vehicle) equipped with a camera in order to get a better look at the package.

  Sergeant Hobday manipulated a remote control and an arm with a claw like device connected to the RV operated both catches on the suitcase it was then easy to open the suitcase lid for a look inside.

  Sergeant Hobday observed a fully armed device relayed from the RV camera back to the screen alongside him.

  An LCD display showed ten minutes remaining, the device looked around ten pounds in weight with a plastic container containing fluid, the arming device was crude and simple.

  He walked away to the front entrance and spoke to his senior officer. “Ten minutes to detonation sir, I can disarm it but it will mean doing it manually.”

  “What’s the collateral damage if we let it blow?

  Sergeant?”

  “Well sir you can kiss this building good bye plus everything within a thirty-yard radius; there appears to be a liquid container wired into the explosives.”

  “Okay Sergeant; do it.”

  Sergeant Hobday went back into the restaurant room lowered his facial visor and approached the device.

  The LCD was showing six minutes to detonation, the detonator had three wires coming from it.

  “Right my beauty which one of you is the ground wire?”

  Five minutes to go flashed on the LCD. He opened his small tool roll-bag and extracted a pair of long-nose pliers.

  All the wires were coloured red, “Now who’s a clever bastard then!” He muttered. Three minutes flashed up.

  “Shit what happened to four!”

  Sergeant Hobday located the ground wire just as the LCD flashed one minute.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me you son of a bitch.”

  He picked up his wire snipers and took a deep breath, “here goes nothing.” He tightened the grip on the handles and the wire was severed.

  A long deep breath exhaled from his lungs, he looked at the LCD display that turned blank.

  Sergeant Hobday raised his head and looked to the roof above him; thank you.”

  He felt his body trembling and a nausea rising from within, he ripped of his facial visor turned and vomited onto the floor.

  Two minutes later he was walking out of the airport door with his thumbs raised, a senior officer approached him, “well done Sergeant, I’ll see you get commended for this.”

  “All in a day’s work sir.”

  Thirty minutes later the suitcase with its device was on its way to London.

  Three hours later Stansted airport was back in business.

  Whitechapel

  Whitechapel London

  Lat = 51 degrees, 31.1 minutes North

  Long = 0 degrees, 3.8 minutes West

  Back in London Max and his teams had rendezvoused in New road near Whitechapel road, standing by were three assorted unmarked Police vehicles with their drivers.

  Johnson the armourer pulled up in a white van, Max and Roy walked over; “So they have let you out on the street Johnson,” Max remarked.

  “I have an assortment of hand weapons and assault rifles
for you Max, also I brought these thought they might be of use.”

  Johnson held up three sets of Zeiss Compact multi-purpose binoculars.

  “Good stuff Johnson, Roy have the men arm up with the handguns, we will keep the assault rifles in reserve.”

  Max walked over to one of the police vehicles; “have you got a street map of this area?”

  The driver of the Ford Sierra leaned over and pulled one out of the glove box handing it to Max.

  Max was about to walk away when the driver spoke. “What’s going down sir?”

  “The Paddington bomber is likely to be in this area very shortly and we may need you to tail them, are you up to it?”

  “Count me in sir.”

  “Good man you will be attached to me, I’ll have my number two speak to the drivers of the other two cars.

  Max returned to the van where Roy was supervising the weapons distribution, he pulled out the street map; and called Superintendent Attlee over.

  “Right this is the plan; Superintendent Attlee will come with me to watch the Mosque from across the road in Whitechapel, we will use the blue Sierra, Roy put a team using the Range Rover on the corner of Whitechapel road and Vallance Road, I want you with your team in the Gold Granada here Cambridge Heath Road and Whitechapel and keep two men here with Johnson and the van.

  “Would it be worth putting a few of the men as foot soldiers in Whitechapel Max?”

  “Good point Roy can you see to it as well as getting the two cars on point now.”

  “Are you ready Superintendent?”

  “Absolutely Max.”

  Five minutes later Max and his men were in their respective positions. “Now all we have to do is wait Superintendent.”

  “We won’t have long Max; Stansted airport is about thirty two miles from here with a journey time of around one hour and fifteen minutes at this time of the morning.”

  Max looked at his watch forty-five minutes had elapsed since Strayker had spoken to him about the Stansted incident.

  North Circular