Authors: David Lowe
‘Don’t worry, not many expect a visit from
us
people.’
‘I’m sorry I didn’t mean to sound rude. I rarely, if ever meet anyone from MI5. I’m afraid that during most of my service, I’ve normally had someone from the Branch who tells me that MI5 has instructed me that I have got to do this or that. There are times I wondered if any of you actually exist. My current head of Special Branch has a terrible habit of doing that. It’s as though he puts himself up as a barrier between MI5 and me. What I’m trying to say in a very clumsy manner is, it’s nice to finally meet someone from your department. What can I do for you?’
‘Actually Julia, it’s a courtesy call just to update you on the plans for next Tuesday’s Royal visit. I just want to run them past you to see if you think that we need to add anything.’
‘Well this is most welcome. As I say, I’m normally told what I have to do.’
‘That surprises me. In all the operations between MI5 and the police I’ve been involved in, I’ve been to quite a few briefings where chief officers are present. I believe you’re attending the evening reception?’
‘Yes and I’m really looking forward to it. In fact, this afternoon I have a top priority in order to prepare for next Tuesday. I’m going into the city centre to buy a new dress and perhaps a new bag and a pair of shoes to go with it. That’s the trouble with being a female chief constable, in a man’s world. I feel I have to be twice as tough and twice as good as them. It’s so easy to neglect your feminine side.’
‘I know what you mean. From what I’ve seen in my role as police liaison officer, there are some parts of policing where the machismo side of the culture is very strong.’
‘I should imagine it’s the same with MI5.’
‘Actually it’s not that bad. I don’t want to appear rude, but I don’t have much time and I’m glad you could see me at such short notice as I thought you were seeing Alec Harvey this morning at ten. That’s why I asked your PA if I could see you at ten.’
‘No, he hasn’t made an appointment. I rarely see him to be honest. He only comes to see me to tell me how to deploy my uniform officers when he needs their support or to request an increase in their share of the police budget I receive every year. He presents his business case with support from the most recent circular from SO15 or the Home Office on how I must increase the Special Branch’s share of the budget. At times I feel I’ve no choice, especially in the current climate. Could you imagine the headlines “Top Cop refuses to cooperate in fight against terrorism” it would be suicide career wise if I did that.’
‘Don’t you have to show your accounts to the Audit Commission?’
‘Yes, but Special Branch accounts are different. All I have to show the Audit Commission is the amount I allocate to the Special Branch. I don’t have to account for specific items because they have to purchase special equipment and so on. What they spend their budget allocation on comes under official secrets. Therefore, the Home Office audits the ISB accounts separately. Why do you ask? I thought you would have known this?’
‘Being the liaison officer, I only look at the intelligence Special Branch departments bring in. I’m not involved in any financial dealings or accountancy.’
‘I suppose not. Here we are chatting away about everything except the actual reason why you wanted to see me. Do you want to take me through the security details for next Tuesday?’
* * *
‘You’re lucky I could make it for ten. Like a fucking rash, your boys are all over my premises. I managed to get out of my yard at Runcorn in the back of one of my vans. I told the boys who brought me here the Customs and Revenue Department are watching me. As tax dodging’s an acceptable past time, no questions were asked. They must’ve found it amusing seeing their boss hiding in the back of a van to escape your lot,’ Murphy said to the police associate he arranged to meet. ‘How do I know they’re not watching you right now?’
‘I’m careful, they’ve no idea I’m here. They know I have a meeting, but they think it’s to do with the Royal visit. Now, I believe you had a successful meeting with our Al Qaeda friend last night.’
‘Yes. How did you know?’
‘You weren’t as careful as you think. Hurst and the team from our lot he’s working with followed you all the way to Yoxall. They even saw you with your contact, who I believe is a top Al Qaeda man called Sayfel. You do know he’s only one of the most wanted terrorists in the UK, if not Europe. In a word, you fucked up last night Declan.’
‘I don’t know how! I did all the usual counter-surveillance techniques. I was really careful.’
‘Not careful enough. Two officers have dug themselves in by your house and one of them broke cover when you drove off in the Volvo. He followed you long enough for Hurst and the rest of the team to take over the mobile surveillance.’
‘Rory and Sean are right. That fucking Hurst’s smarter than what I thought.’
‘There’s also one other thing you should know about him, he doesn’t give a shit about how bosses treat him. He’s also well connected and he lives with an MI5 agent. That doesn’t help us. While he may have the brawn and the savvy, apparently she’s got the brains. She’s constantly helping Hurst and his team. I think he’s already worked out there’s a mole in my office, so I need him and the other Manchester lot off my back and out of the way. Is your boys’ surprise in place for Hurst?’
‘It’s all set. Trust me it’ll be an unwelcome surprise. It’ll make him think twice about fucking around with us. Sayfel’s given me the money so we can put the final arrangements in place for next Tuesday’s visit. I don’t know whether or not to go through the arrangements with you in case you get lifted before next week.’
‘Although Hurst thinks there’s a mole, they’ve no idea who it is. You can trust me. If they lifted me, I wouldn’t talk anyway.’
‘Let’s hope they don’t get on to you before Tuesday. I take it they still haven’t got a clue what we’re up to?’
‘They’re not soft. Sussing out you’re involved and having the heir to the Throne visit Chester next week, it doesn’t take much to work out the visit is a likely target. I know, I’ll make sure the Branch officers are deployed to posts to make that easier for what your boys have to do. Seeing how you’re their number one target, after Tuesday night your fancy lifestyle in these parts will be over. If I were you, I’d get some false ID and transfer your money to new accounts. You’re going to have to keep your head down for a long time. I’ll do what I can to help you, but after Tuesday you’ll have to plan your team’s escape routes.’
‘I’ve certainly got enough funding, but Sayfel cut us short, he only gave us one and a quarter million instead of the two million he promised.’
‘That is still enough for you and the boys to get out and make it back to Ireland and find somewhere to lay low for a while. How many have you got coming over this weekend to join your business ventures?’
‘Eight, three old PIRA boys and some novices,’ Murphy said as the realisation after months of planning, the Real IRA were finally going to carry out attacks on the British mainland. ‘Two have been over here for a couple of days now. The other six are arriving by yacht to Rhosneiger in Anglesey in the early afternoon. They sailed from Dublin last night after I wired some funds over the Internet. Another former compatriot who should not be on the security services radar is picking them up and driving them down to Liverpool, where they’re staying at a safe-house in the Kensington area. It’s the address of an old sympathiser. Don’t worry it’s a new address and this sympathiser was never visited by the Branch in the old days. I took great care in making sure of that. Their nephew works for me running one of my market stalls. The equipment’s getting delivered at the Kensington address later this evening. We should have everything in place for the two attacks to go ahead as planned. Now I’ve told you what I’ve been up to, what have you got for me to pass on?’
‘Here’s the guest list for the evening reception for the Royal visit on Tuesday night. I’ve managed to get Julia Hudson our chief constable to be there as well as Lord Trevelyan. I got that district judge who is an old friend of Trevelyan’s to talk him into coming. It was under the pretext of adding more clout to the influence of Cheshire’s high and mighty. While the Prince remains our number one target, I can make sure Trevelyan and Hudson will also be an easy target. Ideally we’ll get all three. If we don’t get the Prince, it can work out in our favour. It’ll make the British think we could have got him but decided not to. Killing a chief constable and a Law Lord will be enough to scare the Brits shitless.’
‘The two I brought over a couple of days ago are experienced marksmen for the job. There’s one from my old brigade and one from the old Tyrone brigade. I still wish we could use Rory and Sean for the job.’
‘We’ll use them to divert MI5, SO15 and any other Branch officer away from what we intend to do. Here are the plans and the guest list. Give these to the two you’ve selected. How about phase two of the operation?’
Taking the documentation Murphy gave it a cursory glance and said, ‘It’s all in hand. We’ve done a preliminary look around the target and the immediate area and tomorrow the six assigned to it are going to have a look around.’
‘Good. Keep me posted.’
* * *
‘There we go Davey. Here’s your receivers and recording equipment. As you can see, my man’s busy in Murphy’s office setting it up. It was a bit of luck that Murphy was out. Apparently he’s given you lot the slip, he got out right under your noses,’ Steve said handing over the equipment to David at the obs position in the building opposite Murphy’s business in Runcorn.
‘What?’ David exclaimed, ‘I don’t fucking believe it. Have you any idea where he is?
‘You and Cheshire were supposed to be watching him, not me,’ Steve said grinning knowing Murphy getting one over David would not please him.
‘Gary, come here,’ David said to the Cheshire DS. As Gary joined the two GMP officers, David looked at him and said, ‘Murphy’s not in the office, he gave us the slip this morning. See if you can step up the obs at his home and find out where the bastard is. We need to know if he met up with anyone this morning.’ As the Cheshire DS walked away, David lowered his voice and said to Steve, ‘I’ve got an idea who he’s met with. There’s a mole in the ISB office at Chester.’
For a few seconds Steve said nothing. He looked blankly at David as it gradually dawned on him that after all these years they were getting close to the mole that sold them all those years ago. After a few seconds Steve asked, ‘Any idea who it is?’
Knowing he could not divulge who was the suspected mole, David so wanted to tell his old friend who it was. Who sold them out was a constant nagging in their minds both had suffered over the years like a cut that could not heal. He looked at Steve and his heart wanted to tell him and put him out of the agony he had suffered more than David and said, ‘I’m keeping it to myself for the moment, but once I have more info I’ll let you know. It’s not that I don’t trust you Stevey, you know I do, I just want to be certain.’
Steve looked pensively at David and did not say a word. Breaking into a smile, Steve patted David on the shoulder knowing that he was putting his close friend in a difficult position and said, ‘I understand. I’d do the same in your position.’
‘What’s your man delivering at Murphy’s office?’ David asked.
‘MI5 intercepted an order Murphy made for computer software. They blocked the order, sent us some similar equipment and passed it onto us. A bit of luck really. So when he gets back from his auditing, he won’t suspect a thing, especially as the order included installing the software.’
‘Have you been released by Merseyside to assist me?’
‘No, I’ve got to get back and keep an eye on O’Byrne and McElvaney. Knowing how much you miss me, I took the opportunity to come over and see you,’ Steve said.
* * *
With two members of Gary’s team, David and Gary were keeping observations on Murphy’s business when David received a text message
on his mobile phone. Seeing it was from Debbie he opened and read it:
Alec
did
not
have
a
meeting
with
Julia
Hudson
this
morning
she
gives
a
different
version
of
events.
Now
at
your
parents
ring
me
when
you
can
.
‘I knew it was him,’ he thought putting his phone back into his jacket pocket. ‘Gary, can you hold the fort for a minute? I’ve got a couple of personal calls to make.’
‘Yes sure. Are you making arrangements for tonight with Debbie?’
‘Something like that. She’s going out with my sister,’ David said leaving the static surveillance point. In the bright early afternoon sunshine, he walked across the rear yard of the office block to the Branch car he was using. Opening the driver’s door a waft of dry heat hit his face. Leaving the door open to let the car interior cool down, he sat in the driver’s seat to ring Debbie.
‘Hello love,’ she said answering his call, ‘you got my text message then?’
‘So Harvey’s the mole then?’
‘I’m not saying it’s him for definite, but he lied about having a meeting with Julia Hudson. From what she told me, she gives Alec and the Branch a pretty free hand. She doesn’t interfere with them at all. I’ve told George about this development and Jenny’s told him to get over to Chester earlier to investigate Alec Harvey. He should be there by now and he wants you to ring him as soon as you can.’
‘Where are you now?’
‘I’m in your Mum’s spare room unpacking. Siobhan’s picking us up shortly to go for that make-over.’
‘Have a good night and give my love to Mum and Siobhan. I’ll speak to you later.’ After terminating the call, he rang George.