Brian Freemantle - See Charlie Run

Charlie was connected as quickly to General Sir Alistair Wilson in London and, assured of a secure line, did not have to go through the confusing ambiguity of Hong Kong. The Director listened without any interruption until Charlie had clearly finished and said: ‘The Americans did that!’

‘It couldn’t have been anyone else,’ said Charlie. ‘I led them out this morning, intentionally to confuse.’

‘Bastards!’ said Wilson. Continuing, his voice becoming strangely soft, the man said: ‘I don’t like losing soldiers, Charlie. Don’t like losing anyone, but soldiers least of all.’

‘I didn’t have any alternative to bringing Harry Lu in,’ said Charlie. People had been prepared to lose him enough times.

‘I accept that,’ said Wilson. ‘You be able to get there tonight?’

‘Yes,’ assured Charlie.

‘What about another squad, to Hong Kong?’

‘Let’s first make sure there’s a reason for their flying out,’ said Charlie.

‘You think you might have lost her?’

‘I don’t know enough to think anything at the moment,’ said Charlie.

‘No proof, about the plane then?’

‘There wouldn’t be, would there?’

‘Bastards,’ said Wilson again. There was a long pause and then he said: ‘Imagine being prepared to kill that many people, just to seal an escape route!’

‘Maybe I didn’t think dirty enough,’ conceded Charlie, recalling the other man’s remark at the London briefing.

‘I’ll still go along with it,’ said Wilson, more to himself than to Charlie. ‘I’ll wait until that first joint meeting, and I’ll get Kozlov if it takes me a regiment to do it. Two regiments.’

‘Need I tell anyone here, about the squad?’

‘No,’ said the Director, at once. ‘There is to be a several nation exercise in Australia, so the cover story stands. Sampson wasn’t carrying anything to link him to you?’

‘No,’ said Charlie, in turn. He hoped the man hadn’t made any notes after their meeting. He thought it unlikely.

‘I’ll need Cartright now,’ said Charlie.

‘Whatever is necessary,’ agreed Wilson, at once. ‘And Charlie — really be careful, understand?’

‘I told you I always was,’ said Charlie.

‘Don’t forget how I feel about losing people, will you?’

‘No,’ promised Charlie. ‘I won’t forget.’

Cartright drove and as they left the embassy Charlie identified the waiting Nissan and said: ‘The Director called them bastards.’

‘Still difficult to believe,’ said Cartright. The Nissan started to follow and the man added: ‘They’ll know it’s the airport.’

‘I want them to,’ said Charlie. He told the other man how he wanted them stopped and Cartright said: ‘Christ, you’re going to start a war.’

‘We’ve already got one,’ said Charlie. ‘They started it.’

‘There’s nothing more I can do?’ The satisfaction, at involvement at last, was obvious in Cartright’s voice.

‘We’re not sure yet if Irena Kozlov is even in Hong Kong,’ said Charlie. ‘You got Harry Lu’s number?’

Cartright nodded and said: ‘There was an instruction not to use him, you know?’

‘It’s been changed,’ said Charlie. ‘Everything’s been changed.’

Cartright looked across the car and said: ‘It was Harkness’s order. I got another one, about you.’

‘I guessed,’ said Charlie.

‘There was nothing to report,’ assured the man.

‘Thanks for telling me,’ said Charlie.

‘I didn’t like the position it put me in.’

‘Harkness is a bloody old woman,’ said Charlie, with feeling.

They passed a road sign indicating the airport and Charlie said: ‘You’ll have to be quick.’

Cartright looked in his mirror and said: ‘They’re quite a long way back.’

‘Got the names?’

‘Levine and Elliott,’ recited Cartright.

There are security barriers and obstructions permanently in place at Haneda airport, but there were additional precautions after the earlier plane explosion, extra personnel at each checkpoint examining every car. As the search started on their vehicle, Charlie said: ‘This should hold them, which will help.’

From where they sat the two men could still see the smoke-blackened hull of the British plane. The blaze that followed the explosion had been extinguished, but the wreckage still smouldered and fire engines and rescue vehicles remained grouped around it.

‘Wilson was right,’ said Charlie, as they were waved on. ‘They are bastards, to do that.’

‘Good luck,’ said Cartright, automatically, as they parted at the airport entrance, Charlie for departures, Cartright heading for the telephone bank.

‘Yeah,’ said Charlie, sourly.

Cartright stayed by the telephone after making the call, watching the car stop and identifying the Americans as they left it. Levine and Elliott hurried in and were halfway across the concourse towards the departure gates when the security men, who also used the Nissan to isolate the two, swooped in a coordinated, encircling movement. The Japanese had their guns unslung and the demands, in English and by name, for the two men to halt were amplified through bullhorns. Levine and Elliott jerked to a stop, bewildered, and momentarily Cartright thought Levine was going to try to run. There was another amplified shout and hesitantly both men obeyed, raising their arms in surrender.

Irena Kozlov emerged hesitantly from the Arrivals section at Hong Kong, looking around her. At first she did not recognize the name Rose Adams written on the piece of card, and when she did frowned up at the Chinese holding it. She stopped completely, uncertain, then at last approached the man.

‘Anthony Sampson?’ she said, curiously.

‘Yes,’ lied Harry Lu, for expediency.

He hurried her away as quickly as possible. He thought she was alone but it was always difficult to tell, in a place as crowded as an airport.

The Japanese Interior Ministry followed the strictest protocol, approaching the American embassy through their Foreign Ministry, which meant the involvement of the full US diplomatic staff, including the ambassador. A career diplomat only five years away from retirement and a $200,000 a year consultancy as an expert in Asian affairs at a Georgetown research institute, the ambassador ordered immediate discussion with Washington. The initial hesitation from the CIA headquarters at Langley, simply to gain time and seek clarification from Fredericks in Tokyo, was misinterpreted as indicating guilt by the enquiring US State Department. Anticipating a major crisis, State played politics, directing a second and independent enquiry to the White House, where the Chief of Staff had the same reaction as State and alerted the President. That lead to a direct what-the-hell-is-going-on call from the President to the CIA Director, who made the same demand, in a signed cable, to Fredericks. As well as responding to that, Fredericks was subjected to detailed questioning from the still-doubtful ambassador and after that had to go out to Haneda personally to sign for the release of Levine and Elliott. It was midnight before he returned to the embassy and the waiting, remaining, CIA group.

‘What!’ erupted Harry Fish, before Fredericks completed the explanation.

‘The British escape plane, sabotaged at the airport,’ elaborated Fredericks. ‘There was an anonymous call from within the airport itself, claiming Levine and Elliott were responsible.’

‘How were they identified?’ demanded Yamada.

‘The car,’ said the Resident. ‘Described in detail, right down to the registration plate. Even witnesses who remembered it around the military section this morning.’