Matthew Dunn - Spycatcher

Will watched Lana sleeping on her bed while he sat in an armchair on the far side of her hotel room. Her duvet only partially covered her body, and a naked leg lay exposed over sheets. Will walked up to her and quietly arranged the duvet so that it was fully covering her. He looked at her and wondered whether she was dreaming. He looked at her and wondered what it would have been like to share her bed with her, to feel her naked warmth against him, to smell her hair and perfume, to wrap her in his arms.

He smiled and looked away from Lana toward the windows and saw that early-morning sunshine was just visible behind the curtains. He knew that beyond the room were men who wanted to capture and kill him. And he knew that they did not scare him. He looked back down at Lana, and his smile faded. He now knew that she could be the woman to change everything for him. And that knowledge terrified him.

“It’s delivered. She’s on her way back to the hotel.”

Will ended the call from Roger and drank his coffee. He was back at the Sheraton, alone, surrounded by businessmen and — women, tourist couples and families. Normal people. He rubbed a hand over his face, and as he did so his cell phone bleeped with a message from Patrick.

Stay where you are. I’m coming to you with something urgent.

Patrick’s face looked tired, but he still moved with a vigor and purpose that defied his age. He was pacing back and forth in Will’s hotel room. “Since you left yesterday morning, I’ve traveled to Langley and back to get hold of the paper you’re now holding.”

Will read the document. It was a telegram from the National Security Agency to the Bundesnachrichtendienst, Germany’s foreign intelligence service, known as the BND.

SUBJECT

Berlin-based terrorist cell plans to attack Reichstag Building of German Bundestag while the United States secretary of state makes his address to the parliament.

OVERVIEW

Details have been obtained of five active terrorists. Details have been obtained of their location in Berlin. Details have been obtained of their intention to destroy the Reichstag Building while parliament is in session and receiving an address from the United States secretary of state. Details have been obtained of their intention to carry out this attack using devices that combine thermite cutting agents and explosives.

MAIN TEXT

1. The following five individuals are known to have terrorist-related backgrounds:

a. Sonmaz Faturachi, male, age twenty-seven, Azerbaijani.

b. Raheem Abdul Abdullah, male, age twenty-four, Canadian of Iraqi origin.

c. Abel Zaidi, male, age twenty-six, Yemeni.

d. Imad Nabulsi, male, age twenty-seven, Lebanese.

e. Soraya Nashat, female, age twenty-two, British of Lebanese origin.

2. The five individuals are located in house 7, Onlauer Street, Treptow, Berlin. The five individuals have been in this location for nine days.

3. Twenty-five portable canisters containing combined thermite cutting agent and explosive materials are believed to be located at house 7, Onlauer Street, Treptow, Berlin.

4. The individuals intend to deploy and detonate the portable canisters around the structure of the Reichstag Building of the German Bundestag.

COMMENT

1. Separate reporting gives full details of the above five named individuals and their affiliations to Shia Islamic terrorist organizations. The five individuals are known to have received funding and training from Iran [NSA10/11832/L refers].

2. The type of canisters referenced suggest devices intended to destroy building structures and materials by explosion-propelled burning methods [NSA09/19985/L refers].

SOURCE

1. The source of this report is assessed as highly reliable. Multiple means are available to check the accuracy of the source and its reporting.

Will glanced up from the report. “Looking at the source, I presume this is Hubble reporting?”

Patrick nodded. “A valued friend within the BND called me to tell me they had received the telegram from NSA. He wanted to know what I thought, and I told him that I’d check it out. It’s from Hubble.”

Will set the report on a desk. “The American secretary of state and the entire German parliament? That’s a huge target.”

“It would be the worst attack on German soil since British and American aircraft bombed the place in 1945.”

“Do you think this could be the one we’ve been looking for? Megiddo’s operation to strike his blow against the West?”

Patrick shrugged. “I don’t know.” He stopped pacing and pointed at the document. “We have a puzzle. This does not look like the corrupted Hubble reporting, because it is far too specific. But if it is uncorrupted Hubble reporting, then why would Megiddo be careless enough to expose his operation to NSA when he knows that they’ve already penetrated his communication systems?”

“Maybe the mastermind behind this German operation isn’t Megiddo. Despite receiving previous funding from them, the terrorists may not be acting on Iranian instructions.”

Patrick shook his head. “An attack of this magnitude wouldn’t be allowed to proceed without Megiddo’s authorization.” He began pacing again. “Even if the planners were outside his control-and I can’t believe that to be the case-he would still find out about the attack and quash it for fear of compromising anything he’s planning.”

“You’re saying this has to be Megiddo’s operation but you can’t believe he would now have been caught out by NSA?”

“I’m saying I do not know.” Patrick brought himself to a halt. “The BND has handed the report to their Bundesamt fur Verfassungsschutz, who in turn are no doubt working with Grenzschutzgruppe 9 to stop the attack.”

“Then Germany’s Security Service will use its police antiterrorist unit GSG 9 to capture the terrorists and learn the truth behind the attack.”

Patrick exhaled loudly. “Therein lies the problem. An intended attack of this scale will be met with extreme countermeasures. My friend in the BND has told me that Germany cannot allow the terrorists to live, and so we will never know who was behind the plot. My friend also told me that GSG 9 is striking the house tonight.”

Will slammed a fist on the desk. “But we have to know whether this is Megiddo’s plot. If this is Megiddo’s operation, then Lana’s information becomes irrelevant as soon as the attack is thwarted. Megiddo will therefore disappear from our grasp. That means the only chance we have of tracking him down for retribution is via an interrogation of the terrorists.”

Patrick sighed. “I did warn you that ours would not be the only operation against the attack. If other Western intelligence services have prevented Megiddo from conducting his assault, we should just accept that and walk away.”

“Just as you walked away from my father’s killer once you had decided that your conscience was clear?”

The fury on Patrick’s face was vivid. He walked up to Will and stood very close. “I spent seven years trying to get that man, and with no care for my own safety or career. Along the way I personally killed twelve men, destroyed the lives of numerous others, had a death sentence imposed upon me by the Iranians, and lost two marriages. I did not give up. Megiddo simply disappeared.”

Will looked back into Patrick’s silver eyes. He smiled. “I understand. And you will therefore understand why it is simply unacceptable for us to now consent to a situation where Megiddo disappears again from our grasp.” Will’s smile vanished, and he looked away from Patrick. “We can’t allow the Germans to send their GSG 9 execution squad into that house. Our trail to Megiddo would vanish if that happens.”