Stephen Leather - False Friends

‘I’m at the university and I needed to find somewhere quiet,’ said Chaudhry.

‘You can talk now?’

‘Yes.’

‘Then listen to me, brother, and listen well. It is time.’

Shepherd was walking out of Tesco Express when his mobile rang. It was Chaudhry.

‘John, where are you?’

‘Hampstead,’ said Shepherd. ‘What’s wrong?’

‘It’s on,’ said Chaudhry. ‘Today. Today’s the day.’

Shepherd quickened his pace, heading for his flat. ‘What do they want you to do?’

‘I don’t know yet. Harvey and I are being picked up later today and that’s when we’ll be told. John, what do we do?’

Shepherd could hear the tension in the man’s voice and he was breathing heavily.

‘Just take it easy, Raj. Everything will be okay.’

‘This is it. This is when the killing starts. They want us to kill people. You have to do something.’

‘Raj, you need to be cool. No one’s going to kill anybody. We’ve got your back. Let’s just take this one step at a time. Now, who did you speak to?’

‘It was Khalid.’

‘And did he say where you would be going?’

‘He said nothing, John. Just to turn up outside an Indian restaurant and a van would collect us. Me and Harvey.’

‘Anyone else?’

‘He didn’t say.’

‘And the restaurant? Where is it?’

‘Stoke Newington Church Street. At five o’clock. That’s only four hours away.’ He was talking quickly again, the words tumbling into each other.

‘It’s going to be fine, Raj, I promise. Now, did he ask you to take anything with you?’

‘No.’

‘What about clothing? Did he tell you what to wear?’

‘Just casual stuff.’

‘Outdoor gear, indoor?’

‘He didn’t say.’

‘Did he say anything about bringing ID? Money?’

‘He didn’t say anything about that.’

‘Passport? Did he mention your passport? Or driving licence?’

‘Nothing.’

‘Okay, now the phone we gave you. The one with the GPS. I need you to take that with you and to keep it switched on.’

‘He said no phone.’

‘You’re sure?’

‘Of course I’m sure. He was very specific about that. He said that Harvey and I were to leave our phones behind.’

Shepherd tapped his phone against the side of his head as his mind raced, considering all his options.

‘John, are you there?’

‘Yes, Raj, I’m here.’

‘What do we do?’

‘Are you okay to go?’

‘I think so. But what do you think they want?’

‘I don’t know. I wish I did, but I don’t,’ said Shepherd. ‘Okay, now listen to me carefully, Raj. I want you and Harvey to do exactly as you were told. I’ll make sure that you’re followed and that you’re protected.’

‘You can do that? You’re sure?’

‘As soon as I’ve finished this call I’ll get on to my bosses and arrange it. You and Harvey do as Khalid says and I’ll make sure you’re followed every step of the way.’

‘But what if they want us to kill, John? What if they give us guns or bombs?’

‘Then we’ll see that and we’ll move in,’ said Shepherd. ‘Look, Raj, do you think you can take your phone with you? That would make it easier for us to follow you.’

‘But what if Khalid finds out? He’ll know I disobeyed him.’

‘It’s up to you, Raj. All I’m saying is that if you had the phone it would be easier for us to track you. But there’s no pressure. It has to be your call.’

Chaudhry laughed harshly. ‘No pressure? Are you serious? If they find out what I’m doing they’ll. .’ He left the sentence unfinished.

‘Raj, it’s going to be okay.’

‘You promise?’

‘I promise,’ said Shepherd. He ended the call with a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach because he knew that wasn’t a promise that he could make. He phoned Charlotte Button and told her what had happened.

‘Friday evening?’ she said. ‘Worst possible time. Any idea of potential targets?’

‘Raj had no idea. Unlikely to be a sporting venue, right? If they’re being picked up at five I doubt they’ll be in place by six. More likely seven.’

‘Seven o’clock in London? They could hit Soho, Leicester Square, the theatre district. Or it could be symbolic. Trafalgar Square. Downing Street. The London Eye.’

‘He wasn’t specifically asked to bring ID so I can’t see it’ll be anywhere that would need identification,’ said Shepherd.

‘Well, we can spend all day trying to second-guess them but that’s not going to get us anywhere.’

‘They’re being picked up outside an Indian restaurant on Stoke Newington Church Street. I’ve asked Raj to take his GPS phone with him so we can track him. He’s reluctant, though, because Khalid specifically said no phones. What about Khalid? Are you going to have him tailed too?’

‘Khalid shook his tail yesterday.’

‘How did that happen?’

‘Khalid’s hardcore al-Qaeda, Spider. Single-use SIM cards, disposable phones or callboxes, no computer of his own and only uses computers in Muslim-owned internet cafes, never conducts business at home but almost always face to face in public places.’

‘But he’s under surveillance, right?’

‘Most of the time, yes. But ninety-nine per cent of the time he does nothing. He sleeps, he goes to the mosque, he eats, he socialises. We’ve no idea what he says to the people he meets, which is why Chaudhry and Malik are so valuable. They’re the only assets we have in his circle.’

‘But yesterday he lost his watchers?’

‘It happens now and again. He goes into anti-surveillance mode and he’s clearly been trained by experts. We could have a dozen men on him and he’d still lose them all.’

‘So he knows that he’s being followed?’

‘Our guys are experts too, Spider. I doubt that he knows that he’s being followed; it’s just that every time he goes active he employs all the anti-surveillance techniques at his disposal. Like I said, he’s hardcore. I wish we knew what he was planning. We could be looking at anything, couldn’t we? Guns. Bombs. Chemicals. We just don’t know.’

‘There’s nothing to suggest that it’s a suicide attack,’ said Shepherd. ‘So I don’t think it’ll be bombs.’

‘They could be lying to Chaudhry and Malik,’ said Button. ‘It wouldn’t be the first time.’

‘What do you need me to do?’ asked Shepherd.

‘Where are you?’

‘Hampstead. Just dropping some stuff off.’

‘Soon as you’ve done that, come to Thames House,’ she said. ‘I’ll get an operation room set up.’

‘I’d rather be closer to them.’

‘No can do,’ said Button. ‘You’re not a professional follower. The last thing we need is you showing out. Soon as you can, okay?’

‘I’m on my way,’ said Shepherd.

Chaudhry unlocked the door to his flat and wheeled in his bike. Malik was sprawled on the sofa eating his way through a bag of crisps and watching a quiz show on television. Chaudhry glared at him. ‘Why the hell is your phone off?’ he said.

‘Battery died,’ said Malik. ‘It’s charging.’

Chaudhry kicked the door shut and leaned his bike against the back of the sofa. ‘Khalid called,’ he said. ‘It’s today.’

‘What?’ Malik sat up, spilling crisps over the carpet. ‘What do you mean?’

‘What do you think I mean?’ said Chaudhry, tossing his helmet on to an armchair. He folded his arms and stood glaring down at Malik.

‘Today? It’s today?’

Chaudhry nodded. ‘It’s today.’

‘What do they want us to do?’ Malik asked.

‘How am I supposed to know?’ Chaudhry said, shrugging.

Malik stood up. Stray crisps fell to the carpet. ‘He didn’t say anything?’