Stephen Leather: False Friends

‘I’m working on that now,’ he said. ‘The timing is dire.’

‘I’m sure that’s deliberate,’ said Button. ‘What about the vans?’

‘We are close to the three that we’ve been tailing and can take them out on your word,’ said the commander.

Three of the screens on the wall were now showing floor plans of Westfield shopping mall. Entrances were marked with flashing red squares.

‘Let’s see if we can tell what the drop-off points are going to be,’ Button said. She pointed at the screens. ‘We’re looking at fourteen entrances and exits in all. Several are reached by the car parks so if we can ascertain that any of the vans are heading to particular car parks we take them out and then we’ll know that those entrances are going to be safe.’ She called over to Lesporis. ‘Luke, we do have comms with Spider?’

‘Working on it,’ said Lesporis.

‘Soon as you can,’ she said. ‘And tell your watchers that as soon as they know where their targets are going to pull in they must let us know. And Zoe, that goes for the helicopter. The sooner we know where exactly they’re headed, the sooner we can take them out.’

Zoe flashed Button a thumbs-up as she continued to talk into her headset.

‘Commander, we need regular police in the area because assuming the armed response teams start firing there’s going to be panic. We’ll need to get people moving in the right direction.’

‘Can I suggest an evacuation of the mall and the surrounding shops?’ said the commander.

Button looked over at him. She knew that the commander was covering his back, making sure that everyone realised that the decision to allow the terrorists to continue was her decision and hers alone. ‘As soon as we know that we can neutralise all the shooters, we’ll clear the area,’ she said. ‘If we evacuate now we might tip them into shooting before the six o’clock deadline. But your suggestion is noted.’

Button looked at the clock. Ten minutes to six.

Lesporis raised a hand. ‘Charlie, Tango Two is heading for car park A, at the John Lewis end. Nowhere else it can be going.’

Button turned to the commander. ‘Take out Tango Two, Commander.’

Commander Needham nodded and pressed a number on his console.

Lesporis raised his hand again. ‘We have Spider on comms,’ he said. Button reached for a headset and put it on.

The motorcyclist was a true professional, barely using his brakes as he wove in and out of the traffic. They had already gone through two red lights, taking one at full speed and the other much more slowly with the bike’s hazard lights flashing. With no official markings or siren they were leaving angry looks and blaring horns in their wake.

The driver had had to remove the full-face helmet and pass it back to Shepherd because HQ wanted to talk to him and he needed the microphone and earphone built into it. It was now only the driver’s glasses that kept some of the wind out of his eyes as the bike continued powering east.

‘Spider, can you hear me?’ Button’s voice was coming through the earphone.

‘Yes, I hear you.’ There was no mic switch so Shepherd assumed it was voice-activated.

‘What’s your ETA?’

‘At the rate we’re going four minutes, maybe five.’

‘You’re armed?’

‘I have the guns that Khalid supplied, plus a few dozen clips.’

‘Where were Chaudhry and Malik supposed to go?’

‘They were dropping us at one of the car park entrances that would put us on the first floor. We were to chain the doors, start shooting and then escape via Marks amp; Spencer.’

‘Spider, it looks as if most of the vans are heading to the car parks. We’re taking them down now so the imminent threat is from the terrorists arriving by the tube and by bus. The likelihood is that they will be heading for the main entrances on the ground floor and the lower ground floor.’

‘Which is where I should be?’

‘Exactly. The first ARVs to reach the mall will head for the main entrance too and move in that way.’

Shepherd looked at his watch. It was eight minutes to six. ‘Charlie, you have to give them my description. Blue jeans, black polo shirt, brown leather jacket. I’m wearing Harvey’s green parka but I’ll dump that as soon as I get off the bike. The last thing I need is to get caught in friendly fire.’

‘It’ll be done,’ said Button. ‘We have ARVs en route but most of them are going to be getting there after six so you’re going to be on your own for a few minutes.’

Shepherd’s stomach lurched as a bus pulled out in front of them. The motorcyclist had seen the vehicle and accelerated at the same time as he leaned over to the right. Shepherd leaned in sync and they missed the bus by inches. ‘How’s Raj?’ asked Shepherd.

‘Raj?’

‘Raj Chaudhry. I left him at the van with a gun.’

‘The van has just been secured. We’re taking him to see Malik. Spider, one other thing. We’re going to start evacuating the mall within the next couple of minutes. We’re on to the mall people now and we’re going to start emptying the first and second floors through the department stores.’

‘What about just sounding the fire alarm?’

‘If the terrorists lock the ground-floor doors we’ll just be sending people towards the guns,’ she said. ‘Best you and the ARVs get there first.’

Shepherd looked over the shoulder of the motorcyclist. Ahead of them was Westfield mall. ‘Almost there, Charlie.’

‘Good luck, Spider.’

Button looked up at the screen showing the view from the police helicopter. She could see the motorbike arriving at the main entrance to the mall. ‘Commander, how are we doing with the ARVs?’

‘Two minutes until the first one arrives,’ he said. ‘Two minutes after that we should have a vehicle at car park B.’

‘And the vans in transit?’

‘Two have been stopped without shots being fired. We should have the third within the next minute or so.’

Button looked over at Zoe. ‘What’s happening with the evacuation?’ she asked.

‘I’m having problems getting someone there to approve it,’ said Zoe. ‘No one seems to know who’s responsible for authorising it.’

‘Head of security, presumably.’

‘He’s saying that unless he knows the nature of the threat he’s not prepared to evacuate the building. I’m contacting the owners of the mall as we speak.’ She held up her hand and began talking into her headset.

Button caught the commander’s eye. ‘Do you have any uniforms close by?’ she asked.

‘Two TSG vans already, more on the way,’ he said. ‘No blues and twos and they’re staying in the vans until needed.’

‘I think we need them in now, Commander,’ she said. ‘Tell them to go straight up to the top floor and get people moving through the department stores.’

Zoe waved at Button and Button nodded for her to speak. ‘It’s okay. The CEO is on to the head of security now. He’ll get the security teams to begin moving people out.’

‘Through the stores, not through the main entrances,’ said Button. She looked back at the commander. ‘We still need your people in there, Commander. We need to start getting people out. But discreetly. No panic.’

‘They’re on their way,’ said Commander Needham. ‘They’ve been told to say that there’s going to be a power cut.’

Button looked at the screen showing the overhead view of the mall. Shepherd was standing by the bike, opening his backpack. It was five minutes to six.

Shepherd rested the backpack on the pillion of the motorbike and handed the helmet to the driver. ‘Thanks,’ said Shepherd.

The driver slid the helmet on as Shepherd unzipped the backpack. The guns were both Glocks, similar to the MI5-issued one that he’d left with Chaudhry. He pulled one out, ejected the magazine, checked that it was full and then slotted it back into place.