Dominic Conlon - Silent Warpath

‘I’ve felt better.’

Sean helped Lomax swing his legs over the side of the bed. ‘Here’s your clothes. I didn’t have time to get you any others — we’re up against the clock.’ He glanced at his watch. ‘We’ve just over twenty four hours to find a way of turning that sub back.’

Lomax grunted, struggling to pull his clothes on. ‘London’s been on the phone. They’ve persuaded the Yanks to co-operate with us.’

Sean turned and gave Lomax a surprised look.

‘Don’t ask me how’, Lomax growled. ‘But we’ve got full agency support, backed by the President, no less.’

‘Phew’ said Sean. ‘Shame it didn’t happen earlier.’

Lomax stood up. ‘How do I look?’

Sean shook his head. The contrast with Lomax’s normally immaculate figure was stark. ‘To be honest you look like a hobo who’s just crawled out of the hedge.’

‘Thanks’ said Lomax sarcastically. ‘We need to find a new safe house and plan the next move.’

Sean turned to go. ‘Oh, by the way, do you know where DD is?’

‘The police are hanging on to him a while longer. Not sure why, but you’ll need to check for ticks when you pick him up.’

Even in the new spirit of cooperation with the US, Lomax insisted on finding a new safe house without any American agency’s knowledge. It took two hours to locate one and check for tails before they could move in.

Lomax settled on a dining room chair, arranging documents on the table. ‘London just faxed over a set of plans for Dennis Clarke’s west coast residence.’ He pointed to the various documents. ‘A street map of surrounding buildings, the layout of the grounds, the possible location of guards and dogs. I’ve got an assessment by army specialists about the best method of access, egress and exfiltration. No doubt you’ll have your own ideas about access. But to my mind entry has to be over the seven foot chain fence surrounding the property. The army guys say there are probably sensors embedded in the grounds inside the fence which are not indicated on the plan.’

‘Very thorough’ said Sean, picking up the plan of the layout.

‘There is something else you should know. This time London is insisting on sending backup.’ Immediately Lomax could see the reaction on Sean’s face. ‘I told them you would object. They only agreed not to send someone new when I said I would cover your back instead.’

Sean rounded on Lomax. ‘Have you seen what you look like in the mirror? You look ready for the knacker’s yard.’

‘Maybe I do, but I have my orders’ responded Lomax, turning slowly with obvious pain.

‘No, Lomax. You know I work alone and you’ll just be an extra burden I can do without.’

Lomax thumped the table once. ‘Sean, you don’t have a choice. Whatever London says, I do and you do. There can be no argument.’

‘Listen Lomax’, said Sean heatedly. ‘The only reason I took on this job was because London agreed I would get a lone hand. I can’t work having to look over my back.’

‘It’s not going to be like that’ replied Lomax. ‘I’m just going to be there to help with the getaway.’

‘No’ said Sean again. ‘I said no and that’s final.’

When Lomax let Natasha in, she found Sean tugging on a dark jersey over his tee-shirt. She looked from Lomax to Sean. ‘Leaving?’

‘Give us a few minutes, would you?’ Sean asked Lomax.

Natasha closed the door. ‘When will I see you again?’

‘If all goes well I should be back in a few hours.’

‘And if not?’

‘I’ll find some way to get in touch. If we’re not back by daylight, phone your contact at the NSA and let him have whatever else you’ve got.’ Sean walked over to her. ‘You know the basics in looking after yourself. Just don’t forget what you’ve learnt.’

Natasha approached Sean and straightened his jersey. ‘If you have to go, please take care.’

‘I always do,’ Sean grinned.

Natasha pinched his cheek. ‘No, I really mean it.’

Sean smiled. ‘Look Natasha, I don’t really have time to go into this right now. Anyway, I think you know how I feel about you.’ He stopped for a second. ‘There is something that has been bothering me though. Did the NSA set you up?’

Natasha looked puzzled.

‘Did they ask you to get closer to Ben and find out what he was doing?’

Natasha lowered her head. ‘Yes. I felt really uneasy about it.’

‘But you did get to know Ben, didn’t you.’

‘In the end, I did.’ She looked up. ‘But it wasn’t like you think. He was a warm and honest person.’

‘So what happened?’

‘Nothing — nothing happened. I found out he was clean. Initially they thought Ben might be stealing secrets and sending them on to some other country. He wasn’t involved in anything major at all.’

‘He latched on to the security breach at SeaTek. That much we do know.’

‘I keep thinking, if he had told me earlier he might still be alive today.’

‘What’s done is done, Natasha.’ He took her hand. ‘I’ll try to take care. But you know that nothing is sure in this job. I can’t make any promises.’

‘I know’ she said sadly.

Sean parked in a sheltered spot overhung by trees. A short distance away a telegraph pole passed telephone cables over the fence and through the trees to the house beyond.

‘The house is set in two acres of land, surrounded by this green chain link fence’ said Lomax, looking at the layout plan. ‘These trees border the land facing the road. Close by there should be a stone wall about a metre tall. The wall and the trees should provide a decent screen from the property. I’ll put up the hood when you go in, so anyone from the road will think I’ve broken down.’

‘Opposition?’

‘We’re not sure if the fence is electrified.’ Lomax traced a line on the map. ‘Once over the fence, use the cover of the trees and make for this building. We think this is where the security guards are sited. There will be at least two guards on duty, 24 hours a day.’

‘Pressure activated pads?’

‘Quite possible. The likeliest place would be in the tree line just inside the fence. I wish we had DD working on this — he would be able to neutralise them before we go in.’

‘Before we go in?’ asked Sean.

‘Before you go in’ Lomax replied.

‘Dogs?’

‘Yes, you need to be prepared.’

‘I’ll need some flash bangs for the guards. Possibly some tear gas grenades too.’

‘Got a stash here’ Lomax gestured towards a rucksack.

‘OK, what about the house?’

‘London says Clarke lives alone, but he may have guests. Apparently he holds business meetings in a specially built office room.’

‘Exit route?’

‘Same way as you come in. An alternative is to go over the back fence. That leads out onto open land. You should work your way parallel to the road and I’ll wait for you two miles south of the property.’

‘Anything else I need to know?’

‘London says “Good Luck”.’

That was a nice touch from Murdoch, thought Sean — Andrews wouldn’t have bothered. He rummaged around in the back and took a wide webbing belt, a belt of tools and a large bolt cutter. Lomax gave him what looked like a small transistor radio, some crocodile clips and an ear piece.

‘Ten minutes’ said Sean. He left the car and kept well back from the road as he covered the hundred metres to the telegraph pole. He checked around cautiously. He could hear nothing except for the sound of birds in the trees and the occasional cricket in the long grass. He fastened the web belt around himself and the pole and began to climb. Every step or so, he had to adjust the belt for support. Within a minute he was near the top and in reach of the cables. He unhooked the transistor-like device and clipped two wires, one to each cable.