Stan Mason - Stopping World War Three

‘Jason… we haven’t any choice!’ She was becoming very desperate into trying to win me over.

I shook my head slowly. ‘Without the plans of the laser prototype, it hardly matters whether we have a choice or not. I can understand where Menel fits in as Chief Advisor on weaponry to the 21st Century Crusaders but you haven’t explained what use Musaphia will be. What has that old man to do with all this?’

‘He’s an expert on diamonds and jewels. Rubies are used in lasers. If you get those plans he can experiment to perfect the weapon. He has a lot of expertise in that field.’

‘I’m not convinced about any of it,’ I grunted.

‘I’m sure we’ll meet him again,’ she predicted, lowering the papers to face me.

‘Not in the King David Hotel I hope,’ I rattled sharply. ‘I don’t want to go through all that again!’ I yawned and rose from the settee, walking towards the bedroom. I did not intend to look inside but the door was partly open. Beside the bed were a pair of two-tone black and white shoes of the kind that Jan wore. Very few women wore two-tone coloured shoes. As Penny collected all the papers, I stepped inside to examine them. They were size five… Jan’s size!

‘By the way,’ I asked, keeping my voice on an even keel when I returned to the lounge, ‘what size shoes do you take?’

She looked at me with a surprised expression on her face. ‘Five… why? Are you going to buy me shoes for my birthday?’

I shook my head and made a feeble excuse but I refused to accept her reply as the truth. It was too much of a coincident that both she and Jan wore two-tone black and white shoes size five. I had never seen Penny wearing them. But it was something I had to push to the back of my mind for a while. ‘I’m going to visit John Packman at the weaponry division,’ I told her. Theory is one thing… practical knowledge is another. I have to see this weapon for myself.’

‘It might be a good opportunity to learn the rules and the layout of the division while you’re there,’ she advised.

‘Rules, I echoed. ‘What rules?’

‘You won’t get past the main gate without a pass. You’ll have to get that from Packman. Then there’s a procedure before you can get to the area you want to visit. That laser gun is very well guarded as you’ll find out.’

‘I’m not interested in the gun itself. Where are the plans kept?’

‘There are two sets on microfilm. One of them locked away in the Chairman’s office. The other’s in a safe in the factory.’

I stared at her icily. ‘And you know the combination of the safe, I suppose.’

No, I don’t. The plans are also on the computer system. It’s a special programme but access is restricted and it requires a double password. Packman has one of the passwords, I have no idea who has the other one. There’s also another problem. You might find your way into the computer system but, for the purposes of security the weaponry division has a separate computer completely independent of the main system. To work on that one, in order to crack the passwords, you’d have to break into the security zone itself.’

‘That’s great!’ I muttered in annoyance. ‘Two sets of plans in safes fitted with alarms and a separate computer system with barred access and dual password in a security zone. How the hell am I going to get in there and copy the plans?’

She stared at me coolly. ‘There is a way. I know a computer expert who’s first-class at breaking passwords. He lives and breathes computers. He’s also brilliant on security devices which prevent people from entering secured premises. He could help you to do it.’

‘Is he a 21st Century Crusader as well?’

‘He’s an old friend of mine. He’s just been released from prison where he was jailed for three years for computer hacking.’

‘Oh brilliant!’ I guffawed. ‘A jailbird to break into a security zone with me!’

‘I couldn’t think of anyone better. You see the problem is how to break into the security area where the computer is located.’

‘I could get Packman to let me have a pass to gain access to the plant,’ I suggested naively.

‘If everything was that simple,’ she retorted. ‘The pass is a sensitised plastic card. Once placed into the machine, a security device makes certain it can’t be used again for twenty-four hours. You’ll need two passes. On for you and one for Chris Devon.’

‘Packman won’t give me two passes,’ I growled. ‘We’ll just have to copy the one given to me.’

‘That won’t work either,’ persisted Penny, ostensibly destroying every suggestion I made. ‘The card’s designed so as it can’t be copied. It’ll corrupt if you try to do so. But there is technology to overcome the problem.’

I sighed loudly to show my dissatisfaction. ‘What sort of technology?’ I asked tiredly.

‘Chris Devon will have it all in hand. I’m certain of it.’

‘But he’s been incarcerated for three years. He may not wish to become involved, let alone have the expertise to do what you want.’ By this time I was become rather exasperated.

‘You’ll just have to trust me,’ she went on.

‘Don’t keep saying that!’ I felt my blood surge through my veins as anger welled up inside me. ‘The risks are too great! I can’t do it!’ I walked to the door and opened it. ‘I’m going to the

East End… St. Katherine’s Dock. I have to check whether Jan is there.’

‘Very well,’ she nodded. ‘But it’s essential we see Chris Devon, my computer expert, as soon as possible. I’ll meet you at Leyton underground station in, say, two hours time.’

I glanced at my wristwatch to note the time. ‘If we have to,’ I groaned. Two hours. But then I must get some sleep. I feel I’ve been awake for a hundred years.’

She came to the door and kissed me sweetly. ‘We’ll see it through,’ she told me, brushing my hair back gently. ‘See you soon!’

The area leading down to St. Katherine’s Dock comprise a maze of ancient warehouses. The area was dingy and dirty and the air was polluted with wisps of wool imported from New Zealand which had been stacked in many of the warehouses. There was a strong smell of coffee as well as the delicate aroma of musk, peppers and a whole host of other spices. I read the address on the sheet of paper Davina had given me. It was a warehouse down one of the narrow lanes leading to the docks. The door of the place was slightly open when I arrived there and I peered inside. When my eyes became accustomed to the darkness, I entered.

‘Is anyone there?’ I called out foolishly, for if this was a trap I had walked straight into it with my eyes wide open. ‘Jan… can you hear me?’ My words echoed vacantly through the warehouse. ‘Jan… are you there?’ I sat down on a large sack which appeared to contain sugar and waited for a while but nothing happened. Eventually, I got to my feet and was about to leave when I noticed a long table near to a tiny barred window at the end of the room. I walked towards it hesitantly, interested to find out what was laying there. It appeared to be a body covered with a dirty sheet. I touched it with horror believing it to be Jan only to discover that it was her coat filled with bundles of straw to make me believe that it was her corpse. Someone was playing a very sick game! Unfortunately, such antics did little to help me find my wife. Where was she… in England… in Israel? I could only hope that she was not suffering!

I sat on the table with my back against the wall for a while in anticipation that someone might turn up to find out whether or not I had discovered the mock corpse but no one did. Then fatigue overcame me and I fell asleep. I was probably affected by jet-lag from the flight. When I awoke, I glanced at my watch to discover that over an hour-and-a-half had passed. I hurried out of the docks area to keep the appointment with Penny. When I got to Leyton underground station she was waiting patiently for me.