

### OUT OF THE

### SHADOWS

### (Akira and Deane Thriller Series Book 1)

### Tim Jopling

Copyright 2018 Tim Jopling

Author Note

'Out of the Shadows' is book one in a series of novels and tells the tragic story of Akira and his quest to make his vision become a reality.

Acknowledgements

My biggest thanks go to my wife Hannah who has been a tower of strength for everything in my life, but she has also had to listen to me talk about all the variations that this novel could have been over the years and the end result would be nothing without her!

Thanks also to all the test readers who have been so supportive and provided such valuable feedback!

Licence Notes

This novel is a work of fiction. Names, events, places, characters, incidents and businesses are either products of the Author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner with kind permission from their owners. As such, all characters are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Table of contents

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Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Underground Murmurs (Akira and Deane Thriller Series Book 2)

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### CLAIM YOUR FREE COPY OF UNDERGROUND MURMURS

(Akira and Deane Thriller Series Book 2)

Get a **free eBook copy** of the next book in the series, 'Underground Murmurs' when you sign up for updates on the Akira and Deane thriller series.

The path to revenge is not an easy one. Akira has been stopped once but his hunger and desire for global change grows stronger every day. With the help of a political puppet he starts down a dangerous path to bring a former super power back from the dead to aid his strike at the heart of the West.

With Russia in turmoil Thomas Deane is dispatched with his new partner to prevent a political uprising unaware that he is walking into a trap. With his health failing him he has to draw on all of his experience to survive, but standing in his way is Akira who will stop at nothing to gain his revenge.

With MI6 de-stabilised by an attack it's forced to re-activate S.U.C.O. ( **S** pecial **U** ndercover **C** overt **O** perations) who together must prevent an attack on home soil. Masterminded by two of Akira's closest allies, Jozef Kiprich and Zoltan Ferec what lines will S.U.C.O. have to cross to stop them? Sam Olsen leads his team into the depths of the London Underground network and its many abandoned stations. Deep beneath ground level in tunnels not touched for decades are the clues they need to stop another attack.

'Excellent read! For anyone who enjoys action, suspense, mystery and espionage books then give this a go!'

To request your free eBook copy, email newsletters.timjopling@gmail.com or visit www.timjopling.com for more information

###  PROLOGUE

### Saturday, December 24th 02:00,

### Moscow, Russia.

In the shadows, along the banks of Moskva River in central Moscow, Akira closed his eyes and tried to clear his mind. As he did so, he thought of his future and the destiny he had envisaged for himself. He had come through so much in his past, and so many changes, but there was more to come.

His vision of the future had become the driving force of his life. A vision of what the world could be if he proved successful. Ever since he had left his old identity behind and forged Akira, he was determined to rid the world of the corruption that held it in such a vice. The West had to be conquered, there was no way to save it. It was time to start a new journey and Akira would be at the forefront. Nothing and nobody would stand in his way, not after what he had endured in the past. Russia would form the core of the change. Political control of the former superpower would come in time, as would his access to their nuclear capabilities. Akira had always favoured Russia, every corner of the country brimmed with power. A power that needed to be harnessed if his vision were to become a reality.

The December gloom didn't affect him as thick flakes of snow fell from a darkened sky onto a silent Moscow. Dressed all in black, Akira waited in the undergrowth for Martin Braga, the Moscow based British MI6 (Military Intelligence Section 6) agent he had tracked over the last two months. From his surveillance, Akira knew the man's habits, and where his contacts were located around the city. The longer he waited to strike, the more chance there was of his presence being detected.

Along the banks of Moskva River, with the famous GUM department store in the distance, Akira saw his prey approach his position. Seconds passed and Akira leapt out from the undergrowth. He smashed into Braga, who reached for his weapon but Akira kicked it out of his hand in one swift motion.

The two men fell back and faced each other. Snow continued to fall and with it came eerie silence as the tiny flakes settled on the ground nearby.

Akira calmed his mind and his racing heart. There was no room for error, his first real test had begun and he was not about to fall at the first hurdle. With his hands outstretched, he made his first move in San Shou. Akira had always preferred the ancient Chinese hand-to-hand fighting style. With it came confidence, knowing that his opponent's attack would be based around the fallible Savate style of fighting. Just like MI6 themselves, it was so one-dimensional.

That knowledge gave Akira all the confidence he needed. His past ensured he knew everything there was to know about Martin Braga and yet, to his opponent, he was an unknown quantity.

Akira moved forward and lashed out repeatedly. With his greater speed and power, he made sure his attacks did the damage from the start. The first blow struck hard into Braga's neck, and the second broke a cheekbone. A heavy blow to the chest forced Braga on his back and though he hit back, Akira parried the blow and lashed out at his temples. With his prey dazed, Akira moved in for the kill. His hands locked around Braga's neck and with all his strength he applied the force necessary to end the fight. For Akira, it was as personal as it could be. In all the years that had passed, he had waited patiently in the background, but the time had to come to emerge from the shadows.

Braga struggled to break free and started to contort his body.

Akira resisted and slowly felt the neck start to give way. When it finally snapped, the body of Martin Braga went limp. The snow continued to fall, and the silence gave him clarity on what he had done. It had been a necessary kill. There had to be sacrifice for change.

As he pushed the body away, Akira didn't look at the lifeless face that stared back at him. Many would call him a cold-blooded killer, but was he? The West had betrayed him all those years ago. Had their failure forced him down this path? His memories of back then, in what seemed like someone else's life, were inconsistent. Only fragments came back to him from time to time. As he closed his eyes, he tried to remember the finer details but instead, images flashed by. Static and grainy images of friends who should have helped him rather than turn their back on him in his most desperate hour. Friends he had once trusted with his life had betrayed him with devastating results. He had lost his soul mate and the only person who mattered, his beloved wife Madeline.

A vivid memory took over his thoughts. It was the sound of the machines that had kept Madeline alive in her final days and the smell of a hospital room. Akira shuddered at the memory but it would not fade. During those final moments, Madeline's voice had been so weak, and her smile so faint as she had stroked his face. That day, Akira had been born but even he sometimes wondered whether his soul was still there in that hospital room waiting to take in what had happened.

Amidst such grief, Akira had begun to hear Madeline's voice in his mind. Doctors had said he had suffered some form of a mental breakdown but he had dismissed it. His desire to have some connection with Madeline had been so strong he didn't want to consider any other possibility. Over time, her voice had grown stronger and when he needed her most she would come to him. In the years after her tragic death, he had become convinced they had both witnessed the vision they had been given and in some way, she could live on and help make it a reality.

Memories burned the remains of his heart and a single tear ran down his face. It didn't matter how often he thought back to those dark times, he still felt the sorrow and the heartbreak. All he had wanted was a life of happiness with Madeline. Why had they not helped him when he needed it most? How could they betray him after everything he had done for—

Do not go back to that place, my love. Time has passed and everything has changed. Our revenge starts now; do not doubt our vision of the future. They will pay the price for their betrayal.

Madeline. Whenever he needed support, she would come to him. Her voice sounded as clear as it always had. He closed his eyes and fought back more tears. 'I wish you were with me. This is proving...difficult.' His own voice broke for a moment.

Take control of your emotions and remember what they did to me, what they did to us! The West took away our future. They stole our happiness...

Akira nodded. Every word was true, but it was proving harder than he had imagined to start the journey alone.

The vision, my love, remember the vision. What we saw could change so much, and do so much good. You must stay the course. Don't forget what we lost, what we could have been!

'I just wish you were with me. I need you.'

I will always be with you, my love. We will be on this journey together, always.

Akira tried his best to remember the vision, and with it came a sense of hope and strength. The knowledge that only he and Madeline were aware of it somehow brought them closer together. That day had been unforgettable. The idea of a world without corrupt governments and their deceitful foreign policies had given him a ray of light, in what had been the darkest days after losing his wife. A world of change.

Show no mercy and do what must be done.

In his mind, he felt her presence as if she were next to him. Seconds passed until he heard no more and he walked away from the body of the dead MI6 agent. Within minutes, he had leapt from the riverbank into the nearby Alexandrovsky Gardens. Every inch was covered with snow and a cold wind rustled the branches of the trees. With each step, Akira made a silent promise to himself and his dead wife. His destiny was somewhere in the future and on that day, the West and its hypocritical governments would fall. The world would change forever.

This was just the start...

Chapter 1

### Wednesday, February 1st 05:05,

### New Cross Gate,

### London.

Thomas Deane accelerated the Audi A4 and swerved the car past a double-decker bus. Time was running out to board the 05:09 train at New Cross Gate station and with it any chance of success for Operation Concealment. He shifted the car into fifth gear and went through another red light as he powered the car down New Cross Road. 'Location!' His voice had an air of tension, as he barked at his partner.

Sam Olsen checked the map on the satellite navigation that was built into the dashboard. 'Stay on this road, and it's a left turn.'

'What time was that train again?' asked Deane as he kept two hands on the wheel and weaved in and out of the traffic.

'We've got four minutes.'

'We'll make it.' Deane sounded like he was reassuring himself rather than stating a fact. 'We have to make it.'

Thomas Deane and Sam Olsen were arguably the most effective partnership MI6 had to offer, and had worked together for almost a decade. Deane was a veteran of over twenty years of service while Olsen was the younger of the two and more likely to take risks to get the job done.

Deane accelerated the car past a bus and weaved through the small amount of traffic. The orange light from an overhanging lamp-post lit up his dark blue eyes. 'There's the turning for the station!'

Olsen held on as the car swerved around the corner and narrowly missed two people that were crossing the road at a pelican crossing.

The car came to an abrupt halt. Both men sprinted towards the station.

Deane dialled Operations Command, the nerve centre of MI6, and used the Bluetooth attachment so he could run and talk. 'Train location, Patrice!'

On the other side of London, French Special Agent Patrice Marraud stood in Operations Command at MI6 headquarters. In an area roughly the size of three tennis courts, he was surrounded by several groups of computer desks, terminals with scanning booths, analysis tables and other specialist workstations. At one end of the vast space was a large digital wall of screens which detailed the latest updates on each individual operation around the world. A large circular table below the wall of screens looked out on Operations Command.

Operation Concealment had been a joint operation between French and British Security Services, and Marraud's friendship with Deane had helped ensure the collaboration had been a success.

Marraud stood behind the on-duty manager and watched the feed from Network Rail that showed the train and its progress as it closed in on New Cross Gate station bound for London Bridge. 'It's pulling into the station now on Platform five. Confirm your location?'

Deane saw Olsen leap over the ticket barrier first and followed his example. 'We're closing in on the platform now. Order the train to wait!'

'Copy that. We're still waiting for confirmation from the train driver. Do your best to get on board!' Marraud gritted his teeth in frustration as he watched the CCTV.

Deane pumped his legs as fast as he could and saw Olsen, who was at least fifteen years younger, pull away as they ran down the access ramp that led to the platform. He glanced to his left and saw the train on the platform begin to close its doors.

Olsen made it to the bottom of the ramp and threw himself at the nearest set of closing doors. There were shouts of panic from some of the commuters but it was enough to stop the doors from closing as he blocked them with his legs. He saw his partner run down the platform and catch up.

Deane stepped onto the train and made sure his Spitfire G1 pistol was in its holster, inside his faded dark-blue jacket. It was a jacket he had worn for many years and Deane liked the fact he had survived many operations wearing it. Not that he thought of himself as superstitious, but he couldn't deny it was a comfort. Beneath the jacket, Deane wore a white buttoned-down shirt that had been ironed an hour earlier, paired with black trousers and shoes.

Olsen looked around the carriage. 'Now we need to find Baynes.'

Marraud had heard every word in Operations Command. 'CCTV shows he boarded the train in carriage four. It's an eight-carriage train, so I'd say it's likely he has moved to the front.'

Deane nodded. 'Agreed. We're in carriage five.' He scanned around his position. There was no sign of Robert Baynes.

Operation Concealment had been ongoing for months and had primarily focussed on how terrorist cells communicated with each other rather than direct capture. Baynes was a low profile data encryption expert and appeared to have been recruited and radicalised over time by a Middle Eastern terrorist group which had cells in London, Paris and Madrid. These cells were on several watch lists but the encryption level they used for communication had proved to be so complex, no agency had yet to make a breakthrough.

It had been Patrice Marraud who had identified Baynes after he had monitored a cell in Paris for several months. When they had found that London was to be his next destination, contact was made with MI6. Deane and Olsen had been mobilised and despite a failure at border control to track Baynes when he had arrived in the country, he had been identified via CCTV when he had boarded a train for London Bridge.

Deane slowly made his way through the sixth carriage, near the front of the train. As he did so, his eyes scanned and processed every individual and detail that he saw. The train wasn't busy at that time of day, which helped Deane, he was only looking for one target.

Sam Olsen followed and saw Deane indicate the public toilet that was at the end of the carriage. As he approached the dark green door, he reached inside his light brown jacket and placed one hand on his silver Beretta 92G Elite II 9mm pistol. As the door opened, he moved forward quickly.

The toilet was empty.

Deane frowned and looked through the double doors that led to the next carriage. 'We've got two more carriages to go. Let's keep moving.'

Olsen nodded. 'If he's not on this train, we'll have to deploy agents to the surrounding area.'

Deane gave the doors a push and stepped onto the next carriage when there was a big enough gap. 'He'll be here, I can guarantee it.'

The two men had been partners since Olsen had joined the service eight years ago. They were very different characters, and the older Deane was a stalwart of the service and valued rules and procedure above everything else. Olsen had a reputation for getting the job done but could be reckless. Despite their differences, their partnership was looked on as the best that MI6 had to offer and they were often found at the forefront of the latest threat.

The two agents moved slowly through the carriage but there was no sign of Baynes.

'The last carriage is up ahead. Be ready.' Deane looked back at Olsen to reinforce his warning. In the years they had worked together, Deane had come to think of Olsen as the son he never had, or never would have. His role at MI6 was now one of a senior agent and mentor, and though he would never admit it, Olsen meant more to him than anything else in the world and he would do anything to protect him.

Akira lurked amongst the shadows of London Bridge Train station. Even though it was early, there was a constant flow of trains that passed overhead. Dressed in a long black trench coat and the same coloured trousers and shoes, he took out a black balaclava from his pocket and pulled it down over his face. His short brown hair was covered by the balaclava, leaving two slits for his almond coloured eyes.

As he watched some maintenance staff leave the station, his thoughts turned to Russia and his plan to conquer the country in the not too distant future. It had not been easy to travel to the UK, especially with the balance of power so unstable in Russia, but he was keen to take what he could from his base in the UK and attempt to keep the Security Services guessing, at the very least. With some hard work, he had managed to recruit ten loyal Russian FSB agents to his cause. They were in the process of planning and executing several bomb attacks to destabilise the Russian capital and highlight the weakness of the current government. With that in place, it wasn't essential he was there and his time could be better spent elsewhere even if he would have preferred to carry out and witness the attacks personally.

His thoughts returned to the present, and the no show of his contact Robert Baynes. Though he couldn't be trusted, Baynes was never late. Much to Akira's annoyance, Baynes had carved out a niche for himself within the cell and had insisted on coming to London to carry out his work personally. His attitude wasn't welcome and Akira did not plan to tolerate it for long. From the moment Baynes had got involved, it hadn't taken Akira long to realise it had been a mistake. There was no dedication and his insistence on coming to London had only proven to Akira he had become a liability rather than an asset.

A red London bus passed his position and Akira watched closely as to who departed, to make sure he tracked the movements of any possible threats. After a few minutes, he felt satisfied he was safe and went back to his thoughts. Akira felt his phone vibrate and read a message from Baynes's replacement. It had been critical to ensure the data encryption work continued. The text was word for word what he wanted to hear and it made him smile. The meeting he was waiting for had now become nothing more than a formality.

Thomas Deane crossed from one carriage to another. The shadows fell across his face and the greying hair at the sides of his head stood out from his black hair on top. As he opened the connecting door the light fell onto a scar by his right temple, one that had come from a knife fight early in his career. Deane had taken one too many risks that day and he had no intention of making the same mistake again. As he entered the last carriage, it didn't take him long to locate the target near the double exit doors at the far end. In any operation, it was critical to keep a low profile where possible and find a way to apprehend the target but that changed when he saw him look in his direction.

Baynes knew the train would pull into London Bridge within the next few minutes and had been waiting at the double doors to make sure he was the first to leave. At the sound of the connecting door opening from the previous carriage, Baynes had seen the two men enter and didn't like what he saw. His stress levels were already high, as they were for any meeting with Akira, but he felt his heart rate quicken when he looked at the two men. Over the years Baynes had caught the attention of police, and the Security Services, and he felt he had a good eye for identifying them. He saw the two men scan the carriage, look straight at him and then away again. It was the way they carried themselves and absorbed everything around them. Baynes trusted his instincts and knew he was in trouble. He felt cold sweat dampen the back of his shirt.

Deane and Olsen started to move down the aisle towards the last set of double doors at the far end of the carriage.

Panic set in and Baynes tried to think of what he could do to escape. He saw a door to the driver's cabin but knew that would be locked. Could he use the gun in his backpack to take a passenger hostage? He could think of no way to survive such an encounter, and Akira would kill him regardless of the outcome. Baynes stepped closer to the double doors and decided he had to take the only option available to him. The start of the platform at London Bridge began to pass by the doors as he flicked open the protective plastic on the door override controls above him.

Deane had picked up the pace and instinctively drew his gun at the sound of the alarm. For a moment he wondered what had caused it but then saw Baynes pull the double doors apart. 'BAYNES!' he shouted. 'Don't make this any harder! Step away from the doors!'

Olsen had also drawn his weapon and stepped closer. 'I have a shot. We can't let him leave.'

Deane shook his head in disagreement and furrowed his brow in frustration. There was glass all around Baynes, any shot would be high risk. 'Hold your position. I want him alive.'

Baynes was panting hard as he desperately tried to open the doors wide enough so he could escape.

'Stay on the train, Baynes!' Deane bellowed at the top of his voice and ignored other passengers who ran past him to the other end of the carriage in panic.

Baynes knew what was at stake and threw himself out onto the platform. Despite the train travelling around twenty miles per hour, the impact took its toll, and he felt searing pain in his right shoulder. He forced himself to his feet as quickly as he could and ran along platform thirteen towards the ticket barriers.

Deane restrained Olsen from jumping out onto the platform and then saw the doors slam shut when the alarm ended. He pressed a button on his Bluetooth headset to talk to Operations Command in MI6 Headquarters. 'Patrice, Baynes has left the train. I repeat he has left the train. Confirm the location of Alpha Team!'

'I saw the commotion, Tom. Alpha Team are on the station concourse and are moving to intercept.'

Deane nodded with relief. 'Copy that, Patrice. We'll be there to offer support in a few minutes, the train is almost at a standstill.'

Olsen looked frustrated and tried to locate Baynes through the nearest window. 'If you'd let me take the shot, we wouldn't have to take the chance.'

'We need him alive and there were too many variables. He'll be in our custody soon enough.'

Olsen said nothing and tried not to let his frustration get the better of him.

The train slowed and then came to a stop on platform thirteen.

Olsen pushed the button to open the doors and stepped out first onto the platform. In the distance ahead he saw Baynes and then tried to locate Alpha Team on the concourse.

Baynes scaled the barrier and started to run across the concourse. Out of the corner of his vision he saw two men shout and then start to run towards him. Panic spread through him as he frantically looked for another exit. If Akira discovered he had been captured, his future would all but disappear. His only hope was to strike a deal as best he could and use his knowledge to bargain with his life. As he passed a large WH Smith store, his body couldn't take any more pounding. The pain in his lungs was unbearable as he came to a halt, and he was breathing so hard he could barely raise his arms in surrender. Within seconds, he felt the strong grip of the two men on his shoulders and slumped in defeat. He had no energy to fight his arrest.

Danger was never that far away and in the darkness, just over a hundred metres away, Akira stalked his way through the shadows. With every step, he moved closer to the station entrance. There weren't many people around so it didn't take him long to locate Baynes who was on the other side of the concourse flanked by two men. In one swift motion, he took out a black pistol and lowered himself as he took aim. Two bullets blasted out of the silencer attachment towards their targets. He watched Baynes fall to the ground first and saw his head split open on impact. The two agents drew their weapons to respond, but Akira had already fired and he saw both men stagger and then collapse to the floor. Some commuters had begun to scream and run to safety but Akira ignored them and calmly walked back towards the exit.

Deane's eyes were wide with shock as he jumped down from the ticket barrier and tried to locate the source of the attack. Commuters had run in fear and cleared the concourse so it didn't take him long. 'Baynes and Alpha Team are down, I repeat, they are down!'

Olsen fired off one shot but then saw the target begin to run at speed and set off in pursuit.

Deane followed and loaded his weapon as he tried to stay with his partner. 'Stay together!'

Olsen wasn't listening and picked up the pace. Despite his muscular build, he was young and fast and left behind as he continued the pursuit. As he reached the station exit he tried to locate the target and then saw sparks to his left as a bullet ricocheted off a metal door frame. He stepped back and then returned fire.

In Operations Command, French Special Agent Patrice Marraud felt the others around him jump with shock but he was used to surprises and forced himself not to think about the loss of Alpha Team. 'We're trying to locate him on CCTV. I'll mobilise Unit Two to intercept. We're doing our best to track him from here.'

Deane sprinted hard to keep up with his partner. 'That's a negative, we'll handle this!'

'There was nothing we could do about Alpha Team, Tom, we need to close down his exit points!'

Deane wanted to go back and help Alpha Team in the vain hope one of them was still alive but forced him to continue pursuit. 'Just get those paramedics here and we'll find him!'

Akira didn't stop and pushed himself that extra yard as he came onto St. Thomas Street. He gave a quick glance behind him. There! One of the MI6 agents was in pursuit but he couldn't locate the other. Akira fired again and then changed the magazine on his pistol. He didn't have another so he knew he would have to make those eight bullets count.

Deane left the station and felt rain begin to fall from the sky. When he caught up with Olsen, he indicated for him to take the left-hand side of the pavement as he took the right. Both men used parked cars for cover.

Akira saw a sign that read 'STAMFORD STREET, FIVE MINS'. He would soon be back at base to co-ordinate his escape and with it another victory over the looming British Security Services. As he continued to run, a nearby shop window blew out under the force of gunfire and Akira immediately darted behind a parked car for cover. He returned fire and saw two agents take up offensive positions.

Sparks flew around Olsen and then Deane.

Akira fired again and then heard the empty click of the pistol as it exhausted the magazine. He dropped it onto the ground but didn't panic. His eyes surveyed his surroundings and found hope in a group of youths who had come out of a shop further down the road to investigate what was happening.

Deane saw the target move and fired again but he evaded his fire and reached a parked car. He signalled to Olsen to join his move forward.

Akira smashed the palm of his right hand into the face of the largest boy amongst the group, knowing it would give him more cover. The rest of the group screamed in panic and moved away quickly. Akira dragged his prize down the road and ignored the constant struggle from his prey.

Olsen swore loudly and took aim as he crouched next to a parked car. In his sights he saw the eyes of the hostage were white with fear. Crucial moments passed until finally he lowered his pistol. Deane joined him and both men watched intently.

Akira came onto Blackfriars Road and deliberately dropped the motionless body which must have fainted, into the middle of the junction. What cars were around, screeched to a halt which caused a standstill that gave him more time.

His dream was what mattered, a world that wasn't led by the West. For what seemed like an eternity, he had waited in the shadows and now there was no one that would stand in his way. Since he had created his identity and left his past life behind him, Akira had been forced to kill several individuals from all walks of life that had become a threat. The agents tracking him would be no different.

As he pumped his legs harder and harder, his head snapped back for an instant and he saw the two agents fight through the panic-stricken scene he had left in his wake. Just before he turned away, he caught sight of one the men. Memories flashed by in his mind until finally he recognised that Thomas Deane was one of his pursuers. Anger and pain consumed him. In his broken mind, he couldn't stop the pure rage that reached every part of his body and he had to stop himself from turning around and engaging him head on. The dream was what mattered, he told himself.

As he ran, his mind continued to work at a frantic pace. Did the agents have a clue as to who he really was? Out of the question. Akira was looked upon as another dangerous visitor to the UK and he couldn't help but feel the irony. In Russia, only weeks ago, he hadn't seen the world as clearly as he saw it now. There was not a doubt in his mind that the West could not be saved. The corruption and endless red tape that had drowned it year after year had destroyed it beyond repair. It could never be saved. The changes would be devastating and would start now. Akira gritted his teeth and stepped up the pace, determined to find that extra level of speed to make sure he would have time to end the pursuit.

Deane heard Marraud in Operations Command talk via the Bluetooth headset but he ignored it as he tried to catch up with Olsen.

Olsen turned into Paris Gardens, and the sight ahead made him stop in his tracks. The target had gone. He raised his pistol as a reflex and slowly walked along a path that was lined with trees and bushes.

Akira put every muscle on alert and waited. As he did so, anger surged through his body as he recalled patchy memories from his previous life when he might have held some deep reluctance for what he was about to do. The years had changed him however, and there was no turning back. Everything was so clear. He felt Madeline inside of him and with her the confidence that readied him for the final act.

Olsen slowly moved past several oak trees and took one step at a time. Not for one moment did he realise that he had already passed his target.

Akira slowly rose from the shadows and then leapt forwards towards Olsen. His hands wrapped around Olsen's body and then he forced the gun to drop to the ground. A feeling of raw power consumed Akira as he held the man's life in his hands. That feeling was now all that Akira lived for. He seized Olsen's neck for the kill.

Olsen slammed his right elbow back with as much force as he could muster. He spun around but felt a shoe slam into his jaw and he staggered back.

Both men attacked and although Olsen was the more powerful, Akira's speed of attack gave him the edge as he repeatedly landed successful blows.

Olsen was a master of Sambo and had spent years mastering the Russian fighting style. He moved closer to the target and made several hand attacks as he tried to prevent him from escaping.

Akira smashed into a park bench behind him and felt blood run from his nose. He glanced to his right and felt outnumbered.

Deane came to a stop in Paris Gardens and aimed his pistol but before he could fire, Olsen blocked his view.

Akira had already identified Olsen's fighting style, and though it was polished, it was not without weakness. As they traded blows, Akira allowed him to move closer and knew Deane wouldn't fire if there was a risk he would hurt his partner. Eventually Olsen was within his reach and one well-placed jab to the temple was enough to knock him off balance. Akira didn't miss his chance and grabbed Olsen around his neck. He held firm and slowly turned to face Deane, using him as a human shield.

Deane's jaw tightened as he gripped the pistol tightly. He glanced at Olsen who looked alarmed but pushed away his thoughts of concern. 'There's no way out of this. Release him!'

'Shoot him!' Olsen shouted.

Akira jabbed his hostage in the ribs and kept one eye on the man ahead. He desperately wanted to tear Thomas Deane limb from limb but he pushed it from his mind and tried to maintain control. Madeline was in his thoughts and she too wanted him to engage. Akira stayed calm and slowly stepped back, taking his hostage with him.

Deane tried to find a shot, but the risk was too high. Olsen's head was too close to the target and the rest of his body was obscured.

Akira took another step back and stepped on what felt like a gun. As he stood behind Olsen, he glanced down and confirmed it was the gun he had knocked out of Olsen's hand during their initial struggle.

Deane took a step to his left and tried to find an angle for the shot.

Akira had one chance, and he wasn't going to let it go. He released Olsen and smashed his fist into the back of his head and then dropped to the ground to find the gun.

Deane saw the move and fired once but then turned to move when he realised what the target was reaching for. One shot clipped him across his chest as he dived for cover.

Akira fired again but missed. He tried to find Deane's partner, but he too had found cover. Madeline screamed in his mind to run.

There will be another time, my love. Go!

As he ran, he dismantled the gun and ran towards Stamford Street. Despite the scare, his arrogance and belief in his dream remained. The Security Services were close but they would be no match for him and his followers.

Thomas Deane slowly got to his feet and felt the damaged part of his bulletproof vest under his white shirt. His chest felt bruised, and it was only then he realised Patrice Marraud, had been trying to get in touch with him. 'Stand by, Patrice.'

Olsen felt groggy but saw Deane emerge from the bushes. 'We lost him. Are you OK?'

'It was a close call.' Deane put one hand on Olsen's head. His military-style buzz-cut of dark-brown hair had blood running through it. 'You're injured.'

'I could say the same for you.' He looked around for his gun.

Deane's mind wondered exactly who they had encountered. 'Patrice, are you there?'

Patrice Marraud exchanged a look with the on-duty manager in Operations Command at MI6 Headquarters. There had been widespread panic when they had lost contact with Deane and Olsen. 'Report, Tom, what's your status? We lost you on the CCTV.'

'We located the target, but he escaped. We're in Paris Gardens, not far from the building in Stamford Street that we've been monitoring. Order all teams to converge on that location, we'll meet you there.' He locked eyes with Olsen and loaded his pistol. 'This operation is a go.'
Chapter 2

### Wednesday, February 1st 07:45,

### Empty office building, Stamford Street,

### Central London.

A storm had taken hold over London and heavy rain could be heard coming down on the roof of the empty office building. Olsen and Deane stood firm and took cover behind two upturned tables. When they worked together, they were an effective partnership, and they were slowly overcoming the terrorists.

Several of the remaining attackers broke away from the reception area and sprinted down the corridor towards the stairs, in an abandoned damp and murky office block in Stamford Street.

Deane, a man who regularly defied his four decades, had seen it all many times before. In one quick motion, he loaded a fresh cartridge into his choice of weapon, a British made Spitfire G1 silver pistol and looked back to his partner. 'Hold this position, I can handle them from here!' After what had happened in Paris Gardens, he couldn't repress an urge to keep Olsen out of danger.

Olsen, in his late twenties and far more headstrong, saw his partner clear the table and give chase but he wasn't about to miss out on the glory. He reloaded his Beretta and joined Deane as they both continued the gunfight down the corridor.

Under cover at the bottom of a silver steel staircase, Olsen knelt close to his mentor and waited for the next move. Behind him, a mixture of police Special Branch, MI5, MI6, and French agents spread out into the winding corridors to flush out any remaining threats.

Deane didn't take his eyes off the men at the top of the stairs and was confident he could make the shot and storm the staircase to prevent their escape. How they were planning on leaving he didn't know but one thing was certain, none of them would escape. He felt his partner's presence behind him and saw Patrice Marraud, his old friend from the French Secret Service, take up position on the other side of the staircase. 'Take charge down here, Patrice. I'll deal with those upstairs.'

Maraud nodded and mobilized the other agents to sweep the rest of the ground floor.

'Don't you mean we'll deal with those upstairs?'

Deane didn't look at Olsen and readied himself to move. 'Stay here with Patrice!'

Olsen watched him go and cursed to himself. He knew how much Deane cared, but he didn't need protecting. With his gun blazing, he set off in pursuit.

Akira, on the ground floor and barricaded into a room, looked up as another attack came from above. His thoughts turned to his loyal followers who were sacrificing their lives to guarantee his escape. It couldn't be helped, it was vital that he got away. The diversion would keep the attackers busy so he could leave with several USB memory sticks full of data that was vital to the cause. Transferring the data, which included contact details for some of his key financial partners, was too risky, and he didn't trust anyone else to take the data out of the country.

He covered his face with a black balaclava and took great care to open the nearby window. Escape was not going to be easy. It didn't surprise him to see a man patrolling the side alley of the building. He would have felt uneasy if it had been deserted, as anyone from MI6 always followed protocol.

Akira leapt out of the window and dropped his considerable weight onto the man's shoulders. There was some resistance but not enough to threaten him. Akira considered killing him but decided to let him live to tell the tale that someone had escaped. It was a risk, but the thought of leaving a clear message that the operation had not been a complete success appealed to him. Whenever Akira toyed with MI6, it made him feel even more powerful. _Maybe then they will realise this was just a small battle. The war is on its way._ He cleared the nearby fence and disappeared into the darkness.

Deane felt the blood on his left arm but told himself to ignore it and get the job done. He took cover behind a wooden beam and assessed the situation.

The odds were not in his favour.

Behind the adjacent beam, Olsen had made that same assessment but, as ever, was defiant in his belief he would succeed as another round blasted out of the chamber of his pistol.

At the sight of such a precarious scene ahead, all Deane could think about was his partner. They had been together for almost a decade and he would gladly give his life to save Olsen's. Every mission together had been a joy, despite the inevitable disagreements. It was no surprise Olsen had disobeyed him, it was becoming the norm with each passing day. The thought of losing Olsen, as he had lost other partners before, terrified him to his soul. He fired his pistol again and snapped himself back to the present. 'Hold this position!'

Olsen watched his partner deliberately draw fire away from his position. Once again he felt he was being protected, which meant he missed out on the excitement.

Deane took down another two terrorists but four more lingered at the doorway and protected a fifth who had a mobile phone to his ear. Gunfire rained in and Deane stood behind a pillar for cover. As he did so, the fifth attacker ran to the fire escape staircase. Deane gritted his teeth in defiance and fired his weapon again.

Olsen saw his partner attack and took his chance in between the gunfire, determined not to miss out. He helped disarm the remaining terrorists, and barely heard an order from Deane to stay where he was, as he saw him run towards the emergency fire escape staircase. Olsen wanted to go after him, but saw movement out of the corner of his vision and turned back towards to the terrorists, to make sure they were no longer a threat.

One of the attackers tried to move his right hand towards a rifle that was just inches away on the floor. He heard Olsen step closer but even in the midst of defeat, he still felt he could somehow gain the advantage.

Olsen saw it immediately and slammed one of his size eleven shoes down on the man's throat. The barrel of his gun loomed over the head of the fallen attacker. Olsen's trigger finger quivered. The powerful pistol almost begged to be fired as dark whispers circled in his mind.

Seconds passed, and the pistol started to shake in his right hand.

Olsen blinked several times and started to come out of the darkness. He kicked the rifle away and spoke in a tone full of contempt. 'Just be lucky you're still alive...'

A large rumble of thunder made him look towards the fire escape staircase. Torrential rain poured down as dark clouds encased the night sky. To his right, he saw more agents emerge from the staircase. Olsen made his decision and ran out onto the slippery metal staircase that led to the roof.

Deane felt his left foot give way as rain continued to fall in a deafening downpour. Despite the threatening clouds that surrounded him, his steely blue eyes wouldn't budge from the target who had stepped onto the next level of the staircase. That left just one flight of stairs to reach the roof. _He's faster than me, somehow I have to slow him down!_ With one desperate move, Deane lunged and grabbed hold of the man's right foot.

Both men fell back onto the staircase and grappled with each other.

Deane smashed his right fist into the face of the terrorist.

In one swift motion, the terrorist swung out a large knife from inside his shirt and stepped closer.

Deane thought of the knife fight that had resulted in the scar on his right temple and tried to avoid the attacks. The metal staircase was soaked with water though, and Deane struggled to move his feet. There was no time to reach for his gun inside his blue jacket. One attack came within inches of his belly and he was forced back towards the edge. Still the knife came, perilously close to his face. He felt his balance give way. As he fell backwards, he reached out with his left hand and grasped the wet rail. His arm and shoulder cried out in pain as they took his body weight.

Olsen froze in position, two levels below and squinted upwards in the dim light to see Deane hanging over the edge of the staircase. As he raised his weapon, he fired off several rounds and saw the target run amidst all the sparks.

The terrorist left the staircase and ran onto the roof in the direction of a fire exit on the other side. Before he could make any headway he was grabbed by Deane and struggled to break free.

Deane was a calculated fighter and knew where and how to attack. He slowly forced the knife out of the target's hand and gave several jabs to both temples before he smashed his right fist into his face and broke the man's nose.

The terrorist tried to fight back but instead sustained several blows that pushed him further and further towards the edge of the roof.

Deane recognised that one push would rid the world of another threat. Memories of other government agents past and present that would have taken the easy option bubbled away in his mind. For Deane though, there was never a moment of uncertainty. As he pulled his prize back from the brink, he looked into the terrorist's eyes and wondered how many innocents had already died by his hand.

Olsen stepped from the metal staircase and holstered his gun. He was soaked through to the skin and another dark angry cloud hovered above. 'That was pretty close.' Olsen heard no reply, but he was used to it, he'd never met anyone as obsessed with his work as Deane. 'I've updated Operations Command.'

Deane saw the puzzled look on his partner's face but chose not to address it. As the thundercloud began to unleash more hell on the city of London, he dragged his prize back towards shelter but froze when he dropped to his knees.

The terrorist began to chant in Arabic. His eyes were transfixed on the side alley of the building that could just be made out from their position, some forty or fifty feet up. Tears ran down his face accompanied by sudden laughter.

Olsen struggled to make out some of the words but translated 'new world' and 'fall of the West'. Repeatedly, he told him to quiet down until Olsen's fragile temper broke and he smashed the back of his pistol over the man's head. Grateful for the silence, he glanced back to his partner. 'Did you catch all that?' He turned around, but there was no sign of Deane, just an angry sky and wave after wave of rain.

The blueprints of the building he had seen back at HQ ran through his mind like a computer until he found what he was looking for, the nearest possible exit to the alleyway the terrorist had been looking at. At the sight of a door, well hidden, he stopped in his tracks and studied the brickwork. It was new. The room was not on the blueprints. 'Did you check in here?' he shouted at a nearby team leader who immediately looked uncertain.

The door hinges cried out under the strain as Deane smashed his way into the ground floor room. Other agents were behind him, awaiting a first look at the room that had been carefully concealed but the veteran agent wanted to inspect every corner for himself, uninterrupted.

It was around ten feet long by eight feet wide, with no electricity and barren stony walls with damp in the corners. At the far end, a medium sized window was blowing open in the wind.

Someone had escaped, just like the terrorist had said. He rushed to the window and looked down. There, in the alleyway, was an MI6 agent slumped against the wall. For an instant he feared another death had occurred on his watch. Within seconds Deane climbed out and dropped down into the alleyway. On closer inspection he saw that not only had the young agent been spared, but it had been done for a reason. Someone was sending him a message. He caught sight of the investigation team leader who had also jumped down into the alley and spoke in a quiet tone. Deane felt embarrassed that his operation had suddenly become so flawed. 'Dust for prints, and look for DNA in that room. Report back to me at once.' One question remained. Was it a loyal follower or someone he was completely unaware of?

Hours later in a cramped office at MI6 headquarters in London, Deane, Olsen and Marraud sat together with the Deputy Chief of MI6, Kevin Ramsey.

'There can be no doubt, then? Someone escaped?' Ramsey was a towering six feet six inches tall, and an imposing figure. He turned from the window and studied the faces ahead of him for their reactions. His dark skin showed the sweat on his forehead as he wondered about the implications.

Deane spoke first. He sounded annoyed, and he felt it. His ego struggled with the fact that the operation had ended on such a low. 'There is no doubt about it. I've spoken at length with the agent who was patrolling the alleyway. He was jumped on and remembers nothing. Someone escaped from that building.'

'Do we have any leads?' Ramsey asked quickly.

Deane placed a file on the table. 'Months ago, Patrice and I identified fourteen men operating within that cell and we've tracked their movements ever since. We've now identified the dead and those we captured. We have all fourteen.'

Ramsey glanced at the file. 'All of them?'

'All of them.' Deane waited for that fact to sink in.

'Then the one that got away was someone we weren't aware of, on any level?'

'That's right.' As if he sensed the next question, Deane continued. 'It would either be another brainwashed follower who joined them recently, either from abroad or possibly from the local community, or...' Everyone in the room hung on his every word. 'Someone else of great importance to this particular cell.' Deane's tone was one of dread as he spoke the words.

Ramsey needed more than assumptions. 'I suggest we keep speculation to a minimum. We need to—'

Deane's voice overpowered that of his superior as he made his point. 'The room used for the escape was not on the blueprints of the building. It was concealed from view and during the raid the terrorists drew us away from the room. None of them have admitted that anyone escaped, which suggests whoever it was had their loyalty. I highly doubt they would do that for anyone.' He looked at Olsen. 'I'm wondering whether it was the man we chased from London Bridge station.'

'What are you basing that on?' asked Ramsey.

'I trust my instincts.'

Ramsey was in no mood to debate the point with no evidence to hand. 'I'll talk to the Chief of MI6 about this at my next opportunity.' Ramsey waited for silence and then handed separate sheets of paper to the two MI6 agents. 'Here, I have your new orders. Deane, you're to be assigned to Oman in the Middle East and await further instructions. Olsen, you'll be based here at HQ for the time being to conclude Operation Concealment. Good day to you, gentlemen.'

Deane stayed in his chair in a state of shock. Had he just heard Olsen was to remain in London alone? He tried to focus on the problem at hand. 'And the one who escaped?' Before he could finish his question, Ramsey had already shut the connecting door. Disbelief bubbled away inside of him as he wondered why the agency wasn't addressing the threat. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shake the feeling that someone of great importance had escaped and had done so with considerable ease. What was yet to come?

Chapter 3

### 1 month later,

### Thursday, March 1st 09:50,

### MI6 Headquarters, London.

The headquarters of MI6 stood alone on the Albert Embankment. As Olsen approached on foot, he couldn't miss the familiar cream and sea green colours of the building. With every step he felt that slight twinge of nerves, or was it excitement? Most of the time it felt to Olsen that the building had proved to be the bane of his life more than once.

Situated in Vauxhall, South West London, the headquarters of MI6 was in the very heart of London, the capital of the United Kingdom. A short boat trip down the river led to the most iconic parts of the capital. Tower Bridge, and Big Ben. The beating heart of the country, the Houses of Parliament was just a stone's throw away. Protecting it from any threat were MI6 and its sister in the Security Services, MI5.

Olsen was deep in thought. His fiancée Rachel came into his mind and the thought of her reminded him of the struggle he'd endured whilst trying to keep his work and personal life separate. Despite the recurring confusion, he knew what the bottom line was. _When I'm here, it really feels like I can make a difference, every day brings a new chance of that._ The twenty-eight-year-old government agent continued to reassure himself as he walked through the building entrance doors and into an empty Perspex tube. He placed his ID card into the reader and punched in his unique four-digit code. A green light lit up, and the tube swivelled and revealed the lobby. He headed for the lift across the black and white marbled floor.

As he made his way across the vast space, he passed other agents of all ages. Some he barely knew but still acknowledged, others he had practised with in the combat rooms of HQ where different forms of hand to hand combat were taught and mastered. His own form of Taekwondo and Sambo had been tirelessly learnt, day after day, in those same rooms all those years ago.

A young agent who had fast been gaining a talented reputation, William Hawk, passed him by. Hawk was a master of the Aikido form of attack and was popular in the ranks with everyone. Olsen smiled back at him and remembered their last training session where he had only just gained the upper hand. No matter who it was, there was always a feeling of togetherness and trust with everyone he saw, from the agents, to the teachers and even the administrators, all of whom were vital to the cause. The lift doors hissed to a close and Olsen chose the floor for the Chief of MI6's office.

His thoughts turned to Operation Concealment. Unfortunately, for the service, there had been no progress made on the identity of the escaped terrorist, despite joining forces with other Western Security Services such as the CIA and the German Security Services, GSG9. None of the captured men had revealed any details on the cell, despite the pressure that had been applied to them.

Olsen hadn't spoken to Deane since he had been assigned to Oman. As the lift announced the designated floor Olsen started to walk down the corridor and hoped he would be given clarity on his next assignment.

Akira kept his head low as he walked out of Seeb Airport in the capital city of Muscat, Oman. The searing heat and beautiful skyline made him feel more at home than he had felt in dismal London. The last month had been a sequence of carefully planned journeys as he had passed through the borders of several European countries. Oman had been his destination, and he felt relieved to bring his journey to an end. Throughout his travelling he had kept up to date with the carefully planned bomb attacks that were taking place in Moscow, all to destabilise the government, which was crucial to his vision. At that same time his thoughts had turned to the West and its protectors as he wondered how they were handling the increasing danger. It was idle curiosity on Akira's part. He knew only too well that the Security Services were unstable and on the back foot. It was only a matter of time before they would be wiped out forever.

Outside the airport he walked away from the crowds and turned left into a side alley. He caught sight of the Kiprich brothers in the distance. Two men from Hungary who in the past had proved themselves to be loyal followers and more than capable, if a little reckless at times. Despite their flaws, Akira knew they would be effective and more than competent at disrupting a British Royal visit. There was much work to be done. Not only for the upcoming attack, but to take his vision one step further and change the face of the world forever. That started with the death of Thomas Deane, and Akira couldn't wait to see it happen.

Kevin Ramsey had been covering the job of Chief of MI6 for the legendary Richard Elliott for just a few hours. Since the latter's sudden trip to Europe, the forty-five-year-old second in command had spent every available moment catching up on the latest developments. Ramsey stood up from his chair and ushered in the agent at the door. 'Our superior is away for the next fortnight. Take a seat, Olsen.'

Sunlight broke through the semi-dark room as it streamed in from two nearby windows. Whereas the rest of the building was modern in its design, almost cold in places, the chief's office seemed detached from time itself. A large grandfather clock ticked away slowly on one side, with the entire décor a heavy mahogany brown. Bookcases were on either side of the door, both stacked with dusty looking hardbacks. Unlike the rest of the building, no fluorescent lights were hanging from the ceiling. Instead, several quaint looking lamps were dotted around the room. A deep noise filtered through the room as the grandfather clock chimed ten o'clock.

Olsen remembered the low point of the last operation and felt on edge. He focussed his dark brown eyes on his superior and waited.

Ramsey clasped his large hands together and placed both elbows on the desk. 'Something has come up. I'm assigning you to Operation Safeguard. You'll be flying out to Oman on Wednesday, heading to Muscat, the nation's capital.'

Olsen sat motionless in a state of shock. His heart sank like a stone. Oman. The very mention of the place sent a shiver down his spine and made his mouth feel dry. Oman had been the country where his father, Geoff Olsen, had died years before. He had never been there and had no interest in going. 'Related to the British Royal visit then?' Olsen had seen details in the press about the event.

'That's right. As I'm sure you're aware, our own Prince David is going to Oman on a three-day goodwill tour, focussing mainly on the capital of Muscat. Naturally, the usual team of security agents will accompany the Prince. However, OMA1, Thomas Deane, will also play a part in offering additional covert support.'

MI6 had agents in virtually every country and were assigned a codename based on the location. OMA1 represented the MI6 agent in Oman.

'Now Deane was adamant about working on his own but I don't agree. I'm sending you to partner him.' The acting Chief of MI6 saw the furrowed brow of Olsen. 'Now, obviously this is a sensitive issue. The last time there was a British Royal visit to Oman, we lost an agent. Not just any agent, Olsen, but your father.' Ramsey shifted in his chair and looked uncomfortable. 'I won't force you to take this operation, Sam, but I don't want to leave Deane alone to carry out the work either. If you decline, I'll find someone else. It's not a problem.'

'I must admit, sir, I wasn't expecting you to ask me to go to Oman. It's a bit of a shock.' Olsen paused and thought about the decision. There was no doubt in his heart, he didn't want to go to Oman but turning down an operation was not his style. To do so would damage his career, no matter what the circumstance. At the same time, did he not have a duty, no matter what? He felt physically sick as he prepared to reply, knowing all too well what he was committing to. 'I'll do it, sir.' How he was going to handle this operation he didn't know, but he had a duty to his country and he was going to carry it out regardless.

'Very well, I'll make Operation ESPY, the operation your father was on, available to you. Archives are expecting you. I want you to be professional about this.' He raised his eyebrows and expected a positive reply.

Olsen had never been able to read the record of Operation ESPY and for a moment his mind drifted.

'Did you hear me, Olsen?'

'Yes, sir. This won't be a problem.'

Ramsey continued. 'Don't forget that as a member of the British Royal family is visiting a Middle Eastern country, security will be at its highest.' A large folder with 'Operation Safeguard' written across the front in heavy red type was passed across the desk. His tone changed as he issued direct orders. 'I want you to work alongside Deane. Travel with the British Royal party and offer additional security. Shadow every move and make sure no threats are allowed to compromise the party. Deane is aware of the operation objective and will shortly be informed of your addition to the operation. Whatever the history, I know I can rely on you both to be professional and effective. Deane is based in Muscat. The details are in the folder.'

Olsen took the folder. 'I can handle it, sir, you don't need to concern yourself.' He turned around to leave.

Ramsey spoke again. 'There's one more thing, Olsen. After this operation, I'm assigning you permanently to team S.U.C.O. I want you to lead the team from now on. We were very impressed with your leadership when we seconded you there twice last year. I've informed Deane. We feel your partnership has run its course, it has been eight years after all. Deane objected naturally but we've made our decision. Once this operation is over, report here and take on team leader duties.' Ramsey straightened the jacket of his designer suit. 'As for your current operation, do not deviate from the objective or allow your personal feelings to get in the way.' The acting chief of the service watched Olsen go, and opened another file from the pile on the desk.

Olsen stumbled out the door and felt overwhelmed at the changes. Team S.U.C.O. was the most elite of its kind at MI6. It was an honour to be assigned its leadership but what of Thomas Deane, the man he regarded as the closest thing he had to a father? The thought of no more operations with Deane troubled him but he knew he was ready to step out of his mentor's shadow. The feeling faded quickly though as the biggest change ahead of him broke through and lingered in his thoughts, the trip to Oman.

Coming to the end of the corridor, he entered the Archives department. There were two women on duty and the room was one of the largest in the building. Several computer terminals lined the walls, with thousands of old operation files stacked on bookshelves behind a man and a woman who worked as the administrators. He approached the desk and handed a slip of paper to the young woman who smiled at him, but Olsen didn't notice. He was consumed with all the changes that lay ahead.

'Agent Olsen?' asked the other administrator.

'Yes?' Olsen replied, nonchalantly.

'I have an urgent message from an Agent Deane. He has asked you to contact him after your meeting this morning. The message states it's of utmost urgency that you talk to him as soon as possible. Is there anything I can do?'

Olsen took the large folder for Operation ESPY. 'Thanks. I'll deal with it.' _No doubt, Tom wants to convince me to stay on with him as his partner. It can wait. It can definitely wait._ Olsen sat down at one of the tables and looked at the operation folder, which was thirteen years old. At first, he didn't really want to know much of what each piece of paper said, it was such a painful experience. As he turned each page, it struck him that it might be the only time in his life he would ever be allowed to discover what had really happened to his father. Years ago when Olsen was fifteen, his mother had told him what had happened. Deane visited the family home to give a few more patchy details. Yet, there in the faded pages ahead of him, were the real facts, the gruesome details that led to the death of Geoff Olsen. His eyes began to study each page with intense detail as he read on.

Akira sat in the back of an old white Mercedes car. Ahead of him were the Kiprich brothers, Jozef and Gyorgy, who had been watching the busy movement of cars and people in the marketplace. With the dazzling sun and array of people and treasures, the marketplace of Muscat was one of the friendliest and most beautiful in the Middle East but it was all lost on the three men in the car.

'I have the men you requested in place. When will we have the information on the Prince's visit to Oman?' asked Jozef.

Akira was used to Jozef's attitude, but that didn't make it any easier to tolerate. 'In due course.'

'You realise MI6 and local security forces will try to stop us?'

A smile spread across Akira's face. 'I'm counting on it.'

The car moved through the market but as it came onto the main road, the traffic intensified until it became a crawl.

'I know a different route to the harbour, Akira,' Jozef said from the driver's seat.

Akira had been monitoring his surroundings and keeping a close eye on two individuals that stood behind a jewellery market store, both with mobile phones in their hands.

'Akira?'

As the traffic eased, and the car moved more freely along the road, Akira saw a black Range Rover move from a side street and take up position behind them in the traffic.

'The harbour can wait. We seem to have caught someone's attention.'

Jozef glanced in the mirror and saw the black car. 'Who would know we are here?'

'Lose them.' Akira looked back at the car. 'Now.'

Jozef accelerated past several cars, but the Range Rover was equal to the task. He indicated right but then swerved left to take a slip road, but try as he might he couldn't lose the shadow.

On a busy roundabout neither Akira nor the Kiprich brothers noticed a second car that pulled up alongside them. In one swift move it forced the Mercedes off the road and onto the pavement.

The Kiprich brothers found their weapons.

'Do nothing until my say so.' Akira opened the door and stepped out to the sight of four rifles trained on him. 'I have no interest in any trouble.'

One man stepped forward. 'We have someone that wishes to speak to you. Come with us please.'

The Kiprich brothers stepped out and raised their weapons but Akira raised his hand to stop them. 'We will follow you in our car.'

It couldn't be right, it just couldn't be! Olsen sat back and stared again at the pages in front of him. His mind flashed back to the moment when his mother had sat him down and told him what had happened, together with his memories of when Deane had visited the family home and told them both that his father had died alone in Oman. Alone! Olsen looked at the operation report page and once again, it stated the unthinkable. Deane had been present at his father's death and was with him throughout Operation ESPY. Olsen mapped out the operation papers in order and read the statements from Deane. His mentor had been there, but they had split up on his father's insistence. He found another page that seemed to contradict that fact as Deane had given CPR to his father at the scene.

Olsen was shocked. To be told that Deane and his mother had lied to him for so long left a bad taste. What was already a sensitive issue had become even cloudier. The operation to Oman now seemed like the impossible.

Chapter 4

### Thursday, March 1st 16:00,

### MI6 Headquarters, London.

Ramsey studied several schedules spread across his desk and pressed the intercom buzzer. The assistant outside came through on the line. 'Have Burton sent in straight away please, Amy. Thanks.'

The different schedules detailed aspects of the British Royal visit to Oman. Ramsey studied them again and made his decision. The heavy, steel plated door opened in front of him, and revealed S.U.C.O. Commander Hal Burton. He was also the security advisor for Operation Safeguard. 'Take a seat, Hal. Good weekend?'

'Not bad, sir, and you?' Burton smiled briefly and adjusted his faded dark grey shirt.

'Fine thanks.' The acting chief of the service sat back in a brown leather chair. He glanced at Burton and noted that he looked distracted. For some months, Ramsey had felt the urge to talk to him about small errors that had crept into his work. There was a rumour going around that family problems were beginning to take their toll on Burton. He knew of other staff that had tried to raise the subject, but had not made any progress.

'I've been looking over the schedules you've prepared for the British Royal visit to Oman, this is good work, Hal. I've picked out schedule B for use, it has the least security risks and will work well for Olsen and Deane to offer additional support. What do you think?' After a few seconds and no response, Ramsey looked up. 'Burton? Are you listening to me?'

Burton took his hand away from his face. 'Sorry, sir, I was miles away.' He sat up in the chair and looked at the paperwork on the desk. 'Schedule C, sir?'

'No, schedule B, Hal. What's got into you this morning? If it's something at home, maybe I—'

Burton immediately looked irritated and interrupted his superior. 'Schedule B then. I seem to recall my security advisors preferring that option. Do you want me to circulate it?'

'Yes, send it to all members of the Royal security team, OMA1 and Olsen. That should cover everyone.'

'I'll get on that straight away, sir.' Burton lifted his heavy frame out of the chair and took the schedule from his superior's hand. 'Is that everything, sir?'

Ramsey wasn't sure whether to tackle the subject of Burton's family again. In the nine years they'd known each other, the two MI6 veterans had never really gotten along but Ramsey didn't want to leave a potential problem unaddressed. 'Look, Hal, tell me to mind my own business here but I should inform you that your work has suffered in recent months. Both Richard Elliott and I demand the best from our agents. You can talk to us. If there is anything we can do, we'll help. I hope you know that. Or even personnel, maybe they could put you onto someone.'

Burton refrained himself from telling his boss to mind his own business, despite a strong urge. Discussing personal problems or anything out of the remit of service work was not something he ever did. 'Thanks, I appreciate the offer, sir. It's personal though, that's exactly how I like it, you know?'

'I understand that, Burton. However, it doesn't remain personal when your work begins to suffer. Even more so with the work you do here. Sensitivity and a high level of quality are required at all times.' Ramsey paused for a moment and tried to choose his words carefully. 'Perhaps I could make an appointment with one of our career counsellors. Now I know that—'

Burton laughed out loud but felt insulted that his abilities were being questioned. 'No thanks, sir. I have problems just like the next man but I don't need to talk to a counsellor!'

'They offer a friendly ear, Hal, and you could talk to them about whatever is troubling you. At the very least think about-'

'I'm in control, sir. I know exactly what's going on at all times. Yeah sure, I have some problems and yeah, they are personal, but I'm not going to discuss them with anyone. OK?'

Ramsey pressed a little further. 'Have you discussed them with Kate?'

Just the mention of his wife's name caused Burton to get up and open the door. His light green eyes gave a slight glare as he clutched hold of the schedule paperwork. 'I'll circulate these straight away.'

Ramsey watched him leave, unable to think of any way Burton could be reached for help.

Olsen shut the file and drummed his fingers on the table. His fiery temper threatened to rise to the surface, but he forced himself to stay in control. There could be no denying it. Deane had been with his father in Oman and could have saved him from death. In the moments that had passed, many questions and actions had passed through his mind. He thought about ringing his mother but with her persistent health problems, felt it wrong to trouble her and drag up the past. This was all to do with Deane, it would have been his decision. _What possible reason could he have to lie to me for the last thirteen years?_ The question lingered around him as he tried to come up with possible answers.

'Sam, did you hear me?'

Olsen looked up and snapped out of his deep thinking as he laid eyes on his close friend, Dan Carter, who was the same age as him and a senior agent on team S.U.C.O. 'Sorry, Dan, I was far away.'

Carter thought about making small talk but where Olsen was concerned, he always spoke his mind and looked out for his friend. 'Tell me to mind my own business but you look like you've just been told you've won the lottery but lost your ticket. What's wrong?'

Olsen pushed the folder across the table and gestured angrily. 'Page twelve, Dan, read the last paragraph of Deane's statement.'

Carter looked at the text on the page. The operation name gave him some clue. It was as personal as it could be. He scanned over the words and let out a sigh. 'But you told me that your father died alone in Oman?'

Olsen took the folder and returned it to the administrator at the desk. 'Exactly. I guess I was wrong.'

Carter took the revelation on board and for several seconds didn't know what to say. 'What are you going to do? How did you get access to that folder, anyway?'

Olsen signed the declaration slip and turned around to leave. 'I've been assigned to the British Royal visit in Oman to work with Deane.'

Carter managed a wry smile. 'Nothing like confronting your fears. Are you sure you're up to this?'

Olsen wasn't in the mood for a long discussion and was desperate to get to the gym and take his anger out on the punch bag. He walked with pace across the large reception floor to the lifts. 'I'll manage. I'll catch up with you later, Dan.' He pressed the button for the lift and stepped inside when the doors opened. He turned back to look at Carter. 'One more thing. After this operation, I've been assigned to S.U.C.O. as the team leader. Keep it to yourself.'

Carter watched the doors close and gave a shake of the head to himself as he thought of the current acting leader of S.U.C.O. 'Alex Jordan is not going to be happy.'

Akira did not resist and felt two men grab his arms as he was led into a building. The group of men that had forced them off the road had accepted his offer but only if they had a designated driver and were blindfolded. The Kiprich brothers had resisted, which had frustrated Akira, and all three of them had been knocked unconscious.

'There!' a man shouted.

Akira was forced to sit down on a chair and the blindfold was removed. His eyes took some time to adjust as he looked around. He saw a darkened room with damp on the walls, a stack of boxes near the window.

'Leave us.' A tall man with broad shoulders stood by the window and turned to face Akira. He was dressed in military fatigues and had a deep scar on his face that ran from his right ear down to his chin. 'You're probably wondering who we are.' He folded his arms. 'I'm certain I can guess why you are here.'

Akira looked to face his adversary. 'I doubt that.'

'You're here for the visit of Prince David. That can be the only reason why you're here.' He gestured to the door. 'Those men you were with, the Kiprich brothers, I have contacts that have dealt with them before.' He knelt down, so he was on the same eye level. 'But you are an unknown to me. What is your name?' He waited for a response but when none came he smiled faintly. 'You may call me Abdullah. By now you must have realised you are not the only one with plans to attack the visit of a British prince. I have no intention of allowing any third parties to interfere.' Abdullah drew a blade and held it close to Akira's face. 'I'll ask again. Are you here for the Prince?'

Akira only wanted to resume his work. There was much to do to make sure Thomas Deane died in Oman. 'Yes.'

'To kill him?'

'Yes.'

'Then you will work with us. There will be only one attack. You can see that I haven't bound your hands. I want us to work together. Consider this my gesture of trust.'

Akira shook his head to disagree. 'I have no intention of working with you or any other group of mercenaries.'

Abdullah laughed out loud. 'Mercenaries? We are the Brotherhood and we look to free Oman from the reaches of the West. We may only be a small unit but for too long we have given up our heritage and our history. My men will follow you if I tell them to.'

Akira admired his goal but had no interest in any external influences. 'Where are the men I was with?'

'They are safe, for now. Tell me something, how well do you know this area? I've never seen you here before.'

'I've been here many times. I guarantee I know this area better than you.'

Abdullah did not look convinced. 'Better than someone that has lived in Oman all his life?'

'I know there is a local who works for MI6, the British Security Services.' Akira saw the look of surprise on his captor's face and decided to barter with his knowledge. 'He will be a crucial part of MI6's security arrangements and I know everything about him. Release me and we can talk about a compromise.'

'How do I know you're not working with MI6 yourself?'

'Don't insult me,' Akira snarled.

Abdullah paced around the room and thought about the proposal. He reached inside his military jacket and held something small in his hand. 'This is your wife, I take it?'

Akira stared for a moment and then realised he was looking at his own locket. A locket that was always around his neck and one he never took off. Immediately he checked but realised they must have searched him when he was unconscious.

The locket was Akira's prized possession, one of the few he still had. It showed him and Madeline in happier times. Part of him believed it was how he could still communicate with Madeline in times of need.

A cold sweat spread throughout his body as he slowly rose to his feet. The thought of losing the locket and his last connection with Madeline made him feel physically sick. 'Give me the locket.'

Abdullah smiled and held out the silver locket in his hand. 'You're in no position to barter.'

Akira's eyes narrowed and he struggled to control his rage. For anyone to touch his locket was an outrage, let alone use it to bribe him. He held out his hand. 'Return it...now.'

Abdullah had never seen Akira before and had initially thought he was of no importance, but he was starting to question that assumption. He decided to see how far he could push him. 'You'll have to take it from me.'

Burton returned to his office and dropped the Royal visit schedule on top of a pile of papers. He loosened his tie and sat back in his chair as he thought about his conversation with Ramsey over his performance and personal problems. As much as Burton wanted to deny it, his work had been affected by problems at home. _How am I going to get out of this mess?_ The S.U.C.O. Commander jumped slightly as his phone came to life and began to ring. He moved several empty drinks bottles out of the way and found the receiver. 'Yeah, Burton.'

'You're not going to believe what happened to me this morning.'

Burton's glazed eyes came to life at the sound of his wife, Kate. 'What is it? What's happened?'

'I was at the shops with Oscar, I got to the checkout and none of my credit cards worked! None of them! It was so embarrassing, Hal, you've no idea. I only had enough on me to pay for a few things and had to take most of it back. It's never happened before, it was just awful.' There was silence on the line for a moment. 'You're not hiding anything from me, are you?'

Burton rubbed one side of his forehead as a headache began to form. 'Uh...well, Kate, I probably should have told you about this before but we've been having a few financial problems of late.' Before Kate could answer Burton continued. 'I didn't tell you about it before as I didn't want to worry you with all the details. All you need to know is that I'm on top of it and I'll get it sorted.'

'Just how are you going to do that? You had trouble ironing your shirt this morning. Oh God...'

'Easy hon, easy, you're just going to have to trust me, OK? I'll think of something. We'll be back on track in no time.'

'We have a baby, Hal. For God's sake, Oscar is only fifteen months old, what sort of a home life is that for our child? Do you understand what I'm saying?'

'I know, you don't think I'm aware of that, Kate? Look...when I get home I'll tell you everything I promise. I have a solution to it all, you just have to trust me, OK? I've got to go, I'll leave as early as I can and we'll work this out. Yeah, OK, I'll see you then. Bye.' Burton chucked the phone back in the direction of the handset and released a groan. He knew all too well the situation had just become a hundred times worse. The headache had already started to increase as he rubbed his temples. Burton rose from his chair and walked out of his office towards the drink dispensers at the end of the corridor. Fumbling in his pockets for change, the forty-nine-year-old wondered when the powers that be would finally introduce free alcoholic drinks to ease the stresses of the job. 'Not bloody likely, that's for sure,' he mumbled to no one in particular.

'Bad day?'

Burton turned around to find a drinking buddy behind him. 'You could say that. Problem is, it's only going to get worse.' He looked at the can of lemonade that appeared at the bottom of the drinks machine. 'Still, I'm sure this will make all my troubles go away. What do you think?'

'Is this about those money problems? You mentioned something a fortnight ago in the pub. You were going to tell Kate about it.'

'Yeah, well, what I can say? Kate only found out just now when all her credit cards didn't work at the shops. I'm going to have to face the music on that one when I get home. I'm not going to tell her everything though, she'd probably leave me.'

'It can't be that bad, surely?'

'Uh...OK, brace yourself. As a starter for ten, I have six months of mortgage arrears. My bank accounts are practically empty, I'm behind on the repayments for the car and to top it all off I owe just over a hundred grand to a casino.' He noticed his friend's shocked face and managed a small smile.

'You're kidding me, right? Jesus...how the hell did you manage that?'

'I don't know. When I started falling behind on the mortgage and other payments I went to the casino to try my hand, you know? Then, with a bit of luck I got back on level terms.'

'But you know you're not supposed to gamble! What do you think Kate will do when she finds out?'

'Hey! Listen, I do not have a gambling problem! I can start and stop whenever I want and that's a fact. I'll get this sorted.'

'Seems to me that you created this whole problem. Why don't you do something useful and talk to Ramsey about getting an advance in pay? After all the years of service you've put in, he might just help you out. What have you got to lose?'

Burton sighed at the prospect. 'Other than my professional pride, you mean?'

'Surely your so-called pride isn't worth more than your family? I have to go. Think about it?' He slapped his friend on the shoulder and walked towards the nearest lift.

Burton watched him leave, none too happy with the advice from his friend. He looked at his drink and started to walk back to his office. With each step he began to realise that asking for an advance in pay could be the only immediate solution to his problems.

Chapter 5

### Friday, March 2nd 09:00,

### Oman, Middle East.

The sun was hotter than Olsen had ever experienced before. He glanced up but had to shield his eyes from the light. Not a cloud could be seen in the beautiful blue sky, just an angry-looking sun that had no cover. As he looked around him he was surprised to see the dusty outskirts of Muscat, the capital city of Oman in the Middle East. A sense of uncertainty spread through his body and mind as to why he was there.

Slowly, the scene appeared to be one that was familiar to him. Yet, that was the problem. Olsen knew he had not been there before, he didn't recognise the people or the setting but at the same time, he did. Before he could clear his mind, a disturbance came from behind. He spun around and froze at the scene ahead. 'Oh, no...please, God, no,' he said in a shaky tone. His voice sounded distant. As if it came from someone else.

Olsen felt his body weaken with fear as he tried to sprint towards the sight ahead of him. His breathing became frantic, and it sounded disjointed from his body. As hard as he tried, he couldn't make any progress. 'No! Hold on...I'm coming, just hold on, stay with me...DAD!'

Several hundred yards away from Olsen, his father was fighting for his life. Geoff Olsen had already defeated one attacker, but the second was coming at him with renewed anger.

Sam Olsen pumped his legs as hard as he could but felt like he was sinking in the desert sand. His right hand reached for his favoured pistol but found nothing. Olsen outstretched his arms in a desperate attempt to save his father. As he did so, he saw fear etched on his father's face as they locked gazes with one another. He screamed in anger as once again it seemed inevitable that he would fail his lost father. A sound came from behind him and as he looked back, another figure emerged from the sand, almost from thin air. The form of Thomas Deane, his father's partner and his future mentor appeared. Olsen's eyes were wide with fear. He felt completely helpless that nobody was rushing to his father's aid. 'DO SOMETHING! YOU CAN'T JUST STAND THERE!' he shouted at Deane, his voice broken with emotion. Moments passed but his father's partner didn't move, he merely stood with his arms crossed and watched the horror unfold. Olsen was now out of control, his hands were trembling, and his breathing erratic. He turned away from Deane to see his father on the ground at the mercy of the murderous gang that had now surrounded him. Olsen tried again to help...

'NO!' A sweat-drenched Olsen sat up quickly in his bed. It had been a nightmare. Terrifyingly real but thankfully, just a nightmare. When he had been just sixteen years old and for several years after that, Olsen had endured nightmares regarding the death of his father but none of those had ever seemed as real as what he had just experienced. Olsen had felt on edge ever since he had read the official operation documents. His heart was pounding in his chest as he got up and walked towards the kitchen. A small part of him wondered how he was going to cope with the operation in Oman and working with Deane when he now knew the truth.

Burton watched the rain trickle down the windows of his office. The dark, miserable looking clouds reflected how he felt in every way. The conversation he'd had with a friend at the drinks machine moments before had been playing on his mind. As much as he didn't want to admit it, his friend was right. Asking for an advance in pay didn't worry him, it was more the fact it was Kevin Ramsey that he had to ask. So far, his day had been dominated by his financial problems, together with the small amount of work he had completed for the Royal visit to Oman. He didn't want to admit it, but he wasn't coping and after his wife Kate and son Oscar had gone to bed the previous night, Burton had stayed up and had one too many drinks to ease the tension. At that very moment, all he could think of was yet another drink. 'Like that's going to happen around here,' he mumbled.

'Huh?'

Burton looked up at his assistant who had poked her head around the doorframe. 'Nothing, Dawn, I'm just having one of those days.' He walked over and took hold of the door handle. 'Did you manage to circulate that schedule and get a positive response from OMA1?'

The young woman smiled back at her manager. 'The security receipt came back OK, sir.'

Burton feigned interest and gave the door a push to close it. 'That's good, Dawn.' He sat back down and pondered his next move. The last thing he wanted to do was 'work from home' and be around his wife. A large argument about their financial problems was looming and so far, Burton had no solution or improvements to hand. The thought of borrowing money from another friend came to mind but was quickly dismissed. _Never borrow from your friends!_ He looked in the mirror, straightened his tie for the tenth time that day and tucked in his shirt. For the first time, the face staring back at him appeared to be drawn, tired, and worn out. Burton shook it off and held his head high. 'This one's for you, Kate.'

Ramsey dropped several files into his briefcase and rummaged through the rest of the stack on the other side of his desk. Before he could finish, the intercom buzzed.

'Hal Burton is here to see you, sir. He says it's important. Shall I send him straight through?'

The acting Chief of MI6 paused for a moment and wondering whether there was a problem. 'Yes please.' Ahead of him, the door swung open rapidly to reveal a weary looking Burton who looked like he had the world on his shoulders. 'Take a seat, Burton. There was no problem with the schedule, was there?'

'No, everyone has received it and the security receipt came back from OMA1 so we're on track.' He shifted in the chair and tried to think of the words to start his request. 'There is something else sir, it's related to my slight dip in efficiency of late. Do you remember what we talked about before?'

'You mean what you refused to talk about yesterday.' Straight away he scolded himself, he hadn't meant it to sound so condescending.

'Well, you're right, there is a problem, and it's one I need to be sorted. My wife Kate doesn't know the full story as yet so it's a bit delicate.'

Ramsey put the pen and folders back on the desk and gave his full attention. 'Just what is the full story, Burton? I mean everything.'

'Well, to be honest, I've been struggling financially. We're not talking a couple of thousand in debt, I'm talking bigger than that. I'm six months behind on the mortgage, low on funds and I haven't paid the instalments for other things like the car. That's the problem.' Burton sat up straight and convinced himself he had done the right thing in not mentioning his huge gambling debts.

'Well, there it is. I appreciate you telling me this, Burton. It can't have been easy. Believe me, if I had those problems hanging over me I would be reacting in exactly the same way.'

_Somehow, I doubt it_. 'Wouldn't we all, sir?' Burton managed a smile.

'It can't be easy for you or your wife.'

Burton felt pangs of guilt as he thought of Kate. 'No, sir, it's never easy when things get this bad. We'll work things out.'

'So, you'd like me to arrange a visit from one of our counsellors? I'm convinced they could help you here, Burton. At the very least, point you in the right direction.'

'Actually, sir, it was you I wanted to see. I need to ask a favour.' Burton noticed his superior's face change at the mention of the word 'favour'. 'Not exactly protocol, I know, but I was wondering if it was possible to have an advance in pay? Obviously this is a personnel matter but they would require authorisation from you, wouldn't they?'

'That's correct. You do realise that we're not in the business of bailing out our members of staff?'

'I realise that, sir, but I'm desperate here. I can hear the wolves at my door.' The expression on Ramsey's face did not change. 'I have worked for the service for close to thirty years, sir. I've never once made a request like this before now, have I? Well, have I?' Desperation came through in Burton's voice.

'That's true, your record has been exemplary.' Ramsey placed his hands together, looked away and thought hard about his next response. 'OK, Burton, I'll authorise an advance in pay. I'll explain everything to Elliott on his return.'

Burton suddenly looked energised. 'Thank you, sir. I appreciate it, really I do, I'll put in extra hours and make it up to you.'

'I'll have my assistant inform Personnel to authorise the advance of one month's salary to your account immediately. Just make sure you use that money to get yourself back on track, you hear me, Burton? We can't afford mistakes in our line of work.'

'I'm sorry, how much did you say, sir?'

'One month's salary. I'll also need to see proof of your mortgage papers, bank statements and any letters of relevance.'

'Don't think I'm not grateful for you bailing me out like this, sir, but I'm going to need more than that. I'm in serious financial trouble. I was thinking along the lines of at least three months' salary. I'll probably end up spending most of that money on essentials!'

'Maybe you've forgotten who you're talking to, Burton, but it's only because of your commendable service over the years that I'm authorising this advance at all. I can't pay off every bill for you, is that clear?'

Burton struggled to keep his tone of voice in check. 'I can't believe that after putting in so many years for the service, putting my life on the line, all I'm worth when I hit trouble is one month's advance in salary.'

'Don't kid yourself, your days as a field agent are long gone, not to mention short in the first place. The one month advance stands. Do you want to proceed?'

Burton wondered where the last thirty years had gone but knew it was better than nothing. 'Yes. That'll be fine.' He ran his hand through his black hair and began to massage his aching forehead. 'I'm out of line here, sir, I...apologise. The advance will come in handy. I do appreciate it, sir.'

'I don't want to argue, Hal. I'll sort out the advance straight away.' Ramsey watched Burton leave and grimaced to himself, as he wondered if he could have handled the situation better.

Burton pressed the button for the lift and leaned against the mirrored walls. Inside the lift, a digitised voice called out each floor as it passed by but the exhausted father of one didn't hear any of it. Burton stepped out of the lift in the basement and unlocked his car. He threw his briefcase and jacket angrily onto the back seat. One month's salary would help but it wouldn't make a dent on the debts he faced. The anger he felt towards Ramsey started to fade, and guilt took over. _Am I a failed father?_ _What sort of future am I providing for little Oscar? Kate deserves better..._

Abdullah continued to toy with Akira. 'Perhaps I'll crush this locket with my own hand. Would it really be that much of a loss?'

Akira stepped closer and was now only a few feet away. 'Is it worth losing your life over?'

In a flash he whipped out a pistol and aimed it straight at Akira's forehead. 'When I first saw you I thought you were nothing. But now...I'm starting to wonder if you are the one I've heard about.'

Akira slowly raised his hands as if he was about to attack.

Abdullah lowered the gun slightly and showed Akira the open locket with the picture of Madeline inside. 'I'll ask again. This woman is your wife?'

'She was my wife. What of it?'

'I know many people in this region and its neighbouring countries and I've heard rumours about someone like you. Someone who lost his wife, but no one knows anything else about your past. You're an unknown, and the more I talk to you the more I know I'm right. You're not even from this part of the world. Why would anyone trust you?'

Abdullah dropped the locket and raised his gun to fire, but in a flash Akira had grabbed the weapon and both men struggled to gain control.

Akira called on all his reserves and never took his eyes off those of his captor. Slowly, the gun started to turn in the direction of Abdullah until finally it was aimed at his head. Akira's arms quivered but held firm as he maintained control and kept hold of the gun. 'Madeline was my wife, and that is my locket,' he hissed. 'And for that, you will always regret it.'

Abdullah's face couldn't hide the fear he felt. His mind was racing, and he knew he should have killed the man and the Kiprich brothers when he had the chance. 'Please. I have a son. I am no threat to you!'

'How right you are.' Akira fired once and blood splattered his face. He let go of the body and then spun away and aimed the gun at the door as he waited for someone to enter at the sound of a bullet fired.

Moments passed and no one came.

Akira dropped to the floor and retrieved the locket from Abdullah's dead hand. He dusted it with his fingers and held it tight in his hands. A huge sense of relief spread through him and he carefully placed the locket around his neck and tucked it beneath his clothes. When the locket was safe once more he realised Abdullah's men had been expecting the sound of the bullet, but it had been meant for him. Slowly, he opened the door and saw a room opposite and a corridor that led off to the right.

Akira stepped out and knocked on the door. He then retreated into the room where he had killed Abdullah. Through the crack in the door he saw an armed man emerge and behind him, saw the Kiprich brothers tied to two chairs.

Akira watched closely and saw the man step into the corridor and past the open door. He saw him gasp at the sight of Abdullah who had bled out across the floor. Slowly, he moved behind him and pressed the pistol against his head. 'Lower your weapon and take me to the other room.' Akira followed and as they stepped into the other room, he pointed at the Kiprich brothers. 'Release them.'

Jozef was released first and then helped release his brother Gyorgy.

Akira handed Jozef the gun. 'These men know of your exploits. I have no interest in getting involved, I have my own priorities. Meet me at the harbour but kill them first.' Out of the corner of his vision he saw the guard visibly start to retreat but Gyorgy restrained him.

'We can leave now, there is no need to kill anyone! We can still accomplish what we set out to do.'

Akira stepped closer to Jozef. 'You misunderstand me. I do not want any loose ends. These people have plans to attack the Royal visit just as we do and I can't run the risk they will interfere and get in the way.'

Jozef looked at his brother but did not agree.

'You think you are being treated unfairly?'

Jozef looked like he was going to say nothing for a moment but then spoke. 'I just worry about word getting around that we killed these people for nothing. Our reputation is on the line, not yours.'

Akira opened the window and looked out onto a courtyard. 'I will wait here for a moment. When you engage I will leave and meet you at the harbour.' He looked at both men with intensity. 'Carry out my wishes.'

Jozef gripped the pistol hard with frustration and thought about aiming it at Akira but instead took aim at the guard who would be the first of many kills.

Burton drove past South Kensington tube station and continued down Sloane Avenue at speed. He felt on edge at how things had gone at work and couldn't shake the feeling of embarrassment at having to ask for an advance in pay. A bus tried to cut him up but Burton was having none of it and squeezed down the left-hand side and then turned into Draycott Avenue. Burton didn't stop at the zebra crossing and parked up outside a large end of terrace house. As he reached the white front door, he tried to make out any movement through the frosted glass as he turned his key in the lock. In the hallway, he stopped and listened for any sounds. Silence filled the entire house. Not even fifteen-month-old Oscar could be heard crying, which had been a common occurrence of late, after a recent bout of colic. Burton kicked off his shoes, passed the staircase and dining room and entered the living room. His wife, Kate, was sitting at the far end of the sofa with her eyes on the doorway.

As her husband lingered in the doorway, Kate Burton, with her long black hair tied in a ponytail, tried to control her anger. 'Nice of you to come home so early, Hal. I've been worrying all day over just how bad things are for us.'

Burton couldn't hold his wife's gaze and looked away. 'I'm sorry, it's been a really busy day but there's no excuse. Where's Oscar?'

'Having a nap. At least tell me what was more important than your family, Hal. I've been sitting on this sofa, that we don't even own by the way, wondering where we'll be in a couple of months' time!'

'I'd tell you if I could, but you know I can't, the Official Secrets Act makes it a bit difficult!' Burton paused and looked for that twinkle in his wife's eyes but it showed no sign of appearing. 'OK Kate, OK, let's just talk this through and then you'll know as much as me.'

Kate looked close to tears. 'I want everything, Hal, all the details, don't leave anything out. We're a family, remember. We're all in the same boat.'

Burton rose from the sofa. 'I could do with a drink before we start, actually.'

'Just tell me, Hal, for goodness sake! Tell me!'

'OK, fine! First, we're six months behind on the mortgage. Our bank accounts have hardly anything in them, we're behind on the electric and phone bill, together with payments on the car, the furniture and the home video set-up.' Burton gave a big sigh and bowed his head in shame. He felt like a complete failure.

Kate sat on the sofa with her arms crossed and didn't say a word. Several years ago, her husband had confessed to a gambling addiction. They had gotten out of trouble back then, but it had taken almost a year and they had needed financial help from family and friends. Kate thought hard about whether her husband would make the same mistake again now that they were parents. 'That's everything? I'll only ask you this one time, Hal, don't you lie to me about it. I'm your wife and you're my husband. Our young son is upstairs sleeping. You stand there right now and tell me that's all of our financial problems.' Her voice broke with emotion and she looked frustrated as she got up from the sofa and screamed at her husband. She could not believe she had been put in this position again. 'TELL ME!'

Burton jumped slightly and moved to close the door. 'You might wake Oscar, ease up!'

Kate started to cry and held her head in her hands.

Burton felt helpless and saw for the first time what his problems had caused. _What can I say? I'm a gambler, I'm weak, I'm pathetic, and we're up to our ears in debt!_ He sat down on the sofa and tried to find the words to tell his wife everything. _I've been gambling to help us, Kate_. His mouth felt dry, and he just didn't know where to start. He tried again to think of the words but before he could begin, the doorbell interrupted the silence.

At the door, all the colour instantly drained from Burton's face. Standing before him was one of the so called 'finance managers' from the casino. Burton knew they were effectively unofficial bailiffs and had come to collect the debt he owed. From the living room, he heard his wife's anxious voice.

'Hal? Who is that at the door?'

Chapter 6

### Friday, March 2nd 19:50,

### Draycott Avenue, South Kensington, London.

Burton looked over his shoulder to make sure his wife wasn't nearby and then back to the bailiff at his door. 'Don't do this now, OK? I'll come and see you sometime later today, I just can't do this now.'

The bailiff was well over six-foot-tall with a heavyset build. He pushed past Burton with ease. 'My boss tells me your first instalment of the money you owe us is way overdue. I've come here to make sure you honour that agreement.'

Both men looked round as a woman's voice filtered through the hallway.

Kate was standing by the entrance to the living room. Her eyes were focussed on her husband. 'Who is this man, Hal?'

Burton couldn't meet his wife's gaze, let alone manage a reply. After several seconds, he mumbled weakly. 'Why don't you go and see how Oscar is doing? I'll sort this out and be right up.'

Kate raised her arms and put both hands in her hair in frustration. 'NO! You tell me who this man is and what he's doing in our house, now. RIGHT NOW!'

The bailiff focussed his dark, cold eyes on the woman and took two steps towards her. 'Listen, lady, your husband's a gambler, and he owes us over a hundred grand! Now shut the hell up and—'

Burton couldn't stand it anymore. As Kate pushed past and ran up the stairs he stepped in closer and rammed the side of his hand into the visitor's throat. The bailiff immediately slumped over and gasped for breath. Burton took hold of his collar and dragged him into the nearby dining room and slammed the door shut. He knelt down and spoke into the visitor's right ear in a decisive tone. 'Now, you listen and listen good. Now is not a good time for me, understand? I want you to go back to your boss and tell him that he'll get his money. Not today, but he'll get it. That was never in doubt. If you ever come round to my house and talk to my wife again, you'll be worrying about yourself far more than my account.' With that, he dragged the visitor to his feet, opened the front door and hurled him out onto the path. As he closed the front door, Burton tried to regain control of himself and took a deep breath. His thoughts then turned to Kate, so he rushed up the stairs, and into their bedroom. The sight ahead made him stop in his tracks. Two suitcases were open on the bed, with Kate next to a wardrobe, sobbing uncontrollably. Burton knelt down but his wife refused to look at him. 'Kate......I......believe me. I was just about to tell you everything when that guy showed up. You have to believe me! Kate?!'

Kate had tears streaming from her eyes. 'How could you do that to me, Hal? Huh? I'm your wife and I have to hear your secret from some thug who comes into our house! This is our home!' Kate wiped away the tears and pushed her husband back as he tried to move closer. 'You lied to me, Hal! You did it again, you've been gambling with our lives! Look where it's got us, we're in debt; we have criminals coming here and threatening us. Where will it end?' The emotion took hold of her and she got up and began to lash out at her husband, striking him whichever way she could. 'How could you do this to us! How......'

Burton felt sick to his stomach. _How could I do this do my wife and son?_ That was the one question in his mind. More than anything, Burton wanted to hold his wife and somehow comfort her through the pain, in an attempt to block out what had just happened. He sat on the bed, but was unable to think of the right words to say. 'I wish I could turn the clock back, believe me, but I can't. All I can do is sort out this mess and we'll be back on track, I promise.'

Kate heard another empty promise, and she felt a surge of determination. She forced herself to her feet, wiped her eyes quickly, and continued to pack the suitcases. 'It's too late, Hal. I just can't believe you did this. It's not just me this time around but Oscar as well! No, we have to go, I can't allow you to do this to him as well.'

Burton felt physically winded at the thought of his wife and child leaving him for good. His mind went into overdrive, and he desperately tried to think of something that could turn it around. Then it came to him. 'No, wait! I didn't tell you about the advance in pay!' His wife looked up from the suitcase. 'I went to Ramsey and got an advance in pay. You have to believe me, Kate, this is the God's honest truth. I spoke to Ramsey today and got some money for us, enough to get these people off our backs. I'll do whatever it takes, I'll get everything back under control. Please...just give me another chance.' His voice broke with emotion and for a moment he wondered whether getting on his knees would help. 'Don't do this...don't go.'

Kate dropped a pile of clothes on the bed and looked into the eyes of her husband, the man she had once implicitly trusted. 'Don't make me walk away, Hal, the last thing I want is for our son to grow up without his father. I don't want to do this but I won't stand by and let you hurt Oscar either, he's just a baby!' She looked at her husband for a moment made a decision. 'How much money did you get in this pay advance, Hal?'

Burton's mind kicked in when he heard the question. Knowing all too well that a month's salary would make no dent on the debts they owed or his wife's frail state of mind, Burton made a decision. 'I managed to get twenty thousand in advance, Kate. They were great about it, it'll help us get back on our feet. You have to believe me here, I'll do whatever it takes to fix this.'

'Promise me you'll sort this out, Hal. You might think you can keep on hurting me but I'll never let you hurt little Oscar, never.'

Burton knew he still had a chance if only he could show how much he wanted his family to stay. 'Listen...Kate, I know I've never been the perfect father or husband, but I'm getting better, I know I can be the man you want me to be. Just give me one more chance.'

Kate felt the tears welling up in her eyes. More than anything, she wanted to have her husband by her side. The last thing she would ever want would be for Oscar to grow up with just one parent. _Can I trust him? Can I really trust him?_ She spoke in a whisper. 'It's different this time, Hal, you have to see that. We have Oscar now, you can't afford to keep on gambling with our security. Do you understand?'

Burton looked down and pushed away feelings of failure. 'I know I messed up...I know it, you know it but I thought it was for the best.' He looked into his wife's eyes. 'I was trying to help.' He held out his hands in front of him. 'I screwed up but...look, please don't take my family away. Please...I'll beg, if that's what you want.'

Kate barely recognised the man in front of her. The Hal Burton she had fallen in love with would never beg or be so desperate. For a moment she wondered where her husband had vanished to over the years. She thought over every possibility in her mind as clearly as she could. _If I leave now, I'll break him for sure. He's my husband, doesn't he deserve one more chance?_ Kate closed her eyes and this time another voice spoke to her. _Do it for Oscar..._

Burton felt the solitary tear run down his left cheek and knew his marriage was on a knife-edge at that very moment.

Kate placed the suitcases back on top of the wardrobe and wiped the tear from her husband's face. 'I'm doing this for Oscar, I want him to have his father around in the years to come. Our son is everything now, he has to be our priority. Promise me you'll put him first, Hal?'

Burton couldn't speak at first. He tried to take hold of his wife's hand but she had already walked next door, to Oscar's room. 'I'll be a better dad, and a better husband, I promise.' He watched Kate leave the room and go downstairs and in an instant he dropped onto the bed and released a woeful sigh. His chest felt tight and his whole body ached with stress. His mind was racing with possibilities of how to save his family but only one presented itself. 'Kate, I'm going to pop out for a bit. I'll bring in something for dinner, that will make a change, right?' Burton walked downstairs and out the door. In the car, he dialled a number on his mobile phone. 'John. Yes it's me, I need a favour. Do you still own that dog track? I know it's been a while, but I'm feeling lucky this evening. I've come into some money and I'm feeling lucky!' He dropped the mobile phone onto the dashboard, swallowed hard and pulled out of the driveway. Burton couldn't think of another option available to him. Ask Ramsey for more money? Not likely. If he could double the advance he had been given, it would go some way to making sure Kate and Oscar stayed in his life.

Akira tried not to show his frustration as he sat in the back of the white Mercedes. Since he had re-joined the Kiprich brothers, Jozef had refused to see his point of view. 'There is no delay, we are on schedule.'

'By killing a rival group?' Jozef Kiprich and his brother Gyorgy had carried out Akira's orders and killed all members of the Brotherhood group but he was still angry with Akira. They had killed those men and in time it would come back on them and them alone. 'We've lost precious time.'

'Which is not your concern. You're here to do what I need you to do and nothing more.' Akira studied his bloodstained fingers. It had not been his intention to make such a drastic move and kill the head of a rival group but no one would stand in his way. _And no one would ever threaten Madeline._

Jozef glanced at his brother in alarm. 'This was never part of our agreement, our names will be linked with those deaths and we have more to lose than you do.'

Akira's patience snapped. He lunged forward from the back seat and without warning, locked his right hand around the side of the driver's seat and the throat of Jozef Kiprich. He pulled back onto the seat with great strength and made sure he kept an eye on Gyorgy who looked alarmed but didn't move. 'I grow tired of your negative attitude. Continue with this and it will be your last debate.'

Jozef struggled to control the car and breathe at the same time. He waited for his brother to intervene but it never came.

'Akira, please, you'll kill us all!' pleaded Gyorgy Kiprich.

'Stay back!' Akira leant in close to his prey. 'Take me to where I wish to go and know your place.' He released his grip and sat back.

Jozef gasped for breath and felt his throat with one hand whilst keeping another on the wheel of the Mercedes. When he was confident, there was no danger ahead he glanced at his brother in disgust.

Gyorgy shook his head as if to say it was not the time to discuss Akira.

Jozef swallowed his pride. 'I am sorry, Akira, I did—'

'Get me to the location or heaven help you.' Akira tried his best to remain calm, but it was not easy. He focussed on the scene from the car window. The Mercedes was slowing moving through a local market and as Akira looked at the market stalls and the surrounding people he knew he had seen it before. His memories could no longer be trusted but something about what he saw dislodged something in his mind. The feeling made him uncomfortable, and he shut his eyes. He didn't want to remember the past, only the future mattered.

Jozef saw Akira on the back seat and wondered why he had his eyes shut. With every passing moment he regretted ever getting involved with such an unstable man no matter how much weight he seemed to have with different terrorist factions.

Akira focused on the present. The death of a British prince would send a message to the West but in truth he didn't care if he was killed or not. All that mattered was the death of Thomas Deane. It was vital he was killed early before the war started. There was no doubt that Deane would play a crucial part in the resistance and it would make a huge difference to remove him from the equation.

As the car moved along the uneven road, he caught sight of a building ahead. As much as he wanted to stay in the present he forced himself to remember if only for a moment. 'The antique shop at the far end of the street, the owner is a contact of an MI6 agent based here.'

Jozef looked back sharply and wondered how Akira knew so much about Western security protocols. 'Are you sure?'

Akira merely stared at his ally and then opened the car door when it pulled over. 'I just know. Go to the back of the shop and wait for my entrance.' As he raised the hood of his sand coloured robe, Akira immediately blended in with the busy shoppers. At the end of the street, he confidently walked into the antique shop and approached the owner. 'How long have you had this shop?' he asked bluntly.

Saheed was a tall man, with a thick black beard. He had been born in Oman and wore a light blue dishdasha, a traditional Omani shirtdress. He looked up at the visitor and gave a warm smile. 'Many years. How may I help you?' He rose quickly from his seat behind the counter when he saw the visitor lock the front door of his shop. 'Just what do you think you're—'

Akira cut him off and spoke in a calm tone of voice. 'You are a contact and trusted friend of MI6 agent Thomas Deane. I know Deane will be visiting you in the next few days. I want you to tell him that you have no information for him.'

Saheed had indeed known Deane for many years. He believed in his cause and had great respect for the man. He did his best to play dumb. 'I'm sorry but I honestly have no idea what you're talking about. What is MI6?' He raised his arms in mock confusion. 'I have never met anyone called Thomas Deane.'

Akira stood tall with his hands crossed in front of him. His eyes never once left the shop owner. 'I see.' He took several steps towards the counter. 'Your loyalty is admirable but misplaced.' Tilting his head slightly, he spoke in a questionable tone. 'Tell me, how is your young son?'

Saheed thought about the knife he kept under the counter but instead looked at the back of the shop as a door opened. There, ahead of him, was a chilling sight. Two other men had broken in, and one held his son at gunpoint. Tears ran down the child's face. Saheed looked back at the visitor and saw a face that showed no emotion.

Akira's voice was filled with frustration. 'I grow tired of this resistance...you will follow through with my request or you and your family will all burn when this shop goes up in flames.' Throughout the whole confrontation, his warped mind was full of one voice, that of his dead wife Madeline who spurred him on and fed his strength.

Saheed wondered whether Deane was still alive and felt shocked at how he had been compromised. For years, he had worked alongside Deane and had provided countless pieces of crucial information over that time but they had been so cautious, how had anyone been able to trace Deane to him? 'I tell you I don't know anyone of that name, believe me. I'm just a shopkeeper who—'

Akira raised his right hand and spat out the words angrily. 'Kill the boy.'

Jozef raised the gun in his hand to the child's forehead.

'NO! WAIT!' Saheed had reached his limit. He had spent many years helping the cause he believed in and had put his own life on the line many times but he would not sacrifice his family. He closed his eyes and spoke the truth. 'I do know Thomas Deane, and yes he works for MI6. He hasn't been in touch of late but I do expect him to be.' Saheed looked into the eyes of Akira. 'I am begging you. Please let my son go. I will do what you ask. Please.'

Akira ordered Jozef to let the boy go. He smiled faintly at the shopkeeper but it was not genuine. 'I knew I could count on you, Saheed. I will leave one of my followers here to help you. When Deane arrives, you will inform him that you have no information. You have not heard anything nor have you seen anyone that could be of use to him. Is that understood?'

Saheed nodded weakly. There was nothing he could do.

Akira left the shop via the back door with Gyorgy Kiprich. He wished he could witness Deane's visit but comforted himself with the fact that another vital cog of Western operations in Oman and the Middle East was about to be permanently removed.

Madeline would be pleased.

Chapter 7

### Saturday, March 3rd 09:00,

### Draycott Avenue, South Kensington, London.

Burton glared at the ceiling in a fixated stare. The last few hours had not gone as well as he had hoped. Despite his best gambling efforts, over half of the pay advance had been lost. As hard as he tried he couldn't stay calm and now feelings of guilt and panic had started to take hold. Sleep had been hard to come by as well. Looking his wife in the eye was not something he was capable of anymore. To his left, Kate was asleep and a large chunk of the bed was between them. Since Burton had told her of their financial problems, she hadn't talked to him a great deal. Plans had been made to get back on track but little else had been said.

Burton got out of bed, put on his dressing gown and walked into his son's bedroom. There, sleeping peacefully was Oscar Burton. The fifteen-month-old boy, to his father, looked so beautiful as he lay in his cot. Burton suddenly felt the need to repress the urge to burst into tears. _How could I have made so many mistakes? My son. I have a son! Just see what I've done for him_. He placed a hand on the boy's hair and desperately wanted to hold him but knew waking him would upset his wife who was still asleep in the next room. He spoke very quietly as the boy continued to sleep. 'You know, son, I've not been much of a father to you. I don't mind admitting that. I'm a lousy husband too, just don't tell your mum, it'll be our little secret. I just want you to know that I'll make it up to you. From now on I'll get my act together and be there for all of you. Sleep tight, little man.'

In the doorway stood his wife, who had been watching.

'Oh...morning. I was just having a chat with Oscar. He's still sleeping though, told you he never listens to his old man.' Burton walked outside onto the landing and smiled at his wife.

Kate tried to return the smile but couldn't manage it. 'Aren't you going to be late for work?'

'Nobody will notice me gone. A couple of things have come up anyway, I need to sort them before I go to work. What are you up to today?'

Kate watched her husband get dressed. 'What couple of things? Work things?' She studied her his face carefully.

'Yeah, just a few odds and ends. I can't tell you the details, you understand, don't you?' Hal gave his wife a kiss and brushed past her as he rushed down the stairs. 'I have to go, I won't be late. Make sure you have a good day!'

As he got in his car and pulled out of the driveway, Burton dialled a number on his mobile phone. He held the phone with one hand and tucked in his dark yellow shirt with the other. The car sped along the road, and Burton weaved in between parked cars. 'Harry! It's Hal here. No, not good, listen I need your help. Yes, you heard right, I need your help. I need to meet you right now.' Burton scribbled down a time and place and put his foot down on the accelerator. 'Thanks, I'll see you in a bit.'

Kate stood at the bedroom window and watched the world go by. She couldn't push her feelings away any longer. No matter how hard she tried, it was impossible for her to trust Hal anymore. There was no doubt in her mind that he loved her and their son Oscar, but Kate couldn't shake the feeling that the man she was supposed to spend the rest of her life with had continued to gamble, despite what had happened. She still loved her husband, she always would but with the trust gone, in her heart of hearts, she knew what she had to do.

Kate snapped out of her deep thoughts to realise the phone had been ringing for some time. 'Hello?'

'Don't tell me you're still with him?' said a voice quickly.

Kate recognised the voice of her older sister, Jenny, who would be calling from her home in Somerset. 'Yes but I don't think I can stay for much longer.'

'What have you found out?'

'The trust has gone, Jen. After everything that happened this week, it still feels to me that he is gambling. Maybe not now but in the future he'll go back to it. He just seems to think that he can solve that addiction in days, not months or years. What sort of mother would I be if I let that happen again?'

'I always said he wasn't good enough for you. He's weak, Kate, I'd love to say he will change but it won't happen.'

Sadness tinged her voice. 'I know that now. You should have seen him this morning though, with little Oscar, he loves that boy. I know he still loves me as well.'

'Kate, wait a second. This loser is a chronic gambler. He always was and always will be. How can he love his family if he's willing to put them through hell every time? Has he mentioned the financial stuff today?'

'No, we aren't exactly talking. I know on paper he must seem like a monster but he isn't. Hal is a loving husband and a fantastic father but he just has these problems. The trouble is, he never admits it's a real problem, just a little blip or something. I've done all I can, he just won't listen to me.'

'So what are you going to do?'

Kate pushed her black hair back and sat on the edge of the bed. 'I don't want to leave him. I don't think he'd be able to handle it.'

'You can't stay, Kate. Don't do it again. I remember years ago I told you to leave him, but you let him get to you. Now look at the situation, he's gone back to gambling but this time you're in big trouble. Oscar wasn't around back then but he is now and that didn't stop him. Don't you see?'

'I know, that's what I just can't believe. How could he still do that when Oscar is here? I don't understand.'

'Leave him, Kate. Do it today. Come and stay with us, we'll help you and Oscar get back on your feet.'

'I know you will. Thanks, Jen. It's OK, you don't have to worry. I already have one suitcase packed, he didn't even notice. I'm going to finish packing today, get a few things, and then go. Not straight away though, I'm going to take my time, over the next few days I'll do it.'

'Promise me you won't let him convince you again. You promise me, Kate. I know he's your husband but he won't change. Right?'

She sighed heavily and bowed her head. 'I know that now. As much as it breaks my heart to say it, I know he won't change.'

'Are you going to tell him or just go?'

'No, not face to face. I'll leave him a note with my wedding ring and that'll be it. I don't think I'm strong enough to confront him about it right now. I'll take what money I can get, sell a few things here maybe and come to you in Somerset. He's bound to call you when he finds out.'

'Don't worry, I'll make sure he never suspects you might be here. It'll work out, I know it will. You're doing the right thing. Might not feel like it for you but definitely for Oscar.'

'I know. That's what I keep telling myself. I'll talk to you soon, sis. Bye.' She ended the call and hugged the receiver for a moment. As she did so, she looked around the bedroom as if for the last time. Memories threatened to take her over, but she resisted and pulled out a half packed suitcase from under the bed. Kate began to pack her bags.

Deane was alone in his cream Land Rover. He pulled the vehicle over to one side and parked just before the start of the marketplace of Muscat. As he turned the engine off, he glanced in all the mirrors and gave a long studious look around his position. Information was everything to Thomas Deane. The more he collated at any given point, the longer he would live. A mental picture formed in his mind as his eyes took everything on board.

A light grey Fiat saloon, registration F1J 8FY passed his parked position. A young woman waited behind one of the market stalls and a market trader watched his Land Rover. All of it was processed and stored away in the far corners of Deane's mind.

Deane also thought about the future. The operation ahead would prove to be a challenge but he felt confident that with Sam's help they would protect the Royal contingent. As he thought of Olsen, he wondered what had been going on in London during the last few days. Deane had been expecting a phone call or early visit from Olsen, demanding answers as to why the facts surrounding the death of Geoff Olsen didn't match what he was told. _Maybe Sam chose not to read the operation folder of ESPY? He didn't return my message after all._ Operation ESPY brought back many painful memories, none of which he wanted to recall. He made a note to himself not to discuss the past and focus on the future. _A future alone?_ MI6's decision to break up their partnership had come as a surprise. Regardless of the change, Deane felt confident he could convince Olsen and MI6 that it would be better for everyone to continue as they had done for the past eight years and work together.

Deane got out of the car and entered the back door of the antique shop. As he arrived at the door, he gave his usual three knocks and waited for his contact to arrive.

Inside the shop, Saheed felt the icy stare of Jozef, who stepped into a nearby room. He answered the back door and gave a hug to his old friend. 'It is good to see you, Thomas.'

Deane gave a rare smile and felt genuine affection for his contact and friend, who had risked his life many times over the years. 'It's been too long, Saheed. Are you well?'

Saheed was well aware of Deane's perceptive qualities and was doing all he could to act as natural as possible. He was certain his friend could handle the intruder in his shop but how quickly it could be done was in doubt. Could the terrorist fire off enough shots to harm or even kill his family? Saheed had made his decision and prayed he would have a chance to make up for his betrayal in the future. 'I am well my friend and as ever, I am at your service.'

Deane looked around the shop floor. 'I'm always grateful for your help, Saheed, I hope you know that. I need to call on your local knowledge once again.'

Saheed was certain the intruder was listening and decided to play along a little longer before following orders. 'What do you need, Thomas?'

Deane gave another look around his surroundings and continued in a low voice. 'A member of the British Royal family is coming to Muscat on a three-day visit. I'm convinced there will be some form of attack in the pipeline, or some threat that will surface. I'm doing all I can but as I've always said, you can't put a price on local knowledge. I need your help.'

Saheed so wanted to help his friend. Deane had proved himself to be the bravest man he had ever known and more than anything he wanted to give detailed descriptions of the three men that had broken into his shop just a day ago. By doing that, lives would be saved. Saheed knew if he were single and could take the risk on his own, he would tell his friend the truth at that very moment with no fear of the consequences. If only it were possible. He hated himself for what he was about to do. 'I am sorry, my friend, but I have nothing for you. Perhaps what we have always hoped for is finally coming true, peace in our time.'

Deane smiled at the sentiment but didn't believe it was happening. 'No shipments arriving at the harbour or any new faces your contacts have seen?'

'I am sorry, I have heard of nothing.'

Deane studied Saheed's face for a moment and saw something that caught his attention but then it was gone. 'How is business, Saheed? Going well?'

'Very well, my friend, my contacts in Qatar and Bahrain have been a great help and I have more antiquities than ever before.'

'Sounds like your business is growing then.'

Saheed nodded with a smile.

Deane knew that Saheed had contacts in all the nearby countries and in the past had always provided a small lead. 'You've heard nothing of anyone crossing the border from Iran or Iraq?'

'Not when I spoke to those contacts two days ago. They were surprised at the lack of movement as well. I know of several targets who have breached the border from Pakistan to Afghanistan but as yet they haven't come here.'

A pause lingered between them and Deane moved back to the doorway. 'Very well. If you hear anything, Saheed, no matter how small, promise me you will get in touch?'

Saheed smiled back. 'I give you my word.' He outstretched his right hand. 'Take care, Thomas. Stay safe.' It took everything he had not to give a signal to Deane and expose the attacker who waited in the back room, but he kept quiet.

Deane gripped his friend's hand firmly and left via the backdoor. He couldn't hide his disappointment and realised he had been banking on a lead or something to give him a head start over any possible attack.

Saheed watched him leave and wondered if he would ever see Deane again. He saw the intruder appear from the back room. 'I have done what you wanted. Now, leave my shop.'

Jozef had spent the last few minutes ready to attack with his rifle, having never been convinced that the shopkeeper would keep his side of the deal. A Land Rover drove past and Jozef recognised the agent at the wheel. Confident he wasn't coming back, he flicked the switch on a device attached to his belt and walked into the backroom with Saheed in tow.

Several minutes later, Akira stepped in quietly with Gyorgy and waited at the doorway. 'I know you are a loyal man, Saheed, and I thank you for what you have just done, it can't have been easy.'

Saheed picked up on the genuine gratitude he could hear in the visitor's tone and gave a look of total defiance. 'You have what you want, now get out!'

Akira admired the man's bravery but had made it a personal rule that anyone who had seen his face would be killed once they had fulfilled their task. Over time, he had lost count of how many people had died by his hand, but knew his actions had been warranted and, more importantly, Madeline had backed every single decision. There could be no trace of Saheed or any of his family or contacts. With lightning speed, he flashed a silenced pistol out from under his cloak and fired two precise shots. He looked at Jozef with the cold look of death. 'Deal with his family here and meet me back at the designated point.' He dismantled the gun as he continued. 'The rest of his family have left Oman to join their relatives in the United Arab Emirates, make sure all the loose ends are tied up.'

'And what of his extended family in the United Arab Emirates?' Jozef asked.

Akira opened the back door. 'They will die because of his betrayal.' He gave a look back to Jozef. 'Do not fail me.' He closed the door behind him, and made his way along the pavement, leaving the peaceful beauty of Muscat market behind him. In time, his actions would be discovered but as ever there would be nothing to trace them back to his identity.

Olsen showed his boarding pass to the young, attractive air stewardess who smiled radiantly and directed him to his seat. He passed several other passengers, including a couple that were in the middle of an argument, and took his seat in business class. He felt a nervous wreck and nothing seemed to help him relax. Only Rachel had been able to help and, he didn't mind admitting, he missed her badly now. But Oman was something he had to face alone.

Before leaving MI6 the previous day, he had picked up his silver Beretta pistol. All S.U.C.O. agents had their own personal weapon of choice. Olsen had always favoured his Beretta and had used it for almost his entire career. With a larger magazine (fifteen shots instead of the usual twelve) and low recoil it had always proven far more effective. Thomas Deane had always disagreed but Olsen had always expected that. He glanced at the flight ticket in his hand. A rush of fear and panic came over him as he saw the word Oman in the right hand corner. Once again, memories and images of his father threatened to consume him but he resisted, shut his eyes and tried to maintain control.

As the plane began to move down the runway, he brought a dog-eared Arabic phrase book out of his hand luggage. Olsen remembered the last time it had been used on assignment. Eight years earlier, he was just a boy, a keen bright twenty-year-old working with Deane for the first time. The duo had played a vital role in the years after the Gulf War, providing MI6 and the coalition forces with crucial information as to where enemy troops had been hiding, plus the locations of several weapon bases. Olsen remembered the sheer weight of fear he had endured on a daily basis. It had been his first operation for the service, his first operation with Deane and the first time he had worked in a foreign country undercover. A smile spread over his face as he remembered his mistakes and Deane's harsh words. Olsen had hundreds of memories of when Deane had not only saved his life but also shown him the way. Deane had taught him how to be a government agent that could make a difference and live to tell the tale. Olsen opened the phrase book at a particular chapter. As he began to read, his mind focussed on visiting Al-Mina Street, where his father had died years before. At the same time, he struggled to think of what he would say to Deane when he saw him again.

Burton walked into the Moon and Shine pub, located in the Vauxhall area, not far from MI6 headquarters. He passed several older looking men who were already downing the first of no doubt many drinks that day. As Burton passed the bar, he glanced at the manager who gave him a scathing look. At the far end, he saw his contact sitting at a corner table with his back against the wall. He rushed over to him. 'Morning, Harry. Thanks for meeting me on such short notice.'

Harry was in his mid-fifties and wore a tatty looking black leather jacket. His grey hair looked dishevelled and his face was pale. He eyed up his friend for a moment. 'Jesus, Hal, you look like shit.'

Burton gave a faint smile. 'Thanks. To tell you the truth that's exactly how I feel. Look, I'm going to need your help, OK?'

'My help? I'm not in the business of offering marital support, mate. You can look elsewhere for that.' Harry picked up his mobile phone and cigarettes off the table as he started to leave.

Burton placed a hand on Harry's arm. 'Wait a second, Harry. Look, I know what you do, OK? I know the dodgy deals you pull off and the information you sometimes sell to certain people.' The men locked eyes with each other and then Harry sat back down. 'Let's understand each other. This will be a one off, OK? What I'm about to do will never happen again. I'm in trouble and I'm down to my last option here.'

'Would you get to the point? Jesus, my kid can talk faster than you. What are you babbling about?'

Burton took a deep breath and tried to settle his conscience. 'You know the Royal visit? The one to Oman?'

'Yeah, it's in all the papers. How could I miss it?'

'Well, I have the schedule of that three-day visit. All the locations they'll be visiting, and all the times and allocations of all security personnel.' He placed a folder on the greasy looking table. 'It's all here.'

'Are you telling me you want to sell that information to the highest bidder? Are you nuts?' Harry said, wide-eyed.

'No...I'm desperate.'

'Listen, Hal, I know I take the mickey out of you most of the time but what I've always admired about you is your dedication to your work. I know what you do for a job, I always have. I'd hate to see a mate throw away his career on one stupid mistake, you know?'

Burton frowned. 'I appreciate the career advice, Harry. Now, are you going to help me or not?'

Harry leant back against the wall. 'Why are you doing this? C'mon, tell me the latest.'

'I'm broke, OK? I've got nothing, no money, tons of bills and most of them are red ones. The house could be taken away from me, and the car. Everything! You know what really gets to me? My work. I've put in thirty years practically and when I'm in trouble, they hardly even move. I'm on my own here. As much as I don't want to do this I don't have the luxury of a choice anymore and I'm out of time. I've tried everything else.' Burton got up and walked a couple of steps to the bar to order drinks.

'What about Kate?'

Burton returned with two whiskies. 'Why do you think I'm doing this? To buy myself new shirts for work? My wife knows about the financial stuff.' He downed his drink and stared at the empty glass. He felt like he could drink several more. 'I think I might lose her unless I get back on the straight and narrow. Will you help me?'

'Are you sure about this? You go down this road and you open yourself up to all sorts of trouble. I can sell the info to the highest bidder, no problem, but there may be...comebacks.'

At the sound of any trouble, Burton looked up sharply. 'What sort of comebacks? Like I said, this is a one off. You have to protect me, Harry, I'm doing this to provide a future for my family.'

'Listen, Hal, I'd like to help you, mate, but it's tricky. I can try to protect you but some of them want names on the sources. They're not the type of people you say no to, OK? Are you sure you want to do this?'

Burton paused for a moment and downed Harry's drink in one. Deep down a voice screamed at him that he was about to make a huge mistake. He knew there was a good chance the likes of Olsen or Deane could be killed by the decision he was about to make. The reality of that fact made him feel sick to the core. Were they more important than his family? Images of his wife at home, and little Oscar looking up at his dad from his cot took hold of his thoughts. _What's more important, work or family?_

Years ago, Burton knew the answer would have always been work. In recent times things had changed and his family was everything now. The thought of being alone again wasn't worth thinking about. His glazed eyes looked up at his shifty looking friend once more. 'Do it, Harry, get as much cash as you can for me, OK?' As Harry walked away, Burton grabbed his jacket. 'Just try to protect me.'

'Yeah, OK, mate, I'll do my best. Let me just pop outside and make a call, OK? You wait here, I'll be back in a sec.' Harry found his mobile phone, stepped out of the pub and walked down a secluded alleyway nearby. He dialled a number and waited. 'Yeah, it's me. Listen, I have something that might be of use. You know the Royal visit? Well I can get access to the schedule for the right price. I'm not talking the times of lunch and dinner, I'm talking the works. The security layouts, locations, times, the whole thing.' Harry looked around briefly as he listened to the response. 'Really? These guys want everything? Sounds good to me. Yeah, that's fine, just wire me the money and I'll sort out my fee and stuff. Huh? It's a private source if you know what I mean. Can't you get around it? I don't want to see this guy in trouble. OK, OK, give me my usual extras and it'll have to do.' He looked around again, this time in the direction of the pub. 'His name is Hal Burton. The guy works for MI6, he has access to all sorts of info. That's it, wire me the money either today or tomorrow, OK, mate? Cheers.'

Back in the pub, at the far end, Burton drank another whisky. Harry slapped his shoulder and sat back down. 'Good news, mate, really good news. I've found a buyer already. Great money, too. You want another drink to celebrate?'

Burton put the empty glass back on the table. 'I don't normally drink this much, it must be the stress or something,' he mumbled. His senses became alert as he looked at his friend. 'Hold on, did you say good news? How much?'

Harry smiled a toothy grin. 'It's a good deal mate. One hundred and fifty thousand quid! Minus my fee, would normally be an even hundred grand but seeing as it's you, I'll make it up to one fifteen, OK? Congratulations, mate, you're out of trouble!'

Burton breathed a sigh of relief. _I am out of trouble!_ 'Uh...oh that's so good, God, I never thought I'd get out of this one. I owe you one, Harry.'

'Well I have to go, the money will come in either end of today or tomorrow. A couple of days at the latest. I'll be in touch, yeah?' He placed a hand on Burton's shoulder. 'Nice doing business with you, mate.'

Burton stopped his friend from moving away. 'Did you manage to protect me? No names, right?'

Just for a moment, Harry furrowed his brow, and wasn't entirely sure what to say. Then, an air of confidence came over him as he smiled down at the half drunk Burton. 'No names, mate. You're in the clear. It's going to be fine. I'll see you.'

Burton, who had worked for MI6 for nearly three decades, watched his friend leave and dropped his head in his hands. _What have I done?_ His mind was moving at an incredible speed. _You've saved your family, that's what!_ His entire body was on an adrenaline high, but feelings of guilt threatened to eat away at him at any moment.

As he closed his eyes to take a moment, a vivid image appeared in his mind. He appeared to leave the pub and find himself in Oman, with a hot sun beating down on his sweaty face. In front of him were the likes of Deane, Olsen, and Prince David under attack from a large group of masked attackers. They were outnumbered. As one agent fell, he found himself screaming in anger. He wanted to stop it, join in and do what he had always done, make a difference. However, it was too late, the damage had been done, and there was no going back. He was no longer on the same side.

Burton opened his eyes, and found himself slumped on the table in the Moon and Shine pub, with his whole body in a cold sweat. His breathing was erratic, and several other people stared at him from the other tables. As he pulled himself up, he wiped his face with his jacket sleeve and stumbled out of the pub. As he walked away, he found a picture in his wallet. It was of Kate, Oscar and himself in happier times. The image staring back hardly looked like him but Burton focussed on his wife and son. Guilt began to take hold, but he forced himself to believe he had done the right thing. His family would stay with him forever. They would never leave. He was free to rebuild his life and be with his loved ones.

Chapter 8

### Sunday, March 4th 07:00,

### Muscat (Capital City), Oman, Middle East.

Olsen ran a hand over his prickly, short brown hair and continued to walk through a hectic Seeb International airport. Despite wearing sand coloured trousers, a sky-blue shirt and a light brown jacket, Olsen still felt hot. His beard was naturally thick so despite shaving on the plane, it did nothing to make him feel much cooler. With every step, his stomach churned and his body felt increasingly uncomfortable. Never had he imagined himself setting foot in Oman. His mind was a frenzy of memories concerning his father. The heat took his mind off the ordeal for a moment, it had hit home the moment he had disembarked from the comfortable air conditioning of the plane.

Using a magazine as a fan, Olsen looked around for a taxi. At the exit, several cars passed him but none of the orange and white colour of a taxi. Moments later, one appeared. Although English was spoken in Muscat, Olsen had already decided to use his Arabic to the full throughout the operation.

As the car came closer, he looked out for the orange medallion painted on the bonnet and doors of the vehicle. It would provide information as to its destination and home region.

Olsen called out to raise the taxi. ' _Ajara_!' As the car pulled over, he got into the back and informed the driver he would be paying for all four seats, making it a private taxi. He didn't want any unwelcome company.

Throughout the country of Oman, no rail network had ever existed. Instead, a complex structure of long distance taxis and microbuses were in operation, taking customers to their destinations, often together rather than alone.

Olsen leaned forward and told the driver he wanted to go to the UK Embassy. The driver seemed confused as to where it was, so he responded with the street name. _'Al Khuwair na'am.'_ Olsen fluffed his shirt and pulled down the window, to allow some much needed air into the cab. He studied his surroundings and wondered whether Geoff Olsen had ever taken a taxi along the same road.

Oman had once been known as the hermit of the Middle Eastern region. In recent times, large efforts had been made to build up a tourist infrastructure to show off its narrow coastal plain, together with its beautiful ranges of mountains and hills. Sultan Qaboos bin Said, who deposed his father in 1970, had made great strides to allow Western influences to penetrate his country since being appointed by the governing cabinet. With a population of over two million people, Oman was now a member of the UN, with Matrah becoming one of the leading ports in the Middle Eastern state.

Olsen picked up a stray newspaper from the back seat and began to read the Arabic printed from right to left, on the front page. The news that temperatures had broken over thirty degrees Celsius didn't please him. In his eight years of service as a government agent, working in the heat had always been difficult, and only added to the woes and stresses of whatever assignment he was working on.

The taxi slowed down to a halt as streams of traffic flowed out of a road ahead despite it being a Saturday — the weekend in Oman had always fallen on Thursday and Friday. Other days were opportunities for taxi drivers especially to boost their income.

The car moved onto one of the main, tarmac roads and followed the stream of traffic into the Muscat capital. Several small, rocky mountains passed by in the distance, as the cloud-free blue sky continued to look down from every vantage point.

Olsen caught sight of some of the coastline. A small stretch of a beautiful white, sandy beach was in the distance, looking untouched in the early morning sunshine. As the taxi came into Muscat, it slowed to walking pace as it progressed through the tight and winding streets. Taking in a deep breath, he made a decision and told the driver to let him out here. ' _Ogaf hina, law samaHt_!' Olsen fumbled for some notes in his pocket and paid the driver with close to six thousand baiza. The taxi driver smiled a toothy grin, kissed the money and stuffed it into his jacket.

Outside the cab, Olsen looked at his surroundings and focused on the faces of the people, half expecting his father to be among them. He shook his head to try and focus and carried on walking through the busy street, passing several shops and stalls. The marketplace was electrifying in its atmosphere, even at such an early time. Large stalls selling fish, fresh fruit and vegetables caught his eye, with vibrant colours standing out wherever he looked. Near the end of the market, several shops were selling stacks of gold jewellery, from bangles to dazzling gold daggers.

One elderly man eyed him up and down closely. He was sitting next to his stall, which was stacked high with carefully crafted copper pots and smaller sized pottery. He was wearing a dishdasha, a traditional men's shirtdress, and his eyes stayed on Olsen, who looked away and walked down a path which would lead to Al Khuwair Street.

At the bottom of the side road, Olsen took a long look at the surrounding area. Not far in the distance, he saw the UK Embassy, with its Union Jack flag flying proudly on the roof of the building. The US Embassy, National Museum of Oman, and a hotel were also in the same street. Olsen looked to his left and eyed up several cramped looking flats built closely together. A glimmer of sunlight caught his attention from the roof of the third flat in the block. With a deep breath, he approached it and pushed open the front door that was unlocked. At the top of the stairwell, he climbed a ladder and stepped onto the roof. Olsen felt his hands shaking, and his heart was beating rapidly as he saw who was ahead of him.

Near the roof's edge, Thomas Deane was on his knees scanning the area near the UK Embassy. His face was more tanned than when Olsen last saw him. His cream coloured shirt showing no signs of perspiration. As the seconds passed, he continued to look through the binoculars and didn't acknowledge the arrival of his partner. 'I was wondering when you'd get here.'

Olsen wiped the sweat from his brow and sighed as quietly as he could. 'Is that all you have to say to me?'

Deane adjusted the binoculars but didn't respond.

Olsen knew his mentor so well. It was obvious he didn't want to talk, but then Deane never wanted to talk about anything other than work. He was a driven man, almost obsessed. 'I read everything there is to know about Operation ESPY. I know the truth.'

Deane finally lowered the binoculars and turned around. His dark blue eyes inspected his partner of eight years carefully. 'It must be obvious then, as to why we never told you.'

Olsen had expected his temper to be close to breaking point but instead he just felt vulnerable and let down. 'Who's we?'

'Your mother and I discussed it and, with you showing an interest in joining MI6, we felt it best to tell you our version of the truth.' Deane stepped closer and put more emphasis on his words. 'I wanted you to work with me in the future and if you had known I'd been with your father when he died, you would never have let that happen. You shouldn't blame your mother over this, it was my suggestion.'

Olsen stepped back and raised his hands, feeling the full brunt of his emotions for the first time. 'Do you have any idea what it felt like to read that operation file? To find out the truth that way? You should have trusted me!'

Deane lowered his gaze but only a moment and then made eye contact again. 'I won't disagree. I should have told you, but the longer we worked together, the harder it became. I never wanted you to find out like that. Never. Our relationship has never been like others, we don't always need words.'

Olsen raised his eyes to the sky as he snapped back. 'Your excuse, not mine.'

An awkward silence lingered between them for several seconds until Deane spoke again. 'This is hard for both of us but we still have a job to do. The British Royal party will be leaving the Sultan's palace soon. Get yourself ready. The visit to the harbour in Matrah will be within the hour. We'll both be accompanying them. There's also been another development but we can talk about that on the way.' He gave the binoculars to his partner and climbed down the ladder to the flat below.

Olsen shook his head and realised for the first time how hopeless his mentor was when it came to anything personal. As he watched his partner climb down the ladder behind him, Olsen studied the UK Embassy, the nearby market, and the beautiful sky above. He was just about to look away when he caught sight of a road name in the distance. Olsen's heart sank when he saw which one it was. As much as he wanted to look away and focus on the job in hand, he was unable to do so. Through the binoculars, the shiny road sign read 'Al-Mina Street', the location his father had died. A shiver ran through his body and sweat trickled down his face. _I have to go there, I have to._

In the house below, Deane sat at a desk in his small and humid office, with a nearby fan working overtime to cope with the heat. He moved his favourite dark-blue jacket to the back of the chair and scanned several reports that were on the desk. He folded some papers from his desk and placed them in his pocket as he watched his partner climb down from the roof. 'I hope you scanned the Embassy and noted the security procedures.'

Olsen heard the question but he had only one thing in his mind — going to the street where his father had died all those years ago.

Deane had his back turned and read a report that was on the nearby desk. To his surprise, there was no answer from his partner, and then he heard the front door slam shut. From the window he saw Olsen get into a taxi which then drove away at speed. Deane closed his eyes and dropped the document. He knew exactly where his young charge was heading.

Olsen sat back in the taxi and tried to make sense of his thoughts. Images from the nightmare that had occurred before he left London wouldn't go away. His heart was calling for Rachel but she was miles away and he was on his own.

The taxi driver stopped the car on the steep hill of Al-Mina Street. Olsen tossed a couple of thousand baiza in the driver's direction and got out of the car. He had expected the street to give off a scent of danger, possibly even look threatening in some way. Instead, the road was quiet, peaceful and positively gleaming under the intense sunlight and clear blue sky. Olsen was shaking all over but he walked down the hill and came to the alleyway where his father had died. Gradually, he entered the narrow walkway and studied every part of the alley, in an attempt to picture the scene that had changed his life. A flurry of emotions overcame him and Olsen could almost feel his father call out to him in some way. There was a sound of footsteps from behind him and he turned around.

Deane lingered at the entrance to the alleyway and felt guilty and uncomfortable all at once. He had no idea of what to say or how to say it.

Olsen saw the vulnerable expression on his partner's face and for a moment felt like he had intruded on his private moment. He looked away and continued to study his surroundings.

Deane thought about leaving and felt concern for Operation Safeguard and the timetable of events. In his mind, talking about the current operation would push away his own dark feelings of the past. Despite being posted in Oman more than once since Geoff Olsen's death he had never returned to the alleyway since that fateful day. 'The operation we're on right now is the key here. We should go.'

Olsen ignored him.

Deane continued. 'Prince David will need our help. We cannot afford to miss it. Too much is at stake.' A frown spread across his features as he realised he wasn't getting through. Deane reluctantly turned to leave without his partner.

Olsen looked back and tried to control the emotion in his voice. 'Where?' He gestured with his hands, desperate to know exactly where his father had died.

Deane knew what his partner meant but didn't want to touch on the subject. 'Are you coming?'

'Where did it happen, Tom...the exact spot, just tell me.' Olsen's eyes locked onto his partner's. 'I need to know. I have to know.'

_One...two...three...Damn it!_ Ahead of him, Deane saw his younger self desperately giving CPR to Geoff Olsen and meticulously counting the compressions. He closed his eyes and held back the tears. _So many mistakes..._ 'There.' Deane pointed to an area that was now stacked high with boxes.

Olsen nodded solemnly. 'I guess I should take heart from the fact that Oscar Moas won't be a threat to anyone else.'

Deane's mouth went dry when he heard the name of Geoff Olsen's killer. Oscar Moas had been dead for many years, killed by a CIA operative in Iran just months after Operation ESPY. The very thought of Moas made Deane feel unsettled, it brought a pain to his heart and a sick feeling to his stomach.

Olsen continued to stare at the spot where his father had died.

The memories were traumatic and hurtful to Deane, who was a man that never allowed himself to be vulnerable to emotional pain. Tears welled up in his eyes. 'I did everything I...' Without finishing, he turned around and headed back to the Land Rover parked just metres away.

Olsen watched his partner go. _You came so close to opening up, Tom, why won't you let me in?_ He turned his attention back to the area where his father had died, got down on his knees and said a silent prayer.

Deane sat in the Land Rover and stared blankly at the dashboard. He felt a failure in every sense of the word. Before he could sink any further, he started the engine and thought of the operation. To his surprise, the passenger door opened and Olsen got in the car.

Olsen said nothing at first, wound down the window and then looked at his partner. 'On that day...' He paused for a moment before continuing. 'I'm sure you did all you could, but I need to hear your account of what happened.' He looked across at his partner.

For several moments, Deane was silent and continued to stare ahead at nothing. Then he spoke, in a subdued tone. 'For years I've blamed myself for what happened.' He reluctantly searched through buried feelings that felt like they were from another lifetime. Early morning sunlight spread across his face, which highlighted several lines on his forehead. Each one could have represented the lives he had failed to protect in years gone by. 'But I did do all that I could for your father. He was my partner. I respected him and trusted him more than any other man.' His voice almost broke under the emotional strain as he continued. 'I can't change what happened, no matter how much I want to. I reasoned with him that we should have stayed together.' He looked at his young partner with genuine sorrow in his eyes. 'We were both to blame. Oscar Moas was already well aware of our presence.'

Olsen listened intently as the words began to sink in. It was the first time the subject had ever really been discussed. The truth was slowly coming out. He could feel the lump in his throat and the pain in his heart as he wished his father could still be with him. Nevertheless, he needed to hear more. 'Tom...I know how hard this is. Jesus, this is impossible for both of us but what I need is for you to take me through that day, step by step. I need it, Tom. I have to know and you're the only man who can do that.'

Deane was a stubborn man. In his heart and mind, he knew Olsen was right, and it took a lot for him to admit that to himself, let alone another human being. Nevertheless, there was an operation in progress, lives and world events were under threat at that very moment. His professional pride surged to the surface and resumed control. 'You're right. I should take you through that day.' He faced his partner and focussed his dark blue eyes with affection on the younger man. 'We should have done this years ago and for that I'm truly sorry. I give you my word, I will tell you everything about that day.' He placed a hand on Olsen's shoulder. 'When this operation is over. You have to trust me.'

Olsen could hear the meaning and emotion in Deane's voice. 'OK then.' His focus turned back towards the operation at hand and he managed a smile of sorts. 'We're heading to the harbour first?'

'Harbour first.' Deane started the engine. He wanted to think about how he would go through that fateful day with Olsen but had no idea of how to start. The lives of the British Royal party were the priority. He pulled the Land Rover out onto the main street and pushed the fear and guilt away. _I don't care what the circumstances are, it feels good to have Sam by my side again._

Chapter 9

### Sunday, March 4th 11:30,

### Oman, Muscat (Capital City), Oman, Middle East.

Deane turned the Land Rover onto a side street and waited for two children to cross the road. As he waited, he looked down at the radio which was tuned to the local police band. 'Turn that up.'

Olsen complied. 'There's been a murder.'

Deane pulled the car over and listened to the report. A local shop owner had been found murdered together with his young son. The report continued and confirmed Deane's worst fears, as the shop sold antiques. Without thinking about the operation or anything else, he forced the Land Rover from its parked position and accelerated towards Saheed's location.

'You don't think it's your contact?'

Deane said nothing for a while and turned the car sharply to make the next turn. 'I hope not. Though there aren't many antique dealers in this area.' He glanced at the clock on the dashboard. 'We have time.' He turned the car again and saw a police car pass them at speed, and Deane knew in his heart he was driving to the scene of his friend's murder. As he pushed the car past the speed limit, he saw the shop in the distance and the three parked police cars that were stationed outside.

Olsen sighed and looked at Deane as they parked up. 'Tom, I'm sorry.'

'Stay with the car.' Deane got out and rushed towards the shop.

Akira stayed behind the market stall further down the road and watched intently. For a moment he studied Deane's partner but then his eyes shifted towards the shop. In his heart he knew he was taking a risk being so close to a murder scene but he couldn't help himself. There was part of him that wanted to see the pain he had caused Thomas Deane, he craved it.

His eyes grew wider when he saw Deane emerge from the shop and stand outside. Deane looked lost, and more importantly, he looked emotionally wounded. The sight fuelled Akira, and he took great pleasure from it. For a moment he lingered and took everything he could from his achievement but then moved away, knowing he was already late for his meeting with the Kiprich brothers.

Olsen saw his partner emerge from the shop and got out of the car to meet him. 'There was nothing you could do, Tom.'

Deane looked back at his partner with annoyance. 'I should have been there, or at the very least seen it coming.' He hung his head in shame. 'I failed him.'

Both men walked back to the car in silence.

'You can't save everyone. Saheed knew the risk he was taking.'

Deane rubbed his forehead and analysed the situation. 'Someone is sending me a message. This is no coincidence. Saheed was my contact, he didn't work for anyone else and no one knew of our friendship or the information he gave me.'

'Someone on our side?'

'I never disclosed my relationship with Saheed to anyone at MI6. He was never an official asset.' Deane chewed on his lip. 'This does not bode well for this operation, we may well be compromised. When I spoke to him two days ago, he had nothing to report.'

'How did he seem then?'

'Fine. He may have already been compromised but I can't be sure.'

'Did you see anything at the murder scene?'

Deane started the Land Rover and joined the traffic. 'There was no sign of a struggle and no forced entry. Saheed had been shot twice, it may well have been someone he knew. I'll have to see what I can find out. It's the least I can do.' As he weaved the car through the traffic, he shook his head in frustration and tried to bury his feelings of guilt. There was still a job to do. 'I don't care what attacks are planned, I'm not going to stand by and watch a member of the Royal family be killed in cold blood. We will not be beaten.'

'How far is it to Matrah Harbour?' Olsen asked.

'Not far, we'll make it before the British Royal party does. By the way, I don't want you using that unless it's absolutely necessary.' He pointed to Olsen's gun that was underneath his jacket. 'We protect the Prince at all costs. With our own bodies if needs be. I see you still haven't changed your mind about your choice of weapon?'

'Let's not go over that again, OK? I'm used to the Beretta and it's time to focus.'

Deane ignored the comment and pointed out an area in the distance. 'The harbour is on the south side.' He directed the Land Rover through the traffic and passed several white houses that gleamed in the sunshine. The harbour was behind the houses, and when the traffic lights changed they closed in on their target.

Deane slowly brought the car to a stop, turned off the ignition and looked at his nondescript silver watch. 'They'll be here soon. When the Royal party arrives, we'll flank one side each. Understood?' He looked over with a determined face.

Olsen noted his partner's stern look. 'Got it.'

'It's my understanding that Prince David will chat to some of the fishermen, take an interest in the site and then return to the Sultan's palace. Turn your radio on, I want us to be in constant communication.' To his right he saw the British Royal party approach their location.

Olsen flicked a switch on his radio, which was connected from his waist to his left ear. Outside, the harbour setting was one of beauty that appeared to be lost on Deane, who never took his eyes off the approaching vehicles.

The harbour extended into the distance, with an uneven looking walkway covering most parts. On both sides, pebbles covered the surface that led into the nearby sea. Several young boys of no more than twelve years of age stood barefoot in the sea and looked at Olsen and Deane inquisitively. After a few seconds, they returned to pulling in an incoming fisherman's boat. Buckets of fish were on board and the boys started to transfer the contents to the surface.

Olsen kept watch and mapped out the local area in his mind. He took a few steps onto the harbour decking and noted the locations and directions of the footpaths. Before leaving London, he had read up on Matrah harbour. It had now become one of the leading ports in the Middle East and was adjacent to the capital city of Muscat. Not a single cloud was in the sky and he felt he was gradually adjusting to the heat of Oman. Despite the high temperature, far lower than the average summer temperature of forty degrees Celsius, the humidity was relatively low. He exchanged a look with Deane as both men waited for the Royal party to disembark the cars.

Deane gave a nod to the leading agent who was part of the British Royal Party security contingent and looked over at Olsen. 'Stay alert!' he said over the radio.

Olsen gave a discreet nod of the head and flanked the party from the left side, with his partner who covered the right. He watched the Prince carefully, saw him interact with some of the boys that worked at the harbour and wondered how much of it was an act, rather than genuine interest. Olsen's attention shifted away from the Prince to the activity around the harbour. Unsurprisingly, large groups of Omanis had gathered in the area, to take a closer look at what was probably the first British prince they had ever seen. One by one, Olsen studied each of the men, women, and children carefully, fully aware a security risk could come in any shape or form. A small child of around six or seven years of age attempted to pass him to get closer to the Prince but Olsen placed his large hands in front of him. The child returned to its mother straight away.

As the crowd began to move closer, Olsen spoke quietly to the pack of locals, informing them they would have to stay where they were. ' _Law samaHT, intidherni_!' He gave a nod to a fellow agent who took his position with the locals and Olsen resumed his position on the left-hand side of the Prince. As he looked around his position, he noticed the looks of joy on all the faces of the men, women and children, especially. At the same time, one man caught his attention. Something in Olsen's mind was activated and his senses became alert. The individual at the corner of the harbour side walkway seemed familiar to him. Not in a friendly way, he did not know the man but his features sent a warning sign to him _. I recognise him...from where?_ He looked back to see the Prince inspecting a harbour boat and then returned his gaze to the man who had now moved away but had retained his unyielding glare at the British Royal party. Unlike the rest of the locals, there was no sign of joy on this man's face, only a glare that appeared to be taking in facts and information. _Information on the number of agents in the security contingent, perhaps?_ he thought to himself. Olsen's mind scrutinised and remembered every detail about him. The target was wearing dark brown trousers, together with a grey shirt. His black hair was in a ponytail, and his dark green eyes refused to leave the Prince's position.

Deane walked alongside and made sure his partner was still to the left. He looked back at Prince David and stopped a harbour man from getting too close and then resumed his position.

Olsen tried to remember where he had seen the target before but couldn't place him. Behind him, the Prince continued to inspect the harbour boat. Olsen made his decision. His instincts told him that the target was known and dangerous. He touched the arm of the nearest member of the Royal security contingent. 'Cover this position. I'll be back in one minute.' Olsen moved away from the party and quickly made his way up a small flight of stairs that led to the harbour side walkway. He kept hold of his light brown jacket, so not to alarm the crowd by revealing his weapon and moved through the locals. In the distance he could see the target moving away. Several families got in his way, and Olsen quietly excused himself as they moved. ' _Lo tsimiHun...Lo tsimiHun_ ,' he called out to the groups. At the end of the walkway, there was no sign of the target. Olsen scrutinised every individual nearby but couldn't see where he had gone.

Deane looked out to the harbour and could see several boats approach, all of them visibly containing perishable stock that would end up on the market before the day was out. Deane did a double take as he checked the left side and saw no sign of his partner. He glanced around sharply, taking in every face but couldn't find his partner. _Where's Sam? Why isn't he following my orders? I can't protect him unless he listens to me!_ He continued his search and became more concerned with every passing moment.

Olsen returned to his post and relieved the other agent. Straight away, a glare from his partner caught his eye. Over the radio, Deane's voice could be heard. 'Stay with the party! Don't wander off!' Olsen nodded back at him and decided to explain his actions when any possibility of a threat had passed. He looked around him one last time but there was no sign of the target in the crowds.

Burton signed the confidential operation sheet and placed it in his 'Out' tray on his desk. At the office window, another rainy day had presented itself to London. As the glass held off another torrent of rain, Burton made a decision to take a long lunch hour and surprise his wife at home. Even though there was money in their current account, he had yet to feel like a man who had pulled his life back from the brink. A sleepless night had not helped matters either. Burton took his faded trench coat off the hook and closed the door to his office. His assistant looked up from her lunch. 'I'm just popping out, Dawn. I'm to stop off at home for a while and come back this afternoon. Any problems call me on my mobile.'

Dawn put down her yoghurt and gave her boss a confused look. 'Are you OK, sir? You don't seem yourself at all. Don't forget you have that meeting this afternoon. You didn't forget, did you?'

Burton thought for a moment; he had forgotten. To his surprise, it didn't seem to bother him. 'Sure, no problem, I'll be back for that.' He noticed the miniscule lunch his assistant was eating and wondered how she could make it through a day on such small portions. 'Don't go bingeing now, Dawn, I'll see you in a bit.'

Dawn smiled and as she watched him go she thanked her lucky stars she had been assigned to the likeable Burton rather than the more formal senior agents.

In the lift, Burton pressed the button for the basement and leaned against one of the mirrored walls. For the hundredth time, he tried to erase his act of betrayal from his memory. More than anything he wanted to pay off his debts and prove to his wife and son that he wasn't the failure they had been led to believe. Ever since he had sold the schedule of the Royal visit, Burton had been thinking of the consequences that would come very soon. Even though he was still convinced that he had done the right thing for his family, the guilt had proven to be unbearable at times. _Was it really the only option, or was I just too bone idle to find an alternative?_ In his car, Burton pulled out of the basement. As he moved into second gear, his mobile phone began to vibrate. He flipped it open and used his other hand to hold on to the steering wheel. 'This is Burton.'

'It's Harry. Booked any luxury holidays yet?'

'With the debts I have to pay off? Not likely. There aren't any problems are there?' He pulled the car into a nearby garage to buy some flowers for his wife.

'No but something has come up. If you think that money was good then this will blow you away. You ready?'

Burton didn't like where the conversation was going. 'What are you talking about, Harry?'

'It's simple. My clients are very interested in you working for them on a more full time basis. You know, just little things here and there, we're not talking trade secrets, just useful bits of information when they need it.'

'Jesus, Harry, don't you remember what I said? It was a one off. I'm never doing it again, to tell you the truth I'm having second thoughts about it all, anyway. Either way, I got the money I needed, but it came with a price. I'm not going to sell any information again though.'

Harry's tone turned aggressive very quickly. 'Don't you get it, Hal? This was never going to be a one off. If you really believed that then you're a bigger fool than I thought you were.'

'What are you saying?' Burton was back in his car and gripped the steering wheel tightly as he waited for a gap in the traffic.

'You don't say no to these people, Hal! I'll make it real clear for you. Either you help them again, or I'll have no choice but to disclose your details to them. No way am I taking the fall for you, mate.'

Burton smashed his free hand on the steering wheel. 'You son of a bitch, Harry! I won't be bullied by anyone, least of all you! I'm loyal to my job and my family. If you want to sell me out, then go right ahead, you'll just have to live with yourself!' Burton snapped the phone shut and threw it against the dashboard. 'Shit!' The fact that Harry was willing to sell him out was no surprise. Burton was furious with himself, he had misjudged the situation and was now in way over his head. He saw the speed he was doing and slammed hard on the brakes when he saw the turning for his road appear in the heavy rain. The car swerved in the wet conditions, and just missed a neighbour's car. He slowly came to his driveway and started to feel the stress spread throughout his body as he turned the ignition off. _Was Harry just bluffing or are his clients going to come after me?_ Burton started to think of the consequences but stopped himself from doing so. He got out of the car and slammed the door shut, but forgot about the flowers in his left hand that were now half in the car and half out. 'Oh for God's sake,' he mumbled to himself. He tried to shake some life into the flowers as he approached his front door.

Kate sat at the dining room table and tried again to write the letter that her husband would find when he returned from work that day. She had toyed with the idea of telling him face to face but genuinely believed she would not be able to carry it through, and would end up staying with him once again. She looked at the wedding ring on her finger and still wasn't convinced of her actions. A noise at the door made her look up straight away. To her surprise, her husband appeared at the doorway holding some flowers that looked worse than she felt. 'Hal! What a lovely surprise, I didn't expect to see you until later!'

'Yeah well, it was quiet at the office so I thought I'd come home and surprise you! Oh, these are for you, sorry they've seen better days.'

Kate took the flowers and looked at some of the bulbs that appeared to have been severed from the rest. 'You shouldn't have, Hal...they're lovely, really.'

'Look, can we talk for a minute?' He saw a writing pad on the table. 'Have you started writing to your sister again?'

Kate took the pad and put it away in a nearby drawer. 'I thought I'd try to send her an update on Oscar that's all.' She studied her husband closely. 'It's not more bad news, is it?'

'Of course not, I just wanted you to know that I've sorted out all our financial problems.'

Kate took her hand away from his and wondered what her husband had done to solve the problem so quickly. 'Just like that? One minute we're in the red and on the verge of being kicked out onto the street and now...what...everything is OK?'

'That's right. All you need to know is that we're going to be fine and things will get better from now on. I promise you I won't let you and Oscar down again. You do believe me, don't you, Kate?'

Kate looked at her husband and barely recognised the man she had married years ago. Whoever sat in front of her now was not the same person. A part of her wanted to scream at him for thinking things could be fixed so easily but then she remembered the letter and felt newfound confidence as to what she would write. 'Of course I believe you, Hal.' She hugged her husband for the last time and broke away before he could kiss her. 'Anyway, lovely to see you but I promised Oscar I'd take him for a lunchtime walk with one of the other mums from around the corner. It's stopped raining now. Is that OK?'

Burton smiled and felt assured things were back on track. 'Sure, I'll grab myself some lunch here and then head back.' For a moment he wondered whether Kate was happy now that they were out of debt but dismissed the idea. Why wouldn't she be? Harry's threat took over his thoughts, and he wondered how he could save his family from any more trouble if Harry sold him out.

Chapter 10

### Sunday, March 4th 15:00,

### Muscat, Oman.

Olsen sat with Deane in the Land Rover as they followed the British Royal party away from the harbour. The tension between the two had risen to breaking point since their disagreement.

Olsen looked across to his partner. 'We may not agree on everything but I recognised that man, and I took a chance to find out more. My instinct told me he was a danger.'

Deane didn't take his eyes off the traffic ahead and shook his head in disagreement. 'So you decided to leave the Prince vulnerable on one side and follow a hunch? When are you going to learn that protocol is the key to this job? You have to follow the rules to stand a chance!'

'I don't need another lecture on protocol!' Olsen had experienced the same argument on protocol many times before.

'I taught you the rules, you still need to listen to me!' He gripped the steering wheel hard and continued. 'Right now it's your attitude that is at the heart of the problem. You're reckless!'

Olsen always found accepting other people's opinions difficult. 'You have your rules and I have mine! I did what I thought was best, no harm came to the Prince after all.'

'Don't you remember what I taught you?' Deane stopped the car in a queue of traffic and looked over to this partner again. 'Always make sure you know the situation fully before making your move. I agree that you should listen to your instinct but you put the Prince in danger. That was unacceptable!' The traffic eased up, and he moved the Land Rover to follow the Royal party of cars into Al Khuwair Street. 'As I'm sure you know from the schedule, the Prince is going to dine with Stuart Laing, the UK Ambassador. I want you to remain in the car and keep watch over things out here, is that understood?'

Olsen got out of the vehicle and followed his partner. 'Wait a second, you might need me inside. At least—'

Deane interrupted and locked his fiery blue eyes onto his young charge. 'You're not with S.U.C.O. yet. If you want to be with me you follow my orders. Now do as I say and wait in the car.' He flicked a switch on his radio. 'I'm on channel two.'

Olsen slammed the car door shut and sat back in frustration. He wound down the window, shook his head in disagreement and wondered when his so-called partner would ever treat him with the respect he felt he deserved _. Tom still thinks I'm twenty and a junior!_ Olsen felt the harsh Muscat sun beat down on him as he went over his actions. No matter how he looked at it he felt he had done the right thing and would do it again if he had the chance.

Two hours later, Olsen gave up watching a group of kids further down the street and deemed them no threat. He was about to return his gaze to the other end of the street when a car turned into the street in the rear-view mirror. A rundown Toyota truck slowed down and parked up not far behind his position. Olsen repositioned the rear-view mirror to gain the most effective view. To his surprise, the driver of the truck was the target from the harbour that he had lost and failed to remember. _Hardly a coincidence,_ thought Olsen. A second man was in the truck but Olsen didn't recognise him. He thought about contacting Deane on his radio but decided against it, he didn't want to hear another patronising comment from his partner. Olsen sat back and watched carefully.

Jozef moved his ponytail behind him and opened the last remaining button on the collar of his grey shirt. With the window already wound down to the maximum, the heat was beginning to frustrate him. The Hungarian brothers were slowly making a name for themselves as terrorists that were capable of any atrocity. As the years had passed, Jozef had become involved with Akira's movement. Since acquiring the plan of the Royal visit to Oman, he was now hell bent on utilising the information to the full. Nothing less than the death of the Prince and all the people in his party would do. He was desperate to see the mighty Europe become less stable with the death of a member of one of its royal families. His dark green eyes left that of the UK Embassy building and focussed on his non-identical twin brother. 'Is the device ready, Gyorgy?'

Gyorgy Kiprich looked worried. 'Yes, Jozef. Are you sure the government agent at the harbour didn't recognise you? We cannot afford any complications.'

'It's highly unlikely. The man couldn't even find me amongst all those people. Even if he does remember me, it will still prove to be too late. He will die along with everyone else. Are you with me?' Jozef never doubted his brother's loyalty and passion for their work but recently Gyorgy had made it clear they should both disappear from the limelight for a while instead of following the Royal party to Oman. Akira had intervened and the Kiprich brothers had followed orders.

'Of course I am, I just do not want us to take on one operation too many. After Moscow, we should have laid low for a while and resurfaced at a later time. But Akira—'

Jozef placed a hand on his brother's shoulder and interrupted. 'I agree, but Akira does not. We have little choice but to obey him, for now at least. When this is done, we will return to Poland and lie low. Now you're sure the phone is in place with the explosive?'

Gyorgy didn't like speaking about Akira, who seemed to him to be power personified. None of them knew any background or history when it came to him and that scared Gyorgy the most. He knew his place and was well aware that the threat from Akira was to not only the Western world but the Kiprich twins as well. He regained his focus and tried to control his fears. 'I put it there myself. When we reach our flat and the signal is sent to the phone, it will cause the explosives in the boot to detonate. The UK Embassy along with this so-called Prince will be no more. The death of a Royal will destabilize Europe.'

Jozef grinned with excitement.

'When shall we go?'

Jozef turned the key in the ignition and the engine came to life. He drove past the UK Embassy and parked the car a few hundred yards away outside the National Museum of Oman.

Olsen had watched everything from his position in the Land Rover. For the entire time, he had tried his best to match the face with a name but still wasn't able to do so. All of his senses, his instincts, told him the man was a danger to the Royal party and himself. From across the street, the UK Embassy proudly stood not far from its US equivalent. Further down the road stood the museum and the Beach Hotel. In between these two buildings, Olsen saw the parked Toyota truck. He kept his eyes on the two men as they left the vehicle and walked further down the road away from the embassies. Aside from the car, he noticed the smug attitude that personified the two men. Both were smiling as they crossed the street.

Almost against his will, his mind wandered away from Oman and back to Iraq from eight years earlier. He was just a boy and on his first assignment, with his mentor and friend, Thomas Deane. They had been watching several Iraqi intelligence officers who had placed innocent Iraqis in areas of weapons storage. If a coalition attacked, the innocents had no chance. Olsen's mind remembered Deane's chilling words of experience; _'Terrorists are smug and driven people. To commit murder and believe they won't be caught breeds arrogance. It's up to you to spot those traits and stop them.'_

Olsen came back to the present and moved the rear-view mirror but the two suspects turned into a side road and faded from sight. Tapping his fingers on the dashboard, he ran over the situation in his mind. He pulled out his radio from his waistband and thought about contacting Deane, who was inside the Embassy where the Prince and the Ambassador were dining together. He wasn't able to decide whether Deane would lecture him once again or back his instinct. He opened the door but then closed it again in frustration. His partner's words came into his mind again, this time from only a couple of hours ago as they had both approached the Embassy in the car _. 'Always make sure you know the situation fully before making your move!'_ He opened the door again, and this time he stepped out and began to walk to the parked car near the museum and hotel. The potential consequences continued to circle in his head. Olsen had already made up his mind to disobey orders. _That car is a threat to the British Royal party, I'll inspect it and then search for the two men!_ he told himself. Before he reached the vehicle, the familiar voice of Deane filtered through on his radio.

'Be advised the Royal party is about to exit the Embassy. Assume your position on the left-hand side. Watch and protect!'

Jozef looked at the schedule he had acquired from Hal Burton and then peered through the binoculars again. The man he recognised from the harbour had stopped walking towards the car and was now just standing in the middle of the quiet road staring at their Toyota truck. Jozef bit his lip and waited for the government agent to make a move. 'The Royal party will be coming out in seconds, he won't even think of going to our vehicle now. These men follow procedures, they never break them.' A smile broke out over his features. 'We don't have procedures.' He moved his extended vision over to the doors of the UK Embassy, which had just opened. Several men in suits appeared, and they flanked the Royal Prince on both sides.

From the corner of the barren room emerged Akira, who stepped out of the shadows and into the morning sunlight that streamed in through the windows. He wore a sand coloured robe, with a hood that covered his head and obscured his face. Despite the rays of sunshine that lit his presence, his glare seemed to reflect the positive glow as his dark eyes focussed entirely on the street ahead and the imminent death he had envisioned. Death was all that Akira could see and all that he wanted. His mind, awash with memories and the voice of a long-dead wife, cleared slightly as the moment came closer. He moved behind the Kiprich brothers and spoke in a commanding tone to Jozef. 'Contact your men on the street. Inform them to move against Deane first, make sure that is abundantly clear.' He spat out the words with so much anger, no one could doubt how he felt.

That didn't stop Jozef from questioning the order. 'What about the Prince? That is our goal, our priority.'

'Your goal doesn't interest me. If the Prince dies, then so be it, my priority is Thomas Deane. See to it.'

'Exactly why are we focussing on a British agent and not a prince of the British Royal family? This Deane is just another one of their men.' He stared at Akira with disbelief. 'We agreed to target the Prince, which was the point of this whole operation!'

Akira took a step closer. 'Just another agent...you really have no idea what you're talking about. I have no interest in the Prince or anyone else for that matter. I simply want to see Thomas Deane's dead body lying down there in the middle of the street in a pool of blood. I crave it...I need it.' His eyes were on fire with rage, and it was enough to make Jozef sweat. 'Until that happens, you need to remind yourself of your importance to me and acknowledge that it is you that is replaceable.'

Jozef broke away from Akira's gaze of death. Not for one moment did he think about asking another question though he was fascinated as to why a British agent was so important. He gave a nod to his brother, who spoke into a nearby radio.

Akira leaned forward and waited for the moment. His eyes burned with intensity.

Olsen reluctantly turned away from the car and began to jog towards the security contingent, to take his place on the left-hand side of the Royal party. He looked around his position and couldn't help but look again at the car that had been left in such a high profile area.

The next few seconds changed everything.

Olsen ducked down as bullet fire rained onto the area in a torrent of noise. An MI6 agent in the lead position of the party began to call out instructions to the rest of the team but clasped at his chest in pain and fell to the ground. The radio in Olsen's ear was filled with Deane's voice who had started to issue orders to try to maintain control. Olsen himself felt a moment of panic but then his training took over. The cold metal of the gun in his hand gave him confidence and his first shot took down one of the attackers. He assessed the threat quickly and counted twelve attackers, six on each side of the party. With a security contingent of eight, they were outnumbered.

Deane's voice came over the radio again, but this time it sounded agitated. 'Stay with the Prince at all times. Cover him back to the Embassy. Move!'

Olsen heard the command but had already made up his mind. He fired several more shots, but only some of them found their targets. The shots gave him time, and he turned away from the Royal party and sprinted straight towards the Toyota truck.

Deane's voice, for the first time full of emotion, came over the radio. 'Sam! Stay where you are. Repeat! Do not deviate from your position!'

Olsen remembered the image of the smug looking men walking away from the car, and he was now convinced the attack was all part of a greater plan. Upon reaching the truck, he crouched down and used it as cover. He fired from his gun again and took down the remaining attackers on his side. Occasional bullets caused sparks to fly as they hit the truck but Olsen had given himself time to take a gamble. He ducked instinctively as another shot came too close for comfort, flipped open his Samsung Galaxy S3 mobile phone and quickly tapped several keys. Menu screens flashed past at lightning speed on the display. Olsen set the phone to scramble any incoming signals and placed it on the driver's seat as he ducked again, this time choosing to return fire before inspecting the contents of the vehicle. With the phone in place, Olsen knew it would interfere with any signals sent to the area if there was an incendiary device in play.

Jozef turned around to his brother and shouted at full voice as another two of his men perished under fire. 'Try it again!' The truck refused to detonate, and Jozef rushed over and took the activator. He pressed the appropriate buttons, but the display informed him of an error. Through the binoculars, he saw the dark-haired government agent at the driver's door and screwed his face up in a look of pure rage. 'Keep trying, Gyorgy, keep trying!' Jozef looked frantic as he checked the detonation device several times, baffled as to why his plan was failing.

Akira moved to the side of the window and studied the fearsome faces of the Kiprich twins. As he gazed outwards to the chaotic gun battle below, he focused on Agent Deane and his young partner who were now together and firing from a crouched position. 'The detonator?' he asked quietly.

Jozef tried the device again but nothing happened.

Akira gritted his teeth and adjusted his robe. Once again Deane was proving his worth to the West and still he would not lie down and die. He could hear Madeline giving him more encouragement but at that moment even her sweet voice couldn't stem his disappointment. 'Keep trying. Get down there yourself and kill that man if you have to. I will meet you at our agreed location.' He looked at the Kiprich brothers with disdain. 'Do not be late.' With that, Akira made his way to the door and was already on his way to the Trucial Coast. One day he would see his wish come true, it would just take more time and more meticulous planning.
Chapter 11

### Sunday, March 4th 18:30,

### Muscat, Oman.

Olsen dropped to the ground and continued to fire at the remaining attackers at the far end of the street. Throughout the havoc, he had only just noticed that all the locals had fled the scene and three of the Royal party's security contingent had been killed during the surprise attack. He carefully lifted the boot of the vehicle which revealed a complex display of wires leading to what was unmistakably a large amount of plastic explosive. In that moment Olsen knew the only reason he hadn't been blown to pieces together with the Royal party was because of his gamble and the use of his phone. Despite his victory, he knew all too well that the car was still a massive target. Any reckless gunfire might trigger the detonation mechanism. He shut the boot and slowly moved round to the side of the truck. As he shuffled along, the rear window of the truck blew out from more gunfire. Two more agents further down the street dropped to the ground as Olsen screamed into his radio. 'Tom! We have to protect this vehicle at all costs! I'm under heavy fire. Do you copy?'

Deane, who was behind the stone wall of the Embassy for cover, changed the magazine of his pistol and returned fire. The Prince was safe for now, back inside the Embassy, so Deane knew they had to take out the remaining attackers quickly before they could leave the area. At the sound of his partner's voice over the radio, Deane ducked down as low as he could and tried to hear every word. He then looked to his left and saw Olsen in trouble beside a truck. 'On my way! Just hold on!' Deane fired again and then jumped over the wall and rushed to his partner's aid, firing backwards as he went. As he reached the truck, they exchanged a look. Any differences of opinion were forgotten as the two stood shoulder to shoulder. United in their attack, both agents fired their weapons and engaged the remaining attackers. One by one the attackers fell until finally the last two started to retreat from the area. Deane watched the remaining agents from the Royal party give chase and took a moment to regain control of his breathing and his composure.

Twenty metres away from the truck, one of the attackers was on the ground in a pool of blood; it was unlikely he would survive the day. Olsen ran to him and had no control of his temper, which came surging to the surface. He dragged the attacker to the truck, despite his serious injuries, and lifted him up into the air. 'Who sent you?! Answer me!' he screamed.

The terrorist didn't answer, he just smiled. As he gave his last breath, he murmured several words. 'Trucial Coast...Trucial Coast.'

Olsen dropped the body to the floor and looked from the truck to the bodies of the lost agents. He then looked at Deane with a confused look on his face. 'What's Trucial Coast?'

Deane had seen everything and felt concern for his young partner's temperament. _I thought he would lose that temper with time..._ He put his concerns aside and looked at Olsen. 'Trucial Coast is an old term for United Arab Emirates. We'll deal with that later.' His blue eyes locked onto his partner. 'You want to tell me why this truck was so important to you?'

Olsen looked around one more time, put away his firearm and raised the bonnet of the boot which revealed the complex explosive device. 'I didn't really have a choice.'

Deane couldn't hide his surprise but then remembered Olsen's actions during the attack. 'You didn't know about that device when the attack came! You took a thoughtless gamble and left the Prince vulnerable. He could be dead now if it wasn't for the other agents, some of whom paid with their lives, I might add!'

'I didn't know for sure, Tom, but you always taught me to trust my instincts! From what I saw, I knew this truck was a danger, and I had no choice but to leave the party and check it. You would have done the same, don't tell me—'

Deane raised his hands in protest. 'No! The outcome would be the same but I wouldn't have left the Prince vulnerable. You took a huge gamble. This truck could have been nothing and those agents would be dead, their blood would be on your hands.' Deane stepped closer to his partner. 'You're lucky this device will cover your actions! You never learnt that from me!'

Jozef swore in Hungarian and tried to detonate the explosives in the truck one more time. Despite his efforts, the beautiful explosion he was so desperate to see didn't come. The frustration boiled over inside him and he threw the device at the wall. Breathing hard, he looked at his brother. 'Get everything together. We are leaving. Now!'

Gyorgy looked out the nearby window and saw the two surviving agents from their team on the run with agents from the Royal party in pursuit. 'What about our men down there? We can't just leave them, if we are to continue our work we will need—'

Jozef made his way to the door. 'Forget about them! We don't have time to wait, our car is downstairs.'

Gyorgy was still not convinced. 'But Akira told us to—'

'We leave this minute. I will deal with Akira!'

Both men picked up several bags and equipment and rushed down the stairs to the waiting car below. Jozef refused to allow himself time to think about their failure and tried to focus on their escape route through the United Arab Emirates. There was no time to waste if they were going to make it to the border in one piece.

Deane didn't want to hear any more excuses from his partner and walked away from the truck. In the distance at the end of the street, he saw several police cars mount the pavement, disperse, and start to spread out. Behind them were several ambulances which parked up and the medics started to fan out with the police. Deane thought about ordering Olsen to take control of the survivors inside the Embassy so he could deal with the local authorities. He turned back to make sure Olsen carried out his orders but instead of his partner, he only saw the truck. Olsen was nowhere in sight.

Olsen sprinted as fast as he could, willing himself on to reach the ringleaders in time. Just seconds ago, he had spotted two men leave a small block of flats some distance away from where the attack had taken place. _The two leaders, they have to be!_ He jumped over several bodies and spotted Deane's Land Rover parked up. Olsen started to run towards it but he saw the vehicle become surrounded by police cars and become blocked in. As he neared closer, one police car pulled over and a gaunt looking officer got out and spoke in fluent Arabic. Olsen summed up the situation quickly, tossed the officer out of his way and got into the car. With the engine still running, he floored the accelerator and spun 180 degrees as he spotted the lead men get into a vehicle not far ahead.

Deane saw his partner in the driver's seat of the police car and started to run towards the vehicle. 'Sam! What are you doing, get out of that car now!'

Olsen saw his partner run to the car in the rear-view mirror but he made his decision and mounted the pavement to avoid the final police car that was in his way. He fiddled with the cars siren controls and couldn't suppress a smile as it came to life. The car was pushed to its limits as he swerved the car around a tight corner to keep up the chase.

Jozef Kiprich was in the car with his brother Gyorgy and looked back when he heard sirens coming from behind. To his amazement, a dented police car was in pursuit. Jozef screamed at his brother to push the ageing white Mercedes harder as he loaded his pistol in preparation to fire. He wound down the window and fired off six shots from his Heckler and Koch 9mm pistol.

Olsen adjusted his vision so not to look at the bullet holes in the windscreen, and floored the accelerator. The two-litre engine cried out as he urged the vehicle on and caught up with the white Mercedes. In the small amount of spare time Olsen had for hobbies, he had become an expert on cars. He knew for certain the tank-like build of the 1960's Mercedes car ahead would cut through the police car he was driving like tin foil _. I have to force it off the road!_ Olsen loosely fired off several shots and saw the back window of the Mercedes relent under fire and smash into tiny pieces.

Jozef raised his hands to his face as the glass sprayed the front seats. He looked around in time to see the driver of the police car take aim with a silver pistol.

Olsen pulled the trigger twice but only one bullet fired from the chamber and that missed his target. He swore to himself and dropped his gun to the floor as he manoeuvred the police car to one side. Once in position, he smashed the car into the white Mercedes and did his best to force them off the road.

Jozef held on to what he could as the Mercedes struggled to stay on the road. He looked across at the police car and realised that instead of an Omani police officer, it was the MI6 agent he had seen from the harbour that was giving chase. An opening appeared ahead and Jozef screamed at his brother to make the turn.

Gyorgy turned the car violently, and the Mercedes smashed its way through the picnic area just off Al Qurm Heights Road. Several bodies flashed over the car bonnet and there were screams of panic from the innocent Omanis who were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Olsen slowed down and followed the terrorists through the picnic area. Smoke was billowing from the police car's engine but Olsen changed into fourth gear and hoped it wouldn't give way.

Jozef looked back and screamed in frustration when he saw the police car still in pursuit. He grabbed the Heckler and Koch MP5 rifle from the back seat and without hesitation, fired off thirty shots and sprayed the police car's windscreen with a flurry of bullets.

Olsen ducked down behind the steering wheel and dashboard and prayed for some luck. The noise was deafening. Bullets blasted the windscreen repeatedly. Most hit the dashboard or ripped into the front seats. When the attack ceased, he raised his head and found it impossible to see through the damaged glass. As he forced the car to accelerate one more time, he smashed his fist into the remains of the window and forced enough of it away so he could setup for one more collision.

Burton slowed down and pulled into the driveway of his house. Another day at MI6 was over. When opened the front door he called out to his wife, loud enough for her to hear but not enough for his son to be woken up. 'Kate?' All the lights in the house were off. Burton paused and waited to hear some noise from upstairs.

Silence.

Burton flicked the light switch and saw a letter that was stuck to the kitchen door. He felt puzzled initially and didn't know what it could be about. 'Maybe Kate's gone off to see her sister...' he mumbled. As he ripped open the envelope, something fell to the ground, but he chose to read the letter first. He read the words, but the information didn't sink in completely, only patches. He started to repeat the words out aloud and felt numb with shock. 'Oh God....oh God, no...no trust? Better for all of us?' His eyes looked past the letter and there, on the wooden floor, was the wedding ring he had so carefully chosen all those years ago. Burton held it in his hand, and his eyes welled up as he realised what he had lost. One word came into his head straight away. _OSCAR!_ Burton sprinted up the stairs faster than his frame would appear to allow and smashed into the young boy's room. The cot was there but fifteen-month-old Oscar was nowhere to be seen. He cried out in pain as he slumped against the cot and dropped the letter and ring to the floor. His heart was reeling in shock but his mind processed the information, his wife and son were gone. Burton stared out into space and felt completely broken at the loss of his family. He closed his eyes and began to cry. Deep down he didn't blame Kate but what else could he had done? He felt wracked with guilt, and a lasting urge to turn the clock back and redeem himself.

Olsen followed the Mercedes into Fahud Street and just missed a young Omani family on pushbikes. By now, the car's siren had long since been silenced by another rifle attack. The engine continuously cried out for relief, but Olsen was relentless and wasn't going to give up until the terrorists were either dead or in custody. 'Come on, come on!' he shouted, as another warning light lit on the dashboard display. He floored the accelerator again and smashed the bonnet into the back of the Mercedes.

Jozef shouted in frustration as he knocked his head on the dashboard. He grabbed his rifle and turned around in his seat. The bullets blasted out of the weapon in a high-pitched scream as Jozef tried again to neutralize the attacker.

Olsen saw the attack and lowered himself down once again, to avoid it. In one last desperate move, he pushed his right foot down on the accelerator as hard as he could and felt the car surge forwards. _One last try!_ The rifle attack ceased, but when he looked up again, he had no time to react as another rifle attack came but this time it was directed at his tyres.

Jozef smiled to himself as he continued to fire and saw the rubber tires blow out.

Olsen struggled at the wheel but couldn't control the car. All he could hear was the sound of squealing tires and scraping metal as the car swerved again and smashed into the side of the nearby Maydan Al Fath Stadium. Olsen saw several locals come over to help. 'Get away from here, move!' He knew what was to come and locked his fiery glare onto the white Mercedes that had stopped further down the road. He counted in his mind as he struggled to escape the car.

Three...

Olsen smashed his right foot into the door that wouldn't budge. 'COME...ON!' Again, he kicked the door hard and could hear it begin to give way.

Two...

Jozef snapped another magazine into his rifle, took aim and fired several shots at the petrol tank of the police car. The bullets screamed out of the chamber as they surged towards its target.

One...

Olsen heard the unmistakable sound of gunfire and threw himself out of the vehicle as best he could. The bullets pierced the petrol tank of the wrecked police car and the resultant sparks caused the explosion that erupted just a few feet from him. Olsen smashed into the pavement and several other Omanis. Amid the frightened screams and burning wreckage, he looked up and saw the damaged Mercedes drive away at speed.
Chapter 12

Sunday, March 4th 21:15,

Muscat, Oman.

Deane unlocked the door to his flat and heard footsteps from the floor above. He walked upstairs and knew who it would be. 'I thought you would be long gone by now.' A long silence lingered between the two men as the evening shadows streamed across the cramped room.

Olsen picked up his hand luggage and placed the bag on his shoulder. 'I'm booked on the next flight out of here. I'll be accompanying the Royal party back to London. I just didn't want to leave without saying goodbye...or having our discussion.' A shiver of fear slowly made its way down Olsen's spine, as for a moment he wondered whether Deane would break his promise because of his actions during his pursuit of the terrorists.

Deane sat down in the nearest chair and pushed aside what he was going to say about the car chase. For the first time in over a decade, he allowed his mind to drift back to that fateful day in Oman but his heart resisted somewhat, as he knew what an ordeal it would be. 'Sit down, Sam, and I'll tell you what happened.'

Olsen did as he was told and waited patiently.

Deane fiddled with a scar on his right hand as he tried to begin. The memories bubbled away in his mind. Old feelings resurfaced, together with the pain of losing his partner and mentor. His voice was shaky at first. 'As you know, Geoff and I were here for Operation ESPY. It had been a long running issue but it was one we thought we had control of...'

June 26th Thirteen years ago, Muscat, Oman.

Calm sea breezes blew through Deane's fine black hair as he turned a corner and re-joined the pavement in central Muscat.

On first impression, he appeared to be a quiet and relaxed visitor to the country who wore a white dishdasha. Other Omanis passed him by, without so much as a second look. The reality was somewhat different. Having been an MI6 agent for many years, he had experienced more at thirty years of age than most would in a lifetime. His official file at MI6 headquarters read _'A highly skilled and capable agent with expertise in undercover work, hand to hand combat, surveillance and reconnaissance.'_ Truth be told, Deane thought of himself as an expert in every field. In his mind, aside from his partner Geoff Olsen, he had no equal.

Deane was acutely aware of his surroundings. His memory was sharp and despite walking along the relatively quiet Al-Bahri Road with his head down most of the time, he could inform a stranger of any parked cars nearby, together with useful descriptions of the nearest people. His walking pace quickened at the sight of a rundown car in a side street ahead. As he turned a corner, a small child called out in Arabic whilst grinning innocently. Deane was fluent in Arabic and understood the question, but was focussed on the job in hand and continued towards the vehicle. As he reached the passenger door, Deane gave a sweep of the area with his cold and emotionless eyes, to make sure nothing was out of place. Feeling at ease, he got in and exchanged a look with his partner.

Geoff Olsen read the expression on his partner's face so well. Straight away, he turned the ignition key and the ageing Toyota roared into life. 'Don't tell me you lost him?'

Deane shifted in his seat as he wound down the window. A faint smile spread across his features. 'Don't worry, our targets are still at the Al-Nahda Hotel. Are we all set?'

Geoff turned the car onto the main road and passed several Omanis on pushbikes. The older agent was dressed more traditionally, looking more like a genuine visitor with his light blue shirt and sand coloured trousers. Geoff had always been happy to leave the undercover work to his partner of ten years. 'Did you see them?'

'They entered the hotel together after hiring a private taxi. They must be making the drop sometime today,' he said sternly.

Operation ESPY had been a long, drawn-out process. Tracking intelligence leaks was never easy. The experienced partnership of Olsen and Deane had once again proved their worth. After locating a former agency ally in Stratford, London as the initial suspect, the two men had tracked down the buyers of the intelligence data to Muscat, Oman. It was likely the two men would sell the data to another faction for a large sum of money.

Geoff Olsen slotted the car into third gear and focussed his mind on the events that would soon be upon him. At forty-five years old, he had seen the world, served his country and more importantly, lived through it. Despite his love of the job, Geoff felt confident that his partner was more than capable of taking on the role of OMA1, the MI6 codename for their agent stationed in Oman. He ran his hand through his thick, greying hair and felt the adrenaline rush reach every corner of his body. _I'm going to miss this feeling,_ he told himself. Still, he was well aware that his wife and teenage son back home in London needed his presence more than Deane or MI6 did. That alone assured him that it was time to move on.

The car drove through the quiet streets and moved onto the slightly busier Mutrah Corniche. Several Omanis walked along the road that was set close to the water's edge. The evening sunshine streamed across the walkers and the beautiful Portuguese-influenced whitewashed houses. Decorative balconies and façades could not be missed. The sight of the bare, rugged hills in the background made the houses stand out.

Geoff steered the car through the stunning sight as the hazy evening sunshine flowed through the windscreen. The beautiful surroundings didn't distract him as he continued to focus on the journey and his mindset. He glanced over to his partner, who looked blankly out of the window. The silence didn't bother Geoff, who had always pegged Deane as the quiet, moody type. Several times, he had trusted the young man with his life and would do so again without hesitation.

The car weaved in and out of the taxis parked at the stand, and passed a small souvenir shop before coming to a halt in a side street, not far from the Al-Nahda Hotel.

Geoff switched off the ignition and looked out. 'Strange how this hotel is cut off from the rest, it's a perfect location for them.' He reached for a file and read all about Oscar Moas, the Syrian national who would no doubt sell the acquired intelligence reports.

'Here we go,' said Deane quietly, as he leaned forward.

The rundown hotel sat alone on the corner of the street, several hundred yards from the busier areas. Two men appeared at the entrance, both holding a package.

Geoff watched carefully from behind the wheel of the car. 'There he is again. That must be his partner. Did we get a rundown on him?'

Deane fumbled through some papers and read through the accomplice's vital details. He looked up and watched the two targets talk to each other, taking note of the body language between the pair. 'You can tell Moas is the one in charge. Wait...they're splitting up.' Deane looked over sharply to his partner, the senior agent.

Geoff ran a hand through his hair and thought for a moment. 'We don't have a choice. They could both have some of the data we need to recover.' He locked eyes with his partner. 'You take the accomplice. I'll take Moas.'

Deane looked at the targets that were moving off in opposite directions and then back to his partner. 'Moas is the key. We get him and the data is ours. I say we both stay on Moas.'

Geoff took the car keys out of the ignition and opened the car door. 'This is my call. Protocol dictates that we split up if it's necessary.' He saw his partner begin to object again and spoke with a more forceful tone of voice. 'Don't take any risks. We'll meet back here in one hour.' With that, Geoff set off after Oscar Moas.

Deane watched him go and looked away in disagreement. Slowly, he gave a sweeping look at his surroundings and set off in the direction of the accomplice. Several minutes passed as he kept him in his sights. Deane stopped and saw his target walk down a crowded alleyway which led to the fish market. He followed and kept a respectable distance as he watched the target merge with the crowds. The strong smell of all types of fish swept over him as the hustle and bustle of the market came into view. For an instant, Deane lost sight of his target. He slowed down and took his time to locate him again. His steely looking eyes locked onto the suspect again who stood by the side of a fish stall at the far end. Relief came over him though it quickly changed to dread as the target stepped out from the stall and looked straight at him. Deane didn't flinch, and he held a casual stare for a second before he looked away. When his gaze returned to the location, he saw the target jog down the road to a waiting car. Deane cursed himself in Arabic for not spotting the vehicle before and set off in pursuit in full sprint. He tried desperately to make his way through the busy crowds in time but watched in vain as the car sped off. His eyes looked around frantically for a taxi, but the street appeared to quieten down almost immediately. Deane closed his eyes, angry with himself at the failure then focussed his mind on his partner. _Did they want to split us up?_ Without wasting another second, he turned on his heels and began to sprint back towards the Al-Nahda Hotel, convinced his partner was in serious danger.

Geoff Olsen watched Oscar Moas linger on the corner of Al-Mina Street from his position outside the Mina Hotel. _If this guy's on his way to a meeting, he's not in any hurry._ He gave the surrounding area another check before he set off in the same direction. On the corner of Al-Mina Street, he caught sight of his target moving off down an alleyway. Warning signals went off in his mind as he sensed Moas was now aware of his presence. Despite the alarm, he still felt in control as he walked slowly down the steep road before coming to the corner of the alleyway. He studied every part of the quiet street before peering around the edge of the wall. The alleyway was narrow and deserted and served as the back entrance of the souvenir shops and post office. _No witnesses,_ he thought to himself. Geoff summed up the risks and thought about waiting for Deane, but he decided to make his move. _We need this intelligence data. I can't let him go._ Confident in his decision, he set off down the narrow side street and quickly caught up Oscar Moas, who now appeared to be deliberately walking at a slower pace. Geoff felt for the Fairbarn Sykes knife, his lucky charm, which was strapped to his back. Attracting attention was the last thing he needed, the recovery of the intelligence data was all that mattered.

On Al-Mina Street, behind Geoff Olsen, a taxi coasted to a stop. Oscar Moas's accomplice got out and silently closed the door. Two other men did the same from the other side. The accomplice gave a nod to his ally and led them down the alleyway, closing in on the threat they had been waiting for.

Minutes passed as Deane rushed through the crowds and found himself back at the Al-Nahda Hotel. The sun felt hotter to him than it had done as beads of sweat began to form on his forehead. Deane tried to recover from his sprint and felt his heart miss a beat when he saw his partner's empty Toyota car. He gritted his teeth and felt even more on edge as he wondered where his target was. Wasting no time, he rushed down the street and continued to look in all directions, desperate to see a sign or a clue. Experience told him to return to the hotel and wait but something inside made him walk on further. The Mina Hotel passed him by, looking as deserted as it had done before. Deane looked around again and was just about to give up hope and turn back to the car when a woman's scream shattered the peace. Without waiting to see what had happened, he sprinted in the direction of the noise. Ahead of him, other Omanis were gathering around the cause of the distress. Deane did the same and almost fell to the ground in shock when he saw what it was. There ahead of him was his partner Geoff Olsen, lying motionless in a pool of blood. On first sight, it looked like Geoff had been stabbed in the neck and lower abdomen.

Deane lost all colour in his face. His mouth was open, and his eyes were wide with disbelief. The scene ahead of him was unthinkable — never had he imagined his partner and best friend as fallible. A young Omani woman was sitting beside the body of Geoff Olsen, screaming out for help in Arabic. Still Deane stood on the side-lines. His body shuddered under the weight of the emotions that were rushing through his system _. I should have insisted...I should have made Geoff realise we shouldn't have split up._ Suddenly, Deane pushed his way violently through the crowd and rushed over to his partner. He did his best to put his personal feelings aside and assess the patient. Within seconds, he set about giving Geoff Olsen CPR. Gently, he tilted the head back and checked the airway. As he switched into autopilot, he desperately tried not to look into his friend's lifeless eyes, pinched the nose closed and gave two rescue breaths. With no signs of circulation, he locked his hands together in the correct formation and placed the heel of his right hand over his partner's lower ribs. 'One...two...three...' Deane continued his compressions, but lost control and tears ran down his face. After the first two breaths of mouth-to-mouth ventilation, his friend gave no response. The Omani woman in front of him mumbled in Arabic but Deane was not giving up. He brushed his tears away and tried again, refusing to listen to the voice in his head that was telling him it was his fault...

Silence was all there was between Thomas Deane and Sam Olsen. Minutes passed by and nothing was said.

Deane spoke first. 'Let me give you a ride to the airport.' His voice was slow and full of emotion.

Olsen didn't respond immediately. To hear the true events, in such detail, after all these years had been a traumatic experience. But at the same time, there was a calmness inside his heart. As if the nightmare and desperate feeling of wanting the truth was finally starting to subside. He spoke so quietly, it could almost be classed as a whisper. 'No, I'll get a taxi.' He rose to his feet and picked up his luggage.

Deane stood at the door and raised his right hand. 'Don't think for a moment we're finished here. I've spent the last hour or so smoothing things over with the authorities. You stole a police car and almost wrecked the town for God's sake.'

Olsen said nothing. He didn't regret his actions.

Deane watched his headstrong partner and was at a loss as to where the reckless streak in him came from. Certainly not from Geoff Olsen. 'I've contacted our agent in the UAE, no doubt she'll be on the lookout for those men.' He sighed and shook his head. The one thing he didn't want on their last operation together was to end on a disagreement. He had so much to say and struggled to start. 'Look...uh...outside the Embassy, you did well today, you hear me? I still don't agree with your methods but you were right to go for that truck, your instincts are...well-tuned.' Deane wanted to touch on the subject of his young partner's violent temper but forced himself not to. Somehow, with words he couldn't muster, he wanted to say how much he loved him but just didn't know where to start.

Olsen looked at his mentor. This was their last operation together.

Deane knew the partnership was in its final moments and was willing to do anything to prevent it. He swallowed and ran a hand over his face. The time he had spent with Olsen in Oman had been traumatic but at the same time worthwhile. The Prince was still alive, an attack had been thwarted, and despite the end drawing near, at least the air had been cleared between them. 'If you're sure this is what you want.'

Olsen was still trying to come to terms with what he had been told about his father. But that was all in the past now. There was no denying that he regarded Deane as his father figure and mentor in the present and that he loved him with all his heart, but he needed to prove himself and stand alone. That burning desire never faded.

The silence gave Deane his answer. His eyes failed to focus on his young partner, who he would always refer to as his son. 'Promise me...promise me you won't leave the service?' His voice was soft and touched with sadness.

Olsen could feel the emotion welling up in his throat and wondered whether he had picked up a hint of failure in his friend's voice. Deane had saved his life on numerous occasions, had trained him to be an effective government agent and, more than anything, instilled in him the cause to fight on behalf of his country. 'I'll contact you, Tom.'

Deane remained in the doorway, but continued to look away. 'Just be careful...Sam...'

Olsen gave his long-time partner an emotion-filled hug and quickly walked down the stairs to the street below. If he stayed a moment more, he knew he would change his mind.

Chapter 13

### Thursday, March 8th 08:00 (4 days later),

### Moscow, Russia.

Icy winds passed right through Akira despite the layers of thick clothing he wore. Beneath them, a silver locket was clasped around his neck and at times touched the chest that housed his black heart. The locket, with its delicate markings and polished silver, was a solitary link to a man long gone, to a heart that was no longer capable of anything other than savage destruction. His hands fumbled around his neck and found the locket. Akira studied it carefully. Holding it tight in his right hand, he closed his eyes and felt himself grow in strength. A moment passed, and then he felt Madeline's presence. He opened the locket and saw them both together in happier times. In the picture, Akira looked unrecognisable and Madeline looked positively glowing. He missed her so much. Every hour felt lonesome and empty without her. A dark memory came back to him and he winced in pain at the power of it. He tried desperately to push it away and almost succeeded but still saw glimpses of the hospital bed and the repetitive beep of the life-support machine. Akira opened his eyes, and they burned brightly. Madeline was gone but there was much to do and Russia was the first step.

Moscow in February was always well below freezing but the weather was just a distraction. His quest for global change was now moving into its final stages of preparation. The failure in Oman had bothered him greatly but compared to the changes he was hell bent on making, it was small in comparison. Low key attacks served their purpose but for real change, he knew all too well that he would need a superpower on his side. A country that when merged with his allies, could not only stand equal with the West but be strong enough to topple it.

Akira had waited in the wings for many years. Finally, just as Madeline had told him, the opportunity had arisen. The Russian elections were around four months away and now was the time to begin making moves for change.

Several Middle Eastern countries were already under his control, which had caused the deaths of hundreds, including many of the West's protectors, MI6, French, German, Canadian, CIA or even FBI agents. In his mind and his heart, he could hardly contain himself. His plan to have his long-time friend and ally, Mikhail Salenko, elected as the next President of Russia made him realise that he had come so far but there was still much to be done. Russia's nuclear programme had been dormant for years and it would take time to reactivate and rebuild, but Akira knew that the experience was there. In time, agents would come from the West, in their droves possibly, in an attempt to dissolve the threat and have Salenko terminated. Akira would do everything he could to stop them, even if it meant giving his own life to the cause. There was simply no one that could challenge him. All of it was for Madeline, to ensure once and for all that the corrupted West would cease its constant policies and be dissolved. _Madeline can't have died for nothing._

Akira saw heavy snow fall from the sky and noted the impressive sight of Trinity Gate Tower ahead of him, a huge structure that was the entrance to the Moscow Kremlin. It stood tall, with its blood-like colour and impressive features standing out so clearly in the dismal weather. He wondered when the day would come when he would have the nuclear power of Russia at his fingertips. The political influence infected him as did the stronghold of power that emanated from the impressive sight the Kremlin gave.

Underneath the Trinity Gate Tower, floods of tourists and locals passed him by. None of them gave him a second look as he was dressed in a heavy black jacket, black boots and a thick hat to keep out the cold. At the far corner of the structure, he spotted his trusted ally. The two men gave each other a warm hug, each recognising the importance of their first meeting for months. Akira had been co-ordinating Salenko's election campaign from the East but knew it was time he should be in Moscow in person. He spoke with a faint smile and felt supremely confident that the man in front of him would help change the destiny of the world forever. 'Greetings, Mikhail. This is the start of our journey together.'

Sam Olsen, S.U.C.O. team leader, cleared some files from his chair and sat down at the nearest terminal in Operations Command. He scanned the key areas of an operation report sheet and found that MI6's agent in the United Arab Emirates had found no trace of the Kiprich brothers. The Royal party had returned home and terrorism had dominated all newspaper and TV reports on a daily basis. He put the report down and thought about contacting Deane, who was still in Oman. Olsen hadn't spoken to him since he had left Oman and felt unhappy about how they had parted. With the operation now behind him, he was slowly starting to deal with all the emotion and hoped that in the days to come he would be able to look forward.

Despite his relationship with Deane being in an unstable position, he knew it would improve. A new voice had joined his thoughts, one that constantly reminded him that what had happened in Oman all those years ago had been a tragedy and that he had been very lucky to have had Deane guiding him ever since. Olsen was starting to accept the truth.

A copy of _The Times_ hit his shoulder and landed on the desk. Olsen looked up to see one of his S.U.C.O. agents, Dan Carter, take off his dark blue jacket nearby.

'No sleeping on the job, Sam.' Carter slapped a large hand on his friend's shoulder. 'I'm glad you're all right. I heard what happened in Oman, you doing OK?'

Olsen led his friend to the nearest side kitchen. 'I'll survive, Dan, though there were moments where I thought my time was up, in more ways than one.'

Carter looked around and asked quietly, 'I'm impressed you went through with it, must have been emotional hell.'

'It was. At the same time though, to hear the truth from Tom about what happened to my dad has taken a massive edge off it all. Sounds crazy, but after all this time it feels like the healing process has finally started. Knowing what actually happened was so painful but I had to know. That whole operation has given me a greater understanding that what happened was a tragedy but I've been so lucky to have Tom with me over the years. I feel bad about how we parted, but it feels too early to talk to him again.'

Carter rummaged around for a spoon. 'After everything you both went through last week, a little distance might help. Your relationship will probably be stronger in the future.'

Olsen thought about it and hoped it would prove to be the case. 'I really hope so, Dan. We may not be working together anymore but I'll always be there for him.'

'I heard a rumour that the powers that be are going to assign him a new partner. That would help, right?'

'Absolutely. If Tom gives the guy a chance, it could really give him a new challenge. I'll have to get in touch with him soon.'

'Sounds like you both had a good talk, as crazy as it sounds after all these years.' A warm smile came to him. 'Come to think of it, whenever I worked with you two it was never exactly chatty.'

'We really did talk. Maybe it was the country or just the links to Operation ESPY. Just being in Oman was hard though, the sights, the smells, everything that Dad described was there. I even went to the street where...well, you know.'

Carter listened closely. 'That can't have been easy.'

'I could almost feel him there, you know? Then Tom arrived. We spoke more about what happened more than ever before. It's not easy to talk about it but I'm slowly getting my head around what happened, even if it was years ago. Just being in Oman has made me face aspects of it that I never wanted to before. I know he cares for me, and me for him, that's all that really matters I guess.'

'Tom will always be there for you, I'm sure.' Carter gripped his friend's shoulder and looked to change the subject. 'So Rach is OK then?'

A warm smile spread across Olsen's face at the mention of Rachel. In his heart he knew instantly he wouldn't have gotten through the Oman operation if he she hadn't been waiting for him at the very end. 'Yeah, we're looking at having our wedding day around July or August time.' He couldn't repress a smile as he handed a coffee to his friend. 'Still got to think about the best man, mind you...'

Carter took the mug and sipped it slowly. He frowned and looked at it. 'No milk. Ugh.'

'There wasn't any milk...'

Before Carter could answer, the broad shoulders of Alex Jordan pushed through. 'Coming through! What does a guy have to do to get a drink around this place huh?' Jordan, the S.U.C.O. deputy team leader, grinned confidently and put his mug on the table. It read 'World's Greatest Secret Agent.' He caught the others look at the wording. 'Like it, huh? What can I say, it suits me right?' The forty-two-year-old gave Olsen a nudge with his elbow. 'I hear you almost got the Prince killed in Oman, Sam? I know you're not a fan of the monarchy but you're taking it a little far don't you think?'

Olsen smiled but ignored the comment about the operation. He had never really 'got' Jordan's sense of humour. 'Anything happen whilst I was away, Alex?'

'Nothing of interest. You worry too much. Still, I hear we may be getting some action today, mind you. I for one wouldn't mind, my trigger finger been getting twitchy of late.'

Olsen raised his eyebrows in mock interest and moved away. He had known Jordan for three years, and would describe him as a trusted colleague, one that was dedicated to the cause. It was just the level of dedication that had always bothered him. At times, it had appeared that Jordan enjoyed his work a little too much. Despite his concerns, Olsen respected Jordan's impressive MI6 record that spanned two decades. There was no doubting his skill and experience. 'Have you heard something I haven't?'

Jordan sat down in Olsen's seat and put his feet on a stack of files. 'Nothing official. I just heard that the powers that be are out to find those Kiprich brothers you ran into. No doubt they'll be asking us to sort it.' A smug grin came over his features. 'You kids don't need to concern yourselves, you can stand aside, I could handle those two with one hand tied behind my back.'

Olsen exchanged a quick look with Carter as he found another seat. A slight commotion caught his attention ahead, and Richard Elliott, Chief of MI6 and back from Europe, appeared. All three agents stood up and greeted the Chief. 'Good morning, sir.'

Elliott, a living legend not only amongst staff at MI6, MI5 and the Houses of Parliament, had become an iconic figure with the public due to the several decades he had been in the public eye. Dressed in a stylish black suit, wearing a white shirt, black bow tie, and a perfectly formed white handkerchief in his chest pocket, Elliott stood slightly hunched over and looked every inch of his seventy-two-years. Several strands of silver hair were all that were visible on his head, and his bushy silver eyebrows sat above a fiery pair of blue eyes.

As he paused at a nearby terminal, Elliott gave a scowling look around the nerve centre of MI6. He always gave off an air that nothing was good enough, and everything could be better — the legend focussed his attention on the nearby S.U.C.O. agents. 'There have been many developments.' He spoke in his usual gruff and curt tone. 'We have much to discuss.'

Jordan passed Olsen and flashed a smile. 'See?'

Olsen walked into briefing room one and noted all nine S.U.C.O. agents from teams Alpha and Bravo, including Carter and Jordan, were in attendance. The other teams of the elite force, Charlie, Delta, and Echo had been assigned to the Middle East for months and were now on their way home.

In the far corner, sitting away from the two squads, were Burton and Ramsey, the MI6 deputy-chief. Olsen took his seat next to Carter.

Elliott glanced at every face in the room before he started the briefing. He slowly rose from his chair and looked out at his elite team, all of whom he respected, and secretly cared for like a soft granddad. With his advancing years, he had lost count of just how many briefings he had given, and sadly how many protectors, or rather knights as he called them, had been lost in the line of duty. Though his appearance was becoming more frail with each passing year, his steely blue eyes that had seen so much had lost none of their ferocity.

Elliott had joined MI6 at the age of twenty-two, and had worked his way up, travelling the world and surviving so many operations. With each one completed, his ability as a leader shone through, not to mention his dogged determination and sheer refusal to be beaten. At forty-two, some twenty years later, Elliott became the youngest Chief of MI6 and took control. Experts at the time felt he led not only the agency but the West itself, through the Cold War single-handedly. Work took its toll and in 2003, at the age of sixty-three, Elliott suffered his first heart attack and much to his disgust, was forced out of office from his beloved MI6 and was cared for by his high school sweetheart, and long-suffering wife, Corina. As much as he hated being away from world events, he was looked on as a sad and beaten figure by the public, with sympathy nonetheless, but consigned to the past.

When MI6 became leaderless once more, Elliott, at sixty-five, and in his mind fighting fit despite his doctor's reservations, took back the mantle he had been born to assume. Some were cautious, others victorious, but Elliott himself was more determined than ever to carry on where he had left off and be useful again.

Elliott scowled at his agents and gave himself a mental pat on the back for getting through another day that according to most in the medical field, should not have been possible.

His voice was its usual gruff self, and he projected it with authority which made everyone take notice and listen hard. 'As you know, an attack took place in Oman on Saturday. Thank the heavens, the Royal party's essential personnel survived unscathed.' He stepped forward and twisted his face in defiance as if it would help in some way to prevent the atrocity from happening again. 'This is the first time any terrorist faction has directly attacked not only one of our embassies but our monarchy as well. I and senior personnel spent all of yesterday with key government officials.' Elliott paused and raised his silver eyebrows as he finished. 'And now...we fight back.'

The Chief of MI6 moved away from the big screen and gave a nod to the technician who sat at the back of the briefing room. The screen flickered to life and displayed two photographs.

Elliott continued. 'The Kiprich brothers. Gyorgy and Jozef. The latter is the stronger of the two, far more dominant in proceedings. Our intelligence from GCHQ has indicated they have settled in Poland for the time being. After Oman, they moved through the United Arab Emirates and then to Cracow, Poland.' He handed folders to Jordan and Olsen. Both files had the words 'CONFIDENTIAL' written across them in heavy red type. 'Operation Reprisal. The Kiprich brothers have crossed a line and they must be dealt with. A termination order has been given.' For the first time that day a warm smile came over him and sense of pride took hold. 'I should tell you that the CIA wanted to take control of this but it's with great pride that teams Alpha and Bravo of S.U.C.O. have the honour.' He caught the attention of the two senior agents, Olsen and Jordan. 'Begin preparing your teams. Our agent in Poland, POL1, has a fix on their location and will act as your contact point for this operation.'' He studied every individual carefully and knew in his heart that they would be successful. 'I know you won't let me down.'

In the front row, Olsen saw the pride in Elliott's eyes and felt so honoured to be taking S.U.C.O. into battle and lead such a talented and powerful group of agents. At the same time though, it was time to do what he hated the most, tell Rachel he was going away. In the past it had always been difficult, and Olsen had come away time and again, feeling so guilty. Rachel deserved better and each time he did it, the worse he seemed to feel.

As the agents dispersed from the briefing room, Olsen reached for his phone and called Rachel's mobile phone, and hoped she would be available for lunch.

A cold wind swirled through the light blond hair of POL1, otherwise known as Agent Martin Bedford. He adjusted the scarf around his neck and pulled down on his dark brown baseball cap as he stepped onto a number 208 bus at Balice airport, seven miles west of the city of Cracow. Bedford paid his fare and gave a sweeping glance to all the passengers on the bus. His eyes locked onto the now bearded face of Jozef Kiprich, but only for an instant, as he took a seat not far away. As the scenery passed by his window, he remembered his briefing from his superior in Warsaw, the nation's capital. Several words stood out in his mind. _Keep a respectable distance and report daily on the movements of the Kiprich brothers._ Bedford pulled his newspaper from his jacket pocket and began to scan the headlines.

At the back of the bus, a cold set of blue eyes continued to study Bedford, and took note of every movement closely. They belonged to Zoltan Ferec who was a trusted ally of his close friend Jozef. Ferec was suspicious of everyone on the bus but his instincts had focussed onto that particular individual who was slowly being marked a threat in his mind. Since their arrival in Poland, he was convinced he had seen the man several times before. Ferec was experienced and in astonishing physical shape for his age considering he was now just a few years away from forty. He was six feet tall with dark blond hair. His piercing blue eyes studied the target carefully. Two words continued to circle in his head, _government agent._ Ferec remembered his friend's last operation, the attack on the Royal family and UK Embassy in Oman. He wondered whether the agent was from MI6 and recalled his previous contact with that agency. Ferec had encountered MI6 agents several times before, and had yet to be seriously challenged, though he had never encountered a S.U.C.O. agent. The others were well trained, but they had never posed a serious threat to him, and had been easy to dispose of in the past.

The bus came to a halt outside the city hall tower, in the main market square, the largest in Europe. Bedford disembarked the bus and kept Jozef in his sights.

The sights of Cracow's market square surrounded them. It was seething with life. Many café tables filled most of the area, with a host of shops, antique dealers, restaurants, bars, and clubs.

Bedford had been in the square many times before and kept his vision locked on his target. He wandered over to a small shop and picked up a piece of jewellery from a nearby stand. He held the attractive looking bronze piece to the light, whilst his eyes kept watch on Jozef, who began to move away from the departing bus, and merge with the crowds. Bedford replaced the piece of jewellery straight away and set off in pursuit.

Ferec had been watching and began to walk behind a young couple, whilst he kept the government agent in his sights just ahead. There was no doubt in his mind now that the target following his close friend was some form of threat. Ferec continued to make his way through the busy market square and was suddenly presented with a camera thrust in his face. A nearby couple asked in perfect English if he would take a photograph of them. Ferec pushed the camera away and shoved the tourist, who almost fell to the ground. He began to jog slightly as his target disappeared from view, but then relaxed when he found him again. The small church of St Wojciech, which appeared lost compared to all the other more impressive buildings, passed him by and he followed the target into the Church of St. Mary.

The imposing structure of St Mary's church dominated a large part of the main market square. It had stood for centuries as a symbol of Polish architecture and couldn't be missed, the beautiful design catching the attention of every passing tourist and local.

The historic church made no impact on the assassin Ferec who walked through the main entrance and passed the large ten-foot-tall wooden doors. His eyes swept around his surroundings and took note of a few people who were all focussed on the impressive stained glass windows. Ferec took out his pistol from his jacket, concealed it in his pocket, and approached the target who lingered at a nearby staircase. Slinking into the shadows, he slowly passed one pillar at a time and drew nearer to his target who showed no sign of detecting his presence. The instincts of a predator took over his body and mind, and a feeling of complete control swept through him. He moved the pistol behind his back and cocked the weapon slowly, whilst passing another two pillars. Ferec, a ruthless killer, struggled to stop himself from breaking out with a large smile as he stopped only a handful of steps away.

Bedford continued to watch Jozef inspect the stained glass window. As yet, the MI6 agent had yet to decide exactly what the man was doing. _Waiting for someone perhaps?_ he thought to himself. Bedford furrowed his brow and casually turned his head slightly. The reflection of his face in a nearby silver ornament caught his attention and sent a quick shiver down his spine. It was not the twisted and disjointed representation of his face that made him feel so startled but the sign of someone moving towards his position very slowly. Bedford didn't waste a moment and began to walk up the nearby staircase that led to what appeared to be offices and storage rooms above. His senses became heightened, and he quickly registered other footsteps on the staircase. Bedford reached the top of the stairs and he looked around for an exit. _If I can just get to the outside, I could lose them in the crowd..._

Ferec gave a nod to Jozef and saw his friend follow him up the stairs. At the top a door closed at the far end of the corridor. The blond-haired Ferec gave a smile to his friend; he knew there was no escape from that room. 'This will be over in seconds. Wait here.'

Upon entrance into the room which was a small office, Bedford glanced quickly around every corner but realised with dread that there was no hope of escape. The sound of footsteps came to the door as Bedford pushed open the nearest window and looked outside. A thin ledge ran across the red brickwork. There was a chance he would fall but what choice did he have? Bedford took a deep breath, stepped out back first and gripped onto whatever presented itself. The window snapped shut, but he held on. He edged along as quickly as he could and slowly gripped the window of the next room with his fingernails. It flipped open, and nearly knocked him off balance, but Bedford managed to climb into the storage room and slumped on the floor. He took a few seconds to control his mind and pulled out his Browning 9mm semi-automatic pistol. At the door, he edged it open slowly, enough for him to see Jozef standing outside the office he had just left. Bedford knew there was no time to lose...

Ferec remained in his aggressive stance, with his pistol out in front of him at all times, as he scanned every corner of the room. A nearby wardrobe, big enough for a man to hide, shuddered under several bullets as they exploded out of the chamber of his silenced pistol. Ferec slowly opened the doors, expecting to find a body but instead found several robes filled with holes. Confusion swept over him as he approached the window and began to survey the view of the marketplace. His head suddenly whirled around at the sound of a commotion coming from outside the door. His athletic frame leapt over the nearby desk and opened the door which revealed Jozef lying motionless on the carpeted floor. Ferec's eyes widened, as he attempted to calculate whether other government agents were now in the church. He slowly moved out of the doorframe but saw no sign of anyone. A door slammed shut behind him. Ferec spun around and immediately sprinted toward the door at the far end of the corridor. His mind scanned the church layout he had memorised and knew the roof was the only destination from that room. He burst into the room and quickly began to climb the first ladder, still confident he could finish any resistance quickly.

Bedford watched for a moment from his position and then stepped out from the large wooden beam in the corner of the room and aimed his Browning pistol at the tall blond terrorist on the ladder. His thunderous voice pierced the silence. 'Don't make any sudden moves! Drop your weapon onto the floor.' Bedford's senses were ready for any sudden developments as he stood with his knees bent, and both hands on his pistol. 'Do it now!'

Ferec cursed to himself. For the first time in years, he realised he had underestimated his opponent, as he dropped his pistol to the floor. Despite his predicament, the arrogance of a near impenetrable man still boiled away inside of Ferec.

Bedford watched his target slowly step down the ladder, one step at a time. 'Keep your hands where I can see them!' Finally the man turned around and stared hard at him, with his hands in the air. Bedford noticed almost an insulted look on his face. He ignored it, and aligned himself with the doorway. His eyes quickly shifted towards the corridor and back to his target. Jozef was still lying motionless outside the office not far away. 'Get down on your knees! DOWN! Now, who the hell are you? I want a name!'

Ferec bowed his head and said nothing. He knew an opportunity to turn the tide would soon come. He heard other questions come at him but he ignored them. As he tried to stay calm, his eyes caught sight of his pistol in the far corner of the room. Ferec began to think of how to reach it.

Bedford knew he had to make his escape and report back to MI6. He looked to his right to check on Jozef again and got a shock at what he saw. Nobody was there. 'Get up, move yourself!' He grabbed his hostage and pushed him up against the wall, his Browning pistol now pressed up hard against his head. 'Where's your friend, huh?' Bedford continued to look around in all directions, in an attempt to see where Jozef had disappeared to. He felt hopelessly outnumbered. Then out of nowhere came laughter. His hostage suddenly began to laugh uncontrollably. Bedford pushed the barrel of his pistol firmly into the man's skull. 'You son of a bitch. How many of you are there? Now!'

Ferec continued to laugh and fed off his captor's fear of what was to come. 'Calm yourself, little one, it will soon be over.' Another sick laugh took over him.

Bedford started to lose control of his mind. He pushed his hostage out of the doorframe and slowly began to walk down the corridor. An ambush would surely come, it was just a matter of when.

Chapter 14

### Thursday, March 8th 12:45,

### Vauxhall, London.

Rachel fiddled with her dark brown hair and stepped off the number 36 bus, narrowly avoiding a group of school kids who were waiting with their teacher. A cold wind had come in and what had been a predominant blue sky had now turned heavily overcast. She wore a long-sleeved light blue top, black jeans and a long grey jacket. As she walked briskly along the street, she tried to find the umbrella in her bag. It was underneath her folded nurse's uniform and had it open just in time as the first droplets began to fall from the dismal-looking sky. Just the sight of her uniform made her recall the last eight hours. It had been another difficult shift at Guy's Hospital. But then again, working in the casualty unit of any hospital as a nurse was never routine. Of late though, she had struggled to treat the constant flow of patients without becoming emotionally involved in each case, and that constant drain of energy had left her feeling very tired.

Just the other day she had been talking with another nurse about why she had been reacting this way. Rachel had been a nurse for eight years now, and at twenty-nine years old she couldn't remember the last time it had all become such a struggle. For weeks now she had been unable to put her finger on what was the cause and then a D.O.A. had come into the casualty unit and for the scariest moment she could have sworn it was her fiancé, Sam Olsen, and that had terrified her. She'd felt physically sick for hours and had been unable to shake the image of her future husband lying helpless on a trolley. After all, just how hard had she tried over the years to make him see the risks? Had she done enough? Did he know just how much she wanted him to leave MI6?

That was the problem, and she knew why. Only a few days before, she had found some paperwork at Olsen's flat which had clarified what had happened on his previous operation. Not that the paperwork gave much away, it was so formal and it could be read in so many ways, but it was obvious the jargon and general innuendo was hiding something dangerous. Information they didn't want people to know. That was her future husband's job, not nine to five, or pushing paper around, he worked for the government on the most dangerous form of work there was.

Truth be told, she didn't exactly know what he did, and that didn't help. Not that he could tell her, the Official Secrets Act put paid to that. He was a government agent, which was bad enough, but what exactly did he do? Protect people? Work in the background or on the front line? Every time, or had things changed?

They had talked about it, but each time he had visibly clammed up and though she had found out some details important to her, it had never been enough and she had learnt to push it away. Until now. Maybe it was the passing of time, it was hard to say, but she knew one thing, living with the knowledge that her husband may never return time and time again would be too much for her in the long run. Despite being besotted with Olsen, she found it was getting harder and harder. With every goodbye at the airport, the painful moment when he disappeared seemed to hurt her more each time, and all she longed for was a normal life. Not necessarily nine to five, but knowing at least that she wasn't going to lose the man she loved years before their time.

As she came around the corner she saw Sam waiting dutifully outside Café Uno restaurant. Even from a distance it looked like he was guarding the building rather than waiting for her. _My Sam, always the protector._

Rachel saw her man visually brighten as she came into view. They hugged each other and then kissed softly. She searched his dark brown eyes and his features. He was happy to see her, that was obvious, but straight away she knew he had bad news, she had seen it many times before and even though she tried not to look, it was all helpless. It could only mean one thing.

He was going away again.

Rachel's heart fluttered as they went inside and her appetite vanished in a flash. She was already preparing herself for that heart-wrenching goodbye where they would both kid themselves it was going to be OK, when in reality it was all out of their control and for Rachel, there was nothing worse.

Burton leant forward and placed his elbows on the desk in his office. A radiant smile spread across his face, and his eyes suddenly filled with life at the sight of his wife and child walking towards him. All the pain and darkness he had experienced faded away as he got up and walked towards the love of his life. Before he could hold her, a noise emanated from behind, one that wouldn't go away. Burton tried to dismiss it and took another step forward but something pulled him back. To his dismay, the image of his family dissolved, and he awoke with a grunt and the sight of his assistant shaking him, as he sat back in his chair fast asleep.

'Sir, wake up, please!!'

Burton rubbed his temples and leant forward. His head was spinning, and his whole body felt like a ten-ton weight. 'OK...OK, I'm here! Ugh...' He caught sight of a look from his assistant, which was full of pity. 'I'm not as bad as I look, OK?'

The young assistant raised her eyes to the ceiling and walked out of the room, silently talking to herself as she went. 'If you say so.'

Burton opened his bloodshot eyes and waited for the room to stop spinning. He took a deep breath and struggled out of the chair. Only in the last few hours had the realisation that his family had left him sunk in. Sleep had been impossible, eating had been out of the question. Burton was convinced that if he could just talk to Kate one more time, they could patch things up. Finding her had proven to be the problem. During the early hours of the morning, Burton had driven to his wife's sister's and forced his way inside the house. His family were nowhere to be seen. All of his wife's friends had not heard from her, and there appeared to be no trail. _I won't give up, I'll find them eventually, and then we'll be together again._

The view from his office window held his concentration as a single boat passed under Vauxhall Bridge along the River Thames. Once again, his mind began to float away as the hypnotic waves took him away to a place where his family was with him again. He gave a shake of the head and opening the large filling cabinet, removed a folder, but winced hard as the words on the pages failed to come into focus. He looked up slowly to the powerful fluorescent lights above him and glanced away immediately. Seconds later, he stepped outside to see his assistant pounding away on her keyboard. 'Dawn, can you have maintenance come up and check the lights in my office?'

The young assistant swivelled around in her chair and turned her head to one side as if the request made no sense. 'The lights? But yours are the same as the rest of the office, aren't they, sir?' Her eyes focussed on her superior as she got up from her chair. 'Are you feeling alright today?'

Burton sighed and waved his hand to push her away. 'Just ask them to take a look, would you?' The look on his assistant's face went from confused to bewildered. 'If you could please, Dawn, thanks.' Burton walked back to the filing cabinet and turned off the lights along the way. In the cabinet he caught sight of several important satellite images and silently cursed to himself. Before he pushed the cabinet closed, he caught sight of a bottle and glass hidden at the far end. A memory came to him from months before when he had placed it there. His mouth suddenly felt dry and within seconds, he reached for the whisky and poured himself a double.

Bedford's head snapped up sharply as his senses registered a noise from above. As he slowly moved along the corridor, his prisoner shuffled along in front of him. At the office he had originally entered several minutes before, he pushed the pistol of his weapon firmly against the head of his prisoner and looked around. The door was pushed back to the wall, and there was no one in the room. Bedford quickly did a 180-degree sweep. The corridor was empty, and there was no sign of the man he had knocked unconscious on the ground level where several tourists still lingered. His hostage began to shake his head. Bedford was growing tired of the man's arrogance. 'You got something to say, then say it!' he shouted.

Arrogance boiled up inside of Ferec, knowing it would not be long before he would have the government agent's life in his hands. He spoke in a calm voice. 'Give yourself up, my friend. This will all end in your death either way.'

Bedford composed himself and drew on the years of experience he had gained in the field, mostly based in Poland as POL1. Throughout that time, he had never encountered anyone as arrogant or startling as the man at the end of his pistol. He put on his most confident tone. 'Don't bet on it, the only way you'll be leaving this country is in a box.' He felt a sense of accomplishment as his hostage fell silent, but within moments, the laughter had returned. His feelings merged with the adrenalin that flowed around his body and he slammed down the butt of his Browning pistol with all his might. The laughter stopped instantly as the body fell limp. Bedford caught hold of him and dragged him along the corridor to the staircase. Several of the overhead lights didn't work and the dark shadows overcame them. Bedford pulled the prisoner to his feet and gave another sweeping glance to the silent corners of the church.

Jozef moved for the first time in almost half an hour and put on a priest's robe that sat on the shelf. The door of the wardrobe in the office opened as Jozef stepped out and reached the doorframe. His senses had registered that the attacker and his friend had passed the room and were no doubt heading to the church exit. As he looked out, he saw the agent drag Ferec to his feet. For a moment he felt concern for Ferec but he ignored it and screwed on the silencer attachment to his pistol. _The longer this goes on the greater chance he has of escaping!_ His eyes lit up as he stepped out and pumped his legs as hard as he could down the corridor. His right hand held his pistol as he took aim.

Bedford pulled the hostage to his feet again and started down the stairs. Straight away his whole body jumped as a noise came from behind. A silent alarm went off in his head as he instinctively threw away his hostage and swivelled as fast as he could in the opposite direction. There, the darkness fell away at the sight of a priest sprinting towards him. The face of the priest forced his eyes to grow ever wider at the realisation that it was in fact the second attacker. Bedford lifted his weapon to fire but his logical brain knew it was too late. Searing pain came from his right shoulder as the cold steel of the bullet impacted his body. The force of it pushed him off balance and the floor and the ceiling switched places, until finally, everything turned black.

Jozef came to a halt and rushed down the stairs to the small crowd that had gathered around the fallen agent. With the pistol concealed beneath his robe, Jozef was thankful he was wearing the robes of a priest as the crowd instantly made way for him. The agent was bleeding which worried the gathering locals but Jozef could see he was still breathing. In an attempt to defuse the crowd he placed his hands wide in the air and reassured them. His robes fooled everyone around. 'Do not worry, I've already called an ambulance.'

Jozef picked up the legs of the fallen agent as Ferec, who looked woozy, appeared and grabbed the head. Several of the crowd spoke of their concern at moving him but the two men quickly moved towards the exit and caught sight of the waiting grey Mercedes car on the edge of the market square. There were shouts of alarm, but Jozef ignored them as they left the church at a rapid pace and dropped the body on the back seat of the car. The crowd of people that had gathered were confused as to what had actually happened.

The car sped through the surrounding roads until Jozef told the driver to pull over on a nearby grass verge. He looked back from the front seat and saw his close friend and ally, Ferec, point a pistol at the head of their hostage. 'Now, my young friend. What is your name and where are you staying in this godforsaken country?'

Again, Bedford said nothing. The shoulder wound he had sustained had now been stabilised, but the pain was still written across his face.

Jozef took pleasure in recognising that and smiled. 'You're outnumbered, you have no means of escape and you have no backup. You could, however, help yourself and answer my questions.'

Bedford weighed up his options and looked around the car from the back seat. Including the driver and the two men from the church, he was outnumbered three to one, but that didn't mean there was no way to escape. His training and experience had taught him one thing; never give up.

In one swift motion he slammed his right elbow into Ferec's face and kicked out at Jozef with his feet. It was enough to give him the seconds he needed as he opened the car door.

Ferec tried to grab hold of his prey but it was too late.

Bedford was free but for how long remained to be seen. From the car he slipped down a grass bank but got himself to his feet and ducked behind an electricity box on the side of the road. With no weapon there was no way he could fight back but Bedford knew he had to try to send a message back to MI6. He allowed himself one look back to the terrorists and saw the car doors open as they started to search for him.

'We need him alive!' Jozef loaded his weapon and got out of the car to join Ferec who had already started the search.

Bedford couldn't stay where he was and moved as fast as he could down the road, leaving the terrorists at the top of the slip road above. As he ran, a green Ford drove by and he tried to get the attention of the driver.

From the top of the slip road Ferec saw the movement and set off in pursuit.

To Bedford's relief, the green Ford slowed down, and the window lowered on the driver's side. He stopped and leaned against the door. 'I need your help, can I—'

Ferec was metres away and dropped to his knees and fired.

There were several shots, but Bedford only remembered the one that blew out his right knee and some of the car door. The force of the blast flipped him over. On the ground, he tried to reach for the car but the driver screamed in panic and accelerated away.

Ferec was onto his prey in seconds and aimed his weapon at the woman driving the green Ford.

Jozef restrained his friend. 'No! We don't need any more attention. Get into the car!'

Their car pulled up and Jozef opened the door.

Bedford tried to crawl away but didn't have the energy.

Ferec grabbed hold of his prey and shoved him onto the back seat.

Bedford cried out in pain as blood poured out from where his right knee once was. The determination he had felt to escape had gone.

Jozef got into the car and looked back. 'Here we are again, my friend. I'm afraid you cannot escape us. Now tell me your name!'

Ferec smashed the butt of his weapon into the remains of Bedford's knee.

His reserves of mental strength had gone. There was nothing more Bedford could do, but try to find other means of survival and that meant co-operating with terrorists. 'Bedford....that's my name....'

Jozef smiled at Ferec. _This is where the fun begins_ , he thought to himself. 'I see. Now, Bedford, who do you work for, and where do you live?'

'I live in...in the flats near the Czartoryski Museum.'

Jozef gave directions to the driver, and the car began to move. He then looked back at the hostage. 'Who do you work for? Your other knee will be the next target if you don't answer me.'

Bedford swallowed, tried again to block out the pain, but submitted to it once more. He looked at the attacker in the front seat but found no mercy in his eyes. The man next to him slowly moved the gun across to his other knee. Bedford closed his eyes and tried to find what little resistance remained...

Olsen tasted the first mouthful of his lasagne and grimaced slightly at the heat.

Amidst the calm setting within Café Uno, waiters buzzed around. Other couples and businessmen and women discussed the day's events, and the rain continued to hit the windows, at times catching a few gasps of surprise from the nearest customers.

For Rachel the rain was just background noise. All she could think about was where Sam was going, why, and whether she had the strength to go through it again. She questioned herself constantly but knew that, as ever, she would find the strength and come through. She loved Olsen with all her heart, but did he really know how she felt?

'How was your shift?'

Rachel picked at her salmon fish cakes. 'Not great. I don't know, of late it's all been tough going, I haven't been coping well.'

'I know. I've been thinking about you. Is it the level of work? Or maybe we just need a break? Maybe we should sit down and plan—'

Rachel couldn't take a moment more. 'Where are you going? Please tell me, Sam...I just need to know.'

Olsen put down his fork and raised his eyebrows in surprise. 'What makes you think I'm going anywhere? Rach, I can understand—'

'I know you...I know us. Whenever I see that look in your eyes I know you're going to sit there and say you've got to go away again, and I just.....' She placed a hand over her forehead and looked away. 'I just hate the fact that we don't have a normal life.'

'I have been meaning to talk to you about this. I don't think you'll ever know how much I hate this side of it. I feel so guilty, and truth be told, you deserve so much better.'

Rachel reached out and took hold of his hands. 'No! Don't say that. I'm so lucky to have you, and I can't lose you, I just can't.'

A warm smile came to Olsen's face. 'But you wish I did something else for a living?'

'I can't deny it. We've been together for almost nine years now, and I know in my heart I can't live without you, but the thought of losing you terrifies me. Even more so because I know I am going to lose you before I was meant to.'

Olsen stroked her hands softly. Just hearing the words made him feel awful. He was causing this pain, but still he would hold on to his career, purely because he wanted to make a difference and could feel the fire burning within that told him he always could. 'Rachel...'

'When you proposed in France, I guess I just assumed that things would change and you would start to think of changing direction in your work but now that you have this promotion and your own team, whatever it is they do, that seems even further away. Do you know how it feels to see you go at the airport, or kiss you goodbye at home knowing there is a big chance you won't come back to me?'

Olsen stared at his lasagne. 'No....I guess I've just been so preoccupied of late I haven't been seeing a lot of things. What happened in Oman has affected me more than I realised.'

Rachel remembered the talks they'd had over Oman, the first time where he had really opened up about not only issues with his father, but his work as well. 'I know, I understand that, and I want to help you through this. Don't ever think I'm not here for you, or I love you any less, I just want you to look at other jobs. Or at least think about them.'

A mass of questions circled in his mind. Could he do something else? Did he have to be at MI6? What about the police or something entirely different? Training perhaps? A huge wave of awareness came over him and he realised just how selfish he had become. He reached again for her hands and spoke with real purpose. 'Rach, I know I'm not the easiest person to be with and maybe I've been doing this for so long, I just never considered there were other options. But the last thing I want is for the job to become between us, or heaven forbid take you away from me.' He leant over the table and stroked her brown hair with his right hand. 'I just can't let that happen. I'll start to look at other options. I give you my word I will.'

Rachel almost started to cry, but held off, not wanting to attract any more attention than they already had. 'Really? I don't want you to resent me over this, I just want us to be together.'

'I'll never resent you for anything. I want to be with you. Nothing will ever change that.'

'I just don't want to change you, but your job as it stands right now is so dangerous I don't think any woman could deal with it. I really don't. Your determination to help people and make a difference is one of the reasons I love you so much, but you know, you could do so much, you're so talented!' Her voice sounded soft and vulnerable and she knew it was obvious but she didn't care, it was everything to her to make sure Sam knew how she felt.

'Well then I'll start to look at the other options. I promise you.'

Rachel smiled back at him and hoped the change would happen. Whatever happened, she had to trust the man she loved. Though she felt stressed after bringing up such a delicate issue, she certain there was some optimism that things would change and those painful goodbyes would become a thing of the past.

Olsen went back to his lasagne and felt a surge of guilt consume him. How had he become so wrapped up in the job? How could he hurt Rachel this way? More than anything he wanted to make a decision there and then to break the cycle and leave the service, but something held him back and he so desperately wanted to know what that was.

Burton emerged from Cartography Analysis clutching several satellite images of Cracow, Poland. The shot of whisky he had downed some minutes before had helped to calm him as he took a quick look at the fuzzy images that had been downloaded from a CIA satellite. His usual efficiency and interest in his work was disappearing, as his mind struggled to think of anything other than Kate and Oscar. Toppling world leaders or protecting national security now came a distant second if that. Burton opened the door which revealed the Chief of MI6, Elliott, waiting by the desk.

'Preparations for Operation Reprisal?' asked the chief of the service. Elliott looked better than he did, much to Burton's disgust. _Doesn't this guy ever get tired?_ he thought to himself. 'Yes, sir, I have the satellite images of Cracow. All looks good. Team S.U.C.O. are just finishing up their preparation and will be reassembling soon. Has POL1's report come over yet?'

'Not yet,' he replied sharply. 'By the end of the morning, we shall have it. That was the scheduled time. Our profiles suggest the Kiprich brothers will linkup with a Libyan group in the next couple of days. I've just finished a conference call with the PM and the Defence Minister. The termination order has been given. I'll be in Operations Command. Make sure the teams are dispatched quickly. I want you there in one hour.' Elliott moved away but then lingered near the door. 'One more thing, Ramsey reported some financial problems you've been having of late or something of that ilk. Sorted now, I hope?'

Burton replied quickly. 'Oh that. Yes, sir, everything's fine now. My family...are just fine.'

Elliott smiled faintly and thought of his wife Corina for the tenth time that day. 'That is good, you can't put a price on your family. And your son? How is he?'

Burton could feel himself welling up, but he pushed it away. 'Just fine, sir, just fine.' As he watched his boss leave, an air of pressure was left in the office. Burton rubbed his head and sank in his chair, trying to focus and think straight. From the other side of the office, the whisky bottle called to him again.

Bedford felt the tears run down his face as his captors opened the door to his flat and dropped him by the far corner in the living room. Throughout the car journey he had failed to control the pain and with it his duty to his country. His mind continued to spin out of control as the men approached him. _What choice do I have..._

Jozef walked into the main living room and looked around. It consisted of a large open spaced room, with an en-suite bathroom, bedroom, and kitchen. It was small and cold, with light streaming in from a solitary window. Jozef knelt down to face his hostage. 'Now that we've established you work for MI6, I think it's time we finished this, don't you?' He raised his left hand and pointed to Bedford's laptop on the nearby table. 'Your clearance codes.' His eyes locked onto the fallen protector. 'Give them to me,' he said in a deadly tone.

Bedford tried to move but couldn't. It had been some time since he had felt anything in his legs. He spoke faintly to his captors. 'For what...purpose?'

Jozef screwed up his face in a fit of rage and lashed out, kicking the government agent violently on the left knee. 'That is my business and not yours, now give me the codes!' He grabbed the laptop and dragged it down onto the floor. Displayed on the screen was the locked screensaver, which required three character codes and a ten-digit identity code. Jozef knew all too well, they could manipulate MI6 with the data he so desperately wanted. There was no time for more resistance. 'Do you think this was all a coincidence? We just happened to have this encounter, and it's been worked out as we go along? I am no fool. For the past week, we've been well aware of your presence. We expected it after Oman.'

Bedford raised his head slowly. 'What are you saying?'

Jozef continued his attempt to bluff. 'Your family in London. One of my men is with them. They will die tonight if a phone call isn't made by me.' A ruthless smile came over his features. 'Your destiny may be sealed my friend but your family can still live on.'

Bedford closed his eyes for a moment in an attempt to draw strength from somewhere. He opened them to see both men close to him, waiting for his answer. 'You're lying. I don't believe you,' he said weakly.

'Are you willing to take that chance? It would be such a waste, now wouldn't it? Giving your life for your country is one thing, but sacrificing others? Come now.' Jozef saw the expression change on the face of their prey and leaned in closer. 'I am a man of my word. Whatever else I may be, if you give me your clearance codes, I swear to you your family will not be harmed.'

Bedford tried to swallow but the pain wouldn't allow it. His whole body began to feel heavier by the second, well aware of the serious injuries he had sustained. His thoughts reached out to his family in London. _I can't take a chance on my family, they never asked for any of this..._

Jozef flipped open his mobile phone and exchanged a look with Ferec who was sitting at the desk. 'The codes. Give them to me.'

Bedford stayed silent and closed his eyes, desperate for something, someone to give him a chance to get away. What never went away were the thoughts of his family, suffering, because of who he was.

Ferec stepped forward once more and stamped his right foot on Bedford's head as he swore repeatedly in the face of such defiance. Again, and again, Ferec lashed out until finally he lifted his hostage from the ground and threw him across the wall.

Bedford crashed to the floor and felt every bone in his body ache. The pain was on a totally different level to what he had ever felt before but it seemed secondary to the welfare of his loved ones. His body was broken, but his mind was still active and consumed with the choices ahead of him. Yes, he could die here and hope that his family would be spared, or take the only chance he had available and trust the word of a madman. Anything to save those he held so dear. But what of his other family, his MI6 family, was he not devoted to them too? A dizzying wave came over him as time ran out. As much as he hated himself, he would have to break his oath to MI6.

Ferec whipped out his gun and closed in.

Jozef spoke slowly as his comrade came closer. 'The codes. I won't ask again.'

Bedford sent out a silent prayer of forgiveness to Richard Elliott and slowly opened his mouth. 'P....O...L...126...722...3411.'

Jozef listened to the magic he had obtained and slowly began to smile back at his hostage. _Akira will be most pleased when I inform him of this development! He won't see me as a nobody for much longer!_ He looked to the table where Ferec had entered the data and was now staring at the official MI6 linkup screens.

Nearby, he heard the hostage mumble some words. Jozef placed a hand on Ferec's shoulder and spoke calmly, despite struggling to contain himself with the achievement they had managed with the clearance codes. 'Our friend is getting tired, Zoltan. Take him to the bedroom for a sleep, will you?'

Ferec dragged his prey into the bedroom. He tapped the pistol on Bedford's head and spoke in a flippant tone. 'Last requests?' A sick joy spread through Ferec, knowing that his next kill was going to come very soon. The cold steel of his pistol was pressed against the head of his hostage as a toothy grin spread across Ferec's face. He savoured the moment and smiled uncontrollably as the bullets put Bedford out of his misery.

Chapter 15

### Thursday, March 8th 18:15,

### Moscow, Russia.

Akira, with Salenko in tow, left the Kremlin area and passed the towering structure of Borovitskaya Gata Tower. As they crossed over Moscow River, another gale force wind came in, with its chilling bite and thick snow for good measure. Akira, far more used to the humid weather of the Middle East, raised his scarf closer to his face and pulled out several keys from his coat pocket.

Just on the edges of the riverbank were old, dilapidated buildings that were falling away with the passing of time. All of them were two storeys high, but most had boarded-up windows and rotting brickwork.

Akira stopped at the doorway of the third building along and looked back to make sure they had not been followed or had any unwelcome visitors. His eyes immediately locked onto a figure on the other side of the Moscow River. Akira turned to obtain a better look, but the individual had disappeared. He committed what little he had seen to memory and led Salenko upstairs to a small meeting room.

Salenko had been there many times before and sat down at the nearest chair. 'Did you finish the plan for the run up to the polls?'

Akira checked the view from the window before he spoke. 'Read through these documents,' he said nonchalantly. 'This will be your schedule for the next four months. After that you will be the next President of Russia.' His thoughts trailed off for a moment and he thought of the Kiprich brothers. Akira had just moments before approved the plan the brothers had put in motion. _If they make any dents in MI6, it will all be a bonus. Let them have their petty feud, the upcoming war is the key._

Salenko glanced at the documents but looked surprised. 'This all sounds like it's just a formality, Akira.'

Akira surveyed the view from the window one last time, but still couldn't locate the individual he had seen. Speculation circled in his mind as to who it could be. A local who just happened to be in the wrong place was a definite possibility but Akira didn't believe it. He remembered Martin Braga who had been the MI6 agent assigned to Russia for the last decade. One of the first things he had done when he came to Russia was hunt that man down and ensure he would never be a threat again. Could it be his replacement?

Akira turned around to face his ally. His tone was one of frustration as if being questioned on the election result was an insult in itself. 'I will make it a formality.'

Salenko couldn't help but smile. Akira's arrogance was infectious. 'Once I am in power, I have your word now, we will reactivate the nuclear programme and move against the West?'

Akira's expression never changed as he spoke with that same passionless tone. 'With everything we have.'

Agent Patrice Marraud, a highly respected and experienced member of the French Secret Service, continued his journey away from the Moscow River and back towards the safe haven of his small flat a few streets away from the GUM department store. The dismal weather, together with Marraud's constant state of cold, was beginning to get him down, but what he had just seen had confirmed what he had always suspected. Salenko was not the powerful force he had been made out to be in the press and political circles. Over several months, Salenko had been presented as an iron man, the saviour of Russia, and the only one who could lead them back to power. Marraud had always been sceptical, and after what he had just observed, was even more so now.

Someone else was involved.

Marraud adjusted his black woolly hat and fluffed his thick blond hair as he walked through Alexandrovsky Gardens. Looking younger than his forty years the senior French agent, who had been posted to Russia straight after his work with Thomas Deane and Sam Olsen in London, wondered just how deep the mystery man was involved. _Could it just be Salenko's personal assistant? Or his potential Chief of Staff?_

Marraud was aware of his location and knew of every individual around him as he sat on a nearby bench and shook off snow from his boots. The picture ahead of him could easily have been taken straight out of a Christmas card, the beauty was so striking. The green lawns were completely covered in a careful dusting of thick white snow.

The constant silence eased any fears he had as the legendary French agent sat alone in the gardens and remembered the briefing he had received just days before. His memory recalled standing in a plush office in Paris, as the head of the French Secret Service had ordered Marraud to Moscow in the belief that the growing uncertainty to the future of Russia could prove to have devastating consequences for the future of the West. Salenko's popularity was soaring, as he based his campaign solely around reviving the patriotism of Russia and its power in the world.

Marraud distinctly recalled the worried look on his superior's face as they had both spoken about the continuous aggressive nature of not only Salenko, but his followers as well. He remembered his orders clearly in his mind. _'Provide us with first rate reconnaissance of Salenko and his movements, we must know more of what is happening there.'_

Marraud hadn't been in Russia long but had already made significant progress and was sure the man he had seen with Salenko was key. As he walked through the first public garden of Moscow, he glanced over to notice the changing of the guard, and found himself several feet away from the State History Museum. More snow fell as he passed the GUM department store. Marraud split his attention amongst a group of men lingering in Red Square and wondered just how Russian people could survive such winters on a yearly basis.

As he stepped onto Ulita Ilyinka Street, the power and imposing structures of the Moscow Kremlin began to fade. As he came to the end of a side street, he was now some distance away from Red Square. Marraud opened the door to his building and rushed up the stairs.

Over the years, he had seen many people come and go. Some had left the service of their own accord, others had met grisly deaths, and some, in Marraud's mind, were most probably still alive and being tortured for information in some godforsaken hole. Throughout it all, he had learned to play the game. Be overly cautious on the smallest of details, and trust no one. The latter had become harder and harder with each passing year, and the tragic ending of his relationship with his beloved Martine had started to make him more aware of his life and his lack of trust in the people who cared for him.

Emotions took hold of him but Marraud pushed them away. As he entered his flat, he went through his usual routine. For an instant he recognised he wasn't as sharp as he should be and cursed himself for growing complacent. He made sure his senses were keenly alert to any movement or sound as he stepped in and inspected the studio flat. Satisfied that all was well for now, he booted up his laptop and connected the digital camera to the device via a cable. Several screens flashed by and a set of photos began to download. Marraud studied the ten images closely but cursed himself when he realised he hadn't been able to obtain a clear shot of Salenko's friend. Despair turned to hope as he zoomed in on another that showed Salenko sitting down in the grotty flat with the friend standing over him, clearly leading the conversation. Marraud questioned whether he was reading too much into the image, but rated himself an expert in body language. He was becoming more and more convinced the mystery man would prove to be the key to ending the threat from Russia. As he sent his findings back to Paris for closer inspection, Marraud studied the view from the window. As he planned out his next move, he knew it would be safer at night to find out more.

Burton stood in the kitchen and poured himself another black coffee. The two shots of whisky had taken their toll, and it would soon be time for him to deliver the operation briefing. Despite all his hopes that the drinking would numb the pain, it hadn't helped at all. Burton took out his black diary from his jacket pocket and looked for another family member or friend who could help him locate his family. With every passing name, his frustration began to grow. _I work for the government, you would think I would have found them by now!_ He put the diary away at the sound of someone approaching. His assistant appeared in the doorway. Burton rolled his eyes to the ceiling. 'Dawn, are you following me around? You must have something else to do!'

The young assistant gave a scathing look to her boss and turned around to leave. 'Thought you might like to know Mr. Elliott is in your office. He doesn't like to wait, I hear.'

Burton raised his hands in apology and followed Dawn back to his office. 'I'll buy you some Quality Street at lunchtime or something, Dawn, I'm sorry.' Before he could say anything else he saw the Chief of MI6 appear in the doorway.

Elliott held out a red folder. 'POL1's report. Makes for very interesting reading, I might add. Operation Reprisal is to go ahead as planned. Read it and make your way to briefing room one in Operations Command. S.U.C.O. will be waiting for you very soon.' Elliott turned to walk away but paused at the door. For the first time he noticed the dishevelled look of Burton and spoke in a hardened tone. 'Get it done.'

Olsen logged off his terminal but still couldn't focus. Ever since the lunch with Rachel he hadn't felt himself and going back to work had felt like a betrayal. He felt so torn between the two things he loved most, Rachel, whom he simply couldn't live without, and MI6, a place where he had the opportunity to make a difference. What if he couldn't leave the job? He didn't believe that was true, but he couldn't imagine himself doing anything else either.

Inside briefing room one, Olsen read through some printouts regarding Cracow in Poland. From his training with Deane, he had made it a tradition before every operation he had ever faced to research as much as possible. Whereas others would rather work on specific skills, he felt more at ease in learning every conceivable detail of the country and town he would be travelling to. In addition, Olsen had delved through every ounce of data MI6 and other security agencies had on the Kiprich brothers. On the table in front of him was a stack of photos and intelligence profiles, all about the terrorists.

Around the large rectangular table sat all member of the two S.U.C.O. teams. Olsen noted Jordan, the S.U.C.O. deputy team leader, was at the far end of the room making a cup of tea, and approached him. 'Alex, have you been reading up on Cracow?'

Jordan stirred his drink and turned around. 'Sure I have. I know all there is to know.'

Olsen handed him several photos. 'Here are a few more data sheets that may come in handy. I'm distributing them to the team.'

'What the hell is this one, Sam? The invisible man?' Jordan held up one of the sheets which had very little information on it. The picture was an outline of a standard face covered with a balaclava, and the bare minimum of details.

Olsen recognised it straight away. 'It's all I could find on him, Alex. We have good profiles of the Kiprich brothers and most of his trusted allies but this one is a mystery to us and the other agencies. We don't have a picture, we don't have a name either, but we know he exists.'

Jordan screwed up the piece of paper and threw it in the direction of the nearest bin. 'You're imagining it. Next you'll be telling me he has little green men helping him out as well.'

'Fine. Just don't be surprised when we run into this guy, OK?' Olsen bit his tongue and took his seat next to Carter. As much as Olsen wanted to put Jordan in his place, it wasn't the time.

That standard face, and known killer, followed his close friend Jozef down the stairs and out onto street level in Cracow, Poland. Since he had sent the report to MI6, Ferec had noticed how happy his friend had become. He also felt encouraged but knew it was never wise to underestimate the enemy. 'You're certain this will work, Jozef?'

Jozef turned round with an irritated look on his face. 'Of course it will work. Akira has approved this plan personally.'

At the mention of their much feared ally Ferec looked up. 'Then why isn't he here himself?'

Jozef spoke with his usual disdain whenever Akira was mentioned. 'He wanted some distance between us and said he had something more important to deal with elsewhere. I'm sure we will find out in due course. If he needs our help he will be in contact.'

'Where are you off to now?'

'I will return to the house and inform the others. You stay here and keep watch on this flat. There may be other agents based in Cracow. I want you to deal with them if they arrive, is that understood?'

'I will, Jozef. Do not worry. Give my best to your brother Gyorgy.' He watched his friend leave and turn into a nearby alleyway. Ferec crossed the quiet street and entered a small walkway surrounded by trees. He found a secluded spot with a perfect view of Bedford's block of flats and planned to stay local to the home of the now dead agent. His eyes scanned the area as he took several steps back and disappeared into the darkness.

Burton walked into briefing room one and noted all the team members had arrived. He carried several papers and one DVD, which he handed to the technician who sat at the back of the room. The S.U.C.O. commander made his way to the front of the room and passed the large conference table. In the past ten minutes, he had drunk two more strong black coffees, and had attempted to read POL1's report. Burton found a copy and spread it out on the table as he tried his best to find some professionalism. 'OK, everyone, listen up please. I'm handing out a copy of POL1's report that has just come in. Operation Reprisal is a go. After my briefing, you'll be on your way so pay attention.' Burton lost his focus at the sight of an unwelcome visitor at the back of the room.

Kevin Ramsey lingered at the door and took a seat at the far end of the conference table. He exchanged a look with Burton and then tried to give a friendly nod in his direction.

'OK...if you read POL1's report, you can see that he's located the Kiprich brothers' base in the area. We should have some images for that.' Burton looked at the large display screen and waited for it to come alive. Seconds passed but still nothing changed. An irritated Burton looked at the technician at the back of the room. 'Any time now would be helpful!' The screen slowly flicked on and displayed a detailed satellite image. 'OK, this is a satellite image of the Cracow area. These two markers indicate the details mentioned in POL1's report. From what he says, the Kiprich brothers have a house on the outskirts, which is here.' Burton highlighted the area in red. 'Together with a storage area, which is about two and a half miles over to the south.' This time the target highlighted in blue. 'Now, for this operation we're going to continue to use both the Alpha and Bravo teams of S.U.C.O. Olsen, I want you to take your Alpha team and tackle the storage area. We're expecting you to encounter considerable resistance. A word to you, we want the storage bay destroyed. Whatever he's got in there, get rid of it. Understood? The word has come down that there will be a hundred per cent body count for this operation. Jordan's team will storm the house which should be fairly routine, most of the key men will be asleep. As ever, reconnaissance will come first. Make sure of your surroundings before going in. These images are only about half an hour old. The more detailed images...' The display screen brought up the same image but in greater detail. 'That's the one. This shows four men at the house and eight at the storage bay. Any questions?'

Ramsey kept an eye on Burton. Throughout the briefing, he had tried to understand why he looked so pale and uncomfortable.

Burton continued. 'OK, in terms of your travel. You'll be flown straight to Warsaw airport under dark, and from there a chopper will drop you off on the outskirts of Silesia, which is the closest town to Cracow. An armoured van will be waiting for you. It's about two miles to the target area.' Burton looked at the two-team leaders with his last detail. 'Strike time is just after 02:00 hours GMT. That understood?' No questions came to him, so Burton decided to wrap up his briefing, and felt proud of himself for making it through. 'Get yourselves to the armoury and I'll see you all when you get back, OK? Good luck.'

Ramsey gave encouraging words to Olsen and Jordan, the team leaders, leaving himself and Burton the only people left in the briefing room. 'An average briefing, Burton, but it'll do. Our mutual boss tells me your problems are all behind you now?'

Burton switched off the display and picked up his papers. 'All sorted now, sir. Thanks for asking.'

'Are you feeling all right? You look a little tired.'

'Nothing that a good night's sleep won't cure, sir. Anyway, I need to get back to my office and then down to Operations Command. Our mutual boss is expecting me.' Burton managed a faint smile.

Ramsey wasn't convinced about Burton. He was hiding something. 'He's expecting me too. See you there in ten minutes?'

'Sounds just fine to me, sir.' He hurried out of the briefing room and into the nearest lift. Burton slumped against the wall and let out a deep breath. As the lift smoothly descended, Burton tried his wife's mobile phone for the hundredth time in the hope she would answer and ease his pain.

Elliott sat back in his black leather chair and authorised an operation with a C, in green ink, as his signature.

It was a time honoured tradition, keeping in line with the first Chief of MI6, Captain Sir Mansfield Smith Cumming RN, who always went by the name of C and signed everything in green ink. To this day, all his successors did the same to honour the great man.

Elliot placed the document on top of the nearest pile and turned his attention to a list of figures Ramsey had given him. He was now in his second spell as Chief, had been in his position for seven years and, in that time, had never seen things look so bleak. Years before, the number of agents at his disposal had been at its highest level. Elliott regarded all of his trusted agents as highly trained and supremely talented with skills in so many areas, so the loss of one was a huge blow not only to the agency and service but also to the national security of his beloved United Kingdom and Europe.

In the last year alone over forty-five agents, most of whom Elliott had known and in some rare cases even trained, had been lost in the line of duty. His eyes ran over the 'Cause of death' column. Some had perished in what had been classed as 'Operational Accidents', but what deeply worried him was the large number that had been assassinated. In some reports, the evidence appeared to suggest that they had been hunted down and killed. _By whom, and why these agents? Or was it the locations they occupied?_ He looked again at the report, desperate to see something that could suggest a pattern, but found nothing.

Ramsey entered the room and saw the worried look. 'The numbers don't get any better with a second look, sir, you can take my word on that one.'

Elliott grunted in response and shook his head. 'Forty-five, Kevin, forty-five of my knights! The names...have you seen them?' He ran a finger down the page and read in a slow and sombre tone. 'Agent Martin Braga killed in his flat at 11:15pm, September last year in Moscow. I knew him, had done for over a decade, he'd been our man in Russia for all that time and was one of our best.' He threw his glasses onto the desk and rubbed his eyes. The strain and weariness of the plight of MI6 and the West in general weighed on his shoulders. 'Braga was one of the most intuitive men I've ever known, he could read people so well.' The thick black rings around his eyes seemed to turn a darker shade as he bowed his head and mumbled, 'He can't have died for nothing.'

'All the agents in that report were good people, sir, they all put themselves on the line. I wish I had better news.'

Elliott knew his deputy well and noted the expression. 'Something else you want to tell me, Kevin?'

Ramsey placed another piece of paper on the desk. 'MI5 report another twenty agents have been killed this year. I took the liberty of contacting the CIA who have lost a staggering seventy agents in the past year. Pakistan and France report similar totals, with a pattern across the board for our other Western allies.'

To Elliott the fact that agents had been lost was not a surprise, but the numbers were. Over the last three years, the number of agent fatalities had been rising, but he had never expected it to reach levels that were now causing extreme concern and worry for the West and its valued protectors. 'A pattern...how many men do we have? For my own peace of mind, I need a number.'

Ramsey found another report. 'We currently have just over three hundred agents available to us, sir. Unfortunately, the number of those that are graded highly skilled and experienced has dropped by another twenty percent.' He found another sheet from a different folder. 'Seven years ago we had over six hundred and fifty agents available, with MI5 reporting very similar figures.'

Elliott rose from his seat with a grimace and stumbled over to the window. The office was quiet and with its low lighting and peaceful ticking of the grandfather clock, he felt completely at ease. Outside, the streets of London looked as normal and as undisturbed as they ever did. His thoughts turned to the innocent public as he watched the cars speed by in the distance, most of which were probably occupied by family men and women rushing home to be with their loved ones. 'Sometimes I wonder whether the PM is right to shield them. Sometimes I wonder...'

Ramsey walked over to join his superior. 'Sir?'

'My heart, Kevin, I'm thinking with my heart. One of my weaknesses.' His blue eyes gave a slight sparkle and then faded. 'It is right to keep it from them but our situation is grim. It will get worse too, we must prepare. A war is looming, but it's not one that we've ever faced before.'

Ramsey's massive frame towered over the frail five foot eight inches of Elliott, his fiery eyes conveying everything that MI6 and the West represented; freedom, defiance, professionalism and sheer determination. 'We've lost a lot of agents, sir, I won't deny it but we can come through this, no matter how long it takes.' He shifted his position for a moment and considered his next move. 'Perhaps it's time to look at bringing back as many agents as we can, sir. Those that have retired or left for whatever reason.'

'Reactivation?' asked Elliott quickly, his brow furrowed as he considered the option.

A long silence lingered between two of the most powerful men in the United Kingdom before Elliott spoke again. 'I will give it some thought. In our current situation, numbers are the key. It's a path we may have to choose. I have faith in my knights, Kevin. Nevertheless, with the losses we've all suffered, I feel we're missing something. Or maybe even someone.'

Chapter 16

### Friday, March 9th 01:00,

### Cracow, Poland,

### Operation Reprisal.

Jordan pulled up on the handbrake and the van came to a halt on the thick grassy verge of a small wooded area. He ordered two of the agents to cover the van, so it would merge with the undergrowth. Jordan watched for a moment and then began to assemble his urban assault combat gear.

It consisted of a waist-length tactical vest and a Kevlar helmet. Both were capable of stopping high power pistol rounds. Each unit member had been armed with their chosen pistols, a Colt M16A2 rifle and several flashbang capsules. These would prove useful when storming the closely guarded areas. The cartridge would provide seconds' worth of blinding light, which could be the difference between life and death.

Olsen tightened his level III tactical vest and loaded his Colt M16A2 rifle. At that very moment, he thought of Rachel and immediately felt guilty, knowing what her reaction would be if she ever saw him dressed in such a way, holding a rifle. He gave his head a quick shake and led his team into the woods in single file.

The darkness covered every corner of their vision, with no lights of any kind visible in the distance. A scything cold wind cut through them. The team came out of the dense woods and into an area with more open grass.

Olsen noted the signal from Jordan at the front of the group and rushed ahead to join him. With his back to a large tree, he looked over. 'Problem?' he whispered.

'We've got some company. Seven o'clock.' Jordan gave a point of his head in that direction.

Olsen followed his deputy's gaze and caught sight of a slim man in his fifties who was walking through the open area and heading to the dense forest. Olsen flicked a switch on his Kevlar-plated helmet and studied the target in more detail through the green display of his night vision. 'It's a negative, just a local.'

Jordan looked again and shook his head. 'Not a chance, that guy is one of Kiprich's men, I can feel it. I'm moving to—'

Olsen grabbed his deputy by the neck and pulled him back. 'I'm in command here, you either do what I say or you stay in the van! Are we clear on that?'

Jordan shrugged him off and got to his feet. 'Crystal.'

As team S.U.C.O. separated into two units, Olsen made a point of making firm eye contact with Jordan. 'Let's finish this and get out of here. We've got a job to do.' With Carter and the other agents behind him, they set off towards the storage area that was two and a half miles away.

Jordan watched them go and exchanged a look with Gibbs, his deputy. Frustration boiled away inside of him. Jordan was the senior agent, with fourteen years of experience over Olsen. For the first time in too long, he had been given the chance to lead a team, and he wanted to make it count more than ever. He gave a signal to the four agents under his command and led them through the undergrowth, passing a redundant water tower as the house appeared in sight. Taking cover behind the trees, Jordan flicked a switch on his vest and was instantly in communication with not only his team, but Olsen's as well. 'Team B, be aware, we have now reached our target residence. Repeat your status?'

Two and a half miles away, Olsen heard Jordan's voice and saw the outlines of the Kiprich brothers' storage facility ahead. It appeared to be half the size of a football pitch and was on the edge of the surrounding woods. A side road was not far from their position. Olsen noted two men standing guard. He felt mildly surprised as he'd been expecting more outside resistance. The switch on the front of his vest was set to 'Send'. 'Acknowledged, Team A. Have reached our target, enemy presence has been identified. Going in.'

Almost three miles away, Jordan did not receive the message. The house ahead looked empty on first impression. No guards were around the perimeter, the area was in darkness and appeared deserted. _Are they asleep? Or, are the Kiprich brothers more worried about the storage facility?_ He gave a hand signal and led his team towards the target. As they closed in, there was still no sign of life.

Ferec stood completely still next to the Kiprich brothers in the dark, dense undergrowth that was opposite the house. Since sending the report to MI6 all three men, together with several armed guards, had been waiting in the forest for over three hours. Ferec looked over at Jozef, the more dominant brother. 'Everything is in place, Jozef?' he whispered.

Jozef watched the MI6 strike team sprint towards the house through his night vision goggles. He felt like laughing uncontrollably at the ease at which he had lured the enemy. _Even Akira couldn't accomplish this._ 'They won't know what hit them. The hostages are there as well.'

Ferec looked round to face his friend. 'Hostages? Who?'

'Oh...just some locals I happened to see in the market square. They will serve their purpose.' Jozef's eyes intensified as he continued to watch the MI6 team. He looked behind, to the rest of the group. 'Load your weapons and take position.'

Jordan positioned a small charge on the front door, moved back and gave a sharp nod of the head to detonate as the door blew clean off its hinges. His deputy threw a flashbang cartridge into the first room and stormed in with another team member. Jordan rushed into the living room, but saw no sign of the Kiprich brothers or the rest of the group. He kept his rifle out in front of him at all times as he looked at two of his agents. 'Check the bedroom, storm it!' As the two men moved off, Jordan and his deputy burst into the kitchen, weapons at the ready. They lowered them slightly at the sign of another empty room. Jordan studied his surroundings and could see no sign of recent use; the kitchen tap looked frozen over from either the weather or lack of use.

Another team member came in, looking puzzled. 'No sign of anyone in the bedroom or the other rooms, sir. Is it possible they are all at the storage unit?'

Jordan looked away for a moment. 'All of them? I don't think so. Unless they really are storing something lethal at that place.'

'SIR!'

Jordan swivelled around at the sound of the shout and rushed into the back room. His eyes turned wide at the sight ahead of him. Several adults were tied up and gagged. 'What the hell?!?'

Gibbs could speak Polish and removed the gags from the mouths of two of the five adults.

Before anyone could talk the living room window exploded in a mass of flying glass. A large gas pellet flew in and dropped onto the wooden floor.

Jordan shut the door and rushed into the living room as he frantically searched in his backpack for his mask. 'MASKS ON! NOW!' He placed the mask over his face but saw one of his team struggle to breathe as he grasped his throat. Jordan threw himself on the deck and frantically tried to call for backup on his radio as his remaining agents tried to locate the attackers and return fire. Adrenalin was surging though his body at speed, and with it the loss of control in his mind. 'IT'S A TRAP!'

At the storage facility, Olsen and his team had dealt with the guards outside. As they waited at the door, neither of them could hear any sound emanating from the facility. Olsen decided to take the safe option.

'Carter, circle this box house, check for other exits and terrorist backup. Go!'

As they moved off, Olsen placed a small charge on the doorway. The device did the trick. He rushed in and was presented with two aisles of storage racks, with an office at the far end. Olsen sprinted down the left aisle with his silver Beretta pistol out in front of him at all times as he headed for the backroom. He heard the all clear given on his side, so continued. As he closed in, he flicked a switch on his communications device and sent a signal to Team A.

Silence.

'Team A, come in.' Seconds passed but still no reply came. Olsen kicked the office door clean off its hinges and swept the area with the sights of his pistol, only to find a storage bay full of redundant equipment. Olsen's concern for Team A grew stronger and he felt the need to finish his task quickly. He laid the charges, set the timer to two minutes and rushed out of the storage bay.

Jordan cursed loudly as he ducked down behind the nearest wall. Sniper fire smashed into the living room and kept him pinned down. The situation took a turn for the worse when he looked back and saw that two of his agents had been killed because their tactical vests had been penetrated by the sniper fire. A surge of dread filled every part of him as he realised the attackers were using the latest armour-piercing bullets. It was a struggle to be heard as the gunfire continued. 'Repeat, need urgent assistance, we are under heavy fire! olsen, carter, respond!' Jordan waited for a moment but still heard no reply. 'SHIT!' He could not even speak to his deputy five feet away, the noise level of the attack was so great. The question of whether his unit was damaged or if the attackers had found a way to block their transmissions came into his thoughts. _We can't stay here much longer!_ Jordan moved alongside Gibbs to obtain a better viewpoint. Through his gas mask, all he could see was the dense, heavy undergrowth ahead of the house. He wondered just how long the attackers would wait until they would enter the building. Even the most positive guess did not make him feel any better. Jordan felt his stomach turn, but he stuck with his decision. 'Follow my lead! we're getting out of here!'

At first, Gibbs and the other surviving agent didn't move. The noise level made it almost impossible to communicate. Gibbs reloaded his rifle and fired several rounds in the direction of the undergrowth ahead. 'We should stay and fight, sir! if we contact the others, maybe we could—'

_No time for this!_ Jordan told himself, as he grabbed Gibbs, pulled him back from the line of fire and shoved him in the direction of the back door. 'We're leaving right now! go!' Jordan watched the last surviving members of his team move off as he stayed for a moment, in an attempt to draw the attacker's gunfire.

Gibbs followed his fellow agent through the back of the house but watched his body jerk unnaturally as bullets rained in from all sides. Gibbs fell back into the living room and he saw to his right the kitchen back door being smashed down.

The attackers were moving in for the kill.

He cocked his rifle, turned and emptied a whole cartridge, spreading bullets in every possible direction. Fear took hold of him as he jumped over several bodies and made his way back to Jordan, in the hope that the more experienced leader would have an escape plan. Before he could speak a grenade blast shook the house. 'We lost Carston! what now?!'

Jozef heard the gunfire stop outside the kitchen door and looked up slowly. As he moved towards the house he saw his brother, beside him, get up and then drop to his knees. Jozef turned his back on the house with no thought for another attack, just concern over his only family. 'Gyorgy! Are you all right?' To his shock, he saw his brother clasp his chest, where blood was beginning to seep down his combat suit.

Jordan caught sight of the hostages in the corner of his vision and looked at his deputy. 'We don't have a choice!' He held his weapon of choice, a black Glock .45 semi-automatic pistol in one hand and his Colt rifle in the other. 'We'll have to try to make it back to the van and hope the others are still alive. ready? on my mark!'

Gibbs turned his back on the scene behind him. Suddenly, he grabbed Jordan's arm. 'The hostages! we can't just leave them here!'

Jordan looked again at the room where the hostages were. He made an effort to crawl towards them but several more bullets flew in from the main window and forced him back. As hard as it was to make the decision, he just wanted to make it back to the van in one piece. 'We're leaving now!'

Gibbs looked to his leader, then back to the room. He immediately had his mind made up for him as the living room door was blasted off its hinges. He forced the images of the hostages from his mind and followed Jordan out of the front door as both men made a desperate run for the cover of the undergrowth not far away.

Jozef dragged his brother into the kitchen and continued to scream at his only family to stay with him. He gave an order to Ferec to cease fire on the house and then grabbed him by his shirt collar. His voice was full or vengeance, out of control. 'Take the rest of the men and blow them all to hell!' He found some towels in the kitchen and placed them on the chest of his brother, who was looking weaker by the second. One of his loyal guards loomed in the doorway. Jozef's green eyes locked onto him. 'I want a doctor here in the next five minutes or you'll be on the floor with him. Move!'

From the next room, Jozef heard noises that made him investigate. There, in perfect health, were the five Polish locals he had rounded up for the operation. A bolt of surprise shot through him as he realised the MI6 team had left them behind. Jozef looked around the room and saw a Colt M16A2 rifle lying next to one of the fallen members of the MI6 strike team. He calmly placed a pair of gloves on his hands, picked up the weapon, took aim and without even a moment's hesitation, fired every possible round from the rifle. His mind continued to boil over with fury...

Carter returned to the armoured van and looked back sharply at the exploding storage area. As everything died down, Olsen's voice attracted his attention from behind, as he saw the group return. 'What's the score, Sam? Anything?'

Olsen shook his head quickly and reloaded his rifle. 'Nothing. I'm more concerned with Jordan's team, have you heard anything from them in the last five minutes?'

Carter shook his head. 'No response.'

Olsen signalled to two of the agents. 'You're with me! Dan, you'll leave in the van with the others if we're not back in ten minutes!'

Carter watched them go but caught sight of something ahead. 'Wait, we've got company!'

Bullet fire hit the ground and the surrounding trees. Olsen and his team took cover behind the van. He grabbed hold of Carter. 'Get to the van and start the engine! Move it, Dan!' He watched his close friend set off as more bullets came closer to their targets. 'And keep your head down!' Olsen turned to another agent. 'You're with me, we provide cover for any survivors!'

Carter pulled out his Heckler and Koch P7M8 pistol as he watched Olsen return fire. The dark-skinned agent saw his chance, crawled round the side of the van and took cover behind the front seats. He flicked a switch on his radio and screamed into his helmet, which would relay back to Olsen. 'Ready!' Ahead, the attackers could be seen to be moving forward to make the final push. Carter took a level III tactical vest from the racks and placed it over his existing armour as he made a move to the driver's seat.

As the engine roared to life, Carter turned the van around. In the rear-view mirror he saw Jordan and Gibbs emerge from the undergrowth.

Jordan made it to the van. 'Get this thing moving!'

Carter revved the engine again but wasn't going to leave without Olsen.

'Get us to the rendezvous point, Dan?' asked Olsen, who climbed on board. 'I've sent a signal to the recovery team, not sure if it reached them, there is interference all around us. All being well, the chopper should be waiting.'

Carter's left shoulder was bleeding. 'No sign of them following us. Hold on!' The van turned sharply onto the main road and sped towards the checkpoint. It looked like they were going to make it after all...

Ferec emerged from the shadows and discontinued his pointless fire. The MI6 team had escaped. He picked up his radio and attempted to contact Jozef.

'How is Gyorgy, my friend?'

Jozef leant back against several kitchen units and heard the radio message almost from a long distance away. For the past few minutes, he had watched a doctor attempt to save the life of his beloved brother. He picked the radio up and raised it to his mouth, but for a moment he didn't know what to say. 'The doctor is with him now, Ferec. Gyorgy has been critically injured.' His tone changed to one of indifference. 'The MI6 team?'

Ferec paused for a moment and didn't want to give his friend more bad news. 'I am sorry, Jozef. They eluded us this time. I will see you shortly.'

Jozef dropped the radio and watched the doctor continue his efforts. For a moment, the thoughts of MI6 simply faded away as his childhood and every waking memory of his twin brother consumed him.

Chapter 17

### Friday, March 9th 03:30,

### Moscow, Russia.

The night shadows covered every corner of Moscow as Patrice Marraud slowly crouched down in Alexandrovsky Gardens and looked through his compact set of night vision binoculars. Sure enough, Salenko and his mystery companion appeared and then got into a nearby black saloon. Marraud wasted no time and quickly made his way to his car, a rundown cream coloured Lada. Every time he saw it, he remembered the standard jokes about Lada cars, but the car did one thing really well, it didn't attract any attention.

Marraud watched the car pass his position, and a smile came to his lips. Salenko was driving it. The image showed him who was in charge. Marraud's mind sparked into activity as twenty questions all flashed by in a matter of seconds _. Where could they be going at this time? Why is Salenko driving? What about security?_ The latter made Marraud wary of the mystery man's background and abilities. Taking the potential next President of Russia out for a drive in the early hours of the morning with no security was some move and demanded respect. Whoever the individual was, he had to be supremely confident of his abilities and clearly felt able to protect Salenko from any threat.

Marraud kept the Lada at a respectable distance and slowed down as he crossed the Vodootvodny Canal. For a moment he saw a light in the rear-view mirror but when he checked again, he saw nothing. Was there someone behind him? He didn't want to lose the chance he had to find out more, and pressed on. The car ahead turned off the main road, and he did the same and turned into Yakimanka Bol Street, which was completely deserted. Panic set in slightly as he coasted the car down the quiet street as it wouldn't be hard to be detected with no other activity around. Marraud saw light ahead, in a three-storey house in Zemsky per Street just a few hundred feet away. Taking a chance, he pulled over and parked the car, desperate to avoid detection. With his binoculars, he watched carefully. To his delight, he saw the saloon car park alongside the house some distance away, and the two passengers stepped out. Marraud kept his attention locked onto the mystery man and took note of his thorough inspection of the house and its surroundings. For a good thirty seconds, he made sure of everything with meticulous checks. _This is no personal assistant or chief of staff._

Several minutes passed before Marraud left his car and made his way to the back of the house. Risk taking was part of the game but that didn't mean he liked it, every bone in Marraud's body knew what the consequences would be if he were caught. Slowly, he crept around the house and came to a window where he heard voices. Doing everything possible to make no sound whatsoever, Marraud squinted through a crack in the frame and saw Salenko and a senior Russian politician in the room. The name escaped him but Marraud had seen him before. His blue eyes scanned for the mystery man and he almost jumped when he realised the individual was right next to the window, with his back turned. All the hairs on his neck stood on end as he realised how close he was to Salenko's companion. As the conversation continued, Marraud translated every word in his head and kept very, very still.

A street away, a Russian FSB agent (formerly KGB), crept low in the bushes and watched Marraud through his own pair of night vision binoculars. Denyer had been following the man for the last few hours and took in as many details as he possibly could. He was dressed all in black, his grey hair was covered by a black hood and his eyes never strayed from his target.

Moments passed, then he moved his young, agile frame and trudged back to his parked car. Within minutes, he was on the phone to his source at the FSB to match a name to the face and then he would double back and tell Akira...

Elliott looked to have aged a decade as he watched in horror at several screens that displayed the details of Operation Reprisal's failure. Another showed the casualty list of agents from the operation. The Chief of MI6 looked away from the displays and tried to clear his mind from the mess of thoughts that focussed on S.U.C.O.'s first failed operation in a very long time.

Throughout both his reigns, the service had maintained a high level of performance and kept attention to a minimum. Two years ago, a new Prime Minister had been elected and had shown, on more than one occasion, disapproval of how Elliott was choosing to run MI6. From what he could tell, the PM simply wanted to remove him because of old age and stubbornness. Since then, he had been extra prudent in his decision making and operation authorisation.

A technician handed him a report. Elliot quickly scanned the words. The survivors were on their way back to the UK and scheduled to arrive within the hour. Elliott read the casualty list for the third time but it hadn't changed; three agents from Team A were missing, presumed dead and several agents from Team B were injured. Ramsey, his deputy, appeared beside him. 'I have several urgent tasks for you, Kevin.'

Ramsey raised his eyebrows as he studied the tired expression on his superior's face. 'How much time do I have, sir?'

'Send a signal to POL1 and have him check the Kiprich house for survivors, liaising with the Polish police. Any word from his superior in Warsaw?'

Ramsey looked worried. 'Uh...no. We lost contact with HQPOL around the time S.U.C.O. was arriving in Poland. All attempts to raise our man have failed. I think we may have to assume the worst, sir.' He shifted his weight as he thought over how to phrase his next comment. 'Do you think it's wise to keep POL1 in Cracow? This group seem to be covering all of our people. Shouldn't we move him out straight away?'

Elliott remembered the rising number of dead agents and didn't want to add to the tally. 'A worthwhile risk, and one I will support. Get him out of the country and back in the UK as fast as you can.' So far, he had not received any communication from Downing Street but he was certain it would come in the next few hours. Elliott had assured the Prime Minister and the Defence Minister that the operation would run smoothly with his best team involved. At no point had he suspected the operation would take the turn it had. He struggled to maintain his focus, knowing all too well he would be lucky to still have his job by the end of the day. Over by the double doors at the entrance to Operations Command, Burton caught his eye. Workers moved out of his way as he approached the S.U.C.O. team commander.

'Where the hell have you been?' Elliott snapped. He had not been impressed with the agent's performance, and his late arrival only added to the problem.

Burton had large dark rings under his eyes. 'Sorry, sir. I was just getting all the operation details and profiles together. Has something happened?'

Elliott controlled his temper, together with the urge to fire Burton on the spot. 'S.U.C.O. has been hit, with three dead. The operation was a failure. We've lost contact with our man in Warsaw and as far as we know, the Kiprich brothers are in perfect health. Need I go on?' Elliot was handed a message before he could continue.

Burton watched his superior physically deflate as his shoulders sank and a look of dread spread over his features. 'More bad news, sir?' he asked, knowing all too well it was most likely a summons to Downing Street.

'My presence has been requested by the PM and the Defence Minister. Get yourself together, you will accompany me. Ramsey, take charge here.' Elliott noted the look of shock on Burton's face and turned around to signal to his aide as they both made their way to the exit.

Denyer, dressed in a casual jacket and trousers with his premature grey hair waving in the wind, parked his car near the bungalow on Zemsky per Street and walked towards the house ahead of him. He was certain French Special Agent Marraud was nearby. Not that it mattered now. A wave of confidence spread through his body. His source at the FSB had matched the photos and details he had provided and had sent him a file on the legendary French agent. What a history this man had, a career littered with achievements and accolades. He was a living legend. For a moment, Denyer almost wanted to rush into the surrounding gardens and seek him out himself but instead he casually approached the front door and went inside.

The house had a musty smell about it and the sound of Russian music came from the living room. Dark red striped wallpaper was on the walls as he knocked on the door and entered. 'Excuse me. I need to speak with you.' Denyer focussed his gaze on Akira, who sat alone in the corner of the room observing Salenko attempt to convince his fellow politician on his policies.

'Carry on.' Akira made his way to the door and replaced his hood over his head. By doing so, the shadows fell across his face and made him even more intimidating. 'Well?'

Denyer didn't flinch or move away but his usual aggressive manner was slightly diminished. 'You were right. Someone is here, and he's been following you both. I have all his details.'

'Good. Whoever it is will need to be dealt with quickly. Nothing can come between Salenko and the presidency.'

'Yes, sir.' Denyer opened a file to remove some paperwork, but a photograph slipped out and spun to the floor. Angry with himself, he knelt down immediately, but a foot moved close to him and he froze.

'Is this him?' asked Akira, in a quiet voice.

'Yes, sir.' Denyer tried to see the reaction through the shadows but could make out nothing for sure. He waited for more but nothing came. Instead, his leader merely stood there, motionless. He continued anyway. 'His name is Patrice Marraud, aged forty-one. He came into the country some time ago. I have several historic files, all of which detail his career with the French Secret Service.'

Akira had only heard two words. In fact, the photo had been quite enough to stir a reaction within him. The name had been like a physical blow, it was definitely familiar but the memories resisted him. There could be no doubt about it, he remembered Patrice Marraud but from where? Denyer's voice clawed him back to the present.

'I'll search the surrounding area,' the young man was saying confidently.

Akira took a step forward and felt his charge flinch with fear. 'No. I will deal with him myself when I am ready. For now, go and wait in the car.'

Denyer was stunned by the response. Something had definitely changed since he had disclosed his findings. Was Akira afraid of this Frenchman? Or displeased with his work? Whatever the problem was, it was apparently none of his business. He bowed his head and made his way back to the car.

Akira watched the door close and remained in the hallway. Salenko's voice and the faint Russian music continued from the adjoining room but he ignored it and tried to call on Madeline. His thoughts were racing and he couldn't focus, even though he could hear her faint voice in the background of his mind. The memories he so desperately wanted wouldn't come to him either. All he knew was that Marraud was a threat, and a powerful one at that.

Olsen slowly walked through the airport arrivals area and saw the MI6 security team ahead. Jordan and several others were alongside him, apart from Carter, who had sustained a minor bullet wound and was being treated at the local hospital. Olsen's mind had been a flurry of activity throughout the flight. How had they been ambushed? An aching pain refused to budge from his chest. Three agents had been killed and his first operation as S.U.C.O. team leader had been a miserable failure. He caught up with Jordan, who walked alone some distance ahead.

'Give me a break, OK? I don't need a lecture from the likes of you,' Jordan snapped.

'All I want to know is what happened at that house. You lost three of my agents, remember?' Olsen stood in front of Jordan and demanded an answer.

'My agents, Sam! It was my team and apart from Gibbs and me, they all died, so don't give me that crap! It was a set-up, there was nothing I could do. I knew them a lot longer than you did!' Jordan pushed past in frustration and got into the nearby vehicle that would take him back to headquarters.

Olsen looked at Agent Gibbs, not convinced he was being told the full story _. I'd give anything to know what those guys are hiding._ He caught the attention of a waiting agent who was part of the security team. Nothing was said of the failed operation. As one of his bags was thrown into the boot, Olsen noticed someone laying out the day's newspapers on the nearby stands. The sight of the main headline on one of the papers made him stop in his tracks.

'BUNGLED UK ATTACK ON HUNGARIAN TERRORISTS BY MI6! POLAND OUTRAGED. EXCLUSIVE DETAILS INSIDE!'

Olsen started to move towards the stand with the intention of buying a copy but several members of the security team stepped in front of him and urged him to get into the car. Reluctantly he complied, but he wondered just how the media had gotten hold of the information. Olsen knew every operation was always treated with Level 1 security. Only the Prime Minister, Defence Minister, team members, Burton, Elliott, Ramsey and on this occasion POL1 knew about the op. In the car, the scenery flew by as Olsen gazed out of the window and prepared himself for the tough questions that would undoubtedly be coming his way.

Elliott was led into the conference room at ten Downing Street, with his aide and Burton behind him. The room was dimly lit, with a long, wide, brown oak conference table in the middle, a large display screen on one wall and some expensive looking artwork on the other. Elliott noticed the look of disdain etched on the Prime Minister's face as he sat down. The PM was seated at the head of the table with the Defence Minister and to Elliott's surprise, Peter Drake was also in attendance, his predecessor at MI6 and a long-time favourite of the PM.

'What went wrong, Richard? I recall you telling me that this operation would pose no problem for your elite squad.' Prime Minister Jacobs' tone was one of disgust. Dressed in a smart black suit, white shirt and burgundy tie, he sat up straight in his chair and looked stressed. His thinning black hair looked dishevelled and his normally fresh looking face had turned a worried shade of red.

Jacobs had sanctioned the operation, but he had been wary of repercussions and it had been the support for the operation from his Defence Minister that had reassured him. He threw the early editions of the morning's papers on the table. They all carried a headline relating to the events in Cracow.

Elliott peered at the papers on the large table. It was the first time he had seen any of the headlines and he could not hide his shock at the realisation that all of them were related to the failed operation.

The Prime Minister was perceptive and noticed the shocked look on Elliot's face. 'You didn't even know of this leak? My God, Richard, what sort of circus are you running over there? My Polish equivalent has been on the phone to me for the last hour, reading the riot act. I don't blame him either. The operation was a shambles. Am I to understand that a third of the team is dead and the targets are nowhere to be found? To make matters worse, the media have now gotten hold of it.' The agent to Elliott's right caught his attention. 'You must be Agent Burton, head of team S.U.C.O.' He spat the last words out with contempt. 'What is your take on this?'

'It seems clear to me, sir, that someone had inside information on the operation.' His voice grew quieter as he made his point.

The Prime Minister looked back at Elliott. 'Is that the latest assumption? Do we have any evidence to prove this?'

Elliot stood firm and shot a look at Burton. 'That is our initial theory, Prime Minister. I have our man in Cracow now, we are awaiting the report. It would certainly fit the events. It could well be linked to whoever leaked the story to the paper.'

The Prime Minister sat back in his chair and gave the two men scathing looks. For years he had tried to remove Elliott from office simply because, in his opinion, he was an old, worn out man not capable of handling the stress and strain anymore. Was he an icon? Absolutely, but the man was well past seventy, and the time had come for change. Jacobs had been waiting for his chance and was not going to waste it. He leaned forward and placed both hands on the desk. 'I am not convinced of your theory, Richard. In fact, I'm not impressed at your lack of control at MI6. You should be running a far tighter ship to avoid these bungled operations. It's not over yet either, there are still too many unanswered questions.' The PM looked at the papers strewn out over the table and thought over his next words carefully. 'I want your letter of resignation on the Defence Minister's desk by morning. As for you, Burton, I will not be giving a glowing report about you to the new Chief of MI6.'

Elliott didn't move but looked at the Defence Minister, normally his strongest supporter. This time, however, a look of pity stared back at him as the former Chief of MI6 realised he would receive no help this time around. 'Wait!' he shouted, with a weak voice, one that sounded a far cry from his deep baritone of yesteryear. 'I've been in this job for close to thirty years, you cannot and will not remove me from office!'

Jacobs wouldn't budge. 'You're seventy-two years old, Richard, you've had your time. I suggest you retire to a quieter life and take things slowly from now on. We can't have our icons working too hard now, can we?'

'How dare you patronise me!' Elliott forced his aching body to rise and eventually, it responded. 'A war is looming, this is no time for change. My agency and the very heart of the West are under threat!'

Jacobs was now gesturing for his staff to leave and had barely heard the rant from the senile man ahead of him. _I just hope that doesn't happen to me._ 'My decision is final. Good day, Richard.'

Elliott watched the room empty around him. His career appeared to be over, what was left for him now? Retirement? The very word made him cringe. He shook his head violently, furious with his aging body and mind for letting him down so badly. To his left, Burton was slumped in a chair with his head in his hands.

The Prime Minister came out of the conference room and started walking. 'Peter, I have a favour to ask of you.' He led the former Chief of MI6 into a side room and sat down. 'I want you to take over at MI6. We have to contain this situation. I need someone there that I can trust.'

Drake had missed the prestige and status of his former position and couldn't help but smile. 'Certainly, sir, I'll have everything under control by the end of the day.'

The Prime Minister maintained eye contact with Drake as he continued. 'These are changing times and I feel we need to reorganise things at MI6. I've had lengthy discussions with the Defence Minister about this and we have agreed that MI5 needs to adapt as well. Now, obviously the service has a mandate and a duty to protect national security but more than anything, I want you to reduce the profile of MI6 and keep the risk taking to an absolute minimum. I want a second term and I will not allow today's events to happen again. Is that clear?'

'I agree entirely, sir. You can rely on me to create the MI6 you require. Is that all, sir?'

Prime Minister Jacobs nodded, shook Drake's hand and left the room.

Drake was by no means surprised. The PM's request for his presence at the emergency meeting could have only meant one thing. _Elliot's reckless reign as Chief of MI6 has finally ended._ Drake made his way to the front door to organise a car to take him straight to MI6 headquarters and back to the job he had always regretted leaving.

With his legs crossed on the floor and his hands apart, Akira sat alone in his quarters at Salenko's home. The room had been tailored to his needs but there was no bed, just an area on the floor that was his makeshift sleeping area. There wasn't any furniture, or any photographs. There was nothing that could create an emotional response. Nothing that could weaken him.

The meeting had gone well and the politician in question was now an ally and was already gathering speed with his recruitment of others to vote for their cause. All was well. Or so it would seem. For Akira, there was still the matter of Marraud.

With his eyes closed, Akira tried to make sense of his thoughts and the fragments of memories that had returned to him. There was nothing substantial, just images, snapshots of another time and what felt like a different life. Again, he tried to slow them down in his mind. One came and then disappeared again. It was of a younger looking Marraud happily smiling away. At him or someone else? As he tried harder to focus, another image flashed by but this time it was of himself, and he looked so different. Younger, fresher, happier, even? No, he looked disillusioned. Things were so different back then, in a way that—

He has to die.

Madeline. Her voice was unmistakable. She came to him so clearly and interrupted his thoughts.

Patrice is here to kill us. He will stop at nothing until both you and Salenko are dead.

Akira kept his eyes closed and spoke in a calm but slightly fragile tone. 'He is determined. I know he always has been but I can't remember it all. When did I meet him? What was—'

It doesn't matter, my love. All of that is in the past. The future will be the dream we both envisioned. Do not think of what has gone. Focus on the here and now.

'But he could be saved, Patrice could join us?'

Never. Patrice Marraud is loyal to the West, he is too far gone, corrupted over the years. We could never convince him to join our cause. He would destroy us.

'But what if—'

He must die, my love. There can be no change of heart. No sympathy. Marraud is like the rest, they cannot be convinced. None of them see what we do. We can't help it if they don't...

A knock on the door interrupted everything and Madeline faded away. Akira opened his eyes sharply and turned towards the opening door in a fit of rage. What was Madeline going to say? His voice carried every trace of his anger. 'I ordered no interruptions!'

Denyer cautiously stepped inside. He half expected to see two people, having heard Akira talking to someone moments before. He couldn't hide his surprise when it was just his leader in the room and nobody else. 'Sir...I apologise but Mikhail urgently needs you downstairs. He received a phone call and looks in need of your guidance.'

Akira clenched his fists and stared at Denyer. He didn't take his eyes off the Russian until finally, he responded. 'Tell him...I will be down very soon and will deal with his crisis.' He spat the last word out, with contempt.

Denyer closed the door and went to find Salenko. He had never seen Akira look so angry and didn't want to again. His confusion was justified though; who was he talking to?

Akira took a deep breath and desperately tried to control his rage and clear his mind to hear the voice of his wife once more. Minutes passed, but it was no use, no matter what he tried his mind was racing again. All that was there now were the fragments of memories again. Nothing but a tangled mess of what had gone before. He left his room and started to walk down the stairs. Out of the blue, something came to him. In pieces at first but then so clearly, it stopped him in his tracks.

Martine Marraud.

And there it was. That was why he was unsure about how to act on Marraud. The truth still seemed lost within his mind but he knew one thing for sure. Martine Marraud had died a tragic death, just like his beloved Madeline. He tried to remember the details of her death but it was lost to him. His frustration faded away, but it was replaced by doubt. How in the world could he kill Patrice when he was probably the only man who could understand? They were the same, surely?

Ramsey quickly read through the report but his eyes went back to several lines at the top of the document. His heart missed a beat when he saw that POL1, Agent Martin Bedford, had been killed. _Yet another skilled agent is dead. How many more are we going to lose?_ Ramsey had first met Bedford a decade before and had trained him initially. It was a heavy loss and Operation Reprisal had caused the death of five agents, with every chance the number could increase further. He caught the attention of an aide. 'Put aside some resources to make sure Bedford's wife and daughter are looked after and put some time in my diary for me to visit them. Put this near the top of the priority list, please.'

A commotion at the large double doors of Operations Command caught his eye. Ramsey did a double take and saw an unwelcome visitor stride confidently into the area. _I hope he is just a visitor, that guy is the last thing we need._

Peter Drake walked into Operations Command at MI6 and scanned the command centre. It had been a long time since he had been back in the HQ. Drake was late fifties, five-foot-ten inches tall, with shaven black hair on the side of his head and bald on top. He had been in charge of MI6 for just over two years when Richard Elliot had been forced out when he suffered his first heart attack. A lucrative offer to become a top security advisor to the Defence Minister had been too tempting at the time. He didn't regret the move but always felt he had unfinished business at MI6.

Drake thought back to the meeting at Downing Street and the look he had received from Richard Elliott _. Elliott only had himself to blame because he was too cocky._ Caution and prudence were the key factors in doing the job well, he reminded himself. There was no place for reckless decisions and 'strike teams'. Some of the operations staff stared at him as he walked by. The relatively small Drake approached a tall, dark and powerful looking figure that stood near several computer screens. 'Good evening, Kevin, it's not surprising to see you still here.'

Ramsey ignored the comment and feigned surprise. 'Peter, what brings you here? Where is Mr. Elliott?'

Drake sniffed and raised his head, almost in disgust. 'Heading to the retirement home, thankfully. The PM has placed me back in command for the foreseeable future, long may it stay that way, in my opinion.' Drake visibly straightened as did his bland looking suit and suitably drab tie. Black-rimmed glasses protruded from his chest pocket. 'Status report?'

Ramsey's heart sank when he realised that Drake was now the Chief of MI6. He couldn't help but feel hurt that he hadn't been considered, but the overwhelming feeling was one of disappointment that he wouldn't be working with Richard Elliott anymore. Ramsey towered over his new boss. He looked down at Drake and enjoyed doing so. 'I understand, sir. S.U.C.O. is heading back here as we speak, three agents are down. We've lost HQPOL and moments ago I was told we lost POL1 as well. He was a good man, sir, I was involved in his training years ago. It's been a total hit on all sides.'

Drake moved to a monitor and inspected the display. 'Indeed.' He saw a report given to Ramsey and took hold of the envelope. 'If you don't mind, Ramsey?' He put on his glasses and read the information slowly. 'There might be something here...' His forehead wrinkled slightly as he read further. 'Oh my God...here, read this.'

Ramsey took the report and read several key statements. 'Three dead MI6 team members...what's this? Three Polish women and two Polish men found dead in the back room of the house. All bodies riddled with bullets from a Colt M16A2 rifle.' He looked up and saw Drake's glare.

'What rifles were the S.U.C.O. teams using on this operation?' Drake's eyes asked the same question through the thick lenses of his glasses.

'All team members were assigned Colt M16A2 rifles, sir. It's possible the terrorists planted—'

'Spare me your theories, Ramsey. When S.U.C.O. arrives, I want them taken to briefing room one straightaway. Make sure they don't speak to anyone else. Is that understood?' Before the younger of the two could answer, one of the technicians came to his side.

'The S.U.C.O. agents have just arrived, sir. Would you like me to bring them up?'

'No, that's fine. I'll bring them up to briefing room one myself.' He left Drake and made his way to the exit doors. With every step, he couldn't shake the feeling that the return of Peter Drake was the biggest mistake the Prime Minister could have made. In Ramsey's opinion, Richard Elliott had been the finest leader the agency had ever known and with a war looming, the last thing needed was a cautious approach.

Olsen stepped out of the car and followed the other agents to the nearest lift, under the murky lighting of the MI6 headquarters car park. He saw Ramsey ahead and noted his grim expression. 'Don't tell me, we're going to be thrown to the wolves, right?'

'Something like that, Olsen,' Ramsey said wryly. From the lift, he led the team members into briefing room one, where Drake sat at the head of the table.

Olsen stopped at the doorway at the sight of Drake, who he had always loathed with a passion. 'Where's the Chief of MI6?'

Drake smiled for a moment and then gestured for them to sit down. 'Take a seat, gentlemen. I'm afraid Mr. Elliott's reign here has ended. As of today, I'm back in charge. I suggest you all adapt.' Drake's last comment was aimed at Olsen and nobody else. 'As I'm sure you're all aware, tonight's operation did not go as planned. Procedure dictates that you are all to be isolated to produce your reports. I've decided to give you these five minutes to explain anything you feel the need to. I suggest you take advantage of my rare display of generosity. Well?'

Olsen listened to every word but felt like he had missed something. He had first met Drake when he was twenty years old. He remembered standing in Drake's office and being given a severe slating on rules and procedures. In all the years Olsen had known Drake, he had never thought him suitable to be the Chief of MI6. Seeing him again made him think of a career change or at the very least, a change of assignment. 'The operation was compromised from the start. The storage area my team stormed had nothing in it of use. They seemed to be one step ahead of us with every step.'

Drake leaned forward and read several segments from a report. 'The Polish Police believe the five bodies are that of Polish locals. Cause of death was from a Colt M16A2 rifle between 0100 and 0200. Now, would anyone like to explain this anomaly?'

Olsen glanced at Ramsey and was stunned at this development. His eyes were wide with shock. 'Hostages? There were no hostages.'

Drake took off his glasses and tossed them onto the wooden conference table. 'I see...does anyone else have any comment?'

Olsen locked his eyes onto Jordan, who sat motionless in his chair. 'Alex...you want to tell me what this is about? Alex?'

Drake interrupted, 'I think that about wraps this up. As of this moment, you're all suspended. S.U.C.O. is now deactivated. You'll be escorted to separate interview rooms where I want you all to record your events of tonight. An internal inquiry will be organised as soon as possible.' The Chief of MI6 rose from his seat. 'I suggest you all co-operate as much as you can.'

Team S.U.C.O. departed, except for its leader, who stayed in his seat. His fiery brown eyes locked onto Drake. 'This is out of line! You're making us out to be criminals. They knew we were coming! My team is innocent, whatever happened in that house—'

Drake, who had always despised Olsen for his reckless behaviour and headstrong attitude, snapped back. 'I disagree! If there is even a shred of evidence that proves you were all responsible for the deaths of those innocents, you'll be hung out to dry! Now get out!' Drake's voice broke as he lost control.

Several security guards dragged Olsen out of the briefing room and escorted him to one of several secure interview rooms one floor down. Inside, he was presented with a small, drab looking room with one table and two chairs. A tape recorder was in the middle of the table, where a man was already seated.

The interviewer looked up from his notebook, pressed 'REC' on the tape recorder, and folded his arms. 'Now...why don't you tell me, in your own words, what happened?'

'Can I at least have a drink before we start? It's been a long—'

The interviewer ignored the request and flicked through several pieces of paper on the table. 'The events in Cracow, please, nothing else. Be specific.'

Drake sat back down in briefing room one and wiped his forehead with a faded looking hanky. 'Olsen hasn't changed, I see. I don't think I'll ever understand why he's been here so long.'

Ramsey sat down opposite his superior. He had already decided that this time around he wasn't going to go along for the ride as he had done before. Lives were at stake and if that meant falling out with Drake, then so be it. 'Olsen is one of our best agents, sir. You need to understand—'

Drake interrupted, 'Olsen is reckless. He has no respect for the rules and procedures of this agency. I'm on orders from the Prime Minister himself to tone down everything here, reduce our profile and take a back seat to world events.'

Ramsey's mind flashed back to his last discussion with Elliott and the looming war. 'Sir, no, I must disagree. The last time I spoke with Mr. Elliott, we were in agreement that with the loss of agents we've suffered over the last year, we need to increase our numbers with reactivation and flush out our attackers.'

'We have lost too many agents, Kevin, that's precisely why we should take a step back and allow other agencies to take the lead. We simply aren't equipped to deal with these problems.'

Ramsey's voice became more urgent as he leant forward, imposing himself as best he could. 'A war is coming, sir. If you can't see how much we need S.U.C.O. then I suggest you—'

Drake overpowered his deputy and looked to end the conversation. 'There will be no war. We're in over our heads and it's going to change. I want S.U.C.O. to stand in the internal inquiry. Make it happen.'

Ramsey could see clearly now just how difficult things were going to be in the future. He was fully aware that with Drake's attitude, many more agents would perish just because of his denial. His mind was racing with theories on how to depose him but he turned his thoughts back to the problem at hand. 'Will the inquiry be open? Allowing the S.U.C.O. agents' defence is the right thing to do.'

Drake shook his head vehemently. 'Out of the question. Those men will be allowed no defence. The inquiry will cover what happened. That's all.'

Ramsey didn't move. 'I take it you'll be selecting a random board of agents to appear on the committee that will chair the inquiry?' He felt a tinge of fear that Drake was planning to select himself.

'Of course I will,' Drake replied tersely. 'The committee will consist of two randomly selected agents and myself. We'll get to the bottom of this mess, quickly, and with the least amount of red tape.'

Ramsey's heart sank at the response. 'Sir...you may not like what I'm about to say, but I don't believe you should be in any way involved in this inquiry. Your outburst to Olsen just moments ago proves that.' He waited for a response. 'Sir?'

'That'll be all, Ramsey. Dismissed.' Drake watched his deputy linger for a moment and then exit briefing room one. _I will restore the pride of this agency and this country will be in better hands for it._ A technician knocked on the door and handed the Chief of MI6 another report. Drake waited for him to leave and scanned the information. His eyes grew ever wider as he read the pathologist's report on the death of POL1. He focussed his gaze on the 'Time of Death' section. Drake rummaged through several papers on the desk and found the final report Bedford had sent marked with the time of 17:15 UK time. He dropped the page and looked back to clarify the time of death on Bedford's Pathology report. Looking back at him was the statement 'BETWEEN 16 and 16:45 UK TIME'. Drake realised what the news meant straight away. Someone else had sent that report.

Drake chewed on one end of his glasses and mulled things over. Despite the shocking revelation, the Prime Minister's words repeated in his mind and wouldn't go away. He made a decision and placed the report in his inside pocket. _I need to make sure this inquiry is straightforward so I can force some change here. No one needs to see this report._ He left the meeting room and returned to the hustle and bustle of Operations Command.

Salenko ran a hand through his hair and looked increasingly worried. Over the last two hours, they had received threats from the current president and his band of campaigners.

As much as he tried, he had never quite gained the mental invulnerability that seemed to come to Akira so easily. He looked at his strongest ally and tried not to sound worried. 'Their resources are far bigger than ours. Perhaps we should try to—'

Akira got up to leave and cut off the would-be President of Russia in his stride. 'There is nothing to discuss. I control the press and the FSB, which is more than enough to silence them. Denyer here will make sure of that. We will return their threat with one of our own as well as some action.' He turned to Denyer. 'The President is overstepping his mark. We need to apply some pressure.'

'What did you have in mind?' asked Denyer.

'Whatever pleases you. Just ensure the President gets the message and turns his vipers onto someone else. I have no patience to deal with this. If we hear anything from him again, I will be looking at you.'

Denyer watched him go and started to wonder about how he would deal with the current president's threat. After all, he was supposed to be at his disposal, not Akira's. Care was needed.

Akira left the room and made his way back to his quarters. The threats didn't worry him, it was just the current government's way of trying to create something out of nothing. They had already lost the race and were resorting to desperate tactics.

In his mind, he knew he wasn't exactly focussed, Marraud had made sure of that. Not that he'd seen him, he just couldn't stop thinking about what to do. Normally there could be no one to stand between him and his vision but Marraud was different. They had both lost their loved ones because of the paths they had taken in life. Neither had asked or deserved what had happened.

Akira sighed loudly. He was not used to bouts of emotion and he was struggling to deal with it. It saddened him greatly to go against Madeline but on this occasion, he simply couldn't help himself. Why he had remembered Marraud's loss, he didn't know but there had to be a reason. Was it fate that had linked them together so he would be tested? To be shown why Marraud was on the wrong side?

Akira was at a loss but he had to confront him, take him hostage if needs be, if only to give himself some time to convince him. Marraud was still a threat, nonetheless, but he had to be given a chance, they were the same, whether he saw it or not.

Chapter 18

### Friday, March 16th 10:00 (1 week later),

### MI6 Headquarters, London,

### Internal Inquiry - Operation Reprisal.

Drake passed his assistant and walked into his office. Waiting in the room were a man and a woman who were already seated. As Drake sat down behind the large mahogany desk, he didn't look at them straight away but instead chose to rummage through several files. Then after a few minutes, he initiated eye contact. 'Thank you for coming today. As you know, you are both to sit on the inquiry committee for...most probably today and tomorrow.' Drake leaned forward and glared at them both. 'We've all known each other for many years and both of you owe me favours. Just to be clear, I'm calling in those favours today. I have my own agenda and my own desired outcome from this inquiry, neither of you will interfere with that. Is that understood?'

The woman sat up straight and nervously spoke for the first time. 'What is the outcome you are looking for, Peter?'

'It's very simple. I want S.U.C.O. deactivated and consigned to history. I also want the likes of Olsen and Jordan taught a lesson and demoted to menial duties, in the hope that they will leave the service. Now that I've returned to MI6, my reign will be trouble free and the quietest time in its history. My desired outcome from this inquiry will certainly achieve that.'

The man spoke for the first time. 'Are we to ask any questions of the agents involved? What exactly do you want from us?'

'Obviously, I want you to ask questions but nothing that will cause any problems or show the accused in a positive light.' Drake glanced at both of them. 'I want this inquiry to be seen to be as fair as possible, so both of you need to think hard about what you will ask and when you will ask it. Clear?' He watched them both agree. 'You'll follow my lead at all times and back me up on any matters I choose to concentrate on.' Drake smiled at the two individuals and sat back in his chair. 'That will be all for now. I'll see you both in briefing room three in one hour for the start of the inquiry. Remind yourselves that your careers are in my hands.' Drake watched them both nod in agreement and leave the office.

The man lingered for a moment and waited for the woman to leave. 'Exactly what have Olsen and Jordan done to deserve you in this mood?' he asked assertively.

The Chief of MI6 showed no sign of annoyance at the tone of voice or line of questioning. 'I have a mandate for this agency and those two men are incapable of change.' His dark blue eyes gave a steely glance to the other man. 'One hour.' Drake watched him leave and remembered his orders from the Prime Minister. He knew exactly what he was going to do and with an effective inquiry he would be halfway to achieving it. He leaned forward and spoke into the intercom on his desk.

'Yes, sir? How can I help?' spoke the assistant in the next room.

'I want Hal Burton in my office in five minutes. Find him and get him up here, now.' Drake terminated the link and found Burton's personal file in his drawer.

French Special Agent Marraud tried his best but couldn't repress the grin that was spreading across his face. His gamble had paid off. Through the binoculars, he saw Salenko and his ever-present companion exit the black saloon and enter a small bungalow located on the outskirts of Moscow, backing onto Gorky Park.

In the past week, Marraud had worked hard on many things. Staying alive was always his priority but at the same time, he was an effective researcher and planned his work to perfection. Once again, he had proven his talent, and he'd been waiting for Salenko to arrive for close to four hours. Situated just a street away, Marraud crouched behind some heavy fencing and saw the men enter the bungalow. So far, he had learned that Salenko was visiting all the people from his college background that were now in the minefield of Russian politics. In other words, calling in as many favours as possible and from what he had seen, not always in diplomatic fashion. The mystery man had a vicious temper and didn't seem afraid to use it. The possibility of a biased election in Russia didn't surprise Marraud, he had half been expecting it but with every passing day he wondered why no other agents from Europe had been dispatched to his location. The Russian threat was either not being taken seriously or perhaps the French Secret Service had been kept out of the loop.

As he jogged down the street, Marraud found himself at the back of the bungalow and used all of his stealth to creep in undetected. As he knelt beside the dining room window, Marraud heard the voice of Salenko and one other, but as ever, he wondered where the mystery visitor was. As he moved centimetres to his left to catch a glimpse of the inside, his heart skipped a beat when there was no sign of Salenko's ever-present companion. Moving back to the safe haven of his kneeling position, Marraud speculated in his mind as to why he wasn't there. _This is his election, his campaign, he would want to know exactly what was being said. I've tracked five other visits and not once did he leave the room._ A sense of dread spread through him. _Have I been detected?_ Marraud didn't want to hang around to find out, so moved away from the bungalow, and took the back route that led back to the car. On his approach, he attempted to calm himself and as ever, went through his safety checks upon reaching the vehicle. Despite his best efforts, he couldn't achieve full focus but persisted with the checks. His eyes scanned the vehicle, its tyres, the boot and bonnet and quickly looked around him before checking underneath the car for any incendiary devices. He casually checked the back seat and the driver's compartment. As he got in the front and turned the ignition key, sudden anxiety flashed through his body as he jumped up and realised his mistake.

THE BLANKET ON THE BACK SEAT! IT'S NORMALLY IN THE BOOT!

Marraud spun round just in time as the mystery man, masked and shrouded in a black robe, leapt like a cat from the back seat...

Burton felt the sweat run down his back as he came out of the lift and made his way along the corridor to Drake's office. His mind was in frenzy as to what he had done to deserve a summons. _Relax, Hal, just take it one step at a time. Drake probably just wants to introduce himself. Focus!_ Burton shook his head as he slowly came to the first door. His hand trembled as he swiped his identification card through the reader and watched the green light appear. The door opened slightly and Burton saw the assistant at her desk. 'Drake is expecting me. I'm—'

The young assistant looked up from her computer screen. 'Hal Burton. I know. You can go straight in, sir.'

Burton shut the door and stumbled over to the nearest chair. He stretched over the desk and offered his hand. 'I don't think we've met, sir, I'm Hal Burton, S.U.C.O. commander. It's a pleasure to meet you.' Burton managed a smile but Drake didn't move from his seat. He sat back down and waited. It had been some time since he had last been in the office and he instantly recognised how well Drake went with the decor. The faded pinstriped suit Drake wore was in stark contrast to Ramsey's designer clothes.

Drake placed his arms on the large mahogany desk and managed his first smile of the day. 'Thank you for coming, Burton. Now...you're in charge of team S.U.C.O. aren't you?'

Burton swallowed hard as he waited to be sacked. 'Yes, sir. That's correct.'

'I see. These are changing times for MI6, Burton, a fact I'm sure you are well aware of. You've come to a crossroad. You can either go forwards or backwards.'

Burton felt his heart sink. _I knew it._ 'Well, I would like to go forward, sir. Though I'm not entirely sure what you mean, to be honest.' Burton tried to loosen his collar as he struggled to cope with the meeting.

Drake opened a folder on his desk. 'I've been looking through your lengthy file. It makes for interesting reading. You're aware today is the first of the inquiry, aren't you?'

'I'm due to give evidence at some stage, yes.'

'Yes, I know. It's your evidence I want to talk to you about. It's going to prove rather crucial, you see, and I want to make sure you say the right thing.' He watched Burton slowly nod in agreement. 'Good. The briefing you gave to both S.U.C.O. teams before they left is the key. Especially in terms of any hostages they might have encountered. What did you say on that? At your briefing?'

Burton blinked and tried to remember that far back. He had lost count as to the number of evenings that had been lost at the bottom of a bottle of whisky and his memory wasn't very accurate. 'I don't believe I said anything about hostages at the briefing. It simply wasn't something we were expecting.'

'Yes, I've read your report. Things are going to be changing around here, Burton, change for the greater good.' Drake got out of his chair and began to walk around the office before he paused behind Burton, who was still seated. He placed both hands on the shoulders of the S.U.C.O. commander. 'As you know, I'm the chairman of this inquiry but before that starts, I have an order for you. I want you to say on record that you gave direct orders to your team to rescue any hostages. Is that understood?'

'You want me to lie, sir?'

'It's not a lie if it's standard procedure, now is it? You know you should have reminded the S.U.C.O. agents about this policy at the briefing.'

Burton didn't know what to say for a moment but thought it best to agree with the new Chief of MI6. 'Yes, sir, I can see your point.'

Drake removed his hands from Burton's shoulders. 'I have orders from the Prime Minister himself to change MI6, so you should console yourself that your actions are supported by the very top. Carry out my order.'

'Yes, sir, of course I will.' Burton lowered his head and wondered how things could get any worse.

'Good.' Drake began to walk around his office once more. 'When S.U.C.O. is disbanded, I'll make sure you have a seat on the new Security Council. I will see you for the inquiry at eleven a.m. Dismissed.'

Burton got up from the chair and could feel his trousers and shirt stick to him as he shuffled out the door. He took out his hanky and wiped his face.

Outside the office, the young assistant took a sip of her drink and saw Burton emerge. To her, he looked like someone who had just come out of a torture chamber. _Or been forced to run ten miles instead!_ 'Are you OK, sir?' the young woman asked with her mouth wide open, genuinely shocked at what was standing in front of her.

Burton loosened his tie and began to walk to the exit. 'Something wrong with the air conditioning in Drake's office, I think. It needs sorting.' The soon to be former S.U.C.O. commander stumbled out into the corridor and saw salvation ahead of him as he made his way to a water cooler several metres away.

Olsen waited in a local café that was a few minutes' walk from MI6 headquarters. As he sat by the window, he watched people race past and for a moment wondered where each one was heading. He looked back to the counter and saw his fiancée, Rachel, buy two cups of tea. Several days ago, over dinner, he had felt uncomfortable at the news that she had insisted on accompanying him to the gates of MI6. Now, he felt happy the girl he was going to marry was a stubborn one. Olsen felt uneasy as to how the day was going to pan out but was certain of one thing for sure _. Drake won't stop at just a caution, he's out for blood!_

The day before, Olsen had received a phone call from Ramsey, informing him that the inquiry was to be chaired by Drake and that it was to be a closed hearing. _In other words, no defence and lambs to the slaughter._ He saw Rachel approach the table. 'Mine's a strong tea, right?'

Rachel gave him the drink and sat down whilst she tried to adjust her figure-hugging dark blue jacket. 'Stopped raining?' she asked casually. She flicked her long dark brown ponytail and studied her fiancé who had a blank look on his face. 'Hey...' She put her hands around his waist and moved closer. 'It's going to be OK, Sam. Even if this Drake guy does do what you say he will, it's not the end of the world. We'll still be together.' She hoped that would be enough. Since their lunch at Café Uno, they hadn't really spoken about her fears again. Rachel couldn't deny she felt horrible for hoping that S.U.C.O. would be decommissioned and her husband to be would be forced to take a normal job.

Olsen smiled back at her. 'I know, Rach, that doesn't mean Drake should be able to get away with this.' He held her hand and felt a boost of hope.

Rachel watched Olsen closely and felt more and more convinced that the loss of his career would be the bombshell to their relationship she feared it would be. In all the years she had known him, not once had she seen him look frightened, but he did now. Clearly, he couldn't do without his job despite his efforts of late to look at other options.

Olsen pushed his drink away. 'Do you mind if we get moving? I just can't sit around right now.'

They quickly gathered their things together and left the café. As they walked at pace, Rachel tightened her grip and tried all she could to brighten her man. 'I've never known you to be anything other than a government agent, Sam. It doesn't matter what happens today, you'll always be my knight in shining armour.'

Olsen led her across the road and saw the unmistakable sight of MI6 headquarters not far away. 'I've said it before but it wasn't what I wanted to do, it was my dad's calling. Well, he worked with Deane for years. I met Tom when I was...ooh, about three years old. My dad brought him round to our place one Sunday.'

Rachel listened intently. 'Did they get on? Your dad and Deane?'

Olsen felt a shudder move through him as he recalled the pain of his recent operation in Oman and decided he would tell Rachel all about Deane and his father. One day, just not yet. 'They did. My dad and Tom were a fantastic team, the very best. Tom used to be round our place whenever he was in the country. I was always interested in his stories, some of the most amazing stuff you'll ever hear. Not as amazing as Dad's tales but there you go. Then years later, Tom stepped in and offered me the chance to join the service. I remember at the time, thinking over whether it was for me. I could never really see myself as a government agent in the world of espionage and terrorism. But then, I remember my dad telling me when I was a kid how important it was to make a difference and help other people whenever I could.'

Olsen looked back at Rachel and put his arm around her as they both approached the gates of MI6. 'So, I did it. I joined MI6. I was twenty, had left university early, and I really didn't have a clue as to what I was getting myself into.' He remembered his life from almost a decade before. 'I joined MI6 for my dad. When he died, it just felt right to me, you know? Despite all the pain and stress I had seen my dad endure, there were so many moments where he had helped other people on levels you can only imagine. Before I knew it, I was in Iraq with Tom and there we were, right in the thick of things.'

Rachel closed her eyes and remembered when she had said goodbye to Olsen at the airport, all those years ago. It had been the first time she had felt that raw pain, and it had gotten worse from then on in. 'I still remember when you left. I didn't think you were going to come back. I was so scared. It felt so final.'

A warm smile came over Olsen's face. 'I don't think I ever really thought about it. It all happened so fast. Not that I've ever told Tom this but there's no doubt I wouldn't have come back if it wasn't for him.' He shook his head in disbelief. 'He was one hell of a teacher.'

Rachel had never heard Sam talk about Deane much and knew they hadn't always gotten along but she could see the respect in his eyes. 'When did you last talk to him?'

Olsen lowered his head for a moment, and felt regret. 'When I was in Oman, I was going to get in touch but it's just been a bit awkward between us. I wouldn't really know what to say to him about this inquiry. It's almost like a failure. That's how he would see it.'

'I'm sure that's not true,' said Rachel, who was keen to know more. Previously Olsen had only ever spoken about Deane from a government agent's point of view, never a lifelong friend or father figure.

Olsen pushed away the nightmare that had tormented him just months before and remembered just what Deane had done for him. 'Tom's just always been there for me. As a kid, right through the years to now. In many ways, it was like having a second father.' Olsen held Rachel close and sighed to himself. 'I should have called him, Rach...'

'I'm sure he'd come to this inquiry if he knew about it. Why don't you call him?'

'Well, Tom knows everything anyway, no doubt he's already heard about the inquiry and he's just waiting for me to call him. First chance I get, I will. Look, I'd better go.' He gave her a long kiss. 'Wish me luck, Rach.'

Rachel didn't want to let go but eventually released her hold and smiled back. 'Call me as soon as it's over, I'll be here as soon as I can,' she said softly. Rachel pushed away the hope he would be forced to leave and be set free from the world of MI6 that seemed impossible to leave by choice.

Olsen showed his pass at the checkpoint and approached the doors to MI6 headquarters. With every step his anxiety grew stronger, but he tried to settle himself as he came to the entrance. He felt powerless but what could he do?

Marraud floored the accelerator of the Lada and heard the vehicle cry out under the strain of the sudden increase in speed. His life flashed before his eyes for the hundredth time as images of his beloved Martine lingered, the stunning young woman who had captured his heart so many years ago. In the heat of the moment, Marraud remembered the tragedy of her death and felt the raw pain spear his heart once more. Eight years before, he had let her get too close, and she had been killed purely because of who he was and the job that he did. Ever since, a day hadn't passed without the guilt consuming him.

A sense of urgency came over him, more powerful than any he had ever experienced. There was no time for grief, his own light was in danger of being extinguished forever.

Akira was determined to take Marraud hostage. He was more convinced than ever to reveal himself and give the Frenchman a real chance to be saved. He put one arm around Marraud's neck and tried to move him.

_To hell with driving, I'll take the devil with me if needs be._ Marraud struggled to contain the strength of his attacker and couldn't prevent him from climbing into the adjacent front seat. He focussed all his energy on the fight and lashed out. With the speed of his attack he caught the mystery man by surprise and made direct contact with his face. The attacker fell back against the passenger door and Marraud took his chance. He climbed out of the driver's seat, grappled with him, and tried to force him out the door.

Akira held on desperately and felt the wind lashing against him. Suddenly the car shuddered and came to a crashing stop.

Marraud hadn't thought about where they were going, only his own mortality. As he looked up, he saw the car had hit a phone box on the side of the road. Wasting no time, Marraud took his chance. With every ounce of strength, he smashed his head into that of the attacker and kicked him out of the car.

Akira landed on the snow-covered grass and tried to catch his breath. He told himself repeatedly he wasn't attempting to fight but he couldn't deny it, even if he was it would still be a struggle. 'Wait!' he yelled.

Marraud froze. He hadn't expected to hear a European accent, he had been convinced he was fighting one of Salenko's Russian heavies or an FSB agent.

Akira slowly rose to his feet. His left hand appeared to support him but it moved the ten-inch knife that was strapped to his back into position, just in case his attempt failed. 'I have no interest in fighting you.'

Marraud couldn't believe what he was hearing. 'You're with Salenko, it's in your nature to fight.'

'You're wrong. I am guiding Salenko to bring balance to this world. There must be change to save it. You know that just as much as I do.'

Marraud started to move away from the car and circle his opponent. 'Absolutely. Do the right thing and stand down from this election. I won't be the first to come here and stop you.'

'They will all fail. I have foreseen all of this. Salenko will be the next president and there will be massive change.' Akira stepped forward and his voice took on another level of power. 'Join me.'

The words made Marraud feel sick to his stomach, and it took him several moments to believe what had just happened. As he stared in disbelief at the attacker, every bone in his body immediately said no. There was never any chance he would align himself with the enemy. Turn his back on what he'd spent his life protecting? Betray Martine after everything that had happened?

'You know I'm right, Patrice. You're nothing more than a drone. You carry out orders with no thought of the consequences. Do you think they care about you? Are thankful of everything you have done? Never. The West is finished, it cannot be fixed.' Akira held out his hand and desperately wanted to see a sign to show that his efforts had been worthwhile. His voice was tinged with emotion as he extended his fingertips. 'Come back with me.'

Marraud was seething now. The attacker knew his name and seemed convinced there was a chance of changing his allegiance. Why? Just how much did he know? His mind moved at a frantic pace with options and each of them was an act of defiance. There was simply no doubt, he would rather die than join them. Martine was gone and would never return, the inhumane animal ahead of him and all his type were responsible.

'You know I'm right,' Akira said again. As the words left his lips, he knew it was pointless. The look of hatred on the Frenchman's face was unmistakable.

'I have no idea what this is about but know this, I'm here to stop you and I will never join your cause. Quite simply, I would rather die.'

'Like Martine?' Akira asked quietly. His left hand flashed behind him and took hold of the large blade.

'Who are you?' Marraud took several steps forward, his face red with anger.

Akira ignored the move and held the blade out in front of him. His voice changed to one of pure evil. 'So be it.' He had done all he could do, but Madeline was right, Patrice was too far gone, it was not his fault but he couldn't be allowed to interfere any longer.

Marraud dodged away from the first attack that headed for his chest and ducked instinctively from the second. As he moved away, he struggled to focus on what was happening and could barely control the rage inside of him at the attacker for taking Martine's name in vain. 'Who are you?' he screamed.

Akira didn't hear a word. He was lost in concentration and moved in for the kill once again.

The blade slashed repeatedly around Marraud but still he dodged death and weaved around the attacks. Using his own brand of the Israeli Krav Maga fighting style he did enough to give himself room and find the stance he was looking for. Still the attacks came but with his reactions primed and his own kicks and defensive reposes working well, he slowly started to invade his opponent's space.

Akira continued to attack with the blade and moved deeper into one of the several fighting styles he was a master of, each time coming closer and closer as he swung the blade faster and faster.

Marraud flinched and just got out of the way of one attack, which slashed his jacket. Risk taking was not his usual style, but he was well aware he wouldn't last long in such a frantic battle. His own weapon was still in his car and that was a long way away. Throughout it all though, he was certain he had faced this man before. The style, the movements, all of it seemed familiar.

Akira had analysed Marraud's tactics, and it was clear he was slowly invading more and more of his space to launch an attack. Akira had deliberately kept his style and pace on an even keel to fool his opponent that it was working.

With one swift change, it happened.

Akira switched from Taekwondo to the very different Wing Chun form of hand-to-hand combat and straight away it reaped dividends. His swings became shorter and the rapid movement of the blade in a horizontal form proved more effective.

Marraud struggled with the change and felt his footing give way. The blade came closer to his chest and with a last gasp of effort he evaded it and grabbed hold of Akira's arm.

The two grappled for the blade. Marraud had a desperate look on his face but slowly he started to overpower Akira. Or did he? His focus was on the blade and nothing more, it was all he could do. With every passing moment, he was blinded by the fear that he might not see tomorrow, and it cost him dearly.

Akira's feet moved away and then twisted back towards Marraud which gave him the initiative and body weight. Straight away, the Frenchman faltered, and the blade was free. Akira spun away from him in one turn and lashed behind him with the knife and made contact.

Marraud felt the cold metal in his side and shuddered with pain. It had penetrated his stomach, and he dared not look down. He felt the weapon snap out of his side and grabbed it with his left hand.

The pain was intense. Marraud knew immediately what the odds were of his survival. Despite it all, a powerful determination rose up inside of him that screamed it would prove to be his day. His own stubbornness and sheer refusal to die fuelled the power that took hold of him. Images of Martine came to the forefront of his mind as he smashed the knife against his side and watched it drop into the snow. _This man and all of his type were responsible for Martine's death. I will NOT give in._

Akira stumbled back and felt pain in his wrist. The sudden attack from Marraud had surprised him.

Despite the warm feeling of blood on his shirt, Marraud moved towards Akira and unleashed a battering of blows, all of them focussed with pure skill in his Krav Maga form. The image of Martine's smile and the sound of her laugh had gone forever. That loss forced him to defy the pain and move himself with an agility that didn't seem possible.

Akira didn't have the answers to the attack and surrendered under the barrage until finally a roundhouse kick smashed into his left temple and he flew backwards and landed in a heap in the snow.

Marraud stumbled back to the Lada and for the first time, his blue eyes now with tints of grey glanced downward and he saw his shirt covered in blood. Immediately, the sight sapped the strength from him and his hands clutched the deep gash in his side.

With the engine still running, he floored the accelerator and guided the car down the hill. The pain from his stomach was unbearable. As his vision began to fade away to darkness he tried to summon up one last effort for Martine and for all the agents who would perish if the Russian election went the mystery man's way.

Chapter 19

### Friday, March 16th 11:00,

### Moscow, Russia.

Akira sat alone and cleared his thoughts as best he could. Images of Patrice Marraud flashed by in his mind and with them fragments of the memory he had lost long ago.

Marraud is badly wounded, my love, he is weakening as we speak. Push away the feelings you have for him. He must be killed. What will it be? Our vision or a man who doesn't want to be saved and will destroy us all?

'I hear you, Maddy.' In the background of the stage and in amongst the shadows, Akira mumbled the nickname for his former love and couldn't repress a tear as he said it. The last time he had ever said that word had been so long ago in a darkened hospital. For some reason, he felt the need to say that word almost as if it reconnected him to his dead wife despite failing her in recent events. He felt the bruises all over his body, in particular the heavy bruising around his left temple.

Several feet away he heard Salenko give his speech at the second political rally he had organised. The loyal followers, who had increased with each rally, were now at their feverish best as they screamed out a chorus of 'RUSSIA IS POWER!' _At least this is going to plan._

Akira looked away and thought again of his confrontation with Marraud. It had been some time since he had been beaten in combat and despite his wounded pride, he still felt all-powerful and that the emotional ties with Marraud had prevented his victory. Everything had changed now. Gone were the feelings of sympathy and the bond he had felt with Marraud. All that remained was an anxious need to make sure it was over and Marraud, like all the others who had stood against him, would perish. The clock was ticking and with it so was Akira's dream of the future. He made eye contact with Denyer and moved over to his position. 'Well?' he snapped.

Denyer almost stood to attention and took out his mobile phone. 'My source at the FSB has several addresses. I've gone through my notes and picked out which one is the most likely. It was the best I could do in the time.'

'Where is he now? Where?'

Denyer passed him a piece of paper. 'I'll come with you, together we can make sure he—'

Akira pushed him back. 'No. Stay here with Salenko. It's vital this rally goes ahead as planned.' He strode past and rushed down some stairs. The thunderous chants from the rally behind him seemed to heal his wounds as Akira felt the hatred and determination from the crowd. The potential that Russia had once it was under his control electrified him, it would win the war and crush the West. At the same time, he was certain it could all be threatened if the legendary Marraud had his way. Legend or not, he would have to be stopped, with no chance of a reprieve.

Ramsey looked behind him and noticed the S.U.C.O. members file through the door and take their seats. The MI6 number two lingered for a moment but made his mind up and approached the bench of the courtroom style set-up that had been installed _,_ all to give Drake his moment of glory _._ He moved to Drake and caught his attention.

'Not now, Ramsey. The inquiry is about to start. Whatever it is, it can wait till the end of the day.'

Ramsey put a hand on the desk. 'This will only take a minute, sir. I've been looking through the records and couldn't find the pathologist's report concerning Bedford. I could contact the office of—'

Drake moved forward and spoke quietly. 'Leave the matter to me. I will deal with it. Now...take your seat.'

Ramsey saw the fire in Drake's eyes and decided to leave the matter for another time. _I'll get that report though..._ he told himself.

The Chief of MI6 watched the briefing room assemble and waited for silence before he rose from his chair and addressed everyone. He looked out at five rows of seats and two guards posted at the doors. 'Before we begin this inquiry, I'd like to make it clear that it is with great regret that this had to take place. Team S.U.C.O. which stands for Special Undercover Covert Operations has served our country magnificently well over many years. Unfortunately...in these changing times, we must be more vigilant with our undercover operations. It is the hope of this inquiry committee that we find the underlying cause of the recent failure of Operation Reprisal. My colleagues here—' Drake looked to his left and right at the two other committee members '—have decided to waive their opening remarks so we can start with one of the most principal witnesses, Agent Samuel Olsen.'

Olsen got up from his seat and walked over to the main table, in front of the inquiry committee.

Drake ignored Olsen's glare and read from a card in front of him. 'Agent Olsen, please rise and raise your right hand. Do you solemnly swear that the testimony you are about to give to this committee is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God?' His tone was lacklustre throughout.

Olsen looked at each member of the committee in turn. 'I do, sir.'

Drake continued, 'Mr. Olsen, you may consider yourself under oath. Please be seated. For the record, please state your name and occupation.'

'My name is Samuel Patrick Olsen and I've worked for MI6 for eight years. My current assignment is head of team S.U.C.O.'

Drake's tone lifted slightly at his next comment. 'And your status now?'

'I'm currently inactive, sir.'

'Let's start at the beginning please. Operation Reprisal came about because of what happened on another operation, codename Safeguard?'

Olsen found several papers on his desk. 'That's correct. I went to Oman to join up with OMA1 on Operation Safeguard. We were there to offer additional security for the Royal visit. During that visit, an attack took place where we lost several agents and narrowly averted a car bomb explosion that would have been fatal. Our intelligence showed it was Jozef and Gyorgy Kiprich. The Oman police investigation also proved this.'

Drake thought over his next question. 'According to several reports made by the survivors of the Royal security teams, your behaviour and decision making was reckless and caused the death of several agents. Explain.'

'Well, that's their opinion, sir. I left my position from the security team around the Prince and went to a nearby car that I was convinced was a threat. If I hadn't gone to investigate then everyone there would be dead, sir.'

Drake raised his voice in an attempt to add drama to the moment. 'But you left your position, which made the Prince vulnerable to enemy fire. Isn't that so?'

Olsen squirmed in his chair and knew he was being backed into a corner. 'It's not as clear cut as it sounds, I knew that car was—'

'Answer the question, Agent Olsen. A simple yes or no will suffice.'

'Yes. I left the Prince vulnerable for an instant but my instincts proved right about—'

'And the resultant car chase?' Drake raised a hand to stop Olsen from responding straight away. 'You stole a police car and chased a white Mercedes car through the town of Muscat. Eight Omani locals were killed in that chase. Now tell me...did Agent Deane, who was in charge of the operation, authorise this?'

'Well, there was no time—'

'Once again, a simple yes or no will do.'

'No, sir, but—'

Drake cut in. 'Thank you. Now, let's move on to Operation Reprisal. Tell us what happened when you were informed of this operation.'

Olsen locked eyes with Drake, but eventually looked down and laid out several official reports on the desk, to be used as a reference throughout his testimony. 'Well, at 08:00, on the 12th February I was in Operations Command. At that point, Richard Elliott, who was then Chief of MI6, came in and assembled both S.U.C.O. teams in briefing room one. He informed us that Operation Reprisal was a go operation and that GCHQ had provided us with intelligence on the Kiprich brothers, Gyorgy and Jozef, that showed they were now in Cracow, Poland. Elliott told us that POL1 already had a fix on them. He also informed us that our S.U.C.O. Commander, Hal Burton, would be giving us our operation briefing some time later on that day. From then on, each team member began to prep themselves for the upcoming operation.'

Drake fiddled with his glasses as he listened to the testimony. 'I see. Tell us about Burton's briefing.'

'It was on the same day, at about 13:30 when Burton gave his debrief. He handed each team member a copy of POL1's report and took us through a series of satellite images concerning the operation. This covered the storage bay area that the Kiprich brothers were using and the house they were staying at as cover. Burton informed us that we would split up, with my team tackling the storage area and Agent Jordan's team handling the house. He also covered travel and that the strike time would be 02:00 hours. From there we made our way to the armoury and left the building, on route to Heathrow airport.'

'I think in the interests of keeping information on a basis of what we need to know, we should move on to when you and the other agents arrived in Cracow, Poland.'

Olsen took a sip of water and continued. 'At around 01:20 both teams had left the armoured van and were on route to the target coordinates. As we arrived, I heard over our short-range radios that Team A had arrived at the target house. I then replied that my team had arrived at the storage bay and were about to engage. I gave a signal to Agent Carter.'

The male member of the committee spoke for the first time. 'Hold on, I'm having trouble keeping up here. Agent Carter?' The individual flipped over several sheets on his desk. 'What was his role?'

'Agent Daniel Carter was the deputy on my team, sir. He used the infrared scope on his Colt M16A2 rifle to identify that there were two guards outside the storage bay. I ordered Agent Carter to stay with the rest of the team as I tackled the two guards. Once that was done, I ordered Carter to take the other agents and circle the storage bay to look for other exits and terrorist backup.'

'I entered the storage bay but found it to be empty. No resistance was encountered.'

The female committee member interlinked her hands and asked a question. 'What were the contents of that storage bay?'

'Well, that was confusing, nothing was in it at. Just old files, old shells that were redundant, several boxes of redundant rifles and nothing else of interest. It was at this point that I attempted to contact Team A—'

Drake piped up, 'Attempted?'

'Yes, sir, my radio was not picking up their signal, so I ordered Carter to try to contact them but he had the same result. Nothing. It was at this point that I laid the charges and set the timers to two minutes. We then made our way back to the armoured van. Before we could really communicate or do anything else such as attempt to raise Team A, we were under heavy fire.'

'From whom?'

'The Kiprich group, sir. I ordered Carter to get to the van and start the engine and had the rest of the group provide cover so we were able to move into the woods and engage the attackers. We took cover behind the largest trees available and attempted to force them back. From what I could see, we were outnumbered six to one and were mainly pinned behind the trees, unable to be very effective in our return of fire. It was at this time that two men ran past us and I recognised them as Agents Jordan and Gibbs.'

'How did you recognise them? Weren't you all wearing your equipment at this time, Agent Olsen?' asked the female committee member.

'Yes, ma'am, but each team member was wearing a coloured armband as part of their uniform that identifies them to everyone else. I saw it was Gibbs and Jordan. I then gave an order to turn back.'

'There must have been other options, surely?' asked Drake as he leaned forward in his chair.

'None. I used my night vision to scan the area ahead and could see no sign of any other Team A members coming our way, only more attackers. We had no choice but to leave.'

Drake smiled in disbelief. 'I find that hard to believe.'

Olsen told himself to stay calm and continue. 'There was no choice, sir. I wasn't prepared to lose any more agents in a futile situation. You have to remember the odds were six to one in the terrorists' favour. I didn't have any options available to me except to retreat.'

'Exactly where did the Kiprich brothers obtain these extra forces that made the situation so hard for you?'

'I don't know. You'd have to ask the Kiprich brothers.'

Drake said nothing for a moment. 'Carry on.'

'We got to the van and Carter drove us back to the pickup point. From there, we were airlifted to Warsaw airport and then back to Heathrow before arriving at MI6 HQ. That completes Operation Reprisal, sir.'

'Anything else to report?' asked the other male committee member.

'Only that when we were on our way back to MI6, whilst at Heathrow Airport, I noticed a headline on one of the day's papers. It related to our operation in Cracow and at the time, I wondered how this could have happened. I'm convinced that no one on my team had leaked anything to the press. This is crucial to this inquiry.'

Just a few feet away, Drake felt a rush of adrenaline through his body. Leaking the news to the press was not something he was proud of but he didn't regret it. In his heart, he knew he would do the same again in an instant. The moment Operation Safeguard had run into trouble, he had seen his chance and acted quickly to make sure all roads led to MI6 and his reinstatement. Keeping a stony face, he raised his hand and overruled the male committee member next to him. 'It's another matter the committee is considering. You may step down. At this point we will adjourn for lunch and return in one hour's time.'

Olsen rushed out of the building and loosened his tie. Ahead of him, the slender figure of Rachel Fadden caught his eye. Olsen rushed over and hugged her tight. He heard the question and replied softly, 'It's not looking good, Rach.'

Chapter 20

### Friday, March 16th 14:00,

### Moscow, Russia.

Marraud winced with pain as he stitched his stomach shut, sealing a four-inch wound that had had been slowly killing him. How he had managed to make it back to his flat had been a mystery. With the frequent blackouts, he was shocked to have made it back at all. So many questions remained regarding the mystery attacker and Salenko's faithful follower. Just who could he be? It was a question that would surely remain unanswered for the time being.

In all his life, he had never felt so weak and tired. He wanted to rest more than anything but his drive and determination remained, despite his weakened condition.

As he forced himself up, he staggered over to the laptop by the small bedside cabinet. Time seemed to slow down as he waited impatiently for the device to boot up and show the standard login screen. Marraud checked his watch and felt some relief when the login screen appeared. He knew it wouldn't be long until Salenko's companion found him. His fingers moved quickly across the keyboard, and the laptop complied and began loading the operating system. Marraud knew if he sent all his reports and details of the past week back to Paris, it would turn the tide on Salenko and his partner, ensuring reinforcements would arrive from France and other countries. Without his information, Salenko and co-conspirators would remain a mystery. One that would prove to be deadly and untouchable when Salenko was elected the next President of Russia. If possible, Marraud planned to send the information and do all he could to return to Paris or find somewhere else in Europe to lie low.

Finally, the laptop loaded and Marraud moved quickly to collate all his information and attach it to an encrypted email. He noted it was configured to connect to MI6 but there was no time to change the settings. As he connected the Ethernet cable that connected to the nearby router, he waited for the connection symbol to appear on the screen in front of him. His right hand tenderly touched the wound on his left side as he watched the report begin to send. When the status reached thirty percent progress he froze with dread when he saw the connection lights on the router go out. He checked the cables straight away and tried again. The seconds ticked by on the screen until his worst fears were realised. A red error message appeared.

ERROR CODE 16. NO CONNECTION FOUND. PLEASE CHECK THE CABLES AND SETTINGS AND TRY AGAIN.

Marraud stared at the screen, not able to think straight. The router had been working fine that very day and he hadn't experienced any problems in the past. One alternative came into his mind but he had to be sure. Quickly, Marraud took the wire and plugged it into the telephone on the lounge table. He lifted the receiver, and waited for a dial tone.

Nothing.

It too was dead. Marraud knew his position had been compromised, and someone had cut the nearby phone lines. At the nearby table, Marraud quickly grabbed a memory stick, and set about copying all the data he had. A display popped up and showed the progress of the data copy. When it was finished, he put the device in his jacket pocket, and planned to leave Russia any way he could.

At the front door, he stepped out onto the landing, but stopped in his tracks at the sight of someone coming up the stairs.

Marraud stepped back and locked his door. He took hold of his black Heckler & Koch pistol and stepped out the bedroom window onto the metal fire escape. Just as he began to climb, he heard the front door to his flat smash open and the sound of footsteps rush towards his window. Marraud locked his left hand around the metal ladder and aimed his pistol at the window.

Akira appeared and smiled to himself, pleased with Denyer for finding his prey. Excitement flowed through him, knowing he would emerge victorious within the hour. _No more chances, I will not fail Madeline again._ He watched Marraud carefully and ducked down to avoid the incoming gunfire.

As he turned to climb the ladder, the pain was unbearable and his stomach cried out under the strain. Marraud locked down the safety pin on his gun and tried to put it into his trouser pocket but with his strength failing him, the gun flipped out and fell to the ground below. Marraud watched it fall in desperation.

As he desperately tried to stop himself from blacking out, he reached the top and slumped onto the roof. His blue eyes glanced down and saw the sight of blood on his clean shirt. All the movement must have caused his stitches to burst and the wound to reopen. He felt the memory stick in his pocket and rustled up thoughts of Martine once more. Marraud was adamant in his heart and mind, he would not relinquish his life, there simply had to be a way to escape and deliver the information. He slowly stumbled over to the other side of the roof and looked out. The nearest building was some distance away but Marraud still thought about trying to jump the distance to escape. Before he could even consider it, the sound of someone on the fire escape ladder made him spin around.

Akira stepped off the ladder, and stood tall as he looked at the weakened Marraud. Madeline was right. _This ends now. No more pity, no more chances._

Marraud summed up the situation and knew immediately if he were to escape, it would have to be through Akira. In the space of a few seconds, all the operations he'd been involved in flashed by and with it came the belief that had been with him from the very beginning, he was a French Special Agent, and all he had ever wanted to do was help others and make a difference somehow. Ahead of him stood his greatest challenge. Not for the first time, a golden image of Martine, his only true love, came to the surface. Her dazzling smile and beautiful face captivated his heart and gave him strength. _One more time,_ _for Martine..._

Drake rushed along the corridor to briefing room three. He fumbled with his papers and saw his deputy in the distance. 'Problem, Ramsey?'

The MI6 number two waited at the door to the briefing room and sized up his superior whilst he thought over Drake's attitude in his mind. _He could cause the deaths of hundreds of our agents, not to mention his intentions for S.U.C.O. I have to stop him._ Ramsey spoke in a calm tone. 'I want to talk about this inquiry.'

'Which will resume in half an hour.' Drake sighed and folded his arms. 'I don't have time for meaningless discussions, now if you'll excuse—'

Ramsey took a step closer and imposed his six foot six inch frame over the smaller Drake. 'Make the time! I don't care what the PM has said to you, this team is the best we've ever had. I won't stand by and let you crucify them.'

'If you've been listening to the inquiry, you'll know that this team isn't as trustworthy as we were lead to believe.'

'They've put their lives on the line ten times over in the past.'

'That's irrelevant, Kevin, and you know it. If you're finding the inquiry uncomfortable, may I suggest you take over in Operations Command or find yourself other matters to attend to?'

Ramsey watched him closely. _What's he hiding?_ Knowing the seriousness of the situation, Ramsey decided to back down and do all he could to remove Drake from MI6. He moved towards the door and made his excuses. 'Fine, I'll find some other work to get on with. Just don't tear S.U.C.O. in half, that's all I'm asking.'

Drake ignored Ramsey and confidently walked into briefing room three and took his position at the front of the room. Several reports were laid out on the main table, from each member of the S.U.C.O. team. Drake began to read each one carefully and took note of any irregularities that could be used to his advantage.

Olsen paid for the two fruit juices and sat next to Rachel in the café near MI6 headquarters. He looked into her blue eyes and spoke in a downbeat tone. 'I tell you, Rach, this isn't going well at all. It's a shame you can't hear all this stuff. Drake is going to take us to the cleaners, I can see in his eyes how much he wants it.'

Rachel raised her eyebrows in surprise. 'But this Drake guy, he's part of MI6 as well, isn't he?'

'Drake is the Chief of MI6. I knew him years ago when he was in that post the first time around. He wants the service to be low profile and non-hostile, in other words, full of intelligence analysts and nothing more. I promise you he's going to do everything he can to have us thrown out.'

'Was there no way you could get around the security and allow me to attend the inquiry?' she asked. Frustration grew inside her, she wanted to know more about the world of MI6 and what her husband got up to.

'Not a chance. Sorry, Rach. It's out of my hands, this whole thing has been classified. I'm grateful you're here though, I don't really fancy going through this one on my own.'

Rachel thought over her next question. She still felt hopeful he'd be set free from the service and was ashamed of those feelings. More than anything, she was worried for the future. 'Sam...what if this does go against you? Would it really be so bad to leave?'

Olsen watched her closely and could see the caution in her eyes. 'You know...I wouldn't blame you if you secretly hoped I would be forced out. I'd understand, really I would.'

Rachel shifted in her seat and twiddled a strand of her dark brown hair. 'A part of me wants you to be set free from that place, so we can be together at least.' She closed her eyes and felt the pain. 'I just can't lose you.'

Olsen smiled. 'I feel the same.'

'At first, when we met it was exciting. As we've gotten older and closer though, it's been bothering me more and more. Ever since you asked me to marry you it's gotten worse by the day. You know that and though I've really tried, I can't push this away.'

Olsen took hold of her hand and held it tightly. 'I wouldn't want you to.' He struggled with his words at first but then looked up. 'This isn't an excuse but I've been trying to think how I got started in all this and how I got in so deep. I don't know...my dad always wanted me to follow this path and then there was Tom as well. I just went with the flow, I suppose.' Olsen's deep voice changed to a tender tone and for the first time in months he spoke from the heart. 'Rach...I may have done this job for eight years but all that matters to me is being with you. I don't want the rest of our lives to be just a handful of years or months.'

Rachel kissed him and smiled radiantly. 'That's all I ask.'

Olsen finished his fruit juice and touched her hand again. 'I'm sorry I can be a real insensitive guy sometimes. If I'm going to leave this place, I need to break out of the training I've had over the years. You know, show nothing, say nothing and feel nothing?' He felt better and for the first time his mind opened up to the possibility of doing something else but the other side of him, the side that craved the action and the chance to make a difference, bubbled away inside him and almost refused to let go. _How am I going to get past this?_ He looked at Rachel. 'You staying here, Rach?'

'I'll stick around here for a while and then I'll meet you outside as before. Promise me you won't lose your temper? It won't help, you know.'

Olsen nodded and embraced her. He waved as he left the café, and walked towards MI6 headquarters. _Is this going to be my last day as a government agent? What else can I be?_

Jozef dropped some money into the drinks dispenser and waited for his drink to be ready. He slumped against the machine in a trance as nurses and other hospital personnel walked past him. For the past several days, the forty-one-year-old had been staying in a private clinic in Slovakia. After the attack on the MI6 teams, Jozef had been eager to stay in Poland but knew the dangers of repercussions. By contacting several allies of his, he had managed to have his brother admitted to the nearest facility. Jozef took his drink and slowly walked down the corridor. Waiting there was his long-time friend, Zoltan Ferec.

'Any change, Jozef?'

Jozef stroked his growing beard and closed his eyes. 'No, Zoltan. According to the doctor here, Gyorgy suffered serious chest wounds. The next twenty-four hours will prove critical.' For the first time, the possibility of losing his only family hit home. His voice sounded weak and fragile as he spoke again. 'What will I do if he doesn't recover?'

Ferec didn't know what to say. He had just come from the side room, where his friend's brother was being treated. Ferec had seen many terminal patients in his time and knew that Gyorgy was not going to survive. Despite this, he couldn't bring himself to speak the truth. 'Do not think like that, Jozef. He will survive and then all three of us will continue our war with the West. You must believe me.'

Jozef doubted that belief. 'I will go and sit with him. I'll see you tomorrow, Zoltan.'

'Tomorrow, Jozef.' Ferec clasped his friend's hand and slowly began to walk down the corridor.

Jozef approached the side room and looked through the window. He forced himself to enter and sat down next to his brother. His eyes studied the machines and the several tubes that kept his only family alive. 'Stay with me, Gyorgy, you must stay with me.' Jozef dropped his head on to his brother's lap and prayed.

The lights of briefing room three felt warmer than the beating sun of the Middle East as Jordan continued to move around in his seat.

Drake sat motionless in his chair. 'Let's move onto when your teams entered the house which was supposedly being used by the Kiprich brothers.'

'Well, we searched every part of that place but found no trace of them. However, we did find five locals tied up in the back room. They appeared to be Polish.'

'What were they doing there?'

'I don't know, sir. At that point, a gas canister smashed through the front window of the house. I issued an order to my team to put on their gas masks but unfortunately, one of my men wasn't quick enough.'

A pause came and then another question. 'I'm sorry, I know what it feels like to lose men under your command.'

Jordan looked away to what seemed like another place only he could see but then came back to the present.

'Then what happened?' asked the male committee member.

'Well, I and the other three agents came under attack from the woods ahead. We continued to return fire for some time whilst I tried to contact Team B to request support. I don't know what the problem was but I never could get them on the radio. They were jamming us for sure.'

'You have proof of that, Jordan?' asked Drake.

'Yes, sir, nobody answered!'

Drake nodded solemnly. 'Continue.'

Jordan gritted his teeth and knew how bad things looked for him. 'I thought about the situation and ordered my agents to leave the house via the back door. I stayed at the living room window to draw their fire. My deputy then returned on his own, advising me we had lost two more agents as hostiles had come in through the back door. I could hear the gunfire so we had no choice but to leave the house and try to return to the armoured van where the rest of S.U.C.O. was located.'

Drake's eyebrows shot up with his next question. 'You left the house?'

Jordan stayed calm. 'Yes, sir.'

'What of the hostages? You left them, too?'

'In the heat of the moment, sir. I did try to save them but—'

The Chief of MI6 frowned as he had to repeat a comment from another testimony. 'A yes or no will suffice for the record, please.'

'It's not as simple as a yes or—'

'Answer the question!'

Jordan snapped and shouted at the committee. 'Yes! I left them! If we stayed we wouldn't be here now. What do you want me to say? I didn't know they were going to kill them! I think about them all the time!'

Drake picked up a report from his desk and donned his black-rimmed glasses. The fluorescent lights reflected off them and showed the thickness of the lenses. 'According to the police report, the bodies of the Polish locals were riddled with bullets from a Colt M16A2 rifle. That is the rifle that all team members were issued with, correct?'

Jordan's mouth opened wide in astonishment. 'Excuse me, sir, is the committee accusing me of murdering those hostages?'

'We're not accusing anyone of anything. We are merely attempting to learn the truth. Answer the question please.'

Jordan got up from his chair and placed both hands on the desk as he looked straight at the inquiry committee. His voice was stern but controlled. 'No, sir. Kiprich and his men killed them. Not us.'

Drake looked at the agent ahead of him. 'You have proof of this? You see, Agent Jordan, all I have here is proof that their bodies were riddled with bullets from the weapons you and team S.U.C.O. were issued with.'

'Will that be all, sir? I've worked for this service for just over twenty years. I'm not a murderer. I don't care for these accusations.' Jordan's voice dripped with hatred.

The Chief of MI6 looked at the large clock at the far end of the room and exchanged glances with the other members of the committee. 'I think that's enough for today. This inquiry is adjourned until tomorrow.'

Several floors below, Ramsey stood tall in the records department after finding what he had been looking for. He had spent the last hour searching through every record that had been stored for Operation Reprisal. After his chat with Drake and watching scenes from the inquiry, he had decided to check out every record on the operation, just to be sure. Ramsey continued to work the computer and several displays flashed by on the screen. The profile of POL1: Agent Bedford, appeared with a red display, indicating that the file had been locked. Seven options were displayed in the corner of the screen:

HIGHLY CLASSIFIED

Agent Name: Martin Bedford (DECEASED)

Clearance-Code: POL – 126 – 722 – 3411

Please select an option from the following:

1) Past operations, reports and classified data

2) History of experience

3) Skill set

4) Education and training background

5) Personal

6) Aliases

7) Pathologists Report (LOCKED – SECURITY CODE CLEARANCE REQUIRED)

HIGHLY CLASSIFIED

Ramsey tried again to access the seventh option but was denied. _Why would Drake lock that file and nothing else?_ He looked around the office, saw it was empty and dialled a number in the security department on his mobile. 'Liam? It's Kevin. I need a favour, a real big one. I need access to one file. Trouble is, it's been locked by Drake himself.'

Chapter 21

### Friday, March 16th 18:00,

### Moscow, Russia.

Akira crouched low into an attacking stance and slipped into San Shou, a deadly Chinese style of hand-to-hand combat. Decades before, he had learnt this rare form from one of its founders and with the passing of time he had mastered it to perfection. His eyes locked onto Patrice Marraud and he told himself to focus only on his vision of the future rather than his opponent and any memories from the past.

A cold wind circled around him, and Akira moved in for the kill. He pulled out the same blade he had used just hours before and swung violently as he edged ever closer.

Marraud winced for a moment but still felt he had something in reserve. The first attack came, and he moved his head to one side with considerable ease and sidestepped away. Another swish of the knife came perilously close to his chest but Marraud jerked his body to avoid it and rolled onto the floor. With each move, the stinging pain from his stomach threatened to take over but somehow, he defied the odds.

Akira saw his opponent on the floor and seized his chance. He leapt into the air and plunged the knife downwards. Like a flash, Marraud's right leg came up and smashed into his chest. Akira flew backwards, lost the grip on his knife and knocked into the stack of air conditioning units that serviced the flats below. As he jumped up, he saw the Frenchman rush towards him but Akira steadied himself and felt the hatred flow through him. With all his formidable power, he lashed out repeatedly at Marraud, who only managed to deflect one or two blows. Time after time he smashed his palms into his enemy's face and then focussed on Marraud's stomach wound.

Marraud felt the first attack on his stomach and almost collapsed there and then. His strength evaporated in seconds and he cried out in pain as one attack after another plunged into his stomach. The last one caused his vision to spin out of control as he shuddered and dropped to his knees.

Beneath the black mask, Akira smiled in victory as he put his hands together and smashed down on Marraud who flipped backwards and ended in a heap at the side of the roof. Akira walked over to his fallen opponent, who was making a vain attempt to get to his feet. A well-placed upper cut caused Marraud to topple over the side of the roof. Akira reached out and caught him by the jacket collar.

Marraud's vision was failing, his body was giving out. He felt for the memory stick in his jacket pocket but realised that too had been broken and was in pieces. All he could hope for was that some of his report had been received by MI6. His lifeless blue eyes just managed to glance up to the masked man above. His beloved Martine filled his thoughts and Marraud took comfort in the fact that he would soon see her again. At the same time, all the other agents who would perish because he had failed to send crucial information back to Europe made him feel so guilty. Despite all his achievements, his last operation would prove to be a failure. Marraud wanted no pity and started to break the grip on his jacket himself. He would rather die with dignity than be beaten by the animal above him. 'You'll never know just what you are...'

Akira didn't want to hear anything more from Marraud and relinquished his grip. As he watched his prey fall to the ground below, he expected to feel something. Anything. But there was nothing, nothing at all.

His mind overflowed with Madeline's voice, which grew louder and louder all the time. He stepped onto the adjacent edge, jumped onto the roof of the next building and merged with the early morning light. The dream was still intact.

Ramsey could barely control himself. Just minutes earlier, he had gained access to the pathologist report on Bedford's file and the discovery had shocked him to his core. The facts were bad enough, but there could be no doubt that Drake was going to do nothing about it. Ramsey was certain of one thing, the man had to go, although it seemed like the Chief of MI6 had everyone in power behind him, including the Prime Minister. He patted his jacket pocket and felt an important document inside, one that had been signed by several senior officials at MI6, in protest at Drake's appointment and recent decisions. Ramsey prayed it would pave the way for a new dawn at his beloved MI6. He got into the nearest lift and heard the floors chime by as it took him to Drake's office. His mind turned to Richard Elliott and wondered how things had gotten so bad in such a short space of time.

Drake heard the buzzer of his intercom and sighed as he was disturbed from his reading. He wasn't expecting anyone. 'Yes? I ordered no interruptions.'

The quiet voice of the assistant came over the intercom. 'I know, I'm sorry, sir. Only, Mr. Ramsey is here, he says it's urgent.'

The balding Chief of MI6 ground his teeth together and wondered what was so important this time. 'Fine. Send him in.'

Ramsey gave the steel-plated door a firm push and confidently walked into the office. He stopped only a foot away from the large mahogany desk. Sunlight broke through the early morning shadows and streamed across the room which made his entrance seem even more impressive. Ramsey didn't speak, just locked his eyes onto the man in front of him.

Drake's tone was icy cold as he tried to maintain control. 'Whatever this is, it can wait.'

Ramsey lingered for a second and then spoke with real passion. His findings from the pathologist's report had made his stomach turn. 'I can't do it. I won't just stand by and have the best team we've ever had crucified in that circus you call an inquiry. Whatever you have planned for today, Peter, you can change it.'

Drake got up from his chair, outraged. 'Who the hell do you think y—'

Ramsey's voice went deadly calm. 'You're the only one who could seal that file.' He chose not to be specific, betting his superior would know exactly what he was talking about.

Drake replied straight away. 'I see you've been looking in areas that don't concern you, Kevin.'

Ramsey struggled to control himself. 'I won't play these games. You're going to stop this inquiry, right now.'

'I'm working under the orders of the Prime Minister and he—'

Ramsey cut his right hand through the air as he stepped closer still. 'If he knew what was happening here he wouldn't agree!'

Drake craned his neck upwards to maintain eye level with his deputy and looked increasingly flustered. 'He trusts me and would stand—'

'This isn't a question of trust! It's a question of evidence.' Ramsey tossed a screwed-up piece of paper onto the desk. 'That's just one copy. I have several more.'

Drake's face lost some of its colour as he studied his deputy and tried to work out if he was bluffing. He slowly opened the piece of paper and saw, to his horror, that it was a copy of the pathologist's report on Bedford. 'Where did you get this? I locked the file myself!'

Ramsey repeatedly told himself not to throw the weasel of a man up against the wall. His voice powered through every corner of the room. 'This is over! I don't care about your deal, have you seen the time on that report? Have you? Bedford was dead before it even got to us. In other words, the Kiprich brothers got to him. The whole operation was a set-up!'

Drake brushed past. 'I don't care. This has come down from the highest level, the PM wants radical changes here, and the Defence Minister agrees with him! Your personal crusade is useless.' He moved behind his desk and reached for a folder from a tray. 'How long have you been here, Kevin?'

'What?'

Drake answered for him. 'Almost twenty-five years, by my estimate.' He made eye contact and spoke with real meaning. 'For what it's worth, I admire your tenacity, but this really isn't the time.' He leant over his desk and put more emphasis on his words. 'I will not be challenged.'

Ramsey closed in. 'I won't back down; this agency, this country, is in grave danger and your foolish leadership is costing lives.'

Drake handed his deputy a letter that had been stamped with the insignia of the Prime Minister's office. 'You'd better read this.' He lowered his eyes. 'I am sorry.'

Ramsey's eyes burned with fury as he took the letter. At the same time, several titles caught his eye, all of which referred to the mandate Drake had been given. As he looked up, he noticed for the first time that three security guards had entered the room and had surrounded him. Ramsey pulled out the letter he had wanted to present but was immediately restrained by the three men.

Drake stepped in. 'I had anticipated this, Kevin, you haven't changed.' His voice changed to a more formal tone. 'You're in breach of the protocols laid out by the Prime Minister. I'm charging you with treason and you will be held in an interview room until this inquiry is over. After that we will review your future.' He looked at one of the guards. 'That's all.'

Ramsey struggled to break free but knew when he was beaten. He was dragged out of the room towards the nearest lift. As he heard the door shut behind him, he wondered how he would be able to save his beloved MI6 with such a bleak future ahead of him.

The next day, Olsen glanced at his watch and noted it was five to eleven in the morning. Outside the gates to MI6, he held the hand of his fiancée tightly as they came to a stop. Olsen saw her look of concern and he put his arms around her. 'You don't have to worry, Rach, it's not like I'm going to prison for twenty years,' he said gently.

'But you did say Drake has it in for you and the rest of your team. You don't know what he has planned.' Rachel's blue eyes grew ever wider at the thought of her man being taken away from her. She wanted him to leave MI6, there was no point in denying it but having him imprisoned would be almost as bad as losing him completely.

Olsen led her away from the checkpoint. 'It will be OK,' he said confidently. 'The way I'm feeling right now, I'll most probably just tell Drake where to shove his job. We're going to be OK, you hear me?' He saw her nod in partial agreement. He leaned in and gently kissed her as he held her in his arms. As they parted, Olsen smiled back at her and for a moment watched her leave. From the other direction, he saw Carter pass through the checkpoint.

'How's she handling it all, Sam?' asked Carter, whose dark skin seemed slightly paler than usual.

'Not that great, I just keep telling her it's going to be OK, you know?'

Carter looked taken aback. 'You're kidding, right? We're deliberately being crucified, and it's all on Drake's say so, whether we've given good service or not.'

'It's all politics now, Dan, our records don't matter.'

Carter nodded in agreement. 'Don't I know it. Do you remember when it just came down to your ability and the surrounding team?'

'Does it matter?'

'Of course it matters.'

Olsen entered the Perspex tube, swiped his ID card through the reader together with his security code and walked into the main lobby with Carter, who had done the same from an adjacent tube. 'That's not exactly what I meant, Dan. I've been doing a lot of thinking these last few days and I've been asking myself, do I need to keep doing this? I mean, really?'

Carter frowned in confusion. 'It's what we do. What we've always done.'

'Right. But with Drake back and his intentions abundantly clear, it doesn't look like we're going to be given the chance to do anything. So why wait until we're pushed out?'

'Look, don't do anything hasty, there are always opportunities around here.'

'And what about Rachel?'

'What about her?'

'We're going to get married, Dan. I love my work, I won't deny it but it doesn't appear to be the same anymore and I can't keep treating her this way. Here one minute and gone the next. Things are definitely...changing.' The thought of no more operations with his best friend saddened him deeply.

Carter shook his head slowly, but reluctantly agreed. His mind started to race and his own future suddenly seemed worse with Olsen now seemingly set to leave. 'I can see what you're saying, I guess... I never saw you leaving this place. What are you going to do?'

'I've no idea. If Rachel is with me though, I know I'll be fine.' Olsen found a smile. 'Trust me.' He looked away and tried to convince himself that was the case but the other side of him, the side that relished the danger and risk of the job, still wouldn't fade away. With every step, Olsen never felt at ease and wondered how he would cope without the life of a government agent. It just didn't seem possible.

Drake took a seat behind the large desk in the briefing room and looked out at the people in front of him. He fluffed his faded beige shirt and still felt the heat from his discussion with Ramsey. He stood up and waited for silence. 'Thank you. This inquiry is now in session. Our next witness is Hal Burton, S.U.C.O. Commander.'

Burton got up from his seat in the front row and walked across to the centre seat. He had been at MI6 headquarters since seven that morning as he still searched for his wife and child. His hopes were fading by the day. Burton had used every legal method he could in finding them but there was still no sign. _Tomorrow I'll start on my contacts in other countries. I have to find them soon!_ His concentration returned to the present as he tried to listen to what the Chief of MI6 was saying.

Drake continued. 'The whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God?'

'I do, sir.'

'Agent Burton, you may consider yourself under oath. Please be seated. For the record, please state your name and occupation.'

'I'm Hal Joseph Burton and I've been with MI6 since time began.' Burton laughed to himself but quickly picked up on the silence. 'Sorry, sir, I've been here for almost thirty years and for the last several I've been the S.U.C.O. Commander. I coordinate the operations, give the orders and briefings.'

Drake eyed up Burton and wondered how his predecessor had not fired him years ago. Every time Drake saw him, he felt surprised that it was the same man he had first met over seven years ago. Back then he was fit, slim, presentable and extremely dependable. _A far cry from the loser I'm looking at now._ 'It's the briefing you gave to the S.U.C.O. teams that is at the heart of this inquiry, Agent Burton. Tell us exactly what happened when you gave the briefing, please.'

'Yes, sir.' He picked up a coffee-stained sheet of paper and looked at the time stamp in the right-hand corner. 'Monday February 12th, in the afternoon. That's when I gave my briefing. We covered all the operation pointers, including the locations of the storage bay and the house. I informed the team exactly what each one would be doing and basically covered all the details they needed to know.'

Drake worked hard not to let his annoyance show. _Has the man forgotten everything we had talked about?_ 'Details are important here. We've heard from Agent Jordan and his deputy that hostages were found in the house. Did you cover that possibility in your briefing?'

Burton answered straight away. 'Yes, sir, I did.'

'That's a goddamn lie!' screamed Jordan from the back of the room. 'What are you talking about, Burton? You're going to crucify us!' Jordan raced to the front of the room but was held back by several security guards.

Drake cut in. 'There will be no further outbursts from the floor! Otherwise you will be removed.' He watched Jordan be taken back to his seat. 'Continue, Agent Burton. May I remind you that you are under oath.'

Burton shot a look at Jordan and tried to settle himself. 'Well...as I said, sir. I covered the hostage possibility in my briefing. It could crop up in any operation. I have it here in my notes and I quote 'any hostages should be verified and transported back to base', so it was covered, sir.' Burton felt the glares from the S.U.C.O. agents and shifted in his seat.

'Thank you, Agent Burton. A very enlightening testimony. What is your opinion on why the teams failed to recover those hostages?'

Burton shrugged his shoulders. The tame feelings of guilt had already passed. 'I don't know, sir, this has never happened before. I wasn't there though, so I really couldn't say.'

Drake made some notes and gave a slight nod to the individual in front of him. 'You may stand down, Burton. The committee recalls Agent Samuel Olsen to the stand please.'

Olsen shared a look with Carter. 'Wait for it.'

Drake watched Olsen come forward and knew the inquiry had reached its crucial moment. For the first time, his mind switched to the bigger picture, the threat to the UK that was present with each new day. He recalled the mandate and conversation with the Prime Minister as he justified his actions. 'May I remind you, Agent Olsen, that you are still under oath. Be seated. Now, following on from Agent Burton's testimony, do you have anything you wish to say?'

Olsen locked his hands together and placed them on the table. 'I'm under oath, sir, so I'll speak my mind. I remember the briefing clearly. It was only a week ago. At no time was the possibility of hostages or any scenario linked with that factor ever mentioned. It was never touched upon.'

'Are you saying Agent Burton just lied under oath?' asked the female member of the committee.

'Yes, ma'am, that's exactly what I'm saying. His report sheets may be time stamped and look authentic but they are incorrect.'

Drake scribbled down some notes and spoke quickly to the agent he despised with a passion. 'So noted, Agent Olsen. However, those reports from Agent Burton have been submitted and verified, which begs my next question. Why did you and your team not go back and rescue those hostages?'

_What's the point here?_ Olsen thought to himself. He couldn't help himself but to do his best to salvage his career though. 'Several reasons, sir. Firstly, we were outnumbered six to one and secondly, I didn't know of the existence of the hostages. If you'll remember, sir, our radios were unable to communicate with Bravo Team. I couldn't retrieve what I wasn't aware of.'

'We have no evidence to prove that your radios malfunctioned, Olsen. The previous testimony from your S.U.C.O. commander states that hostages were a priority.' He leaned forward and tried to push Olsen further. 'Does it bother you, the loss of those hostages?'

Olsen felt his blood boil. 'I cannot worry about a situation I wasn't—'

Drake overpowered him and read from the documents in front of him. 'Tomasz Waldoch, thirty-seven years old, leaves behind a wife and two children.' He found another sheet. 'Andre Zerj, twenty-three years old, was engaged to marry his girlfriend in April of this year.' He slammed the paper down on his desk. 'You abandoned them, Olsen! Both you and Agent Jordan are accountable for the deaths of these innocents! The blood is on the hands of you and your fellow team leader.' His lifeless dark blue eyes glared at the agent ahead of him. 'Have you anything to say at this point?'

Olsen merely stared at the wall and knew he was innocent of the atrocities he was being charged with. Part of him was already thinking of his future. 'No, sir,' he said calmly. 'You seem to know all the answers.' His voice was slow and meaningful.

A long silence lingered until Drake rose from his seat and announced to the others. 'The committee will now take a short recess to consider our recommendations.' He led the other two members out of the briefing room and into the nearest side office. He caught sight of the female committee member who looked uncomfortable. 'Don't worry, my dear, you don't have to do anything, you may as well get yourself a drink from the machine around the corner. I've already made up my mind on what to say.'

Olsen sat back down next to Carter and caught the glare coming his way from Jordan, who in the row in front of them. Despite his new life waiting for him away from MI6, he couldn't hide a sense of real disappointment at the impending loss of his career _. Like it or not, Sam, you were good at this job._ 'You should have told me about those hostages, Alex. Their blood is on your hands, not mine!' he snapped.

Jordan merely shrugged his shoulders. 'It hardly matters now, does it? They were probably moneymen of the Kiprich brothers that didn't pay up or something. We have to stick together, Sam, otherwise we'll be up the creek without a p—'

Olsen shook his head in disgust. 'You're on your own, Alex, as far as I'm concerned you crucified all of us!'

Jordan turned around and reached for Olsen. 'Cocky little shit!'

Carter stepped in and restrained Jordan. 'Get a hold of yourself!'

The commotion instantly died down as the Chief of MI6 walked back into the room and saw the ending of a scuffle. 'Be seated, please,' he said to the attendees. 'Following our short recess, the Inquiry Committee for Operation Reprisal has now reached our final recommendations. All of us have been shocked at the lack of discipline showed by several of our most experienced agents when on assignment. At times, we have felt that they are legalised criminals, instead of the elite strike teams they should be. With these changing times, it is the recommendation of this committee that all S.U.C.O. teams be deactivated immediately. All agents will be reassigned pending another review, with the exception of Agent Jordan and Agent Olsen. As team leaders, it is this committee's view that the responsibility rests solely with these agents. Both are to be suspended for three months and then reassigned. All committee members feel this is a reasonable recommendation as it still offers these agents the chance to redeem themselves in the future.' Drake said the words but didn't mean them. He looked out at the stunned faces and saw that Olsen had got up and was walking to the exit door. 'That concludes the inquiry. Thank you.'

Drake exchanged a look with the other committee members and left the room. At the lift lobby, he pressed the button and smiled to himself with satisfaction.

Olsen watched from the shadows at the corner of the corridor. The thought of Rachel waiting for him soothed one half of his body but the other half, the man of skill that had dodged death and been trained to perfection, refused to let it go. _It's all been a sick joke._ 'Happy with yourself?'

Drake jumped slightly in surprise and turned around. 'Olsen.' He looked irritated and turned around to check where the lift was. 'Don't make this any worse for yourself. The decision of the inquiry is final.'

The demons swirled around inside Olsen's mind as he stepped forward. 'Do you have any idea what you've done today? You're going to need the S.U.C.O. teams if you want to have any capability to carry out operations effectively!'

Drake laughed out aloud. 'Effectively! Removing the likes of you from this service is my priority. You're reckless and because of that innocent people are dead!'

'I had no knowledge of those hostages, you know that!'

'This conversation is over. Make sure you leave all your access cards with security before you leave the building for the last time.' A smile spread across his face. 'If you'd like I'd quite happily put in a word with the police or another organisation? I think we both know you're not cut out for intelligence work.'

'I've been doing that work for eight years. I think my record speaks for itself.'

'Exactly right, that's why you're now out of work. I only wish it had happened a long time ago. I hear you're going to be getting married soon. Rachel, isn't it? If I were you I'd count myself lucky I got away with the murder of innocents and have a quiet life away from here.' Drake smiled again and looked very pleased with himself.

Olsen couldn't take any more. He stepped in closer and lifted Drake off from the floor and up against the wall. 'There will come a day when you'll need our help and you'll gladly get down on your knees and beg. I just hope I'm there to see it.'

Drake struggled but couldn't free himself. 'I'll have you up on charges!'

Olsen's voice became a deadly whisper. 'If I had five minutes with a pathetic weasel like you that would be the last thing you'd say.'

A powerful deep voice pierced the moment. 'Sam...' There was a pause before the voice spoke again. 'Let him go. He's not the enemy and you know it.'

Olsen glanced behind him and saw Thomas Deane. Olsen had to blink twice to be certain, as he had assumed his former partner was still in Oman. Sure enough, the tall, powerful frame of his mentor stood there, wearing his usual dark blue jacket. 'Do you know what he's done?' Olsen's voice was angry, but it was tinged with sadness as if he knew he was making things worse but he just couldn't help himself.

Deane took a step forward and put a hand on the man he regarded as his son. 'I heard every word. But we can't control everything, not even here. There are other ways to make a difference. Drake has his own agenda and you have yours.'

'Don't defend him.'

'Never.' Deane's eyes burned bright as he held his ground. 'This isn't going to achieve anything, you know that. Let him go and come back with me.' _To Oman_ , he wanted to say, but he forced himself not to.

'My career, my team, who I am, this man has gone out of his way to take that away.' Olsen's eyes looked lost.

A faint smile came to his lips. 'Unlike me...you've always been more than just the job. You've built a life away from the agency. The biggest mistake you could ever make would be to throw that away now. Don't let someone like him take you away from what you were born to do.'

Drake glared at Deane ahead of him. He had never felt so helpless.

Deane placed a hand on Olsen's arm and spoke in a delicate tone. 'Let him go...Rachel is waiting for you. I can take you to her. Come on.'

Olsen slowly nodded in agreement and dropped Drake to the floor. He didn't look back and followed Deane down the corridor.

Drake pushed himself up off the floor and wanted to say something, anything, to re-establish his authority but by the time he had recovered he was all alone in the lift lobby. He dusted down his suit jacket and felt thankful that he had got his way and S.U.C.O. was no more. _At least that will cement my position here and I can shape MI6 further._

As Olsen walked along the corridor, a touch of sympathy welled up inside of him as he caught sight of Alex Jordan who sat all alone in briefing room three, with his head in his hands. _There is no fiancée waiting for him._ Olsen thought about saying something but he still hadn't forgiven Jordan for what had happened with the hostages.

Deane studied Olsen as they made their way out of MI6 headquarters. He struggled to decide what to say, with so many words to choose from. 'Sam. Quitting is a drastic measure. There will always be a place for you in Oman with me.' As they came to the security checkpoint, he saw a young woman in the distance. 'For you and Rachel, if that's what you want.' He placed his huge right hand on Olsen's shoulder. 'I'd just hate to see you throw it all away and I don't want to lose you.'

Despite the results of the inquiry, and Olsen's fears about his future, he couldn't repress a smile. Ahead of him was Rachel, who stood by the checkpoint, with the Thames nearby and a beautiful blue sky above her. Streaming golden rays of sunlight gave Rachel an almost angelic look about her. Olsen was worried about his future, there was no doubt about it. The lost at sea feeling he had been expecting had yet to come though and, why would it? With Rachel beside him and Deane, as ever, always there, things could have been so much worse. He turned to face his mentor. 'You know something, in the last three months I think we've learned more about each other than we have in the last twenty years. There's never any chance you'll lose me, I'll always be here, no matter what job I do.'

Deane closed his eyes briefly and grasped Olsen by the scruff of the neck. 'Contact me if you change your mind.' He couldn't deny it, there was a deep sadness within him, knowing that Olsen was leaving MI6 and there was no chance of another operation together. He felt a wave of failure inside of him and he couldn't push it away.

Olsen gave Deane a hug and walked towards the love of his life. He felt better than he had expected but an uneasy feeling still lingered in the background. He used every ounce of energy inside of him to push it away as he tried to adapt to the future that awaited him.

Jozef heard his boots squelch underneath the sodden grass as he stood near his brother Gyorgy's coffin in the bleak looking graveyard. The thick drizzle continued to fall as dark, deadly looking clouds loomed overhead. Jozef stood next to Ferec. His dark green lifeless eyes focussed on the coffin in front of him and he felt in a trance as the loss of his twin brother refused to sink in. The words on the plaque almost changed to a different name, not Gyorgy. He bowed his head and didn't feel the rain run down him, the senses inside him felt deadened with every passing moment. He grabbed Ferec's arm and dragged him away from the bleak scene. Jozef spoke in an emotionless tone, one that was totally fixed on every word. 'I don't care how long it takes, Zoltan, or what we have to do, I will avenge my brother, I promise you that.'

Ferec watched his friend walk back to the coffin and wondered what excitement was coming his way. For a moment, he caught the glance of another mourner whose glare was so intense, even Ferec had to look away.

Akira had heard every word, his eyes had never strayed from Ferec, who turned and walked away.

Everyone in the cemetery could feel Akira's vibe. No one stood near him and nobody spoke to him. The continuous rainfall soaked his darkened robe to the core but the scene to him seemed somewhat appropriate. The loss of Gyorgy Kiprich, a devoted follower to the cause, had been felt by the entire network but Josef's emotional revenge had no place in Akira's thoughts. He had considered intervening in the vow he had overheard but had decided against it. Jozef, with Ferec at his side, could prove to be a formidable partnership, one that could well do some damage to their Western enemies.

Akira lowered his head and trudged away from the scene. His vision had been threatened, but Patrice Marraud was gone forever. His bid for Mikhail Salenko to be the next President of Russia was on course and the protectors of the West were diminishing in numbers by the day. _Let Jozef have his revenge. My plans for the West are all that matters. The future will be so different..._

###

###  EPILOGUE

Sam Olsen stared vacantly at the water below him as he stood on Vauxhall Bridge in London. A couple passed him by and Olsen's gaze followed them as if they might have been a threat. Not that they were, as they walked on and discussed their lunch plans.

Olsen looked again at the water below and felt lost on so many levels. Only a day had passed since he had resigned from MI6, and only two days since the verdict from the inquiry. Naturally everything felt raw, but Olsen hadn't expected to feel so lost so soon. For so many years he had defined himself as a government agent and now he felt as if his identity had been ripped from him.

At home, Rachel had been supportive but on some level, he felt she hadn't done a good enough job to hide the fact she was glad he had left MI6. Despite all her efforts, he had felt trapped and had to get away. A lie about meeting Dan Carter for lunch had been enough, not that he had any plans.

Olsen looked again at the couple who were now pointing at the London Eye in the distance and he felt jealous. Not that he knew a thing about them, they just seemed settled and happy, feelings that evaded him the most.

A red number 87 bus roared past and Olsen started to walk to the end of the bridge. To his left was MI6 headquarters, standing tall in cream and sea green colours. As he came off Vauxhall Bridge, he saw the bus station to his right and the busy crossroads of traffic ahead of him.

Olsen knew he was torturing himself but he couldn't help it. As he kept walking, he stopped outside the entrance to the MI6 building, one he had passed through so many times. It saddened him to think he no longer had access to the building. Carter could probably get him a guest pass, but why return as a guest? There was no way to make a difference as a guest.

At the top of the building stood two arrays of satellite dishes. Olsen studied them, and thought of Operations Command located below ground level and all the data that was being fed into the hub of the building.

An armed policeman came out from behind the metal sea green security gate and Olsen started walking again. The void inside of him threatened to take over and despite all his training he had no idea how to deal with it. Rachel was at home but she wouldn't understand, how could she? Even Thomas Deane couldn't help him, he had spent his life with MI6 and had no idea how to live a normal life.

With every step, he felt a sense of panic. Would he be able to adapt to a normal life? What job could he do? Olsen didn't want to admit it but he had already thought about going to work with Deane again, even in an unofficial capacity. Anything to escape the void.

Rachel had said to him more than once that time would heal his wounds. Olsen felt like he had no choice but to believe her and wait. He thought of Alex Jordan who was facing the void alone and not for the first time he felt lucky to have Rachel. His mind cleared a little and he started walking towards the nearest tube station so he could head for home and focus on the future rather than the past.

Thomas Deane tried again to focus on the latest security report that was displayed on the computer screen ahead of him. Though it had taken a few attempts, he had read through the update on the Middle East and had started to scan the sections on the escalating crisis in Russia.

For the fourth time, he gave up and looked away. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop thinking about Sam Olsen. It didn't seem real, let alone right, that someone of his talents had been forced out of MI6.

As he sat back in his chair, Deane looked out on the office floor ahead and noticed for the first time just how many empty desks there were. With Peter Drake in charge there was no denying that MI6 was changing and not for the better.

An image of Olsen threatening Drake in the corridor came to his thoughts as did the anger he felt towards Peter Drake. Unlike Olsen, he wasn't about to let a man like that get to him but in the future, there would come a time when Drake would need his help and he planned on making the most of that moment.

Olsen's future was uncertain but Deane hoped there was a way back for his former partner. He had been waiting to see Kevin Ramsey to start that conversation, but his personal assistant didn't appear to be clear on his whereabouts.

'Excuse me, sir?'

Deane looked up to see one of the team leaders from the communication analysis team. 'Edwards. Something wrong?'

'I'm not sure, sir. We've received a partial communication packet from Russia. The Head of MI6 is at 10 Downing Street at present and with Mr. Ramsey no longer here I wanted to escalate it as soon as possible.'

Deane nodded in agreement but then looked up in surprise. 'What do you mean Ramsey is no longer here?'

'Sorry, sir, I thought you knew? There was an internal communication released earlier, Kevin Ramsey has left MI6. The announcement surprised everyone considering how long he's worked here.'

Deane took a moment to absorb yet another change. Ramsey had left MI6? Did Peter Drake have any idea as to how much experience he was losing? He was building his own empire, there was no doubt about that. Deane suddenly felt uncertain about his own future with so many of his friends being pushed out.

'Sir?'

'Sorry, Edwards, I wasn't expecting to hear that Ramsey had left. I thought there had been enough change today.' He smiled faintly and gestured at what Edwards held in his hand. 'You mentioned a report?'

'I did. It's not from one of our assets but from a French Special Agent named Patrice Marraud. I was told by that you've worked with him before?'

Deane leant forward in his chair. 'I know Patrice. What do you have?'

Edwards gave Deane a sealed brown file. 'It's not a complete report, I'm afraid, and I don't know why he sent this to us and not the French Ministry of Interior. It looks like his connection cut out whilst he was sending the data.'

Deane opened the file and scanned the report summary. 'You've flagged this with the French authorities?'

'Yes, sir, they've not been able to raise him as yet. If you think there is anything of use in this partial report let me know and I'll co-ordinate with our teams and our French colleagues.'

Deane nodded and watched Edwards walk away. He started to flick through the pages and hoped his old friend hadn't bitten off more than he could chew. There had been enough change and more than enough loss.

The report focussed on Russia and the impending election with Russian puppet Michail Salenko the front runner. There was page after page of data where Marraud had clearly catalogued Salenko's movements and the people he had met with. At the end of the file were several surveillance photos and the images immediately grabbed Deane's attention. Some of the images were incomplete, but they were enough to show a hooded figure as Salenko's constant companion, and judging by the body language the Russian President looked to be taking orders from him.

Deane studied each picture and then read through the notes that Marraud had sent through. The notes were incomplete and referred to pictures that hadn't been received but it was clear Marraud believed Salenko was the puppet of the hooded figure and the threat needed further investigation. There was enough evidence that would authorise such an operation.

Despite all the change at MI6 and the loss of so much experience Deane felt a surge of energy that his old friend Marraud had turned the tide. The report contained crucial information that could prevent another war, possibly on a global scale. He jumped to his feet and set off to find Edwards and then Peter Drake to convince him to authorise an operation to prevent any uprising in Russia.

Thomas Deane felt hope once more.

### Look out for the next novel in the series...

UNDERGROUND MURMURS

### (Akira and Deane Thriller Series Book 2)

The path to revenge is not an easy one. Akira has been stopped once but his hunger and desire for global change grows stronger every day. With the help of a political puppet he starts down a dangerous path to bring a former super power back from the dead to aid his strike at the heart of the West.

With Russia in turmoil, Thomas Deane is dispatched with his new partner to prevent a political uprising unaware that he is walking into a trap. With his health failing him he has to draw on all of his experience to survive, but standing in his way is Akira who will stop at nothing to gain his revenge.

With MI6 de-stabilised by an attack it's forced to re-activate S.U.C.O. ( **S** pecial **U** ndercover **C** overt **O** perations) who together must prevent an attack on home soil. Masterminded by two of Akira's closest allies, Jozef Kiprich and Zoltan Ferec, what lines will S.U.C.O. have to cross to stop them? Sam Olsen leads his team into the depths of the London Underground network and its many abandoned stations. Deep beneath ground level in tunnels not touched for decades are the clues they need to stop another attack.

### Available now in print and eBook format

### Claim your free eBook copy!

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Thank you for reading 'Out of the Shadows'.

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Tim Jopling

About the author

My name is Tim Jopling and I love any spy and espionage books, TV or films! People always say you write about what you know and although I've never had any personal experience (I've worked in the IT sector for sixteen years!) I've read a lot of novels (you can't really beat the original Ian Fleming novels in my opinion) and watched as many TV shows and films as I possibly can. I'm a big James Bond fan (not the spoof ones, my favourites are the grittier ones with Timothy Dalton my favourite Bond - nothing to do with the name mind you!) and loved all the seasons of 24.

There were a number of things that made me want to try writing. I remember several years ago when I watched one of the Mission Impossible films and a James Bond film, both of which were so poor I was convinced I could write something better! Around the same time I remember a scene in 24 with a minor character that really hit a note with me and got the creative juices flowing! Whether I've written anything better remains to be seen but I have so much fun writing stories with the Olsen and Deane characters and Akira lurking in the shadows!

I'm currently working on the third book 'Double Cross' and the fourth book 'Judgement Calls' which will be available throughout 2017.

You can keep up to date with via my website or connect with me through Twitter (@tim_jopling) and Facebook (tim.jopling.3).

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