Tested by Fire by David Costa (the little red hen read aloud TXT) 📗

Deansgate area of Manchester without, it soon became apparent to Reece, any purpose whatsoever.

He eventually entered a Chinese restaurant in the China Town area of the city. Reece and Mary crossed to a Starbucks Coffee House opposite and waited for Grey to join them.

‘OK, April do you fancy a Chinese?’ Reece asked.

‘Could do, I like Chinese.’

‘We need someone in there just in case he is meeting someone. Mary was behind him earlier and I’ve been near him all day, so it has to be you. We will stay here for a coffee. If he moves on or you need us shout out.’

‘Will do.’

She then crossed the street and entered the restaurant leaving Reece and Mary to order a coffee and continue to watch from the window.

‘Alpha Control, check out the Deansgate Estate Agent office and see if we have anyone in there who’s known,’ said Reece.

 

 

Chapter Fifty-four

When she’d left the estate agents Lyndsey had turned into the wind coming down Deansgate pulling up her scarf to protect her face. Walking back on the route she’d come she noticed the lovebirds on the other side of the street in a couple’s close embrace. It had been a long time she thought, since she’d held her husband so close, before he’d committed himself to Allah, becoming a martyr and leaving her behind to become the White Widow. Now she was back on the same soil with the intent to honour his memory and make the British feel even more pain for their support of a false prophet.

When she entered apartment C12, she noticed how quiet it was, having come up from street level and with all the double-glazed windows closed there was a strange silence. Looking through the rear balcony doors she could see the back door of the Midland Hotel in the distance now lit up by street lighting as the evening darkness began to descend.

The inside of the van was lit up as his phone began to buzz in the darkness of the carpark. He could see it was a text from Lyndsey.

I’m in will buzz you up when you get here.

On my way. Costello text back.

Lifting the bag beside him and placing the Browning into his belt at his back Costello locked the van and headed for the lift.

Costello walked straight to the Great Northern Apartment building and pressed the buttons marked C12 and then the call button. Immediately in reply he heard the open lock release the front door. The lift to the twelfth floor seemed to take an age but when the doors opened on the landing, he turned left to find the door to apartment C12 already open. Waiting inside he heard Lyndsey’s voice.

‘Come in quickly and close that door, there’s an awful draft when it’s open.’

‘Nice to see you too. You want to try to sit in a cold van in a cold carpark.’

‘You’re here now. Do you want to set up? Jake has kindly left us a welcome basket with tea, coffee, biscuits, and milk.’

‘I got bloody soaked just walking a few hundred yards, so a cup of hot tea is first on the agenda.’

Mohammed loved Chinese food and he’d used this restaurant before and knew the quality was excellent. Although it was still early, there were plenty of customers and he always thought that was a good indicator for quality. He was so engrossed with his menu he didn’t notice the SG9 operator sit at a table at the back of the room behind him. Grey asked for a menu and spoke quietly into her body mic.

‘Tourist One alone, looks like he’s only here for the food just eating, no calls, will report.’

‘Roger, Alpha Three, we’ll stay here and enjoy our coffee or two.’

A voice cut across the conversation.

‘Alpha One, we’re in position parked up on Deansgate if you need us.’

Harrison and Cousins had arrived.

‘Great, Alpha Four. Keep position we have Tourist One in a restaurant in Chinatown, but we might need your help if he meets up with anyone.’

‘Roger, Alpha One, we’re dry, at least for the moment.’

 

 

Chapter Fifty-five

Jim Broad was now sitting in the comms section of the hanger listening in to the conversation of his team. Broad knew the final decision when to move, when to act, would be down to him and Fraser would back him all the way whatever he decided.

‘Sir, a call from Sir Ian again.’ It was one of the communication operators speaking, interrupting his thoughts. Right on que it was the MI6 Chief on the phone.

Calling back so soon, this should be interesting.

‘Sir Ian, how can I help you?’

‘Jim, I don’t know if it’s good news or not, but as you know we’ve been monitoring the airwaves for Costello’s phone conversations, but it seems that our friends in GCHQ in Cheltenham can also monitor any text messages.’

Broad knew that the Government Communications Headquarters were good at monitoring things, but he was surprised they could also break into the text messaging facilities of the target’s phones.

‘Any news will be helpful if it clears the mud from the picture a bit more.’

‘Well it appears that our Mister Costello is somewhere close to the Conference Centre as we speak. A text message he received about an hour ago shows him to be near there. But we can’t pinpoint exactly where.’

‘Do we know the message?’

‘Yes, I’m in. Will buzz you up when you get here,’ Costello replied, ‘On my way. That was all, but we now have the phone the other person is using so we’re monitoring that as well. We’re starting to link all these people together, so we hopefully will get more which will help you and your team. I’ve organised the GCHQ for you to get these phone communications in real time through your