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

don’t want a panic or a situation getting out of control so tread carefully,’ replied Reece.

Reece and Steve Harrison took Mary back to her hotel in the second BMW then returned to park up at the bottom of Watson Street looking back in the direction of the Great Northern Square and in line of sight with April Grey and Joe Cousins.

‘All Alpha callsigns, this is Alpha One I’m parked up on Watson Street one hundred yards from target door. Let’s take turns, people. I’ll start for the first two hours everyone else try to get some sleep. Any luck with the enquiry, Alpha Two?’

‘No luck tonight there was a sign on the door that says someone will be available between eight and five tomorrow, so we’ll have to wait until he or she turns up.’

‘Right, let’s speak to them when they do, we could also approach the estate agents where we saw Tourist One, they should be open around nine. Or better still.’

Reece spoke into his body mike.

‘Alpha Control. Local police usually hold details of key holders in case of a fire or burglary of businesses. Can you chase it up and see if we can get some information from them on our friend Tourist One and if he got the apartment from them? They might just be able to tie it down to which one they’re in. It’s a risk as Tourist One might work for them but I don’t think so I think it’s more likely he is a client.’

‘Roger, Alpha One, will get back to you.’

‘What’s happening with the Irlam address, Alpha Control?’ asked Reece.

‘The Tango Team are moving forward around 0200 to recce the building and place a mike on the window. Depending on the results, it’s the intention to hit the targets when they leave the building and they have them under visual control.’ This time it was Jim Broad who had replied.

‘Roger that, Control, unless we get more information on which apartment they’re using, we’ll hold and observe here,’ replied Reece.

‘OK, Steve, you get some sleep if you can. This whole operation looks like it’s going to kick off soon one way or the other, I’ll give you two hours.’

‘Thanks,’ said Harrison as he pressed the recliner button for his seat and tried to get into a comfortable position. Within minutes he was asleep his breathing slow.  Reece knew that Grey and Cousins would be able to do the same and would be asleep in the BMW across the square. By now the local police would be told to leave the people in the cars alone. Putting the area of the Conference and the hotel out of bounds to regular patrols wasn’t on the cards. There were too many dignitaries attending the Conference. Reece knew that when they moved on Costello and friends, they would have to be sure to wear the armbands provided by ACC Lockwood, even then they would be at risk of being mistaken for the enemy by over hyper police officers with little experience and the adrenalin rush of a gunfight going on around them. The waiting while trying to stay alert was the hardest part of surveillance but Reece knew the waiting would be over soon, so staying alert was the most important part now.

 

 

Chapter Fifty-nine

At two in the morning the night was quiet and the darkness deep except when directly under the few street lights illuminating the shadows around the Kings Road and the few streets it serviced in Irlam. The troop team had sent the van back to the Hanger at Barton to pick up a few pieces of equipment. Four SAS soldiers in full assault clothing and equipment left the back of the van and made their way to the front of the target house. Two of them took up positions at the end of the driveway at number two Henley Avenue, with their MP5 H&K rifles with suppressors fitted covering the other two soldiers who moved forward to the front downstairs window. One rifle covered the front door while the other covered the window where the two soldiers in front now approached low down and quiet. All the curtains in the house had been drawn closed and the lights in the downstairs front room were still on. The four-foot-high shrubbery and hedging gave them the cover they needed from the street. One soldier placed two sucker devices, sealing them to the glass while the other covered him with a SIG Sauer pistol. As close as they were to the window, they could hear muffled voices from inside. A dog was barking in the distance. Happy the listening device was securely stuck to the glass, both soldiers returned to the end of the short driveway and all four back to the van. The whole time they were outside and exposed was six minutes, another job well done.

Inside the van a signaller from the regiment sat facing the electronic equipment picking up the short frequency feedback from the sucker mike, now on the terrorist safe house window. He flicked a switch which would boost the signal back to the hanger where Jim Broad could listen in real time to any conversation in the downstairs area of the target house. Surprisingly, at first the voices were still muffled then after the trooper swivelled a few dials on the equipment the voices came through clearly.

‘Imtaz, hold the camera steady, that’s it. I make this statement because I’m willing to die in the great battle against the enemy of Islam and Allah, blessings be upon him. I accept this task and will fulfil my destiny. The Great Satan America and her little Satan Britain, will be punished for their failure to acknowledge the one true faith and for the murder of the followers of that faith, this is why they must be punished. Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar.’

‘Allahu akbar,’ a