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

Lyndsey. ‘I’ve text Waheed and Imtaz with no reply, but they could be having the same signal problems we’ve had.’

‘I’m beginning to not like this coincidence. Text Mohammad and let him know he may have company.’

‘Alpha One come in.’ It was Jim Broad.

‘Go ahead, Alpha Control.’

‘Our friends in the apartment have been trying to contact the Irlam crew and now a text to Tourist One telling him he may have company. They must have eyes on Alpha Four.’

‘Roger, boss. How quickly can you get the Tango Team here? We need to move on this soon.’

‘They’re leaving here now. I’ll get the security cordon tightened as soon as they get to you.’

 

 

Chapter Sixty-five

Lyndsey spoke as she looked once more at her mobile screen. Mohammad had replied with a thumbs up emoji when she’d text him to be aware of possible surveillance.

‘I’m not happy with this whole thing. No contact from Irlam and now possible watchers on Mohammad, I think we should abort and wait for another day.’

Costello was surprised. She was usually so positive and now she seemed afraid.

‘There’s always a possibility that they’re on to us. But as you said Irlam phones might be having the same problems we were having and the guy behind Mohammad might just be talking into his own mobile hands-free mike or could be general security for the conference. We’ve come this far, and we’re so close. We should hold our nerve just a little longer. At the very least I can do a lot of damage with this little baby.’ He stroked the rifle with a look of love as he spoke.

‘You’re right. I might just be a little paranoid but let’s take some precautions. I’ll go down and have a look around. Then I’ll wait in the van ready to take you away whatever happens. Now our phones are up and running again we can keep in touch. You OK with that?’

‘Yeah, but before you go make me a pot of tea and I’ll keep an eye on things. We’re in the final leg and when Mohammad goes back into the hotel, he’ll keep us updated.’

‘Tea it is, throw me the keys of the van.’

Steve Harrison was now in the operations suite in the Conference Centre watching over Constable Jones’s shoulder as he zoomed the CCTV camera onto the face of Tourist One. He sat in the café drinking coffee and reading his paper. Harrison noticed that even though he was reading the paper for real, he still stopped to take a look around when sipping his coffee.

‘He’s looking for me but I’m not there. Let’s keep him in view at all times, constable.’

‘Will do,’ said Jones.

The sound of the gunfire was loud and close. Reece reacted first. He turned and ran out of the caretaker’s office while pulling out his Smith and Wesson. He could hear screaming from outside the building. They had missed Lyndsey on the CCTV as the machine was rebooting for its next twenty-four hours cycle, she’d came out of the lift with two other residents and turned left as she walked towards the NCP car park.

As she’d passed April Grey sitting in the BMW, April had been watching her as she’d walked closer.

There was something familiar, something in the back of April’s mind as the woman passed close by. April realised what it was as she neared; the red scarf. The same red scarf she’d seen the night before outside the estate agents. April let Lyndsey pass the car then started to open the door to follow, but it was too late, the woman had turned back towards her and now had a gun in her hand.

Lyndsey knew right away the woman was security forces. She’d seen enough surveillance officers in her life to know the way the woman had discreetly watched her as she’d walked by. As she passed the car, she knew this was it, she’d been spotted.

Turning back towards the car, she pulled her gun out of her shoulder bag, aimed, and fired twice. The woman in the car already had one foot on the pavement. The first shot hit her in the chest throwing her backwards, the second in the neck producing a spray of dark red blood that filled the inside windscreen and window glass of the car in a split second.

Lyndsey turned and ran towards the car park. She dropped the gun back in her bag and took out her mobile and tried to dial Costello. It took her two attempts before he answered.

‘Get out, they’re on to us.’ Was all she said as she ran.

The screaming Reece had heard was from two young girls who looked like students. They were looking into the car, and at April Grey, not knowing what to do other than to scream. Reece, Mary, and Joe Cousins reached the BMW at almost the same time. Reece and Cousins pulled April out of the car and laid her down on the pavement.

‘Alpha Control, get an ambulance here fast, agent down. And get the security cordon to move in,’ shouted Reece into his mike.

Grey was unconscious but alive. Reece started calling her name and placed his hand down hard on the open wound in her neck, the blood pouring through his fingers onto the ground surrounding her. Her eyes were open, and she was trying to speak.

‘April, April, can you hear me? Stay with us!’ He started to pull her clothes apart with his free hand to see if she’d been hit anywhere else. He could see the brass bullet head wedged almost dead centre in the chest, but her vest had stopped it penetrating. From what he could see the only wound was to her neck where blood was pumping steadily through a large hole. Reece thought it had hit the artery there was so much blood.