Nine-thirty p.m. Thursday, The Apartment, London
Mitch thought the hour would never come. He stood in the apartment lounge room getting his team—Nick, Adam, Ellen and Samantha—to cross-check their gear. Mitch wore basic civilian clothes; a loose black knitted sweater, jeans and black hiking boots. Underneath, he wore a thin Kevlar vest, bullet-proof and lightweight. Still, he shuffled uncomfortably as a light sweat formed on his skin. His watch microphone was on and the signal diverted to Adam’s earphones. Mitch carried a semi-automatic on his belt. He could feel the comforting weight of the gun at his side.
“Start with you, Nick, check off.” Mitch worked through each of his team members. When they finished, he reaffirmed the mission.
“No heroes, OK? It’s not that important.”
They nodded their understanding.
“I mean it. It’s not worth life or limb … everyone got that?”
They answered in the affirmative, Nick and Adam saluting. A smile traced Mitch’s lips.
“That applies to you too, Baron,” Nick said, “since you’re in the front line and all.”
“What did you call him?” Ellen looked up at Nick.
Mitch gave Nick a disapproving glance.
Nick grinned back. “Nothing.”
“Yes you did,” she insisted. “The Baron! Was that your nickname in the air force, Mitch?”
Mitch gave Nick another pained look. “He’s just being stupid.” He tried to change the subject. “Sam, Adam, head off.”
“Oh, admit it,” Nick rolled his eyes, “He was nicknamed after Manfred von Richthofen.”
Samantha looked at him blankly. “Who’s that?”
“The Red Baron!” Nick exclaimed.
“I thought that was just fiction,” Samantha said.
“No way. He was the highest-scoring fighter pilot of World War I – and Mitch, the golden boy, did everything perfectly; he was always the highest scorer.”
“Yeah, time we headed off, big mouth,” Mitch pushed Nick towards the door.
“And what was your nickname, Nick?” Ellen asked.
“Nick,” he answered quickly.
“Not as I remember it, Flash.” Mitch grinned.
2200 Thursday, Canary Wharf Station, London
Samantha slid into position, wedged in the ceiling on the outbound side of the Jubilee line at Canary Wharf Station. She grimaced at the dirt and rat droppings around her and with a look to Officer Kent positioned on the inbound side, gave the thumbs-up and received it in return.
They were ready.
As a train pulled out, emptying the station of waiting passengers, Samantha trained her gun to the platform below for a practice run.
A perfect view of where Mitch will be when the train doors open and where Lawrence’s back should be when he does the exchange, she thought.
Mitch, you’re far too vulnerable this time, stuck out there for anyone to take a crack shot at you.
2215 Thursday, Waterloo Station, London
“This is killing me,” Nick said, sipping on a strong black coffee outside the station. He added sugar.
“I’ve had worse,” Mitch said trying his coffee.
“Not the coffee, the waiting.”
“Oh, yeah, the waiting is always the hardest part,” Mitch agreed. He looked around at the late-nighters going about their normal lives, oblivious to the action about to take place in forty-five minutes.
“What are we going to do after this job?” Nick asked.
“Have a beer.”
“I was thinking long-term; but, yeah, that sounds good.”
Mitch smiled. “John’s already got another few jobs on the boil. But if you need some time off …”
“Why would I?” he asked suspiciously.
Mitch shrugged. “I don’t know; to relocate, get an apartment, maybe. You’ll have to do the training course as well. I was thinking of having a week off.” He looked at his watch again. “Twenty past ten.”
“Thanks, got my own watch.”
“Sorry. Just a bit time focused.”
“I noticed.”
They sat in silence. Nick stirred his coffee. Mitch caught himself looking at his watch again and looked away. After a few minutes, he turned his watch microphone off to prevent Adam hearing the conversation and glanced at Nick. Mitch cleared his throat. “I guess you know Maria’s people got her out?”
Nick’s snapped to look at Mitch. Mitch tried to read Nick’s expression.
Are you surprised that she’s free or surprised that I know about it, Nick? Mitch thought.
Nick turned away again.
“Why would I know that?” he asked.
They sat in silence.
“Destroy your phone records and text messages, Nick, as soon as you can. It’s imperative.”
Nick nodded, not looking at him.
Mitch let it go. They continued to sit in silence.
With another glance at his watch, Mitch’s foot began tapping. “Will this day never end?”
“Worried?” Nick asked him.
“No.”
“It’s only me here.”
Mitch looked over at him. “Yep … worried. We’re not sure of his game plan, I hate that.” He sat up straight, stretching his neck and back.
“You know, I’ve never seen you so wound up,” Nick lit a cigarette. “Not during our flying days or the exams.”
“You’re going to have to get in line if you want to start psychoanalyzing me.”
Nick laughed. “Like that, huh? Oh, well, creates jobs. I just meant you seem more uptight these days.”
Mitch looked at him. “I’ve never had three lives in my hands before.”
“OK. Let me ask you then, when we were doing flying missions, why did you do it?”
Mitch shrugged. “I loved it.”
“Even when it was dangerous?”
“Especially then.”
“So,” Nick continued, “you didn’t wake up every morning and think, shit, hope the Lieutenant Colonel’s thought about this, he’s got my life in his hands.”
“No. OK, point taken.”
“You’re here to provide good leadership, not to protect our butts … except for that incident at Broad Arrow,” Nick conceded with a grin. “On the good leadership front, you’ve got it reasonably covered.”
Mitch smirked. “Thanks.”
He turned his watch microphone back on and grabbing his phone called Adam for an update.
Hanging up, he briefed Nick.
“None of the officers at the tube have reported any sighting of Lawrence or his men and no one tried to get into the station last night. It all seems too straight forward. Not a good sign.”
2230 Thursday, Waterloo Station, London
Mitch stopped fidgeting, sat perfectly still, eyes fixed ahead and focused.
Nick watched him. “I remember you doing that before every exam. Still works, huh?”
“Sometimes,” Mitch said.
“What part of the job do you like the best?”
“The action,” Mitch’s eyes lit up. “What we’re about to get into is the best part of the job. The prep, surveillance and research is just a means to an end; this is what it’s all about.”
“I wonder if you’d feel that way if you had a wife and kids.”
Mitch shrugged. “I don’t, so no use speculating.”
“You’ve got a girl.”
Mitch hesitated.
“Obviously that’s not general knowledge,” Nick read his reaction.
“It’s only new. I’ve known her a long time, but we’ve just started …” his voice drifted off.
“What’s she like?” Nick asked watching Mitch constantly surveying the scene.
“I’m guessing she’s going to be high maintenance.”
“Must be love then? Maybe, sooner than you think, you won’t get the same rush from being away.”
Mitch smiled at him. “This from a man who a few weeks ago was chasing hijack thrills.”
Nick shrugged. “My point exactly. I was footloose and carefree, or careless,” he conceded.
“I guess it’s all in the timing.” Mitch glanced at his watch.
“Again with the watch,” Nick shook his head.
“Shut up. You check everything all the time, do you know you do that when you’re nervous?”
Nick removed his hand from his hip where he had involuntarily checked for his sidearm again. “As if,” he said hiding a smile.
2240 Thursday, Canary Wharf Station
Ellen met Adam at the Canary Wharf station entrance, giving him a kiss on the cheek to convincingly play the role of a couple. Adam turned off his microphone.
“You OK?” he asked.
“Fine,” she exhaled, “fired up.”
“Adrenalin’s a good thing,” he reminded her. “Now, I might have to kiss you for effect.”
“If it’s for the good of the mission, we’ll both bear it,” Ellen teased.
Adam nodded with a smile. “I’ve had a lot worse missions. Let’s go.” He turned his microphone back on and linked his arm through hers. They strolled down the stairs to the platform below, making a play of checking the electronic timetable overhead to find out when the next train was due and consulting their watches. They sat on the timber benches. Adam casually looked around. He could see Officers Leath and Kent in place; Samantha was on the opposite side to Kent. He put his headphones on, pretending to listen to music. Now he was connected.
“Come in, Nick?” he whispered.
“Read you loud and clear,” Nick returned, “we’re in place at Waterloo and ready.”
“How you doing, Sam?” Adam asked with affection, looking up towards her position in the ceiling.
“Fine, we’re ready,” Samantha responded. “Mitch with you, Nick?”
“Got him in sight,” Nick assured her.
Adam dropped his eyes from Samantha’s position in the ceiling and nodded to Ellen.
“Everyone’s where they should be.”
2245 Thursday, Waterloo Station, London
Nick glanced at Officers Skinner and Watson dressed in plain clothes and seated nearby on the platform at Waterloo Station. He scanned the area and spotted the Italian from SafeGuard Security, waiting to take the train.
Sloppy, Nick thought with a glance to Mitch, seated three seats away, the folder secure under his arm. He could hear Mitch’s accelerated breathing.
“Almost time; train’s due in ten minutes,” Nick mumbled as though singing along to his headset. “We’ve got the Italian here, plus a solid guy. Looks ex-military; could be one of their team. There is a possible third – a guy with a Nirvana shirt on. No sign of Harley from SafeGuard.”
Adam answered. “Harley’s here, waiting for a train. He’s got another burly guy sitting a few seats from him with a Jack Daniels T-shirt on – they’ve exchanged looks; they know each other. Between us, that’s four accounted for from their regular staff. One’s missing, unless it’s Nirvana man.”
Nick heard Adam take a sharp breath. “Here we go!” Adam announced. “Lawrence’s entered Canary Wharf station alone and he’s got the briefcase.”
Nick coughed three times as though clearing his throat. He took a bottle of water out of his coat and took a mouthful. It was a sign for Mitch to confirm Lawrence was in place.
Adam came through again on Nick’s headset, his voice low and angry. “Andrew and some guy in a red tracksuit have both come in from the right entrance which is supposed to be sealed off. How the hell did they get in? I’m going to check it out.”
Nick listened to Adam taking the steps up to the entrance.
“That’s all the bodies accounted for at least,” Nick said. “Nirvana guy must be public.”
He heard Adam running back down the stairs again, saying a few words to Ellen and kissing her for effect. Nick had no choice but to listen in.
“Nice touch,” Nick mumbled.
“Yeah, thanks, got to look authentic. Listen, our security guy on the entrance has gone. My guess is Lawrence bought him. I’ve had to put Officer Leath up there – I’m one down.”
Nick glanced towards Mitch who was looking down the tunnel at the Canary Wharf train approaching them at Waterloo Station.
“Our train’s coming,” Nick said for Adam’s benefit. We’ll be seeing you at your station shortly.”