The convoy reached the Europoort terminal at Rotterdam Docks in the early evening just before 5 p.m. Radic gave them directions to a storage compound for shipping containers on a disused Haven. They drove between the stacked piles of containers until Radic instructed them to stop. Nish got out of his car and walked over as Alex and his men got out. Alex looked all around them for any obvious sign of activity, but the site appeared to be completely desolate, most of the containers showing signs of rust: suggesting it was a long term storage lot that saw little daily activity. ‘Form a perimeter. Make sure he hasn’t got any friends waiting for us. Get a sniper and overwatch up.’ Nish nodded. When his men were in position Alex looked up at his sniper posted on an old crane; he signalled that it was all clear. Alex opened the rear door to the car. ‘Out you get.’ Radic emerged from the car. ‘Just a warning before you open it Radic, you saw what happened to the last person who thought they could get the better of me. Don’t make his mistake.’ Radic nodded nervously. He walked over to the container. Alex and Nish stood well back as he fiddled with the combination padlock. He undid it before removing the chain securing the container doors. They watched as he slowly opened the door by enough inches to slide his hand in. He felt around at the base behind the door and unclipped the detonator wires connected to the three claymores that would greet any uninvited inspections of the container contents.
With the trap defused, Radic opened the door. ‘It is made safe. I have nothing to profit from your death now, it is Smythe who I afraid.’ Radic walked into the container in a clearly subdued mood. Alex and Nish looked at each other then followed him in. Radic found a portable electric light hung from the roof of the container and turned it on. The container was full of old rifle boxes with weapons loaded on steel racks either side. Boxes of grenades and ammunition, tools used to create fake documents, print money, and other paraphernalia belonging to Radic’s various criminal enterprises. At the back of the container, Radic pulled out a set of steel document archive boxes and dragged them to Alex’s feet. He stacked four of them up. ‘Everything you want is in here.’
‘Open it,’ Alex ordered. Radic nodded, bent down and opened each of the cases. Alex checked for any obvious hidden surprises before pulling out a few of the files they contained and flicking through them. ‘Everything?’
‘Everything you are interested in.’
Alex looked around the rest of the container, but it was clear it was mostly assorted trash and nothing of value to Alex. Alex turned to Nish. ‘Get it in the car.’
Nish whistled one of Alex’s men, they picked the storage containers up and loaded them into the trunk of Alex’s S8.
‘And our arrangement?’
Alex nodded and gestured at the exit to the container. Radic walked outside. Alex reconnected the three claymore and C4 packs. He picked up a line of tripwire and tied it around all three then began to spool it out.
‘Get Radic in the car and recall the overwatch.’
Nish got on the radio, waited as the sniper acknowledged before watching him begin the descent down the ladder, when he was clear, Nish shoved Radic into the back of the S8. The cars pulled away at walking pace to the end of the line of containers with Alex’s men walking, guarding Alex as he spooled out the trip wire following the exiting cars. They reached the cover of the end of the container line and the cars parked round the corner. The sniper jogged towards them to return to the waiting cars.
‘That everyone?’ Alex asked. Nish nodded affirmative. ‘Cover!’ Alex’s men took shelter as Alex wound the line taut before giving it a sharp yank, the tension pulled on the trip lines in Radic’s trap pulling the pins from the claymores. They detonated, setting off a chain of explosions as the ammunition crates of charges and grenades took hold. With the steel shipping container’s box containing most of the force of the explosion, the bulk of the kinetic force from the blast was directed outwards sending a wall of flames down the narrow corridor between the lines of stacked containers. As the explosion settled, Alex checked around to see that the container had collapsed and there was only a field of debris left. ‘We’re good.’ Alex and his guard returned to their cars. The convoy quickly sped away to the exit gate, down the long access road before making its way towards the ferry port.