Page 6 of End Game
‘The downfall of what’s left of the British Empire in a single evening,’ said Wei Ming. ‘A disaster that the rest of the world will agree could have been avoided, if only the British had been better prepared to deal with security threats.’
A faint smile crossed Hu Jintao’s lips. ‘I can assure you, last month’s terrorist attack on the London underground will be nothing compared to what we have planned for the closing ceremony.’
CHAPTER 2
11 May 2012 – 77 days to go
‘SEVENTY-SEVEN DAYS LEFTuntil the opening ceremony,’ said Assistant Commissioner Hawksby.
‘After seven years of preparation,’ Commander William Warwick reminded him, ‘we’re as ready as we can be.’
‘But it still won’t be ready enough,’ said the Hawk. ‘Prepare for the unexpected, because that’s what you’ll be up against.’
They were sitting in William’s office, the desk between them piled with reports, files and other paperwork, along with a few scattered family photos. One picture showed William and his wife Beth on their wedding day, two and a half decades ago, while the latest frames displayed graduation photos of the twins.
The Hawk looked down again at the ‘for your eyes only’ report in front of him. ‘I’m glad your latest meeting with Professor Meredith at GCHQ went well – we may need him and his team’s expertise during the next few months. Nobody is better at predictingthe unpredictable than Meredith, as well as knowing how to counter it when it does arise. But is there anything else you need?’
William hesitated. ‘If it’s the unpredictable I’m to face, you know what – or who – I need.’
The Hawk sighed. ‘Commander Sinclair is still making difficulties about Ross being taken off traffic control, but if I have to overrule him, I will.’
‘Frankly, Ross is surplus to requirements in traffic control,’ said William.
‘And if I were able to rescue him, how would you take advantage of Sergeant Hogan’s particular skills?’
‘For a start, no one knows the East End mafia better than Ross,’ responded William. ‘And I just don’t have the time to deal with the likes of Bernie Longe and his gang of petty criminals, who will certainly be trying to get their hands on the millions that are swilling around in the Olympic trough. And it’s not just the mafia. The Olympic Games are a potential target for everyone from fraudsters to terrorists and, if and when anything goes wrong, I need someone not only with Ross’s expertise, but also someone not known to be part of my security team.’
‘Then perhaps Sergeant Hogan should go undercover and only report back to you. That way, Sinclair will also be left in the dark. In fact, it might be wise to keep the rest of the team out of the loop as well,’ said the Hawk, ‘me included.’
‘Until something goes wrong,’ said William, ‘when everyone will find out what Ross has been up to.’
The Hawk sighed. ‘If Ross is involved, something is bound to go wrong.’
William laughed as he checked his watch.
‘You have a more important appointment, Commander?’ suggested the Assistant Commissioner.
‘Far more important,’ said William.
The Hawk raised an eyebrow.
‘It’s my birthday,’ said William, ‘and Beth is taking me out to dinner, so I can’t afford to be late.’
‘Congratulations, my boy,’ said the Hawk, his tone suddenly changing. ‘Don’t let me keep you any longer.’
‘Thank you, sir,’ said William, as the Hawk rose from his seat.
Once he had left the room, the Hawk walked quickly across to the lift and pressed the down button. When the doors slid open on the ground floor, he marched across the entrance hall, pushed his way through the swing doors, and jumped into the back of a waiting car.
The Hawk pulled the door closed, leant forward and barked at his driver, ‘Just be sure I get there before he does.’
•••
William placed the thick file in the top drawer of his desk, locked it and left the office. He walked along the corridor and stuck his head around the door of the ops room to let them know he was leaving early. No sign of anyone – and then he remembered they’d all gone across to the Olympic Park to be among the first to have a guided tour.
He jogged down the steps to the ground floor, left the building, and made his way across to the senior officers’ car park. William drove his Volvo out of the yard, turned left onto Victoria Street and headed for home. He checked the dashboard clock. With a bit of luck, he should just about make it before Beth could complain.
On the journey back to Fulham, he mulled over the Hawk’ssanguine words, painfully aware that the Olympics would be far more of a challenge than anything he’d tackled during the past seven years as the Commander in Charge of Public Order and Operational Support. Even a royal wedding felt like a village fête when compared with the Olympics.
