Page 97 of Next in Line

‘Should we assume that the crew of the yacht are all dead?’ asked the Prime Minister.

‘Probably. Hassan doesn’t believe in taking prisoners, especially when an unmarked grave is so conveniently on hand. But I’m confident the Princess is still alive, otherwise they’ve lost their bargaining power.’

‘Bargaining suggests money or an exchange for something else,’ suggested the Prime Minister. ‘In your view, Assistant Commissioner, which is it?’

‘Not something else, ma’am, someone else. Hassan wouldn’t be interested in money,’ Holbrooke assured them, ‘otherwise it would have been Jamil Chalabi, the Princess’s latest … companion, they were after, and not the Princess.’

‘What makes you so sure of that?’ asked the Cabinet Secretary.

‘Chalabi is the son of a wealthy businessman from Dubai,’ came in Commander Hawksby. ‘He’s a regular in the gossip columns, usually described as a multi-millionaire playboy or serial party-goer. According to Inspector Ross Hogan, the Princess’s personal protection officer, he’s not shy about lettinganyone, including the press, know about his relationship with her.’

‘If you don’t think it’s money they’re after in exchange for the Princess,’ asked the Cabinet Secretary, ‘what else could it possibly be?’

‘We’re currently holding Gaddafi’s right-hand man, Mansour Khalifah, in Belmarsh prison,’ said Hawksby. ‘So I don’t think we need to look much further than Thamesmead.’

‘You will recall, Prime Minister,’ chipped in the Attorney General, ‘that I sanctioned Khalifah’s arrest a few months ago when he landed at Heathrow on the way to Moscow.’

‘We’re in no doubt,’ added the Home Secretary, ‘that Khalifah was behind the Lockerbie bombing, and more recently the failed attempt to blow up the Albert Hall during the Last Night of the Proms. Don’t be surprised if Gaddafi has put him in charge of any negotiations.’

‘We don’t negotiate with terrorists,’ said the Prime Minister, as if addressing a public meeting. But on this occasion, no one around the table believed her.

Several people began talking at once, but were silenced when the Prime Minister turned her attention to the Chief of the Defence Staff. ‘So, what do you recommend we do next, Admiral?’

‘I’ve got a Nimrod flying above the immediate area, with a second one on its way.Lowlandercan’t have covered more than a hundred miles since it was taken over, so I’m confident it shouldn’t be too long before we locate it.’

‘Where do you think they’re heading?’ asked the Cabinet Secretary, looking back down at the map.

‘They won’t want to hang about in Spanish waters,’ said the First Sea Lord. ‘My bet is they’re heading for Tripoli,’ a finger moving across the map, ‘in the hope that they can reach Libyanterritorial waters before we are given the chance to mount a full scale retaliation.’

‘How much time do we have?’ asked the Cabinet Secretary.

‘If they maintain a speed of around eighteen knots, it will take them about forty-eight hours to reach the safety of their own territorial waters.’

‘If they make it,’ said the Foreign Secretary, who was seated opposite the Prime Minister, ‘we have no more sanctions to threaten Libya with, so we’re not exactly in a strong bargaining position.’

‘A very weak one,’ said the Prime Minister, folding her arms. ‘So, what can we hope to achieve during the next forty-eight hours to make sure that doesn’t arise?’

‘I’ve got a crack SBS squadron trained in Maritime Counter Terrorism who are currently carrying out exercises on the Clyde near Faslane,’ chipped in the Director of Special Forces. ‘I’ve already issued an order that they should return to their base in Dorset soonest, where I’ll be joining them later today.’

‘Are any of our ships currently in the area?’ asked the Cabinet Secretary, who leant across the table and dipped a finger in the middle of the Mediterranean.

‘The aircraft carrier HMSCornwallwas anchored off the coast of Malta,’ said the First Sea Lord, ‘but is already heading towards the area at speed. They should catch up with them in about eighteen hours. We also have a submarine undertaking minor repairs in Gibraltar, which will be ready to get under way later this morning and should join up with theCornwallsome time tomorrow afternoon.’

‘I presume,’ said the Prime Minister, ‘you’ve chosen a crack commander to head up this operation?’

‘Yes,’ said the First Sea Lord. ‘He’s the best. Because for something this big we certainly don’t need a fimfop.’

‘A fimfop?’ queried the Cabinet Secretary.

‘Fun In the Mess, Fool Operationally. I can assure you that Captain Davenport is not a man Khalifah will want to meet.’

‘Under what conditions is Khalifah being held at this moment?’ asked the Prime Minister, looking around the table, not sure who would be able to answer her question.

‘He’s currently locked up in the solitary confinement wing of Belmarsh prison,’ said William. ‘He has no way of contacting anyone on the outside, but I think we can assume he’s well aware of what’s going on.’

Everyone around the table turned and looked at William.

‘Throwing away the key would seem an appropriate response given the circumstances,’ said the Home Secretary.

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