Page 100 of Next in Line

‘It depends on which direction they’re looking when our lads turn up,’ said the brigadier. ‘But you can be assured they’ve worked on several variations of this theme countless times and are more than ready for the challenge.’

‘Are you able to share any details with us at this point,’ asked the Defence Secretary, ‘or is it still too early?’

A map of the Mediterranean appeared on the screen at the far end of the room, with three large crosses marked in mid-ocean. The brigadier stood and walked across, a laser pointer in one hand.

‘This is what’s known in the trade as a three-pronged attack. To begin with, two dozen of HMSCornwall’s most experienced men will mount a diversionary sortie from the east.’ A pinpoint of light focused on one of the crosses. ‘Once we’ve caught the terrorists’ attention, twenty members of the SBS team, under the command of Captain Mike Davenport, will close in on the yacht from the west, six of them on two of theCornwall’s helicopters’ – the light settled briefly on a second cross – ‘from where the men will fast-rope down onto the deck and neutralize the terrorists. The remaining fourteen SBS men will approach from the north-west in three high-speed RIBs’ – the third cross was highlighted, completing a triangle that surroundedLowlander. ‘The crucial element of the plan is timing. All three parts of the triangle have to come together at exactly the right moment. None of them can afford to be even a few seconds adrift.’

‘So where are the three parts of the triangle at this moment?’ asked the Cabinet Secretary.

‘Twenty-four of the ship’s company, who will form a diversionary group, are currently being briefed on the vital role they’ll play if this operation is to have any chance of success. The elite M Squadron should be’ – he checked his watch – ‘arriving at RAF Lyneham in the next thirty minutes in two trucks carrying all the equipment they’ll need, including the three RIBs. Once everything is loaded on board the two C-130s, they’ll take off at 1500 hours, earlier if possible. The SBS team should make contact with theCornwalljust after half past six in the evening, local time. I’d give you more details if I could, but the whole operation is very fluid and may well be subject to last-minute changes.’

‘How do you propose getting thirty men off a C-130 and onto theCornwall?’ asked the Cabinet Secretary, looking at the map. ‘There doesn’t seem to be a runway within five hundred miles.’

‘They’ll parachute into the sea along with their RIBs,’ explained the brigadier. ‘For these men, that’s as easy as jumping into a swimming pool is for you or me. Meanwhile, one of our latest submarines, theUrsula, is closing in on the yacht. In fact, they should already have made radar contact with them by now,’ he added, a pinpoint of light indicating a position well to the south of the third corner of the triangle.

‘What role does a submarine play in this operation?’ asked the Foreign Secretary.

A long silence followed, before the Defence Secretary admitted, ‘It’s there as a last resort, Prime Minister.’

‘A last resort for what?’ demanded the PM.

‘Should we fail to take the yacht.’

‘And if that were to happen?’ pressed the Cabinet Secretary.

An even longer silence followed before the Defence Secretary admitted, ‘HMSUrsulawould blow the yacht out of the water. But not before we’re certain they’ve killed the Princess and, even then, not without your authority, Prime Minister,’ he added as a phone began to ring from the far end of the table. William looked suitably embarrassed and was about to turn it off, when he saw whose name was flashing up on the screen.

William stood up, leant across and pushed his Motorola into the middle of the table, while placing a finger to his lips. A room full of men who were used to giving orders fell silent as William pressed the speaker button, so everyone could follow the conversation.

‘Good morning, sir,’ said a voice with a slight Irish lilt, that William recognized immediately. ‘It’s DI Hogan.’

He couldn’t remember when Ross had last called him ‘sir’.

‘As you know, Inspector,’ said William playing along, ‘regulations require that in a situation like this you have to answer four security questions in order to prove your identity.’

‘Understood,’ said Ross, well aware William would be analysing every word he said.

‘How many officers are under my command at Buckingham Gate?’

‘Ten,’ said Ross.

‘How long does it take on average for an ambulance to reach a traffic accident in London?’

‘About eighteen to twenty minutes,’ responded Ross.

William wrote down the numbers ‘ten’, ‘eighteen’ and ‘twenty’, before asking his next question. ‘What was the first car you owned after leaving school?’

‘I wanted a Porsche, but had to settle for a second-hand MG, that only had a thousand miles on the clock.’

William added ‘one thousand’ to his list.

‘What was your mother’s maiden name?’

‘O’Reilly. I had six brothers and four sisters. Our mother ruled us with a rod of iron.’ William wrote down the numbers ‘six’ and ‘four’.

‘Thank you, Inspector Hogan. You can now tell me your reason for calling.’

‘As you may know, Bill, the yacht on which my principal is sailing has been taken over’ – he avoided saying, by a gang of terrorists – ‘and their leader who is now in charge of the vessel wishes to speak to you.’

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