The Gruinard Project Chapter 40

[khandy]

Chapter 40

Tay View Hotel. 14.00

Jo watched from the surveillance van as the two men left the hotel.

“Mobile one suspects have just left the hotel,” she spoke into a hand held radio.

“Copy I have them in view and am following them on foot”

The two men although unaware of being followed were moving quickly and with purpose. Timing on an op like this was everything and Sands was expecting to be picked up in ten minutes.

Jo climbed out of the van and set off in the direction the men had taken. Up ahead she could see the CO19 officer Alex turning into the side road.

“They have entered a pub called The William Wallace in Strathairn road I am still in pursuit.”

The pub was busy, a lot of early season tourists and golf enthusiasts were enjoying a later lunch.

“Mobile one do you still have visual?” Jo asked.

“Negative this place is packed. I am working my way through the bar but am unsure where they have gone. Shit!”

“Mobile one I don’t like shit, what is it?” Jo asked.

“This place has a beer garden with access to a bridge over the river. Our two suspects are half way over it.”

“Well don’t just stand there, get after them! Mobile three suspects heading in your direction over the Strathairn road footbridge. How far are you from there?”

“Five minutes moving in that direction now.”

Alex hurried across the bridge but the two men had disappeared from view. He looked left and right down two small roads that led off the main road. The men were nowhere in view. He turned and ran back to the foot bridge swearing under his breath.

The two men had disappeared down a side street with a row of garages on one side. They had entered the first garage unseen as Alex made his way over the foot bridge. Once inside they quickly changed into their uniforms before switching on the vehicles ignition and pulling away.

Jo ran down the side of the pub and moved across the bridge towards Alex at the other end.

“Well!”

“No idea Jo, they have vanished.”

Another officer joined them as an ambulance passed by.

“Nothing this way Jo, nobody has passed me.”

“You go left and I will check right,” Jo said swearing under his breath.


The Gleneagles Suite. 14.30

There was an air of expectation in the room. All the delegates had returned from lunch promptly for the afternoon session, none of them wishing to miss what Robert Mugabe had to say. A low hum of voices could be heard as the delegates discussed what implications his speech might have for the Commonwealth.

Lucas scanned the room; the tension in the air could be cut with a knife. The hairs on his neck stood up on end and deep in his gut Lucas realised something had changed within the room. Was it just the level of nervous tension or something more physical? The door opened and all eyes moved in that direction and the conversations stopped. The Commonwealth Secretary General, Kamalesh Sharma led the President of Zimbabwe to a table to the left of the stage.

It was amazing the charisma some men had. It was almost impossible to draw the eyes away from Robert Gabriel Mugabe; it had to be acknowledged that the man had presence. Lucas knew that outside demonstrations were being held in protest at his being allowed to stand on British soil but as Britain was part of the Commonwealth to whom the request had been made, there had really been little or no option to refuse his request.

Lucas watched carefully as the President poured himself some water and sipped slowly as he listened to the Secretary General, who was outlining the afternoon’s agenda. The young waitress, Heidi Scott was circulating, her eyes watching Mugabe carefully.

Again Lucas felt a sense of unease. Malcolm had been unable to turn up anything unusual about her. According to her records she had lived in the country for several years having moved here as a child. She seemed to pause for a fraction as she watched him sip at his water and a strange expression passed fleetingly across her face.

Puzzled Lucas sipped some of his own water, a sense of foreboding creeping over him.

“Lucas is everything ok, you have a strange look on your face?” Malcolm’s voice came over his com into his ear.

“Something is not right. I can’t figure out what but something has changed in this room since this morning when I scanned it with the security team. Can you run some checks Malcolm? And watch Heidi Scott, all is not as it seems there.”

“Ok Lucas I’ll do some checking.”

“Thanks Malcolm.”

“The Prime Minister lent over.”

“Is there a problem Mr North?”

“Not yet, let’s just say it is a feeling. It’s being checked out.”

Both turned their attention to the stage as Robert Mugabe stepped up to the podium and began speaking.

Communication Suite. Gleneagles Hotel

Malcolm was running a series of checks but so far everything had been normal. Mugabe had been talking for several minutes asking that sanctions against his country be lifted explaining how he felt they were illegal.

The mobile at his side rang.

“Jo.”

“Malcolm we have lost them. Christ knows where they have gone tell Ros I am on my way back.” she hung up without saying anything more.

“Ros contact with the suspects in Perth has been lost, Jo is returning here. Is it quiet out there?”

“Yeah too quiet, how the hell did CO19 lose them?”

“Jo didn’t say. Lucas is edgy he feels as if something is different in the room. I am checking it out.”

“Ok let me know if you come up with anything.”

Malcolm’s gaze returned to his monitors reading the data on view. His eyes widened in surprise.

“Lucas so far I have one change inside that room. The temperature is much higher.”

“Higher? Could it be because of the people in here?” he asked, his hand rubbing at a slight discomfort in his abdomen.

“Not by this much. Are you ok you look a little green around the gills.”

Lucas looked around aware that the delegates were getting restless. A wave of severe nausea swept over him and intense pain ripped through his abdomen. Other delegates were all exhibiting similar symptoms.

The PM at his side began to vomit. Lucas glanced at the water.

“Malcolm get on to Harry, people are dropping like flies in here.” He glanced around looking for the source and noticed the young waitress calling somebody for help.

Lucas watched her mouth moving.

“Mugabe is down and I have rung for the emergency services.” Heidi spoke as she moved to the door.

“Malcolm it’s Mugabe who is the target. The water must have been contaminated.” Pain doubled him up and he vomited profusely. “Heidi Scott just left, get Ros to detain her, she is part of this. Have this room locked down until the ambulances get here.”

He collapsed to the floor, pain and nausea sweeping over him in waves. This is not what Kate said would happen, she said it would be a gas. How could they have been so wrong?

Lucas moved slowly to the PM’s side. The man was pale and clammy but no worse than the others in the room. The sound of emergency service vehicles approaching could be heard.

Paramedics entered the room and began treating people.

Lucas was weak from vomiting and he hardly noticed when the oxygen mask was slipped over his face; just grateful to be drawing the oxygen into his lungs in deep breaths. His eyes moved to the paramedic treating the Prime Minister and then further round to those who were helping Mugabe. Sands! His mind reeled and he looked at the man who had been attending him. It was one of the men Jo had been following, he recognised him from the night he had followed them in London.

“Jesus Christ,” he groaned trying to pull the mask away. The man’s smug smile confirming his worst fears. Lucas tried to push up from the floor. The man lent over him to push him back down. Lucas lifted his elbow swiftly and caught the man under the chin knocking him off balance. Ripping the mask off his face he spoke almost desperately. “Malcolm it is a gas. It’s the oxygen cylinders. Sands is with Mugabe.”

He withdrew his weapon and aimed at Sands slowly squeezing the trigger firing once. The shot hit him through the forehead and he fell backwards. Stunned silence swept across the room followed by screams and yells of terror. Despite a wave of nausea washing over him he turned and aimed at the man who had treated him, the shot hit him mid thigh causing him to fall to the ground. Pain doubled Lucas up and he collapsed to the floor as Ros came into the room.

She dropped to her knees brushing the hair from his forehead.

“Get the oxygen turned off. Kate said it would be a gas.” He looked beyond Ros; Philip Russell was sat against the wall. Why Lucas thought, before he lost consciousness did he look so smug?

[BravoNine]

Oh no! We must save Lucas!!! He has to be Best Man!!!

[khandy]

(07-12-2010 06:39 AM)BravoNine Wrote:  Oh no! We must save Lucas!!! He has to be Best Man!!!

Watch this space I have to say I'm the cliff hanger queen

[HellsBells]

Well I didn't see that coming, very well done! Now you have to save everybody, khandy, please......