Dave sat on an office chair, Sally was right, he was shattered. His eyes closed, he wasn’t sleeping, his mind was too active, he was planning the next move. When his phone rang, Sally answered it, she told Jane he was resting, “tell him the package has been intercepted in Kirkwall, replacement parts will be there in six hours, the local police will do the swap, repackage it like it was, the label will be the same. They do it for drugs coming onto the islands.” Ten minutes later his phone went again, it was the Admiral, he confirmed about the replacement parts, tell him there is a submarine looking for the yacht.
Dave opened his eyes after an hour, he had heard his phone, but hadn’t listened to the conversation. Alan made him a coffee, “Sally, take the car, go back to the hotel, we won’t be going back. Alan, how long will it take us to reach Kirkwall?” “Depending on the ferries, twelve hours at least.” He picked up the phone, asked for the number to call the Base Commander, “David Stretton, the warships moored offshore, do any of them have a helicopter on board, I want to borrow one, I have to go to Kirkwall.” He was told they weren’t under his command, but at least one will have a helicopter. He called the Brigadier again, “sir, I want to fly to Kirkwall, there is a ship nearby which has a helicopter on board, can you arrange things for us?” He put his hand over the mouthpiece, “is there a landing pad on the base?” There was a nod from Alan, “sir, they can land here and pick us up.” Finishing the call, he dialled Trevor, a former detective, who resigned before he was sacked. He had been caught with his trousers round his ankles with a young WPC when he should have been on a stakeout. He had worked for Dave on many occasions, was never happy with what he was paid. Dave knew it was much more than his usual clients would pay, Trevor was very good at what he did, he easily blended in, with his backpack full of clothes, he changed his appearance several times a day. “Trevor, it’s Dave, no time for the usual pleasantries, I need you in Scotland, three or four days work, your travelling expenses will be paid, hire a car, don’t use your Fiesta, it probably wouldn’t make it, I’ll pay for that as well, £400 per day, don’t argue, I don’t have time for that, I can transfer you the money, or you can have cash when we are back in Loughborough. I want you in Dundee, ready to work on Wednesday, some of it might be day and night, observation on a property only. Sally will send you over the details of the address, do you want the job?” Dave waited for the reply, “find a hotel in Broughty Ferry, look on a bloody map if you don’t know where it is.”
Twenty minutes later, Sally was back, “I left the suitcases in the car, I don’t know what you have planned,” “hopefully we are going to Kirkwall, at the moment I’m not sure how we are getting there. Can you send over the information on Fraser MacIntire to Trevor, nothing on his background, enough for him to know who he is watching, the address and anything we have on the woman, he is driving up tomorrow.” His phone rang to say a helicopter would pick them up in thirty minutes. He phoned Jane next, “we are flying up to Kirkwall, can you let the local police know and ask them to meet us at the airport, tell them we will be armed.” “What’s your plan, we have only discussed up to the point of collection?” “I want to follow him, see where he goes, more is happening which I may tell you about later, I need Police Scotland to be working with me, can you smooth the way.” “What are you planning?” “At the moment, there is no plan, I have a few ideas, but nothing concrete yet. I will talk to you tomorrow.” Sally was putting everything away, Dave thanked Alan for his help, he asked him to assist Sally with the suitcases and take them over to the landing pad. “One last thing, could you find a couple of great coats, it will be freezing in the back of the chopper.” Dave went to say goodbye to the Base Commander, “the investigation has finished here, the MPs and local police will tie up the loose ends, I’m sorry about the woman.” “I can’t say it has been a pleasure, you get results, but leave a trail of debris behind you for others to sort out.” “That’s about right.” Dave shook his hand before leaving the office. He saw the helicopter coming into land, Sally had never been in one, her heart was thumping. They waited until the rotors had stopped and the rear door was opened, Alan helped them with the bags, he passed Dave the coats, Sally kissed him before climbing in. Dave thanked him and clapped him on the back. They were given headphones, the bench seat was uncomfortable, Dave checked they knew where they were going. Sally looked ridiculous in a coat much too big for her. The helicopter was noisy and draughty, once they were airborne, Dave moved and sat on the floor, he could stretch out, his eyes closed. Sally’s initial excitement soon turned to boredom, she too closed her eyes, but it was too noisy to sleep. It was dark when they landed, a police car was waiting for them, a young plain clothed policeman came over to help them carry everything. “I’ve booked you into a hotel, I assumed you would be staying the night, an inspector is waiting to see you.” Dave looked back and raised his hand to thank the pilots, it was only ten minutes to the hotel. Dave said they would be back down in half an hour once they had showered and changed. In the room Sally slumped onto the bed, “Dave, I’m knackered, would you mind after we have eaten if I come back up to bed?” “No, I won’t be long after you, there won’t be much to discuss.” “By the time they were in the bar, the restaurant had shut, an Indian restaurant a couple of streets away was suggested. “One of you will have to bring Sally back here afterwards, she is very tired.” The four of them ate, the talk was of life on the islands and whether there was much crime or not, Drugs and drunks were the biggest problems they were told. Sally didn’t want dessert or coffee, the young policeman went with her back to the hotel. Dave was asked who they were and what was to happen. “We are investigators, the goods you swapped were stolen, we want to find out where they are going, a yacht will come into the harbour, it may be here already, waiting for notification the parcel has arrived. The man on board may also be a suspect in a murder. Tomorrow, we will need an office to work from, can you sort it out, otherwise we will work in the hotel, if they have a meeting room, that would be better.” The inspector tried to find out more, but Dave gave away nothing else. Sally’s escort had returned, they sat drinking coffee until 23:30, in the hotel, Dave asked about a meeting room, it was booked for the morning, “Callum will be there at 09:00, he will help you with anything you need locally,” Dave thanked them both, Sally was sleeping, she never moved as Dave climbed into bed beside her.
Dave made coffee, the hotel wasn’t Flemings, it was basic but clean, he knew it would only be for a couple of nights. They were both dressed in jeans the next day, the breakfast was huge, Dave thought he wouldn’t need to eat again until evening. Callum the detective joined them as they were finishing off. “This is a bit different for me today, I saw what information we hold on you, it says you are a taxi driver and your wife is a receptionist, is that true?” “If it says it on our files, then it must be true.” Dave was shown where the meeting room was, he asked for a large pot of coffee and biscuits. Sally was setting up the laptops, she didn’t know what Dave had planned. “Callum, do you know the harbourmaster, or whoever it is in charge of the marina, I want to know when the yacht arrives?” “I know one of the girls at the marina, I can find out the number for the harbourmaster.” Call them both, here is the name of the yacht, tell them you want to know when it arrives.” He turned to Sally, “Can you look at the wife’s bank account again, I want to know if she has spent any money since the last statement.” The coffee and biscuits arrived, he poured out three mugs, he picked up his phone. “Good morning Jane, any news from the police in Portsmouth, do we know what her movements have been, or who she has called, Sally is checking on her bank account now.” “Dave, before I say anything about this, the Prime Minister is chasing you, he wants you in London, I’ve said where you are, he wants to know when you will be back.” “If it goes the way I think it will, then by the weekend.” “The wife has been out shopping, she has bought summer clothes, either they are planning a holiday, or she likes a bargain. There have only been local calls, nothing to report there.” “OK, thanks for the info, I will speak to you when the parcel is picked up.” “I’ve spoken to them both, they will call me when the yacht is tied up.” “Dave she has been clothes shopping, buying a lot from different shops,” “Jane says it is all summer clothing. I think his plan is to exchange the parcel for money, sail down to Portsmouth, pick up his wife and sail off, the yacht isn’t suitable for ocean sailing, only coastal.” His next call was to the Brigadier, “sir, there is a sub, trying to find the yacht, would you find out if they have had any luck, I have no idea who to contact, if you could give them my direct number, I would appreciate it.” He finished his coffee then opened a packet of biscuits, he offered them round, it was only him who ate. The detective and Dave’s phone both rang at the same time, he didn’t recognise the number, “Are you David Stretton?” It was a woman’s voice, “yes,” “Can you confirm your former service number and date of birth.” Dave asked who she was, “I am in Naval Intelligence,” He gave her the information, she asked for his current MOD pass number. “Sorry, but you have enough information already.” The line went dead. Dave immediately phoned the number back, it rang, but wasn’t answered. He called the Brigadier, “sir, I’ve just had a call from someone saying they are in Naval Intelligence, she asked me for my service number and date of birth, she then asked for my current MOD ID, I refused, she then hung up, can you find out if it is genuine, I called the number back, but no one picked up the phone.” Sally and Callum were now looking at Dave. “I’ll phone you back as soon as I find anything out.” Callum said his call was about the yacht, it will be here in three hours. Dave’s phone rang again, “it was a genuine call, she will ring you back.” Two minutes later he was again speaking to the lady, this time he was only asked for his date of birth and service number. “We haven’t been able to find your yacht, the sub is still looking, the problem is it can’t go too close to the shore, the seabed in the area is very dangerous.” “The yacht is due in the marina in Kirkwall in three hours, I can let you know when it leaves, hopefully you can then monitor it.” Dave took a number to call back on, he was given a reference to use. “Callum, we want to go for a walk, will you be our guide, I want to see where the Marina is and the collection point for the parcel?” It was easier to start at the shop, Dave looked round, the street was busy, it was a five minute walk to the marina, he saw a bench, sitting on it, he could see the entrance to the marina. “We’ll sit here, Callum, you look like a copper, no amount of a disguise would make you look any different. Do you have any undercover officers locally?” He thought and said yes, “ring the inspector, tell him I need someone undercover for an hour, get him to meet us at the hotel.” Callum made the call as they walked back. “Why do we need someone else?” “We will sit on the bench watching the comings and goings, I want the pickup watched, in case he goes a different way, or there is a handover before he comes back here, things may happen very quickly.” Dave rang Trevor to make sure he was on his way, he swore about how far it was, he was told to shut up and get on with it, “Call me when you have had a look round.” The undercover officer arrived, he was wearing dirty torn jeans, and an equally dirty jacket, he was unshaven and his hair was greasy. “Thank you for coming,” Dave explained what he wanted him to do, Sally came into the room with Dave’s backpack, they both put on shoulder holsters, checked their gun and put on coats to cover them. Callum and the other policeman said nothing. Dave looked at his watch, “time for another coffee before we go.” The undercover officer bought a takeaway coffee as they walked towards the pick up shop, he sat in the doorway of a long closed shop, he could see everyone who entered and left. Discrete earphones allowed him to relay what was happening, Dave took his number and said he would call, describing what he was wearing. Callum was to sit in a café, ready as backup. Dave and Sally sat on the bench, there was a cool breeze, an ice cream van nearby had no customers. Sally nudged Dave when she saw the mast of a yacht, there was no way they could tell if it was the right one. They watched it tie up, they were looking straight ahead as the sailor from the yacht tied up, stood on the pontoon, looked at the yacht, then walked towards the shore, Dave and Sally were ten metres away, once passed, Sally whispered it was him, Dave phoned, blue canvas shoes, jeans, thick blue jumper, captain’s hat on, five minutes.” Dave and Sally moved, there was another bench further along, they still had a good view. The phone line was still open, “just gone in,” a few minutes later, Dave was told he was on his way back and he was following him, the parcel being carried. Thomas Grassington walked down the pontoon, onto his boat, a few minutes later, he was leaving the marina. The four went back to the hotel, the undercover officer having had some biscuits left. Dave phoned Jane Goodley to tell her the pickup had gone smoothly, “we need to get back to the mainland, we can’t take a commercial flight, we are armed, can you sort out something, or shall I try a military flight?” Jane said to leave it with her. He called Naval intelligence next, he said the yacht had just left Kirkwall Harbour. “Where to next?” “Dundee, meet up with Trevor,” “This is wearing me out, when will we stop?” “There will be a couple of days rest in Dundee, hopefully it will end there.” Jane Goodley called back, “I want you to know, I’m not your secretary, there is a plane waiting at the airport, it will take you to Dundee, don’t hang about, I have booked you into a hotel, the police will meet you when you arrive. David, phone me later, it doesn’t matter what time, we have to discuss what you have planned.” Sally went off to pack again, Dave’s phone rang, it was Naval Intelligence, they had located the yacht, however the submarine was required to be elsewhere, monitoring was being taken over by a naval trawler, they would be monitoring from over the horizon, Dave said he wanted to be informed if the yacht headed towards a harbour. Before leaving, he phoned the Brigadier, he said the next forty eight to seventy two hours would be critical. “Can I phone you later once I am in Dundee, it may be in the evening?”
The journey to Dundee didn’t take long, a police car was waiting for them, Dave said he wanted to buy a street map of the city and another one showing the river. With these bought they went to the hotel, it was in the town centre and modern, he asked for a meeting room for the next three days. Sally was tired, Dave suggested they ate as soon as the bags were in the room, “you can sleep then, I have phone calls to make and meetings to organise. I will do it all in the meeting room so you can sleep, I might go out to have a look round, if I do. I will leave you a note.” It was 19:00 when he kissed Sally and left her getting into bed. He took the maps down to the meeting room together with one of the laptops. The first call was to Trevor, “have you had a look round yet?” “Just a quick look to get my bearings,” “We are in the Hilton Hotel, phone me when you are in reception, I will come to get you.” The Brigadier was next, “sir, I think the end is in sight, a few more days will bring it to a head, my suspicion is he is making for Dundee, probably to meet with Fraser MacIntire. I need some assistance, I want a senior officer from 45 Commando to meet me in the morning, 07:00, I don’t have time to organise my own people, plus they will have the equipment I require, please tell him I will be in charge and if he has a problem with that to call you. Will you confirm once you have it organised?” “David, this has to go higher, the Defence Secretary will need to be informed and approve whatever it is you want to do.” “I’ll speak to him if necessary,” “no, that won’t help, I will call you back when I have an answer.” “Sir, it’s going to happen anyway, if there isn’t any help, Sally and I will do it on our own, I have a man here already who will give some assistance, my next call is to Jane Goodley to organise the local police.” She was expecting his call, “David, as I said earlier, I want to know what is happening, no further assistance until I know.” “Thomas Grassington is heading for Dundee to make the exchange, I don’t know when or where, there is an ex SAS soldier who disappeared on an operation near the Russian border, he was assumed dead, I spotted him when we were in Edinburgh, Sally tracked him to Dundee, we have his new name, he has a female Russian minder, they are supposed to be a couple, but Sally says not. I think they will be involved, I have asked the Brigadier for assistance from 45 Commando, they are based about fifteen miles away. He has to get authorisation. Is that enough information?” “What is your plan?” “Capture or kill.” “That’s not much of a plan, I can’t go to the new Home Secretary and say someone who doesn’t work for us, wants my help to capture or kill people suspected of selling secret equipment to the Russians.” “It sounds fairly reasonable to me.” “What do you want?” “A senior policeman to meet me at 07:00 in the morning, an Army officer will also be here, he should be told I’m in charge. I don’t have an exact plan, everything is fluid and will change as more information comes in.” “I’ll phone you back later.” He spread out the maps and was looking at them when his phone rang, he hurried down to reception, met Trevor, picked up two coffees from the bar and returned to the meeting room. “How does it look?” “The flat is above a shop, direct access from the street, it’s a fairly busy place, shops on both sides of the road, difficult to get a good point to watch, lights on when I walked past, some on street parking.” “Show me on the map,” Dave flicked to Google Streetview on the laptop, “that’s the one, the green door is now black.” Dave did a 360degree sweep to look round. “Do you know if there is a marina locally?” “Haven’t a clue, you never asked,” “I want to start looking tonight, let me tell Sally and you can show me where it is.” Sally was sleeping, he wrote a quick note for her. Jane Goodley rang when he was in the car, an Area Commander would be there at 07:00.
© 10210ken 2025
