Dave was up at 06:00, he had breakfast in the canteen and was sitting in the office by 07:00. His first call was to the Prime Minister. “Sir, hopefully this will all be resolved by the end of today or tomorrow morning. I need many things to happen and you may have to cancel whatever you had planned for today, may I come and see you in private. I will be armed and have two security guards with me, the sooner the better. We need to discuss what I have planned and update you with where we are.”
A meeting was arranged for 08:30, connecting up the laptop, he printed out four copies of the plan, he put them together with the paperwork from the previous night in his briefcase. He went to see Sally, he explained what he was doing. “If I am attacked, then the Prime Minister is in on it. I don’t think he is, why would he risk losing his own job, but who knows.” He put on his Kevlar vest and shoulder holster before going back downstairs. Howard was in and sitting at his desk. “I’m going out for a couple of hours, call me if anything comes up. I want a car and two armed security guards at 08:00.”
Slipping on a jacket to cover his Glock, he made his way down to the basement, the car and guards were waiting for him. “Downing Street, the back entrance, guns ready, it should be uneventful, but who knows.” Fifteen minutes later, he was passing through security, the alarm went off, but he was allowed entry. This time he was taken up to the private quarters, Richard Carlton was wearing light trousers and an open neck shirt, his wife had jeans and a jumper. He was sitting in the kitchen eating breakfast, he was asked if he wanted anything, “a coffee would be good.”
“You can talk while I eat,”
“I would rather you read the reports, it’s only rough as they were printed out for a discussion last night, but it gives you the gist of where we are. Afterwards, I will explain anything you don’t understand.” Richard Carlton read as he ate, his wife had left the room, Dave sipped his coffee, as the last sheet was put down he said he understood why Dave had kept it quiet. “There are very few people we can trust, there are probably others who we don’t know about, if we are successful, they will fade into the background.” He handed over the plan he had devised the previous evening. “The issue we have sir, is, one phone call could ruin everything and we would be back to square one.”
“If I read this correctly, you want to arrange a meeting where leading politicians, including myself, will be prevented from leaving or making unsupervised calls until you have visited the Major.”
“Yes, depending on what we find there, we will move in on the other members of the organisation, it will all have to happen at the same time. The meeting would be here, or I would prefer at MI5, it’s up to you how you get them to attend. If you agree, I will head back and start making preparations. Please tell no one, not even your wife.”#
When he returned, Sally and Jane were waiting for him. “Jane, have you told Howard you are back in charge?”
“Yes, he was pleased, he said you were a little demanding.” Sally, will you see the guards outside Taff’s room, have him taken down for breakfast, tell him to eat a lot, he will be busy later. Have them bring him up here when he has eaten. Jane, we will need overalls and other equipment from the stores, when we have a list, will you organise it please?”
“David, I’m supposed to be in charge now, not you.”
“I will want a team ready to start processing information from around 18:00 this evening, when we have all the names and addresses, the cavalry will move in. We need to be gone from here by 12:30, it will take around two and a half hours to get to Chepstow. When your guests arrive, they can be briefed regarding the operation.”
Sally came to say Taff was waiting in an office, she took Dave back to where he was. “Taff, now is the time to prove your loyalty, phone Colin, I want him on site at an address in Chepstow. I need a full report on the property, how many are there, what weapons they have and how we will get in. There will be four of us.” He pushed the phone on the desk across to Taff. “When you are speaking to him, I will give you the address.” He dialled the number, Colin immediately asked him how he was, Sally had pressed the button to put it on speaker mode. Taff said what was required, Colin agreed.
Dave spoke giving the address. “Colin we will be there at 16:00, be somewhere you can take a call from then onwards. I’m putting a lot of trust in you and Taff, I hope you don’t let me down.” There was a hint of menace in his voice. When the call was ended, he said for her to go down to the stores, a load of equipment would be waiting. “Taff, your weapons will be returned when we set off, I will give your phones back to you later. When we leave here, take all your kit, you won’t be coming back, the danger will be over. Now I need you to go back upstairs, the guards will look after you.”
At 11:30, he saw the Prime Minister. “If everyone is here by 12:15, I will speak to them, I have to be gone quarter of an hour later.”
“The meeting is arranged for midday, so everyone will be here.” Dave walked into the room at 12:15, inside were the Prime Minister, the Home Secretary, the Defence Secretary, the Chief of the Defence Staff and the Chief Constable of the Metropolitan Police. Jane Goodley was talking to the Home Secretary.
“Thank you all for coming at such short notice, I know many of you have had to cancel appointments, I will give a brief explanation for the meeting. You are all here because there is a possibility you may be in danger, when I am gone, the Prime Minister will brief you on our investigations, you are not permitted to make any phone calls or send emails unless permission is given by the PM, he is in overall control. Miss Goodley will make sure there is ample food and drink during your time here. Some of you will be required to contact your departments, however, you will have someone with you when you do this. I’m sorry to impose these restrictions on you, when the PM explains, you will understand. Thank you and good afternoon.” With that he left the room, Jane Goodley followed him out, “David, take care,” she kissed him on the cheek. Sally had all his kit, Taff had been brought down, he was dressed in black overalls. “Everything else is in the car ready, it has blue lights.”
Dave put the blue lights on all the way along the M4 until they crossed the River Severn, the satnav guided him the last few miles. Taff had been given his phones back, he called Colin to find out where he was. Dave stopped for only a few seconds, Colin appeared and jumped into the back seat alongside Taff. Dave carried on until they found a layby to park in. “OK, what have you found?”
“The house is isolated, front door, back door and doors into the garden from one of the rooms. No lights on upstairs, there are at least four guards, all armed, they do a tour round the outside every thirty minutes.” Dave asked if they were military. “Yes, they look like it, they are each carrying an Uzi.”
“Can we get to them unseen?”
“If you judge it right, there are bushes near the house, they walk past them, you could crouch down while you wait, a knife would be best.”
“Do either of you have a problem killing another serviceman?” They both replied with a no.
“There are outhouses, the doors are padlocked.”
“Any women or children?”
“No, not as far as I could see.” Sally said his records said he was divorced.
“When we get inside, shoot anyone with a weapon, unarmed ones to be tied up, the Major is not to be killed, if he points a weapon, shoot to injure. Colin, you will be in charge until we get in, I assume you have brought your own weapons, Taff has his Glock and a knife, we will give him those when we get out. Where can we park the car?”
“There is a forestry track further along, it is about a mile to walk to the house, my car is there.”
“OK, let’s move off, give me directions.” None of them noticed the cold, Sally had several layers on under her overalls. From the boot, Dave handed round headsets, he passed Taff his weapons. Sally strapped a knife to her right leg, she checked her Glock, Dave was doing the same. Taff and Colin stared as Sally opened a bag and took out two Uzi’s. “We’re equal now,” they were put in a backpack, together with extra magazines, Dave carried it as they made their way to the house.
It was now 17:00, Dave wanted to get into the house, he whispered into the headset. “Take out the next guard to come round, we will then go in the door he came out, you know what to do.” Colin moved away from them to be in the bushes next to the house. They others watched as the back door opened, Colin waited until he had passed, he crept out from behind, the knife pierced the guards heart. Seconds later he returned carrying an Uzi. Dave opened the backpack, he took out the Uzi’s passing the mid-sized one to Sally. “Taff, you go in first, followed by Colin, Sally and I will be right behind you. Sweep the ground floor, then Colin and Sally to check upstairs.” Taff opened the back door, his Glock ready, the kitchen was empty, the only other door was closed, he listened for any noises before opening it. He was now in the hall, the light was on, there was a staircase and five doors.
Taff crept round listening at each door, he pointed to one mouthing ‘voices’. The signals he made were for Colin to follow him, Dave and Sally were to watch the other doors. Taff put his hand on the handle, Colin had his Glock ready, the Uzi was over his shoulder. He nodded, the handle was turned, and the door pushed open. “Nobody move.” An Uzi was being picked up, Colin’s shot echoed round the house, Dave indicated for Sally to start opening doors. He found the one with the Major, he was rushing to put documents on the open fire. Dave shot him in the leg, he fell to the floor. Rushing in he saw another person holding a gun, “drop it,” he shouted, a shot rang out, it missed him, there would be no second shot.
He retrieved the papers from the Major and put them on the desk, Sally was now in the room. “The rest are empty, but there are noises upstairs.”
“Get the backpack, bring it in here.” Moving to the doorway, he called to Colin. “How many do you have?”
“One dead, four alive.”
“I have one dead and one injured, Sally will be here with the cable ties in a minute. Then we have to look upstairs, she said she heard noises.” When she returned, Dave said for her to stay with Colin and secure the prisoners, “shoot any who don’t cooperate.”
Taff and Dave crept up the stairs, they lay down just below the top step. “If you come out with your hands up, you won’t be killed. Stay where you are, you will be shot. Come out now, one at a time.” Two of the doors opened, four people came out, they had been sleeping. “How many more are there, if you lie you will be shot.” A voice said there were two more. Dave hated this part, it was always the most dangerous.
The four were waived towards the stairs, Dave and Taff, walked backwards down on to the ground floor. Colin and Sally were waiting to tie them up. “Sit them in the middle of this entrance hall, if you bring out the others, one person can watch them.” Dave and Taff returned upstairs, this time they had Uzi’s, they stopped where they had before. Dave fired a burst at each door in turn, shots were returned from one of the rooms, he crept along the floor to be opposite the door, another burst was fired, again shots were returned. He motioned to Taff to go outside, he rolled a ‘flash bang’ along the landing towards him. He ran downstairs and outside, there was the sound of breaking glass, followed by the sound of the ‘flash bang’ going off. Dave could see the bright light under the door, there was screaming from inside, he stood up and kicked the door open. Wild shots were being fired, the occupants were temporarily blinded. Using the Glock, he fired two shots. The house went quiet. He returned to the room where the Major was. “Sally, will you come in here, try to stop the Major from bleeding to death.” Sitting at the Major’s desk, he picked up the phone and called Jane Goodley. “The first part has been successful, they used a fax machine, I will start sending through everything I find, use the researchers you have organised to put it into some sort of order, your guests can help.” Dave started, it was going to take some time.
Colin and Taff came in to see what they could do. “When Sally has stopped the bleeding, she can watch those in the hall. I want you two to check the outbuildings, when you have done that, load the explosives you find and anything else into one of the Range Rovers outside, pick one with enough fuel to reach London. Bring me the registration number when you have done it, while you are waiting for Sally, see if you can find some coffee.” All the time he had been talking, he had been feeding the fax machine. It was 20:00 when he had finished, the paperwork was gathered up. The computer on the desk was put near the front door, Taff had been sent off to collect Dave’s car. The computer and all the paperwork were put inside, Dave took Taff to one side. “Are you OK, you can come back to London with me if you want.”
“I’m OK, Colin has set up a safe house for me for the next few days.”
“Help me get the Major into the back of the other car, he’s going with me.” All during this time he had not spoken, his leg was still bleeding, but not as much. Once he was in, his hands and feet were cable tied. Dave’s last job before he left was to phone Jane Goodley, he gave her the number of the second car and said he wanted a police escort from the Severn Bridge.
There were no incidents on the way back to London, Dave was in the second car with the Major who was now passing in and out of consciousness. Sally’s instructions were to drive directly into the underground carpark, Dave was met at the front of the building, an ambulance, several police cars and a bomb disposal unit were waiting, the road had been partially closed. He had kept his Uzi on the passenger seat, he picked it up as he got out, ready in case there was any trouble. They had been told who he was. “The man in the back needs urgent medical attention, he has lost a lot of blood, gunshot to his leg, make sure armed police stay with him. He should be arrested and locked up as soon as he can. In the boot is C4 explosives,”
He handed over the keys and went in the main door. The alarms went off as he passed through, no one stopped him. Sally was already in the meeting room, the computer had been brought up by one of the porters. Someone from IT was setting it up. He was passed a coffee while they waited, papers were strewn across the desks.
Looking at Jane Goodley, he asked if they had found anything. “Yes, they used faxes to communicate, they must have thought it more secure, who uses it now. Instructions to all his people based throughout the country, asking for locations for future bombs, we now have the details of the entire group. The phone numbers have all been traced, we just need you to say when. There is a mixture of Military Police and armed police waiting, they haven’t been given the addresses or what they have been tasked to do, we have the emails ready to go.”
“I can’t access this computer, it is password protected, it could take a couple of days to access it.” The man from IT was sitting in front of the screen shaking his head. Sally asked him to let her take over, plugging in a stick, it was only a matter of minutes before she had access. She immediately went to the emails, all eyes in the room were on her, Dave and Jane Goodley were standing behind her looking at the screen.
“These are his instructions, but it doesn’t say who they are from, it’s from an anonymous name using a Russian server.”
“Forward the email on to me, Jane I need to use your office.” He picked up one of their laptops as he went out, she followed him. In her office, once the laptop was running, he asked her to wait outside. He called Yuri from his phone. “Sorry to call you so late, I need something doing immediately if you can, I have an email which has passed through a Russian server. I need to know who the original sender was.” Yuri said to send it over, when she heard no talking, Jane opened the door, Dave pointed to the chair, he put his finger up to his lips. He could hear typing at the other end. “It’s on its way back to you, have this one on me.” He thanked Yuri and hung up, he spun the laptop round for Jane to see.
“Look who has been copied in, Henry Danbury, he is one of Admiral Sheldon’s secretary’s. The sender is not surprising, will you arrest him as well?”
“Yes, he has blood on his hands, I think we have enough to go back in and start the raids.”
Jane spoke to everyone in the room when they returned, “There is no surprise as to who is behind the bombings, Simon Pegson MP of the Patriotic League. He copied in one of the secretary’s in the MOD, they will be added to the list. I think it’s time to get everything moving, the raids will take place at 02:00, once they have started, you may all leave. I’m sorry you have been kept here all day, but I hope you now understand why it had to be done.”
Dave sat on a chair in the corner of the room, his eyes closed, one of the researchers had taken over from Sally and was going through the computer, Jane was watching her. Food had been brought into the room, most people stopped to eat and talk. Sally put enough on two plates for herself and Dave, she sat on a chair beside him. “Are you alright?”
“Yes, I’m just going over everything in my head, can you tell Jane to have the Major’s house raided at the same time, they will have been tied up for around eight hours by the time the police get there.”
“Eat something, we can go upstairs if you want to rest,” Sally went to see Jane, they came back to see Dave together.
“You don’t need to stay here, go to bed, start your report in the morning, if I need you, I will come upstairs.” He lay face down on the bed, he was sleeping within minutes, Sally undid his boots and pulled them off, there was little chance of her getting any more of his clothes off, she undressed and lay under the duvet, Dave slept on top of it.
© 10210ken 2026
