The Gruinard Project Chapter 48

[khandy]

Well this is the end of the road thank you to the mods for keeping me in line warning me what was too much. Thanks to the posters who have commented and those who have lurked.


Chapter 48

The Home Office, Sunday June 14th 14.00 hrs

The Home Secretary looked up as Harry was shown into his office.

“Harry this had better be important, I had guests for lunch and a lovely joint of welsh lamb.”

“I thought you would like to know that we are going to make an arrest tomorrow.”

“Arrest for what?”

“The Gruinard Anthrax attack.”

“You have managed to capture Cashile Abrafo?”

“No we have caught the man behind the attack not some made up terrorist invented for the benefit of the Zimbabwean Government.”

“What the hell do you mean?”

“I mean that there is no such person as Cashile Abrafo. Six are not nearly as clever as they think they are. Do you know what Cashile Abrafo means. Hidden executioner they need to be a lot more subtle.”

“I have no idea what you are talking about.”

“Don’t you? Tomorrow we will be arresting a very prominent British business man as the brains behind the whole attack. The government will have to answer questions in the house.”

“What business man Harry?”

“No you don’t need to know that yet. I will tell you he is knight of the realm.”

“Harry don’t you trust me?”

“Nicholas I trust you more than any other politician but lets face it you’d sell your own grandmother if you thought it would win you a vote.”

“Will you at least alert me before the press get wind of it?”

“That goes without saying.”

Heathrow Airport Terminal Five 15.00hrs

“Alpha one the flight has landed on time. I have the suspect on Airport CCTV.”

“Thanks Malcolm, SO15 and CO19 officers are in place in case he makes a run for it.”

Lucas stood calmly waiting, secure in his ability to do his job what nerves he had were under control.

*************

One of the things that being truly wealthy meant was that he didn’t have to think about the mundane things in life. He never had to make a bed or a cup of tea, do the laundry or polish his shoes, he never had to pack his suitcase or stand at the baggage claim at an airport; there was always somebody else to do those things.

It was good to be back in Britain, he had been away far longer than normal. His break on his island retreat had refreshed him but two weeks break was enough, any more and he would have gone crazy with boredom. He had purposely stayed away in the aftermath of the terror attack. He was no longer angry at the failures of the operation; he had long since learned to carry anger around was a mistake, it clouded the judgement. It was true that he had not made a direct profit out of the weapon but the two main objectives had been destroyed. He smiled secretly pleased that Lucas North had killed Sands before he died. It saved him the job.

His flight from Rome had been uneventful and on time and the deals he had made with the Italian government profitable but he was glad to back in Britain. He strolled through the departure lounge his public smile in place aware of the stares but not acknowledging them. If a member of the public approached and spoke to him he responded politely but he never approached them.

He was listening to his PA who was talking about his engagements for the day when he saw Lucas North. He paused stumbling a little and the smile faltered slightly just for a second but was back in place before the casual observer would have noticed. Confident that MI5 had nothing on him he kept on walking.

Lucas knew the moment Philip Russell had seen him, the smile slipped just for a second. Even without all the intelligence they had amassed on this man in that moment Lucas would have known he was guilty.

He moved forward

“Control, suspect has seen me moving in to intercept . Asset A at his side, inform Echo one to remove her from the scene on my signal.”

“Copy Alpha one.” Lucas listened as Tariq asked Echo one to stand by.

Lucas moved quickly positioning himself in front of Philip Russell.

“Mr Russell I am afraid that I am going to have to ask you to come with me.”

“You look well for a dead man Mr North.”

“Well reports of my death were greatly exaggerated .”

“If I refuse to come with you what happens then?”

“Then you will be removed by force. Officers from SO15 or special branch as you probably know them are positioned throughout this area and the small red dot on your chest is from a CO19 marksman. You can run but you will not get far.”

Lucas turned to the young woman at Russell’s side.

“My colleague will see you get home.” He nodded his head at the agent who was on the op with him.

“Mr Russell this way please?” Lucas placed a hand on the business tycoon’s arm and he felt the muzzle of a gun at his side

“Mr North I don’t know what you think you have on me but I can guarantee you it is nothing.”

Lucas just smiled enigmatically as he led him to a waiting car.

“Control this is alpha one package secure and mobile.” Lucas spoke quietly the gun trained steadily on Philip Russell. An officer in the front seat also had a gun pointed at him as well

“Where are we going?”

“A secure location”

“If you think I am talking without a solicitor you are not as bright as you think you are.”

“That’s ok I will do the talking.”

The car pulled up outside a warehouse some 15 minutes later. Lucas led Phillip Russell into a sparsely furnished room just three chairs and rather oddly a state of the art computer.

“It is not very comfortable is it?” Phillip Russell said as he took a seat in one of the tree chairs in the room.

“Budget cuts. Maybe you could have a word with the government as you seem to be their fixer.” Ros spoke from the doorway.

“Ah the famous stone cold Ms Myers.”

“I’m neither dead or a bloody statue in Trafalgar Square,” she told him.

“Mr Russell we know that you masterminded not only this assassination but also the attempted attack on the French U. N. negotiator last autumn.” Lucas watched Russell closely for any kind of reaction; there was none.

Ros handed Lucas a plain manila envelope. He withdrew a photograph showing Sands stood at a hotel reception desk.

“Recognise this hotel?”

Phillip Russell said nothing.

“You should, it is the George V in Paris.” Lucas opened a file on the computer and a CCTV image of Michael Sands appeared. “Michael Sands at the reception desk. If you look you will see he is asking for somebody, guess who?”

Russell looked at Ros.

“I’m bored Ms Myers are you? That is a grainy image of some man I have never seen.”

“Strange that you say that you have never seen him. You see I can lip read and he is asking for you.”

“Oh Mr North thousands of people ask for me. I don’t know them all.”

Russell smirked.

“No I am sure you don’t but we have a witness who swears that you lunched with the man. It doesn’t do to underestimate us Mr Russell. Do you really think we would have brought you here if we did not have proof that you are behind this?” Ros spoke, her palm itching to smack the conceited look of off or from his face.

“The Gleneagles Summit, you were there on the day Mugabe and all the other delegates were taken ill and yet strangely you were not taken ill. It puzzled me for a while but then I realised why, you didn’t drink the water. CCTV images confirmed that you had your own water. That was a mistake and so was the look you gave me,” Lucas told him.

He placed another photograph on the table.

“Do you recognise this woman?”

Phillip Russell glanced at the woman.

“No.”

“She is an MI6 operative recruited by Sands, name of Heidi Scott. She is Zimbabwean by birth, her family were killed by supporters of Mugabe so she was an easy mark.”

“So she killed Mugabe. Why bring me here?” Philip Russell smiled again.

“No she didn’t kill Mugabe she merely set the scene but she was more than that.”


“Really I am not interested.” Russell’s tone was bored.

“You underestimated Sands. She was his insurance policy, he didn’t trust you.” Lucas glanced at Ros, she nodded and moved forward.

Ros held up a small key

“Do you know what this is Mr Russell?”

“It’s a key.”

“Well done, a key to a safety deposit box. Michael Sands’ safety deposit box full of evidence about you.” She placed a pile of documents on the table in front of him.

“Is this where I ask for a deal.”

“There is no deal,” Lucas said quietly “You have nothing we want.”

“Really how did you survive?”

“You slipped up. One of your guinea pigs survived and so did I. Even if we hadn‘t found your supply of weapons we had the cure.”

“So answer me this Mr North how come Mugabe is dead?”

Lucas and Ros exchanged puzzled glances.

“The disease had progressed too far for the cure to work,” Ros told him

“It is a pity you have no way of confirming that because he was cremated wasn’t he?”

Ros nodded.

“I would have bet at least a million pounds that there was no vaccine in his system, but as there is no way to check I am afraid there's no bet.”

“Lucas, ask him how he knows that.” Harry’s voice sounded in his ear cutting through the silence.

“You seem very certain of that so how do you know?”

“I delivered Mugabe because the British government wanted him dead. When I failed others stepped into my shoes. You may have me but there will always be others willing to do the dirty work for those in power ”

“Who are they?” Lucas asked.

“You think I am going to just tell you Mr North?” Russell smiled. “I think we could have grounds for a deal don‘t we?” He smiled slyly. “Any chance of a cup of tea while you discuss this with your superiors?”

Thames House 16.00hrs

“Harry what does he mean about Mugabe? Was the vaccine withheld.” Kate asked.

I don’t know and even if I did it wouldn’t matter as I can prove nothing. As Russell said the body was cremated because of the Anthrax and with it all trace of the vaccine.”

Kate watched him carefully was he telling the truth.

“So what happens now.”

“We find out what he knows; if it is of value we make a deal.”

Kate wasn’t shocked anymore.

“It’s a dirty business you are all in,” she said resignedly.

“Yes but it enables the public to walk about in relative safety. Phillip Russell is no fool. He knows something to be certain but also he is a leading financial figure in the world, arresting him would have a consequence for the country’s economy,” Ruth told her.

“So for the so - called greater good he gets away with murder. In the main it’s just little people he is killing so they don’t count.”

“Well we balance that, it is the little people we keep safe.” Harry said tiredly.

“Do you need to speak to the Home Secretary or the JIC Harry?” Ruth asked her husband.

“Yeah I will have to make a call now. Tariq tell Lucas what is happening here and get him to make sure that Mr Russell understands that we see what he is offering before we make any deals.”

“Malcolm can you get me a recording of what Mr Russell has just told Lucas and I will take it with me to JIC meeting? Somebody knows what happened to Mugabe. I may not be able to prove anything but I want them to know that I know what they did.”

MI5 Safe House 16.30.hrs

Philip Russell watched Lucas and Ros closely, obviously they were waiting for advice. He smiled, he would be out of here soon, MI5 couldn’t ignore his offer. He would have to lie low for a while, pretend to retire but then he would be back. He brought the mug to his lips and sipped the hot brew.

He realised something was wrong within minutes of drinking. His airway tightened and his mouth started to foam as the poison in the tea hit his system. He fell to the floor a seizure gripping him and at the same moment the SO15 officer walked calmly out of the door.

“Lucas get after that officer,” Ros yelled as she moved to Russell’s side. There was nothing she could do, death was almost immediate and by the time she was at Russell’s side he had gone.

The SO15 officer was rounding the corner of the deserted street as Lucas came out of the warehouse. Withdrawing his gun he gave chase, his long strides eating up the ground. Slowing as he approached the corner he glanced cautiously round the edge of the wall, there was no point in having his own head blown off. He was in time to see the man get into a black car before, wheels squealing, it drove off.

“Control, suspect escaping in a Black BMW licence Foxtrot Delta 9 6 Beta Victor Romeo turning left out of Creswell street.”

“Copy, Alpha one.”

Lucas walked back to Ros.

“He had a car waiting. I have told control but I doubt it will come to anything this…” Lucas nodded towards Russell’s body. “This looks like Six’s work.”

“Bloody marvellous and now we have to clear up the mess.” Ros shook her head before speaking to Malcolm to have arrangements made for the removal of Phillip Russell’s body.

Thames House Section D 22.00 hrs

Kate sighed,they had come full circle.This was how it had all begun sat around the mahogany conference table. There were new faces in Ruth and Tariq and fortunately none were missing. Lucas squeezed her hand under the table as if reading her thoughts.

“Ok people quick update before we go home. Phillip Russell, the official cause of death was a heart attack,” Harry spoke quietly.

“Oh here we go again more cover ups.”

“Yes Kate more cover ups. It is better for the country as a whole to believe he died of natural causes. Nothing useful can be gained from releasing the true facts,” Harry told her.

“The hit on Russell, who ordered it?” Lucas asked.

“That we don’t know, but it had JIC clearance,” Ruth answered.

“The new Zimbabwean regime is popular and trade talks are about to recommence. Some would call that a success. Kate the PM asked me to thank you for your help, he is sorry he cannot acknowledge it publicly. Harry smiled apologetically understanding the workings of the security service world was not easy.

“Ok that’s it everybody go home. Lucas you have annual leave next week enjoy the break.”

Off the coast of the Scottish Highlands, four days later.

The sea was choppy and the small boat rocked violently as it approached the island. The captain of the boat looked at the young couple who were sat arms linked watching the island get bigger.

“It’s a beautiful place but cursed, us locals dunna ken the place. Anthrax Island we call it. What d’you wanna come here for?”

“We are research scientists studying how old work on MOD sites has affected the wildlife in the area,” Lucas told him.

The boat pulled in into the natural harbour.

“I’ll be back in four hours Ok?”

“Yeah fine,” Lucas said as he held out his hand to Kate.

They walked hand in hand in silence for a time. The place was silent except for the call of the sea birds.

“Well the captain of the boat was right about one thing, the place does have a stark beauty,” Kate said.

“Yeah it’s funny I had never heard of this place four months ago and yet because of it my whole life has changed. I bought brought you here for a reason Kate. I wanted to show you that out of horror sometimes something beautiful grows.”

“Lucas that is really poetic. I know you worry that your job will cause problems for us but I can deal with those problems ok?”

Relief washed over him. She had been so angry about the revelations surrounding Mugabe’s death that he had thought he might lose her. It was too soon to talk marriage but he would before long. For now, he was content just to hold her.

He slipped his arm around her and they walked away over the Gruinard Island.

[Quill]

Any chance your can create another adventure for those lovebirds? A follow-up of sorts. Because this one is sooo good, I never wanted it to end.

Did you have to reedit the story for this board, by any chance? I spotted a few silly mistakes that can easily come from quick editing, but that I never noticed on fanfiction.net.

[HellsBells]

Loved the line "Ros spoke, her palm itching to smack the conceited look of off or from his face." so brilliantly Ros.

This was a fantastic story, so well written and the attention to detail, especially the scientific parts, superb. Thanks for sharing it with us khandy.

Any plans for further Spooks fic?

[khandy]

Yeah Quill it was very heavily edited the naughty bits and torture scenes.

Hellsbells As for another spooks story maybe but I am knee deep in a John Porter fic at the moment.

I am so glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for the comments both

[Quill]

Ah, yikes. That was probably frustrating but your author's note was very graceful. In any case, my enjoyment of the story was not diminished the second time around; it's still an awesome tale.

[Poppy]

Thank you posting this, I always was excited when there was a new chapter and will miss it a lot!

[ignatz]

I registered on this forum just so I could thank you for such an engrossing & well-told story. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

[khandy]

(27-12-2010 11:22 PM)ignatz Wrote:  I registered on this forum just so I could thank you for such an engrossing & well-told story. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Thank you for the lovely comment. I challenged myself with this to write a novel length story. I enjoyed the process of writing it greatly.

Kate

[LINDA]

RE The Gruinard Project. WOW.I have just spent two hours reading all the chapters.Could not stop even to make myself a cup of tea.Thankyou so much a happy ending for Lucas.So much better than s9. Harry and Ruth married my cup runneth over,or it would do if i had stopped to make a drink!

[khandy]

Thank you for reading. This is really Lucas series 7 and 8. I wanted to explore what happened in Russia and how that affects him.