CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Bella and Hurst were busy in the cavern and Stanton just appeared. “John, that was a flying visit, did you see Hollis,” asked Hurst, Bella stood up walking briskly to him and kissing him on the cheek.
Stanton sat down, the round table was covered in documents, Hurst put down the paperwork he was studying to focus on conversation, he studied Stanton’s face with interest. “Yes I saw him, things are coming to a head, they’re moving him to Downing Street.”
“Finally buckled, they’ve been onto him for ages.”
Stanton looked into space, his hesitation took the wind form Hurst’s sails. “Hollis is the most venerable of us all, moving to Downing Street is a ploy organised by the misguided. Hollis was left where he was for a reason, separation of powers is being trashed.”
“You had the chopper land in Horse Guard Parade, we heard two minutes after it happened. John what are you doing, I would have thought you’d view that as desecration, hallowed ground due the utmost respect.”
Stanton sighed and gazed at Hurst. “If they thought we were conformists they may be reconsidering their opinion. The global financial crisis is affecting many high flyers and they’re dipping into the public purse one way or another. Polaris is the last straw. Brannigan is on the verge of finding the first ones, have you studied the intelligence reports from the US I gave you on Iraq.”
“How the hell did you get this John, this stuff is latest top secret. I was worried about what was going on in the Middle East now I’m terrified.”
“I need you to be up with it, give me the stuff on Vauxhall Cross we have to find more intelligence for Brannigan.”
The Chancellor of the Exchequer displayed a fit of rage, his office in Downing Street was in lock down as he lectured the three members of MI6 gathered before him. He threw papers at the three impeccably dressed intelligence public servants, they looked upon his rage with a scowl. “John Stanton walks straight into Westminster, expected to see Hollis, doesn’t even walk in his door and then vanishes, what do we pay you people for. A man called Brannigan demanding intelligence on government ministers walking around Vauxhall Cross like he owned the place.”
“We didn’t come here to be abused or lectured, we asked a perfectly straight forward question. Do you know Gustav Fleming if not why have you had several phone conversations with him in the last two months?” asked one of the gathered flanked by his co-operatives.
“I talk to a lot of people in business Fleming is one of them.”
“You spoke to Gordon Sheldon several times while he was recently in Helsinki then again in Sweden.”
“The chancellor picked up the phone and waved it at them. “I’m going to ring the prime minister, its cold in northern Russia so dress warm.”
“We were sent by Albert Hollis, he passed the request onto us after receiving them from number ten.”
“Get out, go on get out!”
The three shuffled to the door in the inner office, they opened the door two walked into the outer office and the conversant spoke before exiting. “You are to remain in your office until intelligence we have received can be verified or defeated.” He closed the door leaving two operatives seated with his secretary in the outer office, the chancellor began to make calls.
Stanton rubbed his neck, he stood up to stretch his back holding the document he held closer to the light to weak to read the fine print, he squinted and read the paragraph again. “Bella tell me what this says, if it refers to Iran I’ve read correctly.”
Bella studied the document sat next to him on his left. “Good god, I read it as Iran as well the name rings a bell, I remember it because it’s nearly impossible to pronounce.”
Stanton took the document back waving it in front of him thinking deeply. “He’s a remnant left over from the Iranian government overthrow in nineteen fifty three, a covert operation between the SIS and CIA, he must be in his seventies now, and he obviously hasn’t forgotten what happened.”
“If they know why hasn’t anyone acted?”
“Maybe directives have been issued, Iran is hard place to get into and harder to get out of.” Stanton picked up two other papers from the table translated from Arabic in the last half hour. “Every piece of intelligence gathered from the area be it Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon all mention the same thing. Priority on acquiring weapons of mass destruction and some idiot from our ranks just sold them plans for one.”
Hurst butted in listening on the other side of the table. “Russia’s mentioned supplying know-how for nuclear power, why would they need Polaris plans if they could lobby the Russians to provide design, enough of their scientists working in the Middle East with weapons experience.”
“What if they trade Polaris plans in a deal to bypass development and acquire Russian warheads, the Russians would know the Polaris plan would have been scraped when the information went missing but comparing warhead design would be of interest to them.” suggested Stanton. “All comes back to one thing, intelligence clearly shows they all seek the weapon of Armageddon described as a weapon of mass destruction similar to those used at the end of the Second World War on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.”
“It’s our information floating around out there, should be our responsibility to retrieve it,” said Hurst.
Stanton sat back down next to Bella, he touched her gently on the knee, she looked up from what she was reading with a warm smile. “Agreed.”
A phone that had only ever rang once before located in the corner of the cavern began to ring, Stanton and Hurst looked at each other, faces of stone waiting to react. The phone was a direct link to Albert Hollis’s office. Hurst closest to the phone stood and answered it. “Hurst.”
“This is Albert Bruce, I have some grave news for Stanton.”
“He’s here.”
“Okay, Brannigan has been marched out the back of Vauxhall Cross headquarters with his hands tied behind his back, he was blindfolded and executed.”
“Good god.” Stanton stood up his gaze focused on Hurst.
“That’s all I can tell you, initial reports have been confirmed Brannigan was shot out the back of Vauxhall Cross, he was tied and blindfolded, I have no other intelligence at this time.”
“Hang on,” Hurst looked up at Stanton. “It’s Albert Hollis, Brannigan has been taken out, shot in the grounds of Vauxhall Cross, bound and blindfolded.”
Stanton stood motionless, he didn’t move a muscle.
“I do know he had instigated investigation within the corridors of Whitehall, I have an operative on his way here to brief me directly involved in the probe. Please extend my deepest sympathy to you all, it’s a sad day. I have arranged for Brannigan’s family to be informed in Plymouth. I no doubt will see Stanton shortly, someone has crossed the line,” Hollis put down the receiver and the line went dead.
Hurst put down the receiver and stood by the table opposite Stanton. Bella sat next to Stanton with her hand over her mouth, her eyes were damp she fought tears. Stanton and Hurst sat down slowly, it was difficult to see each others faces as the light above the table hang low directly on eye height. “Bella,” she put her hand on his on the table. “Go and tell Rose Brannigan is dead, promise me you’ll look after her.” Bella nodded speechless. “Go and get our son and vanish where no one can find you, even me.” She began to cry, she got to her feet kissed Stanton on the head and left the cavern. “Bruce, go back to Westminster, go to Vauxhall Cross, find out who killed Brannigan and sanction them.”
“They could be civilians we don’t know.”
Stanton raised his voice. “I don’t care who it is they crossed the line. Put a cordon up around Hollis of the most trusted operatives from the elite only chosen from the island. I’m going to spend half an hour in the computer and satellite communications centre with a couple of our boffins then I’m going to Westminster.”
“John careful what are you going to do.”
“Resign.”
Hurst looked drained, shocked, he suddenly fe
lt so alone. “Surely you can’t be serious.”
“By the time I get to Westminster they will understand serious. If you get calls for operative assistance do not respond.”
“I can’t do that John.”
Stanton moved closer to his friend, Hurst could sense the sadness and despair etched in Stanton’s face. He reached across and gripped Hurst's hand with his squeezing it tightly. “We’ve been through a lot Bruce, promise me you will stay beside Hollis and be there if I need you.”
Hurst shook his head and looked down, he breathed heavy and fought back tears. “Brannigan is not your fault.”
“I put a man in harms way where I should have stood, wont happen again. The next one and that’s you, will have me standing in front of him although I’m not there. I should have acted when they went after Bella, I suppose I did in a way something began to churn inside me.”
“John I don’t understand.”
“The separation of power is about to take on a new direction, going after Bella was despicable, the mother of a son, in the name of the mother I take a stand. I’ve been working on this for years. One day we would be considered expendable standing in the way of the misguided and evil, today is that day. The saddest thing is it’s triggered by our own ranks. Attempting to and succeeding in gunning down patriots of the realm to better ones own financial standing is crossing the line so far they may as well stand on the battlefield themselves. This raised it’s head after the global financial crisis, as you suggest we should not operate outside our creed but this must be stopped. Beyond this event I will find an operative that can sanction within public affairs willing to stand with us as this will get worse as times get harder. I’ll leave you Bruce, look after yourself I have an appointment in Westminster then will be working in the Middle East for a while but I will always be at your side. My goal is Australia to mend a broken family and the mother of my son’s.”
Hurst half smiled, he swallowed the lump in his throat. There hands left each other’s grip, Stanton stood and walked out. Hurst watched him go, he sat for a while, he wiped the tears from his cheeks, he didn’t know how long he had been sitting numb in the cavern as he was suddenly brought from his trance by Bella and Rose. Bella consoled Rose as she wept uncontrollably sitting opposite Bruce Bella held her blonde locks into her chest as she cried. Rose’s unexpected breakdown declaring her love for Brannigan had given her focus, Rose wasn’t quiet what she thought. “She’s never lost anyone before that was inside her, I know how she feels.”
Hurst stood up, grabbed his jacket from the back of the chair. “I have to go Bella, look after yourself, do as John suggested become invisible. A son?”
Bella nodded. “It’s a long story.”
Hurst forced a smile. “A cross between Bella Fonteyn and John Stanton, good luck with that Bella.”
She smiled then laughed, they touched hands and Hurst left. “Will you come with me Rose, I need you.”
Rose surfaced from the solace of Bella’s bosom reassured as from the bosom of mothers a sacred place from which all beings rise she found destiny, her mascara ran all the way down her checks carried by the tears of anguish, she looked shattered but home. “Yes,” she muttered, “of course.”
They cried together for some time, recovered and left the cavern empty, their perfume’s bouquet etched into the concrete walls leaving another layer of history below the surface of Foulness Island. Together they found solace in Pimlico, not far from Vauxhall Cross; even Bella would struggle to believe the outcome.