Wilco- Lone Wolf 18 Read online

  ‘It’s a well-worn routine, sir, the same plan as in previous campaigns. We move in slow, use our eyes and ears, make an assessment. Plans are no good when the shooting starts. But can I call in anyone I need?’

  ‘Yes, the more units getting some exposure the better. You’d take the RAF Regiment and medics?’

  ‘Yes, plus maybe Pathfinders and regular SAS. I’d have a lot of men hidden at the border, no risk, but a perception of risk to them, and that helps to mature a soldier. And it’s a big area to cover.’

  ‘Those small RAF planes in Sierra Leone got plenty of coverage,’ the PM noted. ‘RAF were very happy, good for recruitment of pilots they said.’

  ‘Navy could play a role, if you want them to send a ship or two,’ I nudged.

  ‘I’ll hold a meeting on it soon,’ the PM said as he turned to the Defence Secretary, who nodded. ‘What timescale are we working to?’

  ‘Americans expect us to move in two weeks, but we could just let the terrorists sit and stew for a while. I’m in no big hurry.’

  ‘And this Israeli I heard was placed with you?’ the Defence Secretary nudged.

  ‘Would like to come along, but … it would need to be kept quiet, fake American ID perhaps.’

  ‘Could cause more problems than it solves,’ the Chancellor noted.

  ‘Up to you to grant permission.’

  The PM said, ‘Get a fake ID for him.’

  ‘Her.’

  ‘A lady!’

  ‘Yes, but she’s tough, a trained soldier.’

  ‘Christ, a lady soldier.’

  ‘I have a lady spy in Central America as we speak; they have better cover stories.’

  ‘As they did in the Second World War,’ the PM noted. ‘Behind the lines in France. My great aunt was one of them, parachuted in.’

  ‘I’ll meet with the UKSF Directorate and the MOD this week, sort teams, a loose plan,’ I offered.

  They stood.

  ‘Should be a well-oiled machine by now,’ the PM noted.

  Out the meeting I headed for Vauxhall, soon in the nice lift and up to the Director’s office. She was on the phone but waved me in, David sat with his head in files. He eased up and made me a tea as the Director finished her call.

  She came around and sat. ‘Not injured?’

  ‘Not this week,’ I quipped.

  ‘And how was the Prime Minister?’

  ‘Keen to see more propaganda movies about our glorious military escapades … so long as casualties are kept down of course. He asked about Mexico and I explained it, and they were not shouting about it – they realise we need the Americans on board. So it’s business as usual, MOD to meet to discuss Yemen.’

  She noted, ‘But they know you’re coming…’

  ‘Yes, and that’s not an issue, I would have assumed that, and the first villager to see us would report us. I would not have organised a risky all-out attack on a stronghold, clever trap waiting. We’ll sneak in quietly as usual.’

  David began, ‘We’re no further forwards on the dead Saudi diplomat heading for the blackjack tables in Vegas…’

  ‘And I still wonder what he was going to warn me about. It must have been something he disagreed with his bosses about, a moral choice, and he chose to try and warn me. But why me … and not you lot?’

  ‘Something personal to you,’ she noted. ‘An attempt on you and not on your men, or on a target here.’

  ‘Well … he’s dead, we have no further intel, so … we carry on as normal,’ I told them. ‘I doubt the Saudis would tell us what he had access to.’

  David eased back. ‘We think we now have a complete picture of what the bank was up to, and Lord Michaels - as was, and apart from a handful of men on the run we have no unanswered questions.’

  ‘Devauden is in South Africa.’

  David made a note. ‘I’ll have Interpol alerted. There are four people on the run we’d like to chat to.’

  ‘How’s Mi5 these days?’

  ‘Mr Kitson has cleaned house,’ the Director informed me. ‘There have been no recent incidents, and he thinks he has the complete picture.’

  ‘So maybe it will be quiet for a while,’ I said with a sigh. ‘Is there anything you want me doing ahead of Yemen?’

  David noted, ‘Carlos the Jackal is of no use to us. Oh, diamonds were handed to that lady of yours in Panama.’

  ‘Tiny, from 14 Intel,’ I noted. ‘I’ll call Tomsk later. Where do you want the money sent?’

  They exchanged a look. David told me, ‘There’s a Cayman Islands account we use, semi-official. Have him route it so that it’s untraceable.’

  I nodded. ‘I’ll sort that later, yes, but it will take time to cut them and sell them I guess. And the former President of Guinea-Bissau?’

  David told me, ‘Has cut a deal with the Americans, and will drop the army general right in it, plus others involved in gun running. He’ll get a shorter sentence.’

  ‘An African president found to be corrupt, who would have believed it.’

  They rolled their eyes.

  David noted, ‘You have the two CT police with 14 Intel, but there are a few other chaps we’d like trained, and … tested as much as trained, see if their mettle holds.’

  ‘Send them soon, I’ll take them to Yemen. That will sort the men from the boys!’

  ‘Simply the idea of going to Yemen would worry most sane people,’ she noted. ‘Are you … confident?’

  ‘It’s hills and sand, so we’ll win,’ I told her. ‘Unless … unless the Saudis have a nasty surprise for me.’

  ‘They hit Desert Sands with missiles…’ David cautioned.

  ‘I won’t be using helicopters to insert, nor parachuting in, we’ll walk in or drive in … or use camels.’

  ‘So where are we vulnerable?’ she asked.

  I made a face. ‘Ships offshore, rear base in Oman – but attacks inside Oman are non-existent these days, Omanis do a good job with their security. Be most vulnerable flying down there, over Saudi territory!’

  ‘They’d not shoot at a British plane,’ the Director insisted.

  ‘Still, I’d rather not take the risk, so … some teams go across their airspace, I’ll go around.’

  ‘Hard to go around,’ David noted. ‘You have Egypt and Somalia on one side, Iran on the other side.’

  ‘Then maybe I fly commercial, fake name,’ I quipped. ‘Spectre can organise it for me, they have extra cash.’

  ‘Extra cash..?’ David nudged.

  ‘Tomsk sent more, for rewards in the press, plenty left over. Oh, Spectre is sending some cash to GL4, so we need a cover story for it.’

  ‘I can back-date a transfer from our cash reserve,’ David noted.

  ‘You have a cash reserve?’ I teased.

  ‘Set-up during the Cold War, to keep us going for six months if the banking system collapsed following a nuclear strike. We have gold coins as well. Used to have tins of dried milk.’

  ‘Past its use-by-date I think,’ I suggested. ‘Don’t put it in your coffee.’

  The Director asked, ‘Any … evidence floating about regarding the incident in Antwerp?’

  ‘None that I’ve become aware of, and I’m confident that … things are what they seem in the media. In the worst case scenario … I could be accused of making a phone call, nothing more.’

  She noted, ‘The Belgian police are suspicious, because of NordGas and the incidents here in London. They’re joining the dots.’

  ‘I doubt they’ll find anything, and if they do … some suspicion might fall on the Omanis, who are beyond their scope of influence and would not cooperate anyway. So I’m happy with the backstops.’

  ‘And the shootings in London?’ she pressed.

  ‘Deep State admit to them. Any evidence left behind on the dirty pavements of our capital?’

  ‘No, none, and that’s the problem – the police here think that someone high up is hiding evidence – namely us.’

  ‘The PM asked me, and I hinted
at the Americans, and he’s not pushing the matter.’

  David noted, ‘Many members of the public think it was you and your men…’

  ‘They do, so I heard, but they also applaud the act.’ I faced the Director. ‘No one trying to move you aside?’

  She regarded me coolly and eased back. ‘There were voices in the dark, now all but quiet. The only criticism we get … is that we did not push hard enough to investigate Lord Michaels.’

  ‘That was the issue for everyone, police included – and the JIC,’ I told them. ‘People seen to be above the law. Oh, your two CT police with me, you want them in Yemen?’

  ‘Yes,’ David told me. ‘On the front line.’

  I frowned at him.

  He explained, ‘They might be expected to do some leg work in the future, so … we need to be sure they can handle something more than a push and shove in a crowded bar at Christmas. What you did with our Russian speakers … we want more of, those men now quite excellent at … the work required.’

  ‘They don’t tell anyone about the work they do for you when they’re not with me, they don’t even tell me.’

  ‘Glad to hear it,’ she quipped.

  David told me, ‘They have a very good success rate, no evidence left behind, and work together like a team should. Just that we desire more teams like them; they’re unique.’

  The Director began, ‘What you did with our men, that planned maturity on the trigger, that has caused a re-think in some quarters. We often take from the military, and after the Second World War we took from the former SOE and other units, excellent men - who were tried in battle.

  ‘In recent decades, the ex-SAS soldiers were … less than desirable, as you know. They seemed to have the skills on paper, the experience, but the SAS attitude was an issue. We found some good people, and some very bad ones.’

  ‘The standard patrol routes in Sierra Leone and Liberia are available to your people,’ I told her. ‘And I could have men placed with Tomsk or Carlos. Being placed with Carlos would test their nerve.’

  ‘An idea, yes,’ she agreed.

  Back at GL4, now 6pm, I ate in the bustling canteen, finding out what some of the teams had been up to today. After my meal I headed up to the Intel Section, and the nice lady captain sent a fax to the UKSF Directorate, inviting them down to discuss upcoming operations, a similar invite for Colonel Marsh in Credenhill.

  In the recreational shed, I mixed deliberately with the American Wolves and asked questions of holidays as much as today’s training, making sure that I spoke with every Wolf at least once, and I moved around the room chatting to the British Wolves, some being corporals.

  Robby stepped in at 9pm, caught my attention and waved me outside.

  ‘I thought you had run off without saying goodbye,’ I teased.

  ‘Lads are due to move back up next week, some of us with a thirty-day extension on the houses, which makes for a long drive.’ He heaved a sigh. ‘Anyhow, got a problem. Credenhill wants me back and made up, troop sergeant, but my wife will divorce me if we have to move house again.’

  ‘Ah…’

  ‘My daughters like the school, they have local boyfriends, so … I was wondering about Echo.’

  ‘You’re suited, yes, but we have enough staff sergeants and men for now, and I don’t want to upset Colonel Marsh, so go talk to him about your wife first.’

  ‘What about No.1 Field Recon, they don’t have any sergeants at all?’

  ‘True, yes, they could so with some training staff. In the morning let’s go see Sanderson and ask, it’s his show. This is my base, but … I try where I can to respect those above me.’

  He headed off to see his irate wife.

  In the morning I grabbed the Brigadier and Sanderson, and with Robby we sat in Sanderson’s office.

  I began, ‘Robby here has a family in a house in the village, daughters in school – and happy with that school, and the daughters have local boyfriends - happy with those boyfriends. And his wife is threatening to divorce him if he moves back up to Hereford.’

  ‘Ah,’ Sanderson realised.

  ‘You want him in Echo?’ the Brigadier asked.

  ‘That’s one possibility, but at the risk of upsetting people in Credenhill. What’s obvious … is that No.1 Field Recon has no directing staff – none at all. You have captains, then a few corporals.’

  ‘True,’ Sanderson agreed. ‘And something I was hoping to address soon.’

  ‘So how about Robby for Sergeant Major, in charge of training,’ I suggested. ‘Swifty will help out, so too Crab and Duffy, but they may be away with me. Robby has the years in, and the experience. And the point is … you can’t have someone in here trying to tell men what to do unless he’s done it himself. A fresh sergeant from elsewhere would be laughed at.’

  ‘That is a good point,’ Sanderson noted. ‘Few could try and tell the Wolves what to do. I have no objections, but Credenhill might have some.’

  ‘I’d quit the SAS,’ Robby suggested. ‘That or be a single man with an expensive divorce to face.’

  I said, ‘They can’t stop him quitting, and they’d process him in a day.’

  The Brigadier offered, ‘I’ll call Marsh today, smooth it.’

  ‘What about other sergeants?’ Sanderson floated.

  I told him, ‘There are a few in the regular SAS I could recommend and work with, you can’t have any Echo men, not yet anyway – apart from some time from Rocko. And the Americans expect their men under my guidance, and Intel want my training for the British lads, so I have to be closely involved always.’

  ‘And if you’re away?’ the Brigadier nudged.

  ‘If Echo was on a job … then mostly likely at least some of the Wolves would be along, like Yemen.’

  ‘And the political will for the Yemen job?’ Sanderson nudged.

  ‘I met the PM, and he’s happy enough. They want another movie like Camel Toe Base.’

  ‘Best avoid the fuck-ups and the casualties then,’ the Brigadier curtly noted.

  I tipped my eyebrows and nodded.

  Walking to Billy’s office, I told him, ‘We’ll be off to Yemen soon, base in Oman, so you can do some lectures – although most everyone knows what you did in Oman already.’

  He shot me a look. ‘I was there, you weren’t, so yes – I shall lend my experience to the pool of knowledge, young man.’

  ‘Ouch. I wasn’t saying that I didn’t enjoy your story over a beer.’

  ‘I’ll dig out my notes and photographs.’

  ‘Notes and photographs..?’

  ‘I … was going to write a book about it.’

  ‘It’s been twenty years, so just when were you going to get around to it?’

  ‘After I retired, which has now been put back,’ he complained.

  ‘Your country needs you, old timer.’

  Around the base, I checked in on the various teams training, shouting at a few, encouraging them to run a lap between sessions. In the Killing House, Salome was working with Tomo and Nicholson, MP5s and grenades.

  When they were four rooms along I tossed a grenade into a room behind them, shocking them, a pause caused – Rizzo shouting at them to move on. With Salome moving on, deeper into the Killing House, I chatted to Monster and Parker as they waited their turn with Tiller and Brace.

  Outside, Stretch was with Henri and Sambo, running around the track in full kit, but not at a great pace, the sky a dull leaden grey as always. After I checked each team I knocked out a few laps with MP Pete.

  At 5pm, and after I had cooled down and changed my shirt, I called Colonel Mathews.

  ‘Ah, Wilco, we were just thinking about Yemen.’

  ‘Job is still on, sir, for two weeks or so, but they know we’re coming.’

  ‘They know?’

  ‘The Saudis got hold of the plan, and told al-Qaeda, then supplied weapons and money.’

  ‘Sons of bitches, we protect them against Iran! What the fuck is their problem!’

 
‘Problem, sir, is that the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing, and if one of the princes sends money to al-Qaeda he doesn’t get sent to jail – he gets a wrist slapped.’

  ‘So what’ll you do?’

  ‘Proceed with the insert, walk in and hit them around the edges, your Navy there for air strikes. Oh, do you have a sub with cruise missiles?’

  ‘Got two of them in the Red Sea.’

  ‘Be a photo opportunity, to hit the terror training camps before I go in.’

  ‘Soften them up, yes, they’ll lose some sleep. What about men?’

  ‘It’s a big area, a rear base plus a forwards base probably, so I can take a lot of men and find a use for them. Perhaps the same men that were at Camel Toe Base - I don’t want anyone new on the insert, but we can try new men at the forwards base.’

  ‘I’ll look at the teams, yes. Greenies were saying they were bored after returning from Africa.’

  ‘And the wounded men in Liberia?’

  ‘One lost a foot but is fine, getting used to the prosthetic leg in a VA facility. One had a nasty stomach wound, fixed, and he’s back in work but taking it easy, guy with shrapnel in the lungs had an operation without complications and is back in work.’

  ‘Is there a helo carrier near Yemen, sir?’

  ‘I can find out and move one. Two weeks might be enough time to move it, but I think Admiral Jacob’s split taskforce is due to re-group off Somalia anyhow.’

  ‘Let’s aim for two weeks, sir, as a guide.’

  ‘And how was your holiday in Mexico?’

  ‘Mexico, sir, never been there.’

  ‘Lying little shit.’

  ‘Who me..?’

  I called Admiral Jacobs next, a courtesy call, and he was in Riyadh of all places, soon to be back on ship.

  By 5pm Robby was facing a reprieve on his marriage, after Colonel Marsh relented. Actually, Colonel Marsh shouted some at the Brigadier, then called me and shouted some for pinching his best men – at which point I detailed my externals that he had pinched, at which point he shouted some more.

  Robby called Marsh direct and told him he’d have his papers in the morning, and that Robby would get a job as a painter decorator to save his marriage – and that Colonel Marsh could go fuck himself.