Remember Remember (32 page)

The Master of the Afyon, a Captain Amdarni had locked himself in his quarters which were eventually breached. However, Amdarni had shredded immense amounts of paper and documents before shooting himself dead through the temple. The ship was searched and little was found, but it did have a very superior airtight wash down system and heavy lifting equipment.”

Rock interrupted, “A wash down system Captain, for what purpose do you think it was installed?”

The Captain looked at his notes and turned to the next page, “we do have a statement from one of the surviving crew, which states the wash down system was installed many years ago by Iraqi personnel when Saddam Hussein was still in power. The wash down system was for personnel and had been activated occasionally when people entered one of the containers. It seems it was used as a decontamination system.” He then stopped to read his notes and concluded, “On the subject of containers, only two were found on board the Afyon.”

Rock responded, “did any of the survivors know where the third container had been placed?”

“No sir,” replied Cunningham, all the survivors have been interrogated on three occasions and it is now believed they have no idea where the container was raised or lowered in the ocean. We do have vague details of the times of the operations which lead us to believe the container was raised between 20 to 50 miles west of Gozo and lowered between 20 and 10 miles off the coast of Turkey; which is why you have been asked to attend this debrief I believe Major Rock.”

The Major nodded and replied, “Yes, thank you Captain. Now have you any idea where the container may have been lowered with regard to the Turkish coast line?”

Again the Captain referred to his notes and after a few seconds of silence responded, “the nearest town to the general location we believe to be Olu Deniz, however that’s just a guess sir.”

Bagshaw turned to Rock, “this is your desk and I think you should use your contacts in that area of Turkey to find out if anything suspicious is going on. Didn’t you go out to this region last year?”

The Major nodded, “I did sir, this is the area where the unidentified man was murdered and Alan Johnson holidayed. It seems a good coincidence that the container was lowered near Olu Deniz.”

“If we are to believe the crew Major, they did seem a little vague,” interrupted Cunningham.

The Major turned to Cunningham “Do you have a description of this Captain Amdarni?”

“Better than that, we have a picture of him taken from the SS Afyon.” The Captain opened his file and passed the picture to him, “There you are Major, we believe it was taken recently as it shows the ship in Malta, which when confirmed with the log proves the ship visited Valletta three times in the last twelve months.”

“Thank you sir, may I keep this?”

“Yes you may, you can also have an electronic copy of it; the address is on the back.”

“Thanks Captain,” Rock then turned to the group and said; “if you don’t mind, I have work to do with this, is there any further information you can give us Captain?”

“Not really, only that the hooks and chains on the crane were extremely long and rusted, which makes us believe they were used for lowering and raising the containers in a few fathoms of water. We also found two large black camouflage sheets which would cover the tops of forty foot containers.”

“It all points to them being lowered into the ocean.”

“Yes, Commander, that is our belief. We also believe the cargo to be very sophisticated sir, because you wouldn’t need decontamination systems for drugs, armaments, booze, etc.”

“No, but you would need them if you were dealing with radioactive or biological cargo,” interrupted Rock.

“Indeed sir,” responded Cunningham, “and this is our main concern, that somehow this Captain Amdarni had access to a container or containers which were filled with either atomic or biological weapons.”

“And it’s now somewhere in the sea off Olu Deniz,” replied Rock.

“Yes sir, this is our belief,” he turned to pick up his notes and turn off his lap top, “oh, just one more thing gentlemen, there were no mobile phones on board or lap top computers. When interrogated one of the crew said Amdarni ordered them to remove their sim cards and throw them overboard then throw in the phones ten minutes later. It seems he didn’t want anybody retrieving his mobile calls.”

“Can they be found?” enquired Rock.

“Not really sir, the Bristol followed the Afyon for more than eight nautical miles before she was boarded, that’s too much ocean to search for such minute equipment.”

The meeting was closed and it was agreed that Rock would contact Inspector Farouk in Turkey.

February 20
th
, Milton Keynes, England.

Major Rock had indeed contacted Farouk and it had been agreed with the Commander of Police in the Turkish region that three coast guard fast deployment motor boats would survey the seas around the Olu Deniz coast and along with the air force search up to twelve miles out to sea. He had informed Farouk about what the British thought the containers carried and the Turkish authorities, although usually reticent to assist the British, were on this occasion more than helpful. No country wanted that kind of cargo close to its shores.

Farouk had also agreed to interview Mr Holler, the owner of the Blue Dolphin and armed with the picture of Captain Amdarni had confirmed with Holler that he was one of the men in the group who had met the previous year, on his shaded terrace.

Now armed with this information Rock requested of Commander Bagshaw that he re-interview Alan Johnson and hold him for 28 days under the anti-terrorism laws. The commander asked for patience, advising that to re-interview him now would give them no further information. Therefore it was agreed they would wait to see the outcome of the search off the Turkish coast. For now Alan Johnson would be observed but left to get on with his daily routine.

February 24
th
, Sheraton Pyramids Hotel, Cairo.

Shan had been asked to attend an urgent meeting with Hussein bin Hussein and they were both now sitting in the outside lounge area drinking tea and watching the various antics in the swimming pool.

Hussein leaned forward and passed a newspaper to Shan, “Read the article on page three, it will be of interest to you, the one about a cargo ship.”

Shan picked up the newspaper and read the report. After four minutes he closed the paper and placed it on the table next to his tea then remarked, “This may change quite a few things sir.”

“I believe it may, but it may not. Have you noticed the picture of the ship?” Hussein bent forward to retrieve the paper, turned to the page then pointing his finger at it said; “As you can see, it only has two containers on its foredeck; therefore Amdarni must have submerged the third container before he was killed and as the ship was boarded off the Turkish coast, I believe he had done as promised.”

Shan took the paper, looked at the picture and replied, “I can see that but the Turkish authorities will be looking for it if they think Amdarni submerged a container on their coast line. This means that Onar Ibsick may be in danger if he tries to retrieve any of the cargo.”

Hussein responded, “It also means the Turkish authorities and the British; as they were the ones who boarded the ship, will be looking for any links with Amdarni. Now I know you and I have met him, therefore we need to cover our tracks well. Do you have any electronic or written documentation involving him?”

Shan shook his head and smiled, “No, none, our English colleague, Alan Johnson would not allow it.”

“What about telephone communication?”

“Yes, there was some of that between me, Onar and Amdarni but Amdarni always used a mobile pay phone which I hope he discarded before he was killed.

Hussein replied, “He was ordered to do that in case of capture and I have put into action six calls from around the world to his mobile, none of which have been connected to a person or voice mail, therefore I think we can assume he did indeed dispose of his mobile,” he looked at Shan and continued, “are you absolutely sure there was no other communication?”

“None, I’m absolutely sure, the only link I have is with Onar Ibsick who is in charge of the factory.”

“What kind of link?”

“We have made some phone calls and I have transferred monies to his factory from our Swiss bank accounts.”

“Does he have an exit strategy?”

“Yes, he has a second identity, sufficient funds in Syria, and can leave at a moments notice. He is a very valuable ally and we will need him again if we are to continue to use WMD.”

“And you, Shan, do you have an exit strategy,” Hussein whispered.

“Yes I do, I have more than one.”

“Then I suggest you use one of those strategies immediately unless you have a good reason to remain Shan.”

“I have no reason to remain Shan Binal Shid. I have transferred sufficient funds to Onar and my contact with Alan Johnson in England can be made using a new identity. The only thing I now need to do is to warn Onar and transfer the monies left in the Swiss bank account into the Middle East.”

“May I suggest you do that from here?”

He nodded and patted his pockets feeling for his mobile. He found it and pressed the key for Onar’s speed dial number; then the phone, which seemed to ring for quite some time, was eventually answered.

“Onar, is that you?”

“Yes it is, how can I help?”

“This will be my last call to you because our friend Amdarni has been killed and his ship impounded. However we believe the goods are in place and therefore available but we need to know when you will need access because it may be dangerous?”

“Not for at least another few weeks, I have enough of the product in containers on site.”

“Good, then continue as you are doing for the coming weeks because by that time the authorities may have either found what they are looking for or called off the search. Whatever you decide to do please ensure you are able to use your exit strategy should it be needed. I will contact you again, perhaps in Syria. Goodbye Onar”

“Goodbye Shan, see you again soon.”

“I hope so,” he ended the call and pressed a second speed dial number for the Swiss bank.

April 11
th
, Olu Deniz, Turkey.

Onar had manufactured and exported hundreds of tons of fireworks to the UK in the months of January, February and March, but now needed access to more WMD from the second container. However he was aware the Turkish authorities would be searching for the container and anything out of the ordinary around the coast of Olu Deniz.

The task to locate the second container would not be difficult but to dive and retrieve the anthrax would be time consuming and dangerous.

The moonless night of the 11
th
gave cover to the small fishing boat which set sail at 02.00 and moored twelve miles out to sea. Two fishermen could be seen working their pots and lines, while Onar was busily retrieving oxygen tanks from the container. By 08.00 the boat had returned to the shore at Olu Deniz and the exhausted crew began the slow process of moving the tanks from ship to shore to factory. The operation of the 11
th
of April went without a hitch and gave Onar enough WMD to fulfil his order book for April. However, the high risk involved in obtaining the WMD would need to be undertaken again if he was to continue to fulfil all the orders.

May 10
th
, Olu Deniz, Turkey.

Shipments for April and May would be made but more was needed for June and onward. Therefore Onar decided to make a further dive on the first moonless night in May. The two fishermen and Onar again set out at 02.00 to rendezvous with the container and he was lowered into the depths to begin to retrieve the WMD. Above the water the two fishermen went about their business lowering empty and raising full oxygen cylinders; until at 03.55 a searchlight picked out their profile from a fast deployment coastguard boat.

A pre-arranged signal was sent down to Onar to cease work immediately but not to surface and the two fishermen began dropping oxygen cylinders over the side of the fishing boat. Nets were released and as the coast guards came nearer the fishing boat’s engine spluttered into life and the two men tried to make their escape. However they were no match for the coast guard boat and within a few minutes they were ordered to stop engines and prepare to be boarded. The fishermen complied with this, stopping their engine and waiting until the coastguard were alongside and preparing to board. Then without warning both fishermen opened fire with machine pistols, killing three sailors immediately and injuring two others. One of the fishermen then started their engine and moved off at speed while the second continued to fire at the coastguard boat.

Within seconds their small arms fire was returned with heavy calibre machine gun fire and when the spot light again lit up their boat it was raked from stem to stern with machine gun bullets killing both fishermen instantly. It took the coastguards a further 35 minutes to secure the fishing boat and bring on board both the dead fishermen and the dead coastguard crew. They then set sail for port, having left three marker buoys to triangulate the location of the incident.