Remember Remember (43 page)

He beckoned her to sit and joined her to spend a few moments in prayer. He looked around as he bent his head and observed three familiar faces, two male and one female from the security staff of the ship. Hestood, took Jacky by the hand and whispered to her in deference to the location, “I think we should go across the square and have some refreshments love.”

They walked out of the church passing the huge red drapes that adorned the walls and crossed the square to a bar. She bought postcards for home plus an extra four which Alan had asked for from a gift shop next to the bar, while he ordered two bottles of Fix from the waiter attending the pavement tables.

She pulled out a chair and dropped the four postcards in front of him. She took a slug of her beer, pulled a pen from her handbag and started to write her postcards. Her job complete she passed the pen to him but he declined the offer saying, “I’m taking the cards back to the ship with me. I’ll write them while we’re on board and post them in Alexandria.”

“Why do you want to do that?” she asked as she placed the pen back in her bag.

“I think the postmark from Alexandria will look sexier for Dave and John than one from here.”

“So, why four cards?”

“I want them as a souvenir for the boys my love, plus one for Donald and Tony in York.”

He downed his beer, waved to the waiter and ordered two more, then scanned the surroundings, smiling inwardly as he saw the glint of binoculars from a café’s first floor window across the square.

“They can see and hear us now, Cairo will be difficult,” he thought, “so we might just test them here.”

He rose to his feet and patted her arm saying, “I’m just going to the shop to buy a couple of things love, I won’t be long.”

He walked off before she had time to reply knowing that he only had a few minutes to action his plan. He walked along the row of tables outside the bar and stopped at the last table where two men sat drinking bottles of Lowenbrau.

“Good morning gentlemen, do you speak English?”

A German accent responded from one man, “Yes I do, how may I help?”

He dipped his head and asked, “I just wondered if you would take a picture of me and my girlfriend when I return from the shop.”

“Of course,” smiled the same German, “I will be pleased to.”

He smiled and strolled on to the shop looking across the square as he walked and as he entered the shop another man entered from a door at the rear. He walked straight through the shop to this door, walked out and found himself in a narrow alley approximately twenty yards long. He sprinted to the end, turned left and found himself on a street which led back to the square. He sprinted back to the shop and bought a pack of writing paper and envelopes plus one postcard with a picture of the Mosta Dome. He borrowed a pen from the shopkeeper and wrote in German on the postcard: “Thanks for taking our photograph; I owe you both a favour. Here is a tip a Russian man on the ship gave me for a horse running tomorrow.” He then wrote “Timanskiy Syktyvkzar. Many thanks, Alan Johnson.” He then took an envelope from the pack and placed the postcard in it.

As he completed his postcard and inserted it into his inside pocket another man entered the shop who he recognised as ship’s security.

“Fast,” he thought, “he was pretty fast.”

He walked out, turned onto the street and walked back towards the two Germans seated at the table. They smiled at him as he approached and pulled out a chair which he sat on, then passed his camera to one of the Germans and asked him to take the photograph. He then walked back to Jacky and asked her to pose with him and the German obliged with a snapshot of the two outside the bar in Mosta square. He then walked back to the German, took back his camera, patted the man on the back and walked with him to his seated colleague. He sat down with them, pulled the envelope from his inside pocket and passed it to the first man as he said, “I am trying to learn German at night school, I wonder if this makes sense?”

The man pulled out the postcard, read it and passed it to his friend who studied it. Both looked at each other and laughed then turned to explain, but to their surprise he looked around, rose to his feet and ran into the shop. He ran straight through it, exited again into the narrow passage, sprinted the 20 yards to the corner and then waited. Within 30 seconds a ship’s security man opened the door, looked around and began to run down the passage. Alan turned, ran another 15 yards to the main street and then walked slowly to the square. He entered it just 50 yards from where Jacky and the two Germans had been seated and was just in time to see both men being escorted into two parked police cars, their loud protests being ignored by the police but not by the passers-by and the café’s clientele

As he walked past the cars he noticed that in each car there was ship’s security, one of whom had the envelope and postcard in his hand. He raised his eyebrows, walked on, rejoined Jacky and innocently enquired, “What’s going on love?”

“I don’t know but it’s so exciting, all of a sudden two police cars swerved onto the pavement just there, then the police jumped out and arrested the two guys who had just taken our photograph. People seemed to come from all directions and the two guys started shouting and protesting but both were bundled into a separate car. It’s like something from a movie.” She looked around surprised by what she had seen and said, “Perhaps it is a movie scene.”

He shook his head, took a slug of beer and responded, “I don’t think so love.”

He then smiled to himself and thought, “Very professional, that action was executed in less than five minutes. That was very, very professional; Cairo really will be difficult for me.”

August 11
th
, Costa Atlantica, Valletta, Malta.

Sergeant Impey looked at his six colleagues and cursed, “He’s taking the bloody piss because he knew exactly what he was doing out there. I think we should take him out of the equation now, while we have the chance.”

Major Rock looked at Captain Robert Smart and enquired, “And what is your assessment of events in Mosta?”

“Johnson is good, he’s bloody good and I think a little of what Sergeant Impey says is true. However, if we take him out now we will never know who he intended to meet.” he paused to take a sip of water then continued, “The truth is that Mosta proved one thing to me and I believe also to Johnson, which is that we had a fast professional response to a possible contact. That’s what we’re trained for and that’s what we’re here for, so I believe we can do it again in Cairo or Alexandria if it’s needed, and I think Johnson knows that.”

Doctor Patel interrupted, “We won’t have the Egyptian authorities to back us up there.”

Rock smiled at his audience and responded “Perhaps we will Doctor,” he paused and took a note from his shirt pocket then read the detail, “A Major Rachid of Egyptian Intelligence is prepared to board the ship on arrival at Alexandria and listen to our needs.” He put the paper down and continued, “It seems that London have some contacts in the right places with Egypt. So we may have some help after all.” He nodded to the group then continued, “We have believed since we left London that Alexandria or Cairo will be the contact zones, therefore I want you all to be at the briefing with Major Rachid and then on the ground in Alexandria and Cairo. You know the ultimate goal, which is to contain Johnson and any colleagues he meets. If we have Rachid’s agreement we can then transport them out of Egypt on the Atlantica and eventually back to the UK.”

Sarah Bell interrupted, “Will we be armed sir?”

“I am armed and our two SAS members are armed. I think that’s enough Sarah.” Rock looked at his team and asserted, “Johnson has never carried a weapon of any sort, nor does he own one and Jacky is, we believe, innocent of all that Johnson is up to, so I do not think we need more weaponry. Also, the Egyptians are armed and if Major Rachid is able to give assistance, I think that will be enough armed response.”

“Yes sir, thank you sir,” replied Sarah.

“I feel quite confident about Alexandria, I think we had a good response in Malta and I think we can nail Johnson this time,” he paused took a sip of water then asked, “What do you think?”

They all asserted their agreement and acceptance of the plan.

Alan and Jacky had dined early, they had downed a bottle of Prosecco with their smoked salmon and king prawn salad, a bottle of Chilean 1810 Cabernet Sauvignon with the rack of lamb and beef Wellington; a large Dows crusted port with cheese and followed this with large brandies, petit fours and coffee.

She took a firm grip on his arm as they headed towards deck 5 and the shopping arcade. She squeezed his arm as she stumbled and then smiled up at him, “I think you’re trying to get me tipsy, aren’t you?”

“Now what good reason would I have for doing that?”

“So you can get your evil way with me.”

“Evil way,” he paused and shook his head, “I’ve read the Kama Sutra, paying particular attention to all the different ways it can be done, but I can’t remember the evil one.”

“Oh shut up and buy yourself another book to read, because you won’t be doing anything else tonight, evil or not,” she growled, but playfully squeezed his arm then let go saying, “I’m just going to have a look at those Sarongs, want to come?”

“No love, I’ll go and look at the booze, see you in ten.”

They parted company and he went straight to the jewellery shop. He picked out a chain of gold and asked if they could make a clasp for it. They declined but offered other choices of necklaces and bracelets and within five minutes a deal had been done and a gold bracelet was being packed with bubble wrap in a small jewellery box.

He retraced his steps and found Jacky admiring herself with a multi coloured sarong.

“Can I have it,” she smiled, “can I have it, I’ve always wanted one of these.”

He laughed at her childish ways, “You’re just like a big kid.”

“And you’re my sugar daddy, and if daddy wants some sugar he’d better give his little girl her sarong.”

“Yes, yes,” he smiled as he passed his identity key card to the person at the till.

She linked arms as they walked towards the wine bar, snuggled her face into his shoulder and teased, “I’ll wear it tonight for you darling with just a little Chanel behind my ears.”

One more bottle of Prosecco and half a bottle of house red was enough for the evening and he held her tightly as they walked slowly and a little bit wobbly back to their cabin.

She emerged from the bathroom after what seemed like an age but the effect was worth it, she looked refreshed and radiant in the sarong. She walked to the bed and kissed Alan full on the lips. His hands began to explore her body through the material and he could feel her naked breasts underneath the cloth. She pulled away from the kiss and whispered to him, “please lick my pussy, I just want to lie on the bed and feel your tongue inside me.

He pushed himself up on both arms and moved down the bed towards her legs and teased, “You’re a naughty little girl Jacky.”

But already he had pushed her sarong well above her waist exposing her naked thighs. He moved his hands over and around her stomach, thighs and buttocks and watched as she moved her body in response.

“Please love, don’t tease me.”

He smiled to himself, thinking of the others who would be listening to this love drama and bent his head towards her vagina. It didn’t seem to take very long before her moans indicated her orgasm and as he rose from her thighs he whispered, “Ok darling?”

“Bloody marvellous, you really, really are good at that,” she sighed then laid her head back on the pillow and fell asleep.

He looked at her long slim shapely legs, took hold of himself and squeezed but smiled and thought, “Not tonight, don’t give the bastards with the headphones another cheap thrill.” He lay next to her and moved about on the bed, rustling the covers but not covering himself, then whispered goodnight.

She lay on her back sound asleep and the combination of her heavy meal and copious amount of alcohol made her snoring even louder. He would usually gently push her onto her side but tonight he let her be and he slowly and noiselessly rose from the bed and moved to the bathroom to collect the two rings hidden from her in his shaving bag. He knew that Rock’s team had searched the cabin, even the safe and therefore he believed they knew the whereabouts of the rings. But for now he believed Jacky was oblivious of his intentions.

He took out an Elastoplast from his bag, opened it and rolled it around one of the rings in such a way that it could still be threaded but would not clink with the second ring and then padded silently to the cabin table. He placed the rings on the table, selected one of the postcards bought in Malta and began to write:

“Dear Tony, having a super time, plenty of sea, sun, the other, food, booze, the lot. I’ve got you some too which you will shortly receive through the post. Cheers Tony, Drink up, Love you, Alan.

To John and Dave he wrote: “Having a wonderful time, lots of sea, sun, food and the other. Jacky is marvellous and we are having lots of booze which reminds me, I left a drink for you with Donald, please ask him for it when you get this card. Cheers, drink up lads, Love you, Alan.

To Donald he wrote: “Having a wonderful time here. Lots of sea, sun, food and booze, please give those drinks I left to John and Dave and send one for Tony. Give the fourth to Jacky on her return. See you soon, Love Alan.