Chapter 26
WORLD STEPS AWAY FROM BRINK
Every newspaper headline carried variations on the same theme. The news had spread quickly.
Henderson grunted and put the newspaper down. It seemed that Straker's efforts had been successful after all.
The flight was uneventful and touched down just after nine am. Customs and immigration took less time than expected and Straker soon found himself heading towards the Airbus terminal, where he would catch the shuttle bus back to London.
"Hey ED!" Straker was startled. He smiled. "Alec!" Looking none the worse for his long night, Freeman had decided to collect his friend from the airport, the better to bring him up to date with what had happened during his absence.
Freeman led Straker to his car and put the luggage into the boot.
The two men climbed in.
"So how was Russia?"
"Eventful. How have things been here?"
"You're a lucky man, Mr Ford"
The morning sun streamed through the window. All traces of the previous-night's storm long past. Ford's visitor was the surgeon who had worked so hard at patching him up the night before. He had decided to look in on his patient before he went home after his night shift.
"What...what…happened?"
Ford was sitting up, his arm tightly strapped up to prevent the broken ends of the collarbone from working loose and undoing the surgeon's hard work. A large dressing protected the stitches in his scalp
"You were involved in a car crash. The Anaesthetist is certain that you were overcome by exhaust fumes and ran off the road."
Ford winced and rubbed his temple with his free hand.
"You're probably still suffering the after effects of the exhaust fumes. I'll write you up for some pain relief."
The surgeon made a note on Ford's chart. At that moment, his pager beeped Apologising, the surgeon dashed from the room, nearly bowling over a nondescript figure in the corridor, just outside the door.
The Rush hour traffic ground slowly forwards at little more than a walking pace. Freeman reflected that it would probably have been quicker to have met Straker at the West London Air Terminal. At least someone else would have had the stress of navigating the London traffic.
Straker sat beside him, deep in thought, Freeman's report had been as concise as ever. The situation regarding the Reporter, Ford, seemed to have taken on a life of its own.
Freeman had assured him that Ford's news report had said nothing of significance. Evidently, wiser heads had prevailed and removed 'inappropriate; content. That had obviously been the catalyst for Ford to storm out from the studio and if he were angry enough, he wouldn't have noticed anything wrong as he drove.
Straker realised that it was important to find out exactly how much Ford knew; the manuscript that Freeman had liberated from Ford's house had been bad enough. There was no way such an explosive document could ever be transmitted.
He came to a decision: "I want to see him, Alec"
Concentrating on his driving, the statement caught Freeman by surprise. "Who?"
"Ford. I want to find out what he knows"
"Now?"
"Right now."
"Ok. We should be there in about twenty minutes."
Horns blared as Freeman cut up a large lorry and piloted the car down a side road.
"Look at this…"
The wreckage of Ford's car had been taken to a local garage. At police insistence, the mechanic had carried out a thorough examination to find if mechanical failure was the cause of the crash.
The wreck had been placed on a hydraulic hoist, allowing the mechanic, Stevens, to examine the underside of the vehicle. An inspection lamp was hooked onto the chassis
"What am I looking for? The constable was no expert. Pencil poised over his notebook, he was carefully noting the mechanic's findings.
This should be a mild steel tube." Stevens pulled a pencil from his pocket and tapped the exhaust pipe. Instead of a ringing sound, the pipe emitted a dull noise as rust showered from it.
Stevens picked up the lamp and held it close to the pipe. A series of holes, each, outlined by soot, ran the length of the pipe. "That's your answer, constable. The exhaust's rotten. Very little of the exhaust gas would have reached the end of the tailpipe. Whoever was driving this wreck was living on borrowed time."
Jackson looked around. The corridor was clear. He should be able to complete the task and leave before anyone noticed anything as wrong, Even then, a quick change to the notes and everyone would assume that nature had taken its course.
Ford was asleep. Excellent. It should be painless
The lift stopped at the first floor, the door slid open and Freeman, followed by Straker, stepped out into the corridor.
From his pocket Jackson drew a syringe, and a small vial. He had previously removed both items from the Pharmacy. Removing the cap, he jabbed the needle into the vial and drew up the colourless liquid.
Freeman led Straker down the corridor.
Now, it was a simple case of injecting into the saline bag, far less risky than into the arm.
He placed the needle against the bag. The soft plastic yielded to the pressure of the needle. Now, just a slight pressure on the plunger…
A hand clamped around Jackson's wrist and in a whirl of motion he found himself whirled around and slammed against the wall. The syringe, knocked out of Jackson's hand, skittered along the floor, coming to rest at Straker's feet.
Before he could gasp for breath, Freeman had Jackson pinned against the wall, his forearm pressed against the smaller man's windpipe. Jackson tried to pry the arm away but Freeman was too strong. Freeman's angry face filled his vision as it started to blur and fade.
"We should have left you to the executioners." Freeman snarled
Let him go Alec". Straker's voice was quiet and level.
"But Ed, he…"
There was a metallic click.
"I said, let him go!" Not a shout, just a steel edge to the voice that commanded instant obedience.
For a moment, the pressure on Jackson's throat continued, then eased as Freeman released his grip.
Jackson sucked in huge whooping lungfuls of air. Slowly, his colour returned to normal.
As his vision cleared, he realised that Straker was covering him with a compact automatic pistol. Evidently, Straker had threatened Freeman with the weapon.
Straker's other hand held the syringe. "Potassium?"
"Insulin." Jackson gasped, rubbing his throat.
Straker gazed at him steadily. "Very clever: injected into the saline, the patient slips into a diabetic coma."
"Very neat." Agreed Freeman. "I suppose this is how you silenced dissent in State Security?
Jackson flinched; "I was an Interrogator, not an Assassin". Jackson was more assured now.
"Assassin? Just a fancy name for a killer?" Freeman snarled, moving towards Jackson.
"Alec!" Straker snapped.
Freeman stopped.
Straker nodded towards the door: "Get out of here," Jackson scuttled from the room.
"I should have thrown him back to Polish Security…" muttered Freeman
"No, Alec, we need him.
"We can't let him get away with that, Ed," Freeman protested. "He's a loose cannon"
"Let it go, Alec. I'll talk to General Henderson."
"And what, may I ask, is going on here?" The Matron had seen Jackson scuttling out of Ford's room and investigated. Her uniform was crisp and despite her stocky five foot two inch frame, she carried an air of authority that brooked no opposition. A withering glare from those steely blue-grey eyes would send senior Consultants scurrying back to their offices, trembling.
She stood, hands on her hips, foot tapping gently on the parquet flooring, awaiting an explanation.
"We came to see Mr Ford." Explained Freeman.
Unseen by the Matron, Straker hurriedly slipped his pistol back into its shoulder holster.
"Visiting time is six 'til six thirty" She informed the two men.
"But it's very important…" Straker began
"Nothing's so important that it cannot wait until this evening". She place herself between the two men and Ford's bed, firmly folding her arms across an ample bosom
"I must ask you to leave. Now."
Freeman, ever the pragmatist knew this was not a woman to be trifled with.
"Come on Ed"
As they walked down the corridor, Straker fumed "All we need is an hour or so"
"Don't worry, Ed, we'll just have to do what Brunhilde…
"I heard that!" Matron's voice echoed down the corridor after them..
Despite themselves, the two men chuckled as they walked back to the car.
Mary Straker sighed and tossed the book aside. She hated it when Ed had to go away. Perhaps he'd be home soon. She hoped so. The telephone rang. Her heart leapt
"Ed? ...Oh Steven! It's been too long! How are you?"
The caller was an old friend. As his rich welsh voice purred down the phone, memories came flooding back. Soon, all thoughts of Ed had faded from her mind.
On reaching the IAC building, Straker and Freeman had immediately reported to Henderson who, on hearing of Jackson's action, immediately summoned him to account for himself.
He sat, face impassive, as Straker finished his report.
"I believe you have a saying, " Jackson purred, "Dead men tell no tales."
"I want him alive" Straker snarled, furious. "We need to know how much Ford actually knows..."
"If he was dead, would it matter?" Jackson smiled. The smile of a predator, cornering its prey. A chill ran down Freeman's spine
"I should have thrown you back to the SB when I had the chance." Freeman growled.
"Colonel!" Henderson rebuked he younger man.
Straker continued: "Not only about UFOs but electronics. SHADO NEEDS that knowledge"
Still Jackson was smiling. Freeman's fists balled
"Gentlemen!" Henderson had heard enough. The room fell silent.
"I clearly made a mistake letting Jackson loose so early" He turned his gaze to Jackson: "Until further notice, you will work here, directly for me."
Jackson's smile faded.
"As for you two, I want this situation cleared up…One way or another."
Freeman and Straker stood.