Secret Asset

24

He drove to Wokingham with unusual caution, scrupulously observing speed limits and keeping a sharp eye out for cameras. Parking his car in a pay and display car park in the centre of town, he took a taxi from a nearby rank. The address he gave the driver was on an estate on the fringes of the city. To the driver’s cheery conversation he merely grunted at first, then as the driver kept talking anyway, he adopted a broad West Country accent and confided that his team was Taunton Town. As planned, this reduced the driver to silence. When they reached 17 Avon Circle Crescent the passenger got out, tipping the driver an unmemorable ten per cent.

The address was not the passenger’s final destination. He waited until the taxi had pulled away, then walked to the end of the Crescent, along the side of the brand new children’s playground, and on to Somerset Drive, a line of new small brick houses, each with a patch of grass in front, and a small garden to the rear.

At number 48 he turned in sharply and was about to ring the bell when the door opened. Without a greeting, he slid inside and stood in the hallway.

“Where are the other two?”

“Upstairs, watching television. Do you want to see them?”

“No. Leave them.”

The visitor sat down on the sofa but kept his raincoat on. He motioned for Bashir Siddiqui to sit down across from him on the room’s one chair. “They’ve had a breakthrough. They checked the CCTV coverage for the area around the alley where the fellow from the bookshop was disposed of, and they’ve recognised one of you in a grocery store. Rashid.”

“How did they know who he was?” Bashir asked with astonishment. Rashid had been picked partly because he had no UK record of any kind.

“One of Abu Sayed’s associates rang from Holland on the day you were supposed to be at the bookshop. The call was traced, and the Dutch security people sent photographs over. One of them was of Rashid; when they compared the CCTV footage they made a match.”

Bashir groaned. He had not wanted to go into any shop that evening, but Rashid had insisted. Worried that the little man was losing his nerve, Bashir had reluctantly agreed.

“Look,” said the visitor, “I don’t want to go into who’s to blame for what. What’s important now is that you listen very carefully to me and do what I say.”

He stared at Bashir with hard unblinking eyes until Bashir returned his gaze and nodded in submission. Then he said, “There is no reason to think they are on to you. They know about Rashid, yes, but they don’t have any idea where he is. Provided you don’t make any more stupid mistakes, there is no way for them to find out.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“Don’t do anything. Doing things is what has almost got you caught. Sit tight. From now on, there is to be no external communication—especially not with Abu Sayed or any of his associates. Leave that to me, do you understand? None of you should be in touch with anyone, except if you need to contact me.” He looked up at the ceiling. “I don’t care how safe those boys think they are or how careful they think they’re being, don’t let them communicate with anyone. No mobile phone, no text messages, not even an Internet café. Is that clear?”

Bashir nodded again, for he was comfortable following the orders of the Englishman. It was the Englishman, after all, who had initially recruited him. Not Abu Sayed or any other imam. He asked hesitantly, “Can we leave the house?”

The man thought for a moment. “Yes. It would seem odd to the neighbours if none of you were seen coming in and out. But not all three of you together. And keep Rashid out of the town centre.”

“Shall I tell him he’s been identified?”

“How would he take it?”

Bashir thought of that evening when they had hunted down the boy from the bookshop, how Rashid’s agitation had been transparent beforehand, even though Rashid’s only job was to act as a decoy. He shook his head. “I think it would frighten him very much. He might get panicky.”

The Englishman nodded. “That’s your answer then.” He got up, and shook hands with Bashir. “If you can just keep your cool, all will be well. There isn’t that much longer to wait.”