Skinner's rules

86

Maitland’s SAS detachment arrived at Redford Barracks in two closed army trucks just after the Thursday morning rush hour from Colinton had subsided, and the last of the Mercedes, Rovers and BMWs had left for the city centre.

They unloaded their equipment, showered, and changed into civilian clothes before assembling in a briefing room where Maitland, Allingham, Skinner, Martin and the four members of their team were waiting. Allingham told them, for the first time, the reason for their sudden posting to Edinburgh.

Maitland pulled across a Sasco flip chart and threw back its covering sheet to display a diagram showing the area surrounding the Norton House Hotel. He explained the lay-out and identified key points on which the detail would be concentrating. A second diagram showed a floor-plan of the area where the President’s suite was located. He described the locations represented by each of the plans.

Next, he displayed a vertical section of the MacEwan Hall. The points of access to the building and to the debating hall itself were all labelled.

‘This is the easy part,’ said Maitland. ‘We will be in civilian clothes on this one, gentlemen. Each of the external entry points will be guarded by one man. There will be four of you inside the Hall, each with a clear line of fire covering the whole room. Mr Skinner, Chief Inspector Martin, and their colleagues Inspector Mackie and Detective Constable McGuire will be around the President, and they will be armed. You will take action only if you are convinced that they are unaware of a potentially lethal threat, or if they are not in a position to prevent an attack. Each of you will wear a gold lion badge when you enter the Hall. The police officers on search duty will recognise this and will neglect to frisk you …

‘I will deal with any questions after we have recced the sites.’

They travelled in a white-liveried Lothian Charter bus. They might have been taken for a visiting football side, an appropriate comparison, since teamwork was the essential factor in both occupations.

The Norton House was empty of visitors. All other bookings had been diverted to the Royal Scot, just over a mile away. Maitland briefed those men involved in securing the hotel.

‘This is the more difficult job, given the dark and those woods. The assignment at the hall will be handled by twelve men. The eight men handling perimeter security here will be in place from midday, under the command of Mr Hoskins.’ Maitland nodded towards a small ginger-haired man seated on a couch near to Skinner and Martin.

‘Sergeant Rose and Detective Constable McIlhenney will be here throughout the afternoon, and until the President eventually departs.’

The two, unsmiling, nodded acknowledgement.

‘The visit will not be announced in advance. The media will be told at 4.00 p.m. on the day and special lapel badges will be issued to selected journalists by the Scottish Office Information Directorate. This is a sample.’ He held up a buff-coloured tag with a short purple cord attached. ‘The three press officers will wear green tags, like this.’ He held up another sample.

‘We will travel to Redford by coach, to arrive no more than thirty minutes before the President. As soon as his plane is given landing clearance, we leave the barracks in a chartered bus. Comments from anyone?’

He looked towards Skinner and Martin, who raised a hand.

‘Aren’t you cutting your arrival at the Hall just a bit fine?’

‘If we arrive any earlier, we will be obtrusive. I don’t want the students to twig us. Most of them will be little Lefties, and if they spot an SAS presence at a university event there could be trouble.

‘They might even mob us, and that would be unfortunate.’ He smiled at Martin, fixing him with his gaze.