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.’Pete and Jasper glanced at each other, wondering what that could mean.‘Recent developments have put this operation into a very high-risk category for the assault teams.In plain language, it is possible the entire assault team could be lost.You will seriously need to reconsider your position in the operation.’Hilliard then looked over at Sumners, indicating he could start his brief.Sumners took a moment to gather his notes and thoughts and clear his throat.‘Up until recently the focus of this operation has been to locate and retrieve Chief Munro, either by force or negotiation.To that end we have been unsuccessful in locating his whereabouts, or bringing to the negotiating table those in a position to do so.We think we now know why the IRA, or Real IRA I should say, have been stalling.Some weeks ago we received a communiqué from a reliable tout.This tout is an arms dealer and services both the provisional IRA and the Real IRA.He has provided us with reliable information over the years.He informed us he had purchased a biological weapon for RIRA.Based on his previous method of operation, he would have sold the weapon to RIRA before offering to sell the information on its whereabouts to us.We should have heard back from him a week ago.We have not.We have reason to believe RIRA has discovered his identity, and perhaps his purpose, and disposed of him.That leaves us with a very serious situation: RIRA may have a biological weapon of mass destruction.We’re assuming this to be fact.We don’t know where it is.We know they have the will to use it.We can assume they know that we know they have it, and they will therefore be doubly cautious.‘Three days ago the French Counter Intelligence service picked up the man responsible for Hank’s abduction, one Serjo Henri, in Tilburg, Holland.’This was news to Stratton.‘Here’s Tilburg,’ Sumners said, pointing to the map.‘The French say they have known about Henri’s activities for some time.This could just be a face-saving comment since they appear to know nothing about Henri’s connection to RIRA other than the information he has given them in his recent interrogations.Henri has admitted to abducting Chief Munro and handing him over to Irish terrorists.‘Now, why am I talking about Hank’s abduction and the procurement of a biological weapon of mass destruction in the same brief? Well, it appears, for the present at least, that their immediate futures are entwined.By that I mean their route or journey from mainland Europe to the British Isles or Ireland.I’ll explain why we suspect this may be true.Henri has admitted that he delivered Chief Munro to his RIRA contacts near Antwerp—’‘Did Henri say anything about his RIRA contact?’ Stratton interrupted, aware he was jumping ahead; if Sumners wanted him to know, he would have said as much.Hilliard glanced at Stratton, conveying his irritation at the interruption, choosing not to vocalise it.But Stratton burned to know who the mole was and wanted to look into Sumners’s eyes as he answered the question.‘No,’ Sumners said definitely.The Americans had not been told about an RIRA mole in MI5 and Stewart was aware something was being discussed above his head.‘The CIA has told us they believe our tout purchased his consignment from sources in Kazakhstan.According to them the biological consignment was six fluid ounces of “Virus U”.Six ounces of Virus U is a considerable threat to hundreds of thousands of lives in a densely populated city such as London.Our tout’s message came from Holland; RIRA will want to move the weapon from Europe as soon as possible.Our conclusions? We believe the virus and Chief Munro could be on the same vessel.Other than putting all their eggs in one basket it would make sense since RIRA’s transport resources are limited and two separate operations would increase the risk of being found out.‘Now.If RIRA wants to release the weapon in England it would also make sense to transport it directly to this country rather than to Ireland first, where they run an equal risk of being caught and would then have to repeat that risk when transporting it on to England.So [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]