‘Well Done’. After moving the well wishers into another folder, the number of e-mails totalled a rather more acceptable 22 unread. The first few turned out to be nothing more than department circulars that had been sent to all staff. One was from the Prime Minister, a copy of some e-mails sent to his predecessor that he had promised to forward on to him. Already knowing their content, he moved on.
Ten minutes and another 15 e-mails later, George came across his final e-mail, subject heading URGENT – DEF MIN ONLY. He chastised himself for not noticing ‘Urgent’, otherwise he would have opened this one first. He clicked on the mail and was instantly confused.
From: FSS
TO: DEF MIN
Subject: URGENT – DEF MIN ONLY
FYEO
A member of K Squad has been identified in relation to a sample being analysed in Huntingdon, the reference code for the case is 47362192. No identification can be released nor that a match occurred unless approved by Secretary of State for Defence.
Message ends.
George read the computer generated mail again and wondered what the hell it meant . He had no idea what the K Squad was nor why only he could authorise the notification that a match had been found. He pressed the buzzer on his desk.
“ Yes Mr Cunningham,” chirped his secretary.
“Please call me George,” he repeated again for what seemed the 20th time . “Can you get me Tony please, asap.”
Five minutes later Tony Wilson, the Minister of State for the Armed Forces entered his office.
“Hi, Tony,” greeted George.
“Hi George, what’s up?” he asked cheerily.
“The K Squad,” replied George.
“The what ? Never heard of it.”
George watched Tony closely and having known him for a few years knew he wasn’t lying. If Tony didn’t know it meant no one in the building would know. His predecessor had been clear when he left, whatever you do keep Tony on your team, he knows this place inside out, there’s no one and nothing he doesn’t know. It seemed that had been an over statement, in less than two working days he’d already caught him out. There was only one other person to call, his predecessor, the newly appointed Home Secretary.
“Hi James, how’s the new job?” asked George, having called the Home Secretary’s mobile number.
“Nightmare, place is a fucking disaster, you?”
“ Nothing to do.”
Both men laughed at the compliment.
“Thanks for that, just need to work my magic here. Anyway how can I help?”
“We secure on these phones?”
“Of course.”
“What’s the K Squad?”
“I’ll call you right back ,” replied James in a distinctly more serious tone.
George replaced the receive r and awaited the call back. After fifteen minutes, he began to wonder what he hell was going on and was lifting the phone to call James back when there was a knock on the door and the Home Secretary walked in.
George’s look of confusion was answered by James .
“We’ve got a meeting with the P.M. in twenty minutes. I’m not authorised to tell you what you want to know but he is. Grab your jacket, we’ll take my car.”
Chapter 16
Harris, Addison and Kelly entered the Chief Constable’s office just after 9.00 a.m. and took a seat as instructed.
“So where are we?” asked the Chief.
Kelly and Harris turned to Chief Superintendent Addison who took the lead and sitting forwards, began to update the Chief.
“Well, Sir…”
The Chief, however, had other ideas and looked across at Kelly.
“Perhaps it’s better coming from someone involved in the case , Detective Sergeant Kelly?”
“ Ummm yes Sir. Of course Sir,” she said looking at Addison who sat back in his chair and subtly nodded for her to carry on.
For the next ten minutes Kelly outlined what they had discovered. The FSS match, the supposed accidental death of the scientist, the death of all the rugby fans and finally the call from Newcastle.
“Views?”
Addison, not one to be put off by the earlier rebuke,
Ten minutes and another 15 e-mails later, George came across his final e-mail, subject heading URGENT – DEF MIN ONLY. He chastised himself for not noticing ‘Urgent’, otherwise he would have opened this one first. He clicked on the mail and was instantly confused.
From: FSS
TO: DEF MIN
Subject: URGENT – DEF MIN ONLY
FYEO
A member of K Squad has been identified in relation to a sample being analysed in Huntingdon, the reference code for the case is 47362192. No identification can be released nor that a match occurred unless approved by Secretary of State for Defence.
Message ends.
George read the computer generated mail again and wondered what the hell it meant . He had no idea what the K Squad was nor why only he could authorise the notification that a match had been found. He pressed the buzzer on his desk.
“ Yes Mr Cunningham,” chirped his secretary.
“Please call me George,” he repeated again for what seemed the 20th time . “Can you get me Tony please, asap.”
Five minutes later Tony Wilson, the Minister of State for the Armed Forces entered his office.
“Hi, Tony,” greeted George.
“Hi George, what’s up?” he asked cheerily.
“The K Squad,” replied George.
“The what ? Never heard of it.”
George watched Tony closely and having known him for a few years knew he wasn’t lying. If Tony didn’t know it meant no one in the building would know. His predecessor had been clear when he left, whatever you do keep Tony on your team, he knows this place inside out, there’s no one and nothing he doesn’t know. It seemed that had been an over statement, in less than two working days he’d already caught him out. There was only one other person to call, his predecessor, the newly appointed Home Secretary.
“Hi James, how’s the new job?” asked George, having called the Home Secretary’s mobile number.
“Nightmare, place is a fucking disaster, you?”
“ Nothing to do.”
Both men laughed at the compliment.
“Thanks for that, just need to work my magic here. Anyway how can I help?”
“We secure on these phones?”
“Of course.”
“What’s the K Squad?”
“I’ll call you right back ,” replied James in a distinctly more serious tone.
George replaced the receive r and awaited the call back. After fifteen minutes, he began to wonder what he hell was going on and was lifting the phone to call James back when there was a knock on the door and the Home Secretary walked in.
George’s look of confusion was answered by James .
“We’ve got a meeting with the P.M. in twenty minutes. I’m not authorised to tell you what you want to know but he is. Grab your jacket, we’ll take my car.”
Chapter 16
Harris, Addison and Kelly entered the Chief Constable’s office just after 9.00 a.m. and took a seat as instructed.
“So where are we?” asked the Chief.
Kelly and Harris turned to Chief Superintendent Addison who took the lead and sitting forwards, began to update the Chief.
“Well, Sir…”
The Chief, however, had other ideas and looked across at Kelly.
“Perhaps it’s better coming from someone involved in the case , Detective Sergeant Kelly?”
“ Ummm yes Sir. Of course Sir,” she said looking at Addison who sat back in his chair and subtly nodded for her to carry on.
For the next ten minutes Kelly outlined what they had discovered. The FSS match, the supposed accidental death of the scientist, the death of all the rugby fans and finally the call from Newcastle.
“Views?”
Addison, not one to be put off by the earlier rebuke,
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