Cell (55 page)

'Then what do we do?' Nield called out.

'You will also be situated at key points on the embank
ment. So that the SAS do not shoot you the special clothes
you wore once before are waiting in the basement. The
black clothing with a large "S" in white on the back. To
identify you to the SAS. When I use the word "Embank
ment" I refer to the left bank looking downriver. Newman
will place you later. That is why Harry has assembled a
formidable armoury in the basement.'

'Our targets, please,' asked Nield. 'The barges?'

'No. Not the barges. We know the al-Qa'eda cell num
bers at least thirty men, probably more. They will start out on
board the barges. But when the dogfight starts - and when it
does it will be ferocious — I expect men from the barges to try
to reach the embankment. Possibly in motorized dinghies.
They will be your targets.'

'Some of them suicide bombers?' suggested Paula.

'All
of them suicide bombers, I suspect. You have to
kill them before they get close to you. I checked with the
SAS contact. "Take no prisoners?" I asked. "Of course," he replied.'

'Good,' said Newman.

'I now come to the worst part,' Tweed said. He paused. It was not something he liked to say but it had to be revealed.
'Earlier I named six bridges. The SAS can only save five of them with the resources at their command. One bridge must be allowed to go. That is Albert Bridge.'

There were gasps. Tweed looked very serous. He waited
for the question he knew must come.

'But what about all the people who live near Albert
Bridge?' Paula protested. 'Cheyne Walk and other areas
nearby. Pieces of the blown bridge may hit their build
ings.'

'I agree. I would now like to vacate the platform to
Superintendent Buchanan. Among other factors he will
explain how he is dealing with that problem. Roy, it is
all yours.'

He left his desk and sidled his way to the chair Buchanan
had vacated to occupy the chair behind the desk. Like
Tweed he remained standing as he spoke, tersely in his
clipped voice.

All residents near Albert Bridge were being evacuated. They were told a major gas explosion was expected, were
being transferred to a number of hotels. He had already
stopped the movement of traffic along either embankment,
giving the same reason. A major gas explosion. His anti-
terrorist squad would occupy the right bank, on the opposite side of the river to the SAS and the SIS. His men would be
heavily armed. They would shoot to kill.

Traffic could move along the Strand, past Trafalgar
Square and along the Mall. It would mean gridlock on
a vast scale and many would not be able to return home
that night. Where it was possible traffic would be diverted
downriver to Blackfriars, Southwark, London and Tower
Bridges and the Rotherhithe Tunnel. So some would get home, albeit rather late.

'What if one of the barges breaks through and reaches
Blackfriars?' called out Nield.

'No barge will break through. If necessary it will be sunk
by the SAS, using advanced missile launchers. Once this
al-Qa'eda cell has been liquidated we can start guiding the
traffic back over all bridges.' He paused. 'Except for Albert
Bridge.'

He then answered a number of relevant questions before
returning to his seat. Tweed stood up to occupy his desk
seat when Harry also stood up, his voice powerful.

'Now, you useless lot, down to the basement with me
to collect your weapons and ammo. You may get some
sleep while you're waiting on the Embankment so we
have stockpiled cushions. Don't ever think we don't look after you.'

'One more vital question,' Paula called out in a com
manding voice which froze everyone where they were. 'Since Albert Bridge will also be closed to traffic, won't
this al-Qa'eda scum notice the absence of traffic from the
very start?'

'Good question,' Buchanan replied, standing still. 'Which is why we have arranged for a trustworthy firm dealing with old cars destined for the crusher to transport them on to Albert Bridge, placed on the upriver side. After that they'll be too busy concentrating on their evil work to notice anything odd elsewhere.'

As men filed out, following Harry, Tweed turned to
Beaurain. He kept his voice low.

'Jules, I would appreciate it if you were by my side on the
embankment. To start with we shall probably be perched
on a statue's plinth to get a good view.'

'My pleasure . . .'

As they were speaking, and before anyone had left the
office, Buchanan called out in his clear voice.

'Two more things and then I'll shut up. One, you will all be in radio contact with each other. Equipment waiting in the basement. Two, the BBC, all TV and radio stations, have been told not to broadcast any news bulletins after midday. They will play music, explaining this is due to a technical fault. Al-Qa'eda may well have small TV sets and radio on board the barges. I have sent policemen everywhere to make sure these instructions are carried out. Now I really will shut up . . .'

Soon the only people left in the office were Tweed, Beaurain, Monica and Paula. Paula went close to Tweed,
whispered.

'You must be tired. You must get sleep here before the
SAS contact arrives back at noon.'

'Never felt more alert.'

43

At Dick's wharf Ali had checked the control rooms at the
stern of each of the six barges twice. When the convoy sailed
on its last voyage he would be on barge number five, the
barge which would destroy Chelsea Bridge. He would be
in constant radio communication with all the other barges.
He also had a small TV set in the control room of that barge.
He would see the BBC broadcast the frightful destruction
he would wreak.

Bridges smashed, the Thames full of cars and other traffic
which had fallen into the river, crammed with people -
either already dead or the few who would drown. It would
be high tide. For years North London would be severed
from the south. But it was the thousands of casualties he looked forward most to seeing.

He descended to the interior where all his cell was
assembled. They were kneeling on their prayer-mats, facing east. They rose up slowly as Ali stood on a crate to address
them in Arabic.

'Allah is great,' he began. 'Allah is looking down on us
to see our work on his behalf. You will all carry explosives
strapped to your bodies. The enemy will also be driving
along both sides of the river bank, on their way home. Their
last drive. You know what to do? To those who survive?'

'We know,' one huge Saudi called out. 'We get into the
craft and speed to the shores . . .'

Ali had been meticulous in checking motor-powered
dinghies were arranged along the roll-over decks. His cell
had forty men and he felt sure a large number would
survive long enough to arrive on the embankments. Once
there they would use their sub-machine guns to spray the
slow-moving traffic.

'Then,' the Saudi continued, 'we slaughter as many
infidels as we can before we rush at crowds of pedestrians, clasp them and detonate our bombs. The Embankment will
flow with their blood.'

There were shouts of praise from the packed cell, stand
ing in rows behind each other. Ali raised a hand and the
shouts ceased. It was not that he didn't approve of their
reaction. Ever cautious, he didn't think there was any risk of
their shouts being heard in the nearby hospital, not with the
main hatch being still closed, but he couldn't risk it. Below the closed hatch was a roped-off area. Inside it perched the
first of six torpedo shells, crammed with explosive, aimed
to pass easily through the main hatch and then strike the central span. Beside it stood two men - one to press the
button to activate the bomb, the second man to press the
button which would send it winging its way upwards.

Ali, very athletic, shinned up the ladder (soon to be
removed) and ran along the deck to the bows. Here they had
placed a smaller bomb, the barrel of the launcher angled.
This would be fired as soon as Nebuchadnezzar, the name
of the main bomb, had been sent on its terrible way.

The smaller bomb at the bows would be aimed at the support struts of the bridge, to ensure the entire bridge
collapsed. It was a refinement aboard all six barges —
and something the defenders on the river banks were
unaware of.

44

Dawn was a placid series of pink streaks in the east.
The weather forecast was for a brilliant sunny day, the
first for weeks, with temperatures still very low. Newman was behind the wheel of the four-wheel-drive taking his
passengers - Paula by his side with Tweed and Beaurain in the rear seats - down to the Embankment.

'Which route are you taking?' Paula asked, by now
completely lost.

'Any which way,' he replied. 'To avoid early morning
traffic already building up. Buchanan has already closed
the bridges and both sides of the embankment.'

They wended their way down side streets Paula had
never known existed. Behind them followed three more
four-wheel-drives. One contained Harry, driving, with all
the murderous equipment piled into the vehicle, covered
with canvas.

Behind him Nield drove with Sarge, well-muffled, beside
him. The rear of the vehicle was packed with more wea
ponry, also concealed under canvas. This consignment was
for the SAS and Sarge had put it aboard himself. All that
Nield could see of Sarge was his eyes and his mouth, above
and below a scarf.

Characteristically, the fourth vehicle was driven by Marler,
who was by himself. His four-wheel-drive was also trans
porting more SAS equipment. Again the equipment was
concealed by a canvas sheet. On the seat by his side rested an
Armalite rifle, Marler's favourite weapon. He still held the
legend of being the finest marksman in Western Europe.

Suddenly they were on the Embankment. Paula sucked
in her breath. She had never seen the Embankment look like this before. She reflected she'd never see this sight
again.

No traffic. No pedestrians. Westminster Bridge had been
deserted. Dawn shed its spectacular light on the fast-
moving Thames heading upriver. It was like something
out of of a dream. The peace, the silence, only broken by
the swish of the incoming tide splashing against the walls.

'It's high tide,' she said.

'Not yet,' Newman corrected. 'That's at 5.30 p.m.'

'So al-Qa'eda has chosen its attack time well.'