Altered Egos (12 page)

‘I haven’t seen them, but I can imagine.’ Smith recalled some of the things his job had called on him to do. No, he definitely wouldn’t want them to be seen by anyone else.

His boss continued. ‘What if this wretched girl’s been abducted by the same man who got into the laboratory? Could it be that she’s being held by that animal rights group who were demonstrating the other night? Could they be responsible for both incidents?’

Smith shook his head. ‘Not a chance. They’re a bunch of amateurs. Not one of them has the know-how to conduct an operation like that. Added to which, the way they chatter amongst themselves on e-mail, their security’s about as much use as a bottomless bucket.’

‘Nevertheless, there could be one within their ranks capable of more than you think. It’s dangerous to judge every member of an organization by the overall appearance. I think you should check them out individually. Failing that, have you drawn up a
list of other possible suspects?’

Smith laughed, but it was a laugh with little evidence of humour in it. ‘There is no list. As far as we can see there’s nobody with the knowledge and skill. Not unless you believe in ghosts.’

‘You’re absolutely certain? No one? Because if that’s the case, explain how it happened?’

There was a long silence.

‘There has to be somebody, so I’ll ask you again. Are you sure you’ve checked every possible suspect?’

The silence this time was even longer. Eventually, Smith shifted uncomfortably in his chair. ‘Well, I suppose there is one man who might have the know-how. But I’ve discounted him because of his circumstances.’

‘Tell me about him.’

Smith explained, but before long he was interrupted.

‘I remember him. He was on a certain overseas mission with you, right?’

Smith nodded, his discomfort patently heightened.

‘I think the circumstances make him a more likely candidate, rather than the other way round. As for how he got the knowledge, no security is perfect. Otherwise the intruder wouldn’t have been able to gain access to the laboratory, or the kidnapper to manage the abduction of the girl so easily. I definitely think this man warrants a second look. Unless you’re reluctant to go near him?’

Smith said nothing.

‘Very well, he goes top of your list. And whatever you do, make sure you get to him before the police do. And deal with him. Find him, get the girl back and retrieve those files. We’re talking damage limitation, remember.’

‘What if we can’t find him? As I know only too well, he’s always been very good at survival, and escaping capture.’

Smith’s boss laughed. ‘I take it you’re referring to the time you left him for dead? After you flew off in the rescue helicopter, telling the crew you were the only member of the unit still alive. You were lucky I intervened. Otherwise you’d have been court-martialled for that. Even if they didn’t find out what else you did
on that mission.’

‘I was acting on orders,’ Smith protested. ‘Your orders, let me remind you.’

‘I can’t remember giving you a written order to shoot one of your unit members in the back. But maybe we’re getting a bit paranoid. For one thing, we’re only speculating that he’s the one who has the girl. If he had her, I’d have thought he’d have contacted North by now. Made some sort of demand. And even if he has got her, and the files, I doubt if he has the ability to decode them. And, even if he does both, what’s he going to do about it?’

‘I’ll check him out anyway, when I’ve had a look at the animal rights people. Is there anything else?’

‘Just find the girl.’

‘You understand what you’ve to do?’

‘I run as fast as I can at you. When I reach you, I put one foot into your hand and push off as hard as I can with the other leg.’

‘Got it.’

‘But it’s pitch black. How will I see your hands?’

He fumbled in the backpack and produced a pair of gloves. They glowed luminously in the dark. ‘I see, very clever. But how will you get over the fence? I don’t fancy being penned up inside an army compound when they open up tomorrow morning.’

‘Leave that to me. Just be sure and move well to one side after you land.’

‘Why can’t you pick the lock on the gates or something?’

‘They’re on an alarm system. They can only be opened with the right keys.’

She turned and walked reluctantly away from him. She counted thirty paces, as he’d instructed, before she turned. In the darkness she could just make out the silhouette of the ten foot high fence, a slightly darker shape in front of it. Fortunately the ground seemed fairly level. It would be an inglorious end to the adventure if she turned an ankle on the run up. She got into a sprinter’s stance and waited a moment, taking deep breaths. ‘Ready,’ she called as softly as she could. She peered into the
gloom. She couldn’t see the gloves.

‘Ready,’ she heard, and at the same time the luminous glow came into view. He must have had his hands in his pockets. She pushed off and accelerated forward, gaining speed with every stride. Her eyes were fixed on that bright spot of light that was getting nearer and nearer and—

‘Now!’ She heard him shout.

She lifted her left foot high, felt it gripped, and pushed hard with her right leg. She felt him thrust her left leg up and then she was soaring, her momentum carrying her forward. In a split second, her vault had carried her over the fence with its razor wire topping. She put her feet together as he’d taught her, spread her arms to fully outstretched and waited for the impact. She felt an initial shock as she touched down, bent her knees and went down into a crouch. As her palms touched the wet grass she pushed hard down on the turf.

‘I’m over,’ she called as she straightened up.

‘Well done. Just like a gymnast. Watch out, I’m throwing the bag over now.’

She felt, rather than saw the bag looming against the night sky. It dropped a few paces to her left. She located it and slipped the straps over her shoulders. ‘I’ve got it.’

‘Good, stay right where you are. I’ll be with you in a couple of minutes.’

Was he always this confident, she wondered? Or, was it the effects of the drug? In that case, was his confidence justified? She waited. Time dragged. A couple of minutes, he’d said. Surely by now it must have been five minutes, maybe longer? She peered into the darkness and spotted a luminous patch on the ground a couple of feet or so to the far side of the fence. Had he taken his gloves off and left them on the ground? And where was he? Why was he taking so long? ‘Steve,’ she called out, as loudly as she dared.

There was no reply, but in the next second, even as her call was dying into silence, she heard the sound of something heavy landing close to her. ‘Steve,’ she whispered again and held her breath.

‘I’m here.’

She let out a long, shuddering sigh of relief. ‘But how? How did you get over the fence?’

She could make out his outline now, her night vision improving all the time. He was crouching close to the wire, his arms moving backwards and forwards. He was pulling at something. But what? Then she saw it. She began to laugh. It was a long thin pole. So that was how he’d cleared the fence – he’d pole vaulted it. And the luminous spot she’d seen on the grass? The one he was now retrieving via the string he’d attached to it? It was a take-off cup, painted to glow in the dark. So simple, so effective.

He laid the pole down alongside the cup. ‘Come on, we’ve a fair hike ahead. The building we want is right at the back of the compound, towards the far side. Unfortunately this is the only level bit of ground, so we’ve had to come in about as far away from our target as possible.’

He took her hand and they ran in silence past row upon row of dark, shuttered buildings. After a few minutes he steered her towards a gap. ‘Through there,’ he gestured with his free hand.

She reckoned they’d run for almost ten minutes before he slowed. ‘Next on the right.’

They came to a halt and stood for a few moments, gathering breath.

‘The way we got in was ingenious,’ she said, ‘but can I ask you one thing? Why not just cut a hole in the fence?’

‘I would have done,’ he told her, ‘but the whole idea is that nobody should know we’ve been inside.’ The patience in his voice was like a schoolmaster with a particularly dense pupil, or a sergeant with a raw recruit.

‘Of course. Stupid question. Forget I asked.’

She couldn’t see his grin in the darkness, but somehow knew he was laughing at her. ‘Turn round.’

She swivelled so her back was to him. His fingers fumbled for the zips on the rucksack. She heard the soft grating sound as he opened it. ‘Hand,’ he told her.

She stretched her hand behind her, palm up, and felt the
coldness of steel against it. Her fingers closed around it. She was surprised how heavy it felt. ‘Hand,’ he said again. She put her other hand back and clutched at another steel object. She hefted the torch in her left hand, the fingers of her right hand curling round the butt of the pistol he’d handed her. ‘You’re on guard duty. It’s highly unlikely anything will happen, but if it all goes pear-shaped, shoot anybody who comes near. Got it?’

‘No problem.’ Did she really feel that confident?

‘Aim at their feet. With the recoil you’ll probably blow their head off. Now, shine the torch on that door.’

She looked at the beam, marvelling at how steady it was. Wondered briefly if her nerves were really that strong; or if it was the effect of the drugs. Before she could dwell on it, she heard a click and saw the door open. ‘Pass the bag and the torch.’ She did as he ordered. ‘OK, you’re on your own for a while. Ten minutes should be long enough, unless I have problems inside. The stuff we want is locked in a strong room. I’ll need to pick that lock as well.’

She watched him slip through the door, saw it close. Was there no end to his skills, or his ingenuity?

Never had ten minutes passed so slowly. Or had it been far longer? Suddenly, the deep silence of the night was broken by the hooting of an owl. Her nerves, already stretched, were almost at breaking point when she heard the faintest whisper of sound behind her. She looked round, to see the door opening. She let out a deep breath, her heart rate slowing. ‘Got it?’ she asked.

‘No problem.’

They made their way back to the fence and cleared it with no more problem than on the way in. He collected the vaulting pole and cup, unscrewed the sections of the pole and stored everything in one of the motorhome’s compartments. A few minutes later they began their return journey. From the passenger seat Jessica could see the clock on the dashboard display. She was surprised to see the whole operation had taken less than an hour.

Several miles down the road, Jessica opened the rucksack at her feet and took out one of the blocks. It looked identical to the marzipan he’d substituted it with. ‘What is it?’ she asked.

‘They call it C4. Plastic explosive. Very powerful, very safe.’

‘Is there enough?’

He laughed. ‘Those five blocks you’re nursing would be enough to blow up half of Helmsdale. They’ll certainly be enough to destroy the laboratory at Helm Pharm.’

‘When are we going to do it?’

‘Next Saturday night.’

‘And these?’ She held up a handful of disc-shaped objects.

‘They were a bonus. You’ll see.’

It was three hours later when he pulled the van off the road. He thought she was asleep. She hadn’t spoken for the last half hour, and whenever he’d glanced across the cab she’d been sitting, head resting on the window as she was now. ‘Jessica,’ he said softly.

She straightened. As she sat up he looked across and down. She was holding the pistol he’d given her. The muzzle was pointing directly at his chest. ‘Now, I want the truth from you, Steve.’ Her voice was cold, demanding. ‘I know my mother and brother are dead. I want you to tell me exactly what happened and why. If not, I’ll shoot you here and now.’

He believed her. Even without the aggression the drugs gave her, he thought she was capable of it. She’d certainly got the guts for such an act. He knew she’d shoot him as soon as look at him because that was one of the effects of the medication: it removed all inhibitions, all remorse, any sense of guilt.

So he told her. It took a long time. By the time he finished, it was almost dawn. They were still seated in the cab. She looked across at him. The story was incredible, yet she believed it. Every word of it. As he recognized her acceptance of what she’d heard, he reached across and took the gun from her. He pointed it at her. She saw his finger tighten on the trigger and closed her eyes. This couldn’t be it, surely? He wasn’t going to kill her now? Not after what she’d just learned? And what they had to do? She heard a loud click and opened her eyes.

‘You bastard!’ She swung her fist and connected with his right eye.

‘Ouch!’

‘You evil swine. You left me alone out there with an empty gun.’

‘You weren’t in any danger. Nobody was going to interrupt us. They don’t even have security patrols any more. That’s how severe the cutbacks have been. Bugger all security, but that doesn’t matter if they can save a few bob.’

‘I didn’t know that. As far as I knew we could have been interrupted at any time. Standing there like an idiot with an empty gun. I don’t see what use I was. For all the good it did, me being there, I might as well have stayed in the van. You could have done it all on your own.’

‘I realize that, but you’re missing the point. Tonight was a training exercise. Next Saturday’s operation will be the real thing. That will be the main event.’

‘And I suppose you’ll want me to stand lookout again. Well I hope you remember to load the gun. Or, do you want me to walk up behind anybody who gets in our way and shout, “Bang”, loudly?’

He grinned. ‘No, next week will be completely different. Next week you’ll be the star of the show.’

The training had been a different experience for Jessica that morning. For one thing she still felt exhilarated by the night’s adventure. But the main reason was her knowledge of what had actually happened, rather than vague hints and suggestions. Ever since she’d been abducted, Jessica had been in fear of her life. That fear still existed, but she knew the threat came from a different source. She recalled the confession she’d got from him.

‘After I found out about Melanie and the kids, and after I had to go through the rigmarole of identifying the bodies, filling forms in, arranging the funerals, I got so depressed. I don’t think it helped that I was coming off the drugs at the time. So I sat there, in that ghastly house of death, drank a whole bottle of scotch and took a full cocktail of the tablets. And, you know what? At the end, I was stone cold sober. That was when I started planning. At the time, all I knew about was the laboratory. I’d seen the name on some paperwork sent with one of the consignments. It would have been meaningless to anyone else, but with me being from Helmsdale, I recognized it straight away. So that became my target. And I thought, if I could find out something about the people behind the drugs programme, I’d take my revenge on them.’

He saw Jessica was about to protest and held up his hand. ‘I know it was crazy, but like I said, I wasn’t thinking straight. I read about the fire, and your brother’s death, but until I studied the files from the laboratory I didn’t make the connection.’

Jessica tried to interrupt again but he shook his head. ‘Let
me finish. For a while I thought your father was dead as well. So I reckoned you must be in danger. I knew whoever was responsible for the murders must be after you, so I thought if I got to you first I might be able to protect you. After I got you away from that safe house I hung around. That was when I saw your father. I recognized him from his photo in one of the files. That really threw me. So I started to read the files in more detail. What I saw in them horrified me. I couldn’t believe most of it.’

Jessica look confused. ‘Were you still on the drugs?’

‘No, by then I’d got them out of my system.’

‘Then, why did you tell me you killed my mother and Adam?’

‘Because I reckon what is in those files is so damaging, the people responsible knew they’d have to get rid of anyone who could point the finger at what was going on. I said I murdered them. Well, I did, or as good as. When I took the files from the laboratory, I signed their death warrants. The moment the files went missing, they knew whoever had them would work out what was going on. So you, your father and your family became targets. It’s a simple military strategy – destroy the lines of intelligence communication of the enemy and you’re halfway to winning the battle.’

‘But you still don’t know who’s behind it.’

‘No, I reckon the only way to find that out is via those encrypted disks. And so far I’ve had no success cracking them. I will though, sooner or later. All I’ve to do is learn a bit more about computer software.’

Jessica smiled enigmatically. ‘How do you know the information you’re after is on those disks?’

‘It has to be. I can’t think of any other reason for hiding the information so well, can you?’

‘It might not be what you’re after. It could be the design of a new type of gun, or a tank.’

‘Not in a chemical laboratory. Look at it this way. There’s a hell of a lot of confidential stuff in the open files. The encrypted disks must contain far more secret information.’

He paused, and was silent so long, Jessica asked, ‘What is it? What have you thought of?’

‘Why were they there? I mean, why were they at Helm Pharm?’

‘Sorry, you’ve lost me.’

‘The open files and the personnel files contained all the information about the people connected with the laboratory as well as the project itself. So, why store any other information there? It doesn’t make sense. Nor will it, unless I can decipher the contents.’

‘This case is bloody frustrating,’ Nash grumbled to Superintendent Edwards. ‘Every time I try to get some information, I’m being blocked. The worst part is I don’t know what’s superfluous and what might be relevant. That means I can’t follow a specific line of inquiry.’

‘Do you think Adam North’s murder might be drugs related?’

‘One way or the other, yes.’

Ruth frowned. ‘What do you mean by “one way or the other”?’

‘I can’t understand why the military wants to keep Dr North incommunicado, or prevent us talking to anyone at Helm Pharm. That makes me wonder what Helm Pharm is doing that’s so important.’ He saw Edwards’s frown and continued. ‘Can you think of a valid reason for a drug manufacturer to receive such a high level of protection and security from the army?’

‘I take your point, but how does that tie in with Adam North, and where does it leave us?’

‘It could, if he was killed, not because of his addiction, but by someone affected by the drugs, or because he found out something he shouldn’t. As to where it leaves us, I’m afraid the answer to that is, groping in the dark.’

Ruth grinned. ‘Groping in the dark can be fun,’ she murmured, ‘but not in the middle of a murder inquiry. Just be patient, Mike, and keep the file open. Something will break, sooner or later. With your cases, something always does.’

The first thing Smith noticed was the closed curtains. It was early afternoon, the sun was out, why keep the house in
darkness? He got out of his car and started up the path to the front door. The short drive was empty; it looked as if no one was home. Despite this, Smith leaned on the bell. It was one of those that played a melody. As he waited, his free hand hovered close to his jacket pocket. Getting no response to his doorbell concerto, Smith hammered on the wooden surround. The timpani yielded no better result. He tried the back door. Nothing. He attempted to peer past the blinds, without success.

He looked round, the street was empty. He knocked on the doors of the two neighbouring houses, but with no response. As he turned from the second, he noticed a car in the drive of the house opposite. He walked slowly across the road, his eyes scanning the street all the way.

This time he did get a positive response. By then he was impatient. He hammered loudly on the door, keeping the barrage going for several minutes. The woman who answered was holding an infant in her arms. The child was wailing, noisily.

‘Who are you? What do you want? It’s taken me over an hour to get this one to sleep. And ten minutes later you come hammering on the door and wake her up.’

‘I’m trying to contact the man who lives over there,’ Smith pointed to the house across the street. ‘It’s important I speak to him.’

Sonya knew an army officer when she saw one; she’d worked at the local garrison before she was married. It was there she’d met her husband. Now he’d been dead for months; the bitterness was as keen as on the day she got the news. And she knew how devastated Steve had been when Mel and his girls died. Now this character was snooping round. Why? She didn’t like the look of him, didn’t like the sound of his voice. It made every request a demand, every statement an order. ‘Like I said, who wants to know?’

‘I’m afraid that’s confidential. Do you know where he is?’

If I did, I wouldn’t tell you, she thought. ‘He’s gone away. He’s trying to recover from a bereavement.’

‘Yes, yes, I know all about that.’ The man waved a dismissive hand.

You callous bastard, Sonya thought.

‘Have you any idea where he’s gone?’

The baby was crying. Sonya could feel a damp patch on her arm. And the stranger was getting right up her nose. She remembered something Mel had told her. About a holiday disaster they’d had. After which Steve had vowed never to set foot in France again. ‘As a matter of fact I do.’

‘So?’

‘He’s gone to France for a couple of weeks. He went at the weekend. Or was it last week? I can’t quite remember exactly when. He said he couldn’t bear to be in the house any longer, so he was off to get right away.’

‘Did he go on his own? Or did you see anyone else at the house? A young woman? Late teens, long dark hair?’

‘You must be joking.’ There was no mistaking the anger in Sonya’s voice, and the look in her eyes was so hostile Smith actually backed away a pace. ‘The poor man’s wife and children died less than three months ago. And you come around insinuating he’s got some girl in tow. Off on a dirty weekend. What sort of animal do you take him for?’

‘I’m sorry,’ Smith didn’t sound very apologetic. ‘France, you said, any idea which part?’

‘He said something about hiring a car and touring round. Said he’d just point it down the road and see where he ended up.’

‘Would you do me a favour?’ Smith smiled ingratiatingly. Sonya felt vaguely sick. ‘If you see him, or hear from him, would you mind calling this number?’

Sonya took the proffered card. It had no name on it, no address, merely a telephone number. ‘Who do I ask for? I assume you do have a name?’

‘Smith,’ he told her reluctantly.

She nodded and watched him return to his car. After he drove off, she waited on the doorstep to make sure he didn’t return, then went inside. She was about to tear the card up, when she changed her mind. She found a piece of paper and a pencil and scribbled a short note. After she changed the baby’s
nappy, she cradled her in the crook of her arm and opened the front door. She glanced up and down the street, before crossing the road to stuff the note through Steve’s letter box. When she was certain the street was empty of cars she returned home.

Jessica was bored. After their morning run and training session, Steve had made breakfast. Immediately afterwards he sat down on the couch and opened his laptop. She sat opposite him and watched for a while. His brow was furrowed in concentration. Eventually, she asked, ‘What are you doing?’

He looked up. ‘Apart from giving myself a headache and wishing I knew more about computer programming? I’m trying to find some software to decode those encrypted disks.’

‘Can I help?’

‘Do you know much about encryption?’

‘Quite a bit, yes.’ She smiled at the surprise on his face. ‘I’m studying programming. I was intending to do computer studies at university. That was until I became a burglar.’

He beckoned her over and turned the laptop towards her. ‘There you are. See what you make of that.’

She peered at the screen. After a few minutes she looked up. ‘You’re right; this isn’t going to be easy. The whole thing’s an alpha-numerical code, but you’ve probably already worked that out. It’s one where numbers have been substituted for letters and vice versa. They’re the hardest type to crack.’

‘So, we’re no further forward.’

‘I said it was difficult. I didn’t say it was impossible. Any code can be broken, given time. Let me have some paper and I’ll make a start.’

The task took three long, frustrating days of concentrated effort. It involved both of them, the laptop, and a seemingly endless supply of paper. When they finished, they had a series of numbers and letters arranged in columns. The tables that provided the answer to the encryption covered both sides of two A4 pages. ‘I had lots of theories for the reason behind my abduction,’ Jessica said, ‘ranging from rape downwards, but writing a software program and applying it to a code breaking exercise
never entered my mind. Do you want to start converting the content of these files into English?’

Steve shook his head. ‘We need to go back to Helmsdale. With the computer and the lights on, the battery’s getting low. Apart from that I need to collect some new gas cylinders and top up the water.’

‘Is that why you’ve banned us from showering for the last three days?’

He nodded. ‘Thank goodness for that. I was beginning to think you were developing a fetish for sweaty girls.’

They pulled up outside the house late that evening. He told Jessica to stay in the van. ‘I’m going to check the house.’

He went inside and reappeared at the back door a couple of minutes later. After he looked round, he beckoned her inside. She scrambled out of the van, clutching the bag containing the files. She dived through the kitchen door. She wasn’t sure why, there was nobody in sight. It was something about his look that conveyed urgency. Or that something was wrong.

‘What’s matter?’ she asked as he closed the door.

He passed her a small piece of paper. ‘Steve’, she read. ‘I’d a bloke snooping round asking questions about you. Looked like a red cap to me. Said his name was Smith. Didn’t like him, or his attitude. Wanted me to ring him when I’d seen you or spoken to you. Are you in trouble? Sonya’.

When she’d finished reading, Jessica asked, ‘Who’s Sonya?’

‘She lives over the road. Her husband was killed on a tour a few months ago. She and Mel were mates.’

‘What does it mean? Who is this man Smith? Do you know him? Are you in some sort of trouble?’

He shook his head. ‘Apart from kidnapping, imprisonment, breaking and entering, criminal damage and being in possession of explosives, I can’t think of anything I’ve done wrong. But if this guy Smith is who I think he is, I’m in trouble: big trouble. Either I am, or he is,’ he added reflectively.

He looked up, saw her puzzled expression and explained. ‘I served with a Captain Smith.’ He told her about the failed mission.

‘It was the first time we’d taken MAD. It stands for Modified Amphetamine Dependency, or Mood Altering Drugs if you prefer it. They were the prototype of the performance enhancing drugs we’re taking now. The ones I stole from Helm Pharm laboratory. The ones your father is responsible for developing.’

‘What happened? On the mission?’

‘There was a hell of an argument. Smith ordered us to attack an insurgent controlled village. Four of us against over two hundred. One of the guys, Johnny, refused. They had a blazing row, but Smith was in command.

‘When I met up with Smith after it was over, he told me the insurgents had killed Johnny. He told me to cover him whilst he went to call down the rescue helicopter.

‘I came under fire from about half a dozen rebels. I shot a couple, including their headman. The rest took off.’ His face darkened with anger. ‘That’s when I heard the chopper do the same. Take off, I mean. The bastard didn’t even wait to see if I’d got away. At the time I thought it was cowardice, pure and simple. I should have known with Smith, nothing’s simple and certainly not pure. But I soon learned the truth.’