People Trafficker (20 page)

“I see,” Harry replied. “Very well, I’ll sanction it. It’s already been looked at by the legal bods and they have given the green light, so why don’t you wheel her in?”

Karen entered the room, taking a seat opposite General Myers and alongside General Ross.

“My name is Lieutenant General Myers, Karen. Special Branch has requested you be trained at one of our camps. General Ross, who will be monitoring your progress, has asked that you be given the temporary rank of Lieutenant, during your time at the camp and on the mission. I have sanctioned this; however, you’re not trained as an officer so you will hold the rank only for operational reasons. You will not take advantage of this commission. You will not under any circumstances give orders to any personnel you outrank. Sometimes though the training may require a team leader, and a ranking officer within the group would normally assume that position. It is in order then for you to lead the team, like any soldier given the task to act as the soldier in charge for the exercise. Do you understand?”

“Yes, I understand, but why give me any rank. I don’t mind being at the bottom you know?”

“May I answer that?” General Ross asked.

General Myers nodded in agreement.

“It’s essential that other trainees, and junior officers on the camp, don’t treat you as a raw recruit, Karen. We don’t have time for any tomfoolery. The rank will hold respect; you will be asked no questions. Even if you were, and you didn’t answer the question nothing would be said. When you leave the camp and join the operation, it is intended your primary role is interrogations and looking after any girls who are found. They will possibly be traumatised and may not believe, or have confidence with male soldiers. So your job will also include giving them that confidence. Yet again the rank will mean you will not be questioned on tactics, but of course as General Myers said, you will not give operational orders to the soldiers. Except if it concerns the girls and their safety.”

Karen gave an indifferent shrug. “I suppose what you say is right. After all I’ve never been to a military camp, so there’s no chance of me giving orders; I wouldn’t know how to do it.”

“There are two other essential parts, Karen,” General Ross added. “Your surname is to be your mother’s maiden name, Harris. You must also dye your hair. It can be semi-permanent, as it only has to last no more than a month. I suggest blonde, it is a good colour to change features and looks to.”

She nodded without comment. Considering blonde to be tacky and common looking, she didn’t really want this. However, she also realised she needed to look very different, after all her photo had been all over the papers for weeks. General Myers opened a folder, took a pen, and signed at the bottom of the top document. He then passed the folder to General Ross.

“There you are, Mike, if you sign alongside my signature, then Karen you sign the other documents in the folder, you’re in the army as a Lieutenant, and subject to military regulations.”

General Ross took the folder and signed, followed by Karen.

“Thank you, Harry. Let’s hope this is the beginning of the end for this particularly nasty trafficker.”

When they left the office, Karen was first measured up for a uniform, then she was taken to the hairdressers. General Ross looked at her as she came out from the hairdressers. She was so different, in fact he thought, far more attractive with her intense blue eyes. However, when she arrived home, her mother went mad, said she looked a tart and what had possessed her to do such a thing. Then Karen told her parents what she’d agreed to do.

“You’re going where? Are you out of your mind?” Karen’s father demanded.

Karen looked at him. “I suppose I must be, but a young girl is dying, she needs my help and I intend to do what I can for her. Anyway this time it’s with the blessing of the government, I’ll be with the armed forces and perfectly safe.”

“And if things go wrong again, what then, Karen?” he asked.

She sat for a while then looked up at them both watching her. “I know what those girls are going through. People came to help me, without consideration of the risks they took. It’s my turn to help a young girl not only abducted, but dying without medical help, besides the others. I couldn’t live knowing I’d turned my back on them, no matter what the risk to me personally.”

“Then you must go, Karen,” her mother said softly.

“But surely there’s another reason, Karen, why are you really going?” her father asked.

“You’re right of course. After all if it’s just people who can fire guns they wanted, I’d be useless. But it’s not just that, Dad, I know the house, the people who do these things, without me they would be going in blind, not knowing if the people they talk to were innocents or the traffickers. That is why I’m going.”

“That I can understand, so when is it you leave?” he asked.

“Tomorrow morning, the military will collect me, I’ll be taken to a training camp first to assess my fitness and I suppose my mental attitude. If all goes well and I can cope, in ten days I leave for Cyprus and then to a ship standing off the Lebanese coast. Apparently we go in by helicopter, landing a mile outside the village. After that we walk.”

“I presume that is why you’ve gone blonde and tried to change your looks?” her father said.

“Yes, after all I’m in the papers such a lot; I stand out like a sore thumb. This way I might get away with it.”

“Well you certainly look different, Karen,” he replied.

She grinned. “Well don’t worry; I don’t intend to stay like this when I come back. I prefer my own colour and, Mum, I’ll be using your maiden name in the training camp.”

Their conversation then reverted to minor points of the trip before going to bed. The following morning the doorbell rang. The car to take her to the camp had arrived dead on time. General Ross was standing at the door, a soldier at his side carrying a small suitcase.

“Hi I’m ready,” Karen said as she opened the door. “Would you like to come in and meet my parents before we go?”

“Good morning, and yes I’d like to meet your parents very much, Karen,” he replied. The General took the small case from the soldier, who returned to the car.

He handed her the case. “I’d like you to change into the clothes I have in this case.”

She left him with her parents and ran upstairs. While she was gone he assured them she’d be looked after and a medical team would assess her progress and any problems every day. Karen came back into the room. They all looked at her. Following measurements taken the day before she now wore a smart Lieutenant’s uniform.

“So what do you think of your uniform then?” the General asked her.

“It’s fantastic and really smart, but I feel a bit of a phoney.”

“You could only be a phoney if you were not in the army, Karen. As it is the Secretary of Defence signed your temporary entrance papers and the Chief of Staff confirmed your position as a Lieutenant. From this morning you are, Karen, in the army and subject to army discipline. Besides, after training and becoming part of a well disciplined force you might consider army life, if it is your sort of thing.”

Her mother smiled. “I can’t help agreeing with you, General Ross, army life could be just what Karen needs.”

He looked at his watch, then her parents. “Thank you for your hospitality, but we should be making a move. It’s a six hour drive and I want Karen settled in for the night so she can begin training first thing in the morning.”

Karen hugged them both and then left with the General. Her mother watched quietly as the car disappeared round the bend at the bottom of the street.

She sighed. “I hope Karen’s done the right thing?” she said quietly.

Her husband put his arm round her. “Karen’s grown up, love. She has had a bad time and I think she needs this to try finally to put it all behind her.”

They turned and went back inside.

As the General had said it was nearly six hours later, and early evening when Karen arrived at the military camp. The car stopped outside the main building and both she and General Ross went inside. Soldiers at the door came to immediate attention and an officer was waiting to meet them.

“General Ross, welcome, please would you follow me, the Colonel’s expecting you?”

By the time they entered the Colonel’s office the entire training camp knew a General from staff headquarters had arrived unexpectedly and everyone was on their toes, not knowing why he had come.

“Colonel Wright, General Ross. You have received communication from my office?”

“Yes General everything has been arranged. I presume this young lady is Lieutenant Harris?” he asked looking at Karen.

“She is.”

“I’ve arranged for both yourself and the Lieutenant to join me and my fellow officers for dinner tonight, I hope that’s acceptable, General?”

“Yes that’s very acceptable, but first, if you could have the Lieutenant shown to her quarters, so that she may freshen up before dinner, it will give us time to talk. I won’t be staying overnight, I must return to London immediately after I’m satisfied everything has been arranged here.”

After Karen left the room, the General took a seat opposite the Colonel. “I’ll not beat about the bush, Colonel, Karen is very important to a coming operation, and must be guarded at all times.”

The Colonel frowned. “Guarded, General, for what reason?”

“Colonel, this is a direct order from the Chief of Staff. Karen has already had an attempt on her life, we certainly expect others. Whether or not they can find her here, I don’t know, but we take no risks while she is in our care. The guard on her must be discrete, part of the group you are placing her with, and not obvious to her or other soldiers in the camp. She is to attend the medical facility daily, where a doctor has already been briefed. Have you received her training schedule?”

“I have General, and assigned Staff Sergeant Summers, ex SAS, along with six commandos to form her training group. The itinerary is specific in its objectives, so I hope the girl’s very fit?”

“Yes, I hope so as well, but if she isn’t, it will be up to your fitness instructors to pull her into shape. Now Colonel I come to information not in your memo. Karen has already been in a recent combat situation, we’re not sure just what state she’s in mentally, that is why she will be closely monitored by the medics. She is also very attractive; outwardly a very feminine girl and will be popular with the younger soldiers. She must have plenty of rest and no distractions. I accept she needs some relaxation, but in moderation. To this end, I don’t want to hear officers, or ratings are keeping her up to the early hours in the bar. She must not under any circumstances leave the camp grounds. There are to be no inductions, or any silliness by other officers. Karen is due to join a clandestine combat group in ten days. It’s a high risk and dangerous operation, already in the same region we have lost men. So have no illusions your camp and you yourself will be under the closest scrutiny. You follow our training instructions to the letter, knock her into shape yes, but at the same time you look after her. I hope we understand each other?”