Although she appeared to have no destination in sight, the three members of the Cole family were actually headed for a very specific location. She had tried the counter-surveillance moves as best as she could under the circumstances, and thought that nobody was following her, but she was all too aware that she was no expert at this game. There could have been a dozen men following her for all she really knew.
She managed to continue her laid-back stroll until they came upon a small coffee house. ‘Who wants a cake?’ she asked Ben and Amy.
‘Me!’ shouted Ben immediately.
Amy, a little more aware of her mother’s uneasiness, asked quietly ‘Is it okay?’
Sarah smiled widely at her, her daughter’s understanding giving her renewed strength. ‘Of course it is honey, we’re on holiday! Come on, we’ll have a bite to eat and then we’ll go shopping. Okay?’
‘Okay!’ Amy replied brightly, heading with her mother and brother into the café.
Ben rolled his eyes at his sister as they passed through the doors. If they were offered cake, the answer should always be a simple Yes! There was certainly never any need for questions. Why did girls always have to make things complicated?
22
Across the crowded plaza, a man was watching the Cole family. Andy Cragg saw the three targets enter the coffee shop, and wondered if he should follow them in. His orders were to remain unobserved however, and so he resisted the impulse. The mother seemed to be so far unaware of his presence, but it was clear that she had some knowledge of counter-surveillance techniques. She was no expert, but was good enough for him to have to keep his distance. He couldn’t take the risk of the Cole woman making him, and so he sat down on one of the benches opposite and started to wait.
He could see the family through the coffee shop’s window, and would pick up the tail when they left.
Albright had wanted to keep watch himself, but Cragg had suggested that with his damaged face, it might just be too easy to spot him. Albright had argued, but Cragg had finally convinced him, and he was now just around the corner, in close radio contact.
Cragg could see that there was more to Albright’s desire to watch the family than professional pride; it seemed somehow personal to him. Cragg knew that the senior agent was a vain man — indeed, within the DIA’s Department X, Albright’s narcissistic qualities were well known — but Cragg hoped that it wouldn’t start to colour his colleague’s judgement.
23
Across from the coffee shop, Cragg observed Sarah Cole check her watch and then ask for the bill. It came just a minute later, and he watched her take some money out of her purse and put it on the table. He started to react as he saw the mother and her two children stand and start to make their way towards the door.
He relaxed a moment later when the little girl — Amy Cole, wasn’t it? — stopped her mum and whispered urgently in her ear. Smiling, Sarah Cole approached the coffee bar and spoke to the lady behind the counter, who pointed towards a hallway at the rear of the little café. Cragg watched as she led her children down the corridor and out of sight.
Cragg wasn’t concerned; just a four year old girl needing to use the toilet after a meal, nothing unusual. He used the opportunity to radio Albright to let him know the Cole family were about to move.
‘Why did you want me to whisper in your ear, Mommy?’ Amy asked as they walked quickly past the door to the bathroom.
Sarah looked down at her little girl and smiled. ‘We’re just playing a game honey, just a game. Like acting, you know? Maybe like hide and seek?’ The trio got to the end of the corridor and stopped at the fire exit.
Ben looked at his mother with curiosity. ‘Who are we playing with?’ he asked with genuine interest.
‘Some friends,’ Sarah replied automatically as she checked the device in her hand. She hoped it still worked.
They were across the alleyway outside the Mall in seconds, Sarah closing the fire door and pressing the button on the remote control in her hand at the same time.
The control was aimed at another fire door, positioned directly opposite her across the narrow alleyway. They were almost there, and Sarah thought for a moment that it wouldn’t work, but then it creaked open and they were there, bursting through into the stair well and slamming the door closed behind them immediately.
Sarah hoisted Ben and Amy into her arms, smiling at both of them warmly. ‘Looks like they’re not going to find us,’ she said with relief.
‘Did we win?’ Ben asked.
‘I think so,’ Sarah replied, and Ben and Amy cheered. ‘And that means we get to play another game. I hope you both like fancy dress.’
24
At 12:10, Cragg was starting to be concerned. Where were they? Why hadn’t they come out?
He really didn’t know what to do. He didn’t want to give away his presence, but what if there was a back way out that they’d decided to use? He could be sat here wasting precious time.
Eventually, Cragg radioed Albright again, and was given the order to check it out. Once he’d had the decision made for him, Cragg acted quickly. He moved straight through the front door, ignoring the waitress who wanted to escort him to a table, and entered the female bathroom. Nothing. He checked it from top to bottom, and then moved to the male bathroom. Again, nothing.
Coming back into the corridor, he rounded the corner and saw the service door. Oh no. This really wasn’t what he wanted.
Despite the dread of what he might find — or not find — he raced to the door and opened it, spilling out into a narrow alleyway. He ran one way down the alley, then the other. Once again — nothing. No sign of the Coles whatsoever.
As he picked up his radio to give Albright the bad news, he never even considered the dull metal fire door opposite him.
Albright didn’t bother racing into the café to assist Cragg.
His shoulders sagged in defeat; he didn’t even have it in him to shout at the man. The fact was, they’d lost. They’d lost, and now he had to tell Hansard.
As he pulled out his cell phone, he wondered about the words he would use.
He rolled his neck, the faint cracks relieving some of the tension from his body.
It would have to be Cragg’s fault, of course.
25
Cole’s memory of the boat’s layout was mercifully intact. Although the ferries he’d trained on whilst on joint exercise with the British SBS were somewhat older models, he was pleased to see that the internal superstructure of the new vessels was similar enough to make no real difference.
After hiding the two bodies, Cole had managed to access the service area through the hatchway near to the stairwell. Since then, he had descended another two levels until he was now at the lowest point in the ship.
He had successfully avoided contact with the ship’s crew, giving the kitchens and engine rooms a wide berth. The circuitous route had taken a bit of extra time, but was worth it for the lack of trouble he’d run into.
He worked his way through a tiny passageway — really only designed for an electrical cart to run along but just big enough for Cole to squeeze into — and tried to hurry towards the rear of the boat. He could feel the engines slowing, and knew he didn’t have much time left.
26
The clean-up crews started working the moment the passengers began to head downstairs, and Diego Marquez had just been informed that he’d have to do Sections 1a and b today. Another guy would normally do 1b, but Diego’s supervisor had said that the man had been taken ill, and so he would have to clean both.