Briggs checked the display, still counting down. The keypad was smashed; he could not stop the countdown. Mastasson’s secretary ran in, ‘Colonel Briggs there is an urgent call for The General, but I cannot find him.’
‘I’ll take it. Why don’t you get down to the dock now.’
‘The General told me to stay.’
‘Well he isn’t here, so trust me, run to the dock.’
As the secretary went down the emergency exit Briggs took the call.
‘Briggs Where is The General?’
‘Mr Jarrett, I don’t know. Probably saw your email.’
‘Yes I did not realise….’
‘That does not matter now. I have ten minutes to leave so what do you need?’
‘The location of an Albert Perfidy, one of your operatives. He is about to assassinate a president.’
‘Not ours I hope.’
‘No the President of Mabalia. Do you know where he is, or a contact number?’
‘If he is on mission, you will not find or stop him. Moreover, we have no one of that name here. You do know what perfidy means?’
‘Is this the time to get cryptic Briggs?’
‘It means faithlessness or treachery. Least he has a sense of humour.’
‘Are you going to help me Briggs! A man’s life is at stake!’
‘It always is Jarrett, and today it is mine.’
He threw the phone down and started to double time to the dock. His experience had already calculated the scenarios and outcomes, and it all came down to one simple fact. Survival.
Mastasson smiled and chuckled to himself. Laurent heard the laughter in his helmet and dared to ask him, ‘why are you so happy?’
‘Because my dear Laurent, I have enough money and bonds to fund a large war in the trunks behind us. You have the connections to transport artefacts and anything else I may acquire in Ecuador, and the Isla Joya Verde will be burnt to ashes in minutes.’
‘How do you know this?’
‘First, Briggs has sold me out, and knows that an air strike is about to be carried out on the island. Second I have set the self-destruct sequence to destroy all evidence of the bases existence and purpose and as a bonus kill Briggs. The US will have nothing to identify after their raid.’
Briggs knew what was coming, he contacted as many of his soldiers as possible and told them to get to transports. He had only five minutes before the doors in the buildings began to automatically lock. Once that happened he knew that anyone left inside was dead, they just did not realise yet.
Jarrett was desperate now, he had to stop Alfred and save Uncotto, not to spite The Consortium, because it was the right thing to do. He felt that Uncotto was right in the action he was taking for his country, and that his personal deals with The Consortium had clouded his judgement. Jarrett was agitated now, Uncotto had informed him of the use of the solar device he sought and that he was not convinced that Enzi had found it or intended to hand it over once he had. With Enzi’s diplomatic status officially revoked and a warrant applied for in his country of origin, he no longer appeared a suitable candidate for Presidency. The Consortium was well connected and informed, but could not have knowledge of this yet, and Jarrett was reluctant to share. He had the advantage, he could change his fate, use the Mabalia situation to apply pressure on The Consortium. He had no contact information. They preferred that, face to face meetings usually to avoid interception. He did know that he would be contacted in two hours for an update; then he could reveal his coup. Now he had to stop Alfred or stop Uncotto reaching the heliport.
He called the New York field office of the Diplomatic Security Service at Fort Jay NJ, to speak to the officer in charge of Uncotto’s detail. The person informed him that agents were not directly contactable in the field, but she could pass on any information if he followed correct procedure.
‘Can you tell me where they are?’
‘No sir, that would be breach of protocol.’
‘Have they left for the heliport?’
‘Who is this?’
He could not follow correct procedure, he was complicit to an assassination attempt. He rang off, hoping to find another course of action, one he was reluctant to follow.
He dialled the number, entered his six digit pin, ‘General I need to call off your operative, now.’
‘I am sorry Jarrett, he went dark an hour ago.’
‘There has been a change in circumstances, he cannot complete his mission.’
‘I am sorry but he will carry it out, as requested.’
‘Well I am un-requesting it!’
‘Jarrett, you are not the client, he was supplied to you, at the request of The Consortium.’
Jarrett knew they would not contact him in time and would probably still kill Uncotto even if Enzi was disavowed.
‘Where is he shooting from General?’
The General was cautious, ‘I don’t know and even if I did, I would disclose it to you!’
‘Listen General, if you want future contracts, you will tell me how to stop this!’
‘You listen. By tomorrow I will be able to dictate terms to you, The Consortium and anyone else I choose. Barring death Alfred will carry out his task.’
The General ended the call, leaving Jarrett holding a silent phone. The assassination would happen.
Then the solution hit him, something The General had said unwittingly gave him a solution. He dialled the number, ‘Hello Police? I have some information regarding an attempted assassination of a foreign diplomat at Manhattan Heliport.’
The first explosions outside stopped Jarrett finishing his sentence.
THIRTY THREE
The Osprey came in low over the jungle, as a bird strike, could take out an engine, or destroy the aircraft. Katherine had been in a plane that had a bird strike, the engine shredded and caught fire in seconds. As her instructors had always said, speed is life, but altitude is insurance.
She saw the clearing that Osvaldo Roderigo had marked with a flare and swung in changing the angle of the wing nacelles to slow the craft and bring it into a hover. She had to get the balance just right, any variance in the thrust would throw the Osprey over. The downdraft from the massive rotors flattened the foliage on the ground, nature still recovering from a small fire last month. The tail hatch opened into a ramp, everyone departed for the complex. ‘Katherine you stay with the aircraft, use its systems to monitor any activity or anyone approaching the area.’
‘Roger that Jacob. I have to stay and change the oil in one of the engines, it has burnt off, and I need to let it cool before I can sort it out.’
Osvaldo Roderigo had gone ahead of the main group, taking Augusta Fabiola and Kevin with him, they had preparation work to complete. The three people moved quickly across the silver surface of the dome, to the hatch.
Osvaldo Roderigo did not place his hand on the hatch access point, but asked Kevin too.
‘You want me to put my hand on this? Will it hurt?’
‘You are Katherine’s brother, yes?’
‘Yes Why?’
‘Trust me, it will not hurt you.’
The blue line appeared as Kevin placed his hand on the metal, it was warm to the touch. The line finished moving around his palm and then the hatch opened.
‘See. Did that hurt?’
‘No, it tickled, tingled really.’
‘You must have more faith in your abilities.’
‘I suppose.’