End Game by Matt Johnson

Author:Matt Johnson [Matt Johnson]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781912374106
Publisher: Orenda Books Ltd
Published: 2018-10-10T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 36

Thames House, London. MI5 HQ

‘Right people, settle down and we’ll make a start.’

T2/0, the Assistant Director – actual name Alexander Dyer – called the meeting to order. Present were fourteen of his section and departmental heads, some of whom drew an unsettling glare when they responded a little slowly to his request.

Like Toni, Dyer was a former Royal Navy officer. Also like her, he was new in post. What was interesting, and what seemed to be having an unsettling effect on some of the more traditional officers, was the fact he seemed to have adopted a far more inclusive policy than his forerunners with regards to keeping his subordinates in the information loop. Soon after taking up his post, he had identified the ‘Long Room’ – so called because of its shape – as a suitable venue for meetings and had installed a series of paintings, a coffee percolator and a kettle to provide some creature comforts. At the head of the table, a rather shabby and ancient chair had been replaced by a large leather one of the kind so often favoured by a ship’s captain. The Long Room had now taken on the style and appearance of an officer’s wardroom, similar to those found in all naval vessels, both at sea and ashore.

Toni approved of the changes – she found them reassuringly comfortable and familiar, and suspected the new Assistant Director did likewise.

The previous month’s Long Room meeting had discussed, without reaching any real conclusion, the progress of an enquiry into the murder of William Stobie, a former Special Branch detective from the Royal Ulster Constabulary. Stobie had been shot dead two weeks after being acquitted of involvement in the murder of a solicitor in 1989. The Assistant Director wanted to discuss recent press speculation that Stobie was an asset. He’d met a wall of silence from those in attendance that had surprised Toni and angered Dyer. He ended that meeting with a clear warning to all that such a response would not be tolerated in the future.

As the recently appointed head of T1/B department, Toni was now on the official list of expected attendees. Although she had been looking forward to the meeting, she noticed – as the Assistant Director must have – the slumped shoulders and glum faces that now all turned in unison toward the head of the table. It was clear many of her peers would rather have been elsewhere.

On the agenda for today were a number of reports from T2/2 (Research and Threat Assessment) and T5B (Arms Trafficking) and, of particular note, they were to discuss the recent acquittal of Sulayman Zainulabidin on charges of preparing for acts of terrorism. Zainulabidin – who had changed his name and converted from Catholicism in 1979 – had been accused of planning a terror-training camp that he called ‘Ultimate Jihad Challenge’. Toni suspected this planned discussion to be the reason for the solemn faces; nobody was likely to relish the prospect of analysing their failings.

She

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