Not every soul on earth will die
As the dragon’s tail goes sweeping by
Not every land on earth will sink
But hese will wallow in stench and stink
Of rotting bodies of beast and man
Of vegetation crisped on land.
Mother Shipton 1488-1561
Chapter thirty nine
The Informant
Christopher Golde
Date: 10th August 1999 Location: Singapore
Gradually, more and more, the apartment she had lived in now for the last six weeks was feeling akin to a home and less like a prison. Since the bombing in Hong Kong, she could understand the caution Nigel Stansen and his team had taken in caring for her until her editor had returned from Europe. There was no way in the world she could have accessed the secured strong room at Stromberg Media without him and she had dared not try to explain to her boss the whole situation on a telephone line to France.
Julie Peirce poured the coffee from her brewer into the cup, added one sugar then walked to the window stirring as she went. Before she got to the window, there was the sound of the door buzzer and she jumped spilling some of the coffee into the saucer.
She looked at the door hesitantly. It was not that it didn’t happen every day; it was just that her nerves were still shot from the events of Hong Kong and the knowledge that the Ong had killed her Aldo and all his team. She walked towards the door still holding her cup of coffee. When she was as close as she was intending to go, she stopped, pausing first to see if there were any tell-tale noises from outside the door. But there was nothing.
“Who is it,” she asked, in the most confident voice she could muster?
“Its Major Amouré, Miss Peirce,” came back the voice from the other side of the door in a French accent.
She knew the voice of the Major and relaxed. She also smiled as she always did when she heard Major Amouré say his name. It was the name, Major Love, in English. She always wondered how he had grown up bearing that name and then joining the military, it would toughen you up she had guessed.
She put the cup of coffee down on the small coffee table near her and went to the door, now much more relaxed. She opened the door and smiled seeing the major standing there in his undercover doorman’s disguise. Major Amouré was one of Nigel Stansen’s most trusted French Secret Service personnel and he had asked the Major to assume the role as a doorman for the building for the extent of the required stay for Julie.
“Come in Major,” said Julie smiling, “would you like a coffee, it is freshly brewed?”
The major smiled unashamedly enthusiastically.
“Yes thank you, Miss Pierce, that would be most wonderful of you.”
Even though she would always invite him in for a coffee and he would always say yes, it delighted Julie that her invitations were accepted with such fervour.
The Major closed the door behind him, but not first without looking up and down the hallway outside. Julie knew that although he may appear to be a big softy with a charming demeanour, she knew he was a very highly skilled secret service agent and would never for a second take his eye off his job of protecting them both.
Major Amouré walked over to the lounge and took a seat while Julie went to the small apartment kitchen and poured another coffee from the brewer sitting on the bench. She knew the Major took one sugar and milk so added them, stirred briefly and brought the steaming cup over to the lounge, putting it on the small coffee table in front of the major.
“Thank you mademoiselle Peirce, it is so very kind of you to look after me so well,” said the smiling agent, sitting on the lounge in his valet uniform.
“It is always my great pleasure Major Amouré, after all, you are my ‘protecteur’.”
The major genuinely blushed, picked up his coffee and sipped at the edge showing an expression of rapturous appreciation to Julie.
“We are expecting your boss back in Singapore today,” he said, putting the cup down on the table.
“Yes, I will call him about ten when he has had a chance to get through customs and out of the airport. I am a little bit worried about him,” she added, “especially if the Ong know that he is coming back as well.”
“Don’t worry Miss Pierce, we have got him covered and we have ever since the explosion in Hong Kong, remember he was in Paris, our hometown.”
“That is true,” she replied, “I should not worry so much.”
“No mademoiselle, you have every right to worry about the Ong, they are truly crazy.”
Just as Major Amouré finished saying that the phone to the apartment rang and startled them both. Julie picked up the receiver and answered it.
“Yes he is here,” she told the person on the other end and handed the phone to the Major.
The Major answered the phone in his official tone then began to speak in French. She could tell by his manner it was an official call. After he put the phone down, he immediately stood and walked towards the door.
“Your boss is already here mademoiselle,” he said, as he opened the door and looked down the corridor.
Julie jumped up.
“My god, really!”
She also walked quickly to the door. Major Amoure turned from the doorway and put his hand up in a signal for her to stop.
“Not just yet Mademoiselle, they brought him straight here because they believe it to be dangerous, that can only mean there are Ong assassins about, we must be very careful.”
Julie stopped dead in her tracks, the thought of that had not occurred to her. The Ong would obviously be watching for an opportunity to get the information they already must know she possessed. She was now worried more about the safety of her boss than herself.
She heard in the distance the ding of the lift bell in the corridor outside her apartment. The major stepped back inside the room slightly and closed the apartment door so that he could just see out through a slender opening. She could even hear the lift door sliding open the building was suddenly so quiet.
For a few more seconds she dared not breathe and the major was frozen, his eye glued to the crack in the door. Finally, he opened the door fully and her boss John Tilley appeared in the opening and she breathed a sigh of relief, realizing only then, she must have been holding her breath the whole time.
“John,” she said, running towards him and embracing him, “I am so relieved to see you.”
John Tilley was a very tall, good-looking, middle-aged man with a full head of blond hair and piercing blue eyes, with at that moment, a surprised look on his face. Julie had her arms wrapped around him and held on to him for longer than he was accustomed too.
“Julie,” he said, managing to drop his briefcase to the ground and pry her away from him for long enough to see that she had tears in her eyes, “are you alright.”
It was uncharacteristic of her she knew but she guessed it was just all the pressure of the last few weeks catching up with her and finally seeing a face that was familiar to her. She wiped her eyes and looked up into her bosses face.
“I’m sorry, I am just very happy to see you.”
“Obviously, “ he said, breaking into a smile.
Julie looked around and saw Major Amore and two other men standing, watching them. She felt a little embarrassed and seeming to notice her blush, simultaneously, all three attempted to make themselves busy.
She looked back at her boss and dropped her arms from around him but then grabbed his hand and led him to the lounge where she had been sitting.
“We need to talk,” she said, as she led him to the sofa next to the coffee table.
“I think we must,” he replied, with a knowing look on his face, “it’s not every day you get picked up from the airport by the French Secret Service, well not in Singapore at any rate.”
She looked at him like a naughty little girl about to be scolded by her father.
“It was the article,” she said.
“What article was that?”
“The tribute article we decided to do for Aldo.”
“Oh, I see,” he said, as if it all then made sense, “you actually mean it alerted to someone the fact that we might possess more.”
“Exactly,” she said, with some relief.
“And these gentlemen represent those who want them I suppose,” he said, a little quieter and looking over his should in the direction of the major and his two associates.
“If it were only that simple,” she replied, leaning forward and putting her face directly in front of his, “John, we were right when we thought Aldo was murdered and now the same people are trying to murder me.”
“You mean…” he looked again over his shoulder.
“No,” she slapped the sleeve of his suit, “these are the good guys protecting me, and you for that matter.”
“Me,” he replied, surprised, “what did I do?”
“It’s not what you did; it is what you’ve got.”
“Oh, I see, you mean the manuscripts Aldo left with you?”
“Yes dear,” she said, patting him on the arm where she had slapped him before, “and now we need to give them to these wonderful French gentlemen and hopefully the threat will go away.”
John Tilley stood up, turning towards the major.
“Then we should not keep them waiting, Miss Peirce, let’s make a move and get this unwanted trouble back out of my life.”
She smiled.
“Major Amore, you heard the man let’s make a move,” she said, also standing and turning towards the major and his two associates.
“Not so simple I am afraid Miss Peirce,” said the major, looking from her to the newspaper editor, “we have a slight problem.”
Julie looked at him in puzzlement.
She knew whatever it was, it was serious, as the major had that special professional look on his face.
“We were right to be concerned about the return of Mr Tilley,” he explained, “our operatives have detected at least ten cult members in and around our building, it seems they have been preparing for your return sir.”
“So what do we do,” Julie asked?
“We have two choices, mademoiselle,” said the major to Julie, “wait for reinforcements or attempt an extraction by deception.”
Julie looked at her boss to see if he had an opinion but John Tilley stood there looking at the special agents sent to protect them.
Julie looked back at the major.
“So shouldn’t we just sit tight and wait till it is safe to go?”
“Normally, I would agree,” said the major, “but this is the Ong and they would more than likely expect that just by the way they don’t seem to be attempting to hide from our agents outside, and that can only mean they intend to breach our protection and take you with extreme force.”
Julie looked terrified and the major suspected she had every reason to be.
She spoke nervously again.
“So what does extraction by deception mean?”
She was almost too afraid to ask.
“It is simple really,” said one of the other agents, “we try to anticipate what they would expect us to do if we were to make a dash for it and do the opposite.”
Julie thought that was logical enough but she wondered how you anticipate the thoughts of crazy cultists like the Ong.
As if answering her thoughts the same agent spoke again.
“That is our expertise Miss Pierce; we were given this job because of our special talents in the pre-emptive strike.”
At least there was a degree of comfort for her in these confident words.
“Let’s get to work,” said the same agent to Major Amore and the other agent, “we probably don’t have much time.”
Just as he said that the other agent who had been silent till now answered a radio that was inside his jacket.
“Copy that,” he said, back into the radio transmitter.
“We have even less time than anticipated sir,” he said, turning to Major Amore, “Our agents have intercepted two Ong in the lobby and are now attracting fire from several more from outside the hotel.”
“No time to waste,” said Amore, looking at his two assignments, “let’s go, mademoiselle.”
Julie looked at him as if to say where too but did not get a chance as she and John Tilley were both grabbed by the other agents and guided instantly out into the corridor. It was then that she noticed all three agents had weapons drawn in anticipation.
They were hustled immediately to the elevator where the Major pressed the elevator down button.
“But they are down there,” protested Julie.
“Exactly why I pushed it,” said Amore, “they know we are aware they are down there and the last place we should head is down to the lobby, but they cannot afford to leave the lobby in case we are doing what they least expect us to do.”
“And are we,” she asked, still not sure what was going on?
Before her question was answered, the elevator bell chimed and the two agents pulled their charges back behind them, while Amore gripped his weapon in both hands, pointing it at the elevator doors expectantly. When the doors slid open, the elevator appeared to be empty and Julie watched as the Major stepped in quickly.
Within a split second, there was a loud gunshot and Julie’s heart missed a beat but quickly the major emerged again from the lift and the doors slid closed behind him. He looked up at the elevator indicator and it flashed quickly to the next floor below.
“Let’s go,“ he said to the other agents, then turned to Julie. “I am sorry mademoiselle to startle you, I was just getting rid of the lift camera and now the elevator will travel to the lobby empty.”
Having been given as much explanation as it seemed she was going to get, the five ran back down past their room again with the major out in front firearm drawn preparedly. Once they came to the fire escape stairs, the major turned to them his hand resting on the door.
“Once inside the staircase move as quickly and silently as possible upwards. They are likely to be working their way upwards using the stairs while the others in the lobby watch the elevator we have sent down towards them. At this stage, we are still in control of the game and I want to keep it that way.”
Having said that the major pushed open the door and indicated for the other four to enter first and go upwards. He followed behind them obviously to protect their rear.
She could not ask, with the instructions of silence, but was mystified as to why they would choose to go up.
‘Surely this would ultimately trap them on the roof and they would be like sitting pigeons waiting for the slaughter,’ she thought, in fearful frustration, ‘but they must know what they are doing, after all, they did outsmart them in Hong Kong by putting a blonde wig on me and dressing me in the lady agents coat before telling me to get out of the vehicle and move to the other vehicle just moments before the first vehicle was blown to pieces.’
She thought about the blonde lady who had given her life for her to survive. ‘Surely they had not known the car was going to blow up. I suppose they were just taking the precautions in case.’
They moved silently and quickly up the stairs floor by floor. They heard an occasional door slam way down below them and she guessed the Ong assassins were checking each floor as they too ascended.
‘That would slow them down,’ she thought, ‘Amoure was right, they were pre-emptive specialists, but what do they intend to do on the roof?’
She looked behind her at John Tilley and saw that he was breathing extremely heavy from the climb. She was feeling it herself. There was another door slam below and just as they heard that John tripped and fell yelling out in pain as he fell. His handler quickly clamped his hand over her boss’s mouth and they all froze as he laid half down and half upon the step below her holding his ankle in obvious pain.
In the silence they had created she heard a voice yell out in Japanese. They had been made. The agent holding her arm let go and then the two of them lifted the newspaper editor between them and looked up at Julie.
“Run Julie, run.”
The silence had been broken.
Julie turned and ran, her breath now difficult to take and hold, as much from fear as from the effort of the climb. She dared not look back and just careered forward towards the roof, taking one quick glance upwards and seeing what looked like a door at the top, only two levels away.
She dared not look back, but now they could hear shouts below them that were unmistakably Japanese. Her lungs were burning and her heart was pounding inside and against her chest wall. She hoped John and the others were close behind her but could not tell with all the confusion.
When she reached the door at the top and turned the handle to open it, her heart stopped.
“It’s locked,” she screamed.
She had no time to even look around as Major Amoure pushed her aside and covered her body. She heard two large bangs and realized the major had wasted no time in blasting the door handle off with his gun. The shouts beneath them were now frenzied and she felt a raw panic grip her stomach as her heartfelt that at any moment it would burst. The major pulled her through the door and continued to run with her in tow.
She looked for a place to hide but the major kept just pulling her along. She caught a glance of the two other agents carrying her boss through the open door about ten paces behind them. She wondered how far behind them the assassins would be.
Julie was about to yell in protest when she heard it. The unmistakable beat, beat, beat of a propeller. She looked ahead of them in the direction the major was running and there it was big, black and beautiful, rising up from the edge of the building.
‘A chopper, thank god, actually thank the French,’ she thought, ‘they have done it again.’
Her joy was very short-lived, as she heard a gunshot behind them and saw that the first Japanese assailants had got to the rooftop about twenty or so paces behind John and his two carriers.
One of the agents turned partially, still holding John and fired back. She saw an assassin drop but the other careered onwards, firing again and again. The major yelled “drop” so loud it deafened her and at the same time pulled her to the ground. She looked back as she fell and saw the two agents and John doing the same thing.
‘What was happening,’ her mind screamed, ‘we should be running.’
Immediately they hit the ground, an ear-shattering burst came from the chopper and she saw the Japanese assailant dancing in a spray of rooftop pieces. Obviously, the French had done this all before and the chopper was not only a rescue craft but also a deadly gunship.
Major Amoure pulled her to her feet and they scampered across the short distance remaining to the chopper. By the time she had clambered into the craft side door, John and his two protectors had joined them. She looked back and saw two more figures arrive through the door onto the rooftop but this time they stopped and just watched as the big black metal bird lifted off into the sun. It actually turned towards them threateningly and the two would-be assailants quickly turned and disappeared back into the building they had just exited.
“Our people will pick them up as they leave the building.” the major said, with what she detected as a hint of satisfaction. “Are you alright mademoiselle,” he asked, as he turned back to Julie?
“Yes thank you major,” she replied, now able to smile a little, “you knew the helicopter was here the whole time?”
She wasn’t sure if she was just asking or being accusing. The major just smiled.
“Pre-emptive specialist’s Mademoiselle, that’s all.”
The agent with the radio spoke into his transmitter.
“Take us direct to the Stromberg Media building.”