London Calling (Part 2).


As Frank nosed the car through the late afternoon traffic, Myra realised that she was his new boss. Well might you have the arsehole, my dear she thought as a smile played about her mouth. They drove across Blackfriars bridge, then down The Cut. Presently they came to Waterloo and Frank signaled left turned down the side of an old fire station...the former ground level where the fire engines were once kept had become a rather trendy restaurant, with tables outside the three red doors. Past the rubbish and refuse of the restaurant was a rough looking wooden gate. On the gate someone had dorbed PRIVATE-KEEP OUT. Frank got out and dragged the gate open, then drove into the small yard behind. He stopped the car and then juddered  the sagging gate closed once more. The yard held three cars and two vans. He looked at Myra and motioned towards a door. He swiped his card, on which Myra noticed there was but one red stripe. "This is how you gain access" he said flatly. He open the door and was about to go in, then seemed to have second thoughts. He held the door open for Myra and gestured her to enter. "Fanks, darling" said Myra with a smile. Things were looking up.

They climbed a narrow staircase and with some surprise Myra regconised the interior: this was the place where she had been brought to meet the Old Cow. And the smell of food, shit the restaurant downstairs. The old fire station-this was where she had had her interview. And now she was in charge. A middle aged man was cleaning the corridor-he smiled as Myra passed. Frank said "In here" and as they entered a room overlooking the road outside Myra saw the girl who had held the gun on her when she was taken to the air base. She rose from the desk she was sitting at, smiled and extended her hand. "Hello I'm Kim. Pleased to meet you-again. They said you would be coming over today. How was your trip?" Without waiting for Myra to reply she continued "How's he been then?" pointing to Frank "I suppose he's been his usual ignorant self. Miserable little boy, aren't we, Frankie?" She pinched his cheek as she did so.   "Piss off" said Frank as he sat behind his desk "Why don't you Myra tell about the current job. You know it's urgent. The Major's concerned about it" Kim just looked at him "See what I mean? Miserable sod, he is" "It looks like I have a friend in this place" thought Myra. "About bleedin' time".

"'Ere Kim" said Myra as she relaxed and lite a cigarette, offering one to Kim "So what's this job the old boy was talking about then?"  "You mean The Major? Well..." she leaned forward to get a light "There are a husband and wife team, the Antanoffs, former KGB. For a long time now they have been freelancing throughout the world, though they have never been here. Operate mainly in Europe. Well, guess who got off the Eurostar the other day? Just next door, in fact. We had heard that they were coming through a contact in Germany. Anyway, Frank tailed them to Basildon" "Get out" interrupted Myra "That's where I'm from" "Yeah well, they hired a car when they got there and booked in to a hotel by the industrial estate. We think, or rather The Major thinks that they have been hired to kill a Japanese industrialist Isoroku Tomonaga, head of Zapon, the electronics firm. They are about to sign to build their European Distribution Centre in the UK. Kill him, kill the deal. They get frightened, the UK is unstable, build somewhere else. We lose the jobs. That's the theory anyway. Tomonaga is due the UK on Monday. He's going to some big do at Westminister, then to the site of the building. Wednesday-that's when we think they'll hit".

Myra rubbed the bridge of her nose and shut and opened her eyes. Suddenly, she felt very tried. "It's Thursday now...not a lot of time. Do we have them under surveillance?" Kim looked embarrassed. "No, we have approached the local police and asked them to watch at arms length though. They have been pretty helpful, not that the Ole Bill are always like that. They say that they car has been in the car park since they got there...expect that they took a shopping trip to Lakeside . Which makes us think that nothing's going to happen until Wednesday. And oh, talking about the Ole Bill, a policeman rang for you just before you arrived. Where did I put that paper?" Kim rummaged through some papers on her desk "Ah here it is...Detective Chief Inspector Polson...the number's on there. Sounded if he knew you. Said it was urgent." What the fuck now," though Myra...


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