Neil Mc Donald was sitting on the patio of his Red Hills Height’s home. He was thinking about the two meetings he had today. He was also thinking about Bendoo. The first meeting was called by the Commissioner for senior operating officers. The discussion mostly centered around the ransacking of businessman, Joe Simmond’s house by a gang of armed thugs. Haskins told them that he had gone there last night and the place was in shambles. On arrival on the scene, he was greeted by reporters, all of whom
wanted his reaction to what had taken place. Photographers were snapping up everything. A deputy superintendent, attached to operations, Brendan Fox, was also on the scene as well as several other policemen.
Nothing much had come out of the meeting. Bill Nugent, the crime chief said that Simmonds had identified three of the robbers as persons on the most wanted list from the papers. It was generally agreed that it was men from Wareika. Everybody was of the view that the Wareikans were working for some of the biggest drug syndicates on the island. Simmonds wasn’t aligned to any of them so it was puzzling why they would raid his house. The meeting was almost finished when Haskins got a call from the Minister of National Security, Duncan Fuller, that he wanted a meeting with him. Fuller told him that the army top men would be there.
McDonald knew that the Minister didn’t have operational control over the military. He had, however gotten the permission of the Prime Minister to include them in important security discussions.
From what he knew of the Minister, he was of medium height and was beginning to go bald. A lawyer, he became Minister when his predecessor didn’t seek re-election, preferring to go to Canada as High Commissioner.
***
Once again the topic centered around the Simmonds.
“They smashed up the man’s house and robbed him and his family. They took two hundred and fifty dollars from that American woman,” Fuller lamented.
“Mr. Simmonds said that he recognized three of the men from their pictures in the papers. Those men come from Wareika,” Bill Nugent, the crime chief stated.
“We sent men up there after them and up to now we can’t get them out of there.”
“Those men have time to hide their weapons and because it’s so high up they can see anybody coming up there after them,” Bruce Mallory, the army Chief of Staff argued.
“I am clueless as to why they would rob Mr. Simmonds. Unless they are looking for some soft targets,” Wayne Powell, the police operations chief remarked.
“Bruce, you and Hubert devise some plan to deal with those criminals. I have a meeting with the Prime Minister, tomorrow. Only hope that none of this comes up.”
Mc Donald had gone in the Minister’s car and explained that he had an operative at Wareika.
“I only read about secret agents in books or see them in movies, but I’m willing to listen to you.”
“I have a dossier on him.”
He passed the file to the Minister.
Fuller leafed through the file.
“He looks like a good man. I only hope he can pull it off.”
“I’m sure he can.”
Fuller passed the file to Mallory.
Mc Donald was aware that the Minister was annoyed because after the last raid on the gang’s headquarters, things had calmed down considerably.
He knew that last night’s atrocities had blown the lid off. Already there were calls from opposition political parties, several civic and business organizations for something to be done. Something like this happening again and Fuller would certainly be in trouble with the Prime Minister.
“What you have here is not a bad idea,” Mallory remarked.
“It’s not bad, but it’s going to take too long.”
Fuller looked at Mc Donald.
“I’m going to give you a chance Neil, but you only have until the middle of next month.”
That would only give Bendoo two weeks. It wasn’t much time, but if the gang kept quiet there was a chance that he could buy some more time out of the Minister.