21st May
‘What’s a lockdown?’ said Helen to Etienne as they studied a message on a monitor screen in the underground listening station near Gobekli Tepe.
Duck and Jenny paused from their conversation to let Etienne answer.
‘It’s an emergency protocol that’s used when there’s been a major security breach,’ Etienne explained. ‘It’s now clear that Worldwide Action for Righteousness has infiltrated MI5.’
‘Unfortunately,’ added Jenny, ‘Joan only thought about the possibility of MI5 being infiltrated by WAR after she’d made requests to HQ for details of WAR and for historic plans of Meadowcote Hall. It was while she was reading the material HQ had provided about WAR that she realised there was key information missing.’
‘So that implied,’ interrupted Helen, ‘that there was at least one member of WAR within MI5 who, at minimum, had removed intelligence about WAR.’
‘Yes,’ Etienne agreed, ‘and she realised that her requests for information about WAR and Meadowcote Hall, both at the same time, spelt out in single syllables her theory that the UK missile control site was at Meadowcote Hall – Cooper ended up there while tailing Paulov, and Hunter told Rachael Walker that his biggest secret was safely buried somewhere in Dorset.’
‘So,’ concluded Helen ‘a mole in MI5 explains why WAR agents got to the Meadowcote bunker and blew it up just before Joan, Paul, Robin and Robert could take action to defend the place.’
‘That brings us back to your question about the lockdown,’ Etienne said to Helen. ‘The lockdown is because we don’t know who in MI5 works for WAR. MI5 already use a cell structure, so a lot of information is kept secret within each operational group. During a lockdown, no information is shared outside the trusted members of an operational group – such as the group that we are now in.’
‘Who’s in our group?’ asked Duck.
‘Theta, as our group is now called, consists of the four of us, Swan, Joan, Paul, Robin and Robert and one or two others, well known to Joan, to provide backup and logistics.’
‘Why are we called Theta?’ asked Duck.
‘It’s short for Theta Orionis,’ Jenny explained. It’s one of the three stars in Orion’s sword. Joan thought that it carried a defiant message.’
‘WAR presumably believes that the path of the asteroid is for their god alone to decide,’ Helen suggested.
‘And it’s very likely that they can attempt to ensure that,’ said Etienne. ‘WAR infiltrators have probably gained access to American systems to such an extent that they can almost certainly cause failure of any attempt by the Americans to launch their own missiles from Grand Forks Air Force Base.’
‘This all finally makes,’ said Jenny. ‘An alliance of ARK, A51H and Python want to take control of those American missiles via a clean base, outside the US, to stop WAR sabotaging a launch. The fundamentalist Christians of A51H must also have infiltrated key American systems, so they can obtain the launch data needed to make an attempt to deflect the asteroid.’
Etienne concluded the analysis: ‘A51H trusts only ARK when it comes to passing on that information. ARK needs Python to provide the technical expertise to carry through the plan, and there seems to be an adequate level of trust between ARK and Python due to connections that Sam Collins had with each. We know about Sam’s connection to Python but not to ARK – although the fact that Sam knew Arkangel is likely to be a significant factor.’
‘What happens now?’ asked Duck.
‘Our current objectives, and some outstanding questions, are in this message from Joan that Helen and I were just reading,’ said Etienne, pointing to the monitor.
Duck glanced at the list on the screen:
Joan, Paul, Robin, Robert:
*Locate Paulov and let him know we are on his side.
*Protect the alternative UK launch base beneath the cathedral offices of Bishop Julian Summerland at Northchester.
‘So, that room beneath the cathedral was an alternative launch base,’ said Duck.
‘It seems that the fingerprints you and Jenny took included those of Paulov,’ said Etienne. ‘Also, the recorder you left picked up a conversation between two people, one of whom might have been Paulov. That conversation was about the need for more computer equipment for the guidance system instructions.’
Duck looked again at the monitor and continued to inspect the list of objectives:
Etienne, Jenny, Helen, Duck:
Locate Swan
Kidnap and interrogate Summerland
Locate Rikard
What is the event predicted for 22nd May?
What happened to the meteorite?
‘What’s the bit about the meteorite?’ asked Duck.
‘Robert Faraday’s been visiting your farm from time to time,’ said Etienne, ‘just to see if ARK, or anyone else, has been there. Apparently, his last call was two days ago. He found that there was a hole from your underground room to the surface, and the meteorite had gone.’
‘You mean someone dug down for it?’ said Duck.
‘Well, no,’ Etienne replied. ‘According to this briefing note from Joan,’ he enlarged another window on the monitor screen, ‘a hole was melted through the floor and roof of your outhouse of exactly the same diameter as the meteorite. It’s as if the meteorite made its own way out.’
Duck was pondering on the strangeness of this and gave no thought to his use of the secret room beneath the outhouse until Etienne spoke again:
‘They’ve boarded it all up to keep the weather out.’ Etienne smiled. ‘It’ll be fine for the next crop – if you ever get around to planting it.’
Helen looked back at the monitor screen and glanced once more at the picture of Angela Rikard that Swan had taken late on the previous afternoon. ‘It’s odd,’ she said, ‘I keep thinking I recognise that face from somewhere.’
Helen then focussed back on Joan’s list of objectives for Theta in Turkey.
‘You appear thoughtful,’ said Etienne after a few minutes. ‘I expect you’re worrying about where Swan is and if he’s OK.’
‘Yes,’ Helen replied. ‘I was also looking at Joan’s list and thinking how different it is from the “things to do” list that I used to have on the fridge in the days before the meteorite.’ She paused. ‘How are we going to kidnap Summerland?’ she said, trying to lighten her own mood. ‘I haven’t kidnapped a bishop for nearly a fortnight.’