The Gulf Conspiracy by Ken McClure Page B

money is saying he’s going to go it alone if that doesn’t happen.’
    ‘ So?’ said Crowe.
    ‘ Blair will back him and take us in with him.’
    ‘ Where is this leading?’ asked Crowe.
    ‘ Plans are already in place to have the troops vaccinated against biological attack.’
    Crowe felt an icicle move up his spine as he thought he saw where Mowbray was going. ‘My God, you’re going to tell me that they’re going to use the same vaccine as last time?’
    ‘ They’ve enough left over for five thousand men. They plan to use that up first. Financial prudence, I think they call it.’
    ‘ Hell and damnation,’ said Crowe.
    ‘ I didn’t say anything inside because I felt sure James would have insisted that we immediately come clean about it and confess all,’ said Mowbray.
    They had come to the lily pond at the end of the rose garden where they turned round to look back at the lights of Channing House behind their reflection in the stagnant water.
    ‘ Can’t you find some way of destroying the old stocks?’ asked Crowe.
    ‘ Destroying stores of vaccine would require some explanation, I fear,’ said Mowbray.
    ‘ But some of your people are sympathetic aren’t they? That’s the sort of thing they do, isn’t it. James Bond stuff and all that?’
    ‘ None of them know about the accident twelve years ago. They didn’t need to, so I never told them.’
    ‘ I see,’ said Crowe.
    Mowbray continued hesitantly. ‘If it should prove necessary to call on them for some other reason in the near future I’d rather not involve them in anything else beforehand.’
    ‘ I understand,’ said Crowe. ‘But we have to do something to stop them using that damned stuff?’
    ‘ I’ve been thinking,’ said Mowbray. ‘Many of the ’91 Gulf War veterans maintain that the vaccine they were given was to blame for their symptoms. If we were to let it be known openly that HMG were planning to use up old vaccine stocks on today’s troops there will almost certainly be an outcry. With a bit of luck HMG will be forced to back down over the issue and destroy the old stuff.’
    Crowe shivered against a chill that had crept into the night air. ‘And no need for us to be involved,’ he said, starting to walk again. ‘That sounds attractive.’
    ‘ I think it will work,’ said Mowbray. ‘We know all the leaders of the Gulf War veterans’ associations so we can quickly make them aware of what’s going on and make sure the papers get on to it too. But there is still one fly in the ointment.’
    Crowe gave him a look that suggested there always was.
    ‘ When the story gets into the papers, the original Beta team at Porton are going to start wondering just why HMG was going to use a vaccine they knew to be faulty. And if any of them should work out . . .’
    ‘ That HMG didn’t actually know that to be the case,’ completed Crowe.
    ‘ Exactly,’ said Mowbray.
    ‘ The last thing we need right now is for a scandal to break out over a twelve year old accident. Do you think you can deal with any problems that might arise?’
    ‘ I think so,’ said Mowbray.
    Crowe gave a cursory nod and said, ‘Good.’ He rubbed his arms. ‘God, it’s getting cold.’
    As he opened the door of his car, Mowbray turned to Crowe and said, ‘We’ll talk again soon.’

FIVE
     
    Glasgow Airport
    Scotland
    June 3rd 2002
     
    Dr Steven Dunbar, senior medical investigator with the Sci-Med Inspectorate, settled back into his seat on the British Airways shuttle flight and noted as he fastened his seat belt that the flight was almost full. He recognised a couple of faces passing by as belonging to those of Westminster politicians, one of whom he’d seen on television the night before being interviewed about the potential costs of another Gulf War. As with most conversations involving politicians, no straight answer had been forthcoming.
    Steven had been called back from Scotland where he had been spending - or had hoped to spend - a long