Undersea Prison by Duncan Falconer Page A

Many have families that cannot immediately be moved. Some are so deep we are unable to make direct contact with them - we wait for many of our agents to contact us when they can. Closing them all down would put us back decades. The repercussions of such a strategy are incalculable. We are, of course, preparing measures for such a course of action but we must first examine every other alternative. I have some suggestions. Perhaps you’ll have some of your own,’ Nevins added. ‘Go on, Sumners.’
    Sir Charles did not look confident.
    ‘Excuse me,’ interrupted Van der Seiff. ‘At the risk of ruining the dramatics of this presentation, do we know the current whereabouts of the tablet?’
    ‘Yes, sir,’ Sumners said, miffed on the one hand at the sarcasm but relieved on the other that he could answer the question.
    Sir Charles cocked an interrogative eyebrow while Jervis toyed with a packet of cigarettes as if he was only vaguely interested.
    Sumners touched several keys on the computer’s pad. ‘The security case taken from the wreckage was broken open in the Kalaz Alif Mosque in Kabul where it was delivered the same day it was retrieved from the helicopter wreckage.’
    The screen image dissolved to a satellite shot of Kabul before zooming in on a mosque surrounded by narrow streets in a densely built-up area.
    ‘The senior mullah of the Kalaz Alif Mosque,’ Sumners went on,‘is one Aghafa Ghazan who we believe to be the most senior Taliban resistance leader in Kabul.’
    A grainy image of Mullah Ghazan took up a portion of the screen.
    ‘The fact that Mullah Ghazan received the briefcase before anyone else would lend support to our assessment of his seniority. We have an informer in Mullah Ghazan’s staff who witnessed the briefcase being opened. He accurately described the contents. The same informant also witnessed the tablet being removed from its case and inspected by Mullah Ghazan. In the early hours of the following day - the security case was brought into the mosque in the evening - a doctor implanted the tablet into a Taliban fighter by the name of Durrani.’
    ‘You did say implanted?’ Sir Charles asked.
    ‘Surgically, yes, sir. In his abdomen. We don’t have a photograph of Durrani on file although the Americans have a current image that we have requested through Camp Souter’s int cell in Kabul. Durrani was then sent by Mullah Ghazan into Pakistan where we understand he was to hand over the tablet to senior Taliban or al-Qaeda personnel. We suspect the tablet was destined for members of ISI, the Pakistan Intelligence services, where it would have eventually been deciphered. However, fortune, in respect of that dilemma at least, was on our side. Before Durrani could make contact, he and his escort were captured by an American Special Forces patrol while attempting to cross the border.There was a brief firefight.Two of Durrani’s escorts were killed and Durrani was taken into custody with minor injuries.’
    ‘Do we know if Durrani was a specific US target?’ Van der Seiff asked.
    ‘We understand it was a routine border patrol with no specific orders other than to challenge those intent on crossing the border to avoid the frontier checkpoints. ’
    ‘I’m sorry for jumping ahead - it’s the suspense thing again,’ Van der Seiff said, his sarcasm tangible. ‘Do the Americans know anything about the tablet?’
    ‘We think not, sir.’
    ‘Why do we think not?’ Van der Seiff asked.
    ‘We would’ve picked up indicators by now,’ Nevins intervened, walking to where he could be seen without the others having to turn in their seats. ‘Which brings us to the first issue. The minister would like to avoid the Americans finding out about the missing tablet if at all possible.’
    ‘Obviously,’ Jervis mumbled.
    ‘You mean, this Taliban chap . . .’ Sir Charles stumbled to remember the name.
    ‘Durrani,’ Sumners said.
    ‘This Durrani chap is a prisoner of the United States military?’