Also by James Hanford

  Intervention: The King Pin

  An unlikely partnership between the British Intelligence Services, a billionaire master criminal and an unemployed operations manager is never going to be easy. Heroes Laura Harding, of MI5, and Rob Krane have to somehow keep Burak Demir focused on their agreed objective: to dismantle Burak’s vast international criminal empire. However, Burak’s commitment and openness is, not surprisingly, sometimes lacking. And, disturbingly, they keep coming across links to terrorism, including an imminent threat to a high-level meeting of senior European politicians.

  Intervention: Eavesdroppers

  When heroes Laura Harding, of MI5, and Rob Krane investigate just one arm of master criminal Burak Demir’s empire they soon realise that their task will be dangerous. Terrorists have slipped in on the back of Burak’s activities and both have successfully become established at the very heart of Europe’s financial markets. Laura and Rob have to now not only thwart Burak’s criminal activities and the underlying terrorists, but also avoid a global financial meltdown and preserve the markets’ reputation.

  Intervention: Murky Depths

  Heroes Laura Harding, of MI5, and Rob Krane chase across Europe and northern Africa on the tail of master criminal Burak Demir whose desire for revenge has unintended deadly consequences. When counterfeit money then links London’s impending anti-capitalism demonstrations to Burak’s nemesis, Laura discovers a disturbing convergence of mass terror targeting many thousands of innocent people and London’s survival as a financial centre.

  With everlasting and immense gratitude beyond possible expression in words I dedicate this book to Belinda Hanford, my amazing wife, for her support, encouragement and patient reading of draft manuscripts. Without Belinda’s involvement none of my books would have ever been written and the creative pleasure that results would not have been experienced. Thank you.

  I also need to express a huge gratitude to Marsha Dollinger, an ever-patient reader of my early manuscripts to check continuity and my often confused spelling and grammar!

  Copyright © 2022 James Hanford

  The moral right of the author has been asserted.

  Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, this publication may only be reproduced, stored or transmitted, in any form or by any means, with the prior permission in writing of the publishers, or in the case of reprographic reproduction in accordance with the terms of licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside those terms should be sent to the publishers.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Matador

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  ISBN 9781800469365

  British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data.

  A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

  Matador® is an imprint of Troubador Publishing Ltd

  Contents

  Also by James Hanford

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  About the author

  1

  Rob Krane desperately wanted to relax, but he couldn’t. Something felt wrong.

  Ever since his arrival at the plush resort, deep in the forested mountains of the Oaxaca region of Mexico, the staff had been on edge – and so had he. For four days now he had suitably filled his time exploring, but had not been able to relax. Okay, he was by himself, which hadn’t been the plan, but that wasn’t it.

  Relationships are so bloody difficult! he thought bitterly as he lazed in the late afternoon sunshine beside the swimming pool. The guidebook for his planned visit to Monte Albán remained untouched beside him as he toyed with his iPhone.

  Only a few weeks ago he had invited Laura Harding to join him on holiday. They, and some others, had been celebrating their success of preventing an attack on Canary Wharf in London when he made the suggestion. At the time, amidst hugs, kisses and tears, Laura had declined to join him because of previous commitments, promising that once back home, they would agree on dates to go away together. However, that did not happen; work had got in the way.

  A year ago, while in Slovenia, Rob had unwittingly become involved in a power struggle between the billionaire kingpin of an international criminal network, Burak Demir, and one of his henchmen, Emilio Arroz. Laura, an MI5 agent, had coordinated Rob’s rescue, and he had been assisting the domestic British intelligence service ever since.

  Now, the two of them had departed on separate holidays. Laura had replied to his texts but only briefly to acknowledge them. Keeping me dangling, he thought sadly. Maybe it was the alcohol that made her so positive. What is life about? I now have so much, but still cannot find a meaningful relationship!

  Rob’s deep, gloomy contemplation was interrupted by some new arrivals. A family of three with an accompanying entourage of a nanny, four personal assistants, two each for the husband and wife, and six bodyguards, all of whom were evidently armed. The husband’s swagger was enough to say that he was both immensely rich and most likely crooked.

  Curious, as always, Rob was pleased to have his iPhone already raised. Switching applications without drawing attention to himself, he was able to fire off a few photographs, intending to use his Media Face Recognition app. Rob had used the app to great effect a year earlier, identifying Burak only to realise that he needed help if he were to live. Now, Rob wanted to know who his new companions were. Just then, however, a waiter arrived with his drink and Rob hurriedly closed his apps and settled back once more, appraising the attractive nanny who was busy with the young boy.

  Hotel porters followed the entourage with an enormous range of luggage as all except the nanny and boy disappeared into their respective chalets. These guys clearly know the place, Rob thought as he looked around at his surroundings once again. So why come here? Service is good, as is the location and the chalet concept. But they are so cheaply and poorly constructed!

  Rob relaxed as he watched the nanny and young boy. Both stripped off their outer clothes to reveal some pre-planning – they were already wearing their swimming costumes. As the nanny collected the clothes to place them carefully on one of the sun loungers, the boy started skipping about happily. Rob smiled at the scene, happy to watch such innocent pleasure.

  Suddenly, there was a yelp as the boy slipped in a puddle of water and crashed to the stone floor, bashing a knee and elbow. He then toppled over into the pool. The nanny, on the other side of the pool, yelled in horror. Rob was up and moving instantly. Moments later he had leaned over to fish the scared, spluttering child out of the water.

  As Rob crouched in front of the boy, holding him gently, he heard the wailing mother dashing along the stone path. Within moments the mother and nanny had wrapped the sniffling boy in their arms. Seconds later the father arrived and started yelling at the nanny, raising a threatening hand.

  No! Rob thought horrified. He readied himself for an intervention at the prospect that the young woman could be hit, but was relieved when the mother stepped-in.

  “No, Henrique! It was not her fault, I was watching! It was an accident. We should thank our fellow guest instead.”

  Rob relaxed slightly as the husband backed-off, but noted that he did so only after a confirmatory nod from a bodyguard; the man had been stationed nearby keeping watch, so had seen the event unfold. Profuse praise and thanks began to flow with an invite to join them for dinner, an invite he knew he had to accept.

  * * *

  Dinner was a lively, loud, and lavish but strained affair in a private, heavily-guarded room. The food was excellent and wine flowed. Henrique was in high spirits and conversation was predominantly between Henrique and his two henchmen. Instead of being personal assistants, as Rob had assumed, he was informed they were Henrique’s close business associates, but what business was not clear. There was little opportunity for the others to converse; Henrique expected everyone to listen to him.

  The fe w words he grabbed with the nanny were cordial, but guarded from her perspective. All he gleaned was that she was Swedish. She was not even forthcoming with her name, preferring to be referred to as ‘nanny’, which was how his hosts referred to her. He did, however, work out that the boy was called Alvaro.

  Finding this very curious, Rob determined that he would also take a photograph of her at the first available opportunity. There was something very strange going on, and his relationship with MI5 had given him the desire to investigate matters.

  2

  Late that night, Rob woke up thirsty. To avoid being dazzled, he left the light off and fetched a glass of water. As he returned to bed, a shadow passed his window. Curious, Rob peered through a crack between the curtains. Immediately his heart started to pound and alarm bells rang in his head. Eight black-clad men were moving through the shadows, each with some sort of gun. The direction of travel was clear – Henrique’s chalet.

  Shi-it! What now! He stood watching the slow advance for a few seconds, noting that the intruders had a long way to go and would still have to face Henrique’s bodyguards.

  Nanny and the boy! They don’t deserve to get caught up in this. I’ve got to help! With a sinking feeling he knew his intervention was required. Rob moved quickly; he got dressed in his trekking gear, grabbed his valuables, a selection of survival items that he always carried for walking holidays, and all forms of identification. Standing outside his wardrobe he shook his head briefly. There was no going back once he stepped through. Crazy. Absolutely crazy! I’m going to help some people I don’t know – again – and could well get killed in the process!

  Opening the door, Rob lifted the wardrobe floor. On his first day he had discovered how cheap the resort’s construction had been and, upon inspection, had realised that the walls did not extend below floor level and the decking that linked all of the chalets. Beneath the wardrobe floor was a short drop down to bare earth. Having dropped through the hole, Rob lowered the wardrobe floor back down behind him and started crawling.

  He knew exactly where he was going. How ironic is this? There I was concerned for my security because of how poorly built this place is and now I’m using that for my own purposes!

  Henrique’s chalet, and those of his business associates’, was in the furthest cluster from Rob’s. However, Rob had noticed that the nanny and Alvaro shared a chalet in the same cluster as his own. Banking on the intruders wanting to target Henrique and his associates first, Rob braved the scurrying rats and other creepy crawlies to make his way to the nanny’s chalet. Eventually, by running a hand through hundreds of spider webs, he found the floor of their wardrobe.

  Heart thumping, Rob waited a full minute, to listen for possible threats, before quietly contorting himself up into their wardrobe. Getting his head covered with the fabric of dresses and skirts and smelling the nanny’s feminine scents reminded him of Laura. What would she think of me climbing into another woman’s wardrobe!

  He pushed the door open a fraction. All was dark. He listened and heard the steady breathing of one, then two people, one clearly a child. Content that there was no one else, Rob moved into the room. His eyes had now adjusted to the dark and he could easily make out the two beds. Should I really be doing this? he pondered, standing over the sleeping nanny when he heard the distinctive phuut sound of a silenced gun shot, followed by another.

  There was no time to lose. Rob placed one hand over the woman’s mouth and another over the back of her head to maintain the pressure. She was instantly awake, eyes wide in terror, writhing about trying to escape.

  “Shhh! It’s me Rob. I won’t hurt you.” Rob’s mind froze. Damn! Why didn’t I plan what to say! “There are bad guys outside killing Henrique’s men. We need to get out of here – now! No lights.”

  The woman eventually lay still. Rob waited a moment longer before adding “Please, keep quiet.”

  Rob lifted his hands. The woman immediately tried to roll off the bed to escape, but Rob was too quick and grabbed her, covering her mouth once more. “Please!” he entreated. “I’m serious… Look, let me take you to the window, but whatever you do, do not touch the curtains; these guys are professionals!”

  Wondering whether they would see anything at all, Rob guided the nanny to the window, half expecting her to try and run for it, or signal for help, particularly if they saw nothing. However, there, outside the window, was the body of one of Henrique’s body guards. The intruders were still clear to see in the bright moonlight as they converged on Henrique’s chalet. No further explanation was required.

  “What can we do?” she asked in a horrified whisper.

  “Get dressed, pack clothes, all identification and other essentials for you and the boy. I’ve left a backpack on your bed, only then wake the boy… And be silent! Make sure you turn your phones off.”

  Nanny disappeared into the bathroom and emerged a few minutes later, fully dressed. Having packed, she gently caressed Alvaro awake. “Alvaro, come on. We’re going to play an adventure game.”

  Rob was amazed at how wonderfully she managed and encouraged the boy. Very quickly she had his enthusiasm. “Ssh. Quietly. We need to be silent to creep about and surprise people. Whatever you do, no peeking through the curtains, otherwise people will see you and we will lose the element of surprise.”

  The last comment really engaged Alvaro who willingly got dressed without question, a wide grin on his enthusiastic young face, tiredness forgotten. Rob was grateful for the dark, sure that nanny’s face painted the opposite picture of the boy’s.

  Once Alvaro was dressed, Rob directed them to the wardrobe and stepped down into the gap, much to nanny and Alvaro’s surprise. Alvaro tugged on nanny’s clothes before whispering, “Why aren’t we using the door?”

  “It’s part of the surprise,” she replied cautiously, lifting Alvaro into Rob’s waiting hands.

  Rob disappeared, carrying Alvaro though the hole. “Wait here, don’t do or touch anything. If you hear any noises, it’s okay, even if it sounds nearby, it won’t be.” Rob dreaded this bit. There’s no alternative, but a young boy and woman creeping around in the dark with rats and creepy crawlies is not a great combination for willingness and silence! He popped his head back through the gap, “Nanny, your turn.”

  Just then there was a loud burst of gunfire. The chalet windows disintegrated from a combination of bullets and the dead body of an intruder being flung through the glass. Nanny screamed and took Rob’s hand to be hurriedly guided down into the black. Rob popped back up, collected a few items, disappeared back down once again and lowered the base of the wardrobe. Just before closing it, he reached back through and placed the various items on top of the surface, hoping to give the appearance that it had not been disturbed.

  Alvaro was whimpering now, uncomfortable and very scared.

  “Okay, I know this next part won’t be great,” Rob whispered urgently, “But we need to move. Hold on to my clothes so you know where I am. Please do not make a sound.”

  They crawled for what felt like ages before Rob stopped at the edge of the decking. “Okay, here’s the plan.” Rob had given up any pretence that this was some sort of game. They had heard the repeated gunshots and knew what that meant. “From here we will need to run across the lawn into the forest. Once there, we will find a path and take it as far away as we can. There are plenty of paths, I’ve been exploring since arriving here. You ready?”

  He only received the necessary, but restrained and muted confirmatory noises – both were way too scared.

  Poking his head out Rob could see no lights, but the sound of a continuing gun battle was a constant reminder of their predicament. They crawled out from under the decking and waited in a crouch.

  “Okay. Stay low and hold my hands. Let’s go!”

  Rob led the way, dragging them by their hands as he started to run across the lawn towards the forest.

  Halfway across, the ugly clatter of gunfire revealed that they were not alone, and bullets suddenly whined passed their heads. The boy slipped and fell, terrified at what was happening and nanny screeched involuntarily, concerned for Alvaro. Rob’s stomach churned with the realisation that this could be the end.

 

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