Fortress by Andy McNab Read Free Book Online Page A

knew just what was going through his head; Mandler would have told him to sit tight and take notes, but say as little as possible. But now she had put him on the spot. He would have to try to sound as though he was answering the question, while not actually doing so at all. ‘We’re preparing a dossier for you, which we’ll be sharing with all of the security services by the end of play today.’
    ‘Oh, marvellous.’
    They give nothing away, that lot. Garvey gave him an empty smile. She needed him to know that he wasn’t in the clear yet.
    Clements was trying to get her attention. ‘Since we are without an FCO presence today …’ He cleared his throat.
    Trust him to try to ride more than one horse, she thought.
    He took off his annoying little half-glasses and twirled them. ‘There is the matter of Britons who’ve been fighting in Syria rotating back to the UK. We have to factor in that some of these folk have seen some pretty serious action and acquired, in some cases, some equally serious training. I just thought I should add that to the pot as our people are pretty stretched keeping tabs on them all, particularly in view of their increasing use of, and for once this phrase is appropriate, noms de guerre .’
    Garvey looked at him. Pretentious twat.
    He paused and glanced at Woolf. ‘I’m sure MI5’s doing a fine job of monitoring all the would-be jihadis in our midst, but if you’re looking for someone with the skills to carry out an assassination such as this, our eager returnees from Syria might be a good place to start.’
    She turned to Woolf. ‘Well?’
    Woolf bit his bottom lip while he crafted the appropriate answer. ‘The cabinet secretary is quite right that the returnees are a source of concern. And we will, of course, continue to rule nothing out.’
    She pursed her lips. Typical bloody opaque MI5 answer. Something was going on in his head that he wasn’t broadcasting to the room. She could sense it. She spread her hands flat on the table. ‘Well, I suggest we get back to work. No use fiddling while Britain burns.’
    As the meeting broke up she remained seated. She caught Woolf’s eye and, with a tiny movement of her forefinger, gestured for him to sit back down.

10
    Woolf sat motionless, mentally checking his body language, trying to look composed, not defensive. Inside he was in turmoil.
    ‘Either you know something and aren’t saying or you genuinely haven’t a clue.’
    Garvey’s eyes bored into his. She could practically see the cogs in his brain frantically spinning. Clearly, he hadn’t bargained for this. The DG had probably only sent him along because he happened to be standing outside his office trying to get his attention. Just be there – say nothing to the room . Those would have been Mandler’s instructions.
    ‘Come on, man. We’re both on the same side here. Spit it out.’
    Halford had been easy: his hubris and defensiveness made him vulnerable. But Woolf looked like a more complex creature, harder to read: junior, dishevelled, very bright, yet seemingly unambitious. She suspected that was just a cover. She had noted the care he had taken not to rile Halford, while subtly distancing himself from the commissioner’s harebrained theories about gangsters. He was an operator, all right.
    Woolf passed a hand over his chin; he had forgotten to shave. ‘It’s early days, and a lot of it is conjecture.’
    ‘Well, it can’t be any worse than Halford’s effort. Keep going.’
    He checked his tie again. ‘I’m going out on a limb here.’
    ‘Do I hear the sound of distant chainsaws?’
    ‘Even the Service is divided.’
    Ah, she thought. Does this mean he’s actually got something worth hearing?
    He looked at her properly for the first time since they had been alone. ‘The Muslim extremist cells – those we know of – they’re still our main focus, but – well, they don’t want this.’
    She reached over to a jug and poured herself some water. She didn’t