The Shaddad Conspiracy

Chapter 40: An unexpected twist

"Military assessments? Explain!" Sir William thundered. "What do you mean? What level of assessment?"

"They wanted the original assessments you and Colonel Nobriega filed in 2006, sir," Mark whispered as Sir William struggled from his chair.

"Answer me. Did you provide any assessments that were MOD eyes only? Did you get your hands on any of them?"

"Yes, but not from the MOD, they gave me someone to contact." Mark struggled to answer.

"Which ones?"

Mark hesitated, but responded as Sir William aimed at his stomach.

"Iran." He hesitated. "Kazakhstan, Afghanistan and Pakistan."

"Who was your contact?"

"I never saw his face, but he provided me your reports from 2001 and 2002."

The barrister slumped back into his seat and carefully threaded the pin back into the grenade. "Ives, stop the preparations." He depressed the button under his desk. "Edmond, please bring me some coffee."

Ronan scrambled from the couch to assist him to replace the grenade's pin.

"William, I'm calling Dr. Forrester. Take deep breaths," Ronan ordered as he autodialed.

"Don't need him. I'm just delighted." Sir William turned his chair as Edmond entered with a coffee service. "It's finally beginning to make sense."

"You haven't learnt anything new, William." Lady Catherine gestured to a dejected Mark Jacobsen. "He's too low down in the food chain."

"I know, but he gave me my mole and that starts the dominoes falling."

"What are you talking about?"

Sir William smiled as he retrieved his pistol. "Why don't you tell Lady Catherine what I'm talking about, Edmond?"

The Eurasian butler carefully deposited the tray on the coffee table before responding. "Sir?"

"I assume you are the source of the assessments that were provided to young Mark over there. Even Ronan never had access to those files. So you are the only logical choice."

The butler stood quietly as Sir William continued. "I'm sorry, sir. I don't know how to use a computer and you keep all your reports locked in the safe."

"Except young Mark never actually got the reports. He received verbal reports from his contact, didn't you, Jacobsen?"

"Yes, how did you know?" Mark stared at Edmond. "I've never met this man."

"I may be old, but I'm not senile. I understand document security, so Edmond had to record or listen into our conversations. This room, in fact the whole house, is swept for bugs—except for this." He gestured to the intercom used to summon staff to the library. "I think we'll find that the communication line is controlled at the other end so that Cook doesn't become suspicious. This button doesn't work, does it, Edmond?"

"Sir?"

"You turn it off at the other end when you're not listening in to my conversations. I think we'll find that you use a headset to pretend that you're listening to music in order to allay any suspicions. I need one answer, Edmond."

The butler remained silent.

"Who employed you?"

The butler maintained his silence.

Blam!

Edmond fell onto the ornate oriental carpet clutching his left thigh. A moan escaped his clenched lips as he attempted to control his breathing.