Sleeper Cell

7

Leila arrived at the Operations Room in New Scotland Yard a few minutes after three o'clock – outside the one hour window in which she was to give DCI Lawrence her answer, but in time for all but the introductory summary of the Tactical Command briefing. A dozen people, including James Thorne, Counter-Terrorism's Commander, and Mark Ross, the civilian head of CTC's internal hi-tech division, were seated around the large table. Another Detective Sergeant, Keith Butler, was talking quietly on a mobile phone in the corner. On a screen on the far wall was a still image from a CCTV camera inside the hotel car park. Leila stood just outside the open doorway. No one paid her any attention.

'So that's the situation on the ground as it stands,' Thorne said. 'The PM has stressed the need to get solid information quickly on this one. As you know, this is a particularly sensitive time. Politically, the optimum outcome would be for this to be a lone wolf strike. But until we get solid forensic data on the type of explosives used, we have to consider all possibilities.'

'We can rule out chapati flour,' Leila said. 'This was a professional job. Probably PX.' Twelve pairs of eyes turned on her.

'DS Reid,' Thorne said. 'How did you get in here?'

'Charm?'

DCI Lawrence held his hands up. 'I asked her to take a look, see what her gut told her.'

'DS Reid is not currently operational,' Thorne said.

'Fine,' Reid said. 'I'll leave you to it then.'

'Just a minute,' Lawrence said. 'Have you been to the site?'

'Yes.'

'And?'

'This isn't the main event. There's another attack coming.'

There was a moment of embarrassed silence, then Commander Thorne stood up and addressed Leila directly.

'Unless you have good evidence of that, that is exactly the sort of speculation we can do without. The reason you're not currently active is your inability to think before you speak.'

'We do need to consider the possibility,' Lawrence said.

'It's more than a possibility,' Leila said without breaking eye contact with Commander Thorne. 'So do you want me on board or not?'

'Sit in on the briefing. We'll talk later.'

Leila took a chair and sat away from the table, close to the door.

'OK,' Thorne said. 'Let's start with the bomb. Mark, what have we got?'

Mark Ross opened a file on his laptop and sent the images to the large display screen. 'No delivery trucks entered the building in the forty-five minutes prior to the explosion, and none have entered that have not also left. We do have this.' He brought up an image of a Volvo V70 turning into the parking garage. 'NCP use number-plate recognition on the entry and exit to the car park. Although we've not been able to rule out other vehicles, this is the only one that came back as having a false number plate. CV55 GXA is a V70, but not this one. The registered owner's confirmed that his is parked in his drive in Middlesborough with a blown head gasket.'

'The time-stamp says seven thirty-eight this morning,' Leila said. 'It had been there for four and a half hours. So we're looking at a timer.'

'Yes and no,' Lawrence said. 'Mark and I have reviewed the CCTV footage in light of a new piece of evidence. The PM has sent his schedule in, showing that he had a meeting with the Embassy at 1pm. His car would have driven right by the garage.'

'So why did the bomb go off at noon?' Thorne said.

'Because of this woman.' Ross sent another image to the screen. It showed a dark-skinned woman wearing a head-scarf, walking down the ramp into the garage. He brought up three other images showing what was clearly the same woman, from several different angles, walking east along Kensington High Street.