‘These HB, are duds,’ replied Swan.
Barnett looked up at Swan. ‘Come again?’
‘They are supposed to be portable launching silos for Spectre Air Launched Cruise Missiles, or ALCMs, the technical term. They are in fact realistic mock ups, which have been made to look like the real thing.’
Barnett gasped. ‘So what the bloody ‘ell are they doing ‘ere at Brinton’s?’
Swan rose from his chair. ‘I think it is time to find out. I have a theory, I have the pictures, and I have McGregor’s pen splattered with his blood, which I found lodged at the back of one of the Spectres. I need to make a call first, then I’ll take that short walk over to The Magic Box. ’
Barnett stood up. ‘I’m afraid I’m not going to be here much longer today. I’m travelling down by helicopter to London to meet up with my boss. All the workers have been given the rest of the day off, as we have been told to halt production of the other Rapier airframes. We have an emergency meeting with the Minister of Supply. It also means that I will miss the fly-past at Farnborough as well this afternoon.’ He stared Swan directly in the eyes and shook his hand.
‘Give ‘em hell from me, Alex, but be careful. Believe me, I know what these chaps are capable of.’
Swan nodded. ‘I will, HB. You can be sure about that.’
Chapter 21
Maitland was at his desk, oblivious to being watched from outside the door. Swan decided to go straight in. ‘Good morning, Frank. You may remember me, Alex Swan. I came with the inspection team.’
Maitland raised his head and gave a false friendly smile. Even though he was aware that Swan was due, he had not expected him to burst through his door. ‘Alex, what a surprise. Please, come in and take a seat. It’s good to see ya pal. Is your buddy with you? What was his name, Arthur?’
Swan shook his head. ‘No, Frank. I’ve come here on my own today. Thought you might like to have a look at these.’ He sat down facing the American, and placed the envelope on the desk. Maitland looked at it. ‘What’s this Alex?’
‘Evidence as to what has really been going on here, and why James McGregor was murdered.’
Maitland leant forward, took the envelope and examined the contents.
‘Whoa, just wait a goddam minute.’
Swan raised his hand to stop the American. ‘McGregor’s last call to his fiancé mentioned The Spectres. Of course, I had no idea until this morning what that could have meant. But I do now. They are ALCMs, which I believe that the US plans to base here secretly?’
Maitland bristled. ‘Well what of it?’
‘Well the thing is, they are not real, are they Frank?’
Swan leant over the chair.
‘No, you see after I discovered them, I made a quick telephone call to a friend of mine in London. He informed me that these Spectres are to be de-commissioned. They seem to have a lot of faults, so the US Government has decided to wait until the Tomahawk is ready in a few years’ time, and deploy it instead. It will probably be based here, but at least our Government will be aware of it, and I’m sure so will the CND. So, good luck with that one. No, what really has been going on is something a lot more sinister. I am almost amazed as to how you managed to pull it all off. I take my hat off to you, Frank. You’ve had us all fooled. Even your own men, including Mr Brannigan.’
Maitland looked at the photographs again. ‘I don’t follow ya, Alex.’
‘You know exactly what I mean, Frank, so why don’t you tell me all about The Eagle’s Lance.’
Maitland gulped. He looked straight into the eyes of Swan.
‘I’m afraid you’ve lost me Alex, I’ve never heard of this Eagle’s Lance.’
Swan beckoned to the chair in front of Maitland’s desk. ‘May I?’
Maitland held out his hand, inviting the SID investigator to take a seat. He pulled it out and sat down.
‘I’ve just read the most interesting book, Frank. It was called The Secret Path. It’s all about the War of Independence, and the secret societies that operated in favour of Washington’s forces. Mostly the book focusses on Samuel Adams and The Sons of Liberty, which instigated a few terrorist outrages during the war, the Boston Tea Party for instance, but one of the other societies it mentions, was one called The Eagle’s Lance.
Maitland smiled. ‘Interesting history lesson there, Alex. I cannot see what that has to do with anything here, though.’
‘Actually Frank, it has everything to do with why you’re here. You see, The Eagle’s Lance still exists, and is still operable today, as we speak, isn’t it Frank?’ Swan trained his eyes on Maitland’s hand. ‘By the way, that is a nice ring you are wearing.’
Maitland gave Swan a cold stare, then took a quick glance at his ring. ‘You’re fightin’ against a secret society that has been around for nearly two hundred years.’
Swan leant forward, his face a few inches from the American.
‘Yes, I am Frank. The breakaway faction from the Sons of Liberty. A terrorist faction that George Washington himself had no knowledge of and which Adams denounced. It is The Eagle’s Lance who have been calling the shots on this little escapade of yours Frank. And you are part of them.’
Maitland smiled and leant back in his chair. ‘You seem to know quite a lot about them, Alex. But be careful; I don’t think you really know how powerful they are.’
Swan nodded. ‘At our first meeting, I noticed your ring as you were pouring the drinks. I knew that I had seen the symbol before but could not remember where, until I happened to pass your embassy in Grosvenor Square and suddenly, there it was, that same eagle on the front of the building, minus the lance off course. I also picked up the book and read it on the train on the way up from London, in between evading the surveillance from your little team. The Eagle’s Lance was set up by a group of rebels who followed Samuel Adams. A Mohawk Indian called Kee-Haw was be-friended by the faction’s leader Henry Sanderson to recruit the services of his people, in return for land, and so a special alliance between the two nations, The Eagle’s Lance was born. As I have already said, Adams did not approve of this break-away faction and their violent terrorist acts, especially as it involved the Indians. But he was happy to use the services of its members effectively in the Boston Tea Party. Kee-Haw was said to be the technical advisor, so to speak, on the authentic native disguises used in the raid.’
Maitland nodded appreciatively. ‘You have certainly done your homework, Alex, and also managed to knock out a US Ranger. You are correct about The Eagle’s Lance.’
Maitland rose out of his chair and walked over to his filing cabinet. ‘So, how about a drink to toast your discovery of our secret past?’
Swan watched the American attentively as he rose from his chair. ‘I’ll think I’ll pass on the drink Frank, I better be going now and inform the Ministry of your plan to sabotage our Rapier project. Oh, and phone the police to inform them of who murdered James McGregor. Just think of the embarrassment to your nation and the distrust in our so called special relationship, that this will create.’
Maitland moved in front of the cabinet, using his back to shield his movements inside the open drawer.
Intuition caused Swan to rise from his chair and then grip the back of it. Maitland then turned around, pointing a Beretta .38 automatic pistol with an attached silencer in the direction of where he last left the Englishman.