Part   Two   "An Unwelcome Visitor"

 
Now available as Tammy:Spycraft on Kindle
 
Wednesday 5th April 2017
 

It wasn't yet 8am but Tammy and Suzie were already down at the office. The stairlift engineer was due anytime soon, only a day late, and wanted an early start so he could finish the job by lunchtime, he'd called Suzie the previous day to postpone as he'd been asked to repair a faulty stairlift in a residential home for the elderly.The delay had suited Suzie who then hadn't felt guilty about wanting an early departure. Tammy hadn't intended to spend the day supervising the engineer but it now meant anyone wanting to see her had to do so at the office and not at home.

By eight fifteen the guy was unloading his van and Tammy had moved her vehicle to give him space right by the door; her car was now very exposed some twenty metres away. Some fifteen minutes later a smiling Yasmin walked to the open street door and a sullen looking lady followed her up the stairs. Tammy ensured the office door was shut as the engineer was going up and down the stairs.

The woman stood, arms folded. "We've already been to your home and I don't like being given the run-around, young lady!"

"And I don't like folk having a go at me without introductions. I have a life to lead and no-one called to book an appointment with me, plus I'll remind you that this is my property and I can rightly ask you to leave."

"You'll do no such thing!" The lady showed Tammy her Security Service identity card, identifying her as Claire Reeves.

"Well Ms Reeves, you are on my territory and I'll remind you that this is Scotland. However well you think you know your rights in England, they can be quite different here."

"In that case, perhaps you should come with me to London?"

"Au contraire, perhaps you should just leave? Having said that, I know Yasmin would stay for a herbal tea, I happen to have a selection?"

"Sure, Tammy." Suzie switched on the kettle.

"I think we're leaving and you will be hearing from London."

Yasmin now looked cross. "I'm not leaving as I still have work to do. Feel free to go but I'm your transport, you begged a ride with me and we've checked out of the hotel!"

Tammy smiled, "Will that be tea or coffee?"

Grudgingly she responded, "ordinary tea, please, with milk." Claire Reeves sat down, quite unhappy.

Tammy had a feeling that their conversation was being monitored in London, a few days earlier she'd found the CCTV network link but had left it enabled, for now at least.

Suzie had become stressed as soon as the two ladies had arrived, she hadn't much experience of Yasmin and hadn't liked Claire Reeves' attitude at all the previous day. Tammy decided that they had to gain the higher ground, by fair or foul means.

"Ms Reeves You have been bullying my sister and she's lost her confidence, what did you hope to achieve?"

"The truth, just the truth?"

"You've had it, but you didn't stop when you knew it was the truth. Suzie did nothing wrong and yet you have vilified her, made her unemployable. What's your issue?"

"I'm not here to discuss that, if there are any complaints then Miss Smart can submit them through the appropriate channels!"

Suzie spoke, "Let me guess, through you?"

"In the first instance, yes, as I am your case officer."

Suzie laughed, "that's the first I've heard and I most certainly don't trust you. You're clearly just trying to make a name for yourself, at my expense."

Tammy poured the drinks, proceedings paused for a few seconds.

"I can guess what Yasmin is here to do," said Tammy, "but not why you are here?"

"I have to ensure you both understand your obligations under the Official Secrets Act and to notify you of the termination of your contract,"

"Mine? On what grounds?"

"You are resigning, it just needs your signature."

"I am not putting my name to anything."

"Then I also have the paperwork for a gross misconduct disciplinary ready."

Tammy laughed, "good luck with that! I don't like bullies so I'll repeat that I'm not signing anything, and I'd recommend that Suzie does likewise. You have wasted your time."

The woman went silent. Yasmin took the opportunity to ask Tammy for her car keys, Tammy walked with her.

"What are you doing with my car?"

"I'm removing the camera and surveillance system but I have a new dashcam system for you, straight out of the box and unmodified. It records to an SD card and only you can download the images."

"So my car won't be bugging me?"

"Nope, and I'll disable HQ's CCTV remote access when we go back."

"I'll just pull the network cable, but I wanted London to see what was going on here!"

"Don't blame you, she's done nothing but whine since we left HQ on Monday. I've told Jimmy I won't go anywhere with her again."

"How is Mr Ruddle?"

"Busy, I doubt you'll be surprised at how many premises had to be swept just before Christmas? We finished the high profile locations by New Year but we're working our way through a second list. My overtime bill is huge, I was hoping for a bit of relaxation on this trip, some chance!"

"Okay, will you be alright working on the car here?"

"No problem, but Miss Reeves had a few words about that too, she was hoping everything would be done at your house, out of public view."

"Well I have a life too and Suzie is my office manager."

"No argument from me, but you might want to check they haven't killed each-other? I have a call to make."

By the time Tammy had reached the office, Suzie had asked the stair-lift engineer if he wanted a coffee and she was pouring the boiling water into a mug as Tammy entered. Clearly Claire Reeves hadn't been able to say a thing and probably knew that she was being manipulated.

Eventually, after a few ginger nut biscuits, the engineer returned to his task.

"I'd like to check the safe."

"Do you have a court order?"

"No, I am to remove any weapons you have."

"On whose authority?"

"Mine!"

"Well, are you licensed to carry a weapon?"

"Err."

"I'll take that as a no, then. That safe will stay locked unless we need the spare packet of ginger nuts."

"I'm wasting my time here!"

"I could have told you that, or maybe I did?"

Tammy ignored the woman and picked up a phone to call her tame window cleaner, booking him for the following week. There was an incoming call querying if she had empty commercial premises available and Tammy handled that.

Tammy's mobile rang, Suzie answered it as Tammy was still busy, but almost immediately passed the phone to Claire Reeves. "It's for you."

The conversation was very one-sided and Tammy could see the woman scanning the office, perhaps looking for the hidden cameras? "Umm, yes, sir."

The phone was handed back to Suzie.

"I've been told that someone else will handle any outstanding matters, I'm needed in London. Good day."

Tammy closed the office door and watched out of the window as the woman walked back to their hire car. Suzie had a fit of the giggles, "That was John Smith on the line and he didn't sound happy!"

"The CCTV system in here is still connected to Thames House, he may have been watching, may still be watching - hello Sir!"

It was another forty-five minutes before Yasmin was done, she came back upstairs to hand Tammy her keys.

"All done on your car, now I'll remove Thames House from the CCTV system and I'll give you remote access on your phones."

"Didn't you want to get moving?"

"No, Madam Grumpy can have some time to herself."

"Did you call John Smith?"

"Who, me?"

"Yes, Yasmin."

"Well, I don't like bullies either and I've encountered enough to recognise a prize one."

"She's that, definitely."

"Sure, one last thing with your car, there's a panic button under the dash, near the bonnet release. It dials Thames House security and puts them on speaker if your phone is docked."

"Thanks, but I'm not remaining with the service."

"That's news to me, all I'm doing is downgrading your security as you're not operational up here."

"Okay, but the secure phone would have been useful?"

"Oh damn, I'll be back in a minute."

Yasmin skipped down the stairs just missing the engineer and was back a minute later, carrying a box.

"This is the latest secure phone. It uses your broadband connection and updates the security certificates automatically, you do have a data point in your secure room?"

"Sure." Suzie was definitely confused but Yasmin quickly unpacked it, connected it and made a test call. "The number's on the phone, Tammy, do you still have your secure laptop?"

"Yes, at home."

"Bring it down here and you can access the internal phone directory."

"So, what about my contract, as far as you know?"

"You're still on the books. Sorry, Suzie, but I've been told your case is different, for now at least."

With that, Yasmin was out of the door, taking all the packaging with her.

"Tammy, what does this all mean?"

"I don't know, sis, I really don't know."

The engineer decided at midday that he needed to be somewhere else but he'd be back the following morning to finish installation. The girls opted to head home for lunch, Suzie wanted some time to herself and Tammy needed to make a call.

Tammy opened the secure box that was in the bottom of a wardrobe and removed a small package, one that Marcus had left with her several weeks earlier. He hadn't explained to her at the time why she needed it but right now the military grade secure phone was essential. She had been careful not to alert this fact to her former colleagues at the Security Service, her parents or even her sister. Tammy took a seat in the recording studio behind Dunbankin' to make a call, after checking the space for bugs of course.

"That's some morning you had?"

"Definitely, Marcus, I really believe we were being played."

"I'd agree with you, Tammy, but who can you talk to?"

"Apart from you?"

"Strictly speaking you shouldn't tell these things to me, so who within the security service can you trust?"

"That's a biggie, I suppose John Smith has to be one person, he's head of Personnel Security."

""My guess is that he'll be onto you before long. Now, do you have any equipment at home that perhaps should be locked in the office?"

"Yes, and that's on my list for this afternoon."

"Okay, I just need you to be at the office at three, can you do that?"

"Yes, I suppose so."

"Speak later, bye Tammy."

Tammy loaded her secure laptop, and her camera bag into her car and all that was left in her secure box was her Glock 19 handbag weapon and her counter-surveillance tools. She had asked Zara to make a sandwich that she could take with her.

By two she was back in the office, the secure phone was already ringing as she let herself in.

"Hello?"

"Ah, Miss Smart? This is John Smith."

"Hello Sir, how can I help you?"

"I'm calling to apologise for any distress caused."

"Suzie needs the apologies, Sir, not me."

"I'll talk to your sister another time but you've done us a great service, Ms Reeves won't be employed for much longer, and may find herself in HMP Holloway very soon."

"I see, was she connected to True Freedom?"

"I shouldn't say much more, but there will be a press release later this evening."

"I see. Now, what about my status, and Suzie's?"

"You are on a sabbatical, I believe, and your suspension ended on Friday. You are not operational at the moment and I doubt if you'll be operational with us for a while, not until the summer."

"That's fine, Sir, and thank you for being honest with me."

"Not at all, Tammy. So far as Suzie is concerned, she was in the thick of it, albeit without realising it. There's a huge potential for damage but we have no evidence that Suzie handed over any information."

"So she was disciplined for something she might have done?"

"Indeed, because we can't be certain and neither can your sister."

"So is she going to get hauled into Parliament or the High Court to give evidence?"

"No, her identity will be protected and we'll offer the inquiries her redacted interview notes. Suzie needs to read, sign and return a few forms, that can be done by post and she can call me anytime she needs to."

"I see, is there anything else?"

"Congratulations on gaining your private pilot's licence."

"I don't have it in my hand yet."

"And when you do, I need a copy of the licence for your file."

"Understood."

Tammy put the handset down, she'd been used - again! She switched the kettle on then stowed the equipment away in the safe or the secure room, ready for whenever. By the time the kettle boiled, she was ready for her sandwich.

The intercom sounded just after 3pm.

"Package for Miss Smart."

Tammy secured the office door behind her then went down to the street. A black clad bike courier was holding an A4 envelope. "Sign here, love."

Tammy watched him leave before going back inside and letting herself into the secure room, only now did she open the package.

Inside were two sheets summarising an opportunity of detached duty, working for an outfit called Broadsword Logistics. The sheets were light on actual detail. such as what the work really was, or the hours, or locations, but Tammy was intrigued. One of her mobile phones rang.

"You've read it, Tammy?"

"Yes, Marcus, but what is it?"

"An offer, for you to join a very select group of people."

"But what's the work?"

"Whatever is needed, wherever and whenever."

"Officially I'll be on detached duty from the Security Service?"

"Yes."

"I can go back to the other lot after a year?"

"Yes, sooner if this doesn't suit you, but my guess is that you're on the point of walking away from it all."

"And after a year?"

"I think you'll sign for another term."

"But what, what is it, exactly?"

"You'll be an intern but with no defined role, is that a problem?"

"Perhaps, but does that make it completely deniable?"

"Yes, Tammy, under the most obscure of budgets. If anyone delves too deep, they'll find land reclamation or waste disposal."

"I guess I should read up on those, Marcus?"

"You should, we're putting together a number of teams that could prevent a terrorist attack by careful research, as well as pick up the pieces after an attack to work out who was responsible and prevent similar incidents."

"There are already agencies that do just that."

"But they operate under civilian rules, that restricts what they can do. We won't have all those restrictions."

"So we wouldn't aim to arrest a suspect and get them into court?"

"No, we either leave them for another agency or we deal with the suspect by other means."

"I see."

"Look, we need you for certain skills but there will be special forces personnel on every team as well as non-military specialists, Are you in?"

"When do I start?"

"We'd like to see you next month for a few days.

"Where?"

"I'll confirm nearer the time. I presume you'd like to fly?"

"It beats taking the train."

"Well, you can't fly into one of our bases, not yet anyway, so I'll make enquiries and suggest somewhere you can land nearby."

"Understood."

"Please shred the paperwork."

Tammy did as asked then checked everything was in order. She locked the office and went down to her car.

She hadn't found the panic button earlier but the daylight was failing as she docked her phone, suddenly a blue light appeared by her right knee, just under the dash. After a few seconds the light went out, but she now knew where to find it.

The fuel gauge was showing just under half a tank so she decided to go first to a filling station, but had to pull over for an ambulance on blue lights heading for the hospital. A few minutes later she was at the cashdesk at the Bridgend filling station handing over her debit card to settle the increasingly heavy bill for petrol, outside there was a racket as a low flying helicopter passed overhead.

Her phone rang as she pulled away.

"Tammy, where are you?"

"On my way home, Suzie."

"Oh, we just had a call, Tanya's gone into premature labour, they're taking her to Inverness."

"Where's John?"

"He was working in Inverness today so he's going straight to the hospital."

"Okay, do you think I should go there?"

"Not unless you're asked, Tammy. In any case, Angela's gone with her."

"Angela? Is she up to it?"

"Come on Tammy, did anyone ask you that after your surgery? I seem to recall some heavy physical exercise only a few weeks later?"

"Err, no."

"If you've forgotten, Angela is Tanya's birthing partner and has been following Tanya's pregnancy for her coursework."

"Is that still ongoing?"

"Tammy, this is your sister we're talking about, not a stranger."

"I've been distracted."

"Hey, you weren't accused of breaching national security and then publicly sacked!"

"You weren't named, Suzie."

"But everyone knew, everyone! Whilst you were distracted, I was being destroyed!"