Hunter Hunted, Jack Gatland [good story books to read .txt] 📗

‘Came on after last year’s election, when the Lib Dem for Bishops Stortford lost his seat and opened up a spot,’ Kendis nodded. ‘It’s also the reason that, after effectively being moved from High Cabinet status and relegated to the back-benches, he still holds some Ministerial privileges.’

‘They’re too scared to piss him off,’ Declan mused. ‘That makes sense. But surely he can’t try for Prime Minister again?’

Kendis almost laughed. ‘I think he’s aiming higher. Prime Ministers come and go. Look how many we’ve had in the last decade outside of elections. And all of them end up with nothing. Chief Whips and Chair people have the power these days.’

She shrugged.

‘But then this is Baker. Who knows what he’ll decide next week.’

‘So Baker hates you for Andy Mac?’

‘More,’ Kendis said. ‘I started learning that Baker was connected to illegal arms trades, and that he was being paid for these through fake lectures, paid into a shell company, one of two that his wife, Donna, owned. Baker made almost five million dollars last year for three ‘talks’, each one a jolly on the taxpayer’s expense. When I started checking into this, though, I found another name I recognised. Rattlestone.’

‘The private security firm,’ Declan nodded. ‘I’m hearing their name a lot these days.’

‘You’ll be hearing it a lot more if Baker gets into power,’ Kendis admitted. ‘They’re not like the usual private security firms. Those are all filled with ex-squaddies and officers. The US ones are all Marines and ex-Delta Force. This one’s different. It comprises ex-Special Branch and Police Protection coppers, and spooks.’

‘Spooks? You mean MI5?’

‘I mean whoever they can get. Not just UK based. But the money Baker’s been making for these talks in one shell company is paid to him from Rattlestone’s one.’ She shook her head. ‘Not that they eat much of a loss doing that, as the contracts Rattlestone are going for are very lucrative.’

‘What kind?’

Kendis stamped out a cigarette and immediately lit up a second. ‘I was in the Balkans a few years ago,’ Kendis continued. ‘I saw a Peacekeeping convoy attacked by militants. Four soldiers died. After it happened, there were rumours that Baker was involved somehow, that his office, he was Under Defence Minister or something back then, that the office leaked the itinerary out. He’d given information on troop movement to make them look bad, to fail, and then when the contracts were re-tendered, looking to private security firms instead, Rattlestone gained it.’

‘Bullshit.’

‘I thought the same. But I looked into it. And as I did, it became clearer. I’m not a tinfoil hat wearing looney, Declan. This is serious. And they’re only just starting.’

‘Meaning?’

‘Ministry of Defence properties.’

Declan shook his head. ‘There’s already a police force that looks after those.’

‘Yeah, but think about it,’ Kendis insisted. ‘The Ministry of Defence police don’t have an outstanding record, and they’re classed as a separate entity to the Met. You guys even call them ‘Mod Plod’ when they’re not looking.’

Declan shrugged. ‘Still doesn’t explain the relevance here.’

‘Their contract is up for renewal this year,’ Kendis explained. ‘If Rattlestone have Whitehall backing, they can take the contract instead. It’s worth millions. Billions, even. Army bases. Nuclear power. Whitehall itself. They’d have power over the military. They could arrest whoever they wanted on Ministry Of Defence land. And that’s not including the arms contracts and the power they already have.’

Declan considered this.

‘Christ,’ he said. ‘If Baker controls these, and if he gains power, he’d have unlimited power. The Star Chamber could vote to do his bidding, Rattlestone could carry it out and nobody would know. He’d have his own secret police.’

‘Enough to lead his own coup if he wanted.’ Kendis took a drag from her cigarette. ‘Declan, he has the dominoes lined up already.’

‘He’s going to create a dictatorship and we have to stop him.’

5

The Great Dictator

Declan leaned back against a gravestone as he tried to take this all in. That a company like Rattlestone was making a power play was bad enough; that they had Baker’s backing, and possibly even that of the highest levels of London politics was frankly terrifying.

‘They know you’re looking into them, don’t they?’ he said.

‘How do you know that?’

‘Monroe. On his computer, the file I mentioned. It was frozen on the screen, but the first page was there. Your radicalisation, how you have a handler, everything.’ Declan raised a hand to stop Kendis replying. ‘I know it’s fake. But when I was coming here Billy sent me an analysis of the fonts used - I know, he needs to get out more, but he said that one of the three security firms that used these fonts was Rattlestone.’

‘So they’re starting a disinformation campaign,’ Kendis mused. ‘Figures.’

‘How did Baker, or whoever it is, learn that you knew this?’ Declan asked. ‘I’m guessing they did, and that’s why you’re being set up?’

‘I was an idiot,’ Kendis muttered into the remnants of her cigarette before tossing it aside. ‘I got to know Donna while investigating. I liked her. And, when I learned she was the signatory on Rattlestone, I knew she had to be a patsy. She didn’t have a clue what it was. Said that the requests to sign the shell company documents came from Baker’s office and was something boring and administrational.’

‘You told her everything, didn’t you?’ Declan sighed. ‘Jesus, Kendis! She would have gone straight to him with this!’

Kendis nodded. ‘I think she did,’ she replied. ‘But not in how you think. She was furious when I told her. Realised that she’d been duped, that if it came out, she’d be the one doing time. She’s the only name you can find on both boards, and you have to really know what you’re looking for to find it.’

‘And then she died,’ Declan mused.

‘No, then she was killed,’ Kendis replied. ‘Nobody believed it was suicide. Even my source said as much.’

‘I thought Donna was your source?’ Declan asked. Kendis shook her head.

‘There was someone else, another whistle