Read The Excalibur Codex for Free Online Page A

Leeds and Bradford and there have been race riots on the streets of the capital. Parliament is demanding to know why we had no forewarning of an attack that has cost the lives of at least four hundred and fifty men, women and children and thus far I have not been able to give them any answers. Hundreds more are injured or still missing. This is why you exist, gentlemen. A failure on this scale means that unless we apprehend these murderers very quickly there will be a root-and-branch reform of the security services of this country. That decision will come later, but for the moment I prefer to concentrate on what we are achieving.’
    The MI5 chief had been thinking about his rose garden, and that dealing with politicians who had no sense of scale or perspective, and no idea how the real world worked, was one of the great burdens of his job. He could have trotted out the old chestnut about the terrorists only having to get it right once, which was entirely true, but he doubted the minister would appreciate that. The words root-and-branch reform sent a worrying chill through him.
    ‘Nick.’ He nodded to one of his assistants.
    The young man in the dark suit and heavy-rimmed spectacles looked up from his notes. ‘We are goingthrough the process of putting every intelligence asset, agent in place and informant on our books through the proverbial wringer for any information about the attack, unusual movement of people or provisions, odd changes in behaviour or large financial transactions. We’re also talking to the Islamic community’s religious leaders. Many of the radicals have been shocked by the scale of this atrocity and we’re assured they’ll do anything they can to avoid the inevitable backlash against their people. Acting on our instructions, Special Branch have pulled in every name on the Black List known or suspected to have visited militant training camps in Pakistan or the Horn of Africa over the past decade.’ He removed his glasses for a moment, focusing his thoughts as his eyes drifted towards the window and the restricted view through the security grilles to the red-brick buildings on the other side of Marsham Street. ‘This was a highly skilled, well-disciplined operation; whoever carried it out had undergone intensive training and had knowledge of weapons, logistics and tactics. Given our past experience, it’s likely the attack was planned and coordinated from Pakistan. We have our own sources there, but obviously the Pakistanis have more and better. We’ve asked for priority access to their intelligence, but the ISI is being its usual cooperative self: all smiles and assurances and weasel words. We might have to ask the Cousins to pull some strings, but that will take time.’
    ‘And the results of all this activity are?’ the Home Secretary demanded.
    ‘Nothing.’
    ‘Nothing?’ The word emerged almost as a groan.
    ‘All indications are that there was no apparent abnormal behaviour from any of our known or suspected threats. To all intents and purposes, the people who carried out this attack are ghosts.’
    ‘Don’t be melodramatic,’ the minister snapped.
    The DG frowned. ‘Could they have been brought in for a one-off job?’
    ‘It’s possible,’ Nick acknowledged carefully, knowing his boss was as aware of the answer as he was. ‘But it would be risky to bring the personnel and the weaponry through customs. We have a good record of hampering or stopping the movement of terrorist suspects, whether by air or by sea. They’d have to be very good, but then I suppose they’ve proved they are.’
    The Home Secretary drew in a long breath through her nose and Nick was reminded of a bull about to charge. ‘So what do we have?’
    The MI5 man snapped open a green folder on the desk in front of him. ‘From forensic analysis of the ammunition fired during the attack we know that the weapons they used were Heckler and Koch 416C assault rifles, a very effective automatic weapon popular with