Carte Blanche - Jeffery Deaver [44]
France, of course, has its own snoop operation, like GCHQ in England, the NSA in America and any other country’s intelligence agency with a flush budget. The DGSE was continually listening in to conversations and reading emails of the citizens of other countries, the United Kingdom’s included. (Yes, the countries were allies at the moment, but there was that little matter of the history between them.)
So Bond had called in a favour. He’d asked René Mathis to listen to the ELINT and SIGINT from London being hoovered up by the hundred-metre antenna of France’s gravity gradient stabilised spy satellite, searching for relevant key words.
Mathis now said, ‘I have something for you, James.’
‘I’m dressing. I’ll put you on speaker.’ Bond hit the button and leapt out of bed.
‘Does this mean that the beautiful redhead lying beside you will be listening as well?’
Bond chuckled, not least because the Frenchman had happened to pick that particular hair colour. A brief image surfaced of pressing his cheek against Philly’s last night on her doorstep as her vibrant hair caressed his shoulder before he returned to his flat.
‘I searched for signals tagged “Severan Hydt” or his nickname “Noah”. And anything related to Green Way International, the Gehenna plan, Serbia train derailments, or threat-oriented events this coming Friday, and all of those in proximity to any names sounding Irish. But it is very odd, James: the satellite vector was aimed right at Green Way’s premises east of London, but there was virtually no SIGINT coming out of the place. It’s as if he forbids his workers to have mobiles. Very curious.’
Yes, it was, Bond reflected. He continued dressing fast.
‘But there are several things we were able to pick up. Hydt is presently at home and he’s leaving the country this morning. Soon, I believe. Going where, I don’t know. But he’ll be flying. There was a reference to an airport and another to passports. And it will be in a private jet, since his people had spoken to the pilot directly. I’m afraid there was no clue as to which airport. I know there are many in London. We have them targeted . . . for surveillance only, I must add quickly!’
Bond couldn’t help but laugh.
‘Now, James, we found nothing about this Gehenna plan. But I have some disturbing information. We decrypted a brief call fifteen minutes ago to a location about ten miles west of Green Way, outside London.’
‘Probably Hydt’s home.’
Mathis continued, ‘A man’s voice said, “Severan, it’s me.” Accented but our algorithms couldn’t tell region of origin. There were some pleasantries, then this: “We’re confirmed for seven p.m. today. The number of dead will be ninety or so. You must be there no later than six forty-five.”’
So Hydt either was part of a plan to murder scores of people or was going to do so himself. ‘Who are the victims? And why are they going to die?’
‘I don’t know, James. But what I found just as troubling was your Mr Hydt’s reaction. His voice was like that of un enfant offered chocolate. He said, “Oh, such wonderful news! Thank you so much.”’ His voice dark, Mathis said, ‘I’ve never heard that kind of joy at the prospect of killing. But, even stranger, he then asked, “How close can I get to the bodies?”’
‘He said that?’
‘Indeed. The man told him he could be very close. And Hydt sounded very pleased at that too. Then the phones went silent and haven’t been used again.’
‘Seven p.m. Somewhere out of the country. Anything more?’
‘I’m afraid not.’
‘Thank you, for all this. I’d better get on with the hunt.’
‘I wish I could keep our satellite online longer but my superiors are already asking questions about why I am so interested in that insignificant little place called London.’
‘Next time the Dom is on me, René.’
‘But of course. Au revoir.’
‘À bientôt, et merci beaucoup.’ Bond hit disconnect.
In his years as a Royal Naval Reserve commander and an agent for ODG, he’d been up against some very bad people: insurgents, terrorists, psychopathic criminals, amoral traitors selling nuclear secrets to men mad enough to use them. But