Contents ( 84)
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- THIRTY-NINE
- FORTY
- FORTY-ONE
- FORTY-TWO
- FORTY-THREE
- FORTY-FOUR
- FORTY-FIVE
- FORTY-SIX
- FORTY-SEVEN
- FORTY-EIGHT
- FORTY-NINE
- FIFTY
- FIFTY-ONE
- FIFTY-TWO
- FIFTY-THREE
- FIFTY-FOUR
- FIFTY-FIVE
- FIFTY-SIX
- FIFTY-SEVEN
- FIFTY-EIGHT
- FIFTY-NINE
- SIXTY
- SIXTY-ONE
- SIXTY-TWO
- SIXTY-THREE
- SIXTY-FOUR
- SIXTY-FIVE
- SIXTY-SIX
- SIXTY-SEVEN
- SIXTY-EIGHT
- SIXTY-NINE
- SEVENTY
- SEVENTY-ONE
- SEVENTY-TWO
- SEVENTY-THREE
- SEVENTY-FOUR
- SEVENTY-FIVE
- SEVENTY-SIX
- SEVENTY-SEVEN
- SEVENTY-EIGHT
- SEVENTY-NINE
- EIGHTY
- EIGHTY-ONE
- EIGHTY-TWO
- EIGHTY-THREE
- Acknowledgements
‘We’ll see if that’s still true by 2021, sir,’ Dupart replied, with a glance towards the president’s guests. He seemed to share Cunningham’s view of their reaction. ‘There’s a lot to be done.’
‘Not least finding the money, I expect?’ Knowles’ question was directed at his deputy assistant.
‘That’s already in hand, Mr President. I’ve authorised an additional one point two billion over inflation in administrative costs across seven departments, to be put before Congress over the course of the month. It’s everything Mr Luthor needs and more, just in case. Over that number of offices, the increase will effectively go unnoticed.’
‘You’ve thought of everything.’
‘I’ll take that as a compliment, Mr President. Does that mean we have a go on this?’ Cunningham looked at the expectant faces of the other men in the room, all waiting to hear the final verdict. Only he had no doubt what the answer would be.
‘Yes,’ Knowles finally replied, proving Cunningham correct. ‘We have a go.’
TWENTY-FIVE
With the meeting over and their next steps authorised, Kelvin Cunningham had dismissed everyone. As they had the previous night, most had seemed relieved to go.
The president was on to his next meeting, in his usual seat and with Cunningham at his side. The seven men had been replaced by just one: Jack Meyer, assistant director of the United States Secret Service. The agent in direct operational charge of all aspect of Presidential Protection, Meyer was the immediate superior of every Special Agent in the building.
A naturally massive individual, Meyer was as tall as his son – somewhere near six and a half feet – and looked capable of breaking both Knowles and Cunningham in two with nothing but his bare hands.
Like both the president and the deputy assistant, his attention was firmly focused on a news report playing on a discreet TV screen mounted on the wall to Knowles’ left.
The network was British, Cunningham knew, but the reporter was an American woman. Her commentary was delivered over footage of two men – defence lawyers, Cunningham concluded from the context – as they pushed their way out through a crowd of reporters outside of the court building.
‘. . . by all accounts handed himself in last night at Stoke Newington Police Station. There has been no explanation as to why he would have done this, although circumstances are complicated by rumours of the death of Mansour’s brother, with whom he is said to have lived. There is no more detail at this time.
‘Appearing before District Judge George Bell in Court Number One of Westminster Magistrates’ Court this morning, Mansour was represented by prominent criminal barrister Michael Devlin QC and solicitor Mr William Duffy of Duffy Associates. No plea was indicated and the matter was set down for a hearing before the Woolwich Crown Court tomorrow morning.
‘We will have more on this story as it breaks, but for now, Nizar Mansour, a Syrian baggage handler working for Pan-Atlantic Airlines, has been charged with five hundred and thirty-four counts of murder and has been remanded in custody ahead of an appearance before the Crown Court tomorrow morning.