The smell hit him immediately. Although this place had its own ventilation system, the smell of sickness and ordure was strong. The room was in darkness, sub-lit by dim red bulbs which gave a faint outline of the internal structures. It was quiet, thanks to the timers which shut down the main lights at 9 p.m., and the Doctor sat on the top step of the entry stairs, fishing a pack of cigarettes from his cardigan. He lit up, knowing that while smoking was not permitted on the campus of the Pakistan Agricultural Chemical Company, the discrete ventilation system in this area meant there’d be no smoke alarms going off in the security offices.

He was feeling nervous but excited about his work being allowed into the field, even if the Colonel and ISI had determined that he couldn’t be present at the tests. It had been a long journey from childhood to scientific pre-eminence. His discoveries were as great as those of Isaac Newton or Robert Oppenheimer, but he would never be lauded by other scientists or feted at the United Nations. However, once unleashed, his discovery would not only right a historic wrong done against his family—it would bring to its knees one of the world’s great nations and the very foundation of Western culture.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER

EIGHTEEN

‘Either way’s a risk,’ said Briffaut, slicing up a breakfast apple with a pocket knife. Lying in front of him was de Payns’ mission plan for Alamut. The operations were briefed from the DR and authorised by the section heads, such as Dominic Briffaut. But the owner of the plan was the chef de mission.

‘I like the simplicity of your plan,’ said Briffaut. ‘One team, one car. But doesn’t that leave us exposed?’

The plan detailed how the Alamut team would ascertain the main arrival and departure times at the MERC and then base themselves in a petrol station located at the end of the road leading to the centre, or a cafe north of the junction, in a group of shops. They’d wait two hours in the morning before leaving to live their legends around Islamabad, then return to the access road for the two hours when people departed their workplace. All the cars coming or going from the MERC would drive past them, and if a car recurred and looked important, they’d follow it to isolate the phone number with their spinning machine. Then they’d identify the house and take a picture of the person associated with the car.

De Payns’ temples were still tight from the previous evening’s Jack Daniel’s—left to their own choices, Shrek and de Payns drank vodka, but Templar always insisted on the American whiskey. ‘We don’t need a full support team; it would just draw attention. Our cover should be okay.’

Briffaut made a face. ‘Palermo ended well because you had a support team.’