‘The senior mullah of the Kalaz Alif Mosque,’ Sumners went on,‘is one Aghafa Ghazan who we believe to be the most senior Taliban resistance leader in Kabul.’
A grainy image of Mullah Ghazan took up a portion of the screen.
‘The fact that Mullah Ghazan received the briefcase before anyone else would lend support to our assessment of his seniority. We have an informer in Mullah Ghazan’s staff who witnessed the briefcase being opened. He accurately described the contents. The same informant also witnessed the tablet being removed from its case and inspected by Mullah Ghazan. In the early hours of the following day - the security case was brought into the mosque in the evening - a doctor implanted the tablet into a Taliban fighter by the name of Durrani.’
‘You did say implanted?’ Sir Charles asked.
‘Surgically, yes, sir. In his abdomen. We don’t have a photograph of Durrani on file although the Americans have a current image that we have requested through Camp Souter’s int cell in Kabul. Durrani was then sent by Mullah Ghazan into Pakistan where we understand he was to hand over the tablet to senior Taliban or al-Qaeda personnel. We suspect the tablet was destined for members of ISI, the Pakistan Intelligence services, where it would have eventually been deciphered. However, fortune, in respect of that dilemma at least, was on our side. Before Durrani could make contact, he and his escort were captured by an American Special Forces patrol while attempting to cross the border.There was a brief firefight.Two of Durrani’s escorts were killed and Durrani was taken into custody with minor injuries.’
‘Do we know if Durrani was a specific US target?’ Van der Seiff asked.
‘We understand it was a routine border patrol with no specific orders other than to challenge those intent on crossing the border to avoid the frontier checkpoints. ’
‘I’m sorry for jumping ahead - it’s the suspense thing again,’ Van der Seiff said, his sarcasm tangible. ‘Do the Americans know anything about the tablet?’
‘We think not, sir.’
‘Why do we think not?’ Van der Seiff asked.
‘We would’ve picked up indicators by now,’ Nevins intervened, walking to where he could be seen without the others having to turn in their seats. ‘Which brings us to the first issue. The minister would like to avoid the Americans finding out about the missing tablet if at all possible.’
‘Obviously,’ Jervis mumbled.
‘You mean, this Taliban chap . . .’ Sir Charles stumbled to remember the name.
‘Durrani,’ Sumners said.
‘This Durrani chap is a prisoner of the United States military?’ Sir Charles asked.
‘That’s correct, sir,’ Sumners confirmed.
‘That’s a very dangerous game,’ Sir Charles warned, frowning disapprovingly.
Nevins glanced at Jervis and Van der Seiff for any reaction but neither man was giving anything away.
‘The minister does not have the right to risk that information falling into the wrong hands,’ Sir Charles continued, haughtily. ‘I mean, you say the Americans now have it, but if they don’t know they have it who’s to say they actually do, or that it can’t be lost again, for that matter? If no one is controlling it then it could still end up in the wrong hands. The Americans would never forgive us. And I wouldn’t blame them for a moment, either. Oh, no.’
‘That’s all understood, Sir Charles,’ Nevins said, suppressing a sigh. ‘We believe the tablet is still inside Durrani and, well, he’s going nowhere for the time being.’
‘Not the point, old man,’ Sir Charles said. ‘Doesn’t the minister realise this could cost him his job, if it hasn’t already?’
‘Frankly, Sir Charles, the minister’s job security is not our concern. What I
‘Playing with bloody fire even thinking about it, if you ask me,’ Sir Charles mumbled.
Nevins wanted to tell Sir Charles that no one was interested in his opinions about the conduct of operations, only in his contributions towards their success. But he also knew that despite Sir Charles’s doomsday reaction the old boy would give his all at the crease if his turn to bat came.
‘Do we ’ave a plausible reason to ask the Yanks for an interview with Durrani?’ Jervis asked, putting an unlit cigarette in his mouth just for the comfort of it.
‘None that won’t cause some bright spark to become suspicious enough to dig around,’ Nevins said. ‘The minister hasn’t been particularly supportive of the American propensity for shipping prisoners, terrorist suspects or otherwise, out of countries without the express permission of those countries’ sovereign governments and detaining them indefinitely for interrogation purposes. The hypocrisy of us suddenly asking to join in would raise eyebrows at every level.’
‘Assuming that your bright spark is already digging around, even routinely, what could he find out about Durrani’s operation?’ Van der Seiff asked.
‘Durrani could be linked to the shooting-down of the helicopter and also to his master, Mullah Ghazan,’ Nevins said. ‘Let’s assume the Americans know there was something of importance found in the helicopter wreckage. They know it was carrying a senior British intelligence officer. Let’s even assume they know that what was found was brought to Mullah Ghazan in Kabul. Outside of this room and our intelligence staff in the Kabul embassy only four other men know the contents of the case: Mullah Ghazan, the doctor Emir Kyran, Sena - Mullah Ghazan’s servant - and, of course, Durrani himself. Naturally, none of them know the significance of the tablet.’
‘I take it that the servant, Sena, is the informer,’ Van der Seiff said confidently.
‘That’s correct. But he works strictly for us. Doesn’t like the Americans and would offer nothing to them. If they brought him in for questioning Sena’s handler would be able to inform us.’
‘Then the danger lies in the Americans questioning Ghazan and the doctor,’ Van der Seiff said.
‘Up to this moment they have not. We are monitoring the possibility. I believe, at this present time, the Americans do not know that Durrani is carrying anything inside his body. The tablet is non-magnetic and has such minuscule metallic properties that it cannot be detected by a regular scanner.’
‘What about if they X-ray him?’ Jervis asked.
‘It would show up on an X-ray,’ Nevins admitted. ‘But we know it is not part of their standard procedure to X-ray detainees.’
‘This is ridiculous,’ Sir Charles scoffed. ‘They probably have the damned thing already and aren’t telling us.’
‘That’s why you’re here, Sir Charles,’ Nevins said, glancing at him with a chill in his eyes which he quickly warmed with a thin smile. ‘If there’s anyone who can sniff such a change in the wind, you can.’
‘And if they have it?’ Sir Charles asked, brushing off the ego stroking.
‘We’ve covered that already,’ Jervis said, barely hiding his irritation with the old soldier. ‘The minister will be buggered.’
‘He won’t be the only one, either,’ Nevins muttered.
Jervis smiled at the squirming that would take place throughout the organisation when this thing broke open.
‘What if our American cousins ask us to contribute to Durrani’s file?’Van der Seiff asked, staring into space as he often did when having such conversations.
‘I don’t see the point in addressing that until they do,’ Nevins replied.
Those who did not know Van der Seiff might have expected him to take Nevins’s response as lacking in courtesy. He did not. ‘Are we prepared to add further lies to the original deceit? That is my question.’
‘I know,’ Nevins replied. ‘I was asking for time to consider that one.’
It was unclear if Van der Seiff accepted the answer but the lowering of his gaze suggested he was not entirely pleased with it.
Jervis’s apparent lack of serious interest in the topic was due to the fact that his area of expertise was operational planning and not diplomacy. He knew he would eventually have a significant part to play in this meeting
