Read Online Eye of the Storm by Jack Higgins - Free Book Online

as Group Four was set up in 1972, responsible only to the Prime Minister, its purpose to handle specific cases of terrorism and subversion?”
    “That is correct.”
    “Which means you will have served five Prime Ministers if we include myself.”
    “Actually, Prime Minister, that’s not quite accurate,” Ferguson said. “We do have a problem at the moment.”
    “Oh, I know all about that. The usual security people have never liked your existence, Brigadier, too much like the Prime Minister’s private army. That’s why they thought a changeover at Number Ten was a good time to get rid of you.”
    “I’m afraid so, Prime Minister.”
    “Well it wasn’t and it isn’t. I’ve spoken to the Director General of Security Services. It’s taken care of.”
    “I couldn’t be more delighted.”
    “Good. Your first task quite obviously is to run down whoever was behind this French affair. If he’s IRA, then he’s our business, wouldn’t you agree?”
    “Absolutely.”
    “Good. I’ll let you go and get on with it then. Keep me informed of every significant development on an eyes-only basis.”
    “Of course, Prime Minister.”
    The door behind opened as if by magic, the aide appeared to usher Ferguson out. The Prime Minister was already working over another sheaf of papers as the door closed and Ferguson was led downstairs.
    As the limousine drove away, Mary Tanner reached forward to close the screen. “What happened? What was it about?”
    “Oh, the French business.” Ferguson sounded curiously remote. “You know, he’s really got something about him, this one.”
    “Oh, come off it, sir,” Mary said. “I mean, don’t you honestly think we could do with a change, after all these years of Tory government?”
    “Wonderful spokesperson for the workers you make,” he said. “Your dear old dad, God rest him, was a professor of Surgery at Oxford, your mother owns half of Herefordshire. That flat of yours in Lowndes Square, a million, would you say? Why is it the children of the rich are always so depressingly left-wing while still insisting on dining at the Savoy?”
    “A gross exaggeration.”
    “Seriously, my dear, I’ve worked for Labour as well as Conservative Prime Ministers. The color of the politician doesn’t matter. The Marquess of Salisbury when he was Prime Minister, Gladstone, Disraeli, had very similar problems to those we have today. Fenians, anarchists, bombs in London, only dynamite instead of Semtex, and how many attempts were there on Queen Victoria’s life?” He gazed out at the Whitehall traffic as they moved toward the Ministry of Defence. “Nothing changes.”
    “All right, end of lecture, but what happened?” she demanded.
    “Oh, we’re back in business, that’s what happened,” he said. “I’m afraid we’ll have to cancel your transfer back to the Military Police.”
    “Damn you!” she cried, and flung her arms around his neck.
     
    Ferguson’s office on the third floor of the Ministry of Defence was on a corner at the rear overlooking Horse Guards Avenue with a view of the Victoria Embankment and the river at the far end. He had hardly got settled behind his desk when Mary hurried in.
    “Coded fax from Hernu. I’ve put it through the machine. You’re not going to like it one little bit.”
    It contained the gist of Hernu’s meeting with Martin Brosnan, the facts on Sean Dillon—everything.
    “Dear God,” Ferguson said. “Couldn’t be worse. He’s like a ghost, this Dillon chap. Does he exist or doesn’t he? As bad as Carlos in international terrorist terms, but totally unknown to the media or the general public and nothing to go on.”
    “But we do have one thing, sir.”
    “What’s that?”
    “Brosnan.”
    “True, but will he help?” Ferguson got up and moved to the window. “I tried to get Martin to do something for me the other year. He wouldn’t touch it with a bargepole.” He turned and smiled. “It’s the girlfriend, you see, Anne-Marie