Avenger Read online

  Table of Contents

  By the Same Author

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Glossary

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Extract: Meltdown Prologue

  CLASSIFIED - CLASSIFIED - CLASSIFIED

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  About the Author

  Picture 1

  Picture 2

  'Get to Columbus Circle now – run, it'll be quicker. I'll get there as soon as I can.'

  Danny was staring, listening intently as his grandfather continued.

  'Do whatever it takes, but you've got to make sure the two det leads are disconnected from the battery, then you have to twist the leads together. Remember everything I told you before.'

  Danny nodded and turned to go.

  'Wait!' said Fergus. 'You must twist the leads – otherwise they become an antenna and any electricity in the air could still detonate the device. Just keep her there until I arrive. Now go!'

  Danny sprinted from the room and Fergus followed. Danny was tearing down the fire escape stairs.

  Fergus limped towards the elevator, his leg burning with pain. Maybe he would be lucky; maybe he could pick up a cab and get to Columbus Circle quickly.

  But it looked as though saving Elena was going to be down to Danny.

  Great reviews for Boy Soldier:

  'Highly explosive'

  The Bookseller

  'Exciting insights into SAS secrets and a

  fast-moving plot make this an adrenaline-filled

  and highly addictive read'

  Publishing News

  'Great stuff . . . highly recommended'

  Reading Matters

  www.boy-soldier.co.uk

  Also by Andy McNab and Robert Rigby

  BOY SOLDIER

  PAYBACK

  MELTDOWN

  Adult titles by Andy McNab

  BRAVO TWO ZERO

  IMMEDIATE ACTION

  AGGRESSOR

  CRISIS FOUR

  DARK WINTER

  DEEP BLACK

  FIREWALL

  LAST LIGHT

  LIBERATION DAY

  RECOIL

  REMOTE CONTROL

  Also by Robert Rigby

  GOAL!

  The official tie-in novelization of the movie

  GOAL II

  The official tie-in novelization of the movie

  ANDY

  McNAB

  and ROBERT RIGBY

  AVENGER

  This eBook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author's and publisher's rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

  ISBN 9781407046976

  Version 1.0

  www.randomhouse.co.uk

  AVENGER

  A CORGI BOOK 978 0 552 55223 3

  First published in Great Britain by Doubleday,

  an imprint of Random House Children's Books

  Doubleday edition published 2006

  Corgi edition published 2007

  1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2

  Copyright © Andy McNab and Robert Rigby, 2006

  The right of Andy McNab and Robert Rigby to be identified as the authors of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

  This electronic book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher's prior consent in any form other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser

  Set in Palatino

  Corgi Books are published by Random House Children's Books,

  61–63 Uxbridge Road, London W5 5SA

  www.kidsatrandomhouse.co.uk

  ISBN: 9781407046976

  Version 1.0

  THE RANDOM HOUSE GROUP Limited Reg. No. 954009

  A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

  GLOSSARY

  ACA Alias cover address

  Brush contact Covert operation in which material or information is exchanged

  Contact In a fire fight with the enemy

  CTR Close target recce

  DLB Dead Letter Box

  ECHELON The code name of the British Security Services' electronic listening satellite

  End ex End exercise, but also used to end a mission or operation

  ERV Emergency rendezvous

  FARC Colombian drug traffickers

  The Firm The Secret Intelligence Service, MI6

  FOB Forward operating base

  GSW Gunshot wound

  HE High explosives

  IED Improvised explosive device

  Int Intelligence

  K Deniable operator

  LS Landing strip

  LUP Lay-up point

  Mag A weapons magazine that holds the rounds

  Make ready a weapon To put a round (bullet) in the chamber, ready to be fired

  MoD Ministry of Defence

  MOE Method of entry

  MoU Memorandum of Understanding – agreement between governments

  NVGs Night viewing goggles

  On stag On guard

  OP Observation post

  PE Plastic explosive

  'Pinged' When someone is first seen

  Recce Reconnaissance

  The Regiment What SAS soldiers call the SAS

  RV Rendezvous (meeting place)

  Sit rep Situation report

  SOP Standard operating procedure

  SSU Special security unit

  Stand to Get ready to he attacked

  VDM Visual distinguishing mark

  SURVEILLANCE TALK

  Complete Inside any location – a car, building, etc.

  Foxtrot Walking

  Held Stopped hut intending to move on – i.e. at traffic lights

  Mobile Driving

  Net The radio frequency the team talk on

  Roger OK or understood

  Stand By! Stand By! Informs the team something is happening

  Static Stopped

  The trigger Informs the team that the target is on the move

  HACKING
TALK

  Spoofing Hiding a computer's IP address

  Root access When the hacker has control of the system under attack

  Script A program written by a hacker

  Script kiddie Novice hacker

  Exploits Hackers' targets

  CLASSIFIED – SECRET

  SIT REP

  Operation Black Star

  Aim: Covert elimination, at whatever cost, of bomb master 'Black Star', known to be recruiting teenage suicide bombers via the Internet.

  NB: Black Star's objectives unknown. No demands have yet been made, and the bombers appear to have no political affiliation.

  Real name of target: Unknown.

  Location: Unknown.

  Special circumstances surrounding operation: Elena Omolodon (see below) recruited to assist in Operation Black Star with Danny Watts (see below) and Fergus Watts (see below).

  FERGUS WATTS

  AGE: 53

  HEIGHT: Five feet, eleven inches

  PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Hair – grey; eyes – blue; build – lean, wiry; distinguishing physical marks – noticeable limp due to bullet wound in right thigh

  BACKGROUND: Infantry. SAS, Warrant Officer, special skills – explosives. Tours of duty include – Northern Ireland (decorated), first Gulf conflict (decorated), Colombia. Recruited as a Deniable Operator ('K') to infiltrate FARC, Colombia. Cover story – traitor, 'gone over' to rebels for money. Watts's cover was deliberately blown by GEORGE FINCHAM (former head of the Firm's security section – now deceased). Watts wounded and captured after gun battle with Colombian anti-narcotics police. Imprisoned by Colombian authorities. Subsequently led mass jail break. Returned to Britain, route and date unknown. Traced through grandson, Danny. Captured but escaped from safe house with help from grandson and Elena Omolodon. Watts and grandson on run in Spain for six months, then encouraged to return to UK to assist in exposing Fincham as traitor. Fincham killed during firefight at culmination of Operation Payback. Watts severely wounded and now in recovery at ACA, Oxford.

  DANNY WATTS

  AGE: 17

  HEIGHT: Five feet, ten inches

  PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Hair – brown; eyes – blue; build – slim; distinguishing physical marks – none known

  BACKGROUND: Orphaned at six, parents died in car crash. Various foster families until moved to Foxcroft, south London, residential home for teenagers, where he met Elena Omolodon. Applied for army officer training bursary. Rejected. Had never met grandfather ut fed 'traitor' story and located (method unknown). Assisted in escape of Fergus Watts from safe house before going to Spain. Returned to UK with grandfather and received superficial wounds in Operation Payback firefight. Now undergoing further covert operations training at ACA in preparation for possible second phase of Operation Black Star.

  ELENA OMOLODON

  AGE: 16

  HEIGHT: Five feet, five inches

  PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Hair – black; eyes – brown; build – slim; distinguishing physical marks – none known

  BACKGROUND: Mother (Nigerian) deceased, father (Joey Omolodon, Nigerian) terminated during Operation Payback. Befriended Danny Watts at Foxcroft residential home. Assisted in initial escape of Fergus Watts from safe house and subsequent actions. Received superficial wounds in Operation Payback firefight. Now under 24-hour surveillance at ACA as lead contact for Black Star, whose help she sought on the Deep Web during Operation Payback.

  Important: Omolodon unaware of father's termination. Imperative this situation remains unchanged if Operation Black Star is not to be jeopardized.

  PROGRESS: TO BE UPDATED DAILY

  Day 29

  Psychiatric evaluation (see attached report from Dr Ruth Jacobson) indicates Omolodon's current stress levels rising as Black Star's grooming process becomes more intense. We continue to monitor the situation. Currently believe any risk to either the girl's health or the operation to be overstated.

  Brush contact training continues badly. Danny Watts is generally enthusiastic but remains headstrong and unpredictable and a potential liability to the operation.

  Fergus Watts's loyalties and the extent of his knowledge remain a matter of major concern. He suspects the Firm's involvement in Joey Omolodon's disappearance and I believe continues to operate to his own agenda.

  IMPORTANT

  There is no change to my conviction that all three individuals remain a threat to national security and will be expendable when Operation Black Star is concluded. Plans for their elimination should therefore be put in place at the earliest opportunity.

  M. Deveraux

  M. Deveraux

  1

  Charles Samuel Pointer III, Charlie Three to his friends, Chuck to his doting dad, was going to get a job.

  His father would be impressed. Even though Charlie Three didn't need the work he was setting up for the Christmas vacation, he knew full well that his dad, Charles Samuel Pointer II, admired initiative and determination above all other qualities. Ever since the pioneering days back at the start of the twentieth century, the Pointers had been demonstrating their initiative and determination.

  Charlie's great-great-great-grandfather had shown the initiative to emigrate with his wife and two children from Eastern Europe to the United States of America. And like thousands of other immigrants, Josef Podowski arrived at Ellis Island, in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty, with nothing more than the clothes he stood up in and the determination to succeed in his new life.

  And he did. He was a grafter and he was clever. Even way back then, Josef saw that the future was in communications, and so he made it his business to get in there, starting at the bottom and working his way up.

  A couple of generations on, with a lot of hard work, plenty of that famous initiative and determination, and a change of name from Podowski to Pointer, and the family fortune was well on the way to being made.

  Charlie Three's grandfather, the great Charles Samuel Pointer I, chose the new family name. He reckoned it sounded substantial and solid, pioneering yet well established and, most importantly, American.

  The business continued to thrive and grow, and on the morning that Charlie Three left for his job interview, it was established as one of the nation's top computer and Internet research and development organizations, firmly placed at the cutting edge of the industry.

  Some day Charlie Three was going to take over that business. But there was a Pointer tradition: no one got an easy ride; everyone had to get out there and show what they were made of by demonstrating that famous initiative and determination.

  Charlie knew that maybe he wasn't quite as brilliant as his father, and certainly not as dazzling as the great CSP One, as he was known in the family. But Charlie was a trier, and as the only child, it was up to him to carry on the great Pointer tradition. There was no way he was going to let the old man down.

  He had kept the interview a secret from everyone, even his father. The job was nothing special; a post boy, a gofer, working for an international finance company over the busy holiday period.

  But Charlie Three knew that would impress his dad even more; he could already hear the old man's words when he told him he had the job. 'That's my boy. Get in there at the bottom, Chuck, and show 'em what us Pointers are made of.'

  Charlie Three was up early. He dressed smartly and was feeling good as he stepped out into a bright morning and walked away from the family's East 96th Street penthouse apartment, which overlooked Central Park. He took the subway downtown towards Wall Street and the financial district, went through the security barriers into the building, and then joined the lines of workers drinking Starbucks and reading papers as they waited for one of the elevators to take them up to their offices.

  On the way up to his floor he took a few deep breaths and repeated the old family maxim to himself: 'Initiative and determination. Initiative and determination.'

  The elevator came to a standstill and Charlie Three stepped out onto his floor. He walked along the corridor and went through
glass doors into the finance company reception area.