Free Dreams to Die For by Alan G Boyes Page B

further 700, with over one hundred requiring overnight hospitalisation. It was the deadliest single act of terrorism in the UK since the blowing up of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, and more people were killed that July day than in any single bomb attack by the Provisional IRA. It was also the first suicide bombing in Western Europe.
    Unsurprisingly, the most intense police investigation ever undertaken in the UK was mounted and over the years a number of persons thought to have helped the bombers in some way would be arrested. The identity of the bombers was quickly established, but it was for the Anti-Terrorist Unit (ATU) and Military Intelligence Section 5 (more commonly known as Britain’s internal counter intelligence and security agency MI5) to undertake the laborious process of finding out who assisted the bombers in their deadly mission. The attack came at a time when the Metropolitan Police and the Government were already undertaking an urgent review of the UK’s counter terrorism command and control processes, both for the capital city and nationwide. In due course these would result in radical organisational changes and even controversial legislation affecting civil liberties – but when the bombers struck, Assistant Commissioner Phillip Manders of the ATU had amongst his responsibilities that of heading up a small specialist task force dedicated to tracing any funds the terrorist bombers might have received to finance their suicide missions.
    Nearing fifty, he regarded the various internal reviews as likely to lead to yet another disruptive reorganisation and, possibly, an even more unwelcome job posting. He had been contemplating early retirement if it was ever to become an option, something he would not have countenanced a few years previously, but the July terrorists had immediately changed his depressed mood. After a career that had been spent largely debating and planning the theoretical, there was now something practical to do. The bombings had given him the opportunity to really get stuck into something big and possibly make a name for himself along the way. This was now a real challenge for him, and he was more than ready to meet it.
    â€œFollow the money, lad. Always follow the money and you’ll get your reward.” The words had been spoken to him by his chief when Manders was a young officer in the Metropolitan Police. This usually proved to be a wise and true maxim, but the July bombers were “clean skins” – the name given to criminals not previously known to the police. They lived and worked in Britain, and came from respectable, law abiding families. Once their identities were known, Manders’ priority was to get a specialist team up and running which could begin the painstaking task of trying to identify and trace bank accounts and any suspicious financial transactions pertaining to the crime. It was going to take a very long time but his team was briefed and within twenty four hours of the bombs going off they had an enlarged office plus the extra desks and chairs for the additional resources provided to him. Communications equipment followed within hours. The powerful computers necessary for sifting and sorting the huge amounts of data were installed within two days and he was told that his budgetary limits were being increased. Suddenly, life for Manders had got an awful lot better.

    * * *

    Donaldson parked the sleek black Jaguar on the double yellow lines immediately outside the hospital entrance and walked briskly up the steps to meet Cindy. He wore his peaked cap and smart driver’s uniform that added elegance to his military bearing. He saw Cindy, her left leg heavily plastered, standing by a small green suitcase and leaning upon an aluminium crutch under her left shoulder. Donaldson gave her a broad smile, exposing his almost flawless set of white even teeth.
    â€œGood morning, Mrs Crossland. You are looking very well,” he said with only