Personal Protection (A Spider Shepherd Short Story) Read Online Free PDF Page B

as evening approached the sheikh’s PLB began to transmit. They gathered around a monitor as the signal from the PLB began moving towards their HQ.  Thinking the sheikh was on his way back, they suspended operations. Three hours later, as the signal showed that the PLB was entering the city, they went to intercept the sheikh and escort him back to his palace only to discover it wasn’t the sheikh but a Bedu tribesman bearing a small box. Inside it was the sheikh’s severed little finger, complete with the signet ring containing the PLB.
    Rusty interrogated the Bedu but after a couple of minutes it was clear what had happened. Rusty gave a weary shrug of his shoulders. ‘He’s innocent,’ he said. ‘Just a tribesman the bad guys flagged down and paid a few dollars to deliver the box.’
    ‘It’s a proof of life from the sheikh’s cousin,’ Shepherd said. ‘It’s a sign that they want to negotiate.  If they hadn’t, they would have sent us his head instead.’
    Shepherd and the rest of his team sat down with Parker to discuss their options. Parker seemed more concerned about the possibility of the British Government losing influence in the region. ‘We cannot have the cousin taking control of the country,’ said the MI6 man flatly.
    ‘I’m more concerned about getting the sheikh back alive,’ said Shepherd. ‘You need to fake interest in opening negotiations while we find a way to separate the sheikh from his captors.’
    ‘If we’re going to do that,’ Jimbo said. ‘It would probably help if we knew where he was.’
    Geordie whistled in mock admiration. ‘Your flair for stating the bleeding obvious never ceases to amaze me, Jimbo.’
    They back-tracked the route of the PLB and eventually pinpointed an isolated oasis in the middle of the Great Sand Sea Desert, fringing Ar Rub’ al Khali - the Empty Quarter. They studied maps and satellite imagery of the area and then assessed their options. ‘There’s only one road into the oasis’ Shepherd said. ‘It’s not going to be easy. There’s a real risk of IEDs and any approach will obviously be monitored by the Chechens. If they see us coming there’s every chance that the sheikh will be killed out of hand. Suggestions?’ He looked over at Rusty.
    ‘The only way to approach the oasis is going to have to be across the Great Sand Sea,’ Rusty said. ‘It’s an area of sand dunes the size of Wales and pretty much impassable unless you know what you’re doing.’
    ‘Which you do, of course,’ said Shepherd.
    Rusty grinned. ‘If we are going to do it,’ Rusty said, ‘we’re going to have to find some vehicles that can cope with the terrain.’
    Jimbo nodded. ‘And the place to start looking for those would be the garages at the palace. The sheikh seemed to have enough exotic vehicles in there to make an entire premiership football team green with envy. The presidential guards’ vehicles are also kept there.’
    The sheikh’s garage was the size of a supermarket with more than fifty vehicles and a team of overalled mechanics. There were five Bentleys, a gold Rolls Royce, and several supercars that Shepherd had only ever seen on TV. There were a dozen Range Rovers in various colours, several with attachments on the back for hawks to perch on while the sheikh was out hunting. Most of the sports cars were red – Shepherd lost count of the number of Ferraris and Porches.
    ‘Bloody hell,’ said Geordie, his hands on his hips as he surveyed the ranks of gleaming cars. ‘How does he decide what to drive?’
    ‘He has a similar problem deciding which of his wives to test-drive,’ said Rusty.
    ‘Can we take the Ferraris?’ asked Geordie. ‘Pretty please?’
    ‘We need desert vehicles,’ said Jimbo. At the far end of the massive garage was a line of military vehicles, including three ‘Pink Panther’ Land Rovers.  The Land Rovers, painted a pinkish hue to blend into the desert sand, were a favourite among SAS reconnaissance team and were