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Washington and England.
    â€˜Right at this moment we are in the dark completely. All we have is that BA 070 with four hundred and one passengers and sixteen crew on a flight from Mahé to Nairobi has not reported for thirty-two minutes.’

    Parker was Chairman of the Intelligence Oversight Board, among other duties, and he reported directly to the President of the United States in that capacity. He was the President’s personal and trusted friend. They had been in the same class at Annapolis, both of them had graduated in the top twenty but, unlike the President, Parker had gone directly into government.
    Parker was an artist, a talented musician, the author of four scholarly works of philosophy and politics, and a grand master of chess. A man of overwhelming presence, of vast humanity and towering intelligence. Yet also he was a secret man, avoiding the glaring scrutiny of the media, hiding his ambitions, if ambitions he had – although the presidency of the United States would not be an impossible dream to such a man – only taking up with rare skill and strength any burden that was thrust upon him.
    Peter Stride had met him personally on half a dozen occasions since being seconded to Thor. He had spent a weekend with Parker at his New York home, and his respect for the man had become boundless. Peter realized that he was the perfect head for such a complex concept as Atlas: it needed the philosopher’s tempering influence over trained soldiers, it needed the tact and charisma of the diplomat to deal directly with the heads of two governments, and it needed that steely intellect to make the ultimate decision that could involve hundreds of innocent lives and incur fearsome political consequences.
    Now swiftly and incisively he told Peter what little they knew of Flight 070 and what search and rescue routine was already in force, before going on, ‘Without being alarmist, this does seem to be the perfect target. The flight carries most of the world’s leading surgeons, and the convention was public knowledge eighteen months ago. Doctors have the necessary image to appeal to public sentiment and their nationalities are nicely mixed – American, British, French, Scandinavian, German, Italian – three of those countries
have notoriously soft records with militant activity. It’s a British aircraft, and the final destination would probably have been chosen to further complicate the issue and inhibit any counter-action.’
    Parker paused, and a small crease of worry appeared for a moment in the broad smooth forehead.
    â€˜I have put Mercury on condition Alpha as well – if this is a strike the final destination could just as easily be eastwards of the aircraft’s last reported position.’
    Atlas’s offensive arm comprised three identical units. Thor would be used only in Europe or Africa. Mercury was based on the American Naval base in Indonesia and covered Asia and Australasia, while Diana was in Washington itself and ready for counteraction in either of the American continents.
    â€˜I have Tanner of Mercury on the other relay now. I will be back to you in a few seconds, Peter.’
    â€˜Very well, sir.’
    The screen went blank, and in the chair beside him Colin Noble lit one of his expensive Dutch cheroots and crossed his ankles on the desk in front of him.
    â€˜Seems the great god Thor came down to earth for a little poontang. When he’d finished pleasuring one of the vestal virgins he thought he’d let her know the honour she’d been given. “I’m Thor,” he told her. “Tho am I,” she agreed, “but it wath loth of fun.”’
    Peter shook his head sorrowfully. ‘That’s funny?’ he asked.
    â€˜Helps to while away the time.’ Colin glanced at his wristwatch. ‘If this is another false alarm, it’s going to make it thirteen straight.’ He yawned. There was nothing to do. It had all