Simon Eady

By Adrian Monico

Simon Eady and his mother have been on the run for many years. He lost his father at an early age and he has no other family or close friends. His most prized possessions are three old photographs and a series of postcards.

Simon is a very talented and resourceful teenager who is continuously developing and refining his skills: learning new languages, and excelling in sports and studies. Unbeknown to Simon, his life is about to change.

Within the span of a few hours, he will find himself involved in a kidnap attempt, discover that his mother is terminally ill, be targeted by the secretive British spy agency MI6, being hunted by a cold-hearted assassin, and be informed that his father is in fact alive and hiding somewhere on the opposite side of the world.

Triggered by his mother’s dying wish of seeing her husband one last time, shaken by a botched kidnapping attack, Simon is suddenly confronted by the insurmountable task of finding his father. Simon will be drawn into a world where survival depends on one’s ability to master espionage, resort to deceit, commit crime, and be willing to kill without hesitation.

Simon will be required to use all of his skills and knowledge to stay alive whilst frantically racing around the world looking for his father. Along his transcontinental race, Simon will become friends with an old retired Italian spymaster, who will equip him for a life in a world that few have survived.

His quest will lead him to discover dangerous secrets about his family’s past whilst sinking into a world from which there is no escape.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Marmolada Family Trust
• Release date: Mar 3, 2013
• ISBN: 9780987354402

Adrian Monico

Adrian Monico was born in Australia to Italian parents. He and his family returned to Italy when he was just two years old, where he was raised in the Alps until the age of fourteen. On returning to Australia, Adrian was required to learn English so that he could complete High School and pursue his interest in Physics at university. At the completion of his first year of university, Adrian decided to join the Australian Defence Force (ADF) as a Commissioned Army Officer. During his fifteen years of service, Adrian reached the rank of Major. He also commanded Surface to Air missile systems and saw active service in East Timor. The ADF sponsored Adrian to return to university and study Information Technology. Adrian is currently a successful IT and Telecommunications Service Delivery Manager. In his spare time, Adrian is a passionate writer. This is his second novel.

Book preview

ABOUT THIS BOOK

Simon Eady and his mother have been on the run for many years. He lost his father at an early age and he has no other family or close friends.

Within the span of a few hours, he will find himself involved in a kidnap attempt, discover that his mother is terminally ill, and be informed that his father is, in fact, alive and hiding somewhere on the opposite side of the world.

Simon needs to embark on a race against time around the world while being hunted by a deadly cold-hearted assassin and targeted by MI6.

OTHER BOOKS BY ADRIAN MONICO

Simon Eady: Teenage Spy – This is the second book in the Simon Eady series. Once again, Simon finds himself racing across Europe confronted by life-threatening and action-packed challenges.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Adrian Monico was born in Australia to Italian parents. He and his family returned to Italy when he was just two years old, where he was raised in the Alps until the age of fourteen. On returning to Australia, Adrian was required to learn English so that he could complete High School and pursue his interest in Physics at university. At the completion of his first year of university, Adrian decided to join the Australian Defence Force (ADF) as a Commissioned Army Officer. During his fifteen years of service, Adrian reached the rank of Major. He also commanded Surface to Air missile systems and saw active service in East Timor. The ADF sponsored Adrian to return to university and study Information Technology. Adrian is currently a successful IT and Telecommunications Service Delivery Manager. In his spare time, Adrian is a passionate writer. This is his first novel in the Simon Eady series.

Simon Eady

Adrian Monico

Published 2012 by Marmolada Pty. Ltd.

ISBN: 978-0-9873544-0-2 (paperback)

Cover design by Sandra Nooke.

A C.I.P. record for this book is available from the National Library of Australia.

Copyright © Adrian Monico 2012.

The moral right of the author has been asserted.

All rights reserved. Except as provided by the Copyright Act 1968, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted, or communicated in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

PROLOGUE – Next in line

Intelligence operative ‘Shadow’ felt nervous. His nervousness was not driven by the fact that he was skiing at great speed down an unknown mountain in the middle of a moonless night; nor was it driven by the fact that he knew little of the target; nor was it driven by the fact that his government had ordered the assassination of the most wanted criminal in Europe. What made Shadow nervous was the fact that for the first time in 27 years, he was not going to carry out the mission himself. Shadow had simply been ordered to assess the best ‘New Era’ MI6 agent.

Criminals have increasingly become more sophisticated than Government agents. In the last 10 years, spy agencies around the world have had to change their focus from being the best equipped to simply the most ruthless. This change of focus came at a very high cost. Several new generation recruits had been killed during operations by taking unnecessary risks, or foregoing meticulous planning. They died due to an unwillingness to be ruthless, cold and calculating machines. Their morals guided their thinking.

Shadow was concerned that 2C’s ability could compromise the mission – 2C belonged to this ‘New Era’ of ‘moral’ spies.

The soft swish of Shadow’s skis, the fresh snow and the cold on his face heightened his awareness as he swiftly approached the target area. His study of satellite maps identified several sentry posts. After years of training, he slowed his heartbeat. Shadow passed a mission marker at 90 km/h. He cleared his mind of all thoughts. The first of the sentry posts was almost upon him. Contrary to Agent 2C, whose choice of entry would be by air, Shadow decided to approach the area in a more subtle and less dramatic way - by walking and skiing.

In fact, there were numerous differences in the approaches taken by Shadow and Agent 2C. Firstly, Agent 2C accepted to undertake the mission only two weeks after the completion of his previous one. To the contrary, Shadow’s mandated time between missions had to be at least three months. Secondly, Agent 2C opted for a face to face encounter with the target, while Shadow preferred to carry out eliminations, or in this case observations, by covert surveillance.

Furthermore, Agent 2C selected the limited edition Walther P99 TA 9mm pistol, with MI6’s own custom made explosive rounds, while Shadow’s weapon of choice, was the ‘mosquito’ sniper rifle - originally nicknamed ‘mosquito’ because of the feeling experienced by targets when hit by the poisoned needles. Lastly, Agent 2C’s extraction plan would be to use a body harness equipped with sufficient rockets for an instant propelled launch to 2,000 metres. At this point, a parachute would be deployed to slow down the fall. A specifically built rescue plane would then snag the long reins of the parachute and pull the spy into the plane using an advanced winch system. To the contrary, Shadow preferred to lie hidden until such time as it would be safe to walk out unnoticed.

It was because of the hidden and subtle approaches used by Shadow over the years that he was given his codename. In fact, Shadow had been so good at keeping hidden, that only two people in the world knew who he was, and only 20 other people were aware that he was a British spy. To the rest of the world, Shadow was a ghost that came in the middle of the night and eliminated his targets.

Many superstitious criminals referred to Shadow as ‘death’s messenger’. As years passed, Shadow became a legend. The story of Shadow was always told as an embellished tale, and it created fear and apprehension in those who spoke of him. It was said that ‘Romulus’, who until recently was the most feared criminal in the world, gave himself up when he heard that Shadow was targeting him. Despite the fact that there were many stories about Shadow that were fictional, Romulus’ surrender was true.

Even though many feared Shadow, his reputation also made him a target for assassins who were attempting to make a name for themselves. Shadow never feared death; he did fear it for those for whom he cared. As the legend of Shadow grew, more of his enemies tried to avenge him via his loved ones. It was for this reason that he made his spy world his only world, thus breaking contact with all but one person - the Director of MI6.

A hundred metres short of the first sentry hideout, Shadow came to a slow stop. He then unhooked one of his boots from the ski and placed it just above the snow. Immediately, two very small metal bars extended downwards from the heel and two from the toe of the boot, penetrating the snow. A laser established the necessary depth for the bar to extend: this was based on his weight, the velocity his foot was travelling at, and the density of the snow. Once these extendable bars reached the predetermined depth, their tips opened into large metallic discs able to sustain Shadow’s weight.

If Shadow began to run, the laser would automatically adjust the depth required for the metal bars to penetrate the snow. However, as Shadow rarely resorted to running, he had yet to test the limits of this technology. As he took the weight off each foot, the discs and the bars would retract. These customised boots enabled Shadow to walk on snow without leaving footprints.

Tonight, Shadow considered himself fortunate that the wind was moving snow across the forest, thus covering the small holes left by his boots. As Shadow moved forward toward the first sentry hideout, he quickly spotted a guard scanning the area with a set of thermal goggles. Shadow suspected that such a fortress would not take any chances with ‘accidental’ night visitors coming via land or air. For this reason, on this mission, Shadow decided that this and two other sentry posts needed to be ‘neutralised’. Tonight, Shadow’s aim was to simply make the targets ineffective without killing them. A dead person, if found, would instantly raise the alarm. To the contrary, a sleepy target would suggest poor discipline and would result in anger and not suspicion by those who found him.

As the guard scanned the area, he eventually reached the point where Shadow was hiding behind a tree. It was at this moment that the guard was suddenly distracted by a prickly sensation on his neck. He immediately slapped his neck reacting to what he thought was a mosquito bite. However, upon the realisation that it was too cold for mosquitoes, he assumed that it was simply his clothing irritating his skin. The prick didn’t feel painful enough to raise suspicion. It was caused by a very tiny dart made of a ‘microneedle’ that contained a powerful sedative. Shadow had set the poisoned needle propulsion velocity slightly higher than required to counter the wind. He was pleased to see that he had managed to hit the target a hundred metres away without raising any alarm.

There were three types of needles available. The red needle was used to instantly sedate the target for approximately 10 minutes. The blue needle initially only made the target drowsy, but after approximately 2 minutes made them lose consciousness for 30 minutes. The secondary advantage of the red and blue needles was that the poison only placed the targets into a deep sleep, which could still be broken by loud noises or by being shaken by someone else - hence feeling like an ‘accidental’ sleep. The third needle, coloured grey, was used to kill the target with a potent cyanide-based poison.

Shadow used the Blue needle on both the sentry who was on watch and the guard in the background who was already asleep. A minute later, the second sentry decided to sit down as he felt tired standing up, and within seconds he too was fast asleep like his comrade. Shadow kept an eye on his watch to ensure that the cold had not affected the timeframe for the Blue sedative to take affect. Now satisfied with the result, he decided to move forward toward the other two sentry points.

Back at a NATO airport base in northern Italy, Agent 2C sat alone in a guarded hanger checking his delivered package. The package included his high altitude parachuting equipment, with a new oxygen breathing pack that allowed a higher jump than currently possible. It was also comprised of a rocket fitted body vest and fireproof suit, an extraction parachute, a map of the target area, and a 9mm automatic machine gun with new extended bullet magazines.

Agent 2C had been rated as the second best agent for almost five years and would remain in second place until agent ‘Shadow’ died or retired. However, Agent 2C was convinced that there was no such agent. It infuriated him that stories about Shadow were just stories! These stories were encouraged and leaked by the British government to create fear among the enemies of the MI6 agents. Agent 2C believed that Shadow was not real based on three solid facts: firstly, no mission report had ever been published by an agent codenamed ‘Shadow’; secondly, all agents were given a seniority and experience ranking designated by a number and letter; and lastly, the fact that medical records showed that the oldest agent was currently 36 years old and subsequently could not have been around when ‘Shadow’ first came to be known to the criminal world.

Shadow, had finally neutralised all outer perimeter sentries on the Northern side of the fortress and was now moving toward the target. He took advantage of a noticeable track used by the sentries and local animals, and followed it to within a visual distance of the target. He was aware that the fortress and tracks leading to it had most likely been fitted with movement and heat sensors. As Shadow descended the mountain, he finally spotted the hideout he had selected by satellite and began moving toward it. Once there, he commenced digging a hole where he would lie low until Agent 2C would arrive in eight hours.

Agent 2C was fully equipped for the mission and boarded the Bombardier Global Express private jet specifically provisioned for high altitude jumps. He sat very still, absorbed in his plans. 2C had never failed and felt confident. A sudden chill flowed through his body, but he quickly suppressed it.

The crew of the plane consisted of two pilots who, as always, had been ordered to remain in the pilot cabin until the jump had occurred. In fact, to protect the identity of the agents, the pilots cabin door was equipped with an electric lock, which released only once the plane had reached a certain altitude and the parachuting hatch had been opened and then closed again. Agent 2C considered this unnecessary, as MI6 always made sure that no pilot ever flew the same secret agent more than once a year.

They were always told that the jump was part of a Special Air Service (SAS) mission, and that during the mission their on-board cabin camera would be continuously monitored by an agent back in London.

Shadow was quite pleased with his hideout. It was half way down a small hill, and deep enough to allow him to stretch and to take a comfortable, supported firing position if needed. The best aspect of the hideout was that it could be completely setup in just a few minutes. The tent was specifically designed to melt the snow on one side as it self-expanded while providing a shield from thermal scopes on the other side. This tent, called Tentothermic, was certainly a long way from the days when Shadow was in the SAS and was required to use a portable mini spade to dig his burrows.

Recruitment and training of British spies have changed very little over time. Recruitment scouts are sent out to military and police units to assess reported top performers. Potential candidates would have demonstrated the necessary courage to be a spy. Medical and psychological records, family histories, and political nuances are thoroughly scrutinised. Once short-listed, candidates are directly assessed in one of two ways. Military candidates are kidnapped and subjected to specifically designed interrogations. This is an SAS tactic carried out on troops to get them ready for the worst. Potential recruits who do not progress to the next level were usually shocked to find out how violent and painful the interrogation was.

Police candidates are treated differently. They are approached and informed that they were identified as suitable candidates to assist on a United Nations’ high-risk mission. If they accept the mission they are quickly transported to a trouble zone, often Africa, to assist a Policing mission. These candidates are kidnapped and then subjected to the same interrogation as the military candidates. Those who failed to progress to the next level are released and sent home.

Candidates who pass the interrogation test are then brought together and placed in a training environment. They are given numerous missions in competition with one another. During this phase, they are ordered not to speak to each other or else they will be instantly failed. They are also informed that they have been selected for ‘fast promotion’ and their achievements would be rewarded with varying levels of recognition. At this point, candidates are still not aware that they are part of the MI6 selection course. Once this phase is completed, those who do not pass are sent back either with promotions or prized postings around the world. Recruitment occurs annually and a maximum of 3 candidates are selected. These candidates, upon accepting an offer to serve Queen and Country, are sent to a spy school. Here they are educated in various essential spy basics including surveillance, weaponry, specialist equipment, and assassination. Assassination is always the last module covered in training. Each time a new area of expertise is taught, the candidates are then required to complete two ‘live’ (non-training) missions using their newly acquired skills to move on to the next level. If a candidate fails to complete either mission, the course for that candidate is terminated. Candidates who fail to move to the next level are relocated to work in an area that only requires their already proven skills. Although most candidates make it to the assassination training, only a very small percentage pass the two missions where they are confronted with the task of eliminating two targets. With the exception of two spies, one being ‘Shadow’, every spy since the end of World War 2 has gone through this program. To date, Agent 2C has been the highest rated graduate of the program.

As the aircraft approached the drop zone, the pilots alerted Agent 2C via the use of an orange light. Agent 2C, already wearing his parachute, moved to the jumping hatch and awaited the green light. Three minutes later the parachute hatch closed as Agent 2C reached terminal velocity. Within the visor of his helmet, a display outlined his altitude, velocity, distance, and bearing from the target. At 2000 metres in altitude, he opened his parachute and veered his descent toward the fortress.

As he reached 1000 metres, several targets were identified and highlighted in his helmet display. Agent 2C unstrapped a pistol from his leg and instantly prioritised his targets. Within minutes his pistol, fitted with a silencer, commenced firing rounds in several directions, hitting each target twice before moving onto the next. Agent 2C then landed at the northern side of the fortress and quickly made his way to the closest door. Once inside he headed toward the target’s bedroom, where his thermal device showed that there was a person currently asleep. All Agent 2C knew about the target was that he had been on the Most Wanted list in 12 countries for the past eight years.

The target for this mission was a person whose name had never been determined, nor had any photo or description ever been acquired. In the last eight years he had built a large empire, funded by gunrunning, stealing and selling top secret information stolen from various NATO governments. He had also killed several underground criminals in order to expand his empire into their territory. The only information available to Agent 2C about tonight’s mission was that the target had been in this fortress for the past five weeks and every night he retired to his bedroom at exactly 8 pm.

The agent paused in front of the bedroom door and took a deep breath. A second later he opened the door and rushed into the room with his pistol already loaded, ready to eliminate the target.

Shadow, using a high scope rifle equipped with thermal imagery, had been following Agent 2C since he deployed his parachute. And now, seeing the heat radiated by his body, visible through the house walls, Shadow assessed 2C’s approach for the kill. Agent 2C had entered the bedroom and moved within metres of the bed where he had paused and for some reason had failed to fire his weapon.

Agent 2C was astonished by the target laying on the bed. It was a beautiful woman in her mid-30s who did not seem startled by the unexpected entry. Agent 2C was suddenly unsure if the intelligence provided was wrong, or if the targeted criminal had already left the building. He considered searching the rest of the house for the target.

Satellite surveillance had confirmed a few minutes before that no one had left the fortress in the last five weeks. Although Agent 2C had no dilemma in eliminating criminals, or anyone else for that matter, he had never killed a woman, and was certainly not going to kill one as beautiful as the one staring back at him.

Agent 2C, although excited by the fact that he was about to accomplish another mission, could not help himself pausing and admiring the woman on the bed. While contemplating how unfair it was that criminals always get all the best women, he removed his tranquilliser pistol and proceeded to raise the barrel to sedate the vision in front of him. Agent 2C never got to