48 Hours

By David Halfpenny

It is the end of 2002 and Dexter Campbell is ready for a change. After running a construction company for the past thirty years, he is finally ready to enjoy retirement. Unfortunately as Dexter has just discovered, sometimes boredom accompanies a life without work. But when he decides to take a trip to Spain, Dexter has no idea how drastically his life is about to change in the next forty-eight hours.

After he arrives at the airport, Dexter notices a suspicious man and quickly notifies the authorities who apprehend him, along with a bag that contains a bomb. When Dexter finally boards the plane, a government employee sits next to him and notifies him that the man is a suspected terrorist. As a chain of events unfolds, Dexter is propelled directly into the nucleus of a terrorist organization in Spain. After he is left to decide whether to give up his normal life or join the organization, Dexter finally makes a choice that leads him on an unforgettable journey filled with beautiful women, danger, and the excitement he has always craved.

In this action-adventure novel, a retired entrepreneur becomes immersed in a terrorist organization in Spain after he identifies a suspicious man at an American airport.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Mar 22, 2018
• ISBN: 9781546290629

David Halfpenny

David Halfpenny retired at fifty-seven and purchased a Dutch barge. After traveling and living in Spain, he and his partner returned to France where they now live in a wonderful old house on ten acres of land and a lake. 48 Hours is his first novel.

Book preview

© 2018 David Halfpenny. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 03/20/2018

ISBN: 978-1-5462-9060-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5462-9061-2 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5462-9062-9 (e)

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2 The Beginning Of A New Life

Chapter 3 Thames House, Mi5

Chapter 4 The First Day At Mi5

Chapter 5 The Mole In Mi5

Chapter 6 The Next Mission

Chapter 7 Meeting With The Army

Chapter 8 The Attack

Chapter 9 Switzerland

Chapter 10 The Wedding

Chapter 11 London & Christmas 2006

Chapter 12 A Ring Of Spies

Chapter 13 The Trap

Chapter 14 Back To Spain Where It Began

Chapter 15 Reunited With My Family

Chapter 16 The Visit To The Palace And The Surprise

Chapter 1

Dexter sat on the edge of his bed and looked into the long framed mirror fixed to the back of his bedroom door. My god you look a mess, he said to himself. Dexter had put on about three stone since his early retirement. He now weighed sixteen stone, and felt it. He was on a downward slippery slope, and didn’t like it. The mirror did not lie.

Dexter Campbell had run his own construction company for the past thirty years, and had managed to retire early at fifty-six, leaving the company to his family to run. He had a cottage in Hampshire and always spent Christmas with his family, before leaving for his small apartment in Spain, where he spent the winter months. He had been divorced for the past three years and was not completely over the breakup. He was still sitting in front of the mirror when he glanced at his watch - six thirty; he needed to shower and get dressed. His taxi would be here at seven thirty to take him to Gatwick Airport for the ten thirty-five BA flight to Alicante.

Dexter had enjoyed Christmas with his family, especially the dinner and conversation, which generally centred on politics and world affairs. He’d spoken to one of his sons, Peter, about feeling very bored and not having anything to do now that he was retired. His life seemed very empty and he was feeling really down, especially as Christmas was nearly over. He needed a project, he told his son.

Dad, you are retired. Just enjoy yourself, you have your apartment in Spain, what else do you want? was the response.

Dexter nodded in agreement, but he knew something was missing. What he didn’t know, however, was that the next 48 hours would change everything - forever.

He dressed in casual clothes and a large jumper to hide the extra weight he had put on. Dexter was very conscious about his appearance, and was determined to make an effort to lose weight over the next few months.

The beep of a car horn informed him that his taxi had arrived. He quickly grabbed his case, travel bag and coat, and took a final look at his cottage before locking the front door behind him. Ted, the driver, was already opening up the boot for Dexter’s suitcase. Dexter sat in the front seat, as he had done many times over the past three years. Ted often drove him to the airport, and they both enjoyed the conversations they had on the journey. The subject matter was pretty consistent - cricket and crime. It wasn’t long before they were arriving at the South Terminal, where Ted wished him a safe journey and told him to look after himself.

Dexter made his way to the departure area, only to find the biggest queues he had ever known. He had forgotten that the country was still on red alert, and security was high after 9/11, some three months previously. He managed to find the check-in queue for the flight to Alicante, which was long and did not appear to be moving. After joining the back of the line, he put his suitcase down and started to look at the faces of the other people in the queue. He loved to people-watch, and enjoyed trying to ascertain the characters and occupations of his subjects. The one thing he did not like were people with very narrow eyes, they always looked very shifty to him, which in some cases was a very unfair judgement, but that was his view.

At last the queue was moving. Slowly, but it was moving. Dexter pushed his suitcase along with his foot, still looking at the people in front of him, when he noticed a tall dark featured man of about thirty standing a way from the front of the queue. He had no luggage and no travel bag. Maybe he had already handed his luggage in, Dexter thought. He did have what looked like a boarding pass in his hand, so maybe he was waiting for someone else in the queue. In any case, Dexter did not like the look of him; there was something about him that immediately put him on edge.

After a further twenty minutes, he had made it to the front of the queue and was next in line to have his bags checked in. He gazed absentmindedly at the lady in front, who was handing her tickets over to the flight clerk behind the desk. She was a lovely looking woman of about thirty-five, slim and very well dressed in a smart blue jacket and pleated skirt, which was perhaps a little old fashioned, but it suited her elegant figure.

He stood on the white line ready to hand over his suitcase and collect his boarding pass, when suddenly the lady started arguing with the flight clerk.

Why can’t I take this in my handbag? she demanded. It’s part of my makeup bag, she insisted crossly.

Dexter was very intrigued to see what it was that was being confiscated, so he edged over the white line to see the object in question. Shining under the bright lights was a pair of scissors about six inches long.

You could do a lot of harm with those, he said with a grin.

She was silent for a few seconds, and then turned to face him with a smile on her face.

I guess you’re right, she said with a chuckle.

You can put them in your case Miss, said the security guard who had come up to see what all the fuss was about.

Thank you she said, and quickly unzipped her case to slide the scissors in. She smiled at Dexter and walked away.

Your passport please sir, said the booking clerk, who quickly checked his paperwork before handing him his boarding pass. You will be boarding in about twenty minutes, go straight to gate 49, and have a good flight, she said, bidding the next couple waiting.

Dexter purchased a paper to read on the flight, before heading for gate 49. As he was paying, he caught a glimpse of the same dark featured man, walking towards the same gate. His eyes and mouth were very narrow looking - a feature that Dexter did not care for - and he didn’t have any hand luggage. Focusing his attention elsewhere, Dexter made his way to the departure lounge and found a seat in the small glass screen room, which was cordoned off for smoking. It was packed with people smoking their last cigarette before boarding the plane. He sat down to join them and had just opened his paper at an article about the war in Afghanistan, when there was a tap on his shoulder. He turned round in his seat, and to his surprise saw the beautiful young woman who had been in front of him in the check-in queue.

Do you have a light, my lighter has run out of gas? she asked him.

Shuffling in his trouser pocket, he produced his lighter. As she took it, she spoke in a quiet voice that surprised Dexter.

I thought, being a gentleman, you would have lit my cigarette for me.

He thought for a few seconds, not wanting to be outdone. No, he said, I am giving it to you, I’ll buy a new one when we arrive at Alicante.

She smiled and lit her cigarette. Feeling he had regained his credibility as a gentleman, he stared at her for longer than he should have, taking in all the lovely features of her body, then slowly turned back to his paper. But he was not reading, just staring into an empty space.

Boarding numbers twenty to thirty to the boarding desk, the tannoy blurted.

Dexter looked at his boarding ticket, number twenty-two. He made his way to the desk and was second in line to be checked when he realised that they were undergoing a further body and bag inspection, this time by the police. There was a female officer and a very large policeman who was armed with what looked like a semi automatic carbine. It was then that Dexter noticed the person in front of him was the dark featured man who had just gone through being body checked. When the man picked up a small bag from the desk, it was so quick no one other than Dexter noticed. Dexter hesitated, and then in a very loud voice shouted, Stop that man!

The man tried to rush pass the policeman, but he was not quick enough. The rifle butt hit him in the pit of his stomach, and he fell to the floor groaning from the pain. Everyone stared at Dexter, who pointed towards the flight attendant who must have given the bag to the man. The female police officer held out her taser pistol and shouted at the attendant to lay flat on the floor.

By this time four more police officers had arrived and it was complete chaos with people trying to see what was happening. Dexter stood in the centre, completely baffled by what was taking place around him. The police were telling passengers to go back to their seats, and that boarding would commence as soon as possible, but there would be delays.

Whilst the two men were taken away, the officer who appeared to be in charge came up to Dexter.

That was very quick of you sir, noticing the bag. What made you suspicious?

Dexter quickly told the officer his story.

We will need you to come with us and give us your details please sir, the policeman said.

But I need to catch the flight, Dexter explained.

I am sorry sir, but we must have your details.

Dexter was just about to agree when the young woman appeared at his side, and placed her hand gently on his arm. She held up a slim black wallet to the policeman, He’s with me, she explained. The officer eyed the wallet, and with a nod told Dexter he could carry on boarding. He walked slowly through the tunnel to the aircraft, producing his boarding pass when he reached the entrance.

Number twenty-two, he told the stewardess who eyed him up and down.

No sir, you have been changed to first class seat two.

He looked very surprised. Are you sure? he said.

Yes sir, seat two and she showed him to his new seat.

Dexter sat down in the very comfortable seat, still not knowing why he was in first class. He was in the window seat, and settled back as other passengers were now boarding and taking their seats. As they came on board, a woman stopped and stared at him, which made him feel rather uncomfortable. She kept staring until the next person asked her to move on. As she passed he could smell her pungent perfume, which he disliked intensely. She was quite tall and well dressed, with a deep mahogany tan.

He was looking out of the window when, in the corner of his eye, he noticed the lovely young woman at the entrance of the plane, talking to the cabin crew and then to the pilot, who was nodding his head in agreement. To Dexter’s surprise, she then turned and walked towards him before sliding into the seat beside him. She waited until the stewardess had drawn the curtain at the end of the first class section before she began to speak, leaning close to Dexter so that no one else could overhear. You did a good job spotting the bag exchange at the desk, she said. Those men were terrorists and the bag contained a bomb.

How she knew in such a short time he did not know, and he did not ask. He did not really know what to say at all, the whole situation seemed completely bizarre, so he simply nodded.

The captain’s voice came over the intercom, telling them that they would be grounded for at least another hour. They were already running an hour and a half late, so would now not be in Alicante until late afternoon at best.

Dexter was still wondering how she knew this information, and what on earth was going on, when she read his thoughts. It’s all right Mr Campbell, I work for the government, that is why I managed to get you on the plane without any fuss, although you could be in great danger, she explained. We are worried that there could be someone else on the plane who was involved, but I will explain later and with that she stopped talking. Dexter wanted to ask her more questions, but she was now texting on her mobile phone, so he closed his eyes and let his mind wander. So many thoughts were racing through his head. He could be in danger, there was someone else who was involved on the plane, and that woman who kept staring at him - was she part of the plan?

Much later on, as the plane was beginning its decent, the woman next to him finally spoke again. Mr Campbell, she said, now using his surname for the second time, when we land it has been arranged for us to get off first. The other passengers will not be allowed off until we have collected our cases. We will leave the airport by a private exit, so get ready to disembark as soon as possible once we land, she said.

The captain’s voice came over the tannoy again, informing the cabin crew that there were five minutes until landing. The minutes