LONDON ALERT (11 page)

On the way to his house,
they passed the giant Buddha statue at Kamakura. Truly impressive.

Her Japanese mother,
Midori, was at the door to welcome them and ensure they removed their shoes
before entering. She took Holt to his room, while Sachiko took Celia in hand to
show her to hers.

‘It used to be mine
when I was at university.’

After sprucing up, Holt
and Celia came down to join the others on the terrace.

They started talking
about the old days in Japan when foreigners were a rarity. A time when the TV
journalist Alan Wicker started out reporting on the Korean War, before working
on his famous TV programme Wicker’s World; a time when only the rich could
travel afar, and flights from Europe took the southern route, stopping off in
places like Karachi, Singapore, and Hong Kong.

SH explained that years
later, with the introduction of longer-range jet aircraft, the route via the
North Pole with a stopover at Anchorage opened up and much reduced the journey
time, to something like eighteen hours. And then when the Cold War tensions
eased, the much shorter trans-Siberian route opened up. At first, there were
stopovers in Moscow, and then with the introduction of nonstop flights, there
was always the possibility of diversion to an alternate airport in Russia because
of technical trouble, with some at MI6 concerned that the KGB might pick them
up en route. However, with the only alternative being the much longer southern
route via the Middle East, many took the view ‘If they nick me, we’ll nick one
of them.’ Of course, those working on the Russian desk still would not risk it.

The return of the women
cut short any further business talk, and they had less serious talk over drinks
on the terrace, followed by a Japanese-style dinner. It was a family gathering
with friends, and the primary object of the trip was far from Holt’s mind.

‘I read about Japan
before coming,’ said Holt, ‘but it’s still quite a surprise. Everything is different.
Of course the people, but there is a different feel. I don’t know what it is. I
must say that Sachiko has looked after us so well we do not feel out of our
element. We were, though, expecting kamikaze taxis, but she said you had told
her it was only a rumour started by some journalist trying to think up some
copy on the way to the airport.’

‘There are a number of
stories like that,’ said Jim. ‘I don’t suppose she told you the one about why
Japanese women came to wear knickers—’

‘We’re tired of hearing
that old story,’ interjected Midori.

‘Dad, now you’ve
started you might as well go on. It’s funny really. I’m not sure it’s true,
though. It’s something men like bringing up.’

‘Well,’ continued Jim, ‘the
story goes that Japanese women only started wearing knickers after Japan’s
first department store caught fire in the 1920s, and a number of employees preferred
to die rather than shame themselves jumping from the windows with their kimonos
billowing up.’

‘They might have served
as parachutes,’ interjected Holt, adding to Sachiko’s mother’s displeasure, at
which the conversation promptly changed to less sensitive topics.

Just before bed, Holt
and Celia enjoyed – separately – a great feature of the house, a bathroom that
was akin to a spa, before going to their separate rooms, much to Celia’s
delight, which was evident when Sachiko joined her for some more chat.

The next day, after a
leisurely breakfast the women went out sightseeing and shopping, leaving Holt
and Jim alone.

Jim ushered Holt into
his study, its walls almost hidden by books, many of them about Japan, and some
written by him.

He went straight to the
point.

‘I know you want to
hear about terrorist incidents here in Japan. There have been quite a number
over the years, but in general the home-grown terrorist phenomenon has wound
down. Fifty years ago, students were demonstrating against the security treaty with
the United States and the presence of many American troops here, notably in
Okinawa. Now people see the presence of the Americans as a counterbalance to an
increasingly assertive China.

‘Problems related to
the US presence do flare up, especially in Okinawa, say when one or two American
servicemen raped a twelve-year-old schoolgirl, but things have calmed down now.’

‘Funny,’ said Holt, ‘to
think there are so many US military personnel around. I believe there are quite
a number at Yokosuka naval base, not far from here.’

‘Yes, years ago, apart
from demonstrations against the Japan–US security treaty, the big news was the
Red Army hijacking aircraft and seeking refuge in North Korea.’

‘I read about that.
Didn’t one of them come back to Japan recently? He was homesick or something.’

‘Yes, a year ago.’

‘Hijacking,’ said Holt,
‘is not really my remit. Many people are covering that side. My job is to think
up dramatic things opportunists or terrorists might do, other than 9/11-type
hijackings.’

‘Then the incidents like
those that I told Sachiko to tell you about will interest you. Some are
relatively low-tech. One group was able to discover where the cables linking
the various radar installations used by air-traffic control in the Tokyo area passed
and cut them. The ensuing flight delays left many red faces, as the backup had
not been properly thought out or tested.’

‘That’s the type of
thing I am interested in – simple yet dramatic in its way.’

‘Perhaps most dramatic
was the veranda-drainpipe incident that again I think Sachiko told you about
and showed you where it was done. A group rented an apartment near the official
guest house, which had a veranda facing it. They placed a number of drainpipes
so that rockets fired from them using a timer would strike the guest house
while world leaders were staying there. They were like mortars, with no need
for a direct line of sight to the target.

‘The rockets landed right
in the grounds. Fortunately, no one was hurt. Again, there were a number of red
faces in the police and the security agencies.’

‘Anyone could set that
up.’

‘Yes, but they could
not get away with it now. Prior to the arrival of any important personage, police
and security people triple-check out residences and offices within range – first
by the local plod, next the more-sophisticated police, and finally the security
service. Furthermore, even the manholes for the drains are welded shut at
sensitive locations.’

‘Sachiko showed us the actual
balconies – she said virtually all apartments have them for drying washing. We
do not have those, or so many, in the UK. However, dissidents in Northern
Ireland came up with a clever variation. In order to attack the central police
station in Belfast, they took a van, removed the roof, and set up mortars on
the floor inside it. As it would not have been easy to aim from within the van,
the projectiles could well have landed in public areas, killing innocent
civilians. Fortunately, police stopped the van en route. I think it was a
random check, though it might have been reported as stolen, or there were other
grounds for them to be suspicious.’

Jim went on to mention
other attempts at disruption, and then their discussion was interrupted by Midori
and Sachiko bringing coffee out to the terrace.

‘Let’s talk about the
big one later,’ said Jim.

Holt knew what ‘the big
one’ was – the sarin nerve gas attack on the Tokyo Metro – but was glad to have
a break before discussing something potentially so horrible. In one respect, the
nerve gas attack was not so special or original, and not the creative thing he was
meant to forestall. However, he had to learn about it if only to hold his own
in meetings back in the UK.

Coffee was accompanied
by some biscuits called RaisinWich, a Japanese abbreviation of Raisin Sandwich.
These consisted of two biscuits with raisins, cream, and something alcoholic sandwiched
between them, and were quite addictive.

‘The man,’ said
Sachiko, ‘who invented these not only had a clever idea for the name and the
product but sold more by requiring that they be ordered in advance and making
it appear they were in short supply. Consequently, people would order double
the quantity they would have ordered otherwise.’

For the first time in
what seemed a long time, Holt felt totally relaxed, and he noticed that Celia
looked at ease too. Even though Blackwell had programmed him not to see Celia
as a sexual object, there was always an underlying tension when they were alone
together.

‘The telling thing,’
said Jim when the ladies departed, ‘about the nerve gas attack was not the
technique, which is really now widely known, but the way a sect can build
itself up, exploit and control its members using very clever psychological
means, and sometimes threaten society at large rather than simply exploit
members for financial and often sexual reward.’

‘Yes,’ commented Holt,
‘it is pretty scary, especially in the US, where it is not only sects but also
extreme right-wing groups that see the US government as the enemy. They
showed their teeth after Waco, and now, after Obama tried to introduce gun laws,
they have increased tenfold.’

‘At first sight, one
could assume that Japan does not have a group of angry people, like in England,
going abroad to learn how to make bombs and so on. However, there are many
Koreans, some whose parents and grandparents were brought over as workers
during the war, who owe their allegiance to North Korea. Also, there are many
Chinese here officially and unofficially. These two groups blend into Japanese
society, and it is not obvious from their appearance that they might have
sympathies lying elsewhere.’

‘In my briefings in
London, I learnt that a number of the top people in the Aum Sect were highly
educated, went to the best universities.’

‘Yes, that’s true, and
that’s partly why they were less troubled by the police than they might have
been. Japanese society is hierarchical, and those leaders seemed so able.
Almost looking down on the police after attending top universities.’

Jim explained to Holt
that the Japanese system was special in that the ordinary people were very
honest, but at the higher levels it was jobs for the boys, and how there was
one corrupting tradition called
ama-kudari
(‘coming down from heaven’), whereby senior government officials
supervising industries are given plum jobs in those very same industries on
retirement. This means they do not supervise those industries properly while in
office. For example, not one of the ex-government officials responsible for the
bad supervision of the nuclear power industry has been punished – they are
still at their posts, in the
ama-kudari
tradition,
in the electric power industry.

They went on to talk
about possible terrorist scenarios, and it was not until dinner that talk
turned to what was happening in England. Would Jim like to return? Not really. He
had spent most of his life in Japan; besides, his wife was happier there.

‘I was quite surprised,’
said Jim, ‘at how much England has changed with it becoming multicultural.
America is changing too, and the Latinos will before long predominate in the
electorate. Interestingly, here in the Far East immigration is limited, with
countries trying to restrict it to talented people who will contribute to
society. This is particularly true of Australia and Singapore. In the case of
Singapore, the government unsuccessfully tried to bring in measures to persuade
the more educated women to have more children.’

‘What about Japan?’

‘Same again. Here the
problem is too many old people, but at least they do not have the benefits-dependency
culture like the UK. Japan is one of the few advanced countries maintaining its
identity. Immigration is very limited, but that raises problems, as there are
not enough people for certain jobs. For instance, there is a shortage of pilots
for the LCCs, the low-cost carriers that are spreading their wings. A lot of
famous Japanese products are now produced largely in China.’

The conversation turned
to other topics as they enjoyed their drinks in the warmth of the evening.

The next day, Jim and Midori
took the two of them and Sachiko by car to Odawara Station to catch the bullet
train to Kyoto. They would see something of the traditional Japan, and Celia
would be able to do some shopping with Sachiko before their return to the UK.

Holt would be able to
tell Sir Charles that the lessons learnt in Japan should serve him in good
stead, but that the different environment meant that the incidents could not be
exactly replicated in the UK.

Returning
to London was something of a letdown after the novelty and
excitement of the overseas trip. Japan
,
with
‘terrorist’
scenarios ranging from the
absurdly s
imple and relatively innocuous to the
deadly nerve gas attack on the Tokyo Metro
,
had really stimulated Holt’s imagination.
I
n Holt’s view
,
none
apart from the nerve gas attack – and that was already being covered by
another
department –
were dramatic
or n
ovel enough to be worth
discussing in detail with Sir Charles.

Holt sat at his desk at Farringdon thinking.
His only conclusion was that his office needed a comfortable couch from which
he could watch videos on his superb graphic designer monitor.

He missed Celia’s constant presence at his
side, though they did occasionally manage to arrange to be in the cafeteria at
the same time. She had been allotted other work, often accompanying officials
to meetings, ostensibly to take notes but more likely because the VIPs found
her presence as congenial as he had. Of course, she would be keeping an eye on
them and at the same time gaining intelligence on the people in the circles in
which they moved.