Escape From The Country - CHAPTER THREE
Know Your Enemy
Superintendent Francesca Rossi is investigating the English Far Right riots and discovers an even darker, more frightening side to the violence. Thank you for reading the story so far and to help get it to more people please like, leave a comment and share this post. If you would like to support my work please consider taking out a subscription that gives you access to hundreds of articles, short stories, podcasts, interviews, reviews, videos and playlists.
CHAPTER THREE
Francesca sipped her coffee while reading through interview transcripts. She made notes on her old school police note book and occasionally looked across to see DS Sutton concentrating intently on the social media posts of the accused and convicted. There was a hum of conversations and phone calls going on in other parts of the office. A wall-mounted TV showed a live feed from the currently unoccupied interview room, an empty desk, chair and space waiting to be filled with accusations and confessions. One side of the office was a wall of windows that looked out over a low level shopping centre crouching in the shadow of the deep blue and bright yellow of a five storey IKEA. Opposite the windows was a run of smaller meeting rooms that were used for private calls or discussions behind glass walls and doors.
On the floor below was Meeting Room SP3 which had a solid door and no windows. It was where Francesca was heading as soon as she had been to the loo. SP3 was soundproofed and swept for bugs by representatives of the Police’s ‘partner agencies’ - which everyone knew meant spies.
A Special Branch officer called Rachel Kemp had arranged this meeting and had briefed Francesca beforehand about the Official Secrets Act.
Kemp was a white woman, around 35 with glossy short brown hair. Francesca noticed Kemp’s impeccably blended eye shadow and wondered, with a little jealousy, where she got the time. The Special Branch woman also spoke with the thickest Essex accent this side of TOWIE and met Francesca outside the room with a friendly “Alright?”
Kemp swiped her card and keyed in a code which triggered a thick click like the opening of an airliner’s door. Francesca followed Kemp inside.
The centre of the room was dominated by a dark wooden table with twenty chairs. At the far end a large video screen had been installed that showed the Hampshire Constabulary logo on a dark blue background.
The two women were alone and Kemp got started. “Ma’am as you know Special Branch is supporting the operation nationwide to apprehend all those involved in criminality over the last seven days. As Hampshire Constabulary Investigative lead we think you should be aware of the bigger picture which is why we are here today and will be joined in a minute by some of those supporting the national and international operation. Obviously, this information is sensitive.”
“Kemp. This all feels a bit Slow Horses to me.”
“Right ma’am.” Kemp had shared what was necessary and was saved by the heavy sound of the door letting in four people that Francesca had never seen before.
A woman in her late 50s, referred to as ‘Jane’ with blonde shoulder length hair spoke with an Edinburgh accent and introduced the others: ‘Jeff ‘ (‘white, early 40s, short red hair, paunchy, Welsh accent), ‘Julie ‘(‘mid - 30s, black, tall, short hair, Home Counties accent.’) and ‘John’ (‘Asian, late-20s, London accent, fit, shoulder-length black hair’) They could have called themselves Posh, Ginger, Scary and Sporty, thought Francesca.
‘Julie’ pulled a lap top out of her smart briefcase. A few keyboard strokes, brought the room’s video screen to life with drone video of the worst of the far right rioting. It was footage that Francesca had never seen. The video paused and several rioters now had red halos around them. ‘Jeff’ provided commentary.
“These eight people - six men and two women - are ours. They’ve provided us with information for the last four years which we’ve shared with Special Branch who’ve made arrests and disrupted Far Right organisations.”
‘John’ took over “We believe that Far Right Extremism is at least as dangerous as Islamic extremism which is why we share the identities of people you can arrest along with appropriate evidence.”
“Well that’s great. But it seems a little small fry for MI6. What’s the deal?” Francesca was already feeling that she had slipped into the wrong world.
This time it was ‘Julie’. “The people you arrest are not threats to national security Superintendent. However, there is an organised and well-funded international group behind this violence which is a danger to our country. They mainly use social media to incite and, you might even say, brainwash these people. Remember, some of the rioters are as much victims as those they seek to victimise.”
Francesca’s forehead started to dampen. She had investigated murders, arrested rapists and was related to an ex-gangster, but this was a darker, dirtier and more serious force that was spinning its web around her. She looked round the room and ‘Jeff’ must have read her mind.
“Superintendent Rossi, there is no need for you to be concerned. We know that DS Sutton is studying social media accounts and we will also share with your team what we know. As Julie mentioned there is big money behind this misinformation campaign and we know that much of it is funnelled through a Spanish citizen, Jordi Belmont, a self-described tech investor who is actually a money launderer. Belmont is married to a privately educated British woman, Roberta Warren, who posts extreme Right Wing material. She has higher engagement than Yaxley-Lennon and her regular appearances on GB News magnify her reach.”
Francesca told the spooks that she had seen Warren’s name come up in several interview transcripts.
“Exactly Superintendent and we would love you to share those details with us.” So that’s the payoff thought Francesca. ‘Jane’ continued “Belmont and Warren live in Majorca.” A live drone video feed of the couple’s villa came up on the screen that showed Roberta and Jordi on their balcony eating lunch. “Warren uses a TV studio in Palma for her YouTube channel and has over 14 million subscribers which earns her six figures annually.”
Francesca interrupted, “I understand all this, but what does it have to do with my investigation here in Hampshire?”
The MI6 team looked at ‘Jane’ to provide the answer. The woman indicated the screen.
“Because Superintendent, this is a war and you need to know who your enemy is.”
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