Red Hawk Rising

unit also working and learning how to assemble units of the missile and control system. They would also spend time in the test laboratories working with the scientists and technicians. Andy would engage in conversation with the RAF personnel at each point. They came to a test laboratory for the warhead and it transpired that the team would be staying back in the evening to finish a series of tests that had started late. It was the excuse that Andy was looking for. He asked if he could stay back with them to observe and learn. They agreed, subject to the engineering officer’s approval. Corporal Williamson was the responsible NCO and he ‘phoned through for approval. It was given. Andy and the staff member finished the tour and he was handed back to Ken Davidson. They discussed the documentation and reporting system. Andy was tempted to ask about waste paper and carbons but refrained. He wanted to see for himself.
It was 16.45 hours and Andy headed back to the warhead test laboratory instead of for the bus to base. Corporal Williamson briefed Andy on what was happening. There was some concern about the welds in the warhead. It was a case for a series of steel rods welded end-to-end that effectively enclosed the explosive and detonator. When detonated, the steel rods blew through the casing to form a huge ring of steel, the welds then breaking to allow the rods to keep hurtling outwards, slicing through anything in the way. It meant that the missile did not have to hit the target to do the worst damage but only be close. It was calculated that the rods could slice right through an aircraft. Under laboratory tests, the welds were not breaking at the right force. Either the mathematics was wrong or the manufacture was faulty. The civilian staff member completed the report for the day, separated their copy from the set and put the set in an internal mail envelope for collection. The carbon was screwed up and thrown into the waste bin. About ten minutes later, a male clerk came in carrying a mail bag and picked up the report with the outgoing mail and headed off on his rounds. The team worked on, running the tests and recording the results. The welds needed much greater force before they would break. This was a problem. At about 18.30 hours, a cleaner came in and emptied the waste bin. It was a woman who appeared to be in her thirties. She didn’t look the care-worn, cleaner type that Andy was used to seeing around places. She moved on, working her way down the corridor. At 19.00 hours, Williamson called a break and they headed down to the canteen for a quick meal. The canteen was on the ground floor and its windows looked out over a loading dock. Beside it were waste bins, one being marked “For Incineration”. Finishing his meal, Andy said he wanted some fresh air and headed out of the building. He rounded the corner of the building and saw the cleaner woman wheel her cleaning trolley out of a side door as a van pulled up nearby. Andy pulled back into the shadows and watched. A security guard was sitting in the passenger seat of the van. He was one employed by Argonaut Industries. The driver got out and opened the back of the van. He took out a bulging bag that looked the same as the waste bag on the woman’s trolley and gave it to her. She then gave him her waste bag and he put it in the back of the van. The van then drove off. The woman then wheeled her waste trolley to the waste bins and emptied the different bags into the appropriately labelled bins. Andy raced back into the canteen and yelled to Williamson that he’d be back. He looked surprised but just nodded. Andy raced off down the corridor, heading for the front of the building in the hopes of getting there before the van left the premises. Fortunately, the canteen was in the main building and the van would have to wend its way past the rest of the complex to get to the main gate. There were startled looks from employees at the RAF corporal going through the building at a run. Ken Davidson was in the foyer signing out and Andy yelled to him, “Espionage! Get the main gate closed!” Ken didn’t argue, reached for the ‘phone and dialled the gatehouse. Andy shot out of the main entrance and headed for the main gate. The van had just pulled up to allow the security officer to get out at the gatehouse. As Andy ran across the front lawn, another security guard came out of the gatehouse and said something. The driver of the van turned and saw Andy racing towards them. The passenger door slammed and he drove off before the gate could be shut. The security officer from the van stood in the roadway and waited for Andy to arrive. He looked threatening with his hands on his hips. Andy slowed down and stopped in front of the security officer. “I thought I saw a breach of security at the back of the building.”
“Explain yourself,” was the response. Andy said that he observed an exchange of waste bags between the van driver and the cleaner.
“You were mistaken, Corporal. It was an exchange of cleaning materials, nothing more.”
The other security officer joined in. “That’s right. That van was from the cleaning contractor. He comes in regularly.” Andy could see he wasn’t going to get anywhere and apologised for the inconvenience he had caused and returned to the main building. The personnel office was located next to reception at the front of the building. There was an interested observer of the incident. It was Hamilton from MI5. As Andy entered the building, Hamilton went out to meet him. “Corporal, what was that