Red Hawk Rising

They were quickly engrossed in conversation.
Over in the suburb of Jesmond, Jim Louden, the MI5 tail, also received a telephone call as he was finishing a meal. It was the London office with instructions. They had traced the telephone number and it was the address of a leading Communist Party member. He was to drive over there and keep watch and to photograph anyone coming or going. Louden quickly cleared the table and headed out the door, taking a bag of equipment with him. He had a map in his car and checked the location of the address. It was in Rothbury Terrace, Heaton. Louden headed out. He arrived there fifteen minutes later and parked the car up from the house. Louden had been there about twenty minutes when the Irishman came out, followed by two other men. A fourth man came to the door and stood there giving some last-minute instructions. Louden managed to photograph them all. The three men climbed into a Ford Consul parked in the street and drove off. Louden followed in his car. They drove over to Byker and parked near the Regal cinema. A large shed was nearby and they went in through an access door in one of the main doors. Lights went on and an engine started up. The men opened the main doors and one of them drove out a large panel van. Louden identified it as a 1958 Commer, dark red in colour with a registration number of KGY 984. Louden’s car was equipped with a radio transceiver and he radioed in what he had observed so far. He was told to follow at a discreet distance but do nothing.
Back at MI5, the duty team were putting pieces of a jigsaw together. The Russian trawler docking at North Shields in the River Tyne, just a few miles downstream from the Wensley electronics plant; the klystron sabotaged by an employee associating with a person who is a known security risk; a ‘phone call from a cleaning firm to the Russian Consulate in Manchester about an important replacement part leaving Argonaut Industries in the morning for Wensley Electronics and now known members of the Communist Party moving a large panel van after a visit by an employee of Wensley Electronics. “We’d better move this one to a Code Red,” said the Duty Leader. “Call Hamilton and brief him while I speak to Air Ministry.”
While all this was going on, there was a much more relaxed atmosphere among the JSTU team at RAF Ouston. After the evening meal, Dan had headed for the telephone in the NAAFI to call Margaret in Corbridge. That one not being available, Andy headed down to the box near the main gate to telephone Alice. John Walton answered the telephone. On hearing Andy’s voice and name, John’s voice became less formal and more relaxed. “I suppose you want to speak to Alice?” he queried.
“Yes, please, sir,” Andy replied.
“Hold on!” Andy heard John call out to his daughter and hurried footsteps along the hall. “See you again,” said John and handed the ‘phone over to Alice.
“Hallo, Andy? I’m so glad you called.” Walking through the lounge door, John had a big smile on his face and Judith gave him a knowing look. Andy and Alice were already lost in their own world, one that was new and exciting, bringing uncertainty and also a sense of adventure as they started to explore their feelings while talking to each other. Alice was relaxed as she talked of her day and reminisced about the previous day; Andy was a little nervous but feeling very happy. Self-assured in many ways, this was a different experience and he wasn’t so sure of himself. He explained that he was due to leave in a couple of days and head south but when he was able to get leave, he would be back. Alice was happy at that and said that they could write to each other and talk on the ‘phone until they could meet again. He ran out of coins so they agreed to talk again before he left and they hung up. Andy walked back to the NAAFI and found Lance in the writing room busy writing to Anne. He had already written several pages on his Basildon Bond writing pad. He had a new Parker fountain pen that took ink cartridges instead of having to have a bottle of ink and he was proud of it. Dan was sitting at another table reading, and got up and joined them both. They chatted about the girls and the Waltons, wondering when they could join John for some shooting. All expressed a desire to drive his old Sunbeam Special.
***
As the three corporals chatted in the NAAFI, over in the Officers’ Mess, Flying Officer Goodhew received a ‘phone call from the Unit CO with some unusual instructions. At the same time Air Vice- Marshall Denby was talking to the Station CO (who was at home) and put a ‘Service request’ to him. At the end of the ‘phone call the Station CO telephoned the duty officer with some orders and then told his wife he had to go back to the office and not to wait up for him.
At the Russian Consulate in Manchester, Major Garasov was on the secure line to Moscow. He was discussing how it was planned to obtain the spare klystron being taken to Newcastle from Argonaut Industries in the morning. When he had finished, he telephoned a number in Heaton, Newcastle, to advise that there would be more instructions early the next morning. On the Russian trawler, Captain Petrovsky had received instructions for the agent he was carrying and also to be ready to leave the next day.
Back at RAF Ouston, Flying Officer Goodhew was talking with Sarge after having called him at the Sergeants’ Mess. After the call, Sarge went looking for his corporals. He found them in the