Red Hawk Rising

down and out onto the deck. He signalled the fishing boat. It gave a confirming signal. The daylight was all but gone. The fishing boat crossed the stern of the Russian trawler and turned to come alongside on the starboard side. It would be less protected from the rolling swell being to seaward but also could not be observed from shore. Petrovsky signalled the engine room to stop engines as the first mate went down onto the deck with Yarov.
The first mate had the crew members put fenders over. With a heavy swell running, any transfers could be tricky. The skipper of the fishing boat gradually narrowed the distance. Petrovsky ordered slow ahead and turned the trawler into the swell so that it would not roll as much. The fishing boat followed suit and the two vessels gradually came together. Lines were passed and the two vessels were held together. Yarov spoke with the skipper of the other vessel. They exchanged packages. A man emerged from the shadow of the trawler’s superstructure and climbed down onto the fishing vessel’s deck. A man similarly dressed climbed up into the trawler. He and Yarov exchanged comments and the man paused on deck. A carton of vodka and another of caviar were passed down to the fishing vessel. In return a carton of Scotch whiskey and a carton of “State Express” cigarettes were passed up. Yarov and the fishing boat skipper waved acknowledgement and the lines were cast off, the two vessels moving apart. Petrovsky ordered an increase in speed and the fishing vessel fell astern. It then headed toward the fishing banks to spend the night fishing before returning to shore. Petrovsky ordered a change of course to head further out to sea in a north-northwesterly direction.

CHAPTER 3
Air Vice-Marshal (AVM) Denby buzzed his secretary. “Jennifer, it’s time to head down to the security meeting on the Red Hawk programme. Check that Group Captain Clarkson is ready to go down with us. Is the meeting room set up ready?”
“Yes, sir,” Miss Jennifer Younger-Haig replied. As they prepared to go downstairs to the conference room, Air Vice-Marshal Denby reflected on who would be present. A representative from MI5 would be there, as well as the unit CO (commanding officer), Squadron Leader Dawson. There would also be the civil servant who headed up the team, transferred to him from the former Ministry of Supply when that section of the department had been transferred to Air Ministry after the RAF took responsibility for its own purchasing. He found the Civil Service ranking system a pain. The man was a Grade 7 with an equivalent rank of group captain. It meant having a RAF officer of equivalent rank on the team to keep the civil servant in his place. The man’s job would be handled competently by a flight lieutenant if he had all service personnel. It was Tuesday, the 20th and a fresh September morning, the sort of weather that was good for running trials.
The conference room had a stale smell of tobacco and other odours, no doubt the result of a late-night conference. The room had been cleaned up and a secretary was busy with a coffee percolator. Two persons were already seated at the table. Squadron Leader Dawson was in his late thirties. He was a brilliant engineer and had been involved in preparing the original specification for the Red Hawk system. He was well suited to managing this sort of programme. Hamilton, the man from MI5, was a lean, sharp-featured individual of about fifty years of age and with twinkling eyes. Denby felt an instant liking for him. Both men rose as he and Group Captain Clarkson entered the room. Hamilton came forward to introduce himself, speaking with a slight Scottish accent as they shook hands. Denby then introduced Group Captain Clarkson and his secretary; he shook hands with Dawson across the table and took a seat opposite the two men. Denby pointed to his secretary to sit at the head of the table where she would be able to see everyone clearly.
“Coffee, sir?” came the request from the assisting secretary and he nodded affirmatively. The secretary put milk and sugar on the table. Pens and pads were already laid out for them to make notes but Miss Younger-Haig would take down the official record.
The four men passed pleasantries as they waited for the civil servant to arrive. He arrived a couple of minutes late, much to Denby’s annoyance. Griffiths was the typical civil servant in his manner and his dress. Dark jacket, pin-striped trousers, bowler hat and briefcase. Denby thought it a wonder that he wasn’t carrying a rolled umbrella as well. His smile never reached his eyes. Denby took an instant dislike to him. Griffiths apologised for being late, took his place at the table and asked the secretary for a cup of tea. He spoke with a slight Welsh accent.
Air Vice-Marshal Denby nodded to his secretary and opened the meeting with, “Well, let’s get down to the matter of concern. The delays on this project appear to be deliberate. That means that someone is orchestrating it. Supposedly top-secret information is already in Moscow,” nodding towards Hamilton. “The leak has to be found and plugged.” They went on to discuss the different aspects of the project, the factories involved and the civilian personnel managing it. There were five parts to the Hawk system and there were four contractors involved. The missile and the control unit were with Argonaut Industries in Manchester; the radar was with Wensley Electronics on Tyneside; the launcher was with Davis Aviation Industries in Luton and the missile-loading tractor (MLT) was with Jennings Engineering of Coventry. Each had been checked and key personnel cleared before the contracts were placed. Air Ministry had to be notified of any changes in key personnel before approval was given for them to work on the project. All of the RAF