The reality is that one of the more conservative studies of the scale of the pandemic by 1987 put the figure at 75 million. Other estimates suggested the figure could be almost double that. To achieve the lower of these two figures suggests a first-year infection of around five thousand people – far too many for several entire troops of virus-carrying green monkeys to infect – but well within the number of people who could become victims if the method of transmission was some kind of inoculation programme.
The only way that such a vast number of people could have become infected in such a short time is if the disease had multiple coincident sources. In other words, a very large number of people in the same area had to contract – or be given – the disease at more or less the same time. No other mechanism can account for the sheer scale of the pandemic.
And AIDS broke out almost simultaneously in Africa, Brazil, Haiti, Japan and slightly later in the United States of America: if one infected green monkey managed to achieve this, it must have been the most well-travelled primate in the history of the world. Or is it more likely that the infection was actually transmitted through the smallpox vaccination programmes that were known to have been in operation in, strangely enough, Africa, Brazil, Haiti and Japan in the early 1970s, and the hepatitis vaccinations in the States later in the decade?[17]
Independent research suggests that the most likely scenario is that in the early 1970s certain WASP-dominated covert factions behind the American Government and military decided to try to eliminate what they saw as particularly ‘undesirable’ sections of the human race – principally the populations of Third World nations, homosexuals, prostitutes, drug addicts and blacks – and created a disease that would do the job for them very efficiently without a shot being fired in anger.[13]
After all, there would be a huge public outcry if the American Government simply lined up known homosexuals against a wall and shot them (though all the indications are that many members of Congress and the Senate, if not the current British Government and Opposition, would be privately supportive). But killing them secretly with a disease – especially a disease that the American medical establishment is actively and very publicly trying to eradicate – was a far better solution.
Unfortunately, if that were the case, they did the job rather too well, and as a result AIDS now threatens everyone – straight, gay, black, white, you, me, and more especially our children and our grandchildren. Already, babies are being born HIV-positive, and it’s probably only a matter of time before children emerge from the womb with full-blown AIDS contracted from their innocent, white, non-drug-abusing, single-partner, heterosexual, American or European parents.
Our children are the future. When infected parents produce infected children, the entire human race stands in jeopardy.
Is it possible that shadowy powers behind the American Government of the 1970s engineered not only the destruction of what they perceived to be undesirable elements infesting this planet, but also the end of our whole civilization?
About the Author
James Barrington is a trained military pilot who has worked in covert operations and espionage. He now lives in Andorra and this is his second novel. His previous novel, Overkill, also featured Paul Richter.
Also by James Barrington
Paul Richter series
OVERKILL
FOXBAT
TIMEBOMB
PAYBACK
Acknowledgements
Writing this book required extensive research in areas with which I was unfamiliar, including post-mortem examinations, biological warfare and open-water diving. Much of the information was obtained from the Internet and my own resources, but I would particularly like to thank Tony McGovern – a friend, former paratrooper and very experienced professional diver – for casting his expert eyes over the underwater sequences.
I must also thank my friend and agent, Luigi Bonomi, for his unfailing enthusiasm and encouragement, and Peter Lavery at Macmillan for his talented editing, which undoubtedly substantially improved this book. I’m also grateful that Macmillan was prepared to accept without demur a manuscript that, although a work of fiction, is nevertheless highly controversial.
And, of course, Sally.
James Barrington
Principality of Andorra, 2005
Author’s Note
One of the difficulties in writing about a country like Crete, where the language is Greek and uses a completely different alphabet to the rest of the world, is the spelling of place names. In The Times Concise Atlas of the World, for example, you will find that the town I have called ‘Chóra Sfakia’ is spelt ‘Khóra Sfakíon’, but in The Collins Road Atlas of Europe, it’s just called ‘Sfakia’. I elected to take the spellings I have used in this book from the Automobile Association’s Spiral Guide to Crete. This is a most useful pocket-sized guide to the island, full of helpful information and with the most detailed maps of any publication I was able to find.
Glossary
800 NAS 800 Naval Air Squadron: Sea Harrier squadron
814 NAS 814 Naval Air Squadron: Merlin helicopter squadron
Aden cannon 30mm cannon, which can be carried by a Sea Harrier
AGR Anti-gas respirator
AIM-9L or AIM-9M Sidewinder air-to-air missile
AMRAAM AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile
APC Air Picture Compiler
APU Auxiliary Power Unit: used to start the main engine on a Sea Harrier
ASaC Airborne Surveillance and Area Control Sea King Mark 7 helicopter
ASI Airspeed indicator
ASW Anti-submarine warfare
AWO Air Warfare Officer. More correctly Anti-War Warfare Officer, responsible for the defence of a ship against airborne threats
Beretta Italian company which manufactures weapons, including the Model 92 semi-automatic pistol
BIOS Basic input-output system: low-level software that runs when a computer starts
Blue Vixen Ferranti coherent pulse-Doppler radar fitted to Royal Navy Sea Harriers
BLV Bovine Lymphotrophic or Leukaemia Virus: a slow-acting virus affecting cattle
Bogey Royal Navy slang for a potentially hostile airborne radar contact
BSL4 Bio-safety level four: a maximum-safety biological research laboratory
CAP Combat Air Patrol: defensive air patrol mounted by pairs of Sea Harriers to protect the aircraft carrier and other vessels from air attack
CDC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
CIA Central Intelligence Agency: the Americans’ foreign espionage organization
Cockers-pee Royal Navy slang for a cocktail party
Collective The control lever in a helicopter which alters the angle of attack of the rotor blades and causes the aircraft to climb or descend
CPO Chief Petty Officer: senior non-commissioned officer in the Royal Navy. Also known as ‘Chief’
CVS The official designation of a Through-Deck Cruiser, like HMS Invincible
DCPP Direzione Centrale Polizia di Prevenzione: the division of the Italian police force that carries out arrests on behalf of the SISDE
DECOM Type of table (and software program) that allows a diver to calculate decompression stops for specific times underwater
DP51 Daewoo 9mm semi-automatic pistol
Dragunov Snayperskaya Vintovka Dragunova sniper rifle in 7.62mm Soviet calibre, normally equipped with either the PSO-1 telescopic sight or the NSPU-3 night sight
DSCS-3 Defense Satellite Communications System 3. Hardened, jam-proof satellites in geostationary orbit that are designed to provide uninterrupted high-priority secure communications
E2B Simple magnetic compass fitted in Sea Harrier aircraft
ECG Electrocardiogram. Essentially an electronic recording of the heart to allow doctors to assess its condition
ECM Electronic Counter-Measures: devices used to jam or otherwise disrupt radio and radar systems
EEG Electroencephalogram. Test
intended to detect electrical abnormalities in the brain
EMCON Emission control policy: statement of intent governing the use of radios and radar
Enigma T301 Type of mobile phone allowing totally secure conversation
EPI1 Essentially a movement order for CDC (q.v.) personnel. It specifies what the team members are hoping to achieve, where they are going, who they are to contact on arrival, and so on
ERC En-route Chart. Aviation chart showing airfields, airways, upper air routes and other information
ERS En-Route Supplement. Document listing airfield, beacon and other aviation information for a specified geographic area
FA2 Fighter Attack 2 variant of the Sea Harrier, also known as the FRS2
FAA Federal Aviation Administration: the American Government organization responsible for all aspects of aviation and air traffic control in the United States
FADEC Full Authority Digital Engine Control: a computerized control system used on the Agusta 109 helicopter
FDO Flight Deck Officer: physically controls all movements on the Flight Deck of an aircraft carrier
Fibbies Slang term for the FBI
Filovirus A lethal thread-like virus found in Africa: there are several different types, the most deadly being Ebola Zaïre
Flight Level Height of an aircraft in thousands of feet based upon the standard pressure setting (q.v.) of 1013.25 hPa (hectopascals) or 29.92 inches (for some American aircraft)
Flyco Flying Control position: located on the port side of the bridge of an aircraft carrier, Flyco controls all launches from, and recoveries to, the ship
FOE Foreign Operations Executive. The fictitious organization that employs Paul Richter. Although FOE does not literally exist, the concept of the SIS employing ex-military personnel to carry out deniable operations is well established. These recruits are known collectively as ‘The Increment’
Fort Detrick Location of USAMRIID, the US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, which possesses one of the only two BSL4 laboratories in America
FRS1 Early model of the Sea Harrier
Gazelle Two-seat basic trainer helicopter used by the Royal Navy
Glock Austrian-manufactured 9mm semi-automatic pistol
GSM Global System for Mobile Telecommunications. The technical name for the system that operates the ubiquitous mobile phone
Guard Military Emergency frequency of 243.0 megahertz: the equivalent civil VHF frequency is 121.5 megahertz
Guardian Radar warning receiver fitted to Sea Harrier aircraft
HDS Helicopter Delivery Service
HEPA High Efficiency Particle Arrestor: a very efficient filter
Hi-Power Browning 9mm semi-automatic pistol: the standard British Forces side-arm
Homer A radar console manned by a specialist Air Traffic Control officer on an aircraft carrier
KH-11 or KH-12 Type of surveillance satellite normally known as a ‘Keyhole’
L4HA Level Four Hot Agent: classification of the most lethal known virus types
Little F Lieutenant Commander (Flying)
Mayday Highest state of emergency in an aircraft or ship
MDC Miniature Detonating Cord: thin line of explosive bonded into an aircraft canopy, which shatters it a split-second before the ejection seat is fired
Merlin Agusta Westland Merlin HM Mk 1 ASW helicopter
MI5 Military Intelligence 5 – the Security Service – responsible for counter-espionage in the United Kingdom. Also known as ‘Five’
Model 92 Beretta 9mm semi-automatic pistol
Mossad The Institute for Intelligence and Special Tasks. The Israeli intelligence service, headquartered in Tel Aviv, is one of the most competent and feared services in the world, achieving remarkable results from a total staff of only about 1,200
NAS Naval Air Station (US) or Naval Air Squadron (UK)
NAVHARS Sea Harrier’s inertial navigation system
NBCD Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Defence
N-PIC National Photographic Interpretation Center: part of the Science and Technology Directorate of the CIA and based at Building 213 in the Washington Navy Yard
OOW Officer of the Watch
Pan Lower of the two possible states of emergency in an aircraft or ship
Perp Perpetrator
PGP Pretty Good Privacy: a type of data-encryption computer program
Pigeons Magnetic heading to steer and distance to run to reach a ship. Passed to a pilot on recovery to the ship in the format: ‘Pigeons two seven five at forty-two’
Porton Down British biological and chemical weapon research facility
POTUS President of the United States
PWO Principal Warfare Officer
QNH Airfield pressure setting calculated so that an aircraft’s altimeter will show the airfield’s elevation when on the runway
RC-135 A highly specialized and very expensive electronic surveillance aircraft based on the Boeing 707 platform
RDF Radio Direction Finder
RDX Cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine. Also known as hexogen or cyclonite, it’s a white crystalline substance that is one of the most powerful and stable of the military-application explosives
RFA Royal Fleet Auxiliary: merchant ships that operate under special rules and act as supply vessels to Royal Navy ships
Ripple Three ASW tactic using three helicopters in a screen to protect a group of surface ships: each aircraft is relieved on task by another, so providing a constant ASW protection against the perceived threat
RPS Regional Pressure Setting: the lowest forecast pressure setting for an area that is used by low-level aircraft in transit through that area
SAMOS Satellite and Missile Observation System. Generic term for a series of early American satellites designed to spy on the Soviet Union
SDS Satellite Data System. American satellites used to relay images and data from reconnaissance and geostationary communications satellites, and to detect nuclear detonations. The current version is the SDS-2
SEM Scanning Electron Microscope
SIG P226 Swiss-manufactured 9mm semi-automatic pistol
SIS Secret Intelligence Service: often but inaccurately known as MI6, and responsible for espionage outside the United Kingdom. Also referred to as ‘Six’
SISDE Servizio per le Informazione e la Sicurezza Democratica: the Italian Secret Service
SITREP Situation report
Sobs Senior Observer of a Royal Navy squadron
SOP Standard operating procedure
SPC Surface Picture Compiler. Royal Navy noncommissioned officer or rating responsible for tracking all surface radar contacts around the mother ship
Spectre Italian-manufactured 9mm sub-machine-gun, unique in that it is double-action, and unusual in having a magazine capacity of fifty rounds
Splot Senior Pilot of a Royal Navy squadron
SPS Standard Pressure Setting of 1013.25 hPa (hectopascals) or 29.29 inches (for some American aircraft). Set on the altimeter sub-scale, it is used above about five thousand feet to ensure all aircraft altimeters share a common setting to allow accurate vertical separation
SVR Sluzhba Vneshney Razvyedki Rossi: the successor to the First Chief Directorate of the KGB, responsible for espionage and intelligence operations outside Russia
SWAT Special Weapons and Tactics. Generic term applied to police and other law-enforcement agency paramilitary units
Two and a half Royal Navy slang term for a Lieutenant Commander
UHF Ultra high frequency
Unsub Unknown subject – the unidentified perpetrator of a crime (US slang)
USAMRIID United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases. Part of the US Army Medical Research and Materiel Command and the principal research laboratory of the American Biological Defense Research Program
Uzi Israeli-manufactured 9
mm sub-machine-gun
Vauxhall Cross The headquarters of the Secret Intelligence Service fronting the Thames in London: the building’s bizarre design has spawned a number of uncomplimentary nicknames
VHF Very high frequency
Walnut Slang term for the CIA’s main database
WASP White Anglo-Saxon Protestant. Slang term applied mainly to young, white, affluent and powerful middle-class Americans in the 1970s and 1980s
Wings Commander (Air): the head of the Air Department on an aircraft carrier
Copyright
First published 2005 by Macmillan
This edition published 2010 by Pan Books
This electronic edition published 2010 by Pan Books
an imprint of Pan Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited
Pan Macmillan, 20 New Wharf Road, London N1 9RR
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ISBN 978-0-330-53660-8 PDF
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Copyright © James Barrington 2005
The right of James Barrington to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
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