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Act Three Chapter twenty nine

Lerriman’s Plan

-‘We need them dead. Just announce they’re dead’-

 General Mulcatty and Commander Bruton were ushered in without ceremony for the Emergency Rule session in Lerriman’s back office. Leaving a crowd of security men and bodyguards, chatting and smoking in the patio.

Lerriman watched coldly. His bulging eyes shot red from the sleepless night.

While Mulcatty eased himself painfully into his seat, his hemorrhoids itching like crazy.

And Bruton shuffled in his briefcase, smiling his ice cold smile.

           -‘Okay Bruton. The security prospect at this moment.’-

           -‘Right you are. The police and army and my own men are at present concentrating on central Government buildings and vital installations. As specified in the appropriate legislation.

           As you know the General Strike today has been called as a stoppage in situ. They’re stopping work on the job. We have reports already of some Assemblies implementing takeovers of their companies, and these add to the overnight occupations.

           We have a fluid situation sir. We can’t put exact figures on it and active intervention is not indicated.

           This morning the Pools TV stations are calling for marches. These will converge on the police headquarters and three army barracks, starting at noon. In the present atmosphere these will be large, angry and uncontrollable. After this morning’s losses we are of course totally overstretched and…’-

           -‘Tell me one thing.’- Lerriman was rattling his white knuckles on the black table. -‘Why the hell did you open fire this morning?’-

           -‘You yourself authorized us to fire as a last resort. Plus we had the drone intervention support. We took out our target.’-

           -‘Don’t give me that! I gave permission for warning shots if rubber bullets and teargas failed. You’ve handed them an enormous propaganda victory. You’ll have to discipline those men!’-

           -‘So it’s come to this Sir.’– Bruton laughed humourlessly. -‘We have to discipline critically injured men. Because we tried to stop a subversive dyke causing a massive mutiny.’-

           -‘Well no, are they all badly injured?’-

           -‘Two of them might be better off dead, they’re full of shotgun pellets.’-

           -‘We need them dead. Just announce they’re dead and move them somewhere else.’-

           Bruton laughed again but then saw Lerriman was serious, and he answered in a whisper.

           -‘It will have to be, er, totally deniable. They control the health system and monitor your meetings!’-

           -‘Take them to an army clinic, let one of them ..you know.. on the way.’- Lerriman had signaled cutting his own throat.

Bruton gave the thumbs up, fearing himself the place was bugged, despite the double checks.

           -‘Which brings us to some vital business. Have we no ideas yet who talked yesterday?’- For once Bruton stopped smiling.

           -‘No sir not yet, they had details of our meeting almost before it ended, no bugs.’-

           -‘Could it have been the Police Commissioner?’-

           -‘I’m afraid not, and he didn’t have details of our plans. Our first suspect is Peter Kennedy, General Mulcatty’s aide.’-

            Mulcatty spluttered into furious shaky life, like an old rattled lorry starting up..

           -‘That’s slanderous rubbish sir. Kennedy is loyal. His father was one of our best commanders.’-

           -‘But some of his wife’s family are in the CoOp Pools.’-

           -‘Well find out fast for sure and tell him zilch from now on. We need to hit these people hard and soon and without warnings. I want the leaders rounded up and interned. I want the docks and all illegally held property taken back. I want concrete plans on those lines right now!’-

Mulcatty was examining his shoelaces again. But Bruton spoke up.-‘Yes sir may I remind you of the problems we had last year. Their lack of leadership structure. Plus internment is not a present option. The   prisons still open are completely full as you know… But I do have a good plan to get rid of them!’-

           -‘You do?’– said Lerriman and Mulcatty together.

           -‘These people get their support by providing four things. Food, housing, work and goods. The key to deactivation lies therefore in cutting their supply routes, destroying their stocks of food and goods, their factories, power stations and ammonia fuel plants. And only when their support is waning, and when our resolute action has received international support and renewed loan credits, do we  start taking back the actual property, and making mass arrests.

           This plan can be achieved by just two thousand loyal men. It will be essential to jam or destroy their media in the most vigorous manner possible. Otherwise we only provoke greater opposition. As happened this morning, and risk more defeats and mass defections..’-

Bruton paused, taking more and more papers from his briefcase, this was his crowning achievement!

           -‘I have here a detailed operational plan to finish the CoOp Pools and the Free Unions, using our remaining forces and assuming financial liquidity, over a six month timescale. Of course I can only guarantee this if I am granted overall control.’-

           -‘You want the Commissioner’s job?’-

Lerriman had been expecting this much. But Bruton was shaking his head.

           -‘I will be commander of overall security. You appoint a new police chief but he and Mulcatty answer to me. We continue Emergency rule, trot out the cabinet for show, but we decide. I know it’s not democracy but this is a National Emergency.’-

Lerriman’s mind was racing. Mulcatty was a just a yes-man. Should he bow to Bruton’s  bid for power?

           -‘Tell me one thing.-‘ he asked -‘What does your grand plan say about today?’-

Bruton actually paused to take a sip of water before replying., savoring his triumph, before continuing, with an arrogant toss of his head.

           -‘We announce to the emergency cabinet meeting this morning a new detailed plan to take back the docks tonight. Using an imaginary hand-picked commando force. We let the spy report it, and they get busy with their barricades down there. Then at an earlier time we attack and destroy their Supply Depots, all twenty two of them around the country, which will be lightly defended. We can also destroy some of their transport, and cut off main routes out of the city, blocking any resupply plans. I have all the logistical and operational details here sir. It’s straightforward military tactics, er, they’ve nearly murdered three policemen now sir. We plaster that fact all over our media. I’ll personally deal with the chairman. Shock, horror, hysterics, weeping kids…’-

           -‘That’- Lerriman broke in-‘is just the kind of thing I needed to hear.’-