Page 87 of End Game
Long before the appointed hour when the West Gate was due to open, athletes from all around the world were beginning to take their places in the longest queue on earth, while they waited to enter a packed stadium. They had come to bid farewell before the Mayor of London passed the Olympic flag to the Mayor of Rio de Janeiro and the Games of the Thirtieth Olympiad were declared closed.
Inspector Adaja had already briefed his legion of officers, who would be responsible for security. Each of them had studied photographs of both SergeiPetrov and Sun Anqi and, in the case of Sun Anqi, were on the lookout for a scorpion tattoo on her neck.
Paul had instructed his officers to be vigilant at all times, but not obtrusive; after all, the closing ceremony was always a much more relaxed affair than the opening.
‘It’s a fine line, which you must tread carefully,’ Paul had warned them. ‘A bottle of champagne isn’t an offensive weapon, especially when it’s full, and if someone tries to steal your helmet, don’t arrest them. Should anyone kiss you, say “thank you”, whatever their nationality and whatever their sex, but don’t return the compliment.’
No one laughed.
‘While you’ll be looking for two individuals in particular, you’ll still have to remain alert for any other problems that might arise when you least expect it.’
The Hawk, meanwhile, had phoned the royal protocol officer at Buckingham Palace, who had drawn up a seating plan for him.
Paul couldn’t wait for the gates to open at eight o’clock so he could get the show on the road – or, to be more accurate, on the track.
Ross’s cadre of highly trained undercover officers were all wearing British tracksuits to make sure no one would give them a second look. They had already taken up their positions around the ground an hour before the gates were due to open.
Rebecca’s unit continued to scan the empty stands as they waited for the crowd to enter the stadium, but all they saw were dogs sniffing under every seat.
William wasn’t taking any chances.
•••
A phone rang in the Gold Suite. William grabbed it while still looking up at the CCTV screens.
‘Can I open the entrance gates, Commander?’ asked the stadium manager. ‘It’s four minutes past eight, and a few of the punters are beginning to get restless.’
‘Yes,’ he said, and moments later he watched as a steady flow of spectators began to make their way into the stands, determined not to miss a moment of the final evening.
Most of them were smiling, boisterous, some even singing, although William spotted a few who’d already had a little too much to drink. His eyes went on searching for one man and one woman in particular, but all he spotted was a drunk who just about made it to his seat before falling asleep.
During the next forty minutes, the stands slowly began to fill. The atmosphere was buzzing with anticipation, while William tried to remain calm. He must have been the one person there who wished the curtain had already come down and the Mayor of Rio de Janeiro had left the stadium holding the Olympic flag and, with it, the problems of the next four years.
William’s attention switched to another screen, where he spotted Beth, Wilbur, Christina, Peter, Artemisia and Robert sitting in a reserved box in the special emergency stand on the far side of the ground. He smiled for a moment as he watched them introduce themselves to his other guests, all of whom had played their part in making the Games a success.
His eyes moved on to the Royal Box to see Prince Harry arrive. He shook hands with William’s father who, as the senior Olympic judge, had been invited to join the royal party, even if he would be sitting in the back row.
The stadium manager was back on the radio. ‘Can I open the West Gate, Commander, and allow the athletes to enter the stadium so the parade can begin?’
‘One moment,’ said William. ‘Are you all ready?’ he asked his team.
‘More than ready,’ said Paul, as he looked at the thousands of athletes who had been celebrating for the last hour.
‘No problems on the ground,’ said Ross over his radio.
‘Or on the roof,’ chipped in Rebecca.
The Hawk was chatting to Prince Harry, so William didn’t interrupt him.
‘Yes, you can open the West Gate,’ said William.
•••
The band of the Royal Marines struck up ‘Land of Hope and Glory’ as the West Gate opened to allow the first team to enter the stadium. Greece led the assembled athletes into the arena, their blue and white flag fluttering in the breeze. They were greeted with a warm welcome from the waiting crowd as they stepped out onto the track. When they passed the Royal Box, they lowered their flag, and Prince Harry, representing the Queen, took the royal salute.
As each new country entered the stadium, they were welcomed with cheers from different sections of the crowd, but the loudest roar erupted when the host nation finally appeared and eighty thousand people rose to their feet to acknowledge a team that had won sixty-five medals, twenty-nine of them gold. The largest haul since 1948, when the Games were last held in London.
Ben Ainslie led his compatriots onto the track holding the Union Jack aloft for all to see.
