Hostage Read Free Page B

terrorism, but Khelifi was acquitted and released.’
    The head of department, who was sitting next to Eden and was obviously her boss, coughed discreetly. Eden went on, ‘However, in the case involving Khelifi, we did manage to secure
convictions on the same charge for two other North African nationals. We were able to prove that they had spent the months before their arrest preparing a major attack which was to be directed at
the Swedish parliament. We found an explosive device that was virtually complete, and the means to make at least two more. We believe that the attack was to be carried out during the key debate on
immigration and integration, which has been talked about for such a long time but has not yet taken place.’
    ‘Tomorrow,’ the Minister said. ‘It’s scheduled for tomorrow morning.’
    Fredrika went cold all over whenever the immigration-and-integration debate was mentioned. It was something that no one really wanted, apart from those who were racists. Had the debate been the
target of the two men who had just been convicted? If that was the case, then they must have been ready and waiting for the most perfect and most spectacular opportunity to strike, because the
debate had only been under discussion for a few weeks.
    ‘We think the two men were acting alone. All of our intelligence points in that direction, and we see no reason to revise that assessment. Therefore, we have not raised the question of
increased security in the parliament building; that includes tomorrow’s debate. Apart from what had been planned already, of course. We have liaised with our colleagues in the police, and
they have put rigorous security measures in place in order to ensure that the debate can proceed peacefully.’
    Of course, Fredrika thought. Even when you were using the fabric of democracy in order to try to abolish it, you had the support of the forces of law and order.
    The head of department interrupted Eden’s presentation.
    ‘The successful outcome in court with regard to the two men was very welcome, as far as we are concerned. It was important for Säpo to be able to avert a terrorist attack. We are told
all too often that we do too little or too much, too early or too late.’
    Fredrika understood what he was talking about. When Säpo took a case to court but failed to secure a conviction, they were often heavily criticised, particularly in those instances when an
arrest didn’t even lead to prosecution. She had often reflected on the delicate balancing act the Swedish security services had to maintain, and she had wondered whether she herself would
have been able to carry out such a thankless task.
    Then came Drottninggatan, and the wind changed. Those same journalists who had often claimed that the security services sometimes overstepped the mark now thought that far too little was being
done. The man who blew himself up on Drottninggatan had been on Facebook, for God’s sake, so why hadn’t Säpo known about him?
    Who wants a society where Säpo monitors everyone on Facebook? Fredrika had asked herself. Quite a lot of people, apparently.
    Eden carried on talking. Fredrika wondered what the head of analysis was there for. To carry the laptop around, perhaps?
    ‘The two perpetrators who were convicted last week were acting alone, but we have identified several collaborators close to them,’ Eden said. ‘Zakaria Khelifi is one of those
collaborators.’
    She pointed to the picture of Zakaria on the screen.
    ‘He was the only one on whom we had sufficient evidence for an arrest and prosecution.’
    The Minister for Justice tilted his head to one side.
    ‘I think we should regard it as a positive point that it takes a considerable amount of evidence to secure a conviction, in other crimes as well as terrorism.’
    ‘Of course.’
    Silence.
    ‘Zakaria Khelifi,’ Eden said. ‘That’s why we’re here.’
    Everyone was listening.

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13:12
    ‘Z akaria Khelifi came to Sweden from