Chapter 389: Police Intelligence Bureau Ghost Squad

"Report!"

"Enter."

London, Westminster, Metropolitan Police, Office of the Director of Police Intelligence.

Arthur looked at the man sitting upright in the chair in front of him with a scar on the corner of his eye. The wound in the same part made him feel a sense of inexplicable intimacy.

For senior police officers in Scotland Yard, it is not uncommon to have served in the army.

The police officer sitting opposite Arthur also retired from the army, but unlike those retired from the Horse Guards or the Grenadiers, his presence in Scotland Yard is very weak.

Even...

His old unit is still looked down upon by some police officers in Scotland Yard, even though they have had a brilliant record.

The 95th Royal Rifle Regiment, a unit born in 1800, is also the first unit in the British Army equipped with Baker rifles.

They once participated in the Copenhagen Expedition initiated by General Horatio Nelson as marines, helping the Royal Navy to destroy all the forces of the Danish Navy.

During the Peninsular War, when the Duke of Wellington returned to his country for trial, the British Army was in the most difficult period. The 95th Royal Rifle Regiment was used by the new commander Sir John Moore as a rear guard to cover the main force of the army's retreat to Corunna.

At that time, French Marshal Ney ordered the Light Cavalry Brigade of the Sixth Army under his command to pursue the fleeing British army, and the soldiers of the 95th Royal Rifle Regiment, who were responsible for the rear, and wearing green jackets, responded with a dense crossfire network.

Not only did they successfully repel the pursuing French cavalry, but the regiment's sharpshooter Thomas Plunkett also successfully killed the French cavalry commander General Auguste de Colbert at a distance of 300 yards.

What's more dramatic is that in order to prove that his shot was not a blind guess, this guy immediately shot down the French bugler who went to rescue General Colbert.

Both shots were shot in the head, which is enough to prove Plunkett's strength.

Perhaps for modern snipers, two shots in the head at a distance of 300 yards are just basic skills.

However, in the 19th century, due to the technical conditions at that time, most countries only required a qualified soldier to be able to hit the target within 70 yards under good gun and weather conditions, and an excellent shooter should be able to hit the target at 100 yards.

If a soldier can still hit the target at a distance of 150 yards, it means that he usually loves God very much, so he is so lucky in the war.

And if a soldier fires at a distance of 200 yards...

According to the general opinion of generals in various countries: this behavior is almost the same as shooting at the moon.

Precisely because the accuracy of guns is very poor, countries generally use line tactics composed of three rows of soldiers to make up for the lack of accuracy with dense firepower. Compared with accuracy, they pursue the shooting rate and the courage and discipline of the soldiers who do not retreat in the face of gunfire.

The 95th Royal Rifle Regiment, nicknamed "Green Jacket", formed in Yorkshire, is precisely a strange unit that goes against the trend. They rarely form a line formation to advance, but prefer to disperse and occupy high points and favorable terrain to ambush.

If placed in other countries, such troops would definitely not be reused.

But fortunately, their combat habits are very suitable for the temper of the Duke of Wellington, who is good at fighting defensive battles.

In the Battle of Waterloo, the 95th Royal Rifle Regiment participated in the battles in Quatre Bras and La Haye Sainte successively. After paying the casualties of 35 officers and 482 soldiers, they successfully completed their defensive tasks.

After the Battle of Waterloo, in order to commend their achievements, the Duke of Wellington officially changed the number of the 95th Royal Rifle Regiment to the Rifle Brigade of the Army of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

But even though this unit has a remarkable record and is highly valued by the Duke of Wellington, they are still not welcomed by other brother units of the army.

Because in the eyes of other troops, queuing up and shooting and confronting head-on are the romance of soldiers, and hiding in the tunnels on the top of the mountain and firing black guns is simply a despicable act of villains.

The Battle of Fontenoy, a duel between Britain and France in 1745, is the best proof of this idea.

At that time, the British commander Sir Charles Hay politely said to the French commander Count Antroche before the battle: "French gentlemen, please fire the first shot."

And Count Antroche also responded very gentlemanly: "We French never do this, let the British gentlemen go first."

In this way, the two armies spent half an hour arguing over who should fire first.

In the end, the British were overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of the French, accepted the invitation of the enemy's gentlemen, and fired first.

And the first response of the French gentlemen to the British bullets was that 500 people in the French formation fell to the ground.

However, this did not affect the final result of the Battle of Fontenoy, and the French gentlemen still won the battle.

The British reporter who learned about this matter wrote this in the newspaper with great sorrow-whether from a military or spiritual perspective, the French defeated Britain this time.

With the classic case of the Battle of Fontenoy in the past, it is no wonder that the 95th Royal Rifle Regiment would be infamous.

Not only will they suffer from the enemy's firepower, but they will also be covered by their own "firepower".

People within the army have always ridiculed their fighting methods. Honest people will not be like hunters, wearing green jackets, hiding in the woods, quietly approaching the enemy, and using precise snipers to hunt down the enemy. The 95th Royal Rifles is a force that can only survive on the battlefield. It is a force that is dirty and has no sense of formal combat. It is a force that has records but no honor.

Even Mr. Thomas Plunkett, the marksman who killed French General Kolbet, did not receive the honor commensurate with his achievements.

After the sniper incident, the generals of the British Army even came forward many times to deny that the Army intentionally shot General Kolbe, and also expressed regret for his death.

General Charles Stevens publicly stated: "All of us who witnessed this incident were deeply saddened. Kolbe was a man of extraordinary courage. Alas...but this is the destiny of war."

Few people in Britain care about the performance of the 95th Rifles, and no one affirms their honor.

However, there is one exception, and that is their fellow Yorkist Mr. Arthur Hastings.

Mr. Hastings understands that marksman Thomas Plunkett officially retired from service eight years after the end of the Napoleonic Wars.

After retiring, he first started a small business with the modest bounty he received for killing Kolbe, but due to poor management, he could not sustain it for a short time.

After the establishment of Scotland Yard in 1828, he came to serve in the Metropolitan Police Department. He currently works in the Paddington branch of the West End of London. His police rank is neither particularly high nor particularly low. He carries the title of sergeant with three V's on his shoulders. That’s all.

All in all, this position is within the scope of Arthur's power.

So, today he appeared in Arthur's office.

If others didn't say it, no one would think of the middle-aged man in his forties, who was already showing signs of baldness, with a red wine blush on his face, and a slightly fat and out-of-shape figure, and the famous sharpshooter Plunkett. Connected together.

But in Arthur's opinion, this is a standard sharpshooter figure, just like his friend Alexandre Dumas.

Plunkett looked at the young man in front of him and didn't know what to say.

Arthur Hastings, a man of the hour at Scotland Yard, a police star who climbed to the position of Assistant Superintendent at the age of 22.

But what does this have to do with him?

Plunkett asked: "Sir, the situation in the Paddington branch has not been good recently, but it is not as bad as expected. At least our situation is much more stable than in the East District. If you are looking for me about those who attacked the MP's house, We are currently investigating the rioters and have deployed additional police patrols to key areas.

There is only so much we can do with the resources we currently have at hand. I had previously applied for assistance from the department, but the Criminal Investigation Department said that this was not a criminal case, so it was not under their control. They also said that subordinate police departments should not always think about asking for resources from the department. If you are fair in dealing with things, you can't always try to find trouble for us. "

Arthur heard Plunkett's complaint, smiled and waved his hand: "Thomas, don't get me wrong, I am no longer responsible for criminal investigation. Moreover, I have no intention of causing trouble for you. Public security issues are now handled directly by Director Luo Wan. However, I have received your feedback. I will convey it to him tactfully at the next high-level police meeting. After all, I am also a front-line patrol officer, and I know your opinions. Difficulties.”

When Plunkett heard this, he first expressed his gratitude, and then couldn't help complaining: "Sir, as you said, you are from a front-line background, so you should know how difficult it is for us to do it. In the past, The police officer found that something was wrong, and it was commonplace for him to use his gun.

And now? Let alone guns, under normal circumstances they won't even let us carry knives. If we are unlucky and happen to encounter a gangster committing murder, we will only have a stick to hold us close to. They gave the stick a good name - the Civilization Stick. This is indeed a weapon that can only be used against civilized people, but most gangsters are not very civilized. "

Arthur raised his eyebrows when he heard this and asked with a smile: "In other words, you want to use a gun?"

"I……"

Plunkett realized something was wrong when he was mid-sentence. He changed the topic and said with a smile: "Don't take it to heart, sir, I'm just complaining. As for the internal affairs regulations, our police officers at Paddington Division still strictly enforce them." "

Arthur stood up and took out the wine glass and bottle from the wine cabinet: "No, Thomas, I don't want to criticize your words. Scotland Yard does not have the rule of using words to punish crimes, and in a sense, I think what you said is also Not wrong. But we must also note that when Sir Robert Peel established Scotland Yard, his original intention was to reduce violence in the law enforcement process while maintaining social order, and must use high force against vicious criminals. "Special force, but the people using that firepower against them should not be police officers, but something else."

As soon as he said this, Plunkett's heart suddenly rose to his throat.

He thought Arthur said this because he wanted to fire him.

Plunkett hurriedly stood up and saluted: "Sir, I absolutely support the decision made in the hall. Some of the words are just complaints in casual chat, they cannot be taken seriously!"

Arthur smiled and handed him a glass of wine, then walked around and opened the display cabinet behind the desk.

Before Plunkett could figure out what was going on, he saw a rifle snap in front of him.

Arthur took a sip of wine and raised his head to show him: "Thomas, I have heard about your deeds a long time ago. You are an expert in this field. Please help evaluate this gun."

Plunkett glanced at the gun with wide eyes, then at Arthur, and then he doubtfully picked up the gun.

He first checked whether the gun was loaded, then he raised the barrel and raised his eyes to the muzzle: "Rifled gun? It's the same as the Baker rifle I used before. The advantage of this gun is its accuracy. , but the disadvantage is that it takes longer to load than the standard smoothbore gun, and it is also troublesome to clean. If it is not cleaned for a long time, the grooves in the barrel will be blocked by dirt, and the bullet will not be able to hit the correct position. It has to be blown up.”

Arthur held the wine glass and leaned on the corner of the desk and asked: "If you were asked to choose, would you prefer a rifled gun or a musket?"

Plunkett almost blurted out: "It's still a rifled gun. Failure to clean it is not a problem with the gun, but a problem with the people. Take the Baker rifles equipped by the 95th Regiment and the Brown Bess muskets widely equipped by other army units. Let’s give an example.

If I use a Brown Bess musket, I can't guarantee accuracy beyond 100 yards. But if you give me a Baker, sir, I'm not bragging, I can hit any target within 200 yards, including running cavalry. Although 300 yards is slightly more difficult than 200 yards, it is not a big problem.

Only 400 to 500 yards is the most challenging level. At this distance, I will only shoot at targets of sufficient value, and to hit him, I need better weather, not too much wind, and enough sunshine to allow me to see clearly. Also, my target had to be stationary and facing me head-on. "

Being able to explain the shooting difficulty of targets at various distances in such detail is enough to illustrate Plunkett's strength.

Moreover, his words are not just nonsense. He has actually killed a moving cavalry at a distance of 300 yards, and he was also a cavalry general.

Arthur asked: "Of course the Baker is an outstanding firearm, but if compared with the gun you have, which one do you think is better?"

Plunkett looked at the gun up and down, dismantling and removing the hammer. After a long time, he shook his head: "Sir, to be honest, I don't think this gun can be compared with the Baker. Although I still I have not tested this gun, but I have never seen a revolver drum installed on a rifle. I guess the sealing of this gun must not be very good, so it is easy to explode the chamber, and such a structure will also affect its Shooting stability.

More importantly, as a mature firearm, the Baker type has many accessories that can be installed and removed independently, such as adjustable rear sights and so on. At that time, almost all our brothers in the 95th Regiment installed accessories according to their own habits. You may think that these gadgets are of little use, but for me, without the assistance of these accessories, I would not be able to travel at such a long distance. Hit the enemy. "

Arthur nodded slightly when he heard the words: "No, Thomas, what you said makes sense. I am now starting to feel a little glad that I talked about these things with you today. After all, you are the real sharpshooter who has been on the battlefield. From other people's mouths, You won’t get these valuable experiences.”

Plunkett scratched his head: "Speaking of which, sir, what do you want to do with these firearms? The Ministry of Internal Affairs has such strict control over our Scotland Yard firearms. From last year to this year, a total of 300 items were approved. They are all old products that have been retired from the army. Even if you master this aspect, it is impossible for them to approve Scotland Yard to develop their own guns!"

Arthur waved his hand gently: "Thomas, this is not Scotland Yard's plan, but a little thing I made myself. And I don't expect the Ministry of the Interior to approve Scotland Yard's large-scale deployment of guns. A special department is set up within the Intelligence Bureau to handle some difficult police cases.”

"Special department?"

Plunkett took a deep breath: "You mean, this department is equipped with guns on a large scale?"

"It's not a large-scale deployment of guns, but a deployment of guns to all personnel." Arthur said with a smile: "In special circumstances, a rifled rifle with a long range will be used, but in general, this one in my waist will suffice."

Having said this, Arthur also took off the Colt M-1831 Hastings revolver from the holster and handed it to Plunkett's hand.

Plunkett's eyes just stared at the gun, and he couldn't move it immediately: "You mean, such a gun...everyone has one hand? Oh my god! Is the hammer gold-plated?" How much does a gun like this cost?”

Arthur smiled and replied: "It's not particularly expensive, and the Police Intelligence Bureau always gives preferential treatment to our agents. It's just a twenty-pound customized revolver."

"Twenty pounds?"

Plunkett's head was spinning when he heard the price. It was equivalent to more than half a year's salary of an ordinary police officer.

Arthur said: "Thomas, don't be surprised. We equip riflemen like you with such high-standard equipment not because of the generosity of the Intelligence Agency, but because you are worth the price."

"Riflemen like us?"

When Plunkett heard this, he couldn't help but feel a little hot. At the same time, he was even a little moved.

This was the first time in his life that he received such courtesy.

When facing the enemy, these riflemen often found themselves pierced by bayonets, because everyone believed that riflemen had no right to ask for a decent death.

When facing friendly forces, sarcasm became commonplace.

He chose to retire because he couldn't stand it, and when Scotland Yard was established, those guys with far less achievements and merits could legitimately occupy a position of inspector in Scotland Yard.

And a legendary rifleman like him could only get a position of sergeant.

The famous Plunkett was like this, not to mention other brothers who retired from the rifle regiment.

"You...you mean...if I understand correctly, you want us to work for the Police Intelligence Bureau?"

"Not want, but invite." Arthur smiled and said: "You have the right to refuse, but for the sake of the vast number of London citizens, I still hope that you and other sharpshooters can agree to work for the Eighth Department of the Police Intelligence Bureau. At the same time, I also hope that you can help improve the rifle in your hand, after all, this is the weapon you will use in the future."

"Eighth Department?" Plunkett was stunned for a moment: "But I remember that the Police Intelligence Bureau only has seven departments?"

Arthur and Plunkett clinked glasses gently: "From the official documents, it is like this. The Eighth Department does not exist, so your positions and ranks will also be attached to the other seven departments. But it is precisely because it does not exist that I prefer to call the Eighth Department Ghost, Ghost, it does not exist, but it is everywhere. At least when we need it, it should exist."

"Ghost Team?"

Plunkett savored it carefully, but before he could come back to his senses, he heard Arthur speak again.

"Thomas, are you willing to take on the responsibility of leading the Ghost Team?"

Plunkett had almost no hesitation. He stood at attention and saluted, and said excitedly: "I... Sir, I am willing! But I have another question!"

"What question?"

Plunkett thought for a while, and suddenly said: "I want to know, what are your requirements for us?"

"Requirements? In most cases, you have to cooperate with the actions of the Fifth Division."

Arthur swung his wine glass and said: "For this matter, you go to contact the director of the Fifth Division, Ledley King, and he will tell you the details."

Plunkett nodded, and then asked: "What about special circumstances?"

"Special circumstances?" Arthur laughed softly, pointing to the scar at the corner of his eye and said: "I hope you can at least do it more professionally than this."

Arthur thought Plunkett would hesitate, but unexpectedly, the sharpshooter was not afraid, but pulled the corner of his mouth and smiled carelessly: "Sir, if it's just this, then you can rest assured. The purpose of the 95th Regiment is concealment, precision and efficiency. We are not professionals in this, but professionals."