Incitement by David Graham

other strategy, to deal with the crisis that’s crippled our country.”
    “And your reaction to this latest report?”
    “Developments such as those we’ve just seen are great news. If we can defeat the drug producers and traffickers at source then we all benefit. From those spared addiction, to all
of their families, friends and co-workers, not to mention the easing of the burden on over-stretched law enforcement and social services.”
    “And apparently the benefits are already being seen on the streets of some of our major cities?”
    “Yes, Sandra, I thought it was vital to show end-to-end commitment to the Plan. With that in mind, my office established contacts with various police forces around the country,
enabling us to receive direct feedback from the professionals who fight the war at street-level.”
    “Allowing the closest possible monitoring of the situation?”
    “Precisely, no one is in a better position than our police. Some time ago we set a benchmark against which we could measure subsequent improvements.”
    “And you’ve started to see evidence of such improvements?”
    “Indeed. In the past three months, the data clearly indicates that the availability of cocaine and heroin in key cities has declined and that the price has risen accordingly. This is
the best news we could have hoped for. It’s grassroots confirmation of real progress.”
    “Can this progress be quantified?” she asked.
    “Well, it’s important to note that this is an informal study, by simple virtue of our limited resources. That said, I’m confident that the research is a reliable indicator.
Our figures show street prices climbing an average of fifteen per cent across the board and by up to twenty-three per cent in some areas. Experts say this translates to a more than ten per cent
drop in the availability of heroin and cocaine.”
    “And to those critics who dismissed your findings when you announced them earlier, maintaining that these price rises could be due to local fluctuations?”
    “Rubbish!” Annoyance flickered then disappeared quickly as the senator’s positive mood rallied. “An isolated price hike might be discountable but consistent rises in
so many areas and of such significance? I don’t think opponents can continue to begrudge Plan Coca the praise it rightfully deserves.”

three

    Madrigal sat on the veranda alone, looking out at the sunset. He had left instructions that he did not want to be disturbed while he considered what had happened and the
appropriate response. The fact that it had been possible for the attackers to strike so surgically meant that they must have had access to inside information, but this was not his prime concern. He
knew that any organisation as sprawling as theirs could not be totally protected from infiltration. What worried him most was the progression, the dangerous precedents that were set with each new
incident. The Alliance needed to appear unassailable.
    None of their enquiries in Europe had yielded any firm proof of Kosovar involvement. He had tried to ensure their investigation had been conducted discreetly. The Kosovars themselves had
recently raised the subject of the attacks, mentioning that word of some disturbances had filtered back to them. One could infer that this demonstrated their innocence. Then again, maybe that was
their intention.
    He placed a call to Raul Cervantes and asked him to come over. Cervantes was the number two in the Colombian organisation and the only person he trusted. They had known each other since they
were teenagers and he had learnt to rely on the big man’s judgement. People often underestimated him because of an apparent slowness which he was only too happy to exaggerate, but Madrigal
knew better. Even more valuable than Cervantes’ capacity for violence and his unwavering loyalty was his well-developed intellect. When Cervantes arrived, he strode in casually and slumped in
the other chair. Whereas other people