The Big Breach - Index of

The Big Breach; From Top Secret to Maximum SecurityCompliments of http://www.192.comWhitehall customers the next morning. Thereafter, there would be a hellof a storm. The Tory Party were already reeling from a series offunding scandals, fuelled by a vitriolic press campaign, and there wasno doubt that this report would be leaked by a Whitehall official. Itmight even bring the government down, forcing another general election.But half an hour later such thoughts were interrupted by the PAX(internal phone system) ringing on my desk. `Hello, Richard, R/CEEhere. I'm afraid that CX of yours has been spiked. And H/SECT wants tosee you about it - go up and see him right now.' I dropped the phoneand urgently made for the lift to take me up to the 18th floor. H/SECTwas the personal secretary to the Chief, and if he wanted to see me itmust be about something very important indeed.Alan Judd carried a lot of clout in the office hierarchy. He had beenlargely responsible for drafting the new `avowal' legislation that wasdue to come into effect the next year and which would allow thegovernment formally to acknowledge the existence of MI6 for the firsttime. He was also well known in the office for the series oflighthearted novels that he had written about spying, his powerfulcontacts in Whitehall allowing him to side-step the normally strictrules that prevent MI6 officers from writing books about theirexperiences. He even had the nerve to put in a flyleaf dedication toNick Long, the inspiration for Tango, a spy-caper set in Latin America.`Take a seat, UKA/7.' Judd addressed me formally by my job designationrather than first name, perhaps to underline his status. `That CXreport you wrote about Tory Party funding' - Judd nodded to my reportlying on his desk - `I'm afraid we can't possibly issue it. If itleaked out, it could bring down the government.'`So?' I replied. `It's not MI6's job to interfere with the governanceof the country, is it?'`Well,' replied Judd lugubriously, `there are other channels to reportthis sort of information.'`Such as?' I asked. We'd never had any other channel explained to us onthe IONEC.`The Chief has decided to issue it as a ``hot potato'', meaning that itwill go only to the Prime Minister. I want that CX report destroyed.'Judd handed over the paperwork that I was required to sign in order tohave the report officially struck off the records. There was no choicebut to sign, though I knew it was wrong. `And you're to talk to nobodyabout this report or this incident,' Judd threatened ominously as I wasgetting up to leave.Perhaps it was no coincidence that I got a phone call from the head ofpersonnel department's secretary a few days later, informing me thatthey were removing me from UKA. `We've got an interesting overseasposting for you,' the secretary said. `PD/1 will give you the detailsat the meeting.' The good news of my first overseas posting wasexciting, but it was tempered by the fact that I would have to dealagain with Fowlecrooke, who had been appointed PD/1 after finishing asmy line manager in SOV/OPS.page- 105 - To purchase the original limited edition hardback version of this bookplease call 08000 192 192 or go to http://www.192.com