You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
by<br />
Will Bonner<br />
Condensed Version
This book is a work of non-fiction. Names and places have been changed<br />
to protect the privacy of all individuals. The events and situations are true.<br />
© 1996, 2000, 2002 by L.W. Bonner. All rights reserved.<br />
No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or<br />
transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,<br />
recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the author.<br />
ISBN: 0-7596-7490-6<br />
This book is printed on acid free paper.<br />
To eliminate the need for reference, nautical and colloquial terms are kept<br />
to a minimum.<br />
1stBooks - rev. 06/19/02
I dedicate this book to my wife Dorothy.<br />
Her help in guiding me through the many traumas involved in writing it,<br />
was invaluable.<br />
Also to my children Louise and Mark, who have succeeded in living half a<br />
lifetime, without having to experience the suffering, created by war.
Contents<br />
1 The Ferret Man<br />
2 The War Correspondent<br />
3 The Aden Incident<br />
4 The ProposaL<br />
5 Chesapeake Bay<br />
6 Hawaiian Assignment<br />
7 The Surveillance<br />
8 The Phone Tap<br />
9 Nazi Youth<br />
10 Serbs and Croats<br />
11 The Female Connection<br />
12 The Byer Tapes<br />
13 The Safe Cracker<br />
14 Alec’s Misfortune<br />
15 The Final Straw<br />
16 Official Secrets
Will and Dorothy sat overlooking Niagara Falls. It was only a short walk<br />
from where they now lived. Both winter and summer, they had visited the<br />
scene many times. On that day the sun was bright, the sky clear and blue,<br />
an ideal day to relax and talk.<br />
As each year had passed Will was getting more confident that he would<br />
not be contacted again.<br />
Living a double life for over forty years takes its toll, but he was now<br />
getting strong feelings about imparting his past, without the possibility of<br />
threats to his immediate family.<br />
Will looked across at Dorothy. There was no time like the present, so he<br />
started from the beginning. Re-living the past however, proved more<br />
traumatic by the minute, and he found that he could not continue.<br />
Imparting the contents of a lifetime was not going to be easy, and it was<br />
Dorothy's suggestion that he should write down the many incidents that he<br />
had experienced, which could ultimately be read by the family.<br />
As they walked away from the Falls together, Will felt both relief and<br />
added strength now that he had the support of his wife, but how would the<br />
rest of the family react? That would be another story. Sitting down at his<br />
desk Will picked up his pen and started to write.
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
Chapter 1<br />
The Ferret Man<br />
Europe was in the grip of World War 2. A convoy lay out at anchor in the<br />
Scottish Firth of the Clyde and the ships, some with barrage balloons flying above<br />
them, to deter low flying enemy air attacks, were all silently awaiting their next<br />
overseas assignment.<br />
The world renowned passenger ship Queen Mary, converted during wartime<br />
to carry troops, had arrived some thirty minutes earlier, it's bow waves now<br />
becoming evident as large ripples, making a splashing noise against the quay and<br />
adjacent banks of the small Clyde side town of Gourock.<br />
Will Brenner sat on a weathered bench overlooking the old cobblestone quay,<br />
observing the scene. He had experienced two voyages carrying troops to the far<br />
east since completing his training, but was presently on standby duty until his leave<br />
became due, in about two weeks time. Each morning he would lower the boat and<br />
steer course a mile or so through the convoy to the quayside and pick up any mail<br />
from the Post Office. The mailbag lay beside him, ready for the return journey.<br />
--- 9 ---
Will Bonner<br />
It was a relief to get away from the confinement of the ship for a short period<br />
each day, especially after a long voyage.<br />
The weather was dull but mild, as he looked beyond the ships to the other side<br />
of the Firth. The rolling hills were unusually clear, prompting him to spend time<br />
picking out the detail. His thoughts wandered to the rural countryside, around the<br />
village in England where he was born, and the family still lived. The quietness of<br />
this particular setting was overpowering, serving as an insight to what he would<br />
experience when he finally got home. In contrast, the constant engine noises and<br />
pounding of the sea against the ship were still apparent from the voyage, and Will<br />
knew that it would take a few days ashore to get their effect out of his system.<br />
A chill passed through his body shocking him back to reality, as he became<br />
aware that the wind had suddenly turned colder. A glance over his shoulder at the<br />
old clock on the building across the street, told him that it was time to get back to<br />
the ship.<br />
Picking up the mailbag he walked down the cobblestone incline towards the<br />
security gate. The guard, a thickset middle aged man, wearing seafaring garb,<br />
acknowledged his wave with a nod of his head, indicating that it was okay to go<br />
through. Will had only been stopped on his first day through the gate, after that,<br />
being a regular visitor required only a wave of the hand to enter and exit.<br />
As the engine burst into life Will began to concentrate on the trip back to the<br />
ship. He was on his own and needed all his faculties to navigate safely through the<br />
convoy. On approach, the ship looked deserted, which was usual with only a few<br />
crew members aboard.<br />
After securing the boat he made his way up to the purser's office to deliver the<br />
mail. He encountered no one on the way up, his footsteps echoing through the<br />
empty corridors.<br />
Miles Cavanagh, the assistant purser, was sitting in his cramped office. As Will<br />
approached he made his way to the counter, and stood nervously waiting. He was<br />
a thin, sharp featured individual, his movements quick and jerky, like a squirrel.<br />
Will was always amazed at his ability to type with his two forefingers at machinegun<br />
speed. He rarely smiled and when he did, you had to be quick to catch it.<br />
Dressed impeccably, no matter what time of day, his uniform fitted perfectly.<br />
Precisely pressed and groomed.<br />
In contrast, his superior the purser who was away on leave, was a short, tubby<br />
--- 10 ---
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
man. His uniform never fitted, always creased with bumps and hollows, where he<br />
had pulled the buttons together. When seen together the crew had a nickname for<br />
them, “before and after” which was taken from an advertisement for slimming.<br />
“You're late Brenner," Miles said, moving from the counter to a desk nearby<br />
and back again, at his usual quick and jerky pace, trying to do two things at the<br />
same time.<br />
"Is there anything for the old man?" he continued, referring to the skipper.<br />
Why did he always ask the same thing, Will thought. The skipper was on leave<br />
with the others, so what if there is mail he can't do anything with it, only stow it<br />
away until the skipper gets back, so why the hurry to know if there is any?<br />
"No sir," replied Will, dropping the bag behind the counter, "there is no<br />
separate mail, and I am not authorized to open the bag." The same remark every<br />
day, what a bore! Miles turned and looked up, Will hesitated in anticipation<br />
becoming aware that he was about to communicate further.<br />
"I have a message from the bridge. Would you get changed out of your work<br />
gear and get up there right away."<br />
"Who wants to see me? What is it all about?"<br />
"I don't know, the instruction was phoned down."<br />
Will made his way down to his cabin filled with curiosity, in all the time he had<br />
been with the ship he had only attended the bridge a few times. His immediate<br />
superior looked after the console up there. What would anyone want with me? he<br />
thought, his mind scanned through the officers left on standby duty, but came up<br />
with no tangible reasons.<br />
He quickly changed into his uniform, but as he started up to the bridge a<br />
horrible thought entered his mind, wondering if anything had happened to his mam<br />
or dad.<br />
The bridge was deserted except for an officer bending over the radar console.<br />
He straightened up and turned as Will entered the bridge house. It was the first<br />
officer in casual uniform, the epaulettes on his shirt indicating the rank. His peaked<br />
cap was pulled well down over his forehead, a rugged faced man, well known for<br />
being impartial, which in the past had gained him the respect of the crew. He<br />
probably wants me to look at the monitor Will thought, stepping closer to where<br />
he was standing.<br />
"Brenner Sir, you wanted to see me?"<br />
--- 11 ---
Will Bonner<br />
Taking a well used pipe from his mouth he replied. "No Brenner, there are<br />
people here to see you, they are waiting in the boardroom."<br />
"Very well, Sir." Taken aback, Will turned towards the alleyway leading to the<br />
boardroom, which was tucked away behind the bridge house adjacent to the<br />
captain's quarters. Anticipating the worst, he approached the polished entrance<br />
door, hesitating long enough to try and pull himself together, before knocking.<br />
After a few seconds the door opened, revealing a high ranking army officer<br />
partially blocking his view of the room, but he was aware that there were others<br />
inside.<br />
"Brenner, Sir." The officer stepped aside to let him in, and for the first time<br />
Will was able to get a full picture of the room. It was about 20 ft or so long and<br />
10 to 12 ft wide with portholes on one side. For some reason unknown to Will<br />
at that time, the deadlights had been lowered covering the porthole windows and<br />
curtains drawn over them. A large, heavy looking rectangular mahogany table,<br />
dominated the centre of the room, surrounded by twelve swivel type upholstered<br />
chairs. All the furniture was bolted to the floor which was carpeted in red,<br />
matching the chair seats. The walls were lined with smoothly polished mahogany<br />
panelling. Immediately above the table was a lowered ceiling, containing indirect<br />
lighting, combined with vents for air-conditioning. The lack of natural light in the<br />
room gave the atmosphere a sense of night-time, in contrast to the full daylight of<br />
the bridge.<br />
Three men were sitting at the far end of the table and the officer who had let<br />
him in had now joined them. One of them was also wearing army uniform, the<br />
other naval, all fairly high ranking officers. The uniformed men, appeared at first<br />
sight, to be clean cut and distinguished looking.<br />
The fourth man was wearing plain clothes, the rumpled dark suit highlighting<br />
his soiled shirt collar. Slightly balding, and of small stature, he seemed completely<br />
out of harmony with the rest of the group. One of the officers pointed to a chair at<br />
the opposite end of the table. "Sit down Brenner." Will noticed that they all had<br />
papers positioned in front of them.<br />
His attention was constantly drawn to the little man in plain clothes probably<br />
because he looked so out of place, but there was something more compelling<br />
about him. He had very pointed features, his thinning hair was slicked back,<br />
accentuating the sharpness of his face. He moved his head in short quick<br />
--- 12 ---
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
movements which gave him a menacing appearance. Will having been brought up<br />
in the country, had no difficulty in putting this man into his own visual category. He<br />
looked just like a ferret and in the absence of a name, to Will he would be "the<br />
ferret man."<br />
The room had by now fallen into silence. Will began to feel the scrutiny of four<br />
pairs of eyes from the other end of the table. He was feeling very uneasy, his<br />
muscles had become tense, and the palms of his hands were beginning to sweat.<br />
The silence became more compelling by the second and after what seemed an<br />
eternity, he just had to break out of it's grip.<br />
"Why have I been asked to come here?" The ferret man responded like<br />
lightning, shouting in a shrill aggressive voice.<br />
"You will answer questions, not ask them!" Will was taken by surprise at his<br />
attitude, but he had no time to respond as they all in turn started to ask a barrage<br />
of questions, punctuated by periods of silence.<br />
As more and more questions followed, Will's mind began to deteriorate to the<br />
point where he had completely lost track of events that were taking place. It<br />
seemed hours since he had first come into the room. His mouth was dry, and his<br />
voice was beginning to get hoarse.<br />
The questioning had now developed into a full blown interrogation, and voices<br />
were raised in a frightening way, causing Will to make contradictions in his<br />
answers. When his memory could not recall what they required, the ferret man<br />
would resort to bullying in an attempt to extract a response. The others were mild<br />
in comparison, especially one of the officers, who was constantly trying to tone<br />
down the verbal attacks.<br />
"You can see that the man is trying to do his best, back off and let him<br />
answer," he would say, but the ferret man would not give up, confirming that Will's<br />
original assessment of him had not been wrong. The vicious killing nature of the<br />
ferret was now beginning to surface.<br />
Will's fear of him was now giving way to resentment and anger. Projecting his<br />
voice directly towards him he shouted the words as loud as his failing voice would<br />
allow. "I refuse to answer any more of your questions until I know why I am here!"<br />
It was as though his words had triggered a bomb. The ferret man leaped to his<br />
feet, his chair spinning round with the force of his movement, and in a split second<br />
he was crouching in front of Will looking down at him, his twisted face pressed so<br />
--- 13 ---
Will Bonner<br />
close that Will could feel his hot breath. "You'll do as you're told, or take the<br />
consequences!" he shouted, in that same shrill, menacing voice.<br />
Will slumped down on the table, his arms folded over the back of his head.<br />
The aggressive atmosphere had been so intense that he was expecting blows to be<br />
rained down on him, but none came. Silence descended in the room.<br />
One of the officers stood up and walked over to Will who was still slumped<br />
over the table. Putting his hand on his shoulder, caused Will to recoil instinctively.<br />
"Come with me," he said in a soft voice, proceeding to help him to his feet, then<br />
guiding him to a small door in the corner of the room he continued, "stay in here<br />
for awhile," opening the door to let Will inside, "we'll call you when we are ready,"<br />
and with that parting remark, the door closed behind him.<br />
Will looked around. The room was probably a locker-room, very small, but<br />
completely empty with no windows, dimly lit by one small lamp, giving just enough<br />
light for Will to make out it's confines. He stood shivering from head to toe, a<br />
reaction from the previous encounter. There was no chair to sit on, so Will<br />
lowered himself down into the corner of the room opposite the door, pulling his<br />
knees up to support his body into a sitting position. By now, he felt sick and<br />
mentally exhausted. Lowering his head on to his knees he felt the tears starting to<br />
stream down his face, his shoulders rising and falling, as he sobbed, uncontrollably.<br />
Why are they doing this to me? He just could not comprehend what had taken<br />
place in the other room, both his mind and body were completely shattered, crying<br />
out for rest. After awhile, he let the exhaustion overcome everything, trying to<br />
succumb to the law that nature provides when stress is trying to take over. Things<br />
looked pretty grim to him at that moment.<br />
He suddenly realized that he had not had anything to eat or drink since the<br />
previous day, foregoing breakfast to get ashore. His muscles started to ache and<br />
he slid further along the floor to try and get into a more comfortable position. The<br />
recollection of time began to slip away from him. After an undetermined period,<br />
a loud knocking on the door abruptly interrupted his dazed mind. He recognized<br />
the voice of the ferret man. "Come back in here Brenner."<br />
Will staggered to his feet trying not to stumble as he entered the room,<br />
manoeuvring his way over to the now familiar chair. His eyes were not yet fully<br />
used to the lights of the boardroom, but he was aware that the ferret man was on<br />
his own. Will's heart dropped down to his boots in despair, as he knew that whilst<br />
--- 14 ---
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
the others were present, there was hope. At least, one of the officers had<br />
appeared sympathetic, but now everything seemed hopeless, with only ferret man<br />
there.<br />
The ferret man was now wearing a trench coat and trilby hat, which in Will's<br />
eyes made him look more menacing than ever. What would happen now? All the<br />
questions had centred around Will's background, his upbringing, family, friends<br />
and activities, practically from the day he was born, up to the present day. He<br />
remembered how violent things had got when he could not remember a part of his<br />
past that they wanted to know. The answer, "I don't know" always provoked<br />
fierce repercussions.<br />
He still had no idea what it was all about. His confidence had been completely<br />
destroyed. The ferret man made a sudden movement causing Will to concentrate<br />
on what he was about to do. Extending his arm, he pointed his finger directly at<br />
Will, shouting. "You have been supplying harbour passes to enemy agents in<br />
Gourock!"<br />
Will was completely and utterly shocked, finding just enough energy to say in<br />
a wavering voice, "No, no, I haven't!"<br />
"Don't lie to me Brenner, we have the evidence to support it." Will was still<br />
struggling with the impact of the accusation. What evidence did they have? he<br />
asked himself, his mind racing out of control.<br />
The ferret man reached into his trench coat pocket, producing a number of<br />
shore passes. “Are these yours?"<br />
Will moved closer to get a better look, recognizing his signature. "Yes, they<br />
are."<br />
The ferret man promptly scooped up the passes, returning them to his pocket.<br />
"You have been deceiving the guard at the gate and keeping the passes to give to<br />
German agents," he continued, "if you don't tell us who they are, we will charge<br />
you with spying for the enemy, and you must know what the penalty is for that!"<br />
Will tried to compose himself so that his answer would not sound false, but he<br />
failed completely, the words tumbled out, "I don't know any agents, and I don't<br />
know what you are talking about!"<br />
The ferret man got up from his chair and walked past him towards the door.<br />
Will guessed that he was about to leave the room, but he was mistaken. A sudden<br />
blow to the back of his head forced him from the chair to his knees followed by<br />
--- 15 ---
Will Bonner<br />
a second blow between his shoulder blades, propelling him forward on to his<br />
forearms. His head was swimming but he did not lose consciousness. Turning<br />
slightly, in an effort to get his bearings in anticipation of a further assault, he<br />
became aware of the ferret man's legs only inches away from his face. Rage, and<br />
the instinct for survival surged up inside as Will quickly gripped ferret man around<br />
the legs, toppling him to the floor. Within seconds, they were both rolling over,<br />
each trying to gain the advantage.<br />
"You bloody swine, I'll kill you!" screamed Will, as he tried to use ferret man's<br />
head as a battering ram against the iron leg of the table, but ferret man brought up<br />
his knee into Will's stomach, breaking himself free. In the next moment Will found<br />
himself looking down the barrel of a semi automatic service pistol, which seemed<br />
to appear from nowhere. For a split second he contemplated retaliation, but<br />
sensing his intention ferret man pushed the gun closer as a warning sign, and Will<br />
backed off.<br />
The pistol pointed briefly to Will's chair. "Get over there." Will staggered over<br />
to the chair feeling the back of his head for signs of blood. The ferret man was also<br />
reseated, the service pistol on the table in front of him, at the ready. He had lost<br />
his hat in the scuffle, his hair and clothes were dishevelled, his tie askew. He was<br />
breathing fast and heavy.<br />
"We'll now get to the bottom of this," he said, pausing to catch his breath.<br />
"Yesterday, when you were going ashore, up the incline to the gatehouse, you<br />
dropped your wallet and shore passes fell out on the roadway. Someone picked<br />
them up for you, didn't they?"<br />
"Yes," replied Will in a wavering voice.<br />
"Well, that person was one of our agents, he kept some of them for evidence."<br />
This last statement was, in an odd sort of way, a breath of fresh air to Will. He<br />
remembered the incident well. At last, some of the events of these last hours were<br />
falling into place. All he had to do now was convince them that he had become<br />
friendly with the guard at the gate, who had failed to take the passes, consequently,<br />
they had collected in his wallet. This nightmare would then be all over.<br />
The ferret man had by now regained his composure, and he was beginning to<br />
posture himself for further interrogating. Will braced himself for more punishment,<br />
but at that very moment the door opened, revealing the two army officers entering<br />
the room. Ferret man snatched up his pistol, but not before they had noticed it.<br />
--- 16 ---
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
Both exchanged glances and ferret man, picking up his hat without a word, walked<br />
out of the room, banging the door behind him.<br />
The officers were fully dressed for travelling, it was apparent they were not<br />
intending to stay as they did not remove their coats. One officer spoke. "Are you<br />
alright Brenner?"<br />
"Yes Sir."<br />
"I suppose you have been wondering what this has been all about?" he<br />
continued, "we know that there are four enemy agents operating in the area. They<br />
try to get information about troop movements to the convoys. There has been a<br />
breach in security recently, so when the incident of your passes became known,<br />
British Intelligence thought they had found the leak. The whole case has now been<br />
investigated, there are no grounds to indicate that you are involved, consequently,<br />
you are free to go."<br />
Will felt the relief beginning to surge up inside. Grappling once again with the<br />
complete turn of events he sat motionless, trying to dispel the disbelief that he was<br />
also feeling. This has got to be some sort of trick! "Perhaps you should get yourself<br />
something to eat Brenner?"<br />
Will pulled himself together. No it’s not a trick they were telling him the truth!<br />
“Yes Sir.” And with that he stood up and moved towards the door,<br />
momentarily turning to face the officer. “Thank you, Sir.”<br />
Once outside, Will felt the urge to run as fast as he could to his cabin, but he<br />
restrained himself. As he skipped down the first stairway, the relief from his ordeal<br />
was gaining ground. Turning the corner to gain access to "C" deck he was<br />
abruptly confronted by the ferret man standing only a few feet away, who had<br />
obviously been waiting for him. Will stopped in his stride, the relief he had<br />
momentarily gained drained away from him as the ferret man moved closer.<br />
The corridors were deserted and dimly lit. He was expecting the worst, and<br />
clenching his fists, postured himself in anticipation. Looking at Will he snarled.<br />
"Don't think you have got away with it, we can charge you with spying anytime we<br />
want. There's enough evidence to implicate you. The military have let you off the<br />
hook, but we haven't, never forget that." With that devastating final remark he<br />
disappeared into the darkness of the corridor, towards the aft stairway.<br />
Will lay on his bunk. Glancing at the clock he realized that it had been about<br />
fourteen hours since going up to the bridge. His stomach had passed the urge for<br />
--- 17 ---
Will Bonner<br />
food so he just lay there trying to evaluate what had happened.<br />
His cabin mates were all on leave. Thank heavens for that! He could not have<br />
coped with the social chatter, someone would have surely awakened to ask the<br />
obvious questions. No names had been given of his interrogators, he only knew<br />
that they were from both Military and British Intelligence. He had been left with no<br />
fear of the military, but the ferret man's departing words were still ringing in his<br />
ears.<br />
What if they did decide to bring charges? What if it became public? His family<br />
would be humiliated, especially his dad. The whole village would isolate them and<br />
Will shuddered at the thought. He'd done nothing wrong, but this seemed of little<br />
consequence. The why's and wherefore's continued to buzz around in his brain as<br />
he began to feel the aches and pains of his physical encounter with the ferret man.<br />
The silence of the cabin finally took over lulling him into a troubled sleep.<br />
"Wake up Will, wake up!" It was Blondie Bishop, the medical orderly from<br />
the dispensary. "You've overslept and the assistant purser is going crazy up there!"<br />
Will opened his eyes and looked up from the lower bunk at Blondie's white hair<br />
and moustache. He was shaking him by the shoulder, and the movement was<br />
creating pains in his upper body, resulting from the blows he had received the night<br />
before.<br />
"Where were you last night? Nobody could find you, why have you slept in<br />
your uniform?"<br />
Will was in no mood for questions and using the urgency of the moment to<br />
avoid answering, he pushed past Blondie to change into his work gear. He took<br />
off as fast as his delicate condition would allow, leaving Blondie standing with a<br />
blank look on his face. He was used to Blondie's persistent way until he got<br />
answers, and Will knew that would not be the end of it, but he would be ready for<br />
him next time he asked.<br />
"Where the hell have you been Brenner?" Miles Cavanagh the assistant purser,<br />
was obviously upset.<br />
"Sorry Sir, I overslept."<br />
Miles dismissed the excuse. "You haven't shaved and you're dressed like a<br />
sack of potatoes. Get yourself together man!"<br />
"Sorry Sir, I'll get the boat underway immediately," but as he was walking<br />
away from the counter it dawned on him that he had no shore passes. He had been<br />
--- 18 ---
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
given enough to use until yesterday, but he now needed more.<br />
Turning back to the counter, the events of the previous night came flooding<br />
back into his conscious mind. Miles was still out front bending over some papers<br />
on the counter. "What now, Brenner?" he asked impatiently.<br />
"I need more shore passes, Sir."<br />
"There has been a change of instruction Brenner, I can only issue one pass<br />
each day." His head was moving up and down as he appeared to be trying to read<br />
the papers on the counter, at the same time as date stamping the pass. Will looked<br />
directly at his face, listening intently to his voice, trying to get a hint of whether or<br />
not he knew anything about the previous day's incident, but there was no<br />
indication. Picking up the pass he turned to leave.<br />
"What's the matter with you man, can't I rely on you to do your job? You<br />
haven't signed the pass in my presence!" Miles roared. "Probably ashore half the<br />
night!" Will hurriedly signed the pass on both sections, but at the same time<br />
analyzing his last remark, which had given him the impression that probably Miles<br />
Cavanagh did not know the real reason why his pass instruction had been<br />
changed. Will felt much better.<br />
He pushed the boat to it’s limit on his way ashore trying to make up a bit of<br />
time, but nine knots was the maximum speed and he finished up not making much<br />
headway. As usual, there was very little activity on the quayside as he tied the<br />
boat up to a bollard. It had started to rain slightly, prompting him to pull up his<br />
collar as he made his way up the cobbled incline.<br />
Passing the spot where his passes had fallen out of his wallet his heart began<br />
to pound. He was terrified at the thought of meeting the guard at the gatehouse<br />
knowing he also would have been interrogated. The customary wave would not<br />
be given, or received. His fears were short lived however, and he became aware<br />
that there was a new man in the gatehouse. Giving up the outgoing portion of his<br />
pass he made his way up to the level of the street. Pausing before turning toward<br />
the Post Office, he scanned the street in both directions.<br />
What was he looking for? Was he being watched? There was no sign of the<br />
agent that had helped him gather up the contents of his wallet. Everything<br />
appeared normal, but wasn’t that usually the case? Trying to shrug off the anxious<br />
thoughts that came over him, Will went about his daily routine.<br />
During the remainder of his stay at Gourock and on later visits when the<br />
--- 19 ---
Will Bonner<br />
convoy returned, the absence of the thickset man at the gatehouse would confirm<br />
his suspicion that he had been permanently removed, and he would never know<br />
the true circumstances.<br />
--- 20 ---
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
Chapter 2<br />
The War Correspondent<br />
Will sat in the swaying carriage of the passenger train, heading back to<br />
Gourock and the convoy to begin another foreign voyage. The elements of his last<br />
two weeks at home constantly in the forefront of his mind. The absence of routine,<br />
and the presence of his family a heaven sent respite. The tranquility of rural<br />
settings around his home a perfect environment to lose the rigors of the immediate<br />
past.<br />
As the train drew closer to it’s destination the pictures of his steel clad cabin<br />
on the ship clashed with the serene quietness of his bedroom at home, forcing him<br />
back to the reality of what was to come.<br />
During his leave all the troops had embarked, the between decks were<br />
crammed with their presence. Hammocks swung from the deckheads by the<br />
hundreds, and the noise of everyone getting organized was deafening. Once at<br />
sea, all this would settle down, it’s absence replaced by the noise of the sea.<br />
Will could not yet see land, but he knew that they were getting close to<br />
Gibraltar. Apart from the tempering of the seas, apparatus called paravanes, on<br />
long wires, had been lowered from the leading ships, used to cut free any enemy<br />
21
Will Bonner<br />
mines that were just below the surface of the water. Once cut, they would bob to<br />
the surface and were then exploded, or sunk by gunfire. They were large metal<br />
spherical objects, with glass horns, protruding from around the sphere which,<br />
when broken, triggered the mine to explode.<br />
The period in the Atlantic had been rough, in more ways than just the weather.<br />
There had been attempted attacks by German U-boats and many depth charges<br />
had been dropped by the destroyers to protect the convoy, but no ships had been<br />
lost.<br />
Will was beginning to enjoy the first day of calm weather, especially looking<br />
forward to eating full meals again without being sick. It was good to see land as<br />
the ships sailed through the Straits and into the Mediterranean. They would be<br />
going on to Algiers, expecting to drop anchor there during late afternoon on the<br />
following day.<br />
During the run-up to anchorage, Will spent his off duty hours basking in the<br />
bright sunshine. Temperatures were in the seventies and he was feeling once again<br />
one hundred per cent. During the course of the early afternoon, Wesley Brampton<br />
the bosun's mate, called in to see him. Will had known him for some time now, an<br />
older man around 35 to 40 years old. They got along well together, and during<br />
Will's early days at sea, he found that he could rely on his advice, but my<br />
goodness, was he thin!<br />
To be perfectly blunt he was just a "bag of bones" and as he walked, his bones<br />
moved in every direction at the same time. If you were passing him in the corridor<br />
you had to watch out for his sharp elbows. He was the perfect illustration of a<br />
Samurai warrior, wielding two swords!<br />
At sea, just about everyone had a nickname, usually aligned to their name,<br />
character, place of origin, physical characteristics, or other obvious signs. Wes<br />
was a wonderful candidate but he had not been allotted one, and the reason was<br />
because he was so well respected. He was well read and could converse<br />
intellectually on many subjects, and had made up his mind where his future lay after<br />
the war was over, always studying to reinforce that ambition.<br />
Wes removed the old down swept pipe from his mouth. "One of my mates<br />
is on the "Orangi" he said, referring to one of the other ships lying out in the<br />
convoy, "and we've arranged a boat to go over there when we anchor. Would<br />
you like to come?"<br />
22
23<br />
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
"I sure would Wes, it will be a change of scene for me, I'll look forward to<br />
that."<br />
"I thought so. Just be on "D" deck by the gun port door, about one hour after<br />
we anchor."<br />
No one was allowed ashore in Algiers, so the trip across to visit another ship<br />
was a pleasant surprise. The uninitiated would tend to think that one ship would<br />
be just like another, but that is far from the truth. Even sister ships develop their<br />
own individual attributes and peculiarities, consequently, Will was eager to look<br />
the ship over.<br />
It was a superb evening as the boat traveled between the ships, and everyone<br />
was in high spirits. Will looked across the harbour to the old stone-walled buildings<br />
that looked so tightly packed together. From that distance, it appeared as if no<br />
roadways existed, with the afternoon sun making everything crystal clear. It<br />
seemed an eternity since he was at home on leave and it crossed his mind how he<br />
would have loved his mother to be with him right at that moment, just to see the<br />
sight.<br />
Once on board the "Orangi" Wes made his way to the deck where he knew<br />
everyone would be gathered. He had served on this ship before so he knew his<br />
way around. The boat party soon merged into the crowd as men got reacquainted.<br />
Will stood back out of the way next to the entrance, observing the scene.<br />
Groups of seamen were seated at tables playing various games, or just chatting.<br />
The noise level was deafening, with an occasional round of raucous laughter.<br />
Finding a seat nearby Will settled down to enjoy the evening, until Wes and the<br />
others were ready to return to their ship.<br />
After awhile he became conscious of someone staring at him very intently from<br />
a nearby table, where a card game was in progress. He was a gaunt faced man<br />
who Will instantly recognized, also the person sitting next to him.<br />
Whilst on standby duty about a year ago, in Victoria docks in London, he had<br />
been given the responsibility of supervising them both for the day, loading medical<br />
stores. They were homosexuals and using the term of that era "really bent" What<br />
a day that had been, especially during the loading of the mattresses. Did they ever<br />
have fun and games! Will was constantly reprimanding them, but being the types<br />
they were, the more aggressive Will became, the more they enjoyed it.<br />
"Don't I know you?" he called out, in a high pitched female like voice, which
Will Bonner<br />
only served to direct everyone in the near vicinity to look in Will's direction. "I'm<br />
sure we've met, haven't we Richard?" he said, turning to his friend.<br />
Will got up from his chair and stepped back in obvious embarrassment. "No,<br />
I think you must be mistaken," he replied, trying to disappear into the background.<br />
Everyone around was by then having a good laugh at Will's expense.<br />
A big deep voice from within the crowd yelled, "Don't be frightened youngster,<br />
they won't hurt you!" bringing more laughter from all around, including the<br />
homosexuals, who seemed to have also joined in the fun, but by this time Will had<br />
managed to get relocated out of earshot.<br />
What a relief Will thought, settling down once again to watch the games being<br />
played from the other side of the room.<br />
Glancing into an alleyway entrance nearby, he noticed a man standing partly<br />
in the shadows. Thinking that he was about to enter Will stepped aside to give him<br />
plenty of room, but he stayed motionless. Turning in the man's direction Will was<br />
about to ask him if he needed to come in when he spoke in a soft, but audible<br />
voice.<br />
"You're Will Brenner, aren't you?"<br />
"Yes," Will replied, moving closer to the entrance.<br />
"I've been waiting for an opportunity to see you. Step in here out of the noise,<br />
I can't hear you very well."<br />
Stepping into the partially lit alleyway Will immediately recognized him as one<br />
of the men on the boat journey across the harbour from his ship. Sensibly dressed<br />
for the climate in light grey cotton trousers and shirt, he was a medium-size man<br />
around 30 years old, slightly on the plump side, with puffy cheeks like a trumpet<br />
player.<br />
The alleyway was not very well ventilated and patches of sweat had appeared<br />
around his armpits and neck. Furtively looking past Will, and then in the opposite<br />
direction, he appeared to be checking that they were alone. Will was about to<br />
engage him in conversation to find out more about him, but he was cut short.<br />
"You were in a spot of trouble in Gourock."<br />
Will froze. "What are you trying to tell me?"<br />
"It's now time for you to do something for us."<br />
The ferret man's last words came flooding back to him and suddenly the whole<br />
atmosphere between the two men changed. Unable to cope at that particular<br />
24
25<br />
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
moment and frightened of the outcome of the conversation Will turned to leave, but<br />
felt the man's sweaty hand take him by the arm.<br />
"I wouldn't go if I were you, with what you've got hanging over your head."<br />
Will hesitated and turned back, he could see the tension on his face which was<br />
not there before, and the fear of reprisals became foremost in his mind. All the<br />
activity around him had disappeared into the background and to Will, only the man<br />
opposite him existed. "What do you want?"<br />
"Something very simple. Sorry to threaten you but I had to do it for your own<br />
good." He seemed positively apologetic.<br />
"What will happen if I refuse?"<br />
"I'm leaving the ship to join another one at Port Said in three days time, and<br />
I would have to make arrangements to have you taken off."<br />
The finality of his last statement served to break down the last of Will's<br />
resistance. He had nowhere else to turn.<br />
"Well, I guess if it's something very simple." said Will, in a hesitant voice.<br />
The man leaned forward. "You will receive a small package in the mail when<br />
you arrive in Port Said, it is vital that it is delivered by hand to someone in Aden."<br />
"Why me?"<br />
"Please don't ask any more questions. As a crew member ashore for the<br />
sights, your presence anywhere will not be suspect. Go to the entrance of the<br />
Queen of Sheba's Wells during the afternoon on any day, and someone will<br />
contact you by name. That person will take you to a location to deliver the parcel.<br />
Keep it on your person at all times until you pass it on to someone that asks for it.<br />
It is small enough to put in your pocket, but do not open it. Afterwards get the<br />
normal tourist transport back to the ship."<br />
"Is that all?”<br />
"Yes, it's straightforward so don't write anything down."<br />
The stress of the moment subsided and the activity in the adjoining room was<br />
once more evident.<br />
"Will, Will, are you around?" It was Wes calling him from across the room.<br />
"Yes, I'm here," he answered, hurrying to make his whereabouts known.<br />
"We're ready to go back now, are you all set?"<br />
"Yes, ready to go Wes."<br />
On the way back to the ship the man in grey kept to himself, and as it was now
Will Bonner<br />
dark Will had no difficulty in avoiding him.<br />
The following day the convoy got under way and during his off duty period in<br />
the morning Will went up on the aft deck. The wake of the ship was leaving a<br />
wide ribbon of turbulence for quite a distance in the calm sea, and it was easy to<br />
detect any change in the ship's direction.<br />
Will always came up here to concentrate, the wake acted as a form of<br />
hypnosis shutting out other activities, allowing him to think more clearly. He was<br />
sorting out the severity, or otherwise, of the previous night's encounter, coming<br />
finally to the conclusion that things were not as bad as he had first thought, and he<br />
could cope with what was expected of him.<br />
"What are you doing up here?" It was Wes. "You look so serious, is<br />
everything alright? Have you had mail from home?"<br />
His last statement was a typical inference. When the mail was handed out men<br />
used to disappear to their own private hideaways to read the news from home,<br />
rushing back to tell if it was good, or spending time alone to cope with the bad.<br />
Will had seen men on occasions, hiding under lifeboats and elsewhere, in tears<br />
after getting bad news. Thanks Wes, he thought, for reminding me that there are<br />
others worse off than myself. I'm still alive and the family back home are still<br />
okay.<br />
Will suddenly experienced the overwhelming desire to tell Wes about his<br />
problems but everything seemed too complicated, and the ramifications too diverse<br />
to cope with at that time.<br />
"Everything's fine Wes, I'm just sitting here resting, watching the wake. It's just<br />
plain hypnotic, and you can see how easy it would be if you were sitting on the aft<br />
rail to lean and drop overboard." Troops were warned not to sit on the ship's rails<br />
at night for this very reason, and some had fallen in and drowned on Will's<br />
previous voyage.<br />
"Let's talk about more pleasant things." Sitting down next to Will he began to<br />
talk. "Did you have a good time last night?"<br />
"Yes, I was talking to that man in the grey trousers. Do you know who he is?"<br />
"I thought you knew. He's a war correspondent for one of the newspapers,<br />
they come and go on the ships to get news back to England. Didn't he tell you<br />
who he was?"<br />
"No, we didn't get around to that."<br />
26
27<br />
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
They carried on talking for awhile and Will began to feel good about things<br />
again. Wes was like a port in a storm to him at this time, and life was to become<br />
more normal until the forthcoming event in Aden. Thanks to Wes, Will now<br />
regarded that as just another day.<br />
Thirty-six hours after leaving Algiers enemy aircraft were sighted approaching<br />
the convoy. Will was in his cabin when the alarms sounded, but before dropping<br />
the deadlight over the cabin porthole he looked across the blue water into the<br />
distance to see what appeared to be a swarm of bees hovering over the horizon.<br />
Calculating that they would only be about 20 to 25 miles away, Will quickly<br />
slipped on his life jacket and ran up to his emergency station.<br />
Arriving on deck anti-aircraft fire had started, the sky already filled with puffs<br />
of black smoke as the shells exploded. Rumours were rife regarding the origins of<br />
the attack, but it was soon confirmed that they were planes from the Italian Air<br />
Force. With this information everyone began to relax.<br />
Benito Mussolini, the Italian dictator, had involved Italy in the war on the side<br />
of Hitler's Germany, but Italy was not a fighting nation, especially with the Nazis,<br />
who were constantly humiliating them. Lacking the reason to fight, men would<br />
literally surrender their arms when under attack. Will had an occasion to transport<br />
them as prisoners back to England, feeling genuinely sorry for their misplaced<br />
plight.<br />
The aircraft could be seen quite clearly now, but flying at a high altitude. Loud<br />
cheering broke out as they all dropped their bombs some two or three miles away<br />
from the convoy and turning sharply, headed north in the direction of Italy or<br />
Greece. That was a relief everybody thought, but suddenly tension rose again, as<br />
a lone aircraft appeared, flying at masthead height towards the convoy.<br />
Being so low in the sky the guns could not be brought to bear in fear of hitting<br />
a neighbouring ship. Will stood watching as the plane proceeded through the<br />
convoy dropping bombs as it went. Passing abreast of Will's ship he could clearly<br />
see the markings on it's side and wings, and the head of the pilot. He would never<br />
forget the noise of the plane's engine, likening it to that of a motorcycle.<br />
Not one bomb found a target, only leaving a trail of water spouts between the<br />
ships as they exploded. Someone shouted from a gun turret. "What's that bloody<br />
fool doing?” another gunner responded. "Look astern, he's about to commit<br />
suicide!"
Will Bonner<br />
Will looked astern to see that a destroyer had turned it's beam to the oncoming<br />
plane, and as it left the convoy, a violent blast of anti-aircraft gun fire ensued, the<br />
plane disintegrating into fragments which fell into the sea like confetti. Loud<br />
cheering broke out once again but Will felt sickened by the whole affair. What a<br />
stupid waste. It had just been a spectacle.<br />
The all clear sounded within minutes, signalling that the crew could leave their<br />
emergency stations. As a rule, these incidents were sporadic, so no further attacks<br />
were predicted in the near future. Everyone relaxed to resume their normal duties,<br />
and there would be plenty of discussion amongst the crew about the attack, during<br />
the remainder of the day.<br />
Arriving in Port Said, Will had not seen the war correspondent since leaving<br />
Algiers, probably because he had quartered with the officers. No doubt by now<br />
he would be ashore, waiting for another ship.<br />
The parcel arrived, as arranged. It was a small package with a sealed brown<br />
paper covering addressed to Will, but not stamped, and about the size of a<br />
cigarette package. He shook it, but nothing rattled inside. Placing it in his<br />
pocket he knew that it would be a constant reminder to him of the circumstances<br />
surrounding it’s arrival.<br />
Ships were making their own way from Port Said to Aden as there was no<br />
concerns about enemy aircraft or submarines. They would all reassemble again<br />
at Aden before crossing the Indian Ocean to Bombay. The one hundred mile<br />
journey down the Suez Canal was always interesting. The common sight that<br />
never failed to capture Will’s imagination was that of a ship ahead which had<br />
followed a bend in the canal. Viewed from across the sand dunes gave it the<br />
pseudo appearance of steaming across the desert!<br />
The four or five days journey down the Red Sea was typical. With desert on<br />
all sides the searing heat was unbearable, any breeze after passing over the hot<br />
sand resembled the output from a hot air dryer.<br />
Will felt for the troops as he did during the fierce weather in the Atlantic.<br />
Coming from the mild English weather they were totally unprepared for the<br />
relentless heat. The short stay in Aden would at least, give them some respite.<br />
28
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
Chapter 3<br />
The Aden Incident<br />
Will arrived in Aden full of apprehension. He would get the package delivered<br />
at the first opportunity that presented itself. It had, so to speak, been burning a<br />
hole in his pocket since coming into his possession in Port Said.<br />
Looking at the roster dealt him a stunning blow, he was scheduled to be on<br />
mid-day watches for the next two days, which would prevent him from making the<br />
necessary contact at the Queen of Sheba's Wells. What a fool he had been for<br />
taking the roster for granted. Minor panic was beginning to set in and he wandered<br />
the deck wondering what to do next. They will have me for sure if I don't deliver<br />
that package! What reason could he give wanting so desperately, for someone to<br />
take over his watch? I'd better be quick, the schedules are new and could<br />
probably be changed without causing any conflict.<br />
Will ran forward to see Wes, the only person he knew with enough influence<br />
to get the changes made. He needed the next two days clear between 12 noon and<br />
12 midnight to be certain that the job would be done, and he would give it a try<br />
tomorrow. What could he say to Wes? Lying to him was something he never<br />
29
Will Bonner<br />
envisaged, and he hated the very thought of doing it, but how else would he get<br />
around it?<br />
He was amazed at the speed a devious mind could come up with excuses. In<br />
seconds, he remembered how he once met a local radio operator (ham) in Aden,<br />
on a previous voyage. That would be his excuse for wanting a change in schedule.<br />
What a relief!<br />
Will burst into Wes's cabin finding him sitting on his bunk.<br />
"What's the hurry Will? Sit down and catch your breath."<br />
"Could you do me a favour Wes?"<br />
"You know I will, if I can."<br />
"I need the schedules changed so that I get the two mid-day watches off for<br />
the next two days. I will do any other watch or anything else for that matter, it's<br />
important to me."<br />
"Is that all?" Wes remarked nonchalantly, as though it was just a formality. "I'll<br />
see the first officer and get it changed right now as a matter of fact," and without<br />
another word Will watched him manipulate his bony body up the stairway towards<br />
the bridge.<br />
Will leaned for a moment against the handrail of the stairway and bowed his<br />
head. Wes hadn't even asked him why he wanted the change of roster, and he felt<br />
both elated for not having to lie, yet at the same time, admitting to himself that he<br />
had used a friend. He felt bad about that. Should Wes ever ask he would have<br />
to take a risk and tell him the truth, in a way that hopefully, would not compromise<br />
him. Returning to his cabin he started to prepare for the following day.<br />
Will awoke to start his early watch. Wes had succeeded in making the<br />
changes, relieving him of duty at 8 a.m. with plenty of time to get ashore. He<br />
intended to get up to the Queen of Sheba's Wells around mid afternoon.<br />
It had been a hot night without an iota of breeze, and the sun was getting up<br />
to kick the temperature over the century mark. He would stay on board for lunch<br />
instead of eating ashore. In the past Will, like many others, had picked up stomach<br />
bugs from eating in foreign ports, so he only ate ashore when there was no other<br />
option, and never in the back street cafes.<br />
What a good feeling it was to have solid ground under his feet again, just the<br />
act of walking ashore was a boost to the ego after the endless day to day routine<br />
on the ship. The smells, emanating through the intense heat greeted him as he<br />
30
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
walked across the harbour front into the town.<br />
He had an hour to spare, so he made his way into the centre to look through<br />
the bazaar. These foreign ports were notorious for pick-pocketing, just about<br />
everyone you knew had been "relieved" of something at one time or another. His<br />
hand, which had been constantly in his pocket since leaving Port Said, gripped the<br />
package more firmly. It would be a disaster to lose it at this critical time.<br />
The activity in the bazaar had subsided somewhat, as was customary in the<br />
middle of the day when the sun was as it's highest. It would start to spring to life<br />
again around 4 or 5 p.m. getting busier during the cooler part of the evening. In<br />
contrast to the dull austerity of wartime Britain, the bazaars had a distinct carnival<br />
atmosphere.<br />
Will looked at his watch. He had better get started, although it was only a few<br />
minutes walk to the town square where he would get transport up to the Queen<br />
of Sheba's Wells. There would be plenty of gharrys' - an open horse drawn landau<br />
type of vehicle, which were popular with the tourists.<br />
As he rounded the corner he was not disappointed, they were all lined up<br />
around the square, ready for him to take his pick. As he approached, the usual<br />
fight broke out between the drivers to get his business, and he had prepared<br />
himself to be pulled and pushed in all directions until a particular driver won out.<br />
With a wide beaming smile showing his stained and decaying teeth, the winner<br />
bowed and with a sweeping gesture of his arm, like an actor on the stage taking<br />
his final curtain, he directed Will into the well worn leather upholstered seat,<br />
adorned with faded seat cushions.<br />
Will sat precariously on the edge of the seat, trying not to make too much<br />
body contact with the cushions, thereby giving the fleas the opportunity of a new<br />
host, but the possibility of surviving even this short journey without picking one up,<br />
would be a miracle.<br />
By now, the heat was practically unbearable, the sweat was running in rivulets<br />
down his body and legs, causing the dust thrown up by the movement of the<br />
carriage to adhere to his skin and clothing. He was beginning to feel dirty and<br />
bedraggled, and for this reason had not dressed in his usual shore going tropical<br />
whites, but instead had remained in his work clothes.<br />
He was still gripping the package in his trouser pocket which was now<br />
saturated with sweat. Reluctantly, he transferred it to his shirt pocket. It would not<br />
31
Will Bonner<br />
be long before he would be relieved of it's demanding presence.<br />
His driver was taking the well known route to the Queen of Sheba's Wells and<br />
he recognized the land marks, estimating that they would arrive in about fifteen<br />
minutes. This was a rocky, dusty, bare land, and the rest of the journey would not<br />
be very scenic.<br />
The absence of people, the majority of whom were taking a mid-day rest,<br />
took even more away from the surroundings that now lacked the movement of life.<br />
Sliding over to one side of the carriage to try and get a breeze no matter how<br />
small, Will leaned forward to see the old horse swaying from side to side between<br />
the shafts. Poor thing, it had seen better days!<br />
The Queen of Sheba's Wells were situated in a group of hills, the approach<br />
being noticeable by the incline of the road. Feeling the pull on the carriage, the<br />
horse began to slow down, and the driver started to use the whip. You cruel sod,<br />
Will thought, but restrained himself, he just had to keep out of trouble. He<br />
remembered the incident when he wrestled the whip from a gharry driver in India<br />
who was maltreating his horse, whipping the driver with it, and consequently found<br />
himself in trouble with the law.<br />
Arriving at his destination, Will paid the driver and stepped out into the<br />
approaches to the entrance of the Queen of Sheba's Wells. There were a few<br />
people about, some of them servicemen seeing the sights. Will scanned the<br />
immediate area, looking for someone that might fit the possible description of a<br />
man whose picture he had fabricated in his mind. No one appeared to fall into the<br />
category. Glancing at his watch he concluded that his contact would probably still<br />
be at mid-day rest. If he waited there, where he was right now, he would be<br />
pestered by Adenese guides, beggars, etc. so it was best to keep moving.<br />
What if the contact failed to turn up? His stomach turned over at the thought.<br />
He would have no other option than to have a final try tomorrow, with no time to<br />
spare if things went wrong. Walking around the perimeter of the entrance he<br />
practiced the appearance of observing the sights, but there was very little to see<br />
and he felt as conspicuous as a goldfish in a bowl.<br />
The ticket office personnel were constantly looking his way, no doubt hoping<br />
that he would make up his mind to go in, and he was just getting to the point where<br />
he thought he would have to buy a ticket when a battered old taxi, with Arabic<br />
writing on the doors circled, passing Will in front of the entrance before stopping.<br />
32
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
He could see movement inside the cab, associated with the grinding of gears,<br />
prior to the taxi reversing back to where he was standing. The door opened and<br />
leaning half out of the vehicle was a tiny individual, dressed in an early 1900's suit,<br />
with as many holes and tears as it's years. His facial structure was typical of the<br />
population from this part of the world, with a mop of greasy hair falling around his<br />
dirty shirt collar. Beaming, he waved his small stubby fingered hand and spoke in<br />
broken English. "Get in the back please Sir."<br />
Will became suspicious, they did say he would be contacted by name, but here<br />
was someone probably trying to con him into a tour of some kind.<br />
"No, I'm waiting for someone."<br />
"Yes, you are waiting for me," pointing to his chest.<br />
"No I’m not."<br />
This is getting embarrassing thought Will, I'd better be firm, so he continued,<br />
"and if you pester me any more I shall call the police." The man's face took on a<br />
puzzled look, then, as though someone had turned a light switch on inside his head,<br />
his face beamed once again.<br />
"Oh, are you Mr. Broomer?"<br />
To Will, that is what the name sounded like, so he replied, "No, it's Brenner."<br />
The little man's face beamed even more. "Yes, yes, that's it, I must take you<br />
to see someone!"<br />
All Will's preconceived ideas about the contact disappeared into thin air. This<br />
was unbelievable!<br />
Getting into the back seat he looked around at the inside of the car, words<br />
could not describe it's condition, but it closely resembled the little man's suit. In<br />
addition, there was a mouldy smell emanating from the upholstery, which was not<br />
at all pleasant.<br />
The car turned and proceeded to rattle it's way up the hill, past the Queen of<br />
Sheba's Wells at breakneck speed. Eastern drivers invariably adhered to three<br />
rules. Foot flat down on the accelerator, hard down on the brake, or on two<br />
wheels around the corners. Will gripped the back of the front seat to prevent<br />
being buffeted from side to side, and looking over into the front observed the man<br />
who was sitting on two cushions, which just managed to give him enough height to<br />
peer through the windshield.<br />
All the foot pedals had crude blocks of wood attached to allow his short,<br />
33
Will Bonner<br />
stumpy legs to operate them. The countryside was hurtling by making it difficult to<br />
recognize, but at one stage Will thought he saw a familiar building, but concluded<br />
that he was probably mistaken.<br />
Will shouted over the noise of the vehicle. "How much farther to go?" The man<br />
turned causing the car to swerve towards the side of the road. The steering was<br />
so bad, it took several seconds to get it back under control again.<br />
"Just a few more minutes," he shouted, and to Will's relief the car slowed down<br />
to manoeuvre into a dirt road, towards a few houses, and pulling up in a cloud of<br />
dust in front of one of them. The man got out gesturing for Will to follow. Walking<br />
up the verandah steps they approached the front door.<br />
The house was of typical middle east structure, appearing to be in the upper<br />
bracket range. It was one of three in an area that appeared isolated. Turning to<br />
look back, Will noted they were about a quarter of a mile from the main road,<br />
which seemed deserted at that time.<br />
I wonder how I'm going to get back? Will pondered. The little taxi man was<br />
probably hired for that, so he dismissed the thought from his mind. During this time<br />
the little man had been impatiently knocking on the door which eventually opened,<br />
revealing a man with a badly pock-marked face, dressed in a Arabic fez and white<br />
gown.<br />
He spoke fiercely in Arabic to the little man. He's telling him off for banging<br />
too hard on the door, Will thought. Money changed hands and the little man,<br />
beaming once again at Will, took his final bow before proceeding to his taxi, which<br />
sped away engulfed in a cloud of dust.<br />
After the noisy drive up from the Queen of Sheba's Wells, Will immediately<br />
became aware of the silence which was creating an awkward moment for him, not<br />
knowing how to handle the situation from here on. The man beckoned him inside<br />
without saying a word.<br />
He doesn't speak English Will concluded, following him into a dim<br />
passageway, its walls lined with individually designed carpets in the form of murals.<br />
The usual smell of the East wafted through the air, rising and falling in intensity as<br />
they went further into the building.<br />
Will was beginning to realize that the house was much bigger than his first<br />
assessment. Several rooms branched off from left to right, but they were heading<br />
towards the end of the corridor which opened out into what appeared to be quite<br />
34
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
a large reception area. The smooth stone floor and walls gave a feeling of<br />
coolness, in contrast to the heat outside. Carved wooden seats were placed<br />
against three of the walls, and a rectangular table of similar design, positioned in<br />
the centre of the room, supported a large coloured eastern vase. His guide<br />
stopped and pointed to one of the seats, indicating that Will should sit and wait.<br />
The large door opposite was half open, revealing a room well lit with natural<br />
light. Will was suddenly aware that his guide was no longer in the room, and a<br />
feeling of apprehension came over him as he waited, wondering what was to<br />
happen next. The room was deathly quiet, reminding him of the small stone walled<br />
vestry, in his church back home.<br />
During the last few hours events had been testing his ability to cope, and the<br />
next incident may be no exception. A faint rustling could be heard coming from the<br />
room, but he could not distinguish whether it was human or animal. Concentrating<br />
on that part of the room visible through the open door, there were noticeable<br />
changes in the light and dark of the shadows. There was definitely someone inside.<br />
The still air was abruptly disturbed by the sound of a chair being dragged<br />
across the floor followed by footsteps, and within seconds a man appeared in the<br />
doorway stepping into full view on the opposite side of the table.<br />
Will stood up looking directly across the room at the person he was obviously<br />
intended to meet, but could not believe his eyes. The two men remained motionless<br />
for a few more seconds looking at each other, which was enough time to confirm<br />
that it was a man he had met in Aden, on a previous voyage.<br />
They had both moved simultaneously to get around the table, and Will<br />
extended his hand. "I have met you before, you have a radio shop in Aden, forgive<br />
me, but I have forgotten your name." By this time the men were face to face, and<br />
his host was obviously taken aback by Will's remark.<br />
In perfect Oxford English he replied. "I believe we have. Please call me Omah,<br />
come in and sit down." Will followed him inside.<br />
A large old desk monopolized the centre of the room, with sundry pieces of<br />
small furniture and tables placed on scatter rugs around the perimeter. Oil paintings<br />
adorned two of the walls, on the third a glass gun cabinet containing several<br />
antique pistols. A six bladed fan was faintly whirring in the centre of the tall ceiling,<br />
from which Will could feel the cool changes of air as they passed over his sweating<br />
body.<br />
35
Will Bonner<br />
Omah seated himself behind the desk in a chair that resembled a throne. Will<br />
sat down in a chair facing his host. "You have the parcel for me?"<br />
Will reached into his trouser pocket for the package, but it was empty. He was<br />
about to panic when he remembered transferring it to his shirt pocket on his way<br />
up to the Queen of Sheba's Wells. Quickly reaching into his pocket he passed the<br />
package over the desk to Omah, who then opened the lid of a carved cigar box<br />
sitting on the desk placing it inside. Will breathed a sigh of relief, his obligation had<br />
now been discharged, and feeling the impulse to return to his ship, he commenced<br />
to get up from his chair.<br />
"You must stay for something to eat before going back to your ship," and Will<br />
was about to decline when Omah continued, "there is something we must discuss."<br />
Will was curious but did not feel pressured, accepting the invitation on the<br />
basis he would not be back late as dusk was already falling. Omah had been<br />
educated in England, and they conversed about the war whilst eating. During the<br />
progression of the meal, Will had the opportunity to study him in more detail.<br />
He was a fine sophisticated looking young man, about 30 years old, slight of<br />
build, and well dressed in a dark blue business suit. He carried himself with an air<br />
of someone who would be completely in command of any situation. Apart from<br />
the colour of his skin, and the fact that his hair was pulled back into a small pony<br />
tail in the nape of his neck, he looked very European.<br />
Settling back to let his meal digest, Will was contemplating asking him directly<br />
what he wanted to talk to him about when they were interrupted by the pockfaced<br />
man with a colleague.<br />
Quickly cornering Omah, they rapidly engaged him in animated conversation,<br />
occasionally stopping briefly to look in Will's direction. At the apparent end of the<br />
discussion the pock-faced man shrugged his shoulders, casting a final glance at<br />
Will as he and his colleague walked out of the room.<br />
Omah quickly came to the point. "The fact that you know me has cast a<br />
shadow over this whole affair. They were listening when we introduced ourselves,<br />
and they have been agitated ever since. Their lives are on the line if something goes<br />
wrong, so we need to know more about you."<br />
Will took a deep breath, circumstances were rapidly changing, and to use a<br />
nautical term, the wind was being taken out of his sails. "I'll tell you the truth, the<br />
parcel came to me by mail at Port Said. I was asked just to deliver it."<br />
36
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
"We need to know more than that. What part of the intelligence organization<br />
are you from? And let us have some names."<br />
"I'm not part of any organization, and I don't know any names. I was virtually<br />
blackmailed into delivering the package, I don't even know what's in it."<br />
"It's a key code for my transmitter and they think you know about it. You must<br />
have realized when you recognized me, and knew of my radio background that I<br />
was involved. Until they are convinced that all is well, they won't let you go."<br />
Before Will had the opportunity to respond, the two men came back into the<br />
room again, the conversation soon reaching fever pitch. The pock-faced man kept<br />
running to the small window facing out from the rear of the building, looking out<br />
into the darkness, then back again. Opening the drawer of one of the side tables,<br />
he extracted two 45 calibre army service revolvers, giving one to his colleague, at<br />
the same time snapping open the breach to check the chamber for bullets, then<br />
both men ran out of the side door.<br />
Omah explained. "A stranger has appeared at one of the other houses which<br />
is vacant. He is snooping around, heading this way. They think it is too much of a<br />
coincidence, that it is happening whilst you are here. Wait while I check to see<br />
what's going on."<br />
Will stood leaning against the dining-room table, if he sat down he would be<br />
at a disadvantage if anything happened. His stomach muscles were in knots, the<br />
adrenalin was flowing and he felt the hair standing up on the back of his neck. In<br />
quick succession his knees started to shake, indicating the state of his nerves.<br />
He hardly had time to get control of himself when two muffled shots rang out<br />
and within seconds, a third. He had heard and also fired a 45 service revolver<br />
before, so he knew the sound and it's intensity indicated that the shots originated<br />
well away from the house. He panicked at the prospect of being involved, but<br />
before he had time to think Omah reappeared.<br />
"They have shot somebody, stay here while we get rid of the body!" Will's<br />
mind was suddenly activated. With everyone out at the back, the front of the house<br />
would be clear. It was an opportune time for him to get out.<br />
As fast as his shaking legs would carry him, and without losing time going<br />
down the steps, he jumped from the front verandah, miraculously making it to the<br />
street. Heading for the main road gasping for breath, and with a stitch in his side,<br />
he searched the darkness ahead for any obstructions.<br />
37
Will Bonner<br />
Scared to look back he turned right on to the main road, and headed in what<br />
he thought would be the direction of the Queen of Sheba's Wells. Once there, he<br />
could get transport back to the ship.<br />
He was now going downhill, and his feet felt as though they were not touching<br />
the ground, making it difficult to run faster without stumbling. Suddenly, the lights<br />
of a vehicle coming over the hill bore down on him, and he guessed that Omah and<br />
his men had caught up with him.<br />
Will stopped for a second or two, the terrain around him on either side of the<br />
road was rocky and barren without any cover, leaving him completely exposed.<br />
The horn of the vehicle shattered the still night and Will could now hear the engine<br />
noise, coupled with the rattling of wheels and body metal. He calculated that he<br />
may be able to lose them, and escape into the rocky outcrops, which the vehicle<br />
would not be able to negotiate, so he took off at right angles to the road, but the<br />
going was painfully slow over the uneven ground.<br />
The horn sounded again this time followed by gunfire. My God, they're<br />
shooting at me! But he heard no bullets and felt no pain in his body. He could still<br />
hear the vehicle approaching, and making a fatal mistake he turned to see how far<br />
it was behind. Missing his footing he fell on the rocky ground and rolled over.<br />
Getting up on his hands and knees he looked around for even the slightest cover,<br />
but there was none.<br />
For the first time he could hear excited voices, quite close. In despair, he<br />
collapsed to the ground terrified, waiting for what he thought would be the same<br />
fate as the victim of the previous shooting. The voices were only yards away now,<br />
the tone was commanding, and in Arabic. He could hear no footsteps, indicating<br />
that they had stopped, and there appeared to be two men, one on either side of<br />
him.<br />
Rolling over, and bringing himself into a sitting position, Will stared through the<br />
darkness in their direction. More shouted commands, and Will made no further<br />
moves as they came closer. At first, he could not recognize the dim shapes as they<br />
approached, but very soon he could not mistake their uniform.<br />
They were Adenese police carrying Lee Enfield .303 army rifles which were<br />
pointing at him. Will never thought it possible, he knew he was in a very dangerous<br />
position, but felt relieved in some way. If he made no movements he would<br />
probably be alright, so he remained passive. It was a typical "out of the frying pan<br />
38
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
into the fire" situation, but there was no comparison with his previous predicament.<br />
One of the policemen moved behind him and the other motioned Will to stand.<br />
The man behind him then proceeded to search for weapons, then pulling his arms<br />
backwards he felt the handcuffs snap over his wrists. All three walked slowly back<br />
to what Will now knew to be the police wagon. Throughout the whole period,<br />
since escaping from the house, he had seen no one other than these police. The<br />
area seemed to be deserted.<br />
Throwing him unceremoniously into the back of the vehicle, and locking the<br />
steel door behind him, they proceeded to drive down the hill. Looking out of the<br />
window, it seemed only a few minutes before the entrance to the Queen of Sheba's<br />
Wells appeared. What confounded bad luck thought Will. If I'd had the grace of<br />
another fifteen minutes I would have made it!<br />
Because of the rough ride, and not having the use of his arms to steady himself,<br />
Will found it necessary to sit on the floor and wrap his legs around one of the seat<br />
supports to prevent being buffeted from one side of the wagon to the other.<br />
Through the small meshed open window to the driver's compartment over the<br />
noise of the engine, he could hear the rapid chatter of the policemen's voices,<br />
interposed occasionally with laughter, and once again he experienced that same<br />
feeling of relief that he had on the rocky outcrop some fifteen minutes earlier.<br />
In complete contradiction to his predicament, he actually felt safe enclosed<br />
within the walls of his mobile prison. More laughter emanated from the front and<br />
Will felt himself breaking into a nervous smile. Within minutes the wagon pulled<br />
up, and he assumed that they had probably arrived at a police station on the<br />
outskirts of Aden.<br />
The building was typical of a government structure in that part of the world.<br />
Arches everywhere, opening into cloistered yards, surrounded with rooms.<br />
Will was pushed every few paces to keep him on the move. He had partially<br />
torn the sole from his right shoe, making it awkward to walk, the sharp stones had<br />
penetrated, cutting his toes. Glancing down to make sure that he lifted his foot by<br />
just the right amount to prevent tripping, he noticed that his clothes were torn,<br />
especially around the legs, blood had oozed out in patches around the tears, and<br />
also on to the sole of his shoe.<br />
Opening one of the doors he was given a final push, and he found himself in<br />
a small bare room, lit by a single electric light bulb hanging from the ceiling. A long<br />
39
Will Bonner<br />
thin mirror, hanging on one wall was tilted slightly, indicating that it had been<br />
positioned to allow whoever was sitting at the desk to see into the yard - through<br />
the doorway.<br />
Will stepped forward and glancing at himself in the mirror, got the shock of<br />
his life. There were signs of blood everywhere, mixed with dirt, and it had run<br />
down the side of his face from a cut on his head. He didn't feel too bad, but the<br />
sight took him by surprise. Will took a grip of himself, there were so many things<br />
going on in his mind at that moment, but one thing for certain, he must not start<br />
feeling sorry for himself, as he would probably need all the strength he could<br />
muster, for what may lie ahead.<br />
Seated behind a desk with his back to the wall, was a man wearing the same<br />
uniform as the two policemen, but showing a higher rank, possibly an Inspector.<br />
He was a military looking type, sporting a short moustache. One of the policemen<br />
threw Will's wallet on to the desk. It had been taken when he was searched, and<br />
immediately animated conversation took place. The two policemen stood back<br />
and the Inspector opened it, removing the contents for inspection.<br />
The room remained silent while he meticulously looked at each piece of paper,<br />
placing them in a square pattern on his desk. Will could feel the salty sweat running<br />
down his body from the still, hot air in the room, and it was getting into the various<br />
cuts, causing stinging sensations.<br />
The Inspector looked up after completing his inspection of Will's wallet, and<br />
spoke in quite good English. "Your name is Brenner, and you are on a ship in the<br />
convoy?"<br />
"Yes, could you take these handcuffs off?"<br />
"No, not until we have finished talking to you. What were you doing north of<br />
the Queen of Sheba's Wells so late?"<br />
"I was lost."<br />
"Did you know that the area was under curfew?"<br />
"No, I didn't."<br />
The Inspector's last question solved why the area had been so deserted, and<br />
also the reason for the shooting before his capture. They had been warning shots,<br />
and that's why they have brought me in!<br />
"Shots were heard in the vicinity and you were seen running away. What do<br />
you know about that?"<br />
40
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
"I was convinced that the road would take me back to the Queen of Sheba's<br />
Wells where I could get transport, and I was going as fast as I could to get back<br />
to the ship."<br />
"You must have heard the shots."<br />
"Yes, but that gave me all the more reason to start running."<br />
The Inspector nodded his head as though in agreement, and Will started to feel<br />
relieved. Was this going to be as straight forward as it sounded?<br />
The Inspector gestured towards the others and his handcuffs were removed.<br />
Will rubbed his wrists to get the circulation back to normal. "We will have to hold<br />
you until tomorrow," the Inspector remarked, "the British Embassy will have to be<br />
informed, and somebody will come to see you. It is routine."<br />
What a blow! When the handcuffs were taken off Will thought he was going<br />
to be released, but he was still in trouble, not knowing how it would all end.<br />
The Inspector gestured again, coupled with a short remark in Arabic, and the<br />
two policemen escorted Will out of the room and into the cloisters, the sole of his<br />
shoe making clapping noises in the still night as he raised and lowered his foot.<br />
The cell block was only a very short distance away, and they escorted him into<br />
a large reception area leading to the cells. Other policemen were on night duty<br />
there, and they took over the responsibility of getting Will under lock and key.<br />
There had been no more pushing since his interrogation by the Inspector, and he<br />
was beginning to gain his composure, but he was not prepared for what was going<br />
to be his home for the night, and well into the next day.<br />
The cell was of reasonable size, about 12 x 12 feet, probably to cope with<br />
several prisoners at the same time. One small barred window was inset into the<br />
very thick stone outside wall. There was no chair or bed, no washbasin or toilet,<br />
just the four bare walls, ceiling and floor.<br />
The door clanged shut behind him, and he was suddenly aware of a horrible<br />
smell. It took him seconds to detect it's location. There were stale faeces in the<br />
corner and someone had urinated on the walls. The stench was so pungent that<br />
Will found himself trying not to breath in an effort to subdue it's effect.<br />
He moved into the centre of the room, coming to the conclusion that due to his<br />
condition he would not be able to stand for the remainder of the night. Lowering<br />
himself into the sitting position he began mulling over the past events, and what<br />
could happen the next day.<br />
41
Will Bonner<br />
Omah, was no doubt a well respected business man in Aden, and they would<br />
never suspect him, so the chances were good that he would not be implicated. He<br />
had heard of seamen being thrown into foreign jails for being drunk and disorderly,<br />
and because of the Embassy acting too slowly in dealing with the situation, their<br />
ships would sail without them. Was this going to happen to him?<br />
Lying down on his side with his knees drawn up to his chest he fell into a series<br />
of short but troubled naps, awaking each time to stretch his cramped legs, or being<br />
disturbed by the guard checking up on him.<br />
It seemed forever before the light of dawn came, but in reality it had only been<br />
a few hours. Hearing noises in the corridor outside he stood up to see the hatch<br />
in the door open, and a glass of water on a plate with a small pancake, appearing<br />
on the shelf, adjacent to the hatch door.<br />
Will was not hungry as he had eaten the night before, so he fortunately had no<br />
desire to eat the stale looking pancake, but he would have to drink knowing the<br />
problems the lack of fluid would bring, after sweating for so long.<br />
Picking up the glass he took a sip. It was warm, as though it had been standing<br />
out in the sun, it tasted shocking, and he could see bits of debris floating in the<br />
bottom of the glass. Steeling himself and trying not to disturb the debris, he lifted<br />
the glass and tried to take in as much as he could, shuddering as he did so.<br />
Standing by the door, and placing his ear next to the barred opening, he<br />
strained to listen to the activity going on in the reception area hoping to hear some<br />
English language, but no such luck. He remained there nevertheless, it being the<br />
best vantage point with nowhere else to go.<br />
Quite early that morning he was surprised to be ushered into the reception<br />
area, where it was obvious by the way he was dressed, that the man standing there<br />
was from the Embassy. By the look on his face, he was definitely not very happy<br />
being called out early. His bearing would have fitted in perfectly with the plush<br />
decor of the Embassy, looking completely out of place in this filthy setting.<br />
"My name is Forsyth, what have you been up to young man?" he asked<br />
accusingly.<br />
"Nothing, I just got caught out during the curfew."<br />
"You should have known better, you've got us into a fine mess."<br />
Will felt his anger rising. "Mr. Forsyth, isn't it your job to look after my<br />
welfare? Ask whether I am being mistreated and properly housed? Also, when<br />
42
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
can I expect to be released back to my ship?"<br />
"Don't be impertinent young man, we'll do our best but we can't promise<br />
anything."<br />
Typical! Will thought, as he was being taken back to his cell. That didn't go<br />
down very well, and as the door once again clanged shut behind him he began to<br />
imagine the consequences, if he were to be left behind.<br />
The encounter with the Embassy official Forsyth, had built up a resentment that<br />
was giving him some spark. What the hell! he thought. These government people<br />
don't work in days, it takes them all of that to sign a piece of paper! Resigning<br />
himself to the fact that he would have to wait it out, he decided that if nothing had<br />
happened by the evening he would start complaining bitterly, making himself a<br />
nuisance until they gave him better quarters and food, so he settled down to wait.<br />
As the day went by the cell turned into an oven, and Will found himself lying<br />
on the floor, both to conserve energy and to try to get away from the heat, which<br />
was several degrees hotter closer to the ceiling.<br />
It was early afternoon when he was aroused by loud English speaking voices<br />
shouting in the reception area. His feeling of fatigue seemed suddenly to disappear<br />
as the sounds inspired him. Leaping to his feet he placed his ear once again next<br />
to the grating in the door, but before he had the chance to decipher what was<br />
going on, he could hear multiple sets of footsteps approaching, along the short<br />
corridor to his cell.<br />
The door opened and he was confronted by Peter Bowles, one of the officers<br />
from the ship, in full uniform. Immediately behind him, an entourage of just about<br />
all the policemen on duty, including the Inspector who had interrogated him the<br />
previous night.<br />
"Bloody hell! he shouted looking at Will's condition, and turning to the<br />
Inspector, Bowles continued, "you've tortured him, you've bloody well tortured<br />
him!"<br />
"No, we haven't," the Inspector replied, looking alarmed, not knowing how<br />
to deal with the situation. Peter Bowles rage continued to rise and also the<br />
amplitude of his voice.<br />
"I'm going to have this man photographed for evidence, and I'll see to it that<br />
you all get charged and court martialled. You'll all lose your jobs, and if I have my<br />
way you'll get put in prison. Release this man immediately!"<br />
43
Will Bonner<br />
The Inspector floundered, stuttering. "We must have approval from the<br />
Embassy."<br />
"Bugger the Embassy!" Bowles shouted, and lifting his head above the crowd<br />
surrounding the door he called, "Brampton, go and get the British Military Police<br />
Commander!"<br />
"No, no, don't do that!" the Inspector interjected, "we'll release him now," and<br />
stepping through the doorway towards Will the Inspector put his hand on his<br />
shoulder to guide him out.<br />
"Take your hands off that man," Bowles ordered, "he's had enough abuse, and<br />
bring a stretcher!" The Inspector spoke frantically in Arabic and a stretcher<br />
appeared. Will could see Wes approaching the door. At the sight of Will's<br />
appearance he stopped in his tracks.<br />
"My God, what have they done to you?" Then in the next instance his concern<br />
turned to anger. Turning to all the Adenese police in the corridor he shouted<br />
something in Arabic. Will was stunned. He can speak Arabic! Again, he was<br />
amazed at the capacity of this man.<br />
By this time the Inspector and Officer Bowles had gone to the office, and just<br />
about all the policemen around the door were looking really scared, continuously<br />
looking from one to the other.<br />
"What did you say to them Wes?"<br />
"I told them that they would be put against a wall and shot for what they had<br />
done."<br />
Will could easily have walked out, but it was insisted that he get on the<br />
stretcher. As he was carried through the reception, he felt like the survivor from<br />
a disaster. The place was crowded and Peter Bowles joined them, walking<br />
alongside.<br />
Raising his voice above the hubbub he shouted. "You have not heard the last<br />
of this, we'll be back!" and with that parting remark Will found himself outside in<br />
the street, being helped into a car, leaving the stretcher lying on the pavement.<br />
The car pulled away, and ship's Officer Bowles turned to Will who was sitting<br />
in the back seat. "How are you feeling Brenner?"<br />
"Much better now Sir, thanks to you."<br />
"Did an official from the Embassy call?"<br />
"Yes Sir."<br />
44
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
"These officials are bloody hopeless, they have no guts to deal with a situation<br />
when it arises, but those buggers at the police station will think twice before they<br />
maltreat another British citizen!"<br />
With all that had gone on in the last half-hour, Will didn't have the courage to<br />
tell him that they had not mistreated him. It would only require further explanations<br />
and he was just glad to be out of that jail.<br />
"You stink like a pig Will," Wes remarked "Let's get you back for a shower<br />
and a change of clothes, and you had better go up to the ship's doctor and be<br />
checked out."<br />
"Stop fussing about like an old hen Wes, but I'm in your debt for bailing me<br />
out."<br />
Once back on board he had to encounter one more surprise that he had not<br />
envisaged. Everyone who knew him, had crowded around the entrance to his<br />
cabin. They had obviously heard everything via the galley wireless, which was a<br />
shipboard term for the passage of information by mouth, and like any rumour, it<br />
had quickly circulated around the ship.<br />
Cheers and clapping broke out as he approached with Wes, and they all<br />
parted, giving him sufficient room to enter the cabin. The contrast of his ordeal,<br />
and now the concerns of all these men for his welfare, pushed Will to the edge and<br />
he felt as though he would breakdown, but Wes as usual came to his rescue.<br />
"Thanks fella's," he called out, "shall we leave him alone now, he's had a bit of<br />
trouble and needs a rest." Without hesitation, everyone quickly came by, each with<br />
a word of encouragement, leaving him alone in the cabin with Wes.<br />
"I owe you an explanation Wes."<br />
"No you don't, I know what you've been through. Just take it easy and get<br />
your strength back before we sail."<br />
After a shower and a visit to the ship's dispensary to get his cuts treated, Will<br />
began to feel his old self again.<br />
It was evening mealtime and going to the dinner table he devoured everything<br />
in sight, as if he had been on a hunger strike. During the meal he considered the<br />
aftermath of the recent happenings, and concluded that with the way things had<br />
worked out, there appeared to be no loose ends to worry about in the near future.<br />
Once at sea, he would be out of the local jurisdiction anyway.<br />
The convoy would sail the next day, making the release from jail, a close call.<br />
45
Will Bonner<br />
The voyage across the Indian Ocean to Bombay, even though the monsoon season<br />
had started, would be routine and mundane, but after his recent experiences, for<br />
once, he was looking forward to that.<br />
Feeling very tired he climbed into his bunk for an early night. Nothing, not even<br />
the heat would prevent him from having a long sleep, but before he closed his eyes<br />
he made a vow.<br />
He would never go ashore in Aden again.<br />
46
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
Chapter 4<br />
The Proposal<br />
The voyage across the Indian Ocean would take over a week, and after the<br />
events in Aden Will was happy during the first few days to settle down to his<br />
routine watches. In that part of the world, it was the time of year when the<br />
monsoons started, and before very long Will found himself once again, in heavy<br />
seas. It was not quite as bad as the Atlantic, but bad enough for his stomach to<br />
start rejecting food.<br />
Portholes were closed, the deadlights lowered and screwed down tight, to<br />
prevent the seas from getting into the cabin, should the porthole be damaged. With<br />
the lower decks now battened down, the air circulation was reliant only on the<br />
ship's ventilation system, consequently, the temperature skyrocketed. The<br />
incessant rain made the atmosphere excessively humid, and breathing most<br />
difficult.<br />
Will kept a constant vigil, inspecting the clothes hanging in his locker. Mould<br />
was growing in patches and needed regular attention to prevent having to throw<br />
47
Will Bonner<br />
them away. Between watches, he would spend most of the time lying on his back,<br />
to ease the waves of nausea resulting from the motion of the ship. He felt<br />
constantly ill, finding even performing the most routine tasks an effort.<br />
The violent excursions could be likened to that of the Big Dipper at a<br />
fairground without the benefit of being able to get off. It just keeps going twentyfour<br />
hours a day, and for as many days as it takes to clear the weather. The act of<br />
getting out of his bunk to start work was always a torturous ordeal.<br />
About one day's sailing from Bombay the weather abated, skies were clear,<br />
and the air felt fresh. What a relief it was to be able to open the portholes again<br />
and feel the fresh circulation of air in the cabin! After the ordeal of the rough<br />
crossing, the sides of Will's stomach were literally sticking together for lack of<br />
food, and it was almost like Christmas to be able to sit down to a full meal again.<br />
The activity on board intensified, as hundreds of soldiers began to prepare for<br />
disembarkation. Will usually kept away from the troop decks during this period,<br />
but on that particular day he had decided to take a walk on the aft deck. Having<br />
had a good meal, and with the ship now in a calm sea, and on an even keel, his<br />
nausea was rapidly disappearing.<br />
The decks were crowded, but Will managed to find himself a space next to<br />
one of the air vents and sat down, using the vent as a back rest. Four soldiers sat<br />
only a few feet away engaged in conversation. The nearest one turned to Will.<br />
"Where is the ship going when it leaves Bombay?"<br />
"I don't know for certain, but I think we are picking up troops in Bombay and<br />
taking them home, via South Africa."<br />
The ship berthed at Victoria docks. Will always watched the troops<br />
disembarking, and this occasion was no exception. They were continuously filing<br />
down the gangways, assembling on the quay and marching to lorries or trains that<br />
were waiting to transport them to their various destinations. The shouting of<br />
military commands echoed around the quay, accompanied by the sound of army<br />
boots on the hard concrete surface. Someone called out. "There's Wingate!"<br />
Will ran forward as far as he could go to get a better look. The contingent was<br />
small, only about 50 selected men. Colonel Wingate was dressed as though he had<br />
just got back from the jungle, wearing khaki baggy shorts, a shirt and a pair of well<br />
worn army sandals. Orde Charles Wingate rising to the rank of Major-General<br />
was a dynamic but unorthodox military leader in world war 2. His exploits behind<br />
48
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
Japanese lines in the jungles of Burma were creative, daring, and controvercial. He<br />
inspired great confidence in his men a force known as the “Chindits” to tolerate the<br />
extremely adverse physical conditions. Malaria and malnutrition, with lice and<br />
leeches adding to their misery. As a result apart from being killed in action many<br />
did not survive.He walked up and down the ranks of men with his arms behind his<br />
back, clutching a short cane or officer's baton. A shouted command echoed across<br />
the quayside and they marched towards their awaiting transportation.<br />
Disembarkation was now completed, but the ship would be in Bombay for<br />
about a week, during which time troops that had either served their time, been<br />
wounded, and for many other reasons, would be taken aboard and shipped back<br />
home to England. Will had been to Bombay before and knew his way around,<br />
enough to find the places that interested him. His duties had been drastically<br />
reduced, leaving him with practically all of the week off.<br />
He was looking forward to seeing more of the native areas, other than the well<br />
known tourist sights. He always went alone, giving him the freedom of choice<br />
without having to get a consensus. It had always been that way, even though<br />
everyone was warned not to go into the native quarter alone, but he had two rules<br />
that he rigidly kept to. Never go at night and never walking - but always taking a<br />
ride in a gharry. There had been a couple of times in the past when he had found<br />
himself in a problematic situation, and the gharry driver had come to the rescue on<br />
each occasion.<br />
Will remained on board for the rest of the day. There was plenty of activity on<br />
the quayside, which was far from boring, as viewed from the ship's rail. That night<br />
was to be the first quiet, trouble free sleep, he had experienced for some time.<br />
The following morning, after a few early duties and a late breakfast, he had<br />
decided to spend a leisurely day out in that part of the town, which was within<br />
walking distance. It was a fine hot day, as he made his way out of the docks and<br />
on to the red betel-nut stained footpath, leading into the town.<br />
Aden seemed a long way in the past, but Will began comparing places. There<br />
was some comparison, but the magnitude of poverty here was astronomical. It was<br />
constantly only feet away, and impossible to get any relief without going into shops<br />
or bazaars, where the traders would keep the beggars away.<br />
The human influence was intense, thousands and thousands of people<br />
everywhere, and the intensity would grow, the deeper into the native quarter,<br />
49
Will Bonner<br />
where one might choose to venture. There was that acrid smell again, difficult to<br />
describe. Not distinguishable as human or animal, but a cocktail of everything the<br />
culture emanated, which seemed to be magnified by the heat. One just had to be<br />
there to experience it.<br />
Will walked on, increasing his stride to shrug off the persistent tugging of his<br />
clothes by the native population to get attention. He was heading for a barber shop<br />
in the vicinity to get a haircut. He knew he would be in the chair for about two<br />
hours, and after some lunch would spend the rest of the day in the bazaars hoping<br />
to pick something up to take back home to his mother.<br />
Arriving back at the ship during the early evening, and finding that the diningroom<br />
was still open, he helped himself to a meal from the galley and sat at an<br />
empty table. It had been a good first day ashore and he felt relaxed, enjoying his<br />
meal without the interruption of the ship's movement.<br />
"There you are Will." It was Wes Brampton. "I haven't seen you for awhile,<br />
but I thought I would catch up with you eventually. Have you been ashore yet?"<br />
"Yes Wes, all day. I really enjoyed it."<br />
"Take some advice from an old man, and don't go into the native quarter on<br />
your own."<br />
"No, I won't Dad," countered Will, jokingly.<br />
"There's been someone asking for you." This last remark demanded Will's full<br />
attention. "He waited for you, but before he left I told him that you usually spent<br />
time at the Taj Mahal Hotel during the afternoon, stopping for a drink and<br />
sometimes a meal. He said he would wait there tomorrow for you."<br />
Will bombarded Wes for more information, but there was very little he could<br />
give other than that he had asked for Will by name, and Wes giving him a sketchy<br />
description of the man.<br />
"I'm off now. Don't forget about the native quarters, we don't want another<br />
episode like Aden do we?"<br />
"I promise Wes. Take care, see you soon."<br />
Here we go again! Will thought. Wes did not know this man, so he can't be<br />
a crew member. The only positive information indicated that he was European.<br />
It's no good trying to see into the future, he would have to see what tomorrow<br />
would bring, but the meeting with the correspondent at Algiers kept surfacing in<br />
50
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
his mind, which disturbed him. His agenda for the following day had now been<br />
rearranged for him.<br />
Once again, after early duties and a late breakfast, Will decided to make use<br />
of his morning to write a letter home, and get over to the hotel early afternoon for<br />
a late lunch. He found it difficult to write with his mind searching for answers about<br />
his forthcoming meeting that he knew would be impossible to reconcile, but finally<br />
managed to fill up the air letter without breaching the censorship code. Getting into<br />
his shore going gear and dropping off his letter at the purser's office, he reluctantly<br />
made his way ashore.<br />
The Taj Mahal Hotel was plush to the extreme, exceeding even the European<br />
standard of excellence. One could walk from it's atmosphere in the reception<br />
lounge only a few yards into the street, where literally thousands of people had no<br />
possessions, and their life's progress was the ability to be able to get from one<br />
meal to the next. Will would never become insulated from it's profound effect on<br />
him.<br />
There were very few people in the lounge area and Will had no difficulty in<br />
finding a large comfortable chair. Lowering himself into the luxury of the cushions<br />
he looked around for signs of his prospective visitor.<br />
The physical surroundings during the wait for his contact at the Queen of<br />
Sheba's Wells in Aden bore no comparison, but the feeling of apprehension was<br />
just as powerful. A smartly dressed Indian in a red and white uniform appeared,<br />
carrying a silver tray with a white cloth draped over his left arm. Will ordered a<br />
cold drink of juice which appeared without delay, and he sat sipping it, wondering<br />
how long it would be before he was approached. Under normal circumstances he<br />
could have relaxed, but he was on edge, time was slipping by and finishing his<br />
drink, he ordered another.<br />
The lounge started to get busier, people returning from an early lunch Will<br />
thought, and he kept checking around, eliminating the groups and looking for<br />
individuals.<br />
"Will Brenner?" The voice came from behind and to his left. Finding it<br />
awkward to turn in the soft cushions, he stood up and pivoted around in the<br />
direction of the voice.<br />
Confronting him was a man impeccably dressed in a light khaki safari jacket,<br />
matching long trousers, and highly polished brown shoes. It went through Will's<br />
51
Will Bonner<br />
mind that this man would make an ideal partner for Miles Cavanagh, the assistant<br />
purser. His tanned complexion was clear, but slightly wrinkled around the eyes and<br />
forehead, putting his age around 50 years.<br />
"Yes, I'm Will Brenner," moving forward, extending his hand to greet him.<br />
"I say old chap, I hope I haven't kept you waiting?"<br />
"No need for apologies, I have no other arrangements."<br />
"That's good, let's have a bite to eat and we can talk." They finished up in a<br />
casual dining-room off the main entrance hall. His visitor selected a table in the<br />
corner and they sat down.<br />
"You have the advantage," Will prompted. "I don't know your name."<br />
"Just call me Blyth old chap, if you would."<br />
"I haven't met you before, but you appear to know me."<br />
"I most certainly do, that's what I want to talk to you about."<br />
Their conversation was momentarily interrupted by the waiter, and Will took<br />
advantage of the break to get his mind organized.<br />
"I don't wish to appear rude, but I would prefer you to get to the point of your<br />
visit."<br />
Blyth hesitated, busying himself breaking and buttering his bread roll. Will<br />
pressed no further, allowing him the privilege of restarting the conversation. He<br />
was expecting to hear something similar to the correspondent in Algiers, having<br />
made up his mind that it was probably about the package. Paying no attention to<br />
his meal, he looked directly across the table at Blyth hoping to catch any reaction<br />
on his face, but nothing showed.<br />
"I am part of the intelligence organization that arranged for the delivery of the<br />
package in Aden." Will waited for more cajoling and possible threats, but they did<br />
not materialize. He continued. "We were very impressed by the way you handled<br />
the task. It didn't go quite as planned, did it?"<br />
"There was some trouble, if that's what you mean." He didn't elaborate further<br />
and say things that he would regret.<br />
"A man was shot and killed," Blyth whispered, not wanting that part of the<br />
conversation to be overheard, "you did exactly the right thing by splitting away<br />
from the scene, but most unfortunate to have been picked up by the police.<br />
Nevertheless, by getting away, you were not implicated."<br />
"I was questioned about the shooting."<br />
52
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
"Yes, but you gave the right answers."<br />
"The police will be investigating won't they?" accepting by now that Blyth<br />
knew all about the incident.<br />
"No, the man killed was a German agent, an absolute idiot trying to take<br />
advantage of the curfew to get information. He deserved what he got and his body<br />
will never be found. The police have concluded that it was another sporadic<br />
reporting of gunfire they get occasionally around Aden. It's all over, and the<br />
package is doing it's job. You took the right action under pressure."<br />
"Would you believe I was only trying to survive?"<br />
"Survival is the name of the game, that's why we are impressed." The<br />
conversation seemed to be approaching a conclusion and Will was puzzled. Why<br />
is he telling me all this? There was no need. He must have a ulterior motive. Once<br />
again, the thought crossed his mind that he was about to be forced into doing<br />
another job, but Blyth continued. "Let's have coffee in the lounge."<br />
During the walk back to their original meeting place, Will had concluded that<br />
there was more to come, but what? The lounge was now practically deserted, and<br />
getting seated in the corner of the room enabled them to continue their<br />
conversation without the fear of being overheard.<br />
Coffee and small chocolate wafer biscuits appeared within seconds of getting<br />
settled and Blyth, reaching into his pocket gave the waiter a tip. The level of<br />
conversation was now missing from the room and the silence was interrupted only<br />
by the sound of the giant fans hanging from the ceiling, and the occasional hollow<br />
voices reverberating from the adjacent marbled entrance hall.<br />
Blyth broke the silence in a loud whisper. "Look here old chap, I"ll come<br />
straight to the point. Would you like to be part of our particular section of British<br />
Intelligence?"<br />
Will's mind struggled to formulate an appropriate answer, and it's effect must<br />
have been visible on his face. Blyth continued. "You would sign off when you got<br />
back to Liverpool, we would take over from there. The money is good and the<br />
assignments are not all like the one in Aden."<br />
"Tell me more about the organization."<br />
"That's not my job, but you must decide now, for things to proceed. In any<br />
case you've already been initiated and must have a fair idea of what's involved."<br />
53
Will Bonner<br />
Will's mind was racing through the events since his encounter with the ferret<br />
man, trying to weigh up the pro's and con's, but it was impossible to come to any<br />
conclusion. "I'll see you here tomorrow and give you my decision then."<br />
"No, it must be now," Blyth reaffirmed. "This will be our one and only meeting.<br />
After today, the chances of seeing one another again, will be highly unlikely."<br />
Will's mind was filled with uncertainty. He had always been taught to react to<br />
gut feelings, and he wasn't very happy with the way things were being presented,<br />
in the light of no available facts.<br />
"In that case my answer will have to be no."<br />
Blyth showed no reaction. "You surely appreciate that things have not<br />
changed, and you will be called upon from time to time."<br />
"There's not much I can do to avoid that," Will countered, and expecting the<br />
inevitable. "I suppose you have something for me now."<br />
"As a matter of fact, yes." Will was slowly getting used to the trend of events.<br />
After the Aden incident, he would nevertheless try to keep out of trouble. He was<br />
beginning to learn.<br />
They both relaxed and Blyth began to outline the requirements. He lowered<br />
his voice and Will moved closer to catch every word. "We have an agent in<br />
Bombay who is a Hindu and he has a shoe and carpet shop quite close to here,<br />
near Crawford market. This is his card." and passing it over, Will noted it was<br />
printed in both Hindu and English. "He has been suspected of being a double<br />
agent, and recently we have proved that this is the case. People are getting killed<br />
and he has to be stopped." Will had no need to even think about what Blyth had<br />
just said.<br />
"There's no way I can possibly help you."<br />
"Yes you can, and your part would be simple."<br />
"That's what your man in Algiers said, and look what happened in Aden!"<br />
"It's quite straightforward."<br />
"Yes, he said that too!"<br />
Blyth carried on. "It is illegal to own or sell weapons and have knives over 6"<br />
long. It is punishable by death in some cases, and we are certain that he uses this<br />
shop as a front to sell ritual daggers, scimitars and weapons of all kinds, but we<br />
can't find out where he keeps them. Once we do, we can have him put away, but<br />
we are certain that they won't be at the shop. You will never be suspected, so go<br />
54
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
into the shop to buy a pair of sandals, and casually ask where you could buy a<br />
ceremonial dagger to use as a letter opener. They will want to go away and get<br />
one or two samples to bring to you. Say no, you want to see the complete display<br />
to choose from."<br />
Blyth still continued. "If they make arrangements for the following day go along<br />
with that, it gives them time to check you out. Give them all the information<br />
necessary to convince them, and when you eventually view the whole collection<br />
of stock, buy something, be enthusiastic about everything, and come away thrilled<br />
with your purchase."<br />
"How will you know where the cache is if I won't see you again?"<br />
"Someone will keep tabs on you. Just go back to the ship, after the purchase."<br />
He stopped and took a deep breath. "Do you have any queries?"<br />
"No, I'll go tomorrow afternoon, that will give another three days for them to<br />
contact me before the ship sails."<br />
Blyth extended his hand. "I'd better be off, I've been here too long as it is. Best<br />
of luck." Within seconds he had disappeared through the door.<br />
Will suddenly felt very lonely. He was now completely on his own, with no one<br />
to turn to for advice or assistance, travelling down a one-way street with no turning<br />
back. Everything sounded easy, as before, but Will knew that it could backfire at<br />
any time, once things got started.<br />
The lounge had lost it's comfortable feeling so he got up from his seat and<br />
walked out trying to expel his troubled thoughts. Finding himself in the main<br />
entrance he hesitated at the bottom of the large marble staircase, the hotel's most<br />
talked about feature, briefly watching people enroute to the floors above. Others<br />
were standing in various places around the hall. There was no sign of Blyth, not<br />
that Will expected him to be there. He stopped short as he passed through the<br />
main door to the street.<br />
Confronted with torrential rain, which was commonplace during the monsoon<br />
period, and sometimes lasting for days, there was no point in waiting for it to stop.<br />
Will started to walk back to the ship, and within a couple of minutes he was<br />
completely saturated. Just like standing fully clothed under a warm shower Will<br />
mused, as he dodged from side to side to avoid bumping into people on the<br />
pavement.<br />
55
Will Bonner<br />
The following day he had decided to get reacquainted with the area during the<br />
morning, and after a light lunch would try and locate the shoe shop. He wouldn't<br />
need to ask directions as he had been into the Crawford market area before,<br />
looking through the bazaars, but if he had any difficulties he could slip back to the<br />
tourist centre for more information, which was within walking distance.<br />
Will eventually found himself at the entrance to the Crawford market, it was<br />
early afternoon giving him plenty of time to find the shop. Practically all of the<br />
shops within easy reach of the docks bore the English as well as Hindu signs, so<br />
he knew that there would be no difficulty spotting it amongst the others. Looking<br />
again at the address on the card, he knew that it would not be situated inside the<br />
market, so he would have to concentrate on the streets in the near vicinity.<br />
I suppose it is understandable when an address is given to a European he<br />
thinks European, where all the street names and numbers are carefully sign posted.<br />
But here when looking down a street, one is confronted with thousands of people,<br />
all dressed alike, and the whole scene radiating a picture of organized chaos. The<br />
congestion of both people and buildings was overwhelming!<br />
Will looked in bewilderment, wondering whether right from the start he would<br />
have to go to the tourist centre for help. He decided however, to first give it a try<br />
since he was on the spot and had enough time. Starting systematically, he searched<br />
the street in a clockwise direction, some fifty yards at a time, on both sides of the<br />
street. He had no need for concern and within the hour caught sight of the shop,<br />
which was centred in the more prestigious part of the area.<br />
The frontage was much larger than he had expected, with cascades of racks<br />
and stands on the pavement, containing shoes, belts, and other leather goods. Two<br />
young Hindus, positioned at either end of the display, were obviously employees<br />
keeping a constant vigilance against prospective thieves, which abounded in the<br />
vicinity. They would only have to relax for a second and something would<br />
mysteriously disappear.<br />
Will stood for a few minutes trying to pluck up enough courage to cross the<br />
street and enter the shop, but the longer he stood the more nervous he became.<br />
Eventually, the butterflies in his stomach became so obvious that he moved away<br />
and around the corner, out of sight of the shop, trying to quell the doubts that were<br />
uppermost in his mind. After awhile his nervousness began to abate.<br />
56
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
This was something new for Will, and he was trying to come to terms with the<br />
role of deceit that he would soon have to perform. His wellbeing, even perhaps his<br />
life, could be in jeopardy if he messed things up. You will have to make a move<br />
soon, or you will never go at all, Will said to himself. For God's sake, go in there,<br />
buy a pair of sandals and ask the question!<br />
Approaching the shop once again from the other side of the street, he stopped<br />
momentarily, looking around for signs of Blyth's surveillance man, but it was<br />
impossible because of the crowded street. Picking his way across to the open<br />
entrance door, he went inside.<br />
Will became suddenly aware of the expanse. The room was huge, some 100<br />
feet or more long, by at least 50 feet wide, which contrasted sharply with the<br />
congested frontages along the street. It was split roughly into two sections by a low<br />
partition with settees on either side. No sales counters existed. The first section<br />
was stacked around the walls with similar leather goods that he had seen on<br />
display outside the shop. The whole rear section was taken up with carpets, and<br />
two British soldiers were seated, looking at small woven mats.<br />
Two Hindu's busied themselves, carrying and laying out the carpets in front of<br />
the soldiers for their approval. A third man, no doubt the salesman, was engaged<br />
in dialogue with them. There were no other customers in the shop.<br />
Glancing around the perimeter of the room Will noticed doors on either side<br />
and one at the back, presumably the trades entrance. In the far right corner from<br />
where he was standing, was a small enclosed office type room, with windows on<br />
two sides looking out into the shop. Inside the office he could see two men, one<br />
seated the other standing.<br />
"Good afternoon, Sahib." The Hindu bowed slightly and gestured Will towards<br />
an easy chair on the side of the room. He was dressed in a clean white gown,<br />
reaching down to his calves, and on his head a deep red fez with matching tassel.<br />
His traditional thongs were of good quality, the heels making a muted clapping<br />
sound as he walked over to the chair. The sheer volume of leather goods and<br />
carpets, served to reduce the noise level from the street down to a whisper,<br />
making the interaction of the sale in progress at the other end of the room, quite<br />
legible.<br />
57
Will Bonner<br />
"How can I help you, Sahib?" The command of the English language here in<br />
Bombay was prevalent, and the accent a delight. Will would have no difficulty in<br />
communicating.<br />
"I would like to see some good quality sandals, with solid heels and soles."<br />
"Yes Sahib, would you like some tea while you are waiting?"<br />
"No thank you, I've just had lunch."<br />
The Hindu nodding his head, retired to get the sandals and Will settled back<br />
in an easy chair. The shop assistants here were natural experts in the art of looking<br />
after the needs of a customer. Never rushing, and always obliging, it would take<br />
some considerable time to close the sale, and during that time a relationship would<br />
be struck, which would well serve Will's needs to lead into the enquiry about the<br />
knives.<br />
Lots of sandals were brought and displayed on the floor in front of Will for his<br />
selection, and talk centred around the pro's and con's of the various designs. The<br />
two soldiers had left with small rolled up carpets tucked under their arms, much<br />
to the delight of the salesman beaming his way to the back of the shop, leaving Will<br />
the sole customer.<br />
By this time his own transaction was well under way, and he was now calling<br />
the salesman by his first name. This was probably about the right time to spring the<br />
question thought Will, and awaited the right opportunity during the haggling over<br />
the price, which was a well known ritual, but none was forthcoming.<br />
The price was now agreed and he was reaching for his wallet and thinking to<br />
himself "I'm going to blow it" when his chance came right out of the blue.<br />
"Is there anything else, Sahib?"<br />
"As a matter of fact there is something you may be able to help me with."<br />
"Yes, Sahib."<br />
"A friend of mine bought a ceremonial dagger in Bombay about a year ago.<br />
Would you know where I could get one to use as an ornamental letter opener?"<br />
A look of anxiety came over Ali's face, and Will persisted further. "I'm<br />
prepared to pay quite a lot of money for it, just a small one."<br />
"I'm sorry Sahib I can't help you, but I'll make some enquiries." Will turned in<br />
his chair to follow Ali's progress to the back of the shop.<br />
58
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
The two men from the office had moved into the carpet section and Ali was<br />
making a bee-line for them. Animated discussion took place, all three men staring<br />
intently in Will's direction.<br />
Will initially stared back, trying to convey a confident air, but inside the<br />
butterflies were beginning to return, and he finally picked up his newly purchased<br />
sandals, pretending to examine them, occasionally looking their way for a few<br />
seconds at a time. Ali quickly ran across and disappeared through one of the side<br />
doors, and when it reopened Will was confronted with something he had not<br />
bargained for.<br />
The man who entered was big and stocky, wearing a turban, and belted shirt<br />
over his ballooned trousers. Sporting a bushy black beard and long curved<br />
moustache, he could have just stepped out from a Hollywood movie. But to Will,<br />
as he strode across to the others, he represented a fearful shift of the<br />
circumstances.<br />
Feeling the change of mood Will, pretending to look through the racks against<br />
the wall, moved closer to the door, to provide if necessary, a quick exit. Glancing<br />
back at the group he was aware that they were staring at him again, but still<br />
engaged in conversation. Will's tension was still rising by the second, and all he<br />
could hear was the pounding of his heart. He tried to control it by breathing slow<br />
and deep.<br />
What was to happen next? He didn't have to wait long to find out, as one of<br />
the men dressed in European clothes, walked down the room towards him. As he<br />
drew closer it became evident to Will that he was not Hindu but Goanese, and<br />
would probably originate from Goa, an independent Portugese state, situated<br />
about 300 miles south of Bombay.<br />
Their facial structure, unlike the Hindu, was as different as chalk from cheese.<br />
They could easily be picked out from the crowd, and were employed on the ships<br />
as stewards. Will knew their ways well, and his tension began to fade away.<br />
"You wanted to see some daggers?"<br />
"Yes, I was looking for a small ceremonial dagger to use as a letter opener.<br />
Do you know anyone that can sell me one?"<br />
"Perhaps. Are you from the convoy?"<br />
"Yes, my ship is berthed at Victoria dock, but I only have three days before<br />
we sail. My name is Will Brenner." he said, extending his hand.<br />
59
Will Bonner<br />
"I can arrange for someone to bring one or two for you to look at." Will felt<br />
the tension rising again.<br />
"I am prepared to pay a lot of money for the right one, but I must see a<br />
collection to be able to choose, otherwise I am not interested."<br />
The Goanese hesitated before answering. Everything was going as Blyth had<br />
outlined, but this is where it could fall apart. He had done as he was asked and<br />
could do no more.<br />
"Wait here," and returning to the others they once again engaged in animated<br />
conversation, and the visual interchange started all over again, giving Will the<br />
feeling of a criminal in a police line-up.<br />
Will walked across to the centre of the room aligning himself with the front<br />
door to get a full view of the street and observing that the activity had not<br />
decreased. The continuous flow on the pavement across the entrance of the shop<br />
was suddenly interrupted by the appearance inside the door of a man walking<br />
briskly into the room. He was Hindu, Will recognized him immediately as the<br />
owner of another shop he had frequented on a previous occasion.<br />
Spotting Will, he bounded across to him with outstretched hand. "Hello Sahib,<br />
why are you here and not buying from my beautiful shop?"<br />
Will gave a customary reply, watching him head to the back of the room to<br />
talk to the Goanese. After engaging in conversation, laughter emanated from the<br />
group as the Hindu pointed towards Will.<br />
On his way past Will he stopped briefly. "Don't forget Sahib, if you're not<br />
satisfied here come to my beautiful shop."<br />
The Goanese appeared at his side. "One of my boys will follow you back to<br />
the ship, and we will get back to you tomorrow. Bring enough cash, you may need<br />
a thousand rupees," he said, as they both stepped out into the street. After a short<br />
interchange with one of the boys who Will had seen before entering the shop, the<br />
Goanese disappeared back inside.<br />
Everything so far had gone according to plan. The boy, who was designated<br />
to follow him back to the ship was typical. Dressed in a shirt, shorts and sandals,<br />
he was sticking to him like glue, some twenty or thirty paces behind.<br />
During the 30 minutes walk, Will had time to think about what had transpired.<br />
Away from the tense atmosphere of the shop he could analyze things more<br />
rationally, finally realizing that only two factors had any significance.<br />
60
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
First, the appearance on the scene of the big Hindu, and second, the mere fact<br />
that he was in the process of deceiving them, and it was the latter that was creating<br />
the turmoil for him. Coming to this conclusion, he knew that he had to keep a<br />
strong curb on his nerves, otherwise they could contribute to his downfall.<br />
Approaching the gangway he looked back along the quay, but there was no<br />
sign of the boy. He was probably still observing him, and Will, walking to the top<br />
of the gangway, conversed with the seaman on watch for a couple of minutes,<br />
then went below.<br />
The following morning Will sat on deck, his mates were either sleeping in, or<br />
had already gone ashore. He felt as though he was in a dentist's waiting-room, but<br />
the ache was in his head, not his mouth!<br />
They may not come. What’s likely to happen when he went back to the shop?<br />
Would he be taken somewhere?<br />
In an effort to put the questions and doubts into the back of his mind he started<br />
to walk the deck. Lunch time came and went without contact, and Will was<br />
beginning to think that they had abandoned the arrangement. He had already been<br />
to the Pursers office to procure the one thousand rupees, and apart from changing<br />
into his shore going clothes he was ready to go.<br />
To help pass the time away he decided to go up to see if Wes was around and<br />
find out what he had been up to, but just as he was about to leave he was<br />
approached by one of the Goanese cabin stewards coming across the deck, still<br />
dressed in his work uniform. He was obviously still on duty. Will knew him by<br />
sight and hesitated, allowing him to catch up.<br />
"Will Brenner?"<br />
"Yes."<br />
"I've been asked to tell you to go to the shop now."<br />
"I understand." Will tried not to show his surprise, but he was completely<br />
astounded.<br />
He was expecting someone from ashore to contact him, and to be called to the<br />
gangway, but this was a complete turn of events, and he struggled to take control<br />
of the situation, thinking about the ramifications of having the possibility of a crew<br />
member with knowledge of his dealings. He's only passing on a message, don't<br />
make a big thing of it. Go ashore and get it over and done with!<br />
61
Will Bonner<br />
Changing his clothes he took one further precaution. He had been taught how<br />
to help protect his wallet carrying the one thousand rupees from being stolen, so<br />
binding it with thin, strong cord, he passed the end through a hole in his pocket and<br />
threaded it up under his shirt, terminating it into a loop around his neck. Giving the<br />
wallet a pull, and feeling the tug around his neck indicating that it was working, he<br />
proceeded ashore.<br />
His only desire was to get to the shop as quickly as possible, to give little time<br />
for thought. Even though he had his primitive anti theft device, his hand still<br />
clutched his wallet, as he bumped and jostled his way through the crowds.<br />
The shop front was the same, and the boy who had followed him back to the<br />
ship made no sign of recognition as he approached. He had seen no one that<br />
would fit the description of Blyth's accomplice engaged to have Will under<br />
surveillance. Stepping into the shop he expected things to move rapidly, but he<br />
was mistaken.<br />
There was a customer in the shop, and Will was directed to a chair and a<br />
pretence enacted that he was being served. Fortunately, the other customer must<br />
have been in the shop for some time and very soon left, with the usual entourage<br />
of salesmen seeing him to the door. Like lightning, the Goanese from yesterday's<br />
encounter approached Will, ushering him quickly out of sight into the small office<br />
in the corner.<br />
The room was bigger than Will had first thought, and contained the usual office<br />
necessities, a small desk, two chairs, with a filing cabinet pushed into one corner.<br />
The Goanese pointed to a chair and Will sat down, there was just the two of them<br />
in the office.<br />
"Have you brought the money?"<br />
"Yes, I have brought enough but will only pay what the goods are worth. You<br />
can't ask me for a thousand rupees for something only worth five hundred."<br />
The Goanese smiled. "I understand." Even though the immediate future was<br />
unknown to him, Will felt more relaxed and in control of his feelings as the<br />
connection between the two men had now taken on a trading atmosphere. The<br />
Goanese seemed to have been calling the shots from the beginning.<br />
Has Blyth been given the wrong information? Will wondered. This man was<br />
probably the agent, not the Hindu. It's not my concern, Will countered. Just keep<br />
your mind on what you are doing! The Goanese stood up and went across to the<br />
62
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
window to look out into the shop, and Will followed his gaze, noting that it was still<br />
clear of customers.<br />
Moving quickly behind the desk he extracted a small panel at floor level,<br />
beckoning Will to go through. Getting down on his hands and knees he proceeded<br />
to crawl through the small opening, followed by the Goanese, who replaced the<br />
panel back into position behind him.<br />
Will rose to his feet in the dim light as a scurrying sound, only feet away on the<br />
dirt floor made him jump, and something ran under the steep, narrow, open tread<br />
stairway in front of him. He shuddered. Rats, and big ones, but he was mistaken.<br />
It was a small mongoose, probably kept around to keep the snakes away.<br />
He relaxed, knowing that there was no danger of being bitten. Will grabbed<br />
the cascading rope as he negotiated the steep steps behind the Goanese, arriving<br />
eventually on a tiny landing, barely sufficient to accommodate the two men. He<br />
found himself standing precariously with one foot on the landing, the other down<br />
on one of the steps, gripping the rope tightly to keep his balance.<br />
The Goanese was knocking on what appeared to be a heavy steel-clad door,<br />
and Will noticed that it had no door handle or latch, adding another dimension to<br />
this already sinister circumstance. The door opened slowly due to it's weight, and<br />
the Goanese entered, leaving Will some room to step on to the landing and into the<br />
room. At first, he was fully occupied with his safety, but when he eventually looked<br />
up as the door closed behind him, the sight he was confronted with was aweinspiring!<br />
The room resembled an ancient armoury, with swords, cutlasses and rifles<br />
hanging on the walls, pistols, daggers, etc. on shelves and small tables. The big<br />
bearded Hindu was standing in the middle of the room, accompanied by his twin<br />
brother, who Will thought was just as big and ferocious looking.<br />
Blyth's words sprang immediately to mind. "There is an agent who is Hindu,<br />
the weapons are definitely not at the shop." Wrong on two counts. The two<br />
Hindu's were muscle men, it was written all over them, and the Goanese was in<br />
charge, obviously the agent. How clever to have the weapons concealed, close to<br />
hand, and under control.<br />
How would Blyth know the weapons were located here? His surveillance<br />
would now conclude that the second part of the plan had failed.<br />
63
Will Bonner<br />
Will pulled himself together and commenced to enthuse. There was no need<br />
for acting now, the various pieces were superb. The Goanese spoke to the others<br />
in Hindu and then turned to Will. "You know what the penalty is for keeping these<br />
weapons?"<br />
"Yes I do, but my friend didn't say anything and neither will I. Next time,<br />
when I'm in Bombay, I may want to buy one of those scimitars or Khyber Pass<br />
rifles."<br />
"We only bring selected people here. You are known on the ship, and our<br />
friend recognized you yesterday, so we consider it safe."<br />
Will looked at this man and felt a twinge of regret, knowing at best that he<br />
would probably find himself in jail, but Blyth had indicated that the Goanese was<br />
a calculating and dangerous man, without any scruples, instrumental in the deaths<br />
of quite a few people. Will's attitude hardened again, he had achieved what he had<br />
come for, and had no difficulty selecting one of the many ceremonial daggers on<br />
display.<br />
It was about 12" in overall length with a slightly curved blade, in a soft leather<br />
scabbard, the hilt and point of which was strengthened with fashioned metal,<br />
covered with Indian gold. The scabbard, as well as the curved polished blade, was<br />
adorned with ceremonial etchings. The crosspiece was a pair of Indian cobra's,<br />
and the top of the handle a cast eagle's head, also in Indian gold. It was a<br />
marvellous piece of craftsmanship.<br />
The haggling over the price was far shorter than usual, and five hundred and<br />
fifty rupees was agreed. Will reached into his pocket for his wallet. Releasing the<br />
loop around his neck, and pulling out the wallet still attached to the cord, brought<br />
loud laughter from the two Hindu heavies, and for just a brief moment everything<br />
was cordial.<br />
His purchase was wrapped and placed in a cardboard shoe box, and as Will<br />
moved towards the door, one of the Hindu's stepped into his path. Will's blood<br />
pressure started to rise as the Hindu spoke to the Goanese who replied, and the<br />
Hindu then stepped aside.<br />
"What was that all about?"<br />
"He told me to remind you what would happen if you told anybody." Will<br />
nodded, and this confirmed in his mind that the two Hindu's were indeed muscle<br />
men, and the Goanese the agent.<br />
64
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
It took no time at all to get back into the street and he felt thankful that he still<br />
had life and limb. There was no sign of Blyth's man and Will speculated that he<br />
would have to try and see Blyth during his remaining two days in Bombay.<br />
The ship sailed on schedule after the troops had embarked. He had been<br />
unsuccessful in contacting Blyth during the final days, spending a lot of time in and<br />
around the vicinity of the Taj Mahal Hotel but he saw no one, and nobody<br />
contacted him, leaving the whole affair up in the air.<br />
He was now on the way home to Liverpool, via Durban and Capetown. In<br />
retrospect, his Bombay adventure had been mild in comparison to Aden, but the<br />
Aden incident had a finality about it that was absent here. There were loose ends<br />
that Will had no control over.<br />
Every day that the ship moved further away from India, was one day closer<br />
to getting clear of the monsoon area, and Will was really looking forward to that.<br />
He hated the combination of heat and humidity.<br />
Land came into sight as the ship travelled parallel with the southern tip of the<br />
Island of Madagascar, with just a few more days sailing to reach Durban. The<br />
monsoon weather had been left far behind them and the air was once again fresh<br />
and clear. South Africa was noted for it's hot sun and low humidity, which suited<br />
Will, and he was looking forward to getting ashore, even though they would only<br />
be in Durban for two days maximum.<br />
When the mail came aboard at Durban Will had a letter from home, but there<br />
was no point in writing back as he would be hopefully on leave in three or four<br />
weeks time. The stay in port was so short Will could only manage one excursion<br />
ashore, which was better than none at all, and they were soon heading into the<br />
dreaded Cape rollers, which were relentless lines of waves, travelling West to East<br />
around the Cape of Good Hope.<br />
The ship would just pitch, associated with a shuddering bang, as it fell into the<br />
next trough, and then over the wave again, like clockwork. Within hours Will was<br />
off his food again, and suffering his usual problem, but something worse had<br />
developed.<br />
The constant jarring of the ship had given him a violent headache, so he made<br />
his way up to the dispensary for tablets, to try to get some relief. Having to wait<br />
for attention he sat down with the others, and glancing around the room caught<br />
65
Will Bonner<br />
sight of the cabin steward who had brought him the message in Bombay, and<br />
instantly their eyes met each other.<br />
He was standing with two other Goanese. One, a big man with a fat stomach,<br />
the other, a weedy looking individual. The two resembled a Goanese replica of<br />
"Laurel and Hardy" Will nodded in acknowledgment and the cabin steward<br />
engaged the other in conversation, provoking them to look in his direction. Will<br />
smiled, but the reaction he got was decidedly hostile, and the Laurel and Hardy<br />
couple hastily left the room, leaving the cabin steward alone, but he was purposely<br />
avoiding Will's presence.<br />
After obtaining pills for his headache Will promptly left the dispensary, making<br />
his way along the passageway to the starboard side, and turned the corner to go<br />
forward towards his cabin. He was gauging the ship's rise and fall, going forward<br />
in short spurts when a few yards ahead, one of the locker doors opened, and<br />
Laurel and Hardy stepped into the passageway.<br />
The fat man was carrying a large kitchen knife, and the size of his body was<br />
practically eliminating the little man from view. Backing away towards the bend in<br />
the corridor, Will glanced down the connecting corridor only to see the cabin<br />
steward bearing down on him from the other direction, forcing him into the corner.<br />
Lunging forward, the fat man grabbed the front of Will's shirt with his left hand,<br />
and bringing up the knife, held it against his throat. He could feel the blade against<br />
his adam's apple. "I'm going to kill you," he shouted in a screeching voice, "you<br />
had my brother put away in jail!"<br />
Will had no time to think, but he was aware that the other two were not armed<br />
and seemed to be standing by, doing nothing.<br />
He stared directly into the fat man's eyes, only inches away, which were<br />
blinking rapidly, and at that moment something inexplicable happened. His fear fell<br />
away, and he could hear himself calling out. "Do it then, do it, do it!" in ever<br />
increasing volume.<br />
A puzzled look came over the fat man's face, and without concern for the<br />
consequences, Will brought his foot back and kicked him in the shin. Reeling<br />
backwards to the other side of the corridor, the fat man's elbow struck the hand<br />
rail, and the knife fell, clattering along the polished linoleum floor.<br />
Will was now getting angry. Here was someone else trying to do him harm,<br />
and he'd had enough. Before fat man could recover, Will punched him as hard as<br />
66
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
he could in his stomach, feeling his fist sink a good six inches into the fat. He cried<br />
out in pain and fell to the floor gasping for breath.<br />
Will heard the little man running away, and the cabin steward was on one knee<br />
reaching to pick up the knife. Will stepped on the fat man on his way over to<br />
prevent the cabin steward from reaching it, kicking him in the back in the process.<br />
"What's going on Will?" It was Blondie Bishop, and with him one of the<br />
medical officers. They were both out of breath from running down the corridor,<br />
having heard the noise from the dispensary.<br />
"Nothing, everything's under control."<br />
The officer spoke. "Go to your cabin Brenner," he ordered, and as Will left the<br />
scene he could hear the fat man groaning his way into an upright position.<br />
Within the hour he found himself on the bridge, in front of the second officer,<br />
Peter Bowles. "You've been in trouble again Brenner," he commenced, "but at<br />
least you don't appear injured this time. Have you an explanation?"<br />
"Yes, Mr Bowles, but first I would like to say that I will never forget what you<br />
did for me in Aden and for that reason I would never embarrass you, let you<br />
down, or lie to you. What happened tonight was a matter of self-defence. I had<br />
no choice."<br />
"There was a knife involved, was that yours?"<br />
"No Sir."<br />
Peter Bowles looked down at his desk, at the notes he had written down, and<br />
Will waited for him to continue. "Look Brenner, there were witnesses so a report<br />
will have to be entered, but there is no point in disciplinary measures. Just try and<br />
keep out of trouble!"<br />
"Believe me sir, that is what I intend to do."<br />
Will avoided passing the steward's quarters on his way back to his cabin. The<br />
Goanese would have lied to Bowles, the truth implicating them. Unless he did<br />
something quick they would have another try, and things could end up worse for<br />
him.<br />
Blondie Bishop was waiting for him, eager for information. "How did you get<br />
on Will?"<br />
"Okay I guess, I didn't get disciplined, just a mention in the report. I'll have to<br />
wait and see how it affects my end of voyage conduct assessment." Blondie was<br />
waiting for more. "It was just a case of defending myself."<br />
67
Will Bonner<br />
"They sure are an odd trio."<br />
Everyone knew that the Goanese as a race, were for the most part passive,<br />
happy and contented, worked hard and never gave trouble, and Will concluded<br />
that these three were the exception, no doubt a result of their connection in<br />
Bombay, and they must have known the severity of what was going on there. Will<br />
listened as Blondie continued, it was rare for him to be giving information.<br />
"They are never with the others, and you were fighting outside the fat man's<br />
linen locker. Every night between the 8 to 12 p.m. watch, they play cards there."<br />
Thanks Blondie, Will was thinking, that's a prime piece of information!<br />
The crews quarters were buzzing with the news, but Will could bank on the<br />
gossip petering out after a day or two. The incident was minor and not infrequent,<br />
so once everyone found out that it had been just another fight, without blood being<br />
drawn, there would be no more interest. His most predominant thought was the<br />
constant fear of being ambushed again during the remainder of the voyage.<br />
There was no one he could ask for help, but supported by the information<br />
from Blondie, he would have to take some positive action soon. Will decided that<br />
he would go to the locker the following evening and try to eliminate the problem.<br />
The intervening time was an example of what the remainder of the voyage<br />
would be like. Constantly on the defensive, always in the presence of others, never<br />
walking the deck at night, and much more. A virtual prisoner for the next three to<br />
four weeks.<br />
Will sat in his cabin waiting for the appropriate time. The two Scotsmen were<br />
getting some sleep, prior to their twelve midnight to four a.m. watch and Will,<br />
taking his kitbag from the locker removed the contents and turned it inside out.<br />
Roughly sewn into the base was a palm size derringer pistol with an ivory<br />
handle, given to him by someone, as a memento. He had only fired it once before,<br />
just to see how it performed. Refilling the bag and stowing it away, he made his<br />
way up to the fat man's locker.<br />
It was about 10 p.m. and there was no activity in the corridors. Removing the<br />
pistol from his pocket, Will burst through the locker-room door, and as Blondie<br />
had described, all three were playing cards around a small collapsible table.<br />
Practically all the space was taken up by the three men, and the weedy one had<br />
his back to the door.<br />
68
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
Putting an armlock on the weedy man from behind, Will pointed the pistol at<br />
the fat man and pulled back the hammer.<br />
"You bloody well tried to kill me yesterday," he shouted, "now you're going<br />
to pay for it!"<br />
All three were in a state of panic, the fat man's eyes were bulging, and he was<br />
shaking his head from side to side. The little man was pleading for mercy, and Will<br />
knew that he had nothing to fear from him. Keeping the gun pointing at the fat man<br />
and dragging the weedy man to the door, he released the armlock from around his<br />
neck. "Oh thank you, thank you, thank you," he cried, disappearing through the<br />
door.<br />
Will moved closer to the remaining two, their heads were pressed against the<br />
linen stacked on the shelves, trying to get as far away as possible.<br />
"I've written a letter to the Provost Marshall in Bombay, telling him all about<br />
you two," Will lied. "If anything happens to me, you'll be put away when you get<br />
back to Bombay, and you will never get to see Goa again. I've explained in the<br />
letter how you are connected, and had it put in the purser's safe until the ship<br />
docks in Liverpool."<br />
The cabin steward started to whimper. "Please don't do anything, you'll get no<br />
more trouble from me." Will motioned toward the door with his pistol, within<br />
seconds he was gone. Will moved even closer to the fat man, who was more<br />
terrified now that he was facing the threat on his own. With the others gone, Will<br />
knew that he had to wind things up quickly and get out of there.<br />
"I had nothing to do with what has happened to your brother," Will lied again.<br />
"He was doing bad things back there in Bombay, and the police have eventually<br />
caught up with him. You are the lucky one!"<br />
The fat man apologized. "I'm sorry, I've made a mistake. I promise nothing will<br />
happen."<br />
Will released the hammer of the pistol making a clicking sound as it passed<br />
over the ratchets. The fat man slumped down over the table, probably relieved that<br />
he was still alive.<br />
If only he knew! He carried no bullets for the derringer because it was an old<br />
calibre, but it was a menacing weapon for it's size. Putting the pistol back in his<br />
trouser pocket, Will quickly left the linen locker-room. The corridor was still<br />
deserted, and he felt himself shivering as he walked briskly back to his cabin.<br />
69
Will Bonner<br />
It was all over, but he was still not looking forward to the remainder of the<br />
voyage. Reflecting on what he had just done, he began to wonder what sort of a<br />
person he was turning into. If his family knew what he was doing they would be<br />
horrified and ashamed. On the other side of the coin he had to survive, by<br />
whatever means.<br />
The remainder of the voyage offered up no surprises, and there were no<br />
reactions from the three Goanese. As each day passed Will grew more confident,<br />
eventually disregarding any thoughts of reprisals from them.<br />
The ship was now approaching roughly the same latitude as Casablanca, but<br />
a few hundred miles west. The weather was excellent, but as each day went by<br />
and the farther north they sailed, the weather would deteriorate.<br />
Whilst sailing up the West coast of Africa, he had spent many hours, especially<br />
in the late afternoon talking to Wes on deck, but this particular day would<br />
probably be their last opportunity.<br />
"We shall soon be in Liverpool, Wes."<br />
"Yes, just a few more days."<br />
"I should tell you that I won't be signing on for another trip."<br />
"I'm sorry to hear about that Will. I'm going to miss you, especially when we<br />
call at Aden!"<br />
"I guess I won't be forgetting that episode in a hurry, but that is one of the<br />
reasons why I am moving on. Quite a few things have happened on this ship and<br />
by signing off, I am hoping to break this cycle of misfortune."<br />
"You're probably doing the wise thing, anyway it's about time you had a<br />
change. I suppose now that we are sharing secrets I should tell you what I will be<br />
doing when the war finishes," he paused, as if to make certain that what he was<br />
about to say, would not be misinterpreted. "I'll be going to live in Brazil."<br />
"In Brazil?"<br />
"Yes. I met a woman in Rio de Janeiro, and we get on like a house on fire."<br />
"You met a woman?"<br />
"Yes. She's bought a ranch and wants me to help her manage it."<br />
Will took a deep breath, he was getting a surprise in every sentence. "You're<br />
getting married then?"<br />
70
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
"No, it's an arrangement, and I'm really looking forward to getting started. I'll<br />
give you the address and if you visit Rio after the war, would you come and see<br />
me?"<br />
"I'd be delighted Wes, and I'm so happy for you, but I should warn you that<br />
I'm hopeless when it comes to throwing a bolas."<br />
Both men laughed. It was time to get about their respective duties, but Wes<br />
had certainly told Will something that he would think about for a long time to<br />
come.<br />
The activity on board had increased again as the ship entered the St. George's<br />
Channel. They would be docking in Liverpool on the following day and Will would<br />
be staying on board for that night, before going home the day after. He preferred<br />
travelling by day, as he could never sleep sitting up on a train.<br />
It seemed no time at all after dropping anchor outside Liverpool that they were<br />
being piloted through into the dock, and the off duty crew were all frantically<br />
packing, hoping to get away from the ship at the earliest possible moment, after it<br />
berthed.<br />
There was no hurry for Will. He had all day and would catch an early train<br />
from Lime Street Station the following morning, hoping to be home around midday.<br />
It would be a good idea to get signed off early and spend a few hours ashore<br />
before getting his last night's sleep on the ship.<br />
Making his way up to the allotted deck he stood in line with the others to sign<br />
the necessary papers, get his train passes, and pay owing, which took only a few<br />
minutes. Collecting everything together, he was about to leave when he noticed<br />
Wes sitting at a small table in the corner, sorting out his papers.<br />
"So there you are Wes, trying to slip away while my back was turned. What<br />
about that five pounds you owe me?"<br />
Wes smiled. "I'm going early as a matter of fact within the hour, I was just<br />
coming down to see you. Here is the address I promised."<br />
"I guess this is it then Wes."<br />
"Yes, I'm catching a train in two hours. Now don't forget Will, don't go into<br />
the native quarter on your own."<br />
"No Dad, I promise," and the two men laughed, shaking hands.<br />
71
Will Bonner<br />
Will watched as Wes walked out on deck, his feet, knees and elbows gyrating,<br />
like the levers on a automatic machine, until he finally disappeared down the<br />
stairway to get his gear.<br />
Inside Will’s head he heard a voice whisper.<br />
“Goodbye Wes, the possibility of seeing you again will be very remote<br />
indeed.”<br />
72
The Reluctant agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
Chapter 5<br />
Chesapeake Bay<br />
Will was now without a ship. He had reported to the Merchant Navy shipping<br />
pool in London, where he was attending on a day to day basis, hoping to get<br />
allotted a ship, sooner, rather than later. Staying at the Seamen's Mission, close<br />
to East India docks, could be likened to one step up from the soup kitchens, but<br />
it was reasonably clean with meals provided, and it's accommodation served as<br />
a temporary measure during transfer between ships.The rooms resembled tiny, thin<br />
walled boxes in rows, on either side of the bare corridor, allowing the slightest<br />
sounds to resonate through them. No sheets were provided for the beds, just<br />
coarse, dark grey rough blankets, making it necessary to go to bed fully clothed<br />
in order to avoid both chaffing the skin, and getting a poor night's sleep.<br />
This was Will's first transfer experience. As a loner, he always found it difficult<br />
to make acquaintances and he was finding the waiting period tedious. Everywhere<br />
he frequented he would look around, hoping to see a friendly face.<br />
73
Will Bonner<br />
Will was trying his hardest to get a ship that was going to the USA. Ships built<br />
there called Liberty ships, were manned by British crews who were transported<br />
over, to bring them back to England.<br />
As each day went by, the possibility of getting one seemed to be more remote.<br />
A further week went by, and he was beginning to resist the urge to be selective.<br />
On the following Monday morning he found himself standing once more in front of<br />
a controller at the shipping pool.<br />
"There's a ship called the "Wiltshire" crewing up," the controller informed him,<br />
"your credentials qualify. Would you like to go down there and have a look?"<br />
What the heck Will thought, why not? "She's berthed at Gravesend, I'll give you<br />
a travel pass for the train. The arrangements will be made for you to see someone<br />
on board tomorrow, at 10.00 a.m. Report back here on Wednesday."<br />
Arriving at Gravesend the next morning Will had no difficulty finding the berth,<br />
but his first sight of the ship came as a shock. It was so small, in comparison to<br />
his previous ship, appearing to be only a quarter of it's size.<br />
A single funnelled motor vessel, with the crew's quarters above decks and<br />
behind the bridge-house, all positioned two-thirds back from the bow. Just four<br />
lifeboats and four Carley floats, indicating a fairly small crew. Taking a second<br />
look, and by now getting used to it's size, the ship looked brand spanking new,<br />
and the shape was pleasing to the eye. Things might be better than I first thought.<br />
I wonder where she's bound?<br />
Once on board Will searched around looking for someone to get directions,<br />
finally approaching a welder doing some repairs on the upper deck. "Are there<br />
any ship's officers about?"<br />
"No, but somebody came aboard about twenty minutes ago, they are in a<br />
cabin at the end of that passageway," pointing to an open doorway.<br />
Will knocked on the door finding that it was a small office-room, and inside<br />
sitting behind a desk was a man dressed in civilian clothes.<br />
"You'll be Brenner I suppose? Come in and sit down, there's no crew aboard.<br />
I'm from the company."<br />
The interview was a formality, followed by a quick tour of the ship, during the<br />
course of which Will was shown his cabin. In comparison to his previous ship, this<br />
cabin was in the luxury class. Just two berths and well equipped with drawers and<br />
locker space.<br />
74
The Reluctant agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
"You'll be bunking with Ted the pastry cook," the company man informed<br />
him.<br />
Back in the office Will had been suitably impressed. "Where's she bound for?"<br />
"New York, Norfolk Virginia, and then into the Pacific." Will just couldn't<br />
believe his ears, the company man continued, "but before you sign I have to tell<br />
you that if everything goes as planned, the ship will be chartered for two years by<br />
the Americans, requiring you to sign on for that period. How do you feel about<br />
that?"<br />
What a blow! Just when he had practically made up his mind. Two years was<br />
a long time to be away, and he tried to picture the time in his mind. Just like four<br />
long voyages he thought. That's not too bad, and he would probably see lots of<br />
places in the Pacific.<br />
"Is it a new crew signing on?"<br />
"No, most of them have been with the ship for two or more voyages." That<br />
convinced Will that they must be satisfied.<br />
"I've decided to sign on. When does she sail?"<br />
"In three days, next Friday actually, and you will have to report on Thursday."<br />
Will gasped, things were moving along at a fair pace but he did not feel concerned.<br />
Signing the articles, Will went back down to see his cabin for a longer look before<br />
leaving. It appeared better than before, and if the pastry cook was amiable, he<br />
would be happy bunking there.<br />
Travelling back to London, he realized that he would have no time to see the<br />
family before sailing. The following day would be taken up with signing off at the<br />
Navy office, and getting his gear ready for travelling back down to Gravesend, on<br />
Thursday morning. He would spend a couple of hours writing a long letter to his<br />
mother, but would not mention that he may be away for the next two years.<br />
Time flew by, and Will soon found himself back on the "Wiltshire." He was<br />
now eager to get underway, his mind already projecting to their first stop, New<br />
York. The novelty of the day had been tiring, and after many interrupted nights at<br />
the mission, the cosy surroundings of his new cabin, with clean sheets and blankets<br />
on his bunk, felt like heaven. This was going to be his best night's sleep since<br />
getting back from leave.<br />
Awakened by a noise in the cabin, Will opened his eyes to find it was the<br />
vibration of the ship's motor starting up. Realizing that he had slept without<br />
75
Will Bonner<br />
interruption throughout the night, Will panicked, thinking that it was now past his<br />
time for duty. Glancing at his watch assured him this was not the case, it was only<br />
6 a.m. and the "Wiltshire" was making an early start.<br />
The accommodation was above decks, avoiding most of the noise from the<br />
engines, which had developed a gentle throb as the ship gained speed. It was a<br />
brilliant sunny day as Will walked out on deck to witness the departure down the<br />
Thames estuary. His first duty period started at 12 noon and apart from time out<br />
for breakfast, he would stay on deck until then as he had never sailed out of<br />
England via that route before, and wanted to take in the sights.<br />
The 12 to 4 p.m. watch went very well, with Will still making comparisons with<br />
his previous ship. He was adapting rapidly to the informal atmosphere, and his<br />
place of work situated on the port side, enabled him to look out across the sea,<br />
a privilege he never had before. As he left his watch at 4 p.m. they were well into<br />
the English Channel with the English coast line on their starboard side. The sea was<br />
calm, but looking in that direction the beach seemed perilously close. Will ran to<br />
the rail, joined by others all asking the same question.<br />
"Why are we so close?"<br />
"It's the crazy skipper," someone answered, pointing to the open deck<br />
adjacent to the bridge, "he'll bloody well run us aground if he goes any closer!"<br />
Will looked up to see the captain waving, and glancing across at the grassy<br />
bank that grew down to the beach, he could clearly see a woman, waving what<br />
appeared to be a white flag.<br />
"That's his wife," someone called out, "he's waving goodbye to her. If he<br />
doesn't pull away soon, we'll hit the bottom!"<br />
Apparently, he had done the same thing on previous occasions, and the crew<br />
would get tensed up waiting for the ship to run aground. Captain Angel was a<br />
disciplinarian, with unorthodox methods. Will studied him as he paced backwards<br />
and forwards still waving to his wife, with the navigator probably biting his finger<br />
nails in the chartroom.<br />
He was a man in his mid-fifties, of medium height but very thickset. His gait,<br />
as he walked the deck was timed to robotic perfection. When coupled to his<br />
hunched shoulders and bulldog like appearance, he fitted Ted's description<br />
perfectly. This man, Will supposed, would have fitted most appropriately into the<br />
"Mutiny On The Bounty" film, which featured Charles Laughton, playing the role<br />
76
The Reluctant agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
of the hard disciplined captain.<br />
The "Wiltshire" began to pull away from the coastline much to everyone's<br />
relief, and things settled down to routine for the crossing of the Atlantic. If Will<br />
thought however, that life aboard this ship was just going to be mundane he was<br />
very much mistaken. With mixed emotions, he took one last look at the English<br />
coastline, knowing that it would be a long time before he got back home again.<br />
On the morning of the second day out into the Atlantic, the captain was up to<br />
his old tricks. After finding his cabin other than a hundred per cent perfect, he had<br />
literally thrown his cabin steward down the companion way, which was next to his<br />
cabin door. He was demanding that his cabin be properly cleaned out, but no one<br />
would go up there for obvious reasons.<br />
The ship was so small that all the crew knew simultaneously what was<br />
happening at any one point in time, consequently, a small gathering had milled<br />
around waiting for any further action. A very reluctant replacement steward filled<br />
the gap, and things appeared to settle down. The following morning however,<br />
rumours were circulating, and information added by the minute.<br />
"What's happening?"<br />
"Somebody's slipped the skipper a Mickey Finn and he's in a right mess up<br />
there."<br />
As the day wore on the facts began to emerge. The skipper was in a bad way,<br />
and the ship carried no doctor. Some of the more brutal members of the crew<br />
were taking bets that he wouldn't make it to New York. His early morning and late<br />
evening pounding of the deck ceased abruptly, and he never left his cabin. He was<br />
ultimately to be taken ashore in New York and hospitalized, not to be seen again<br />
until later in the voyage.<br />
The final few days before arriving in New York were truly routine, but it was<br />
in the early hours of the morning when the anchor was dropped in the harbour. All<br />
the off duty crew were asleep at the time, but got a rude awakening when ordered<br />
to dress and assemble on the bridge deck. Will looked at his watch as he entered<br />
the room, it was just after 2 a.m. and all the crew members were lined up and their<br />
passports and sailing credentials were being examined by the port authorities. The<br />
men were complaining in no uncertain terms, making the attitude of the immigration<br />
officials far from genial.<br />
Being one of the last to enter the room examining Will's documents concluded<br />
77
Will Bonner<br />
their scrutiny, but a roar of disapproval met the statement that everyone would<br />
have to be subjected to a medical examination, before entry. All the crew had<br />
been examined prior to leaving England, which their papers proved, so this<br />
unprecedented action was being interpreted by the crew as a reprisal for their<br />
previous show of disapproval.<br />
"We'll begin the inspections in the wardroom," the immigration official said, and<br />
pointing at Will, "starting with you."<br />
"No I refuse. I have my medical clearance, and that's all I need."<br />
One official pointed to the corner. "Stand over there, you will be arrested and<br />
taken off the ship."<br />
A loud voice somewhere from the front of the line shouted, "This is like Hitler's<br />
bloody Germany!" It was the ship's butcher, who was simultaneously taken out of<br />
the line and threatened with arrest. Two more men followed and the rumblings<br />
from the crew intensified. Will, and the other three men were escorted out and<br />
loaded into a launch.<br />
"Where are they taking us?"<br />
"Haven't you heard of Ellis Island? It's where all the immigrants with doubtful<br />
origins go to be investigated before they are let into the USA.”<br />
It was only a few minutes by launch across to the island, and after landing they<br />
were herded into a containment room, which was a fancy name for a cell. Will<br />
stood at the back of the room observing the others. The ship's butcher had taken<br />
off his shoe and was banging it on the door shouting, "Let us out, we're British<br />
citizens, we demand to see an Embassy official!" over and over again, occasionally<br />
turning to the others saying, "I'll make their bloody lives a misery!"<br />
Will looked around recalling his arrest in Aden. This was like taking a holiday<br />
in comparison, he would just sit tight and wait for events to emerge. After the<br />
threats and physical abuse he had received over recent times he was beginning to<br />
get accustomed to taking a degree of punishment. Within the hour, they were being<br />
escorted back to the ship, without any explanation. Once aboard, the noise of the<br />
anchor chains indicated that they were about to get underway again, and Will was<br />
to learn that the ship had been diverted on to Norfolk, Virginia. In the future<br />
someone would ask. "Have you been to New York?" and Will could rightly<br />
answer "Yes", but not committed to say that he had never got ashore!<br />
Needless to say, no one had been medically examined, and the only person<br />
78
The Reluctant agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
to be taken ashore was the captain. He would stay in hospital and then recuperate<br />
before rejoining the ship, prior to leaving for the Pacific.<br />
It was a full day's sailing to Norfolk. Arriving once again during the following<br />
night the "Wiltshire" dropped anchor and waited until morning for the pilot to take<br />
her into Newport News.<br />
Once ashore, Will did all things traditional to the American scene. Hot dogs,<br />
hamburgers, and a visit to a drug store for a milkshake. After the food rationing<br />
and austere atmosphere of England, the masses of food and drink was difficult to<br />
comprehend, but firmly suppressing his conscience, Will tucked in, and ate and ate<br />
and ate.<br />
The ship had been in Newport News nearly two weeks and Will had managed<br />
to visit Richmond to see a rodeo show, as well as Norfolk and Virginia Beach on<br />
quite a few occasions, but just when he was getting used to travelling around the<br />
area to see the sights, enjoying what a country, free of wartime restrictions could<br />
offer, orders had been received to move up river to a remote pier, and await<br />
further orders.<br />
The "Wiltshire" soon moved away from the activity of Newport News into<br />
Chesapeake Bay, finally tying up at a quiet landing, completely surrounded by the<br />
most beautiful countryside Will had ever seen.<br />
It was early evening and the sun was receding behind tall pines, weaving areas<br />
of shadow. The cook appeared at the ship's rail alongside Will. "What a God<br />
forsaken hole this is, I"ll be glad to see the back of this place!" He looked across<br />
at Will expecting a response. A typical city man's shallow view of nature, Will<br />
thought.<br />
"This place is heaven on earth, enjoy it while you can."<br />
"Enjoy what? There's bloody nothing out there!" Will felt sympathy for the<br />
man as he departed for his cabin, grumbling as he went.<br />
Arising very early next morning Will went immediately out on deck, and the<br />
scenery was even more overpowering by daylight. The sun was up in a bright blue<br />
sky and the waters around the ship resembled a sheet of glass, reflecting the<br />
images of the shoreline. The abundance of pine trees appeared to practically<br />
surround the ship, making it an insignificant item in the overall scene.<br />
He was the only person on deck. There was no breeze and everything was<br />
completely still, not even the usual sound of lapping water. Looking past the end<br />
79
Will Bonner<br />
of the pier into the countryside beyond, Will could see two houses nestled in a<br />
clearing. They were of typical colonial style, and he could make out the bright blue<br />
of a swimming-pool next to the nearest one, each house was surrounded by a low<br />
white picket fence. Scanning the area for signs of life, Will noticed a movement at<br />
the end of the pier and became aware of a small wooden hut that had previously<br />
escaped his attention, from which two American servicemen had emerged.<br />
They were dressed in standard duty uniform, a short waist length tunic,<br />
buttoned knee high gaiters, and wearing the well known G.I. steel helmet. Each<br />
was wearing a holstered side-arm attached to a lanyard in the usual way, around<br />
the shoulder. Will descended the short gangway on to the pier and started making<br />
his way towards the G.I.'s who, observing Will's presence, had moved to the<br />
centre of the approach. Will heard the voice of the third officer calling from the<br />
bridge.<br />
"Come back aboard, Brenner."<br />
Will turned and gestured inquiringly. "I'm only going to the end of the pier Sir."<br />
The third officer by this time was leaning over the bridge rail on the port side.<br />
"You'll get instructions later, but for now, stay on board."<br />
"Yes Sir."<br />
An order was an order, and making his way back to the accommodation<br />
deck he found that Ted was up and about.<br />
"What's all this about staying on board?"<br />
"I don't know, apparently we're to be told during breakfast."<br />
As breakfast got underway Will could hear the questioning buzz of<br />
conversation discussing the possibilities, but very soon the dining-room descended<br />
into silence as one of the officers came into the room.<br />
"What I have to tell you will be posted on the bulletin board, so there should<br />
be no need for clarification. We are situated in the middle of a USA Military<br />
establishment, consequently, no one will be allowed past the end of the pier<br />
without special circumstances, or without a USA escort." He paused, and started<br />
to move away indicating that he had finished what he had to say. The buzz of<br />
conversation resumed but before the officer had time to leave the cook’s voice<br />
boomed across the dining-room.<br />
"How long are we going to be stuck here Sir?"<br />
"I don't know, but I would advise that you all go about your routines as though<br />
80
The Reluctant agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
you were at sea, and you will find the period more tolerable." With that parting<br />
remark he left the room.<br />
Will quickly finished off his breakfast and retired to his cabin. He always found<br />
that he could evaluate things better on his own without listening to the grumblings<br />
of the crew members. He was well fed, well housed, and he was not out at sea<br />
trying without success to keep his food down. The scenery and weather were<br />
magnificent and he could at least walk along the pier. The only significant<br />
restriction was not being able to walk amongst that beautiful countryside.<br />
The waters around the pier were abound with trout which could be easily seen<br />
in the crystal clear water. Each evening, even with just a primitive line and hook,<br />
enough were caught to provide for the whole crew. As each day went by<br />
however, Will became more and more obsessed with the possibility of getting<br />
ashore, which after two weeks, began to dominate his thoughts.<br />
Always rising very early in the morning, he had noticed no movement from the<br />
guard post at the end of the pier until around 7 a.m., but was aware that the<br />
possibility of getting past them via the pier, at any time of day, would be<br />
impossible.<br />
His plan was simple. He would go ashore through the water, and return during<br />
the early hours on the following morning, via the same route, on the blind side of<br />
the ship.<br />
Wearing gym shoes and his work gear, he had obtained some cheese rolls<br />
which were wrapped in greaseproof paper and tied in a bundle on top of his head.<br />
Moving his arms and legs just enough to keep afloat, he made his way around the<br />
ship to the pier. Swimming from one pier support to the next, he waited each time<br />
for a couple of minutes to listen for any movement from the guard hut, but heard<br />
none. After a few more stops he estimated that the guards were immediately above<br />
and he could now stand up in the water.<br />
His heart began to pound, making it difficult to hear other noises. Once clear<br />
of the water he was able to sit on the grassy approach to remove his shoes and<br />
empty out the water. From that point on, the going was quiet and easy. Will soon<br />
found himself amongst the pine trees, the sun just beginning to appear, casting<br />
angled shafts of sunlight through the trees and across the ground.<br />
Sounds from various types of birds echoed through the stillness, alerting him<br />
to look out for the presence of wildlife. The ground, as far as he could see was<br />
81
Will Bonner<br />
covered with pine needles, like a continuous hessian carpet, which made walking<br />
easy. With his back to the position of the ship Will headed towards where he<br />
thought the main road to Williamsburg would be, where later on in the morning, he<br />
hoped to find a convenience store. After awhile it became quite warm, and with<br />
his clothes now almost dry, he was beginning to enjoy his new found freedom from<br />
the confines of the ship.<br />
The road appeared quite suddenly, it's presence masked by the density of the<br />
trees which continued to it's very edge. Will looked left and then right, realizing<br />
that he was on a long bend. Wisps of white water vapour rose an inch or so above<br />
the surface, due to the heat from the sun. Looking in the direction of the sun Will<br />
turned his back to it and began to walk north towards Williamsburg, but after<br />
walking for more than two hours he had seen nothing but forest.<br />
There had been no motor vehicles or any other signs of life on the road, and<br />
approaching a fallen tree on the side of the forest Will sat down for a bite to eat,<br />
and to decide whether to go on, or return to the ship. He had marked his exit from<br />
the trees and knew that he would have to get back to the position where he could<br />
sight the ship, before it got dark.<br />
Finishing off his cheese roll he had decided to walk on for about an hour, and<br />
then retrace his steps. Preparing to move off, he became aware of a motor vehicle<br />
approaching, and felt the sudden impulse to run into the forest which was only<br />
yards away. It may be a local, and I could find out more about the area, he<br />
thought. As the vehicle came into view he realized the mistake he had made.<br />
It was a military jeep with four American servicemen inside and within a few<br />
seconds it pulled up amid a shower of stones on the side of the road, some yards<br />
from him.<br />
They were military police and Will swallowed in nervous anticipation. The<br />
driver and front seat passenger were young men around Will's age, but the two in<br />
the rear seat were much older. All were wearing sidearms and batons.<br />
The two older men leapt from the vehicle as though a state of emergency<br />
existed, both were short and heavy types. One had a face that looked as though<br />
it had been trampled on, heavily jowled, with a flat broad nose that resembled a<br />
gorilla. The other looked handsome in comparison, but it soon became apparent<br />
who was in charge. The gorilla man spoke in a rich southern American accent.<br />
"What are you doing here?"<br />
82
The Reluctant agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
"Just walking," Will replied, but was taken completely off guard and had no<br />
time for defence as he felt the blow of a baton glancing off his shoulder and striking<br />
his ear, which began to sting like crazy. Stepping aside, Will felt blood trickle<br />
down his neck and the sensation prompted him to reach up and wipe it away with<br />
his hand.<br />
"Don't be bloody smart with me!" It was the gorilla man again. "You goddam<br />
Pommies need to be taught a lesson. I'll ask you once again, what are you doing<br />
here?" Will hesitated, the anger was beginning to mount inside him and he was<br />
doing his best to quell it, at the same time his instinct was preparing him for more<br />
blows.<br />
"I've told you, just walking," which prompted further blows from the baton<br />
across his body and face, and he realized that both men were now hitting him.<br />
Reeling backwards, Will fell to the ground on his back and looking up he saw the<br />
young driver stand up.<br />
"Steady on Sarge!" he called out, "I think he's telling the truth." This brought<br />
a violent rebuke from the gorilla man, and the young driver promptly sat down with<br />
a sheepish look on his face. Picking himself up, Will felt as though his body had<br />
been trampled on by a herd of cows, but he now concentrated all his attention<br />
towards the gorilla man and his rage was now beginning to surface.<br />
"You're nothing but a pig and a bully!" Will shouted, as he positioned himself<br />
defensively. The gorilla man lunged forward again with his baton, but Will was now<br />
ready to fight back. He saw the surprise on the gorilla man's face as he stepped<br />
forward instead of retreating. Wrenching the baton from his hand he thrust it into<br />
his stomach, then stepping backwards Will threw the baton with all his force at the<br />
gorilla man, momentarily watching it bounce off his upper body. Instantly turning,<br />
Will ran into the forest knowing that he could easily outdistance the older men, and<br />
very soon found himself dodging between the trees at breakneck speed.<br />
I mustn't get lost! he thought, stopping briefly to get his bearings and catch his<br />
breath. Then deciding on a particular direction he moved away again, as fast as his<br />
legs would carry him.<br />
Pictures of the Aden affair kept flashing into his head and his heart was once<br />
again pounding to the limit of it's beat rate. As he ran, the birds were scattering<br />
amongst the trees, and the forest had now changed from a scenic pleasure, into a<br />
nightmare. Stopping once again to catch his breath, Will strained to listen for<br />
83
Will Bonner<br />
sounds of the soldiers. He could hear brief echoing shouts in the distance, but<br />
failed to pinpoint their direction. Another quick look at the position of the sun<br />
convinced him that he was heading in the right direction, but within minutes he<br />
burst into a grassy clearing. Keeping undercover, Will scanned the area.<br />
A small shack, with outbuildings and sundry farm equipment, could be seen on<br />
the opposite side of the clearing, some four or five hundred yards away, and a<br />
rough road led away through the forest behind the shack. As far as he could see,<br />
from left to right, there was no end to the clearing, indicating that he would have<br />
to proceed directly across the open area at an angle, to keep clear of the buildings.<br />
But it would be a risky venture.<br />
Will sat pondering, at the same time watching for signs of life, but there was<br />
none. The prospects for sitting it out until dusk were remote, and he knew that he<br />
would soon have to move on. Taking one last look over the open area he was<br />
about to take off when suddenly the jeep appeared on the road behind the house.<br />
Will froze, and then stepped back deeper into the cover of the trees.<br />
The two young soldiers got out and approached the house. Thank heavens<br />
I didn't go! Will thought, as a man appeared and obviously engaged the soldiers<br />
in conversation, occasionally pointing around the clearing towards the trees.<br />
Disappearing back inside he reappeared carrying a shotgun, and getting into the<br />
jeep with the others, they drove back up the road into the forest.<br />
Will shivered at the thoughts that were going through his mind. What provoked<br />
the man to get his shotgun? He was probably taking the soldiers to places in the<br />
area wellknown to the locals, and guessed that had there been others in the shack,<br />
they would have appeared when the jeep arrived. With his heart pounding, Will<br />
strode out into the open, feeling with every step that he was being watched by a<br />
thousand eyes, but he knew that it would be fatal to start running, which would<br />
only tend to highlight his position.<br />
At the point of no return he was practically a nervous wreck, furtively looking<br />
in every direction as the tension continued to mount, the desire to run almost<br />
engulfing him, but each step was now taking him closer to his objective and he<br />
slowly began to take control of his panic.<br />
Approaching the rear of the outbuildings, Will stopped to take a final look<br />
around when the still air was shattered by the loud barking of a dog coming from<br />
inside the buildings. Rooted to the spot, he knew that he should be on the move,<br />
84
The Reluctant agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
but it was as though rigor mortis had set in. All his muscles, including those in his<br />
face, had frozen.<br />
The banging of the shack door shocked his system back to reality as a man<br />
appeared running outside, carrying a shotgun. Will took off towards the cover of<br />
the buildings, but not before he heard the roar of the gun and a sound that was<br />
familiar to him, which were dozens of fast fizzing sounds of the lead shot as it<br />
spread out behind him. Will had heard it many times before, during the pheasant<br />
and partridge shoots, as a boy back in England. Now at top speed the distance<br />
between him and the edge of the forest was closing fast, and looking behind, he<br />
could still see the man running with his gun at the ready, but to Will's relief he had<br />
not had time to let the dog out.<br />
Within yards of the trees an instantaneous bang and a more intensive<br />
cacophony of fizzing sounds erupted and Will this time, felt a biting sensation in his<br />
left leg. He knew that he had picked up a stray pellet or two, but it was not<br />
impairing his ability to run, and very soon he was amongst the trees. Getting<br />
enough cover behind him Will stopped to inspect his leg, and found four reddish<br />
marks, two in the lower thigh, and two in his calf.<br />
Blast! I'll have to get medical attention before any poisoning sets in, and<br />
starting to run again it seemed only minutes before the banks of Chesapeake Bay<br />
appeared and Will drew a sigh of relief. He knew that all he had to do now was<br />
follow the shoreline to his right, which would take him back to the ship.<br />
The pellets in his leg were now beginning to sting, warning him of the urgency<br />
to get back, but before he had time to move a large dog bounded through the trees<br />
towards him and he recognized the breed as a pointer, or an American bird dog.<br />
Will knew what he had to do to prevent getting bitten. Stand perfectly still,<br />
show no fear, and try to exert some authority. But things were happening too<br />
quickly as the pine needles scattered in all directions, and the dog nipped at his<br />
trouser leg, tearing it as Will stepped back. Keeping his hands high he shouted,<br />
"back, back!" as loud as he could. The dog moved back some three feet or so<br />
with it's head thrust forward in typical pointer stance.<br />
"Goddam it, he knows how to handle my dawg!"<br />
Will looked up to see the farmer with his shotgun now pointed at him,<br />
accompanied by the two elder M.P's, gorilla man and his associate, both with their<br />
service pistols drawn. The farmer took charge of his dog and gorilla man spoke,<br />
85
Will Bonner<br />
making a menacing movement with his pistol.<br />
"Get on your knees and put your hands behind your head," he ordered. Will<br />
did as he was told, as he felt the pinpoints of shot in his leg burning, and he was<br />
quickly checked for weapons. "What do you have to say for yourself now?"<br />
"Just one thing. What's it feel like to have less intelligence than a bird dog?"<br />
referring to the dog's ability to track him down. Will felt the full force of gorilla<br />
man's army boot in his side, sending him rolling in pain amongst the pine needles.<br />
He rolled over and looked up.<br />
"You're a bigger pig and bully than I called you before!" Will shouted, rolling<br />
over again to try to avoid another kick as he felt the boot glance off his shoulder<br />
and across his cheek, followed by several more blows as he lay on the ground.<br />
They were sharp and short on contact and Will realized that he was being hit with<br />
the pistol and he was scared stiff that the gun would go off. Finally, crawling<br />
temporarily out of harms way, he half sat up in a daze as the farmer spoke again<br />
in a rich southern accent.<br />
"They Limey's are sure divils for punishment, ain't they?" But his voice was<br />
hesitant and uncertain, indicating that he was not too happy with what was going<br />
on. Before any further responses occurred the young driver of the jeep appeared,<br />
and looking at Will intently turned to gorilla man.<br />
"Sarge, this man is injured!"<br />
Will interjected. "I've been shot in the leg by him," pointing to the farmer.<br />
The farmer was taken aback and pointing to gorilla man, shouted. "You told<br />
me he was a spy!"<br />
Gorilla man went berserk, and shouted profanities at the jeep driver. "Get<br />
back to the jeep, I'll deal with you later!"<br />
"Yes Sir." The young soldier disappeared quickly down an incline nearby.<br />
The M.P's took Will by the arms and pulling him to his feet forced him in the<br />
direction that the jeep driver had taken. Every step was a painful experience and<br />
trying to negotiate the incline he fell once again, rolling down to the bottom of the<br />
slope, stopping only a few yards from the jeep, which was parked on a track<br />
leading to the water's edge.<br />
The two young M.P's were seated in the front of the vehicle and Will was<br />
picked up and thrown into the well section face downwards, between the front and<br />
rear seats. The two older M.P's jumped into the back seat using Will as a foot<br />
86
The Reluctant agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
rest, the jeep reversed, turned, and made it's way up the rough track towards the<br />
road.<br />
Every once in a while he could feel the weight of gorilla's boots, rising and<br />
falling like sledge hammers, on his neck and back, as he vented out his anger on<br />
him. The pitching and rolling of the jeep changed to a steady vibration, indicating<br />
that they were now back on the tarmac road. Will was constantly bracing himself<br />
against the hammering from the boots, determined not to let one single cry escape<br />
to give pleasure to the gorilla man, but it seemed to be unrelenting and he was<br />
beginning to wonder whether he would be able to see it through.<br />
The jeep skidded and came to a halt. Due to his vigil, and coping with the<br />
abuse he had been receiving, Will had not been able to consider his plight. Feeling<br />
a grip around his ankles, he steeled himself as he was pulled out of the jeep like a<br />
log of wood, his chin striking the doorstep, snapping his head backwards as he fell<br />
on to the roadway on his stomach and chest, sending shock waves of pain through<br />
his body. Trying to get up on his knees he felt the force of another kick in the side<br />
of his ribs, but he had now reached the point of tolerance to the abuse, that he no<br />
longer felt the pain, only the impact. Eventually, getting on to his hands and knees,<br />
the scene which confronted him was familiar. He was back at landing and the ship!<br />
Unable to get to his feet at that time, Will continued to crawl past the guards<br />
at the end of the landing. What was happening seemed unbelievable to them and<br />
they remained rooted to the spot. Even though he felt sick and exhausted, the mere<br />
fact that he was within sight of the ship gave Will new life. Finally managing to get<br />
to his feet, he staggered uncertainly down the wooden planking of the landing<br />
towards the gangway, when he became aware of someone staggering towards him<br />
in the opposite direction.<br />
It was the second officer, and as he passed him Will could see the fixed look<br />
of anger on his face. Turning to see where he was going, Will lost his balance, and<br />
he fell to a sitting position where he watched the second officer making his way<br />
down the landing, and saw to his amazement that he had a large calibre service<br />
revolver in his hand.<br />
The jeep with the M.P's inside was at that time reversing to make their exit, but<br />
the second officer raised the gun, cocked it, and fired two shots into the air. The<br />
M.P's in the jeep jumped out and took cover, and the two guards ran into their<br />
hut.<br />
87
Will Bonner<br />
It was like watching a movie, but now there were several crew members<br />
gripping Will's arms and legs, lifting him into the air to carry him back on board to<br />
his bunk. The activity around him was now intense, but Will could feel his body<br />
starting to shake, and no matter how he tried, it seemed impossible to stop. He<br />
was not aware that he was going into shock.<br />
A doctor from shoreside arrived quite soon. He was a small, thin, quietly<br />
spoken man, dressed in a light cotton suit and carrying the usual black bag. The<br />
severe shivering, had by now subsided into a mild tremor. After an examination<br />
and first-aid to the various cuts, it was ascertained that the shotgun pellets were<br />
only just under the surface of the skin, and they could be removed on the spot. His<br />
body was covered in red weals from the baton, gun and army boot, but the skin<br />
under his clothes had not been broken. He was going to have multiple bruises for<br />
some time to come. The cuts on his lip, face and ear had swollen, and looking in<br />
the mirror he resembled a prize-fighter that had taken a heck of a lot of punishment<br />
in the boxing ring! It hurt to laugh or smile as his sense of humour began to return.<br />
“There’s nothing broken,” the doctor concluded, “I’ll need to see you again<br />
in a couple of days. Do you wish to file a formal complaint?” Will hesitated, it had<br />
not entered his mind. After a prolonged pause the doctor continued, “You have<br />
genuine cause, but in any case, I will have to put in my medical report for the<br />
record.”<br />
"No, I don't think I will. I was at fault for disobeying orders in the first place."<br />
"But that didn't warrant the beating you received," the doctor countered, "in<br />
the meantime, should you have any problems, don't hesitate to call me."<br />
Directly after the doctor had gone the second officer appeared, and Will soon<br />
concluded why his step had been so uncertain when they passed on the landing.<br />
The smell of whisky permeated the cabin.<br />
"How are you faring Brenner?"<br />
"I'll survive sir, but I disobeyed orders. What's going to happen to me now?"<br />
"Nothing, unless the American military brings it up and under the<br />
circumstances, I don't think they will. Your escapade has created quite a stir out<br />
in the community, and I think it will result in us being allowed ashore from now on."<br />
"Perhaps threatening them with a loaded revolver might have had something<br />
to do with that!"<br />
The second officer smiled. "Just you take things easy for a day or two, but you<br />
88
The Reluctant agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
can rest assured that we won't be taking the matter any further, as far as you are<br />
concerned."<br />
As he departed towards the cabin door Will called out, "Thank you, Sir!"<br />
What a relief! he thought, as the cabin finally became silent. His aches and<br />
pains were now coming to the fore but the feeling of exhaustion soon took over<br />
and he fell into a deep sleep. Awakening abruptly the following morning, he soon<br />
discovered that his body had completely stiffened up. Painfully and slowly, he<br />
made his way through to the dining-room for breakfast, where he was inundated<br />
with questions. The chef, came through from the galley.<br />
"Have you heard?" he called out loudly, "it's fairly definite that we will be<br />
allowed ashore for the remainder of our stay here. Sorry you had to get beat up<br />
Will, but we all think it was worth it!" Everyone roared with laughter. During<br />
breakfast, a few remained around his table trying to extract all the details. Will just<br />
gave them an outline of what had happened and from that point in time things<br />
started to get back to normal.<br />
Back in his cabin Will decided to write a letter home, he had hardly started<br />
when he was interrupted. "There are people from ashore to see you, they are in<br />
the captain's cabin." What now? he thought. I hope there's no further trouble as<br />
he would dearly like to see the whole affair behind him.<br />
Making his way up the stairway to the bridge he knocked on the captain's<br />
cabin door, not knowing what he would encounter. Feeling the same sensation he<br />
had experienced prior to his interrogation in Gourock, he tentatively opened the<br />
door and stepped inside. Everyone looked up as he entered.<br />
The second officer was busy talking to two ladies, and a wiry looking man, he<br />
recognized instantly as the farmer who had shot him in the leg, standing to one<br />
side, obviously dressed in his Sunday best for the occasion. The two ladies were<br />
both dressed in floral costumes, one was of large stature, the other petite, wearing<br />
glasses. Both Will estimated, were in their late forties or early fifties.<br />
"These people have asked to have a word with you Brenner," and the second<br />
officer gestured towards them as he left the room. Will was totally unprepared for<br />
what was about to happen next.<br />
The petite woman looked across the room at Will's swollen face and burst into<br />
tears. She was quickly consoled by the other woman as Will stood transfixed, not<br />
quite knowing what to do next. But the farmer approached him.<br />
89
Will Bonner<br />
"I've come to say how sorry I am for what happened, and to ask what I can<br />
do to put things right." Will knew that the Sergeant he called Gorilla man had<br />
instigated the violence in the whole affair, and this individual had been caught up<br />
in the fever of the moment.<br />
"It must have taken some courage for you to come here, that puts things right<br />
for me. I've already put the incident behind me and I won't be making any<br />
complaint." Both men shook hands and the farmer left. By this time the petite<br />
woman had composed herself and Will thought she was about to speak, but the<br />
larger women took over the ongoing conversation.<br />
"I'm Mrs. Marcini and this is my neighbour Mrs. Jurgins. We saw what<br />
happened at the end of the landing yesterday, and we are all ashamed. The doctor<br />
told us about your injuries and that you would not be putting in a complaint to the<br />
military." She hesitated for a moment and then carried on, "We have all been up<br />
to the Military Police barracks early this morning to complain, and the sergeant<br />
involved is to be disciplined and transferred. The young jeep driver told his<br />
superiors what had happened."<br />
Will was surprised how quickly these women and obviously the rest of the<br />
local community had responded to the situation, and in such a positive way. She<br />
had more to say.<br />
"Arrangements are being finalized today, giving all the ship's crew permission<br />
to go ashore wherever they want. My house is the one closest to the ship, the one<br />
with the swimming pool and I invite you to use it whenever you want, but first<br />
would you come over for a visit and a meal?"<br />
"I'd be delighted." The petite woman finally spoke, and in a faltering but firm<br />
voice, she reinforced her friend's statements.<br />
"We mustn't let you go back home to England thinking badly about us."<br />
Back in his cabin Will lay on his bunk, the recent happenings going around in<br />
his mind. The local women had brought things to a conclusion for him, he now felt<br />
relaxed and content in his mind, and was looking forward to the remainder of his<br />
stay in Chesapeake Bay.<br />
The following afternoon and evening was spent at the house with the<br />
swimming-pool. On the ensuing days Will would arise each morning around 5 a.m.<br />
and run across to the pool for a swim and coupled with his walks through the<br />
forest and countryside, they were happy days.<br />
90
The Reluctant agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
A visit to the old colonial town of Williamsburg was a memorable occasion,<br />
one he would never forget. In comparison to before the incident with the military,<br />
the days now seemed to fly by, and in no time at all, extra activities on board,<br />
coupled with the usual rumours, indicated that the captain was coming aboard the<br />
following day, and they would be sailing the morning after.<br />
Will went over to say goodbye to the locals he had met, and to thank them for<br />
their hospitality. His injuries were now well on the mend and he decided to walk<br />
over to visit the farmer. Breaking into the clearing in the forest Will could see him<br />
working on a piece of machinery, and as he approached the bird dog started to<br />
bark, but this time ran forward wagging it's tail. The atmosphere, in comparison to<br />
his previous visit was serene, and he spent a pleasant hour chatting with the farmer<br />
before starting back.<br />
Early next morning the "Wiltshire" pulled away from the landing. Will stayed<br />
on deck until the beautiful scenery of Chesapeake Bay receded out of sight, then<br />
set about his normal shipboard duties. The weather was to remain bright and<br />
sunny, and in a few days they were passing through the Bahama Islands to The<br />
Windward Passage off Haiti, on their way to the Panama Canal. Fires could be<br />
seen burning along the coast, which was apparently the sugar cane fields being<br />
burnt off, before cropping.<br />
The day to day routine was giving Will plenty of opportunity to look back at<br />
his visit to the USA, and prior to that, his experiences at Gourock, Algiers, Aden<br />
and Bombay, which were all connected, but this latest affair was also an incident<br />
with violence, although brought about by his own actions. He felt relieved that<br />
every mile westward seemed to take him farther away from the Ferret man's<br />
influence.<br />
With the Panama Canal behind them the "Wiltshire" set course for Honolulu.<br />
Will found it hard to comprehend how fortunate he was that he would soon be in<br />
Hawaii, and amongst other things he would be walking on the famous Waikiki<br />
beach. If only it were tomorrow.<br />
91
Will Bonner<br />
92
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
Chapter 6<br />
Hawaiian Assignment<br />
After leaving Panama the ship had hardly settled down to routine when Will<br />
was called before the captain regarding the incident at Chesapeake Bay. Standing<br />
on the other side of the desk from him Will's original impressions were reinforced.<br />
The rigid and pugnacious atmosphere that surrounded him was even more<br />
apparent at close quarters. All he wanted however, was clarification of the report<br />
about the affair that he had just got around to reading. Will received no reprimand,<br />
and he left the cabin with his opinion of the captain somewhat elevated.<br />
The ship's engines had completely broken down in mid Pacific, drifting<br />
aimlessly for one night and one day until repairs had been effected. They were now<br />
being subjected to large swells that very soon put Will off his food, and his sea<br />
sickness returned with a vengeance. The ship however, was only about a day or<br />
so out from the Hawaiian Islands group, which apparently had the effect of<br />
breaking up the current, creating the swell, consequently, Will only had to tolerate<br />
his nausea for a short time.<br />
93
Will Bonner<br />
On it's approach to Honolulu the ship rounded Diamond Head, it was late<br />
morning and the view was spectacular. Very soon they were tying up at a berth<br />
close to the Aloha tower, a tall square building some 10 storeys high. Clocks on<br />
all four sides had the word "Aloha" printed on the balconies above them.<br />
Originally, it was the tallest building in Honolulu, and so well known that it was<br />
regarded as the Hawaiian equivalent of the "Statue of Liberty" in the USA.<br />
Will was eager to get ashore, but his duties were erratic for the remainder of<br />
the day which would have meant a very short excursion. I'll wait until tomorrow<br />
to get a full day ashore, he thought. There was no hurry, the ship would be here<br />
for at least a couple of weeks, giving him plenty of time for sightseeing.<br />
The following morning Will left the ship to go into downtown Honolulu, only<br />
fifteen to twenty minutes walk away. It was much like any other American city,<br />
and spending the day going through the shops was just as tiring. The day was<br />
rounded off by a visit to one of the best movie theatres he had ever seen. Next day<br />
he decided to go farther afield to see the beaches and scenery for which Hawaii<br />
was famous.<br />
One place he had always wanted to visit was the Royal Hawaiian Hotel and<br />
also Waikiki Beach, which were both prominent in his mind from the films he had<br />
seen. The hotel was known as the "Pink Palace" because of it's pink painted<br />
exterior and Moorish-Spanish architecture with towers, giving it the look of a regal<br />
palace. Arriving at the hotel, he walked through the surrounding gardens which<br />
were filled with palms and brilliantly coloured flower beds, then on to Waikiki<br />
beach, the most famous beach resort in the world.<br />
The scenery, looking across to Diamond Head was breathtaking, and Will<br />
stood there for sometime taking it all in. The weather was brilliant, a clear blue sky<br />
with a slight sea breeze, and the sun was hot but not overpowering. It was late<br />
morning, but there were very few people on the beach, which had the finest white<br />
sand stretching in a long curve towards Diamond Head. After the scene had been<br />
implanted permanently in his mind Will walked back to the front of the hotel. Once<br />
inside, it's pink decor was luxurious and he wandered through the downstairs<br />
rooms noting the shiny black floors and crystal chandeliers. After looking around<br />
he finally settled down in a small room with a bar. Ordering a drink, he found a<br />
table near the back of the room which gave him the full view of all the comings and<br />
goings of customers and staff.<br />
94
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
There were quite a few people, mostly military personnel sitting at the bar and<br />
tables but it was far from crowded. The chairs were very comfortable so Will<br />
relaxed back to sip his drink and observe the scene. Glancing along the bar he<br />
noticed a young man wearing white trousers and a bright floral shirt, a<br />
characteristic dress for Hawaii. He must have been looking directly at Will and<br />
their eyes met. Not wanting to be rude and look away Will nodded slightly, and<br />
within seconds the man was making his way over.<br />
On approach, Will noticed that his walk was light-footed like that of a female,<br />
his features were fine, with a perfect complexion and his grooming immaculate.<br />
Reservations were building up inside, but it was too late for that now as he was<br />
standing right there in front of him. A nervous smile came over his face as he<br />
spoke.<br />
"Hello, would you mind if I sat down?"<br />
"Be my guest." The man sat down and then utter silence continued for some<br />
considerable period. Looking across the table it appeared that the man was<br />
extremely nervous and totally incapable of starting any conversation. As each<br />
second ticked by, things got more embarrassing. Reaching across the table Will<br />
extended his hand.<br />
"My name is Will Brenner."<br />
His hand was thin and the handshake floppy, not firm. "I know your name, and<br />
I know who you are."<br />
Will flinched, he had been taken completely by surprise. "How do you know<br />
my name? I don't know you, what's your name?"<br />
"My name is Gerald," he replied, with an intonation that Will now recognized.<br />
This man is homosexual he suspected, what is he up to? The silence returned and<br />
an atmosphere of tension began to intensify between the two men. Gerald's<br />
nervous disposition was increasing, his eyes rapidly looking up at Will, then down<br />
on to the table. As he lifted his glass to take a drink his hand was trembling slightly.<br />
Completely at a loss and unable to read Gerald's intention, Will got up from his<br />
chair and picking up his drink prepared to leave. "For God's sake, please don't<br />
go." he pleaded.<br />
Gerald's face had turned from a look of nervousness to one of fear, and he<br />
furtively looked around as though to check if anyone had overheard his last<br />
remark. The look on his face compelled Will to sit down and just wait for a<br />
95
Will Bonner<br />
response, there surely must be one? Gerald finished off his drink and placing the<br />
glass back on the table his hand still quivering, he looked across at Will, and<br />
struggling with the words he spoke again, this time quietly.<br />
"I know that you're with the organization and I've been asked to contact you."<br />
Will felt at a disadvantage. His mind flashed back to ferret man, the correspondent,<br />
Omah and Blyth, but this man was completely out of character.<br />
"I think we should get away from this bar, let's go on to the beach and sort<br />
things out." As they walked out of the hotel and on to the beach Will felt the<br />
impulse to keep his distance. If any of the crew spotted him with Gerald, seeing<br />
his unmistakable walk which obviously put him in the homosexual class, they<br />
would never let him forget it for the rest of the voyage. Keeping to the edge of the<br />
beach and under the palm trees, Will resumed the conversation. "I'm not part of<br />
the organization, but you are."<br />
Gerald hesitated, signs of nervousness showing again. "Yes, I am," he blurted<br />
out, "and I do know that you have been involved also."<br />
"Yes, but I'm not an agent," and as he was speaking it suddenly dawned on<br />
him that perhaps someone had made a mistake in bringing him together with<br />
Gerald. The possibility of finding out more information about the organization<br />
sprang immediately to mind, but this was not the time for questions of that nature.<br />
"Are you going to ask me to do something for you here?"<br />
"No, I need you to do something with me." This was certainly a turn of events!<br />
"Look Gerald, don't push me into anything. You've taken me by surprise. Give<br />
me some breathing space. I'll meet you again right here tomorrow around 11 a.m.<br />
and we'll talk things over.”<br />
Gerald's face took on a scared look. "You're not going to let me down are<br />
you? If you do, we'll both be in a lot of trouble."<br />
Will paused before speaking. "I've been threatened with reprisals before, but<br />
you can count on me being here."<br />
Turning he walked away, the scenic splendour of Waikiki beach taking<br />
second place to the recent happenings. His mind was now fully preoccupied, trying<br />
to come to terms with the fact that here he was again under ferret man's thumb,<br />
even though he was on the opposite side of the world!<br />
What about Gerald? It was impossible to imagine him as an agent, his whole<br />
demeanour was that of a highly strung individual. What am I getting myself into?<br />
96
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
I'll need to know more about him in order to feel secure before getting involved.<br />
These thoughts continued to haunt him until the meeting next day.<br />
Gerald was there as arranged. Will could see him nervously pacing up and<br />
down between the palm trees. The look of relief on his face when he saw Will<br />
approaching was easy to read, but to feel sympathy towards him could be a big<br />
mistake. "Let's walk along the beach and talk," Will suggested.<br />
"I have a better idea. My car is parked outside and I know of a small inlet<br />
where we won't be disturbed. It's only a few minutes drive away."<br />
"Is the car hired?" Will asked, thinking that Gerald was probably from one of<br />
the other ships in the harbour.<br />
"No, I own it."<br />
"You live here then?"<br />
"Yes, I've been here about a year."<br />
Will asked no more questions as they approached the car, a massive two-door<br />
white coupe with the top down, exposing it's vast comfortable interior. He's got<br />
to be working permanently for the organization, Will guessed.<br />
They drove off along the beach road and in the relaxed comfort of the car Will<br />
began to feel the tensions slipping away, as the exotic scenery once again began<br />
demanding his attention. Looking across at Gerald he seemed to sense that he<br />
was also beginning to relax, no doubt he was feeling that the initial contact had<br />
been made, and everything was still on-going.<br />
The car pulled off the beach road into a small picnic area. It had been less than<br />
ten minutes since leaving the Royal Hawaiian Hotel so Will estimated that they<br />
were no more than two or three miles farther along the beach. The area was<br />
certainly secluded and elevated from the road. There were just a few picnic tables<br />
scattered indiscriminately amongst the palm trees, and Gerald made his way over<br />
to one and sat down. Joining him, Will looked below into a small cove with a<br />
sandy beach, a scene that could have come from a tropical island film.<br />
"Would you like a coke Will?" he offered, reaching into the bag he had carried<br />
from the car. They both sat sipping their drinks in silence, but Will knew that very<br />
soon the conversation would get serious again. Taking the initiative, Will asked a<br />
direct and searching question.<br />
"You've been blackmailed into doing this type of work as I have, haven't you?"<br />
Gerald remained silent but the signs of nervousness were beginning to<br />
97
Will Bonner<br />
reappear. "I'll be blunt," Will continued, "you're homosexual and they are holding<br />
a past activity against you, isn't that the truth?" The agitation intensified, now<br />
becoming quite visible but Gerald still remained silent. It was quite obvious that he<br />
was struggling to cope with the substance of the questions, "furthermore, they have<br />
something about you so devastating that it forced you to accept their proposal to<br />
join the organization." The pressures inside him must have increased to bursting<br />
point. He stood up and turned away with his back to Will in an effort to hide his<br />
feelings.<br />
Why isn't he retaliating? Gerald still remained silent. Am I going too far?<br />
Sympathy returned once again and Will quickly suppressed it. "I don't give a damn<br />
what I'm threatened with, I won't do anything with you unless I know more about<br />
you."<br />
Gerald turned and sat down his head slightly bowed, and eyes fixed in one<br />
position on the table. "Yes, what you say is the truth. I have nowhere to turn, and<br />
do as I'm told. I live in an apartment downtown and work in an office close by.<br />
From time to time I'm asked to gather information."<br />
"From other homosexuals in the military?"<br />
"Yes, just little bits and pieces that I pass on." His head bowed a little further<br />
and Will for one moment thought he was going to burst into tears.<br />
"You haven't asked about me, so I assume you already know."<br />
"Yes, I've been told enough."<br />
"Your friends don't know what you get up to, do they?"<br />
"No, but I haven't many friends. Do you have any?"<br />
"No, I guess you could call me a loner, which is better under the<br />
circumstances." Gerald nodded in agreement. He seemed to be recovering from<br />
the previous session of conversation, and an unusual relationship was beginning to<br />
develop between them. A car appeared in the clearing and a family got out to<br />
picnic.<br />
"We must move away now," Will suggested, and as Gerald walked quickly<br />
towards the car in that typical female fashion Will once again questioned, "what<br />
have I got myself into?"<br />
Very little was said as they made their way back towards downtown Honolulu<br />
but it was Gerald who broke the silence. "We both haven't eaten since breakfast,<br />
shall we stop for a meal?" Will hesitated. The more time he spent with Gerald the<br />
98
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
more chance of someone from the ship spotting them together and asking<br />
questions. The thought of having to introduce him sent shivers down his spine. On<br />
the other hand, Will needed to give him plenty of opportunity to get around<br />
ultimately, to whatever task was ahead. Will's assessment of Gerald so far,<br />
indicated that it would be something that he was not capable of doing by himself.<br />
"Yes, I do feel hungry. Do you know an out of the way place which would not<br />
be frequented by anyone from the ships?"<br />
"I know just the place, and it's only a short distance away, but inland." He<br />
turned at the next side road, heading north into the Hawaiian countryside, finally<br />
pulling into the car-park of a combined restaurant and roadhouse. It was certainly<br />
off the beaten track.<br />
"Where are we?"<br />
"In the Nuuanu Valley area."<br />
It was a delightful place tucked away amongst the trees, it's decor inside,<br />
exactly what one would expect in Hawaii. The people in the restaurant greeted<br />
Gerald genuinely and warmly. He introduced Will, as Will, and there appeared to<br />
be no devious attitudes here. Will settled down at a table in the corner and<br />
watched as Gerald was still engaged in conversation, eventually coming over to sit<br />
down. He seemed to be completely relaxed, amongst what was obviously friendly<br />
surroundings.<br />
"Will, if you ever get into trouble in Oahu, come here and ask for Aki. He's<br />
not here at the moment so I can't introduce you, but he will help you no matter<br />
what the problem is." Gerald looked at Will waiting for a response.<br />
"I understand. Is it safe to talk here?"<br />
"Yes, but don't ask me about the assignment. You're going to be here for at<br />
least another two weeks, but the day after tomorrow your ship will be moved to<br />
Pearl City for the remainder of your stay, which will make it easier for us."<br />
"How do you know about the ship's movements? No one on board has said<br />
anything."<br />
"Your skipper won't know until tomorrow. It's easy for me to get that sort of<br />
information as it doesn't fall into the classified category." A waiter approached the<br />
table carrying two plates. "I took the liberty of ordering for us both, I think you<br />
will enjoy this." Will looked down at the sweet potatoes and sea food with water<br />
melon, pineapple and bananas. It looked very appetizing.<br />
99
Will Bonner<br />
The two men concentrated on their food and eventually the conversation<br />
resumed as Will talked about his family and upbringing in the country. For obvious<br />
reasons, Gerald was more reticent to impart any information about his background<br />
but Will gleaned that his father was a career diplomat, having served in several<br />
Embassy's abroad. Knowing this, Will realized that Gerald would have a lot of<br />
contacts available to him through his father, and that people like ferret man would<br />
be threatening to expose his homosexual activities to his father's diplomatic world,<br />
which would be disastrous for both father and son.<br />
"During the next few days I will have to get you some local identification. Have<br />
you a head and shoulder photo of yourself out of uniform?"<br />
"No."<br />
Gerald took a card from his pocket. "Go to this photo shop and ask for a set<br />
of passport photos, it's within walking distance of the ship." Then passing another<br />
card to him. "Give them this and leave the photo's at the shop, I will collect them<br />
later."<br />
"I'll go tomorrow before the ship leaves for Pearl City."<br />
It was now getting late. Arrangements were made to meet again in the Royal<br />
Hawaiian Hotel on the third day and Gerald dropped Will off close to the Aloha<br />
Tower, giving him only a short distance to walk back to the ship.<br />
The day had been mentally tiring, and Will made his way to his cabin. Ted was<br />
back and getting ready to settle down for the night. He had been walking nearly<br />
all day and was physically exhausted. It was usual after being ashore to trade the<br />
events of the day, but under the circumstances Will was happy to forego the ritual,<br />
falling off to sleep almost immediately. He was surprised to awake feeling<br />
refreshed next morning after a good night's sleep knowing that the previous day's<br />
events had not apparently affected him.<br />
He had no difficulty in finding the photo shop. It was within easy walking<br />
distance as Gerald had outlined, tucked away in a side street with very few other<br />
shops around. Will could not see any passport photo signs which was unusual for<br />
that sort of shop. The frontage was very small, with a window on one side of the<br />
front door containing a few cameras and other photographic bric-a-brac on<br />
display. Will checked the number on the door against the card that Gerald had<br />
given him and it matched, so he went inside.<br />
He was immediately struck by the semi darkness inside, emphasized no doubt<br />
100
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
by coming in from the brilliant sunshine outside. The dimness was probably a<br />
product of only one small window and just a single lamp hanging over the counter,<br />
situated at the far end of the shop. The entire room carried an air of neglect.<br />
A man suddenly appeared through a doorway behind the counter, his thick<br />
black hair and features distinctly Hawaiian. The floral shirt and black apron<br />
covered a large plump body, but Will was not greeted with the usual smile.<br />
Instead, the man just stood there waiting with a half frown on his face.<br />
"Could you do a set of passport photos for me?" Will's enquiry brought<br />
questions about his nationality, residential status, etc. in a deep voice with an<br />
American accent. A negative answer only served to deepen the frown on the<br />
shopkeeper's face. On producing Gerald's card however, the atmosphere abruptly<br />
changed and quickly shuffling to the front of the shop, the Hawaiian flipped over<br />
the closed sign and locked the front door before returning to the counter.<br />
Looking directly at Will he just waited for a further response. Disconcerting<br />
thoughts were now beginning to develop in Will's mind. Why has he locked the<br />
door? It seemed a devious action to take.<br />
"Look," Will finally remarked, "I've been recommended to come here and I<br />
have given you the card, if you don't want to do the job let me out of here." The<br />
fat man shrugged his shoulders and pointing to the door at the back of the shop,<br />
indicated for Will to go through.<br />
The room was small and completely cluttered except for an open area in the<br />
corner. A not so white card about 4 foot x 3 foot was pinned to the wall with<br />
drawing pins, and immediately in front was an adjustable stool positioned close to<br />
a camera on a tripod. The set-up could not be mistaken for any other purpose than<br />
taking passport photo's and the rest of the equipment lying around, including a light<br />
box, indicated that some form of art work was in progress.<br />
Will sat down on the stool and the fat man adjusted the camera. After the flash<br />
he was ushered back into the shop to wait. Will could hear activity coming from<br />
the room at the rear as he looked once again around this dark and dismal place.<br />
Gerald would surely have his reasons for getting the photo's done, and it was<br />
probably best at this stage that he was not aware of the details. The fat man<br />
reappeared behind the counter. "That will be two hundred bucks."<br />
Will was taken aback. "No, I've given you the card, the photo's will be picked<br />
up and paid for then." The fat man insisted. "I must have the money now, or else."<br />
101
Will Bonner<br />
"Or else what, will you call the police?"<br />
The fat man's face took on a sinister look and within seconds another man<br />
appeared. Where did he come from? flashed through Will's mind and he quickly<br />
glanced around the room looking for another door, but could see none. He must<br />
have been in the shop all the time Will concluded, it wouldn't be difficult to hide in<br />
such dim surroundings. The man was well built but not fat and he moved closer to<br />
where Will was standing.<br />
Here I am, through no fault of my own being menaced again and he was<br />
getting annoyed. He turned towards the fat man, at the same time keeping a wary<br />
eye on his partner.<br />
"What you are doing has got nothing to do with me. If you take this any further<br />
you'll be in deep trouble, I can assure you. Tell your partner to back off, I'm<br />
leaving now."<br />
The fat man gestured and his partner stepped back a couple of paces, and<br />
walking backwards towards the door, Will lifted the latch and seconds later found<br />
himself back on the street.<br />
Taking deep breaths he lifted his gait to a half run in an endeavour to get as<br />
much distance as he could between him and the shop. Turning the corner into the<br />
main street he was now in a populated area and feeling more secure slowed down<br />
to a walk. I'll have Gerald for this! he thought. He should have organized things<br />
better, and once again began to question his own safety in any dealings with him.<br />
The information that Gerald had given him turned out to be true, and on the<br />
following day the ship moved away from the dock in Honolulu to go to one in<br />
Pearl City, just a few miles away. As the ship was slowly turning in the confines of<br />
the harbour opposite Aloha Tower, Will stood on deck watching the activity. A<br />
large tug was moving towards the "Wiltshire" at a fair pace, it's bow wave quite<br />
evident, indicating it's speed.<br />
They moved to the port side to get a better look and by now the tug was close<br />
enough to be able to see the skipper standing on the short upper deck in front of<br />
the wheelhouse. Perched on a locker, with his front paws resting on the rail, was<br />
a small white terrier dog with a black patch around one eye.<br />
The "Wiltshire" was practically at a standstill now, but the tug, still steaming at<br />
full speed, was showing no signs of changing course. Someone shouted, "Hit the<br />
deck Will, he's going to ram us!"<br />
102
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
Will lay prone on the deck as the ship shuddered with the impact, and looking<br />
up he saw the little white dog flying through the air, landing amongst the coiled<br />
rope lines on the bow. Suddenly, the deck crew of the "Wiltshire" were running in<br />
all directions. Will looked over the side, fully expecting the tug to be taking on<br />
water, but apart from a damaged bow everything seemed to be in order and the<br />
little dog could be seen scurrying back towards the wheelhouse, seemingly unhurt.<br />
Divers were sent down to inspect the "Wiltshire's" hull for any damage to<br />
report to Lloyds of London, who would be informed for insurance purposes.<br />
Fortunately, it was quickly ascertained that the ship was not taking in any water<br />
and eventually continued on it's way to berth in Pearl City.<br />
The area surrounding the new berth was largely taken up by US navy vessels.<br />
On taking a short walk ashore, Will soon found out that they were quite close to<br />
the US Forces Pacific Headquarters and on one occasion observed high ranking<br />
officers coming and going to a large colonial style building, nestled amongst lots of<br />
large palm trees.<br />
Getting back to Honolulu to meet Gerald on the following day was more time<br />
consuming by bus, but not problematic. He was there waiting, pacing back and<br />
forth between the palm trees, as before. Will stood for awhile, out of sight<br />
observing him, eventually moving into view to put him out of his misery.<br />
"You damned near put me into a right predicament at the photo shop, why<br />
didn't you organize it better? The whole thing nearly got fouled up!"<br />
"I'm sorry Will, I've done plenty of work through him and things have always<br />
been alright."<br />
"He's doing illegal documents there, isn't he? That's why they got suspicious<br />
of me and were about to get physical. In future, we go places together, so you can<br />
take your share of the heat."<br />
"Look Will, I can assure you that whatever we do from now on we'll do it<br />
together. Let's go some place where we can talk."<br />
They were soon speeding through the Hawaiian countryside again in Gerald's<br />
white coupe and Will settled back into the big comfortable seat. They seemed to<br />
be getting deeper into the countryside with less signs of habitat, the growth was<br />
lush and colourful with African tulips and many other flowers, all intermingled with<br />
fern, Banyan trees, and a Norfolk Pine occasionally towering over the roadway.<br />
At that moment the car pulled into a clearing, and Will recognized immediately<br />
103
Will Bonner<br />
that they were back at the restaurant and roadhouse in the Nuuana Valley but had<br />
approached it from the opposite direction.<br />
"This is one place I can rely on," Gerald remarked, as they got out of the car<br />
and went inside. This time Aki was there and Will was introduced. Around 40<br />
years of age Will guessed, typically Hawaiian with a wonderful sense of humour<br />
and always smiling. After a period of general conversation Aki left, leaving Gerald<br />
and Will at the table.<br />
"What does he know about what you do?"<br />
"Only just enough to retain his support. I can get him quite a lot of business<br />
without much effort so things work both ways."<br />
"He can be trusted then?"<br />
"Yes."<br />
They both settled down to a mid-day meal during which time very little<br />
conversation took place. The restaurant had started to fill up and Gerald suggested<br />
that they move away to a more secluded area for coffee. Guiding Will to a room<br />
at the rear of the premises they both went inside. "This is one of Aki's offices that<br />
he rarely uses, we will be okay here."<br />
The room was a fair size, about 20 foot x 12 foot but had no windows, the<br />
fresh air flow being supplemented by a large ceiling fan and several ventilators.<br />
Local artefact and paintings covered the walls. A solid desk with accompanying<br />
chairs was situated at one end of the room, with a large coffee table surrounded<br />
by four easy chairs at the other. The abundance of wall hung items, combined with<br />
a large square carpet which nearly covered the floor area, contributed to the<br />
acoustic deadening in the room, providing some security against conversation<br />
being overheard. The only predominant sound was the gently swishing of the fan<br />
as it slowly cut through the air.<br />
As Will walked around the room discussing the various items with Gerald, the<br />
door opened and a girl entered carrying a tray which she placed on the coffee<br />
table and then left, quietly closing the door behind her. Gerald made himself<br />
comfortable in one of the easy chairs and Will, choosing the chair opposite him,<br />
sat down. After pouring the coffee Gerald appeared to be getting uptight again, as<br />
he had on previous occasions when it was necessary to get down to practicalities.<br />
It had become apparent to Will by now, that he probably had a select group<br />
of people he could use for obtaining information, keeping him in good faith with the<br />
104
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
organization with very little stress, but this time he was obviously being asked to<br />
do something that was out of his depth. Gerald continued to nervously fidget and<br />
Will felt compelled as before, to break the silence.<br />
"For heaven's sake Gerald, is the assignment so dangerous that you can't bring<br />
yourself to tell me about it?"<br />
"It could be, but it's something I've never done before."<br />
"Carry on and tell me everything."<br />
"The organization want to get their hands on some information that is sitting<br />
inside US Pacific Headquarters. I normally get everything passed along by word<br />
of mouth, but this time they want hard copy of actual documents, and I can’t ask<br />
my contact inside to get them out for me.”<br />
“How many documents?”<br />
“Just two. We have to go in there, photocopy the two pieces of paper, and<br />
bring them out.” Pausing, he looked at Will, the worried expression on his face<br />
painted the picture that he was already tortured by the forthcoming event, and he<br />
was expecting some sort of response.<br />
"Just tell me how you intend to do it, what the risks are, and don't skip over<br />
the details. I can't get caught again with the impression that things are going to be<br />
straightforward, you must promise me that."<br />
Gerald pulled himself together and carried on, explaining that he had a single<br />
contact in the main administrative building. This contact would leave the two<br />
pieces of information on an open desk, next to some electrical components, in a<br />
room within reach of a copying machine, but only for a short period of time.<br />
Gerald would copy the information in reduced format so that it could be easily<br />
concealed.<br />
Will would look at the equipment as though in the process of repairing it,<br />
should anyone appear on the scene. Service orders from the company who<br />
supplied the equipment had already been obtained, also passes to go through the<br />
main gate. To Will, everything seemed to be getting over complicated.<br />
"Does your contact have the authority to remove the items from the file?"<br />
"Yes, he is signing items out on a regular basis for various reasons, and<br />
recording them back to file again. They will be amongst many on that day, so<br />
things will not be out of the ordinary."<br />
Will listened and had no difficulty in foreseeing the possible dangers, but one<br />
105
Will Bonner<br />
thing seemed obvious to him. Waiting for a break in the conversation Will asked.<br />
"If everything is so well organized why do you need me? Surely your contact could<br />
copy the documents himself and just pass them on to you, once you were inside."<br />
Gerald shrugged his shoulders and Will carried on further. "It's just not good<br />
enough Gerald. This is your contact's idea isn't it?"<br />
"Yes."<br />
"I thought so. He's doing absolutely nothing that would put him in harm's way,<br />
but you and I are exposing ourselves to danger whilst we are inside, and also to<br />
being identified afterwards. We are putting our heads in the lion's mouth while your<br />
contact runs and hides, with little or no responsibility." Gerald remained silent, the<br />
look on his face revealing his thoughts. "He gets paid by the organization and as<br />
far as I'm concerned he'll have to earn his money!"<br />
Gerald was beginning to panic again. "What am I going to do Will?"<br />
At that point in time Will began to see the real possibility of getting himself into<br />
severe trouble, over which he had virtually no control. Looking at Gerald he once<br />
again experienced sympathy for his plight, tending to upset any good judgement<br />
in considering where to go from here.<br />
"Let's spend some time going over the whole thing," Will suggested, but as time<br />
went by and the pro's and con's were discussed the outcome seemed even more<br />
precarious. It was now getting late in the day and Will needed to get back to the<br />
ship to show some sort of normality in his comings and goings.<br />
"Can you meet me tomorrow?"<br />
"Yes."<br />
"Where then?"<br />
"I'll park opposite the dock gate around 10 a.m. but not in the white coupe,<br />
it's too conspicuous. Instead, I'll borrow Aki's wagon."<br />
Driving back to the Pearl City area little conversation was exchanged between<br />
the two men as they had exhausted their thoughts, so tomorrow would hopefully<br />
bring fresh ideas.<br />
Will arose early and during breakfast concentrated his mind on the forthcoming<br />
meeting with Gerald, now only three hours away. He had to get as much control<br />
over whatever circumstances could arise for his own well-being, knowing that he<br />
could not rely on total support from Gerald should anything go wrong.<br />
The options were limited. Will felt very uneasy about going through the main<br />
106
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
gate and into the administrative office. If things backfired it would not be difficult<br />
for military personnel to come up with their descriptions. They must get in and out<br />
without being seen Will concluded, and Gerald's contact inside would have to take<br />
on the responsibility of bringing the documents out of the building and into the<br />
grounds. The only problem would be finding a way in and out, but it appeared far<br />
less dangerous than Gerald's plan.<br />
Leaving the dock gate at 10 a.m. Will glanced up and down the street looking<br />
for Aki's wagon, but it was not in sight. Crossing over to the other side he started<br />
walking in the direction of Honolulu, deciding to get well clear of the dock gate to<br />
avoid meeting any of the ship's crew and guessing that Gerald would probably be<br />
coming from that direction.<br />
With the dock entrance still in sight Will looked for somewhere convenient to<br />
stand and wait but at that instant a dark blue pick-up pulled up alongside and he<br />
recognized the driver as Gerald. Will climbed into the passenger seat and the pickup<br />
turned in the road and sped off in the direction of Honolulu.<br />
"Pull into the first available side road Gerald," Will directed. It happened to be<br />
a residential street and the vehicle pulled up alongside a vacant lot. Gerald<br />
switched off the motor and turned to Will with a questioning look on his face.<br />
"I was on my way back to Aki's place where we could talk, or have you other<br />
ideas?"<br />
"We may have to visit a couple of places. Will that be alright with you?"<br />
"Yes, whatever it takes to get things resolved," and starting up the motor they<br />
proceeded east along the highway towards the Nuuanu Valley. It was another<br />
warm sunny day, and even though Will felt the anxieties from the affair that had<br />
overtaken him, it did not spoil the pleasure he derived from viewing the colourful<br />
lush countryside they were passing through.<br />
They went directly to Aki's back room as before, and after a few minutes<br />
chatting with the restaurant staff, Gerald returned with a tray of coffee and<br />
cookies. As the seconds ticked by his nervous fidgeting became apparent again,<br />
indicating his usual reluctance to open the conversation.<br />
"Have any other arrangements been made since we met yesterday?"<br />
"No."<br />
"Have you any ideas of your own?"<br />
"No."<br />
107
Will Bonner<br />
Will was beginning to lose his patience. "I've a good mind to turn my back on<br />
the whole affair before I get myself into severe trouble," he threatened, standing up<br />
to reinforce his point.<br />
Gerald's head was characteristically bowed, his eyes focused once again down<br />
on to the table showing that his mind had reached an impasse. He looked up at<br />
Will. "Please don't do that Will. I wouldn't be able to carry on and the<br />
consequences could be disastrous for me."<br />
Will walked around the room looking at the native shields and spears exhibited<br />
on the walls. The two men remained silent, but even as he was objecting to the<br />
way things were developing, Will knew that he too was under the influence of the<br />
organization and the affair would ultimately have to be resolved. He turned to face<br />
Gerald who was now looking up at him with an expectant look on his face.<br />
"I'll tell you what I think we should do, and then you must make up your mind,<br />
or come up with something better."<br />
Gerald nodded his head vigorously in agreement, his facial expression changing<br />
to one of relief, probably at the thought of things now proceeding forward again.<br />
There was a knock on the door and Aki appeared, his smiling face and jovial<br />
manner completely changing the whole atmosphere, and very soon everyone was<br />
affected. They all retired into the restaurant for lunch. Aki's interruption could not<br />
have come at a better time, and Gerald was now enjoying the company of his<br />
friends who were constantly engaged in active conversation with him. How<br />
wonderful these circumstances would have been for Will, without the threat of this<br />
clandestine affair hanging over his head.<br />
Aki bounced back to the table. "Enjoying your meal Will?"<br />
"It's really good. Can I bring the ship's cook here for a few lessons? Failing<br />
that, could you find me a job here?"<br />
Aki jumped up calling out to everyone and pointing to Will, "He wants a job<br />
here! I'll say yes, on one condition."<br />
"What's that?"<br />
"That you marry one of my daughters," he said beckoning to one of his<br />
Hawaiian girls standing by the counter. She came over and stood in front of Will's<br />
chair as everyone's eyes turned to him, his face blushing a bright red.<br />
The girl placed a lei around Will's neck and a spontaneous clapping and<br />
cheering seemed to come from every direction. Quickly extraditing himself from<br />
108
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
that embarrassing moment Will, with Gerald not far behind, retired to the back<br />
room. Both men were feeling much better now and Will did not want to waste any<br />
time in getting the conversation underway, to lose the advantage of a congenial<br />
atmosphere. But before he could speak it was Gerald who took the initiative.<br />
"They told me that you managed to see your way through some awkward<br />
situations. If you could do that for me I would be forever in your debt."<br />
Will paused before answering. "You must understand Gerald that everything<br />
I did centred on getting myself out of trouble, and there was only myself involved,<br />
just me to worry about, no one else. I can't predict what will happen until the time<br />
arrives." Will carried on explaining to Gerald what he had in mind. "We must get<br />
into the grounds without being seen. Your contact must meet us at a prearranged<br />
place in the grounds to hand over the documents, and then we leave via the same<br />
route."<br />
Gerald shook his head. "My contact won't agree to that."<br />
"He'll have to or the whole things off. We're not going to stick our necks out<br />
any more than is necessary, just to keep him out of trouble. In any case, I want to<br />
see him before anything goes ahead. Just tell him what I have said and if he doesn't<br />
agree to either bringing the documents out into the grounds, or arranging to see<br />
me, I'm not interested, whatever the repercussions might be."<br />
Gerald gestured as though to speak but Will continued, "Believe me, it's the<br />
best for both of us. To get caught inside that military building is a far different cry<br />
to being discovered in the grounds. We can give any old excuse for that but inside<br />
the building we're dead ducks!"<br />
"I know you're right. I'll talk to my contact tonight and if it's convenient we can<br />
arrange a meeting. Is that all we need to talk about?"<br />
"No, there are a couple of things. The first is the matter of the negative from<br />
my photo. Do you have it?"<br />
"No."<br />
"Then we'll have to go and get it, preferably before I see your contact, but<br />
don't tell him about the negative and don't contact the shop."<br />
Will knew that the men at the shop were rough characters, and they could<br />
expect the worst, but he wouldn't say anything about that until later when they<br />
parted at the dock gates. Dusk fell during the journey back to the ship, and the<br />
twinkling of lights scattered amongst the trees and shrubs, highlighted the natural<br />
109
Will Bonner<br />
beauty of the place.<br />
As the pick-up came to a stop about a quarter of a mile from the dock gate,<br />
Gerald had not asked him about the second thing he had suggested they talk<br />
about. Knowing his nervous demeanor it would be best left unsaid. Things could<br />
get rough when they went back to get the negative.<br />
"Do you own a gun, Gerald?" Will queried, as he prepared to leave.<br />
"Yes, but I never carry it."<br />
"We will go to the photo shop the day after tomorrow, bring your gun with<br />
you and pick me up at 10 a.m. You can also arrange for me to meet your contact<br />
during that same evening."<br />
Before Gerald could get the opportunity to question him Will jumped out and<br />
headed for the dock gate. He knew that Gerald's mind would be working overtime<br />
and getting fearful by the minute, but he had no other choice. If for some reason<br />
the photo shop was raided by the police, the negative could verify that he had been<br />
there, so he had to get it back at all costs.<br />
During the next thirty-six hours Will tried to keep himself occupied, and most<br />
of the daylight hours were spent visiting various places in the area, rounding off the<br />
day by taking in a late evening movie. After breakfast, on the day he was to meet<br />
Gerald, Will recovered the twin barrel derringer from his bag, preparatory to going<br />
ashore. The feel of it's ivory handle sent shivers up his spine as he instinctively<br />
pictured the need for it's use.<br />
Gerald was waiting this time, still in Aki's pick-up looking awful, his face<br />
drawn with dark circles under his eyes as though he had not slept.<br />
"Before we go downtown pull into the harbour front, down in the Aloha Tower<br />
area." It was only a short distance and Gerald soon pulled in amongst the<br />
warehouses that were for the best part, deserted.<br />
"Did you bring the gun?"<br />
"Yes."<br />
"Show it to me."<br />
He reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and pulled the gun out. Will<br />
burst into spontaneous laughter when he saw what Gerald was holding.<br />
"That's the most menacing piece of hardware I have ever seen, you'll only have<br />
to point that thing at someone and they'll die of fright!" Will produced his derringer,<br />
and the comparison was ludicrous. The sight of the two guns in close proximity<br />
110
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
brought more laughter and this time Gerald joined in. Will looked across at Gerald.<br />
"Relax, everything's going to be alright. When we get to the shop, pull up with<br />
the passenger door in line with the shop door and please do as I ask. Whatever<br />
you do don't show any fear, even though you may be terrified inside." Gerald<br />
nodded, but he had that scared look on his face.<br />
The side street was almost deserted as on Will's previous visit, and Gerald<br />
parked next to the footpath and close to the shop door. Will entered the shop first,<br />
but this time he quickly looked into the shadows detecting the dim figure of a man<br />
secreted in the far right corner.<br />
Gerald was following close behind, and Will positioned himself between him<br />
and the man in the shadows as they approached the counter. Almost immediately,<br />
the fat man came out of the back room nodding in recognition, but without saying<br />
a word. Will broke the silence, but even though he was speaking to the fat man,<br />
his eyes never left the corner of the room.<br />
"I've come for the negative from the photo you took of me the other day." The<br />
fat man shifted uneasily from one foot to the other.<br />
"No, I can't do that."<br />
"We're not going to leave until we have the negative, so get it right now!"<br />
Will's voice was raised.<br />
The fat man's accomplice suddenly appeared out of the shadows and<br />
advanced towards them. He was armed with a short iron bar. Will drew the<br />
derringer from his pocket and pointed it at the man's chest but he continued to<br />
come forward. Pulling back the hammer stopped him in his stride.<br />
"If I pull this trigger you'll have a hole in your chest big enough to put my fist<br />
through."<br />
The look of fear on the man's face and his bulging eyes, brought back<br />
memories of the fat Goanese in the linen locker on his last ship. Will turned to<br />
Gerald.<br />
"Go into the back room with him," pointing to the fat man, "and get that<br />
negative, if he gives you trouble show him that big revolver."<br />
Out of the corner of his eye Will saw Gerald disappearing through the rear<br />
door with the fat man and after what seemed an eternity, they reappeared.<br />
"I've got what you want," Gerald called out, holding up an envelope. The fat<br />
man slumped on to a small chair behind the counter a look of despair on his face<br />
111
Will Bonner<br />
as Gerald moved towards the front of the shop. Will spoke to him as he passed.<br />
"Get into the pick-up and start the motor," he ordered, and Gerald increased<br />
his pace towards the door. Addressing all his attention to the fat man's accomplice,<br />
and with a wave of the derringer Will commanded, "get outside!"<br />
The look on the man's face changed to surprise, and he showed reluctance to<br />
leave. Will thrust the gun forward at arm's length to reinforce his demand and he<br />
moved quickly towards the open door through which Gerald was now<br />
disappearing.<br />
Turning to the fat man Will made his departing remark. "If you tell anyone,<br />
you'll be visited by the police and the feds." The fat man nodded his head,<br />
indicating that he understood. Pocketing the derringer Will joined the others<br />
outside, Gerald had started the pick-up and the fat man's accomplice was standing<br />
on the sidewalk, showing no signs of escaping.<br />
"Get into the car," Will ordered, and once inside he spoke to Gerald. "Head<br />
for the harbour front as quick as you can." As they sped away Will looked across<br />
at Gerald, he looked tense but showed no other signs of distress. This was<br />
probably the first time he had experienced the close proximity of danger and Will<br />
was surprised that he had survived it without incident.<br />
"What are you going to do with me?" The fat man's accomplice spoke in a<br />
fearful, questioning voice.<br />
"That all depends on you. If you tell anyone what happened here today we'll<br />
dump the fed's on you, and you'll probably finish up in jail for a very long time."<br />
"No, my brother and me wouldn't dare do that, we've got to keep out of<br />
trouble." Will was taken aback. So this was the fat man's brother, who would<br />
have believed it? They looked totally different, but this made things much easier.<br />
As brothers, they were bound to protect each other, Will calculated.<br />
"Pull up right here." Gerald brought the vehicle to a screeching halt. The fat<br />
man's brother scrambled to get out, and Will watched him running back up the<br />
street as fast as his stocky legs would carry him.<br />
Will could feel the adrenalin still flowing and his legs were beginning to shake.<br />
He pressed down on his knees to try and stop the tremor. "Don't go back to Aki's<br />
place yet, let's go down to Waikiki beach and sit for awhile."<br />
Gerald nodded in agreement. "I'll get some coke and sandwiches."<br />
Will looked across at him noticing his hands gripping the steering wheel like a<br />
112
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
vice, the knuckles showing white under the pressure and his arms were shaking.<br />
It would be okay for him to breakdown, now that the danger had passed Will<br />
thought, as he tried to relax.<br />
Sitting on the beach under the palms was far better medicine than taking any<br />
tranquillizer. Another clear blue sky, and a light mild breeze, coupled with the<br />
sound of the surf soon had the desired effect. Will lay back on the sand and<br />
allowed his body and mind to return to normal.<br />
"There you go, Will." It was Gerald with the coke and sandwiches. His hands<br />
were still trembling slightly, but Will was amazed that he was so composed. "Can<br />
you tell me something? Would you have shot the fat man's brother?"<br />
"No." A look of relief came over Gerald's face.<br />
"Can I tell you why?" Gerald waited for his answer.<br />
"I don't have any bullets for the derringer!" Both men burst into laughter.<br />
"You know Gerald, I was more concerned with my own safety in the event<br />
of you wielding that cannon of yours!"<br />
Gerald chuckled. "Your concerns were well founded, I've never fired it<br />
before!"<br />
Both men were now relaxed enough to talk about the incident at the shop, and<br />
Will outlined his reasons about the negative getting into the hands of the police.<br />
"We had to frighten them back there to stop them from blackmailing us so you'll<br />
have to find someone else to do your identity documents."<br />
Gerald had made arrangements to meet his contact in the early evening, so it<br />
was decided that they relax for the remainder of the afternoon and have a light<br />
evening meal before the meeting. Will was clear about what he wanted from<br />
Gerald's contact, enabling him to put things out of his mind until the time arrived.<br />
It was dusk and they were now in Gerald's open coupe, having changed<br />
vehicles at Aki's. Will felt the warm night air blowing on his face as they travelled<br />
through unfamiliar scenery. "Where are we going?"<br />
"To one of the western beaches in the Kahe area, not very far from Pearl City.<br />
There's a beach house where we will not be disturbed, we'll be there in a few<br />
minutes."<br />
Dusk had turned to darkness and apart from the headlight's of the car Will<br />
could just see the clear sky and the occasional twinkling of stars through the tree<br />
tops. The area seemed devoid of other buildings, at least close to the road.<br />
113
Will Bonner<br />
Abruptly slowing down Gerald turned off the main road, and the surface changed<br />
from smooth to rocky. They were now travelling at walking pace and down a<br />
steep winding incline, which terminated into a circular clearing.<br />
As the car came to a stop Will found himself looking down, over the roof of<br />
a beach house and across to the ocean. The moon was full, it's light reflecting from<br />
the water, showing up the white capped waves coming into the shore. It was an<br />
ideal picture postcard scene. Gerald led the way down a wide wooden stairway<br />
to the rear of the house and Will became aware of a gentle breeze coming off the<br />
ocean, creating the sweet smell of pollen in the air coming from the bushes on the<br />
patio.<br />
Looking at the structure of the house it seemed a far cry from a simple cottage.<br />
A long narrow wooden building, no doubt built that way to take advantage of the<br />
view. Without knocking, Gerald opened the door and they went inside. He had<br />
obviously been here before.<br />
The confines of the small entrance led into an expansive open plan room.<br />
Three long comfortable sofas were placed in a semicircle in the centre of the room,<br />
served by three large coffee tables. Scatter rugs and occasional tables supporting<br />
vases of flowers, and other displayed items, added to the expensive decor. The<br />
open area to the far left contained dining furniture and between the lounge and<br />
dining areas a large bar jutted out, surrounded by bar stools. But the most<br />
overpowering element in the room was 30 to 40 feet of floor to ceiling glass doors<br />
that opened out on to a full-length deck, taking full advantage of the ocean view.<br />
A tall man was standing by the windows looking out. He turned and<br />
approached as Gerald and Will entered the room. His neatly pressed cream<br />
trousers, matched a cream, military style long sleeve tailored shirt, from the pocket<br />
of which peeked the corner of a folded handkerchief. Gerald started the<br />
introductions and as he offered up his hand Will noticed the nails were manicured,<br />
his grip loose, but not as jelly-like as Gerald's.<br />
His name was Rodney, and as they sat down Will's attention was drawn to the<br />
smooth, bryl-creamed black hair, parted on the left side, and his pencil thin<br />
moustache. This chap would also do well in the movies, Will was thinking. His<br />
mannerisms were not as pronounced as Gerald's but there was no mistaking the<br />
fact that he was also homosexual. After drinks had been prepared at the bar the<br />
conversation turned to matters concerning the meeting.<br />
114
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
It was soon apparent that Rodney did not have the open character of Gerald.<br />
He was constantly on his guard, at times evasive without qualification, putting him<br />
more into the category of Blyth or the Correspondent, and certainly seemed more<br />
equipped psychologically for this type of work, in stark contrast to Gerald. A<br />
point in time had arrived when Will had to make his position abundantly clear.<br />
"Gerald has probably told you that I am not prepared to stick my neck out,<br />
exposing my identity to everyone I come into contact with in that administrative<br />
building, it's far too risky. "I don't mind getting into the grounds for you to pass the<br />
documents over to Gerald, and you must admit, getting in and out will not be<br />
easy."<br />
Rodney's face was deadpan and getting up from the sofa he went over to the<br />
other side of the bar to refresh his drink. Will watched him intently, concentrating<br />
for signs of a change in facial expression, but non was forthcoming. This man was<br />
one very cool character.<br />
"I've thought about it but I can't do what you ask, you will have to go along<br />
with the original plan," he remarked, with a distinct and forceful tone in his voice.<br />
Will looked across at Gerald and he could see him trembling slightly as the tension<br />
started to mount, but he would have to ignore the signs and keep on track.<br />
"I don't have to go along with any plan," Will replied, with just the right amount<br />
of force in his voice "and if you insist, you can forget about any help from me,<br />
whatever the consequences."<br />
Rodney walked over to the sofa and sat down, placing his drink on the coffee<br />
table in front of him. His face had now changed to a look of annoyance and Will<br />
had no doubt that he was the type of person who disliked not getting his own way.<br />
Rodney and Will were now at an impasse and Gerald could see what was<br />
coming. Getting nervously to his feet he walked over to the glass doors pretending<br />
to look out at the ocean, but his only desire was to put some distance however<br />
small, between himself and any confrontation. Will picked up his drink and waited<br />
for Rodney's response, determined not to break the silence and give him an<br />
advantage. He had made up his mind that should no response come he would<br />
stand up and prepare to leave.<br />
The seconds ticked by and the sound of Gerald's uneasy shuffling could be<br />
heard from across the room, intensifying by the minute. Not being able to contain<br />
himself any longer he walked briskly back to the sofa and sat down next to<br />
115
Will Bonner<br />
Rodney. "Perhaps we can come to some arrangement?" he suggested.<br />
"You've had my decision," Will interjected, "now it's up to yourselves. When<br />
you come to your decision let me know, I'd like to go to the washroom."<br />
The washroom was adjacent to the bar and once inside Will quickly looked<br />
around the room. Opening a cupboard door over the hand basin he found just<br />
what he was looking for - a large glass tumbler. Placing the glass to his ear and<br />
against the washroom wall on the lounge-room side, it had the desired effect of<br />
amplifying the sounds through the wall and he could hear Rodney's hushed, intense<br />
conversation. He was bullying Gerald in no uncertain terms, blaming him for the<br />
breakdown of his plan.<br />
Will could hear Gerald's apologetic answers to Rodney's brow-beating and<br />
he started to get angry. Flushing the toilet to give warning that he was about to<br />
reappear, he returned to his seat now knowing that Rodney was not as cool as he<br />
had first thought.<br />
"Have you decided what to do?" Will asked, looking directly at Rodney.<br />
"I fail to see what you are concerned about." The audacity of this man! He<br />
must be so egotistical to think that someone would just go along with him, without<br />
question. It had only been minutes since the bullying episode with Gerald and<br />
Will's anger had not subsided. Rodney's last statement only served to add further<br />
fuel to his feelings.<br />
"You must think Gerald and I are stupid! You take documents from a file that<br />
you are perfectly authorized to do, put them on a desk that you are authorized to<br />
do, and collect them afterwards to put back in the file that you are also authorized<br />
to do, with literally no risk to yourself, and you expect us to use a hoax to gain<br />
entry to the building, the consequences of which, if caught, could mean at the very<br />
least, a jail sentence, and the possibility of them throwing away the key. You<br />
really must be mad!"<br />
Gerald once again stood up and made for the viewing deck, stopping at a<br />
distance where he could still hear what was being said. "It's all so one-sided," Will<br />
continued, "the risk should be shared. We are prepared to do our bit if you do<br />
yours, and that's the bottom line."<br />
Rodney's face was now deadpan again, and apart from the distant sound of<br />
the ocean waves and the reoccurrence of Gerald's nervous shuffling, the room was<br />
silent. This time Will was not prepared to wait for Rodney to answer, he wanted<br />
116
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
to bring things to a conclusion as soon as possible. After a few seconds to allow<br />
his previous comments to sink in he knew that he would have to keep shocking<br />
Rodney until he responded.<br />
"I'd be most upset if you were bullying Gerald into this crazy scheme!"<br />
Rodney's face changed instantly to a look that was questioning the very thought<br />
that he may have been found out. He moved uneasily on the sofa signifying that the<br />
conversation was having an effect and Will followed through, "you are a spy aren't<br />
you, a paid one at that, so why don't you start acting like a spy and earn your<br />
money?"<br />
Will realized that he had reached a point in time where he had nothing to lose,<br />
imparting the final item in his mind that was bugging him. "I can't understand for the<br />
life of me why, as a homosexual like Gerald, you're not trying to help him out,<br />
instead of putting him into danger." The strain for Gerald must have been<br />
paramount. He opened one of the glass doors and went outside on to the deck.<br />
Rodney was also mobile, heading back to the bar.<br />
Getting up from the sofa Will joined Gerald on the deck. He was gripping the<br />
hand rail to help stop the trembling. The sound of the surf out there was constant,<br />
punctuated only by an occasional boom as a large wave broke on to the beach.<br />
"Everything will be fine now Gerald, please come back inside." Gerald<br />
followed without question.<br />
Rodney looked up as they entered. He had taken out some plates and put<br />
them on the bar, alongside cups and saucers. "Could we discuss the situation over<br />
a bite to eat?"<br />
The look of relief on Gerald's face was indisputable. "We'd love to do that,"<br />
and with a renewed purpose in his step walked over to the refrigerator. "I'll start<br />
to prepare the meal."<br />
The meal progressed in a cordial manner with no further confrontation taking<br />
place. Will began to relax and enjoy the food, but he couldn't help thinking what<br />
the men back at the ship would think if they could take the place of a fly on the<br />
wall and observe the proceedings, especially the fact that Will was dining with not<br />
one, but two homosexuals! He shuddered at the thought.<br />
Sitting in the lounge over coffee it was agreed that Rodney would meet Gerald<br />
at a prearranged time and place in the grounds, where the information would be<br />
passed over. How he procured the copied documents would be his concern.<br />
117
Will Bonner<br />
Breaking into the grounds would provide them with plenty to worry about. Will<br />
was satisfied and they prepared to leave.<br />
Making his way up the stairway from the rear patio Will stood, taking one long<br />
final look at this most beautiful place, together with it's breathtaking view before<br />
finally getting into the car. He was thinking of his mother again and how thrilled he<br />
would be to bring her here.<br />
The sound of Gerald's footsteps running up the stairway broke into his<br />
thoughts and within minutes they were back on the main road heading towards<br />
Pearl City. During the trip back to the ship Gerald told him that he had taken time<br />
off from his job to deal with the forthcoming situation, and wanted the following<br />
day to arrange a few things, but mainly to gather some information. Before leaving<br />
the car Will felt that he had to say at least one thing about that confrontational<br />
evening, and looked directly into Gerald's face to get his full attention.<br />
"Gerald, you must stand up for yourself, don't let people push you around.<br />
They will only lead you into the sort of trouble that you won't be able to handle.<br />
Always remember, Rodney is just as vulnerable as you are, and you should take<br />
advantage of that, as and when required. Just remember one most important thing,<br />
if you don't protect yourself, your father may become vulnerable."<br />
Gerald nodded in agreement. "Yes, you are perfectly right."<br />
"Then do it for your father's sake. See you the day after tomorrow, right here."<br />
Will did not look around as the car did a "U" turn in the road disappearing in<br />
the direction of Honolulu. He collapsed on his bunk completely exhausted from the<br />
day's events.<br />
The next day was a welcome break from the clandestine affair that had been<br />
dominating Will's time. He accepted an invitation to go ashore and tour downtown<br />
Honolulu. He was compelled to keep his attention focused throughout the day and<br />
consequently, other matters were largely forced to the back of his mind, providing<br />
a welcome relief.<br />
They had walked for hours, eventually getting back to the ship quite late. No<br />
messages had been left, something that Will always expected with some anxiety,<br />
so the day ended as normally as it had begun, which was a pleasant change.<br />
Next day, rather than stay on board for breakfast, Will consumed a quick cup<br />
of coffee and made himself a fried egg sandwich to eat ashore. Leaving the ship<br />
early, he had decided to walk around the coast adjacent to the harbour and find<br />
118
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
a suitable spot to have his sandwich, prior to meeting Gerald. He was aware that<br />
the days were now quickly passing by, and he would soon be losing the<br />
opportunity of being able to just sit quietly with grass and trees around.<br />
Looking across the bay at the hills beyond brought back memories of the Firth<br />
of The Clyde in Scotland, and he allowed his mind to wander to thoughts of home<br />
closing his eyes to get a more vivid picture, when suddenly a familiar voice<br />
abruptly brought him back to reality.<br />
"Hi there, Will." It was Gerald and Will sprang to his feet, thinking he was late<br />
for the meeting.<br />
"Am I late? Sorry Gerald."<br />
"No, it's me that's early. I happened to spot you from the road up there," he<br />
said, pointing back up the hill to where Aki's pick-up was parked in a pull-off.<br />
"We can talk here if you like."<br />
The spot was ideal with not a soul in sight. Gerald was upbeat, which was<br />
unusual for him. He had all the information necessary to go forward with the job<br />
and was now waiting for Will to tell him how they would get in and out of the<br />
grounds. He had sketches of the building positions, relative to the high fence<br />
surrounding the grounds with a note showing where he would meet Rodney. The<br />
main gate was the only way in or out. Will looked at the map.<br />
"This is a piece of dynamite you're carrying around, if you get caught with it<br />
there would be a lot of questions asked. We'll need to go up there today and look<br />
around the perimeter, but before we go we will have to get rid of that map. Are<br />
you acquainted with the place where you have to meet Rodney?"<br />
"Yes, and I can burn the plan in one of the picnic places on the way."<br />
About half-a-mile from Pacific Headquarters Will asked Gerald to stop and<br />
park the car. "We'll walk from here and then go round the perimeter looking for<br />
the best way in." Gerald looked across at Will.<br />
"The place is immense, it may take us all day."<br />
"Whatever it takes."<br />
Checking out the perimeter proved to be tedious. A narrow dirt road ran<br />
parallel to the fence for a short distance and then veered off, leaving no other<br />
option but to take to the countryside to keep track of it. A couple of hours had<br />
gone by with no sign of a place suitable for entry and Gerald was getting<br />
despondent, but after a further hour Will spotted a change in the fence structure.<br />
119
Will Bonner<br />
It was an ideal spot with trees and shrubs both on the outside, and in. A large<br />
tree branch, during recent times had fallen on the fence and bent two of the upright<br />
posts in opposite directions, making it a bit easier to climb in and out. Looking<br />
beyond the trees into the compound, the ground cleared into grassy banks and<br />
gulleys, deep enough to walk along without being seen. Yes, this was the place.<br />
Will turned to Gerald.<br />
"How far is it from here to the meeting place?"<br />
"At least a quarter of a mile."<br />
It would be impossible to check out the rest of the terrain as it was well inside<br />
the compound. An occasional Military Policeman had been seen walking around,<br />
but out in the open, and well away from the fence.<br />
"Let's get back to the car Gerald, but take particular note on the way back for<br />
the best way to leave in case we need to hurry."<br />
Gerald looked uneasily at Will. "Do you expect trouble?"<br />
"It's always best to be prepared." Gerald fell silent and Will guessed by the<br />
look on his face he was already getting butterflies in his stomach.<br />
It was Tuesday and Rodney had given the go-ahead for Friday. There was<br />
nothing else to do, so Gerald dropped Will off at the usual place near the ship,<br />
which was only a short distance away, making his return earlier than usual.<br />
Passing the stairway to the captain's quarters on his way back to his cabin Will<br />
could hear raised voices, dominated by the deep bellowing voice of the captain.<br />
Some poor devil's in trouble, I wonder what it's all about? He didn't have to wait<br />
long for an answer.<br />
"Have you heard Will, there's a row going on between the skipper and the<br />
military?"<br />
"No, I've only just got back."<br />
"It's been going on since mid morning and they are all up there now. If the<br />
skipper has his way and he usually does, the charter will be broken and we'll be<br />
out of here, quick smart!"<br />
Will felt numb and confused, all sorts of things were flashing through his mind.<br />
"When will we know?"<br />
"The radio officer has been in touch with London for instructions. We should<br />
know anytime now."<br />
Will sat in his cabin. There was nothing he could do until he knew what was<br />
120
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
going to happen, and the short waiting period proved to be torturous. It had been<br />
about an hour since he had first heard about the possible changes. "It's all over, we<br />
sail for Sydney, Australia, on Friday!"<br />
Will panicked. He didn't know where Gerald lived but he could probably find<br />
Aki's place if he took a cab, and then he suddenly remembered the card Gerald<br />
had given him with the photo shop's directions on it and the words he had once<br />
said to him, "if ever you are in trouble contact Aki." Foraging through a small<br />
carved wooden box where he kept his valuables, he was more than relieved to<br />
find that he still had it.<br />
He hesitated. This would be an ideal opportunity to turn his back on the whole<br />
thing, it would not be his fault and it was very tempting, but Gerald's face kept<br />
surfacing and his conscience came to the forefront. The telephone number on the<br />
card was for Aki's restaurant and Will hurriedly left the ship to find the nearest<br />
telephone. Aki was there, his happy voice on the other end gave Will a boost.<br />
"How soon can you get in touch with Gerald?"<br />
"Usually within the hour. Is it urgent?"<br />
"Yes, very urgent Aki. I need to see him right now, could you tell him I'll wait<br />
for him at the usual place."<br />
"Don't worry Will, I shall keep trying until I get him."<br />
Will had been back to the ship to collect some items and then walked to the<br />
spot where he usually met Gerald, but before he had the chance to get worried<br />
about whether he would make contact Gerald's white coupe appeared. Will<br />
jumped into the front seat. "Find a place where we can talk."<br />
Darkness had by now descended and Gerald soon found a place to park. "We<br />
have a problem Gerald, the ship's charter has been broken and we leave on Friday<br />
morning." Gerald's face took on a look of despair and Will hastened to put him out<br />
of his misery. "Just let Rodney know that we will have to do it one day earlier, on<br />
Thursday. Tell him to meet you at the arranged place, we will wait there all day if<br />
necessary, to give him plenty of opportunity, and be at Aki's place tomorrow<br />
evening. I will phone you there."<br />
Back at the ship Will began to have doubts but he pushed them aside. If things<br />
failed it would be out of his control but at least, he would have had a go. They<br />
would have to come up with something else, after the ship had sailed.<br />
He had one last day to himself before sailing, and he intended to make use of<br />
121
Will Bonner<br />
that by revisiting Waikiki beach, Diamond Head, and other places in the vicinity<br />
before leaving.<br />
In the early hours of Thursday morning, Gerald picked up Will at the usual<br />
meeting place and they drove to a prearranged spot to park Aki's pick-up. It was<br />
dark and still as they made their way through the countryside to where they would<br />
get over the fence. Standing quietly at the spot, no sounds of movement could be<br />
heard and Will clambered up the leaning fence post over to the other side,<br />
followed by Gerald. So far so good, and keeping to the perimeter of the grounds<br />
with the fence in sight, they walked without speaking for about fifteen minutes.<br />
Gerald raised his hand for them to stop indicating that they were now near<br />
Rodney's meeting place.<br />
"We have to go deeper into the compound," Gerald whispered, and within<br />
minutes the dark shapes of buildings became visible, surrounded by trees and<br />
shrubs. "I have to wait here until I see Rodney come out of that building," he<br />
whispered again, pointing to the building nearest to the shrubbery. His voice was<br />
wavering, he was probably scared stiff.<br />
Will was amazed how easy it had been to get this far without incident and he<br />
crossed his fingers, hoping his luck would continue. Dawn began to break and they<br />
moved deeper into the bushes to avoid being seen. It was difficult to keep<br />
comfortable sitting on the ground, Gerald's legs were trembling, making a rustling<br />
sound. Will lifted his own knees up to his chest, indicating that he should do the<br />
same thing to quell the noise.<br />
He looked apologetically at Will, but there was nothing he could do about his<br />
nerves. At full light, activity in the area started to become evident but it was only<br />
occasional, and no Military Police showed up. How fortunate they were to have<br />
everything so quiet, but Will was praying that Rodney would appear so that they<br />
could get on the move. The sound of rapid gunfire suddenly broke the silence,<br />
followed by more of the same.<br />
Gerald rolled over on to his face covering the back of his head, his whole body<br />
was now trembling. He's never been under fire before Will guessed, and placing<br />
his hand on his shoulder shook him to gain attention. Gerald turned over, a look<br />
of fear on his face.<br />
"There's got to be a small firing range nearby and they are probably checking<br />
out their guns and having shooting practice before the offices open. Just try and<br />
122
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
stay calm."<br />
Gerald sat up but he didn't look too good, the gunfire had disturbed him and<br />
he was having a job to cope. "Pull yourself together, Rodney could come at<br />
anytime and you must be ready." The firing continued for a short while and then<br />
ceased.<br />
Gerald had hardly recovered before Rodney walked out of the building and<br />
across the lawn. Will couldn't believe it. There was no one else in sight! It was<br />
obvious that he would not be able to hang around and Will prodded Gerald into<br />
action. Within seconds the transaction had taken place. Scanning the area once<br />
again for signs of life and seeing none, Will turned to Gerald. "Let's get out of<br />
here!" Even though they were still inside the compound and at risk, Will felt<br />
somehow relieved that they were moving again.<br />
Keeping out of sight in the deep gulleys, they cautiously made their way back.<br />
Gerald was leading the way, his head bent slightly to keep out of sight, but his<br />
homosexual mannerisms were still prominent and they looked more pronounced<br />
from behind, especially the gyrating hips. Will smiled to himself as he followed, but<br />
the smile was unexpectedly wiped from his face as a strange voice called out.<br />
"Halt, who goes there?"<br />
Will raised his head slightly to see a soldier some distance away. Gerald was<br />
frozen to the spot, his head moving around in an erratic frightened manner and Will<br />
was expecting him to panic. There was no time to waste, their entry point was not<br />
far away and there would be plenty of cover to hide their escape.<br />
"Run Gerald, run like hell!" and Will pushed Gerald physically into action but<br />
it seemed hopeless. He couldn't run, it was as though his legs were detached from<br />
his body. Two yards, ten yards, fifteen yards, and the sound of gunfire broke out.<br />
The bullets were kicking up dirt on the ridges of the gulley above their heads in<br />
rapid succession. He's got a machine-gun! and he could hear Gerald, his fright<br />
now becoming vocal.<br />
Rounding a bend Will realized that it would take them in the direction of the<br />
soldier, but it was too late to change his mind. He was standing about thirty to forty<br />
paces ahead, waiting for them.<br />
Gerald raised his hands above his head waiting for some instruction. "Walk<br />
towards him," Will whispered, "but let me do the talking."<br />
As they walked closer Will could see the soldier looking directly at Gerald, he<br />
123
Will Bonner<br />
had a bemused look on his face. It was that walk of Gerald's and he had<br />
recognized it's implication.<br />
"What are you doing here?"<br />
"Our car broke down on the road," Will replied, showing him the palms of his<br />
hands that were dirty from clambering over the fence, "we thought the fence was<br />
around someone's house and climbed over to try and get help." The soldier started<br />
to relax, he was only about Will's age.<br />
"Do you live around here?"<br />
Gerald broke into the conversation. "Yes, in an apartment downtown."<br />
The soldier nodded. "I'll have to get you checked out, you're on military<br />
grounds, but the area is restricted so I can't take you to the main building." He<br />
pointed to a small hut under the trees in the opposite direction to where they had<br />
entered. "I'll put you in there until I can get someone to see you."<br />
The door slammed behind them and the padlock snapped shut. Will could hear<br />
the soldier's footsteps leaving the scene and knew that some time would elapse<br />
before anyone returned, due to the distance from there to the main building. He<br />
was amazed that this young soldier had not asked more questions, and at least<br />
performed some preliminary search. Seeing Gerald, he had probably concluded<br />
that their explanation was genuine. Gerald slumped down into the corner, but Will<br />
shocked him back to reality. "Get up, we've got to get out of here, quick smart!"<br />
The hut was very small, only about 6 ft x 6 ft at the most and it was standing<br />
on bare ground. Will guessed it would be a place for a guard to get out of any bad<br />
weather during his rounds. It reminded him of the garden shed back home and he<br />
set about pushing and shoving to look for any movement and he found plenty.<br />
"Quick Gerald, help me dig out the soil, enough to get a grip under this wall,"<br />
Will shouted, as he frantically attacked the soil with his hands. He had no time to<br />
consider Gerald's state of mind, he just kept pushing him to work harder.<br />
The two men finally gripped the bottom rail of the wall. "Lift Gerald, lift as<br />
hard as you can!" and Will felt the side of the hut move, some six inches higher<br />
"more, more!" Will shouted. He could feel his head and arms bursting with the<br />
strain as they lifted it to a height of two feet. "I'll hold it, you go outside and keep<br />
it up for me to get out."<br />
Will took the strain as Gerald disappeared under the gap. Feeling Gerald's<br />
pull, Will quickly dropped down and rolled outside just as Gerald let go and the<br />
124
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
hut fell back into position.<br />
They ran the short distance to the fence where they had entered as though their<br />
very lives depended on it. Scrambling over, Will took off in the direction of the car<br />
but this time in a wide circle to avoid the roads. He could hear Gerald panting<br />
some distance behind and sighting the car through the trees Will stopped, allowing<br />
Gerald to catch up. There were no signs of traffic or anyone walking.<br />
"Have you still got the documents?"<br />
"Yes."<br />
"Then get down to the car and drive the long way round to Aki's."<br />
Gerald looked puzzled. "Aren't you coming?"<br />
"No, we must split up. If they do look for us, and I don't think they will, they<br />
will be looking for two men."<br />
"What are you going to do?"<br />
"Forget about me, I can look after myself better on my own, but remember<br />
what I told you after we left Rodney's the other night. Don't let anyone push you<br />
around anymore, now get going!"<br />
Gerald turned to walk away, when he must have suddenly realized as Will did,<br />
that they would not see each other again. He turned, there were tears running<br />
down his face. "Thanks Will," and Will watched until the wagon turned and<br />
disappeared down the road out of sight.<br />
The thought that he could still be pursued shocked him back to reality, but now<br />
that he was on his own it was as though a weight had been lifted from his<br />
shoulders. The more distance he put between himself and the military headquarters<br />
the more confident he felt, but learning from his previous experience at<br />
Chesapeake Bay and Aden, he kept off the roads as much as he could until he<br />
recognized the built-up area in the approaches to the harbour where the ship was<br />
tied up.<br />
He felt the urge to stay away from the ship until dark, but came to the<br />
conclusion that he would probably be safer there as the military would be more<br />
likely to search the surrounding countryside, having no reason to go aboard.<br />
Preparations were in progress for the next day's sailing, and the deck hands were<br />
too preoccupied with their work to notice Will coming aboard.<br />
By now, Gerald would be at Aki's and in safe hands and for all parties<br />
concerned, it was over. There was just the waiting period until they sailed early<br />
125
Will Bonner<br />
next morning.<br />
Will showered and changed into clean clothes. Apart from a small sector of<br />
the crew, most everyone would be ashore until late, having a last fling before<br />
sailing. Lying on his bunk he tried to relax but found it impossible. His escape from<br />
the military grounds was too recent, the events kept flooding back into his mind<br />
and it would continue for the rest of the day. Finally, feeling the effects of the<br />
culmination of all that had happened, he wearily retired to his bunk hoping to get<br />
a good night's sleep.<br />
He awoke to the sound of the ship's engines starting up, and by the time he<br />
managed to get up on deck they were on their way past Pearl Harbour. Will sat<br />
astern, watching the Honolulu skyline recede into the distance, his mind torn<br />
between two conflicts.<br />
He would have enjoyed more time in Hawaii, but the assignment would have<br />
still been dominant, so it was probably a good thing that the ship had sailed earlier<br />
than expected.<br />
The ship headed south west bound for New Zealand where it would be dry<br />
docked for repairs to a damaged hull. Each day got hotter as they approached the<br />
equator but the daily routines were far from taxing, giving plenty of opportunity to<br />
get the trauma of the Hawaiian assignment behind him. It would be two to three<br />
weeks sailing and another couple of weeks or so before the repairs would be<br />
effected, finally allowing them to sail home to England via the notorious Cape<br />
Horn.<br />
Will experienced to it’s full extent an apt name for this part of the world “The<br />
devil’s cauldron.” Day after day of mountainous seas was like living in hell until the<br />
ship rounded “the horn” through Drake’s Passage and headed north for home.<br />
They were still only halfway through the journey but conditions were now more<br />
tolerable.<br />
World war 2 was now over and Will was discharged back into civilian life.<br />
The economics of Europe had been decimated by the war. Large volumes of<br />
army, navy and air force personnel swelled the work force entering into an<br />
environment that had hardly started to change over from war production to<br />
commercial enterprise. It was obvious that it would take some years for the<br />
country to get back to some stability, consequently, Will knew that he had to make<br />
a profound decision and without delay.<br />
126
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
During his overseas service he had visited Australia and met a family there.<br />
They had offered him sponsorship should he wish to emigrate after the war. Whilst<br />
waiting for confirmation he met and married his wife Dorothy, and they now found<br />
themselves poised to travel by ship to Melbourne, Australia, a journey of some<br />
seven weeks.<br />
The last few months were spent living with Will’s parents. They were happy<br />
times until the embarkation date got closer and the knowledge that Australia was<br />
a world away and the hope of returning, only a slim possibility.<br />
127
Will Bonner<br />
128
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
Chapter 7<br />
The Surveillance<br />
Will stood on deck watching the Port Authority building in Liverpool<br />
disappearing into the distance as he had done on previous voyages. This time<br />
however, it would be a one-way trip and his feelings reflected that thought.<br />
Looking along the deck he could see the deck hands stowing away the rope lines<br />
and replacing the ship's railing where the top of the gangway had been, all familiar<br />
sights to him. It was a strange feeling to be a passenger and not a crew member,<br />
but the cabin accommodation and the forthcoming routine, would soon clarify<br />
things for him.<br />
The men and women's living quarters were separated, with six to eight persons<br />
to a cabin which was something everyone would have to get used to. The ship<br />
turned south into the St. George's Channel and for the first couple of days<br />
everything went well, but as they entered the Bay of Biscay, Will's sea sickness<br />
129
Will Bonner<br />
problem returned with a vengeance.<br />
His vacant chair at the dining-room table puzzled those who were not affected,<br />
as they now knew that he had been to sea before. It was a relief to finally pass<br />
through the Straits of Gibraltar into the calmer waters of the Mediterranean and<br />
Will was aware that it would be at least a couple of weeks or so before they<br />
would be in the Indian Ocean giving him some respite until then. The inclement<br />
weather seemed to have very little affect on Dorothy which was a blessing,<br />
considering Will's affliction.<br />
The ship arrived at Port Said only to find to everyone's disappointment that the<br />
port was experiencing some civil disorder and under martial law consequently, no<br />
one was allowed ashore. The ship only stayed overnight before entering the Suez<br />
Canal providing a welcome interest for the passengers. Will watched as the ship<br />
passed through the sand dunes and he knew what to expect during the next three<br />
days or so, sailing down the Red Sea. He wasn't looking forward to it.<br />
As predicted, the heat was unbearable, placing the utmost strain on those who<br />
had never experienced these adverse conditions before, and everyone breathed<br />
a sigh of relief when the ship sailed into Aden. It was still hot, but being able to get<br />
ashore for the first time since leaving England was a big relief.<br />
Standing on the boat deck, looking across the harbour at the now familiar<br />
town, Will's previous experiences came flooding back to him. There could be no<br />
tangible excuse for him not wanting to go ashore, and he could not entertain the<br />
thought of Dorothy going alone. He would have to try and keep away from the<br />
area where Omaha's shop was located, but they would definitely have to go up to<br />
the Queen of Sheba's Wells. Knowing that they would probably see the sights on<br />
their own made him feel more vulnerable. His feelings about Aden were all<br />
negative, and his thoughts turned to the possibility of something going wrong.<br />
For the first time he was experiencing the fearful thought of Dorothy<br />
inadvertently getting involved. It had been some years since his last episode with<br />
the organization and hopefully, his thoughts were unfounded. Dorothy appeared<br />
at his side, excited about going ashore, but by the time the port authorities had<br />
completed their formalities, it was too late in the day.<br />
After breakfast next morning, Will took Dorothy to the bazaars and she<br />
became totally engrossed looking at the large variety of goods on display. As they<br />
moved slowly through the crowds, Will constantly scanned both the moving and<br />
130
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
stationary faces in the near vicinity, his concentration ever increasing as Dorothy<br />
became more interested in the wood carvings and local native artifacts. Realizing<br />
that he was engaged in a fruitless exercise he attempted to relax, but on the horse<br />
drawn carriage ride up to the Queen of Sheba's Wells he felt even more vulnerable<br />
and alighting on to the pavement it seemed only yesterday that he had been<br />
standing there with the package in his pocket, waiting for the contact to arrive.<br />
Will looked up and down the street then beyond to the road, where he had<br />
disappeared in that rattling taxi. Nothing had changed, it was exactly as he had left<br />
it. Dorothy, by this time had made her way up to the entrance to the Well's and she<br />
was looking back, wondering where Will had got to. Shaking off his immediate<br />
thoughts Will turned to join her. The remainder of the day, much to Will's relief,<br />
passed without incident, and the following morning the ship left Aden to sail across<br />
the Indian Ocean to the Island of Ceylon and then directly to Melbourne.<br />
The remainder of the voyage went by without incident, but as the ship entered<br />
the Great Australian Bight and the Bass Straits, the seas were running heavy, and<br />
for the final week or so, before the ship sailed into Port Philip Bay, Will's health<br />
had deteriorated rapidly, making it necessary for him to be taken into the ship’s<br />
hospital.<br />
He had lost a lot of weight, looking thin and haggard, and to make matters<br />
worse they encountered a thick fog, forcing the ship to stay at anchor in the Bay<br />
for two days, before finally docking in Port Melbourne. It was good to get ashore<br />
again, and their sponsors welcomed them into their brand new home. With the<br />
combination of good food and change of lifestyle Will’s health soon rebounded.<br />
It was time now to get involved and after contacting a professional employment<br />
bureau in the Melbourne city centre he received a telegram to go to the agency.<br />
At the interview he learned that a clinic, utilizing electro-medical equipment was<br />
being set up in the city. Various societies in the Melbourne and metropolitan area<br />
were taking out contracts with the company to treat their members. They were<br />
looking for someone to install and commission the equipment, look after it, and at<br />
the same time manage the day to day affairs.<br />
The clinic was situated in a high rise building on the corner of Swanston and<br />
Collins Street, only minutes away from the agency, and just two city blocks from<br />
where Dorothy worked. Will felt mildly excited as he entered the foyer of the<br />
building and walked across the expansive terraza floor entering the elevator for the<br />
131
Will Bonner<br />
fifth floor.<br />
The elevator door opened and Will stepped out into a wide, wall to wall<br />
carpeted corridor, and stood for a moment looking left and right. The walls were<br />
decorated in polished mahogany, a striking resemblance to those in the boardroom<br />
on the ship in Gourock where he had been interrogated, and his mind instantly<br />
flashed back to that point in time. The surroundings however, were giving off quite<br />
a different meaning. It was so quiet, not even the clatter of the busy street below<br />
interrupted the silence. Will made his way to the suite number and confronting him<br />
was a notice on the door "Please Enter." Opening the door revealed a small<br />
waiting-room containing a number of chairs, and he expected it to be illuminated<br />
by artificial lighting, but was surprised to find the area well supplied with natural<br />
light which was radiating over the cubicle partitions from an ample number of<br />
windows, situated on the far wall.<br />
A short narrow passageway, to the left of the waiting-room appeared to lead<br />
to a number of cubicles, and Will could detect muffled voices, combined with<br />
activity coming from them, indicating that treatments were being conducted. To the<br />
right of the waiting room was a door marked "Consulting Room" The interview<br />
went well and he was offered the position.<br />
During the next few months they moved to an apartment close to the city and<br />
Will found himself engrossed in his new work. There were six people engaged in<br />
treating patients - five men and one woman. A doctor attended the clinic to see all<br />
new patients and prescribe treatments. Any form of organization regarding<br />
appointments however, was practically non existent, so Will set about providing<br />
a system to avoid the conflicts that had been occurring in the past. All the staff<br />
were easy to get along with which was a godsend, allowing Will to push ahead to<br />
improve matters for them, at the same time, keeping their apparatus in good shape.<br />
After being away from the clinic for a period, Will returned to find the waitingroom<br />
full, and took little notice as he commenced work but he had hardly started<br />
when he was informed that someone had been asking for him personally in the<br />
waiting-room.<br />
"Man or woman?"<br />
"A man. He said he would wait out in the corridor for you, the waiting-room<br />
is full." Probably a rep, Will thought.<br />
"Would you tell him I'll be out in a few minutes, when I finish this." Stepping<br />
132
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
out into the corridor he expected to see a young, blue suited individual with an<br />
attache case, but was surprised to be confronted by a middle-aged man in casual<br />
clothes, light tweed trousers and jacket, wearing brown golf shoes. In contrast,<br />
he was wearing a white open neck shirt, which seemed to contradict the<br />
conservative nature of the rest of his apparel. His dark hair was brushed back and<br />
slightly thinning, and his cheeks which were podgy, contrasted a small sharp nose.<br />
The eyes were round and big, and even during those first few moments Will<br />
noticed that he had not blinked, but most noticeable of all was his stance.<br />
It was hard to describe, but it was as though his body had been wound up like<br />
a spring, ready to veer off in one direction or another, at any given moment. Will<br />
stepped forward, and expecting an outstretched hand, was taken completely by<br />
surprise as the man stepped backwards before speaking in a broad Australian<br />
accent.<br />
"I'm Edward Blake. I'm pleased to meet you Will Brenner."<br />
"I don't know you, is there something I can do for you?"<br />
The man stepped backwards again, at the same time looking over his shoulder<br />
as if to check for a presence in the wide carpeted corridor. His actions were a<br />
replica arising from the past, and Will felt his body tingling as he compared the<br />
picture of the meeting with the correspondent in the alleyway of the ship he was<br />
visiting with Wes Brampton, in Algiers. Yes, it was strikingly similar, and he<br />
practically knew what was going to happen next.<br />
"As a matter of fact there is, but could we talk about it elsewhere?"<br />
"I'm in the middle of morning clinic."<br />
"Yes I know, but could you manage, say half an hour for a chat?"<br />
"I don't know, but I will check and see." Re-entering the waiting-room Will sat<br />
in the nearest vacant chair, his elbows resting on his knees and head bent over<br />
trying to reconcile the situation that had arisen and come to a decision. There was<br />
not much point in putting things off, best to get it over with, and then he would<br />
know how to deal with the predicament. Making the necessary arrangements Will<br />
returned to Edward Blake and they descended in the elevator without engaging in<br />
conversation. Walking out into the street and as though previously arranged, both<br />
men ambled into Rumplemeyers restaurant next door, eventually finding a table in<br />
a corner where they would not be overheard.<br />
Rumplemeyers was one of the most well appointed restaurants in Melbourne.<br />
133
Will Bonner<br />
The atmosphere did not quite make the Royal Hawaiian, or the Taj Mahal Hotel<br />
in Bombay, and the rugged countenance of the Australian did not match up to the<br />
sophistication of Bligh, but everything else fitted in perfectly.<br />
Edward Blake took off his jacket and placed it on the coat stand next to the<br />
table. He turned to Will.<br />
"I'll order an early lunch, if that's okay?"<br />
"I guess so, but I can't be away long."<br />
A long silence ensued and it was Will who abruptly broke the obvious impasse<br />
of not knowing how to commence with what was required. "You're from British<br />
Intelligence aren't you?"<br />
"Yes, as you are too."<br />
"No, I keep telling people that I'm not, but the fact seems to get lost<br />
somewhere along the line."<br />
"I was told that you were."<br />
"Well, they're wrong, so what do you do now? I could be a danger to you,<br />
couldn't I Mr. Blake?" Blake put up his hand to stop any further conversation.<br />
"Please call me Ed, honestly I wasn't told. Are they holding something over<br />
your head?"<br />
"Yes, what have they told you? Do you have a file on me?"<br />
"No, there's no file, they just told me about some of the work you had done,<br />
and that you could be relied on."<br />
"Look Ed, the war's over, what could you possibly want with me now?" Ed<br />
stared into space, as if pondering what to say next.<br />
"Even in peacetime, there's always somebody at war with an old enemy.<br />
Australia is full of Central and Eastern Europeans that have brought their conflicts<br />
with them when they emigrated, and small organizations have sprung up,<br />
supporting their desires." Ed paused and looked at him, and Will knew that every<br />
word that was spoken from now on would implicate him.<br />
"Look Ed, things have changed. I'm married now, and before we go any<br />
further I have to warn you that if you or anyone in the organization hold my wife's<br />
wellbeing against me, to pressure me to get jobs done, I'll hold you responsible.<br />
You will be the first on my list."<br />
Ed, who had been leaning forward in his chair to try and keep the conversation<br />
low-key suddenly sat bolt upright, a momentary look of surprise on his face, which<br />
134
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
then turned into a broad smile. "You need have no fear of that, but if you want to<br />
be certain, I can always make things official."<br />
"You mean for me to become one of your agents?"<br />
"Yes, it could be much easier now that you are over here."<br />
"I've been through this before and my answer will always be the same, so what<br />
will you be threatening me with, Ed?"<br />
"I won't threaten you with anything. Things are different out here, but I do have<br />
my orders, and if we can come to some arrangement, I'll see to it that things are<br />
straightforward."<br />
Will struggled with his thoughts, he had hardly touched his meal so he started<br />
to eat. This was certainly a change from his previous encounters with other agents,<br />
and Ed seemed genuine, but he also knew from past experience that once involved<br />
he couldn't rely on Ed to keep him out of trouble. At least, things seemed more<br />
open, and Ed wasn't acting in a devious manner. Even so, Will knew that if he<br />
refused to go along, the first thing they could do would be to institute veiled threats<br />
against Dorothy, and that would be out of Ed's hands. Will trembled at the thought.<br />
In the past he had always been on the move, a different ship to some other<br />
part of the world, but now he was settling into a new life, putting down new roots.<br />
It wasn't fair and Will felt an anger rising inside. The two men had not spoken for<br />
some minutes, but it was as though Ed had been reading his mind.<br />
"Surely things can't be that bad. Let me explain and you'll see." Will nodded<br />
for him to continue. "We have a brand new listening device, everything plugs in<br />
okay and the batteries are in order, but it doesn't work. It's a tool that we could<br />
find a lot of use for right away. Could you have a look at it for us?"<br />
"Why don't you just phone the manufacturer, they will probably send someone<br />
out to fix it." Will paused, waiting for Ed's reply, but he knew that were they able<br />
to do just that, his services would not be required. I wonder what cock and bull<br />
story he will come up with to explain things away? Will mused. But he was<br />
completely surprised when Ed came straight up front with his reply.<br />
"We've procured the device via illegal channels, mainly to hide the fact that we<br />
have it, and we've gone to a lot of trouble in this regard. It's apparently the most<br />
advanced eavesdropper available today, and the longer we can keep it's presence<br />
a secret, the more work we can do with it before they start to take precautions."<br />
"Who are “they”?<br />
135
Will Bonner<br />
"The least you know the better for now. Don't you agree that we're not placing<br />
any demands on you?"<br />
"Probably not, but you haven't told me about the second thing. You did<br />
mention a couple?"<br />
Ed did not hesitate. "You're attracting all these different societies and<br />
organizations to the clinic, and we have reason to believe that some of the<br />
organizers are involved in questionable activities against others. It's not organized<br />
crime, just political, and the ramifications are disturbing."<br />
"But I don't know anyone associated with these groups. I have very little<br />
communication with them, my superior sees all the customers."<br />
"We know that, but as time goes by he will be needing your services in that<br />
regard, and he'll be taking you along to meet these people. All we want you to do<br />
is keep your ears and eyes open for any strange goings on. You've been through<br />
the war so you'll recognize it when you see it, and when you do, just let us know."<br />
"You keep saying us and we!"<br />
"There are other agents working for me, but all your connections will only be<br />
with me."<br />
"That suits me fine. The least I know about the whole affair the happier I will<br />
be." Will read Ed's knowing smile immediately.<br />
"I have to get back to the clinic. What happens next?"<br />
"I'll contact you when it becomes necessary, and eventually let you know<br />
where you can contact me, if you need to."<br />
Rumplemeyers was now full of the lunch time crowd. Will wended his way<br />
around the tables, towards the door that led up to the street. Glancing around the<br />
room he could see no one that he recognized, and with a nod of his head in Ed's<br />
direction he left, his mind churning over the events of the last hour.<br />
The clinic was at it's busiest and for the remainder of the day Will's mind was<br />
fully occupied. On the tramcar going home however, the meeting with Ed<br />
completely dominated his thoughts. He knew that to tell Dorothy what was going<br />
on would be fatal for her. Will could only hope that he would satisfy the<br />
requirements of the organization without it becoming obvious to her, and if it did,<br />
he would have to tell her the truth. Until that day came however, he would have<br />
to resort to a few white lies to get by. Better that, than have her involved.<br />
It was just three days later when he was called into the office to the telephone.<br />
136
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
Picking up the phone Ed's voice came over loud and clear as though he was in the<br />
same room. "Is it alright to talk Will, are you on your own?"<br />
"No, but tell me what you want."<br />
"I've got the device. When can you look at it?"<br />
"Well, the work had better not be left, and it will have to be this weekend. I'm<br />
committed for Saturday, but I could meet you here on Sunday morning, say<br />
around 10 a.m." Will held the earpiece close to his ear as Ed's voice replied.<br />
"I understand, you've got someone in the room with you. See you Sunday at<br />
10 a.m. then."<br />
He would also have to start lying to Dorothy and he didn't feel too good about<br />
it. Sooner or later, if he was not careful, he would get caught.<br />
A few minutes before 10 a.m. on Sunday morning, Will left the elevator and<br />
stepped into the corridor. There was no one waiting at the clinic door, but as he<br />
started walking, a noise from behind startled him and he pivoted around to find Ed<br />
approaching, carrying a long suitcase. He had obviously been waiting at the other<br />
end of the corridor.<br />
The two men entered the deserted clinic without a word. Placing the suitcase<br />
on the table in the reception Ed snapped open the latches and lifted the lid. Inside<br />
was a second professional looking case, with studded, aluminium, strengthening<br />
pieces along the edges, and on the corners. He had hidden it from view inside the<br />
other suitcase for obvious reasons.<br />
Instinctively locking the door, Will suggested they move to a treatment booth<br />
with a window that overlooked the busy intersection below. Ed opened the second<br />
case, revealing several engineered parts, each positioned in their own shaped<br />
velvet compartment. "I know how to put it together, but we can't get it to work.<br />
All the plugs fit and the batteries check out, but not a squeak."<br />
It was a fine piece of engineering, resembling a small telescope on a tripod,<br />
with integral mechanical and electronic controls. Within a few minutes it was<br />
assembled and Ed turned to Will. "It's all yours now Will," and stood back, an<br />
expectant look on his face.<br />
"Take your jacket off Ed, you'll find some paint and brushes in a locker inside<br />
the office. Place the paint cans around on the tables and look like a workman in<br />
case someone comes. We're supposed to be doing some finishing work, apart<br />
from that leave me alone, until I call you. I have to give the job my undivided<br />
137
Will Bonner<br />
attention."<br />
Will placed the headphones over his ears, switched the unit on and pressed the<br />
trigger. It was completely dead, not even a click. This instrument is high quality<br />
Will was thinking, there's got to be damage somewhere to stop it from working.<br />
Removing the two connectors he pushed them firmly home again, still no sound in<br />
the earpieces, but the second plug didn't seem to push home as positively as the<br />
first.<br />
Looking inside, there it was - a bent pin folded over! Gripping it gently with<br />
the fine pointed pliers, Will teased it into the upright position and thankfully it didn't<br />
snap off. The positive click, as he pushed the plug home, and the inrush of sound<br />
in his ears, brought a flush of excitement. Opening the window, Will looked<br />
through the telescope and lined the cross hairs on a group of four people standing<br />
on the pavement on the opposite side of the street. Their voices came through loud<br />
and clear, it was unbelievable! No wonder Ed was eager to put the instrument<br />
into operation. It was dynamite!<br />
After a few more checks on other targets to get acquainted with the controls,<br />
Will refocused on the group again and called Ed. He came bounding into the<br />
room within seconds. "Have you fixed it?"<br />
"Just look through the telescope and tell me what you see." Ed positioned<br />
himself to take a look at the group indicated by Will. "Now put these phones on."<br />
Will watched his face as he grinned from ear to ear.<br />
"You clever bastard! How did you do it, what was wrong?" Will could see<br />
he was trembling with excitement.<br />
"I'll make a pact with you Ed. I won't ask you about your job, if you don't ask<br />
me about mine."<br />
Ed slapped him on the back. "Done, but I'll need to know how to use it. Will<br />
you show me?"<br />
"Not now Ed, it's too risky, we've been here long enough. Pack the instrument<br />
up and let's get out of here."<br />
Ed started to take the instrument apart. "I can drop you off close to home and<br />
we can make arrangements on the way."<br />
The ride home only took about ten minutes and Ed decided that he would not<br />
make arrangements there and then, but would contact Will when he was ready. He<br />
dropped Will off on Toorak Road, just a few minutes walk from the apartment.<br />
138
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
As the car sped away he wondered why no arrangements had been made, Ed<br />
seemed eager to learn how to operate the instrument, but had changed his mind.<br />
I wonder why?<br />
Dorothy had Sunday dinner ready when he arrived. He realized that he had<br />
just finished his first assignment and things had gone without a hitch. Something<br />
could have gone wrong, as he had already experienced in the past, but sitting there<br />
with Dorothy in the normality of the apartment, listening to her, completely took<br />
the tension away, and he settled back to relax.<br />
A week went by and he was called to the phone again. It was Ed.<br />
"I've got a difficult location to try the instrument out. Could you help me?"<br />
"Where and when?"<br />
"Tomorrow night at 7.30 p.m. I will pick you up."<br />
"It's too soon, I won't be able to make the arrangements."<br />
"It must be tomorrow."<br />
"I won't have you ordering me around Ed!" Will spoke in an agitated voice.<br />
There was silence at the other end. "Did you hear me Ed?"<br />
"Please Will, don't let me down."<br />
"What's going on Ed?"<br />
"I'll tell you when I see you. The pick-up will be where I dropped you off the<br />
other day on Toorak Road." The phone went dead.<br />
Blast! What the hell was going on? Will felt as though someone had him on the<br />
end of a piece of string, manipulating his movements. He would have to tell<br />
Dorothy tonight, he couldn't leave it until tomorrow.<br />
He approached the subject whilst they were having their evening meal. "I have<br />
to go back to the clinic tomorrow night, one of the treatment machines is playing<br />
up."<br />
"Can't you stay an extra hour at closing time instead?"<br />
"No, I don't know how long it will take to repair, so I thought I would come<br />
home for a bite to eat and leave around 7.15 p.m."<br />
"So you have no idea how long it will take?"<br />
"No, it could be quite late."<br />
How could he tell her that he didn't even know himself where he was going<br />
that night? He would have to keep telling himself that he was lying to her, for her<br />
own good.<br />
139
Will Bonner<br />
Ed was waiting on Toorak Road in a different car with the engine ticking over.<br />
It was just getting dusk and the evening was fine and mild. The car sped east and<br />
then turned north.<br />
"Where are we going, and who will be there."<br />
"To the north end of the city proper, on the other side of the Carlton Gardens,<br />
and there will be one other person there."<br />
"Who is this other person?"<br />
"He's okay, he works with me occasionally."<br />
"Does he know about me?"<br />
"No, only that you are helping out technically."<br />
The conversation ended and Will sat back contented with having a rough idea<br />
of where he was going. It wouldn't take long to show them how to get the best out<br />
of the instrument.<br />
The car circled round the back of the gardens and turned into what appeared<br />
to be a dead-end street. There were no houses, just old deserted warehouse type<br />
buildings. Ed steered between the buildings at the far end of the street and<br />
manouvered into a small gap under an awning type roof. It was an ideal hiding<br />
place for a vehicle, which could never be seen from the street.<br />
As the two men got out of the car, a tall, scrawny, sharp faced individual,<br />
seemed to appear from nowhere, and he and Ed were soon engaged in whispered<br />
conversation. Ed walked around the front of the car, at the same time, beckoning<br />
the tall stranger to follow.<br />
"This is Gerry, he'll be watching out for us." The tall man leaned forward<br />
towards Will, a wide grin on his face.<br />
"Good on ya mate," and with that, promptly turned and disappeared into the<br />
building.<br />
The happenings of the last few minutes triggered suspicion in Will's mind, and<br />
he was feeling very insecure at that moment. "What do we need a look-out for Ed,<br />
what the hell's going on?" Ed put his finger up to his lips to signal silence. "Why you<br />
devious sod, you've trapped me haven't you? I should have known better than to<br />
trust you people. You're going to put surveillance on somebody and you want me<br />
to operate the instrument!"<br />
"I told you the location would be difficult" he replied, in such a way as to try<br />
to exonerate himself from his questionable actions. "Follow me quietly, I'll show<br />
140
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
you." Will followed him inside the building, his mind buzzing with the possibility of<br />
trouble looming it's ugly head. Gerry was nowhere in sight and they climbed a<br />
wooden stairway to the next floor, then along the empty building, to a broken<br />
window, at the far end.<br />
Ed once again put his finger to his lips, and pointed through the aperture. Will<br />
raised his head and looked out across the yard to a roofed over section, open on<br />
three sides, projecting from one of the other buildings. The area under the roof was<br />
dimly lit but with enough light to make out a small group of men sitting on wooden<br />
benches. They were a safe distance away, but it would stretch the instrument to<br />
it's limit.<br />
Ed had quickly assembled the unit and stood back for Will to set it up. "The<br />
meeting is due to start in a few minutes at 8 o'clock. Hurry up Will, I must hear it<br />
from the start!" Will looked into the telescope and focused it on to the group, but<br />
after pressing the trigger all he could hear were muffled voices that were not<br />
legible. After playing with the controls for a few minutes things got no better and<br />
Ed was throwing a silent tantrum.<br />
It was dark and Will was having to operate the instrument from memory when<br />
he suddenly remembered a boost control button positioned above the trigger. The<br />
sound of voices came romping through the headphones and a final adjustment to<br />
eliminate some of the noise in the background, enhanced the clarity.<br />
Without warning the voices stopped, Will panicked, thinking that the apparatus<br />
had failed, but he had no cause for concern as a single voice could be heard. The<br />
meeting had come to order. Will quickly passed the headphones to Ed and<br />
watched him revelling in every word, occasionally giving the thumbs up. So far so<br />
good Will thought, but he still felt uneasy. Ed pointed to the next floor up. "Would<br />
you go up and check on Gerry?"<br />
"Yes, but whatever you do, either switch off or stand back from the telescope<br />
before you take your headphones off. If you don't, there will be an almighty wail<br />
like a banshee. It's called acoustic feedback, and they'll hear it down there."<br />
Will navigated the floor above but could find no sign of Gerry, and after what<br />
seemed a long time he made his way back down, thinking that by now the meeting<br />
below would be wrapping up. Whatever they were up to, they would not want to<br />
prolong the issue, fearing detection themselves.<br />
As he made his way back to the first floor he could just make out two dim<br />
141
Will Bonner<br />
figures at the far end. Obviously Gerry had returned by a different route. Will got<br />
to within twenty feet of the two men when the inevitable happened and there was<br />
nothing he could do to stop it.<br />
Gerry was standing in front of the receiver which was mounted on the<br />
telescope next to the window, and Ed passed the headphones to him. Will called<br />
out in a loud whisper, "No! No!" but it was too late. The characteristic howl of<br />
acoustic feedback pierced the silence. Ed, who had been crouching looking<br />
through the scope was so shocked he fell to his knees, and Gerry just stood there<br />
petrified.<br />
Will covered the remaining distance like lightening and pushing Ed out of the<br />
way, scooped up the instrument in one hand, and the carrying case in the other. A<br />
quick glance through the window and across the yard, confirmed his worst fears.<br />
Some of the men were scattering in all directions, but two or three of them were<br />
scanning the area around the building.<br />
Thrusting the empty instrument case into Ed's hands and still clutching the<br />
telescope with it's tripod legs dangling like a set of bagpipes, Will accelerated<br />
towards the stairway, which was the only way out. It would be disastrous to get<br />
caught up there. Stopping momentarily at the top he turned to see Ed stumbling<br />
his way across the room.<br />
"For God's sake Ed, get a move on or you'll get caught!" Panic was showing<br />
on his face, and his normally bulging eyes were now nearly popping out of his<br />
head. Gerry was nowhere in sight. Where could he have gone? Ed was obviously<br />
out of condition, he had probably never run before in his life and the suitcase was<br />
a liability to him. Will snatched it from his hands, at the same time, tucking the<br />
telescope under his arm.<br />
"Try and keep up with me!" Ed did not reply and Will could hear him panting<br />
and already out of breath. Breaking clear of the building, Will turned towards the<br />
car.<br />
"No, leave the car," Ed panted. Will's eyebrows wrinkled, questioning his<br />
logic. "It's a stolen car, they won't be able to trace it back to me."<br />
Will had no time to ponder the whys and wherefores of Ed's last statement. He<br />
could hear voices and the sound of running feet. "Quick, follow me through the<br />
buildings, not on the street!" and they set off as fast as they could with Will in the<br />
lead, followed by Ed, his puffing and wheezing becoming more prominent with<br />
142
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
every stride. They had only seconds to spare and Will knew that they had to keep<br />
that advantage, or suffer the consequences.<br />
Once again, he realized that he would have to look after the welfare of a<br />
second person, as well as saving his own skin. This was the story of his life! The<br />
atmosphere was electric, all he knew was that he had to keep going in the<br />
direction away from the scene, and sooner or later they would come to the<br />
gardens.<br />
Progress seemed painfully slow to Will as he kept stopping to push Ed along.<br />
He would have been out of there by now, had he been on his own. The darkness<br />
was a blessing, but he could still hear voices and footsteps from a distance behind,<br />
indicating that they were still holding their own, but nevertheless, still being<br />
pursued.<br />
The gardens were now ahead. Will could faintly see the iron railings and he<br />
stopped to look left and right down the street. It was deserted but open, there<br />
was only one way to go. Across the street, over the fence and into the gardens,<br />
but they would have to be quick. Ed read what was on Will's mind.<br />
"I can't get over that fence."<br />
"If you can't I shall have to leave you behind. If we go up the street either way<br />
we could run into them." Will threw the case over the fence and passed the<br />
telescope through the railings, into the shrubbery. Clambering over he landed on<br />
soft earth.<br />
Turning, he saw Ed frantically trying to scramble up to reach the top, but he<br />
was hopeless. Will jumped back over and gave him a boost until he could get a<br />
grip, then climbed back over, picking up the case and telescope. Ed's progress<br />
over the fence was painfully slow, and he was hesitating, frightened of falling.<br />
"Jump man, jump!" What was that zinging and popping noise? Ed fell off the<br />
fence into the shrubs below.<br />
"I've been shot in the leg!"<br />
"But I didn't hear any gunfire."<br />
"They're using high powered airguns!"<br />
The gardens would have been a sanctuary but now that Ed had been seen they<br />
would be followed. He was limping badly and his mind was concentrating on his<br />
leg.<br />
"Forget about your leg, or you might get the next one in the back of your<br />
143
Will Bonner<br />
head!" Will's statement had it's effect and Ed got back up to speed again. What<br />
looked like a maintenance building appeared ahead, and Will skirted around the<br />
back finding a single entry door.<br />
It had a small window alongside. Quickly unscrewing one of the tripod legs,<br />
Will used it as a tool to smash the small pane, adjacent to the latch. Reaching<br />
inside he unlatched the door and they scrambled inside, shutting and locking the<br />
door behind them.<br />
They lowered themselves on to the floor in the darkness to wait, but as the<br />
seconds ticked by Will's eyes began to make out dim shapes and he could see a<br />
bench and some gardening tools leaning in the corner. He instinctively grabbed the<br />
four pronged fork, and they waited for events to unfold.<br />
Within minutes he could hear activity outside, two men only he estimated. One<br />
came up to the door and tried the latch, pushing on the door a few times. "There's<br />
nobody in here, the doors locked." His accent sounded European, and he could<br />
have come from Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, or anywhere in that part of the<br />
world. As his footsteps receded Will breathed a sigh of relief. Thank heavens he<br />
didn't see the broken window pane! He was obviously not a professional.<br />
Reaching down, he pushed firmly on Ed's shoulder to prevent him from<br />
moving. His body was trembling, just like Gerald's when they were hiding in the<br />
bushes in Hawaii. "Stay put," Will whispered. "When they can't find us in the<br />
grounds they will come by on their way back. They haven't had time to search the<br />
building back there, and the car will be discovered. As soon as they have gone by,<br />
we'll wait awhile, and then leave."<br />
It seemed an age and Will began to wonder whether they had gone back a<br />
different way. Not knowing where they were, would make leaving difficult.<br />
Eventually, footsteps and voices were approaching, the two men appeared to be<br />
walking casually, and conversing with each other.<br />
They have given up searching Will concluded, and his whole body, which had<br />
been stiff with tension, relaxed as the men passed, and the noise they were making<br />
became fainter, until finally all was quiet. Will waited awhile until he thought they<br />
would be back in the buildings, then standing up placed the fork back into the<br />
corner and turned to Ed. "Let's get going, we'll go to the opposite end of the<br />
gardens and find a safe place to get over."<br />
"My leg is stiff, I don't think I can walk."<br />
144
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
"You'll have to, I can't carry you and the equipment." Will lifted the case on to<br />
the bench, and dissembling the unit stowed it away. Ed got up and hobbled a few<br />
paces around the room.<br />
"I'll go outside first and decide what to do." After a few minutes Will returned<br />
and beckoned Ed outside. Pointing to the far end of the gardens he said. "Get<br />
going in that direction, I'll be right behind you," and Will watched him limp away.<br />
He was so quiet now, indicating his state of mind.<br />
It was tortuous getting him over the fence at the far end, but soon they were<br />
on the tramcar route, waiting at one of the stops. Looking at his watch, Will was<br />
surprised to find that it was only 9.30 p.m. and that the general condition of their<br />
clothing was okay. Ed seemed to be getting ready to talk.<br />
"I owe you for getting me out of there, Gerry just buggered off and left us to<br />
it. He knows the area better than any of us!"<br />
"I'll just ask you for one thing."<br />
"What's that?"<br />
"Just go and live up in the bush, or better still New Zealand, and don't bother<br />
me again."<br />
Ed smiled, and Will knew that this incident would bind him even closer to the<br />
organization.<br />
"We'll get the first tram that goes past the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, and I'll get<br />
this lead out of my leg. Once there, you can go on your way Will."<br />
"What about the instrument?"<br />
Ed replied without hesitation. "That little beauty is never going to leave my<br />
sight. Anyway, whilst I was listening to that meeting I had another thought that I<br />
want to get your opinion about."<br />
Will turned to Ed. "No way will I ever go anywhere with you again, unless I've<br />
got all the facts. Never!"<br />
"It was pretty dumb of me Will, I must admit, and it nearly cost me everything."<br />
Will left him in the reception at the hospital to find his way home. "Thanks for<br />
everything, I'll be in touch." he called out. I can bank on that, Will thought.<br />
Dorothy was still up when he arrived home. She was sitting in one of the<br />
lounge chairs reading. "Did everything go alright?"<br />
"Yes, but I should have worn an overall, my clothes got a bit dusty. I'm tired<br />
so I'll go straight to bed."<br />
145
Will Bonner<br />
As he sank into the mattress he could picture them probing Ed's leg for that<br />
piece of lead back at the hospital, but he was so tired he soon fell into a deep<br />
sleep, safe and secure back in the apartment.<br />
It had been over a month since Will left Ed in the hospital foyer that night. Was<br />
it possible that he had fallen sick? The following week however, he got the usual<br />
phone call. "It's Ed."<br />
"What a blow."<br />
"What do you mean?"<br />
"I was hoping that you'd died." Ed burst into laughter.<br />
"You're not going to get rid of me so easy, can we meet soon?"<br />
"Why? Have you got another job in the pipeline?"<br />
"No, I just want to talk to you."<br />
"Based on the last episode, why should I believe you?”<br />
"Trust me, I just want to talk to you about the device. I can't discuss it over the<br />
telephone."<br />
"Where can I meet you."<br />
" I know of a place, a small restaurant in Spring Street. You can name the day<br />
and time."<br />
Will thought for a moment or two, and came to the usual inevitable conclusion,<br />
that it would be better to get it over and done with. "Will tomorrow evening be<br />
okay?"<br />
Will could hear the sigh of relief over the phone. "I'll pick you up in the usual<br />
place, say around 7 p.m."<br />
"Just one thing Ed."<br />
"What's that?"<br />
"Bring your own car this time." Ed's laughter was echoing over the line as the<br />
conversation ended. What a relief not having to lie to Dorothy. He would be able<br />
to tell her where he was going this time. But not about Ed.<br />
The next evening Will used up the time travelling to Spring Street to get some<br />
answers from Ed about the surveillance.<br />
"What happened with Gerry?"<br />
"One of them caught up with him, but Gerry's such a big guy, he overpowered<br />
him, but not before he caught some blows himself about the head, and a fractured<br />
arm. He was able to finally get away. I won't be able to use him anymore, not for<br />
146
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
a while anyway. The fool never uses his brains, he took off when he was sighted,<br />
instead of bluffing it out, especially as he was well away from the building."<br />
"What was the meeting about anyway? On second thoughts I don't want to<br />
know."<br />
By this time the car was passing Parliament House, heading north on Spring<br />
Street, and within minutes Ed pulled into an alleyway and parked. The restaurant<br />
was small and cozy, Ed obviously knew his way around, and one or two people,<br />
who seemed connected with the place, acknowledged him with a nod of the head<br />
or wave of the hand as they both got seated at a small table, in the corner, at the<br />
back of the room.<br />
After ordering, Ed seemed eager to get on with the conversation, which suited<br />
Will. "I've been taking a closer look at the listening device, and discover that it has<br />
provision for attaching some form of sound recorder. I've searched everywhere,<br />
but all the recorders are big reel to reel types, and they would be too cumbersome<br />
to take on site. I've spent a lot of time trying to sort out the problem but I'm at a<br />
dead-end. It would be the desirable combination to be able to listen and record,<br />
but the device must be small. Can you make one up for me - a miniature one?"<br />
Will looked at him in amazement. "You've got no idea what you're asking of<br />
me, have you? I would need the backing of a small electronic's laboratory at the<br />
least, and someone also who has a design background."<br />
"I can't have anyone else involved, but I could find you the facility, at a pinch."<br />
Both men gazed into space, the discussion seemingly at an end. Ed broke the<br />
silence. "I need this extra device badly, no matter what it takes, and you're the only<br />
one I can turn to."<br />
Will looked him straight in the eye. "Are you telling me that the organization,<br />
which I know is worldwide, can't provide you with what you want?"<br />
Ed seemed reluctant to answer. He shifted around nervously on his chair, and<br />
stuffed his mouth with food to give him some thinking time. It was obvious after<br />
awhile he was not going to answer Will's question. "You're not going to answer me<br />
are you?"<br />
Ed looked even more uncomfortable, he glanced up briefly. "I can't."<br />
"Well, if that's the case and you're going to get devious, why should I do<br />
anything for you?"<br />
"Because you have to."<br />
147
Will Bonner<br />
"Well! Well! Well! We're going to stoop to threats now, are we? I was<br />
beginning to wonder when you would lower yourself to the level of the others."<br />
Ed's face went blank and Will could not read what his next reaction would be.<br />
Things could get ugly from now on, he thought, and he began to feel sick in the<br />
stomach. If he got up and walked away it would be in the lap of the Gods what<br />
would happen next. He would be completely in the dark. Will had experienced<br />
these awkward moments on occasions in the past, and he knew that it would be<br />
best to go along, without rocking the boat.<br />
Ed looked up again, his face seemed more relaxed this time. "I did promise<br />
that you wouldn't be threatened and when we went on that surveillance you could<br />
have shot through like Gerry and left me to it, but you didn't. I'm thankful for that."<br />
He paused to take a drink. "All I can tell you is that the organization is only in it's<br />
infancy here. I've got plenty of contacts on the outside that I can use, but I have<br />
to get what I want from them without their knowing what I do. If they found out,<br />
it could expose the organization's activities and I wouldn't be able to carry on.<br />
You've already been involved, which makes you different."<br />
Will's instinct was to treat everything that was said with suspicion, but it did<br />
seem odd that Ed didn't have anyone to cover even the simplest electrical task.<br />
Perhaps what he was saying, was the truth. It would be an advantage to know<br />
that the organization here was not yet completely up and running as a network. Ed<br />
was waiting for him to respond.<br />
"I get very uptight if I think my family is threatened, and things can only get<br />
worse for me as the family grows. Just leave them alone and I'll do what I can, but<br />
remember, I won't always be able to satisfy the requirement. I do have limitations,<br />
but to have people around you like Gerry will be your downfall. They are dumb,<br />
can be manipulated, and are inherently dangerous."<br />
"Yes I know, that's why I thought it would be best all-round, if you joined the<br />
group. The organization pays well and you would have more time for your family."<br />
"I'm also aware of the dangerous downside to the job. Remember, I have<br />
already experienced it, and there are other reasons why I will never join."<br />
"What about my recorder?"<br />
"I'll think about it. Where can I get in touch?"<br />
"Here's a number where you can leave a message. The person on the other<br />
end is not part of the organization, so just pass the word along for me to get in<br />
148
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
touch." Ed took a piece of notepaper from his pocket and wrote down the<br />
number, pushing it across the table.<br />
"How long will it be?"<br />
"About a week."<br />
Will stood up to leave. "I'll take you home," Ed said.<br />
"No, I'd rather find my own way, if you don't mind." Will didn't look back as<br />
he left the restaurant, even though it was about a three mile walk it would give him<br />
enough time to get the past hour out of his system before arriving home.<br />
What he was being asked to do was nothing more than just another technical<br />
problem, but the atmosphere of intrigue and the possibility of being put into some<br />
form of danger, permeated into everything. It was this uneasy feeling he wanted to<br />
dispel, before he saw Dorothy. She may sense that something was amiss.<br />
Three or four days went by and Will was getting no clues. He had already<br />
spent some time looking through the large technical section in McGrath's, one of<br />
the biggest book stores in town - with no results.<br />
It was on the Friday night whilst flipping through some Electronic magazines<br />
that something caught his eye, triggering a secondary thought. He had been looking<br />
in the wrong place all along, and should have been scanning the advertisements!<br />
The following morning was Saturday, and whilst he was in the city with Dorothy,<br />
he made his way back up to McGrath's and started looking again.<br />
The exercise resembled someone looking at mug shots in the police station, he<br />
had a faint picture in his mind, but nothing definite. Half an hour later there it was.<br />
A full page advertisement showing the latest pocket sized miniature wire recorders,<br />
used by business executives and professional people, with two or more hours of<br />
recording on one spool. Just the thing!<br />
Over the weekend Will copied all the salient information by hand, ready to<br />
pass the information on to Ed. He would never tell him where the information came<br />
from, or how difficult it was to obtain.<br />
Will phoned the number Ed had given him and left a message and within the<br />
hour he was on the phone. "Have you got something for me, what can you tell<br />
me?"<br />
"Nothing on the phone. Can you meet me in the coffee shop down here in the<br />
foyer in about an hour?"<br />
"I'll be there you can be certain of that."<br />
149
Will Bonner<br />
Will sat in the rear of the shop drinking his coffee in full view of the foyer. He<br />
did not have long to wait. Ed was soon advancing towards the table with a cup in<br />
his hand, an expectant beam on this face. "Well?"<br />
"Well what?”<br />
“Well, I hope it's going to be worth my while."<br />
Will reached into his attache case and produced an envelope. "You'll find<br />
everything you need in there, all you have to do is get one of your wealthy business<br />
contacts to get it for you, and when you have it I'll adapt it to make it compatible<br />
with the listening device. You can keep it in your pocket whilst you're doing the<br />
work."<br />
Ed scanned through the notes and looked up. "Bloody marvellous, absolutely<br />
bloody marvellous!" He could hardly contain himself. Will got up to leave.<br />
"It's busy up there today, I'll have to get going, but before I do, a word of<br />
warning. When you call don't trick me. I'll install and commission the recorder and<br />
give you a crash course on the whole thing, nice and easy. Have it all laid out for<br />
me on the telephone, where, when, and only you, no one else. If it's not clear to<br />
me I won't come. Understood?”<br />
Ed nodded his head, but his eyes were still twinkling at the thought of having<br />
the facility of the recorder, and Will left him to finish his coffee.<br />
It was nearly two months since their meeting in the restaurant before he got a<br />
phone call. Ed's opening remarks showed a touch of humour, indicating that he<br />
had been able to get hold of the recorder.<br />
"I bet you were hoping I'd kicked the bucket?"<br />
"No such luck."<br />
"I've got the recorder and I've made the arrangements."<br />
There was a pause and Will wondered what was coming next. "It's going to<br />
be easy for you. Do you know Maples store in High Street, a block from you?"<br />
"Yes."<br />
"Well, I can use the top floor anytime I want. Does that sound okay?"<br />
"That's fine, is there power up there? I must have it to do the conversion."<br />
"I'll make certain we've got power, and there's plenty of windows, front and<br />
back. When can you meet me there?"<br />
Will wanted at least a day to sort himself out, and he didn't want to upset their<br />
usual trip out to Vermont on Saturday. It was now Wednesday.<br />
150
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
"What about Friday evening around 6.30 p.m. I can get off the tram at High<br />
Street and then walk home afterwards. Don't forget to bring everything, including<br />
the bag of accessories."<br />
"I won't forget, see you then." The phone went dead. Blast! I forgot to make<br />
certain that he would be the only one there. If he wasn't on his own, Will had the<br />
option of aborting the job. He would have to see what happened on the night.<br />
Alighting from the tramcar Friday evening, Will walked up the High Street<br />
towards Maples. He had realized after getting off the phone that it would be after<br />
hours and the store would be closed. As he approached the main entrance he<br />
could see Ed standing well back, adjacent to one of the doors.<br />
"How do we get in, and where's the instrument?"<br />
"Just follow me, I took the device up about ten minutes ago." Leading Will<br />
down an alleyway at the side of the building Ed inserted a key in a side door and<br />
they both entered. It was quiet and eerie as they made their way through the<br />
exhibits on the main floor towards the massive stone stairway, which curved it's<br />
way up to the next floor. All Will could hear was the muffled rattling sound of the<br />
occasional tramcar as it careered by. They ascended the remainder of the stairs<br />
to the top floor, and Will listened to Ed panting and wheezing. He was still out of<br />
condition, it could be his downfall with the type of work he was engaged in.<br />
On the landing of the last stairway they approached a small door in the corner<br />
which led to a short flight of narrow stairs and through a second door. The size of<br />
the room was immense and completely empty. All the windows on the High Street<br />
side were standard tall sash type, all in line, but on the opposite side there were<br />
only about four or five, all set into turreted projections that gave the room a unique<br />
feature.<br />
Walking into one of the turrets Will could see that the windows of the building<br />
next door were only about three feet away. Ed picked up the apparatus and<br />
deposited it at the far end of the room, next to the end window, overlooking the<br />
street.<br />
The equipment was battery operated, but Will needed power to do his work.<br />
Ed pointed to a power outlet next to the window. "It's live, I've tried it out."<br />
Ed produced the miniature recorder from his pocket. It was a professional<br />
looking piece of equipment and expense was written all over it. As a companion,<br />
it would match the listening device perfectly. Will foraged through the accessories<br />
151
Will Bonner<br />
bag and came up with the components he needed, as Ed busied himself setting up<br />
the telescope and tripod. Within half an hour Will had patched the two machines<br />
together, ready for a trial run. "Have you got a subject down in the street Ed?"<br />
"Better than that. Can you see the windows on the second floor of the building<br />
across the street? That's a Greek restaurant and we've got all the subjects we<br />
want." Will looked out across the street and received a shock. All the windows<br />
of the restaurant were open, it was a warm night and every window had a table<br />
next to it with people dining, at the same time, watching the activity down in the<br />
street.<br />
"You must be crazy Ed, if they spot the telescope, they'll think someone's<br />
spying on them. The Greeks' won't call the police, they'll come over personally and<br />
fill you in. Needless to say, I won't wait around this time!"<br />
Ed smiled. "Why do you think I chose the end window? The scope is well<br />
hidden, don't worry."<br />
"One trial run, no more Ed, it's too risky."<br />
Will trained the cross hairs of the scope on two men sitting at a table near the<br />
window, and he was dead lucky. They were talking in broken English. Switching<br />
on the recorder he backed away still wearing the headphones. Slipping them off,<br />
he passed them to Ed and waited for about five minutes before switching off.<br />
Unplugging the recorder he rewound the spool and then switched to "play"<br />
advancing the volume control.<br />
The men's voices came through as clear as a bell. Ed was beside himself with<br />
the result. Not willing to take any further risk, Will pulled the scope and tripod<br />
back and away from the window, but Ed was so wound up it took some time to<br />
bring him back down to earth again, and so enable the instruction to begin.<br />
Will proceeded to go through the operation of the controls emphasising the<br />
do's and don'ts whilst Ed took notes, "finally, remember what happened that night<br />
in Carlton, that's the most important "don't."<br />
Will was eager to get away, everything had gone smoothly and he wanted it<br />
to remain that way. Helping Ed pack up the items the two men made their way out<br />
of the building. As the door closed behind them and they stood in the alleyway,<br />
Will turned to Ed.<br />
"You've got everything you wanted so now is the time to let me get on with my<br />
life. If the electronics break down or won't function properly you can call me, but<br />
152
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
no other jobs."<br />
Ed stepped back in his characteristic style. "I'm parked at the back of the<br />
building, you can leave in the opposite direction. Thanks for everything. Let's<br />
hope we don't need you again, but I can't be certain about that. I have other<br />
people making decisions for me."<br />
Will turned and without a parting remark headed for High Street. He knew by<br />
Ed's last statement that it may not be soon, but eventually, there would come a<br />
time when the organization would make contact again, demanding that other work<br />
be done, and not just electronic devices.<br />
153
Will Bonner
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
Chapter 8<br />
The Phone Tap<br />
Will was at a loss for the next couple of weeks. He had been in touch with the<br />
agency and was waiting for a response from them, but he had next to no other<br />
contacts available to him. The irony was that Ed could no doubt get him what he<br />
wanted, but the risk of being manipulated was practically a certainty. There was<br />
plenty of work around but it was a matter of getting the right kind.<br />
Each day that passed seemed longer, bringing another day of waiting. With no<br />
leads coming forward, his mind was struggling with the thought that he may<br />
eventually have to contact Ed.<br />
Mrs. Kester, the owner of the apartments, must have noticed Will at home and<br />
one day asked him if he was sick.<br />
"No, the company I was with went out of business. I'm looking around for<br />
something suitable."<br />
"You do some form of electrical work don't you?"<br />
155
Will Bonner<br />
"Electronics actually."<br />
"My brother works in the telephone workshops for the Post Office, I'll ask him<br />
to enquire for you." Will knew next to nothing about telephone communication, but<br />
the work might be along the right lines.<br />
Within days Will found himself filling in an application for employment at the<br />
engineering workshops. Situated in South Melbourne. If he landed employment<br />
there he would be able to catch the same tram that he had always taken.<br />
One interview later he reported for his first day. He found himself in a room<br />
with others who were also starting that day, and each person was required to step<br />
forward, raise his or her right hand and swear allegiance to the Queen before being<br />
inducted into their respective departments.<br />
There was quite a bit of communist activity in Australia at that time, it being<br />
one of the ways of trying to keep subversion out of the Crown work places. Will<br />
spent the next three weeks training, followed by an exam, which all happened in<br />
the department where he would ultimately work.<br />
It was a brand new section, employing approximately fifteen engineers<br />
working on electronic switching circuits. The normal practice was to operate a<br />
new section for two years, after which time, if the function was viable, it would be<br />
allowed to continue, alternatively, it would be closed down. Will knew therefore,<br />
that if he kept a good record, he would have at least two years of employment<br />
ahead of him.<br />
Crossing Toorak Road one evening, after alighting from the tram, Will noticed<br />
a lone figure standing on the corner. He didn't recognize the clothing but that<br />
stance was unmistakeable. It was Ed. Will quickly looked up and down the road<br />
but he could see no car. Pretending that he hadn't noticed him, Will walked right<br />
by him.<br />
"Hey Will, are you trying to avoid me?"<br />
"Whatever gave you that idea," Will replied sarcastically. "I'll never go out of<br />
my way to make contact to end up giving myself more trouble. You're not here<br />
to say hello are you?"<br />
Ed took a step back in his characteristic style. "No, but I can't phone you now<br />
the clinics gone. You're at the engineering workshops in South Melbourne now."<br />
"You seem to have done your homework Ed, but you haven't fathomed out<br />
yet how best you can contact me should the need arise, have you?" Ed shuffled his<br />
156
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
feet looking down at the pavement.<br />
"No."<br />
Will thought for a moment. "One thing that I am grateful for is that you haven't<br />
come knocking on my door at home, or tried to contact me at the workshops."<br />
There was no response from Ed. "You can't phone me any more and I want my<br />
private life left alone. To save me any embarrassment you can always see me<br />
during the lunch hour at the workshops. There's a small reception room in the main<br />
entrance. The girl at the desk can phone up a message to the department prior to<br />
12 o'clock, and I'll come down."<br />
"Can't you occasionally phone the number I gave you, say once every week<br />
or two?" Ed's last statement was like waving a red rag to a bull and Will raised his<br />
voice.<br />
"The organization doesn't own me, and I don't work for you. I only do favours<br />
for you because I'm always under the threat of the very people back in the U.K.<br />
who give you your orders. You must be crazy if you think I'm going to make<br />
things easy for you!" Ed turned to leave with a parting remark.<br />
"I'll contact you soon at the workshops."<br />
Will watched him as he walked up Toorak Road but he had hardly gone a<br />
hundred paces before a car passed him and drew up alongside, Ed got inside. It<br />
wouldn't be Gerry, probably another of Ed's associates, and he no doubt knew<br />
about Will.<br />
As Will walked up Hawksburn Road his thoughts were filled with insecurity.<br />
Things could get really out of hand if they started to put the pressure on, but what<br />
could he do? How could he turn the tables and give Ed something to worry about<br />
for a change? Any information he had gleaned about the organization seemed to<br />
have little worth, but there was one tiny piece that may be significant, and Ed had<br />
reminded him of it only a few minutes ago.<br />
It was the phone number Ed had given him and as luck would have it he was<br />
now working in the very place that could help him. The following morning Will<br />
wasted no time. Amongst the people that he associated with in the department<br />
was a man by the name of Don Hardiman. A bouncing little fellow with bags of<br />
confidence which partially shrouded his inability to pronounce his "th's." Will<br />
produced the piece of paper with the number on it. "Is there anyway I can find out<br />
the address belonging to this number?"<br />
157
Will Bonner<br />
Don looked at it. "It's a Melbourne number, it should be easy. I know just the<br />
person wiv the "know how" to do it. I fink I can get him now - actually he's in the<br />
office down below." Will didn't have long to wait before Don thrust a piece of<br />
paper in his hand as he passed. It had an address in Donvale written on it.<br />
"Thanks Don, I owe you one."<br />
"Don't fink anyfink of it."<br />
During the course of the day Will applied for a sick day off on Monday. There<br />
was never any problem getting a day off in a government establishment that was<br />
officially due. It was Friday, giving him the weekend to sort himself out. On<br />
Saturday Will bought a street guide, and during the quiet of Sunday morning drove<br />
out to Donvale and located the address. He remained in his car some distance<br />
away and observed, not wanting to be recognized.<br />
What appeared to be an office, with the front window partially painted, to<br />
prevent anyone from looking directly inside, was nestled amongst a small group of<br />
rural type shops. The name painted in the centre of the white section matched the<br />
address on the envelope. There was plenty of places he could park on Monday<br />
out of sight, but still close to the office. If it was just somewhere to take phone<br />
calls Will would have wasted his time, but he had to take the chance.<br />
On Monday morning Dorothy left as usual around 8 o'clock to catch a train<br />
into the city, and Will wasted no time in getting underway with the thought that Ed<br />
would more than likely be either at the address or perhaps collecting messages<br />
during the early part of the morning. As he drove past the shop he couldn't believe<br />
his eyes. There was Ed's car parked outside! Will's heart started pounding, and<br />
after parking, he contemplated sitting for awhile to gain his composure, but the<br />
thought of missing Ed galvanized him into action.<br />
The car was still there thank heavens! Hesitating for a second, Will pushed<br />
open the front door. The office was of medium size with a large old-fashioned<br />
desk in the centre of the room and sundry upright chairs placed around in no<br />
particular order. A corridor leading to the rear and a small telephone exchange<br />
console, indicated that there could be other offices in the building.<br />
Seated at the console, engaged in conversation on the telephone, was an old<br />
man dressed in a khaki shirt with rolled up sleeves and braces, which were holding<br />
up a pair of well worn, heavy duty, belted trousers. His hair was completely grey,<br />
and his face and arms, tanned and wrinkled. He placed the telephone back on it's<br />
158
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
cradle and turned around. He must be 70 years of age Will guessed, probably<br />
more, and he could see right away that he had a pleasant, easy-going manner.<br />
"How can I help you?”<br />
"I've called to see Ed Blake." Will spoke in no more than a loud whisper,<br />
hoping not to be heard if Ed was in one of the back rooms. The man stepped<br />
forward his hand cupping his right ear.<br />
"Did you say Ed Blake?"<br />
"Yes."<br />
Will waited, but he didn't ask for his name, and going back to the console rang<br />
a number and turning his head smiled at Will. "There's someone in the office to see<br />
you Ed," and turning his head to Will again, continued. "Go down the corridor, it's<br />
the door at the end marked "Blake Security Consultants."<br />
One thing was certain, Ed had told him the truth when he said that the person<br />
taking messages was not part of the organization, the old man would have been<br />
much more cautious otherwise. Will knocked sharply on the door several times<br />
and Ed's muffled voice could just be distinguished. "Come in." Will pushed the<br />
door open wide to see Ed sitting at a desk no more than ten feet away from him.<br />
His hands appeared to be covered by the morning newspaper which was opened<br />
out flat on the surface of the desk.<br />
A look of disbelief came over his face and those eyes were popping out again.<br />
"You bloody fool! What are you doing here?" He was visibly shaken. This was just<br />
the effect Will wanted.<br />
Will entered the room and closed the door behind him and as he turned Ed<br />
was removing the newspaper to reveal a small pistol clutched in his right hand.<br />
"You could have got yourself killed! What are you doing here, and how did you<br />
find me?"<br />
Will walked over to the desk and placing his hands on it for support leaned<br />
over to make his point. "I've come to show you how vulnerable you are. If I<br />
wanted to do you harm I wouldn't go to the front desk and ask for you, would I?"<br />
Ed swallowed hard, not knowing what was coming next. "It's no good asking how<br />
I found you, because no matter where you are, I'll be able to find you. That's the<br />
point I want to make. Having that gun at the ready indicates that you're involved<br />
with dangerous people. I'm glad I came."<br />
Ed opened the drawer in the desk and putting the gun away looked up at Will,<br />
159
Will Bonner<br />
his face now passive. He was rapidly composing himself but non committal.<br />
"Where do we go from here?"<br />
Will positioned a chair on the opposite side of the desk facing Ed, and sat<br />
down. "I need to get one or two things straightened out with you."<br />
Ed nodded and relaxed back into his swivel chair. "Carry on."<br />
"With the experience I've had over the last few years concerning the<br />
organization, I know that wherever I decide to live they will always find me, if I<br />
can be of use to them. I intend to live here in Melbourne and have no intention of<br />
moving, consequently, I'm stuck with you and whoever your associates are." Ed's<br />
face remained expressionless.<br />
"I want three things from you. My family must be completely left alone, no<br />
contact whatsoever with them. No more tricks to get something out of me. If you<br />
want something done you have to give me at least as much information as you<br />
would give to your agents, so that I can assess the risks. Finally, I want all the<br />
information you have about me kept from the others. As far as they are concerned,<br />
I'm helping you out technically, on the odd occasion. I'll never be one of your<br />
agents, so I'll always have the privilege of resisting something that I feel might<br />
backfire on me, or is out of the scope of my ability. To reinforce what I said in the<br />
restaurant in Spring Street. You have to accept the fact that there will be things<br />
that I simply cannot do, and I don't want you pressurizing me to get involved in<br />
unnecessary risks."<br />
Will stopped talking to await some response. Ed's mind was probably working<br />
overtime, and the silence continued. Eventually Ed leaned forward in his chair.<br />
"You realize I don't have to consider anything you are asking?" Will could feel his<br />
temper rising after hearing Ed's negative comment.<br />
"You can please yourself, but I'll resist you all the way, and make your life a<br />
misery!"<br />
Ed smiled. "I didn't say I wouldn't, I said I didn't have to. I see no reason why<br />
we can't accommodate what you have asked for, but what do we get in return?"<br />
"As you just said a moment ago, I don't have to give anything either, but I will.<br />
You'll only get resistance from me if the nature of the work warrants it and<br />
obviously, if things could directly affect my family."<br />
An agreement had been reached and the two men shook hands across the<br />
desk, Will got up to leave. What he had come for had been achieved, but Ed<br />
160
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
gesticulated for him to sit down.<br />
"I was going to call at the workshops tomorrow to see you, but we might as<br />
well talk now, if you've got the time."<br />
"I've taken the day off, but I must get back by late afternoon. What do you<br />
want to talk about?"<br />
"You're doing telephone electronics now and I want to use the wire recorder<br />
in conjunction with the telephone."<br />
Will sucked in his breath. "Are you talking about wire tapping?"<br />
"Yes, can you do something for me?"<br />
"Did you know that it's a Federal offence to record from the telephone without<br />
telling the other party first, and you have to inject a signal periodically, to remind<br />
the person on the other end that the recording is still in progress." Ed did an<br />
imaginary yawn, his hand in front of his mouth. Will got the message. "What I'm<br />
trying to tell you is that I won't wire tap. I know we've just come to an agreement,<br />
but this is asking too much."<br />
Ed's face fell. "Is it difficult then to record off the phone lines?"<br />
"No, quite the contrary, it's easy, and that's the problem. If the person at the<br />
other end has any technical ability he can monitor the line and detect when you put<br />
the tap on."<br />
Ed was confused. "Is there anything that can be done?"<br />
"Sure there is, and you could start as early as next week if you want. I can tell<br />
you how to do it and make up the bits and pieces. But you have to do the line<br />
tapping, not me."<br />
Ed's face started to light up at the thought of achieving something. "You said<br />
next week?"<br />
"Yes, for a crude listening device, but next month for a more elaborate<br />
listening, and recording apparatus. But as soon as you're underway I'm off the<br />
hook, okay?" Will got up to leave.<br />
"When will I hear from you?"<br />
"Probably in about a month, that's if you're looking for complex equipment. I'll<br />
phone here and leave a message for you, but I'll never come here again unless<br />
things are desperate. I don't want to get my head blown off."<br />
Will could still hear Ed chuckling as he closed the door behind him and walked<br />
outside into a beautiful sunny Australian day. He had gone there to try and<br />
161
Will Bonner<br />
eliminate one problem and come out with a different one. It was the kind of<br />
problem though that he could control and he felt more secure about his relationship<br />
with Ed and the organization, especially with regard to his family.<br />
Time was flying by and he had done nothing to get Ed's device underway. He<br />
had been thinking about it from time to time but the mere fact of building it from<br />
scratch on the dining-room table with very little equipment, seemed a daunting<br />
task, consequently, he kept rejecting getting started on the project. It wouldn't be<br />
long now before Ed made contact, expecting the ongoing success of previous<br />
devices.<br />
Was this going to be the first time that he would not be able to fulfil the<br />
requirement? All his research into circuits seemed to produce problems until about<br />
a week later, in seconds, everything came together, like a jigsaw puzzle.<br />
Walking down Little Lonsdale Street in the city Will heard a voice calling his<br />
name. "Will Brenner! Will Brenner!" He turned to see an old colleague trying to<br />
catch up with him. The two men had not spoken since the clinic had closed so<br />
initially the conversation was intense, but due to the noise in the vicinity he was<br />
constantly adjusting his hearing aid volume control.<br />
Why hadn't he thought of it before? A perfect ready made device! All it would<br />
need was a minor adaption to connect it to the phone line. Will was so excited he<br />
hardly dared to ask the next question. "Where do you get your hearing-aids from?"<br />
"There's a hearing-aid place at the top of Collins Street, they do everything<br />
there. Sell, service and supply the batteries. What do you want a hearing-aid for?<br />
You're not going deaf are you?"<br />
"No, I want to get hold of a second-hand one to experiment with."<br />
Taking a small notebook and pencil from his pocket and writing down an<br />
address tore out the page and gave it to Will. "Ask for the manager, they'll have<br />
plenty of discarded units up there. Mention my name and he'll probably give you<br />
what you want."<br />
The address he was holding was only a couple of city blocks away, well within<br />
walking distance and wondering how much longer his luck would hold, he set off<br />
to find the place. The location was in the older section of Collins Street, and the<br />
interior of the buildings a labyrinth of offices and small businesses.<br />
Mounting the stairs to the third floor he finally found the place at the far end of<br />
the corridor. On the right was a door marked "Service Department" and on the left<br />
162
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
another marked "Reception." Will entered the reception and asked for the<br />
Manager. "Have you a complaint that perhaps I could attend to?"<br />
"No, nothing like that. One of your customer's has suggested I see him about<br />
something." A few minutes later he found himself sitting in the cramped Manager's<br />
office with hardly enough room, Will estimated, to fully open the filing cabinet<br />
drawers. Will opened the conversation with some apprehension. "A friend of mine<br />
suggested I see you." He need not have worried.and after a brief introduction Will<br />
wasted no time in getting to the point. "I'm an electronics engineer and he thought<br />
that you might have a discarded hearing-aid I could purchase, to pull to pieces,<br />
and play around with." The manager didn't need to stand, he just reached across<br />
and opened one of the drawers and removing a tray, placed it in front of Will.<br />
"Take your pick, you can have them all if you want. It's a wonder they haven't<br />
been thrown away by now. Some of them are still working okay - they're just<br />
old."<br />
Will couldn't believe his eyes, anyone of them would have been suitable for<br />
what he wanted. "How much are they?"<br />
"Nothing. If you want them all I'll put them in a bag for you." Still reeling from<br />
his good fortune, Will was about to leave the office without asking the most<br />
important question.<br />
"If I need the odd valve or component can I buy them from you?"<br />
"Sure. If you phone ask for the Service Department. They will sort it out for<br />
you."<br />
Will left with his bag of goodies eager to test the units and hopefully select one<br />
that was functioning. He had other things going on at the same time which included<br />
the construction of a radio set that he and Dorothy badly needed. It was not an<br />
uncommon sight therefore, for the dining-room table to be littered with electronic<br />
bits and pieces. This enabled him to go forward with the job without any questions<br />
from Dorothy, who was looking forward to her radio.<br />
With more information gleaned from the telephone workshops technical<br />
library, the unit was ready for testing on the telephone line, which was going to be<br />
awkward but not impossible. He couldn't use any of the lines at the workshops for<br />
fear of detection, and there was only one line supplying a single phone in the main<br />
entrance to the apartments which was very exposed. In any case, he needed the<br />
miniature wire recorder to complete the final testing, so he left a short message for<br />
163
Will Bonner<br />
Ed to meet him on the following day.<br />
Promptly at 12 noon Will took his lunch and sat to wait for Ed in the reception<br />
room. Half an hour passed and Ed had not appeared but shortly afterwards a<br />
young, smartly dressed man wearing a suit and tie, came into the reception and sat<br />
down opposite. If Ed appears now we'll have to go outside to talk, Will was<br />
thinking.<br />
"Are you Will Brenner?" the young man asked.<br />
"Yes."<br />
"Ed has asked me to collect a package for him. Do you have it?"<br />
Will was taken completely by surprise and took a moment to gather his<br />
thoughts together. "Who's Ed?" I don't know anything about a package."<br />
The young man looked disappointed and perhaps a little annoyed at Will's<br />
remark. "I know you are Will Brenner and I have to take the package back with<br />
me."<br />
"There are lots of people upstairs that know me too, but fortunately they are<br />
not screwballs like you." The young man stepped between Will and the door.<br />
"Ed's sick, he can't come. I need to have the package."<br />
There was no way Will could ever intimate that he knew anything about Ed,<br />
or any packages. He had never seen the man before, so it was best to be on the<br />
safe side. He didn't look the type that would offer up any physical resistance so<br />
Will attempted to push him to one side and a minor scuffle ensued. At that<br />
moment, a big curly haired Australian who worked in his department appeared in<br />
the doorway.<br />
"Is this chap giving you agro Will? Do you want me to throw him out?" The<br />
words were hardly out of his mouth before the young man disappeared through the<br />
door.<br />
"I was sitting having lunch waiting for someone. I think he was just a screwball<br />
and mistook me for someone else."<br />
For the rest of the day Will tried to put the incident out of his mind. Ed must<br />
have been desperate to send somebody like that. He must surely have known what<br />
sort of reaction he would get.<br />
The very next day Will once again sat in the reception just in case Ed followed<br />
through. The main entrance door opened and he could see Ed making his way<br />
across the foyer. His shoulders were bent and Will knew by the way he was<br />
164
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
walking that he was finding it difficult to get around. His face looked pinched and<br />
pale, he was obviously sick. Managing to crack a faint smile he sat down next to<br />
Will.<br />
"You rubbished Tony, one of my agents yesterday."<br />
"What did you expect?"<br />
"It was just a long shot. I knew you must have something for me, and I didn't<br />
want to risk getting out of bed."<br />
"I'll never deal with anyone I don't know, ever! Incidently, is your sickness<br />
permanent or fatal?" Ed smiled faintly again but it was clear he was in no mood for<br />
fun and games.<br />
"You're a cruel sod Will. No, it's not fatal, it's a disease I picked up in the<br />
jungle during the war when we were fighting the Japanese. It reappears from time<br />
to time, but thankfully it's receding. What do you want to see me about?"<br />
"I need the small recorder to do some final testing. Can you get it to me?"<br />
"Are you getting close to finishing then?"<br />
"Yes."<br />
Ed's face began to light up at the thought of getting another device. "Would<br />
it be okay if I sent it with Tony?"<br />
"I guess that's okay, but not here. Tell him to wait for me to get off the tram at<br />
Toorak and Hawksburn Roads. I'll look out for him each evening."<br />
"He knows where that is, he was waiting for me when I met you there last<br />
time." So that's who it was, Will thought. But it gave him no relief knowing it.<br />
"Tony normally doesn't get involved out in the field, he's office bound, taking<br />
care of all the interstate connections. He's a book man and only records what he<br />
is told." That information was valuable however, and Will tucked it into the back<br />
of his memory for future retrieval, giving no indication to Ed that it interested him.<br />
On the third evening after seeing Ed, Will alighted from the tramcar as usual,<br />
and there was Tony standing on the corner. He was wearing a trench coat and<br />
cautiously approached Will, reaching inside his coat for the recorder, which<br />
quickly changed hands.<br />
"How's Ed?"<br />
"He's getting better. He'll be up and about soon, thank heavens! I'm not used<br />
to working out in the field and I'm sorry about the other day at the workshops."<br />
He was definitely not a homosexual, but Tony's demeanour reminded him a little<br />
165
Will Bonner<br />
of Gerald in Hawaii. He seemed to have a similar sensitivity. Will was tempted to<br />
push him for more information about the organization here, but refrained. There<br />
may come a better time in the future.<br />
Eventually after finding a suitable venue where he would not be disturbed or<br />
questions asked, a test run of the device proved satisfactory.<br />
Approaching noon on the Monday morning, Will was totally absorbed in his<br />
work when he received a message that someone was waiting down in the<br />
reception to see him. It just had to be Ed, Will thought, wanting to push him for the<br />
device no doubt. It was only a few minutes to the lunch hour so he picked up his<br />
sandwich box and headed down the stairs to the main entrance. Not wanting to<br />
be taken by surprise Will stood in the far corner of the foyer, where he could<br />
observe the waiting-room.<br />
It was Tony, not Ed. He was seated fidgeting with a folded newspaper in his<br />
hands. As Will observed him he seemed to get more agitated as the minutes went<br />
by, occasionally looking into the foyer in the expectation of Will's arrival.<br />
Approaching the waiting-room door from the side to keep the element of surprise<br />
for the last second, he burst into the room. Tony abruptly stood up, placing his<br />
hand on the seat to prevent himself from toppling backwards off balance, at the<br />
same time dropping his newspaper on the floor. The look on his face indicated that<br />
he would have preferred to have been elsewhere.<br />
"What the hell are you doing here?" Will asked, an impatient tone in his voice.<br />
"I told Ed never to send you here again. What's up? Is Ed still sick?" Tony looked<br />
up after picking up his paper, eager to explain himself away, and avoid<br />
confrontation.<br />
"No, he's at the hospital today for a final check-up and if all's well, he'll be<br />
back full-time tomorrow."<br />
"What's so urgent then that he couldn't wait for another day, or so?"<br />
"He wanted to know how you were getting along with the device."<br />
Will was now beginning to realize that it had been a mistake to have people<br />
appearing here, at his work place. It would eventually begin to look suspicious. "I<br />
won't talk about the device. Tell Ed I will see him at the restaurant in Spring Street<br />
on Wednesday night, around 7 o'clock. Tony seemed relieved to be off the hook,<br />
swiftly making his way towards the door.<br />
"We'll see you on Wednesday then?"<br />
166
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
"No, only Ed. Make sure he understands that." Tony nodded his head and<br />
disappeared through the door. There was nothing more to be done as far as the<br />
device was concerned, except wait for Wednesday evening.<br />
When Wednesday finally arrived Will took a tramcar into the city and walked<br />
up Bourke to Spring Street and crossing over the road on to the Parliament House<br />
side, waited there. He was at least half an hour early and knew where Ed would<br />
park so he watched for his arrival. Fifteen minutes before seven o'clock the car<br />
pulled in and parked, but to Will's surprise in addition to Ed, two other men got<br />
out, one of them was Tony. A mini discussion seemed to take place and Tony<br />
went inside the restaurant and the other man walked up the street in the direction<br />
of the Carlton Gardens. Ed then followed Tony inside.<br />
Will was in a dilemma. He immediately became suspicious. Who was the third<br />
man? Probably one of Ed's agents. What was going on? Was what he had just<br />
witnessed anything to do with his meeting with Ed, or was he reading things into<br />
the situation? No, he now had that gut feeling telling him to be careful. There had<br />
been no indication in the past that any connection with Ed could get rough, but<br />
there was the pistol under the newspaper episode in Ed's office, and that gut<br />
feeling was not going away.<br />
He now realized the stupid mistake he had made by making arrangements on<br />
Ed's own territory, and as the months rolled by Ed was becoming better equipped<br />
to eavesdrop. The irony of it all was that Will himself was supplying him, giving him<br />
the opportunity to listen in on even their own conversations! He had no other<br />
reasonable option than to go in, but he had the device in a small, flat, leather bag,<br />
the only thing he could use to bargain with. How could he temporarily get rid of<br />
it?<br />
Remembering a small hotel in Exhibition Street one block away, he ran<br />
practically all the way there to avoid being late back at the restaurant. He<br />
addressed the clerk at the reception desk. "Can I deposit this bag here for safe<br />
keeping for a couple of hours?"<br />
"Are you a guest here?"<br />
"No, but I'm a bit early meeting someone who will probably be booking in<br />
later."<br />
"Has he reserved a room?"<br />
"No, but he'll be here later."<br />
167
Will Bonner<br />
The clerk tore a numbered ticket from a pad. "What's the name?"<br />
"Brenner," he replied, as the man reached over for the bag.<br />
Will was out of breath by the time he arrived back at the restaurant, but very<br />
relieved that he had got rid of the device. It may have been a liability to him. He<br />
quickly looked around the room for Tony but there was no sign of him. He spotted<br />
Ed sitting at the same table as before, and looking around the immediate vicinity<br />
he realized how easy it would be for someone to listen in to their conversation.<br />
Will approached the table with apprehension, but trying his hardest to remain<br />
composed. The two men shook hands.<br />
"Well, has the doctor given you a clean bill of health Ed?"<br />
"Yes, I'm nearly one hundred per cent again."<br />
The two men stared into space and Will was thinking "this is the last time I'll<br />
be coming to this restaurant."<br />
"You gave poor old Tony the elbow again last Monday."<br />
"Yes, I asked you specifically not to send him there again, and in future I don't<br />
want anyone visiting the workshops anymore." Will knew at that moment that he<br />
should cut any further conversation short and get out of there. The longer he<br />
stayed the more insecure he would feel, and following through with the<br />
conversation before Ed had time to respond. "I've come as a matter of courtesy.<br />
I'll phone your number and leave a message tomorrow."<br />
Ed's chin dropped and those eyes were popping again. As Will turned to leave<br />
he could hear his voice. "What about the device?" But he ignored the question<br />
leaving the restaurant as fast as his legs could carry him. Once outside, he headed<br />
north and within minutes he was at the corner of Lonsdale Street. A tramcar was<br />
just slowing up to turn the corner as Will jumped aboard and it sped west, heading<br />
towards Swanston Street, where he alighted.<br />
Feeling like a fugitive, and half panicking at the thought of being spotted by Ed<br />
or the others, he ran to the nearest doorway out of sight, in an effort to settle down<br />
and start thinking logically. Doubling back along Little Bourke Street to Exhibition<br />
Street he entered the hotel from the rear to retrieve the bag, and sitting in the far<br />
corner of the lounge with it tucked tightly under his arm, pretended to wait again<br />
for his supposed friend to arrive.<br />
The clerk watched him get seated. Will's brain began to tick again as opposed<br />
to flitting from one unanswered question to another. As soon as the clerk's back<br />
168
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
was turned, or he was otherwise occupied, he would slip out the back way and<br />
catch a tramcar, not on his usual route along Toorak Road (they could be waiting<br />
there) but along Commercial Road, a block away, enabling him to get back to the<br />
apartment via a different route.<br />
All the way home his nerves were on edge wondering whether his actions<br />
would bring any repercussions. He could cope with Ed or Tony, but what about<br />
the third man? What role did he play in the organization? Fortunately, it was dark<br />
and windy as he walked down Hawksburn Road from the other direction.<br />
It was Autumn and the leaves were swirling and rustling, causing him to stop<br />
periodically and listen. As soon as it was practicable he would have to get things<br />
back on track. If they thought that he was trying to prevent them from getting the<br />
phone tap device things could get ugly, and he started into a period of self<br />
chastisement for allowing himself to get into such a predicament.<br />
Dorothy was still awake, sitting listening to the radio. She never asked<br />
questions, other than to enquire after his wellbeing and Will was thankful for that.<br />
She emanated a feeling of normality which could be likened to a medicine for pain<br />
during his times of stress, but during the night the slightest noise would cause him<br />
to sit up in bed, listening intently.<br />
"What's wrong Will?" Dorothy would ask.<br />
"Did you hear that noise?"<br />
"No, your hearing is too sensitive. Go back to sleep."<br />
By the time 9 a.m. had arrived Will could wait no longer to phone Ed's office<br />
and he recognized the old man's voice on the other end. "Could I leave a message<br />
for Ed?"<br />
"Are you the young Englishman that came to the office awhile ago?"<br />
"Yes."<br />
"Would you hold for a minute."<br />
It was obvious that they had been waiting for his call and within a short time<br />
Ed was on the phone. "Are you alright Will? What happened last night?"<br />
"Listen Ed I have to be brief, I'm using the phone at work. Can you meet me<br />
at the entrance of Prahan Market on Saturday morning around l0 a.m. I'll be<br />
bringing something for you, is that okay?"<br />
"I'll be there." Ed assured him, and Will put down the phone before any further<br />
conversation could take place.<br />
169
Will Bonner<br />
Dorothy and Will would often go to the market. It was only a short walk from<br />
their apartment so there would be no inconvenience. Will's anxiety receded,<br />
knowing now that things would return to normal, at least until Saturday. There was<br />
one thing about Ed, he could always be relied on to keep an appointment.<br />
Will spotted him standing clear of the milling crowd entering the market his<br />
head moving from side to side, searching. As Will approached the relief of making<br />
contact showed on his face and Will gestured for them to walk inside.<br />
There was always plenty of activity on Saturday mornings, and the noise<br />
provided a necessary diversion during gaps in the conversation. As they walked<br />
between the market stalls they talked, stopping briefly on occasion to watch the<br />
antics of the stall holders. "What happened last Wednesday?"<br />
"Didn't Tony tell you that you were to be the only one there?"<br />
"Yes, and I was."<br />
Will looked at him. "You're not telling me the truth Ed, there were two others<br />
there."<br />
"No, you're mistaken."<br />
"But I saw them get out of your car and one of them was Tony and he went<br />
into the restaurant. Was he going to listen into our conversation, and why was the<br />
other man with you?"<br />
Ed stopped suddenly and turned to face Will, the surprised look on his face<br />
changing into a broad smile. "Is that all you were worried about?"<br />
"Well, how would you have interpreted the situation?"<br />
Both men started walking again and Will waited for Ed's reply, wondering<br />
what he would come up with. They stopped again and Ed turned to face Will.<br />
"Tony's girl friend works at the restaurant, he was visiting her in the kitchen."<br />
"What about the other man?"<br />
"He's a relative of mine. He just wanted a lift into the city."<br />
Will was completely dumbfounded and at a loss for words. The whole<br />
episode that night now seemed a charade. He had definitely overreacted, but what<br />
if it had gone the other way? Ed remained silent waiting for a response from him,<br />
but Will continued to struggle with a suitable answer. Ed, sensing the awkwardness<br />
of the moment, brought the matter to a conclusion.<br />
"Look Will, under the circumstances you did the right thing. Let's forget about<br />
it and get on with the business." They were approaching a seat at the far end of the<br />
170
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
market and both men sat down. Will reached inside his coat and producing a<br />
package passed it to Ed.<br />
"Don't open it. Put it away and take out your pencil and notebook." Will<br />
waited until he was ready. "You will find two leads inside. One attaches the<br />
recorder to the device, it only plugs in one way, so you can't make a mistake. The<br />
other lead plugs into the device, which has two small crocodile clips on it. Find a<br />
junction box on the line you want to tap, remove the cover and clamp the<br />
crocodile clips across the red and green wires. Switch on the device, and if the red<br />
light comes on, reverse the clips. When the connections are okay a green light will<br />
show. When the amber light flashes the telephone is ringing. Switch the recorder<br />
on and put the earpiece in your ear and adjust the volume to suit. It's very<br />
important to switch the recorder on before the phone stops ringing, otherwise the<br />
person receiving the call will hear it click on. Don't switch the recorder off either<br />
until the phone is placed back on the hook. Try it out on your own phone first."<br />
Ed was frantically writing everything down and finally looked up. "It sounds<br />
complicated."<br />
"No, it's simple, just follow the instructions. I can assure you it works well but<br />
don't tap into anyone's phone that might have some detection apparatus on the line<br />
- Government for instance. If you get caught it's a Federal offence and they'll have<br />
good reason to throw the book at you. Knowing the organization, they'll leave you<br />
to cook. To them you are dispensable."<br />
Ed still seemed to be in a daze, probably trying to assimilate the information.<br />
"What if I can't get it to work properly?"<br />
"If that happens I'll show you what to do on your own phone, but my job is<br />
now finished. You've been lucky to-date getting what you want. Off you go and<br />
play with your toy, but I won't promise to visit you in jail."<br />
Will left, quickly joining the crowd. Looking over his shoulder he took a last<br />
look at Ed occupied with securing his acquisition inside his coat.<br />
It was only seconds later when he bumped into Dorothy. His heart skipped<br />
a beat at the thought of introducing her to Ed. They walked through the market<br />
together and Will was content to watch her selecting fruit and vegetables. He was<br />
now moving into a period where he would be free of Ed and the organization, at<br />
least for awhile. A comforting thought.<br />
He would have to start thinking seriously about how he could extradite himself<br />
171
Will Bonner<br />
from that predicament permanently but at that moment, the possibility seemed<br />
insurmountable. Perhaps one day in the future the opportunity would arise.<br />
It had been quite awhile since seeing Ed at the Prahan market but when he<br />
spotted him waiting in the usual place, it seemed as though it was only yesterday.<br />
"So that rare disease hasn't got you yet?"<br />
"No, I'm as fit as a fiddle, does that disappoint you?" Ed remarked, joining in<br />
the wisecracking.<br />
"Let's put it this way. The very day I read your name in the obituary column<br />
I'll take my wife out to dinner."<br />
"I sometimes wonder whether you mean what you say in jest, Will?"<br />
"You'll never know will you Ed?" Ed shook his head.<br />
"Will, I can't get the phone apparatus working properly, Tony and I have tried<br />
everything. You did promise to check it out for me if I had trouble."<br />
Will's heart sank - here we go again! It was more difficult now that his work<br />
required only regular hours, he couldn't stay over as he did at the clinic. He would<br />
have to tell Dorothy half-truths again. "Do you mean out at Donvale?" Ed nodded<br />
his head. "When?"<br />
"Would this Saturday be alright?"<br />
"No, I can't have my weekends interrupted from now on.”<br />
"What about Friday night? I could pick you up around say 6.30 p.m."<br />
"Okay. Would you make sure that your instruction notes are handy?"<br />
"Yes."<br />
Will could see Ed's car parked in Hawksburn Road and they walked towards<br />
it. The conversation seemed to be closed, but Ed turned as he opened the door.<br />
"I've promised not to withhold information from you. An agent will be there from<br />
Sydney, he's my counterpart there. Something big is coming up and we have to be<br />
certain that the device works. It's true that we can't get it going properly and we<br />
must have it functioning hundred per cent, because we'll only have one shot at<br />
getting what we want."<br />
"What's all this to do with me?"<br />
"Nothing, except for the electronics, and you asked me as part of our<br />
agreement not to trick you into getting any work done."<br />
There was nothing in the arrangement up to now, that he could use, to get out<br />
of going. "Okay, I'll see you Friday at 6.30 p.m."<br />
172
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
As Ed's car turned and sped down to Toorak Road. Will's mind was now torn<br />
between all the good things that were happening in their lives, and now this, which<br />
would be hanging over his head like a cloud.<br />
He told Dorothy that he was going to check out somebody's audio amplifier,<br />
which in essence was the truth, that he was going to Donvale, also the truth. He<br />
just didn't give her any other information. Technical people talking technicalities<br />
spell out a pretty boring scenario and Dorothy, like most people, wanted to be<br />
spared the details - thank heavens!<br />
The offices at Donvale were closed and the old man at the switchboard had<br />
gone home. Ed and Will had the place to themselves as the agent from New South<br />
Wales had not yet arrived. Ed produced the phone tap device and pointing to the<br />
junction box just inside the door, he handed Will a screwdriver. Opening the box<br />
revealed not two, but several wires, indicating that it served to supply Ed's phone<br />
and also provide a junction point for the other lines. An engineer would have no<br />
difficulty identifying Ed's individual line, but to an untrained eye it just looked a<br />
jumbled mess.<br />
Will looked up at Ed. "You were probably across the wrong lines."<br />
"How was I to know that?" he said, as he hunched his shoulders. Will clipped<br />
the jumpers across the line and the Red light came on. Reversing the clips showed<br />
the Green light. Passing the earpiece to Ed he went over to the desk and lifted the<br />
phone. Ed's eyes lit up. "It's working, how can we test it on an incoming call?"<br />
"Is it possible to use a phone on one of the other lines?"<br />
"Yes, pick up the one next to the console in the front office and dial my office<br />
number, you'll see it listed there."<br />
"Okay. Just remember when you hear the phone ring, start the recorder, then<br />
answer."<br />
Will left the room to go to the front office and when he returned the look on<br />
Ed's face was one of excitement. "Wonderful! Wonderful!" he kept saying, but he<br />
was interrupted by a loud knock on the front door. Will removed the jumper wires<br />
from the box and was replacing the cover when Ed and his visitor entered the<br />
room. The agent from Sydney came over and shook Will's hand firmly and<br />
decisively.<br />
He was about Ed's age, but in stark contrast his suit was immaculate, and<br />
combined with a cream shirt and green tie, his attire appeared to have just left the<br />
173
Will Bonner<br />
dry cleaners. When he spoke, an accent that was devoid of the Australian drawl,<br />
showed a faint hint of English, suggesting that he had been living in Australia for<br />
some years. Immediately taking charge of the situation, he commenced to ask Ed<br />
questions, nodding on occasions as though in approval. I wonder if he's a big<br />
cheese in the organization? One would tend to think so by the way he was taking<br />
control.<br />
All three men sat down and Will listened as the conversation progressed, at<br />
the same time closely observing the agent from Sydney. He was certainly a<br />
smooth operator, quietly spoken, but nevertheless forceful in getting his points<br />
across. As time went by the content of the meeting got more intense and Will was<br />
listening to information regarding the forthcoming phone tap in Melbourne that sent<br />
shivers up his spine.<br />
It was all about the communist activity in Melbourne and Sydney, and the<br />
interception of information between the top organizers from the two cities.<br />
Something was being planned, and the information transferred by phone in the near<br />
future. The information that Will was hearing spelt dynamite and he felt more<br />
uneasy by the minute. He broke into the conversation directing his words to Ed.<br />
"Look Ed, I don't think I should be listening to this information. I thought that<br />
all I would be involved in was the electronics, so my work is finished. The device<br />
is working perfectly." Before Ed had time to answer, the agent cut in.<br />
"I was under the impression Brenner, that you wanted to have the facts before<br />
doing anything for Ed."<br />
"But I have done what was asked of me, what more do you want?"<br />
Ed and his associate looked across at each other during a brief pause in the<br />
conversation, the agent then continued. "The information we want is vital to us, we<br />
may only get this one chance. We can't risk a blunder with the equipment and you<br />
are the only person Ed has with the expertise, so you will have to do the job."<br />
Will felt numb, the mere thought of the consequences tightened every muscle<br />
in his body. His face felt rigid as though it had been slapped, preventing him from<br />
forming any words. "We know the information is safe with you. In any case, we<br />
would know wouldn't we, if something went wrong?" It was a veiled threat, and<br />
Will realized that any resistance on his part would only make matters worse. He<br />
would have to wait to see what transpired, before objecting.<br />
"I believe you're very good at your job so there shouldn't be any problems.<br />
174
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
You've never failed to come up with the goods to-date, have you?" Will remained<br />
silent. This man would be going back to Sydney and his business was with Ed, he<br />
would sort things out with him afterwards.<br />
Ed and the agent concluded the meeting with a summary of the details and then<br />
they left. Will heard the car start up outside and take off towards Melbourne.<br />
When Ed returned to the office he crossed the room with his hand held high in the<br />
air, like a policeman on traffic duty.<br />
"I know what you're going to say, but let me have my say first. None of this<br />
was my doing, I've been told what I must do and I know the predicament you are<br />
in. I tried to get them to send somebody down from Sydney, but they wouldn't<br />
have it. What arrangements we have are just between us and I'll do my best to<br />
keep up my end of the deal. But to them it means nothing. Believe me, they'll come<br />
down hard on you, if you don't give them what they want."<br />
Will felt completely despondent. He knew that Ed was probably telling him<br />
the truth and he was floundering with no other option available to him. "They do<br />
have another electronics boffin in Sydney then?"<br />
"Yes, just one."<br />
"Would you do something for me Ed?"<br />
"If I can."<br />
"If you recruit somebody that can provide the electronic services you need,<br />
will you tell me and leave me alone?"<br />
"Yes I can do that, but the organization will never let you off the hook because<br />
of what you have been involved in. The only way I can describe your plight is that<br />
you have one foot in and one foot out of the organization. A reluctant agent, so to<br />
speak. For my own part, as long as I get the job done in Melbourne, it won't<br />
matter one way or the other who I use."<br />
"I'd better stop wishing you dead then, hadn't I?" Ed smiled and nodded his<br />
head in agreement.<br />
The journey back to the apartment progressed in silence until it was time for<br />
Will to get out of the car. "It will happen one Saturday afternoon or evening when<br />
their offices are closed and they won't be interrupted. I'll let you know in good<br />
time and we'll talk about the details then."<br />
As Will walked up the road towards the apartment he was thinking of only one<br />
thing. No matter what transpired he would be concentrating on saving his own<br />
175
Will Bonner<br />
skin. He had too much to look forward to now.<br />
There had hardly been enough time for Will to come to terms with what was<br />
happening to him when Ed made contact again. The building where the phone tap<br />
was to take place had been looked over and Ed wanted to take Will for a<br />
preliminary look. It was situated in the north end of the city centre and Will<br />
recognized it. "I've been in this building before, the Society of Druids have their<br />
office here."<br />
"Yes, they are on the same floor."<br />
It was a very old building with a cage type elevator. Will never trusted those<br />
old elevators and took the stairs, arriving before Ed. There were plenty of people<br />
about and as they walked past the Druids office Will glanced through the glass<br />
window in the door to see Mr. Croft, the Secretary, busy at work.<br />
Ed steered him to an alcove at the end of the corridor and opened the door<br />
to a small walk-in storage cupboard. They both entered and Ed switched on the<br />
light and closed the door behind them. "I've had this put on," he said, pointing to<br />
a small latch and flipping it closed. "It will prevent us from being disturbed."<br />
The one and only box mounted on the wall was obviously a telephone junction<br />
box. Will opened the hinged lid to reveal about a fifty line facility. The technician<br />
who had installed it had done a super job and all the pairs of wires were easily<br />
identifiable, it would only be a matter of finding the right pair. There was a narrow<br />
shelf at the same level, which would be ideal for resting the equipment on. Will<br />
closed the lid and indicated to Ed that he wanted to leave, he had seen enough,<br />
and technically, everything seemed straightforward.<br />
Outside in the corridor Will glanced around and realized that it came to a<br />
dead-end only a few yards past the cupboard. Turning to Ed he remarked. "If we<br />
get caught up here we'll be trapped with only one way out." Fortunately, the office<br />
selected to be tapped was in the other corridor on the opposite side. This fact<br />
however, offered Will little consolation.<br />
"This job will be easy-going and straightforward." Will laughed out loud.<br />
"What are you laughing at?"<br />
"I was remembering the time when you were clambering over the fence into<br />
the Carlton Gardens that night, with lead pellets whizzing around you!" Ed fell<br />
silent, it was a reminder of the consequences involved in the type of work he was<br />
doing.<br />
176
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
The two men walked out into a street bathed in sunshine and Will remarked<br />
to Ed. "I'll have to come back to trace the line to their office, preferably when all<br />
the offices in the building are unoccupied."<br />
"It will have to be late one evening, or on a Saturday or Sunday. I know the<br />
janitor, it can be arranged anytime you want. If you like to keep the weekend<br />
clear, we'll make it one evening."<br />
"This is what you have to do Ed. Arrange a time when you know that their<br />
offices are closed. At a pre-arranged time, ask Tony to dial the number from<br />
another city location. I'll bring something with me to try and make the job easy."<br />
"No problem. Tony can phone from the restaurant in Spring Street, their<br />
offices are closed every evening so we could make a date now, say next Monday.<br />
I'll pick you up at 7 p.m."<br />
The following morning at mid morning break, Will went to see Bill Miles who<br />
looked after the instruments for the department, booking them in and out, and<br />
keeping them serviced. He was quiet and unassuming, the type that avoided<br />
confrontation like the plague. They got along well together, sharing a common<br />
interest in the electronics world.<br />
"Is it possible to borrow a handset to check a friend's line Bill?"<br />
"When do you want it for?"<br />
"Monday."<br />
"Well, as long as you take it when you leave for the day and bring it back<br />
Tuesday first thing, it won't be necessary to book it out. Just remind me on<br />
Monday, and I'll sort you out a good one." What a relief! He would now be able<br />
to have two-way communication with Tony, making things much easier.<br />
When Will left the workshops late Monday with the handset stowed away in<br />
his attache case, the weather had changed. High winds and heavy rain were lashing<br />
the city, with no sign of it abating. After a bite to eat he checked out his tools. It<br />
was approaching 7 o'clock, so donning some protection from the rain he made his<br />
way down Hawksburn Road to meet Ed. Thank goodness he was waiting, and<br />
Will climbed into the car out of the rain.<br />
"We couldn't have wished for a better night," Ed exclaimed, "there won't be<br />
a soul about in that building, I bet!" He was right. The street outside was deserted,<br />
and when they entered even the janitor failed to appear. They made their way<br />
through the empty building and into the small locker-room. "Tony will be phoning<br />
177
Will Bonner<br />
in about ten minutes. Will you be ready?"<br />
"That's plenty of time," Will replied, as he busied himself connecting up the<br />
equipment. At precisely the time, Will started to check the pairs, and counting in<br />
his head - 49 left, 48 left, 47 left and so on - Bingo! on the 5th pair there was the<br />
flashing amber light. He had a connection! Quickly clipping in the hand set he<br />
pressed the activate button.<br />
"Is that you Tony?"<br />
"Yes, I didn't expect you to answer."<br />
"Put the phone down, wait two minutes and then dial again."<br />
Will turned to Ed. "Go round to the other corridor and listen outside their<br />
office for the phone to ring, then come back."<br />
Will waited until it had rung at least four or five times and then answered the<br />
call. "That's it Tony, no more," and then disconnected the equipment.<br />
Ed was back waiting outside the door. "Yes I heard it, that's the right one, you<br />
clever devil!"<br />
Will was far from feeling clever however. Technically, everything had gone<br />
perfectly, but every moment they remained there spelt danger for him, and he was<br />
scared. Ed made for the elevator. "No, down the stairs, there may be someone<br />
waiting to come up."<br />
Back out on the street the rain was still pelting on to the pavement, if anything,<br />
the intensity had increased. By the time Ed dropped Will off in Hawksburn<br />
however, the storm had abated and as he stepped out of the car the wind had died<br />
away leaving only the sound of rushing water as it disappeared down the<br />
overloaded drains. Ed leaned out of the car window as Will was retrieving the<br />
handset. "God was with us tonight Will."<br />
"With the bad things you get up to, believe me Ed, God will never be with<br />
you." He watched as Ed's car sped away, the butterflies were still flying around in<br />
his stomach, a preview of what was to come, and perhaps even worse.<br />
The conference involving the two parties between Melbourne and Sydney was<br />
to commence around 5 p.m. on the following Saturday. All shopping and offices<br />
closed down around mid-day leaving the city progressively dying, until around 7<br />
or 8 p.m. as the theatres, night clubs etc. opened, and it sprang back to life again -<br />
at least on the streets anyway.<br />
Will's nerves began to build as the day approached. Since starting at the<br />
178
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
telephone workshops he had befriended two or three people and would visit them<br />
from time to time to build amplifiers, and engage in other technical projects, which<br />
they had in common. The forthcoming Saturday evening therefore, was no<br />
exception for Dorothy.<br />
On the Saturday morning as they did their usual shopping at the market Will's<br />
mind was totally engrossed, repeatedly going over and over the technicalities. His<br />
attention diverted, he soon found himself at cross purposes with her. The<br />
remainder of the afternoon was not too amiable either, consequently, as the time<br />
drew closer to leave for his appointment with Ed, he began to dread what lay<br />
ahead.<br />
They arrived early, giving plenty of time to set up the equipment, and also<br />
hopefully, not to be seen by anyone going to the office in question. As they walked<br />
through the foyer and passed the janitor's office Ed nodded to him and he<br />
responded. I bet he is part of the organization!<br />
Now that things were underway Will felt strangely calm, his mind was as clear<br />
as a bell and fully tuned to what was going on. The only thing that was bugging him<br />
was that there was no escape route if anything went wrong. It was constantly in the<br />
back of his mind and the thought was reinforced as they settled themselves into<br />
that tiny cupboard and latched the door behind them.<br />
After setting up the equipment Will passed the earpiece to Ed. Sitting on the<br />
floor with both knees pulled up to their chests they concentrated on the control<br />
panel, waiting for the flashing amber light to tell them that the phone was ringing.<br />
Expecting nothing to happen for at least another half an hour they were completely<br />
surprised by an incoming call. Will switched on the recorder and Ed listened<br />
intently. "It's someone phoning in to say that they will be ten minutes late. This is<br />
fantastic, the voices are crystal clear!"<br />
"The interstate call may not be that good."<br />
Time started to drag, adding to the discomfort of the cramped conditions. It<br />
was way past the time that the call was due to come in and Ed was getting<br />
despondent. "Something's wrong, our source of information has screwed up."<br />
"Have patience Ed, perhaps they had reason to put the time of the meeting<br />
back." Will had hardly got the words out of his mouth when the light came on.<br />
"Quick, it's flashing, turn the recorder on."<br />
Ed's eyes were transfixed towards the ceiling, his head tilted to one side. "It's<br />
179
Will Bonner<br />
them, the voices are clear," he raised his hand to put a finger in his other ear and<br />
Will could see it shaking.<br />
He looked up occasionally and gave the thumbs up sign, but to Will, it seemed<br />
an age as the time dragged by. He kept glancing up at the door handle expecting<br />
any moment that someone would try to open it. "I think they are getting ready to<br />
wind up the meeting. My legs have gone to sleep, I'll have to get up." He struggled<br />
in the confined space to get upright but didn't quite make it, and as he slipped back<br />
to the floor his arm caught in the connecting wires attached to the phone line and<br />
yanked it tight. "The line's gone dead!" he called out, and Will panicked.<br />
"You stupid bugger, you've shorted out the line, they'll be on to us!"<br />
Grabbing the equipment and slamming the junction box door shut he literally<br />
dragged a bewildered Ed out into the corridor. He was desperate, his worst fears<br />
had materialized and his brain was working like a traction engine out of control.<br />
Then, just as if he was being guided by an unknown source, his eyes focused on<br />
a small, stained door, set in the wall, at the end of the corridor.<br />
It was a miniature goods elevator, used extensively in the old days before the<br />
passenger elevators were installed, to obviate having to carry items up the stairs.<br />
Opening the door he manipulated Ed's awkward frame into the box-like aperture.<br />
Dumping the equipment in his lap he took hold of the operating rope and thrust it<br />
into his hand. "Pull on this rope, it will take you down to the basement. I'll see you<br />
at the restaurant!"<br />
Before Ed had time to respond Will shut the door and turned to make his<br />
getaway. As he raced up the corridor towards the stairs, he could hear a<br />
commotion ahead of him coming from the other side. I'll never make it to the stairs,<br />
they'll be round the bend and into his corridor by then!<br />
He pulled up, and in desperation looked around, as he heard the noise of<br />
running feet getting closer. It would be only seconds now before he would be<br />
detected. The Druids office door was only two paces away and he instinctively<br />
reached out and gripped the door knob. Looking over his shoulder he saw three<br />
men and in unison they descended on him, pinning him against the door, forcing<br />
him down to his knees.<br />
"What were you doing trying to get into this office?" one of them shouted.<br />
"Take your arm from around his throat, you'll throttle him!" someone else<br />
called out, and finally from the third man, "lets get him back to the office!"<br />
180
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
Will felt himself being dragged along the polished floor by the arms and one<br />
leg, and occasionally one of them would trip and he would be either trodden on<br />
or feel the force of a knee. Once inside, he was dumped on the floor in a sitting<br />
position and as he looked up he saw three men dressed in business suits looking<br />
down at him.<br />
"We've got the bastard boss. What will we do with him?"<br />
Will was scared. I'll need to be superman to get out of this lot! One of the<br />
business types got up and walked over to Will, but one of the rough characters<br />
was pushing him in the back with his boot and he fell over on to his side.<br />
"Leave him alone, let's find out more about him."<br />
Will pushed himself upright. "Who are you people, are you the police?" This<br />
brought forth a burst of raucous laughter and he felt rough hands searching his<br />
pockets, but they wouldn't find any identification. He never carried any during his<br />
exploits for the organization.<br />
He was lifted up and dumped into a chair. "What's your name?"<br />
"Brenner." It was no use lying, he would only get caught out.<br />
"What were you doing trying to get into the Druids office?"<br />
"I thought Mr. Croft might be still working, I wanted to see him."<br />
"You know Mr. Croft then?"<br />
"Yes, I was the administrator for a clinic in Collins Street that used to treat his<br />
members. It's out of business now and I thought he might know of someone that<br />
could get me a job."<br />
The business type turned and spoke to one of the others. "Have you got Len<br />
Croft's phone number?"<br />
"No, but I can get it."<br />
Within minutes they were dialing Mr. Croft's number and Will was praying. If<br />
he tells them I'm an electronic's man I'm a goner! He had heard a lot of bad things<br />
happening around town with these communist organizations.<br />
"Hello Len, it's Henry Slater here. I've got someone in my office claiming he<br />
knows you." he paused and then continued. "He says his name is Brenner, so you<br />
know him?" he paused again. "Yes, he fits your description perfectly, thanks Len."<br />
All the men in the room exchanged glances, no one knowing what to do next.<br />
One of the rough types came over to Will and brushed his crumpled clothes down<br />
with his hand.<br />
181
Will Bonner<br />
"We're sorry cobber, but we thought you were an intruder. Would you like a<br />
drink?" Will was beside himself with relief but he had no desire to test his luck any<br />
further.<br />
“No thanks, I think I’ll get off home.”<br />
As an afterthought, before leaving the room, he turned. “Could I have Len<br />
Croft's home number?" A piece of paper was passed over. "I'll phone him at<br />
home, I don't want to get clobbered again."<br />
Everybody laughed as Will closed the door and made for the stairs at<br />
breakneck speed. He cleared the building running, his nerves wound up tight and<br />
he didn't stop until he reached the restaurant where Ed and Tony were waiting.<br />
Ed looked across the table at him as he sat down. "They caught you, didn't<br />
they?"<br />
"How did you know?"<br />
"You've got big red weals around your neck." Will instinctively pulled his coat<br />
across to hide the marks. "How did you manage to get away?"<br />
"It's a long story. Have you got the recording?"<br />
"Yes, everything's fine." Will stayed awhile for a coffee and something to eat,<br />
and to wind down. He never thought that he would be glad to be back in that<br />
restaurant again!<br />
He had to get a compress on his neck to help clear the redness before he went<br />
home. It was in the early hours of the morning before he arrived back at the<br />
apartment and climbed into bed.<br />
"You're very late Will."<br />
"Yes, things got a bit involved." But as he stretched out his body started to<br />
shake, a delayed reaction from the trauma he had experienced and his eyes started<br />
to fill with tears from the relief of being home, and safe.<br />
"You're shivering Will. Are you cold?"<br />
"Just a little bit."<br />
He felt another blanket fall over him as he kept saying to himself "everything's<br />
alright now that you're home."<br />
182
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
Chapter 9<br />
Nazi Youth<br />
Mercury Records was situated in South Melbourne, so it was back to the old<br />
routine of catching a tramcar again when Monday morning came around. Will kept<br />
a lookout for the usual company sign, but nothing appeared. The buildings around<br />
him looked derelict, with broken windows, and paint peeling off the doors. He<br />
walked back and forth, convinced that he was in the wrong location, until he<br />
spotted the sign. Pushing open the battered old door, he entered a dilapidated<br />
reception.<br />
There was no one around and there was no response to his calling out. Will<br />
meandered through a labyrinth of passageways, looking into rooms of various sizes<br />
containing workshop tools, and in some cases, test equipment. He had practically<br />
given up hope when he noticed a set of stairs that appeared to be leading down<br />
into a basement. Descending to below floor level the air was distinctly cooler.<br />
Turning at the bottom into a large room, electric light bulbs hanging from the low<br />
ceiling were casting shadows from the numerous supporting pillars. What could<br />
183
Will Bonner<br />
anyone be doing in a place like this?<br />
The earth floor was slightly damp, leaving footprints as he made his way<br />
towards the sound of running water coming from the next room. Expecting to find<br />
a broken water pipe, he was taken completely by surprise as he rounded the<br />
corner to find a man dressed in tight khaki overalls, and white plimsolls, standing<br />
next to what could be described as a continuous trough of running water. He<br />
turned, and Will could see he was wearing no shirt under his overall. "I'm looking<br />
for Billy Minor the Managing Director, have you see him?"<br />
"I'm Billy Minor, are you Will Brenner from Electronic Industries?"<br />
"Yes, I've searched everywhere for you. There doesn't seem to be anyone<br />
around."<br />
"No there isn't, we've just taken over the building, mainly for the constant<br />
temperature and humidity down here, in the basement. It's necessary to keep the<br />
Master discs in good condition." He proceeded to show Will the technicalities of<br />
record production, and as the days passed, more and more staff appeared to take<br />
up their various roles.<br />
After three weeks, Will had consumed enough information to satisfy what<br />
would be required for his needs, and returning to the main plant he discovered a<br />
staff of six women and two men waiting for him, one of the women to run his small<br />
office.<br />
The machines to produce the records were now getting ready to go. Will was<br />
by now, getting used to being moved around, and he soon got himself organized<br />
in his new setting. Things were made easier in this instance by Joanna, the Dutch<br />
girl, who was looking after his office. She was a very efficient type, enabling Will<br />
to get out where the action was taking place, as opposed to being imprisoned by<br />
paperwork.<br />
Two of the women and one man were checking all the records as they came<br />
off the machines. Both rejects and good products were then taken to a small<br />
sorting-room and finally packed by the remaining women. The long playing<br />
records were expensive items, their value at that time was the equivalent of one<br />
third of an average weekly wage, consequently, strict security was constantly in<br />
force and one of Will's prime duties. Everything, including rejects, were kept under<br />
lock and key twenty-four hours a day.<br />
Will's assistant, Mike Cowley, looked after the final inspection and packing.<br />
184
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
He was a slim, happy-go-lucky type, and there were very few problems with his<br />
department. Everything seemed to be going like clockwork, until one day, Joanna<br />
failed to balance the quantities by fifty records. Suspecting an error, they checked<br />
their entries and the stock many times, but with the same result.<br />
Someone was stealing the stock and probably selling it. Suspecting the theft's<br />
were taking place out amongst the production presses before transfer to the secure<br />
area at final inspection, Will checked out the process there, but failed to come up<br />
with anything tangible, that could point to a flaw in the security chain. While this<br />
was going on, a second batch was discovered missing. He had sworn Joanna to<br />
secrecy, hoping to resolve the matter, but it was now time for more positive action.<br />
Will called his assistant Mike Cowley, into the office. "Mike, someone's<br />
stealing the stock. Have you got any ideas?"<br />
Mike looked taken aback. "No, it can't be anyone in my department, our<br />
security regimes are all in place and working one hundred per cent." At that<br />
moment Joanna left the room and Mike turned to Will. "The only unauthorized<br />
person I can think of, and he only seems to come here when you're away, is<br />
Joanna's husband. He works down on production test." He hesitated.<br />
"Is there more? If there is, I want to know about it."<br />
"People that work with him reckon that he was part of the Hitler Youth<br />
Movement during the war, and that he married a Dutch girl, and took on a Dutch<br />
name, to hide the fact. He's not a very likeable character - too forceful for most<br />
people."<br />
"Are you telling me that he's a Nazi?"<br />
"That's what some people think."<br />
Fortunately Stefan, Joanna's husband, did not come under Will's jurisdiction.<br />
He had enough problems to deal with.<br />
As one last try to resolve the matter, Will thought it best to go down to<br />
Stefan's department and make a few discreet enquiries. The reaction he received<br />
from his immediate superiors validated Mike's previous statements.<br />
"Where is Stefan now?"<br />
"He's with someone over in the salvage department."<br />
Most rejects from production of any value ended up in the salvage department<br />
where they were sold off to the staff at a reduced rate. It was a way of controlling<br />
the destiny of faulty components that were not scheduled for destruction,<br />
185
Will Bonner<br />
preventing them from getting inadvertently assembled into newly produced<br />
products. He knew where the salvage department was situated, and made his way<br />
there.<br />
He was very surprised to find the door to the small entrance open, but no one<br />
in attendance behind the counter. Usually, if the door was open there was always<br />
someone in there, alternatively, the door was locked.<br />
Walking behind the counter he entered the salvage room which was cluttered<br />
with dozens of metal shelving sections, barely leaving enough room to walk<br />
between them. The shelves were stacked with items from floor to ceiling, and<br />
even though the room was large, some 50 feet long, Will estimated, it was<br />
impossible to see through to the space beyond two or three racks.<br />
Standing for a moment after closing the door, he could hear the sound of<br />
raised voices, coming from what appeared to be the far corner. One voice was<br />
aggressive, the other defensive. Will could not mistake the guttural intonation of<br />
the German language and occasional words that he understood from the war.<br />
Gestapo, Fatherland and others, the defensive voice replying, "Nien, Nien, Nien!"<br />
over and over again.<br />
As Will approached the direction of the sounds, he could hear the metallic<br />
noise of the racks vibrating, due to movement, and he could only come to the<br />
conclusion that the two people involved were engaged in some form of physical,<br />
as well as vocal confrontation.<br />
He stopped short as a small gap in one of the racks allowed him to see through<br />
and observe what was going on. Stefan was gripping the other man by the throat<br />
who Will recognized as a immigrant of German origin, and with every forceful<br />
vocal onslaught from Stefan, he was being pushed into the rack in an effort to<br />
reinforce his point.<br />
Will hesitated, then returned to the door, quietly letting himself out. There was<br />
no point in talking to Stefan under the circumstances, he had seen enough. There<br />
seemed no doubt by Stefan's insane behaviour, what everyone was saying, had<br />
an element of truth about it.<br />
Why would Stefan get himself involved this way if he was trying to hide the<br />
truth? The answer lay in the fact that he had been brainwashed by the Hitler<br />
Youth Movement and it would take a good many years to get it out of his system.<br />
In the meantime, the German on the receiving end of Stefan's indoctrination, would<br />
186
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
have to suffer.<br />
Within the week more discs were missing, this time the most expensive in<br />
production. Will knew that Stefan had not been up into the department, so Mike's<br />
inference was unfounded. Realizing that there was nothing more he could do, Will<br />
called in the company police, and after a short investigation, they called in the<br />
regular police.<br />
Two detectives from the Criminal Investigation Department conducted<br />
interviews, and everyone came under suspicion. The whole department was under<br />
a cloud, and the normally simple action of leaving the factory to go home became<br />
a burden, with the possibility of being watched or stopped, always in the forefront<br />
of the mind.<br />
Another week went by, and one morning, about an hour after arriving, Will<br />
asked to see Mike.<br />
"He's not in yet."<br />
"Is he sick?"<br />
"We don't know, he hasn't phoned in."<br />
Will dismissed it from his mind. Mike very rarely took time off. Around 11.30<br />
a.m. the two detectives walked into his office. "We've caught the crook, you won't<br />
have any further incidents."<br />
"Who was it?"<br />
"Your assistant, Mike Cowley."<br />
Will was stunned. "How was it possible?"<br />
"Well, we watched everyone leaving each night, looking for bags large enough<br />
to carry the loot, and when Mike Cowley was crossing the foyer last night, two<br />
records fell out from under his jacket coat on to the floor. He'd made the mistake<br />
of hiding them upside down and they slipped out of their covers."<br />
Mike disappeared never to be seen again and Will breathed a sigh of relief as<br />
things quickly returned to normal. At least it appeared that way, until Will noticed<br />
a change in Joanna's demeanour.<br />
She would take occasional day's off which she had never done before, and she<br />
seemed far from being on top of her work. It was getting to the stage where Will<br />
was going to have to approach her about it, and he wasn't relishing the idea.<br />
Fortunately, his hesitation provided an opportunity for someone to give him the<br />
information he wanted.<br />
187
Will Bonner<br />
Every morning, before work started, Will would make it his business to walk<br />
around the various places where the staff were located to say "hello" and give them<br />
the opportunity to get any problems they might have, off their chest. After seeing<br />
the women in final inspection he left to get back to his office, with the thought in his<br />
mind that he would have to ask Joanna if there was anything wrong.<br />
"Mr. Brenner, Mr. Brenner!" Will turned to see one of the women hurrying<br />
to catch up. She stopped, but hesitated.<br />
"Is there something I can do for you?" She hesitated briefly again.<br />
"No, not for me, it's Joanna. Do you know about her?"<br />
"The only thing I do know is that she doesn't seem to be too happy over recent<br />
times, and I was hoping she would tell me what was troubling her."<br />
"She'll never do that. It's that pig of a husband, he's abusing her!" Will was<br />
taken completely by surprise, it was the last thing he expected.<br />
"But there's no marks on her face."<br />
"No, he's cunning, only beating her about the arms and body, that's why she<br />
wears a long sleeve blouse to hide the bruises. Her body is sometimes so sore she<br />
has to take a day off." The woman's intensely enquiring gaze was demanding<br />
some sort of positive response.<br />
"I'll sort the matter out believe me, I'll see that it gets stopped."<br />
"You won't tell her that I told you?"<br />
"No, I won't even talk to her about it. There'll be other ways."<br />
"The sooner the better," the woman remarked, as she walked away.<br />
Casting his mind back, Will began to realize that the abuse must have been<br />
going on for some time. He shuddered at the thought of what he had witnessed in<br />
the salvage department, being applied to Joanna.<br />
For the next couple of days, after overcoming his initial anger, his feelings<br />
turned to frustration, not knowing the right way to approach the problem without<br />
implicating himself and making matters worse for Joanna. He knew however, that<br />
to procrastinate would not solve anything, and instead he would have to tackle<br />
things head-on.<br />
The whole production plant came to a grinding halt at l2 noon for the lunch<br />
period and the vibrating sounds of activity dropped to a whisper. Joanna had left<br />
the office to sit with the women in the final inspection, and Will sat alone eating his<br />
sandwiches, but as the time drew close to getting started again, Will heard a voice<br />
188
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
coming from the close vicinity of his office.<br />
“Mr. Brenner’s office is over there.” It was a woman’s voice directing<br />
someone. Will waited, it must be a stranger to the factory he was thinking, but<br />
when the door opened he nearly fell off his chair. It was Ed standing there<br />
grinning.<br />
"I've come to prove that I can find you, no matter where you are."<br />
Will remembered his first visit to Donvale where he had spoken the very same<br />
words to Ed. "Touche," Will remarked, but for some unknown reason, he felt no<br />
resentment for him, being here at his place of work. "How did you get past<br />
security?"<br />
"Easy, I just asked for you and signed in."<br />
"What name did you use, Brown or Smith?"<br />
Ed smiled. "You haven't castigated me for being here yet, are you mellowing<br />
with age?"<br />
"No, I was just about to ask you how the deceit, subterfuge, and all the other<br />
low forms of life you get up to, are getting along?"<br />
"That's more like the old Will I once knew. Everything's going fine, thanks."<br />
"It can't be going that good, otherwise you wouldn't be here."<br />
Before Ed had time to speak Will put his finger up to his lips to stop any<br />
further conversation, and standing up, pointed to the door, and both men left the<br />
office. As they entered the main production area, the noise level returned to normal<br />
again, as work resumed, and Will steered Ed over to the area where the record<br />
presses were operating. The hissing of escaping air as the machines opened<br />
provided an ideal sound buffer to prevent being overheard. They stood in the<br />
corner away from the activity of production, Will moved closer to speak directly<br />
into Ed's ear.<br />
"I don't have to remind you that you're in an electronic environment here,<br />
we've had some recent problems with theft, and the C.I.D. caught the person<br />
involved but I can't be sure that they didn't bug my office. I can't find one, but you<br />
cannot be too careful."<br />
Ed nodded his head. "There is something I wanted to see you about, but it's<br />
not urgent."<br />
"Nothing is ever urgent until you bring it up and then guess what? It suddenly<br />
becomes urgent."<br />
189
Will Bonner<br />
Ed chuckled, accepting that Will's comment was valid. "Can we make<br />
arrangements to meet?"<br />
Even though it was secure from eavesdropping, it was difficult to converse. "I'll<br />
see you out of the building, it will look legitimate by security. Wait here for a<br />
minute while I tell my office where I'll be."<br />
The company had several government contracts underway, and by the time<br />
they had passed the radio sonde production, Ed was positively drooling. "That's<br />
where they make the little electronic devices that are attached to weather balloons.<br />
It transmit's information back down to the ground. Am I right?"<br />
"Yes you're right, and I know what you are thinking, but you can forget about<br />
it. If you broach the subject in the future, I'll be only too happy to tell you why you<br />
should forget about it."<br />
Ed gave no expression, but Will knew that something had registered in his<br />
mind, and it would only be a matter of time before he would want something done.<br />
Will watched, as Ed signed out of security and they both walked out into the<br />
street.<br />
Will commenced by giving Ed a warning. "Only come here if it's urgent." Ed<br />
nodded. "I'll give you my office extension number, you can leave a message with<br />
the woman there. Her name is Joanna, I'll phone your office." Ed's face lit up and<br />
Will continued. "Now what did you want to see me about?"<br />
"I don't want to keep you in suspense, how soon can I see you? It's no big<br />
deal, but the sooner the better."<br />
"Here we go again! One minute it's not urgent, now it's the sooner the better."<br />
Ed took a deep breath, he had a look of despondency on his face. " You're<br />
putting the wrong emphasis on things, and I don't want to sound like a broken<br />
gramophone record, but there is definitely no big deal, and it's truly not urgent. I<br />
just didn't want you to live from day to day wondering what you were going to be<br />
hit with next."<br />
It was obvious to Will that he was trying his hardest to do the right thing. "I get<br />
home at least an hour before my wife, I could see you at 4.30 p.m. this afternoon,<br />
outside the factory."<br />
"That's great. I'll be in my car and we can drive to Hawksburn, close to your<br />
apartment and you can leave when you're ready."<br />
On his way back to his office his brain was buzzing. Ed was a reality in his life,<br />
190
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
and he would soon have an extra load to occupy his mind. Opening the door<br />
revealed his boss, sitting in his chair.<br />
"Down here slumming are we?"<br />
He lifted his tall stick-like figure out of Will's chair, and turned to Joanna.<br />
"Could you leave us for a few minutes, we'll let you know when we are finished."<br />
As usual he came straight to the point. He was to be moved to another factory<br />
and he had no more than a month to pass over his responsibilities to someone else,<br />
before transferring there.<br />
As he called Joanna back into the office he became painfully aware that he<br />
now had three factors to consider. The problem with Joanna's husband Stefan,<br />
which had now become urgent. Ed's demands, whatever they turned out to be,<br />
and the move to the new factory. He was now finding it a strain to keep his mind<br />
on the job.<br />
At the close of production Will hurried down to find Ed waiting, and got into<br />
his car, it would only be a few minutes drive home. Instead of stopping on Toorak<br />
Road opposite his street, he drove past and pulled into a small deserted cul-desac.<br />
"So this is where you hide the car when you make contact?"<br />
Ed gave a wry smile. "Yes, it's very convenient. In future, this is where I'll be<br />
if I need to pick you up." Will nodded in approval and Ed continued. "We've been<br />
watching your involvement with this company and we're impressed."<br />
"That's what everyone keeps saying, and if it was just a compliment it would<br />
be good, but coupled with the praise is always a demand, even from the company.<br />
What's your demand?"<br />
Ed was getting used to Will's blunt remarks. His facial expression hardly<br />
changed. "Remember when we first talked in Rumplemeyers restaurant that day?"<br />
Will nodded. "Well, until now you haven't been in a position to help us out in one<br />
regard, but now you are."<br />
"What are you after, another electronic device?"<br />
"No, it's to do with the European situation, and things have crystalized a bit for<br />
us now. There's just a couple of areas that we are concentrating on at the<br />
moment. One is the Yugoslav community."<br />
Will quickly interjected. "You shrewd devil, you know that I've been involved<br />
with these people, don't you? You've been watching my activities, haven't you?"<br />
191
Will Bonner<br />
"Yes, but only since you left the telephone workshops."<br />
"What's the other area you want to talk about?"<br />
"Israel intelligence are after all the war criminals, plus any information about<br />
Nazis who have emigrated here. If we can get information about them, and pass<br />
it on, then the Israeli's, in return, will reciprocate with information that we want."<br />
At the mention of Nazi's Will's mind was suddenly triggered. A picture of<br />
Stefan came into his mind, and his brain shifted gear. This may be a way of<br />
resolving that particular problem, at least, it was worth pursuing. Ed was still<br />
talking whilst Will was thinking.<br />
"You're moving about amongst these people especially in this large company.<br />
It's a slow process, and whatever you come across, we'd like to hear about it."<br />
Will had made up his mind about Stefan and would worry about the<br />
consequences later. His abuse of Joanna had to stop. Ed had stopped talking and<br />
was waiting for Will to respond.<br />
"I'll do a deal with you Ed."<br />
"Not another one!"<br />
"This girl Joanna, who works in my office, is being physically abused by her<br />
husband. I've been thinking about going to the police to get it stopped." Ed<br />
laughed out loud.<br />
"You must be crazy! The police are nothing more than a bunch of lawyers,<br />
running around with badges on. It would take them forever. Just think of how<br />
many forms they would have to fill in!"<br />
"She is definitely Dutch, but I have reason to believe that her husband Stefan,<br />
has taken on a Dutch name to hide his past. Without him knowing it, I listened in<br />
whilst he was trying to physically persuade another German immigrant to do<br />
something that he didn't want to do. By the sound of his objections, I'm convinced<br />
that he was attempting to recruit this man into some sort of movement, possibly<br />
similar to the Hitler Youth, and his bombastic, egotistical nature shouts out that he<br />
could have originated from the Nazi Youth Corps."<br />
Ed attempted to speak but Will carried on. "I haven't finished yet. If I find out<br />
for you that he is part of some movement, no matter how small, will you see to it<br />
that he's stopped from abusing his wife, or better still, removed from the scene?"<br />
Ed didn't pause to think. "If you do what you say you'll do, we will do our<br />
part. You can rely on that."<br />
192
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
"There is one more thing."<br />
"Oh no, not more conditions!"<br />
Will chuckled. "With regard to the Yugoslavs, I'm not going to spy on them<br />
without moral justification. They've treated me well."<br />
"No, I don't want you to do that, listen to what they have to say about the<br />
Croats. We can't find out where they hold their meetings, and only occasionally get<br />
information regarding locations, after they have taken place. They never seem to<br />
meet in the same place twice."<br />
"Okay, but my prime concern at the moment is centred on this Nazi. I'll have<br />
the information for you in a couple of days, and I want you to act quickly."<br />
It was getting close to Dorothy arriving home as Will walked up Hawksburn<br />
Road. It was always a pleasant walk up that road but his mind was troubled. In<br />
one day he had been launched back into the fray, and already calculating what he<br />
should do tomorrow. Arriving at the apartment simultaneously with Dorothy,<br />
prompted the obvious question.<br />
"You're late Will?"<br />
"Yes, I've had quite a day." Over their evening meal they discussed Will's<br />
move to the new factory.<br />
The next day Will went over to Stefan's department to ask where he could be<br />
located, and was delighted to hear that he had been sent over to one of the<br />
subsidiary companies for the day. Down in the salvage department the German<br />
was working alone, and Will closed the door behind him and locked it from the<br />
inside. It was quite often closed to the staff, so no one would suspect that anything<br />
was amiss.<br />
The German got up from his chair. He was a quiet man, in his late twenties or<br />
early thirties, always ready to oblige and Will was already regretting what he was<br />
going to have to do.<br />
"What are you locking the door for?" he queried, an apprehensive look on his<br />
face.<br />
"I want a chat with you and don't want us to be disturbed. Your name is<br />
Klaus, isn't it?"<br />
Klaus moved to the far wall, putting as much distance between himself and<br />
Will as he could, his whole body language and facial expressions were changing<br />
to fear, and for a moment Will felt sympathy welling up inside, and he strived to<br />
193
Will Bonner<br />
control it. Klaus had no doubt suffered the torments of Stefan, and probably others<br />
for too long, and confrontation of any sort soon reduced him to what Will was<br />
witnessing, a person who was expecting the worst.<br />
He was starting to shake as if he had a fever, his cheeks quivering. Will moved<br />
closer and Klaus appeared to visibly shrink in size as his shoulders hunched down<br />
even further. "Stefan is trying to force you into joining his group, isn't he?"<br />
"Nien, Nien, Nien." came the familiar reply that he had heard only a short<br />
while ago, during the confrontation with Stefan.<br />
"You're lying to me, because you are frightened."<br />
"I don't know what you are talking about."<br />
"You're frightened for your family, aren't you?"<br />
Klaus looked terrified, but said nothing. Will knew that it was time to deliver<br />
the blow.<br />
"What will happen to your family when the immigration authorities learn of your<br />
ties to Stefan and his group, you won't be able to help them then, will you? You<br />
are immigrants aren't you? They won't tolerate having Nazis here in Australia, will<br />
they?"<br />
Klaus collapsed into a heap on the floor. "What do you want, what do you<br />
want?" he kept saying.<br />
"Where and when does Stefan hold his meetings? He has to be stopped. He<br />
will drag you and your family into deep trouble with the authorities."<br />
In a voice hardly perceptible, Will heard what he wanted. "I'll help you, please<br />
help me." Will helped Klaus up from the floor and seated him in his chair.<br />
The information flowed freely and it's content more revealing than Will could<br />
have imagined. He looked at this pathetic man and the feelings of wartime came<br />
flooding back to him. What must he have suffered as a German since the war had<br />
ended? It was all over for the time being, Will had got what he came for, but he<br />
felt far from happy about it. To be truthful, he was downright ashamed of what had<br />
just transpired.<br />
"Believe me Klaus, Stefan's bullying, and threatening others, as well as<br />
yourself. I promise you he will eventually be stopped, and you'll not be bothered<br />
by him again. In the meantime, both you and I will have to suffer a little longer, but<br />
I'll be on your side, no one will know what's going on. What happened here today,<br />
will be our secret."<br />
194
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
Back in his office Will was trying to suppress the uneasy feeling he had in his<br />
stomach, but he had to act right away. Picking up the phone he dialled Ed's<br />
number and left a message with the old man for Ed to meet him outside the factory<br />
at 4.30 p.m. that day. Will was on tenterhooks, waiting for the close of production,<br />
expecting chaos to break out at any moment, should Stefan get a hint of what was<br />
going on. But nothing happened.<br />
Ed was waiting, and he needled Will all the way home for the information, but<br />
Will wanted to impart what he'd learned, get some assurances, and then get out<br />
of the car. He'd had enough trauma for one day. The car pulled into the same<br />
dead-end street near the apartment.<br />
"Before I give you any information, I want your promise that you'll go through<br />
with your part of the deal. If you don't, I'm up the creek without a paddle."<br />
"I can assure you that your Stefan will give no more trouble." Will recoiled at<br />
the intonation of the remark. He knew that the Israeli's were totally dedicated, and<br />
would go to the ends of the earth to get justice, in whatever form.<br />
"There's not going to be any killing is there?" Will questioned, as things were<br />
now out of his control, and there would be no turning back.<br />
"No, no killing. One day he'll be here, the next day gone." Will passed the<br />
information over, and Ed drew a sharp intake of breath. "This is good stuff, how<br />
did you get it so quickly?" Will gave him a knowing look. "Okay I remember, you<br />
look after your business and I'll look after mine."<br />
As the car sped away Will realized that the next few days would be crucial.<br />
Each day that followed he went to see Klaus to check whether there had been any<br />
repercussions, but none occurred. Stefan was engaging in his usual activities and<br />
Will was beginning to wonder if something had gone wrong. The waiting game was<br />
as bad as the action, Will concluded.<br />
Another day passed and no word from Ed. Will was getting tempted to make<br />
contact, but knowing that he had passed things over to the Israeli's, he felt that it<br />
would probably be a fruitless exercise.<br />
Arriving early the next morning, Will sat at his desk going over the work,<br />
scheduled for that day. Production workers were appearing in dribs and drabs,<br />
it was a typical start for the day. A frantic scuffling outside the door arrested Will's<br />
attention, making him stand up in anticipation. The door opened and Stefan burst<br />
into the office.<br />
195
Will Bonner<br />
His eyes were blazing, and his posture threatening. His arms were raised,<br />
ready to attack, and Will noticed blood on his hands. For one brief instant Will<br />
was scared, and then a rage took over him to a degree he had never experienced<br />
before. The feeling was so powerful that he felt capable of picking up the solid<br />
oak desk in front of him, and squashing this imbecile of a man under it. Stefan<br />
took a step forward and the two men were only the desk width apart.<br />
He screamed at the top of his voice. "You reported me and now you'll get<br />
what's coming to you!"<br />
Will leaned forward, the feeling in his whole body seemed impervious to<br />
damage. "Please, please, give me an excuse to break every bone in your body,<br />
you bloody arrogant Nazi!" he shouted.<br />
The look on Stefan's face changed from blazing anger to puzzlement. He had<br />
obviously expected Will to retreat, as all his victims did. Picking up the closest item<br />
on the desk, he stepped back, and threw it with all his force at Will. It smashed<br />
with a shattering sound against the wall and turning, he headed back towards the<br />
door.<br />
Will was still incensed, and picking up a paperweight, threw it towards<br />
Stefan's receding figure, hitting him on the back of the neck, it's force causing him<br />
to stumble to his knees. He scrambled to his feet and proceeded to run through the<br />
production department at full speed, with Will close behind. Employee's stood with<br />
their mouths open, or scrambled to get out of the way. This would be something<br />
for them to talk about for some time to come.<br />
With each step Will's anger was dissipating, and his thinking process started<br />
to return to normal. What was he chasing Stefan for? What about Klaus?<br />
Changing his direction he headed for the salvage department. Klaus was sitting in<br />
his usual chair, his head bowed and resting on the desk, he looked up as Will<br />
entered. Blood was running from his nose and mouth.<br />
"I'm sorry Will. If I hadn't told him about you, he would have killed me."<br />
Will helped him from the chair. "Let's get you up to surgery. It's all over now,<br />
I don't think we'll be seeing Stefan around anymore."<br />
"But he'll come back for me and my family."<br />
"I don't think he will be living in Australia ever again."<br />
Klaus looked up at Will, and Will could just see the resemblance of a smile<br />
through the blood.<br />
196
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
Back in his office the phone was ringing. All the questions and answers would<br />
now start, Will was thinking.<br />
It was Ed. "There's been a minor slip-up, we think he's heading your way."<br />
"Too late Ed, he's been here trying to kill everybody. Can't you folks ever get<br />
it right first time?"<br />
"It was immigration that fouled up, they arrived too late and he was on to them.<br />
Has he hurt you?"<br />
"No."<br />
"That's a relief, we believe he's carrying a gun. I must get going, I'll see you<br />
outside the factory at 4.30 p.m."<br />
Will sat down his stomach turning to knots, and his mouth went dry. What if<br />
Stefan had pulled a gun? He shook his head to try and remove the thought from<br />
his mind.<br />
Will took two of the women and went to see Joanna at home and found her<br />
in a terrible state. Leaving the women with her he knew that it would only be a<br />
matter of time before she would realize Stefan would never be around to abuse<br />
her, and she could get on with a normal life. Everyone at the factory thought it was<br />
just another internal dispute. They would never know the truth of the matter.<br />
Ed was sitting in his car at 4.30 p.m. a wide grin on his face. "That information<br />
was red hot, and they even uncovered more. They've taken six others in that are<br />
implicated. Incidentally, how did Stefan know that you were involved?"<br />
"I just had to do things quickly, and left myself wide open. I won't do that<br />
again. They won't let him out will they?"<br />
"No way! He'll be deported when he has served time, what they were plotting<br />
to do would make you shudder!"<br />
Will got out of the car in Toorak Road. "Don't call me, I'll call you." Ed<br />
smiled and drove away.<br />
The move to the new factory will be welcome now, he was thinking, as he<br />
walked home eager to see Dorothy.<br />
197
Will Bonner<br />
198
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
Chapter 10<br />
Serbs and Croats<br />
Will became progressively more despondent as time went by, constantly<br />
looking forward to the day when he could find the opportunity to extradite himself<br />
from the position he was in, without it affecting his income.<br />
The long journey home after stressful days allowed him to unwind, and getting<br />
off the bus in Vermont seemed a million miles away from the problems, which was<br />
a godsend. Dorothy was busy getting the items necessary to turn their new house<br />
into a home and thankfully, in this regard, everything was going according to plan.<br />
It was one hot and dusty evening as Will alighted from the bus to see a familiar<br />
figure waiting. With all the trauma going on at work he had practically forgotten<br />
about Ed, but there he was like a bad penny. They stood, each looking at the<br />
other, awaiting some form of response. Will spoke first.<br />
"I was just thinking what bad penny is likely to turn up next and look, here you<br />
are!" Ed laughed, he seemed in a good mood.<br />
"I'm glad to see that you haven't changed."<br />
199
Will Bonner<br />
"Now that I live out in the bush it must be more difficult to make contact," Will<br />
paused, "I hope!"<br />
"As a matter of fact it's easier. You are closer to my office in Donvale than you<br />
were in Hawksburn."<br />
"I should have taken that into consideration and had a house built on the other<br />
side of town, in any case I've been away since 6 o'clock this morning and want to<br />
get home. What is it that you want?"<br />
"Only some more advice, that's all."<br />
"About another electronic device no doubt?"<br />
"Yes, when can we get together? At my office or perhaps at my home? I don't<br />
live very far from here."<br />
"No, I don't want to be seen connected with you, but I will meet you."<br />
"Where then?"<br />
"There's a dirt road that connects with the main road to Park Orchards, it's on<br />
the right about a quarter of a mile from Mitcham Road."<br />
"Yes, it goes deeper into the pine forest."<br />
"Drive down about a couple of hundred yards to a pull-in and wait there. It will<br />
have to be daytime, Saturday afternoon around 2 o'clock would be okay, but I'll<br />
only have a hour, perhaps less."<br />
"That will be fine, but why no objections?"<br />
"I don't mind talking, but if you try to coherse me into another job then you'll<br />
get some resistance."<br />
Will walked down the road to his house on the side of the hill and he looked<br />
across at the foothills on the other side of the valley. The sun was sinking low in the<br />
sky, creating patches of reddish brown colours amongst the trees. It felt good to<br />
be home and it counterbalanced any thoughts he had about getting involved with<br />
Ed again.<br />
The constant activity at his place of work made the days fly by and Saturday<br />
appeared out of nowhere. Dorothy was always busy, either around the house or<br />
garden and this day was no exception. Excusing himself for an hour was no<br />
problem and Will drove to North Mitcham about one and a half miles away and<br />
parked the car with others, close to a gas station. To be cautious, he had decided<br />
to walk the remaining quarter of a mile through the forest.<br />
The whole area around Park Orchards was one big pine plantation. The<br />
200
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
terrain undulated, reminding him of that time in Chesapeake Bay. It was a hot still<br />
afternoon as he entered the forest and within minutes he observed the bright reds,<br />
blues, greens and purples of the Rosella parrots, accompanied by their chattering<br />
as they flitted in and out amongst the trees. Approaching the meeting place, Will<br />
looked down through the trees to see the roof of Ed's car. He had reversed it off<br />
the dirt track.<br />
Circling around amongst the trees to get a better look Will ascertained that he<br />
was on his own. Walking on pine needles suppressed the sound of every footstep<br />
as Will approached the car from behind. Ed was expecting to see Will's car come<br />
up the track and he was concentrating in that direction.<br />
Rapping sharply on the side window shocked Ed back to reality, a frightened<br />
look on his face. "What the hell did you do that for?"<br />
"To keep you on your toes, I thought two cars would attract more attention<br />
than one," Will replied, as he got into the car. "I'm short on time Ed, so can we get<br />
started?"<br />
Ed nodded. "I'm getting a lot of pressure from my superiors to get more<br />
information about what the Serbs and Croats are up to, and I'm getting nowhere.<br />
The main purpose is to find out if their activities are just local, or maybe state, or<br />
even nationally sponsored. Individual groups are so tightly knit, consisting mainly<br />
of family members and relatives, that it's practically impossible to penetrate and<br />
find out what's going on."<br />
"I sympathize with you Ed, but I was under the impression that you wanted<br />
advice about electronics."<br />
"I'll be coming to that later, but we're desperate for leads. Can you tap into<br />
your Serb contacts and unearth something for us?"<br />
"Look here Ed, you can't talk to me as though I was one of your agents. I'm<br />
not. Yes I have friends in the Serbian community but it would be disastrous for me<br />
to start asking questions, if anything transpired that could connect me, I'd be in the<br />
soup. In any case, I see very little of them now.<br />
Ed looked discouraged, his chin was on the ground. "If only you could come<br />
up with something like the information you got about Stefan."<br />
"That was pure coincidence and I've only experienced one incident since."<br />
Ed perked up, a look of expectancy on his face. "What incident? Are you<br />
holding something back from me?"<br />
201
Will Bonner<br />
"No, it involved a skirmish between a Jew and a German, but he's legitimate,<br />
as all the Germans are at the factory. All straightforward family men. Perhaps you<br />
might have forgotten, but there are lots of ordinary folk out there." Ed's face fell<br />
again and Will continued, "you've always kept your promise in regard to our<br />
arrangement and never put the pressure on me by using threats and I appreciate<br />
that. What do you really want from me?"<br />
Ed's face lit up again, his emotions had been up and down like a yoyo on a<br />
string. "Make casual contact with your Serbian friends again. Try and find out<br />
where the Croatians are holding their meetings so that we can start meaningful<br />
surveillance, which brings me to this." Reaching into the rear seat of the car he<br />
recovered a package that Will immediately recognized. It was a Radio Sonde<br />
transmitter. "Can you convert this for me?"<br />
Will burst into uncontrollable laughter to Ed's questioning look. "You've just<br />
gone to all the trouble of telling me how difficult it is to penetrate these Croat<br />
groups and then show me this monstrosity of a device that would be impossible to<br />
conceal. How do you propose getting it into their meetings?"<br />
Ed thought for a minute before answering. "I was hoping you would have the<br />
answer to that."<br />
"You must think I'm a magician, but apart from that, it would be much easier<br />
to detect than your miniature recorder, which would be more practical to hide<br />
before the meeting and collect afterwards."<br />
Ed's brain was ticking over, trying to absorb what Will was saying.<br />
“It would have to be started hours before the meeting got going and would<br />
probably run out of spool.”<br />
Ed was totally concentrating on Will. An expectant look on his face. Will was<br />
tempted to keep him dangling on the end of a string, but had second thoughts.<br />
"That's where Telemetry comes in."<br />
"What's Telemetry?"<br />
"I could make the Radio Sonde trigger the recorder anytime you want, from<br />
half a mile away."<br />
Ed's eyes positively twinkled. "You mean I could press a button here and start<br />
the recorder going in Mitcham?"<br />
"Yes."<br />
It was hot in the car leading both men to get out and sit under the shade of the<br />
202
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
trees. Looking around, Will was finding it difficult to reconcile the content of the<br />
conversation that they were having in comparison with the natural surroundings. He<br />
could have sat there for awhile longer but time was slipping by and he needed to<br />
get back.<br />
"If the radio sonde is stolen I can't take it. How did you get it?"<br />
"I had someone purchase it for me legitimately. I guessed you would ask so<br />
I brought the receipt."<br />
"I'll take it then but I can't promise a result, and the same goes for the Serbian<br />
contact, but I'll try."<br />
"At least I can tell my superiors that things are progressing and get them off my<br />
back for awhile. You'll phone me if you get any leads?"<br />
"Yes, but don't hold your breath, it could be awhile."<br />
Will waited until he heard Ed's car speed up as it reached the tarmac road and<br />
then walked back through the forest to his car. Glancing at his watch indicated that<br />
only half an hour had elapsed since his arrival, it had seemed longer than that. Now<br />
ignoring the serenity of the trees and birds his mind was concentrating on what had<br />
transpired. The electronics, once again, would only offer up problems that were<br />
logic and surmountable, but contacting his Serbian friends was another matter. It<br />
was not going to be easy getting the information without telling them why he<br />
wanted it. Dealing with humans was far more complex than electronic devices.<br />
Taking the easy path Will concentrated his spare time on developing the<br />
device. Telemetry was not new and there was plenty of information available. The<br />
Radio Sonde transmitter was faulty, but this was expected considering it had been<br />
purchased from the salvage department of the company, but spare parts were<br />
readily available.<br />
Deciding to play things by ear he phoned the South Yarra factory to initially<br />
make contact with the Yugoslav’s but the phone was dead. Another call informed<br />
him that the factory had been disbanded and there whereabouts unknown. It<br />
would have been ideal to have organized what may have appeared to be a chance<br />
meeting and let things take their natural course from there. Will's reluctance grew,<br />
until he finally decided not to do anything, except complete the transmitting device.<br />
They had now well and truly settled in Vermont and he was inwardly objecting<br />
to anything that would upset their future. It was Will's birthday and he was<br />
experiencing one of his worst days at the factory. Everything had backfired and he<br />
203
Will Bonner<br />
was finding it extremely difficult to keep control of the situation. Standing for a<br />
moment at final inspection, looking across to what could only be described as the<br />
battle lines, he had the compelling desire to walk out of that factory and never<br />
return.<br />
"Will Brenner!" He knew that voice penetrating the sounds of production, and<br />
turning in that direction there were his Serbian friends Ivan and Bart approaching,<br />
broad smiles on their faces! Ed's request never entered his mind at that moment,<br />
just the sight of two friendly faces was the tonic he needed.<br />
Ivan, before he emigrated, was an officer in the Serbian army, and during<br />
World War 2 found himself in England, eventually marrying an English girl before<br />
they immigrated. Bart had a more shady past. Will eventually learned that he was<br />
involved with the Mafia, mainly working with drugs on the black market, and his<br />
immigration to Australia came in a timely manner, as the police were getting very<br />
close to finding out about his activities.<br />
His wife Ina, was from Austrian nobility, and they lived in one of the many<br />
castles dotted around Europe that Bart used for his illegal activities.<br />
It was impossible to recognize them as brothers. Ivan was a small man with<br />
thinning dark hair, his features dominated by the full growth of a military style<br />
moustache. He had a likable personality. In contrast, Bart was a big, bald, white<br />
faced man, towering over Ivan, not fat, but disproportionate in his posture.<br />
When they walked together Ivan's springy step and swaggering gait looked<br />
healthy and positive. In comparison, Bart looked clumsy, his movements out of<br />
phase, the motion of someone out of condition. On the surface he had a jovial<br />
personality, but his mood could change in an instant to that of antagonism.<br />
"What are you both doing up here? Looking for employment I hope!" Ivan<br />
was the first to speak.<br />
"No, they send us to various factories to do temporary work, we're like hired<br />
guns. Knowing you were here we thought we'd look you up. How are you<br />
faring?"<br />
Will steered them to a quiet location where they could talk. "It's a shocking<br />
place to work, and I'm looking for a way to get back to the main plant, but seeing<br />
you has made my day."<br />
Ivan turned to Bart. "Go and sort out what we have to do, I want a word with<br />
Will." They watched as Bart's ungainly gait crossed the production floor in the<br />
204
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
direction of the polishing department.<br />
"You've built a house in Vermont Will?"<br />
"Yes."<br />
"Are there any more vacant blocks of land still available?"<br />
"Several, and most have good views. Are you thinking of building up there?"<br />
"Yes, I've got a job with a furniture company less than half a mile from<br />
Vermont, and would like to build my own place."<br />
"Why don't you come up at the weekend to have a look, say Sunday<br />
afternoon, and bring your wife along? I'll get an up-to-date plan of the plots still<br />
vacant, and their prices from the estate agent for you."<br />
"That would be great, we'll be there."<br />
Will's mind had settled down and starting to tick over again. "How is the<br />
Serbian community getting on?"<br />
"We've had some trouble recently, only last week actually."<br />
"I'm sorry to hear that, is it bad?"<br />
"Yes it is, it's to do with the fighting between the Croats and ourselves. I try<br />
to keep out of it because as you know I'm married to an English girl. There's a<br />
revenge thing going on at the moment."<br />
"What brought that about?"<br />
"I wouldn't want to tell you in case you get involved."<br />
"I think I should at least be interested in your problems, even though I may not<br />
be of any help."<br />
"Well, there's always fighting going on, it's politically instigated, originating from<br />
the old country. We've been fighting one another for decades over there. I don't<br />
think it will ever stop."<br />
"Why continue the animosity over here where everybody is trying to start a<br />
new life for themselves?"<br />
"The hatred is so deep it will happen anywhere in the world, where Serbians<br />
and Croatians live in close proximity."<br />
"What's caused this recent flare up?"<br />
"The Croats abducted one of our young men. He was at the gathering you<br />
went to at Bart's place - you probably didn't meet him. He's only seventeen and<br />
they dumped him on the road in the High Street late one night, to make it look like<br />
an accident." Ivan hesitated.<br />
205
Will Bonner<br />
"What do you mean, an accident?"<br />
"Their favourite weapon is the motor car. They held him down and ran over<br />
him to make it look like a genuine hit and run, there's a good chance he won't<br />
survive."<br />
Will's mind painted the terrible picture and he felt sick. "What do the police<br />
say?"<br />
Ivan smiled and reiterated a statement he had heard from Ed. "They can't do<br />
anything, we have to handle these things ourselves. I must get to work now, Bart<br />
will be wondering where I've got to. There's nothing you or I can do. Look<br />
forward to seeing you on Sunday."<br />
Will's mind was now in top gear, if only Ivan knew that there was something<br />
he could do! Waiting his opportunity during the course of the day when Ivan was<br />
out of the way, he approached Bart, Will knew from his past that he would be<br />
somehow involved. It would have to be quick before Ivan returned.<br />
"Ivan has told me about your recent trouble, you've saved my skin in the past<br />
and now I think I can help you." Bart looked at Will, a quizzical smile on his face<br />
as if to say "no way, you haven't got a clue."<br />
"Believe me, I can help you." The look on Bart's face changed. "I need to see<br />
you alone, and you mustn't tell Ivan about our conversation."<br />
"Okay, I'll listen to what you have to say. I'm using my car today and I'll be<br />
dropping Ivan off at his home, if you come with us I can take you home and we<br />
can talk."<br />
Will hurried to leave the scene before Ivan returned. Later, the three men were<br />
squeezed in Bart's tiny European station wagon, there was hardly enough room left<br />
to deposit their sandwich boxes. It's tiny motor must do a 100 miles per gallon,<br />
Will was thinking. After dropping Ivan off, Will remained in the rear seat to give<br />
Bart more room for driving and they proceeded to head east on Canterbury Road<br />
towards Vermont. Bart turned his head briefly to look at Will in the back. "Well,<br />
what's this all about?"<br />
"You don't know who kidnapped your youngster do you? And unless you get<br />
the right person, a mere retaliation won't get the results you want, will it?"<br />
"How do you know what I do, and don't know?"<br />
"Ivan would have told me if things were being taken care of but he didn't, so<br />
naturally I gathered that you can't find out, can you?" There was a long silence.<br />
206
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
"No, we can't find out."<br />
"The reason is because you find it just as difficult to get information about<br />
them, as they do about you, isn't that correct?"<br />
"Yes, but how is it possible for you to be of any help? You may turn out to be<br />
more trouble than you are worth."<br />
"But Bart, you've got nothing to lose. I don't want any information about what<br />
you and your colleagues are doing and I'll be open with you. If I knew where the<br />
Croats hold their meetings, whatever information I get back, I'll pass on to you."<br />
"Who's going to get this information for you, how can I trust them?"<br />
"I have a friend that owes me favours, he won't know anything about you. You<br />
won't exist as far as he's concerned, but if there's anyone that can get information<br />
about the Croats, he can. He has no connections with either side. All he needs to<br />
know is where the Croats hold their meetings, that's all."<br />
The rest of the journey to Vermont was spent in virtual silence until they<br />
arrived. "They never meet in the same place twice, and even though we know<br />
where and when they meet, we never find out what is discussed."<br />
Will made his final remark before leaving the car. "Trust me, and I'll help you."<br />
"Okay. I'll get the information to you about the next couple of meetings and<br />
then wait to hear from you."<br />
Will was elated, this would be good news for Ed, but as he walked down the<br />
road to his house the imaginary picture of the young Serbian kept resurfacing.<br />
Some of these people were highly dangerous and he would have to keep as far<br />
away from them as he possibly could.<br />
Nothing transpired the next day, but Ed was waiting for him that evening.<br />
Looking down in the dumps he had obviously been expecting Will to contact him.<br />
"I hadn't heard from you."<br />
"I told you not to hold your breath. You admit to getting nowhere and you<br />
have full-time resources available to you, what do you expect from me in two or<br />
three weeks?"<br />
"You've made your point Will, I'll leave you alone and wait to hear from you."<br />
Ed started walking back towards his car which was parked in the narrow<br />
service road outside the local hardware store. Will followed close behind. Ed<br />
stopped and turned around, a bemused look on his face. "What are you following<br />
me for?"<br />
207
Will Bonner<br />
"I thought you might want to see me on Friday evening next, when I get off the<br />
bus."<br />
Ed stepped forward and gripped Will's arm, a blatant look of expectancy on<br />
his face. "You son-of-a-bitch! You've got a break through, haven't you?"<br />
"Maybe."<br />
"Tell me about it."<br />
"I can't, it may be Friday, or not until next week - I don't really know. All I can<br />
say is, when the information appears I think you'll be pleased."<br />
"You didn't leave yourself open this time did you?"<br />
"No, I owe them a favour. When I get the information I'll want something from<br />
you in return, similar to the Stefan affair."<br />
"If the information you pass over is as good as that you can have what you<br />
want. Just ask."<br />
At the close of production on Friday, nothing had happened. Will waited until<br />
the factory was virtually empty but still no one made contact. As Will waited for<br />
a later bus he couldn't get rid of the feeling that Bart may have changed his mind<br />
and that he would have to go back to square one. Missing his usual connections<br />
made him over an hour late arriving in Vermont.<br />
He spotted Ed pacing up and down in front of the General Store on the<br />
corner. He ran over, a look of relief on his face. "I was beginning to think that<br />
something had happened to you."<br />
"No, I waited back at the factory but no one made contact, I'm a bit peeved<br />
and disappointed."<br />
"Do you think somebody has had cold feet?"<br />
"I don't think so. Everything was firm, I don't expect them to let me down<br />
because it's to their benefit also. They would have been in touch had anything gone<br />
wrong."<br />
Ed shrugged his shoulders. "We'll have to wait until next week now, it can't be<br />
helped."<br />
"Just in case something transpires can I contact you more direct? You<br />
probably won't be in your office during the weekend.”<br />
Ed gave Will his home phone number. "I can be here in fifteen or twenty<br />
minutes, if need be."<br />
Dorothy was washing up the dishes as Will entered the kitchen door. "You're<br />
208
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
very late Will, I've had my meal. Can I have your lunch box to wash?"<br />
Will reached inside his attache case for the lunch box and flipped open the lid.<br />
Sitting on top of the lunch wrapper was an envelope. Dropping the box into the<br />
sink Will took the envelope into the lounge and opened it. Inside was a plain piece<br />
of white paper with three locations and times written on it, plus where required, a<br />
brief note for clarification.<br />
Filled with excitement Will felt the urge to run up to the phone by the General<br />
Store and call Ed, but he curbed his impulse and sat down to a belated dinner.<br />
After the meal was over he copied the information to keep for reference, and<br />
without any further delay, phoned Ed.<br />
It was getting dusk as Ed's car circled around the four roads that converged<br />
into the centre of sleepy Vermont. Will got into the seat next to him and before he<br />
could engage him in conversation passed over the piece of paper with the<br />
information written on it. Ed reached into the glove box for a torch. "How did you<br />
get this? It's only been an hour or so since we met."<br />
"It had been put in my lunch box during the afternoon and I didn't find it until<br />
I got home."<br />
Ed laughed. "That's a unique way to transfer information." He focused the light<br />
on the paper and read the contents. "Are these dates and times of meetings?"<br />
"Yes."<br />
"This is good news, and this information will give me lots to go at, we'll have<br />
to start planning." Will jumped in before he could continue.<br />
"Before you get too hyped up, remember we have our own arrangement to<br />
consider first, in any case, you have plenty of time before the first date."<br />
"You're right Will, I guess I got a bit over enthusiastic. What do you want<br />
done?"<br />
"I can't discuss anything at the moment, there's not enough time. Meet me<br />
tomorrow at the same place and time, as last week."<br />
Relieved to have passed the information on Will returned home. All he had to<br />
do now was fulfil his own end of the bargain with Bart. Things would be touch and<br />
go right up to that time, Will suspected.<br />
Ed's car was waiting as before, reversed off the road. This time he was ready<br />
for Will's unorthodox arrival. Will hesitated when he saw Tony sitting in the rear<br />
seat, but Tony was not a problem in his mind, and he dismissed his presence. Ed<br />
209
Will Bonner<br />
spoke first. "Hello Will, I've brought Tony along, as you know he does all the<br />
recording of the information, so I thought it might be a good idea for him to listen<br />
in."<br />
"Provided my name doesn't appear in his records I don't mind."<br />
"Your name will never appear in my records," came the reassuring remark<br />
from Tony."<br />
"Can I come and check that out?"<br />
Tony started to stutter and Ed cut in. "He's only pulling your leg. Now Will,<br />
what do you want from me?"<br />
"If you succeed in getting good recordings they will be in Yugoslav, have you<br />
got someone that can translate?"<br />
"Yes."<br />
"Well, once you've translated I want the loan of the original recording and the<br />
recorder for a few days, then you can have them back."<br />
Ed and Tony exchanged glances and Ed replied. "It's impossible for us to do<br />
that."<br />
"But you'll surely make a translated duplicate copy before I get the spool, so<br />
what's the problem?"<br />
"We can't let the information go because it will be classified."<br />
Will was stunned, the whole arrangement with Bart was going up in smoke and<br />
he would be left in a very precarious position. He could not let that happen. "You<br />
promised me that I could have what I wanted if I got you the information. I've<br />
come up with my part of the bargain and now you're reneging on your end of the<br />
deal."<br />
Will waited for a response, but nothing came. "Okay Ed, it's apparent that<br />
you're not going to do the right thing. Before I go I want to tell you this. You'll get<br />
no more information from me, I'll see to it that the information I've just given you<br />
gets corrupted, and consequently useless to you, and I'll let my sources know who<br />
you are so that I can keep myself clear of trouble. No more electronic devices,<br />
and if the organization resorts to threats, I'll make your life a misery, and that goes<br />
for you too Tony."<br />
Will jumped out of the car and climbed the bank into the forest. He was upset<br />
and felt sick to his stomach, the thought of going back to Bart was too humiliating<br />
to even think about. He had sold himself to the Serbs in return for reciprocal<br />
210
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
information, and now he would have to destroy everything he had built. What a<br />
mess it all seemed and how stupid he had been to trust Ed, or anyone from the<br />
organization. He'd been a fool and now he was going to have to pay for it.<br />
Striding on up the incline he could hear Ed's characteristic wheezing and<br />
panting as he tried to catch up. Turning momentarily, he could see that Ed was<br />
about to collapse on the ground, his tortured breathing was similar to someone<br />
going through an asthmatic attack, Will stopped. "My God, you're in poor<br />
condition, it will be your downfall one day!" Will sat on the ground next to him<br />
waiting for him to recover. He eventually spoke through catches of breath.<br />
"Look Will, I couldn't agree to anything while Tony was there. Any<br />
arrangements we have are strictly between you and me."<br />
"What I couldn't understand Ed, was that you're constantly bending the rules,<br />
and in this one case you were not prepared to go along. It was a mistake to bring<br />
Tony."<br />
"I guess you're right, it was a mistake. Where do we go from here?"<br />
"I've had my say. I think you should straighten out your end with Tony over<br />
the weekend, then meet me off the bus on Monday night and let me know what<br />
you've decided to do."<br />
Will got up and walked away before Ed could answer, and he did not look<br />
back. He must know by now, that I'm pretty upset with what's gone on Will<br />
thought, and as he made his way back to the car his mind remained troubled.<br />
The encounter with Ed was still paramount in his mind as he went about his<br />
chores back at the house. He was rapidly coming to the conclusion that next week<br />
could be the worst period in his life - with the frightening thought of an unknown<br />
outcome.<br />
Dorothy was preparing something to eat and they eventually sat down<br />
together. Totally engrossed in his own problems Will failed to notice that there was<br />
something different about her. It was the way she was reacting and it was now so<br />
obvious that he was getting the message. "Is there something the matter?"<br />
"Yes."<br />
Fearing the worst on top of his already troubled mind Will hesitated before<br />
asking the obvious question, but by now she was smiling, and he was puzzled.<br />
"You're going to be a father," she said, and it was as if the words were<br />
delivered by the force of a cannon blasting every remnant of his problems with the<br />
211
Will Bonner<br />
organization into oblivion, and for the remainder of that day they talked about the<br />
forthcoming event. The baby was due in May of the following year, and in the full<br />
light of the following day Will was beginning to realize the full implication it was<br />
going to have on their future.<br />
His mind was oscillating between the memorable times ahead and the stark<br />
reality that his involvement with Ed and the organization could affect the very<br />
stability of the family they were trying to build. He would keep the fact that<br />
Dorothy was pregnant from Ed, or anything for that matter regarding the family,<br />
even though there was an element of trust.<br />
It was the unknown members of the organization he was fearful of, and it was<br />
going to be paramount that he learn more about the others, which was something<br />
he had always avoided in the past. Tony was Ed's achilles heel, and Will would no<br />
longer wait for an opportune moment, but would now force the matter to the<br />
forefront as soon as he could, without creating a backlash from the organization.<br />
It was later in the afternoon when Ivan and his wife Eve, arrived to look at<br />
land. His brother Bart was with them and at the first opportunity Will approached<br />
him. "Thanks for your letter."<br />
"Was it what you wanted?"<br />
"Perfect, just what the doctor ordered. It will be put to use on the dates and<br />
you'll get the results as soon as I get them." Bart nodded his head, there was no<br />
need for further conversation.<br />
The first plot of land that Ivan looked at was situated on the bend of the road.<br />
A super position, the land rising and spanning the bend like an auditorium, with an<br />
excellent view. Ivan's enthusiasm got the better of him and even though the grass<br />
was three foot high he ran up to the centre of the block to get a better idea of the<br />
view. Within seconds he let out a scream and left the plot like an Olympic runner.<br />
A short time later, a six foot brown snake slithered across the road towards<br />
the creek, on the other side. At that time of day it was not uncommon to see them<br />
heading down for water. Ivan and his wife, eventually chose a plot of land in the<br />
same street as Dorothy and Will, and they were to live in a caravan until the home<br />
they were building became habitable.<br />
Back at the factory on Monday morning, the trials and skirmishes of<br />
production now seemed petty and insignificant in comparison to the forthcoming<br />
event, and Will's outlook changed for the better, allowing him to brush aside the<br />
212
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
negative happenings. As he got off the bus at the end of the day he was feeling<br />
good and eager to get home to Dorothy.<br />
Ed's figure loomed from the doorway of the General Store, bringing Will's<br />
thoughts crashing back to reality, the fact that he had arranged to meet him that<br />
evening had completely slipped his mind. Will pointed down Boronia Road "Let's<br />
walk." The Vermont junction comprised only four or five shops and within minutes<br />
they were virtually in the countryside.<br />
"We veered off on the wrong tack last Saturday, Will. Tony and I both know<br />
that without the information you've provided, and everything else as well, we<br />
would be at a standstill with the Serb/Croat surveillance. You can have the<br />
recorded information in whatever form you want, to play back to your contact."<br />
"The reason I want the recording is because I need to verify the authenticity<br />
of the information."<br />
"We realized that afterwards Will. It was stupid of me."<br />
"I can rely on you then?"<br />
"Yes."<br />
"I must get home now Ed, let me know how you get on."<br />
"Before you go, did you have a look at the transmitter?"<br />
"Yes, but I need the recorder to complete the job."<br />
"I've got it in the car, you can have it now. Will I be able to see you soon<br />
because the first surveillance date is only three weeks away?"<br />
Will thought for a moment remembering that he had better get more ambitious.<br />
"I'll come to your office after the old man leaves next Friday night."<br />
During the course of the week Will completed the surveillance transmitter. It<br />
was a pretty primitive arrangement but nevertheless efficient, and housed so that<br />
it could be hidden in a small bag or attache case. There would be no prizes for this<br />
device, but it worked well, which was the main requirement.<br />
On Friday evening, Will entered the outer office. As anticipated, the old man<br />
had left so he proceeded to the end of the corridor and knocked on Ed's door,<br />
entering without waiting for permission. Ed sat at his desk engrossed in<br />
paperwork, he looked up without any surprise on his face.<br />
"It's a change to come into your office without being confronted with a pistol."<br />
Ed opened his desk drawer, took out the pistol, replaced it, and closed the<br />
drawer. "If needed it's available."<br />
213
Will Bonner<br />
The next hour involved discussing the transmitting device and Ed was getting<br />
more excited by the minute in anticipation of a demonstration. Placing the recorder<br />
on standby, next to a radio in Ed's office, they left to drive about half a mile down<br />
the road, to test the unit out. Ed opened the attache case and pressed the button.<br />
The verification light failed to come on. Ed frantically pressed the button several<br />
times, then turned to Will. "It's not working, what's wrong with it?"<br />
"Nothing, this is your first lesson on what not to do. The radio waves are<br />
suppressed by the metal around us in the car. The receiver operating the recorder<br />
won't work properly either, if there's lots of metal around it. Step outside the car<br />
and try again."<br />
This time the light came on indicating that the recorder was now operating and<br />
Ed's face beamed. Waiting a couple of minutes the button was pressed again and<br />
the light went out. Back at the office everything had operated without a hitch and<br />
Ed was over the moon.<br />
"Now that you've got the transmitter I want to warn you Ed before you start<br />
any serious surveillance on these people. If they find out what you're doing, they'll<br />
kill you."<br />
Ed looked at Will out of the corner of his eye. "Are you trying to frighten me<br />
Will?"<br />
"Yes, because they've just done that to somebody and they make it look like<br />
an accident," Will now had Ed's full attention. "They will probably be bragging<br />
about it at the meetings and if we can get that on the recording so as to pinpoint<br />
those responsible, my contacts will keep supplying information."<br />
"I can see now why you were so adamant about getting the recordings." The<br />
conversation subsided and both men stared into space, involved in their own<br />
thoughts. Ed broke the silence. "I'm really concerned that I'll fail to get the results<br />
from the first surveillance. I badly need your technical expertise Will, can you help<br />
me out?"<br />
"I think I've gone far enough, but I also have a need for the outcome to be<br />
productive. I must have the weekend to think about it."<br />
"When will I see you again? There's not much time left to get everything<br />
organized."<br />
"Around mid-week say Wednesday night, here at your office."<br />
During his journey home on Wednesday, Will concentrated his thoughts<br />
214
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
around the forthcoming surveillance and what he would tell Ed that evening. The<br />
overriding factor was that he had promised Bart results, and knew that if he wasn't<br />
there to see for himself how the outcome evolved, success or failure, he would<br />
have to accept the result second-hand and not know whether he was being told<br />
the truth or a lie. He had to take the risk and go.<br />
Ed was waiting, eager for Will's decision. "I'll give a definite yes or no when<br />
I've heard what you've planned to do."<br />
"We've had some meetings to thrash out the details. These Croats are certainly<br />
going to great lengths to prevent being spied on. Going out into the middle of Port<br />
Philip Bay on a hired pleasure boat is certainly unique!" Ed was about to continue<br />
when the door opened and Tony walked in, "this is the man with all the details,<br />
he'll explain everything to you."<br />
Tony opened his briefcase and removing a folder opened it out on the desk.<br />
"There will be four, possibly five agents involved to cover all the bases." As he<br />
outlined the plan Will began to realize that they were going all out to get a good<br />
result.<br />
Early on the appointed Sunday morning the pleasure steamer would leave it's<br />
dock in South Melbourne and go to the embarkation point which was the pier at<br />
Point Ormond. When everybody had embarked, the steamer skipper would leave<br />
and go ashore and a Croat skipper would take over for the excursion out into the<br />
bay, thereby keeping top security. A recorder would be put on the steamer before<br />
it left the dock and another recorder planted in the building on the pier, where the<br />
Croats would wait for the steamer to arrive. The organization would arrange for<br />
a delayed arrival at Point Ormond, to enable conversation to be recorded whilst<br />
everybody was waiting for the steamer to arrive.<br />
"You seem to have covered just about everything," Will remarked, "there's<br />
virtually nothing for me to do."<br />
Ed smiled. "You're not going to get away that easy, we want you to plant the<br />
recorders on the boat and at the pier."<br />
Will sat bolt upright and swallowed hard. "What will you be doing, sitting at<br />
home with your feet up, I suppose?"<br />
"No, we'll be with you all the way. The steamer skipper is taken care of and<br />
we've already had a look at the building on the pier. All we want you to do is<br />
choose the places where to hide the recorder, in case we make a mistake."<br />
215
Will Bonner<br />
That didn't sound too bad but Will was perfectly aware of the fact that<br />
unforseen circumstances could occur, turning the best laid plans upside down.<br />
"You seem confident but there's one flaw in your plan."<br />
Ed and Tony stared at each other across the table and their minds must have<br />
been working overtime. "Everything seems straightforward to me. Where's the<br />
flaw?" Tony asked.<br />
"I'll give you an analogy. An athlete doesn't sit at home until the Olympic<br />
Games start and then try to get a gold medal on the day. He practices. You should<br />
have a dry run one week before, to make sure any hitches are ironed out, it will<br />
give you a better chance on the day."<br />
Ed turned to Tony. "Why didn't you think of that?" his voice taking on a teasing<br />
tone.<br />
Tony shrugged his shoulders. "What do you have in mind Will?"<br />
"First, let me have a look at both locations, then we can do the dry run."<br />
After arrangements had been made Will left and headed home. His mind was<br />
churning over the pro's and con's trying to second guess the problems that could<br />
likely occur. His idea for the pre-visit and dry run at the location of the surveillance<br />
had a strong element of self preservation built into it for him, giving him the<br />
opportunity to foresee any obvious danger that may present itself. It held very little<br />
consolation however, the fact remained that here he was, once again, up to his<br />
neck in the organization activities.<br />
Will stood on the wharf in Port Melbourne looking at a small pleasure boat,<br />
with the wheelhouse up forrard. The passenger deck was roofed over and glass<br />
windows extending along both sides to give shelter from the wind. He realized<br />
immediately that there would be no problems with regard to radio transmission as<br />
the superstructure was made entirely from wood. It would only be a matter of<br />
finding a suitable place to plant the recorder.<br />
Tony had arranged for the skipper and his crew of one to be away for lunch,<br />
leaving the boat vacant for uninterrupted inspection. Ed arrived, and they both<br />
walked along the short gangplank and stepped down on to the deck, the centre<br />
part of which was taken up by wooden seats, all facing the wheelhouse. The seats<br />
were fixtures so it was obvious where the person conducting the meeting would<br />
have to stand to be heard.<br />
Standing on the spot himself, Will studied the structures in the near vicinity.<br />
216
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
Several lockers, against the wheelhouse wall containing lifejackets were poorly<br />
positioned for sound reception, as they were at floor level, and would be behind<br />
the speakers. Will shifted his attention to the roof covering the deck, and he was<br />
drawn to the square lattice design of the ceiling.<br />
Ventilators from air scoops over the wheelhouse supplied cool air for the<br />
enclosed deck whilst the boat was moving. Due to age their efficiency would now<br />
be in question, which was evident when Will attempted to remove the cover with<br />
some difficulty. There was plenty of room inside for the recorder and it was an<br />
ideal position.<br />
Will turned to Ed. "This is where the recorder will have to be put, it's very<br />
important that it lies with the microphone pointing downwards, otherwise you will<br />
only get muffled sounds."<br />
"I thought you would be putting it in."<br />
"I can't be here and at Point Ormond at the same time, and the recorder must<br />
be checked and placed in position shortly before the boat leaves - lets say a<br />
couple of hours before. Give the job to someone you can trust." Ed nodded.<br />
After a final look around they left for the short drive to Point Ormond. Will had<br />
never been to the location before and he was banking on there being adjoining<br />
rooms for someone to hide and operate the recorder manually, but that was not<br />
to be.<br />
The building where people would be likely to congregate whilst waiting for a<br />
boat to arrive was a single detached structure with no second storey. Another<br />
telemetry device would have to be built and the recorder on the pier operated<br />
from a transmitter, as with the one on the boat.<br />
Ed panicked. "We won't have enough time to get it built and tested." His tone<br />
was questioning, awaiting an answer from Will.<br />
"How do you know how long it will take? Do you know the technical makeup<br />
of the device?"<br />
"No, I don't."<br />
"Then I'd suggest you concentrate on keeping your own house in order, to<br />
prevent the job from being fouled up. In other words mind your own business, the<br />
device will be ready on time."<br />
Looking on the other side of the inlet, a short distance from the pier, the land<br />
rose into a small hill covered with tee trees. "Try and find a place up there to hide<br />
217
Will Bonner<br />
the car and be able to view the pier," Will suggested to Ed, "in the meantime, I'll<br />
find the best place for the recorder."<br />
With everything in situ Will checked the operation of the transmitter from the<br />
location on the hill and it worked fine, much to Ed's delight. It would not be<br />
necessary now for a dry run at this location as the whole affair would be under his<br />
control, but the planting of the device on the boat at Port Melbourne, by an agent,<br />
would have to be verified.<br />
On the drive back home Will discussed once again the procurement of the<br />
recordings for his own use. "Do you possess a reel-to-reel tape recorder?"<br />
"Yes, but it's too big for surveillance work."<br />
"I wasn't thinking of surveillance. It would be much more practical to transfer<br />
the wire spools to tape. The flexibility would be apparent."<br />
"Can I do the transfer easily?"<br />
"Yes, I can provide you with the patching leads, you can then just loan me the<br />
tape. I wouldn't need the wire recorder, my contact would have reel-to-reel."<br />
"As you wish, we can sort it all out when we get the results."<br />
The dry run at Port Melbourne went well which surprised everyone and it was<br />
now only a matter of sweating it out until the day arrived. Will's interest in sound<br />
reproduction had been building for some time and he was now a member of the<br />
Institute of Recording Engineers. Ironically, the Institute held it's meetings a few<br />
doors away from the restaurant that Ed frequented.<br />
Amongst other things Will was now cutting his own discs and had a small<br />
recording studio and workshop at home. His outside activities were accepted by<br />
Dorothy, consequently, the comings and goings at odd times were never suspect.<br />
The forthcoming addition to the family was never very far from his mind and it<br />
conflicted drastically with his association with the organization and it's dangers to<br />
himself or his family.<br />
These thoughts were prevalent as he arose in the early hours of Sunday<br />
morning for the surveillance of the first Croat meeting. It was warm but the sun had<br />
not yet appeared. After collecting what was required and placing the items in his<br />
car he returned to the bedroom to say goodbye to Dorothy, hoping that she had<br />
awakened, but she was still fast asleep. Bending down he kissed her gently on the<br />
cheek and then left the house and got into his car. Releasing the brake lever he let<br />
the car roll to the end of the long sloping drive before starting it to prevent waking<br />
218
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
her up, heading off to meet Ed at his office in Donvale and eventual transfer to his<br />
car. It would be at least half an hour before arriving at Point Ormond.<br />
There had been a slight change of plan and Will would not have to plant the<br />
recorder on the pier. He was thankful for that, less exposure meant less danger<br />
to him. Very little conversation took place on the drive down, it was sporadic and<br />
meaningless indicating the tension they were both feeling. Will's mind was a blank,<br />
just waiting for some action to set it going, like the pendulum of a clock, and he<br />
knew Ed was having the same experience.<br />
The car came to a halt amongst the tee trees and Will looked through the<br />
windshield down to the deserted pier below. To their right the red glow of the<br />
rising sun was beginning to filter through the trees and there was no wind. It was<br />
going to be an ideal day for recording sound.<br />
Will fed the temporary antenna through the car window and pressed the button<br />
several times to put the recorder through it's paces and then settled down to wait.<br />
The scheduled time for the arrival of the boat was at least three hours away, a<br />
good half an hour of that time was the delay, organized by Ed's agents at the other<br />
end, in Port Melbourne.<br />
As time passed the tensions grew and Will's joke with regard to the possibility<br />
that they may have changed the venue didn't go down too well with Ed, bringing<br />
on more silence and with it more tension. Time was now practically standing still<br />
and instead of becoming more vigilant as the time approached, their minds<br />
wandered, occasionally settling down into their seats to close their eyes.<br />
Will sat up to stretch his arms and legs and observe the scene below. He was<br />
shocked to see that a car had already arrived. Alerting Ed, they both watched for<br />
some minutes, but no one got out. "Damn!" Ed exclaimed, "we've missed them,<br />
they've already gone in, now we don't know how many got out of the car!"<br />
At that moment all four doors opened wide and five men got out and after<br />
locking the car walked towards the building on the pier. There were seats inside<br />
and Will knew that's where they would go to await the boat's arrival. Will handed<br />
the transmitter to Ed. "How would you like the privilege of opening the show?"<br />
"I'd be delighted," Ed replied, as he crooked his finger like a dignitary about<br />
to launch the city's illuminations at Christmas. Both men laughed, the tension was<br />
to a large degree gone, and their minds were working again.<br />
Very soon afterwards other cars arrived, until a total of twenty men had<br />
219
Will Bonner<br />
assembled. Will looked at them through a pair of army field glasses he had<br />
procured during the war, trying to fix some of their characteristics in his memory.<br />
Occasionally, someone would walk to the end of the pier and look out across the<br />
Bay, obviously looking for the boat. When it eventually appeared and drew up<br />
alongside the pier the men started to leave the building. Ed reached for the button.<br />
"No not yet, wait until you can count all twenty men."<br />
After a few minutes Ed replied. "They are all at the boat." Will crossed his<br />
fingers and the two men looked anxiously at each other.<br />
"This is the moment of truth Ed," as he watched him press the button. The first<br />
indicator light went out and the second one lit. It was like winning the lottery!<br />
As the pleasure boat pulled away from the pier the figures of the skipper and<br />
his engineer could be seen walking back along the pier. The boat was now fully in<br />
the hands of the Croats and they would now feel secure enough hopefully, to let<br />
go all of their secrets.<br />
They watched and waited until the boat was way out into the bay. Suddenly,<br />
the indicator light on the transmitter went out, Ed nearly had a fit. "Blast, just when<br />
everything was going well." Will laughed. "I can't see what there is to laugh about,<br />
I know you've got a sadistic sense of humour, but we are losing the best part."<br />
Will laughed again. "You silly old bugger, the boats out of range, the recorder<br />
will still be going."<br />
Ed looked sheepish. "Why do I keep putting my foot in my mouth?"<br />
A couple of fishermen had arrived and the odd person was walking along the<br />
pier. The time was ideal to recover the recorder from the building. The one<br />
secreted on the boat would be picked up later at Port Melbourne. The<br />
conversation on the way home was more buoyant, especially after Ed had played<br />
back the recording. Even though they couldn't understand the language the quality<br />
was better than expected.<br />
After arrangements were made for him to collect the tapes Will made his way<br />
home. His mind could not come to terms with the fact that everything had gone<br />
without a hitch, so much so, that he began to feel suspicious. He would only accept<br />
that things were okay when he finally played back the tapes for Bart.<br />
On the following Wednesday Ed was waiting at the bus stop with the tapes.<br />
"How are you going to avoid copies being made?"<br />
"I'll put the tape on and take it off, and I won't leave the room. I can assure<br />
220
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
you there will be no problems, you can have them back in about a week."<br />
On his way to the factory next morning Will decided to take the bull by the<br />
horns and waste no time in contacting Bart. He felt certain that one of the two<br />
Serbs had put the information in his lunch box. They were both in the lamination<br />
department when he arrived. Glancing at each other and pretending to be fully<br />
occupied was a ploy to try and keep their distance. "I think you know Bart, would<br />
you tell him I want to see him." Both men carried on working without comment<br />
and Will left the room.<br />
Frantically collecting his things together at the end of the day in an effort not<br />
to miss the bus, Will hesitated when the phone rang. His conscience however,<br />
overcame the desire to ignore it and Bart's voice came over load and clear. "You<br />
wanted to see me Will?"<br />
"Yes, I have something for you."<br />
"That sounds good. Can you come to Kooyong tomorrow night at 7 p.m.?"<br />
“Yes. Do you have a tape recorder?"<br />
"Yes, will it be okay if I invite four or five others?"<br />
"I don't mind, see you tomorrow."<br />
Will raced out into Nicholson Street and just caught the bus by the skin of his<br />
teeth. He was beginning to feel better, now that he was closer to discharging his<br />
obligation.<br />
At precisely 7 o'clock Will knocked on Bart's front door and within seconds<br />
he was ushered into a small ante-room. On a table next to the window sat the reelto-reel<br />
tape recorder plugged in and ready to go. Five other men were seated on<br />
straight back dining chairs around the perimeter of the room and Will felt their eyes<br />
piercing his very soul.<br />
Four of them he remembered immediately as the men huddled in the corner<br />
that night when he was invited by Ivan for a get together at Bart's house. No one<br />
spoke, they just stared, and Will felt a bit scared, even though he was aware that<br />
there was no need for concern.<br />
Bart opened up the conversation. "What do you have for us?"<br />
"I have two tapes. One taken as they gathered waiting for the boat, and the<br />
second with the meeting on it. I must have your assurance that no copies will be<br />
made, and when you've finished listening I take possession again and get them<br />
back to my source."<br />
221
Will Bonner<br />
Bart nodded his head and Will proceeded to load the tapes. As soon as the<br />
tape started playing all the men crowded around the recorder, obliterating it from<br />
view. Will sat listening but failed to understand one word as it was in Yugoslav.<br />
The first tape ended without any reaction and they all turned to Will for him to start<br />
the second one and as before, the rugby scrum formed around the recorder again.<br />
The minutes ticked by and Will began to get the impression that the whole<br />
thing had been a resounding failure. He would suffer the ultimate embarrassment<br />
if the information on the tapes proved to be of no value and he was beginning to<br />
prepare himself for the worst.<br />
A flapping noise sounded as the loose end of the tape careered around the<br />
spinning spool, indicating that it had finished and a hushed silence followed - then<br />
a spontaneous cheering and clapping. They all ran over to Will slapping him on the<br />
back, tugging at his arms and shaking his hands, it was like being mugged and<br />
congratulated at the same time!<br />
When the cheering stopped, glasses and wine appeared as if from nowhere<br />
and drinks were poured and passed around. Will picked up the tapes eager to get<br />
away. He turned to say goodbye and instead of the criticising glances he received<br />
on entry, the response was one full of appreciation, and smiles all round.<br />
Bart walked over to the car to see him off. "We know now who killed the boy,<br />
and when we retaliate they will know that someone has had surveillance on them.<br />
Tell your source to be careful, because they'll be trying to find out who it is.<br />
Whenever we can, we'll pass information to you. Thanks for what you've done."<br />
"You were good to me when I was in trouble at the factory, but I was also<br />
thinking about the boy."<br />
Will drove away but his mind was in such a turmoil he had to pull over just a<br />
short distance away and stop on the side of the road. He tried to come to terms<br />
with what was happening. The Serbs back there at Bart's house were no different<br />
than the Croats, both parties intent upon killing one another. There was no big<br />
political cause or agenda, not here in Australia anyway, just a deadly feud.<br />
He began to feel sickened and ashamed at being party to this madness. The<br />
feeling didn't go away and time was wasting. Dorothy was on her own, he had<br />
better get back, but the recent events would still be churning over in his mind for<br />
some time to come.<br />
Returning the tapes to Ed's office Will was hoping that he was out. It would<br />
222
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
just have been a matter of leaving the parcel with the old man but it was not to be<br />
the case. Sitting behind his desk grinning like a Cheshire cat, Ed stood up and<br />
reached out to take the parcel containing the tapes. "How did it go?"<br />
"Everything went well, they will send more information as it becomes<br />
available."<br />
"That's wonderful, but for the moment we've got plenty to go at. The<br />
information we collected was valuable and it's being evaluated." Ed sat down<br />
again and looked up at Will. "All this information you get for us is worth a fair bit<br />
of money, you should be compensated."<br />
"I think you should rephrase what you've just said. The truth is, all the<br />
information I am coerced into getting for you, which is quite a different thing. No,<br />
I don't want your money, it would only end up implicating me."<br />
"They could transfer money into your account if they wanted to, which would<br />
implicate you anyway."<br />
"Would you do that Ed?"<br />
"No."<br />
"Well, you'd better tell your superiors not to either, because if they do they will<br />
get zero assistance from me, whatever the consequences."<br />
"Why are we talking like this Will? Everything went well, with no trouble.<br />
Let's look forward to getting the same results from the next two meetings."<br />
"What do you mean "we"? You've got everything you want, my expertise is<br />
not needed now and you know it. If you try to make me follow through, I'll know<br />
that you're doing so, just for the hell of it."<br />
"No, I wouldn't do that Will and you're right, we can carry on, but if we run<br />
into trouble with the equipment you'll still sort it out for us?"<br />
"Yes, I won't go back on our arrangement but remember, it's only between<br />
you and me, no one else."<br />
Ed nodded in agreement. "I've known you long enough to sense when<br />
something's bugging you, am I right?"<br />
"Yes, I've been asked to warn you to be careful, the Serbs are going to<br />
retaliate. They got the information they wanted from the tapes and they know who<br />
to go for, and when they get him the Croats will leave no stone unturned to try to<br />
find out how the information got out."<br />
"How can they possibly find out?"<br />
223
Will Bonner<br />
"It's simple logic. The chances of someone in their own families leaking<br />
information is practically non existent, consequently, they'll be searching for<br />
someone outside their own group." Will paused to take a deep breath, "that's you<br />
Ed, or one of your agents." Ed looked long and hard at him but Will was not<br />
getting any response. "You've never met or talked to these people, have you?"<br />
"No."<br />
"You can't treat them like other groups you've been spying on."<br />
"What do you mean by that?"<br />
"Well, in addition to changing their operation they will come after you and kill<br />
you." Ed was now listening intently, and Will continued, "from what I've learned<br />
I can save you a lot of work and trouble. Both sides are just bent on destroying<br />
one another, there's no political agenda, it's merely a vendetta. The very minute<br />
that you find out what I've said is true, stop what you're doing, and leave it alone.<br />
Believe me, from now on, things could get really bad and you'll have very little<br />
control over what's happening. The revenge for the killing of that boy could come<br />
as early as tomorrow, so my advice to you is to keep on the alert. Things could<br />
happen when you least expect it."<br />
"You're serious aren't you?"<br />
"I think the correct term would be "deadly serious" Will moved over to the<br />
door in readiness to leave. "I'm sorry to put a damper on the success of this first<br />
surveillance, but I didn't want you to proceed with the next two jobs, thinking that<br />
they were going to be a piece of cake, like the first. Keep expecting trouble and<br />
you might avert it. This is the last time I will visit you in this office, I can't afford to<br />
take any risks." Will closed the door behind him a picture of Ed's blank look<br />
imprinted in his mind.<br />
The daily battles at his place of work continued unabated. There was nothing<br />
much he could do but respond, as and when required, in an effort to keep the cogs<br />
turning with the least amount of friction. He badly wanted to get away from this<br />
soul destroying environment and after many requests had been rejected, a unique<br />
opportunity arose. His boss announced that he was leaving the company and Will<br />
made one last attempt, knowing that a new superior would not impliment any<br />
changes in the forseeable future. It was finally decided that he be moved back to<br />
the main plant and get involved in television production. As on previous occasions<br />
it happened soon and without warning.<br />
224
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
From that moment on, Will set about his work with a renewed vigour, knowing<br />
that each day would be one day closer to leaving this place that he disliked so<br />
much. As it had happened on previous occasions, he transferred back to the main<br />
plant in one day, with no pre-warning, and the difference could be likened to<br />
swimming from the rapids into the calm waters of a swimming-pool!<br />
The stressful nature of his previous job was very hard to eliminate and he was<br />
constantly expecting something untoward to happen, but it didn't, and eventually,<br />
over the next couple of months, he settled down to a more stable existence.<br />
The influences of Ed seemed now to be in the distant past, but Will was aware<br />
that the other two surveillance dates would be either completed or imminent. Apart<br />
from the occasional reminder of the past, Will was enjoying his day to day<br />
predictability. He had received no further information from Bart, which he could<br />
only conclude would be due to the fact that he was awaiting results from the other<br />
two meetings. It would be too much to expect that there would be no more<br />
contact from these parties - just wishful thinking.<br />
Searching through his papers Will found his copy of the information given to<br />
him by Bart and the final meeting was due next Sunday. They must have coped<br />
with the second meeting and Ed wouldn't contact him at this late stage, unless they<br />
had an emergency of some kind.<br />
Will waited a further couple of weeks expecting Ed to appear with the tapes,<br />
but it was to be a further week before the familiar sight of Ed's car parked outside<br />
the shops in Vermont caught his eye as he alighted from the bus. As he<br />
approached the door opened and Tony got out. Will looked past him and into the<br />
car, but Ed was not there.<br />
"Where's Ed, is he sick again?"<br />
Tony pointed to the front seat, indicating that Will should get inside. Tony<br />
turned to Will as they settled into their seats. "No, he's not sick."<br />
"Has he sent me some tapes then, and how did the surveillance go?"<br />
"No, I haven't brought any tapes but the surveillance went well."<br />
This question and answer session is getting me nowhere, Will was thinking, as<br />
Tony seemed to be getting more and more non-committal. He was staring through<br />
the windshield appearing detached from the circumstances around him. "What the<br />
hell's going on Tony, why are you so damned reticent?"<br />
Tony placed his hand on the steering-wheel in the driving position and lowered<br />
225
Will Bonner<br />
his head down between his arms. Will could see that he was upset. "What's the<br />
matter, has something happened to Ed?" Tony nodded but no words came, and<br />
as he raised his head Will could see tears in his eyes.<br />
"He's had an accident."<br />
"What sort of accident?"<br />
"He was run over by a motor car."<br />
"Where is he, is he injured?"<br />
Tony seemed to take ages to answer, his head resting between his arms again.<br />
He shook his head from side to side. "He's dead."<br />
Will was dumbfounded, his mouth opening and closing but no words were<br />
coming out. A barrage of questions were entering his brain. He had the sudden<br />
urge to grab Tony and violently shake the answers out of him, but the numbness<br />
he felt prevented him. They sat in silence for some minutes as Will waited for Tony<br />
to regain his composure.<br />
"The police say that it was a hit and run accident."<br />
"Do you believe that?"<br />
"It certainly looks that way."<br />
Will's stomach was turning over, he knew this was no accident. "Are you sure<br />
that this recent surveillance went without incident?"<br />
"Not quite, but it wasn't significant."<br />
"What do you mean, not significant?"<br />
"When we got back Ed said he'd forgotten to do something before he left the<br />
pier, so he went back."<br />
"Did anyone see him afterwards, or go with him?"<br />
"No."<br />
"Where was he found?"<br />
"Lying next to his car in the street. The police think that he'd just got out when<br />
he was hit. The car door was still partly open."<br />
"Were there any witnesses?"<br />
"No, the police are looking for the car. Why are you asking me all these<br />
questions?"<br />
"Because when they find the car it will turn out to be stolen."<br />
Tony's eyes opened wide, it was obvious that no one had applied any<br />
reasoning to Ed's death. "Are you trying to tell me something?"<br />
226
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
"Didn't Ed tell you that I had warned him to be careful?"<br />
"No, he didn't."<br />
"The bloody fool, and you're a bloody fool too!"<br />
Tony was now sitting bolt upright in his seat, his body noticeably stiff. "Don't<br />
you understand that this is the way they do it. They caught him, killed him by<br />
running over him, and then dumped him next to his car to make it look like an<br />
accident."<br />
The gruesome nature of Will's last statement was just too much for Tony, and<br />
he slumped over the steering-wheel again. Will waited awhile before continuing<br />
with the conversation. "These people are way out of your league, there's an<br />
element of thugs and killers amongst them. You're just information gatherers, you'll<br />
never be able to cope with the likes of them. Would you be able to kill anyone<br />
Tony?"<br />
"No way!"<br />
"You should know then that you can't compete."<br />
"Where do we go from here?"<br />
"Go straight to Ed's office right now and collect all his things. Leave the office<br />
bare. Tell the old man that if anyone asks any questions he's to tell them that the<br />
police removed the contents. Then don't ever go back there again."<br />
"Will you tell the others what you've told me tonight?"<br />
Will thought long and hard before answering. It would be an ideal opportunity<br />
to look them all over and a chance to perhaps find out more about the organization<br />
here in Australia from Tony, now that he was vulnerable.<br />
"Pick them all up and bring them to Heathmont Station car-park tomorrow<br />
night at 7 p.m. It's only a couple of miles down the road from here."<br />
"Yes, I know where it is."<br />
Will watched until the car turned down Mitcham Road towards Donvale and<br />
then walked slowly down the hill to his house. The shock of Ed's death had taken<br />
every ounce of energy away from him and his gait was unsteady. He would have<br />
to recover before he walked into the house.<br />
What had possessed Ed to go back to the pier that day? The recorder would<br />
have been collected earlier. Perhaps he intended to be there when the boat<br />
returned after the meeting? I wonder if he waited to take photographs for<br />
identification purposes? Whatever he was up to it was a fatal mistake to be without<br />
227
Will Bonner<br />
assistance. He was committing suicide.<br />
Will tried to put things out of his mind until the next evening but it was<br />
impossible. Pulling into the car-park outside the suburban railway station at<br />
Heathmont, he spotted a large van parked away from the other cars. It looked<br />
similar to the vans used by the police for taking teams to crime scenes.<br />
Will knocked on the passenger door and Tony's face appeared at the window.<br />
He looked relieved. Apart from the stress of recent happenings he had probably<br />
entertained the possibility that Will may not turn up.<br />
Will clambered between the driver and passenger seat to gain access to the<br />
rear of the vehicle. It was dimly lit by a small domed lamp attached to the<br />
underside of the roof and six men, including Tony, were seated on either side,<br />
leaving a space down the centre. Remaining in the standing position Will looked<br />
at each man in turn, as they remained silent waiting for him to speak. Apart from<br />
one man they were all young, even younger than Tony. The older man broke the<br />
silence.<br />
"What's all this business about Ed. You're not part of the team, so why should<br />
we believe what you're telling us."<br />
Will took a step forward to get closer to the man. "Ed's death was not hit and<br />
run I can assure you. You're the oldest here, with probably the most experience,<br />
so I hold you partly responsible for what happened. You buggered off to the<br />
comfort of your home and let him go without any assistance, didn't you?" Everyone<br />
recoiled into the back of their seats. "You're right, I'm not part of your team and<br />
I wouldn't want to be, now that I know more about you."<br />
The close confines of the van only emphasized the silence that followed and<br />
no one appeared to want to speak. "Because of your inexperience every one of<br />
you pose a danger to me, and also to yourselves. I don't want to end up like Ed,<br />
do you? I'll make two comments and then I'm off and I don't want to see any of<br />
you again. Go home and don't do anything for a couple of months. No contact,<br />
not even with one another, understand?" He turned to Tony. "Don't visit the<br />
restaurant in Spring Street again, or anywhere that Ed has frequented for that<br />
matter."<br />
"But my girl friend works there."<br />
"It's up to you how much value you put on your continued good health. The<br />
people you are spying on are not part of any national organization, there's no big<br />
228
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
plan. They just react when something happens and Ed got caught. The way he was<br />
killed is typical of what they do, the police will never find out anything. The second<br />
thing is this. You'll get no more information from me. Stop spying on them and<br />
you'll stay alive. Has anybody got anything to say?" Everyone looked at Will, but<br />
no questions were forthcoming.<br />
Driving back parallel with the railway lines he turned east over the crossing<br />
towards Vermont but stopped briefly and looked back across the car-park at the<br />
van. It was still stationary and no one had got out. Hopefully, they were all taking<br />
into consideration the advice he had given, but he had no control over that<br />
accepting that it was important for him to keep out of trouble himself, and the way<br />
to do that would be to keep away from the likes of the organization. He could see<br />
Bart and wind things up with him. He'd got what he wanted anyway.<br />
After a troubled night's sleep Will sat having coffee looking out of the picture<br />
window and across the valley. It was Saturday, his mind was still mulling over the<br />
recent traumatic events and he was coming to the conclusion that there were quite<br />
a few facets emanating from Ed's demise.<br />
The most disturbing of these was the possibility that he could have been<br />
implicated in the spying on the Croats and the possible repercussions. The thought<br />
frightened him. As things presented themselves at the moment, he would not be<br />
able to shake the feeling of insecurity for some weeks to come, and perhaps not<br />
then, if things happened in the meantime.<br />
A movement out on the road diverted his attention. It was the telegram boy<br />
from the Post Office riding his red bicycle around the bend. Stopping in front of<br />
the house he rested his bike against the pole that supported the letterbox and<br />
proceeded to walk up the driveway with a telegram in his hand. Will felt the<br />
tensions rising in the anticipation of bad news, and he took a deep breath to offset<br />
the feeling. Will met him at the front door.<br />
"Telegram for you Sir."<br />
Will broke the seal and opened it up. It was from the family in England. "Dear<br />
Will we are sorry to have to tell you that your brother Paul has died." Will was<br />
rooted to the spot. His brother was only 35 years old. He was 13,000 miles away<br />
and there was nothing he could do. His system was going into shock.<br />
"Is there a reply Sir?"<br />
The telegram boy was waiting and Will heard himself answering, his voice<br />
229
Will Bonner<br />
sounding as though it was coming from the emptiness of a hollow log. "I'm sorry,<br />
no there isn't."<br />
He watched until his bright red uniform disappeared from sight. "Who was<br />
that Will?"<br />
It was Dorothy entering the hallway. Will felt the turmoil rising inside and it was<br />
reaching bursting point. He just had to get away from that spot. Passing her the<br />
telegram, he ran out to his workshop and collapsed into a chair next to the bench,<br />
just as his system broke down and his brain stopped functioning.<br />
He felt Dorothy's arms around him and it was good not to be alone, but he<br />
was thinking only one thought. That God did not exist.<br />
230
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
Chapter 11<br />
The Female Connection<br />
As each day passed he began to accept the reality regarding Ed and his<br />
brother Paul. The two occurrences however, could not be aligned with regard to<br />
his future. Time would eventually reconcile his brother's death but Ed had left him<br />
with a perpetuating legacy, and he could expect it to surface at any time.<br />
A little over two weeks had elapsed since his meeting in the car park at<br />
Heathmont Railway Station, and his instincts were telling him that something would<br />
surely happen soon. On that very day, his predictions came true.<br />
Jumping off the train at Mitcham Station he hurried to catch the bus for the final<br />
short journey home. There was the usual crowd pushing their way past the ticket<br />
collector eager to get home. "Will, Will!"<br />
231
Will Bonner<br />
He could hear the familiar voice of Tony over the noise of the crowd. Turning<br />
he was relieved to see that he was alone. "Could we have a quick chat Will?"<br />
Will pointed to the waiting bus. "I'll miss my bus."<br />
"I can drive you down afterwards, you won't be late home."<br />
The two men walked out of the station towards a small group of shops situated<br />
on the service road and Will stopped in front of the hardware shop which was now<br />
closed. The activity in the shopping area had subsided, leaving the vicinity<br />
somewhat deserted. Tony had not spoken a word during their short walk.<br />
"What do you want to see me about? You're breaking the rules. To be safe<br />
there was to be no contact."<br />
Tony's face took on a pained look. He obviously regarded Will's statement as<br />
a reprimand and he was the type that avoided confrontation. Will realised that he<br />
could not adopt the same attitude with Tony as he had done with Ed. He had<br />
nothing against this man, he had not directly caused him any trouble. "I don't want<br />
to appear antagonistic, but since the episode with Ed it's best to be over cautious.”<br />
"I agree, but I've had no other choice but to contact you."<br />
"Why, has something gone wrong with the equipment?"<br />
"No."<br />
"If that's the case there's nothing much I can help you with is there?"<br />
"All the scheduling of work has come to a grinding halt. The agent in charge<br />
of international operations is supposed to put in an appearance but he hasn't shown<br />
up."<br />
Will could feel himself getting sucked into the web again, but the thought of<br />
getting more information about these people that he may be able to use to extradite<br />
himself from their grip, was an incentive not to back off, nevertheless, it would be<br />
fatal to appear too cooperative.<br />
"All that you're telling me is no concern of mine Tony, I told Ed this a dozen<br />
times before." Will watched his face intently and it took on a desperate look - his<br />
voice a tone of urgency.<br />
"A couple of the men are causing trouble and it's affecting the others. They<br />
think they know what's best. Things are falling apart, and I'm at my wit's end<br />
waiting for the overseas man to arrive."<br />
Will allowed the conversation to subside to give the impression that he was<br />
thinking, but he already knew what he had to say. "It's impossible for me to help<br />
232
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
you, I would have to know more about what you are doing, otherwise, whatever<br />
I suggest could foul things up even more." He waited for Tony to take the bait,<br />
knowing he had nowhere else to turn.<br />
"Since Ed was killed I was given the job to keep things going until<br />
arrangements could be made."<br />
"Do you want to take over from Ed?"<br />
"No, I just want to get through this interim period." He paused and then carried<br />
on. "If I tell you what you want to know will you help me?"<br />
"Do you understand that if the organization found out, or even one of the other<br />
agents, you would leave yourself wide open to all sorts of problems?"<br />
Tony hesitated before answering. "I know from the past that I can trust you<br />
Will, just say that you'll help me."<br />
"I won't promise, but I'll try."<br />
Tony grabbed Will's hand and shook it violently. "Thanks Will."<br />
During the short drive to Vermont arrangements were made to meet. It was<br />
a very different Tony now, in comparison with the man he had been talking to only<br />
a few minutes before. His mood had now changed to one of confidence, and he<br />
talked continuously until Will got out of the car at the top of his road. Misgivings<br />
enveloped him immediately and he tried to push them aside. It was too late now<br />
anyway.<br />
Tony was at the meeting place as arranged. Will had chosen the place to<br />
eliminate the possibility of them being seen together. His comings and goings at the<br />
Institute of Sound Recording Engineers would not be suspect, and at the allocated<br />
time he knew that there would be a small room available for them, which was<br />
normally used for various audio testing procedures. It was completely soundproof,<br />
with an acoustic chamber at one end resembling something from outer space, and<br />
sundry small tables and trollies at the other for supporting equipment.<br />
Tony sat down and looked around him. "You certainly pick some odd places."<br />
Will smiled, the room had been treated for sound, and his voice sounded flat and<br />
unreal.<br />
"Before we start, have you had any problems with the Croats since Ed died?"<br />
"No."<br />
"Have you stopped spying on them?"<br />
"Yes."<br />
233
Will Bonner<br />
"They have no organization. If they haven't coupled anybody with Ed by now,<br />
they've probably given up."<br />
"Do you think so?"<br />
"It's a fair assumption, as long as you and your associates don't do anything<br />
stupid to set things off again."<br />
Tony settled down to talk about the organization in Australia. At each step of<br />
the way Will tried to assess the value of the information which seemed to flow<br />
freely. At the end however, he had not heard anything that he had not previously<br />
assumed, it had now though been presented as facts, which was important. He<br />
would have to wait for an opportunity to arise in the future when the information<br />
could be used to his advantage, but at this point in time, he was no better off. "Well<br />
that's it Will, how can you help me?"<br />
"It's quite simple. Your main problem is the trouble you're getting from a<br />
couple of agents, a mini revolt. Am I right?"<br />
"Yes, if I could sort that out all the other problems would fall by the wayside."<br />
"One of them is the older man?"<br />
"Yes, how did you know?"<br />
"It was the reaction I got from him that night in Heathmont, the other person<br />
will be someone that hangs around with him."<br />
"You're right on the ball, it's one of the youngest."<br />
"So, all you have to do is fix him and the youngster will automatically fall into<br />
line."<br />
"I guess so."<br />
"Well, do everything in your power to do just that. You have his file, so you're<br />
in the best position to know what to do."<br />
Tony sat for awhile pondering Will's last remark. He then stood up and<br />
proceeded to walk backwards and forwards as if trying to make up his mind.<br />
"You mean threaten him with blackmail?"<br />
"Whatever it takes. He's making your life a misery, turn things around and<br />
make his life uncomfortable for a change, he'll soon change his tune when he sees<br />
what can happen to his own life. I can assure you of that!"<br />
"I couldn't do it. How could I cope if it went wrong?"<br />
Tony was probably brilliant when it came to organizing and planning, but when<br />
the human element came into the equation he was hopeless. Ed would have dealt<br />
234
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
with that. It was amazing how much in common Tony had with Gerald in Hawaii,<br />
the mere thought of confrontation frightened them.<br />
They both sat engrossed in their own thoughts, the sound proofing of the room<br />
emphasising the silence. Will knew that he could clear up Tony's problem quickly.<br />
The fact that he now knew more about the organization however was not enough,<br />
he needed more from him to help safeguard his future. Some of the things that Ed<br />
had told him were circulating in his mind and he remembered his actual words "I've<br />
got plenty of contacts on the outside that I can use, but I have to get what I want<br />
from them without their knowing what I do. If they found out I wouldn't be able<br />
to carry on." Tony broke the silence.<br />
"Would you do it for me Will?"<br />
"That's impossible. Once I use information that everyone knows could only<br />
have come from you, you'd be in real trouble."<br />
"Yes, that's pretty stupid of me isn't it? But I'm desperate to get this problem<br />
solved and I don't mind admitting it. Is there no other way it can be done?"<br />
"Yes there is, but the information you've given me so far doesn't warrant the<br />
risk. I'll need more from you."<br />
Tony's smile turned into a chuckle. "Ed told me about your bargaining, I'm<br />
beginning to see how you two worked together. What do you want?"<br />
"You're the one person that knows everything that's going on. If I ever get into<br />
trouble with the organization I want your promise that I can come to you and you'll<br />
give me the information I want. I can give you an assurance that I won't<br />
compromise you."<br />
Tony didn't hesitate. "I can promise you that, is there anything else?"<br />
"I want the list of Ed's contacts."<br />
Tony was visibly shocked, struggling for an appropriate answer. "How did<br />
you know there was a list?"<br />
"You will have gone through his things and extracted it. To the others it would<br />
be of no value, but in your possession it would be a powerful tool. I'm not<br />
interested in how you intend to use it, I just want a copy of the list in it's entirety."<br />
"What do you want it for?"<br />
"Let's call it an insurance policy that I can use if I find my back against the wall.<br />
Always remember Tony, the people you're working with are just as dangerous as<br />
those you are working against."<br />
235
Will Bonner<br />
Tony looked uneasy. "Is that everything?"<br />
"Yes. If you agree, I'll have the name and address of your problem, and how<br />
I can contact you in the future."<br />
It was crunch time for Tony and he was labouring with the decision. "I'll need<br />
some time to think about it."<br />
"Take all the time you want, but I won't deal with your problem until I have the<br />
list in my hand."<br />
Tony stood up and prepared to leave. Walking over to the door he hesitated,<br />
his hand poised over the door knob, then swiftly turning on his heel he came back<br />
to the table where Will was sitting. Quickly scribbling on a notepad he tore the<br />
page off and gave it to Will. "That's the name and address you wanted and a<br />
phone number where you can contact me. The phone will only be answered by me<br />
so you can't leave a message. I'll meet you off the bus with the list tomorrow<br />
evening."<br />
Will waited for awhile before leaving. As a result of the meeting he had plenty<br />
to occupy his mind, and intermingled with everything else was the vivid memory<br />
of the look on Ed's face the last time he saw him when he was leaving his office<br />
that night.<br />
Tony was waiting at the bus stop, his reliability was at least something he had<br />
in common with Ed. They walked over to the car and he produced the list. Will<br />
briefly scanned it's contents, some twenty or thirty names, addresses, and phone<br />
numbers. Alongside each entry Ed had inserted a short summary indicating the<br />
individual's potential. It could have a devastating result if used in the right way.<br />
Tony's voice interrupted his train of thought. "I feel very uneasy about letting<br />
this information go."<br />
"How many people know about it?"<br />
"Just you, me and Ed, as far as I know. I don't think Ed would have confided<br />
in anyone."<br />
"I would agree, so there's nothing for you to worry about. If the time ever<br />
came I wouldn't use the whole list anyway, only the information that served the<br />
purpose, no one could connect back to you. In the worst case, it could be<br />
assumed that Ed gave me the list before he was killed."<br />
"That's a logical conclusion I suppose, now what about our own business?"<br />
"I'll do it right away within the next few days, but I won't phone you for about<br />
236
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
two weeks."<br />
"Why not straightway?"<br />
"Because you'll be able to tell me by then whether the desired result has been<br />
achieved." Tony nodded, it was up to Will now and he would not have to<br />
procrastinate.<br />
After the evening meal at home, Will reacquainted himself with the note given<br />
to him by Tony. The address of the agent was in Warrandyte, an outer suburb of<br />
Melbourne, in a very picturesque setting, with houses nestled amongst the<br />
eucalyptus trees on both sides of the river.<br />
It was a wellknown area inhabited by artists, and the unorthodox structures of<br />
their homes could be easily seen perched on the side of the hills to gain advantage<br />
of the natural view. Under the address was written a short note "he lives alone"<br />
a distinct advantage under the circumstances.<br />
Will sat opposite Dorothy in the lounge-room, she was reading. He had<br />
decided to go to Warrandyte the next evening and the usual anxieties were setting<br />
in. "I have to slip out tomorrow evening, but only for an hour."<br />
Dorothy looked up from her book. "It's local then, is it?"<br />
"Yes, to see someone in Warrandyte."<br />
"It won't turn into one of those technical sessions that could keep you up till the<br />
early hours of the morning?"<br />
"No, there's nothing planned like that."<br />
She lowered her eyes and carried on reading. Very soon now she would be<br />
leaving work in preparation for having the baby. The mere thought of it was<br />
splitting his mental state straight down the middle. On the one hand, the excitement<br />
and happiness, on the other the paranoia of keeping out of trouble for the fear of<br />
it affecting the family.<br />
Instinctively, he got up from his chair and walked down the passage to the<br />
<strong>master</strong> bedroom. Reaching for a shoe box on the top shelf of the wardrobe he<br />
placed it on the bedside table and removed the lid. Inside was an American Army<br />
issue service pistol and his conscience immediately began to pound away at him.<br />
Dorothy hated it being in the house and he knew that he had to get rid of it before<br />
the baby came.<br />
The noise of crockery coming from the kitchen brought him back to reality. He<br />
put the pistol back in the box and returned it to the wardrobe. There was no<br />
237
Will Bonner<br />
question in his mind he would have to take it to be on the safe side.<br />
Will looked at his watch as he drove over the bridge in Warrandyte, it was<br />
7.30 p.m. and already dark. There were few shops in the main street, with only<br />
one, a milkbar and convenience store, remaining open. Parking his car where it<br />
was illuminated by the lights from the window he walked along the path that<br />
followed the river until he arrived at the place where he would have to turn off.<br />
Looking up the side of the hill he could see the scattered lights from the houses<br />
peeping through the trees. The hills alongside the river were honeycombed with<br />
dirt roads, either terminating or intersecting with others, eventually finding their way<br />
back to the riverside.<br />
He was glad that he had left the car down below as the road he was<br />
negotiating was nothing more than a well used track, only wide enough for one<br />
vehicle. In the daylight it would have been a picturesque setting, but at night it was<br />
dismal, and apart from the sound of his own footsteps, all he could hear was the<br />
wind rattling it's way through the dry leaves of the gum trees.<br />
The road continued to twist and turn on it's way up the hill, until it crossed the<br />
front of a large flat roofed house and then disappeared around the back. The sign<br />
on a post next to the road read "The Gables" Now there was an irony, Will<br />
thought, looking once again at the flat roof of the house, this can't be the place. It<br />
matches the location that Tony had given him, but not the name. There were lights<br />
coming from the windows indicating that there would be someone home. Will<br />
climbed the steps to the front verandah and knocked on the door.<br />
A couple of minutes elapsed but no one came. The effect of knocking louder<br />
on the second attempt pushed the door partially open, and projecting his voice<br />
through the opening he called out to gain attention. Pushing the door wide open<br />
Will took a few steps inside to a sight that defied belief.<br />
He was standing in a room some 12 feet wide by 50 feet or more long, a bare<br />
room without furniture. Full sized paintings of nude women adorned the walls on<br />
both sides and for the whole length of the room, each lit independently. On the<br />
very end wall facing him, was the life sized portrait of a man, fully dressed in a<br />
business suit, sitting in a large carved high back wooden chair, holding a pint of<br />
beer in his right hand.<br />
Expecting that at any moment he would be interrupted by a challenge, Will<br />
stood trying to reconcile what he was seeing, and things just didn't fit in with what<br />
238
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
he was expecting. Backing out of the room, stared upon by many pairs of eyes,<br />
he retraced his steps back to the road, following it around the rear of the house to<br />
look for signs of life. He discovered however, that the road continued up the side<br />
of the hill to a small house about three or four hundred yards farther on. He<br />
increased his step, convinced that he had now found the place he was looking for.<br />
It was no more than a cabin perched on a rocky outcrop. Will could see the<br />
back of a car that had been parked behind the far end of the building and lights<br />
were showing from a couple of windows. He paused for a moment to catch his<br />
breath and reaching inside his pocket he rearranged the pistol which had been<br />
dislodged during the climb. It was heavy and it's shifting weight on the way up the<br />
hill had constantly reminded him to be careful. He felt a reluctance to go further,<br />
but it was no time to be getting second thoughts.<br />
A gust of wind sprang up, the noise making him jump, and for a moment he felt<br />
scared, but it had the effect of getting him on the move again towards the house.<br />
The path to the front porch rose sharply, and raising his hand to knock on the door<br />
he could hear the faint sound of music coming from inside. He purposely knocked<br />
hard several times, to leave in no doubt to anyone inside that there was someone<br />
at the door. But no one came.<br />
It was impossible not to have been heard. Will looked around feeling very<br />
uneasy, but before he had time to make up his mind what to do next, a sharp<br />
rustling sound came from the far corner of the building, in the vicinity of the car.<br />
For a fleeting moment he was frightened to look, and he instinctively gripped the<br />
butt of the pistol inside his pocket. "Who's there, is that you Dan?"<br />
A voice he recognized answered. "Who wants to know?"<br />
"It's Will Brenner, I've come up to have a word with you." Will waited, but<br />
there was no response. He must have a gun, it was part of his trade to be armed.<br />
What a damned fool I've been - I should have waited until I had seen him moving<br />
about in the house! He was standing in the full light of the porch and feeling very<br />
vulnerable.<br />
Dan's figure moved out of the shadows into the light. He had obviously put his<br />
gun away and Will breathed a sigh of relief. Dan looked past Will to the road<br />
below. "Are you alone?"<br />
"Yes, I wasn't sure of the way so I parked my car next to the store and<br />
walked up."<br />
239
Will Bonner<br />
"How did you know where I lived?"<br />
"I talked to a couple of the others, they told me how to find you."<br />
He seemed on edge and not convinced. "I want to talk to you about the<br />
circumstances surrounding Ed's death, but not out here. Is it okay for us to go<br />
inside?" A few more seconds of hesitation elapsed and then he pushed open the<br />
door and pointed for Will to go in.<br />
The room was open plan. Lounge, dining, and kitchen areas defined by a<br />
placement of furniture, which was barely enough to suffice. Two doors at the far<br />
right end probably led to a bedroom and washroom. "I called at the house farther<br />
down the hill, but there was no one home."<br />
"That would be Mr.Gable's house, he's an artist." That solves the sign outside<br />
which didn't make sense, Will was thinking. Choosing a lounge chair close to the<br />
door, Will sat down.<br />
"Why do you want to talk to me about Ed? It's all over and done with now."<br />
"It isn't actually."<br />
Dan looked puzzled. "Who are these others you've been talking to?"<br />
"You don't expect me to divulge that, do you? I wouldn't talk to anyone else<br />
about you. What's said here tonight will be just between you and me."<br />
"You've got no right to be contacting any of the others."<br />
"I'm not a member of your group, consequently, I'm not bound up by your<br />
rules. That gives me the right to talk to anyone I want."<br />
"I fail to see what there is for us to discuss."<br />
"I didn't think you would, but when my own wellbeing is in jeopardy, I have<br />
to do something about it."<br />
Dan didn't answer, he was probably wondering what was coming next and<br />
that's how Will wanted it to be. "You've been mouthing off to the others and<br />
making up your own rules. That poses a danger to me and I intend to do<br />
something about it."<br />
Dan sprang to his feet. "Who the hell do you think you are, you have no<br />
authority to do anything!"<br />
"But I do, and you'll have to understand that. I have no one to answer to and<br />
I can act on my own to get the result I want."<br />
Dan walked over to the dining area, and sat down on one of the upright chairs,<br />
he turned his head, an antagonistic look on his face. "I don't intend to do anything,<br />
240
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
no matter what you say. I think it would be wise for you to leave."<br />
Will stood up and moved closer to the door. "Before I go let me tell you that<br />
I don't look forward to a life of looking over my shoulder, just because of your<br />
stupidity. There are three ways we can resolve this matter. You and I can come<br />
to an arrangement tonight or I'll see to it that your international operations boss<br />
gets to know what you're doing, and I don't think he'll be too happy, do you?" He<br />
now had Dan's full attention.<br />
"What's the third thing?"<br />
"I can pass your name etc. to my Serbian contacts and they will see to it that<br />
it's leaked to the Croats. What happened to Ed can happen to you. To be blunt<br />
about it, I would rather it be you, than me."<br />
Will watched Dan's face as the full impact of what was being proposed began<br />
to have it's effect. Will reached for the door knob. "Wait!" There was now a<br />
nervous intonation to his voice and Will knew that it was time to reinforce what he<br />
had just outlined.<br />
"I know you didn't believe me about the way Ed died, so I'll tell you what<br />
happened. They saw him at the pier and followed him in a stolen car, grabbed him,<br />
and probably took him to a deserted warehouse. Then, when they couldn't get any<br />
more information out of him they strapped him down on the floor and ran a car<br />
over him, finally dumping him on the road to make it look like a hit and run<br />
accident. The police will never find out, and even if they did, what consolation<br />
would that be for Ed?"<br />
Will knew that he had achieved what he wanted. Dan was looking more<br />
agitated by the minute and it was now only a matter of bringing things to their<br />
natural conclusion. He listened to Dan's voice now husky and subdued, trying to<br />
come to terms with facts that were bearing down on him.<br />
"Are you sure that's what happened to Ed?"<br />
"Yes I'm certain, but I don't need to prove it to you. It's your choice. Only a<br />
short time ago when I arrived you had a gun trained on me, didn't you?"<br />
"Yes."<br />
Will pulled the American service pistol from his pocket and pointed to it. "This<br />
is the world you have chosen to live in and my advice to you is keep your mouth<br />
shut, do only what's asked of you, and spend the rest of the time covering your<br />
back. Don't make the mistake of thinking that the organization is your friend, it can<br />
241
Will Bonner<br />
become your enemy at the drop of a hat. Remember one important thing, I had no<br />
need to come here tonight, it was a risk for me. All I had to do was implement<br />
whatever I thought appropriate to stop you from endangering myself and my<br />
family."<br />
Dan moved over to the kitchen area his head nodding in agreement. "What<br />
happens now?"<br />
"It all depends on you. If you accept the essence of what's being said and stop<br />
inciting the others to do what you think is best, then nothing will happen.<br />
Remember, one of them has already ratted on you, and it could happen again, but<br />
if it happens for a second time I won't come and visit you, someone else will."<br />
Dan walked over and slumped into one of the lounge chairs but Will remained<br />
standing near the front door. "What you're telling me makes sense."<br />
"It's called self preservation!"<br />
"Yes, that's right."<br />
"Do we have an agreement then?"<br />
"Yes."<br />
Will let himself out as Dan stared straight ahead, attempting to absorb what<br />
had happened. As Will walked back down the hill he could still feel his intense grip<br />
on the butt of the pistol. Releasing it, he removed his hand from his pocket flexing<br />
it to get rid of the stiffness.<br />
Passing "The Gables" he looked up at the house, picturing the conglomeration<br />
of nudes in the gallery. He smiled to himself and continued down towards the river.<br />
Crossing over the road he walked to a grassy bank that looked over the swirling<br />
water.<br />
Removing the gun from his pocket he ejected the magazine and removed the<br />
bullets. Snapping it back into position he took one last look at the weapon before<br />
throwing it as far as he could into the centre of the river, watching the splash as it<br />
submerged. There would be no doubt that it would make Dorothy happy knowing<br />
that it was no longer in the house.<br />
Will looked at his watch as he passed back over the river bridge, it was 8.15<br />
p.m. the whole affair had taken only forty-five minutes. It had gone better than he<br />
could ever have imagined, with minimal confrontation. In fifteen minutes he would<br />
be home and glad that it was all over.<br />
Allowing two weeks to elapse before phoning Tony he was surprised to get<br />
242
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
him at the first attempt. "Have things settled down?"<br />
"Yes, absolutely marvellous," was the reply. "I won't ask how you did it, but<br />
I do want to see you. Can we have a brief chat one evening when you get off the<br />
bus in Vermont?"<br />
"Whenever you want." Will put the phone down ending the conversation, there<br />
was no point in asking questions, contact would be made anyway.<br />
The very next day he was there. Things must be urgent was the thought<br />
foremost in Will's mind, and he felt uneasy about it. They walked along the service<br />
road for a short distance before engaging in conversation. "There's been an<br />
interstate meeting and a couple of people want to meet you."<br />
Will's heart sank. When would he ever get rid of these people? "I'm not very<br />
interested in what they want and I have no desire to meet anybody."<br />
"I told them you wouldn't agree, but they insisted. One of them is from England<br />
and he's going back at the end of next week."<br />
"I couldn't care less. He can swim back as far as I'm concerned."<br />
"I'm sorry Will, you've been good to me since Ed died and I'm grateful for that,<br />
but they came down hard on me at the suggestion that you might not come."<br />
For the umpteenth time Will was once again at their beck and call. If he didn't<br />
go they would find another way, which would be out of his control. As usual, he<br />
would have to fall into line.<br />
"Can you tell me more about why they want to see me?"<br />
"Not really, but I think they want to find out how they stand, now that Ed's<br />
gone. I don't think there's much more to it than that."<br />
"Will you be there?"<br />
"Yes."<br />
"Who else?"<br />
"The Englishman and one other agent who may be taking over from Ed."<br />
"If they get under my skin I might finish up embarrassing you."<br />
"We'll have to take that risk. You'll go then?"<br />
"Yes, but under duress."<br />
Tony smiled. "It would be a change to see you at a disadvantage, it's usually<br />
the other way round. Now tell me what you said to Dan, I'm curious?"<br />
"I very rarely told Ed about anything I was involved in, but to put your mind<br />
at rest I'll tell you how I convinced him to cooperate. I told him that if he didn't<br />
243
Will Bonner<br />
stop what he was doing I would pass his name on to my Serbian contacts and they<br />
would leak it to the Croats, who in turn would be delighted to do to him what they<br />
did to Ed."<br />
"My God! How did he react?"<br />
"He agreed with me that the essence of self preservation was to say very little,<br />
and only do what was being asked."<br />
"It certainly did the trick, everything has been going like clockwork since. Shall<br />
we make a date and time for next week, say Wednesday at 7.30 p.m. outside the<br />
General Store here in Vermont?"<br />
"Where will we be going?"<br />
"To an apartment in St. Kilda Road near the junction."<br />
Will left to walk the short distance home wondering what else could possibly<br />
happen to make his life more intolerable. Once home however, he was now getting<br />
used to hiding what was going on in his mind, responding only to the normalities.<br />
Dorothy was now noticeably growing in size and in two to three weeks would<br />
be permanently at home. Their financial position still left very much to be desired,<br />
nearly all of their capital had been taken to build the house, and even though they<br />
had been saving on a regular basis there would not be enough to withstand a crisis,<br />
should one arise.<br />
The offers of money from the organization kept surfacing in his mind. Apart<br />
from the immediate relief, he knew that all he had to do was join the group<br />
permanently, and all his financial worries would be over. It was a powerful<br />
temptation.<br />
If he did join them he would have to tell Dorothy about the type of work he<br />
would be involved in, not sporadically, as it was at the moment, but on a day-today<br />
basis.<br />
He could imagine the questions she would be asked. What does your husband<br />
do Dorothy? He's in electronics. Who does he work for? He's with the<br />
government. Oh, what branch of government? She would have to lie or be noncommittal<br />
and the questions would always be around the corner.<br />
No, he would carry on with the same policy, resisting wherever possible, and<br />
putting his best effort into keeping out of trouble. If things got really critical<br />
financially, he would ask Tony for some money as had already been suggested in<br />
the form of compensation.<br />
244
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
Will felt no apprehension about the forthcoming meeting. Travelling home on<br />
the arranged evening however, it was uppermost in his mind. He was convinced<br />
that they had not confided in Tony and for that reason he would not be expecting<br />
things to go smoothly.<br />
The commuter traffic was heading east as they travelled west towards the city.<br />
It was about a thirty minute drive and as they turned south on the tree lined St.<br />
Kilda Road the cars had thinned out considerably, making the drive a more<br />
pleasant experience. Pulling into one of the many large colonial residences, Tony<br />
parked around the back, close to the rear entrance.<br />
The house itself was much larger than the one in Hawksburn and would no<br />
doubt have many more apartments. Approaching the wide stairway, Will looked<br />
up to see four levels, each with it's own bannistered landing that surrounded the<br />
stairwell. Tony looked back as he mounted the first flight. "We've got to go right<br />
to the top, there's no elevator." One thing was certain - he was in better condition<br />
than Ed had been.<br />
Will looked around at the large oak doors as they walked along the red<br />
patterned carpet on the fourth floor, wondering where Tony would stop and<br />
knock, but he ignored them all, stopping instead at a small door in the corner,<br />
which led to a short flight of narrow stairs and finally at the top to another door of<br />
similar size. He knocked and then opening the door gestured for Will to go inside.<br />
What confronted him was a tiny apartment with barely enough room to walk<br />
around the bed. The services, a wash basin, small cooker, etc. were positioned in<br />
nooks around the room to take advantage of every available space.<br />
Half lying on the bed was a man, his head propped up by his left arm, the<br />
elbow resting in the centre of a pillow. A woman was sitting on a dining chair next<br />
to the bed and by the time Tony had entered and closed the door the room was<br />
overcrowded.<br />
Will pressed himself against the wall to squeeze past the man's long legs which<br />
were hanging over the edge of the bed. He made no effort to move or even look<br />
up. No one appeared to want to speak and Will spent the time observing this rude<br />
individual.<br />
His face looked as though an artist had just moulded it in clay, still leaving the<br />
imprints of fingers around the cheeks and nose. His mouth had a twisted look<br />
giving the impression that he was about to sneer. His body proportions divulged<br />
245
Will Bonner<br />
the fact that he had never done a physical days work in his life. Will felt a strong<br />
repulsion for this man, a selfish arrogance that was being transmitted, matching his<br />
unsavoury description.<br />
The woman appeared to be in her thirties, dressed in a brown flecked, tailored<br />
jacket and skirt, which was pleated on each side. Her shoes were solid looking,<br />
flat heeled brown brogues, with serrated edged tongues that flapped over the<br />
laces. The lack of make-up did not detract from an attractive face, and her dark<br />
brown hair appeared to have been recently cut and shaped. Like the others in the<br />
room, she seemed to be waiting for the man on the bed to initiate the conversation.<br />
Tony started to look embarrassed as the silence continued. It was becoming<br />
obvious that there would be no introductions. Without turning his head the man on<br />
the bed spoke. "You're Will Brenner."<br />
Will could not reconcile what was transpiring, an uncontrollable resentment<br />
was building up inside. "Yes, I'm Will Brenner. Who are you?"<br />
The man still didn't turn his head. "I have a brief for you to take up and I must<br />
see that it is instituted before I leave for the U.K. this weekend."<br />
Will was getting ready to burst. "I'll ask you once again, who are you?"<br />
Tony stiffened and the woman shifted from side to side on her chair.<br />
"It's of no importance who I am."<br />
"That being the case whatever you say can't be of any importance." Will was<br />
certain that he spotted a fleeting smile on the woman's face. Tony stepped<br />
backwards in an effort to get away from the onset of confrontation, but in that<br />
cramped room there was nowhere left to go.<br />
"You worked with Ed Blake before he died."<br />
"No, I didn't work with Ed. You know very well that you people have been<br />
blackmailing me for years to do things that you're not capable of doing yourselves,<br />
and let's talk plain. Ed didn't die, he was killed." Will was becoming aware that no<br />
matter how much he attacked this man verbally it would not make any impression.<br />
The man pointed to the woman. "This is the person that's taking over from Ed<br />
Blake."<br />
"What do you mean "this person" is she like you, nameless?" Will turned to the<br />
woman and addressed her in a soft tone. "What is your name? What do I call<br />
you?"<br />
"My name is Margaret."<br />
246
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
"Do people call you Margaret or Maggie?"<br />
"Margaret."<br />
Reaching over Will shook her hand. "I'm pleased to meet you Margaret. Just<br />
call me Will."<br />
The man on the bed showed no reaction whatsoever, but the look on Tony's<br />
face was one of relief during that brief moment without tension.<br />
"You're to assist her as you did with Ed Blake, but on a full time basis. There's<br />
a lot of work to be done."<br />
"I've just told you that I never worked with Ed. Everything I've been engaged<br />
in was the result of a threat that was held over me, that's not assisting, that's being<br />
forced. I don't like your attitude, I can't trust you so I won't do anything for you."<br />
The man's head turned and then in one second returned to it's original position.<br />
It was the first reaction Will had seen from him since arriving. "If you don't do as<br />
I ask I'll have no other option but to make your file on Gourock available to the<br />
authorities when I get back to the U.K."<br />
Will turned his attention to Tony and then to Margaret. "Is he your superior?"<br />
She nodded.<br />
"Take a good look at him and remember that you could be here where I'm<br />
standing. Anyone that resorts to blackmail to get what they want is the lowest form<br />
of life." Will pointed at the man on the bed, "and that's a prime example!" The<br />
mixture of fear and anger had surged up into his throat forcing him to stop speaking<br />
until he had it partially under control again. "If it's your intention to blackmail me<br />
I have to warn you that within the week I can finish your organization here in<br />
Australia for years to come. You surely must know that I've been gathering hard<br />
information of my own. I have no concerns about what might happen to me, but<br />
the slightest thought that you might bring harm down on my family will provoke me<br />
into launching the biggest vendetta against you, the like's of which you could not<br />
even comprehend!"<br />
Tony was beside himself, the smallest excuse would have seen him out of that<br />
room like a shot. The man on the bed was now looking directly at Will, and Will's<br />
first look at his full face only made him feel more contemptuous. "Let's get one<br />
thing straight. I didn't say I wouldn't do anything, I could probably help Margaret<br />
and I've already helped Tony, it's just you I won't do anything for. You're a<br />
blackmailer and it would be against my principals."<br />
247
Will Bonner<br />
Tensions rose another notch, the man was now sitting up. The two men were<br />
staring at each other and it looked as though things were about to get violent. The<br />
woman entered the conversation for the first time. "You're not rejecting things out<br />
of hand then?"<br />
"No, I've always been able to work something out with Ed or Tony, but this<br />
man is crude, I want no more discussion with him. Either he leaves the room and<br />
we carry on, or we leave and start afresh elsewhere. I'd prefer that we left, the<br />
atmosphere in here is tainted."<br />
Tony scrambled in the confined space to allow Will to get by. With the door<br />
half open he spoke to the man on the bed before leaving. "One move toward<br />
upsetting my family and you'll wish you'd never been born."<br />
Finding himself back on the fourth floor landing Will walked over to a recess<br />
nearby and leaned into the corner, his body reacting like a giant spring, unwinding.<br />
He was expecting to wait for some time as there would no doubt be some<br />
discussion by the others but within the minute Tony and Margaret appeared.<br />
She was much taller than he had envisaged standing several inches above<br />
Tony. At first they didn't see him because he was out of their line of sight and it<br />
appeared that they were at a loss, probably thinking that Will had left permanently.<br />
Stepping into view, Tony ran forward, a look of relief on his face.<br />
"We thought you'd left to find your own way home."<br />
"No, I wouldn't leave you up in the air."<br />
"There's a coffee shop five minutes walk from here, could you spare some time<br />
for Margaret? There was so much confrontation back there that she didn't get the<br />
chance."<br />
"I'm sorry Tony, but I did warn you what could happen."<br />
The mere act of walking out of the building and into the fresh air was like a<br />
tonic and Will began to feel better with every stride. There was only one customer<br />
in the coffee shop and he was seated at the counter.<br />
Tony went over to order as Will and Margaret found a booth in the corner and<br />
sat opposite each other. She looked across at Will a wry smile on her face. "That<br />
was quite a performance back there, are you always that aggressive?"<br />
"No, only to people that I think deserve it, but I'm glad about one thing."<br />
"What's that?"<br />
"If you had joined in with your friend I don't think I could have coped."<br />
248
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
Margaret laughed. "He's no friend of mine, we'll be glad to see the back of him<br />
when he leaves this weekend. He comes from the old school, they always think<br />
they can get things done by threats. Those methods were dispensed with years<br />
ago."<br />
Will glanced across at the counter. Tony was still standing there waiting for his<br />
order. "Before Tony get's back I'd like to make one thing clear."<br />
"You're not going to order me about are you?"<br />
"No, if you're taking over from Ed I won't go through a third person. Don't use<br />
Tony as a go-between, I'll only deal with you."<br />
"What about the surveillance equipment?"<br />
"Tony can drop that off, but where there's discussions to take place it's just<br />
you and me. Tony will tell you how to contact me."<br />
"I agree, it's a relief to know that Derek Bates didn't foul everything up. I'll be<br />
straight with you and after tonight I know that you'll be straight with me." She<br />
reached over the table and they shook hands.<br />
Tony returned with a tray. He had bought himself a giant size four and twenty<br />
meat pie and he proceeded to attack it like a man possessed. Will and Margaret<br />
sat watching him, waiting for him to come up for air. "Well Margaret, what did you<br />
want to ask Will?"<br />
"There's no need for any more talk at the moment, it's all sorted out."<br />
Tony looked from Will to Margaret and then back to Will again waiting for<br />
some sort of explanation, but no one offered. He shrugged his shoulders and<br />
commenced attacking his pie again.<br />
During the drive home Will tackled Tony about what had happened<br />
immediately he had left the room. He was curious why things had terminated so<br />
quickly. Margaret had told Bates in no uncertain terms to stop the use of threats<br />
and leave her to do what was necessary. She had also told him that if he<br />
implemented anything when he got back to the U.K. she would see to it that his<br />
bungling of the affair was made known to his superiors.<br />
Will felt better, but once blackmail had been proffered as a possibility, it could<br />
rear it's ugly head again sometime in the future, and he would still have to carry the<br />
burden.<br />
Margaret wasted no time and with information from Tony she was waiting<br />
outside the General Store in Vermont when Will got off the bus one evening. It had<br />
249
Will Bonner<br />
only been a few days since the affair in St. Kilda. "I know you'll be eager to get<br />
home, perhaps we could make arrangements to meet, the sooner the better for my<br />
part."<br />
"What do we have to talk about?"<br />
"I'd like to find out how you worked with Ed Blake."<br />
"Tony could tell you that."<br />
"I don't think he can. Ed didn't confide in Tony and neither did you. You must<br />
have had a special relationship and it seemed to work on both sides."<br />
"I can only talk about my side not Ed's, and to what end?"<br />
"That's why we should get together soon. Will you do that for me?"<br />
"I can see no harm in it provided it's just talk."<br />
"Let's call it an exploratory meeting shall we? Tomorrow evening then, say 8<br />
o'clock. You pick the place."<br />
Whenever possible, Will wanted to keep the organization away from Vermont<br />
and at that very moment they were standing only a few minutes walk from the<br />
house. The Heathmont meeting had been handy for him, only a short drive away.<br />
"In the car park at Heathmont Station."<br />
"That will suit me fine." She walked over to a small black 2-door sports car<br />
and sped up Mitcham Road, like a racing driver leaving the starting line. He could<br />
still hear the sound of the exhaust as he walked down the hill, his mind trying to<br />
analyze recent events, especially Margaret's appearance on the scene. In some<br />
respects, she had a similar approach to Ed, but it was too early to be sure.<br />
She surely must be well qualified to be taking over from Ed. He would have<br />
to be as cautious with her as he was with Ed, take things one step at a time and let<br />
the circumstances dictate how he should act.<br />
Will arrived at Heathmont Station on time but Margaret's car was not there.<br />
A couple of minutes later however, he could hear the characteristic tone of her<br />
car's exhaust as it climbed the hill in Canterbury Road, seconds later it circled<br />
around the car-park and stopped on the other side. Will remained seated.<br />
It was definitely her car but he had not seen her at the wheel. The door opened<br />
and she got out, looked across to where Will was parked and then got back<br />
inside. Not knowing the make of Will's car she too was being cautious. Will<br />
walked across and opened the passenger side door.<br />
She removed a book from the passenger seat and Will sat down. When the<br />
250
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
door closed he became acutely aware of the cramped conditions. It was positively<br />
claustrophobic.<br />
"Are you married?" he asked.<br />
"No, divorced."<br />
"I wonder what part the organization had to play in that?" Will hurried to<br />
qualify what he had just said. "I believe in calling a spade a spade, and the work<br />
that you are involved in does have a destructive element about it."<br />
She turned her head and their eyes were no more that twelve inches apart,<br />
there was no hesitation, not even a blink. "Yes, it did play a part, it wasn't his fault,<br />
but why are you asking me about my private life?" She hesitated and then smiled.<br />
"You're not trying to find a chink in my armour are you?"<br />
"No, it's just that you've brought a new dimension into my life that will require<br />
some adjustment on my part."<br />
"Oh, and what might that be?"<br />
"Well I am married, we're expecting our first baby in a few weeks, and if my<br />
wife knew that I was meeting with another woman I think I would be joining the<br />
ranks of the divorced as well!"<br />
Margaret burst out laughing. "You're worried about being seen with me then?"<br />
"Yes, I'll have to be super careful. If Dorothy ever found out I would have to<br />
tell her what I've been involved in all these years and I don't want that to happen."<br />
"I'll give you a phone number where you can make contact, but when we need<br />
to meet I have just the place. No one in the organization knows of it's existence<br />
and you'll find it easy to get to, so you won't be away from home too long."<br />
Will looked around the inside of the car. "Sitting in this car is like being packed<br />
into a sardine tin, furthermore I can tell that it's you from a mile away by the<br />
distinctive tone of your exhaust. It's a dead give away."<br />
"No one's ever told me that before, I was thinking of changing it anyway. It's<br />
a good enough reason for disposing of it - sooner rather than later."<br />
Will looked at his watch. "I must be getting back, I promised Dorothy I'd be<br />
back within the hour."<br />
"But all we've discussed is our respective private lives, I haven't achieved what<br />
I came for."<br />
"Well, I don't consider that much of a crisis, do you?"<br />
A quizzical look came over Margaret's face. "I can't make you out Will<br />
251
Will Bonner<br />
Brenner, why is it that I have the feeling that I'm being manipulated?"<br />
"I guess that's a reciprocal feeling until we know where we both stand and that<br />
won't happen in one meeting."<br />
"Are you suggesting that we meet again, soon I hope?"<br />
"Yes, I've learned enough to warrant carrying on. Perhaps one evening at your<br />
hideaway."<br />
"How soon?"<br />
"I'm a member of the Institute of Recording Engineers and their meetings are<br />
held in the city. I go straight from work and get home late. The next meeting is on<br />
Monday, but I don't have to attend. You could pick me up at 4.30 p.m. outside<br />
the factory and then take me home afterwards."<br />
"That's excellent, hopefully we can get things sorted out at that time."<br />
Will got out and waited until Margaret's car was out of sight, everything had<br />
been easy going. Too easy going, and an element of suspicion crept into his<br />
thinking. Driving back up the hill he pulled off the side of the road and into the<br />
trees where he could get a good view of the car-park below. Expecting to see<br />
another car appear that perhaps may have been monitoring the meeting, he waited<br />
for at least fifteen to twenty minutes, but nothing happened. Perhaps his suspicions<br />
were unfounded, but he would have to try and strike a balance between<br />
cautiousness and paranoia.<br />
Will sat in the lounge-room looking across at Dorothy, a mixture of thoughts<br />
circulating in his head. There's got to come a time one day, when she would start<br />
to get suspicious about his comings and goings. He was so engrossed in his<br />
thoughts that he didn't notice that she had raised her head and was looking back<br />
at him. "What are you staring at me for Will?"<br />
"I didn't realize I was staring, honestly. I was just engrossed in my own<br />
thoughts." Yes, there would probably come that day and he would have to cope<br />
with it at the time.<br />
It was always good to be at home for the whole weekend and this one was no<br />
exception. They would do their shopping locally, on Saturday morning and pick<br />
up a box of apples from the orchard at the bottom of the hill. Then for the rest of<br />
the weekend work around the house and garden, there was always plenty to do.<br />
It was a respite from the battles at the factory during the week.<br />
Leaving work on Monday afternoon Will looked for Margaret's sports car, but<br />
252
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
there was no sign of it. After the street had cleared there was just one car<br />
remaining, a large comfortable looking, black chevrolet sedan. It's engine started<br />
up and it crossed the road and pulled up alongside. Will opened the door and sat<br />
down in it's spacious interior.<br />
He looked across at Margaret. "This goes from the sublime to the ridiculous!"<br />
The motor purred and Will sat in the relative silence as they headed east towards<br />
the Dandenong Ranges.<br />
"What sort of a day have you had Will?"<br />
"Do you know anything about large scale production?"<br />
"No."<br />
"Well, you can liken it to a battleground where no one ever gets killed, only<br />
tortured mentally. There are basically two opposing sides. The production team's<br />
only desire is to get as much through as possible and earn big money, and the<br />
quality control team does their utmost to stop them. Each side has it's own method<br />
of getting information to use against the other. It would be a marvellous training<br />
ground for your agents!"<br />
"How about you?" Margaret smiled and stared ahead without answering. "You<br />
don't need to say anything about your work, Ed didn't."<br />
"I've inherited the usual problems of taking over."<br />
"That's the story of my life. I'm always getting thrown into the lion's den."<br />
They continued on without further conversation. Will looked out at the<br />
countryside, they were well outside the confines of the city proper now. He knew<br />
Melbourne well and at the rate and direction they were going they would soon be<br />
not far from where he lived in Vermont. The car turned north however, and in less<br />
than ten minutes he realized that they were somewhere between Park Orchards<br />
and Warrandyte.<br />
It was a beautiful suburb with steep hills, lots of trees, and sparsely populated.<br />
The road took a sudden turn to the right but the car braked and turned abruptly<br />
to the left into a small clearing between the trees. "This entrance is well concealed,<br />
drivers are always concentrating on the sharp bend and I purposely don't have it<br />
sign posted."<br />
They were now travelling up a fairly steep dirt track, the car wheels falling in<br />
and out of narrow gullies created by small rivers of rain water that had run down<br />
the hill. The house seemed to appear out of nowhere, a timber building nestled into<br />
253
Will Bonner<br />
the side of the hill, it's construction dwarfed by large thick wooden piers some<br />
twelve feet in height supporting it's weight. Driving between the supports Margaret<br />
parked the car under the house. Will got out and looked back through the densely<br />
packed trees which completely screened the house from the road.<br />
They entered the house from underneath after climbing two sets of wooden<br />
stairs. He was beginning to see the advantages with regard to it's security. At first<br />
glance, the inside of the house appeared much larger than he had anticipated. Most<br />
of the doors were open revealing two bedrooms, a kitchen, a small washroom and<br />
a large open plan dining and lounge. Glass doors opened out on to a six foot wide<br />
balcony that spanned the length of the house looking out high into the tree tops.<br />
"How did you manage to find this property? Is it rented?"<br />
"No, it belongs to my father, he built it when he was a young man working up<br />
here. My mother died a few years ago and he's lived down in the city since then,<br />
he leaves it up to me to keep the property in liveable condition. I have a place<br />
close to him and spend half my time there and half up here." She stopped and<br />
turned. "Here we go again talking about personal matters, we'll have to get down<br />
to why we came here in the first place. I've prepared something to eat, we can<br />
start talking then."<br />
"You mean the interrogation?" The meal left very much to be desired. She<br />
could take a few lessons from Dorothy. "Shall we get started then?"<br />
"No not yet, it will only take a few minutes to finish here, we can take our<br />
coffee out on to the deck."<br />
"But it's dark and cool out there." A sudden look of realization came over her<br />
face. "You think that the conversation will be recorded. I can assure you that it<br />
won't be, I can also see now why you didn't discuss anything in the car. You've<br />
been sizing me up, trying to decide whether to trust me or not."<br />
"I don't trust anybody. You're a government agent, worse still, an agent whose<br />
in charge of other agents. I told you in the car when we met at Heathmont I like<br />
to call a spade a spade, so let's use the right term shall we? You are paid to spy<br />
and you control other spies."<br />
"We're not going to fall out are we?"<br />
"No, back at the coffee shop in St. Kilda we shook hands agreeing to be<br />
straightforward with each other. I'm being just that right now, and I'd like you to<br />
appreciate that."<br />
254
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
"I'll put my jacket on, there's a couple of chairs on the deck, we'll do as you<br />
suggest."<br />
It wasn't cold outside and the lights from the house illuminated practically the<br />
whole of one end of the deck. Will moved his chair around so that his voice would<br />
be directed outwards into the faint breeze, avoiding detection from indoors. He<br />
questioned his paranoia but it was best to be careful.<br />
Margaret came out and sat in the chair about four or five feet away facing him.<br />
"Before we start Margaret, I'll tell you what I want from you, then I'll tell you what<br />
you want to know. Is that okay?"<br />
"Yes, go ahead."<br />
"I need someone that can counteract situations that may arise similar to what<br />
happened last week with Derek Bates from the U.K. I have to protect my family<br />
at all costs. What I threatened to do that night would be an act of desperation on<br />
my part. There's only one other thing. I had an arrangement with Ed that worked<br />
fine. He promised that there would be no threats to get work done and he always<br />
supplied me with the facts before he asked me to do anything. It gave me the<br />
opportunity to evaluate what the risks were, and he was always aware that there<br />
could be a time when I might say no."<br />
Margaret's face had remained passive throughout. "I can do both those things,<br />
I can promise that they will not present any problems."<br />
"What do you want to hear from me?"<br />
"Just a brief account from the beginning."<br />
Will started with the interrogation at Gourock, mentioned by Derek Bates, and<br />
then from one incident to the next, up to the present day without disclosing names<br />
of the people concerned. "All these things that happened were obtained by threats<br />
until I met Ed in Australia."<br />
Margaret had sat listening without interjecting. "What you've told me takes my<br />
breath away, it's no wonder that you take the cautious path with everything you<br />
do. I've heard everything I want to hear, unless you think there's anything else?"<br />
"Yes, a couple of things. Ed Blake was killed because of sloppy work by your<br />
agents, I'd feel very insecure if I had to work with them and there's one that I<br />
would get rid of straightway."<br />
"If you're talking about Dan, Tony told me about your efforts to bring him into<br />
line."<br />
255
Will Bonner<br />
"Yes, but he'll start all over again, especially now there's a woman in charge.<br />
He won't accept things like some of the others, but having said that, they all need<br />
sorting out." Will hesitated before proceeding. "Tony is a loyal and decent person,<br />
he's good at what he does but for God's sake don't confide in him. He's lost out<br />
in the field, he's weak, so if he get's put under pressure he'll spill the beans, and<br />
you'll be finished, if you've told him anything vital."<br />
The wind was now getting cold and they went back indoors to have a final<br />
drink before leaving. "You've never been involved in violence have you? It's all<br />
been sophisticated stuff, you need to have someone that you can rely on, to take<br />
over when violence appears."<br />
"Things are much clearer to me now and I know the way ahead."<br />
It seemed only minutes before Will was being dropped off in Vermont. He was<br />
home earlier than usual and was expecting a response from Dorothy but none<br />
came. It was getting towards the time when he would have to be home every<br />
evening, no meetings in the city or anywhere for that matter, until the baby was<br />
born.<br />
The pressures at work continued to increase and Will was beginning to<br />
question whether they would ever peak. His periods at home were hardly giving<br />
him enough time to recharge his batteries and he was finding it difficult to keep a<br />
grip on things. Recent events, concerning the organization, pressures at work, and<br />
the constant expectation of the new arrival, were all contributing to one big mix.<br />
He was dealing with crisis on demand like a juggler at the circus.<br />
The phone had not yet been installed, and one such incident was initiated by<br />
Ivan knocking on the door about 8 o'clock one evening. "You're wanted on the<br />
phone Will, it sounds urgent. They wouldn't leave a message."<br />
Will ran back up the street to Ivan's house and grabbed the phone, it was<br />
Margaret on the other end. "Will! Dan's giving trouble, I'm expecting him here any<br />
minute. Can you help me?"<br />
"Don't do anything foolish just try and keep things low key, I'm on my way."<br />
She must be desperate. Will had not given her Ivan's phone number, and directory<br />
enquiries would not have been forthcoming with the information, unless she had<br />
used her influence.<br />
The short drive over seemed an age, his heart was pounding not knowing what<br />
to expect when he arrived. He had disposed of the gun in the river at Warrandyte<br />
256
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
and now he was regretting it. Dan would be armed and he only had his bare<br />
hands, damn! damn! damn! he kept saying to himself, over and over again.<br />
Parking the car near the road he ran the final distance up the hill hoping to get<br />
there without being heard. Dan's car was parked in front of the house and as he<br />
climbed the stairs he could hear shouting coming from above him. He stopped at<br />
the top of the stairs and looked through the aperture left by the partly open door.<br />
Dan was gripping Margaret around the throat from behind with his left arm and<br />
her right arm was pulled up behind her back. He was shouting in her ear and she<br />
was powerless to do anything. He was edging her towards the deck and Will<br />
pictured the twenty foot drop to the driveway. The consequences of waiting to<br />
take any action were horrific, but Dan's back was turned and he had the perfect<br />
advantage.<br />
Will ran forward and grabbing Dan from behind pulled him off balance and all<br />
three fell backwards on to the floor with Margaret on top of the heap. She quickly<br />
wrenched herself free and rolled away to a safe distance. A struggle continued<br />
between the two men and as Dan produced his gun, flashes of the fight with ferret<br />
man surfaced in Will's mind, the years in between falling away. This time he was<br />
determined that the outcome would be different.<br />
Will tried to snatch the gun from his hand but he caught the hammer with his<br />
finger and the gun exploded with a deafening sound. It caught Dan off guard, he<br />
had a perplexed look on his face and for one fleeting second Will thought he had<br />
been shot. Taking advantage of the moment he gave Dan a violent shove, and<br />
losing his grip the gun rattled across the floor. Dan continued to roll backwards<br />
through the doorway until he disappeared, falling down the first flight of stairs. He<br />
just lay there on the landing, not moving.<br />
Will sat at the top of the stairs, his chest rising and falling, like an old-fashioned<br />
printing press, he looked across the room at Margaret. He could see that her<br />
whole body was shaking, Will picked up the pistol and went over to her. Taking<br />
her by the hand he led her to the nearest chair.<br />
"It's all over now, take it easy for a minute."<br />
"Is he dead?"<br />
"I don't know, I'll go down and have a look." Will was dreading the next<br />
moment as he approached the stairs, but as he looked down he could see Dan<br />
moving. Helping him back up into the house, all three sat, trying to recover.<br />
257
Will Bonner<br />
Margaret's shaking was now subsiding.<br />
"Get us all a drink please Margaret."<br />
There was no bloodshed. Dan had bumped his head on the way down,<br />
temporarily knocking him unconscious. No one spoke as they sipped their coffee,<br />
Will smiled inwardly. Margaret made terrible coffee but he didn't say anything, it<br />
wasn't an appropriate time.<br />
Dan looked up, Will thought he was going to burst into tears. "I've been a<br />
bloody fool again, haven't I?"<br />
"You sure have, what brought this on?"<br />
"Margaret was transferring me to Sydney and I just couldn't take it. I suppose<br />
I'm finished now."<br />
Margaret looked at Will. "What do you think Will?"<br />
"Only the three of us know what happened. If you can spare an agent to make<br />
certain he gets to Sydney and reports in, the incident can remain a secret between<br />
the three of us, that's if there's no more trouble."<br />
"I've got no relatives or family here, I won't be coming back." He looked<br />
across at Margaret. "I'm sorry I gave you trouble, it won't happen again."<br />
Will walked him down to his car and sat with him as it freewheeled down the<br />
driveway to where his own car was parked. Before he left Dan's car he turned to<br />
him. "I'm cheesed off with you. You're within a hair's breadth of getting what I<br />
threatened to do that night in your house!"<br />
"No, don't do that Will, I'll be off to Sydney tomorrow and out of your lives."<br />
"Just one more incident Dan and it could be disastrous for you." He nodded<br />
and drove off.<br />
Will parked his car next to the house and went back up. It looked as though<br />
Margaret had been shedding tears, it was not unusual in the aftermath of a<br />
traumatic occasion. "Are you okay now?"<br />
"Much better, I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't arrived.<br />
I'll be forever indebted to you."<br />
Will put his finger to his lips to stop her talking. "You owe me nothing."<br />
"After listening to your past the other evening I now know first hand what<br />
you've been up against."<br />
"I try not to think of the past, just today and the future. Get on the phone<br />
straightway and organize for someone to accompany Dan to Sydney. Keep your<br />
258
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
finger on the pulse until he gets there and your counterpart in Sydney phones to<br />
say that the transfer is complete."<br />
Whilst Margaret was on the phone Will tried to relax. Suddenly he realized<br />
that he had not seen Dorothy before he left. What would Ivan have said to her?<br />
He stood up experiencing mild panic. "What's the matter Will?"<br />
"Dorothy doesn't know where I've gone. Ivan, the man you phoned is a friend,<br />
he will have told her that there was some sort of emergency."<br />
"Do you want to phone your friend?"<br />
"No, I would probably be back there before Ivan delivered the message. I<br />
think you should go back to your place in Melbourne to be on the safe side, I'll see<br />
you off and then go home."<br />
They switched off the lights and went down to the cars. "You've now<br />
experienced the violence I talked about last week. Get yourself someone that can<br />
handle himself when trouble arises."<br />
"I'll do that Will." She stepped towards him and bending forward kissed him<br />
on the cheek. "I'm still indebted to you, Will Brenner."<br />
Will stood rooted to the spot, he had never looked at Margaret as a woman<br />
before, only an agent for the organization. He watched as she reversed out and<br />
disappeared down the hill, realizing just how vulnerable she really was, in the life<br />
style she had adopted. Taking one last look at the house in darkness, Will got into<br />
his car and drove back to the main road.<br />
His anxiety was unfounded when he arrived back home to Dorothy, but this<br />
was one of the rare times that he had to concoct an outright lie. There was one<br />
moment of panic however when she asked. "What's that red mark on your<br />
cheek?" and for a moment he froze until he remembered that Margaret never wore<br />
lipstick. "It's only a scratch, I don't even remember doing it." It could only have<br />
happened during the scuffle with Dan.<br />
The next morning Will stepped on to the production floor and the usual six or<br />
eight staff were waiting for him, following him to the sides and rear. "We've got a<br />
problem with so and so, Will." "Mr. Brenner, what do I do about this?" flourishing<br />
a piece of paper in front of his face. The questions were endless and continuous,<br />
all the way to his office.<br />
As he placed his briefcase on the desk he didn't release it, the gabble of voices<br />
around him seemed to fade in intensity. Something inside was telling him that he'd<br />
259
Will Bonner<br />
had enough. Picking up the briefcase he turned and walked out again.<br />
"Where are you going Mr. Brenner? Are you alright Will?" He just kept going,<br />
his entourage following him like a group of beggar boys in Bombay, until he<br />
cleared the building into the street. The group stood there, seemingly helpless, their<br />
mouths wide open.<br />
He caught the next train and finally the local bus back to Vermont and home.<br />
He sat on the back verandah, the sun was warm and it was so peaceful. Within the<br />
hour a car pulled into the driveway and they tried to persuade him to go back, but<br />
there was nothing on God's earth that would move him back to the brink of<br />
insanity, and eventually they left him alone.<br />
Dorothy was not home and he sat there in silence with the full realization of<br />
what he had done. She was leaving work, the baby was due soon. Now he was<br />
out of a job and it was his own fault. It was the moment for self chastisement and<br />
he didn't spare the whip.<br />
260
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
Chapter 12<br />
The Byer Tapes<br />
Will's life was a mess. The only stable element was Dorothy, and the expected<br />
arrival, and he was perilously close to destabilizing even that. Dorothy was now<br />
seven months and had left work. There was no income coming in, and what little<br />
they had accumulated in the bank, would soon be gone.<br />
All the external forces instrumental with putting him under pressure had now<br />
ceased. Even the organization had stopped contacting him, probably because<br />
Margaret would be into reorganizing, which could take quite some time, perhaps<br />
as much as a year.<br />
As each day passed he was slowly coming to the realization that he was sitting<br />
waiting for something to happen, but nothing did. There was plenty of work out<br />
there but he was scared to make a move in case he got thrust into turmoil once<br />
again. Dorothy kept suggesting that he should perhaps try to get work locally.<br />
Every evening on the train he had noticed a small factory located just before his<br />
stop. The name was Watson Victor and they manufactured Electro-Medical<br />
261
Will Bonner<br />
equipment.<br />
Taking the initiative, Dorothy walked there the following day to ask whether<br />
they had any vacancies. The result of her enquiry was an interview and Will started<br />
work almost immediately.<br />
From the very first day, he settled into an atmosphere that was tailored to<br />
rectify his failing mental condition. The pace was easy, nobody rushed, and the<br />
work was interesting. Things could have been better financially, but it was sufficient<br />
to get things at home back on an even keel.<br />
The factory employed no more than fifty people and consisted of a machine<br />
shop, electrical production department, test room, and a research and<br />
development section. Raw materials came into one end of the factory and the<br />
finished product out the other.<br />
Within the month he was beginning to feel his old self again and a move into<br />
the test room with more money even made things better, added to that was the<br />
reassurance that he was close to home with Dorothy getting nearer to her time.<br />
It all started to happen late one Saturday morning, and Will took Dorothy to<br />
the Royal Victoria Hospital, in the Melbourne city centre, in the early afternoon.<br />
He would not be visiting until the following lunch time.<br />
There was plenty of time to reflect on what was happening when he got back<br />
to an empty house. The end bedroom next to their own had been equipped as a<br />
nursery. Will had made a large cot with end cupboards and drawers to house a<br />
bath, with both storage and hanging space for clothes.<br />
He stood, trying to imagine what the next few days would be like. Looking out<br />
of the window the trees were losing their leaves - it was autumn. As with the<br />
weather, he had no control over what was happening, and all he could hope for<br />
was that everything would go well.<br />
On Sunday morning, just before lunch time, Will walked up the five floors to<br />
see Dorothy. He could see by the look on her face that it had happened.<br />
Louise Anne had been born in the early hours of the morning around 6 a.m.<br />
It was the 6th of May 1956, the year of the Olympic games in Melbourne, and<br />
television was being launched simultaneously to show the events.<br />
The year went by without incident. The organization had not made<br />
contact. He had watched Louise go through the stages of growing into a toddler,<br />
always with the niggling thought in the back of his mind that he could suddenly find<br />
262
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
himself struggling through another clandestine affair, in an effort to keep the family<br />
out of that part of his life. Early the following year, Dorothy was pregnant again,<br />
and throughout the whole nine months, no connections were made by either Tony<br />
or Margaret.<br />
Everything had gone well until the evening of 26th November 1957. It was<br />
Tuesday and Dorothy suddenly went into labour. She was pottering in the garden<br />
at the time and bending over with the pain. Panic stations developed and Will took<br />
Louise up to Ivan's house to leave her there. Even at that age she took everything<br />
seriously. She didn't say a word, but her little lower lip was quivering and it looked<br />
for a moment that she was going to burst into tears. Will's heart skipped a beat,<br />
but he had no other choice but to leave her.<br />
Ivan followed close behind in his car as Will raced down the Maroondah<br />
Highway, his foot flat down on the accelerator and with horn blazing as he ran<br />
through the red traffic lights. Ivan said afterwards that there was a trail of sparks<br />
shooting out of the vehicle's exhaust pipe!<br />
Two maternity nurses were waiting at the front door of the Box Hill hospital<br />
and they ushered Dorothy into the elevator. Will looked around for Ivan but he<br />
had turned around and gone back. There was nothing more he could do so he<br />
slowly made his way back home to pick up Louise.<br />
It was only a seven mile drive but on arrival at Ivan's he came running out and<br />
he was having a job to contain his excitement. "Dorothy's had the baby. It's a boy,<br />
congratulations! They said if you go back you can see him."<br />
Will high tailed it back to the hospital, and was leaving the elevator on the<br />
maternity floor, just as they wheeled Dorothy and Mark Andrew out into the<br />
corridor, on a trolley. He was a big baby - nine pounds, three and a half ozs, and<br />
twenty-one inches long, born at 10.27 p.m. but he was screaming so loudly that<br />
it was impossible to conduct any conversation other than to be told that Mark was<br />
in pain and that a consultant was on his way in to see him. Dorothy was fine, but<br />
as Will left to go home he could still hear those screams ringing in his ears for a<br />
long time afterwards.<br />
It was close to midnight when he arrived to pick up Louise. Instead of finding<br />
her asleep she was sitting with a look of despair on her face. Ivan's wife looked<br />
embarrassed. "She wouldn't let me put her to bed. She just sat and waited."<br />
"Don't worry, it's good to know that she's been in safe hands." Inside however,<br />
263
Will Bonner<br />
he felt sick with Louise's little hand gripping him so tightly, there was no mistaking<br />
that she was sending him a message. He picked her up and carried her home and<br />
within minutes she was fast asleep.<br />
Will lay on the bed, his mind was split in two. On the one side was Mark<br />
screaming his head off, and on the other, the quiet despair of Louise being left with,<br />
in her mind, strangers. Their respective families still lived in England, thirteen<br />
thousand miles away, and they would have to accept being on their own.<br />
Visiting the hospital next day, Will learned that Mark had sustained a<br />
greenstick fracture of his collar bone whilst he was being born, and it would take<br />
him awhile to get better. It seemed completely out of keeping to see this little baby<br />
with his arm in a sling!<br />
Will's associate in the test room at work was away, consequently, he could not<br />
take any time off. The routine of leaving Louise at Ivan's each day, then being with<br />
her briefly in the early evening before visiting the hospital was painful, to say the<br />
least. He could see that she was suffering in silence by the look on her face when<br />
he picked her up to take her home.<br />
A few days later Dorothy came home with baby Mark, so now they were a<br />
family of four and everyone settled down to a more secure routine. Needless to<br />
say, Louise was more often than not clinging to her mother, probably wondering<br />
when she was going to be whisked away again!<br />
It had been nearly three years now since making the move to Watson-Victor,<br />
and Louise was approaching her third birthday. By now he had covered every<br />
aspect of the work that was required of him, and things had remained easy, with<br />
no challenges or trauma, consequently, he was in excellent condition mentally.<br />
The only factor that he realized he would have to address, sooner or later, was<br />
the financial aspect. There were very few pay rises, and very little prospect of<br />
anything forthcoming on the horizon. One of the employee's would occasionally<br />
help him out in the test-room, a man by the name of Frank Churchill and it was he<br />
who provided him with the answer.<br />
"I'm leaving next week Will."<br />
"Have you got a job to go to?"<br />
"Yes, there's a company in the city and they're still looking for television<br />
engineers. Do you want me to put a word in for you?"<br />
Will was wary, as things stood at the moment he was as secure as he could<br />
264
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
ever be. "Drop in and let me know how you get on." After Frank had left Will<br />
found it difficult to get the thought out of his mind that he could possibly get back<br />
into television.<br />
Frank was back visiting the test-room only one week later, enthusiastic about<br />
the company and the work. He had been supplied with a vehicle, but Will gasped<br />
when he learned that the salary was nearly double to what he was currently<br />
earning.<br />
"If you're interested I can pick you up tomorrow morning and take you in to<br />
meet the Manager. With your qualifications he'll employ you straightway."<br />
Will didn't hesitate, he was ready for any challenge now that he'd had the<br />
benefit of what could only be described as a long spell of rehabilitation. He talked<br />
excitedly with Dorothy that night about the prospects of their finances getting such<br />
a big boost. It would take them clear out of the doldrums.<br />
The conditions of employment were simple. If you could handle the job you<br />
were in, if you couldn't you were out. Problem solving in electronics was second<br />
nature to Will, he had no misgivings about throwing himself into the work.<br />
This particular branch of the company employed around forty field engineers<br />
and it's electronics workshops were located just north of the city centre. Covering<br />
the whole of the Melbourne metropolitan area and the surrounding suburbs on a<br />
daily basis, this small segment of the company was minuscule in comparison to the<br />
size of the overall organization.<br />
Will was just settling down to the daily work routine when a note appeared in<br />
his message box which he checked each day before leaving to go on the road. It<br />
simply read "please phone Margaret" Tony. Will looked around him, his<br />
conscience playing tricks, but he had no need for concern. The department was<br />
always buzzing with activity at this time of the morning, everyone was eager to<br />
clear the building and get to their first call.<br />
It was a good fifteen mile drive to his first job enabling him enough time to<br />
chew things over. It had been a long time since the episode with Dan at<br />
Margaret's hide-a-way. He had a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach, a likeness<br />
to eating something that was now having a detrimental effect. Tony must have been<br />
tracking his activities to be able to leave the message. It was written by one of the<br />
office girls on a company's telephone message pad. Once started, his work<br />
demanded his total attention, consequently, he gave it no further thought until he<br />
265
Will Bonner<br />
was driving home.<br />
Dorothy and the children were in the garden when he arrived and after<br />
spending some time with them he went inside and looked up Margaret's phone<br />
number. The phone had now been installed and he sat by the extension in the<br />
bedroom, hesitating at the thought of once again being involved. She answered<br />
immediately, something he had not expected.<br />
"Tony left me a message."<br />
"How are you Will?"<br />
"I'm fine."<br />
"Can you call in and see me one evening?"<br />
"Yes, I suppose so."<br />
"Anytime during the course of the week will do, you know where to come.<br />
I'll be there most evenings."<br />
"It isn't urgent then?"<br />
"No, not this time." Will could hear her laughing quietly, no doubt recalling the<br />
last time she phoned Ivan's house. Will replaced the phone, at least it wasn't urgent<br />
and he felt relieved about that, but as he sat watching the family he knew that it<br />
always started like this, and ended up with some sort of violence or anxiety.<br />
He used the service vehicle to go to Margaret's on the following evening, and<br />
slowed down to let another car pass as he approached the entrance on the bend.<br />
The turn in was so abrupt it would be easy to create an accident. Parking the<br />
vehicle so as to hide the company markings, he climbed the stairs to the house.<br />
The door was open and he could see Margaret engaged on the telephone. He<br />
stepped into view and she beckoned for him to take a seat. By the time he had<br />
settled down he heard the receiver click back into place and she came and sat<br />
opposite him.<br />
"You look fit Will."<br />
"You don't look too bad yourself, how is the job shaping up?"<br />
"It's going like clockwork, it couldn't be better."<br />
"We'll have to change that, won't we?" They both laughed.<br />
"Violent changes do seem to occur when you're around."<br />
"You sent for me, so you're bringing it on yourself. Have you got yourself<br />
another husband yet?"<br />
"No, but you've got yourself a couple of children."<br />
266
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
Will took her last statement as a veiled threat and he launched a verbal barrage<br />
against her.<br />
"I'm glad to see that you're still in good form Will, but there was no need for<br />
that. We always promised to be straight with each other. If I know everything<br />
that's going on, I'm surely in a better position to act in the best interest, regarding<br />
your welfare."<br />
"I'm sorry Margaret I went off at half cock, why am I here?"<br />
"There's some new surveillance equipment being evaluated and I'd like your<br />
advice."<br />
"Have you got the equipment here?"<br />
"No, just the information, I don't want it around until I know that it's going to<br />
be satisfactory. The general consensus of opinion is that it's what we want." She<br />
went over to her briefcase and taking out a bunch of papers dropped them next<br />
to Will. "Look at those and tell me what you think, in the meantime, would you like<br />
a cup of coffee?"<br />
"No, no thanks."<br />
"I make a shocking cup of coffee don't I?" Will hesitated.<br />
"You can be frank."<br />
"Yes."<br />
"In that case I'll get you a lemonade."<br />
Will slowly looked over the information and Margaret sat and waited. He<br />
discarded the last paper and looked up. "Well?"<br />
"None of them will be any good for you."<br />
"Not any?"<br />
"No."<br />
"I can't just tell them it's no good. I have to give a reason."<br />
"There's nothing I've seen that you can't already do with your existing<br />
equipment. To be perfectly blunt, some of it is far less efficient. Furthermore, it's<br />
already outdated, and before you get it into full service, it will have been<br />
superseded."<br />
"By what?"<br />
"Transistors are taking the place of valves. They will revolutionize the<br />
electronics industry, especially in the area of surveillance, because the overall size<br />
of the electronics will be reduced drastically, including the battery supplies. I would<br />
267
Will Bonner<br />
advise that you hold on to your existing equipment for awhile, in the meantime, you<br />
can adapt it to do more types of work for very little cost. All that's required is a<br />
bit of ingenuity from your agents to come up with new ways."<br />
"Would you be prepared to help me?"<br />
"It's been an agreement all along since I first met Ed that I would do that,<br />
provided he kept his end of the bargain and he always did."<br />
"We're not talking about Ed now, only me."<br />
"Nothing's happened from my point of view to change the arrangement."<br />
Margaret sat with a blank look on her face. "I can't believe what I've just been<br />
advised, you've probably saved us thousands! How are you privy to this<br />
advanced information?”<br />
Will burst out laughing, he couldn't contain himself. "Go to any electronics<br />
establishment that's worth it's salt anywhere in the country and ask a sixteen year<br />
old apprentice and he'll tell you the same thing. You should have someone in the<br />
group that's keeping you up-to-date, Tony could organize that I'm sure."<br />
"I'll look into it, but in the meantime you'll still advise me?"<br />
"Yes." Will stood up prepared to leave. "That's all, I hope."<br />
"No, there's something more important I want to talk to you about. Can you<br />
spare another half an hour or do you have to get back?"<br />
"I can spare that much time, what's it all about?"<br />
"All of my reorganization is now in place and working well, but there's one<br />
element that's missing. It is only required occasionally, and needs your special type<br />
of application." Will could feel history repeating itself, he knew what was coming<br />
but could do nothing to stop it. The look on his face brought an immediate<br />
response from Margaret, she moved over to sit next to him. "I know what you're<br />
thinking Will, but just listen me out." She was close enough for Will to smell her<br />
perfume. He discreetly turned his head to try and get out of range, it's presence<br />
seemed completely alien to the nature of their conversation.<br />
"I've been looking into your history and in the majority of cases, when you<br />
move to new work, it seems that within a short period of time you get elevated to<br />
positions of responsibility. I think the same thing will happen where you are now,<br />
which will mean that you will get the opportunity of visiting the homes and business<br />
places of notable people, here in Melbourne. When these occasions arise I want<br />
to be in a position to ask you to look out for certain information."<br />
268
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
"What sort of information?"<br />
"It could be anything, perhaps just a simple observation."<br />
"It won't work."<br />
"Why not?"<br />
"I don't know where I'm going on any day until I arrive in the morning."<br />
"Yes, that will be awkward, I'll have to find a way around that."<br />
Will's brain was tabulating what she was saying and the only conclusion he was<br />
coming to was that the more Margaret talked the more he seemed to be getting<br />
pulled into the organization. "Look Margaret, I used to quarrel with Ed because<br />
of the very thing you're doing. I always reminded him that I wasn't one of his<br />
agents."<br />
"Well, we're not going to fall out because I can help you in a way that Ed<br />
couldn't."<br />
"How so?"<br />
"I have more influence than he had and since I promised to help cover you<br />
from any further blackmail, I've given the subject a lot of thought."<br />
"But if you've already given an assurance, why should more thought be<br />
necessary?"<br />
"Because I think you're going about things the wrong way."<br />
"What things?"<br />
"You never allowed Ed to record the work you did for him, especially that<br />
which was valuable to the organization. Tony knows only part of it and he would<br />
be of very little use to you, in a crisis. I've had to ask you to find out for myself,<br />
and when I add up all the things you've done, it becomes a sizable benefit for the<br />
organization. Plenty to use as a counterbalance against any individual, like Derek<br />
Bates the English agent when he was trying to blackmail you." Will didn't answer,<br />
he was weighing up the pro's and con's.<br />
"I could set up a dossier now without telling you, but apart from the agreement<br />
that we've made it would be a stupid risk on my part. If ever you found out it<br />
would be the end of our relationship, we couldn't work together if that happened."<br />
Will was slowly coming to the conclusion that something was being suggested<br />
which could benefit him in the future, and she seemed to be genuinely trying to<br />
help, but he mustn't lose sight of the fact that people like Margaret had their own<br />
agenda's. The existence of a dossier could work both ways, and in the wrong<br />
269
Will Bonner<br />
hands, be detrimental for him.<br />
"I understand everything you've said and it makes some sense, but it's what<br />
you haven't said that worries me. If there's something you're holding back it would<br />
be best I know now, otherwise everything could backfire on you."<br />
Margaret stood up and walked into the kitchen without answering. She would<br />
normally respond without hesitation so Will concluded that she was buying time.<br />
He followed her and stood watching whilst she busied herself doing things that any<br />
woman would do in the kitchen. Opening one of the drawers next to the sink<br />
exposed a number of butcher's knives and a rolling pin. "Which one are you<br />
intending to use on me? A knife or the rolling pin?"<br />
She burst into laugher and then turned, her face becoming serious. "I'll never<br />
forget the night Dan came here, I'm certain that he intended to push me over the<br />
deck railing. You saved my life and I told you then that I was indebted to you."<br />
Will was embarrassed. He walked out of the kitchen and stood in the centre<br />
of the living-room. "I must get back, but before I go I think I know of a way to<br />
inform you in advance where I'll be on the day, if I deem it necessary. All I have<br />
to do is arrange another visit to return with component parts, I'd phone you before<br />
I go for the second time."<br />
"You won't have any trouble?"<br />
"No, it's standard procedure."<br />
"That's terrific, it will save me from having to set up a special link. What we've<br />
talked about is acceptable then?"<br />
"Yes, unless something crops up to warrant a change." They walked down the<br />
stairs and over to Will's service vehicle.<br />
"With the type of work you do you could go anywhere during the course of<br />
the day, and no one would question why you were there."<br />
"Don't let that scheming little mind of yours run away with itself. I've still got<br />
plenty of constraints to deal with."<br />
"I guess so. Goodbye Will, I'd like you to pass on my regards to Dorothy, but<br />
I know you can't."<br />
"That's one of the downsides to your job, it's something you'll have to put up<br />
with."<br />
Will looked in the rear vision mirror as he slowly steered down the steep<br />
driveway. He could see Margaret watching him drive away and she remained<br />
270
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
there until the car fell below the line of sight. As he travelled the country road<br />
back to Vermont he had not lost sight of the fact that Margaret was an agent, a<br />
spy, and probably a brilliant one at that. Everything had seemed so plausible, but<br />
that could be part of her brilliance. He must not allow his attitude towards the<br />
organization to change.<br />
Even though his job was demanding he enjoyed the constant challenge to his<br />
expertise, but more so the fact that he totally controlled the activities of his day.<br />
As time went by, Margaret's prediction began to materialize. He was allotted<br />
specialized electronic's work, and in addition, calls to well known people, the first,<br />
a female television personality who was gaining a lot of popularity at the time. Her<br />
husband was also appearing on the box. The house was situated in a well-to-do<br />
area and they had quite an audio visual set-up.<br />
Will appeared around mid morning and she had taken him into a large room<br />
capable of entertaining fifty people or more. All the equipment was situated at the<br />
far end, housed in oak cabinets. The room contained sundry easy chairs positioned<br />
in various places, but the main seating consisted of two large four seater settees,<br />
which stretched across the room in front of the equipment, also taking advantage<br />
of a big screen television set, which had broken down. Will moved the unit<br />
forward to get to the rear and kneeling behind it, started work.<br />
The television personality was a tall, thin blonde, wearing oversized sunglasses.<br />
Why do these people wear dark glasses? Perhaps they've got something to hide.<br />
She sat on the settee directly in front of the TV and picked up a magazine from a<br />
small table to read. Not aware that Will could see her through the ventilation grill<br />
in the front of the cabinet, she temporarily removed her dark glasses and Will<br />
nearly fell over backwards with what he saw. She had the biggest black eye he<br />
had seen in a long time.<br />
It was an easy job to rectify the fault, less than ten minutes and he was on his<br />
way, carrying with him personal information and he could hear Margaret's<br />
comment ringing in his ear "perhaps just a simple observation" there's got to be<br />
other people that know she's being abused, and his mind turned to Joanna. Some<br />
time later, it all came out in the newspapers. Her husband had become an alcoholic<br />
and he was knocking her about. It ended in divorce.<br />
Other situations followed but they were sporadic, appearing out of the blue<br />
and invariably involved a morning visit. None were significant enough to instigate<br />
271
Will Bonner<br />
a call to Margaret but the pattern continued, until one morning, Will was<br />
replenishing his component stock when he was called to the office.<br />
Vince Bowker was the engineer that covered any calls to the Governor's<br />
mansion, but he was away sick. A film was being made in Melbourne called "On<br />
the Beach" starring Gregory Peck and Ava Gardiner.<br />
"Tomorrow morning we want you to install and commission some TV and<br />
audio. Gregory Peck and Ava Gardner are to be guests of the Governor at the<br />
mansion during their time in Melbourne, "when you've finished show Mr. Peck<br />
how to use the equipment," followed by an afterthought, "don't disgrace us by<br />
looking like a scruff - be suitably dressed."<br />
"I'll wear a clean white coat, if that's what you mean."<br />
At the first opportunity after leaving the building, Will stopped at a public call<br />
box and dialled Margaret's number. "It's Will, I need to see you. Can you be at the<br />
usual place, say late this afternoon?"<br />
"Yes, I'll be there. What's it about?"<br />
"Tell you then."<br />
Will pulled out all the stops to get finished early and it was approaching 4.30<br />
p.m. when he parked in the now familiar place. Margaret's chevrolet was there<br />
and he stood for a moment looking around at the scenery before climbing up to the<br />
house, it was an idyllic setting. She was in the kitchen making a drink.<br />
"That's not coffee is it?"<br />
She smiled. "No." Will walked across the living-room and out on to the deck.<br />
"What have you got to tell me Will?" Margaret had followed him and sat in one<br />
of the chairs.<br />
"Your prediction is coming to fruition. I've had several jobs at prominent<br />
addresses and tomorrow I'm going to the Governor's mansion."<br />
Margaret nearly choked on her drink, she spluttered as she spoke. "You did<br />
say the Governor's mansion?"<br />
"Yes. The stars that are making a film here are guests of the Governor, and we<br />
have to set up temporary TV and audio."<br />
"There's nothing we need to know about the Governor."<br />
"I didn't think there would be, but now that these special jobs are becoming<br />
more prevalent I thought it best to let you know."<br />
"There is something you can do when you go tomorrow."<br />
272
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
"What's that?"<br />
"Let me know what restrictions you come across. They may not let you out of<br />
their sight. If they do, see how far you can wander around the premises without<br />
being questioned, but be careful, you may be being watched."<br />
"I know what you want. There are checks I can do in certain areas that would<br />
be legitimate and within the company's policies, which I always adhere by to be<br />
on the safe side." The conversation appeared to have reached it's limit and Will<br />
made moves to leave.<br />
"Tell me Will, when you're out there taking risks, how do you feel?"<br />
He didn't have to think about the answer. "If I'm on my own I can keep my<br />
nerves under control, but with someone else there I get uptight, waiting for<br />
something to go wrong from start to finish, probably because it's happened on<br />
more than one occasion. Why do you ask?"<br />
"I have someone that may be able to look after the equipment, but he's young<br />
and needs coaching. Would you be prepared to do that?"<br />
Will felt a glimmer of hope arising at the prospects of reducing his activities<br />
with the organization, but he'd experienced the feeling before and been<br />
disappointed.<br />
"Does it mean that he could eventually take over?"<br />
"I don't think so, but he could help you quite a bit, make your life a lot easier."<br />
"Did you choose him?"<br />
"Yes, he's a third year apprentice in electronics. He had his sights set on a<br />
career with the police force, but after looking into it changed his mind and it threw<br />
him into a quandary. A contact we have in the police force passed him on to us."<br />
"Poor sod." They both laughed. To Will, even the slightest chance of reducing<br />
his activities was worth a shot.<br />
"I'll give it a go. When can I meet this young man?"<br />
"He has his own small workshop, I'll arrange for you to meet him there. Tony<br />
can see to it that some of the equipment is available at that time."<br />
Driving home, the events of the following day were furthest from his mind. It<br />
was usual for all electronic's apprentices to do the assembly work and get<br />
projects ready for final testing and approval. This could mean that there would be<br />
no need for him to accommodate working on devices at home. He felt a cautious<br />
optimism.<br />
273
Will Bonner<br />
There was very little in the way of tools or components needed for the job at<br />
the Governor's mansion, but after checking to make sure he had everything, and<br />
snapping his equipment boxes closed, a familiar voice called out to him from<br />
across the other side of the workshop. It was Vince Bowker and he made his<br />
way over. "I heard you're doing one of my jobs for me."<br />
"Yes, I was told you were sick."<br />
"I felt better this morning so I thought I'd come in and see how I got on."<br />
"Has the work been rearranged then?"<br />
"No, I think we should both go in case the installation needs moving around."<br />
Will breathed a sigh of relief. It may be even better to have a second engineer<br />
there, he could perhaps give more time to what was going on around him rather<br />
than getting bound up with technicalities. Furthermore, Vince would be able to<br />
verify his movements.<br />
The mansion lived up to it's name, located in it's own grounds which were<br />
impeccably upkept. Stepping inside, the sensation of being thrust into the Victorian<br />
age was profound. A wide stairway curved up to the floors above dominating the<br />
entrance hall, which was large enough in itself to hold a reception. Antique furniture<br />
and paintings were in abundance, and their voices echoed as they walked across<br />
the polished marble floor.<br />
"I suppose you've been here a few times Vince?"<br />
"I sure have. I'll show you the way up to the guest-rooms, that's where we<br />
have to do the installation."<br />
The sitting-rooms next to the guest bedrooms were plush and they set about<br />
hooking up the equipment. There wasn't a soul about, the security man at the main<br />
gate was the only person they had seen. Within minutes the installation was<br />
complete.<br />
"We'll go down below to find someone to organize things for us, there's usually<br />
a man in a small office next to the study."<br />
They descended the stairs, both turning to look up. Gregory Peck was coming<br />
down with Ava Gardner following close behind. Vince had an outgoing personality<br />
and always jumped in both feet first.<br />
"I'll take Miss. Gardner, you take Mr. Peck."<br />
"You crafty bugger!" but by the time Will had the words out of his mouth,<br />
Vince was accosting them on the stairway.<br />
274
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
The equipment was simple and the operating instructions took very little time<br />
to impart, but as he knelt shoulder to shoulder with Mr. Peck he momentarily<br />
imagined what millions of fans would do to be in his position at that moment.<br />
Afterwards Vince joined him in the guest sitting-room.<br />
"You didn't push her for a date did you?" Both men laughed, but Will had to<br />
find a way to get more time to look around the mansion.<br />
"I think we should try to improve the picture quality, don't you?"<br />
"Yes, it might be worth a try. I thought it was borderline as well."<br />
"There's got to be an antenna booster somewhere in the building."<br />
"You go and have a look, I'll wait here for you." Vince walked over to a<br />
chaise-longue and picking up a magazine sat down. "A few minutes relaxation will<br />
do me the world of good, take your time Will."<br />
The place appeared deserted, enabling him to check the interiors of all the<br />
rooms. He finished up in the study expecting to see a man in the adjacent office,<br />
but it too was vacant. He stood for a few seconds acquainting himself with the<br />
contents of the room.<br />
"Can I help you?" Will jumped completely taken off guard. He'd been foolish<br />
to be so complacent. Pivoting around on his heel the man confronting him was<br />
small, dressed in pinstriped trousers with a matching waistcoat, his white shirt<br />
sleeves were partially folded up to just below his elbows. He looked the epitome<br />
of a civil servant.<br />
"Yes, we're finishing off the installation in the guest-rooms."<br />
"Are you with Vince?"<br />
"Yes, he's waiting for me upstairs. I'm looking for the services that supply the<br />
upstairs."<br />
"There's a small locker-room next to the guest bathrooms. It has a dual<br />
purpose to store bed linen, etcetera."<br />
Will mounted the stairs. Thank heavens Vince had decided to come, it might<br />
have been awkward otherwise. Quickly finding the amplifier, he turned up the gain.<br />
He had completed what he had wanted to do, and it was now time to leave.<br />
The remainder of the day was easy. He had been given a reduced schedule to<br />
allow for the job at the Governor's mansion, and it was only 3.30 p.m. when he<br />
called at Margaret's place, fully expecting her not to be there, but she was.<br />
"It must be super to work in the environment you have here, but don't they<br />
275
Will Bonner<br />
miss you back at the office?"<br />
"They can always get me on the phone. I can get more work done without<br />
interruption."<br />
"I don't suppose keeping the place secret was valid once Dan knew of it's<br />
existence?"<br />
"That's true, but as far as you and I are concerned I've taken out a service<br />
contract with your company, so that when a service vehicle appears it's not<br />
suspect. Furthermore, I can ask for you to be given the call on your way home, I<br />
know that customers ask for their favourite engineer, so my asking for you will not<br />
be out of place."<br />
Will smiled. "I'd better bring my equipment up with me next time then, to<br />
complete the picture."<br />
"Yes, you're now officially my favourite engineer!"<br />
Will outlined what had transpired at the Governor's mansion, and it could not<br />
have been other than satisfactory to her. The case for security always amazed Will.<br />
In the high profile areas there was precious little to be seen, but if you attempted<br />
to breach the average company's office perimeter you could expect to be stopped<br />
before you got across the threshold.<br />
Will became engrossed in his work, there was plenty to do and hardly enough<br />
hours in the day. Nothing of consequence happened that required phoning<br />
Margaret but he knew that Tony would eventually make contact regarding the<br />
young engineer. In the meantime, he was enjoying a welcome detachment from the<br />
organization, hoping it would continue for awhile longer. There was one incident<br />
that did occur however, which was in no way connected.<br />
He was asked to do a job at a house in Toorak which was located next door<br />
to the Prime Minister's residence. There was no partition fence between the<br />
properties, the driveways practically merging into one as they curved out towards<br />
the road. To keep the circular driveway clear Will parked his service vehicle<br />
around the back and let himself in as instructed, as there was no one home. This<br />
was not an unusual occurrence.<br />
The fault was an intermittent one so Will had to set up his instruments to wait<br />
for it to occur. He sat looking across the patio, it was so quiet and peaceful, he<br />
could have relaxed back and closed his eyes but it would be fatal to be caught<br />
asleep.<br />
276
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
One hour later the equipment faulted enabling him to fix it. Collecting his tools<br />
together he closed the front door behind him and stepped out on to the driveway<br />
but was immediately riveted to the spot.<br />
There were two large black limousines in the Prime Minster's driveway and<br />
standing no more that thirty to forty feet away was the President of the United<br />
States, Linden Johnson, looking across at him with a quizzical look on his face.<br />
Ten or so secret service agents stood momentarily with their mouths open, and<br />
then about four of them lurched forward in Will's direction.<br />
He braced himself for the worst, but they had only taken a few steps before<br />
a shout rang out. By this time, the President had been pushed into the limousine,<br />
and the agents turned on their heels, jumped on to the running board as it sped out<br />
to the road, leaving Will standing alone in the silence, listening to the only sound of<br />
any significance - the singing of the birds. The whole incident had taken just a few<br />
seconds.<br />
There was a note in his message slot one morning, only two words "phone<br />
Tony" he would wait until he arrived home that evening. Once again Tony<br />
answered at the first attempt, his attitude over the phone seemed upbeat,<br />
everything must have been going okay.<br />
"I've got everything organized for you to see the person Margaret talked to<br />
you about."<br />
"What suburb does he live in?"<br />
"Preston."<br />
Blast! The distance from home was more than he had anticipated, a good<br />
hour's drive there and back.<br />
"I want to get a date and time from you, but I won't give you any details over<br />
the phone. I'll get them to you another way."<br />
"For the first time it would be better for me to go during daylight hours, so it<br />
will have to be the weekend, say this Saturday, early in the afternoon."<br />
"I know that will be okay, he'll expect you."<br />
Another note appeared at his place of work, this time sealed. He didn't like<br />
Tony's way of relaying messages, it left very much to be desired. Opening the<br />
envelope revealed a single sheet of paper with a name and address written on it<br />
in long hand. The name was Adam Beresford, it rang no bells for Will. He was<br />
eager to meet this young man to find out what effect he could have on his life. For<br />
277
Will Bonner<br />
the better he was hoping!<br />
It was a hot afternoon, the sun at it's peak when he turned into the street.<br />
Preston was an older suburb and the buildings reflected that fact. Some of the<br />
weatherboard houses looked in need of repair and a coat of paint, but all enjoyed<br />
fairly large plots of land. The house in question appeared to be a standard three<br />
bedroom bungalow, standing well back from the road. Pulling into the driveway<br />
Will got out and walked towards the house. He had only taken half a dozen paces<br />
when a young man stepped out from the back and ran towards him, leaving Will<br />
in no doubt that he had been waiting for his arrival.<br />
He was short and stocky, with broad shoulders. As he approached with<br />
outstretched hand he seemed to be bubbling over with enthusiasm. Gripping Will<br />
by the hand he shook it so violently, it was painful. "Will Brenner?"<br />
"Yes. Adam Beresford?"<br />
"Yes. I know you, I've seen you before."<br />
"Where would that be?"<br />
"You're a member of the Institute of Sound Engineers. I saw you at one of the<br />
lectures and also when you gave a technical demonstration there. I was at a lecture<br />
at Electronic Industries one night when you were there too."<br />
Will was taken aback by this young man's highly developed interest in<br />
technical gatherings that were conducted around town. Whilst all this was going on<br />
he was energetically leading Will to a building situated some distance from the<br />
back of the main house. They walked through the first section which consisted of<br />
living quarters, Adam explaining. "I live here, my parents live in the house," then<br />
through to quite a large room equipped as an electronics workshop. Will glanced<br />
around and was impressed.<br />
It would have served a fully qualified engineer well, let alone an apprentice.<br />
Adam began enthusing about the equipment and a new project he had just started<br />
and Will realized that if he didn't take control of the situation it could go on ad<br />
infinitum. "Shall we sit down somewhere so that we can talk?"<br />
Adam stopped abruptly, the blank look on his face indicating that his brain had<br />
changed pace and was starting to think that there were matters to discuss, other<br />
than electronics. They retired to his living-room and sat down. If I pump him for<br />
information the others will find out. Margaret hadn't given him any other<br />
information about Adam, other than technical, they would no doubt question him<br />
278
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
about the meeting.<br />
"How long have you been with Margaret's group?"<br />
"I'm still finishing my apprenticeship so I'm not officially with them yet, not for<br />
a couple of months. But I've been looking into the type of work and have become<br />
very interested."<br />
"Who are you with at the moment?"<br />
"Amalgamated Wireless of Australasia."<br />
Will knew the company well, a very prestigious firm. Adam will have served<br />
an excellent apprenticeship.<br />
"Have you looked at the equipment that the group is using at the moment?"<br />
"Yes, but I'm a bit worried."<br />
"About what?"<br />
"Tony's asking me about upgrading, and I don't feel confident enough to do it."<br />
"Can you build circuits from diagrams and do preliminary testing?"<br />
"Yes, and I enjoy doing that."<br />
"Tell Tony to see me about the upgrading. When I've decided how to go about<br />
it we can put our heads together and come up with how best to achieve it. Tony<br />
doesn't understand how electronics are derived, he could even ask you to do<br />
something that hasn't been invented yet!"<br />
"That's a relief, I didn't want to fail on my first project."<br />
"I think you'll do just fine, take things one step at a time. Are you doing<br />
anything with transistors yet?"<br />
"Yes, but they are very expensive."<br />
"Ask Margaret to order say, ten or a dozen from Mullard, I've already spoken<br />
to her about using them. They will reduce the size of the units which will be a<br />
terrific advantage when they have to be carried around."<br />
Adam's enthusiasm started to surface again. "You can now show me the<br />
projects you're working on."<br />
"You haven't asked me about my passing grades?"<br />
"I don't need to know. As I've just said a minute ago I think you'll do fine."<br />
Will found it difficult to get away as they moved from one subject to another,<br />
but was beginning to see the possible advantage he could gain by having him<br />
around. Adam was completely dedicated and whenever projects were envisaged,<br />
he would handle the majority of the work, which was going to be beneficial.<br />
279
Will Bonner<br />
Over the next month the surveillance equipment modification got underway.<br />
Adam became a perfect go-between with regard to technical matters, making it<br />
unnecessary for him to see Tony or Margaret. This welcome detachment was a<br />
relief.<br />
On occasions, he would get snippets of information about activities within the<br />
group, inadvertently passed on by Adam. Because of the nature of Adam's<br />
involvement, they could talk openly on the telephone and he could bring finished<br />
equipment to Will's workshop at home, giving him more time with the family, than<br />
he would otherwise have had.<br />
The changes in the equipment were so basic that no challenges were involved<br />
and Will began to wonder whether any form of imagination existed within the<br />
group. Margaret was obviously just letting things happen on the technical front,<br />
taking for granted that the equipment was in the forefront of technology. He had<br />
no other choice but to make contact with her to discuss what was going on.<br />
Since first meeting with Margaret he had never bothered to find out anything<br />
about her, and all channels of communication were of her own making. Other than<br />
the hideaway, he knew she had an apartment in the city near her father, but that<br />
was all.<br />
He had made arrangements for Adam to bring over some equipment for<br />
approval before being passed on. It was late in the night when they were wrapping<br />
things up.<br />
"Where did Margaret first interview you Adam?"<br />
"At the agency in Little Collins Street in the city, you know the one."<br />
"At the south end?"<br />
"No, in the arcade of offices next to the tourist bureau. They are at the far end<br />
before you emerge into Little Collins Street."<br />
Will was fearful of asking any more questions in case it provoked an adverse<br />
response. "Oh yes, I know the one, it's been ages since I was there. I thought they<br />
had vacated."<br />
"I can't see that happening, there's always plenty of work for Import/Export.<br />
I think it's money for old rope."<br />
"There's no doubt about that."<br />
It had been so easy to get the information, partially extracted and partially<br />
proffered. He would go tomorrow before Adam had any chance of further contact<br />
280
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
with Margaret.<br />
Arriving at the company workshops early, it was his intention to be at<br />
Margaret's office around 9 a.m. Leaving his service vehicle in the company garage<br />
around 8.45 a.m. he took the short walk to the top of Collins Street.<br />
The office was easy to find and he waited until 9.10 a.m. anticipating that by<br />
then everyone would have arrived. Stepping into the outer office he was striving<br />
to come up with an approach because he didn't know Margaret's surname. It was<br />
given to him on a platter.<br />
The girl sitting at the reception desk was on the phone but next to her was a<br />
notice which read "Colonial Import/Export Agency, Margaret Collins Proprietor."<br />
The girl put down the phone but before she had time to speak the door behind her<br />
opened and Margaret stepped out.<br />
For the very first time he witnessed a rare reaction. She looked completely<br />
shocked, and for a second or two was obviously floundering with what to do next.<br />
Turning on her heel she disappeared back into her office.<br />
"Can I help you?"<br />
"Yes, I'd like to see Margaret Collins if it's convenient."<br />
"Have you an appointment?"<br />
"No, but if you let her know I'm here I think she'll see me. I won't take up<br />
much of her time."<br />
She pressed the buzzer and picked up the phone. "Who shall I say is calling?"<br />
"Will Brenner."<br />
Will looked around whilst he was waiting. The office was extremely well<br />
appointed and his mind once again wandered into the realms of working for the<br />
organization. All he had to do was suggest to her that he could act as her technical<br />
manager, or similar title, and she would jump at the chance. He had gone over this<br />
line of thinking a dozen times before and always came to the same conclusion. The<br />
door opened, breaking his line of thought.<br />
Margaret was standing there now completely composed. She was dressed in<br />
business attire, a tailored blue jacket with lapel's and knee high skirt of the same<br />
material. A white blouse under the jacket terminated in ruffles around her neck.<br />
For a moment he was taken off guard. This looked an entirely different woman that<br />
he had become used to meeting.<br />
She beckoned him into her office and then into one behind that, which was as<br />
281
Will Bonner<br />
quiet as a tomb and probably used to get out of earshot of the reception.<br />
"What are you trying to do to me Will Brenner! How did you find out where<br />
I worked?" Will looked across to where she was sitting.<br />
"You are a different woman in this setting aren't you? I'll have to watch my p's<br />
and q's."<br />
"You haven't answered my question."<br />
"Well I'm trying to do something for you, not against you, and you must know<br />
that there are many ways of finding out about your activities. When I did this to Ed<br />
he had a concealed gun at the ready. Where's yours?"<br />
Margaret burst out laughing, the initial tension had been released and she was<br />
back to her old controlled self again. "It was a shock seeing you. You were the last<br />
person I expected. I'm sorry I sounded a bit hard, have you got something to tell<br />
me? Is Adam not satisfactory?"<br />
"No, to the contrary he's fine, and very intelligent technically. But you're<br />
making a mistake not getting involved."<br />
"I don't understand. I know nothing about electronics!"<br />
"You'd be at a disadvantage if you did."<br />
"I still don't understand."<br />
"There's no one guiding him into the future, he's only working on demand.<br />
There will be a time in the future when he'll come to the realization that he's going<br />
over the same old ground and he'll object. Not directly, but in a way that won't be<br />
very productive for you."<br />
"Go on."<br />
"The people in your team that use the surveillance equipment seem to have<br />
wood for brains. What's being asked in the way of upgrades is devoid of<br />
innovation."<br />
"How can we possibly overcome that?"<br />
"If you don't institute something now, in a couple of years you'll be so far<br />
behind, it will be as though you were in the dark ages. Ask Adam to search<br />
constantly through all the electronic papers and magazines, looking for both circuits<br />
and devices that will keep improving what you've got. Ask him to get any relevant<br />
data that he finds, into some form of order, and meet him yourself, at least once<br />
a month, and go over it with him. If anything positive comes out, get him to talk to<br />
me about it. After a few sessions, believe me, you'll start to get a good<br />
282
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
understanding of what's going on and what's needed. My final comment is this."<br />
"It will be disastrous to leave Adam under Tony's supervision for even one<br />
more week. He's a go-getter, extremely enthusiastic, and needs someone with<br />
vision behind him. I will always give him support. I like him, but I can't take on a<br />
role as a member of the organization, there will always be that barrier." Will could<br />
see by the look in her eyes that she was evaluating what he had told her.<br />
"You must think we are primitive."<br />
"No. The electronics field is new to you but it's moving ahead so fast that all<br />
of us are having a job to keep up with it. If you continue to help me I'll always let<br />
you know when there are danger signals flashing."<br />
Will left to go back to work. Getting a late start meant the possibility of not<br />
arriving home to see the children before they were put to bed. He would shift into<br />
high gear in an effort not to let that happen.<br />
During the week he was asked once again to go out to a special job. The<br />
owner and chairman of the company had a prestigious residence in Toorak. He<br />
was to check over all the audio visual equipment. The large house standing in it's<br />
own grounds was surrounded on all sides by a high brick wall.<br />
He was met at the door by Mrs. Byer, the chairman's wife, and she escorted<br />
him through to the rear of the house and into a study where the upper sections of<br />
the walls were lined with books, and the lower level with oak cupboards and<br />
drawers. It was the biggest study Will had ever seen, much larger even than the<br />
one in the Governor's mansion.<br />
At one end were two wide oak doors that opened into an auditorium with<br />
seating for about one hundred people, curtains covering the end wall pulled back<br />
to reveal a movie screen. He was left alone to get on with his work. Before very<br />
long he began to realize that the job was going to be an extensive one.<br />
Individual units of electronics were housed in the oddest of places, and he<br />
finally came to the conclusion that he would spend this first visit locating the various<br />
pieces of equipment. After determining their function, he would then call back the<br />
following day to do some extensive testing.<br />
The house was a rambling expanse and it took Will quite a while to find Mrs.<br />
Byer and let her know of his intention. It brought a response that took Will's breath<br />
away.<br />
"It has to be functioning one hundred per cent for next Monday evening." she<br />
283
Will Bonner<br />
said. "My husband has been on a tour of communist China and Russia and has<br />
movie film, slides, and tapes, to show a group of fifty politicians. They will all be<br />
here on Monday evening, will it be alright for then?"<br />
"I can assure you that it will be, and I'll come back on Monday afternoon to<br />
make certain that everything is in order."<br />
"I'd be most grateful if you could. My husband is so busy he has left it up to<br />
me to see that everything is in order, including the catering."<br />
Will walked back to the study in a daze and he sat on one of the equipment<br />
cases looking around, not quite knowing what to think. Very few people gained<br />
permission to travel behind the Iron Curtain to Russia and China's doors were<br />
clamped shut, consequently, any information coming out of either country was<br />
highly classified. This information was red hot and every individual piece would no<br />
doubt be scrutinized by Australian Intelligence.<br />
What if he ignored it and the organization found out? It would destroy any<br />
goodwill he had built up over recent years and perhaps leave his family open, he<br />
couldn't avoid telling Margaret, and no later than this evening. Today was<br />
Wednesday and discounting the weekend there were only two days left, and<br />
possibly Monday - which might be leaving things late.<br />
Will took a quick look around the area of the house adjacent to the study.<br />
There was only one approach and that was through the living-room. An additional<br />
door at the far end of the theatre was used as a fire exit, opening it led him out into<br />
the garden, but it could not be opened from the outside. The perimeter wall was<br />
about fifty feet away. In the study itself, a single door next to the theatre entrance,<br />
opened into a small projection room.<br />
For the remainder of the day he wrestled with the possibility that the<br />
organization may not be interested in this particular type of information, but deep<br />
down he knew otherwise, and there was no way he could avoid getting involved.<br />
Knowing that he would be very late home he had called in to see Dorothy to let<br />
her know. It was rare for him not to be there before the children were put to bed,<br />
so it would be of little consequence, on this one occasion.<br />
At 8 p.m. Will pulled into the darkness of Margaret's drive, shifting the vehicle<br />
into low gear to cope with the steep climb up to the house. He was fearful that she<br />
might not be there but as the house started to appear roof first, and then the<br />
windows, he could see lights showing from the living-room. They were then<br />
284
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
abruptly extinguished. He stopped immediately, some distance from the house, and<br />
switched off his lights.<br />
This was something he had not expected and he sat looking out into the dark<br />
surroundings, wondering what to do next. Perhaps she was being cautious, or<br />
there might be a more ominous reason. Snapping open the dome cover of the<br />
interior light he removed the bulb and got out of the car, closing the door quietly<br />
behind him.<br />
He could see the dim outline of Margaret's car and he walked slowly towards<br />
it feeling very exposed, even in the darkness. The tensions were rapidly rising and<br />
he was thinking of all the bad things that could likely happen in the next few<br />
minutes. Standing at the bottom of the stairway he suppressed the urge to call out.<br />
There was no other way in, the rear of the house was only accessible via the steep<br />
sides of the hill which would be formidable even in daylight.<br />
He slowly started up the open stairway, one step at a time, pausing at the mid<br />
level landing to listen for sounds from above, but there was only silence, so he<br />
proceeded on up the second flight to the entrance door. As usual, it was partly<br />
open, and it creaked in response to a push, but other sounds pierced the air. The<br />
sharp clicking of gun hammers being drawn back.<br />
Will hit the floor falling partly backwards on to the stairway as the lights burst<br />
into life, and he sat on the top step looking through the doorway across the room.<br />
Margaret was standing there next to the light switch, pointing a double-barrelled<br />
12 gauge shotgun at him. He couldn't describe the look on her face. It was a<br />
mixture of fear and disbelief. She lowered the gun and released the hammers.<br />
"I'm sorry Will, I wasn't expecting you. Why didn't you phone me?" She<br />
returned the gun to the bedroom and sat down in one of the lounge chairs. Will's<br />
heart was still pounding as though he had just completed a one hundred yard dash.<br />
Margaret must have been feeling the same and they both sat without speaking,<br />
waiting for the sensation to subside.<br />
"You were too early with the lights, and you should have had the hammers<br />
already cocked. Had there been more than one person, you would have been in<br />
trouble!"<br />
"I'm not used to this sort of activity. By the time the door flew open I was<br />
scared out of my wits!"<br />
"What's happening with you Margaret, are you involved with the type of<br />
285
Will Bonner<br />
people that would cause you to react this way?"<br />
"No. I started to take precautions after Dan appeared that night."<br />
The whole incident had overshadowed his reason for being here in the first<br />
place and placed him in no mood for discussing what had occurred earlier in the<br />
day. It was as if Margaret was reading his mind.<br />
"Your reason for being here must be urgent otherwise you would have phoned,<br />
add to that the fact that you're here late in the evening when you could be with<br />
your family is another indication."<br />
"Dorothy knows I'll be late, but if she knew I was alone with another woman<br />
in a secret hideaway she would use more than a shotgun on me!"<br />
Margaret laughed. "Your conscience is still bothering you then?"<br />
"Yes, it always will."<br />
He was now beginning to feel more relaxed and thinking of how to start. The<br />
problems of purposely leaving information out, in an endeavour to offset any<br />
trouble he may encounter, were uppermost in his mind. But he concluded that it<br />
would eventually resurface with devastating effect, prompting him to start from the<br />
beginning and relate everything that had happened.<br />
Margaret's eyes opened wider with every sentence. He could see that she was<br />
having difficulty containing her excitement. She got up and walked towards the<br />
kitchen and then turned. "Do you realize that you are probably the only person in<br />
Australia outside the small group of politicians that will be involved, that's privy to<br />
this information?"<br />
"I'm not privy to any information other than the fact that there is to be a<br />
gathering of people and a talk. It may turn out to be only just that." Will was trying<br />
to put a negative emphasis on the discovery, hoping to lessen the intensity of<br />
interest. He would have to fight every inch of the way to keep his involvement in<br />
this affair to a low-key.<br />
"You know as well as I do Will that the content of those tapes, slides and film<br />
will be classified. We can't do anything about the film, but the tapes and slides will<br />
have to be copied." Will could feel the noose tightening around his neck, but he<br />
was looking for any excuse to offer up resistance.<br />
"There's got to be at least two hours of slides and synchronized taped<br />
conversations, plus commentary on the night. Without specialized equipment it<br />
would be a mammoth task, practically impossible!"<br />
286
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
"Just tell me what you want and I'll get it, the possibility of getting hold of any<br />
of this information will be paramount!"<br />
"There's something I can't understand."<br />
"What's that?"<br />
"You say this information will be classified?"<br />
"Yes."<br />
"So Australian Government Intelligence will end up with it, or may already<br />
have copies, so why can't you get hold of the information through government<br />
channels?"<br />
"It will initially be held at the highest level, and any inference that we know of<br />
it's existence, will cause questions to be asked, and trouble for us. In any case,<br />
we'd never get hold of it."<br />
"With all that's being said, I can't see what value the information will be to you<br />
anyway?"<br />
Margaret noticably hesitated, her manner indicating that she was not prepared<br />
to answer any further questions.<br />
"You're beginning to ask me questions that I can't answer."<br />
"Because you can't, or won't?"<br />
"To be blunt, because I won't."<br />
"It's only academic to me anyway, and would probably cause me more<br />
problems, so I'd best forget about it."<br />
"I think under the circumstances that would be a wise thing to do."<br />
"I'll leave you to do what you have to then."<br />
"No, I need to know what you'll be doing when you go back there."<br />
"My intention is to take some test gear and thoroughly test the facility."<br />
"What then?"<br />
"Well, if it all tests okay I'll make one final check on Monday, before they get<br />
started."<br />
"Could you visit on Friday as well?"<br />
"Yes, provided I had a good enough reason, but I can't concoct one. It must<br />
be genuine and watertight, from an engineering point of view."<br />
"I bet you could come up with something if you really tried."<br />
"Perhaps, but why Friday?"<br />
"We must have every bit of time available to us." She hesitated and Will was<br />
287
Will Bonner<br />
beginning to get the impression that her brain was now going into high gear in an<br />
attempt to get as much as she could from the opportunity that had arisen. He<br />
prepared himself for the next demand but when it came it made him gasp.<br />
"If you're going to be there just prior to the assembly, couldn't you arrange to<br />
stay on after it gets underway?"<br />
She knew that she was pushing things to the limit, but for her the stakes were<br />
obviously high enough, for Will however, it was the ultimate risk.<br />
"I think you've conveniently ignored how much security there will be once<br />
those politicians start to arrive. It would be a nightmare trying to move around, let<br />
alone do any serious work without them breathing down your neck! Margaret was<br />
staring into space appearing to disregard Will's last remark. "You have to admit<br />
Margaret, that this business will take quite a bit of organizing."<br />
"Yes you're right, I've been trying to sort it out in my mind, but there are too<br />
many factors to pull together and there hasn't been enough time yet to think it out.<br />
Let's settle on a couple of things shall we? Could we have a go at trying to devise<br />
a way to be there on Monday night when they've all assembled, and before you<br />
go tonight, tell me what equipment will be necessary."<br />
"There's one piece of equipment that you haven't got. It will be essential."<br />
"What's that?"<br />
"It's called a high speed dubbing machine."<br />
"Will Adam know what that is?"<br />
"Yes, I would need it by tomorrow night or early Friday morning at the latest."<br />
"Can you find out where all the information is stored when you go tomorrow<br />
morning?"<br />
"I'll try, but they may have it under lock and key, or even in the safe. My gut<br />
feeling though is that it will be just lying around in a drawer."<br />
"I hope you're right. By the way you'll need somebody with you, won't you?"<br />
"Yes."<br />
"What about Adam?"<br />
"No, there's no one on your team that I could feel safe with."<br />
"What about me?" Will looked at her long and hard. She had a questioning<br />
look on her face. "Are you going to reject me too?"<br />
"What could you do?"<br />
"I'm an expert photographer, I could copy all the slides, but the movie film will<br />
288
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
be too difficult. We'll have to forget that."<br />
"Could I rely on you not to panic if things turn bad?"<br />
"Don't treat me like a rookie Will, it doesn't become you."<br />
"I'm sorry Margaret, you're no doubt an expert, but there's no way I could<br />
arrange to get you in. Adam maybe, but not you."<br />
"Leave that up to me, I'll find a way."<br />
Will had talked enough. Basically, he knew what had to be done but he didn't<br />
want any part of it. The complexities worried him, even simple solutions had the<br />
habit of backfiring. He was rejecting the thought of being involved and just wanted<br />
to get out into the fresh air and back home. Walking towards the door he was<br />
aware of the tone in his voice, abrupt and callous. "I'm going home." Margaret<br />
followed him down the stairs and across to his car.<br />
"You're angry with me Will?"<br />
"No, just with myself, you're not to blame."<br />
"Is there something I can do?"<br />
"No, it rests with me. I always get to the stage where I start thinking that this<br />
time things will go drastically wrong."<br />
Margaret moved closer to the car and bent down to look through the open<br />
window. "I won't let that happen Will. Can I pick you up in Vermont tomorrow<br />
evening at 7 o'clock?"<br />
Will nodded and drove away, his mind in a turmoil. By the time he arrived<br />
home it would be bedtime, thank heavens. His ability as a conversationalist would<br />
have had a zero rating.<br />
It was easy to qualify having to return to the residence in Toorak. The mere<br />
fact that Mrs. Byer had expressed her desire to have the equipment in excellent<br />
working order was enough for the manager. "Do whatever is necessary to see that<br />
everything goes smoothly," he had said.<br />
"It might be a good idea if I stayed during the evening, just in case."<br />
"Whatever it takes. It would be embarrassing if the equipment faulted, the<br />
other managers would never let me forget it."<br />
Arriving early, he was let into the house by one of the cleaning women. He<br />
could hear the vacuum cleaner start up as he made his own way to the study. The<br />
lady of the house would be out for most of the morning he had been informed. He<br />
couldn't believe his luck, but his activities would nevertheless still have to be<br />
289
Will Bonner<br />
confined to his work, in case questions were asked.<br />
Opening up all the equipment drawers and cupboards he set up his test gear<br />
in readiness to get started. It would only take fifteen minutes or so, thirty at the<br />
most to run the tests, assuming no problems. Everything had to look normal, so it<br />
was essential that he left after that time span.<br />
It was his policy always to leave doors open in the areas where he was<br />
working, and he could faintly hear the hum of the vacuum way over on the other<br />
side of the house. Now was the time to find the tapes and slides. The conditions<br />
could not be better, but that did not prevent a feeling of anxiety from creeping over<br />
him.<br />
A quick look in all the cupboards and drawers revealed nothing, and the<br />
thought of having to look elsewhere in the house temporarily pressed his panic<br />
button. The fact that time was slipping by was ever present, but he kept telling<br />
himself over and over again to slow down, and start to think logically.<br />
These were private tapes taken by a business man, they've got to be around<br />
here somewhere! He scanned the whole room again to check that he had not<br />
missed a drawer or cupboard and the only place left was the projection room. It<br />
was natural to only think in terms of film in such a room - but just maybe?<br />
The door opened outwards. Had it been otherwise, it would have been<br />
impossible to get inside, the room was so small. Only enough space for two men<br />
to stand, one on each side of the projector, which was mounted on a bench top<br />
with drawers below. No room existed for cupboards on the walls.<br />
The two top drawers contained everything he was looking for and his heart<br />
rate doubled. Even though he had a perfect right to be in there, his ulterior motive<br />
compelled him to go back to the study door to listen for activity in the near vicinity.<br />
But there was nothing.<br />
Returning with a notepad he jotted down the inscriptions on the individual<br />
pieces, and after a cursory glance around at the projection equipment, he left and<br />
closed the door behind him. Switching on the test tapes he filled the study and<br />
auditorium with music and sat down to wait for his pulse rate to return to normal.<br />
After the customary time period had elapsed, Will packed up his gear, and finding<br />
the cleaning lady, left a message to the effect that he would call again tomorrow.<br />
Concentrating on his other work during the course of the day proved to be<br />
exasperating, invariably leading him into error and costing him valuable time. When<br />
290
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
he did eventually arrive home there was precious time left before his meeting with<br />
Margaret. Fortunately, he had already told Dorothy that the next few days were<br />
going to be chaotic and the reasons why, but not the full story of course.<br />
Margaret was walking up and down in front of the General Store as he<br />
approached out of breath from running up the hill. "Thank heavens you've arrived,<br />
I was beginning to think the worst!"<br />
"I've had such a bad day, I got home late." They both got into the car.<br />
"You're not in trouble with regard to getting the information are you?"<br />
"No, that was easy." Will passed her the pad with the tape and slide inventory<br />
written on it. She breathed an audible sigh of relief.<br />
"Would you mind driving while I read it?"<br />
During the drive to the city her conversation was spirited, especially after she<br />
had read the notes. She had obviously been planning and organizing for the<br />
forthcoming event and it was still theory to her, for Will it was different. He was<br />
already in the thick of it, waiting for the first thing to go wrong!<br />
"Was it difficult finding the tapes?"<br />
"It's always difficult, but the worst is to come."<br />
"Oh! and when will that be?"<br />
"When all those politicians assemble. Security will be everywhere."<br />
"You've managed to arrange to be there on the night then?"<br />
"Yes."<br />
"That's marvellous! I suppose you have your own ideas about how we should<br />
proceed?"<br />
"Yes, but I'll wait until I've heard what you've come up with first, before I say<br />
anything. Incidentally, do your counterparts in Sydney know what's going on?"<br />
"No, and there's only you and I that know all the details. Tony has helped me<br />
with certain facets and Adam only the procurement of equipment."<br />
Tony and Adam were waiting at the door when they arrived, and everyone<br />
retired to the seclusion of the inner office. Adam, as enthusiastic as ever, was<br />
opening up a small suitcase that he had been carrying, eager to display it's<br />
contents. Will picked up the high speed dubber turning it over to inspect it.<br />
"This is excellent, a fine piece of equipment, exactly what's required, you're to<br />
be commended." Adam's face lit up and after a minute or two of technical<br />
discussion his job was finished and he left.<br />
291
Will Bonner<br />
Margaret turned to Tony. "Have you got what I asked for?"<br />
He produced some papers from his briefcase. "You'll find it all there."<br />
"These are originals, there's no copies?"<br />
"No copies."<br />
"I'll see you here at 9 a.m. in the morning."<br />
Tony picked up his briefcase. "Best of luck Will, I'll probably see you<br />
afterwards."<br />
"Not if I can help it," brought on a chuckle as he left the room.<br />
"Tell me Margaret, why have you brought me all the way to the city to do<br />
something that we could have done in the car, back in Vermont?"<br />
"We're not finished yet." She sat behind her desk and proceeded to read out<br />
loud from the papers given to her by Tony. In essence, it sounded like a flow<br />
chart he would use in his electronics work, a progressive series of events. After<br />
expanding into details she eventually turned to Will for his comments. "Well, what<br />
do you think?"<br />
Will thought for a moment before answering, Margaret's face took on a look<br />
of anticipation. Walking over to the desk Will picked up the papers and looked<br />
directly into her eyes. "It's time to be blunt, we do have an agreement to be frank<br />
with each other?" Reaching over he dropped them in the waste paper basket.<br />
"What the hell do you think you're doing Will Brenner?" Her eyes were<br />
blazing.<br />
"You always call me Will when you want something, and Will Brenner when<br />
you're angry."<br />
"Okay then, what the hell do you think you're doing Will?"<br />
Will laughed, her counter comments amused him. "That's more like it."<br />
They both laughed, the anxiety of the moment defused, Will pointed to the<br />
waste basket. "That's Tony's work and it's too complex, to be workable it's got<br />
to be simple."<br />
Margaret came out from behind her desk and sat on one of the chairs<br />
opposite. "I must get my hands on that information, we can't fail."<br />
"We are the ones that have to see the job through. Forget Tony's plan, it will<br />
only take ten minutes to sort it out between ourselves, there's little or no detail<br />
necessary. I copy the tapes, you the slides. Do you have the photographic gear?"<br />
"Yes, it's miniature."<br />
292
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
"It has to be done tomorrow afternoon."<br />
Margaret gasped. "Not Monday?"<br />
"No, security may be everywhere by then, and if you want the commentary<br />
taped as it's being delivered, that in itself could turn out to be tricky." She now had<br />
a blank look on her face probably trying to come to terms with the fact that they<br />
had very little time to prepare for the next day.<br />
"What's it like to be on the receiving end for a change?"<br />
"Intimidating, but your point is irrefutable so I'll go through with it. There's<br />
coffee in the outer office, you can make it yourself. I can assure you it's a good<br />
brand."<br />
Will smiled and left, leaving Margaret mulling things over in her mind. When<br />
he returned she hadn't moved and she looked serious.<br />
"Are you getting that scared feeling?"<br />
"Yes."<br />
"Join the club. It's always present when developments advance to the critical<br />
stage."<br />
"How do you cope?"<br />
"I don't. I just keep telling myself to watch out for the unexpected, something<br />
you hadn't accounted for. If it doesn't come it's a bonus, if it does, then at least<br />
you're partially prepared."<br />
"Shall we discuss Monday night?"<br />
"No, the more we talk the worse it will look. You'll be there tomorrow<br />
afternoon?"<br />
"Yes."<br />
Will continued to sip his coffee. "Have you found yourself a boyfriend yet?"<br />
"You don't beat about the bush, do you?"<br />
"No. Have you or haven't you?"<br />
"No I haven't, I can't get involved with anyone whilst I'm in this type of work."<br />
"I suppose you supply couriers for the government from this office. I bet they<br />
don't know what else you get up to."<br />
"You're full of questions aren't you? Yes, I do supply couriers, and no, they<br />
don't know of my other activities. Why do you ask?"<br />
"Just curious."<br />
By the time they arrived back in Vermont it was late, but not too late. Before<br />
293
Will Bonner<br />
going to bed Will secreted the tape dubber in one of his equipment boxes. It was<br />
in the lap of the gods what would happen on the following day.<br />
He got away from the depot early and set about his work without delay,<br />
determined to be at the house in Toorak during the early afternoon. Mrs. Byer let<br />
him in.<br />
"Thank you for passing my name to your friend Margaret, she'll be calling<br />
soon. I still haven't finalized the catering yet for Monday evening, but from the<br />
conversation I had with her on the phone I think she'll be just the person to sort the<br />
problem out for me."<br />
Will swallowed hard, Margaret had wasted no time. "I'm sure she can, they've<br />
been catering for government functions for a long time now."<br />
He increased his pace as he headed for the study and setting up the Hi-Fi<br />
amplifier once again filled the rooms with music, then cramming himself into the<br />
projection room he flipped the latch and commenced to copy the tapes. Their<br />
journey through the record heads seemed to take forever, but it was only minutes<br />
before it was all over. After a quick check to see that the copy had been<br />
successful, he put the tapes back into the drawer and returned to the study.<br />
At least now he could partially relax, spending the time waiting for Margaret,<br />
checking out the best place to record the commentary on Monday night. The<br />
monitoring circuit in the projection room was an ideal point to tap in the miniature<br />
wire recorder. His hands trembled at the thought of the classified copies of the<br />
tapes on the dubbing machine making his efforts clumsy and amateur. To the<br />
uninitiated it was just another recorder, but that explanation gave him little<br />
consolation.<br />
Margaret suddenly appeared with Mrs. Byer. She was carrying a small<br />
briefcase and dressed to kill, the quintessence of an efficient business woman. "I'll<br />
see that everyone is here two hours before the gathering to set up, leave it up to<br />
me. All our staff are vetted and reliable."<br />
Mrs. Byer nodded her head in agreement. "I'll leave you with Mr. Brenner,<br />
you'll probably want a word with him before you go."<br />
"Thank you, yes. I'll call in and see you before I leave."<br />
As Mrs. Byer disappeared into the living-room Will looked across at<br />
Margaret. Her composure had noticeably slipped, and a terrified look came over<br />
her face. Grabbing her by the arm, he led her into the projection room and took<br />
294
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
out the box of slides, putting them on the bench. Her eyes were transfixed on the<br />
box but she was standing like a stone statue. Will squeezed her arm and she<br />
looked up at him. "Just pretend that you've come back off holiday and you're<br />
looking through your slides. I'll be outside should anyone appear." She smiled<br />
nervously as he closed the door.<br />
The waiting game had started and minutes seemed like hours. The music was<br />
still playing, and Will was just beginning to wonder how long it would be before<br />
Margaret stepped back through the projection room door, when suddenly Mrs.<br />
Byer appeared in the study doorway.<br />
She glanced around the room. "Has Margaret gone?"<br />
"You have just missed her. She must be looking around the house for you, or<br />
perhaps she's in the garden."<br />
Within seconds of her leaving Margaret emerged from the projection room.<br />
She looked ashen faced.<br />
"Mrs. Byer's been looking for you." Taking her by the hand he led her to the<br />
exit door in the auditorium and let her out into the garden. "Tell her you've been<br />
looking for her in the garden, I'll see you tonight at the house."<br />
Quickly closing the door behind her Will hurried to the projection room to<br />
check that everything had been left in order, and breaking down his equipment<br />
carried it to the main foyer.<br />
"Did Margaret find you Mrs. Byer?"<br />
"Yes, she thought I was in the garden."<br />
"The service department have agreed that I best be here during the<br />
proceedings on Monday, just in case you have a breakdown, so I'll come during<br />
the early evening to pre-run everything."<br />
"That's very kind of you. It will be a relief to know that we won't have to<br />
worry."<br />
It was now late afternoon and he had to get rid of both the tapes and the<br />
dubbing machine at the earliest possible moment, but first he had to go home. Each<br />
mile that passed progressively lifted the commotion that was going on inside him<br />
and he was fairly composed as he sat down for a bite to eat. His mind though kept<br />
flashing back to that projection room, instigating reoccurrences of stomach nerves.<br />
Clutching the tapes after arriving at Margaret's he ran up the two flights of<br />
stairs, eager to find out whether she had been successful or otherwise. At first, Will<br />
295
Will Bonner<br />
thought the worst, she didn't seem very happy. "Is there something wrong, did you<br />
fail to get good copies of the slides?"<br />
"The slides are fine."<br />
"Then why the long face?"<br />
"I let you down."<br />
"I'm having trouble understanding this line of talk. Shall we start over again?"<br />
"I froze up, my mind went blank in the projection room."<br />
"Did you complete the job?"<br />
"Yes."<br />
"Are you happy with the results?"<br />
"Yes."<br />
"Then it's time to celebrate. What happened back there happens to everyone<br />
at some time or another. You see we pump ourselves up to a peak in readiness for<br />
the event, and then suddenly, when we're on our own, the confidence plummets."<br />
"Is that a fact?"<br />
"Yes, so bring out the champagne."<br />
The whole atmosphere changed and she was her old self again. "Sorry, there's<br />
no champagne, but guess what? I brought the coffee percolator from the office!"<br />
"Now that's what I call positive thinking."<br />
During the course of the weekend Will collected the mini recorder from Adam<br />
in preparation for Monday evening. There would be lots more activity, and to<br />
some extent, the necessity to play things by ear, from one minute to the next, as<br />
circumstances dictated. Before leaving on the Monday morning he told Dorothy<br />
where he would be and not to expect him back until very late.<br />
His day went extremely well and arriving on time he walked through the house<br />
on his way to the study to find that his anticipations were well founded. He had<br />
been met by security at the front door and people seemed to be everywhere.<br />
Women waitresses were busy setting up the catering, and some politicians had<br />
already arrived, partaking of drinks in the large living-room. There was no sign of<br />
Margaret.<br />
He was carrying a small suitcase containing instruments and hand tools, but the<br />
recorder was in his pocket. The telemetry unit to remotely set the recorder in<br />
motion was disguised amongst the instruments and the start button located under<br />
the carrying handle. Adam had done a superb job getting it all set up. All that<br />
296
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
remained was for it to perform, and the thought of it caused him to momentarily<br />
cross his fingers.<br />
The study was deserted and Will's anxieties halved, but rose again hearing a<br />
noise coming from the projection room. Opening the door Mr. Byer was obviously<br />
getting set up to do the commentary from there. This was something he had not<br />
anticipated, thinking he would be out in the auditorium during the event.<br />
"You're Brenner?"<br />
"Yes Mr. Byer."<br />
"My wife told me that you would be here in case we had trouble."<br />
"Is everything functioning?"<br />
"Yes, you've done a good job, thank you."<br />
Will backed out into the study and closed the projection room door. He<br />
pictured the temporary connector he had fitted down below in the projector<br />
cabinet. There seemed no way that he would have the opportunity to attach the<br />
recorder. Mr. Byer would probably slip away to see his guests before starting, but<br />
it would be too risky without a genuine reason for being in the room should he get<br />
caught.<br />
He looked at his watch discovering that he still had a good thirty minutes<br />
before the show started. Margaret suddenly appeared, dressed like a model again,<br />
and he felt like a hobo standing next to her. She beckoned him into a small anteroom<br />
that was deserted and closed the door.<br />
"Is everything set up?"<br />
"No, we have a problem." Her face fell.<br />
"What sort of problem?"<br />
"The room's occupied by Mr. Byer. I can't get in to plant the recorder." Her<br />
facial expression changed again, this time to one of panic.<br />
"I've got to have that commentary, you'll have to do something and quick!"<br />
The tone of her voice was demanding and Will didn't like it.<br />
Taking the recorder from his pocket he thrust it towards her. "If you want it<br />
so badly, you do it!" She recoiled, realizing that she'd done the wrong thing.<br />
"I'm sorry Will, the pressure is getting to me again, I know you'll do your best.<br />
Can I be of any help?"<br />
"No you can't, but I'll find a way. Be up at your house afterwards." She<br />
nodded and left the room.<br />
297
Will Bonner<br />
Mr. Byer was still in the projection room, and the available time left to plant<br />
the recorder was getting critical. Some of the politicians were already seated in the<br />
auditorium. He stood gripping the mini recorder in his pocket so tightly, that he had<br />
to force himself to relax, thinking the pressure could crack the case. The loud<br />
speaker sprang to life. It was Mr. Byer testing the microphone in preparation for<br />
starting the commentary. Only five minutes remained and he had no other choice<br />
but to enact a last resort.<br />
Opening one of the equipment drawers he took out his wire cutters and cut the<br />
supply to the amplifier in the projection room. Mr. Byer's voice fell dead in the<br />
middle of his sentence. He could hear him frantically tapping the microphone to try<br />
and get it started again.<br />
Quickly retiring back to the small ante-room he waited for the panic stations<br />
to begin and he didn't have to wait long. Raised voices could be heard in the<br />
corridor outside, calling out his name. Stepping out, the first person he saw was<br />
Margaret.<br />
"Thank God you're here Will, the sound has gone dead in the auditorium and<br />
everybody's getting frantic!"<br />
Will stood for a second savouring the moment and then couldn't help but let<br />
a broad grin appear on his face. "Well, fancy that happening!"<br />
Margaret's mouth fell open. "You crafty devil, you've engineered it!"<br />
Will headed for the projection room leaving her with a look of amazement on<br />
her face. Mr. Byer was frantically pulling and pushing every plug in sight.<br />
"What's wrong Brenner, everything's gone dead!"<br />
"Might I suggest that you go and see your guests in the auditorium and tell them<br />
that you're nearly ready to start. By the time you've done that I'll probably have<br />
things fixed."<br />
The instant he had left the room Will dropped to his knees and attached the<br />
recorder, switching it on manually, there would be no need for the transmitter. He<br />
was back in the study splicing the cut wires when Mr. Byer returned. "Is the news<br />
good or bad?"<br />
"It's all good Mr. Byer. I've effected a temporary repair, but after you've<br />
finished in the projection room later, I'll have to do a permanent job before I<br />
leave." This would give him an excuse for being there later, to retrieve the<br />
recorder.<br />
298
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
With a look of relief on his face Mr Byer rushed back into the projection<br />
room. The auditorium doors closed and the commentary started. Walking back<br />
to the dining-room area Will stood just inside the doorway, watching as the<br />
caterer's were putting the final touches to the buffet. Margaret was bending over<br />
one of the tables.<br />
She looked across the room at Will, an enquiring look on her face. He nodded<br />
once and Margaret removed a small handkerchief from her jacket and proceeded<br />
to mop her brow with it, acting out a motion of relief. It was now only a matter of<br />
waiting until he could pick up the recorder later.<br />
During the drive back to Margaret's place he had plenty of time to reflect on<br />
the happenings of the last few days. Apart from the excitement, prior to the show<br />
getting started that evening, everything else had gone without incident. But what<br />
could arise now that the information had been gathered? If ever it was leaked out<br />
and traced back to him, he would be in severe trouble, so would Margaret,<br />
consequently, she would have to handle the information with kid gloves. This line<br />
of thinking sent a shiver down his spine.<br />
She had arrived back and changed into more casual clothes. Will passed over<br />
the recorder. "It was a close call tonight Will."<br />
"It's always a close call. Every minute is a close call when you're waiting for<br />
something adverse to happen."<br />
"I know that only too well now."<br />
"You'll keep a tight rein on that information won't you? I don't want to find<br />
myself in trouble later on."<br />
"I can assure you that won't happen, I wouldn't want to be implicated either."<br />
"Now that it's over and you've got what you want, perhaps you can leave me<br />
alone for awhile."<br />
"It all depends, but I won't bother you unless it's urgent." Will knew that he<br />
could now rely on her and he left it at that.<br />
At 2 a.m. he crept quietly into the house via the back kitchen door, stopping<br />
by to see Mark and Louise before going to bed. He looked down at them fast<br />
asleep. The whole weight of what he was doing became painfully evident. He<br />
knew that when the organization were placing demands, they were not getting his<br />
full attention.<br />
Totally exhausted mentally, he slipped into bed hoping beyond all his dreams<br />
299
Will Bonner<br />
that he could be blessed with a period of normality.<br />
300
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
Chapter 13<br />
The Safe Cracker<br />
Margaret was essentially true to her word, only calling on Will with matters she<br />
regarded as urgent. The focus of the work as time progressed however, changed<br />
for the worst. Adam became more proficient with the electronics, but instead of<br />
a gradual detachment occurring as Will had anticipated, he was getting more<br />
involved in extracting information from places and people in situations that could<br />
only be described as difficult, and sometimes downright dangerous.<br />
All the equipment necessary to do the work was supplied very efficiently by<br />
Adam, and for this very reason Will was getting less respite from the organization<br />
than he had enjoyed before the change of focus. There was very little he could do<br />
except to stick to his policy of objecting whenever he could, and changing the<br />
modus operandi to try and keep himself out of trouble, when a job got underway.<br />
301
Will Bonner<br />
Will had not heard from Bart since Ed was killed, but it was too naive to<br />
assume that the Yugoslavs had given up their individual vendettas. They would be<br />
passed down from one family member to another. The organization was still<br />
refraining from putting any surveillance on them, much to Will's relief. Instead of<br />
the narrow confines of the work during the early days associated with Ed, their<br />
scope of subjects had gradually broadened out as the aftermath of World War 2<br />
receded into the past.<br />
Industrial espionage was now becoming more prevalent amongst some major<br />
companies that were vying for government contracts, or just stealing the<br />
technology, to circumvent the cost involved in developing similar products. All<br />
companies had to go through the usual bureaucratic vetting channels to enable<br />
them to tender, consequently, it was easy for Margaret to get their particulars on<br />
to her files, and start looking into their activities. Where big money was at stake,<br />
the larger companies would hire individuals to do their spying, and gradually, they<br />
were becoming known to the organization.<br />
Arranging his schedule for the day turned up a service call from Margaret. It<br />
was duly marked "last call" Will would never get used to these unexpected<br />
contacts, and his stomach muscles tightened, wondering what next lay in store for<br />
him.<br />
It had been teeming down with rain for most of the day as he drove up the<br />
steep incline to Margaret's house. Water was cascading down the driveway,<br />
splashing up on to the windshield as the car wheels dropped intermittently into the<br />
ruts and potholes. Her chevrolet was parked in it's usual place, but a second car<br />
which he didn't recognize was pulled across the front of the building. His heart<br />
skipped a beat at the thought of meeting someone new, it was probably<br />
coincidental that she had a visitor there.<br />
Quickly running to the foot of the stairway to get out of the rain he stood for<br />
a moment to catch his breath, and at the same time, try to quell the apprehension<br />
that was rising inside. You're probably reading too much into the situation, he was<br />
telling himself, but as if to counter the thought, a feeling of cautious anticipation was<br />
creeping over him as he ascended the second flight leading to the living-room<br />
door. Hesitating, he prepared to knock, but before he could do so it opened, and<br />
Margaret greeted him.<br />
"I thought it would be you Will, come in."<br />
302
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
Will stepped inside and looked directly across to the other side of the room<br />
at a man seated on one of the dining-room chairs. He looked to be in his early<br />
forties and of medium build, dressed in a dark shabby suit that had probably never<br />
been cleaned. Shifting in his seat he turned in Will's direction. There was no sign<br />
of movement on his face, it was completely deadpan and impossible to read. Their<br />
eyes locked.<br />
"Will, I'd like you to meet Alec Ford. Alec, this is Will Brenner."<br />
The two men nodded simultaneously, but no words were spoken or<br />
handshaking took place. It did not seem appropriate as no signals were being<br />
received from either party to indicate the need. Alec's face was thin and weatherbeaten,<br />
his eyes penetrating, and lips thin. The application of a crowbar would be<br />
necessary to get anything out of this man.<br />
Will moved to the other side of the dining-table and sat down opposite him.<br />
For some unknown reason, even though there had been no interaction, he seemed<br />
completely at ease with this individual. No adverse feelings like those he had<br />
experienced when meeting the British agent, Derek Bates, at the apartment in St.<br />
Kilda. Margaret had also sat down at the end of the table. With a third party<br />
present he would have to be careful during the course of the conversation, limiting<br />
it's contents to basics. Margaret looked across at Will.<br />
"I've asked you to meet Alec because I want you both to do a job for me."<br />
"Is he one of your agents?"<br />
"Yes." The conversation continued between themselves, ignoring Alec's<br />
presence.<br />
"He knows of your particular expertise, but you may need his special talents."<br />
"And what are those?"<br />
Margaret looked across at Alec and his eyes fell to the floor. For a fleeting<br />
moment Will got the impression that it might be a gesture of shyness, but he quickly<br />
dispelled it from his mind. "He's an expert at opening things."<br />
"What things?"<br />
"Anything that's locked."<br />
"He's a locksmith then?"<br />
Margaret burst into laughter and Will thought for one moment that Alec was<br />
going to smile - but it didn't happen.<br />
"Okay, a safe cracker."<br />
303
Will Bonner<br />
"That's more like it."<br />
The hilarity was over and Will waited for the inevitable lead in. "Your old<br />
company Electronic Industries is involved in some sort of government classified<br />
design work and we want to find out what it is. Do you think you could tap into<br />
your contacts there, and try to get a lead?"<br />
Will could feel Alec's penetrating eyes bearing down on him, waiting to<br />
evaluate his response. Best not to elaborate.<br />
"Yes I can, and if I get a lead, what then?"<br />
"If the information is in electronic form you can retrieve it, alternatively, if it's<br />
hard copy Alec can get it. Either way, you'll need Alec to get in and out of places."<br />
"I'll have to refurbish some of my contacts. I haven't visited the factory for<br />
some time now, so it could take awhile."<br />
"How long do you think?"<br />
"If I'm lucky I could have something within the month. You'll hear from me<br />
when I get a lead, no matter how small."<br />
Alec stood up and moved towards the door, he was taller than Will had first<br />
thought and he was wearing the odd combination of white sneakers with his suit.<br />
He turned around and spoke for the first time, his voice had a rasping sound like<br />
a file being drawn over steel.<br />
"You get me into the factory, show me the location and I'll do the rest."<br />
With that parting remark Will watched his cat-like walk as he left the room,<br />
closely followed by Margaret. Within a minute of his car starting up and it's engine<br />
noise disappearing as it descended the steep driveway Margaret reappeared, a<br />
broad smile on her face.<br />
"I think he likes you."<br />
"That's made my day! Where did you find him?"<br />
"He's been with us for awhile now. As an ex con the work keeps him out of<br />
prison."<br />
"I can't see my image improving to be seen around town with him, but he<br />
seems the quiet type."<br />
"Yes, you'll find him easy to get along with, and he can be relied on, if the<br />
going gets rough."<br />
An initial round of visits to the various departments where he had contacts in<br />
the factory did not produce any information regarding any classified work that may<br />
304
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
have been in progress. He did learn however, that Jack De Silva was still the<br />
design director. An arrogant man, disliked by most, there could be no doubt that<br />
he would be in charge of any classified work, consequently, his stupid arrogance<br />
could make the retrieval of information easier.<br />
His domain was located on the third floor and Will made his way up there. The<br />
area was readily accessible without security clearance, which was a surprise, but<br />
individual rooms were clearly marked with "no admittance" signs. There was plenty<br />
of activity in the corridors with people moving between locations, but no one<br />
questioned his presence, probably because he was wearing his white laboratory<br />
coat, which fitted in with the apparel worn by the laboratory technicians. Turning<br />
the corner at the end of the corridor confirmed the information he had been given.<br />
Jack De Silva was standing waiting for the elevator, and at the same time,<br />
reprimanding some poor individual, who had his head bowed. De Silva's loud<br />
voice could be heard resounding through the corridors, giving due warning to<br />
employee's, who were purposely avoiding the area. Quickly retreating to get out<br />
of sight, Will headed back towards the exit stairway and was about to push open<br />
the door when a voice called out from behind. "What are you doing here?" Will<br />
froze. He had been complacent, not expecting to be caught off guard. "It's been<br />
ages since I saw you last, Will Brenner!"<br />
Will's tense body relaxed like a rubber band being released. George Nash<br />
approached, smiling with outstretched hand. "Hello George! I thought you wanted<br />
to become a TV cameraman?"<br />
"Yes, but I opted to join Jack De Silva's team as a junior design engineer. Are<br />
you back with the company?"<br />
"No, I'm just visiting a couple of people that I used to work with, and thought<br />
I'd look around to see what changes had taken place, but everything seems to be<br />
about the same."<br />
"I'm taking a half-hour break. Have you the time to come down to the staff<br />
dining-room for a coffee and a chat?"<br />
"Yes, you can bring me-up-to-date with what's been going on, since I left the<br />
company."<br />
As they descended the stairs to the ground floor, Will couldn't believe his luck.<br />
George was totally technical. He had resistors, capacitors, and microchips<br />
coursing through his veins, instead of blood. He would reveal every minute detail<br />
305
Will Bonner<br />
of the happenings in the design department. The matter of ultimate importance was<br />
to find out where the records were kept.<br />
Will listened as George laid out the whole history of the department. The<br />
occasional word of praise and a prod to steer the conversation in the right<br />
direction was enough to get into the areas of classified projects, and he was having<br />
a job to keep up with the flood of information that was being proffered, without<br />
any hesitation, on George's part.<br />
"Do you remember Paul Beamish, Will?"<br />
"Yes, he was a brilliant designer."<br />
"Well, he's spearheading a new government project. It's top secret."<br />
"That sounds really interesting, are you involved?"<br />
"Only marginally."<br />
"I bet they keep tabs on all the technical notes you write."<br />
“Yes, all my notes are collected daily."<br />
"The government boffins take control of those I suppose?"<br />
"No, they are locked up in the safe next to Jack De Silva's office, you know<br />
where I mean. At the back of the drawing department."<br />
Will nearly fell off his chair at the shock of receiving the very information he<br />
wanted, served to him on a platter. "I suppose they've got pretty sophisticated<br />
electronic security in force, to protect all that valuable knowhow?"<br />
"No, that stupid sod De Silva is so stubborn and wants everything his own<br />
way, so it's in a standard Chubb safe. Paul Beamish has been trying to get him to<br />
upgrade the security but he won't have it."<br />
Will looked at his watch. "I'll have to get going George, give me your address<br />
and phone number, I'll contact you."<br />
George reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and produced a card.<br />
"Don't leave it too long this time will you?" Will shook his head as he left the<br />
dining-room.<br />
The street alongside the factory was practically deserted. It was a typical,<br />
warm sunny Australia day, and he stood for awhile trying to wind down. Two<br />
opposite forces were pulling him apart. The feeling of elation, having achieved<br />
what he had come for, and the frightening thought he had experienced before,<br />
concerning the possibility of his involvement being traced back, this time through<br />
George. He was perfectly aware of what the consequences could be, and it was<br />
306
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
frightening.<br />
There was one more task to perform before contacting Margaret. Larry<br />
Cappel, the chief audio design engineer, held weekly meetings each Wednesday<br />
evening at 7.30 p.m. A lecture and sound demonstration usually took place, with<br />
a small buffet being served afterwards. A non-technical guest could be brought<br />
along, so it was an ideal way to get Alec into the premises.<br />
On the following Wednesday evening Will arrived early, and reacquainted<br />
himself with some of the engineers that he already knew, as they all waited in the<br />
small auditorium for the lecture to get underway. Within a short period of time he<br />
began to feel at home, and sitting back, relaxed his way through a pleasant, but<br />
predictable evening. He would have to keep up attendances there for quite a few<br />
weeks, after the job had been completed, or until it felt safe to discontinue, but the<br />
meetings were free and easy. Fresh faces would appear and existing ones fail to<br />
turn up, so there was no need for concern. A meeting with Margaret was<br />
arranged, but this time at her city office.<br />
It was late evening when Will arrived and the main door was locked. Margaret<br />
let him in and they made their way to the security of the back-room. Alec was<br />
seated on one of the easy chairs, wearing the same scruffy suit and white sneakers.<br />
He looked completely out of place amongst the neat, clean surroundings.<br />
The two men stared and nodded as before and Will lowered himself into the<br />
comfort of the chair opposite. There was no mistaking the look on Alec's face, it<br />
was one of sheer anticipation. Wondering how he would react, Will decided to<br />
hold off giving the information and engaged Margaret in general conversation.<br />
After awhile she gathered what was happening and they watched as Alec<br />
squirmed in his seat and the conversation got more boring. It was plain to see that<br />
he was suffering, but he didn't utter a word. Margaret eventually let him off the<br />
hook.<br />
"Have you got something for us Will?"<br />
"Yes."<br />
Alec stopped moving and sitting on the edge of the chair leaned forward closer<br />
to Will, his eyes staring.<br />
Will spoke. "I know who's working on the project. I know where the work<br />
is taking place. I know where all the documents are kept."<br />
Alec sprang to his feet, his rasping voice taking Will by surprise. "Are the<br />
307
Will Bonner<br />
documents kept in a safe?"<br />
"Yes."<br />
"Do you know what type?"<br />
"Yes, a Chubb. I think it's been there for years."<br />
"That's brilliant, absolutely bloody brilliant!" His personality seemed to take<br />
a 180 degree shift as he pranced backwards and forwards, a delighted look on his<br />
face. Margaret's eyes were wide open, looking at him with disbelief. She turned<br />
to Will.<br />
"Can you get Alec in?" Alec abruptly sat down and adopted his previous<br />
pose.<br />
"Yes, there are lectures in a small auditorium on the ground floor every<br />
Wednesday evening. I can take him in as a guest."<br />
Alec jumped to his feet again appearing not to be able to contain himself. "It<br />
even gets better!" he rasped and promptly sat down again.<br />
No one spoke for awhile until Margaret broke the silence. "How soon can the<br />
job be done?"<br />
"The sooner the better, say next Wednesday. It may take two or more tries<br />
to get what you want. The information is all hard copy, so it will be up to<br />
yourselves to organize that."<br />
"I'll see that Alec is equipped. Is there anything else?"<br />
"Yes, there's just one snag."<br />
Alec and Margaret turned, a more serious look on their faces. Will pointed to<br />
Alec's feet. "I can't take him in wearing those white sneakers!"<br />
Everyone, including Alec, burst into laughter and he moved over to Will. "I<br />
think I'm going to enjoy this caper, let Margaret have the details and I'll see you<br />
on the night." Within seconds he was gone leaving Will alone with Margaret.<br />
"Why is it whenever I come to see you these days Alec's always around?"<br />
"What do you mean?"<br />
"I think there's something going on between you two!"<br />
She laughed. "You're not going to catch me out this time Will Brenner! I'm<br />
beginning to get used to your twisted sense of humour. Are you going to tell me<br />
how you got the information?"<br />
"No, but the situation is the same as it was with the Byer tapes. I didn't want<br />
to compromise you in front of Alec, but unless I get an assurance that you won't<br />
308
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
use the information in such a way as to leave me wide open, I can't go forward<br />
with the job."<br />
"You've had to take a risk then?"<br />
"Yes."<br />
"Well, I gave you my promise then and you've had no repercussions have<br />
you?"<br />
"No."<br />
"I can do the same in this case. Do we have a deal?"<br />
She extended her hand and Will shook it. "Yes, we have a deal."<br />
Margaret looked relieved. "Where do we go from here?"<br />
"Just get Alec everything he needs and tell him to pick me up at the Vermont<br />
junction at 6.30 p.m. next Wednesday evening. I'll be waiting."<br />
The period up to Wednesday evening had it's usual devastating effect on Will's<br />
nerves. His only relief was the concentration that his job demanded during the day.<br />
At 6.30 p.m. on the night, Will turned into the service road at the junction to<br />
see only one car parked there. Alec was nonchalantly leaning with his back against<br />
the passenger door. It was a relief to see that he wasn't wearing his white<br />
sneakers, as a matter of fact, he looked positively normal. The car was a brand<br />
new sedan, no doubt supplied by the organization. They both got in and sat down,<br />
Will looked across at Alec. "Do you know where we're headed?"<br />
"Yes, is there anything I should know before we get there?"<br />
"Yes, I'll tell you on the way."<br />
They were soon speeding down the Maroondah highway towards the city.<br />
Will settled back in his seat, once again experiencing no adverse feelings about<br />
working with Alec.<br />
"When we get there don't park in the parking lot, go to the side street next to<br />
the factory. That way, if we are late getting out, we won't be the only car there,<br />
with the risk of being observed."<br />
"That's good thinking. Is there anything else?"<br />
"Yes, I'll have to sign you in. Do you have a name that you use?"<br />
Alec looked uncomfortable but eventually answered. "I sometimes call myself<br />
Ralph Bowie."<br />
"That will do. The worst will be sitting through the lecture, then afterwards they<br />
serve coffee and sandwiches, etc. We only have about twenty minutes or so<br />
309
Will Bonner<br />
before everyone leaves and they lock the doors."<br />
"Will that be enough time?"<br />
"Maybe not, we may have to come back next week. When the lecture finishes<br />
I'll take you up to the third floor. The door to the office has a standard key lock.<br />
Then you'll have to tackle the Chubb."<br />
"That will be no problem, you show me the documents and I'll copy them. But<br />
about the lecture."<br />
"What about the lecture?"<br />
"They won't ask me any technical questions, will they?" He had a serious look<br />
on his face. Will burst out laughing.<br />
"No, it's not that sort of lecture, do just as I do. Quite a few people will be<br />
bringing a guest and they won't all be technical people." Alec breathed a<br />
noticeable sigh of relief.<br />
The small auditorium was packed which was a godsend, making it easy to get<br />
lost in the crowd. Alec wriggled from side to side on his chair throughout the<br />
lecture. Will looked at his watch, it would soon be over, and his stomach muscles<br />
started to tighten. The works police would be patrolling the floors and he didn't<br />
know how often. He leaned over and whispered to Alec. "Get ready, it's nearly<br />
over. If we get stopped by the works police, let me do the talking."<br />
Alec's face took on a startled look. "You never told me about any police!"<br />
Loud clapping, indicating the end of the lecture, cut the conversation, and after<br />
a very short question period, some of the engineers moved into an adjacent room<br />
for the refreshments but others started to leave. Grasping the opportunity, they left<br />
the room with them but immediately outside, Will grabbed Alec by the arm and<br />
steered him through a door, into the stairwell.<br />
The hollow sounds of their footsteps as they made their way upwards, echoed<br />
around the walls, starting Will's heart pounding in his chest. He looked around at<br />
Alec but he didn't seem perturbed, or in any hurry. The fact didn't subdue the<br />
tension, but knowing that he had no need to look after his welfare, ironically<br />
seemed a relief.<br />
Looking through the glass window in the door, to the third floor, he waited for<br />
Alec to catch up. Once in the corridor, it was only a short distance to the office<br />
door, the ceiling was acoustically tiled and they were walking on lino, muting the<br />
sound of their footsteps.<br />
310
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
Will tried the door knob, the door was locked. He stepped aside for Alec to<br />
gain access, but before he had time to consider any further moves a sharp click<br />
pierced the silence and Alec opened the door. It had only been seconds, how did<br />
he do it? Locking the door behind them they moved to the rear of the office to<br />
locate the safe.<br />
It was standing by the far wall in a small ante-room, its large old-fashioned<br />
bulbous countenance domineering the scene. Alec sat down on a chair giving him<br />
a full view of the safe. He had a star struck look on his face that could only be<br />
likened to a trance. Will waited, but he didn't seem to want to move. "What the<br />
hell's wrong?"<br />
"Nothing. It's been ages since I've seen a safe as old as this one. I think it<br />
would open if you bumped against it!"<br />
"Well start bumping, the sooner I'm out of here the better."<br />
Alec removed a fine silk glove from his pocket and slipped it on. "Sit down<br />
Will, I'll only be a minute."<br />
Will sat listening to the click of the tumblers as Alec rotated the knob. Within<br />
a dozen rotations he gripped the lever on the giant door and it opened, revealing<br />
the contents. Alec sat down. "It's your turn now Will."<br />
Expecting to see the shelves stacked with folders, which would have been a<br />
marathon job to sort out, he was confronted with only a few document boxes, no<br />
more than ten in all. One box was clearly marked "classified."<br />
Jack De Silva was more stupid than he could ever have imagined. It was as<br />
though he was just asking for them to be stolen. Flipping through the sheets<br />
revealed circuit diagrams and technical descriptions relating to the project, referred<br />
to by George Nash.<br />
Alec proceeded to photograph the contents from under his coat that he was<br />
using like a tent. Every flash of the camera triggered Will's nerves to uncontrollable<br />
heights. The period between the flashes was a fearful silence, his eyes constantly<br />
focused on the door waiting for activity from outside, indicating that they had been<br />
discovered. The whole sequence was a nightmare. Alec reappeared from under<br />
his coat and proceeded to put it back on, as Will returned the box to the safe.<br />
The dull thud of the heavy door closing sent a final shock into his nervous<br />
system before making their way through the office desks and out into the corridor,<br />
finally locking the door behind them. It was Will's only desire to get as much<br />
311
Will Bonner<br />
distance between them and the office, in the shortest possible time.<br />
He had been watching Alec throughout and his demeanour had been<br />
comparable to that of going on a Sunday afternoon picnic. Margaret's description<br />
of him was on the ball. There could be no expectation of panic from this man.<br />
Entering the stairwell Will began to feel better, but as they approached the<br />
second floor landing he could hear someone coming up from the first floor. His<br />
heart skipped a beat but without speaking he opened the door to the corridor and<br />
pushed Alec through. The first inclination was to run towards the rear of the<br />
building but the corridor continued, seemingly as far as the eye could see, so with<br />
a superhuman effort he controlled the thought.<br />
The old self closing door rattled it's way mechanically to the closed position<br />
signalling their presence, and they had only travelled a few yards before it opened<br />
again and a voice called out. "What are you gentlemen doing up here?"<br />
Will felt his skin tighten with apprehension. He turned to see a work's<br />
policeman. He could feel Alec staring at him.<br />
"Well I'm damned, it's Will Brenner!"<br />
Will practically collapsed with relief. It was Charlie Masters, one of the<br />
policemen that had been involved when the long playing records were being stolen.<br />
"Are you back working with us?"<br />
"No Charlie, I've just attended one of Larry Cappel's lectures and I thought<br />
I'd show my friend the office where I used to work and then grab a bite to eat<br />
before we leave."<br />
Charlie looked at his watch. "You'd better hurry, they'll soon be winding up<br />
down there and I'll be seeing that everyone is off the premises."<br />
There were only a half dozen people left in the buffet-room and Alec tucked<br />
in with the gusto of a man who hadn't eaten in a decade. Ten minutes later Charlie<br />
came back down and ushered everyone out through the front door. Within<br />
seconds of the door closing behind them and the sound of a key turning in the lock,<br />
they were walking alone, back to the parked car.<br />
"That was a stroke of genius getting us out of trouble back there Will."<br />
"No Alec, we were just lucky."<br />
There was no conversation on the drive home but Will relived the evening<br />
many times before arriving in Vermont.<br />
"Could you call in and see Margaret on Friday evening? She will have had<br />
312
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
sufficient time to evaluate the information by then. By the way, everything went<br />
first-class tonight, would you consider working with me in the future?"<br />
Will smiled. "You know I'm not a member of the organization so the answer<br />
has to be "no."<br />
"Pity, the other blokes she's got working for her are in the main part unreliable.<br />
At the first sign of trouble they're off like a shot!"<br />
"Yes I know, I won't work with them either. Did you know Ed Blake?"<br />
"Yes, he visited me in prison and paved the way for me to work for them when<br />
I got out. He was good to me, it was unfortunate that he got killed in an accident."<br />
"Who told you that?"<br />
"One of the agents."<br />
"I thought so, that's what they want you to believe."<br />
"What do you mean?"<br />
"It tantamounts to what you've just said about them. He was on a dangerous<br />
surveillance job and they didn't cover him. If they had done their job properly, Ed<br />
would be alive today."<br />
"Thanks for telling me that Will, I know exactly where I stand now. I'll keep<br />
away from them when there's a risk involved, like tonight for instance." Will got<br />
out of the car, he had only the few minutes walk to the house to pull himself<br />
together and try to put the events of the evening behind him, but he knew it would<br />
be impossible.<br />
The following Friday evening he called on Margaret, as arranged. She was on<br />
her own.<br />
"Where's your boy friend?"<br />
"What boy friend?"<br />
"Alec."<br />
"Don't start that again Will Brenner, but talking about Alec, he has been singing<br />
your praises, and wants me to call on you for the more critical jobs." Will felt a<br />
cold shiver pass through him. The last thing he wanted was to get hooked into any<br />
ongoing schedules that they were concocting.<br />
"Our arrangement is that we negotiate any work on a job to job basis."<br />
"I'm perfectly aware of our arrangement and don't need to be reminded."<br />
Will detected the sharpness in her voice. "I don't give a damn. I'll always bring<br />
it up if I think it's in danger of being misinterpreted."<br />
313
Will Bonner<br />
"There's no need for us to be at cross purposes, especially after looking at the<br />
results of last Wednesday's work. I've got everything I wanted, there'll be no need<br />
to go back."<br />
Will breathed a sigh of relief. Suffering through another agonizing session,<br />
going over the contents of that safe, would have been very painful. He felt<br />
cautiously relaxed but still on guard, waiting for the next load of trouble to come<br />
his way. It never came however, as the conversation centered around general<br />
matters until it came time to leave.<br />
On his way home Will tried to evaluate where he stood in the present scheme<br />
of things. He was absolutely certain about one thing and that was Alec's<br />
appearance on the scene. His future was going to be influenced by this very fact,<br />
and he wasn't going to like it one bit. Margaret had an excuse now for calling on<br />
him, and the future was set for confrontation.<br />
As the months passed Will's assumptions were constantly realized. Alec was<br />
as diligent as a beaver in his efforts to circumvent having to work with the others,<br />
and much to Will's displeasure the jobs kept coming. The only redeeming factor<br />
was that Alec remained extremely careful and efficient, consequently, the peaks<br />
of anxiety associated with the work, were kept to a minimum.<br />
314
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
Chapter 14<br />
Alec's Misfortune<br />
Will browsed through the extensive technical section of a large city bookstore.<br />
It was one of his occasional visits to the city with Dorothy and she had left to go<br />
shopping, knowing that he would still be there when she returned. Technical<br />
information was like a drug, keeping him totally occupied.<br />
Moving up on to the mezzanine floor he headed for the reference section. After<br />
awhile, and with no luck in finding what he wanted, he raised his head to ponder<br />
the next move, only to find a familiar face staring at him from the other side of the<br />
rack through a gap in the books. Taken completely by surprise he stood<br />
motionless, devoid of any verbal response.<br />
It was Alec, the last person he expected to see in a book store. An uneasy<br />
feeling crept over him, and then fear at the thought of the possibility that his secret<br />
associations could be exposed. Alec made for the end of the book rack intent on<br />
making contact.<br />
315
Will Bonner<br />
Will furtively looked around at the other customers in the near vicinity, and<br />
then down into the main concourse of the shop below. His eyes traversed the<br />
entrance area expecting to see Dorothy appear, although it was far too early for<br />
that. In addition, the store seemed suddenly full of detectives from the criminal<br />
investigation bureau, intent on finding out who was consorting with a known felon.<br />
It was too late to harbour such thoughts as Alec rounded the corner dressed in his<br />
usual shabby suit and dirty white sneakers.<br />
"You're the last person I expected to see in a place like this. Are you taking<br />
a look at how the other half lives?"<br />
"No. I'm just looking up the latest on locks and safes. I have to keep up with<br />
what's going on."<br />
"As long as you don't practice on my premises!"<br />
Alec cracked a faint smile. "I don't think that's likely to happen, but I'm glad<br />
we have crossed paths. Has Margaret been in touch?"<br />
Will tensed with sudden anticipation. "No, why do you ask?"<br />
Alec hesitated and his blank look indicated that he had said the wrong thing.<br />
Will pressed his advantage but his original assessment of Alec's reticence to readily<br />
offer up anything more than a few syllables was still evident.<br />
"She mentioned that she would probably be making contact. That's all I<br />
know."<br />
There was no point in questioning a downright lie and every second in Alec's<br />
presence, especially in a public place spelt danger, and Will hastened to break<br />
things up. "I have to get going Alec."<br />
Alec nodded and Will hurriedly made his way back down to the main floor<br />
and out to the street. He would have to stay in the vicinity in case Dorothy arrived<br />
back. Secreting himself in a shop doorway he waited some fifteen minutes before<br />
Alec left the store.<br />
Back inside, Will's mind was now preoccupied with the chance meeting, and<br />
the mere thought of being contacted again completely swamped his purpose for<br />
being there. He would never get used to the uncertainty, and his brain started<br />
down the same old track it had travelled many times before. He stared blankly at<br />
the bookshelves, but they didn't exist as his mind traversed through the endless<br />
possibilities, but it was futile as he continued through the maze.<br />
"Will!" I've been waiting downstairs for you. You said you would keep an eye<br />
316
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
open for me."<br />
Shocked back to normality, Will turned. "I'm sorry, I got involved."<br />
Dorothy started to make her way out of the store but not without a parting<br />
comment. "You seem to be in another world when you get amongst those technical<br />
books." He was content to leave her with that thought as they made their way out<br />
of the city and back home.<br />
The contact was quick, within a few days. Alec would not have said anything<br />
about the chance meeting, or anything that may have been discussed, for fear of<br />
a reprimand.<br />
Tony was waiting in the Transport department as Will got out of his service<br />
vehicle. He approached with outstretched hand as though he was greeting a friend.<br />
Will didn't like it one bit. Irrespective of their individual personalities, these people<br />
spelt trouble for him and his attitude always soured towards them until the ongoing<br />
facts became known. His tone was curt and he ignored the outstretched hand,<br />
continuing to walk briskly in the direction of the stairs. "What the hell are you doing<br />
here? I've told you never to come to my place of work, it's too dangerous. I<br />
haven't the time to hang around. I've got work to do!"<br />
Tony broke into a trot in an effort to catch up. "Margaret wants to see you."<br />
"Well, I have no desire to see her."<br />
"I think it would be wise to do what she's asking."<br />
Will stopped dead in his stride. "You bloody little pipsqueak, how dare you<br />
threaten me! Do you really want to go down this road, because if you do it could<br />
get very troublesome for you."<br />
Tony's face took on a look of dejection and Will suddenly regretted what he<br />
had just said, especially the force in his voice. It was quite out of keeping for Tony<br />
to adopt such tactics and it indicated that whatever lay ahead must be important<br />
to them.<br />
"I'm sorry Will, forgive me, but Margaret impressed on me the importance for<br />
her to see you. You know I can't handle aggravation." The two men stood in<br />
silence seemingly at an impasse. "On your way home later on, could you drop off<br />
at Margaret's for a brief chat? She won't keep you long."<br />
Everything was happening so quickly with very little time for reflection. "Will<br />
she be the only one there?"<br />
"Yes."<br />
317
Will Bonner<br />
Everything had obviously been prearranged, but appeared plausible and Will<br />
was beginning to conclude that there was no immediate danger of losing control.<br />
The pressure for the meeting to take place was obvious, otherwise Tony would not<br />
have appeared personally. He would have just been passed a note before he<br />
started the day. He paused at the entrance to the stairway, holding the door half<br />
open. "Okay. Tell her I'll be there later this afternoon."<br />
As the door swung closed he could see Tony's face and body language<br />
showing a picture of total relief and he heard his voice through the closing door.<br />
"Thanks Will."<br />
The day progressed without incident and Will found himself with plenty of time<br />
to spare at the end of the day. Margaret was standing at the balcony railing looking<br />
down as he circled and parked his vehicle.<br />
She was sitting at her desk when he finally entered the lounge, looking relaxed<br />
and wearing a casual dress. Walking over to get seated on the sofa she beckoned<br />
for him to sit on the lounge chair opposite. He was well aware of her modus<br />
operandi now, and after the niceties of the conversation had been dispensed with<br />
this relaxed atmosphere would change to tension, when the reason for the meeting<br />
began to emerge.<br />
"I won't keep you long Will, but there's something coming up that we'll need<br />
your help with."<br />
"Is it electronics?"<br />
"Yes."<br />
"But you've got Adam's expertise now."<br />
"This job is too sensitive. There will be none of our usual agents involved, just<br />
you, me and Alec up front."<br />
Will swallowed hard as the tension he had been expecting started to make<br />
itself present. "What do you want from me?"<br />
"It's a complex operation, but involves three phases. I need only to talk with<br />
you about Phase 1."<br />
Will began to get a strong feeling of apprehension. It sounded like the<br />
beginning of a long affair and more exposure spelt the possibility of events getting<br />
out of hand. She did say three phases. At least there would hopefully be enough<br />
separation to provide some in between time to take stock.<br />
Margaret was looking at him intently, probably reading the misgivings in his<br />
318
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
mind. "Initially, all that is required is a device for Alec."<br />
"What sort of a device?"<br />
"Well, as you probably know, people like Alec sometimes use a stethoscope<br />
to listen to the safe tumblers. He will need the sounds amplified and an 'add on'<br />
device to count for him so that he can fully concentrate on the sound<br />
characteristics." So that's what Alec was doing at the book store!<br />
"There's one other thing."<br />
Will waited in anticipation. The situation could only get worse he was thinking.<br />
"Alec tells me that sometimes an electronic alarm device is placed over the<br />
combination dial. He wants something to bypass it."<br />
Will looked at Margaret for what seemed a prolonged time. "What's the<br />
matter? Is it something that you're not acquainted with?"<br />
"No, quite to the contrary. It's attached to the steel safe door by a large<br />
circular magnet and the micro-switch mechanism is adjusted to hair trigger<br />
precision. There's only one way the device can be defeated, and it can't be done<br />
by applying another piece of electronics."<br />
"Can you provide Alec with what he wants?"<br />
"The first part, yes. But I will need to think about your other request."<br />
"When will I know?"<br />
"It will take me up to a month for the electronic stethoscope. It has to be<br />
custom built. I'll let you know at that time. Is that acceptable?"<br />
"Yes. There's some preliminary work yet to do which will take some time. But<br />
I'm happy with my progress so far."<br />
"I have your permission to leave then?"<br />
"If I didn't know you better Will Brenner, I would have mistaken that for a<br />
sarcastic comment. Yes, you can go now."<br />
During the fifteen minute drive home Will mulled over what had been<br />
discussed. The electronics for listening to the combination tumblers was<br />
straightforward, but circumventing the combination dial alarm was another matter.<br />
It would be hard wired and inaccessible and the only way to beat the system,<br />
involved cutting into and opening up the wiring. Re-directing the circuitry could be<br />
complex and in some cases impossible, but the over-riding factor in all instances<br />
was the fact that it would have to be done on the premises.<br />
The last caper, breaking into the safe with Alec was child's play in comparison,<br />
319
Will Bonner<br />
and Will began to sweat just thinking about it. Even though the possibility of not<br />
getting involved with an actual break-in was remote he would refrain from giving<br />
Margaret any details until the very last minute, or until all avenues had been<br />
explored.<br />
During the next few weeks the electronics work proceeded without any<br />
hitches. He had been doing some digital design and prototyping for an international<br />
company that manufactured and packaged razor blades. The counting circuits<br />
would do nicely for registering the safe tumblers.<br />
No one had made contact during the period, but when he called Margaret she<br />
was eager for an early meeting, which was arranged to take place two evenings<br />
hence.<br />
It was 7.30 p.m. when Will knocked on the door of Margaret's Import/Export<br />
agency in Collins Street. He was quickly ushered to the back room to find Alec<br />
sitting in the now familiar setting. Both men nodded and Alec's eyes focused on the<br />
small bag that Will was carrying. He knew it would contain the electronic device<br />
and his obvious restraint was showing. Margaret opened the conversation.<br />
"You've completed what we discussed?"<br />
"Yes, but it's impossible to concoct a device to beat the combination alarm."<br />
Alec's face fell and he stared hard at Will, waiting for an alternative explanation<br />
and the silence continued without a sign of any response. Alec's voice sounded<br />
agitated. "If I can't get to the combination there will be no point in going in."<br />
"In where?" queried Will.<br />
Alec and Margaret looked at one another, neither eager to speak. Margaret<br />
reluctantly responded, but ignored the question. "But surely you've got something<br />
you can fall back on, a plan 'B' so to speak?"<br />
Will was getting fed up with the way things were going. He felt as if he was<br />
groping in the dark and finding it difficult to make any headway. They were<br />
purposely withholding information. Under normal circumstances he would have<br />
approached Margaret head-on but his hands were tied with Alec being present,<br />
so there was no other choice. "Could I see you in the outer office?"<br />
Margaret looked awkwardly at Alec. He shuffled over to the other side of the<br />
room to try and make himself scarce.<br />
"Is it absolutely necessary?"<br />
"Yes."<br />
320
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
They both left for the outer office closing the interconnecting doors behind<br />
them. Margaret sat in the receptionist's swivel chair and swinging to face Will<br />
prepared to speak, but he cut her short.<br />
"What the hell's going on? No one's answering my questions! It looks as<br />
though you're purposely keeping me in the dark. Our arrangement is that I am kept<br />
informed, with as much information as your agents would have. I won't go forward<br />
with any electronics or anything else for that matter until you open up. For<br />
starters, answer my last question."<br />
Margaret looked uncomfortable and a period elapsed before she answered.<br />
"The truth is I don't know where the location is yet, and I wouldn't tell Alec<br />
anyway until a day or so before he was needed."<br />
"So you haven't completed your preliminary work yet?"<br />
"More or less, but we don't know where the information is that we want to get<br />
our hands on."<br />
"If you don't know the location, how do you know that the safe combination<br />
will be protected, or for that matter whether a safe is involved at all?"<br />
"We don't, but it is better to be sure than sorry."<br />
"Look Margaret I feel very vulnerable, and I don't want to proceed unless I<br />
know more of what's going on. I realize now that Alec is not aware of what you<br />
are planning, but he and I have entirely different agenda's. Alec probably has no<br />
one to worry about. His only problem no doubt is keeping out of jail, and even if<br />
he found himself back in there, it would be far from traumatic for him."<br />
They stared at each other across the room. There was no sign of antagonism<br />
on Margaret's face. It was blank, as though her mind was devoid of thought, but<br />
Will knew that she would be logically going over the pro's and con's before<br />
committing herself. Will was about to start speaking again to further reinforce his<br />
feelings. A faint smile was beginning to appear and he held back.<br />
She stood up and leaned against a filing cabinet and by this time the faint smile<br />
had developed into a wide grin. "You're a devil for the details Will Brenner."<br />
"That's one of the ways I survive!"<br />
"I'll make a bargain with you."<br />
The atmosphere was rapidly getting more relaxed and Will was beginning to<br />
feel that things could now start to go in the right direction for him. "I suppose I'll<br />
finish up giving a hell of a lot and get very little in return, but I'm willing to take the<br />
321
Will Bonner<br />
risk."<br />
Margaret moved towards the door ready to return to the back room. It was<br />
a sign that could only be interpreted one way. She must feel that what she was<br />
about to say would be acceptable. "If you give your device to Alec, and go over<br />
the details with him, he can leave. Then I'll tell you as much as you'll need to know<br />
at this stage to feel safe in going ahead."<br />
"It's a deal."<br />
Margaret, as she always did, reached forward and they shook hands, before<br />
leading the way back up the corridor.<br />
Alec jumped to his feet as they both entered. He looked more relieved than<br />
anything else, so Will wasted no time in getting started. He produced a small flat<br />
box capable of fitting inside a pocket, into which plugged two hearing-aid type ear<br />
pieces and an acoustical probe, designed to be magnetically attached adjacent to<br />
the combination dial. As Will talked Alec through the operation of the device his<br />
eyes began to widen and a look of childish excitement came over his face. "Can<br />
we do a demonstration?"<br />
Will looked across at Margaret. "You must have a safe here."<br />
An agitated look came over her face. "No way, you're not touching my safe!"<br />
"Have it your way. We'll come back when you're not in, if you prefer."<br />
Alec smiled and nodding his head turned to Will. "We don't have to go very<br />
far, it's in this room," at the same time pointing to the back of a large settee pushed<br />
against the wall.<br />
"We'll have to get down on our knees, it's close to floor level."<br />
The demonstration took but a few minutes and Alec left to play with his new<br />
found toy. Margaret now seemed more relaxed. The proceedings had been in<br />
jeopardy a short time ago. She was probably thankful that her plan was developing<br />
the way she intended. "I'd better change the safe combination!"<br />
"I don't think that would hamper Alec, but he would be crazy to burgle your<br />
safe."<br />
Margaret nodded in agreement and for a moment seemed reluctant to speak.<br />
Her eyes had glazed over and Will was beginning to think that she was about to<br />
go back on her promise. Her eyes blinked and she moved forward on her seat.<br />
"We've been asked to look into something that's going on in government." Will<br />
swallowed hard. The very sound of the word 'government' spelt the worst. "There<br />
322
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
are two or three high ranking ministers that have taken to information gathering.<br />
We think that they are just gathering dirt against their opponents, but we're not<br />
sure. The ramifications are explosive. The people that they sporadically employ<br />
have organized crime connections, which could lead to complications." She paused<br />
to allow Will's mind to assimilate the content of the conversation.<br />
"It's not difficult to keep tabs on them. As you can imagine they are only<br />
amateurs. What we don't know is the depth and quality of the information they are<br />
stashing away."<br />
"Can't you indirectly put the frighteners on them to put a stop to it?"<br />
"That's more or less what we will be attempting to do, but in a profound way,<br />
to make sure that it stops for good."<br />
The conversation ceased abruptly and seemed to be waiting for a kick-start.<br />
Will remained silent, he had already heard enough to give him plenty to think about<br />
and that gut feeling had started, reminding him that he had experienced this<br />
moment before on several occasions. It always appeared prior to the delivery of<br />
something resembling a knock-out punch. The lull before the storm.<br />
"Your old boss is one of them."<br />
Will felt a shiver go down his spine. He knew that the conversation would now<br />
begin to bear down on him directly, and the adrenalin created by the gut feeling<br />
began to sink as he became uneasy, not knowing what was coming next. "That<br />
doesn't mean much to me."<br />
"I think it does. You had a connection with him and his family whilst you were<br />
working in the factory."<br />
Pictures started flashing into Will's mind and he vividly remembered the very<br />
day that he met Mr. Garner, the Chairman of the Company. He had not long taken<br />
his post as a Federal Cabinet Minister. Working amongst the hubbub of the<br />
production floor, Will became conscious of someone standing immediately behind<br />
him. Turning, he was confronted by Mr. Garner accompanied by his two sons,<br />
Gregory and Paul.<br />
The father was a short man of thickset build, emanating an air of rigidity which<br />
closely resembled the captain of the "Wiltshire." He was dressed in a dark<br />
business suit and trilby hat. His shoulders seemed to be permanently raised,<br />
making it appear that his head was placed solidly on his body, with very little, if<br />
any, neck showing.<br />
323
Will Bonner<br />
Gregory, the eldest brother, was the mirror image of his father down to his<br />
very mannerisms. Paul was totally different. A slim, handsome, blonde wavy haired<br />
youth, taller than the other two. Gregory and his father were focused directly<br />
towards Will, but Paul's eyes were scanning the women on the production lines.<br />
It was obvious that his mind was concentrating on other things.<br />
"Are you Will Brenner?" Mr. Garner's voice was deep and booming. What<br />
one would expect from the shape and volume of his body.<br />
"Yes Mr. Garner. What can I do for you?"<br />
"These are my two sons, Gregory and Paul." Gregory eagerly reached forward<br />
to shake hands but Paul was still detached.<br />
"Paul, pay attention."<br />
"Yes Dad. Sorry."<br />
"I want you to get them involved in every aspect of production, from when the<br />
product leaves design, to when it gets despatched. Before they move on, no matter<br />
how long it takes, I want them to be fully conversant."<br />
"Yes Mr. Garner."<br />
"If they give you any trouble you have my permission to kick their backsides."<br />
He led them both over to an area clear of machinery and people. By the look<br />
of their body language he was giving them some intensive advise. Briefly, looking<br />
over towards Will, the chairman nodded in approval and walked away, leaving the<br />
two young men in his care.<br />
During the ensuing weeks that followed their characters were soon<br />
contrastingly defined. Gregory was completely devoted to learning about the<br />
work. He absorbed every minute detail which resulted in copious notes and he<br />
would constantly ask questions, never letting go until he was fully acquainted with<br />
the problem.<br />
Paul, on the other hand, had a devil-may-care attitude. A typical rich man's<br />
son, always taking advantage of the moment to slip away from any work. After<br />
assigning them both separate work places on the production floor, Will would look<br />
across after awhile and see Gregory, head bent, beavering away, and Paul, away<br />
from his work place, laughing and joking with one of the women on the line. A<br />
reprimand had very little effect. Some days he would not show up for work, and<br />
it took awhile to find out what he was up to.<br />
"Where's Paul, Greg?"<br />
324
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
"He'll be on dad's yacht, in the marina, entertaining the sheilas."<br />
Will, from that day on found himself on more than one occasion visiting the<br />
marina. Paul would either be preparing or already have visitors, usually young<br />
women lying on the deck in bikinis. The ultimate threat would have to be applied<br />
to get him back to work.<br />
"I'm going to write a memo to your dad Paul."<br />
"You wouldn't do that."<br />
"It will read as follows. After observing Paul entertaining on your yacht instead<br />
of working at the factory, I would strongly suggest you put him to work in an<br />
environment that will suit his demeanour. He would fit perfectly in a night club."<br />
Will would always get him back to the factory, but he never changed<br />
throughout the whole period of his stay. Quite a few years later Mr. Garner died<br />
suddenly of a heart attack and guess who took on the chairmanship of that massive<br />
company? Yes, it was Gregory.<br />
He had been silently putting up with Paul's selfish ways for all those years and<br />
the moment he sat in his dad's chair in the boardroom, Paul found himself out on<br />
the fringes, begging for favours as the company moved forward, under the strong<br />
hand of Gregory. He could faintly hear Margaret talking through the misty past that<br />
was still evident in his thoughts.<br />
"I'm sorry Margaret. You were saying?"<br />
"You know the family. Are there any weak links?"<br />
It was as though she had been reading his mind. By now, Paul would be<br />
carrying around a lot of problems. Gregory, on the other hand, would be squeaky<br />
clean. Yes, Paul could easily be manipulated and Will felt his skin creep as he<br />
envisaged Margaret finding this out during the normal course of her enquiries. He<br />
could then find himself in a very 'iffy' position. He drew a deep breath and started<br />
to put into words what had been going through his mind, and Margaret's face lit<br />
up with every word.<br />
"You've saved me weeks of work Will. Whilst you were talking, everything fell<br />
into place. I'll need to sort out the details, but I can tell you basically what I intend<br />
to do." Will waited to hear the worst, especially to learn the extent of his own<br />
involvement.<br />
"We'll dip into his past and find something appropriate and then put the<br />
pressure on. When the time is right I'll ask you to pay him a visit. He will think it<br />
325
Will Bonner<br />
is a chance meeting. If you can get the appropriate information out of him it will<br />
enable you and Alec to go to work. You know, similar to the safe job you did with<br />
him."<br />
She had no need to paint a picture. It was vivid enough. "Yes, I understand.<br />
But when the time comes I'll need to have enough details to enable me to assess<br />
the risks."<br />
"You'll get enough information to suit your purpose, I can assure you of that!"<br />
There was nothing more to be said.<br />
He walked briskly towards where he had parked the car. The city streets were<br />
now bathed with incandescent light and there was plenty of activity, but it in no<br />
way subdued the turbulence in his mind. Even negotiating the traffic had little effect.<br />
Driving through the country his mind concentrated on the details of the evening,<br />
constantly trying to clarify the way forward. It would be futile to arrive home in this<br />
state of mind. Dorothy would not have retired for the night.<br />
He subconsciously turned off the highway along the road to Park Orchards<br />
and down the offshoot to the very spot where he had met Ed to discuss the Croat<br />
surveillance. Turning off the engine he sat in the contrasting silence.<br />
It was scary sitting there in the shadowy darkness staring at the bank where<br />
he had sat with Ed. His shape seemed to materialize and Will stared at him through<br />
the open window. He felt the impulse to become vocal and called out into the<br />
dimness of the night. "You bloody fool Ed! Why did you go back on your own?"<br />
There was no reply from the shadows but Will's mind had now been diverted.<br />
It was time to go home and hopefully shed the happenings of the day - for a short<br />
while anyway.<br />
Two months had elapsed and Will was beginning to get the feeling that perhaps<br />
Margaret had been confronted with a problem that she may not be able to solve.<br />
In the back of his mind however, he knew that he was engaging in frivolous<br />
thinking. Weaving between the other employees he headed for the wide stairway,<br />
down to the main entrance and reception of the Transport department, eager to<br />
catch the first available train home. His service vehicle was needed overnight for<br />
repairs and for once he was having to use public transport.<br />
He spotted her standing with her back against the marble clad wall, opposite<br />
the reception desk. A vantage position for scanning the area. She smiled as he<br />
bumped his way across the main stream of bodies to stand next to her. "Hello Will,<br />
326
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
you won't mind if I drive you home? We can chat on the way."<br />
"Do I have a choice? By the way, how did you know I wouldn't have a<br />
vehicle?"<br />
"You must know by now that we have our way of finding out, but let's not<br />
start off on the wrong foot."<br />
"You're not here to enhance my day!"<br />
"I guess we are all in the same boat."<br />
"Yes, but you're there by design. Me, by accident."<br />
As Will climbed into the car his two months respite from the organization<br />
collapsed into nothing. The continuation was about to begin and he would have<br />
been happier standing on a crowded train.<br />
They drove in silence for a while and Will's conscience started to surface. "I'm<br />
sorry Margaret, I don't want to battle with you personally, but you must admit the<br />
type of work you're involved in doesn't nurture goodwill and understanding."<br />
The car stopped momentarily at traffic lights and she looked across. "We have<br />
to find the best way and I’ll do everything in my power to try and keep things<br />
going smoothly. I'd like you to accept that for what it's worth."<br />
"I do, but I can only rely on my own judgement and I prefer that to be based<br />
on fact."<br />
The car turned into a small parking area overlooking the Yarra river. Traffic<br />
from the city was making it's way along the boulevard, eastward. Margaret settled<br />
back to get more comfortable and they both watched the movement on the other<br />
side.<br />
"You will be giving me the facts?"<br />
Margaret didn't turn her head. "Yes, but there's not a lot to divulge at this<br />
stage."<br />
"I suppose you've left no stone unturned looking into Paul Garner's<br />
background."<br />
"Yes, there's plenty to go at. As you envisaged, his short, young life has been<br />
a series of train wrecks. It was difficult to choose, but we've used two or three of<br />
his major problems to be certain that we get him in the right mood."<br />
"You've hit on him then?"<br />
"Yes, several times. He thinks that the people contacting him are from<br />
organized crime, consequently he's too scared to move in any direction."<br />
327
Will Bonner<br />
"During the time that he was with me we never had the best of relationships.<br />
He's not likely to talk to me!"<br />
"Quite to the contrary. The picture he will still have of your background will<br />
probably give him enough confidence to open up." Will remained silent, hesitant<br />
to ask the inevitable. "All we want to know is where in the house his father keeps<br />
all his Government papers. You know - the secret stuff!"<br />
"Is that all?" was Will's cynical reply.<br />
"You've proven that you are good at what you do, and I think you can do it<br />
without compromising yourself."<br />
"When will I see him?"<br />
"The sooner the better. He's on that yacht most every day."<br />
The remainder of the drive home continued in silence. Will just gazed through<br />
the window at the passing scenery, but his mind was elsewhere. What threats had<br />
they used on Paul? It was best that the sadistic details were kept secret from him.<br />
His mind was labouring enough anyway.<br />
He left the car in Vermont with hardly a word. The atmosphere between them<br />
had darkened. A reflection portraying the indecency of the plot that was being<br />
enacted. This was totally alien to the logical progression of his electronics world<br />
and Will was feeling it engulfing him. Margaret was fully aware of what would be<br />
going on in his mind and pursued the matter no further. Just a short parting remark<br />
"Contact me if you need any help." It would be a one man band from now on, was<br />
the only thought in response to her remark.<br />
It took two days for Will's mind to settle down enough to visit the yacht club.<br />
The afternoon sun was bearing down on the marina as he walked along the<br />
wooden mooring bays, towards where the Garner's yacht would be tied up. A hot<br />
north wind had sprung up and the pinging noises of the steel wires slapping against<br />
the aluminium masts was breaking into his efforts to keep concentrated. The setting<br />
was idyllic and saturated with affluence, appearing to object to the very reason that<br />
he was there.<br />
The "Electron" was sitting majestically against the quay, it's steel hull polished<br />
to mirror-like perfection, ready to spring into life at the sound of the harbour<br />
<strong>master</strong>'s cannon, signalling the start of a race. Will walked casually along as though<br />
to walk on past as he spotted Paul sitting on the deck, a beer in his hand. He stood<br />
up at first a puzzled look on his face which turned into a knowing smile. "Well I'll<br />
328
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
be damned, Will Brenner! What are you doing here?"<br />
Will looked across the deck but there were no bikini clad girls in sight. "I'm<br />
visiting 'The Flyer', Mr. Benson's yacht to see if his son Vic is on board."<br />
Will, changeing his direction, walked the few paces to the mini gangway and<br />
stepped on to the deck.<br />
"Would you like a beer?"<br />
"No thanks, I'll only stay a minute. Aren't you at the factory these days?"<br />
They both sat down on the slotted benches forward of the poop deck. Paul's<br />
body language was not portraying it's usual ego, and his facial expression was now<br />
one of seriousness. A look Will had never seen on this particular individual.<br />
Margaret's handiwork was now becoming apparent. "No, I've got other things to<br />
worry about."<br />
Both men fell silent and Will was beginning to feel uneasy. Should he launch<br />
straight into the fray or wait for further developments? No, better not do that. It<br />
would give Paul more time to recede from the nature of the conversation.<br />
"That sounded pretty ominous. What's up? Is your past catching up with<br />
you?"<br />
Paul went immediately on the offensive, a look of anger on his face. "What the<br />
hell do you know about my past, what did you mean by that remark?"<br />
Will gestured apologetically. "Forgive me for breathing Paul, I didn't mean to<br />
infer anything. You sounded down, that's all." Paul recoiled, slightly taken aback.<br />
"The tone in your voice sounded just the way I've felt on a good many occasions."<br />
"Did it sound that bad?"<br />
"Bad enough. I've had a lifetime of agro from people giving me trouble.<br />
Sometimes it was of matter of suffering in silence, but once in a while someone<br />
'stepped up to the plate' and helped me through."<br />
Paul's eyes were staring and Will could envisage his mind working like a<br />
calculator. It was now or never. Would he open up or freeze? Had he moved too<br />
quickly? Paul looked across. "What sort of trouble have you been in?"<br />
"Big trouble. A matter of life or death actually."<br />
Paul hesitated. He was obviously struggling with his thoughts. "Yes, I have got<br />
some trouble, but neither you or anyone can help me."<br />
"Those very same words have echoed in my brain many times, only to be<br />
eventually proven wrong."<br />
329
Will Bonner<br />
"How is it possible for you to help me?"<br />
An outcome was now definitely in the offing, and it was only necessary to state<br />
the obvious. "If I don't know the nature of the problem, how will I know?"<br />
"You won't tell a soul will you? It could ruin me and my family."<br />
"You can bank on it. Always remember, I've been there myself."<br />
The details came thick and fast. He was hardly stopping to draw breath in an<br />
obvious effort to relieve the pressure that had built up inside. When he eventually<br />
stopped Will sat there dumbfounded. The web that Margaret had succeeded in<br />
weaving was all encompassing. Paul's impatience at not receiving an immediate<br />
response boiled over. "I told you that you wouldn't be able to do anything. You're<br />
stymied aren't you?"<br />
"As a matter of fact, no. You haven't given me enough time to put the pieces<br />
together."<br />
Paul looked dejected. A short while ago he was at least in control of the<br />
problem in his own mind, but now he was between a rock and a hard place with<br />
another person's integrity to worry about. Will knew instinctively that he couldn't<br />
leave him up in the air without something to look forward to. It could be<br />
dangerous. "I can do something for you but I have to see a couple of people first."<br />
Paul's face momentarily lit up and then faded. "You're not conning me, are<br />
you?"<br />
"No, rest assured of that. Can I see you in a couple of days, during the evening<br />
preferably, and not here?"<br />
"My Dad's away on a government trip and he's taken my mother. Gregory is<br />
in Sydney on a business venture for the next few days. We could meet at the<br />
house, if that's convenient."<br />
There it was again. Handed to him on a platter, an open invitation to the very<br />
place he needed to see. "That sounds good. Let's say the evening after next, at<br />
7.30 p.m."<br />
"What will you be doing during the next couple of days?"<br />
"I'll tell you when we meet. Just try and relax, I feel certain your problems can<br />
be solved. Is your house equipped with security?"<br />
"Yes, but I'll see that it is switched off when you visit. There's a narrow<br />
driveway at the back of the house leading to my quarters. It will be best to enter<br />
that way instead of the main drive."<br />
330
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
Will made his way back along the deck, his excuse for visiting Vic completely<br />
forgotten. With each step his mind and body were slipping into a nauseous state.<br />
Once out of sight of the yacht he collapsed on to a wooden storage locker situated<br />
next to the quay. Sitting bent over with his head in his hands he let the feeling<br />
develop. There was no point in fighting it. What he was doing to another human<br />
being was despicable, completely out of character with his upbringing, and the<br />
reaction was chastising his very being. He badly needed a reason for his actions,<br />
but there was not one available. An excuse perhaps to see him through the next<br />
phase of deceit. The very least he could do was to see that Paul's manufactured<br />
circumstances were wholly dispensed with. Yes, he would feel better if that were<br />
accomplished.<br />
He refrained from informing Margaret of his forthcoming meeting. She would<br />
be expecting some time to elapse anyway before contact was made. It was a<br />
minor consolation knowing that at least temporarily, he was in control.<br />
Darkness had fallen when Will parked his car about a quarter of a mile away<br />
and walked to the house in Brighton, a suburb adjacent to Port Phillip Bay. If<br />
anything went wrong God forbid! He would feel safer on foot.<br />
It was a fairly new property positioned on an abutment of land overlooking the<br />
bay. A single storey design that sprawled over the land, with sections that seemed<br />
to be dropped on to man-made ledges to take advantage of the view. An<br />
abundance of established trees shrouded the perimeter as Will made his way to the<br />
hidden driveway at the rear.<br />
It was a still night, the silence unnerving. He was trying to step lightly to muffle<br />
the sound of his footsteps without very much success. He could feel his heart beat<br />
increasing, as he had experienced on many an occasion. It was the uncertainty of<br />
the immediate future. The lights from the house were full on and shining across the<br />
narrow driveway into the trees beyond. Will scanned the walls looking for a door,<br />
but could see nothing. He approached the first large window and looked in.<br />
Paul was seated facing him in a comfortable lounge chair. Will raised his hand<br />
to knock as Paul looked up, jumping to his feet, a shocked look on his face.<br />
Quickly recovering, he pointed towards the other end of the building and Will<br />
noticed a tiny concealed entrance, partially hidden by shrubbery. Paul met him at<br />
the door. "You frightened me Brenner, I was expecting a car to come down the<br />
driveway."<br />
331
Will Bonner<br />
"I didn't know what to expect so I left it parked up the street."<br />
Everything seemed to be in order as they settled down into easy chairs in what<br />
Will could see now was a small study. It was premature to relax however, until he<br />
knew more about his surroundings. He doubted any form of surveillance but it was<br />
prudent to remain on guard. Paul leaned forward in his seat, his posture indicating<br />
anticipation. "Have you managed to do anything?"<br />
"Yes, I've seen the people that I mentioned and there's been some discussion."<br />
"Why would these people do anything for me? What do they want in return?"<br />
"They are interested in the sources that are threatening you. The circumstances<br />
suit their requirement. Nothing is required from you except information."<br />
"What sort of information?"<br />
"It's the general consensus of opinion that your antagonists are getting ready<br />
to apply some form of blackmail."<br />
Paul's face took on a worried look. "Blackmail?"<br />
"Yes, it seems fairly certain."<br />
Paul stood up and started to pace backwards and forwards in the small room.<br />
He was obviously agitated at the prospect of additional trouble. He spoke as he<br />
walked. "What could they want from me except money that I owe, and favours<br />
that they could demand of me?"<br />
"It's not you they want to get at." Paul stopped in his stride, a puzzled look on<br />
his face. "They want your father's influence and power, and they can get at him<br />
through you. Your brother Greg is clean, but your background gives them all the<br />
ammunition they want."<br />
Paul sat down, a blank look on his face. "My God, how am I going to survive<br />
all this? “He hesitated. “But if I do, my lifestyle will completely change."<br />
He said it with conviction, and Will believed him. "Where do we go from here<br />
Will Brenner?"<br />
"I have to ask you directly what they will get from you by threats and coercion.<br />
The ball's in your court. If we can get to the source of information they need, they<br />
can be stopped. It's up to you." He didn't hesitate. The thought of the possibility<br />
of moving towards getting his problems resolved must be overpowering, Will was<br />
thinking.<br />
"What sort of information?"<br />
"Your father keeps his private files somewhere. Not the usual office stuff. You<br />
332
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
know, records that he wouldn't want his family, friends and office staff to know<br />
about."<br />
Will could practically hear Paul's brain ticking over. "They could be here or at<br />
the factory, or in both places."<br />
"Where here? And where at the factory?"<br />
"I think I know where they might be in the house, but at the factory, no."<br />
It was obvious what was going through Paul's mind and Will hastened to plug<br />
the gap. "You don't need to touch anything to prevent you from being implicated.<br />
Just show me where, and my source will do the rest." He hesitated briefly, "it<br />
could be over fairly quickly and then you'll be free of all the hassle they are giving<br />
you." There was that sign of hesitation again. He got up from his chair but seemed<br />
reluctant to take the initiative. "Look Paul, if you've got second thoughts and you<br />
don't trust me I can leave right now, walk out of here, and leave you to your own<br />
devices. It would be better for me that way, I can assure you!"<br />
Paul started to walk towards the door beckoning for Will to follow. "I do trust<br />
you. It's just that you are moving fairly quickly and I need time to catch up. Before<br />
you came along I was falling deeper and deeper into a black hole with nothing to<br />
look forward to, but trouble."<br />
They continued to walk through corridors and adjoining rooms. The place was<br />
like a rabbit warren and Will was finding it difficult to keep some form of<br />
orientation. Floors were heavily carpeted and together with the abundance of<br />
upholstered furniture, silenced every movement. Will was thinking of Alec. He<br />
would be in his element here! It became obvious that they had migrated to the<br />
back of the house as large plate glass viewing windows, that overlooked the bay,<br />
came into sight. The lights of an ocean going ship were shining in the distance. The<br />
room was expansive but divided into two sections, one smaller than the other<br />
which could be closed off, by oak folding doors. All the walls were oak panelled.<br />
The small room was a typical well furnished study, with bookshelves around<br />
the walls. The larger room furnished with upholstered settees and lounge chairs.<br />
A large drink buffet complete with bar, manifested it's use for entertaining.<br />
Probably where Mr. Garner met with his political cronies. This was obviously the<br />
place. Paul stopped and turned. "The safe is here."<br />
"In the study?"<br />
"No, that's what one would tend to think." He walked over to a door at the far<br />
333
Will Bonner<br />
end of the sitting-room that opened into a small walk-in closet.<br />
"In here then?"<br />
"Wrong again." He flicked on the light switch and then a second switch<br />
alongside, which appeared to do nothing. He pointed to it. "That switch releases<br />
the mechanism that holds the safe cover in place, but there's more yet."<br />
It was becoming painfully apparent that Mr. Garner had gone to extreme<br />
lengths to protect the safe from being burgled. There's got to be vital information<br />
in there! They moved back into the sitting-room and Paul pushed on a section of<br />
the oak panelling and the whole section opened up, revealing a six foot by four<br />
foot movie screen. Paul turned and smiled as Will gasped, but still no safe. Pushing<br />
on the lower edge of the screen caused it to pivot at the centre and there it was -<br />
a small recessed wall safe!<br />
Will had, up to now, been totally absorbed in the process of getting to the safe<br />
but now he suddenly felt vulnerable. He quickly glanced across at the viewing<br />
window and felt as though he was standing in the window of a city store. His only<br />
desire was to get the hell out of there and his attention quickly centred on the safe.<br />
The size indicated it's use for small valuable items which could include highly<br />
sensitive documents. The final shock though was the presence of not one, but two<br />
magnetic devices. One over the tumblers, the other positioned to prevent the<br />
locking handle from being turned. Will's heart sank until he took a closer look. He<br />
recognized the workmanship. These devices represented the analogy of a landmine<br />
waiting to be triggered. There was no need for further inspection. They were the<br />
invention and manufacture of Maxwell Scrieber. He knew Max, and had worked<br />
with him on security devices in the past. A visit to Maxwell's Electronic laboratory<br />
was going to be essential.<br />
"Do you know the combination, Paul?"<br />
"No."<br />
"Have you seen what's inside this safe?"<br />
"Yes, quite recently, but not close up. Dad happened to be putting some<br />
papers back in one evening when I walked into the room. All the family know of<br />
the safe but only Dad knows the combination."<br />
"It just contains papers then? No money or jewellery?"<br />
"Yes, only papers."<br />
There was no doubt in Will's mind that this was what Margaret was looking<br />
334
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
for. Quickly shutting everything up again, Will and Paul retreated back through the<br />
maze of rooms towards the small entrance lobby where Will had first entered.<br />
"What about the alarm system?"<br />
"There's only a perimeter system apart from the safe but that's part of the<br />
system as well, but it's permanently turned on. Only Dad knows how to disarm it."<br />
"You can move throughout the house without setting anything off then?"<br />
"Yes. What's going to happen next?"<br />
"It may be a couple of weeks or so, but don't despair. I need to see you one<br />
more time, then when everything's finished I'll drop in to see you at the yacht club.<br />
If you get approached in the meantime, just play along and try to stall for more<br />
time. If you can't cope I'm in the phone book, but don't do anything foolish. If you<br />
do, everything could explode in your face."<br />
"I'll keep a low profile until I see you again."<br />
The door closed behind him and Will stood for a moment before moving off<br />
down the driveway. The surroundings had taken on a sinister connotation brought<br />
about by the fact that the next time he frequented this scene the mission would<br />
have taken on frightening proportions. A few details still had to be clarified, but it<br />
was now time to see Margaret again and also Maxwell Scrieber to extract from<br />
him details about his magnetic designs.<br />
An arrangement was made to meet Margaret at her house in Park Orchards.<br />
She pestered him for every minute detail, starting with his meeting with Paul on the<br />
yacht. Her reaction to the result, especially about the discovery of the safe could<br />
only be described as exuberant.<br />
"This is excellent! It puts us miles ahead of schedule. Your work could only be<br />
described as exemplary. You should come and work with me full-time. I can see<br />
to it that you'll have no worries financially."<br />
"My answer will always be 'no'. I don't consider applying mental coercion to<br />
an individual under a load of stress very commendable work, which leads me to<br />
get your assurance that Paul will be left completely in the clear - no ongoing<br />
problems."<br />
"That's easy to promise. You might as well know that we are only going to<br />
extract these documents from the safe. The Minister will be dead scared to report<br />
the nature of the contents to the police. He will stop gathering information, always<br />
fearful that the missing items will turn up to embarrass him."<br />
335
Will Bonner<br />
"The two devices on the safe will have to be disarmed before Alec can do his<br />
job. I'll attempt to get some up-to-date information about them which may or may<br />
not help. We need to meet, say a week from today with Alec present. Can you<br />
arrange that?"<br />
"Yes. What about these devices? They could make or break the venture<br />
couldn't they?"<br />
Will nodded. "With whatever information is available, no matter how small, it<br />
will have to be coped with on the night."<br />
Maxwell Scrieber's combined workshop and electronics laboratory was<br />
situated on the beach road in Beaumaris, a bayside suburb. It was actually a<br />
converted shop with no signs to indicate it's use, not even a number. For some<br />
unknown reason the windows were completely blacked out, stopping all natural<br />
light from entering. Hanging florescent lights, the only source of illumination in the<br />
large room, with a small sink and cupboard in the corner behind a partition, where<br />
one could make a cup of tea.<br />
Will parked the car opposite as he had done on previous occasions, pulling off<br />
the road on to a small dusty area. There were no railings and only a few feet from<br />
the vehicle the land dropped away suddenly, down to the water some fifty or sixty<br />
feet below. Will always had misgivings parking there, and he gave the handbrake<br />
an extra pull to make sure that it was fully on before making his way across the<br />
road to knock on the door.<br />
Maxwell greeted him wearing the same old brown dustcoat partly covering an<br />
open neck shirt that badly needed to be introduced to the laundry. His thinning<br />
tousled hair, fell about his ears. A short man who walked with a crouching stance,<br />
an appearance that gave one the impression that he was constantly preparing to<br />
sit down. His quiet demeanour masked his brilliance with designing items for the<br />
security field, keeping his expertise constantly in demand.<br />
"Hello Will Brenner!" What are you doing in these neck of the woods?"<br />
Will knew that Maxwell was never one for small talk, always eager to get<br />
down to the technicalities and he would instinctively know that Will would not be<br />
paying him a social visit. Not being there to work it was best to come directly to<br />
the point and his stay would be a short one.<br />
"I've been asked by an organization to make up some copies of your magnetic<br />
safe clamp devices. I told them no, so they've managed to get a couple from a safe<br />
336
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
that's been discarded and want me to install them."<br />
"That shouldn't be a problem for you Will."<br />
"That's true, but I want to see that the installation conforms to your colour<br />
coding and for obvious security reasons you don't issue circuit diagrams."<br />
Maxwell sauntered over to one of his test benches and taking a piece of paper<br />
from a tray quickly scribbled the information on it. "Is this what you need?"<br />
Will looked at the sketch. "Yes, everything is there. Thanks Maxwell."<br />
Maxwell furtively glanced into his design bay. "I've got a circuit cooking. I<br />
must get back to it."<br />
"I'll leave you to it then."<br />
Will found himself back out on the street. The encounter had only taken a few<br />
minutes and he had all the information he'd come for. There was only one snag.<br />
The devices at the Minister's house may not have been installed by Maxwell, and<br />
there was no way he could have asked. The thought of cutting into those wires to<br />
bypass the system brought an uncontrollable shiver, and he tried unsuccessfully to<br />
put it out of his mind.<br />
Alec was always early whenever a meeting was arranged. He seemed to<br />
quietly relish the thought of getting back into the fray. One would have assumed<br />
that his spell in prison would have made him cautious.<br />
He was there with Margaret when Will arrived at the Import/Export agency<br />
in the city. His body language seemed to give the conflicting impression that he was<br />
keeping the lid on a turmoil that was going on inside him. The fleeting looks of<br />
expectation in Will's direction however, were a dead giveaway. Will had watched<br />
him before sitting on the edge of his seat, like a sprinter on the starting block. The<br />
ball was in Will's court and he knew that Alec was only interested in bare facts. He<br />
quickly got bored with inconsequential detail.<br />
Margaret had already heard most of what he was about to divulge, but her<br />
concentration was also brought to bear and the two just stared across the room,<br />
waiting in silence for Will to start.<br />
"Everything is about ready to go except for a couple of items." The corners of<br />
Alec's mouth lifted slightly, his interpretation of a smile. "I know my way through<br />
the house to the safe and how to uncover it. It's well hidden." He turned to Alec.<br />
"You'll have to break in via the rear door but it's secluded and covered by<br />
shrubbery. It mustn't be discovered that doors were left open, or Paul will come<br />
337
Will Bonner<br />
under suspicion. That's dangerous for us."<br />
Alec spoke for the first time. "What about the alarm?"<br />
"It will be switched off when we go in, but we have to switch it back on before<br />
we leave, again to divert suspicion from Paul."<br />
"The safe. What about the safe?"<br />
Alec was rubbing his hands together in expectation, like a salesman about to<br />
close a sale. "It's small - a wall safe. The door is about eighteen inches square and<br />
looked brand new. There was no name."<br />
"What did the combination dial look like?"<br />
"I couldn't see it, we'll discuss why later, but even though it was new, it had an<br />
old-fashioned lever on the right side."<br />
Alec's face lit up. "Did it have gold embossed corner decorations, about a<br />
couple of inches from each corner?"<br />
"Yes."<br />
"That's a relief, I know the type. We won't have any trouble."<br />
"I'll soon put a damper on that! There are two magnetic devices. One over the<br />
combination and the other positioned next to the handle."<br />
Alec collapsed back into his seat. "Well bugger me!" It was the very first time<br />
he had heard Alec swear. It indicated just how dejected he had suddenly become.<br />
Will didn't respond. He would let Alec stew for a little longer. Margaret's eyes<br />
were intently on Will's face in an effort to detect even the smallest sign that in the<br />
next sentence everything would be reversed and the problem solved. She was<br />
aware of his visit to Maxwell Scrieber, but not of the outcome. Alec was starting<br />
to get agitated, probably at the thought that the caper would be aborted. Will<br />
suspected that he was paid handsomely for work well done, which would add to<br />
his frustration. Will drew breath to speak and they both leaned forward<br />
simultaneously.<br />
"I warned you that these devices could get complicated. I've managed to get<br />
all the technical information from the designer, but the snag is that he may not have<br />
been the one to install them and there's no way I can find out." This brief<br />
explanation did nothing to bolster their spirits. "I've got to cut into the wiring and<br />
bypass the alarm, but if the colour coding of the wires were not installed as<br />
designed, all hell will break loose!" He looked directly at Alec. "How long will it<br />
take you to get that door open whilst the alarm's sounding?"<br />
338
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
Alec stood up, the smile that was usually suppressed had taken over his face.<br />
"You're willing to have a go then?"<br />
"Yes."<br />
"I think you can pull it off Will. When the time comes I'll do whatever is<br />
necessary. When is it to be?"<br />
"I have to see Paul one more time. He'll know when the house will be vacated,<br />
and then arrangements can be made. I'll let Margaret know."<br />
Alec was obviously satisfied and took Will's last remark as a sign to leave.<br />
There was not even a parting gesture as he virtually disappeared through the door<br />
like a ghost in the night. Margaret followed to let him out of the office.<br />
Will was ready to leave by the time Margaret returned. She seemed subdued.<br />
"Is everything alright? You don't seem very happy."<br />
"I've got a strong feeling that this operation could get very hazardous."<br />
"It's a bit late to start thinking like that, but it's good to see that you've got even<br />
a modicum of concern."<br />
"Are you taking a shot at me Will Brenner?"<br />
"Let's say a parting shot. I've had enough for one day. I'll be in touch."<br />
Driving home as always, after these preliminary meetings, Will's mind<br />
resembled the turmoil of a fairground. Everything seemed to be shouting at him in<br />
rapid succession with no time to sort out the bits and pieces into any logical order.<br />
The one predominant theme however, was the frightening unknown outcome of<br />
interfering with those magnet safe devices. He would have to carry this feeling right<br />
up to the time when he would be standing in front of that safe again. Only this time<br />
with Alec.<br />
Paul was predictably present on his father's yacht. He ran forward, eager to<br />
make contact. "Is everything sorted out?"<br />
"Yes. I just need a day and time when the house will be vacant and the alarm<br />
turned off."<br />
"That's easy. Dad's going to be away until the end of the Parliamentary recess.<br />
At least a couple of weeks, and mother's still with him. Gregory is going to Sydney<br />
on Sunday for a week, so any evening next week would be okay."<br />
"We had better make it firm right now. What about Wednesday evening, after<br />
dark? Make sure the alarm is turned off and that you're away until late, say around<br />
midnight."<br />
339
Will Bonner<br />
"Will you be there?"<br />
"Yes. Mainly to see that nothing gets fouled up in such a way that you could<br />
be suspected."<br />
"I'll be in your debt Will Brenner when this is over."<br />
"You'll owe me nothing. If everything goes according to plan I'll see you once<br />
more to tie up any loose ends, after that it will be prudent not to meet again."<br />
Will left the yacht club with that empty feeling. There was nothing more could<br />
be done until the night. The void would continue until that time. It was a relief not<br />
having to work with anyone, left alone to ponder his thoughts between service<br />
visits. The nature of his work had not changed, but the days leading up to the<br />
arranged outing on Wednesday evening seemed endless. The more experience he<br />
had gained with these events only seemed to intensify pressure, which was<br />
unmercifully unforgiving.<br />
Finally, Wednesday evening arrived. Will sat through a quiet meal with<br />
Dorothy. It was already getting dark as he sat looking through the picture window<br />
in the lounge-room, sipping his coffee. The lights were twinkling from houses down<br />
in the valley below. The depression between the hills continued through to Port<br />
Phillip Bay some miles to the south. During the evening, after a hot day, a cool<br />
breeze originating from the large volume of water, would find it's way up to the<br />
house on the side of the hill. A welcome relief.<br />
It was not that form of relief he was seeking however. Reluctantly, he collected<br />
his small tool bag which contained the instruments necessary to do the job, and<br />
walked up the hill to meet Alec. Halfway up the incline he stopped and looked<br />
back across the gardens and down to the roof of the house and pictured the family<br />
inside. His reluctance to embark on this escapade welled up even more.<br />
He could see Alec's car parked on the service road, but no Alec. He soon<br />
appeared however from the General store on the corner with a double-header ice<br />
cream which was already running down the cone, on to his hand. It was a stupid<br />
thought taking into account the severity of the evening, but he was saying to<br />
himself, "that ice cream will be in his lap before we have driven far." The average<br />
person would have been exuding nervous tension but Alec's nonchalance was<br />
really off-putting.<br />
They pulled into the very spot where Will had parked on his previous visit.<br />
Will looked through the trees towards the house. "Damn!"<br />
340
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
"What's the matter?"<br />
"There's a light on. There must be someone in the house."<br />
"Could Paul have got things wrong?"<br />
"No. Perhaps one of the family has arrived home early."<br />
They both sat gazing out into the darkness. Will's thoughts were split right<br />
down the middle. On the one hand aborting the mission would have been a relief,<br />
on the other he knew it would be better to get it over and done with, rather than<br />
postpone it. Alec was reaching for the door handle. "I'll go and have a look<br />
around."<br />
There was no point in asking him to be careful. This was his stock-in-trade and<br />
Will watched him until he finally disappeared amongst the shrubbery. It seemed<br />
forever, sitting and waiting, expecting any minute to be questioned by a police<br />
patrol, but nothing happened until the light in the house was suddenly extinguished.<br />
Will sat bolt upright in his seat, leaning forward to try and get a better view through<br />
the windshield. He expected Alec to appear, and in a hurry, but when he<br />
eventually hoved into sight it was more of an afternoon stroll. He opened the door<br />
and reached inside for his bag.<br />
"What are you doing? Didn't you see the activity in the house? Someone is in<br />
there, they turned out the light!"<br />
"There's no one in there - that was me! I thought it best to turn it off before I<br />
left." Will swallowed hard. He had already broken in and had a look around. In<br />
contrast to Will, his nervous state must have been hovering around Zero. He<br />
followed Alec into the grounds and through the door at the end of the driveway,<br />
where Paul had let him in. Once inside, Will's nerves rose a few more notches,<br />
unlike the last time he could not be described as a visitor.<br />
Alec spoke in a whisper. "Show me the way to the safe."<br />
The silence seemed absolute as they made their way through the house. Their<br />
footsteps were completely dampened by the deep pile of the carpet, but the mere<br />
movement created a faint rustling sound, which seemed to get amplified in the mind<br />
as the seconds ticked by. Will opened the door and walked into the room with the<br />
large viewing window. It was emanating an eerie light which gave the objects in the<br />
room a silvery hue. Alec watched as Will went through the motions to uncover the<br />
safe. He was shining his pencil torch and the reflected light on his face revealed the<br />
increasing excitement, peaking as the safe door finally came into view.<br />
341
Will Bonner<br />
Alec was smiling. "I thought it would be this type. There'll be no difficulty<br />
opening it. Get rid of those electronic devices for me Will."<br />
It was a simple request, but it presented the ultimate challenge. One slip and<br />
the affair would result in bedlam and panic. Will pulled out the excess wiring from<br />
behind the panelling. When he had finished, his repair work would be hidden, and<br />
hopefully not detected.<br />
Alec focused the light as Will removed a surgeon's scalpel from his bag,<br />
together with previously prepared jumper wires. He stretched a portion of the wire<br />
over the wooden frame in the wall and prepared to cut the insulation along it's<br />
length. Beads of sweat appeared as if by magic, running down his face and into his<br />
eyes. He pictured a nurse dabbing the surgeon's forehead with a pad. He could<br />
have done with that right now as he wiped his eyes on his jacket sleeve, getting<br />
them back into focus.<br />
The cut was successful first time and he slipped his finger between the<br />
insulation and spread the wires across his hand. Red, black, green, yellow, orange,<br />
as per the information. No snags so far. Any electronics engineer worth his salt<br />
would have paired the red and black to his detriment, but in this case it would be<br />
red and green. The second matching pair, black and yellow, with orange as a<br />
dummy wire, to add to the confusion. He quickly stripped a small amount of<br />
insulation from each wire and fitted the jumper. The time that he had been dreading<br />
had arrived and he felt his body start to shiver.<br />
Alec looked down. "Have you finished?"<br />
"Yes. Take hold of the magnets and twist them. They'll pull off, but if the alarm<br />
goes, get that door open quick smart!"<br />
Alec nodded and proceeded as instructed. Will's body jumped as he heard the<br />
microswitch's click. The milliseconds period before the alarm would normally<br />
sound, seemed stretched out in time. Will realized that it was not going to happen.<br />
"You're a genius Will," was Alec's brief remark as he began to tackle opening<br />
the safe. He didn't need the counting device, only the tumbler amplifier. About a<br />
dozen turns of the dial was enough before the heavy clunking sound of the door<br />
handle preceded the swinging open of the door.<br />
Alec retrieved a letter size, soft leather container, housing no more than fifty<br />
documents. He passed them to Will and then closing the safe door repositioned<br />
the magnetic devices. The connecting wires were secreted once again, behind the<br />
342
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
panelling, and the covers replaced.<br />
The whole episode had now taken on a more menacing aspect. Before, if<br />
caught, it could have been mistaken for a simple burglary but in possession of the<br />
documents the outcome would be far worse.<br />
After rechecking that nothing had been left behind they made their way back<br />
through the house towards the secluded entrance. Everything had gone without a<br />
hitch and Will couldn't come to terms with it. Every step he took he was expecting<br />
something diabolical to happen. They hesitated in the foyer of the entrance.<br />
"You go first Alec. I'll reset the alarm and make sure the door is locked. See<br />
you back at the car."<br />
The act of setting the alarm took only seconds and Will released the lock on<br />
the door and pulled it closed. The clicking action of the door interrupted the still<br />
night, but it also seemed to provoke a violent, noisy reaction, in the driveway.<br />
Shouts and scuffling continued for a few more seconds as Will froze in the<br />
doorway behind the shrubs.<br />
He stared down the driveway only to see Alec wrestled to the ground by three<br />
men. They were not in police uniform, probably from a private security firm. As<br />
he watched they started to kick him and stomp on his back. Will could feel every<br />
impact as his mind flashed back to the beating he had received from the military<br />
policemen in Chesapeake Bay. He felt the overwhelming impulse to go to Alec's<br />
assistance but the sudden realization that he was also in danger descended on him.<br />
The activity, as they began to secure Alec, was coming to an end and one of the<br />
men had started to look around.<br />
There was only one way to go and Will took off in the direction that would<br />
take him to the back of the house. Tightly gripping the small document pouch, he<br />
precariously made his way over the rocky beds that had been purposely placed<br />
there to prevent the soil from eroding down the steep incline. Skidding, and<br />
sometimes falling to his knees in an endeavour to get away, he was at the same<br />
time, trying to control the panic that was taking over.<br />
The rocks unexpectedly changed to flat concrete and he realized that he had<br />
stumbled on to a porch with low brick walls on two sides. He stood looking for<br />
an exit that would take him out of harm's way, but at that instance the lights from<br />
the windows above flooded the area.<br />
Pure instinct, and the desire to survive commanded him to leap over the wall<br />
343
Will Bonner<br />
into the darkness below. It could only have been two seconds but it seemed much<br />
longer as he felt the sensation of falling. There was even enough time to conjure up<br />
the thought "if I fall much further I'm dead" before his body hit the ground amongst<br />
the beds below and rolled uncontrollably down the steep incline into the cover of<br />
a large Rhododendron bush, some thirty feet or so below.<br />
Lying there, bruised and battered, but thankful to still be in one piece he<br />
looked through the leaves to see two of the men leaning over the brick wall<br />
scanning the area below. They must be private security. The police wouldn't have<br />
keys for the house, but how did they happen to be on the spot at precisely that<br />
time? There could only be one plausible answer.<br />
Somewhere in that house they must have tripped an alarm that was connected<br />
back to the company. Something that Paul obviously didn't know about. The lights<br />
above went out and after a couple of minutes it felt safe to painfully make his way<br />
back towards the road where Alec's car was parked. Before leaving the security<br />
of the trees he looked across towards the roadway to see a car pull out of the rear<br />
driveway.<br />
They would have Alec in there, and he would probably still be receiving the<br />
treatment. He felt for Alec, although under normal circumstances and considering<br />
what Alec did for a living the thought did not feel right, but at that moment it<br />
seemed appropriate. They had no need to beat him up like that. Alec was a real<br />
passive type.<br />
Brushing himself down and making sure that the coast was clear Will stepped<br />
out on to the road. Alec's car was where they had left it but he walked right by.<br />
The police would no doubt pick it up later.<br />
Heading for the electric suburban railway station at Beaumaris he caught a<br />
train going north along the coast road to the city. Trains were running every half<br />
hour and he soon changed to the only destination that would serve his purpose,<br />
Park Orchards, a twenty minute walk from Margaret's house.<br />
It was around 10.30 p.m. by the time he climbed the last two hundred yards<br />
up the incline. He felt as though his body was fighting every painful movement.<br />
Climbing the stairs he knocked loudly on the door. There was no sound of<br />
movement, but he knew that she was in, as he had passed her car below. A<br />
graphic thought appeared from out of his memory. Was she pointing a shotgun at<br />
the door? It would be the ultimate irony after all he had gone through, to be blasted<br />
344
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
with pellets!<br />
"It's me, Will Brenner!" He shouted it out to discount any question.<br />
Hasty footsteps approached the door and it opened. Margaret was standing<br />
there, a shocked look on her face. "My God, what's happened to you, where's<br />
Alec?"<br />
Will made a beeline for the settee and collapsed full length on to it, only to find<br />
he was lying on the document pouch which he had stuffed into his jacket. He<br />
reached underneath him and pulled the documents out passing them to Margaret.<br />
"There's your precious documents. I hope you find that they come up to your<br />
expectations and that everything's been worth while."<br />
"Don't make me feel bad Will. Is Alec alright?"<br />
"Yes, he got caught by the Garner private security personnel. They gave him<br />
a going over before they took him away, so I don't suppose he'll be feeling too hot<br />
right now either. They will have given him over to the cops by now."<br />
"Did you get away from them?"<br />
"Fortunately they didn't know I was there and Alec wouldn't let on. It was only<br />
a matter of evading them in the grounds, and I got out after they'd left."<br />
"You don't look in very good shape. Do you want to stay here until you feel<br />
better?"<br />
"No, I must get home. I don't want Dorothy asking questions. I'll just sponge<br />
my clothes down and have a quick wash and brush up."<br />
During the fifteen minutes drive home Margaret talked about the documents.<br />
"They are exactly what we expected and crucial that they never get into anyone<br />
else's hands. Knowing that they are floating around out there somewhere, he'll be<br />
waiting for them to surface in the form of blackmail. It will stop him." She paused<br />
for a moment. "Don't worry about Alec. We'll have him out of custody within a<br />
couple of weeks. They'll keep him at the Melbourne jail whilst he's awaiting trial,<br />
but it won't come to that."<br />
"Can you arrange for me to see him?"<br />
"I'll arrange a time and date within a couple of days."<br />
They pulled into the service road at the Vermont junction. "I'd like to talk to<br />
you more Will, but you've had enough for one day. In any case, some of the things<br />
I have to say you would object to."<br />
"I guess we'd better leave things as they are then."<br />
345
Will Bonner<br />
Dorothy had already retired and Will sat in the quiet of the lounge-room. His<br />
body and mind were going through a violent change and he waited for it to abate<br />
before going to bed. Sinking into the mattress the pressures he had been carrying<br />
for the last few hours floated away into space.<br />
The following day Paul was waiting on the yacht, an anxious look on his face<br />
as Will approached. "There was an incident at the house. Did something go<br />
wrong?"<br />
"In one way yes, but as far as you're concerned everything went well."<br />
"I don't understand."<br />
"It's all over Paul, you won't be bothered anymore." There eyes met but he<br />
had a look of disbelief on his face. It could only be expected after all he had gone<br />
through. "Believe me Paul, it's all over. Go get yourself a life."<br />
He suddenly let go and stepping forward gripped Will in an embrace. Will<br />
broke free and hastily looked around and then back at Paul. "Steady on old chap,<br />
folks will get the impression that we are a pair of pufters!"<br />
They both laughed and shook hands. "That's better," was Will's parting remark<br />
as he left the yacht.<br />
As Margaret promised, an arrangement was made for him to meet Alec at the<br />
Melbourne jail. They brought him into a bare visiting room. Just four walls, a table<br />
and two chairs. He looked relaxed and they both smiled as he entered. The<br />
arrangement was for them to be left alone and the guard left, closing the door<br />
behind him. Will put his finger up to his lips. "Speak in a whisper, they may have<br />
the room bugged."<br />
"Trust you Will Brenner."<br />
"How are you?"<br />
"Just fine. It's like coming back for a holiday."<br />
"Margaret tells me she'll have you out of here in a couple of weeks."<br />
His face lit up. "That's good, I don't mind a couple of weeks. It will give me<br />
a chance to recuperate."<br />
Will realized how little he knew of this man. Did he have anyone, or was he a<br />
complete loner? He would probably never know. They had very little in common<br />
except for the capers with the organization, but these occasions were so<br />
demanding of their personalities, that in an odd sort of way they were inexplicably<br />
drawn together. They talked for a while longer before he was lead away.<br />
346
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
He didn't know it then, but this would be his last association with Alec.<br />
347
Will Bonner<br />
348
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
Chapter 15<br />
The Final Straw<br />
Will’s association with Margaret became strained, and from time to time<br />
challenged, but she never wavered from their original arrangement however,<br />
no matter how bumpy things got, and thankfully, Will's family were kept<br />
isolated from the darker side of his life. Struggling from one shady venture to<br />
the next gave no indication of the trauma that lay ahead, which would be<br />
instrumental in turning their lives permanently upside down.<br />
Melbourne's water resources were drawn from reservoirs in the mountain<br />
ranges on the east side of the city. Part of his work involved the upkeep of the<br />
electronic monitoring and control there. The locations were isolated and the<br />
electronics avoided the need for anyone to be in day-to-day attendance. Will<br />
loved to get up there amongst the serenity of the countryside. The views across<br />
water to the surrounding forest were breathtaking.<br />
On this particular morning, after his service vehicle had climbed up the<br />
mountain side, Will turned on to a small plateau next to the main building. He<br />
got out and stood for a few minutes looking across the lake, taking in the sight.<br />
His was the only vehicle there and with only one way in and out, he had the<br />
place to himself. He was looking forward to a pleasant hour, during which time<br />
349
Will Bonner<br />
he would take the opportunity of having lunch in this quiet setting.<br />
Mounting the steel stairway he entered the building. Tall windows on either<br />
side flooded the interior with light, giving it the atmosphere akin to the inside<br />
of a large greenhouse. The floors and walls that were not taken up by glass<br />
were bare, except for a single line of grey steel cabinets, six feet high by four<br />
feet wide, stretching along the centre of the whole length of the room. They<br />
contained the electronics for controlling the water gates and recording the<br />
various environmental parameters, water levels, etcetera.<br />
Walking towards the far end of the building he could hear the sharp<br />
clicking of the contactors intermittently operating, but by the time he had<br />
reached the farthest cabinet, the roaring noise of the water, cascading over the<br />
spillway increased to the point of shutting out all other sounds.<br />
Opening the end cabinet with a security key he arranged his test gear<br />
preparatory to getting started. All his work would be concentrated here. The<br />
440 volt 3-phase bus entered at this point, so he slipped on his rubber<br />
insulating gloves to avoid getting an electric shock. It would be fatal under the<br />
circumstances with no one to come to his aid.<br />
Unplugging the live 440 volt link, he placed it in it's isolating rack on the<br />
door. From this point on, his concentration would have to be total, to see the<br />
job through without incident. After about forty-five minutes he removed his test<br />
gear and kneeling next to his equipment box he proceeded to stow the gear<br />
away. All that remained would be to reinsert the live link and lock the doors.<br />
Closing the box catches Will stood upright when a man stepped into his<br />
line of sight, midway between where he was standing and the spillway railing.<br />
He was completely taken by surprise and the reaction caused him to jump.<br />
Quickly gaining his composure he recognized the figure.<br />
It was Dan, the agent that had given him trouble in the past. There was no<br />
mistaking, it was definitely him, and he had a queer smile on his face that could<br />
only have been interpreted as a sneer. Dressed in a casual jacket and Fletcher<br />
Jones pants his right hand was pushed deep into the jacket pocket, an ominous<br />
sign.<br />
"What are you doing here Dan, does Margaret know you're here?"<br />
"No, she doesn't know I'm here. No one knows I'm here."<br />
Will's mind began to race. He had nowhere to escape except into the open<br />
confines of the building. Two or three paces would be all he could expect<br />
before Dan had that gun out of his pocket. A dread was creeping over him as<br />
he began to read into his mind the inevitability of what was going to happen.<br />
350
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
"What can I do for you Dan?"<br />
Dan's face hardened and he shuffled from one foot to the other. The mere<br />
fact that he was hesitating seemed to be a godsend. It wasn't changing Will's<br />
desperate plight any, but it was giving him precious breathing space to try to<br />
extradite himself from the situation that he was in. He stepped back, closer to<br />
the electronic equipment rack.<br />
Out of the corner of his eye he could see the 440 volt copper bus prongs<br />
which were still exposed and electrically alive, but the trailing cables were too<br />
short for him to use the high voltage rack as a weapon. His movement<br />
instigated a reaction from Dan and in the next moment Will was looking down<br />
the barrel of the same pistol he had seen that night at Margaret's house. The<br />
circumstances were ominously different this time however, with the gun trained<br />
directly at his chest.<br />
"It's pay back time Brenner, your turn to suffer the consequences." The<br />
pistol barrel moved slightly to the left. "Get away from the racks!"<br />
Everything was happening in seconds, but to Will it seemed that slow<br />
motion was in effect. He moved away from the racks out into the open and<br />
Dan took up the position that Will had vacated and he was about to find out<br />
why. "It's going to look like you were careless and accidentally got<br />
electrocuted."<br />
"No one will ever believe that, I'm too good at my job."<br />
"There's always a first time for everything and I'll make certain this is<br />
yours!" His eyes were jumping all over the place, trying to evaluate the<br />
contents of the cabinet, at the same time keeping Will in the sights of his gun.<br />
He hasn't got a clue what he's looking at, Will was thinking. Dan's left<br />
hand was getting perilously close to the high voltage prongs. Will was praying<br />
for the obvious and within a flash it happened.<br />
Intending to open the cabinet door to give better access for what he<br />
wanted to do Dan grasped the rack. His body shook violently as the 440 volt<br />
electrical current passed through his body and with each convulsion the pistol<br />
in his right hand discharged. The sound of bullets ricochetted around the<br />
building, but the sharpness of their echoes were dulled by the roaring of the<br />
water rushing over the spillway, only a few paces away.<br />
The next violent contraction of Dan's body propelled him away from the<br />
cabinet and he rolled over and over on the floor before coming to rest only two<br />
or three feet from where Will was standing. He's got to be dead after being<br />
charged with that much electricity. Will stood transfixed waiting for signs, but<br />
351
Will Bonner<br />
it was a mistake! Dan started to move and he was still holding the gun.<br />
Fear galvanized Will into action and he fell with all the weight of his body<br />
and knees on to Dan's chest. He's got to be weak from the electric shock! But<br />
he started to counter with his left hand and Will could see that it was badly<br />
burnt where he had grabbed the live rod.<br />
What he didn't expect was the full impact of Dan's gun as it slammed into<br />
his back. It hurt, but the weapon was dislodged on impact, and it fell to the<br />
floor sliding out of reach. The two men rolled towards the spillway railing,<br />
locked in a struggle for survival.<br />
Where was Dan getting the strength to fight? Will felt the steel upright of<br />
the railing against his back. A split second glance downwards revealed the<br />
gushing torrent of water as it projected outwards with the force, before falling<br />
into the waters, some sixty or seventy feet below.<br />
Dan careered onwards and under the lower tubular railing, his body and<br />
legs hanging over the steep concrete incline. He was gripping Will's forearms<br />
like steel clamps and it was only the upright that was preventing them both<br />
from falling into the spillway. Dan briefly looked down into the turmoil below<br />
and then back up at Will, a look of terror on his face. His hands slipped from<br />
Will's forearms to the rubber gloves that he was still wearing, a look of despair<br />
came over his face and he shouted over the roar of the water. "I'm sorry Will,<br />
please save me!"<br />
In the next instance his hands slipped over the shiny surface of the rubber<br />
gloves. Lying on his side Will watched as Dan plummeted down the smooth<br />
concrete incline of the spillway wall, his hands outstretched like a sky-diver<br />
that had just left the aeroplane. His fingers were making tracks in the green<br />
algae covered wall all the way down, until he disappeared into the boiling<br />
water below.<br />
Will looked beyond into the calmer waters, but Dan didn't appear, not that<br />
he expected him to. He would be dragged down into the undercurrent and<br />
caught up in the baffle system, which was designed to slow up the force of the<br />
torrent.<br />
His body started to shake violently and he gripped the railing with all his<br />
force to try and reduce it's effect. There was no way that he would be able to<br />
stand until the shaking subsided. A feeling of sickness mixed with sheer relief<br />
came over him when he eventually pulled himself up into the upright position,<br />
and staggered uncertainly back towards the cabinet. His hands were shaking<br />
so badly it took several attempts before he could get the high voltage link<br />
352
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
reinserted. Twice it nearly slipped out of his hands which would have caused<br />
a major problem.<br />
Slamming and locking the door Will picked up his instrument case and<br />
prepared to leave. He was drawn like a magnet however, back to the spillway<br />
railing. Dan's body had not emerged. The lake beyond the spillway looked as<br />
placid as before.<br />
His brain was numb registering nothing as he made the long walk back<br />
through the empty building to the entrance door. But with each step the<br />
hypnotic effect of the rushing water down the spillway receded into the<br />
background and his mind gradually started to clear.<br />
Approaching the door he changed the instrument case over to his left hand<br />
but the loud bang of a car door closing, stopped him in his stride. Quickly<br />
moving to one of the windows alongside the door he peered down on to the<br />
small car-park. A black Mercedes car was parked on the opposite side to his<br />
own vehicle and a man dressed in dark clothing was walking briskly towards<br />
the building. It must be Dan's accomplice!<br />
His heart stopped and he trembled at the thought of another skirmish. He<br />
may not be so lucky this time! There was virtually no place to hide except on<br />
the other side of the cabinets, with the hope that the man would not choose<br />
that side to walk. With his back pressed against the rear of the cabinets he<br />
waited, his heart beating like a drum.<br />
The door opened but didn't close and he listened with relief as he<br />
registered the sound of footsteps on the other side. Then they stopped. "Are<br />
you there Dan?" then excruciating silence followed by more footsteps.<br />
The voice got louder and more urgent. "Answer me Dan!" The footsteps<br />
got softer and softer as they were dampened by rushing water. He must be<br />
getting close to the far end of the building. It was time to move.<br />
Trying to control his exit through the partially open door failed as the catch<br />
on his instrument case caught on the edge of the door, pulling it closed with a<br />
bang. It was a scramble to get back to his vehicle and he prayed as he inserted<br />
the ignition key. The big six litre engine sprang into life "thanks Paddy!" he said<br />
out loud, the Irish chief mechanic always kept his vehicle in tiptop condition.<br />
He reversed to turn but as he looked back towards the building Dan's<br />
associate was running down the stairway. He had a gun in his hand.<br />
Will hit the accelerator spinning his wheels and the gravel stones flew into<br />
the air. His mind was racing and he was finding it impossible to formulate a<br />
plan. He was driving like a madman trying to get as much distance between<br />
353
Will Bonner<br />
himself and the Mercedes, which would soon be hot on his tail. His motor was<br />
powerful, and he knew every inch of the way back down the mountain, but a<br />
glance in his rear vision mirror made him jump with anxiety.<br />
The Mercedes was following about a hundred yards behind. Damn! He<br />
pushed harder on the accelerator and his driving got more reckless by the<br />
second. If only he could be picked up by the police! That was wishful thinking<br />
and he knew it. They were never around when you really needed them.<br />
The two cars raced down the narrow mountain road. There was no way<br />
the Mercedes could overtake, he was no doubt waiting for Will to skid off the<br />
road or breakdown. The steep downward spiral changed into the undulations<br />
of the foothills and the surface to tarmac, which began to widen out. Red<br />
banks of clay on either side of the road flashed by as the cars screamed<br />
through the cuttings.<br />
It was a nightmare trying to keep tabs on the Mercedes through the rear<br />
vision mirror and at the same time keep from steering off the road. Every<br />
manoeuvre needed split second timing. The Mercedes was suddenly looming<br />
large in the rear mirror and Will moved to the centre of the road to stop it from<br />
overtaking but he didn't expect it to appear on his inside.<br />
Looking through the passenger window he found himself staring directly<br />
into the face of Dan's accomplice. He was smiling and getting ready to wrench<br />
the steering wheel over and crash the cars, there was only one way to go and<br />
Will didn't hesitate. Steering his car off the road and up the steep bank, he<br />
found himself speeding through the bush, six foot high tee trees and saplings<br />
were hitting the front of the vehicle and then snapping and crunching as they<br />
passed underneath.<br />
The car was proceeding at a crazy angle. If I stop it will probably roll over!<br />
It only lasted seconds before a three foot diameter tree appeared in his path.<br />
He could take no evasive action as the vehicle ploughed into it, the hood and<br />
fender wrapping themselves around into a perfect semi-circle. Small tree<br />
branches rained down on to the steel top like hail, and Will sat waiting for it to<br />
stop. His whole body felt numb and stiff, it was a miracle the windshield had<br />
not shattered, not even a crack. He looked in the mirror. There was no blood<br />
and he could move his legs, but his left hand was refusing to loosen it's grip on<br />
the steering wheel, so he physically pried the fingers loose.<br />
Pushing open the door he fell out on to the ground which was littered with<br />
dead branches that had fallen from the tree. From the prone position he looked<br />
back along the track that the vehicle had beaten through the bush.<br />
354
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
Dan's accomplice was picking his way through the broken branches. He<br />
had a gun in his right hand. Will closed his eyes and for a split moment in time<br />
he felt the urge to succumb to the inevitable and just lie there, but the faces of<br />
his family flashed like vivid pictures in his brain. Getting painfully into the<br />
kneeling position he postured himself for whatever he had to do when another<br />
miracle occurred. The man quickly put the gun back into his pocket.<br />
Will could hear noises to his left and a man and woman appeared through<br />
the bush. Dan's accomplice called out "I'll leave you to look after him!" he then<br />
turned and disappeared into the trees.<br />
They helped him on to his feet. "Can you walk?"<br />
"Yes, but please get the registration number of that man's car, he's a<br />
witness. It's down on the road." The woman walked over to the bank and<br />
peered down and Will heard the roar of the Mercedes exhaust as it drove<br />
away at high speed.<br />
Within half an hour he was being x-rayed at the nearest doctor's surgery.<br />
All he had sustained was a broken wrist. There was a small ante-room next to<br />
the surgery, furnished with a couple of armchairs, and Will was asked to make<br />
himself comfortable in there for the next hour or so to enable the nursing staff<br />
to keep him under observation, in case there were any after effects from the<br />
accident.<br />
He sat there struggling to put all the pieces back together again. Dan's last<br />
words and the look on his face as he slipped down the spillway wall kept<br />
vividly surfacing, coupled with all the other trauma's that had happened during<br />
the last hour. At the first opportunity, he would have to see Margaret, and get<br />
the whole incident sorted out.<br />
His sanity slowly began to return and the horrible thought that his family<br />
may also have been in danger descended on him like a black cloud. He<br />
stormed back into the surgery. "I have to get home immediately, I must see my<br />
family!" he was shaking from head to toe. The nurses steered him back into the<br />
ante-room. "You're going into shock Mr. Brenner, you'll have to rest back."<br />
He felt the hypodermic needle pierce his skin. "This injection will help you<br />
relax."<br />
If only they knew what he was thinking. I'll have to find a way out of here!<br />
He started to lose consciousness and he couldn't fight it. Crazy explosions<br />
were happening in his brain and it seemed only seconds before he opened his<br />
eyes again. Turning his head he thought he saw a familiar face, but it was out<br />
of focus. It must be a dream! then there was a voice, Margaret's voice. No,<br />
355
Will Bonner<br />
it wasn't a dream! "Are you awake Will? How are you feeling?"<br />
Will felt the relief envelop him, at last now that Margaret was here he could<br />
get things resolved. He struggled to get up, but he was restrained. "My family!<br />
I must know if they are alright?"<br />
"They're all fine Will, try and relax."<br />
His head and vision were clearing rapidly now and he was gaining his<br />
composure. Margaret sat opposite him her legs crossed, dressed in the same<br />
outfit she had been wearing when conducting operations at the Byer residence<br />
that night.<br />
"I see you're dressed in your catering outfit, have you managed to get<br />
another job?"<br />
She smiled. "No."<br />
"I notice you haven't brought your boy friend with you." She smiled again.<br />
"I'm glad to see that you're back to your old self. There's someone coming<br />
to take you home so we haven't got much time. Is it alright to talk, do you feel<br />
up to it?" They were now alone in the room and there was little or no activity<br />
going on in the surgery.<br />
"I guess there's no time like the present."<br />
"Where's Dan?"<br />
Will hesitated. He didn't want to talk about what had happened but he<br />
knew he must. Margaret was the only person in the world that could help him.<br />
"How did you know that Dan was around?"<br />
She ignored his question. "I must know where he is." Will turned his head<br />
away, the whole incident at the spillway was circulating in his mind and he<br />
started to shiver. Margaret walked over to him a look of concern on her face.<br />
She put her hand on his shoulder as if to quell the shaking. "My God,<br />
something terrible has happened hasn't it?" Will nodded.<br />
"Have you killed him?"<br />
"No."<br />
"But he is dead, isn't he?"<br />
"Yes."<br />
"How did it happen?"<br />
"He followed me up to the reservoir to kill me. We fought like we did at<br />
your house and fortunately for me he lost again. He finished up down the<br />
spillway ramp. His body will be trapped in the baffles under the water until<br />
tonight, when the control mechanism closes off the water and opens the baffles,<br />
and his body will float out into the lake." Will proceeded to go through the<br />
356
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
details of exactly what happened from start to finish. Margaret walked back<br />
to her chair and sat down, her face lifeless.<br />
"He had an accomplice."<br />
She stood up again a look of astonishment on her face. "There's more<br />
then. Is he dead too?"<br />
"No, he chased me down the mountain in a black Mercedes." Will reached<br />
into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper and passed it over to her "that's<br />
the registration number." Margaret leaned forward in anticipation. "He forced<br />
me off the road and I ploughed through the bush before hitting a tree. He was<br />
about to finish what Dan had tried to do, but he was disturbed."<br />
Margaret slumped back into her chair and Will waited for her to respond.<br />
Neither party spoke as they attempted to come to grips with what had<br />
happened.<br />
"Don't worry about Dan, we can sort that out without any trouble.<br />
Regarding his accomplice, I know who that will be. You won't have any further<br />
trouble with him."<br />
Will's mind was now beginning to take over and he was thinking logically<br />
again. "Why did you ask for Dan? You knew he was around, didn't you?"<br />
"Yes."<br />
"Why didn't you tell me, he could have harmed my family!"<br />
"We thought we had everything under control. I had your family under<br />
surveillance."<br />
"All the family?"<br />
"Yes, the children were okay but there was someone paying your wife a<br />
lot of attention at the office. There could have been some connection with Dan.<br />
I thought he was trying to gain her confidence and then do her some harm, so<br />
I had him followed."<br />
"Well?"<br />
"It was nothing, he had no connection and we lost valuable time in the<br />
process, allowing Dan to get to you. I'm sorry Will."<br />
Confusion set in, and Will felt the full force of the realization that his earlier<br />
predictions about his family's involvement, had very nearly come true.<br />
"Did Dorothy know what was going on?"<br />
"No."<br />
"Thank God for that. This is the final straw, I'm going to have to do<br />
something dramatic to get things back to normal. I can't carry on like this!"<br />
There was a commotion outside and Margaret moved towards the door.<br />
357
Will Bonner<br />
"We'll leave you alone. Let me know what you decide to do and if you need<br />
help, phone me." A troubled calm came over him. He knew that Margaret<br />
would get everything sorted out with the authorities.<br />
His wrist was beginning to ache like a bad tooth. The doctor had been<br />
puzzled about the bruise on his back where Dan had hit him with the pistol. It<br />
would have to remain a mystery.<br />
Dorothy was home when he arrived. She had been given the news of his<br />
accident by phone and the office was only minutes away. There was nothing<br />
much he could tell her except about the actual accident and his encounter with<br />
the tree. The children seemed to appear out of nowhere and their activity filled<br />
the house.<br />
He sat watching them as they went about their daily routines getting ready<br />
to utilize the remainder of the daylight hours. It was too difficult to comprehend<br />
the violence that Dan could have subjected them to, had he reached that stage.<br />
The relief to see them unharmed was so overpowering he could have walked<br />
across and taken both of them in his arms, but he held back, frightened of the<br />
response he may evoke. Whatever he decided to do, their lives would be<br />
turned upside down. How could he do it without telling them everything?<br />
Will stayed home for the next few weeks to allow the fracture to heal. As<br />
time passed by, his mind became more tormented at not being able to solve the<br />
problem that obsessed him. He had to find a way to get his family away from<br />
the environment of the organization. Dorothy finally provided the answer.<br />
Both Dorothy's and Will's respective mothers had been quite ill and in<br />
hospital. They had not been home to England since emigrating over nineteen<br />
years ago, and the children had not met their grandparents. She suggested that<br />
they should go for as long as was necessary and after taking all things into<br />
consideration it was decided that they sell the house and buy another when<br />
they got back. It was now only a matter of putting it to the children.<br />
They sat in the lounge-room as Dorothy started to explain, a look of blank<br />
expectation on their faces. Will concentrated his attention on Louise, she was<br />
the quiet serious one, and his heart sank as he observed that look of<br />
despondency appear on her face, when the full realization of what was<br />
happening struck home. It was the same look he had experienced leaving her<br />
with Ivan's family when Mark was born. She was only eighteen months old<br />
then but she was registering the same sort of objection. They were both<br />
apprehensive about leaving, especially Louise.<br />
Will felt bad about what was happening and it was dragging him down into<br />
358
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
a situation where he was beginning to get second thoughts. He had to put these<br />
negative connotations out of his mind but it was hard without telling them the<br />
truth. The organization was far from perfect and their wellbeing rested directly<br />
on him. Would they ever forgive him if things went wrong after their arrival in<br />
England?<br />
The passenger liner bookings were arranged months ahead. He visited<br />
Margaret a month before sailing. She had kept her promise after the incident<br />
with Dan, there had been no attempts to make contact. He decided to see her<br />
at the office and took time off for the occasion not wanting to rush their final<br />
meeting and leave without tying up all the loose ends.<br />
It was mid to late morning when he entered the office. The girl in the<br />
reception gave him a knowing smile. She's under the impression that he had<br />
something going with Margaret. If only she knew what was really happening,<br />
that Margaret used the office as a front, and the girl herself, used as a<br />
respectable part for her other activities. "You know where to go Mr. Brenner.<br />
Mrs. Collins is expecting you."<br />
Knocking on the door of the now familiar room at the rear of the offices,<br />
Will opened the door and went in. She was sitting in one of the easy chairs<br />
impeccably dressed, and obviously relaxed. She beckoned for him to sit<br />
opposite. There was a pre-emptive silence and Will recognized immediately<br />
that the chemistry between them was different, the air clear of any expectations<br />
of conflict or subversive thoughts.<br />
"Have you come to tell me what you've decided to do?"<br />
"Yes."<br />
She was staring at him an expectant look in her eyes, he felt awkward.<br />
This would probably be his last visit with her. "Is there something wrong Will?"<br />
"No. Why do you ask?"<br />
"You haven't taken a shot at me since you arrived, that's most unusual!"<br />
"Forgive me Margaret, I made the arrangement to see you here for your<br />
convenience, but I realize now that I've made a mistake. I can't talk here in<br />
your office."<br />
His last remark would normally have instigated a reaction of indignation<br />
from her, but it was not forthcoming. She smiled instead. "You think the office<br />
is bugged, I can give you my word that it isn't."<br />
"I believe you, but to be frank I don't think you would know. Adam must<br />
be so proficient by now and there must be a dozen places where he could<br />
plant one or more." Will raised his voice. "I'll raise my voice to make it easier<br />
359
Will Bonner<br />
for you Adam!" He pointed towards the door and they left the office leaving<br />
instructions with the girl in the reception.<br />
Little Collins Street was far from deserted, but in comparison to most days<br />
at that time, there were few people about. "Where are you taking me Will?<br />
We can't talk in the street."<br />
"It's only a few minutes walk to the Treasury Gardens, it will be quiet<br />
there."<br />
They started to walk up the hill towards Exhibition and Spring Streets. "I<br />
must talk to you about Adam, my performance back there was not paranoia.<br />
If somebody gets to him you'll lose everything. Haven't you wondered why he<br />
hasn't given you a bug detector?"<br />
She stopped dead in her stride. "Trust you to tell me what I should already<br />
know. If you leave Melbourne I'll miss you Will Brenner." She hesitated.<br />
"You are leaving Melbourne?"<br />
"Yes." They started walking again.<br />
"I'll still be able to get in touch?"<br />
"No, I'm taking the family back to England."<br />
She stopped again. "There was no need to be that drastic, I could provide<br />
all the protection you wanted."<br />
Will looked into her eyes. "Guaranteed?"<br />
Her eyes blinked and she looked down. "I wouldn't let you carry the<br />
burden, especially after Dan's attempt."<br />
"It's decided anyway, we're sailing next month. Incidentally, what<br />
happened about Dan and his mate?"<br />
"As you know we have good contacts and legal channels at police<br />
headquarters. Dan's body was picked up and everything's been dealt with. His<br />
accomplice was a well known criminal from Sydney, he'll be behind bars for<br />
a good while. The Criminal Investigation Department in New South Wales<br />
were delighted to have him back. He was wanted for other crimes."<br />
They walked through the small iron gate and entered the gardens. It was<br />
practically deserted with very few people about. The gardens were completely<br />
surrounded by a high brick wall, it was quiet and serene. They sat looking<br />
across the grass and flower beds.<br />
"About Adam."<br />
"What about Adam?"<br />
"Go to Sydney and see the team leader, ask him to get you a bug detector<br />
- a good one. Don't let the others know you have it. Learn how to use it<br />
360
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
proficiently. Ask Adam to plant a bug somewhere, then get him occupied<br />
elsewhere while you go in and find it. It will test your ability. Don't forget, bugs<br />
are sometimes planted so that they can be found easily, so that you'll stop<br />
looking. If you find one look for another. Sooner or later everybody will be<br />
eavesdropping for one reason or another. If you want any help see me before<br />
I go."<br />
"I'll do everything you say Will. It's got to be good for my own security,<br />
and also a warning not to be complacent."<br />
"It might be best to take a closer look at what Adam's up to."<br />
She looked across at Will. "Do you remember the night we first met in St.<br />
Kilda?"<br />
"Very well!"<br />
"There's been a lot of water pass under the bridge since then."<br />
"Yes, mostly troubled water!"<br />
She nodded and the conversation faded. It would not be a good thing to<br />
get into reminiscing, but there were certain things that had to be said.<br />
"When Ed Blake was killed and you took over I anticipated a lot of<br />
problems with you. I was completely wrong and I want to thank you for<br />
honouring our arrangement, keeping my family on the outside meant everything<br />
to me. In appreciation, I would like to give you something before I leave."<br />
A quizzical look came over Margaret's face. "You've bought me a<br />
present."<br />
"Much more than that." Will reached inside his coat and removed a large<br />
manilla envelope passing it across to her. She looked down at it and then back<br />
to Will. "Before you open it I'll explain how I came to get it and what it<br />
contains, you can then access the value of the information for yourself."<br />
"You're going to keep surprising me right up to the end Will Brenner."<br />
"During a heated exchange with Ed one evening, I extracted information<br />
from him about his use of contacts from outside the organization and his words<br />
still ring in my ears to this day. He said "if they found out about me I wouldn't<br />
be able to carry on." When he was killed I had a good idea that he would<br />
have had a list somewhere and that Tony probably found it when he was going<br />
through his personal effects. It only took a mild threat to get a copy out of him<br />
and I've been keeping it ever since for insurance." Margaret's eyes were<br />
beginning to widen.<br />
Will continued. "Two things may happen. Tony could use the information<br />
against you, but worse than that, as I've said before Tony's weak, and if<br />
361
Will Bonner<br />
someone extracts the information from him by whatever means, it would blow<br />
the Melbourne part of the organization wide open. You'll have to take drastic<br />
measures. Send Tony on a job to another state if necessary, and while he's<br />
gone break into his apartment and recover the document. Do it yourself, don't<br />
use Alec. When Tony finds out it's gone he'll just be scared and he may even<br />
come to you for help."<br />
A few moments of silence elapsed as Margaret looked down at the<br />
envelope. Slowly opening the flap she removed the contents. Will watched as<br />
she scanned down the list.<br />
"My God, this is even more potent than you described. It could be a<br />
devastating piece of information in the wrong hands!" She gazed across the<br />
park a blank look on her face. "Why have you passed it on? You had no<br />
need."<br />
"I don't give a damn about the organization, but I couldn't carry on<br />
knowing that it could hurt you personally, wondering from time to time whether<br />
you were in jail, or something even worse. I've kept a copy, so to my<br />
knowledge there's only Tony, yourself and me that know the information<br />
exists."<br />
"Have you any more surprises up your sleeve for me?"<br />
"No. I'll have to get going."<br />
Margaret opened her handbag and put the envelope away. She passed him<br />
a card. "If you ever get into trouble in England contact my personal number."<br />
she said pointing to it. "The other number is a special one just in case you fail<br />
to get me. But try to phone during the night, I have a phone next to my bed."<br />
Will got up to leave. "There's just a couple of things I have to tell you."<br />
"Well I suppose it's your turn to spring a surprise."<br />
"I'll have to inform the organization in the U.K. that you've left. If I don't,<br />
it could be detrimental for you."<br />
"I can deal with that. What's the other thing?"<br />
Taking him completely by surprise she quickly leaned forward and kissed<br />
him on the cheek as she had done once before. "I wanted to thank you once<br />
again for saving my life Will Brenner. I'll never forget it and I'll never forget<br />
you."<br />
Will abruptly turned and walked away, he felt that he was wrenching<br />
himself from a relationship that was difficult to equate. He stopped at the gate<br />
and turned. Margaret was still standing motionless in the same spot. She had<br />
tears in her eyes. The urge to go back came over him but he suppressed it, he<br />
362
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
just nodded his head, closed the gate and made his way towards downtown.<br />
He was oblivious to the noise of the traffic and the people around him. The<br />
full realization of what he had experienced was beginning to dawn on him. He<br />
was at last free of the organization at least here in Melbourne, and he could<br />
now concentrate on getting all the loose ends tied up at home before finally<br />
leaving.<br />
Within two days of the "For Sale" notice being erected the house was sold,<br />
with the arrangement that they could continue living in it until the day of their<br />
departure. This, coupled with the fact that neighbours and friends helped out<br />
in every respect, as they disposed of their possessions, took away most of the<br />
stress of leaving.<br />
The day of departure was one of brilliant sunshine. The family stood for the<br />
last time looking up the driveway at a home that Dorothy and Will had lived<br />
and brought a family up in for sixteen years. It felt as though a giant magnet<br />
was trying to pull them back inside.<br />
The embarkation at the docks in South Melbourne was bedlam, thousands<br />
of people pushing and shoving on the decks. After lunch Will made his way<br />
down to the cabin but as he turned the corner into the corridor Margaret<br />
suddenly appeared. "I had to tell you personally that I managed to get the list<br />
from Tony's apartment."<br />
"Where's Tony now?"<br />
"He's away."<br />
"Have you destroyed it?"<br />
"Yes."<br />
"I'm pleased and relieved."<br />
He watched as she made her way down to the quay disappearing into the<br />
crowd. What was to become of her? A sophisticated woman in a devious,<br />
dangerous, and sometimes violent profession. He shrugged off the thought.<br />
For the next month during the voyage to England it would be "just family."<br />
363
Will Bonner<br />
364
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
Chapter 16<br />
Official Secrets<br />
It was strange to be back at sea again after all these years. The throb of the<br />
engines and the smells wafting through the companion ways however, had not<br />
changed. Confronted by the sharp contrast of cool, brisk air, as he walked out on<br />
deck, and the motion under his feet, made him wonder how long it would be<br />
before his stomach would be turning over. It was too much to expect for things to<br />
be different in that regard.<br />
He watched the familiar landmarks slip by as they sailed down Port Philip Bay.<br />
Their first stop would be Sydney, and Dorothy's brother and family were travelling<br />
down by car from Port Macquarie, to see them briefly before the ship sailed on<br />
to Auckland, New Zealand, and then to the port of Suva, in Fiji.<br />
They travelled up the Reewa river in a motorized canoe to see a native village.<br />
It was the first time Louise and Mark had been outside the Australian environment.<br />
Will carried his 8 mm movie and coloured slide cameras taking lots of pictures. By<br />
the end of the voyage he would have taken over three hundred slides and several<br />
365
Will Bonner<br />
hundred feet of movie film.<br />
Los Angeles and Disneyland, Acapulco, the Panama Canal and finally Fort<br />
Lauderdale, Florida, would all be visited before the trip across the Atlantic to<br />
Southampton, England. Their final destination.<br />
During this last week the choppy seas were adding to Will's problems and he<br />
was beginning to feel down. The sale of their house in Melbourne had not been<br />
completed when they sailed, so the prospect of not having funds available to them<br />
in England, haunted him on a day-to-day basis.<br />
All the other unknowns they were going to be subjected to after they landed<br />
were also struggling to get clarified in his mind, without any success. His worst<br />
fear however, was the organization. Ferret man would no doubt still be around and<br />
he would know everything by now. In contrast to living in Australia, his total family<br />
and relatives would be concentrated here and he was getting the feeling that he<br />
was walking into the biggest problem he could imagine. There was no turning<br />
back, at least, not for awhile, as in the past he would just have to cope with<br />
whatever transpired. Contracting a chest cold put the final touches to his<br />
downward spiral, before they finally landed.<br />
During the next few weeks getting reacquainted with their respective families<br />
was good, but for the children it must have been a nightmare. Everyone was living<br />
out of suitcases and subjected to sleeping in one small bedroom. Louise and Mark<br />
had come from surroundings that were all relatively new and now most everything<br />
was old. It must have been quite a shock to their systems. After buying a new<br />
house on the outskirts of a small market town Will found a position with an<br />
electronic’s company and the outlook for all the family started to improve.<br />
Will's mind had been consumed with efforts to keep the family functioning as<br />
a unit. Now his mind began to entertain thoughts of the organization.<br />
His work involved regular hours, totally confined to the electronics laboratories<br />
and he did not travel. Based on past history they would have no need for him<br />
under the circumstances. The niggling thoughts remained however, it was surely<br />
only a matter of time before they contacted him.<br />
A mechanical engineering section provided all the tools, jigs and fixtures<br />
necessary to support the electronics. Engineers in the tool-room were giving the<br />
company a lot of trouble and the unions were having a heyday. Strikes were being<br />
threatened and the disruption was throwing everything out of gear. Will was<br />
366
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
attending the meetings that were designed to try and avert the unthinkable. Union<br />
representatives from outside would float in and out of the establishment making it<br />
difficult at times to comprehend who was who. For this reason he wasn't<br />
surprised when a man wearing a dark blue mackintosh walked into his small testroom<br />
and closed the door behind him.<br />
He was extremely thin, a deathly pallor to his skin, the bony angulations of his<br />
face perfectly outlined. His shoes were petite and the picture of an oversized<br />
ventriloquist’s dummy sprang into Will’s mind. The face however was not smiling,<br />
only taut and severe. Will, about to open the conversation was cut short.<br />
“You’re Will Brenner aren’t you?”<br />
The phrase echoed deep into his past, right back to the contact made by the<br />
correspondent on the ship in Algiers, and it always carried the same connotation,<br />
like a chess player's gambit.<br />
"Yes, I'm Will Brenner. What can I do for you?"<br />
"Nothing at the moment. But you know where I'm from don't you?"<br />
"Yes I do." Will was quelling the rising fear mixed with antagonism. He had to<br />
keep control over his feelings until he knew more about what was developing.<br />
"What's your name and what have you come for then?"<br />
The thin man ignored the last part of Will's question. "We've studied your<br />
dossier from Australia and thought it time to make contact."<br />
Will remembered Margaret's warning to him about contacting the organization<br />
in the U.K. "Are you the contact then?"<br />
"No, there won't be a contact, you'll just follow instructions."<br />
Will's brain was working overtime trying to assess what was happening and<br />
it was becoming plain to him that they were probably going to adopt a policy of<br />
keeping him isolated. If that turned out to be true he would not have the luxury of<br />
being able to make arrangements or negotiate himself through a particular episode,<br />
as he had been used to in Australia. He would be back to square one as in the<br />
Aden incident days. It was a disturbing thought.<br />
"What if I don't want to follow instructions?"<br />
The thin man moved closer to emphasis his point. "After all these years you<br />
know the answer to that." Will felt at a complete disadvantage, how much of his<br />
past did this man know? His visitor turned on his heel and opened the door to<br />
leave. He didn't even turn his head to deliver a parting remark. "You'll be hearing<br />
367
Will Bonner<br />
from us."<br />
The vacant doorway was suddenly filled by another figure. There had been no<br />
time to gain his composure. It was Henry Goldsmith, the chief design engineer.<br />
"Who the hell was that Will? He looked like something from an undertaker's<br />
parlour, was he from the union?"<br />
"Probably, he was asking directions."<br />
"I've called to see you about the variation in Ramp voltage you're getting in the<br />
accel circuit."<br />
Will's brain was battling to get back to normal after his disturbing meeting with<br />
the thin man. Henry couldn't have come at a worse time. The next few seconds<br />
were embarrassing, but as he gained momentum technically, everything but the<br />
electronics got pushed out of his mind.<br />
Thoughts of the organization however, would now become more prominent<br />
in his mind. When would they make contact again? Next week, next month, next<br />
year? and what form would it take? The waiting was as torturous as the<br />
involvement. He had built up a picture in Australia which buffered him to some<br />
degree. Here, any future involving the organization was a void that emanated the<br />
worst.<br />
Will enjoyed his work but before very long Britain slipped into a deep<br />
recession and the company shut down. He found himself at home with very limited<br />
contacts to find other work. It was over one and a half years before he eventually<br />
found a way out of his predicament.<br />
Dorothy had found herself a position as typist in an office not very far away<br />
from home and her consistent work habit saved the day financially, during this<br />
troublesome period. The possibility of finding work in an environment where<br />
literally thousands were being put off was practically impossible, and Will turned<br />
to consulting, to try for a way forward.<br />
Eventually, he found himself involved with a company who wanted to develop<br />
it's own products, but did not have any technical knowhow. Very soon the work<br />
demanded his full-time attention and for the next couple of years it became his sole<br />
source of income. It was inevitable that he would eventually join the company and<br />
he did so as a technical director.<br />
During this period they bought an old cottage, a short walk across a field from<br />
Will's office. Louise and Mark were going on to college and university and in the<br />
368
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
process of leaving home to find their own way in the world.<br />
The organization had not made contact since the sudden appearance of the thin<br />
man, but Will had been fully aware that his circumstances had not represented<br />
anything viable for them. Things were now however, changing rapidly. The new<br />
products were being exhibited all over the country and Will was travelling the<br />
length and breadth of the British Isles. He was now talking to people, visiting<br />
establishments and reading documents that were classified. They would surely<br />
soon appear on the scene again.<br />
It had been one of those typical English days, continuous rain accompanied<br />
with gusts of strong wind. He had attended a meeting in the administrative offices<br />
of New Scotland Yard, close to Parliament House in central London, some one<br />
hundred miles away from home. The problem of getting the car parked through the<br />
maze of security added to the strain of driving through the inclement weather. The<br />
meeting had gone well, but it was good to be back in the warm, dry confines of the<br />
office.<br />
It was late evening and the light of day had long since disappeared. Will sat<br />
alone in the empty factory writing up the contents of the meeting, his mind<br />
occasionally punctuated by the sharp rattling of the office doors and windows and<br />
the boom of the metal roll-up vehicle doors at the other end of the building, as the<br />
wind gusts reached their peak.<br />
The turbulence had the effect of transporting his mind back to his mid ocean<br />
experiences at sea. A more familiar sound however, emanated from the reception<br />
area, adjacent to the office. Someone was frantically knocking on the front door,<br />
the clicking of the door handle indicating that they were trying to get in. He always<br />
kept the door locked as a matter of security and for once it was paying off.<br />
Pressed in the corner of the small covered entrance in an endeavour to get<br />
away from the beating rain was a man dressed in dark clothing. He looked up as<br />
Will approached the door anticipating that he would open it. "Will Brenner? he<br />
shouted over the noise of the wind and rain.<br />
"Yes, who are you?"<br />
"Let me in out of the rain."<br />
Will looked past him but could see no other person. Parked on the street<br />
under the light was an old dented car. "Tell me who you are or I won't let you in."<br />
"It's okay. I called at your house and your wife directed me here."<br />
369
Will Bonner<br />
Will felt the familiar wave of tension pass over him. He now suspected where<br />
this man was coming from and the thought of him calling on Dorothy sent shivers<br />
down his spine. He had no other option but to open the door and let him in.<br />
He was in his mid forties, a thickset man of medium stature. Removing his wet<br />
brimmed hat revealed a full head of black hair which projected out as though he<br />
had just received an electrostatic charge. Will watched as he went about making<br />
himself at home in a coarse pushy way, but before he had a chance to open any<br />
conversation Will launched a verbal attack.<br />
"I know where you're from and I'm going to warn you. Stay away from my<br />
home and family. If you don't, you'll get nothing from me and I'll single you out for<br />
special treatment!"<br />
The man laughed. "You're in no position to single anybody out."<br />
Will suddenly connected with his accent. He was Australian, and he was<br />
beginning to feel that perhaps things may not turn out as bad as he had anticipated.<br />
"You're an Aussie aren't you?"<br />
"Yes."<br />
"I'll know where to come and get you, won't I? You all hang out in Earls Court<br />
in London don't you?" The man didn't answer. "I don't suppose you'll be giving me<br />
your name either?" More silence ensued. "I bet you're with the Australian<br />
Embassy." The faint change in his facial expression was enough to signal that he<br />
had connected, the man looked across the desk at Will.<br />
"I didn't visit your house. I just told you that to get you to open the door."<br />
Will breathed a momentary sigh of relief. Things were at least not as bad as he<br />
had first thought. The Aussie looked across at Will, a quizzical look on his face.<br />
"They didn't tell me that you were an antagonistic bugger."<br />
"Well, that's what you get for pushing people around, what did you expect?<br />
Someone that would do your every bidding?"<br />
"No, but I didn't expect to get threatened!"<br />
"We both know where we stand, so why not get on with what you came to<br />
do."<br />
The Aussie shifted uneasily on his seat, the introductions were over and it was<br />
time to get down to the nitty gritty. Will could practically recite the procedure and<br />
he wasn't far wrong.<br />
"You're going to places and meeting people that can supply valuable<br />
370
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
information for us, do you understand what I'm saying?"<br />
"Yes, I understand."<br />
"You're dealing with fairly high ranking officers in the Royal Air Force and also<br />
the U.S. and you visit their bases."<br />
"Yes, but in these cases the information is classified, especially the hard copy,<br />
and I'm not prepared to put my head on the chopping block."<br />
"We don't want any hard copy, only verbal information gleaned when you're<br />
circulating on the bases, or during telephone conversations. It will not be<br />
connected with the work that you do."<br />
"But it still means that I'll be poking my nose into things that don't concern me,<br />
which will be far more dangerous."<br />
"Yes, but you've done it before and got away with it."<br />
Will paused before answering. "I had a degree of support then, especially in<br />
Australia, but I think you and your colleagues would leave me for dead, if the<br />
going gets tough." The Aussie made no effort to give any reassurance or otherwise,<br />
remaining non-committal. "I thought so, but lets get one thing clear. I'll be covering<br />
my backside one hundred per cent of the time, so if there's a short fall in<br />
information you'll have to put up with it. Do you know Ed Blake or Margaret<br />
Collins?"<br />
"No."<br />
"You could take a leaf out of their book with respect to getting things done.<br />
They personally took the risks when it was necessary, not just issue instructions<br />
and then hide and wait for results to be handed to them." Will still didn't quite<br />
know what he was being asked to do.<br />
The Aussie showed no reaction. "We need to know of any new areas of<br />
security that are being planned on the bases and their eventual use. Also<br />
information about the personnel you meet with regard to their reluctance, or<br />
otherwise, to talk about classified matters. It doesn't matter about rank, a brief<br />
description will do. Security matters will be linked with the pending arrival of new<br />
aeroplanes and armaments. You know what we want."<br />
"I can never understand why you people can't go through government channels<br />
to get the information you want."<br />
"We can't get what we want that way. The information is never detailed, and<br />
in any case we need it verified by someone on the spot, because it's likely to be<br />
371
Will Bonner<br />
misinformation. Air Force intelligence keep a tight grip on any new projects<br />
anyway, and you are probably dealing with the very people that are associated<br />
with them."<br />
Will's mind pictured the meetings that had already taken place, it wouldn't be<br />
easy. If anything went wrong he would be vulnerable. The outside contractors<br />
would be the first people investigated by Air Force intelligence.<br />
The Aussie reached into his pocket and produced a soggy piece of paper with<br />
a number written on it. "When you want to pass information on ring this number,<br />
preferably from a public phone. Prepare what you want to say beforehand, say<br />
your piece and then wait for any instructions."<br />
Will couldn't believe what he was hearing. It was like something out of a badly<br />
written spy novel. "This is bloody ridiculous! It's apparent that neither you or your<br />
colleagues have got the guts to meet me, you're scared to take a risk, so why<br />
should I? You can go to hell for your information!"<br />
The Aussie abruptly stood up, his face had a disappointing look on it, like a<br />
child that had been refused candy. It then changed to annoyance. "I have to report<br />
back favourably, but you're making it hard for me. They'll get upset and start doing<br />
things that you won't like."<br />
Will stood up and moved to the other side of the desk, he could see a<br />
confrontation coming. "I've been threatened by you people for years and it's<br />
always "they" who are they? You're the only person here! Are you threatening<br />
me?"<br />
"No."<br />
There was a moment of silence and Will realized that he was pushing things to<br />
the edge but he had to institute some measure of doubt in this man's mind. "If<br />
anything untoward happens after you leave here I'll warn you again. You're the first<br />
person I'll come to see because I don't know who "they" are, and I don't believe<br />
you do either. You've probably only got one contact otherwise they wouldn't let<br />
you come here."<br />
The two men were postured agressively, their faces only separated by a<br />
couple of feet. The Aussie suddenly thrust his right hand into his inside pocket.<br />
Will's heart jumped into his throat and he reacted instantly.<br />
Lunging forward, he gripped the Aussie's arm to prevent it from being<br />
withdrawn and the force pushed him off balance. As he fell backwards his left arm<br />
372
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
brushed the contents on the top of the desk and they clattered to the floor. Fearing<br />
to let go Will followed him down into the corner of the room.<br />
The Aussie was visibly shaken, a puzzled look on his face. He was sitting on<br />
the floor his back resting in the corner, Will was kneeling on his legs. "What the<br />
hell are you doing Brenner?"<br />
"You were going to pull a gun on me."<br />
"I don't carry a gun."<br />
Will moved his hand across to the area of the pocket but could feel nothing.<br />
He had over-reacted. The Aussie removed his hand revealing a handkerchief, and<br />
proceeded to mop his brow as both men got up. He moved towards the door and<br />
picking up his hat and coat prepared to leave.<br />
"You can tell them what you want. They have my history and are perfectly<br />
capable of drawing their own conclusions. As far as I'm concerned you've<br />
delivered the message." The Aussie left without a word.<br />
Will went over to the window and lifting a slat in the venetian blind watched<br />
as the dark figure ran back to the car through the rain, and listened as the noise<br />
from the car's punctured muffler receded, as it proceeded through the industrial<br />
estate towards the highway, which would take the Aussie back to London.<br />
Will stood shaking in the centre of the room. It had been a disturbing<br />
encounter and things had been left unresolved. He was already beginning to feel<br />
the full effect of the uncertainty and he couldn't subdue it. He was in no mood to<br />
continue the report so gathering up the papers he locked up the office and with his<br />
head bent against the rain made his way over the footbridge that spanned the<br />
highway. Stopping momentarily as he reached the top, he looked across the field<br />
towards the house and could just make out the dim light of the sitting-room<br />
window that looked out over the back garden, indicating that Dorothy had not<br />
gone to bed.<br />
He felt sick and troubled at the thought of hiding things from her, an act which<br />
he had perfected over the years. He knew that it was all going to start again and<br />
he would have to be constantly on his guard.<br />
After an uneasy sleep he arrived at the office the next morning knowing exactly<br />
what he had to do. At precisely 9 a.m. he picked up the phone and rang Scotland<br />
Yard to get in touch with his contact at the meeting he had attended the previous<br />
day. It was only seconds before he was on the line. "What can I do for you Will,<br />
373
Will Bonner<br />
is there some information that we didn't give you?"<br />
"No, it's a private matter actually, and I was wondering whether you could<br />
help."<br />
"If I can I will."<br />
"As you know I spent a lot of time in Australia and I believe there's an Aussie<br />
that I once knew working at the Embassy. I'd like to find out where he lives and<br />
surprise him."<br />
"Why don't you phone the Embassy?"<br />
"They won't give out the information over the phone, in any case, I only know<br />
his nickname. Could you find out where he lives, if I give you a good description?"<br />
"Yes, we have photo ID's of all the Embassy staff, it would only take ten<br />
minutes. There's only a few people involved, you're not going to do him any harm<br />
are you?"<br />
Will laughed. "No, you're the last people I'd contact if that was my motive."<br />
"I guess that's right. Give me the description and I'll phone you tomorrow<br />
morning at this time."<br />
The day passed without incident but he had to keep pushing the recent events<br />
into the back of his mind in an effort to get his work done.<br />
At 9 a.m. the next day Will sat nervously next to the phone and within a few<br />
minutes it rang. It was his contact from Scotland Yard. "I've got what you want<br />
Will."<br />
"Did you have to contact the Embassy?"<br />
"No."<br />
"That's good, he won't have an inkling that he's going to be surprised."<br />
"His name is William Boyd, they call him Billy Boyd. He's employed as a<br />
courier, I'll give you his address." Will feverishly jotted down the details. "Is there<br />
anything else you'd like to know?"<br />
"No, not at the moment, you've given me everything I had hoped for. See you<br />
at the meeting in two weeks time."<br />
Will sat for a moment temporarily dazed at the ease with which he had<br />
obtained the information. Most of the time it was a frustrating exercise. He quickly<br />
grabbed the London Street Directory. He had been mistaken about Billy living in<br />
Earl's Court but that would only tend to make him feel more secure. The suburb<br />
of Ealing was only seven or eight miles from the city centre and the street only five<br />
374
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
minutes walk from the underground station.<br />
The next day was Friday and Will had decided to take a late morning train. It<br />
was only a one hour and forty minutes ride and he arrived at Euston Station in<br />
North London around lunchtime. After a quick journey on the underground he<br />
soon found himself walking across Ealing Common to identify the street. In<br />
contrast to the hustle and bustle of the city there were very few people about.<br />
Taking out his sandwiches he sat down on one of the park benches to eat lunch.<br />
The thoughts of what may transpire during the next few hours were churning<br />
around inside. The main purpose for his action was to try and place Billy Boyd in<br />
an insecure environment, thereby taking away some of the security he enjoyed<br />
within the confines of the organization. This would in turn make him think twice<br />
before blindly following his superior's instructions, without taking the consequences<br />
into consideration.<br />
His job as a courier at the Embassy fitted the organization's needs perfectly<br />
and after analyzing the events in the office two nights ago, Will had come to the<br />
conclusion that Billy's role was probably a minor one, confined to passing on<br />
instructions and reporting back. As the minutes slipped by he began to ponder<br />
what to do next, perhaps watch the house until he arrived? What if he had taken<br />
the day off and was over there right now? It would be best to go and glean<br />
whatever information he could about Billy's whereabouts.<br />
Will made his way along the street of Elizabethan four storey terraced houses.<br />
They were set back a few feet from the pavement behind wrought iron railings<br />
through which the branches of an occasional shrub was growing. He paused at the<br />
gate which was permanently propped open in a state of disrepair, and read the<br />
number painted in white on a large black door with a tarnished brass knob.<br />
As he mounted the three stone steps he couldn't fail to observe the paint<br />
peeling away from the ornate figured woodwork, probably the result of a hundred<br />
years and many coats. He reached for the Victorian bellpull but as with everything<br />
else in sight it was painted over and solidly fixed in a non functioning position. The<br />
door knocker had long since either fallen off or been stolen, leaving just the striker<br />
stud behind.<br />
Will tried the door. It opened and he stepped into a hallway that perfectly<br />
matched the disintegration of the exterior. The expanse of the stairway leading to<br />
the upper floors took up most of the space, leaving a narrow passage that led to<br />
375
Will Bonner<br />
the rear of the building. The ceramic tiled floor was old, cracked and so dirty, it<br />
was difficult to distinguish the pattern.<br />
"Who's there?" An old man appeared through the first door on the left. He was<br />
wearing a soiled waistcoat over a creased striped shirt. The collar was pulled high<br />
over a paisley patterned cravat. Walking with a slight stoop his head was cocked<br />
to one side in an attempt to raise his line of sight.<br />
Will attempted to put on his best Australian accent. "My name's Will Brenner<br />
and I'm looking for Billy Boyd. Who are you?"<br />
"I look after the tenants for the owner."<br />
"You're the Superintendent then?"<br />
The old man obviously liked the title, his face momentarily lighting up. "Yes."<br />
"Is Billy in?"<br />
"No, but he gets off work early on Fridays." He paused and took a two inch<br />
diameter gold watch from his waistcoat pocket flipping open the lid to read the<br />
time. "He should be here within the hour. Do you want to wait?"<br />
"Yes, if that's okay."<br />
"His room is the last one along the passage, make yourself at home until he<br />
arrives." The old man turned and went back into his room closing the door.<br />
Will was finding it difficult to come to terms with the fact that he was being<br />
allowed to enter Billy's domain without question. The dark passage twisted and<br />
turned like a rabbit warren with doors to the left and right. Billy's door was slightly<br />
ajar, he pushed it open and called out. "Is anyone there?" He was only confronted<br />
with silence and a single room apartment that resembled the city dump.<br />
Quickly looking through all the drawers he eventually found what he was<br />
looking for. A thirty-eight calibre revolver. He removed the bullets and put it in the<br />
inside pocket of his coat. There was a rickety old chair positioned about three feet<br />
from the door. Will closed the door to its original position and sat down on the<br />
chair surveying the debris and wondering how long it would be before Billy<br />
arrived. It seemed only minutes before his presence became obvious in the<br />
passageway.<br />
Pushing the door open he walked straight across the room to the dirty pot<br />
laden sink, and started removing items from a brown paper bag, totally unaware<br />
that there was another person in the room. Will remained silent. The longer he<br />
stayed undetected, the bigger the shock would be.<br />
376
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
Billy turned, he had some canned food in his hand. His whole body jumped<br />
with fright and the can dropped to the floor rolling under the curtain that covered<br />
the shelves beneath the kitchen sink. He then dived towards the drawer, yanking<br />
it open.<br />
Will stood up with his back to the door and drew the gun, pointing it at arm's<br />
length at Billy's back. "Is this what you're looking for, Billy Boyd?"<br />
Billy whirled around, this time with a look of despair on his face, it looked as<br />
though the end of his world had arrived. He stood with his hands raised and Will<br />
gestured with the revolver for him to sit on the bed.<br />
"How did you find out where I lived so soon?" Will didn't answer. "You must<br />
be from Central Intelligence, an experienced operator."<br />
Will lowered the revolver, walked over to the drawer and dropped it inside.<br />
Billy watched as he emptied his pocket of bullets. He still had his hands in the air,<br />
a look of amazement on his face. "No, I'm not from Central Intelligence, you can<br />
drop your hands now Billy."<br />
Billy stuttered. "The gun wasn't loaded."<br />
"I didn't want to make a mistake and shoot you. You wouldn't have liked it."<br />
"No! What do you want?"<br />
"I've visited you to demonstrate that I can get to you anytime I want. You're<br />
a courier with the Australian Embassy." Billy nodded. "I know all about you and<br />
I can use the information against you if I want, but that should not be necessary,<br />
should it?" A painful look appeared on Billy's face.<br />
"What are you trying to say?"<br />
"You'll get no phone calls from me to deliver information. The organization will<br />
keep the tapes to blackmail me. I won't do it."<br />
"But those are my instructions, I can't change them. I only pass on information,<br />
what do you want from me?"<br />
"It's simple. I can't refuse to spy for the organization but I can refuse to do<br />
things that jeopardize my future, so when I have information to pass on, no matter<br />
how small, it will be to you personally by word of mouth. Nothing written down<br />
or delivered by phone, the number you've given me will only be used to say that<br />
I want to see you. You will then get in touch to arrange a meeting."<br />
Billy's face took on the pained look again. "They won't go for it. It's not the<br />
way they wanted it."<br />
377
Will Bonner<br />
"You'll have to persuade them then won't you? If you don't I'll put so much<br />
pressure on you, you'll be dying to get on the next plane back to Australia and you<br />
won't be immune there either!"<br />
"This is blackmail."<br />
Will laughed out loud. "You people amaze me. It's okay in your book to use<br />
blackmail, but when you're subjected to it yourselves, you start to whine. Just do<br />
as I ask and you'll keep yourself out of trouble." Will made for the door, there<br />
was only one thing left to be said. "When you've made the arrangements phone me<br />
to say that it's agreed, I won't do anything until I hear from you, is that<br />
understood?" Billy nodded. "Incidentally, is your gun registered?"<br />
"Yes, but I don't carry it around."<br />
"If ever the authorities find out that it's kept loaded in an open drawer they'll<br />
come down hard on you."<br />
Will closed the door behind him leaving Billy with a problem to solve. He was<br />
feeling more upbeat by the minute knowing that the ball was now in their court. It<br />
wouldn't be long however, before he would be back in the fray again, but until then<br />
he would try to enjoy the break.<br />
One week later to the day, Billy was on the phone. Will was expecting an<br />
approval to go ahead, but there was something else. "Would you take a look at<br />
Blaxonby Air Force base and report back, you know what's wanted."<br />
Will was non-committal, he would never say anything on the telephone<br />
anyway. He already knew the proposed security plans there, and the reasons<br />
behind them, also the high ranking officers involved. His meetings at the base<br />
would now take on a sinister connotation and he would have to watch every word<br />
and action to prevent leaving himself wide open. If he was ever discovered the<br />
best he could hope for was a life in prison. The organization would leave him out<br />
in the cold. They would probably engineer it to look as though the information was<br />
being passed to a foreign group to divert attention from themselves. Will felt sick<br />
at the thought.<br />
From the onset he decided to pass on snippets of information in dribs and<br />
drabs, as no time scale existed. The first meeting with Billy was fraught with<br />
paranoia at the thought of being bugged or monitored in some other form. The<br />
meeting was to take place at a Little Chef restaurant on one of the highways.<br />
Will pulled into the car-park and looked across at the windows. Billy's shock<br />
378
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
of hair protruding from every angle of his head was like a beacon announcing his<br />
presence, he drew a deep nervous breath. This wasn't going to be easy.<br />
Entering the restaurant Will made for a separate table in the corner and<br />
beckoned him over. Billy's face questioned his action but with surveillance in mind<br />
it would be best to be extra careful. Billy had arrived first with plenty of time to<br />
plant a device, or check one out, that was placed on his person. He slipped into<br />
the seat opposite Will but did not question his change of table.<br />
"You've got something for me Will?"<br />
Will stood up and pointed to the washrooms, Billy shrugged his shoulders but<br />
followed him with a blank look on his face. Fortunately the room was empty.<br />
"Take off your jacket Billy."<br />
"I'm not carrying a gun."<br />
"Take it off."<br />
Billy removed his coat and Will checked for a bug. "Drop your pants."<br />
"Now look here Brenner, what are you up to?"<br />
"Drop your pants."<br />
They were in the cubicle and Will was praying that no one would come into<br />
the washroom. Billy dropped his pants (his underwear was in the same condition<br />
as his apartment) but it was obvious that he was not carrying a bug. Pulling up his<br />
pants he rearranged his clothing. Will passed Billy a pen and sheet of blank paper.<br />
"Write this down."<br />
With each sentence, to be extra careful, Will flushed the toilet as Billy sat there<br />
feverishly writing. When it was all over they returned to the restaurant. "You can<br />
buy me a coffee and something to eat now Billy. Give me twenty pounds and I'll<br />
keep the change to pay for my expenses down here." Billy swallowed, but passed<br />
the money across and they sat eating a meal. "Where are you from Billy?"<br />
"Adelaide, South Australia."<br />
"I suppose they've got you here for as long as they need you."<br />
Billy nodded. "I'm trying to work in Australian Embassy's in all the major<br />
capital cities around the world."<br />
"That sounds good. Are you married?"<br />
"No, and my function with the organization is only to deliver instructions and<br />
collect information." Will was finally coming to the conclusion that he was probably<br />
telling the truth.<br />
379
Will Bonner<br />
"Look Billy, I don't want to make life hard for you. If you treat me right things<br />
will go easy, you already know how I will react if things go wrong." Billy nodded.<br />
"So lets keep things cool. I'll phone the number and leave a message, but only to<br />
arrange a meeting."<br />
Billy looked up, a quizzical look on his face. "You won't want me to drop my<br />
pants again will you?"<br />
"It's not you I'm worried about, just the sods that are pulling your strings!"<br />
Will settled down for the drive back. He felt contented that the meeting had<br />
transpired without any hitches. It would be a constant battle from now on<br />
however, trying to keep his head above water.<br />
Contact with the organization was sporadic and sometimes only two or three<br />
times a year. Some of the demands turned into nail biting events, others without<br />
incident, but their presence was always lurking in the background, and as time<br />
went by, it would get harder, not easier.<br />
Will busied himself with renovating the house. A new extension had been built<br />
on the property and he was now concentrating on reshaping the old section.<br />
Both Louise and Mark were progressing well with their academic careers.<br />
Louise took a final year at university to do a Masters Degree, after which time, her<br />
fiance Brent graduated.<br />
They married at the very same church where he and Dorothy were married<br />
almost thirty years before. Immediately after the wedding reception they took a<br />
plane to New York on their honeymoon and then on to Niagara Falls Canada,<br />
where they would eventually set up home.<br />
On Friday morning, the day before the wedding, Will answered the phone in<br />
his office. It was Billy. "Could I see you this weekend?"<br />
"No."<br />
"Why not?"<br />
"It's my daughter's wedding tomorrow."<br />
"What about Sunday?"<br />
"No, it will have to wait until next week. What's it all about, why the urgency?"<br />
"All I can say is that someone you've mentioned in past information has come<br />
under scrutiny, and you may be able to clear up some unanswered questions."<br />
"Come to my office on Tuesday evening at 7 p.m."<br />
The incident bugged him throughout the wedding and the reception, and on up<br />
380
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
to the time of the meeting. There was nothing he could resolve, but that didn't<br />
prevent it from tormenting his mind.<br />
Billy was waiting in his car when Will arrived. It was a pleasant evening so they<br />
didn't go into the office but discussed the matter in the car. There was a perfectly<br />
simple explanation for what was happening and things were wrapped up in a<br />
matter of minutes. Nevertheless, the organization had succeeded in putting a glitch<br />
into what had turned out to be a happy event for him.<br />
Mark also graduated and went to South Africa for a year and then came back<br />
to England and also completed a Masters Degree. After getting married he and his<br />
wife Linda followed in Louise and Brent's footsteps, also emigrating to Canada.<br />
The families over there soon increased to four grandchildren.<br />
Will and Dorothy visited Canada on several occasions to see them all. With<br />
each and every visit the experience of relief being away from the U.K. organization<br />
became more profound and Will knew that he would first have to extradite himself<br />
from the company and then move to Canada to join up once again with the family.<br />
His efforts to leave the company however, provoked a severe reaction. He<br />
was not contracted to the company and the other directors were convinced that<br />
Will would set up a company and take business away from them. To try and take<br />
the pressure off he foolishly entered into a one year arrangement before leaving,<br />
thinking it was the moral thing to do. It turned into a year of torment.<br />
Finally after leaving, the company launched a legal onslaught blaming him for<br />
everything that was wrong with the company, including the charge of financial<br />
mismanagement. It took months before the assortment of legal accusations<br />
eventually reduced themselves to nothing, and things looked as though they were<br />
gradually levelling out to enable him to start processing his plans for the future<br />
when a bombshell arrived in the form of another legal letter. The company had<br />
obviously been holding it back to use as a trump card, if everything else failed.<br />
It basically stated that government classified documents, only accessible by the<br />
directors, were missing from the files, and the wording left in no doubt that he was<br />
being accused of taking them. To Will the end of the world had arrived.<br />
The company knew nothing of his activities with the organization, but should<br />
the two ever be linked by people like Air Force intelligence his goose would be<br />
cooked.<br />
The days leading up to the meeting with his lawyer were devastating. He was<br />
381
Will Bonner<br />
shedding weight by the minute and his mind was constantly tormented day and<br />
night by a concoction of the many ways that he could eventually be prosecuted<br />
under the Official Secrets Act which was a legal term for accusing someone of<br />
spying. Dorothy knew of his problems with the company, but not the severity of<br />
the situation. He would only involve her if things got so bad that he could not<br />
extradite himself from the situation, and that would certainly not happen overnight.<br />
Getting all his papers in order on the evening prior to the meeting at the<br />
lawyers office, Will reluctantly answered the telephone. "Is that Mr. Brenner?"<br />
"Yes, who's speaking?"<br />
"It's the Independent Television Association."<br />
"I think you must have the wrong Mr. Brenner."<br />
"Mr. William Brenner?"<br />
"Yes, I'm William Brenner. What do you want?"<br />
"This is the investigative programme. We believe that there's some trouble<br />
looming and we would like to interview you to get your side of the story."<br />
Will's whole body became paralysed, his mind numb. If this was allowed to<br />
go forward and ultimately broadcast he would be in deep trouble. Someone from<br />
the company had been on to them spinning a yarn, and he knew who that would<br />
be. Anger replaced his paralysis and he felt the sudden urge to sort the person out<br />
and do murder. "There's no trouble looming, I have nothing to hide. You can have<br />
my written permission to access my bank accounts for the last ten years if you<br />
want and you can come to my house right now and go through all my belongings.<br />
Whatever you feel the need to do, you will have my permission. When you've<br />
investigated every avenue you'll come to the conclusion that an interview will be<br />
unnecessary."<br />
The person on the other end placed his hand over the receiver and muffled<br />
voices exchanged conversation. "It's okay Mr. Brenner, perhaps an interview<br />
won't be necessary after all." The phone went dead and Will collapsed into the<br />
nearest chair. They had been expecting a devious response and when they got the<br />
opposite, it had nullified whatever they had been told.<br />
How far would the company go to get him? These latest dirty tricks had<br />
created a spark and he was beginning to feel like fighting back. By the time he<br />
arrived at the lawyer's office however on the following day, he was full of anxiety<br />
wondering what the meeting would unearth.<br />
382
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
The lawyer examined the letter from the company's lawyer. He looked up and<br />
his eyes seemed to be boring into Will's soul. "Do you have these documents they<br />
claim to be missing?"<br />
"No."<br />
"There won't be a problem then, will there?"<br />
Will's nervous system was wound up tight and he was having difficulty<br />
understanding the reasoning. "Why, what do you mean?"<br />
"Well, I'll write to them and tell them that you haven't got them and that will be<br />
the end of it."<br />
Will still couldn't understand the basic simplicity of what was being suggested.<br />
It seemed naive so he questioned it again.<br />
"You haven't got any skeletons in your cupboard have you Mr. Brenner?" Will<br />
felt the question pierce his very insides. If he revealed his extra curricular activities<br />
the problem would get so complicated he would lose control completely.<br />
"No."<br />
"Then if you sign an affidavit that you don't have the documents, and that you<br />
know nothing of their whereabouts, they can't take the matter further without the<br />
risk of being sued for everything they've got."<br />
Will steered his car through the country lanes towards home. The tension in his<br />
brain had reached a peak, the noises around him seemed to be reaching his ears<br />
from the confines of a hollow tube, the reverberations adding to the confusion.<br />
Everything seemed to be coming unglued and falling into fragments around him.<br />
He pulled into the open gate of a field and stopped but the noises in his head<br />
continued. Resting his head on the steering wheel he tried to inject some reasoning<br />
into the bedlam, but failed. Becoming aware of a single sensation wafting through<br />
the open window he raised his head and took a deep breath. It was the warm<br />
pungent smell of new mown hay.<br />
Stepping out of the car and into the field the smell intensified, driving what was<br />
left of the turmoil out of his head. Walking over to a bale of hay he thrust his hand<br />
into the moist warmth and it's familiar feel transported him back in time to his<br />
boyhood days in the countryside outside the village.<br />
The quietness and tranquility around him was so powerful that he thought for<br />
one minute he had died and gone to heaven. In reality, he realized that the life he<br />
had led would not have made him a candidate. By the time he had reseated himself<br />
383
Will Bonner<br />
behind the wheel he was beginning to analyze what was wrong and what he had<br />
to do.<br />
He had been allowing events to unfold, too scared to take any action. He still<br />
felt sick inside but his brain was beginning to function again. During the remainder<br />
of the journey home he formulated a simple plan to go on the initiative.<br />
The legal ramifications involving the company's recent accusation would<br />
probably take a month before any reactions surfaced. They would have to<br />
evaluate the risks associated with taking the matter further. The organization<br />
however, was another kettle of fish. By whatever means, he had to try and find out<br />
what was going on, if anything. Billy Boyd was his only contact so he would have<br />
to start there.<br />
As anticipated Billy responded to his request for a meeting, thinking it's<br />
purpose would be to pass on information. They arranged to meet for lunch at an<br />
old twelfth century manor house some fifty miles away, which had been converted<br />
into a hotel. It was situated in it's own landscaped grounds with peacocks perched<br />
on the surrounding brick walls and strutting across the lawns. Billy had suggested<br />
the venue, consequently, it was logical to assume that the organization used the<br />
place from time to time.<br />
As Will walked through the wrought iron studded door into the reception his<br />
nerve endings started to tingle. There would be no question of worrying about<br />
surveillance this time, he had to do whatever was necessary to provoke some<br />
reaction from them and if they had set something up to monitor the meeting, it<br />
could be immediate.<br />
One of the large rooms had been converted into a lounge. Discreet cubicles<br />
were positioned around the oak panelled walls and Will glanced around looking<br />
for Billy's mop of hair. He was there waiting in the corner, but this time he seemed<br />
to blend in with the dark panelling and not stand out like a visual aberration. He<br />
stood up as Will entered the cubicle and opened the conversation. "It's a long walk<br />
to the toilets here Will, if that's what you've got in mind we'd better get started."<br />
"No, not this time Billy."<br />
"Thank God for that," he remarked as he sat down. It was too much to expect<br />
him to forget the episode on their first meeting. "I've ordered coffee and<br />
sandwiches to be brought in, my bank account wouldn't cover the restaurant."<br />
Will smiled nervously. Under different circumstances he could have carried the<br />
384
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
humour further but Billy could be his only ticket out of this mess so he wasn't going<br />
to let his concentration waver. As was now the custom, Billy pulled out his pen<br />
and notebook and Will looked again at his expectant face and took a deep breath.<br />
“Item 1. Billy started writing. "Urgent. Make arrangements for Will Brenner<br />
to meet the group leader." Billy stopped writing, a dumbfounded look on his face.<br />
"That can't be done. It's never been done!"<br />
"Well, this will be the first time then!"<br />
"No, I won't do it, there's trouble in it for me!"<br />
"You'll have to decide which source the worst trouble will come from - me or<br />
the organization?"<br />
Billy's Australian accent thickened as he became more agitated. "What's it all<br />
about?"<br />
"Someone's trying to get me on an Official Secrets charge and I want it<br />
stopped or I'll blow everything wide open!"<br />
"You can't connect me. Nothing has been official between us, you wanted it<br />
that way."<br />
"That's where you're wrong. I told you I'd spend a lot of time covering my<br />
own back, so I went to the trouble of photographing us together. If ever I get into<br />
court, you'll be standing right next to me and they'll be asking who you passed the<br />
information to."<br />
Billy stood up abruptly, he looked scared. "I have to go to the washroom, I<br />
won't be a minute."<br />
In all the times they had met he had never used the washroom before. Quickly<br />
leaving via a different route Will made his way through the now crowded bar and<br />
stood by the exit door looking out into the reception.<br />
Billy was standing in a small alcove, a mobile telephone to his ear. His head<br />
was animatedly nodding in response to someone on the other end of the line. Will<br />
returned to his seat in the lounge and waited. The shock waves he had created<br />
were having their effect. Billy returned and sat down, he was still visibly agitated.<br />
The lounge was now filling up and they had finished the coffee and<br />
sandwiches. The surroundings were not conducive to a confrontational discussion.<br />
"Let's take a walk in the grounds Billy and you can tell me what you've decided to<br />
do." The gardens were kept in tiptop condition and they sat on a seat under a great<br />
walnut tree to continue talking. "Well Billy?"<br />
385
Will Bonner<br />
"Don't do this to me Will!"<br />
"Perhaps you'd like to go to the washroom again and get a few more<br />
instructions." Billy visibly stiffened. "Or perhaps you could telephone them here<br />
and I'll speak to them."<br />
He looked sheepish at being caught out. "I'll do whatever I can but as far as<br />
they are concerned I'm only a low form of life. They tell me what to do, I can't tell<br />
them."<br />
"Just pass the message on Billy, not over the telephone but face to face, so that<br />
they understand how severe the situation is."<br />
Billy lapsed into silence. It was obvious that he was well aware of the trouble<br />
he was in, with very little room to manoeuvre. Will knew that he had to reinforce<br />
the need for a result. "You understand that this is deadly serious, not a game?"<br />
"Yes."<br />
"Talking about deadly, if things get rough they could try and get rid of me and<br />
you're my only contact so where does that leave you?"<br />
Billy started to shiver at the very thought of his predicament. "Up the creek<br />
without a paddle." He stood up ready to leave, there was nothing left to be said<br />
and things could not be pushed any further at this stage.<br />
An agonizing week expired without any contact being made. Will phoned the<br />
number to contact Billy but found that the number had been disengaged. "Damn!"<br />
This was not the time for delay. It was necessary to go straight down to<br />
London and he organized his arrival at Billy's apartment in Ealing in the late<br />
evening, feeling that it would be the best time to catch him home. The old man in<br />
the cravat met him at the door. "Is Billy Boyd in?"<br />
"No, he's left."<br />
"When was that?"<br />
"He paid his dues and vacated two or three days ago."<br />
Will sat in his car, there was nothing he could do but go back home. He had<br />
a terrible sickly feeling in the pit of his stomach. The realization was dawning that<br />
the organization was pulling the plug.<br />
The following morning promptly at 9 a.m. he phoned his contact at Scotland<br />
Yard. "Hello Will, what can I do for you?"<br />
"Do you remember Billy Boyd that you looked up for me?"<br />
"Yes."<br />
386
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
"Well he's left his apartment and hasn't given a forwarding address. Could you<br />
find out if he's still at the Australian Embassy for me?"<br />
"I'm sorry Will I can't. You're no longer with the company are you?"<br />
"No, but what's that got to do with what we are talking about?"<br />
"I'd appreciate it if you didn't contact me again Will." The line went dead.<br />
Will sat motionless the phone still to his ear. His brain was racing. The bloody<br />
company had poisoned his contact at Scotland Yard. He re-dialled, this time the<br />
Australian Embassy. "I would like to speak with William Boyd."<br />
"You're being transferred to his department." Will waited, still numb from the<br />
Scotland Yard call.<br />
"Can I help you?"<br />
"Yes, I'd like to speak with William Boyd."<br />
"I'm sorry, he doesn't work here anymore, he left a few days ago. Who's<br />
speaking?"<br />
Will dropped the phone back on it's rest as if it were red hot. Within two days<br />
everything around him had collapsed. The organization had isolated him. At this<br />
very moment he felt as though he was totally alone, not a soul to turn to without<br />
involving them in a load of trouble. This was the very thing he had feared after the<br />
sudden appearance of the agent at the electronic laboratories. He was now in free<br />
fall, with no idea when he would hit the ground, or for that matter, survive.<br />
Crazy things were entering his mind. If only Captain Kirk could energize his<br />
transporter and beam him up to finally reconstitute him in Collins Street,<br />
Melbourne, Australia. He sat in his small study, the tension becoming so intolerable<br />
that he was beginning to suffer claustrophobia. He had to get out of the house.<br />
Walking across the fields to the village he sat by the weir listening to the sound<br />
of rushing water as he had done on many occasions as a boy. Nothing much had<br />
changed and he felt a relief in that fact. The old mill farther down the river<br />
however, had since been demolished. There was no substance from the past there<br />
to grip on to, only open ground.<br />
Both his parents had died over recent years and in a macabre sort of way it<br />
was a godsend that they would not be around should everything go wrong. Slowly<br />
his mind started to rationalize what was happening, looking for the merest inkling<br />
of a route to pursue.<br />
The only personal involvement of any consequence he had ever had with the<br />
387
Will Bonner<br />
organization was in Australia. He still had Ed Blake's list and some of those named<br />
were now very prominent in public life in both Federal and State governments.<br />
Would it be humanly possible to create enough leverage by threatening to use it,<br />
to offset what was happening here in the U.K.? He would have to make contact<br />
with Margaret Collins first. Perhaps she was no longer with the organization. It<br />
was a real long shot, but he had nothing to lose. There was nowhere else to turn.<br />
A quick calculation told him that by the time he had walked home it would be<br />
midnight in Australia. He remembered Margaret's words at their last meeting. "If<br />
you need to get in touch phone this number at night, I have the phone next to my<br />
bed."<br />
He sat by the phone trying to pluck up the courage to dial. The fear of failing<br />
to make contact was unbearable. The phone rang just three times. "Hello." It was<br />
Margaret's voice!<br />
Will felt a surge of relief welling up inside, so great that it was choking him.<br />
"It's Will, Margaret."<br />
"What's the matter Will, you sound distressed!"<br />
"I'm in so much trouble that for once I can't see my way out of the mess." His<br />
voice began to choke again.<br />
"Take your time Will, just tell me briefly what's happened."<br />
"I've been gathering military information for the organization, but some other<br />
source is trying to get me prosecuted under the Official Secrets Act. Worse still,<br />
the organization has cut off all contact. They've hung me out to dry without anyone<br />
to turn to for help. The only leverage I've got left is Ed Blake's list. I've expired all<br />
the other avenues, but I wouldn't use it if I thought it would hurt you."<br />
"Listen to me Will, I probably wouldn't be around today if it were not for you.<br />
You're not alone anymore, we can organize things from this end for you. Just keep<br />
a grip on yourself, don't let things get you down. Do you want me to come over?<br />
I could be with you the day after tomorrow."<br />
"No Margaret, I don't want you involved unless things get completely out of<br />
control."<br />
"Do you remember Derek Bates when we first met in the apartment in St.<br />
Kilda?"<br />
"Yes."<br />
"I wouldn't be surprised if he's the swine that's lurking in the background. Give<br />
388
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
me your number and in twenty-four hours I'll phone you at exactly this time<br />
tomorrow night, our time. Just sit tight, we'll work something out."<br />
After he had put down the phone Will felt the surges of relief taking over. He<br />
could feel the tears rolling down his cheeks and he offered up no resistance. When<br />
it was all over he pulled back his shoulders to take advantage of a feeling that he<br />
had not experienced for a long time. The cavalry had arrived and it was now time<br />
to fight! He would be prepared to do whatever transpired when Margaret phoned.<br />
He sat right next to it on the following day waiting for the ring, this time his<br />
anxieties were well under control and Margaret detected it.<br />
"You sound much better Will."<br />
"Yes, I'm ready to go."<br />
"That's the idea. We've found out that Derek Bates is involved but we'll wait<br />
until you're in the clear before we fix him up."<br />
"You have my permission to do whatever is required."<br />
"He'll be finished when we're done, I can assure you of that!"<br />
"What happens now?"<br />
"We've talked things over and if you don't want me over there we think you<br />
should proceed on your own. You'll probably be happier knowing that you're in<br />
complete control."<br />
"What do I have to do?"<br />
"I've got the particulars of the person that's in complete control. His name is<br />
Robert Henderson and his address is "The Willows" Briar Lane, Granton, Dorset.<br />
Tell him what you have to, he's the one that can get rid of your dossier and get<br />
things done immediately. You can tell him of your suspicions about Derek Bates<br />
if it's necessary, and if all else fails refer him to me. Robert Henderson is at the<br />
point of retiring, so he should be more receptive. I'm sure they can clear things up<br />
quickly if they want to. We won't contact anyone until you've finished what you<br />
want to do. I'll wait to hear from you. Good luck Will!"<br />
Feeling upbeat was rare and not wanting it to subside Will decided to go down<br />
to Dorset that very day. It was mid-week and Henderson would probably be<br />
more at home now that he was approaching retirement, his successor would no<br />
doubt be covering most of the work. He would stay down there until he had made<br />
contact and pursued the issue to it's conclusion.<br />
The village of Granton was a beautiful part of Dorset abound with thatched<br />
389
Will Bonner<br />
Elizabethan cottages, trees and green grass. Will pulled into the pub car-park<br />
opposite the village green, it was early afternoon, a quiet time of day with little or<br />
no activity. He had decided to walk the quarter mile to Briar Lane to identify "The<br />
Willows" and then make up his mind from there what the best course of action<br />
would be.<br />
Trees were growing on both sides of the narrow lane, their branches<br />
occasionally touching overhead. He could see the property through the trees, a<br />
small Elizabethan cottage surrounded on three sides by a willow spinney. Open<br />
areas of grass reaching to the very edge of the willows was cut to the perfection<br />
of a golf course, and the long driveway from the lane, landscaped on either side<br />
with flowering shrubs and border flowers. It's picture postcard appearance would<br />
have been at home in any tourist brochure.<br />
He had practically made up his mind to go back to the village pub when a<br />
movement on the far side of the grounds caught his eye. Fixing his attention to the<br />
spot he saw a man wearing a white bush style hat, tee shirt and casual pants. He<br />
was raking the ground at the edge of the spinney, a small wheelbarrow nearby.<br />
Will's pulse quickened. He had made up his mind that it was probably<br />
Henderson. There was a light breeze but there was no sound coming from any<br />
direction. He would have to talk to him now, an opportunity like this with no one<br />
else around may never arise again. Will jumped the open drainage ditch on the<br />
edge of the road and entered the spinney hoping to get a closer look at the man,<br />
rather than walk up the open driveway and alert anyone that might be in the<br />
cottage.<br />
Will moved to the edge of the spinney. The man had his back to him some ten<br />
feet or so away as he stepped out on to the grass. He was rehearsing in his mind<br />
the content of what the conversation would be. He was now only five or six feet<br />
away and Will stopped in his tracks. Completely taken by surprise his mind was<br />
blown, and he felt himself incapable of moving or speaking. The shock was like a<br />
bullet to the brain.<br />
"Can I help you?"<br />
There was no case for mistaken identity. It was Ferret Man. The words<br />
stumbled from his lips. "Robert Henderson?"<br />
"Yes, who are you and what do you want?"<br />
"Take a good look, I don't think you remember me do you?"<br />
390
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
"No, should I?"<br />
"I'll jog your memory. Do you remember a skirmish you had with someone in<br />
the boardroom of a ship during the last war?"<br />
Henderson's eyes opened wide and he took a step backwards. "Will<br />
Brenner?"<br />
Will waited for the next reaction but what he received was totally unexpected.<br />
Henderson swung the rake and Will felt the impact of the prongs across his left<br />
shoulder. He grabbed the handle and pushed hard and in seconds they were both<br />
rolling amongst the leaves on the ground - a replay of the incident those many<br />
years ago.<br />
Will had the upper hand, his knees hard down on Henderson's chest. He was<br />
puffing and wheezing like a steam engine with a faulty valve, but he was not<br />
resisting. His face had turned blue, his tongue was out and he was making a<br />
croaking noise. My God, he was having a heart attack!<br />
Will pulled him up into the sitting position with his back against a tree as a<br />
woman wearing an apron ran across the lawn towards them. "Are you alright Bob,<br />
will I call the police?"<br />
Henderson shook his head and mumbled through his heavy breathing. "Get<br />
me back to the house, I need to take a pill."<br />
Will watched as Henderson settled himself back into an easy chair after taking<br />
his medicine. His blue face was already beginning to return to normal flesh tones.<br />
The two men stared at one another for sometime. Will shook his head. "You<br />
bloody fool! I didn't come here to harm you, I wanted your help."<br />
Henderson's wife had been watching her husband intently, never taking her<br />
eyes off him for one second, a look of concern on her face. She turned in Will's<br />
direction. "What's this all about? Who are you? Do you know my husband?"<br />
"It's a long story, it can wait until he feels better."<br />
Settling back on the settee Will tried to relax, he was lucky that Henderson<br />
had not died out there. It would have meant double trouble, the magnitude of<br />
which defied belief.<br />
Looking across at Henderson he dearly wanted to hate this man. He had<br />
instigated a life of uncertainty for him that had sometimes resulted in the difference<br />
between life and death. His family had survived involvement but that too had<br />
carried a strong element of risk, depending on the occasion. The feeling of revenge<br />
391
Will Bonner<br />
however, was being tempered by what had happened in the garden only a short<br />
while ago. He was obviously a very sick man, probably living every day, thinking<br />
it would be his last. There was enough retribution in that fact. His mind turned to<br />
when Ed Blake, the supervising agent in Melbourne was killed, and this final<br />
thought substituted the hate for sympathy. A strong desire surfaced to get the past<br />
behind him, and all he wanted from this time on was a clear logical conclusion to<br />
his present problem.<br />
After about half an hour Henderson felt much better and the story began as it<br />
did on Margaret's deck in Australia, except that it continued up to the present day.<br />
Mrs Henderson remained silent throughout, occasionally looking across at her<br />
husband. When it was finished all three remained silent, just staring into space. Mrs<br />
Henderson was the first to speak. "You'll have to get things straightened out Bob."<br />
"I guess you're right Jenny, I'll get started tonight."<br />
Jenny stood up. "I'll get us something to eat and drink first. I bet you're hungry<br />
Mr. Brenner." She disappeared into the kitchen leaving the two men alone.<br />
"I thought you were armed and had come to kill me."<br />
"There's been many times when I've wanted you dead, but lets not talk about<br />
what's behind us. I only want to get myself out of this trouble that the organization<br />
has got me into."<br />
"After we've had something to eat I'll take you to central office. Your dossier<br />
is there and we can sort things out on the spot."<br />
It was getting dusk as they travelled north in Henderson's small car through the<br />
English country lanes. The beauty of the countryside however, was farthest from<br />
Will's mind, his head full of unanswered questions that went way back into the<br />
past. To push Henderson for information before completing what he had come for<br />
would be a mistake. It would be disastrous if things backfired.<br />
"How far do we have to go, Mr. Henderson?"<br />
"Call me Bob. About an hour's drive, it could be midnight before we get back<br />
to Granton. Is that okay?"<br />
"I don't mind how long it takes."<br />
The car turned on to the motorway and headed east towards London. He had<br />
what was left of the hour but his mind was struggling with an introduction into what<br />
he wanted to know without scaring Henderson off.<br />
Margaret had told him that Henderson would probably be receptive, but she<br />
392
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
could be wrong. Then out of the blue he was given the opening. "I suppose you've<br />
got lots of unanswered questions?"<br />
"Yes I have, but most of them are water under the bridge now and insignificant<br />
compared with what's happening at present."<br />
There was a few minutes of silence and Henderson continued. "After the war<br />
the change of emphasis was so dramatic there was some doubt as to whether we<br />
would continue."<br />
"You're not in the mainstream of British Intelligence then?"<br />
"No, just one of their satelite organizations created to do certain types of<br />
work."<br />
"That explains away some of the why's and wherefor's especially whilst I was<br />
in Australia."<br />
"The massive immigrant influx there provided us with a lot of work and the<br />
unrest in Europe after the war kept us going until industrial espionage became<br />
predominant."<br />
"You were involved in Australia then?"<br />
"Only in the early days when the agencies were being developed in Melbourne<br />
and Sydney. Since then I moved on to other things, mainly to do with<br />
organizational matters and my day-to-day was work passed to others. The only<br />
significant thing I remember was a supervising agent that was killed in Melbourne.<br />
An agent was sent from the U.K. to make sure that there was no loss of<br />
continuity."<br />
"Yes, I remember him. His name was Derek Bates."<br />
Conversation abruptly ceased. The silence between them like a brick wall.<br />
Damn it! I've gone too far, he's probably closed the door to any further<br />
information. He would have to take the risk and test Henderson further. "Tell me<br />
Bob, would you object if I asked you about Bates. Not now, perhaps later?"<br />
"No, provided that your enquiry is straightforward and doesn't involve his<br />
activities within the organization."<br />
The car steered off the motorway and entered the country lanes again. After<br />
about ten minutes they stopped at the wrought iron gates of a typical old stone built<br />
gatehouse. Henderson got out and was met at the gates by a blue uniformed<br />
security man. At the conclusion of their conversation the man came over to the car<br />
and peered inside.<br />
393
Will Bonner<br />
"Good evening Sir." Will nodded, it seemed unnecessary to say anything as he<br />
appeared to be checking out the vehicle for other occupants. Just doing his job,<br />
Will was thinking.<br />
The long tree lined driveway terminated in front of a typical old English manor<br />
house. A small parking area alongside the house was empty but floodlit, as were<br />
other areas across the lawns surrounding the building, spelling out security.<br />
Bob started to pant and wheeze as they climbed the steep stone steps to the<br />
front door and Will purposely slowed his pace eventually standing for a few<br />
moments by the front door, allowing him to catch his breath. "You're one of my<br />
agents whilst we are here, okay?"<br />
"I suppose it will be alright if it's only for an hour or so."<br />
Henderson smiled and pressed the intercom button. "It's Henderson, I have<br />
an agent with me. I'll punch in my security code."<br />
Within seconds the noise of door bolts releasing electronically broke the<br />
silence, and they walked into a large oak panelled entrance hall. The security man<br />
looked up at them from behind a console that resembled a television studio<br />
control. "You're working late Sir. What can I do for you?"<br />
"Yes, something urgent has cropped up. I need some information from central<br />
filing to get this agent underway tonight."<br />
"Will you be taking away any documents?"<br />
"No, it will be all verbal and we'll have no need to use the computer."<br />
"That makes things real easy then, doesn't it Sir? You know where to go. I'll<br />
release the entrance doors and see you when you leave."<br />
Helping to swing open the heavy steel filing vault door Will walked over to an<br />
open area in the centre of the room containing a desk, and next to it a shredding<br />
machine. There were no windows in the solid brick walls on all four sides,<br />
indicating top security. Rows of tall filing cabinets projected in every direction from<br />
where he was standing. He could hear beeping sounds as Henderson entered<br />
codes to gain access to the cabinets, then opening and closing drawers between<br />
periods of silence. He reappeared, dropping a large folder on to the table before<br />
sitting down on a chair nearby.<br />
Will thumbed quickly through the pages, immediately recognizing Margaret<br />
Collins's handwriting. He subdued the urge to study the contents, it was only<br />
necessary to verify that the file was his, but there was no doubt. He turned to<br />
394
The Reluctant Agent<br />
A Compelling Story of Espionage<br />
Henderson. "Is this everything Bob?"<br />
"Yes."<br />
"Have you read the contents yourself?"<br />
"No, I haven't a clue what the file contains." There was no reason to disbelieve<br />
him.<br />
Will couldn't believe his eyes as he stared down at his bulky file before<br />
personally putting it page by page through the shredder. All the facets of his<br />
problem were then discussed and Ferret Man, now known to him as Robert<br />
Henderson, explained how things would be implemented.<br />
"We will also stop the company you worked for from bothering you anymore,<br />
but I won't tell you how. It will just stop."<br />
"Can Air Force Intelligence still get to me?"<br />
"I don't see how. They would need hard evidence and you've just put that<br />
through the shredder."<br />
"That wouldn't stop them from trying."<br />
"No, we all have to carry around with us the possibility that something could<br />
flare up at any moment. We have no connection with them and the mere fact that<br />
we obtain information about their projects covertly, puts us all into the same<br />
category. But the chances of anything happening is very remote indeed and even<br />
if they discovered something, they would find it practically impossible to take it<br />
further than the confines of their own organization without exposing themselves to<br />
scrutiny."<br />
"So if I've been careful ....... Henderson interjected. "Just relax."<br />
"What about Derek Bates?"<br />
"He's been a loose cannon for years, this time he's gone too far. He could have<br />
put the organization in jeopardy with his arrogance. I'm certain you would have<br />
had a surprise in store, if things had gone wrong for you."<br />
Will pulled Ed Blake's list from his pocket. "The names and information in this<br />
document would have blown the organization wide open in Australia." He walked<br />
over to the shredder and pushed it through. Henderson's forehead creased into a<br />
frown.<br />
"That bloody fool Bates! I'll see that he's finished after this. He's just a sloppy<br />
arrogant fool, a danger to everyone around him!"<br />
It had just turned midnight when Will unlocked his car in the village pub car-<br />
395
Will Bonner<br />
park where he had left it earlier. He was sorely tempted to book a room for the<br />
night but his brain was so active it would have been a waste. The journey home<br />
could consume three hours or more and it would take all of that time to get used<br />
to the feeling of freedom he had attained during the day's activities. He still couldn't<br />
come to terms with what had happened.<br />
Dorothy turned over as he slipped into bed around 4 a.m. "You're very late<br />
Will. Did something go wrong?"<br />
"No, the business in Dorset took longer than expected and I decided to come<br />
home rather than stay over."<br />
Will felt himself slipping into oblivion a sensation he had not experienced for<br />
a very long time and he allowed it to encompass him.<br />
On the following evening Will phoned Margaret in Australia to give her the<br />
details. She was relieved at not having to take any action against Derek Bates. As<br />
Henderson had promised, he received no more legal letters from the company<br />
over the next two or three months, during which time they had applied for<br />
immigration to Canada and been accepted.<br />
It was early Spring when the plane took off from London en route for Toronto.<br />
It would be a one-way trip for them this time.<br />
The angle of the lift as it left the ground had a special meaning for him on this<br />
occasion. It felt as though he was being catapulted out of the worst trouble he had<br />
ever encountered and he was feeling better about it by the second.<br />
They were starting a new life and this time he was determined to make it one<br />
of stability and contentment.<br />
396
Illustrations<br />
Chapter 1 The Ferret Man.<br />
Convoy at anchor in the Firth of Clyde Scotland.<br />
Chapter 2 The War Correspondent.<br />
Convoy under air attack in the Mediterranean.<br />
Chapter 3 The Aden Incident.<br />
Gharry and driver who took Will to meet his contact at the Queen of Sheba's<br />
Wells.<br />
Chapter 4 The Proposal.<br />
The Taj Mahal hotel Bombay. The meeting place with Bligh the British<br />
intelligence agent.<br />
Chapter 5 Chesapeake Bay.<br />
Pine forest alongside Chesapeake Bay, where Will was apprehended by US<br />
military police.<br />
Chapter 6 Hawaiian Assignment.<br />
Waikiki beach and Diamond Head. The setting for Will's meeting with Gerald, a<br />
British intelligence agent living in Honolulu.<br />
Chapter 7 The Surveillance.<br />
High powered tripod mounted, listening instrument, procured by Ed Blake for<br />
surveillance work.<br />
Chapter 8 The Phone Tap.<br />
Headphone interception of telephone calls.<br />
Chapter 9 Nazi Youth.<br />
This Nazi emblem was found on documents confiscated from the home of<br />
Stefan.<br />
Chapter 10 Serbs and Croats.<br />
The steamer leaving Point Ormond,for a secret Croat meeting.<br />
397
Chapter 11 The Female Connection.<br />
Margaret Collins took over from Ed Blake as chief intelligence officer in Victoria<br />
after he was killed.<br />
Chapter 12 The Byer Tapes.<br />
A typical reel to reel type tape recorder used to copy classified sound recordings.<br />
Chapter 13 The Safe Cracker.<br />
Commercial safe used to store classified documents.<br />
Chapter 14 Alec’s Misfortune.<br />
Alec’s temporary home.<br />
Chapter 15 The Final Straw.<br />
The dam and it's control building next to the spillway where an attempt was made<br />
on Will's life.<br />
Chapter 16 Official Secrets.<br />
Tactical aircraft from various countries at airfields in England.<br />
398
About The Author<br />
Will Bonner was born and raised in a small<br />
village nestled in the heart of the English<br />
countryside. The idyllic surroundings of<br />
the family cottage which was situated<br />
alongside a river that literally flowed past<br />
the front door concealed the day to day<br />
struggle to survive their poor and needy<br />
circumstances.<br />
Will’s teen years were lost to him by the<br />
onset of World War 2, and he found<br />
himself as a young seaman subjected to<br />
attacks by German U-Boats and enemy<br />
aircraft. During this time he travelled to<br />
many parts of the world.<br />
Returning home after the war Will stayed with his family for three years<br />
during which time he married. Deciding to take advantage of associations<br />
formed during his voyages to Australia Will and Dorothy emigrated there.<br />
They were amongst the many thousands of people who were seeking a<br />
fresh start in a young country far removed from the aftermath of the war in<br />
Europe.<br />
Graduating as an Electronics Engineer he settled down to form roots and<br />
raise a family. Described in the book are the circumstances that eventually<br />
compel him to pull up those roots that they had worked so hard to<br />
establish and take the family back to his birthplace in England.<br />
The following years saw the marriage of both his children who then<br />
emigrated to Canada.<br />
In the conclusion of the final chapter of “The Reluctant Agent”<br />
circumstances enable Will and Dorothy to eventually join their children<br />
and live permanently in Canada.<br />
The endless hours spent by Dorothy typing the manuscript, proof reading,<br />
and editing “The Reluctant Agent” most certainly sustained the continuity<br />
of the writing. It’s completion may not have been accomplished without<br />
her constant help and assurance.<br />
399