condensed master

The Reluctant Agent
A Compelling Story of Espionage
"What about Friday evening around 6.30 p.m. I can get off the tram at High
Street and then walk home afterwards. Don't forget to bring everything, including
the bag of accessories."
"I won't forget, see you then." The phone went dead. Blast! I forgot to make
certain that he would be the only one there. If he wasn't on his own, Will had the
option of aborting the job. He would have to see what happened on the night.
Alighting from the tramcar Friday evening, Will walked up the High Street
towards Maples. He had realized after getting off the phone that it would be after
hours and the store would be closed. As he approached the main entrance he
could see Ed standing well back, adjacent to one of the doors.
"How do we get in, and where's the instrument?"
"Just follow me, I took the device up about ten minutes ago." Leading Will
down an alleyway at the side of the building Ed inserted a key in a side door and
they both entered. It was quiet and eerie as they made their way through the
exhibits on the main floor towards the massive stone stairway, which curved it's
way up to the next floor. All Will could hear was the muffled rattling sound of the
occasional tramcar as it careered by. They ascended the remainder of the stairs
to the top floor, and Will listened to Ed panting and wheezing. He was still out of
condition, it could be his downfall with the type of work he was engaged in.
On the landing of the last stairway they approached a small door in the corner
which led to a short flight of narrow stairs and through a second door. The size of
the room was immense and completely empty. All the windows on the High Street
side were standard tall sash type, all in line, but on the opposite side there were
only about four or five, all set into turreted projections that gave the room a unique
feature.
Walking into one of the turrets Will could see that the windows of the building
next door were only about three feet away. Ed picked up the apparatus and
deposited it at the far end of the room, next to the end window, overlooking the
street.
The equipment was battery operated, but Will needed power to do his work.
Ed pointed to a power outlet next to the window. "It's live, I've tried it out."
Ed produced the miniature recorder from his pocket. It was a professional
looking piece of equipment and expense was written all over it. As a companion,
it would match the listening device perfectly. Will foraged through the accessories
151