condensed master
Will Bonner them, the voices are clear," he raised his hand to put a finger in his other ear and Will could see it shaking. He looked up occasionally and gave the thumbs up sign, but to Will, it seemed an age as the time dragged by. He kept glancing up at the door handle expecting any moment that someone would try to open it. "I think they are getting ready to wind up the meeting. My legs have gone to sleep, I'll have to get up." He struggled in the confined space to get upright but didn't quite make it, and as he slipped back to the floor his arm caught in the connecting wires attached to the phone line and yanked it tight. "The line's gone dead!" he called out, and Will panicked. "You stupid bugger, you've shorted out the line, they'll be on to us!" Grabbing the equipment and slamming the junction box door shut he literally dragged a bewildered Ed out into the corridor. He was desperate, his worst fears had materialized and his brain was working like a traction engine out of control. Then, just as if he was being guided by an unknown source, his eyes focused on a small, stained door, set in the wall, at the end of the corridor. It was a miniature goods elevator, used extensively in the old days before the passenger elevators were installed, to obviate having to carry items up the stairs. Opening the door he manipulated Ed's awkward frame into the box-like aperture. Dumping the equipment in his lap he took hold of the operating rope and thrust it into his hand. "Pull on this rope, it will take you down to the basement. I'll see you at the restaurant!" Before Ed had time to respond Will shut the door and turned to make his getaway. As he raced up the corridor towards the stairs, he could hear a commotion ahead of him coming from the other side. I'll never make it to the stairs, they'll be round the bend and into his corridor by then! He pulled up, and in desperation looked around, as he heard the noise of running feet getting closer. It would be only seconds now before he would be detected. The Druids office door was only two paces away and he instinctively reached out and gripped the door knob. Looking over his shoulder he saw three men and in unison they descended on him, pinning him against the door, forcing him down to his knees. "What were you doing trying to get into this office?" one of them shouted. "Take your arm from around his throat, you'll throttle him!" someone else called out, and finally from the third man, "lets get him back to the office!" 180
The Reluctant Agent A Compelling Story of Espionage Will felt himself being dragged along the polished floor by the arms and one leg, and occasionally one of them would trip and he would be either trodden on or feel the force of a knee. Once inside, he was dumped on the floor in a sitting position and as he looked up he saw three men dressed in business suits looking down at him. "We've got the bastard boss. What will we do with him?" Will was scared. I'll need to be superman to get out of this lot! One of the business types got up and walked over to Will, but one of the rough characters was pushing him in the back with his boot and he fell over on to his side. "Leave him alone, let's find out more about him." Will pushed himself upright. "Who are you people, are you the police?" This brought forth a burst of raucous laughter and he felt rough hands searching his pockets, but they wouldn't find any identification. He never carried any during his exploits for the organization. He was lifted up and dumped into a chair. "What's your name?" "Brenner." It was no use lying, he would only get caught out. "What were you doing trying to get into the Druids office?" "I thought Mr. Croft might be still working, I wanted to see him." "You know Mr. Croft then?" "Yes, I was the administrator for a clinic in Collins Street that used to treat his members. It's out of business now and I thought he might know of someone that could get me a job." The business type turned and spoke to one of the others. "Have you got Len Croft's phone number?" "No, but I can get it." Within minutes they were dialing Mr. Croft's number and Will was praying. If he tells them I'm an electronic's man I'm a goner! He had heard a lot of bad things happening around town with these communist organizations. "Hello Len, it's Henry Slater here. I've got someone in my office claiming he knows you." he paused and then continued. "He says his name is Brenner, so you know him?" he paused again. "Yes, he fits your description perfectly, thanks Len." All the men in the room exchanged glances, no one knowing what to do next. One of the rough types came over to Will and brushed his crumpled clothes down with his hand. 181
- Page 130 and 131: Will Bonner problem returned with a
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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
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