condensed master
Will Bonner become your enemy at the drop of a hat. Remember one important thing, I had no need to come here tonight, it was a risk for me. All I had to do was implement whatever I thought appropriate to stop you from endangering myself and my family." Dan moved over to the kitchen area his head nodding in agreement. "What happens now?" "It all depends on you. If you accept the essence of what's being said and stop inciting the others to do what you think is best, then nothing will happen. Remember, one of them has already ratted on you, and it could happen again, but if it happens for a second time I won't come and visit you, someone else will." Dan walked over and slumped into one of the lounge chairs but Will remained standing near the front door. "What you're telling me makes sense." "It's called self preservation!" "Yes, that's right." "Do we have an agreement then?" "Yes." Will let himself out as Dan stared straight ahead, attempting to absorb what had happened. As Will walked back down the hill he could still feel his intense grip on the butt of the pistol. Releasing it, he removed his hand from his pocket flexing it to get rid of the stiffness. Passing "The Gables" he looked up at the house, picturing the conglomeration of nudes in the gallery. He smiled to himself and continued down towards the river. Crossing over the road he walked to a grassy bank that looked over the swirling water. Removing the gun from his pocket he ejected the magazine and removed the bullets. Snapping it back into position he took one last look at the weapon before throwing it as far as he could into the centre of the river, watching the splash as it submerged. There would be no doubt that it would make Dorothy happy knowing that it was no longer in the house. Will looked at his watch as he passed back over the river bridge, it was 8.15 p.m. the whole affair had taken only forty-five minutes. It had gone better than he could ever have imagined, with minimal confrontation. In fifteen minutes he would be home and glad that it was all over. Allowing two weeks to elapse before phoning Tony he was surprised to get 242
The Reluctant Agent A Compelling Story of Espionage him at the first attempt. "Have things settled down?" "Yes, absolutely marvellous," was the reply. "I won't ask how you did it, but I do want to see you. Can we have a brief chat one evening when you get off the bus in Vermont?" "Whenever you want." Will put the phone down ending the conversation, there was no point in asking questions, contact would be made anyway. The very next day he was there. Things must be urgent was the thought foremost in Will's mind, and he felt uneasy about it. They walked along the service road for a short distance before engaging in conversation. "There's been an interstate meeting and a couple of people want to meet you." Will's heart sank. When would he ever get rid of these people? "I'm not very interested in what they want and I have no desire to meet anybody." "I told them you wouldn't agree, but they insisted. One of them is from England and he's going back at the end of next week." "I couldn't care less. He can swim back as far as I'm concerned." "I'm sorry Will, you've been good to me since Ed died and I'm grateful for that, but they came down hard on me at the suggestion that you might not come." For the umpteenth time Will was once again at their beck and call. If he didn't go they would find another way, which would be out of his control. As usual, he would have to fall into line. "Can you tell me more about why they want to see me?" "Not really, but I think they want to find out how they stand, now that Ed's gone. I don't think there's much more to it than that." "Will you be there?" "Yes." "Who else?" "The Englishman and one other agent who may be taking over from Ed." "If they get under my skin I might finish up embarrassing you." "We'll have to take that risk. You'll go then?" "Yes, but under duress." Tony smiled. "It would be a change to see you at a disadvantage, it's usually the other way round. Now tell me what you said to Dan, I'm curious?" "I very rarely told Ed about anything I was involved in, but to put your mind at rest I'll tell you how I convinced him to cooperate. I told him that if he didn't 243
- Page 192 and 193: Will Bonner "Yes, but only since yo
- Page 194 and 195: Will Bonner control it. Klaus had n
- Page 196 and 197: Will Bonner His eyes were blazing,
- Page 198 and 199: Will Bonner 198
- Page 200 and 201: Will Bonner "Now that I live out in
- Page 202 and 203: Will Bonner "No, it involved a skir
- Page 204 and 205: Will Bonner was finding it extremel
- Page 206 and 207: Will Bonner "What do you mean, an a
- Page 208 and 209: Will Bonner "I thought you might wa
- Page 210 and 211: Will Bonner spoke first. "Hello Wil
- Page 212 and 213: Will Bonner organization into obliv
- Page 214 and 215: Will Bonner The next hour involved
- Page 216 and 217: Will Bonner That didn't sound too b
- Page 218 and 219: Will Bonner the car and be able to
- Page 220 and 221: Will Bonner assembled. Will looked
- Page 222 and 223: Will Bonner Bart nodded his head an
- Page 224 and 225: Will Bonner "It's simple logic. The
- Page 226 and 227: Will Bonner his head down between h
- Page 228 and 229: Will Bonner assistance. He was comm
- Page 230 and 231: Will Bonner sounding as though it w
- Page 232 and 233: Will Bonner He could hear the famil
- Page 234 and 235: Will Bonner "They have no organizat
- Page 236 and 237: Will Bonner Tony looked uneasy. "Is
- Page 238 and 239: Will Bonner question in his mind he
- Page 240 and 241: Will Bonner "How did you know where
- Page 244 and 245: Will Bonner stop what he was doing
- Page 246 and 247: Will Bonner the fact that he had ne
- Page 248 and 249: Will Bonner Tensions rose another n
- Page 250 and 251: Will Bonner only been a few days si
- Page 252 and 253: Will Bonner Brenner, why is it that
- Page 254 and 255: Will Bonner the side of the hill, i
- Page 256 and 257: Will Bonner "Yes, but he'll start a
- Page 258 and 259: Will Bonner Margaret's shaking was
- Page 260 and 261: Will Bonner had enough. Picking up
- Page 262 and 263: Will Bonner equipment. Taking the i
- Page 264 and 265: Will Bonner he felt sick with Louis
- Page 266 and 267: Will Bonner was driving home. Dorot
- Page 268 and 269: Will Bonner advise that you hold on
- Page 270 and 271: Will Bonner hands, be detrimental f
- Page 272 and 273: Will Bonner a call to Margaret but
- Page 274 and 275: Will Bonner There was very little i
- Page 276 and 277: Will Bonner miss you back at the of
- Page 278 and 279: Will Bonner the better he was hopin
- Page 280 and 281: Will Bonner Over the next month the
- Page 282 and 283: Will Bonner quiet as a tomb and pro
- Page 284 and 285: Will Bonner said. "My husband has b
- Page 286 and 287: Will Bonner people that would cause
- Page 288 and 289: Will Bonner beginning to get the im
- Page 290 and 291: Will Bonner confined to his work, i
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
Change language