condensed master
Will Bonner before everyone leaves and they lock the doors." "Will that be enough time?" "Maybe not, we may have to come back next week. When the lecture finishes I'll take you up to the third floor. The door to the office has a standard key lock. Then you'll have to tackle the Chubb." "That will be no problem, you show me the documents and I'll copy them. But about the lecture." "What about the lecture?" "They won't ask me any technical questions, will they?" He had a serious look on his face. Will burst out laughing. "No, it's not that sort of lecture, do just as I do. Quite a few people will be bringing a guest and they won't all be technical people." Alec breathed a noticeable sigh of relief. The small auditorium was packed which was a godsend, making it easy to get lost in the crowd. Alec wriggled from side to side on his chair throughout the lecture. Will looked at his watch, it would soon be over, and his stomach muscles started to tighten. The works police would be patrolling the floors and he didn't know how often. He leaned over and whispered to Alec. "Get ready, it's nearly over. If we get stopped by the works police, let me do the talking." Alec's face took on a startled look. "You never told me about any police!" Loud clapping, indicating the end of the lecture, cut the conversation, and after a very short question period, some of the engineers moved into an adjacent room for the refreshments but others started to leave. Grasping the opportunity, they left the room with them but immediately outside, Will grabbed Alec by the arm and steered him through a door, into the stairwell. The hollow sounds of their footsteps as they made their way upwards, echoed around the walls, starting Will's heart pounding in his chest. He looked around at Alec but he didn't seem perturbed, or in any hurry. The fact didn't subdue the tension, but knowing that he had no need to look after his welfare, ironically seemed a relief. Looking through the glass window in the door, to the third floor, he waited for Alec to catch up. Once in the corridor, it was only a short distance to the office door, the ceiling was acoustically tiled and they were walking on lino, muting the sound of their footsteps. 310
The Reluctant Agent A Compelling Story of Espionage Will tried the door knob, the door was locked. He stepped aside for Alec to gain access, but before he had time to consider any further moves a sharp click pierced the silence and Alec opened the door. It had only been seconds, how did he do it? Locking the door behind them they moved to the rear of the office to locate the safe. It was standing by the far wall in a small ante-room, its large old-fashioned bulbous countenance domineering the scene. Alec sat down on a chair giving him a full view of the safe. He had a star struck look on his face that could only be likened to a trance. Will waited, but he didn't seem to want to move. "What the hell's wrong?" "Nothing. It's been ages since I've seen a safe as old as this one. I think it would open if you bumped against it!" "Well start bumping, the sooner I'm out of here the better." Alec removed a fine silk glove from his pocket and slipped it on. "Sit down Will, I'll only be a minute." Will sat listening to the click of the tumblers as Alec rotated the knob. Within a dozen rotations he gripped the lever on the giant door and it opened, revealing the contents. Alec sat down. "It's your turn now Will." Expecting to see the shelves stacked with folders, which would have been a marathon job to sort out, he was confronted with only a few document boxes, no more than ten in all. One box was clearly marked "classified." Jack De Silva was more stupid than he could ever have imagined. It was as though he was just asking for them to be stolen. Flipping through the sheets revealed circuit diagrams and technical descriptions relating to the project, referred to by George Nash. Alec proceeded to photograph the contents from under his coat that he was using like a tent. Every flash of the camera triggered Will's nerves to uncontrollable heights. The period between the flashes was a fearful silence, his eyes constantly focused on the door waiting for activity from outside, indicating that they had been discovered. The whole sequence was a nightmare. Alec reappeared from under his coat and proceeded to put it back on, as Will returned the box to the safe. The dull thud of the heavy door closing sent a final shock into his nervous system before making their way through the office desks and out into the corridor, finally locking the door behind them. It was Will's only desire to get as much 311
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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
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