condensed master

The Reluctant Agent
A Compelling Story of Espionage
Will made his way back along the deck, his excuse for visiting Vic completely
forgotten. With each step his mind and body were slipping into a nauseous state.
Once out of sight of the yacht he collapsed on to a wooden storage locker situated
next to the quay. Sitting bent over with his head in his hands he let the feeling
develop. There was no point in fighting it. What he was doing to another human
being was despicable, completely out of character with his upbringing, and the
reaction was chastising his very being. He badly needed a reason for his actions,
but there was not one available. An excuse perhaps to see him through the next
phase of deceit. The very least he could do was to see that Paul's manufactured
circumstances were wholly dispensed with. Yes, he would feel better if that were
accomplished.
He refrained from informing Margaret of his forthcoming meeting. She would
be expecting some time to elapse anyway before contact was made. It was a
minor consolation knowing that at least temporarily, he was in control.
Darkness had fallen when Will parked his car about a quarter of a mile away
and walked to the house in Brighton, a suburb adjacent to Port Phillip Bay. If
anything went wrong God forbid! He would feel safer on foot.
It was a fairly new property positioned on an abutment of land overlooking the
bay. A single storey design that sprawled over the land, with sections that seemed
to be dropped on to man-made ledges to take advantage of the view. An
abundance of established trees shrouded the perimeter as Will made his way to the
hidden driveway at the rear.
It was a still night, the silence unnerving. He was trying to step lightly to muffle
the sound of his footsteps without very much success. He could feel his heart beat
increasing, as he had experienced on many an occasion. It was the uncertainty of
the immediate future. The lights from the house were full on and shining across the
narrow driveway into the trees beyond. Will scanned the walls looking for a door,
but could see nothing. He approached the first large window and looked in.
Paul was seated facing him in a comfortable lounge chair. Will raised his hand
to knock as Paul looked up, jumping to his feet, a shocked look on his face.
Quickly recovering, he pointed towards the other end of the building and Will
noticed a tiny concealed entrance, partially hidden by shrubbery. Paul met him at
the door. "You frightened me Brenner, I was expecting a car to come down the
driveway."
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