condensed master

Will Bonner
"Don't do this to me Will!"
"Perhaps you'd like to go to the washroom again and get a few more
instructions." Billy visibly stiffened. "Or perhaps you could telephone them here
and I'll speak to them."
He looked sheepish at being caught out. "I'll do whatever I can but as far as
they are concerned I'm only a low form of life. They tell me what to do, I can't tell
them."
"Just pass the message on Billy, not over the telephone but face to face, so that
they understand how severe the situation is."
Billy lapsed into silence. It was obvious that he was well aware of the trouble
he was in, with very little room to manoeuvre. Will knew that he had to reinforce
the need for a result. "You understand that this is deadly serious, not a game?"
"Yes."
"Talking about deadly, if things get rough they could try and get rid of me and
you're my only contact so where does that leave you?"
Billy started to shiver at the very thought of his predicament. "Up the creek
without a paddle." He stood up ready to leave, there was nothing left to be said
and things could not be pushed any further at this stage.
An agonizing week expired without any contact being made. Will phoned the
number to contact Billy but found that the number had been disengaged. "Damn!"
This was not the time for delay. It was necessary to go straight down to
London and he organized his arrival at Billy's apartment in Ealing in the late
evening, feeling that it would be the best time to catch him home. The old man in
the cravat met him at the door. "Is Billy Boyd in?"
"No, he's left."
"When was that?"
"He paid his dues and vacated two or three days ago."
Will sat in his car, there was nothing he could do but go back home. He had
a terrible sickly feeling in the pit of his stomach. The realization was dawning that
the organization was pulling the plug.
The following morning promptly at 9 a.m. he phoned his contact at Scotland
Yard. "Hello Will, what can I do for you?"
"Do you remember Billy Boyd that you looked up for me?"
"Yes."
386