Sally woke first, she returned to the bedroom with coffees. She gently shook Dave to waken him. “Time to get up, it’s just after 06.00.” With a quick drink of the coffee, he showered and dressed. He carried his jacket, briefcase and coffee slowly down the stairs making sure he didn’t spill any. Sally was down a few minutes later, she was dressed ready to take him to the station, protesting, he said he would walk, “I’m taking you, don’t argue.” They arrived in plenty of time for the 07.50 train, he bought a first-class ticket, it would be busy and he didn’t want to stand, he would enjoy a comfortable seat where he wouldn’t have to listen to everyone else’s conversations. Sally was out of the car, she hugged and kissed Dave, “Take care, call me when you know which train back you will be on.
First class was quieter than the rest of the train, it only stopped at Leicester, no one sat on the seat next to him. His eyes were closed, he was running through how he wanted the meeting to go. He was outside the MOD at 09.45, there was three quarters of an hour before his meeting, in the front door, he entered along with many other staff, his pass was accepted as he moved through the barriers. Dave wanted to see Freddie before the meeting, there was to be a change of plan. “Hello Freddie,” “Oh fuck,” “is that the only greeting you have for me?” Dave was standing in the doorway to Freddie’s office. “Talk like we are having a friendly conversation,” although he worked alone, his office had glass walls onto the corridor. Anyone passing could see in, “smile, you miserable bastard, act like you’re pleased to see me.” Freddie was smiling as he asked what he wanted, Dave casually threw a small piece of rolled up paper into the dustbin at the side of Freddie’s desk. “When I’m gone, get that paper out the bin, it has a phone number on it, do not give the ID’s to Chris, phone me and I will collect them from you. Is that understood?” Freddie smiling, glanced at Dave, “I fucking hate you.” “The feeling is mutual. See you then Freddie,” he waived as he walked along the corridor. To anyone watching, it was like a normal Monday morning conversation.
Up on the third floor, his pass let him into S417, he said hello to a few faces he recognised, he knocked on the door that led to the Major, he heard the lock click and pushed the door open. “Hi Chris, is this early enough?” “It’s good to see you again, hopefully if you are back, we can find time to have a pint or two together.” Dave and Chris had worked together on several jobs, he liked him and Dave trusted his judgement. The Major hearing voices opened his office door, “Will you come in David.” Inside and with the door closed he asked if there were any updates, “Can we wait until we are upstairs, it would take too long and I don’t want to repeat myself, I have prepared a report to be discussed.” “Let’s go then, better to be a few minutes early.” They walked round the building and up a flight of stairs, the Major knocked on a door, ‘Brigadier James Storey’ was hand painted in gold on a long thin strip fixed to the door. Inside it was similar to the Major’s offices, a male secretary behind a desk, three doors were off the room they were standing in. One difference was the fixtures and fittings were of a much higher quality.
“Go straight in, you are expected.” Dave hadn’t met the Brigadier before, he was a sergeant, someone of his rank, didn’t speak to a brigadier. On his desk, he could see a copy of his file. Another secretary was sitting to one side to take notes. “Sit down,” he requested coffee for three from the secretary. Turning towards Dave, “the Major spoke to me last week, regarding and ex-officer who you say has risen from the dead and may be about to cause some trouble.” “Sir, before I begin, I would prefer if this conversation was amongst the three of us and no one else was present and no notes taken.” “You can’t say who should or should not be at a meeting, I make that decision not you, a sergeant.” “Then I have nothing to say.” The Brigadier was angered by Dave’s attitude, his face reddened. “Why should it be in secret, I trust everyone who works for me.” “I don’t, it’s nothing against your staff, but if half of what I think is true, then we have a serious problem.” The tray of coffee was brought in and the secretary poured out three cups, “you can leave us now, we won’t need to have any notes taken.” “Thank you,” As they drank, Dave gave the Brigadier a resume of what had happened, he thought the Major would have done the same, but he wanted it to be fresh in their minds. With that done, he went on to explain that over the weekend he had gone into analysis mode, working through possible scenarios and reasons for each person’s actions. “I have prepared a report with what we know and what I think. There is a lot of supposition, it is based on my previous experience. He opened his briefcase and passed a sheet, first to the Brigadier and then to the Major. The third one he put on the desk in front of himself. He drunk his coffee while they read, he stood and refilled his cup. Sitting back down the were audible gasps from the Brigadier as he read. “Well lad you have a vivid imagination, do you expect me to believe this?” “That is entirely up to you. Was the person who first suspected Burgess, Philby and Maclean believed? I’m not here to ask if you believe my suspicions, I want to know what you are going to do about them.” There was a silence, “Will you wait outside, I want to speak to the Major?” Dave took his coffee with him as he left. “I’ve just been kicked out,” he said to the secretary behind the desk. There was a leather Chesterfield sofa, Dave sat down and idly looked around. There was nothing of any interest, everything was in its place, it didn’t appear as if anything much happened. The phone on the desk rang, “You can go back in now.” He went back in still carrying his cup, he sat back down and waited. When the Brigadier spoke, it wasn’t what Dave expected. “Why did you stay a sergeant, you were offered the opportunity twice to apply for Sandhurst, why did you not take up the offer?” “Sir, I preferred to stay where I was, being an officer wouldn’t have benefitted me or the Army. I think I have done more as I am.” “I understand you are on recall,” “not officially sir, I was asked to return and my payments were being made by the Home Office, I have a new warrant card, issued last week. I am in a state of limbo. What I can say sir, and it’s the same as I said to the Home Secretary, I won’t be working for sergeants pay.” The Brigadier stared across at the Major. “£5000.00, per week.” “We could officially recall you, you wouldn’t have a choice then.” “I’d spend my time making mistakes and errors, you would soon get fed up with that. You want me back because there is no one else with the skills both in the field and in the office. I’m good, probably the best you have, but more importantly I’m outside looking in. It’s up to you. If you don’t want to take me up on my offer, you can have the report for free.” The Brigadier nodded at the Major, “the meeting is now over gentlemen, sergeant, would you stay behind.” David and the Major had risen to leave before he sat down again. “You are rude, insolent and arrogant, you do not respect rank, I have never been bossed about by someone of your rank since I was in training. Get to the bottom of this, poke around and see what you find. I want weekly reports, bypass the Major if you need to. I have to take this higher, you may have to come in for another meeting. I will inform the Major if I need you.”
The Major was waiting for Dave, outside the office, he led him into a break out room, closing the door and blinds they sat down at a table. “What are you going to do now?” The Major waited for an answer. “Several things, when we have finished, I want you to call security and have me escorted out the building. When you return to your office, let everyone know that following the meeting David Stretton will no longer be connected with S417, ensure Chris knows this, have him organise the removal of my access to the building, give him my ID and pass for shredding. Make sure my user name and password are cancelled. Make it sound like I have been made the scapegoat. Organise the collection of the computer for tomorrow.” Dave opened his briefcase and handed the Major a phone, my burner phone number is already listed, send me a new login and password this evening. I need a new ID and pass, ask the Brigadier to organise it, I don’t want it coming from your department. Let him make up the name, access to include his floor. Lastly, and I am not sure how you will react to this, hopefully there is going to be a large amount of data generated, I will need help processing it. Can I use my landlady, she was cleared to CTC level? Across the table the Major was thinking, I will need to have guidance on this, have you said anything to her already?” Dave shook his head, “I wanted approval before I said anything to her.” “Name?” For the first time, the Major opened a notebook he had with him, “Sally Fellowes.” He wrote the name on a page that had random bits of information, it was near the front of the notebook, anyone seeing the last entries would not find anything relating to the meeting. “Wait here, I will go back and see if I can sort something out.”
Fifteen minutes later he was back. “Your ID will be with you tomorrow, your landlady will take longer, she will have to be vetted and possibly interviewed. They will make a start on it today, and if she agrees I will pass on that information.” “When you text me this evening, I will reply with a yes or no. Can I ask you to shred the report I gave you earlier, and I cannot stress enough to tell no one, not even your most trusted staff.” The Major took out the report and put it into the shredder at the side of the table. “We’ll use the phone I gave you to communicate, don’t bring it into the building after today, I will message or phone you in the evening, likewise you can contact me anytime day or night.” “You’ve thought of everything haven’t you?” “No, I will have missed something, however I think we have done our best today. The very last thing, how are you going to pay me?” “I will set you up as an external consultant using the name the Brigadier has chosen.” “I will give you alternate bank account details this evening.” They stood and shook hands, “all that remains now is for you to call security.” “David, before I do that, how did you find out there were three more aliases?” “Depending on how this all works out, I may tell you.”
David was escorted from the building, the Major returned to his section saying to Chris the story they had agreed on, news would soon spread round the office.
© 10210ken 2024
