John Gardner Bond 22 Win_Lose_Or

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"What are we, two days from Gib?"
"We're taking four actually. For operational reasons which don't
concern you.
"Well," the lips curled under the beard, "well, that's plenty of time
for me to whop some kind of story out of her. Don't worry. " He rose.
"Sit down!" Bond all but shouted. "Sit down! I haven't said you can
leave."
"I didn't know you were my keeper on this ship."
"Well, you had better know, Mr. Speaker. You don't move on this ship
without my saying so."
"You're not trying to tell me you're SIS?" The leer again.
"I am telling you just that."
"Very interesting, in view of what seems to have happened on board this
ship. I think we'll have a little talk when we're back in London.
I can be a very suspicious man, Bond, and they trust me at the
interrogation centre. I can reach into your file and come up with
something, I'm sure. Everyone has at least one thing they want to hide.
We'll discover yours, then I can embroider it a little and they'll drop
you into a well and forget about you. I've broken stronger men than
you, Bond. Goodnight," and he walked from the cabin, leaving Bond
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floundering. The man was some kind of a nutter, he thought. Best get a
signal off to London about him.
He went out and toured the passageway, speaking to all the varied
security men, British, American and Russian. All seemed in good order,
so he decided to leave the signal until after dinner, which he took
quietly in the ward-room.
Later, as he was about to go up to Communications, the Tannoy clicked
on. "D'you hear there! D'you hear there! Would Captain Bond please
take a message in his cabin? Captain Bond to his cabin please."
Nikki, looking pale and uncomfortable, was waiting for him.
"What can I do for you, Nikki?"
"Oh, please don't tempt me, James, but I have a terrible concern.
A worry."
"That's what I'm here for. Pour it all out."
"This is about the new American. The one called Woodward, Dan
Woodward."
"Desperate Dan," Bond smiled. "Has he been desperate with you?
He comes complete with a reputation that he likes the ladies."
"No, James. No. This is not funny. I am suspect that this man is not
American. That he is not truly the Dan Woodward he claims."
"What?" He sat up, a little twitch of anxiety deep in his stomach. "Why
do you say this, Nikki?"
"How do I tell you? It is difficult. Look, is operational secret, but
we must share it. Three years ago, I was assigned to work in
Afghanistan. With KGB. We had a dossier on terrorists operating in the
Gulf. You know the kind of thing. A mixed bag of names and suspicions.
The man who says he is Dan Woodward. His picture was there in dossier.
I forget what he was called then.
Hamarik, or Homarak. Something. James, you should take a look."
"Keep quiet for now, Nikki. I'll run it through London. Play it
gently. I know how we can check it out."
He went up to Communications and went through the same, inquisition by a
different, armed marine, then got on with the job in hand. First a
cipher concerning Speaker, followed by a second one to liaison with
Grosvenor Square, requesting a photograph to be sent over the wires.
When unbuttoned, the text read PLEASE HAVE PHOTOGRAPH OF DANIEL WOODWARD
YOUR NI OFFICER STOP SEND MY EYES ONLY URGENT AND HIGHEST PRIORITY STOP
PREDATOR STOP It had been a long, tiring day, so he hoped it would come
in before he went to sleep.
He had just got into his bunk when there was a tap at the door.
He opened up, and Nikki slipped past him into the cabin.
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"James, I'm sorry. I feel so alone. So afraid. It is like a feeling
of doom. Please don't send me away." She wore a towelling robe which
she slipped from her shoulders. There was nothing underneath. Bond's
mind travelled back to the villa on Ischia.
Once more he saw the doomed and treacherous Beatrice and realised that,
whatever she had been, it would take a long time for her to be expunged
from his emotions. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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