How to Betray Your Country by James Wolff (spicy books to read .TXT) 📕

Drummond will introduce himself as ‘John Smith’ from the Ministry for State Security and will say that the other man’s name has appeared on the books of a foreign intelligence service. It looks bad, and they need his cooperation to clear this up. In effect: prove your innocence!”

— The Ministry for State Security? Is that —

— Sssh. Answer the question.

— Is the man’s name actually on the books of a foreign intelligence service? If it is, then it’s perfectly legitimate to go and talk to him.

— In this case it’s not. Officer Drummond has fabricated that detail.

— I wouldn’t do that.

— Would others?

— I don’t know.

— What about the principle? Would you ever take an association or connection or friendship that you believed to be harmless and present it to one of the people involved as a thing they needed to clear up? As a way of getting them on the hook as an informer?

— Um, I don’t know. Possibly. What’s the book about?

— The Stasi.

— The Stasi? Hang on, you’re not saying —

— Of course I’m not. But it’s interesting, don’t you think? The overlap in technique.

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, more thoughtful, more resilient, more imaginative, according to August. More treacherous, I would suggest to you. More treacherous, more deceitful, more underhand, more cowardly. And this is one conversation among dozens that we might have used. What they all have in common — would the defendant please sit down and stop making a scene? What they all have in common is the way that this woman sought to undermine the integrity of the British establishment by suggesting that the way we carry out our intelligence activities is somehow unethical. The irony of such an accusation coming from a Russian agent is beyond — if you don’t settle down I’ll have no choice but to request that the bailiff remove you from this courtroom. Do you hear me? No one here is interested in your sentimental nonsense. Now where was I? We might conclude, ladies and gentlemen, that her tactics worked, judging by August’s subsequent behaviour, by his willingness to break the rules in order to prove that he remained his own man, independent in spirit, no mere servant of the deep state – or whatever adolescent words they whispered to each other in the darkness of night. Unfortunately our bugs failed to pick up everything they said. But this is not how the world works. All of the adults in this room understand that. We need obedience, we need discipline, we need order, we need people with a grown-up understanding that the world is a complex and dangerous —

— for the last time, will you stop making such a —

— Bailiff, please remove the defendant from the courtroom —

— August, sit down, this is nothing to —

— if ever you needed further proof, ladies and gentlemen, see how our enemies seek to disrupt our venerable institutions with their —

— if she won’t go quietly, you fool, then use necessary force —

— August, what are you doing, stay in your —

— August, where did you get that bottle from, August, August, put that bottle down —

— Bailiff —

• • • •

Come on, let’s get this done. This place is creepy. So what’s going on? You said you’d get him to the border.

There were difficulties.

That’s your problem. What use is he to us here? This city is full of kafir tourists we could help ourselves to if we wanted. You’ve got one locked in a fridge. So what?

If you kidnapped a tourist from here the whole country would be shut down before you got halfway to the border. Checkpoints, searches. They would close all the holes in the fence. The difference is that no one is looking for this one. You can confirm that yourselves easily enough – no one has reported him missing, his picture hasn’t been on the television. The police do not even know he exists.

How’d you manage that then?

That is my business. Do you want to see him?

Wait, if he’s so incognito, this guy, why don’t you take him to the border yourself? Stick to the agreement.

You know how it works. You need the right vehicle with a reason to be travelling, you need a Turkish driver with papers, you need to know where the checkpoints are. This is easy for you. Not so easy for me.

But you said you’d do it.

The circumstances were different. I thought it might be possible to have him … delivered there.

Delivered? I like that. A delivery service. End of the day it’s a lot of risk for us though. Lot of army to get past. If we said yes, you’re suggesting what, that we knock the – what shall we call it? – the delivery charge off the price? What is it, about six hundred miles? That’s a lot of delivery charge. Not sure it’d be worth it for you any more.

We can discuss the price.

I bet we can. Look, don’t get me wrong. You’ve done well. This is impressive. Last we heard you had literally nothing, now here you are with something to sell. What would you do with the money?

This is also my business.

Not many places to run, is there. Afghanistan, Pakistan – your name’s dirt there too. Back to London? Won’t be cushy like it was last time, with your fancy house in – where was it again?

When can I get the money?

When you called us we were amazed. Never thought we’d hear from you again. To be honest I’ve come mainly for the curiosity value. This isn’t realistic, what you’re selling. You must know that. There’s all sorts of politics to think about. Doesn’t matter that the local police aren’t looking for this guy now, once they realize he came from here they’ll go fucking nuts. They can make things really difficult for us around the border. End of the day it’s not my call but I don’t think it’s worth it.

I am not interested