The world is a very different place then you think it is. What you know is what they want you to know. They go through great lengths to assure you know only what they think you need to know. All those conspiracy nuts? They know more than they should…
ASR Headquarters
Moffett Federal Airfield, California
August 1987
Agent Kimberly Brady had been ordered to her Chief’s office for a briefing. Not an unusual occurrence. Nor was the fact that her assignment was secret in nature. She was, after all, a ASR intelligence officer. But this assignment was…was…
“Honeydew?” the Chief said tentatively. “Do you have any questions?”
Honeydew did not reply. She sat staring into space, not quite believing what she had just been told. She went over the briefing in her head several times, coming up with the same, unbelievable conclusion. Fly to London, pick up a prisoner, take said prisoner to Moscow and hand him over to the KGB.
But not just anywhere in Moscow.
In KGB Headquarters in Moscow.
Finally, Honeydew turned her disbelieving gaze to the Chief. “You’re sending me to the Lubyanka?”
“I’m sure it might appear as though—”
Honeydew cut him off. “You are sending me to the Lubyanka.”
“Honeydew, calm down…”
“You’re sending me directly to bloody KGB headquarters and you tell me to calm down!” Kim was trying very hard not to lose her temper, but knew it was a battle she would lose as she got to her feet. “God dammit, why don’t you just shoot me now and then send all of ASR’s secrets to the Commies? You’ll save time.”
“Times are changing. We must all change with them,” the Chief said placatingly. “You’re not escorting this prisoner alone. SIS is sending two top agents with you.”
“Top agents my ass! They’ll probably send that idiot Lawrence!”
“Honeydew!” the Chief exclaimed, attempting to regain some control of the situation. “This is an extremely sensitive exchange. Moscow requested you, by name, as the only agent they would trust in charge of this mission.”
“I’ll bet. And once I’m there, I’ll be detained indefinitely,” Kim retorted, taking a long drag on her cigarette. “It’s like you’re trying to get to me. It looks like you’ve finally found the perfect way to get even with me for leaving you.”
The Chief could not prevent a smile from twitching at the edges of his mouth. “This time, Honeydew, I had nothing to do with it. This came from the top.”
Marvelous, the Honeydew thought. All of ASR is trying to get me killed.
“Your…concerns in this matter were anticipated,” the Chief went on. “ASR doesn’t want to lose its best agent. Or the secrets she possesses.” He pulled a piece of paper with an elaborate seal embossed on it from a folder. “In order to further the cause of Glasnost and Perestroika, you will be going to Moscow as the personal guest of General Secretary Gorbachev,” he informed startlingly.
Honeydew blinked, taking the paper and examining it. It did indeed state that Agent Kimberly Brady would be entering the Soviet Union as a VIP with temporary diplomatic status, and as the guest of the General Secretary, Mikhail Gorbachev.
Kim, the personal guest of the leader of the Communist party. What is the world coming to?
“Surely they don’t expect me to escort a prisoner unarmed, do they?” Honeydew said, looking up…
More to come…
