CHOGM Pt. 03

PUBLIC BETA

Note: You can change font size, font face, and turn on dark mode by clicking the "A" icon tab in the Story Info Box.

You can temporarily switch back to a Classic Literotica® experience during our ongoing public Beta testing. Please consider leaving feedback on issues you experience or suggest improvements.

Click here

"These people can really play dirty when they want to."

"What is it?" Jenny came and sat on the desk that Russell was seated at. Russell pointed to the reports on the screen.

"Whew! I see what you mean. I certainly wouldn't like to get on their wrong side."

"I think it's about time we showed the others." Russell packed up his notes and tidied up the desk, which consisted of throwing the plastic cup into a bin, and he and Jenny left.

When they arrived back at Jenny's place they found only Burroughs in residence. "Well, did you find anything interesting?"

"Have a look at this lot." Russell spread the reports over the dining table. "While on the surface they don't appear to be related, if you look at them as parts of a much larger picture, you will see what we are worried about."

Burroughs looked through the papers that Russell had given him and as he read his head continually nodded. "This confirms what we know about this organisation. They will stop at nothing to ensure that their operations and that of their country are not interrupted. They will use the slightest pretext to justify going in with their Covert Operations Group and carrying out all manner of mischief."

"Such as?"

"They have been instrumental in the overthrow of several governments when it appeared that American interests were in danger. It has been alleged that they were directly responsible for the assassination of Allende and his replacement by Pinochet in Chile. It has even been suggested in certain circles that they were behind the overthrow of your very own Whitlam government in '75."

"I had heard that but never gave it any credence because I was always under the impression that the Americans were friendly."

"Whitlam was making noises about closing the CIA Communications Base at Pine Gap and they certainly didn't want that. They are like a terrier, friendly as long as you feed it and until you upset it, then you had better watch out because it will turn on you quite savagely."

"Who can we trust, you?"

"Me yes, my government, I wouldn't be too sure. There are enough people in high places whose integrity has been suborned by the Americans and the Russians that I wouldn't place my trust in any of them."

"What about your friends?"

"With my life. What about you two, can you be trusted?"

"Yes." Russell answered for the both of them, "We don't have any reason to betray our government or our friends, do we Jen?"

"No." Jenny answered softly.

"Good." Burroughs looked from one to the other. "Now what are we going to do about this lot?"

"I could write an article for the paper which sets out some of the dirty tricks that the Americans, in general terms though, and which alerts the readers to be aware of placing their trust too highly in them."

"Yes, you could but I'd be very careful how I worded it, use plenty of alleges and reliable source quotes to cover yourself from any possibility of libel action."

"Do you often have to teach your grandmother to suck eggs."

"Touché. It will need to be factually accurate but other than that, write what you like. How soon can you have it ready for me to read?"

"If I start now, tomorrow evening or, at the latest, the next morning."

"Fine, off you go and to work."

"What do you want me to do?" Jenny asked.

"You can help Russell. Make him copious cups of coffee and keep his mind on the job."

"Are you sure that I'm the right person to do that?"

"Probably not, but at least it will keep you from trying to get involved in our side of things."

"But I want to get involved."

"No. That's final. It will be much too dangerous for you and I still think that you can be of more benefit to us by working with Russell."

The finality of his decision left Russell and Jenny with no option but to return to Russell's flat and start work on, well eventually to start work on his article.

As they were about to leave Frank entered the room, "Hey Fellows, I think that I've come up with something. It seems that our old mates Hooley and Flynn are in town for the express purpose of creating some mischief around the CHOGM conference."

"Why? What possible connection could it have with their cause?"

"Anything that they can do to embarrass the British government they will do."

"Again, Why?"

"The reason that they are giving is that it is a reprisal for certain atrocities carried out against IRA members in Longketch prison and the killing of members about the place."

"Same old story. Sometimes I wonder if the retaliation doesn't come first. Do we have any idea where and when this will take place?"

"No. They were not about to discuss too much outside the central committee."

"Will you be able to find out any more?"

"I think so. I got talking to Hooley and it just so happens that I have a distant relative that comes from the same village as him, and knowing the way the Irish breed, we could be related, although heaven forbid that I should have to call him cousin."

"When do you think that you will be able to find out more?"

"Probably in the next day or two, why?"

"It seems that we find ourselves in the situation of having too many leads and not enough people to follow them up."

"What about me?" Jenny asked, "I'm sorry Darling I know that you want me to help you with your work, but I feel that I can be of more assistance helping with this investigation."

"No!" Burroughs's voice was clear and definite. "We agreed that you could help with the routine work but that you should not be involved with anything beyond that. I want you and Russell well out of this part of it."

"What happens if we turn up something important?"

"I will trust you to use your judgement but if it looks as if it might put you in any kind of danger, contact us first. The rule here is, if in doubt don't."

Russell and Jenny left and made their way back to the newspaper office where they soon found themselves once more looking at the blur of letters scrolling over the microfiche screens.

They were both a little on edge two hours later when Russell stopped the machine, peered closely at the screen and called Jenny over. "Look at this." He indicated the report of an interview with an alleged drug courier who had been caught entering the country with a large quantity of pure heroin secreted in special compartments in his baggage.

The report claimed that he had been recruited by the CIA and that he received his commissions through a merchant bank that the report alleged was a front for the CIA and used by it to launder its drug money which, it was further alleged, it used to finance its worldwide covert operations.

In a bid to avoid a long gaol sentence the courier agreed to give the police as much information as he could about the operations and the police, in turn, agreed to keep him in a safe house for the duration of their investigations.

"This is pretty hot stuff."

"But does it have any connection with what we're looking for?"

"I don't know but that's what I'm about to find out."

What Russell found out over the next hour was that while there had been many allegations, none were investigated to the point where action could be taken, about the CIA being involved in dirty doings across the globe. What he also found, and it disturbed him greatly, was the fact that so called safe houses were not necessarily safe. Both Russell and Jenny stared at the report of a fire bomb attack on a suburban house which resulted in the death of a person identified as 'helping police with their enquiries into certain matters'.

"Come on Jen, let's go. I'll put this together at my place, I need to get away from here for a while."

"Wait a minute! Have a look at this."

"What is it?"

"Do we have a description of the CIA bloke that has joined the Ananda Marga?"

"No, why?"

"Look at this." It was a paper put out by a humanitarian organisation that opposed the CIA involvement in world politics and in it were listed the names of operatives it accused of carrying out political assassinations around the globe. One in particular attracted their attention. He was listed as a specialist in 'wet operations' who had been known to use subversive groups, including religious, as a cover. His whereabouts was listed in the article as 'unknown but suspected to be in Asia.

22

Russell and Jenny returned to his flat where they worked putting together an article that explored the growth of the CIA and its links with subversive activities both inside the United States and around the world. It also mentioned the animosity that existed between the CIA and the FBI in America where J. Edgar Hoover saw its involvement in internal activities was a threat to the power base that he had carefully nurtured.

Jenny proved to Russell that she was more to him than an endless source of coffee and typing notes. She was also a source of inspiration. On several occasions she had suggested changes that improved its content and context. Russell was impressed with her grasp of the subject and her ability to put her thoughts into words.

"What would you say to having your name on the by-line of this story?" It was three in the morning and they were both tired but neither had given any thought to sleep.

"No!" Jenny's response cut through Russell.

"Why not?"

"I'm sorry Darling. I didn't mean it to come out like that but it's your story, all I have done is to type your notes and make you coffee."

"You have done much more than that. I don't like admitting this, but without you this story will not have fallen together as it has. If you won't let me recognise your efforts officially I will have to find some other way to show my appreciation."

"Oh yes, and just what did you have in mind?" Russell took her in his arms and they kissed. "If this is the kind of payment that I can expect, I want to work with you forever."

"That, you brazen hussy sounds to me like you are proposing to me. It's just not on."

Jenny withdrew from him, "Does that mean that you won't marry me?"

"Good heavens no. I just meant that I am old fashioned enough to want to be the one to propose." He led Jenny to the bedroom where they exchanged payment for some time before falling into an exhausted sleep.

***

It was just after ten in the morning when they strolled casually into the office of the Weekly News with the completed article. "Brian do you think that you could run this in this week's addition?"

"What is it?"

"Just something that we've put together that links the CIA with all sorts of nasty doings."

Brian read quickly through it. Looking at the two he asked, "I presume that you can confirm all of this?"

"Yes. It is all information that is on public record, all we have done is to link it all together. You must agree that it has thrown a whole new context on this investigation."

"You keep saying we, what gives with you two?"

"We are, as they say in the classic, just good friends."

"The next and more important question is, why now? Won't the publication of this article jeopardise what you are doing?"

"No. By highlighting that the CIA have used various other organisations to do their dirty work for them we are hoping that it will scare the less committed into pulling out. That way the way will be clear for us to concentrate on the more important ones and not get bogged down with peripherals."

"I get the distinct impression that our friends are using us to flush out the bad guys. I don't mind as long as we can profit from it as well."

"Ever the mercenary aren't you?"

Russell and Jenny left for Jenny's flat where they wanted to show their handiwork to the others. When they arrived they found the flat empty so they resumed the close affection that they were showing each other earlier in the day.

So hard were they concentrating that they almost didn't hear the key turn in the front door and were only just able to scramble into their clothes in time before John and Jerry entered.

"It looks like we interrupted something here. Do you want us to leave?"

"No, you may as well stay now. Anyway we have news for you. The article will be going into this week's edition. Here's a copy of the finished product, see what you think of it."

Burroughs sat down with the article and for the next several minutes he appeared to fall asleep. It was only the rapid flicking back and forth of his eyes that gave any indication of his being awake. At last he raised his head and looked at both Russell and Jenny. "Very good. This is just what we want. If this doesn't stir up some action I don't know what will. The problem now of course is, do we continue with our investigation and keep tabs on all of them, or do we wait until after the article comes out and follow up on the ones that don't drop out?"

"We would probably be better off keeping a watching brief on all of them just so that we know what they are doing and can move in quickly once the real enemy is known."

"Do you realise that this will put ASIO in a difficult position. They will be put under a great deal of pressure to do what the CIA wants them to do, even if it is against the best interests of the country."

"Where does ASIO fit into the scheme of thing?"

"They are being used as well." Russell said, "I don't profess to know much about the security services in this country but I do know that the information gathering that goes on is a one way street and that everything that ASIO finds out is fed into the Joint Intelligence Office where it is disseminated throughout our 'friends' which includes the CIA. In return they tell us nothing other than what they have sanitised for our consumption.

"They have used their strength and our parochial paranoia to convince us that we are mere minnows in a large pond and would quickly find ourselves out of our depth if we decided to swim an even bigger pond."

"We are pretty much up with your spy network although our boys tend only to work superficially with them, so we won't be able to do anything that would jeopardise what little contact we have with them."

Burroughs was thoughtful for several more seconds and then came to a decision. "I think it is about time that we had a conference with the Federal Police, after all this is their baby. We could find ourselves in a political shooting gallery with no way out. I can see them trying to explain all this away in parliament, in particular how we happened to have members of the local press corps along but kept it a secret from them."

He made the necessary phone call to arrange the meeting which was to be held in Jenny's flat as soon as the appropriate people could be contacted. It is amazing how quickly the powers that be can get themselves organised when it is important enough.

No more than half an hour after the phone call was made an inconspicuous car pulled into the underground carpark of the block of flats and three nondescript men got inconspicuously out of it and walked quickly into the building and up the stairs to the flat.

Frank Jenkins of airport fame and to whom the call had been made entered the room followed by a tall thin man who introduced himself as Bruce Stansfield of ASIO and a balding, not quite over weight but unfit man, Charles Boothby from the Department of Foreign Affairs. All three had the worried looks of people whose job could hinge on the outcome of the conference that was about to take place.

"I can't help but be concerned that you people have seen fit to involve not only the press but a civilian, and a female at that, in this operation without first clearing it with us." Jenkins spoke for the others.

"Look Frank, you were quite prepared to allow us the privilege of operating independently of your network as long as we kept our noses clean. We have kept our part of the bargain, sort of."

"Sort of!" Jenkins interrupted, "What about your soiree into the nether worlds of organised crime. By the way what did you do with all of the money you liberated from them?"

"Immaterial. We didn't have to call this conference, you would have been none the wiser if we had decided to go our merry way and only told you what we wanted you to hear so at least do us the courtesy of sitting there quietly while I outline our position. When I have finished you can put in your two cents worth. Now, the problem as I see it is this, we have found out that the intelligence service of one of your supposed closest allies is, to put it bluntly, planning some dirty trick in order that it can achieve some obscure political agenda of its own. Now that in itself is not new, given their track record over the years, but what you should be aware of is that your government will be left holding the baby when the shit hits the fan, as it certainly will. We have identified one of their top operatives working undercover within a certain religious sect. We assume it can only be for the purpose of using them as a front behind which he can disappear when the operation is carried out.

We have also ascertained that the same organisation has infiltrated the ruling party of one of the African countries and is planning to use that cover to back a military takeover by disaffected army officers who have guaranteed to toe the line in return for kick backs from them."

"This is preposterous! I'll not sit here a minute longer!" Stansfield stood as if to leave.

"You will sit down and listen to me!" The authority in Burroughs' voice forced immediate compliance. "The other group that we have uncovered is our old friends the IRA. They have got a couple of right nasties being sponsored by some of your less moderate Trade Unions for the purpose of causing embarrassment to your government by penetrating your security net over the CHOGM conference. Quite frankly, from what we've seen of your security someone with the IQ of a sponge would have little trouble in achieving that, and Hooley and Flynn have a little more intelligence than that. Now we could have them pulled in now but that may give them time to bring in a back-up team, so I suggest that they are watched and nothing more for the time being. Our biggest problem is that, whatever happens, you blokes will have a lot of explaining to do, so we thought it best to bring you up to date. Are there any questions?"

"I presume that, as you are telling us about this, that your Secret Service is not the one referred to, and on past performance it is not too difficult to guess that you are referring to the CIA." Stansfield was more subdued now, "This poses a very difficult problem in that we don't deal directly with the Foreign Affairs Department and the only part of our intelligence network with which we exchange information is ASIS, but that is through the intermediary of the Defence Signals Directorate. While this in itself doesn't appear to be a problem, except that, they in turn deal with both the British and American Intelligence Agencies which of course includes the CIA. I have no guarantee that any information sent to ASIS will not be intercepted. Protocol decrees that any approach to the Minister go through either the Joint Intelligence Office or the Office of National Assessment and it would be difficult for me to request a meeting with the Minister without attracting some unwanted attention."

"Well then it seems as if the only alternative that we have open to us is to try and stop this operation before it can be carried out. At present there are three separate groups that we suspect of trying something on. In an attempt to isolate them we have arranged for the Weekly News to print an article on terrorism and its links with various organisations, military, political and religious, in an attempt to narrow the field. I have a copy of the article here if you want to read it, but it will be on the streets in the next twenty four hours so your legal boffins will have a snowballs chance in hell of stopping it."