CHOGM Pt. 03

"A sort of publish and be damned attitude. I suppose that I had better have a look at it."

Stansfield sat and read slowly through it, digesting every phrase and its implication. "Someone has done a lot of research and gone to a lot of trouble to put this together. He or she has made some very interesting and it appears valid assumptions that lead me to the same conclusion that you have reached. I agree, we have to stop them, whichever one is involved, but I'm afraid that ASIO will not be able to offer much assistance. As this article suggests, we cannot make a move without attracting the attention of our not so worthy, it now appears, allies. We can pull in all those people we have who are supposedly watching you lot without success and give you a free go at it."

"No. If you do that you would be alerting them that you have been talking to us and we don't want that. Leave them where they are, they aren't worrying us at all, in fact it is fun confusing them."

Jenkins had remained silent up until this point. Half his concentration had been on the conversation and the other half on the article. "Gentlemen, and not forgetting the lady present, to suggest that you are just about to open up a can of worms is to state the obvious. Here we have a nation that is supposed to be one of our strongest allies plotting to carry out dastardly deeds on our soil. That to me is beyond contempt. On the other hand, how are we to know that the approval for all of this has not been given at the highest level and that snippet of information just hasn't filtered down to the troops. If that is the case and we move in on them they will probably have our guts for garters. Gentlemen and lady, we are in a pickle of the most unsavoury kind and whatever we do will probably cause a great deal of angst in certain quarters. My suggestion is that we carry on as if this conversation has not happened and hope that, when the fertiliser hits the rotary ventilator, as it most suredly will, that we don't end up covered in it. As I explained when you guys first landed, if anything happens we don't know you. We will probably be able to spirit you out of the country at a moment's notice, if that's any consolation."

"What about Russell and Jenny here?"

"We can probably provide them with new identities and set them up in another place for a while, at least until the heat dies down. Much more than that I'm afraid I cannot guarantee."

"That's okay by me but Jenny is very well known around town and has one of the most instantly recognisable faces in the fashion industry, for her to relocate will not be easy."

"That's no problem. I have been toying with the idea of getting out of the modelling side of the industry and taking up fashion design. If we were to move to Melbourne for instance I could enrol at Swanbourne or RMIT or whichever college teaches design. That is of course if you want to go to Melbourne."

"Silly question. If Melbourne is what you want then Melbourne it is."

"This sounds like something straight of one of those cloyingly sweet romance novels." Burroughs steered the conversation back to the matter at hand, "Now if I have my facts straight, ASIO can't help without compromising their position and the Federal Police won't so that leaves us on our own but that's fine as long as we know where we stand."

"Wait a minute." It was Boothby who broke his long silence. "I feel that before you go any further I should at least attempt to ascertain where the government stands in this matter. I can arrange to speak to the Minister and find out if there has been any official approach made by the US government on this matter, if there has, then I can find out what the official line is. If on the other hand there have been no approach on a Diplomatic level, then the Minister should be informed of the relevant details, including your involvement thus far. What I am suggesting is that you should hold off for a few days until I can get back to you with whatever information I can find out. After all it could drastically affect your approach from this point in time."

"Request granted, but time is running out very quickly."

"Point noted. I'll get on to it immediately."

The three men filed out of the room and left the others to contemplate the events as they stood.

"I think we're going to have to move quickly. It was like a bloody convoy down there." Jerry had been standing by the window that overlooked the road. "I recognised one of ASIO's cars but there were at least four other cars that followed them off down the road. I can't see from here if there are any more left behind to follow us when we leave, but leave I feel we must. Jenny, if you had to leave here without being followed how would you do it?"

"Easy. Wait until the ferry is just pulling in to the wharf and slip out the back way and jump on to it. From there you can either get off at the Zoo and catch a bus into the city or stay on to Circular Quay."

"You seem to have it well sorted out, why?" Russell asked.

"Occupational hazard of my profession. I'm always getting blokes follow me home and trying to get me to go out with them. They are usually of the pathetic type so I have devised this method of giving them the slip."

"Have you a ferry timetable?" Burroughs asked.

"Yes, there's one on the fridge door." Jenny walked into the kitchen and returned a few minutes later with the timetable. The next one is in five minutes and goes via the Zoo. There is a direct one in about fifteen minutes after that."

"Jerry, you slip onto the first one with Frank but get off at the Zoo and catch the bus into the city. Frank you stay with it and get off at Circular Quay. Russell, how can we get from there to your place?"

"Why my place?"

"We need somewhere else to set up base for the time being and I thought your place would be as good as any."

"Oh. Where do I stay then?"

"I'm sure that you and Jenny could find a place for a couple of days."

"I think we could. If you get off the ferry at the Quay you can walk up to the train station and catch a train around to Museum station. From there you can either walk or catch a cab, it's up to you. What about the car?"

"We'll leave it with you until we need it again, but don't get too many ideas about permanent possession. You had better give us your address."

The information was exchanged for the keys to the Triumph in time for Frank and Jerry to depart. As the ferry left the wharf a fisherman took a two way radio from his tackle box and spoke to someone somewhere. Burroughs thought it would be interesting to find out who the recipient of the message was but resisted the temptation to go down and extract the information.

The next ferry was only half way across the harbour when he left and sauntered down to the wharf. He stopped casually beside the fisherman, "Catching anything?"

"Not much, if I had to rely on my catch to survive I would be much thinner than I am."

"Why don't you look for a more productive spot?"

"I live just up the road and this is great relaxation." He stared at the point at which the line and water surface intersected as if willing a fish to bight.

As the ferry neared the wharf Burroughs slipped his toe under the edge of the basket and flipped it into its path. The ferry captain had thrown his vessel into reverse to wash off speed and the churning propellers destroyed the plastic tackle box.

"Sorry about that. I can't explain how that happened but let me buy you a new one. How much was it?"

The fisherman just stared incredulously at the remains of his equipment, which consisted mainly of a couple of small floats that had managed to survive, the rest of his gear including the radio having sunk quickly to the bottom.

"That was pretty to watch." Russell and Jenny were standing, arms about each other, watching the scene being played out below. "I wonder what he'll do now."

They didn't have to wait long to find out. As soon as the ferry had left the wharf the fisherman walked briskly up the hill to a car parked a few houses up the road from Jenny's block of flats. He spoke briefly, and it appeared heatedly to the occupant as they left. Russell jotted down the number of the car as it drove off.

"Darling, do you think that we could take a short break from playing spy?"

"What did you have in mind?"

"This." She took the pen and paper from Russell's unresisting fingers and placing them on a coffee table, slipped into his not unwilling arms. Her arms snaked around his neck and pulled his head down to meet her upturned lips. His lips greeted hers with passion.

"Her alternative to spying was much more interesting." Thought Russell. Well he didn't actually think it because his thoughts were very much on the task at hand, returning the kiss.

It was still in progress when she released her strangle hold on his neck and transferred her attention to unbuttoning his shirt, pulling it away from his shoulders, down his arms and out of the waistband until it dropped from him onto the floor.

Russell's unsteady hands began to explore the intricacies of the buttons of her blouse, eventually freeing the garment from her, his hands sought her breasts. Slowly he caressed them and his hands worked their way around the terrain of her body until his fingers found her hardening nipples. A low moan struggled to force its way from her mouth as he gently squeezed them between his thumbs and forefingers.

Jenny's hands had not been idle during all of this, caressing the curly hair on Russell's chest, they decided to move on to new ground. Reaching the waistband of his slacks, they paused long enough to locate the slide of his zipper before drawing it slowly down. It was Russell's turn to moan as her probing fingers homed in on his now full erect penis.

Abandoning the penis the hands found the belt buckle and, as if they were in a separate trance, slowly undid it. Russell stepped out of them as they hit the floor.

His left hand travelled around her waist until they located the button/zip combination and her skirt soon joined his slacks on the floor. There was a growing pile of clothes on the floor and few remaining on either of them.

All the while their lips had remained locked together, but now they separated. "I think that we should adjourn to the bedroom" Jenny suggested.

Russell didn't need to acknowledge the thought as he was already heading in that direction. In what seemed to them to have taken hours but was, in reality seconds, their naked bodies were locked together on the bed. Lips so briefly apart were now locked together and their hands were once more engaged in exploration. Moans again escaped from both pairs of lips and Jenny's legs parted to allow Russell to move into her. Her hips thrust up to meet him. The docking manoeuvre complete, they started to move slowly in unison, thrust met with counter thrust as, with quickening pace they climaxed together in panting pleasure.

They lay locked together for several minutes, regaining their breath, Russell slowly subsiding inside Jenny until, limp and victorious he withdrew from her. Jenny rolled towards him, kissed him softly on the lips and, with her left leg placed over his, and the product of their union becoming a sticky reminder on his thigh, they slipped happily into sleep.

Some time and a repeat performance followed by a splashy, sudsy shared shower later, Russell rang his flat and gave Burroughs the registration number of the car used by the fisherman to leave the scene.

Thirty five minutes later the phone rang. "Can you check to see if there is anyone watching the flat would you?"

Russell put down the phone and went to the window that overlooked the street and, drawing back the edge of the curtain he looked up the street. It seemed to be all clear but he couldn't be one hundred percent sure. "I can't see anything but if we stay here they will have a fruitless wait, won't they?"

"Yes, that is if you stay there, which you are not going to do. I want both of you out of there and into a safe place as soon as possible. Take the Triumph but whatever you do don't bend it. If you are followed I'll leave it up to you how you get rid of the tail but, and this is important, I want you clear before you go anywhere near where you a going to stay."

"What's wrong with here? What has forced the change of plans?"

"That number that you gave us just happens to belong to a car owned by an American businessman living here in Sydney. That's not the real problem. The car is the real problem. There are two cars running around town with the same plates. Now that in itself is nothing to get totally alarmed about. That happens when you realise that the owner of the real car belonging to the plates has not reported either the car or the plates missing at any time since arriving in this country four years ago, and both cars are garaged at the same address and, amazing coincidence, that address is the same one occupied by the self same businessman."

"So?"

"I'm getting to the good part. The company that he represents is one that is commonly used as a front for the CIA right around the world. Not only that but it has been known to play host, from time to time, to what are formally known as Trade Attaches, a euphemism for CIA hit men."

"Oh. I guess we move."

"Yes. I am assuming that they haven't had a chance to put any bugs in the flat or a tap on this line, in fact I'm sure of the line because we can monitor the line, but it will only be a matter of time before they do so I want you to try and keep one step ahead of them for the next few days."

"Okay, consider us gone. Jen, pack a few things as if you are going out on assignment, we have to leave here, now."

Within five minutes they had left the flat, Russell carrying a bag containing a few of Jenny's clothes and she carrying a small make-up bag. The climbed into the Triumph and drove off. Russell was impressed with the feeling of restrained power given by the big V8.

Jenny used the mirror behind the passenger side sun visor to check that they were not being followed and to adjust her make-up. Just as she was about to tell Russell that it was all clear a car swung out of a side street behind them. In the normal course of events this would not be a cause for concern but in this case it was. It was the same car that had been driven away by the so called fisherman.

What was of more concern was that since leaving Jenny's flat they had taken a circuitous route to avoid the likelihood of being picked up or ambushed. "We have company." Jenny said at last.

"I know. The only thing I can think of is that we have a homer on this car somewhere and no matter how we try we will not be able to lose them unless we can ditch tit. Do you have any ideas?"

"Turn left at the next intersection, there's a ROBO car wash there. If the high pressure jets don't blow it away it will most likely drown it. Just to be sure, when we come out there is a coin operated vacuum cleaner outside the car wash, pull over to it and while I'm cleaning the inside you can have a quick check to see if it is still there."

Russell had the uneasy feeling that she seemed to know a lot about the ins and outs of the spy business than someone of their profession could reasonably be expected to know. He put the thought to the back of his mind where he hoped that it wouldn't be noticed.

It was a good idea. As the gleaming wet car drove out of the car wash they heard a most satisfactory crunch coming from the back tyres. A glance in the rear vision mirror showed a small package of electronic componentry squashed on the concrete. They used the vacuum cleaner to cover the check for more and it was while cleaning out the boot that a second was found. It disappeared down the nozzle to rattle encouragingly into the bin.

"Do you have any ideas where we can stay?" Russell asked as they headed in the general direction of no-where in particular.

"We can always stay with my family. We can kill two birds with one stone. A safe place to hide and I can introduce my parents to the fella that I'm going to marry."

Russell received this news with mixed feelings. While the prospect of being married to Jenny excited him immensely, he also got the feeling that things were moving too fast for him and that decisions were being taken out of his hands.

"What's the matter, don't you want to marry me, or is it the prospect of meeting my parents that scares you?"

"Neither. It's marvellous news and I couldn't be happier, it's just a little unexpected, after all we have only known each other for a very short time. While there is nothing that I want more than to marry you, I am not the type to rush things."

"You could have fooled me. How long had we known each other before you seduced me?"

"Me seduce you? Huh! If the truth be known you had it planned from the start to seduce me, after all what red blooded female could resist such a combination of raw animal magnetism and talent?"

"Look, I'm not suggesting that we should get married tomorrow, all I'm saying is that I am very sure of my feelings and I thought that I should express them before I lost you. Any way next week will be soon enough."

23

As the Triumph turned into the tree lined street where Jenny's parents lived she turned to Russell. "Darling, I have a favour to ask. As far as my father is concerned I am still a virgin. I would appreciate it very much if you say or do nothing to change that opinion. When you meet him you will understand, you see he is very much of the old school ,and has strong Catholic views on the sanctity of marriage and Italian views on pre-marital sex. In his eyes tradition counts for much."

"What about your mother?"

"She is a lot more realistic. As far as she is concerned, just as long as I'm not obviously pregnant when I walk down the aisle she will cover for me."

"That leaves us with two options, we either use some form of protection or get married soon."

"There is a third option that you haven't thought about."

"Oh yes, and what is that?"

"Abstinence. We could always not make love."

"I hope that you're not serious."

"Of course not silly. I know that we haven't really discussed this but you have nothing to worry about for the moment because I'm on the pill."

"Doesn't that go against you Catholic upbringing?"

"Yes, but in the industry I'm in you never know when some person is going to force his attentions on you and it is better safe than sorry. And of course there is that remote possibility that I might just meet Mr Right. In there." She pointed to a large cream brick house set back from the road.

There was a crushed marble driveway curving from the front gate to a three car garage which featured arched doorways. The driveway also curved around a columned portico near the front door. The front garden featured a wide array of concrete statues and fountains which consisted of mainly such things as cherubs urinating into ornamental fishponds. Jenny's father was a concreting contractor who had made enough money during the building booms of the late sixties and early seventies to retire from the physical side of the trade and supervise the members of his large family as they continued that tradition that he had started, one of hard work, long hours and fierce loyalty to the family.

No sooner had they pulled up at the front of the house than what seemed to be thousands of people came tumbling out of the front door. There were cries and kisses for Jenny as greetings were exchanged, and little attention was paid to Russell until everyone had a chance to welcome her.

She took Russell's arm in hers and took him to where her parents stood. "Mama, Papa, this is Russell. Russell, my parents Mr and Mrs Petrelli." Russell shook, hands with a wary Mr Petrelli and nodded to an appraising Mrs Petrelli.