The Serbian spy adjusted his telescope with renewed interest since the time was drawing near. But unknown to him his recently discarded semen lay in a laboratory undergoing DNA checks. A bottle with his fingerprints on now sat covered in a fine black powder in a plastic bag, carefully labelled on a laboratory shelf. The contents of his rubbish bag were neatly laid out across a large white table and being sifted through thoroughly.
He sat back down, grabbing his half-empty packet of crisps, not realising that through a crack in the curtains an eye watched. He lowered his trousers, the game show soon starting.
4
An hour later Otto and Beesely descended to the basement. All of the ‘commandos’ were present; Burke and three of his men, Johno and the three ‘old dogs’.
Burke stepped up as Beesely accepted a half drunk bottle of beer off Johno. ‘All your … objectives achieved?’ he unhappily enquired.
‘An excellent start,’ Beesely commended. ‘And all you had to do was stand there and look pretty.’ Burke’s men disagreed with that appraisal, a few rude words flittering around.
‘Don’t forget the choppers!’ Burke complained.
‘Never.’ Beesely held his arm. ‘Give my thanks to the Rhine Army Commander and ... your kind government.’
‘No problem, looking forward to some first hand intel’ on the Serbs. My good buddy the European Chief is gunna be well pissed off at me.’
Beesely raised his eyebrows. ‘Do you care?’
‘Hell no. Get yourself a cold one.’
‘Once you’ve changed from your fatigues and scrubbed up, let’s have a bite to eat around 7pm, and we can talk shop.’ Burke nodded, re-joining the party.
Beesely personally thanked everyone in turn, pressing the flesh and leaving a firm imprint on them all. Finally, he turned and addressed the room. ‘If you don’t mind chaps, I’m rather tired after today’s fun and games. Not as young as I was.’
Johno walked him to the lift, Otto holding the door.
At the lift Beesely turned to Johno. ‘Tomorrow, if you could find some time to take Jane into town – a little shopping, some lunch, drive through the hills?’
‘OK, Boss,’ Johno quickly answered, already turning back to the celebrations and leaving Beesely unconvinced of the sincerity of the statement.