Comrade Charlie Read Online Free PDF Page A

monitoring and photographing the comings and goings of one day and comparing them to the comings and goings of the previous day. Spot-the-Spy, the latest quiz game the entire family can play, brought to you courtesy of Her Majesty’s Secret Service. He said: ‘Sorry to hear that: must be a problem for them.’
    â€˜I’m transferring you, until further notice,’ announced Harkness with self-satisfied contentment.
    No you’re not, asshole, thought Charlie. He said: ‘Oh dear!’
    â€˜Is there a problem?’ asked Harkness, smiling at last at his own personal joke.
    â€˜I hope not,’ said Charlie. ‘You can call upon other people, can’t you?’
    Cold silence came down upon the room. Harkness did not speak for several moments and Charlie was unsure whether there was a nervous tug pulling at the corner of the man’s left eye. Harkness said: ‘ Other people?’
    â€˜Well, I can’t go across, can I?’ said Charlie. ‘These new Orders of Conduct you’ve issued: they specifically state that all active operatives attend assessment courses every six months. I’ve got my instructions to go at the end of the week. Sorry about that.’
    Laura Nolan looked up, smiling hopefully, when Charlie emerged. ‘What happened?’ she said.
    â€˜The dick-head tripped over his own red tape,’ reported Charlie.
    The girl frowned. ‘You did show him the proper respect, didn’t you?’
    Charlie snapped his fingers, an exaggerated gesture. ‘Shit!’ he said. ‘I knew there was something!’

4
    Emil Krogh came awake first and was glad because it gave him time to compose himself, get some life into his face and pull the lines up. Not that it was a real problem. Kept himself in shape in the exercise room at home and the lift-and-tuck job he’d had before he met Cindy had worked just fine, taken off ten years at least. Like the moderate but discreetly maintained tinting, allowing just the right amount of mature greying at the temples but literally not a hair’s breadth more; if a President could do it, why couldn’t he? No, it wasn’t the waking moment Krogh was uneasy about; it was the sleeping ones. And something Peggy, who knew about the face-lift, had said about five months earlier: Almost time for another one, honey: asleep your face drops in those old relax lines and we don’t want that, do we? Not that his wife really cared what he looked like. All she cared about was the kids and baby-minding the grandchildren, which was fine by Krogh because of the time and freedom it gave him in addition to what he manipulated for himself, which was a lot. But he was grateful for the warning. Which was why he was glad he’d awakened first. Goddamn miracle that he had, after what he and Cindy had done last night; he should feel exhausted but he didn’t. Felt fine. Another, perhaps the best, indication that he was in great shape.
    There was only a sheet covering them and that hardly at all, and Krogh eased it further away, better to see Cindy’s nakedness. Christ, what a body! Tight and firm, not the slightest droop to those fantastic tits even lying like she was, the powder puff between her legs turned towards him, like the invitation he was definitely going to accept. Krogh wondered if he could get out of bed without disturbing her, to clean his teeth: he knew he was dragon-breathed after all that Mexican shit they’d eaten with those tequila drinks the previous night. But only clean his teeth, not shave. Cindy preferred him unshaven when he went down on her; said it was more exciting. Krogh checked his watch as he slipped off the bed. Plenty of time for that. A lot more, too. Still only eight a.m. and he’d been vague when he spoke to Peggy about what time he’d get home, just some time that evening and not to bother waiting dinner.
    Krogh scrubbed his teeth, able from the condo window to see the