attractive 31-year-old with
short blonde hair who had turned down the possibility of
a lucrative career in Hollywood after winning a beauty
ageant and gone instead to secretarial college in Chicago.
ic had been with UNACO for four years and was married
the Test Centre's senior martial arts instructor.
'How was the vacation?' she asked after Sabrina closed ic door.
'Short,' Sabrina replied with a grin, then sat down on
ie couch. 'Am I the first one here?'
Sarah nodded. 'Mr Kolchinsky's gone to fetch Mike at ie airport.'
'And C.W.?'
'He's in Paris. Jacques Rust is flying up from Zurich to rief him.'
Sabrina indicated the desk panel. 'Well, you'd better
U His Lordship I'm here.'
Sarah smiled then flicked on the intercom switch.
abrina's here, sir.'
'Send her in,' Philpott replied, and the door slid open.
'Afternoon, sir,' Sabrina said as she entered the office.
33
'Sit down,' Philpott replied abruptly, activating the transmitter on his desk to close the door behind her.
She sat on the nearest of the two black leather couches.
'I received a call earlier this afternoon from Miami's Chief of Police,' Philpott said, reaching for his pipe. 'It seems you not only went out of your way to embarrass this Lieutenant Grady in front of his own men, you also threatened him with physical violence.'
'The guy was a creep -- '
'He's a police officer!' Philpott thundered. 'You were supposed to be on leave. And that meant you didn't have official clearance with any of the local law enforcement agencies. I had to pull a lot of strings to get you out of testifying at the trial. What if the papers had got hold of the story? My God, they would have had a field day. You drew unnecessary attention to this organization and that's something I will not tolerate. Pull another stunt like that and you'll find yourself suspended. Do I make myself understood?'
'Yes, sir,' she muttered through clenched teeth.
Philpott lit his pipe and sat back in his chair. 'This negative side has only surfaced since you teamed up with Graham. It's obvious that some of this contempt he holds for the law has rubbed off on to you. It might be your way of getting him to accept you as an equal, I don't know, but it won't do you any good if you're transferred to another team.'
'I resent that, sir. I've never tried to prove anything to Mike. If he can't accept me for what I am, that's his/ problem. Not mine." $, The intercom buzzed.
Philpott flicked on the switch. 'Yes?'
'Mr Kolchinsky's here with Mike Graham, sir,' Sarah said.
34
'Send them in.' Philpott switched the intercom off and activated the door with the transmitter on his desk.
Kolchinsky greeted Sabrina with a quick handshake then sat down and lit a cigarette.
'Afternoon, sir,' Graham said to Philpott, then sat on the couch beside Sabrina. 'How you doing?' 'Good,' she replied with a smile. 'And you?' 'Okay, I guess. Where's C.W.?' 'Paris. Jacques is briefing him.'
'Can we begin?' Philpott asked, and waited until he had their attention before continuing. 'Sergei and I had an hour-long meeting with the Secretary-General this morning about this Code Red you've been assigned to cover. That, in itself, should give you an idea of the severity of the situation. How often does the Secretary-General involve himself personally in a case? Sergei will brief you, he's been monitoring the case from the start. Sergei?'
Kolchinsky stubbed out his cigarette and got to his feet. 'Last night four terrorists from the Red Brigades broke into the Neo-Chem Industries plant outside Rome.' ' 'I take it this is the same Neo-Chem Industries who own that glass and aluminium monstrosity over on West 57th Street?' Graham asked.
'That "glass and aluminium monstrosity", as you call it, < is their international headquarters,' Kolchinsky told him. f 'They have fourteen plants outside the United States and I"' are widely regarded as one of the foremost pharmaceutical |. manufacturers in the world.' | 'Pity about their taste
short blonde hair who had turned down the possibility of
a lucrative career in Hollywood after winning a beauty
ageant and gone instead to secretarial college in Chicago.
ic had been with UNACO for four years and was married
the Test Centre's senior martial arts instructor.
'How was the vacation?' she asked after Sabrina closed ic door.
'Short,' Sabrina replied with a grin, then sat down on
ie couch. 'Am I the first one here?'
Sarah nodded. 'Mr Kolchinsky's gone to fetch Mike at ie airport.'
'And C.W.?'
'He's in Paris. Jacques Rust is flying up from Zurich to rief him.'
Sabrina indicated the desk panel. 'Well, you'd better
U His Lordship I'm here.'
Sarah smiled then flicked on the intercom switch.
abrina's here, sir.'
'Send her in,' Philpott replied, and the door slid open.
'Afternoon, sir,' Sabrina said as she entered the office.
33
'Sit down,' Philpott replied abruptly, activating the transmitter on his desk to close the door behind her.
She sat on the nearest of the two black leather couches.
'I received a call earlier this afternoon from Miami's Chief of Police,' Philpott said, reaching for his pipe. 'It seems you not only went out of your way to embarrass this Lieutenant Grady in front of his own men, you also threatened him with physical violence.'
'The guy was a creep -- '
'He's a police officer!' Philpott thundered. 'You were supposed to be on leave. And that meant you didn't have official clearance with any of the local law enforcement agencies. I had to pull a lot of strings to get you out of testifying at the trial. What if the papers had got hold of the story? My God, they would have had a field day. You drew unnecessary attention to this organization and that's something I will not tolerate. Pull another stunt like that and you'll find yourself suspended. Do I make myself understood?'
'Yes, sir,' she muttered through clenched teeth.
Philpott lit his pipe and sat back in his chair. 'This negative side has only surfaced since you teamed up with Graham. It's obvious that some of this contempt he holds for the law has rubbed off on to you. It might be your way of getting him to accept you as an equal, I don't know, but it won't do you any good if you're transferred to another team.'
'I resent that, sir. I've never tried to prove anything to Mike. If he can't accept me for what I am, that's his/ problem. Not mine." $, The intercom buzzed.
Philpott flicked on the switch. 'Yes?'
'Mr Kolchinsky's here with Mike Graham, sir,' Sarah said.
34
'Send them in.' Philpott switched the intercom off and activated the door with the transmitter on his desk.
Kolchinsky greeted Sabrina with a quick handshake then sat down and lit a cigarette.
'Afternoon, sir,' Graham said to Philpott, then sat on the couch beside Sabrina. 'How you doing?' 'Good,' she replied with a smile. 'And you?' 'Okay, I guess. Where's C.W.?' 'Paris. Jacques is briefing him.'
'Can we begin?' Philpott asked, and waited until he had their attention before continuing. 'Sergei and I had an hour-long meeting with the Secretary-General this morning about this Code Red you've been assigned to cover. That, in itself, should give you an idea of the severity of the situation. How often does the Secretary-General involve himself personally in a case? Sergei will brief you, he's been monitoring the case from the start. Sergei?'
Kolchinsky stubbed out his cigarette and got to his feet. 'Last night four terrorists from the Red Brigades broke into the Neo-Chem Industries plant outside Rome.' ' 'I take it this is the same Neo-Chem Industries who own that glass and aluminium monstrosity over on West 57th Street?' Graham asked.
'That "glass and aluminium monstrosity", as you call it, < is their international headquarters,' Kolchinsky told him. f 'They have fourteen plants outside the United States and I"' are widely regarded as one of the foremost pharmaceutical |. manufacturers in the world.' | 'Pity about their taste
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