Free False Friends by Stephen Leather Page A

this last year she’s moved up to a whole new level. Can’t remember the last time I ate out. It’s like having my own Michelin-starred restaurant. But I hate to think what my cholesterol levels are like.’ He sipped his gin and tonic. ‘So how are things with the fragrant Charlotte Button?’
    ‘We have our ups and downs, but general y it’s good,’ said Shepherd. ‘The last year I’ve been hand-holding a couple of guys who are undercover.
    They’re amateurs so I have to watch them every step of the way.’
    ‘That’l be a change for you, seeing life from the other side.’
    ‘Tel me about it. I hadn’t realised just how much ego-stroking had to be done.’
    ‘You never needed much,’ said Hargrove. ‘I nearly gave you a cal when I heard you were leaving SOCA but then you decided to go with her to Five and I figured it would be disrespectful to poke my nose in.’
    ‘I’m happy enough,’ said Shepherd. ‘It’s a bigger canvas and a lot less PC.’ He grinned. ‘And not much in the way of paperwork.’
    ‘Yeah, that’s more than fifty per cent of the job these days,’ agreed Hargrove. ‘Ticking boxes and meeting targets. But I have more freedom than most.’
    ‘Stil undercover operations, right?’
    ‘I head up the Covert Operations Group,’ said Hargrove. ‘COG. We form part of the Covert Policing Command which is the old Criminal Intel igence Branch. Basical y my task is to control al undercover operations throughout the Met. Any of the boroughs can cal on us, though al requests are dealt with through SCD. Recently they’ve been subcontracting us out to other Forces and between you and me I think the long-term aim is to make the COG a national unit but control ed by the Met. Basical y to do the job that SOCA was supposed to do.’
    ‘SOCA was a total waste of time,’ said Shepherd. ‘I should never have joined.’
    ‘To be honest, you weren’t given much of a choice,’ said Hargrove, adjusting his immaculate cuffs. ‘Stil , what’s done is done. I hear you’re doing great things at Five. And Charlotte seems wel pleased with you.’
    Shepherd shrugged. ‘They keep me busy,’ he said.
    ‘And they let you out of the country.’
    Shepherd steepled his fingers under his chin as he studied Hargrove. He knew the policeman wel , trusted him without question, but working for MI5 brought with it a whole new degree of security. He didn’t know what Hargrove’s clearance was and until he did there was no way he could talk about any MI5 operations, past or present. ‘I’ve been getting around,’ he said.
    ‘How’s your boy? He must be – what, thirteen now?’
    ‘He’s fine. He wanted to go to boarding school so it’s al worked out wel .’ He sat back in his chair.
    ‘You stil living in Ealing?’
    Shepherd shook his head. ‘We moved to Hereford a few years ago.’
    ‘To be near the Regiment?’
    Shepherd laughed. ‘No, that’s where Liam’s grandparents live. It made more sense to be closer to them.’
    ‘So you commute, back and forth?’
    ‘Depends on the job. Most of the work involves deep undercover roles and they usual y come with accommodation. Now that Liam’s boarding it’s less of an issue.’
    ‘Wel , you’l be glad to hear that the operation I need help with is a bit closer to home. Birmingham, in fact. That’s only fifty miles or so from Hereford.’
    ‘The job I’m on is in London. Did Charlie explain that if I need to get back at short notice I’l have to drop everything?’
    ‘She made that clear. I don’t see that as a problem, if al goes to plan you’l only have to put in a couple of appearances. A cameo, you might say.’
    ‘The problem I have is that I never know when it might kick off. It’s very much a long-term thing but when it does start to go it’l probably do so very quickly.’
    ‘We can work around that,’ said Hargrove. ‘What is it, terrorism?’
    Shepherd nodded. ‘Couple of guys in a London mosque were recruited into an