Free Opening Moves (The Red Gambit Series) by Colin Gee Page B

country. If I commit to this largely unknown exercise will I be permitted to leave and return here if it contradicts my beliefs or values?”
    “To that I can give a qualified yes Herr Knocke. I am told that you, any of you, will not be forced to do anything that you do not agree with and that anything you do will be entirely voluntary. I cannot guarantee that you would return here in the event that you quit the group.”
    After the briefest moment to digest that reply Knocke responded, “In which case, on the limited information you give me and on that understanding, combined with the contents of that document and the signatory, I accept.”
    “Then we would please ask that you do not speak of this, except to the six men whom you will select to fulfil the criteria within that document, and even then, we would ask that you tell them as little as necessary to induce them to attend. Please appraise Colonel Frisson as soon as you have your men and he will make the arrangements for them to be interviewed. Please understand the criteria that we have for such matters and do not request to employ someone who would be unacceptable to us, no matter what their credentials.”
    “I understand perfectly. Firstly I will need eight and I request two named men who are not within this camp if they remain alive?”
    “We anticipated this so yes you may on both counts.” Lavalle pushed forward a pencil and a notepad. “Please put their names and units down there so we may investigate as to their whereabouts. We can offer no guarantees but if they are alive and satisfy the criteria then we will do our best. The British are not being too helpful at this time unfortunately”
    A swift eight lines of script and the notebook and pencil were back in Lavalle’s possession.
    “There are the names of all the officers I will require for this undertaking Herr Oberst.”
    Both men stood and exchanged a natural and respectful handshake before Knocke was returned to his comrades.
    “I always wanted to visit Biarritz in happier times. Hopefully the war has not left too deep a mark upon it?”
    Lavalle deflected the obvious probe.
    “There was little left unmarked in the war as both of us know too well. Goodbye and good luck Herr Knocke.”
    “Auf wiedershein, Oberst Lavalle” was Knocke’s well-timed final statement as he disappeared from sight.
    Lavalle smiled to himself and wondered how the German had acquired that piece of information. He immediately vowed that if he ever met Knocke again, he would never underestimate him. Not that he would meet him again, for Knocke was now, officially, in a very different world to his own.
    He felt the sudden weight of that envelope in his pocket and understood why the signatures had the same effect on Knocke as they did on him when he first saw the document.
    A quick note was written and handed to the summoned orderly for forwarding to the waiting dispatch rider, just to confirm to his boss that Colloque Biarritz had been successfully started.
    Another note was dispatched shortly afterwards to Colonel Frisson, with the names of six prisoners for interview over the following week.
    Settling back down he reached for the next file and waited for the former SS Hauptsturmfuhrer Richter of pioneers, who was next in line for a one-way ticket to a swift death in Indo-China. If he so chose of course.

Demoralize the enemy from within by surprise, terror, sabotage, assassination. This is the war of the future.

    Adolf Hitler.

Chapter 8 – THE BOMBSHELLS

    0755 hrs Monday, 2nd July 1945, The Lubyanka, NKVD Headquarters, Moscow, USSR.

    When it first hit Beria’s desk he read it incredulously and immediately ordered another translation done, just to check. Thirty-five minutes later the senior cryptographer arrived back in his office holding the second version.
    Comparing the two, it was immediately apparent that they were identical in every way.

    ‘ [priority code] GCG
    [agent] Alkonost
    [date code]