MINISTRY OF DEFENCE,
Westhaven, PRH, September 9th, 14:00HRS
"What the bloody hell do you think your playing at?"
Angela Steele turned, calmly, to meet her accuser. It was Party Chairman Barry Knott himself, a fat man fond of old-fashioned, shabby suits. He was red-faced, and his jowels wobbled as he shook with anger. Steele, by contrast, resembled her own name. She was in her early forties, cool, collected, blonde and famous for her ability to fake sincerity and warmth with total conviction. In truth, she was rabidly ambitious, and fully intended to displace this fat incompetent as Party Chairman one day.
"Me, Chairman? I am simply defending this nation's interests, and acting to meet the will of the People." she replied cooly.
They stood in the polished, art-deco corridors of the Ministry. Clerks hurried past, keen to avoid getting embroiled in a public confrontation between some of the most powerful people in Havenshire.
Knott heaved with sweat. "You damn well know that you can't act unilaterally without permission from the Directive. This isn't the first time you've stepped out of line. I'm warning you, Miss Steele. The Boss doesn't like being shown up. You try to steer the Ship of State without my EXPRESS permission again, I will eat you for fucking breakfast. Are we clear?"
Angela simply regarded him with cool ideas, ignoring the spittle flying from his ranting lips. She adjusted her specs, and clutched the thin folder to her chest. Inwardly, however, her heart thudded. If the Chairman had any idea of the true scale of her plans...
He snorted derisively at her silence. "You've been fucking lucky this time. The Boss has seen the mood, and agrees that a tougher line need be taken. I HOPE that your boys in the CIB are right about the missiles If those missiles WEREN'T made in Germania-Gallia..." He let the threat hang in the air.
"I can assure you that the Central Intelligence Bureau does not produce sloppy work." She half-lied. In truth, they had been unable to gain access to the missile debris in Augsburg, so they had instead manufactured some extremely convincing fakes to base their report on. Only she and the agents involved knew this, and she was already making arrangements to ensure that that secret, stayed a secret.
Despite her cool front, however, she felt panic in her chest. Perhaps she had overreached with that claim. Her biggest flaw was a lack of patience- she wanted everything, and she wanted it now. Despite this, she knew she had greater vision and greater ability than almost anybody else in the Central Congress.
Knott harumphed. "See that it is so. I will be watching you, Comrade Steele. Don't step out of line again."
The fat Chairman waddled on his way, leaving her in the long polished corridor, still as a rock. When he was out of earshot, she sighed in relief. She then quickly hurried to the Intelligence Offices, which had been her destination.
"Good Afternoon, Ma'am. How can CIB help you?" said the chirpy secretary when she arrived. She did not reply, and simply handed the folder over.
"See that this gets to Liquidations." she said coldly, masking her own fear behind stillness.
"No problem, Ma'am." The Secretary replied affably. The folder was stamped CLASSIFIED, and put into the Black in-tray on the side of her desk. Within a few hours, the wheels of Bureaucracy would turn, and Liquidations would get its new orders.
Inside the folder was a single sheet of paper. A list of the names of everyone involved in the Augsburg Infiltration mission. Dead men tell no tales.
Westhaven, PRH, September 9th, 14:00HRS
"What the bloody hell do you think your playing at?"
Angela Steele turned, calmly, to meet her accuser. It was Party Chairman Barry Knott himself, a fat man fond of old-fashioned, shabby suits. He was red-faced, and his jowels wobbled as he shook with anger. Steele, by contrast, resembled her own name. She was in her early forties, cool, collected, blonde and famous for her ability to fake sincerity and warmth with total conviction. In truth, she was rabidly ambitious, and fully intended to displace this fat incompetent as Party Chairman one day.
"Me, Chairman? I am simply defending this nation's interests, and acting to meet the will of the People." she replied cooly.
They stood in the polished, art-deco corridors of the Ministry. Clerks hurried past, keen to avoid getting embroiled in a public confrontation between some of the most powerful people in Havenshire.
Knott heaved with sweat. "You damn well know that you can't act unilaterally without permission from the Directive. This isn't the first time you've stepped out of line. I'm warning you, Miss Steele. The Boss doesn't like being shown up. You try to steer the Ship of State without my EXPRESS permission again, I will eat you for fucking breakfast. Are we clear?"
Angela simply regarded him with cool ideas, ignoring the spittle flying from his ranting lips. She adjusted her specs, and clutched the thin folder to her chest. Inwardly, however, her heart thudded. If the Chairman had any idea of the true scale of her plans...
He snorted derisively at her silence. "You've been fucking lucky this time. The Boss has seen the mood, and agrees that a tougher line need be taken. I HOPE that your boys in the CIB are right about the missiles If those missiles WEREN'T made in Germania-Gallia..." He let the threat hang in the air.
"I can assure you that the Central Intelligence Bureau does not produce sloppy work." She half-lied. In truth, they had been unable to gain access to the missile debris in Augsburg, so they had instead manufactured some extremely convincing fakes to base their report on. Only she and the agents involved knew this, and she was already making arrangements to ensure that that secret, stayed a secret.
Despite her cool front, however, she felt panic in her chest. Perhaps she had overreached with that claim. Her biggest flaw was a lack of patience- she wanted everything, and she wanted it now. Despite this, she knew she had greater vision and greater ability than almost anybody else in the Central Congress.
Knott harumphed. "See that it is so. I will be watching you, Comrade Steele. Don't step out of line again."
The fat Chairman waddled on his way, leaving her in the long polished corridor, still as a rock. When he was out of earshot, she sighed in relief. She then quickly hurried to the Intelligence Offices, which had been her destination.
"Good Afternoon, Ma'am. How can CIB help you?" said the chirpy secretary when she arrived. She did not reply, and simply handed the folder over.
"See that this gets to Liquidations." she said coldly, masking her own fear behind stillness.
"No problem, Ma'am." The Secretary replied affably. The folder was stamped CLASSIFIED, and put into the Black in-tray on the side of her desk. Within a few hours, the wheels of Bureaucracy would turn, and Liquidations would get its new orders.
Inside the folder was a single sheet of paper. A list of the names of everyone involved in the Augsburg Infiltration mission. Dead men tell no tales.