Cast No Shadow, Peter Sharp [books to get back into reading txt] 📗

I don’t know why CS1 has nominated you. When I spoke to him this morning about my inability to use a G3 agent, he immediately suggested I contact you and ask you to take on this task.”

Kelly raised his eyebrows.

“Thirdly, you will be looking for a CS agent, code name ‘Peregrine’, real name Jenny Drinkwater. She’s twenty-five years of age and has been with CS for about two years. Still something of a rooky but quite well regarded, still doing pretty low-level stuff at the moment, but she is undercover.”

Kelly nodded, listening carefully.

“Fourthly, there is an additional complication in that she was supposed to liaise with another agent known as ‘Skadi’, already undercover.” McFarlane paused and added as an aside, “Another woman by the way.” He glanced mischievously at Kelly and continued, “I understand, but have no way of confirming it, that contact has not been made.” He sipped at his drink. “Finally, don’t bother looking for her on The Bahamas. She is, or at least was, in Cuba!”

“Cuba?” exclaimed Kelly, barely able to keep his voice down. “You sent a rooky into Cuba? That place is a powder keg, ready to explode at any time.”

McFarlane held up his hands in a gesture of innocence. “Not my call Dan. I would have preferred to use Bill Thompson, but I was over-ruled on this one. Seems the Soviets may be getting themselves involved quite heavily in the region and CS1 understandably wanted one of his people to have a closer look. It is, after all, their territory.”

“What was she looking for? What was her mission?” asked Kelly.

“There is just a hint that President Socarras is becoming very chummy with the Soviets, even to the point of inviting Soviet ‘advisers’ to the Island. Clearly, this flies in the face of the general view that he is fiercely anti-communist, but he must be aware that the US are angling to return Batista to power as a puppet of the US. If Socarras can’t look to the US for support, where else can he look?”

McFarlane paused and dragged the remains out of his cigarette before disposing of it in a silver ashtray. “The Americans don’t want to send any of their agents, if it came to light that they were spying on Socarras, that really would be the final nail in the coffin of US-Cuban relations. Us, on the other hand ….” He left the sentence unfinished.

Kelly continued it for him. “So, CS became involved and decided ‘Peregrine’ was the bird for the job.” McFarlane nodded and sank the remains of his cocktail.

“There’s a table free in the corner of the dining room. Let’s continue this while we eat,” said McFarlane rising from his chair and moving towards the dining room. Kelly followed and they settled themselves at a table well apart from the other guests. Kelly noted the stares from some of the other diners. Most staff knew, or at least had a good idea, of McFarlane’s role, so no doubt there would be speculation about his dinner guest.

“Her mission,” continued McFarlane when they had ordered, “is to gain any intelligence in relation to visiting Soviets. Her cover is as a British Oil Company executive looking to gain a foothold in the infant Cuban oil industry with a view to gaining some distribution rights.”

“And Skadi?” asked Kelly.

“That’s the complication,” answered McFarlane. “I have no idea. She is working directly to CS1 in London. I don’t know her mission or her exact whereabouts and I can’t find out. She must be in very deep.”

“Any reports from Peregrine?” asked Kelly.

McFarlane chuckled, “Two reports so far. Not much success in terms of getting close to any Soviets at this stage, but she has secured a contract for the distribution of 5000 barrels of oil per year.”

Kelly smiled. “It’s not much,” said Kelly, “but at least it’s a foothold for the company providing the cover. They must be grateful.”

“I’m sure they are, and at least her cover has been bought,” agreed McFarlane.

“Maybe,” said Kelly. “It could be a lure to drag her in further, or indeed to trigger the insertion of another agent?” McFarlane nodded glumly.

“Yes, that’s a distinct possibility,” he said. “Still want to go?”

“Hell yes!” responded Kelly positively. “What will my cover be?”

“After discussion with CS1 we have agreed to cut to the chase. You will go in as an educational supplies salesman. If that doesn’t get you close to the communist sympathisers in the universities then nothing will.” There was a pause as a waiter brought food, and then McFarlane continued, “You will have gathered that your mission will be in two parts. The first part is to take over Peregrine’s mission and gather intelligence on ‘visiting’ Soviets. The second part is to find Peregrine and get her out if she is in trouble.”

“Why do you think she is in trouble?” asked Kelly.

“She was under strict instructions to report at least once per week. We had two reports and now haven’t heard from her for nearly two weeks,” answered McFarlane.

“Briefing?” asked Kelly.

“Tomorrow,” responded McFarlane. “The real salesman, William Shepherd, arrives from Heathrow at 10.30 am. He will brief you on sales pitches, equipment details and general school and college etiquette. Once that is done, I will brief you on the details of the mission and the known intelligence to date.”

“Clearly Havana University will be your main site,” continued McFarlane, “but Santiago de Cuba has a small college site, and we are fairly sure that communists operating on the mountains in and around Santiago and Guantanamo have infiltrated the College. The leader is a lawyer called Castro. My guess is his days are numbered unless he has the support of the Soviets.”

Kelly nodded his understanding.

“I’ve prepared a pack for you with extracts from Peregrine’s personal file, including a number of recent photographs. Study them well, you need to be able to recognise her instantly if you get sight of her.”

“And I go in?” asked Kelly.

“Nine o’clock flight to Havana. The day after tomorrow.”

Havana

Kelly did