Read an Excerpt
Spycatcher
By Matthew Dunn
William Morrow
Copyright © 2011 Matthew Dunn
All right reserved.
ISBN: 9780062037671
Chapter One
You're sure that I won't be killed today?" The spy rubbed a hand
against his smooth face and looked down at the wet Central
Park grass beneath him. It was very early in the morning, and beyond
the park the sounds of New York life were distant and mellow. He
frowned and shook his head slightly. A fine, windless rain fell. "This
whole thing seems odd."
Will Cochrane observed the man for a while before speaking.
"Soroush, it is odd. That's why you'll have three expert men close by
to protect you."
Soroush's frown deepened. He looked up at Will's tall and powerful
frame. "Only three? That's all your masters in British Intelligence
could give you?"
Will pushed fingers through his cropped dark hair and then
reached out to touch the Iranian's arm. "Perfectly adequate for what
we need to happen."
The spy chuckled a little. "I thought I was your most valuable asset."
"You are."
Soroush swiveled so that he was fully facing Will. "But good things
always come to an end?"
Will removed his hand and quickly glanced left and right. There
were few other people in their vicinity, and certainly none close to
them. The British Intelligence officer looked back to his companion.
"No, it's not like that. The Iranians called the meeting, not us. If we
don't do this, then we'll never know what they want."
Soroush jammed his hands into his coat pockets. He lowered his
head again.
Will felt a surge of doubt and fear for his agent, but he checked
these emotions and spoke calmly. "I found you all those years ago,
when you were still working for the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence
and Security. I persuaded you to keep working in MOIS and at the
same time spy for the British. I got you out of Iran when it looked as if
your cover could be compromised. And when it turned out that such a
concern was unfounded, I taught you how to continue to spy on your
country from the safety of Europe." He forced a smile. "Throughout
all our time together, I have always protected you, and I will continue
to do so today."
The Iranian said nothing for a moment. He then cleared his throat
and shook his head vigorously. "In my eight years in the U.K., I've
provided you with intelligence that only a very few current or former
members of MOIS would have access to. And I know you have taken
action on much of my intelligence, meaning that the Iranians should
know they have a breach. A studious officer within the security
department of MOIS would be able to narrow down that breach. And
then out of the blue a message is passed to me. A message from MOIS
saying they want to meet me." He looked intently at Will. "Even if
you think I was not compromised in the old days, you have to con
concede there is a strong possibility that I'm now being set up."
Will did not return his gaze. He had already concluded that the
two Iranian intelligence officers who wanted to meet his secret agent
today probably had nefarious intentions toward the man. He had also
concluded that if this were the case, his agent's cover was blown and
Soroush would therefore be of no future use to him. But Will needed
the meeting to take place in order to be sure. And regardless, his man
was going to be protected.
"Why do you think they chose New York for the meeting?"
Soroush's words were hushed and quick.
Will looked around and then back at his agent. The correct answer
to this question, he suspected, was that the Iranians knew that Soroush
was a Western spy and would not agree to meet in a non-Western city.
"You're now an entrepreneur who does a lot of business in the States.
They're trying to minimize inconvenience to you."
Soroush's expression seemed to harden. "I'm not so sure."
Will checked his watch and smiled. "Are you prepared to go
through with this or not?"
Soroush looked blankly at him for a while but then shrugged.
"You know me too well."
"I do."
The two men became silent. The rain hit their faces with increased
intensity.
Will drew a deep breath and spoke quietly. "When you're on
Gapstow Bridge at the north end of the pond, you won't be able to see me
because I'll be hidden. But if you look directly south across the pond,
you'll be looking at my approximate location. I will be one hundred
and eighty meters from you and will be monitoring you and your
meeting through binoculars."
Soroush turned back toward Will. He angled his head. "And your
friends?"
"You may see some of them, but they won't look out of place. And
if anything happens, they will react with absolute speed, aggression,
and precision."
"British Special Forces?"
"Yes, but men who've been given further specific covert operations
training by my Service."
The spy nodded. "And straight back to your hotel after the
meeting?"
Will also nodded. "Exactly as we discussed. I'll meet you there for
your debriefing."
Soroush looked pensive. "But if they want me to go with them?"
"Under no circumstances. You have your meeting and then part
company with them." Above all else, Will could not allow his man to
fall under the control of the Iranians. He had far too many secrets in
his head, secrets which, if exposed, could severely damage the West's
ability to counter hostile Iranian activity.
"All right." Soroush seemed happy with Will's response. Soroush
then suddenly took one of Will's hands between two of his own.
"We've been through so much together."
Will looked down at his hand with surprise. He felt a deep pang of
uncertainty but did not show the emotion. Instead he said, "Indeed
we have, my friend."
Soroush smiled, and for a moment Will suspected that the man
could read his thoughts. Soroush gripped his hand, exhaled, and
released his hold. His smile faded. "If anything happens, you'll take
care of my wife and my kids, yes?"
"Nothing will happen." Will sighed. "But if the need ever arose,
of course I'd make sure your family was supported." This above all
else was true.
Soroush smiled and nodded. He pointed a finger at Will and then
gently touched its tip against Will's chest. "I remember the first time
I met you. I remember thinking that I'd never met a man as scary and
ruthless as you. But over the years I've come to realize that there is a
very different side to you, a side you often try to hide, one that is full
of depth and compassion." A look of sadness replaced the smile. "But
I also know that you tread a very solitary path."
Will frowned. "Perhaps you know me too well."
Soroush shook his head. "I would have to live to a very old age to
fully understand you. And I'm not convinced that I'll ever reach such
an age." Soroush waved slightly, then turned abruptly and walked off
in the direction of Central Park's Gapstow Bridge.
Will watched him for a moment, pondering the other man's words.
Then he sighed and pushed aside all thoughts besides those he needed
to focus on the meeting. He reached into his overcoat pocket and pulled
out a cell phone and a Bluetooth earpiece, which he fixed into position.
He pressed one number on the phone handset and spoke. "Soroush is
on his way. He should be at the location in ten minutes."
Then he took off at a run. He darted into a cluster of trees and
brought himself to an abrupt stop before swiveling around and dropping
down to a crouch. He brought his binoculars up to his eyes and
then reached for his phone again.
"Okay, I've got the bridge. What do you see?"
A second passed before three voices came back at him in rapid
sequence.
"Alpha. Nothing."
"Bravo. Nothing."
"Charlie. Have him. Nearly there."
Will dropped even lower to the ground and scanned left and right
of the bridge. He saw Soroush walking on the East Drive path and a
jogger trotting close behind him. The jogger would be Charlie. The
spy turned onto the Gapstow Bridge, but the jogger didn't follow him.
Will pressed the number three on his cell phone. "I see you."
A voice came back immediately. "I know. I'm going three hundred
meters north and will then set my position. Our man should now be
covered by Bravo."
Will raised a hand and unnecessarily pressed the Bluetooth device
harder against his ear. It seemed longer, but in seven seconds Will
heard another voice.
"Bravo. Yes, I see him. Walking across the thing. No. Now
stationary in the center of the bridge. He's in position and waiting."
Will raised his binoculars and looked. Bravo was right. Will's agent
was standing on Gapstow Bridge. He knew that the foot crossing was
approximately twenty-five meters long, and Soroush had followed his
instructions by stopping in the center of the bridge facing the pond
to the south.
"Where are you, Bravo?" Will continued to scan either side of the
bridge.
"Where I should be. One hundred meters northwest of the bridge.
This is where I stay put."
"Alpha?"
"Sixty meters from our man, by Wollman Rink."
Will looked at his watch and exhaled. Everything was in place. His
team had now set a perimeter around his spy by positioning themselves
to the north, the northwest, and the northeast of Central Park's
Gapstow Bridge. From his own position near the southern tip of the
pond, he looked toward Soroush. He could easily see the man's face.
Soroush looked calm and still.
Will eased himself up a little and spoke into the Bluetooth as he
did so. "Okay, one minute and counting."
Will examined Soroush again. The man was leaning on the bridge,
obviously pretending to watch the rain on the water beneath him.
There was a slight smile on his face. Will checked the time again and
then spoke into his phone.
"All right, men. Any moment now."
He forced himself to breathe and ignored the pain in his eyes from
pressing the binoculars too hard against them. He kept scanning the
bridge and its surroundings. "Anything?"
A few seconds passed before each of his team members replied
with the same word: "Nothing."
Within his peripheral vision, he spotted movement and turned
slightly to see an elderly woman walking a dog on an adjacent path.
He instinctively moved back into heavier cover, even though he knew
that the woman could not see him. The dog walker moved past, and
Will continued his surveillance. Soroush was no longer leaning and
was now casually looking in either direction along the bridge.
"Charlie. I'm in position three hundred meters to the northeast of
the pond. I might have something."
Will immediately swung his binoculars toward Charlie's location.
He widened his eyes and focused his mind on the Bluetooth earpiece.
Charlie spoke again, and his words were rapid but controlled.
"Yes, something. Two men."
Will waited, not daring to speak. A screech of bird calls suddenly
rose from the water before him, and he silently cursed the interruption
to his focus. He looked quickly at Soroush, but the man was still
alone on the bridge. Will turned back to look in Charlie's direction.
"They're at a stop." Charlie's voice was slower this time. "Fifty
meters north of me, meaning three hundred and fifty meters from the
bridge."
Will instantly responded. "Your assessment?"
"It's them." Charlie went quiet for a moment. "I'm sure it's them.
But they're waiting, and that's bad."
Will lowered his binoculars. He felt his pulse rate increase, but he
ignored the natural reaction to the adrenaline release within his body.
He put the binoculars up to his eyes again and this time looked to the
northwest. "Alpha? Bravo?"
Alpha spoke first. "Four hostiles moving across my vision."
Bravo then came onto the phone line. His voice was hushed.
"Another five coming straight at me."
"Damn it." Will thought rapidly. Such a large number of hostiles
suggested that they were a snatch squad, which meant that most likely
they had a driver and vehicle waiting somewhere nearby.
Alpha spoke. "Mine have stopped."
"So have mine," added Bravo.
Will frowned. "Can they see either of you yet?"
"Don't think so."
"No."
Will was about to speak, but Bravo beat him to it. "Two of mine are
peeling off and heading southwest. The remaining three are still static."
Will cursed again. "They must have a vehicle ready for them near
Central Park South or Fifth Avenue. The two men heading southwest
around the pond are moving into position to secure the team and the
target's extraction point." He put his binoculars into a coat pocket
and inhaled deeply. "These are my instructions. Alpha and Bravo: Put
warning shots down against your hostiles and then move back to the
west end of the bridge. Under no circumstances must either of you
let them get onto the bridge. Charlie: Eliminate your two men, then
move directly to Soroush. Get him off the bridge and head east with
him out of the park. I'll take care of the two hostiles heading my way."
He checked his watch. "And, gentlemen, we have a maximum of two
minutes to get this done before this place is swarming with local law
enforcement officers. Time starts now."
Will turned in the direction of his two oncoming targets. His route
to them would be under continuous tree cover, and he estimated that
they would be nearly three hundred meters away from him. From his
right overcoat pocket he withdrew a Heckler & Koch Mark 23 hand
gun. He walked quickly ahead, scrutinizing each gap between trees
while at the same time focusing on anything that might come through
his cell phone's earpiece. Within a hundred and forty meters he came
to the westernmost point of the pond and then turned to face north.
His targets would now be very close.
Will heard four or five rapid bangs from across the pond and then
a voice in his ear. "Charlie. Done. I'll be at the bridge in sixty
seconds." Charlie had successfully taken out the two Iranian intelligence
officers.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Spycatcher by Matthew Dunn Copyright © 2011 by Matthew Dunn. Excerpted by permission of William Morrow. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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