It was a very dusty office and the client looked disapprovingly at the grimy walls which were off-white at floor level and proceeded through indeterminate shades of grey until they became almost black at the ceiling. The furniture consisted of a battered desk with a single chair in front of it and a threadbare strip of carpet. "With what I paid you, you could afford a suite in the best business district."
The man behind the desk, a big fellow in a drab grey suit which matched the room perfectly, gave a dry smile and spoke in a faintly Slavic accent. "Considering the line of business I'm in, you wouldn't want me drawing attention to myself, would you?" He sighed, tapping the file in front of him. "I'm sure you were told that I am very expensive. Five thousand pounds, in advance."
"Five thousand!" The client was outraged. "I've already paid you a thousand!"
"That was a retainer," said the other man. "It guarantees both your anonymity and my silence, but that is all you have purchased. If you wish to contract my services in this matter, you must pay my fee before I begin."
"But five thousand pounds after I've already given you a thousand?"
The proprietor of the dreary office pushed the file towards his client. "I have no doubt you can hire someone much cheaper to kill the commander of CI5. I also have no doubt they would fail. This man is tough, ruthless, and very experienced. My approach will work, but it is difficult and time-consuming."
The client asked, "Would you mind explaining?"
"Not at all." The proprietor opened the folder and extracted two photographs. "The only way to George Cowley is through someone close to him. These two men are his best team and he trusts them implicitly. Either of them is ideally suited to killing him."
"Do you mean to bribe one of them?"
"No!" The proprietor looked surprised. "They are completely loyal to Cowley. Neither of them would ever willingly harm him no matter how much money was offered."
The client frowned. "Then how…"
"There are certain psychological techniques that can be used to program a man to do something he normally would not do. The simple term is 'brainwashing,' although that is hardly an accurate description. In any case, it does not matter what words I use. I can break a man, mold him to my purpose, and send him out to kill. After he has accomplished his task, he will kill himself."
"And have you succeeded in doing this?" The client was fascinated.
"Oh, yes. Each time the targets were killed, and the killers immediately dispatched themselves." The proprietor sighed. "However, as I said, it is expensive. When I was at Lubyanka I never had to think of money. Now, when I have to pay for everything myself…" He held up his hands.
"I've never heard of Lubyanka."
"The headquarters of the KGB. You might call it the heart of darkness of the Soviet Union. Enemies of the state were held there, and I had plenty of raw material to conduct psychological experiments. I have a unique skill set, and I charge accordingly. Now, do you want me to proceed or not?"
The client considered. He wanted Cowley dead, and he knew he could not do it himself. The man opposite him came with the highest recommendation. After a moment, he said, "Yes. Whatever it takes, I'll pay it."
"Very well. As soon as I have received the five thousand pounds I will begin." The proprietor walked his client to the door to see him out, then returned to his desk to study the two photographs of Bodie and Doyle before returning them to the folder.
