Crystal Corazon - Chapter 15

A meeting took place in the Foreign Secretary's Office.  Only the Foreign Secretary, Ros and Julia were present.  Ros was arguing for her return to full agent status.  The others were stalling on the grounds of costs and the amount of administrative work it would require.  Evidently, there were other concerns too:

"You see, Miss Wingfield-Straker…" the Minister was saying "…we've never had a field agent who… well… who is an… er…"

"Amputee?" Ros said.   "You can say it, Foreign Secretary.  It's not an offensive term" Ros said.  "Anyway, why did you bring me back if you didn't think I was up to the job?"  Ros was sitting so as not to put too much weight on her aching ankle, and also so she didn't noticeably limp in front of the Foreign Secretary.

The other two blustered, so Ros went on.

"You must have known before you called me back that a field agent would most likely have to be inserted into this organisation" she argued.  "You said yourselves you can't be sure if there is a leak from inside MI6, therefore you can't trust anyone else.  It has to be me."

Ros was adamant, and Julia seemed to be coming round to Ros's point of view.  

"As I am sure you will be aware, Minister, Miss Wingfield-Straker was on our books as a Double-One Agent before she was wounded" Julia told the Foreign Secretary.  "She is an immensely skilled officer, and more than capable as a field agent.  Only the Double-Oh Agents rank higher in our hierarchy."

"I see your point…" the Foreign Secretary said, "…but I do have some concerns.  For example; some years ago you were sent to recover a stolen microchip containing highly secret information.  You came back with one arm and both legs in plaster!"

"And with the microchip" Ros pointed out.

The Foreign Secretary went on.  "Your mission to Panama; task – to uncover and thwart a plan to sabotage the Panama Canal.  You came back in a body cast.  A body cast!  How does one even manage that?!"

"By crash-landing a light aircraft in dense jungle" Ros said.

"I didn’t know you could fly a 'plane" Julia said to Ros, with a raised eyebrow.

"Fly yes; land no" Ros replied.  "Anyway, Minister, I think you will find that the Panama Canal is still full of water and fully functioning!"

"Again… a mission in the Austrian Alps… you ended up in a double hip spcia cast – what is one of those?  And how did that happen?"

"It's a cast covering both legs, pelvis and abdomen, Minister" Ros explained.  She turned to Julia.  "That was because of one of those damn Union Jack parachutes; they're rubbish when it comes to directional control.  I hope they have been withdrawn from service now?!"

The Minster carried on reading from a file, reeling off several other missions that Ros had been on.

"Germany – information drop in Hamburg – plaster cast from your toes to your knee for a broken ankle…"

"Wet steps down by the river; and I still made the drop.  A short leg walking cast isn't that much of an inconvenience…" Ros answered.

"…St. Petersburg as part of the Tatiana Affair – a plaster shoulder spica and another short leg cast…"

"Car chase"

"…a broken leg requiring eight weeks in a long leg cast after your mission to Azerbaijan…"

"Cliff fall"

"And the case of the triple agent in Seoul – a broken hand… and knee… and shoulder…"

"Security door.  Then an abseiling accident.  Then a motorcycle crash."  Ros shrugged.  "But I did expose the agent and their handler and I turned them so they work for us now."

The Foreign Secretary considered this.  "It's true you have been very successful, Miss Wingfield-Straker; and almost equally as prone to breaking bones and ending up in a variety of casts!"

Julia spoke up on Ros's behalf.  "Once Miss Wingfield-Straker recovered from her wounds sustained on her last active operation, her agent status was withdrawn and she was made a foreign section head, as you know.  We never actually replaced her, however.  Budgets cuts and spending reviews meant that we weren't able to recruit any more Double-One Agents.  There is still a 'vacancy', if you like, for Agent Double-one-three, as Miss Wingfield-Straker previously was.  It would not be too hard to re-instate her on the field agent 'payroll'."

The Foreign Secretary took some more convincing, but eventually came round.

"Very well!" the Minister finally said.  "There – I've signed the order.  Just don't make me regret it!"

"Thank you, Foreign Secretary" Ros said simply.

"But what is it you intend to do?" the Minister asked.

"That I can't say…" Ros said slowly.  "Not because it's secret; but because I don't fully know yet.  More investigation is required, but I hope to be able to update both of you shortly"

"Oh, very well…" the Foreign Secretary said again.  "Although I have to remind you; you are not a Double-Oh Agent.  You are not licenced to kill; only to use extreme force if necessary."

"I am well aware of that, Minister" Ros said, as she and Julia took their leave.

Once outside the door, Julia gave Ros a smile and a wink.

"Welcome back, Double-one-three!"