"You'rekidding, right?"
"I neverkid, Michael." Tom Card, CIA Training Officer, stared at his protégée who was clearly miffed at his new assignment. "Thinkof it as a vacation."
"A vacation? I'vejust had eight weeks of leave." The spy was ready to get back to work with an assignment commensuratewith his skills.
Tom scoffed, "Six of those weeks were spent in a field hospital in thedesert. Threebullets to thechest, I believe. If only one of themhad been a half inch to theleft, you and I would be spared this conversation." Michael rolled his eyes and began pacing slightly. "Look, Michael, Langley wants you on special assignment. The belief here is it might bea little less taxing. Giveyou more time to recover."
Michael was clearly not convinced. Hefelt fine. Work would bethebest medicine fora complete recovery. Hehad spent too many empty hours, too much timethinking about thepast. "But Ireland, Tom? Theworst is over there. Nobodycares about Ireland."
"Thanks foryour astutepolitical observations, Michael. I'll be sure to pass that along to our friends in theBritish Embassy. They'll be pleased to hear their problems there area non-issue." Tom's expression indicated there was very little room fornegotiation. He held a filein his hand, giving it a slight wave.
Michael grabbed thefile and slumped into the nearby chair. He opened thefile and began to read. "Belfast? You'resending meto Belfast."
"See, Michael, things arelookin' up already. You can add it to your resume. You will have been stationed in all four of thelist of B's to avoid: Baghdad, Beirut, Bosnia, and now, Belfast. Look, if it's really that objectionableto you perhaps I could swing a nicedesk assignment stateside. Miamiperhaps? Give you a chance to spend somequality time with mommy." Tombrokeout into a toothy grin awaiting thespy's reaction to this new suggestion. A death glare emanated fromthe man before him. Tom continued, "Besides, you could do with a changeof climate. Do you own an umbrella?"
Michael was no longer pouting but still was not convinced this was thebest placefor his first assignment back but he was readyto listen. Tom sensed the change in mood and began to explain. "Place is a powder keg, Michael. This peacedeal they'retalking about is for real. The Irish and British governments arehammering out the details. Hell, they even havetheIRA buying into it, at least, parts of theIRA." He paused noting that the younger man's interest was increasingly piqued. "But here's whereit gets messy. Not everyone wants thewarto end. TheProvos look likethey're ready to split. A new radical army likely to emerge, onethat wants thepeacedeal to blow up - literally. The Prod paramilitary groups think they'regetting screwed in thedeal. And everyonewith a pulseup there is stockpiling guns in caseall hell breaks loose."
"I thought disarmament is part of the conditions of theagreement." Michael studied thefile beforehim.
Tom grinned, "I seeyou used your hospital stayto catch up on current events." He leaned forward, "It is, but we've got 600 years of distrust here. Looks like everyone wants a little insurancein casethis ceasefiregoes south. That's where you come in." Michael looked up. "Our man on site tells us guns are still coming in fromtheUS, Russia, Libya, but guns arealso going out, sold to all kinds of militias around the world. Looks likesome enterprising Army members aresetting up their own littlegun running businesses, as well. "
"And you want meto stop it?" Michael looked confused.
Tom ignored thequestion. "There's one dealer in particular we're concerned about. His biggest clients are theworld's biggest enemies. Wealso want a read fromtheinside on if this deal is as promising as it looks orif theIRA is playing us all."
"What about MI-5? Theymust havepeoplein placefor this kinda thing." Michael did not want to compromise an operation already in process by a friendly government.
