like the one you've trained on, Carol, together with an index system. And we've just got the information system up and running, so you can access all we hold on Radecki and his known associates. Everything Petra and her colleagues have passed on to us is in there, at the touch of a key. There's also an encryption system that will allow you to send secure e-mail to anyone who has the key. Petra, we're also going to make that available to you, so Carol can communicate securely with you via e-mail, which will be much safer than phone calls.
'And to keep it out of sight...' His hand went back into the briefcase and came out with a blue rubber box with a stubby antenna coming out of one corner. 'The coolest radio in town,' he said. 'You can buy them in all the smartest shops. Only, this one's different. The techies stripped out the guts of it and inserted a miniature radio. It works just like the original, but when you open it up -' he pushed a metal slider on the base of the radio and it fell neatly in half - 'there's a hiding place for your spare hard drive.'
Carol and Petra exchanged a look and burst out laughing. 'Boys and their toys,' Carol spluttered.
Gandle looked offended. 'It does work, you know. I Nobody's going to give it a second look.'
'Sorry, Larry, it's very clever,' Carol said, not wanting to alienate her British back-up. 'And you're right, it's entirely unsuspicious.' She reached for the radio and slotted the hard drive into place then closed it up. She pressed a small blue rubber button and static crackled out of the speaker. 'Very good. It's exactly what I need, even if it does make me feel a bit like James Bond.'
'So, that solves your communication problems,' Gandle said, closing his briefcase with a self-satisfied smile.
'Only technically,' Petra said.
'I'm sorry?' Gandle said.
'It's not enough. Undercover is shit. It's the scariest, most isolated place in the world. And then you have the added risk of Zelig's Syndrome.'
'Zelig's Syndrome?' Candle frowned.
'Like in Woody Allen's film, Zelig. Zelig is so insecure that he becomes a human chameleon, taking on not only the style and manner but also the appearance of the people he moves among. It's the big danger for the undercover cop. You spend so much time with these people, alienated from your own culture, that you start to identify with them.'
'You go native,' Carol said.
'Precisely. E-mail is all very well for the exchange of information, but it will not protect you from yourself. For that, we need face-to-face contact.'
Candle looked dubious. 'You already said that Radecki's people are going to be suspicious around Carol. They're going to be watching her. And, with respect, Petra, you're a Berlin cop. Somebody's bound to recognize you. The last thing we want is to take the risk of regular meetings between the pair of you.'
'I think we can do this at no risk to Carol,' Petra said firmly. 'There is a very upscale women's health club a few blocks away from the apartment. As well as the gym and the swimming pool, they have private sauna suites that members can book for half-hour sessions. This is not a place where Krasic or anyone else in Radecki's inner circle can follow us. Trust me, Larry, I would not make an arrangement that would expose Carol.'
Candle looked dubious, but Carol nodded. 'I agree, it's important to keep me connected to the real world. Besides, sometimes you need to talk something through face to face. There might be things that I see or hear but don't understand the significance of, things I might leave out of a written report because I don't realize they're important. But Petra will know the right questions to ask to draw the information out of me. I think she's right, Larry. We need that regular contact.'
Candle fiddled with his silk tie. 'I don't know, Carol. You will be going in and out of Berlin every seven to ten days, we were thinking that you'd get your debriefs then. In London or here.'
'Ten days can be a very long time on the front line,* Petra said. 'It's up to Carol, of course...' She met Carol's eyes, an expectant look on her face.
Carol gave an almost imperceptible nod. 'What you have to remember is that I've never done undercover before. I want all the back-up I can get. If I get burned, I need to