Page 79 - Brokenclaw - John Gardner

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Later, they were separated and taken through their covers during an hour’s

furious questioning. There was a very early lunch followed by a short session
with Q’ute, who explained the homers they were to carry – Chi-Chi’s inserted
into a belt buckle, Bond’s in the heel of his right shoe. Ed Rushia had joined
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them by this
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make sure everyone was letter perfect.
Their luggage was basically the same as that which had been carried by the
original couriers; only some of the items had been changed to make certain they
were the correct fit. Bond managed to spend half-an-hour with Chi-Chi,

talking, getting to know exactly how she felt about the operation, and,
incidentally, finding out how well-trained she was. This short one-on-one
period allowed them just enough time to establish the kind of rapport two field
agents required at a basic level. Bond led her, rather as a dancing partner,
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through a brief series of hand and eye contact signals with some one-line
codes. ‘If I use the American phrase “real soon”,’ he told her, ‘it means that we
have a problem and I’m looking for a way out.’ There were three or four more
of these quick verbal tips, but the conversation proved, to Bond, that under the

slim-waisted fragility and the pretty face, there lay a well-trained, very tough
young woman.
‘If it were a them-or-you situation, would you hesitate before actually taking
someone out?’ he asked casually.

‘You’re joking.’ She gave him a raised left eyebrow that seemed to have a
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will of its own. ‘I would rather ask the questions afterwards.’
‘Okay. If you were armed and told someone to freeze, could you kill if they
made even an innocent gesture?’

‘You bet your life on it, James. If I tell someone to freeze and have the drop
on him, I kill if he even scratches his backside instead of doing what I tell
him.’
‘Why?’

‘Like you, I have been trained in anti-terrorist tactics. People have been
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killed for not acting when some jughead touches the button on his jacket.’
‘You’re right. He who hesitates is lost.’
She gave a sensual throaty chuckle. ‘You know the real quotation? It is “The

man who hesitates is lost; so is the woman who doesn’t.” ’
Bond smiled. ‘I think we’re going to make an unbeatable team.’
‘Like peas in a pod.’ She paused. ‘The only thing that worries me is this trip

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