Tamara had begun to hate this place, but it was a lucrative business and she could always use some extra funds. “One day I will show them all” she thought as she parked her car at the edge of the lake. Although it was Sunday, it was quiet. There were a few dark clouds hanging over the lake which did not make it so inviting and a cold breeze was blowing. This time she was almost late. Just as she was leaving, she bumped into her neighbour Natasha.
“Going out Tamara? I just brought those plans I promised you.”
“I was actually just going to cool down in the lake at the jetty. But give them to me all the same, they are on a memory stick from the computer, so I can attach them to my necklace until I get back.”
Natasha was glad, as she was going away herself for a few days and knew that Tamara was depending on those details.“
When Tamara arrived at the jetty, it was empty except for one family that had taken their place on the beach.
“Come on Fred, time to get dressed, you will catch your death if you go into the water again.”
“But mum, I found some shells for my collection where I paddled the last time.”
“Fred, what did I say? Joe tell your son it is time to get ready and go home.”
Joe had been reading his Sunday paper and did not look like he wanted to go. However, it seemed that mum spoke the words of power in this family.
“Fred, you heard what your mother said, now put your clothes on.”
Tamara walked past the family on her way to the water. “Thank god for that” thought Tamara “at last they are making a move and I can do my business in peace.”
Tamara was one of the clerks at her country’s embassy organizing files on the computer and transmitting the information contained in them to her mother country. It was well paid work and she could use her knowledge of foreign languages. Her visits to the lake were relaxing although it was also business. She would get a message and knew it was time again for a swim. The last message was waiting for her when she got home at four in the morning after returning from a party at the embassy. Gregory, the first secretary, just did not want to let her leave and go home. He had other ideas, but Tamara decided to keep him on the waiting list until she had usage for him. Bleary eyed she automatically switched on the computer and saw the “you got mail” sign blinking at her.
So it was Sunday afternoon, here she was and a storm was brewing. She made her way warily along the wooden jetty. She was bare foot and dressed in her swimming costume to make it look as if she was just one of the natives having a relaxing Sunday afternoon. When she got to the end of the pier she started counting. One, two, three, four until she stood over the tenth plank from the end.
“Just the right place for a dive” she thought. She slid into the cold somewhat muddy looking water. Although the sight was blurred she could make out the outline of the supports to the pier. Just as she wanted to have a swim she felt a vice like grip around her body and a dull pain go through her arm.
She came to herself again in a room without windows and standing over her was a familiar figure, but who?
“You do not recognize me Miss Tamara, when I am dressed in what you would call street clothes.”
but the voice was very familiar.
“Boris, the guard at the door to the embassy”
“Exactly Miss Tamara, but you see I am not just a guard, but a guardian of my country's secrets and our country does not like people that sell these secrets.”
“I don’t know what you are talking about.”
“Of course you do. Do you think your little excursions to the jetty at the lake have gone unnoticed. We are completely in the picture and have been observing you for some time now. One of our divers was waiting for you this time and observed your movements under water. He was able to render you unconscious with a quick injection and removed the memory stick containing the secrets you are selling from your necklace. At this moment we are having it processed on our computer.”
The door opened and the first secretary to the embassy made his entrance, Gregor.
“Boris, I think we have made a big mistake. The memory stick shows no top secrets.”
“This cannot be, I myself am sure that she has been smuggling valuable information to the other side by memory stick. She translates our documents and deposits them at the jetty on her swimming excursions.”
“Rubbish” said Tamara, who had now regained her senses. “I don’t know what you are talking about. I put the memory stick on my necklace just before leaving. I went for a swim and was ambushed by one of your like-to-be James Bond types. That is all I know. I was given the memory stick by Natasha, my neighbour, just before I was leaving home and did not have time to put them away in my flat. It contains important information that I need myself.“
“Excuses, excuses” said Boris “we are not so stupid as you think. There is no better way of transferring our secrets to the enemy.
Gregory listened to them both and turned to Boris.
“Boris, you might be good at your job, but the memory stick contained no government secrets. The only blueprints to be found were knitting patterns and rescuing those from the other side is not exactly a heroic deed. This is the problem when people are stationed in foreign countries. They see spies behind every door. Boris, I think we both owe an apology to Tamara. She was just taking an afternoon swim at the lake.”
************
“Fred, put your bathing trunks and towel into the washing and afterwards you can watch the cowboy film on the television.”
Fred did has he was told. He knew that his mum and dad wanted him out of the way when they got home from an excursion. Something about taking it easy before dinner, although Joe and his wife had other matters to speak about.
“Did you get it, Joe?” asked his wife.
“No problem” he answered. “As she walked past on her way to the jetty, she dropped it onto my newspaper. Nothing like a memory stick for transferring information today. Will load it up at the foreign office on Monday and see what she has delivered this time. That girl is a real professional.”
************
Boris was deported back to his homeland and was employed at the Hotel Moskva as doorman. Gregory had his eye on Tamara for some time, but as we all know love is blind and so he kept Tamara in the embassy as a valuable employee and even promoted her to the assistant of the first secretary.
Tamara was overjoyed with her new job. Her customers would be so grateful for the information she was delivering, Her Joe and his wife were people to be met in all walks of life. She did not really care what nationality they were or where they were employed, after all money was money. And of course Gregory was the answer to her dreams . The secrets he told her in their love nest, that was worth its weight in gold.
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