THE LIST

FICTION

by Winnie NY-8-B FPE

Harry Cooper leaned back in his comfortable office chair, basking in the bright Spring sunshine streaming through the window. In his lap was the dossier on an agent he had selected for a rather unusual assignment. Harry was Chief of the Department of Preventive Surveillance, one of the many branches of the Federal Intelligence Agency. Yes, he thought to himself, agent Theodore Brewer would be the perfect man for the job-a very promising young fellow, should go far in his career with the Agency. He had the desirable physical attributes-23 years old, medium height, slender build, rather good-looking, light brown hair, clean-shaven. Also, he seemed to have the necessary degree of capability-in the top five of his class at the Agency Training Academy, graded high in acting ability, and gifted with a fantastic photographic memory. He had been highly praised by the senior agents for efficient performance on his first three assignments and had given a really outstanding display of cloak-and- dagger expertise on his last job.

Agent Brewer had brilliantly mastermined and executed a daring plot that had spirited Dr. Igor Zubinski, a defecting Russian nuclear scientist, out of East Berlin from under the noses of his so-called "assistant." In reading the details of the case, Harry could not help but admire the auda- city and nerve of Ted Brewer. His exploits read almost like a James Bond novel, even though the official report was phrased in stultifying bureau- cratic jargon. At the bottom of the page, a hand-written note by his "con- trol" on that job read: "I believe that agent Brewer is capable of perform- ing any task that this Agency may require and recommend him most highly." Yes, Harry thought, this is the type of man I need - I'm sure I've picked the right guy. Harry had found it necessary to pull some strings to get Brewer transferred to his branch-other Department Chiefs were anxious for his services, too.

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