It’s the Novel Start of Bond, James Bond

It’s the Novel Start of Bond, James Bond

Middleburg author Anthony Wells is the only living person to work for British intelligence as a U.S. citizen and to serve with both the Royal Navy and U.S. Navy. This is an excerpt from his new novel, “Room39 and the Lisbon Connection,” which tells the story of how Ian Fleming and his colleagues worked to undermine the Nazis in Portugal during World War II.

The following is a conversation between C. Stewart Menzies, head of the British Secret Intelligence Service, and Royal Navy Vice Admiral John Godfrey, Director of Naval Intelligence.

By AnthonyWells

“Who is this person that’s your righthand man?”

“Name’s Fleming, Ian Fleming.”

“I’ll check him out if you don’t mind.”

“Please Stewart no, we don’t want security busybodies, least of all five asking questions….He’s been vetted thoroughly by our own Naval security. We know more about Fleming than he knows about himself. Totally reliable and highly secure. His penchant for the ladies is well under control. He knows how to play that game with the fair sex to our advantage.”

“So what do you have in store for Mr. Ian Fleming?”

“He is currently Lieutenant Commander Ian Fleming, in for the duration, hostilities only, not a career Navy man. But he’s good. In fact he’s the best.”

Admiral John Godfrey pauses, takes a breath and continues.

“He’s going to run a brand new 100-plus outfit undercover, totally clandestine under my direct control and totally with your full knowledge. We are recruiting already. …You and I know that there are risks, people who are doubles who will crack if the Gestapo gets their hands on them and people who will be in it for what they can get. I am not suggesting that the majority of the small number of resistance people that we’ve set up before the collapse of France are risks, but nothing’s perfect.”

“So what missions, at least initially?”

“Portugal, as Winston directed.”

“Once they’re fully trained, we’ll insert small teams, maybe no more than three, possibly four, whose certain skills are needed. They’ll infiltrate, work the key areas. Lisbon, Oporto, and the supply centers and routes for the key resources Hitler needs…Most of all, they’ll prepare for the worst and be ready to execute on a moment’s notice.”

“Go on John, this all sounds good, exactly what the PM wants now.”

“Yes, indeed. They’ll need all the intelligence you and Bletchley can provide, but only a tiny few will be in the know. None will know the whole picture, with the exception of Fleming, himself.”

“Agreed, but if you plan on inserting Fleming, that’s a risk. We don’t want him stripped and tortured in some Gestapo cell by Himmler’s gorillas, pumped with drugs and electrodes, telling them in a delirious stupor all that you and I know.”

“Stewart, I’ll only send him to Portugal if absolutely needed. The good news, it’s not an occupied country, it’s officially neutral, our oldest ally, and we’ll have plenty of cover, rest assured. But that’s all down the road. It will be his trained people who will go in, get set up, store all the explosives, communications and weapons that may be needed if the worst happens. Meanwhile, the linguists among them who know Portugal well, have lived there, and have good reliable contacts, will have business top cover, all reliable, like a lot of your people in Germany before the war.”

“Room39 and the Lisbon Connection” is available at Second Chapter Books.