SpyCorp

S.: That was exactly what she explained to me while we were waiting. She explained that the first rule is that it all should be secret, at least for some time, the second rule – she said – that it undoubtedly should be secret [giggle]. She also told me that it isn’t a person involved in the game who places the order for it. The client should be someone familiar with this person and who wants to entertain this person. It’s like making a pretty secret gift, well, something like that.

Elise: Excuse me. I’m going to interrupt you. You said there were cocktails. Did you drink a lot? Do you think there could be something unusual mixed in them?

S.: No… I think they were the usual cocktails.

M.: Go on. You were explaining how the contract is signed. What were the other special features of the Agency?

S.: What was special? Uh… There was a specific system of terms like Lead Hero, Scenario, Players, and other things.

M.: And what does Players mean?

S.: Player means a person who helps to make it all. It is someone from the Agency who entertains the Lead Hero.

M.: So, that Lead Hero is a principal person in all of this?

S.: Yes, it is possible to say so. Lead Hero is our center of attention. It is his pleasure which is the most important.

M.: And Ann? Was she the player?

S.: As I understood, usually she wasn’t, but she could have some minor part sometimes. At least that was what Jane told me.

M.: You were telling about your first day in the Agency. We interrupted you when Ann arrived, and you were drinking cocktails. Go on. Would you tell us what happened then?

S.: Then… Ann, she was not drinking with us. Jane said Ann always stays one hundred percent sober, no matter what. I thought she was joking. While we were waiting, I saw another player, I mean another one besides Jane. I wasn’t sure that she is a player, but then I understood it was so, after some time. She just flashed to me when a door to another room was open for a moment. It was one second, but I saw her. She was gorgeous, a woman – not a girl… And then the Head of the Agency appeared. I was sitting alone on the sofa with a soft drink in my hand. And Jane returned from another part of the house and told me that if I didn’t change my mind she, the mistress, would see me. As I understood then, the leader of the group was a woman too. Well, then Jane showed me where her cabinet was. I opened a door and went in. I was a bit afraid and excited at the same time. It was a room without windows. I think it is an important detail, somehow. I saw her for the first time, at that moment she was sitting at her table, and she was reading something. She was unaware. Like she didn’t notice my presence. She was a tall woman. And she wore some kind of official costume. Behind her, there was a shelf with a lot of folders on it. Another thing I immediately noticed was their logo across the wall. It was a line of big unusual letters. It read Venus Agency. That is, as I understood, their name. For some time it was like she did not know that I existed at all. But then she moved her head and looked at me directly. That glance of her made me feel differently. She had beautiful green eyes. And there was something strict about how she looked. Maybe it was her costume. And also maybe some serious manner in which she behaved. As I remember she was always wearing such things and behaving this way. So, she actually made an impression like a high-class teacher from a very prestigious school. Yeah. You never had a feeling that you knew more than she did. Then we had a little talk, and I actually didn’t get any new information. There was probably nothing that Jane didn’t tell me before. Maybe only it was told more formally. So, it didn’t add new things for that day, but just I got some respect for her. That was the thing she made you feel. No doubt. The respect for her. She had some kind of internal strength, I think. She said there was a new order they had, and they would start working on it next week. And as it was an easy job and it fitted for a newcomer, I could fit in if I wanted. And then I could decide whether I would like to work with them more permanently as she explained. And also one more time she asked me no matter what to keep it secret. She said it had to be all kept an absolute secret at least for a couple of months. It is the interest of their clients, and that is very important. In this way.

M.: And what was your answer? Did you agree?

S.: I agreed, but it took another couple of days to do so. She gave me her phone number and told me at what hours I could call. And so I telephoned her. And I said I was ready to start. It was a special moment in my life, I suppose. I was a bit worried. But also excited, again. That day I talked to Jane about it. And she relaxed me.

M.: Did you feel you could trust her?

S.: Yes, sure. She is a lovely person.

M.: Did you feel it like you could confess any of your secrets to her? Was it that much?

S.: Well, I think it was. She is the best friend I ever had. She is the one you can trust.

E.: And then?

M.: Did you and Jane come somewhere to visit the client or probably a Lead Hero as you call it?

S.: No, we did not. I mean not that time. That time we came to the house again. To this luxurious mansion which was the Venus Agency’s home place. I adored their residence again as I remember. And as I was more relaxed that time, I just enjoyed its rooms and interiors. We just came here to discuss how it all would be. We, those who were supposed to take part, were told what to do and when. I was also briefed about simplest terms of their activities, despite the fact that Jane had already explained all that stuff to me. In this game [laughter] – it was the first one for me, and they call it the game – my role according to the scenario was simple. In general, I had to be present and… I just was needed to make a proper group. So, as there was nothing so complicated, I relaxed a bit, but not too much as I still couldn’t imagine how it would be. I actually could imagine it as they explained to me what we were going to do. But I mean… I could not feel it, you know. I suppose one can’t feel it before it happens. That’s for sure. So, as I got it. What we did there in the mansion was some sort of rehearsal.

M.: Rehearsal? You mean you staged it? And what did you rehearse?

S.: It was – as I told before – what we should’ve done then, when we would be there, at the place. They actually call the place a ground. It’s another term. There were five of us at the mansion that time. That included me, Jane, Ann, a girl whose name was Sally, and Jess. Jess is the name of the head girl. I didn’t tell you her name before. Jess acted as the Lead Hero. She took the place of this person, I mean.

M.: And did you know who would be the Lead Hero in that case?

S.: No, I didn’t. I was told it was a secret and no one but Jess knew about it.

M.: Do I understand it right? Jess was not supposed to participate on the spot when it would be done… for real?

S.: Yes, it was this way. She just impersonated the LH. And others were learning their roles. It was interesting that Ann was supposed to take part.

M.: Would you tell us about what happened when you actually met the Lead Hero?

S.: It was the next day. We, I mean myself and Jane, arrived at some private apartment. It was a good one and placed in a prestigious area of the city. And in the first moments, I was a bit afraid that there was no one here. Maybe I felt myself like a burglar. But then I’ve noticed.

M.: What was it you noticed?

S.: There was another person, another one besides Jane and me. I think it was a woman. I only could judge by her legs.

E.: What do you mean only by legs?

S.: All I saw of her were her legs. She was sitting in the dark corner of the room, being deep in the darkness and all I could see were her legs and a little of her silhouette, but it was very uncertain. Only her legs came from the dark seen clearly. And I suppose so because of shapes and shoes. I am sure it was a woman though.

M.: You say it was a woman? Go on. What was the next thing you were doing?

S.: The next thing was that Jane came out to another room and then after a few moments returned with a telescopic tube. She gave it to me and asked me whether I would like to watch what happened outside. She asked me whether I thought there could be something interesting somewhere in this area of the city. She said that there was possibly something interesting very close to us, but we didn’t know. Maybe it is just across the street. And with these words, she gave me the tube. I took it and looked through it across the street. At first, I pretended that I was searching freely for something I didn’t know what. Then I looked straight at the windows of the building which stood right across the street. And there I saw Ann sitting on the bed in a room where the windows were as big as in apartment where we were. I then gave a tube back to Jane. And I was kinda telling her. Yes, there is something interesting, indeed. That was kinda signal. That meant that I saw Ann and that she was ready. Then Jane started watching through the tube. And then she asked. Do you want to know what happens now? But she said it not to me. She said it to this woman in the dark. And then she also added. It is interesting, indeed. Then the woman who sat in a chair found a voice. It was surprising to me. Almost like I thought she was mute. She just said. Tell me. That was all she said. And then Jane began to describe her the things she saw. Things that were happening on the other side of the street. And at that time Sally also appeared in a room in this building that stood against the building where we were. She joined Ann, and they began to do things planned, as we rehearsed it.

E.: And what was that?

S.: They caressed each other… They made love… in general.

M.: And Jane was telling you about it?

S.: Yes, she was describing everything they did. As Sally was kissing Ann and what spots… She told us about how they undressed each other and other things [giggle]. And then she gave the woman a tube, and she was watching girls for the rest of time. As Jane did so, she sat down on the floor. Close to her. I am not sure, but to me, it seemed like her hand went down her belly and she was… something like caressing herself. I am not sure, but it seemed so. I suppose… When we began this thing, I was a little uncertain, but as it progressed I felt more relaxed. And finally, I actually felt quite excited.

Nov, 7. Evening. Private Audio Diary of Elise. by Elise

It was a weird thing. The second interview with Sue… with Susan was even stranger than the first one. The girl was even more talkative this time. She told us a story that is indeed unusual one. And again I ask myself why Martin decided to have me near when making such an interview. This time I really became a witness of some intimate story. And it is true that if Martin listened to this alone, he would be in a complicated position. Or maybe he would be in a position from Kama Sutra? Uh… And in this case, it is also a complicated position for a journalist if to talk about ethics of the profession. If any ethics of journalism had ever existed in the real world, of course, but not only in some knightly codex that some professors should compose with the help of students in some universities. Ooff. That was something that I didn’t expect to happen. It was like working on TV for one of the shows devoted to sex, like being an assistant for another reality.