Tango One by Stephen Leather Read Free Book Online

thrown at them, and we need them with a background that isn't manufactured. A background that will stand up to any scrutiny.”
    “Like a former prostitute?”
    “While your background precludes you from serving as a regular officer, it's perfect for an undercover operative,” said Latham.
    “The very same contacts that would damage you as a regular officer will be a major advantage in your role under cover.”
    “Because no one would ever believe that the Met would hire a former prostitute?”
    Latham nodded.
    “I have to tell you, Tina, it won't be easy. Hardly anyone will know what you're doing; you won't be able to tell anyone, family or friends. So far as anyone will know, you'll be on the wrong side of the tracks.”
    “What if anything went wrong?”
    “You'd have back-up,” said Latham, 'but that's down the line. What I need now is your commitment to join the unit. Then your handler will take over."
    “Handler? You make me sound like a dog.” Trisha grinned.
    “How much does the job pay?”
    “You'll be on the same rate of pay as an ordinary entrant. There'll be regular increases based on length of service and promotion, and overtime. But again, these are details to be worked out with your handler. My role is to demonstrate that your recruitment is desired at a very high level. The highest.”
    “Does the Commissioner know?”
    Latham frowned slightly.
    “If you're asking officially, I'd have to say that you'd need to put a question of that nature to the Commissioner's office. Unofficially, I'd say that I wouldn't be here if I didn't have his approval. I'm certainly not a maverick.”
    Tina reached over and picked up her pack of cigarettes. She toyed with it, running her fingers down the pack, standing it on each side in turn. She took a deep breath.
    “Okay,” she said.
    “I'm in.”
    Latham beamed.
    “Good. That's very good, Tina.”
    “What happens now?” she asked.
    “You go home. Someone will be in touch.” He pushed back his chair and held out his hand.
    “I doubt that we'll meet again, but I will be watching your progress with great interest, Tina.”
    Tina shook his hand. It was smooth and dry with an inner strength that suggested he could crush her if he wanted.
    It was a familiar sensation, and Tina struggled to remember what it reminded her of.
    It was only when she was in the lift heading back to the car park that she remembered. One of her first customers had been an obese man with horned-rimmed spectacles with thick lenses who wheezed at the slightest exertion. He'd wanted to take her home, and at first Tina had refused because all the girls on the street where she worked had told her that she was safer staying in the punter's car, but he'd offered her more money and eventually she'd given up and gone with him, only after insisting that he paid up front.
    Home was a two-up, two-down house in East London with stained carpets and bare light bulbs in the light fittings. He'd shown Tina into his front room and stood at the doorway, wheezing as he watched her reaction to the dozens of glass tanks that lined the walls. In the tanks were snakes. All sorts of snakes. Big ones coiled up like lengths of hose pipe small ones that dangled from bare twigs, some asleep, others watching her intently with cold black unfeeling eyes, their tongues flicking in and out.
    The man made Tina give him a blow job in the middle of the room, and he stood there wheezing as she went down on her knees in front of him, her eyes shut tight as she tried to blot out the image of the watching snakes.
    Afterwards, after she'd wrapped the used condom in a tissue and tossed it under one of the tanks, he'd taken out a large python and made her stroke it. At first she'd refused, but then he promised to give her an extra twenty quid so she touched it, gingerly at first. When she realised it wasn't going to hurt her she became more confident and ran her hands down its back. She'd thought it might be wet and slimy but it