At the time of this narrative MI5 had already consolidated its estate into their new building at Thames House. The rationalisation planned some five years earlier had been intended to save money by releasing a number of properties at prime sites across central London previously occupied by the various intelligence groups that comprised MI5.

Pawser Bingham had been one of the initial transferees, coming across from Admiralty which had resided in a grand, high ceilinged Edwardian building just off Regents Street. At Thames House, as other offices were closed Pawser was joined the other displaced staff that formed the groups comprising Joint Terrorism ,International Terrorism ,Domestic and Northern Ireland Counter Terrorism as well as the Senior Directive of MI5. In the first year of operation Thames House absorbed approximately 1,800 staff together with supporting functions of IT, the new modern laboratories, catering, fleet and security.

Some years later Curtis Killerman joined Pawser's newly formed Liaison Group in an exchange of staff with Special Branch intended to improve the deteriorating relationship between the two, MI5 and Special Branch being two organisations that often clashed in terms of culture, brief and operations. As was normally the case in these type of exchanges Special Branch had cleared their decks of those it saw as a liability to its operations, Killerman having a reputation for being somewhat gung ho with his use of firearms . MI5 in the true spirit of such exchanges had seconded to Special Branch two staff that had been on long term sick for the prior three years leaving things to continue as before, with an air of distrust and rivalry between the two bodies.

The third member of Pawser's group, Dirk Maine, had only joined some two years earlier having been seconded in from GCHQ (Government Communications Head Quarters -originally set up to break the German Enigma codes during WW2, but used since to provide signals intelligence to the UK Government) when the vetting team there were forced to downgrade his security clearance following revelations over his personal life.

Thames House is situated on the south side of the Thames just by Lambeth Bridge. In the winter of 1996 Pawser following his normal routine crossing the bridge would have, upon pausing to adjust his hat in the early morning gloom have been able to see the huge monolith looming out of the darkness, a foreboding building of immense size constructed of white Portland stone built in the neoclassical style, its numerous barred windows bristling with lights behind colossal marble colonnades. The top floor Pawser knew contained the expansive, opulently blue carpeted, chandelier hung offices of the Senior Management headed by the Director General Sir Bertram and the Deputy Director General Devon Piper. Sir Bertram (Sir Berty) who occupied the largest central office with the best views across the river you may have heard little of compared to his predecessor the indomitable Janet Ferker-Rose (now Lady Janet). Sir Bertram ruled MI5 with the consummate skill of a career civil servant, a heady mix of bureaucracy splashed with large doses of conservatism and at the time was considered to be the ideal man for the job by some senior members of the Cabinet after four years of the more cerebral Ferker- Rose. While Ferker-Rose was an accomplished performer in front of the cameras, Sir Bertram having the typical aversion to the media suffered by most long standing civil servants preferred to leave the media to the Deputy Director General the somewhat suspect Devon Piper, a man with a Degree in media studies and whose only knowledge of the security profession was that his brother in law Alexander was Head of the Select Committee whose job was to select a replacement DDG upon Sir Bertram's promotion.

Along the floor in the corner of the building with a view no less grand than the DG's was Jocko McBride's office. Jocko McBride revelled in the exalted title of Head of Strategy, Policy, and Finances and Facilities. Jocko, an ardent Scottish Nationalist was commonly known to have his eye firmly fixed on the role of DG, a title to which a stepping stone was clearly the DDGs role. Having got thus far Jocko was determined to succeed in this ambition.

The middle floors are given over to the offices of the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre, or JTAC, and the numerous faceless operational staff in departments overseeing International Terrorism, Domestic and NI Counter Terrorism, technical support and IT and the staff on secondment or attachments from other agencies. On the ground floor behind the large marbled reception area lay the library , the restaurant and the extensive laboratories all making the best of the large riverside windows and the uninterrupted natural light cast across the dark swirling waters of the Thames.

The building was at that time run by the Head Housekeeper, the enigmatic Mr Bentley, a man who even at this time little is known other than being remembered as both extremely private and highly affable but throughout his long years of service seemed to give little away about himself. As the Head Housekeeper, Mr Bentley was responsible for the building's security, running all the key functions such as the restaurant, the library and the extensive motor fleet, key support staff in IT and the office services. Known as a close confidant of Sir Berty during his time as DG it was often said Mr Bentley knew more about the machinations of MI5 at the time than the DG himself, a position known to infuriate the man who saw himself above Devon as the next head of MI5, Jocko McBride.

If you've made it this far my sincere thanks. I know not much like this appears on Wattpad so I took a chance of writing it and putting it on.  Thank You for reading. I hope you enjoyed the tale :}. TL