“Oh he did. Maybe he could get reinforcements from Agency operatives in London or Paris or wherever. But he didn’t bank on it. Not when he needed them that very moment, when you’re in mid-air. Not after going through that rigmarole horseshit the first time with procedure-is-procedure bureaucrats. With buddy Riesling, one call, and he’s on it. Riesling’s surprised by George’s request. Given a little time, he could recruit for the Continent. But not London. London’s too soon.
“The clock’s ticking; in a few hours you’ll be at Heathrow. Everything now is seat-of-the-pants for George. He reached out to MI5. He asked if the Director General could put some trackers in to help. The DG said his hands were full with domestic terrorists, but he’d see what he could do. In the end, George got some moo
