Shadow of the Condor Read Online Free Page A

toward the Pentagon.
    But his thoughts were deep. He reached for the thin manila file the general had left Ten minutes and two thorough-readings later he closed the file and leaned back in his chair. He shut his eyes to concentrate. This time he thought for almost half an hour. When he opened, his eyes, he picked up a note pad, reopened the file and began to write. Five minutes later he buzzed for his secretary.
    The tall man entered the room quietly. He made little noise as he shut the door. He spoke softly, respectfully, sir?
    "No more need to inquire about that mess we heard the Air Force had, Carl," the old man said. "The good general just gave me everything.
    "I think we have something here. Something we can use to keep our hand in. It couldn't have come at a better time either. Forty is reviewing our budget in a month, and a little flurry of activity always pleases OMB. This should do nicely.
    "I've made a list of information I want pulled from the pool. Check FBI first, then CIA, NSA, the service group, Treasury, Justice and Secret Service. Tell them we want it immediately. I'll be satisfied if we have the bureau and the agency [FBI and CIA] data by tomorrow and the rest the day after.
    "We're starting an operation, stateside and European. We probably won't need a large number of personnel, but I want backup teams ready. We will mainly use agency people, although I imagine the bureau will insist on coming in when we work stateside. I've noted some suggestions. Call the agency's M&S [Directorate of Management and Services] and tell them we will be drawing personnel, equipment and funds.
    "Today as soon as possible, I want to see Dr. Lofts and Kevin Powell-from the agency. Powell just got back from Turkey . He should be at Langley [the CIA Virginia headquarters complex]. You know where Lofts is. That should keep you busy until lunch."
    "Yes, sir," Carl replied softly. He smiled slightly as he took the note pad from the old man's wrinkled hand. Carl has 'no note pads. He doesn't use thern because he doesn't need notes. Carl receives his very comfortable salary mainly because he has a 90 percent retention rate: For all "practical purposes" Carl has total recall. Carl also draws a high salary because his remarkable mind is void of almost all normal feelings except narrow and minimal loyalty, self-preservation, a slight desire for self-gratification, a trace of self-serving sadism, vindictiveness and snobbish pride.
    "Is there anything else, sir?" asked Carl quietly.
    "Yes," said the old man, "could you bring me some more coffee?"
    "Of course sir," replied Carl. The tall secretary turned and left the room as silently as he had come. The old man relaxed in his chair and once more began to laugh.
    World War II spawned a massive new phenomenon in American politics, a phenomenon which has since grown into an integral part of the American political scene. The experiences of World War II and the new perceptions adopted largely as a result of that war created the American intelligence community.
    Before World War II the closest thing America had to an intelligence or security agency was the FBI. Thirty-five years later the American intelligence community consists of ten major agencies with more than 150,000 employees and an aggregate annual budget of just under $6.3 billion.
    The best-known and most important member of the community is the Central Intelligence Agency, the department created by the National Security Act of 1947 to coordinate all of America 's intelligence activity for the President. The CIA director runs his own agency and serves as the director of Central Intelligence (DCI), the titular head of the entire intelligence community. Officially the DCI overseees the Defense Intelligence Agency, the armed services' intelligence branches, the National Security Agency, the State-Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research, the. Internal Security Division of the FBI, the Atomic Energy Commission's Division of