Get the Truth: Former CIA Officers Teach You How to Persuade Anyone to Tell All Read Online Free

no classified information had been compromised. The worst-case scenario was that she had been recruited by a foreign intelligence service, and that she had actively engaged in espionage against the United States.
    When Mary admitted to Phil that she had been in a romantic relationship with Charmer, Phil’s assumption was that this lonely woman had simply allowed her heart to rule her head—that she had exercised exceedingly poor judgment, but with no real intent to cause any harm. Still, recognizing that people let their guard down and become more open in such circumstances, Phil was well aware of the urgency of the matter. He saw the immediate task at hand as determining what Mary might have said to Charmer in those unguarded moments.
    Phil had pegged Mary’s activity very close to the “best-case” end of the continuum, without sufficient evidence to do so. That misreading led to the “pillow talk” question.
    Mary’s confession would ultimately pinpoint where she really was on the continuum—as it turned out, she was squarely on the opposite end. Phil had missed it by a mile.
    He vowed to never let that happen again.
    * * *
    At an overseas location about a year later, Phil was studiously reviewing a case file. He had been dispatched to the region to conduct security interviews with several foreign assets—individuals who had been recruited to serve as intelligence operatives. It was a routine procedure that these operatives were required to undergo on a fairly regular basis, just as Agency employees themselves underwent periodic security reinvestigations. The case Phil was reviewing was that of a foreign asset we’ll call “Omar,” a high-value, trusted local who had served the Agency well over the course of twenty years since he had been recruited. Omar’s record was impressive. Phil had reviewed the case files of dozens of assets all over the world, and it was easy to see why this guy stood out as an especially highly prized source. Beyond all that, no areas of concern had arisen in Omar’s previous security interviews. So when Phil closed the file and left his secure location for the meeting, he was confident this one would be a breeze. Two hours, tops, and then he’d be able to meet up with a coworker to get some dinner.
    The prearranged meeting place was a high-rise hotel in the center of the city. A suite on one of the higher floors had been secured for the interview, and when Omar showed up, Phil’s colleagues confirmed that the hookup had gone as planned—no signs of any surveillance. Phil greeted Omar with a friendly handshake, and the two exchanged a few pleasantries. Thankfully, Omar’s English was strong—there would be no need for an interpreter, which was always a welcome discovery. Interviewing an asset through a third party was certainly doable—we do it all the time—but it was suboptimal, at best. Too many times, we’ll ask a question during an interview of a non-English speaker, he’ll respond with what sounds like a lengthy diatribe, and the interpreter will turn to us and say something like, “Not really.” Determining what was lost in translation is always an adventure.
    Phil and Omar made themselves comfortable in the sitting area of the suite. Phil got straight to work, methodically covering the prepared list of standard questions. It was all going as painlessly as Phil expected it would. And then he got to the question about whether Omar had ever worked for a foreign intelligence service.
    “Omar, you’ve worked with us for years,” Phil said. “Have you ever worked with anybody else?”
    There was a pause. Omar seemed to be gathering his thoughts as he shifted in his seat. He finally voiced his response.
    “Can I pray?”
    Another pause. Can you pray? What on earth do you mean, can you pray? Phil was scrambling to figure out what to make of the request. He was determined not to let his bewilderment show.
    “Sure, no problem,” Phil said matter-of-factly, as if a