The Doomsday Conspiracy by Sidney Sheldon

going to turn you over to your instructors. Good luck." Robert found the training fascinating. The instructors were men who had worked in the field and were experienced professionals. Robert absorbed the technical information easily. In addition to the courses Colonel Johnson had mentioned, there was a brushup course on languages and one on cryptic codes. Colonel Johnson was an enigma to Robert. The rumor circulating about him was that he had strong connections at the White House and was involved in high-level covert activities. He would disappear from the Farm for days at a time and suddenly reappear.
    An agent named Ron was conducting a class.
    "There are six phases to the clandestine operational process. The first is spotting. When you know what information you need, your first challenge is to identify and target individuals who have access to that information. The second phase is assessment. Once you have spotted your target, you have to decide if he really has the information you need, and if he might be susceptible to recruitment. What motivates him? Is he happy in his job? Does he have a grudge against his boss?
    Is he over his head financially? If the prospect is accessible and there's a motivation that can be exploited, you move along to phase three.
    "Phase three is development. You build up a relationship with a prospect. You manage to run into him as often as possible and build a rapport. The next phase is recruitment. When you think he is ready, you go to work on him psychologically. You use whatever psychological weapons you've got-revenge against his boss, money, the thrill of it. If a case officer has done his job well, the prospect usually says yes.
    "So far so good. You have a spy working for you. The next step is handling him. You must protect not only yourself, but him too. You will arrange surreptitious meetings and train him in the use of microfilm and, where appropriate, clandestine radio. You will teach him how to detect surveillance, what to say if questioned, and so on.
    "The last phase is dl-sconnecting. After some period of time, perhaps your recruit will be -erred to a different job and no longer have access to the information, or maybe we will no longer need the information to which he does have access. In any case, the relalionship is ended, but it's important to end it in such a way that the recruit doesn't feel he has been used and is looking for vengeance. -.." Colonel Johnson had been right. Not every one made it through the course. Familiar faces kept disappearing. Washed out. No one knew why. No one asked.
    One day, as a group was preparing to go into Richmond for a surveillance exercise, Robert's instructor said, "We're going to see how good you are, Robert. I'm going to send someone to tail you. I want you to lose him. Do you think you can do that?"
    "Yes, sir."
    "Good luck."
    * * * Robert took the bus into Richmond and began strolling the streets. Page 61
    Sidney Sheldon - Doomsday Conspiracy
    Within five minutes, he identified his trackers. There were two of them. One was on foot and one was in an automobile. Robert tried ducking into restaurants and shops and hurrying out back doors, but he was unable to shake them. They were too well trained. Finally, it was almost time to return to the Farm, and Robert still had not been able to get away from them. They were watching him too closely. Robert walked into a department store, and the two men took up positions where they could cover the entrances and exits. Robert took the escalator up to the Men's Clothing Department. Thirty minutes later when he came down, he was wearing a different suit, a coat and hat, and was talking to a woman and carrying a baby in his arms. He walked past his pursuers without being recognized.
    He was the only one that day who had successfully eluded surveillance. The jargon taught at the Farm was a language unto itself.
    "You probably won't use all these terms," the instruc'or told the class,
    "but you had better