It was an early morning after a later night. The man with the glasses was sitting at his desk reading three reports; the smoking man’s report, Parker’s report, and the senior evidence processing officer’s report.

Last night he had a mess to clean up. The minister had warned the commander, who had warned the superintendent, who had warned the chief inspector, who had warned the man in the glasses - No more dead innocent proles. Today he had an active terrorist investigation. Now he had a name - a new suspect - C Ellis. Quite strange how these things work out. But at least this time he had a positive story to tell the Chief Inspector. He would much rather be going into a meeting about police bravery, and plots, and spies, and a firm lead on the Unit than explaining why two of his officers had shot another innocent prole.

Innocent, thought the man with the glasses. People are innocent in this People’s Republic - but are they innocent? In a place where thoughts are a crime - who hasn’t had a thought that would change you from innocent, to guilty? Those guilty thoughts though, are hidden and buried deep - and it takes patience and skilled work to prize them from their bonds. Many people in this People’s Republic had gone before the secret People’s court after careful and patient work to have their criminal thoughts exposed to the People’s justice. These innocent people had signed confessions - declaring their hatred for the People’s Republic, and therefore their hatred of the people. After their crimes were exposed - the People’s Republic found them guilty, and they were bundled off to the farm.

So what was so bad about seven quick bullets in the chest and back - and a quick and sudden death? The man in the alley, had he been apprehended, would have been brought in for questioning - and a careful and patient worker would have started work on looking for those guilty thoughts, however tiny and hidden they might be. Once those guilty thoughts were found, the man would have signed his confession and declared his guilt, and the court would agree on his guilt, and he would be placed in a sack and bundled off to the farm.

At least this way, the man in the alley is still dead, but he has a positive story to tell the Chief Inspector.

He stood in front of the mirror on the wall of his office and checked his appearance. The Chief Inspector liked everyone in the operations team to look smart and professional at all times.

On his desk was a cup of tea. He checked the door, and then the clock. He opened the bottom right side drawer of the desk, pulling out a half bottle of Victory Whiskey.

He splashed some Victory Whiskey in the tea, placed the bottle back in the drawer, and then drank the tea in one gulp. He collected the three reports.

He checked himself in the mirror one more time, and then opened the door of his office. Sitting on the bench outside his office in the long 16th floor hallway was the smoking man.

‘Comrades’ - said the man with the glasses.

‘Just me guv’ - said the smoking man, standing up.

“Where’s Parker?’

‘After finishing the reports, we nipped down to the cafeteria for a spot of breakfast. Parker was eating a fried egg sandwich, and a load of Victory sauce dripped down his shirt and tie. Fucking ruined them - complete mess.’

‘Is this a fucking joke comrade?’ - Asked the man with the glasses.

‘No guv, he was fucking gutted. He’s gone down to the storeroom to see if he can get a new shirt and tie.’

The man with the glasses looked at his watch - 6:13 AM.

‘Stay here - and do not move. If I call you, get to the Chief Inspector’s office on the double.’

The man with the glasses looked at this watch again - 6:13 AM.

The smoking man sat down on the bench again, lighting up a cigarette he swiftly pulled out.

The man with the glasses strode down the hall, reports firmly under his arm. He stopped outside room 1647. He checked his tie knot, and straightened the front of his jacket and tie. He looked at his watch again - 6:14 AM.

He waited…

He checked his watch again - 6:14 AM.

He waited…

He checked his watch again - 6:15 AM. He cleared his throat, and knocked on the office door.

‘Enter...’ - came the voice from inside.

The man with the glasses opened the door, and stepped inside briskly. The office was larger than his room. Bigger, more spacious; with a window - a large window. The desk was bigger, and made of nicer wood. There was a lounge area, with some comfy leather armchairs and a leather two-seater sofa.

On the opposite side of the office - was a drinks cabinet with a large vase of fresh white lilies. On the walls were various photos and certificates of recognition, and awards. One of the photos was of the Chief Inspector - much younger - during the war. He was wearing a naval officer’s uniform, and was standing with another officer, both smoking cigars, holding up Champagne coupes, and looking jolly.

The Chief Inspector was sitting at his desk. Framed with the large window behind him, with the view of the City of Victorious below. He was reading a report. His hand was bandaged.

‘Good morning Chief Inspector’ - said the man with the glasses.

‘Ahhh, there you are Inspector - tea?’ - The Chief Inspector offered.

‘Yes, sir.’

The Chief Inspector reached over and picked up the phone - ‘Yes. Tea.’

He stood and walked over to the lounge area, motioning to an empty sofa - ‘Sit, comrade.’

The Inspector sat on the sofa, and the Chief Inspector sat in the leather armchair facing him.

‘What happened to your hand sir?’ - Asked the Inspector.

‘Oh this? It's nothing’ - said the Chief Inspector holding his bandaged hand - ‘Just a little accident at the squash club.’

There was a knock at the door - ‘Enter.’

A woman entered the office carrying a tea tray. She placed the tea tray on the coffee table. The lady poured a cup of tea, added a splash of milk and placed it in front of the Chief Inspector. She poured another tea - ‘Milk and sugar sir?’ - She asked the Inspector - ‘Yes’ - she added a splash of milk and a spoonful of sugar and gave the tea a stir. She placed the other cup in front of the Inspector.

‘Thank you comrade’ - the Chief Inspector said.

The lady took the tray and left the office - closing the door behind her. The Chief Inspector and the Inspector both picked up their tea and took a sip.

They placed the tea cups back on the coffee table.

‘I hear you had quite a busy night last night comrade’ - said the Chief Inspector.

‘Oh, yes sir - yes, a busy night’ - the Inspector handed over the three files which the Chief Inspector took and leafed through.

‘Are we sure this wasn’t just another innocent prole? You know we have been warned by the minister’ - said the chief inspector.

‘Absolutely sir. We received intelligence from an informant - a confidential informant - and the operations team witnessed the deceased meeting with an unknown suspect, who we presume was the Unit district commander based on the intelligence of the informant’ - said the inspector.

‘Go on…’

‘The deceased fled the scene and took evasive action to outrun the operations team - when cornered the deceased attempted to disarm the operations team even after they had identified themselves as armed police officers, sir.’

Both men picked up their tea, took a sip, and then placed the tea back on the table in unison.

The Chief Inspector continued to leaf through the reports.

‘Seven shots…’

‘Yes sir - regrettable.’

‘A good terrorist, comrade, is a dead terrorist. A better terrorist is the one in the interrogation cell’ - said the chief inspector in a solemn manner.

‘Yes sir.’

There was silence...

‘The evidence processing report confirms that a note was found on the body of the deceased sir - with a name and what appears to be a date, sir’ - said the inspector.

‘Yes - so it does.’

‘With a recommendation on expanding operations and involving the secret service sir.’

‘Yes - I see that.’

There was silence...the Chief Inspector continued to read the reports, scanning over each page.

‘I remember Inspector, after the revolution, and then the war, that there was peace. It was called the people’s peace. We all lived in harmony for a time. But people didn’t seem to like peace and harmony. Once upon a time, comrade, they used to give kidney transplants to people whose kidneys had failed them. This was supposed to keep them alive - but the body would reject the new kidney and expensive drugs were used to suppress the desire of the body to get rid of it. This is what peace and harmony feels like, to people, like having a new kidney. It is a wonderful gift, but they just rejected it.’ - The Chief Inspector closed the files and placed them on the coffee table and picked up his tea. He took a sip and continued - ‘The harmony and the peace wasn’t working out for us. The people rejected it; without something to fight against, or some terror waiting to engulf us, we just weren't happy. People are only happy when they are miserable, comrade - it is a sad fact. People like the idea of peace as something to strive for - but when they get it, they feel unsatisfied. Living in peace just didn’t cut it, and the revolution was losing direction and meaning - but then the Unit came along to save the day. The Unit was the expensive drugs used to stop the body rejecting a kidney. Bombings, assassinations, terror campaigns, food shortages, and fear. As soon as the peace was broken - the people were happy again. They had something to fear, a reason to be miserable - a monster lurking under the bed to keep them up at night. We, comrade, owe the Unit a great deal. This is why these reports are so important, comrade - it allows the fear to be transfused back into the system. It will mobilise us - give us direction and reason to get out of bed in the morning, and the poor pathetic proles will be glad to hear that we are working hard and tirelessly to fight - for them - against the terror they and we both need to survive.’

The Chief Inspector finished his tea and put the cup back on the coffee table. He stood.

‘Well done comrade’ - said the chief inspector with a smile.

The Inspector stood too - ‘Thank you sir.’

“I will be taking your reports to the Superintendent - I have a meeting with him and the deputy-minister later this morning’ - the Chief Inspector said, shaking his hand.

‘Excellent sir - please let me know if you need anything else.’

‘I will comrade, I will.’