Behind The Text’ Part 22_Competitors
‘Two
Of A Trade Seldom Agree.’ (Proverb)
Hi,
Jonas Forbes
in four of this series faces opposition which might be termed ‘competition’ – regarding
either securing or retaining control of a person or object. Clearly
this involves getting away with what he’s got, which may mean facing the
same people on another occasion.
In ‘Scrambling South’ (Book 3)
and ‘Find Bormann’ (Book 8) Jonas faces an Israeli Mossad unit, and on both occasions Shiran
Moshkovich & Barak Sternberg take part. In Egypt Jonas on finding a cipher is also challenged by the Mukhabarat
(Egyptian Security Police): while in his hunt for Bormann to recover documents
the extra danger is supplied by Bormann’s SS protectors. In both cases Jonas is captured
but manages to escape with the goods.
So why did I
include Mossad twice? Because they’re a very effective organisation and, in
both cases, they'd provide ideal competitors for the target – in the first
a list of Israeli agents in Egypt and in the second Martin Bormann, a prominent
Nazi fugitive. I should add that, in the latter case, Mossad don’t realise Jonas is
involved until the very end – and after they’ve virtually wiped out the SS unit!
In ‘Lies Hunt in Packs’ (Book 10) and in ‘HAVOK Goes To Moscow’(Book 13) Jonas challenges the KGB, which include Col. Alexandra Tolstoy & Lt./
Capt. Valentina Boykov. The latter has the unenviable distinction of
interviewing Jonas twice, without recognising him. In both books the KGB are on home
ground - trying to prevent Jonas smuggling out a dissident in the Book 10 & supplying a cipher to dissidents in Book 13. In
both cases they fail. The KGB play a significant role in ‘Dare Call It Treason’ (Book 2) where they work as much
with Jonas as their rivals the GRU (Military Intelligence). The latter help
Jonas in ‘Dragon-Spit’ (Book 7) While dealing with Soviet contacts I should add the GRU sniper, Elena
Valentina Arentsky who saves Jonas’s life on 3 occasions. She appears in ‘Dare Call It Treason’ (Book 2), ‘Lies
Hunt in Packs’ (Book 10) & ‘Endgame At Watergate’ (Book 16) and was the cousin of
Natasha Rykov (see Posts 6 & 23).
Why should I
repeat characters in different books? Some readers (like myself) if they spot
this situation, may look forward to seeing how Round 2 will work out with extra
relish. Hopefully there’d have been changes on both sides to add interest for
such discerning readers. However, this device shouldn’t be overdone. In some
series I've read the same opponent occurs so often I start questioning how both sides can
survive to fight another day.
Competitors
differ from villains because there often develops some degree of mutual respect.
Bob Hyslop