Chapter 3 VI

In a way, we would be doing a lot of field training, as my new trainer called it. He had a critical look at what was my every day carry.  I always carried a day pack around with all my stuff and some extra space for a foraging expedition to the supermarket. I had a bunch of stuff there, from a reusable bag to enhance my foraging, water (important in Madrid) a small survival kit and others, see the image below.

-- You need some chalk, with different colors to leave marks, on dead letter boxes and similar... and a few things more. Tomorrow we will start on following and being followed and communication protocols. We will also need to start working on alibis and excuses
 

--Excuses? what for?-- replied.

--For everything, what are those chalks for?, why are you walking on this side of the road? where are you going?-- he shrugged--you need to have a story ready for everything and it has to be a coherent one that is credible. And most important, you have to believe this story.

  Metro Station Eugenia de Montijo, Madrid 25th April 2009 12:15h

-- In a way, the tube is a great place to lose people, but it is also a great place to get someone on your back without you noticing-- The digital panel above the platform informed us that the next train was due in 3 minutes. -- The fist rule is that if anyone really wants to follow you, you he will, and the second is that if someone does not want to be followed, he will lose you. All that is of curse relative, it is about being subtle. what is key is that you do not want to be noticed, you see. If you do everything possible to lose someone, it is evident that you are losing someone, the same if you do everything possible to follow someone because then you will be noticed. If you are noticed, then it is not secret anymore, is it? so it kind of defeats the whole thing and will make you look suspicious, which is not really good because then anything you do will be suspicious.

Come on, it did sound a little bit like the who's on first routine.

We boarded the train and Jesús immediately started walking at a good pace towards the rear of the train.
 

--So, moving in the train. If someone tailing you does not climb onto the train, he will give information to where are you located, moving will give you a couple of seconds and a little advantage when you see somebody on a platform trying to look for you. On the other hand, moving will also help you if someone climbs on board with you. You may force him to keep a visual on you, so he gives himself away, without you giving yourself away--

Jesús had a different way of teaching. It demanded a lot of focusing. He would speak and demonstrate, sometimes at the same time, sometimes not. You were supposed to follow in his steps immediately. Some other times he would do something without explaining and then ask, what have I just done, or why. He wanted you to anticipate every move.



Little by little, it did seem as if we were going towards the super spy. The rest of the day, we followed the same routine. I learned about meeting points, dead letter boxes, tailing people ...