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January 14 2001 FOCUS

A rebel spy on the run (part 6)

A pugnacious Maori led the charge. "Get back over there, in the corner," he
yelled. Three officers followed.

The glowering Maori looked disappointed I had not hit him. "We have a
warrant to search you and your belongings," he announced. "Strip."

A female officer and a portly fourth officer pulled on latex gloves and
started a careful search of my belongings.

"Can I see the warrant?" I demanded after I had been allowed to get
dressed. I checked it for accuracy - any discrepancy would make it invalid
- but every detail was correct. They even had the correct hotel room
number, explaining why the receptionist insisted I took the suite.

I heard other voices in the corridor and Ratcliffe entered my room. "What
the hell are you doing here?" I shouted, leaping to my feet and causing the
Maori's eyes to light up.

"Get out of this room now!" I shouted. I turned to the Maori, who was
limbering up with a gentle haka. "If he doesn't get out of here right now,
you can have your fun."

Ratcliffe held up his hands and backed out.

The New Zealand police searched my hotel room more professionally and
thoroughly than the French. They found the Psion disk hidden inside a
clunky British adaptor plug. The porky officer smiled when he pulled it
out. I smiled, too, as I had backed up a copy in an Auckland internet cafe.

If MI6 had twisted the arms of the New Zealand authorities into the
confiscation of my property, then it was inevitable that sooner or later
they would try to press charges against me. I decided to go back to Europe,
and chose Switzerland.

I took a circuitous route via Singapore and Bangkok, hoping MI6 would lose
my trail. After two days in Munich, rollerblading in the English gardens to
keep any watchers on their toes, I took the train to Zurich and then Geneva.

I did not stay there long. NBC wanted to interview me live on their Today
news programme on Monday, August 31, about MI6's pursuit of me around the
world, and I flew to New York. As I prepared to disembark at Kennedy
aiport, a group of uniformed armed men came on board.