- "Suddenly a voice called, ‘Oh, please!’ Bond looked toward Lamb, who continued, ‘Those countdown scenes in movies are such dreadful clichés. Nonsense. In real life nobody counts. You just stand up and go!’"
- ― Carte Blanche
Gregory Lamb was a British intelligence operative stationed in South Africa by the Secret Intelligence Service. The character served as an ally in Jeffery Deaver's 2011 James Bond continuation novel, Carte Blanche.
Biography[]
Early life[]
Gregory Lamb was raised in Manchester, the son of a South African father and a British mother. At some point he had travelled to South Africa with his parents and decided he preferred it to life in England. Lamb joined the British Secret Intelligence Service (SIS/MI6) and requested to be assigned to South Africa after training at Fort Monckton, the secret service training base just outside Gosport, Hampshire. There he worked for "Station Z", spending most of his time in the Western Cape but travelling frequently around Africa, attending to his NOC – nonofficial cover – operations. His cover in Cape Town was that of a successful businessman involved in cargo shipping. Lamb's odd behaviour, largely stemming from the fact that he was essentially a coward, earned him a negative reputation in the service; with Six apparently intending to hand him a redundancy package.
Carte Blanche[]
In May 2011[1], Lamb took it upon himself to assist Overseas Development Group (ODG) operative, James Bond, upon his arrival in South Africa. Believing Lamb to be operating in Eritrea and aware of his less than stellar reputation, Bond's superior, Bill Tanner, urged the spy to work instead with Captain Bheka Jordaan of the South African Police Service (SAPS). At the airport Bond mistook Lamb for Jordaan and almost made contact. Lamb - whose relationship with Jordaan had been exceptionally icy - decided to leave, rather than face her wrath. He subsequently tracked Bond down at the Table Mountain Hotel and made contact on the afternoon of 18th May[1] to share intelligence and offer assistance. Bond took an immediate dislike to the Bearish man. On 20th May, Lamb joined a SAPS raid on the Green Way International compound - during which their target Severan Hydt was assassinated by his subordinate, Niall Dunne. Motivated by cowardice, Lamb hid from the firefight; going so far as to feign an injury by shooting through his own sleeve. Later that evening at the Sixth Apostle Inn, he participated in a sting operation against Dunne's true superior - hunger broker, Felicity Willing. Dunne attempted to stage a rescue by laying siege to the building from outside; during which Lamb sacrificed himself to turn off the interior lights and hinder the sniper's aim. Ten feet away from the switch he was shot through the chest and collapsed to the floor. He continued toward it and plunged the building into darkness with his dying movements.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 See Carte Blanche timeline.