Brussels, European Union Headquarters Building.
The early morning mist had yet to dissipate, with the glass curtain wall reflecting the pale morning light.
In the corridors, officials holding coffee hurried along, exchanging in low voices briefings on the progress of implementing the United Kingdom's "White Paper" and the latest exchange rate intervention assessments by the European Central Bank.
However, inside the small crisis response room on the seventh floor, the atmosphere was entirely different.
Jinkel, Director of the German Federal Intelligence Agency (BND), looked livid as he slammed a stack of satellite photos and signal intercept records in front of De Villepin, Director of the French External Security General Bureau (DGSE).
"Look at this."
