come in from the cold
verb phrase - To retire from espionage service: coming in from the cold and staying free might be out of reach (1960s+)
- To return to comfort, acclaim, etc, after a period of relative obscurity: An Osmond comes in from the cold (1980s+)
[popularized by the John le Carre´ 1963 novel The Spy Who Came In from the Cold]