W E B Griffin – Corp 06 – Close Combat

Banning grunted.

“Major, if you were God, what would you send to Guadalcanal?”

“Everything,” Banning said.

“In what priority?”

“I don’t really know,” Banning said. “I suppose the most important thing would be to keep the Japanese from building up their forces on the island. And I suppose that means reinforcing the Cactus Air Force.”

“I think they can do that,” Fowler said. “God, I hope they can.”

He poured a little more beer in his glass, then smiled. “Another question?”

“Yes, Sir?”

“What was Jake Dillon doing on that hush-hush mission Pickering set up?”

“I don’t think I understand the question, Sir.”

“I’ve known Jake a long time,” Fowler said. “Don’t misunderstand me. I like him. But Jake is a press agent. A two-fisted drinker. And one hell of a ladies’ man. But I’m having trouble picturing him doing anything serious.”

“I think you underestimate him, Senator,” Banning said, aware that Fowler’s question angered him. “That mission wouldn’t have gone off as well as it did, if it hadn’t been for Dillon. Perhaps it wouldn’t have gone off at all.”

“Really?” Captain Haughton asked, surprised.

“Yes, Sir,” Banning said.

“You want to explain that?” Fowler asked.

How the hell did I get involved in this?

“Major Dillon can get people to do things they would rather not do,” Banning said.

“With Dillon on orders signed by Admiral Leahy, it wasn’t a question of whether anyone wanted to do what he asked them to do, was it?” Captain Haughton argued.

“Even though Commander Feldt of the Coastwatchers is, kindly, often difficult to deal with,” Banning said quietly, “Dillon got Feldt to send his best native into Buka. Even though they were understandably reluctant to have one of their very few submarines hang around Buka a moment longer than necessary, he got the Australian Navy to let that sub lie offshore for three days in case they had to try to get our people off the beach. He got MAG-21, the Cactus Air Force, to loan the best R4D pilot around to fly the R4D that made the landing, even though he was one of their fighter squadron commanders.”

“As opposed to what?” Senator Fowler asked.

“As opposed to having sacrificial lambs sent in. Nobody thought the operation was going to work. Dillon convinced them it would. There are ways to get around orders, even orders signed by Admiral Leahy.”

“I’m surprised,” Senator Fowler said. “I’d never thought of Jake as a heavyweight.”

“He’s a heavyweight, Senator,” Banning said flatly. “I was going to-I got busy at Pearl, and didn’t get around to it-to recommend to General Pickering that he be assigned to Management Analysis.”

“We’ve already returned him to Public Affairs,” Sessions said. “Effective on his arrival in the States.”

“If something comes up, Banning,” Colonel Rickabee said. “We can get him back.”

Then Rickabee stood up.

“I’ve got some orders for you, Banning. Take a week off. At General Pickering’s orders, you will stay here. That doesn’t mean you can’t leave town, but I don’t want it to get back to General Pickering that you’ve moved into a BOQ. A week from tomorrow morning, not a second sooner, I’ll see you in the office.” He paused. “Now get some sleep. And a haircut. You look like hell.”

Chapter Six

[ONE]

Naval Air Transport Service Terminal

Brisbane, Australia

0815 Hours 17 October 1942

The bay was choppy. Landing was a series of more or less controlled crashes against the water. Brigadier General Fleming Pickering was almost surprised these didn’t jar parts-large parts, such as engines-off the Mariner.

Maneuvering from the Mariner into the powerboat sent out to meet it was difficult, and the ride to shore was not pleasant.

The tide was out, which explained to Pickering the chop (a function of shallow water). It also made climbing from the powerboat onto the ladder up the side of the wharf a little dicey. Halfway up the ladder, behind a rear admiral who was obviously a very cautious man, it occurred to Pickering that he had failed to send a message ahead that he was arriving.

Not only would he have to find wheels someplace, but he didn’t really know where to go. It was probable that Ellen Feller would be in Water Lily Cottage. And he did not want to deal with her just yet.

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