The driver was a sergeant, and Douglass had his mouth open to ask him where they were being taken when a familiar voice spoke.
“The shit’s hitting the fan.”
Douglass looked into the back of the ambulance. The narrow benches on each side were jammed with people, and one of them was It. Commander John “Canidy went into Hungary,” Dolan went on.
“Jesus!” Douglass said, then: “How are you? There was word you had a terminal case of the GIs.”
“I’m better,” Dolan said.
“Where are we going?”
“They got a villa,” Dolan said.
“Very nice, swimming pool and everything.”
“Does anybody know why Dick went into Hungary?” Douglass asked.
“Does anybody know why he does anything?” Dolan replied.
“They’re trying to get a message to him to get his ass out of there. Everything’s on hold until we see if that works.”
“Who’s ‘they’re’?” Douglass asked.
“Donovan himself,” Dolan said.
“They’re apparently really pissed.”
n had been laid out for everyone at the side of the pool. There was no sense of urgency, and both Fine and Douglass were annoyed. But as they were eating, a distinguished-looking man in a stiffly starched but tieless shirt came to the table and handed Wilkins a sheet of paper.
Wilkins glanced at it, then handed it to Douglass.
“Sorry, Colonel,” he said.
“But I didn’t know where exactly you fitted into this.”
Douglass read it.
FROM OSS WASHINGTON TO OSS CAIRO
LT COL PETER DOUGLASS JR USA AC IS AUTHORIZED ACCESS TO
SUCH CLASSIFIED MATERIAL IN CONNECTION WITH CURRENT MISSION
AS IS DEEMED ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY REPEAT ABSOLUTELY
NECESSARY BY STATION CHIEF CAIRO AND PHARMACIST TWO
DONOVAN
“Well,” Douglass said, “it’s nice to know I’m to be trusted, if absolutely necessary.”
Wilkins did not seem amused.
“I understand Donovan is pissed at Canidy,” Douglass said.
“I don’t think ‘pissed’ is the word,” Wilkins said.
“If Canidy went into Hungary, he had his reasons,” Douglass said loyally.
“I hope he finds his reasons worth it,” Wilkins said.
“I don’t think I follow you,” Douglass said.
“Come with me,” Wilkins said, “and you, too, Fine.”
He led them to the pool house, where two radio operators sat with earphones on their heads. He motioned Fine and Douglass into chairs, then dropped to his knees, worked the combination of a safe, and handed Fine a cover sheet stamped top secret.
TOP SECRET
PROM OSS WASHINGTON FOR OSS CAIRO EYES ONLY WILKINS
PASS FOLLOWING TO PHARMACIST TWO OH ARRIVAL CAIRO STOP
QUOTE YOU ARE HEREBY APPOINTED EX LAX CONTROL CAMIDY
RELIEVED STOP APPOINTMENT IS PERMANENT STOP CAMIDY WILL
NOT REPEAT NOT RESUME AUTHORITY OVER EX LAX UNDER ANY
CONDITIONS STOP EVERYTHING POSSIBLE INCLUDING TERMINATION
REPEAT INCLUDING TERMINATION WILL BE DONE TO PREVENT
CANIDY FALLING INTO ENEMY HANDS STOP YOU WILL ACKNOWLEDGE
TIME AND DATE OF RECEIPT DONOVAK END QUOTE
Fine read it and handed it to Douglass.
“Jesus, he is mad,” Douglass said.
“You have a code word for a situation like this?”Wilkins asked Fine.
“To acknowledge receipt?”
“Yes, I do,” Fine said.
“You want to give it to me?” Wilkins asked, on the edge of sarcasm.
“I don’t think I will,” Fine said.
“I don’t want to acknowledge that message.”
“What?
“Wilkins asked incredulously.
“I’m not sure that was sent by Donovan,” Fine said.
“Before I acknowledge it, I want confirmation.”
“That will take hours,” Wilkins said.
“It doesn’t sound like Donovan to me, either,” Douglass said loyally.
“What the hell are you trying to pull. Captain?
“Wilkins demanded.
“Canidy was there,” Fine said.
“And he’s not a fool. I certainly won’t double guess him, and I don’t think Colonel Donovan would, either.”
Wilkins opened his mouth to argue, but didn’t get a chance to speak. One of the operators called out.
“Hey, I got something from Vis….”
“What does it say?”
“It’s not in the clear, for Christ’s sake,” the operator said, furiously pounding his typewriter.
Eight minutes later, the decryption process was completed:
———————————————————————– ————ss
FROM POSTMAN FOR CAIRO VIA STATION VIII
PHARMACIST REQUESTS EARLIEST POSSIBLE DROP RESCUE TEAM AT
COORDINATES SEVEN FOUR NINE NINE THREE EIGHT ONE EIGHT
STOP DROP MUST REPEAT MUST TAKE PLACE AT FIRST LIGHT STOP
ADVISE
It took another five minutes to find the map of Hungary and then mark the location indicated by the coordinates.