Griffin W.E.B. - The Corps 08 - In Dangers Path

«What difference would that make?» Pickering snapped. «Banning wasn't told about an OSS station chief.»

Leahy gave him a dirty look.

Donovan picked up a telephone and dialed a three digit number. «I'm in the transcription room,» he ordered. «I want a copy of every message sent to Chungking since we became involved with Operation Gobi, and I want them right now.»

«Has this officer, whose name I still don't know, been made aware that I was appointed Deputy Director (Pacific)?» Pickering asked sarcastically.

«General, make a very serious attempt to put your anger under control,» Admiral Leahy said, almost conversationally, but the enormous menace was again present.

«I beg the Admiral's pardon,» Pickering said.

«My original question, which started all this, was 'Can we communicate with the OSS station chief in Chungking without the U.S. MilMission to China signal officer reading it?»

«If I may answer General Pickering first, sir,» Donovan said, and then went on without giving Leahy a chance to stop him: «Of course. He's at your orders.»

Pickering said nothing.

«To answer your question, Admiral,» Donovan went on. «Sir, since the U.S. MilMissionChi signal officer has ordered Banning to route everything through him, I would say, that we cannot communicate with any degree of security, vis-a-vis the signal officer, with the Chungking station chief.»

Pickering thought: I

can raise further hell about Donovan hiding this station chief, and presumably some sort of in-place organization

—

and goddamn it, it was wrong

—

and not only look like a petulant child

—

the sonofabitch is the Director, and can do what he wants

—

or for once in my life I can keep my mouth shut

.

«I suggest we Special Channel Colonel Waterson in Brisbane,» Pickering began.

«Who is he?» Leahy asked.

«The OSS station chief. He works for me,» Donovan said, then corrected himself. «He works for Pickering.»

«We know the Special Channel there is secure,» Pickering went on, «and if Colonel Waterson has not yet been cleared for magic…«

«He has been cleared,» Leahy said.

And, Christ, I did the same thing Adamson did

, Pickering thought. /

told him before the fact

.

«We can Special Channel Waterson with whatever orders you're going to give the commanding general of the military mission to China, plus what orders I'm going to give him, and have him carry them physically to Chungking.»

«This is a JCS matter,» Leahy said. «I'll be giving the orders, Pickering.»

«You'll have to forgive me, Admiral. I don't really know how the system works. But if you're sending orders, sir, I respectfully request that you tell this General Dempsey to keep his hands off my men.»

«You may consider that added to the orders I will send to Chungking,» Leahy said. «I also consider it important that someone get to Chungking as quickly as possible to see that my orders are carried out. Right now, Pickering, you're the logical choice to do that.»

«Am I qualified to do that, sir?»

«If I didn't think so, I wouldn't send you.»

«Aye, aye, sir.»

«What I'm asking, Pickering, considering the President gave Donovan, me, and you the responsibility to deal with this affair, is whether you are satisfied that Donovan and I can handle it from here on.»

Pickering thought that over a moment before replying. Then he looked at Donovan. «I have no doubt whatever, Admiral, that with Colonel Donovan here, I am not needed.»

«How soon can you be in Chungking?» Leahy asked.

«I'd planned to stop in Australia on the way, sir,» Pickering replied. «But under the circumstances, I could skip that.»

«Is there any reason you couldn't go to Chungking the way Banning and the devices went?» Donovan asked. «Via Europe? It would be quicker.»

«I'm taking the meteorologists and their equipment with me to Pearl Harbor. I don't want them shunted aside en route because they're enlisted men. And I'd like to see how they're coming with the submarine.»

«Do what you think is best,» Leahy said, putting out his hand. «But get to Chungking as quickly as you can.»

«Aye, aye, sir.» Pickering looked around the small room for Hart. «Let's go, George.»

«For what it's worth, Fleming,» Donovan said, as Pickering reached the door. Pickering turned to face him. «I've changed my mind again. The former Deputy Director (Administration) of the OSS will enter St. Elizabeth's within the hour.»

«What good will that do?»

«It'll make me feel better, and it might be educational for others,» Donovan said. The two men locked eyes. Finally, Pickering shrugged and followed Lieutenant Hart into the corridor.

Chapter Seventeen

note 65

Base Operations

Anacostia Naval Air Station

Washington, D.C.

1730 28 March 1943

One of the petty officers behind the counter at base operations spotted General Pickering as he passed through the door. He came to attention and loudly announced, «General officer on deck!»

Ten people were in the room. All of them popped to attention. Pickering saw that two of them—a chief and a third-class—wore the sleeve insignia of weathermen and presumed they were the meteorologists who had volunteered for the Gobi Desert operation. He smiled at them and waved his hand, ordering them to sit down again.

«As you were,» Pickering said, as he walked to the counter. «My name is Pickering. There's supposed to be an airplane—«

«Yes, sir. General Mclnerney is expecting the general, sir,» a chief petty officer said, quickly rising from his desk and walking to the counter. «If the general will please follow me, sir?»

«What did you say about General Mclnerney, Chief?»

«Sir, General Mclnerney has been waiting for the general, sir. He asked me to bring you into Flight Planning.»

«In a moment,» Pickering said, and walked to the two sailors, who rose to their feet.

Pickering put out his hand.

«Chief, I'm General Pickering,» he said.

«Chief Spectowski, sir,» the chief said. «This is Weatherman Third Damon.»

Pickering shook Damon's hand.

«I can tell you this much,» Pickering said. «Our ultimate destination, right now, is Pearl Harbor. We're going to spend the night in Memphis, fly on to Chicago in the morning to pick up three more people, and then fly to San Diego. From San Diego, we'll go Naval Air Transport Command to Pearl. I'm sorry, but that's all I can tell you. Except that what you'll be doing will be damned important.»

«Yes, sir,» Weatherman Third Damon said.

Chief Spectowski nodded but didn't speak.

«When we get to Pearl, I'll probably be able to tell you some more,» Pickering said. «But for now, that's it.»

«I understand, sir,» the chief said.

«I don't know exactly what's happening here, but as soon as I find out, I'll let you know,» Pickering said.

«Yes, sir,» the two of them said, almost in unison.

Pickering turned, and with Hart on his heels, followed the base operations chief through a door bearing a large sign, air crews only, into a room whose walls, and a large table in the center, were covered with aerial charts.

Mclnerney and First Lieutenant Anthony I. Sylvester, his aide-de-camp, were standing in front of one of the aerial charts on the wall.

«Hello, Mac,» Pickering said.

Mclnerney turned to look at him.

«Another ten minutes, General, and you would have walked to Memphis,» Mclnerney said. «Where the hell have you been?»

«It's a long and painful story,» Pickering said, smiling at his old friend. «Not that I'm not glad to see you, but what the hell are you doing here?»