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

«I know nothing about CIC agents, sir.»

«Then you guarded the magic devices?»

Banning did not reply.

«Something wrong with your hearing, Colonel?» General Dempsey asked, a touch of unpleasantness in his voice.

«Sir, may I speak to the General alone?»

«I thought we'd already been down that path,» General Dempsey said. «To answer

your

question, Colonel, when we have finished our business here, yes, I will have a word with you in private if you insist. Now to

my

question… Let's get down to basics. Do you have the magic devices?»

«Sir, as I'm sure the General understands, I am not at liberty to discuss anything of that nature with anyone who does not hold the proper security clearance.»

«Frankly, Colonel, I am rapidly moving from appreciation of your concern for security to annoyance. Your own orders direct you to inform me of the nature of your mission. I already know the nature of your mission. You are to serve, as a member of my cryptographic staff, as officer-in-charge of the magic devices.»

«Then the General possesses a magic clearance? I was not so informed.»

«I'm sure there are many things about which you are not informed, Colonel. Do I have a magic clearance? No. I expect one momentarily. I would have thought you would have brought that with you.»

«No, sir.»

«Do you, sir?» Banning asked General Newley.

«Not at this moment, Colonel.»

«Sir, under these circumstances, I would be in violation of my orders to discuss magic in the presence of General Newley,» Banning said.

«Now, listen to me, Colonel, and listen carefully, for I have had just about enough of your word-bandying. I am the person who decides who in this headquarters is cleared for magic. And when I ask you a question about magic, you will answer it. Is that clear enough for you, Colonel?»

«Sir, I respectfully protest you are ordering me to disobey my previous orders.»

«I don't give a good goddamn about your previous orders, Colonel. Get that though your head. You are now attached to the Signal Section of Headquarters USMMCHI You take your orders from me. Got that?»

«Yes, sir.»

«Now, for the last goddamned time, do you have the magic machines?»

«Yes, sir.»

«How long will it take you to set them up?»

«Once I have a secure area, sir, I can be up and running in about eight hours.»

«You will set them up in my crypto area.»

«Yes, sir.»

«Now, who are those two bearded characters I saw in the main lateral?»

«Captain K. R. McCoy, USMCR, and Gunnery Sergeant Zimmerman, sir.»

«And why are they wearing beards and civilian clothing?»

«Sir, it is in connection with their mission.»

«Which is?»

«Sir, with respect, Captain McCoy and Sergeant Zimmerman are on an OSS mission that I am not at liberty to discuss.»

«You are refusing to answer my question?»

«Sir, with respect, I do not believe the General has the Need To Know.»

«We'll see about my Need To Know just as soon as you have magic up and running,» General Dempsey said. «In the meantime, I am going to give you two simple orders. One, get magic up and running and tell me the moment we have a link with Washington. Two, have those two characters report to Colonel Platt at the OSS station. I'm sure he'll see that they are shaved and into uniform.»

«Sir, with respect, I don't believe you have the authority to issue orders to Captain McCoy or Sergeant Zimmerman.»

«Goddamn you! How dare you question my authority? Don't you ever again question any order I give you!»

«Yes, sir.»

«You are dismissed, Colonel. Report to me, whatever the hour, when you have established a magic link with Washington.»

«Yes, sir.»

Banning snapped to attention, saluted, performed a crisp about-face maneuver, and marched out of General Dempsey's office.

Over his shoulder, he heard General Dempsey furiously demand of General Newley, «Jack, can you believe that? Goddamned arrogant Marine!»

He walked back to the wide area in the tunnel and motioned for McCoy to join him.

«Captain,» he said, formally, «you may consider yourself and Gunnery Sergeant Zimmerman detached.»

«Aye, aye, sir,» McCoy said. «What's going on?»

«You've got the gold?» Banning asked.

McCoy tapped his waist. A money belt heavy with U.S. twenty-dollar gold coins was strapped around it.

«There's an OSS station here. Do you know anything about that?»

McCoy shook his head negatively. «First I've heard of it.»

«The signal officer here has ordered me to order you to report there, to a Colonel Platt.»

«What gives this Army Signal Corps officer the right to give you orders?»

«That's a very interesting question, Captain.»

«Is that what you're doing? Ordering me to report to the OSS here?»

«You're detached,» Banning said. «I am no longer authorized to give you orders.»

«What went on in there?» McCoy asked. «What's going on?»

«I can't go into that, Ken,» Banning said. «Sorry.»

McCoy looked at him very thoughtfully.

«Correct me if I'm wrong, Captain, but I seem to recall that your last valid order from Brigadier General Pickering was, upon detachment from the team bringing personnel records here, to make preparations to move into the Gobi Desert.»

«Yes, sir, that is correct.»

«Having been detached, Captain, those orders remain valid unless countermanded by an officer senior to Brigadier General Pickering, such as the major general who is the signal officer here.»

«I'm getting the message,» McCoy said.

«I don't know what's going on around here, Ken, but whatever it is, you shouldn't be involved with it.»

«Yes, sir,» McCoy said, and put out his hand to Banning.

«Grab your gear, Ernie,» he said. «We're leaving.»

«Don't go into the desert, Ken, until Pickering tells you to.»

«I'll be around,» McCoy said, and motioned for Zimmerman to precede him out of the tunnel.

note 59

U.S. Navy Hospital

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

1615 25 March 1943

«Well, look what's washed up on my beach again,» Commander Jerome C. Kister, MC, USNR, greeted Captain James B. Weston, USMC, when he walked into his office and found Weston waiting for him. He touched Weston's shoulder.

«Good afternoon, sir.»

«Come on in. Rest your weary bones. It's a long drive from West Virginia, isn't it? Even in your gas guzzler?»

«It's a long ride,» Weston agreed.

During which I had a lot of time to think about what I'm going to do about Janice. And did not come up with any answer, except perhaps suicide.

«Sit,» Dr. Kister said, indicating an upholstered chair facing his desk.

«Thank you, sir.»

«And how was your recuperative leave? Are you appropriately grateful to the grateful taxpayers who picked up the tab for your month in the lap of luxury?»

«I wish they just gave me the money,» Weston said.

«But—a little bird told me—you did find the time to work in a little romance. So all was not lost time, was it?»

«I also found time to go to Pensacola,» Weston said. «I don't think I'm going to have to learn to fly all over again.»

«I heard. Tubby Bolemann has been keeping me up to date.»

Weston smiled. Although it made sense, it was the first time he had heard the corpulent psychiatrist called that. «He's a good guy,» Weston said.

«Yeah. They offered him retirement—a hundred percent to start, and fifty percent guaranteed for the rest of his life—but he decided to stick around. Now he's trying to go back to sea.»

«A good guy,» Weston repeated.

«He's also made it official that you are no crazier than any other Marine Aviator. So what happens now is we run you though another quick physical, which I'll schedule for tomorrow morning. And then you can go back to full duty.»