Griffin W.E.B. - Honor Bound 01 - Honor Bound

"He then summoned the police, who upon arrival, dispatched Se?or Frade to a hospital for treatment of his wounds, and began an investigation into the identity of the criminals." The Herald has been unable to obtain any details concerning Mr. Frade's condition, but a police official who did not wish to be identified said that the scene of the shooting was bathed with blood, that "many shots were exchanged," and that Mr. Frade was "extremely lucky to have survived the encounter." The same official said that Mr. Frade, who has been living in the United States, recently returned to Argentina as General Manager of Howell Petroleum, Venezuela, and has been living in the residence temporarily.

"These were obviously brutal, hardened criminals," this official stated. "And it was only God's mercy and Se?or Frade's great personal courage that saved his life. Clearly, if he had been unarmed, he would have suffered the same tragic fate as Se?ora Pellano."

“Everything is bullshit, except that they murdered Se?ora Pellano."

"The guy that came to get me said they cut her throat, practically cut her head off," Tony interrupted.

Clete saw Enrico's face darken.

"Se?ora Pellano was Sergeant Major Rodriguez's sister, Tony," Clete said evenly.

"Jesus! Sorry, Sergeant," Tony said. "I didn't know."

Enrico nodded: It doesn't matter. No offense.

"So who were these guys? I didn't think they were burglars.

Real mafiosi? Italians?"

Clete nodded. "I don't know if they were Italians. But local gangsters. They were sent to kill me. Almost certainly by the Germans. So they knew about me. And if they know about me, they probably know about you. And maybe about David, too."

Tony accepted that without much surprise.

"How do you think they found out?"

"My father was here. He let it out that the BIS know we work for the OSS. There must be somebody in the BIS talking to the Germans."

"And you just got lucky when they came after you?"

"I was warned they were coming. And just in time." That got Tony's attention.

"By who?"

"Tony, I just can't tell you that."

"Why not?"

"I just can't."

Tony considered that a moment, and drew his own conclusion, which obviously pleased him.

"We've got somebody in with the Germans?"

"I didn't say that."

Tony shrugged, signifying Clete didn't have to put it in words, that's what it had to be. "So what happens now?"

"I don't know," Clete said. "My father's going to have me expelled from Argentina. And the destroyer will be here in a couple of days. I'm going to have to leave . .. unless, of course, I can get to use the destroyer's radios and get in touch with Colonel Graham. The best I can hope for is that my father can't have me expelled before the destroyer gets here."

"So what happens to Ettinger and me? What do you want us to do?"

"Nothing. I brought you in here to tell you what happened at the Guest House. And to tell you to watch out for yourselves. But nothing's changed about the orders I gave you. Just sit tight."

"If you say so, Lieutenant," Tony said, not liking it at all.

"Consider it an order, Lieutenant," Clete said, and then had another thought. “And speaking of orders: I told you to stay away from me. So what were you doing at the Guest House?"

Tony looked very embarrassed. "It was a personal matter, forget it."

"I don't want to forget it, Tony. I want to know what was so important you went to the Guest House after I told you to stay away."

Tony looked even more uncomfortable. He looked at Enrico. "Does he speak English?"

"No."

"I got a girl in trouble," Tony blurted.

Jesus Christ, is he serious?

"You did what?"

"I got a girl in trouble."

You certainly didn't waste any time, did you?

And you're really upset about it.

For the girl. This is not “Oh, shit, I knocked up a girl and her father wants me to marry her.”

"Do you mean what I think you mean, Tony?"

Tony looked confused for a moment, then his expression changed to outraged innocence.

"It's nothing like that. Jesus, Clete, she's not that kind of a girl! Christ, I've never even tried to cop a feel."

"Then how is she in trouble?"

"Her boyfriend saw us in El Tigre. Or, really, some sonofabitch saw us in El Tigre, took our picture, and showed it to her boyfriend, and he's a real prick."

"Tony, I don't understand what the hell the problem is. Is the boyfriend coming after you?"

"He's not exactly her boyfriend," Tony said uncomfortably.

What the hell is he talking about?

"What exactly is he?"

"I mean, I don't think she even really likes him. He's sort of, like, supporting her."

Oh, Tony. You poor bastard. You've got yourself hooked by a clever whore who saw what a wholly decent and damned naive kid you are!

"This man is supporting her? Then she's not your girlfriend? You're not in love with her?"

"Of course not. I mean, no, I'm not in love with her..."

Like hell, you aren't. You just don't want to admit it to me. Or maybe even to yourself.

"... and yeah, her boyfriend is, was, supporting her."

"I don't understand, Tony."

"I talked her into going to El Tigre. It's my fault."

"And somebody took a picture of you and showed it to her boyfriend," Clete said. "And he got sore. And dumped this girl, the one you're not in love with, and now she's telling you you're going to have to support her?"

"No," Tony said firmly. "She didn't say anything like that at all. I know what you're thinking, Clete. But she's not playing me for a sucker, Clete! Absolutely not!"

Sorry, but that's exactly what it looks like to me.

"Then what's the problem, Tony?"

"This guy guaranteed a loan for her father—her father owns a restaurant—and now he's going to the bank and telling them to cancel the guarantee. And her father'll have to pay off the loan, and he doesn't have the dough, so they'll take the restaurant. And the house upstairs."

He probably still believes in the tooth fairy!

"How much, Tony?"

"Thirteen grand. Maybe a little more."

Does he really expect me to come up with thirteen thousand dollars?

Yes, he does. He believes in both the tooth fairy and in the universal goodness of man.

"Tony," Clete said, as gently as he could. "Have you thought how this looks to me? I know, you say she's not that kind of a girl, and that you're not in love with her, but it looks to me like she's playing you like a violin."

"Forget I asked," Tony replied, with both anger and hurt in his eyes.

"Tony, have you considered that it's at least a possibility—I mean, this isn't some girl you've known for years. You just met her—that as soon as you give her the money, she says 'Muchas gracias' and goes back to her boyfriend?"

"I told you it's not like that. And she didn't ask me for a dime. I had to pull the story out of her."

Yeah, sure you did. While she looked at you with big, tearful eyes and a few well-timed sobs.

"And anyway, I wasn't going to ask you to give me the fucking money, just help me get it in a hurry down here from my bank in Chicago. I got fifty-three grand in the bank."

"Where'd you get fifty-three thousand dollars?" Clete asked in surprise.

And is the girl you don't love and is absolutely not playing you for a sucker aware you're got fifty-odd thousand dollars?

“Three of it was my college money, and my grandfather left me fifty grand when he died. I figured, since you know people here, you could help me get thirteen grand down here, maybe fifteen, just to be sure."

As sure as Christ made little apples, he's being played for a sucker; but I can't convince him of that.

So what do I tell him?

He stuck with you. Loyalty is loyalty, and it works down as well as up. This guy is on your team. So what you do is try to help him. If you can minimize the damage, fine, but you help him.