Griffin W.E.B. - Honor Bound 03 - Secret Honor

"Taxiway Two Right, right on the tarmac to the terminal."

"Correct, Eight Four Three."

"Muchos gracias, amigo," Clete said, and hung up the microphone.

Ground handlers were waiting in front of the terminal to help him park the Lodestar. He shut it down and climbed out of the pilot's seat. "Permit me to say, Captain Ashton, that in all of my vast experience flying Lodestar aircraft, I have never met someone who could handle the flaps and gear controls with such skill and elan as you showed," Clete said.

"I hate to remember that I was a passenger the first time you flew this great big sonofabitch," Ashton said.

"I think it was the second time I flew it, not the first," Clete said, and walked into the cabin. "Enrico, find a phone some place, call the house on Avenida Coronel Diaz, and have someone drive a car out here. Is Senora Dorotea's Buick there?"

"Si, Senor Clete."

"Then have them bring the Buick."

"Clete, I can drive you into town, my car's here," Tony

Pelosi said.

"I want to go around town, not into it," Clete said. "But thank you."

"Are we going to do an after-action, boss?" Ashton asked.

"You mean did our theatrics properly impress Almond?"

"Yeah."

"I think so. It went well, I think. I thought he was going to piss his pants when I shot next to him."

"A completely understandable reaction, I would say,"

Ashton said.

"I hope it went well," Clete said thoughtfully. "I really don't want to have to kill him."

"Are you prepared to?" Ashton asked, very seriously.

Clete met his eyes, then nodded.

"Sometimes, despite the unkind things Colonel Graham said to you, I think you really are suited for this line of work," Ashton said.

"I'm almost sorry Almond doesn't know Graham," Clete said, not responding to the comment. "And I agree with

Tony, I don't think he's even heard his name. I thought it would be sort of funny if Almond told him he had checked me out in the Lodestar."

He walked the rest of the way down the aisle, opened the door, and jumped to the ground.

"Welcome to Buenos Aires, my friend," Coronel

Bernardo Martin said, stepping out of the shadows. "I was getting a little worried about you."

"I'm touched, but why should you be worried?"

"You left Posadas Airfield at half past eleven this morn ing, and no one's seen you since."

"Well, it's a long way from Missiones Province, mi Coro nel."

Ashton jumped to the ground, then Pelosi.

"You remember these gentlemen, I'm sure," Clete said.

Martin saluted, and Ashton and Tony returned it some what awkwardly.

"We don't salute when we're in civilian clothing," Clete said.

"Really? I wonder why not? I don't think that people stop being officers when they put on civilian clothing, do you?"

Enrico jumped to the ground, saw Martin, and saluted.

"You see?" Martin asked, chuckling. "Enrico under stands."

"Unless you'd rather stand around here chewing the fat with Coronel Martin, why don't you guys take off?" Clete said. "Call me when you hear something."

"Yes, Sir," Tony said.

"I see Lieutenant Pelosi isn't the only one who can't seem to remember you're no longer an officer," Martin said.

"For which I will order him tarred and feathered," Clete said.

"You're not going into town with them?" Martin asked.

"I have to tie the airplane down, and then see that it's fueled," Clete said. "That'll take thirty minutes. There's no point in them waiting around."

"Then good evening, gentlemen," Martin said. "It's always a pleasure to encounter members of our diplomatic corps, and I'm glad that my fears about your welfare were groundless."

"They were probably intuitive, mi Coronel," Ashton said.

"After flying with Senor Frade, I am always tempted to kiss the ground when we finally get back on it."

Martin laughed dutifully, and offered his hand to each of them.

"Go find a phone, Enrico," Clete ordered when they had gone.

"May I ask why?" Martin asked.

"To get us a car to drive to the estancia," Clete said. "My wife's car is at the Coronel Diaz house."

"I'll be happy to drive you to Coronel Dfaz. My car is here."

"Thank you, but no thank you," Clete said. "I wouldn't want you to waste your valuable time waiting for me here."

"I insist, my friend," Martin said, smiling.

Clete met his eyes and then shrugged.

"In that case, how would you like to help me tie down the airplane?"

"I would be delighted," Martin said.

"Manuel, this is Senor Frade, and the gentleman sitting beside you is Suboficial Mayor Rodriguez, Retired," Martin said when they were in the blue Dodge.

"I'm happy to meet you, Manuel," Clete said. "Even if I suspect that you're more than el Coronel's driver."

"In a very real sense, Cletus," Martin said. "Manuel is to me what Enrico is to you. Where I go, he goes, and he knows that what he hears or sees goes no further than I tell him it should."

Clete was watching Lascano's face in the rearview mirror. It flushed with pride.

"If he's half as good at that as Enrico," Clete said, "then I would say you are fortunate to have him as a friend,

Bernardo."

"I think so," Martin said. "So tell me, Cletus, do you see much of our mutual friend Coronel Almond?"

"No, can't say that I do."

"He's looking for someone called Galahad," Martin said.

"Who?"

"I thought that was perhaps the reason for your tour of

Argentina today, Cletus. That you were assisting the Colonel and Major Ashton and Lieutenant Pelosi in trying to find

Senor Galahad."

"Bernardo, you couldn't be'more wrong," Clete said.

"A man bearing a striking resemblance to Coronel

Almond was reported getting on your airplane at El Palomar this morning."

"Is that so? I can't imagine why. Maybe your… friend… mistook Captain Ashton for Coronel Almond."

Martin smiled. Almond was tall and thin with very fair skin. Ashton was short, dark-skinned, and obviously Latin.

"I suppose that's possible," Martin said.

"You're looking for Colonel Almond, are you, Bernardo?

Why?"

"Actually, it's Mr. Galahad who's piqued my curiosity. Do you know him, by any chance, Cletus?"

"Never heard the name."

"I thought you might have been looking for him in Cor doba or Posadas."

"My, you have been keeping track of me, haven't you?"

"I thought perhaps you were headed for Montevideo again, despite what I took to be our understanding that you wouldn't do that without passing through immigration."

"I wouldn't do that," Clete said. "Not only would that be illegal, but it would violate our understanding."

"And what were you doing in Cordoba and Posadas, if you don't mind my asking?"

"I'm thinking of starting an airline. I wanted to take a look at the airfields around the country. Captain Ashton went with me to help me with the controls. And to get a look at the land. He's an assistant military attache, you know, and they like to learn as much about the host country as they can."

"So I've heard," Martin said. "And I don't think you found

Galahad in Bariloche, either?"

"I don't even know who your Senor Galahad is, as I've told you, Bernardo."

"And you weren't in Bariloche, either?"

"San Carlos de Bariloche? I didn't even know they had an airfield."

"Just a simple gravel strip," Martin said. "No terminal.

Very few people even know it's there. But you have experi ence in flying into simple airfields that very few people know about, don't you?"

"A little."

"Well, in my simple way, I've just been trying to put things together," Martin said.

"What things?"

"I had a most interesting report from the Gendarmeria

Nacional in Bariloche several hours ago. A man walked into town from the direction of the airstrip, went to the Gen darmeria, identified himself as Colonel Almond, said he had lost his diplomatic carnet and his passport, and requested assistance."