Secret Warriors (Men at War 2)

USN; a Navy commander and a young lieutenant (obviously these two were officers from the Lakehurst guard detail); Mr. El don C. Baker; Miss Cynthia Chenowith; and Captain Stanley S. Fine, USA AC. Donovan thought it was especially interesting that Fine sat with Doug lass, Baker, and the others. Captain Peter Doug lass had the night before accepted full responsibility for what had happened and had offered his resignation.

Donovan had no intention of accepting it, but when he glanced at Doug lass's crestfallen face he realized that Doug lass had imagined the worst possible scenario for the situation. To judge by his face, Bak

er simply looked angry. Cynthia Chenowith seemed embarrassed and ashamed.

The two Navy officers had faces Donovan recognized from his own military service: The big brass hat has just arrived, and there is no telling what will happen next. Fine, as always, was a lawyer, privy to the mess before the bar but not personally involved in it. Donovan suppressed a smile when the young lieutenant, carried away as the big brass hat started up the stairs, came to attention and saluted. That triggered an automatic reflex from the other officers on the porch, They all saluted, even the admiral. "Good morning Donovan said as he reached the top. He offered his hand to Doug lass and Baker, introduced himself to the other naval officers, smiled at Cynthia, and then took Ruth's arm and crossed the porch to where Barbara Whittaker and her group waited.

The women embraced while Martin introduced Donovan to the admiral and his staff, "We have a little problem, Barbara," Donovan said, "that has to be talked out. Is there someplace we can go?"

"Captain Doug lass suggested that we clean up the breakfast room for you, Bill," Barbara said. "Fine," Donovan said.

"Holds worth, if you don't mind, I'd like you to sit with us. I'm going to need your advice." With a little bit of luck, if it becomes necessary to put your son on ice, you will hear enough to agree that it is necessary. "I am not a disinterested observer, Bill," Martin said.

"None of us is," Donovan said.

"Will you excuse us, please?" He walked toward the front door of the house. "Pete," he said, 4C you want to come along, please "Yes, Sir," Captain Doug lass said, and followed them into the breakfast room. A glass-topped table had been equipped with legal pads and a glass full of sharpened pencils. The security people had connected two telephones. One of them, a red instrument, was a secured line. "I will begin, Pete," Donovan said, "by saying your resignation is declined, and that while I will be very interested in your worst possible scenario, I don't think the war has yet been lost."

"I think," Martin said, "that much ado is being made about nothing. "I must respectfully disagree with Mr. Martin, Colonel," Captain Doug lass said, and then he outlined his theory that every operation now under way, planned, or discussed was compromised by the current security breach. Donovan was impressed with Doug lass's presentation, and he suspected that Doug lass had worked on his speech from the moment Baker had called him the night before. "All right, Pete," Donovan said when he had finished.

"That's just what I wanted. Will you send in Baker, so that we get all the bad news at once? Baker was in fact angry; more than angry, outraged. He was a professional intelligence officer, and furious that a number of well-laid plans were apparently going down the toilet not only because of the inexcusable carelessness of a bunch of amateurs, but because-more seriously certain individuals who could have been expected to know better had acted sloppily.

THE SECRET WARRIORS M low He didn't mention Captain Doug lass's name, Donovan thought, but he left no doubt who he means. And then he had another thought: No, that's not all that he means. The "certain individuals,' plural, includes me. Baker had apparently spent as much time as Doug lass preparing his opening statement. He likewise had specific recommendations. Canidy should be relieved of his responsibilities and put on ice at least until after the African flight and Operation Torch.

After that his case would be reviewed and a decision made about what to do next with him. Whittaker and Fulmar should also be put on ice, at least until after operation Torch. Their cases would be reviewed then.

Fulmar, considering the projected use of him, would require special attention. Although it had to be presumed that they knew more than they had a right to know, Commander Bitter, Major Doug lass, and Lieutenant Martin could probably be made aware of all the relevant security implications and so could be returned to their units and trusted to keep their mouths shut. Bitter's wife could also doubtless be trusted. s The wild cards were Ann Chambers and Charity Hoc he. Hoc he, Baker said, had the brains of a gnat as well as an automatic mouth. There was no doubt that no matter how carefully everything was explained to her, she would promptly talk to whoever would listen about the fascinating people she had met at Deal. "And Ann Chambers is a journalist," Baker concluded, "She smells a story, and she's skilled at pulling facts from people. There is no question that at this very moment she is skillfully milking facts to fill in what didn't come out last night when Canidy and company were in their cups." The Misses Chambers and Hoc he consequently should be put under close supervision, regardless of the consequences, until after the African flight and Operation Torch, Baker said flatly.

That's a wish list he's offering me, Donovan concluded. Everything he would like to have but knows he can't get. Still, he has gone on record that if something goes wrong, the onus will not fall on him.

But he's right about one thing. Ann Chambers is a loose cannon rolling around on the deck of a ship in a storm. "As for Captain Fine," Baker concluded, "he is the silver lining. We can turn the African flight over to him.

Presuming he returns safely from that, he can be put to work on the other projects." If we relieve Canidy, what do we do about a backup aircraft?" Donovan asked.

"It would mean bringing somebody else in, and who would that be?"

"I could go, of course," Baker said. "No, you know too much about uraninite," Donovan said.

"I'm even uncomfortable with Grunier's knowledge of our interest. "But if the backup aircraft were required," Baker argued, "we would have to presume that secrecy would be compromised anyway. For that reason I'd take my chances on only one plane. "But we absolutely have to have the uraninite," C. Holds worth Martin, Jr." said.

"Even at the price of letting the Germans know we're working on an atomic bomb. For the long term, getting that ore is of greater importance than Torch." Donovan snorted his agreement. Then, realizing that nothing more was going to come from Baker but repetition of the' arguments he'd already made, Donovan cut him off. "I want to talk to Ann Chambers," Donovan said.

"Would you send her in, please, El don?" As soon as he was out the door, C. Holds worth Martin, Jr., said, "Bill, for God's sake, you're not actually thinking of locking the Chambers girl up, are you?"

"Baker thinks that may be necessary," Donovan said. "Brandon Chambers," C. Holds worth Martin, Jr." said, "has so far been willing and eager to cooperate with us. You lock his daughter up, and that will change. You can't tell Brandon Chambers that his daughter is a security risk. I'm sure you're aware, further, that Richard Hoc he, Charity's father, is a very good constitutional lawyer. You lock those girls up, and you can count on Roosevelt's questionable interpretation of habeas corpus being brought before the Supreme Court. And Chambers would keep the story on page one of all his newspapers until they heard it," "We have a mess, don't we, Holds worth?" Donovan said. "I re eat that I think much ado is being made about nothing," Martin p said.

"And I repeat, we have a mess, don't we, Holds worth?" There was a knock at the door, and a female voice called, "Colonel Donovan? "Come in, Ann," Donovan said.

She was wearing a thin pale yellow blouse and a light blue pleated skirt. She looked as sweet and innocent as a college girl-until you looked at her eyes. She was considerably tougher than she looked at first glance, and she was clearly wary but not afraid. "How's your family, Ann?" Donovan asked. "Cousin Edwin's a little green around the gills, Colonel," Ann said. "But the rest of us are just fine."

Donovan smiled.

"Commander Bitter may be a little green around the gills, as you put it, Ann," he said, "because he may have a greater understanding of what's going on right now than you do."

"That could well be," Ann said. "What do you think is going on around here?"

"I'll take the Fifth on that one, Colonel Donovan," she said.

"Certainly you're curious?"