Secret Warriors (Men at War 2)

"People who take their orders directly from God are often difficult and dangerous."

"How much of this can I tell Whittaker, Martin, and Fulmar?" Canidy asked. "When you think Whittaker should know, you are authorized to tell him there is a bona fide threat to Admiral de Verbey's life."

"And the others?"

"I'll leave it up to you, but I can think of no reason they have to know."

"Then why are you sending them along in the first place?" Doug lass and Stevens exchanged glances. "Tomorrow morning Doug lass said, "Chief Ellis will deliver to Colonel Stevens a small suitcase. It will contain a little over one minion dollars in American, English, French, and Swiss currency. Most of it will be used for other purposes by the London station, but possibly two hundred fifty thousand dollars of it-Murphy is still negotiating with Sidi el Ferruch-will be sent to Morocco. Fulmar and Martin will take it in." Canidy looked at Doug lass for a

long moment considering that. The money didn't surprise him. Fine was carrying a hundred thousand dollars in cash. Something else bothered him.

7V "And you're not going to tell me, are you," he asked, "why You just diplomatic pouch?" don't send it in the "Not in specifics," Doug lass said.

"How about philosophically?" Canidy asked. it's often neces "Before you ask someone to do something important, sary to ask him to do something somewhat less important , to see how he handles it." can be trusted,' Canidy said, and then he un" You mean to see if he u're talking derstood.

"You're not talking about Fulmar," he said.

"Yo about von Heurten-Mitnitz. You're going to put Fulmar on his plate like bone in front of a dog, and see if he can resist it."

"That's your scenario," Doug lass said. "Oh, Christ!" Canidy said.

But that was all he said. Donovan was right, Stevens decided. Canidy is, where it counts, a very good man.

THREE I The House on a Street, NW Washington, D.C. 1130 Hours August 5, 19411 ang the bell. Takcharity Hoc he came to the door when the security man ring one look at Ann, she announced, "You're not supposed to be here, Ann, and you know it."

"She's got a press card, and she said she had an appointment with Miss Chenowith,' the security man said. "Do you?"

Charity challenged.

"Yes," Ann said.

"Ask Cynthia." a moment, I'll Charity knew Ann was lying, but she still said, "Just check," and closed the door. Cynthia Chenowith opened it two minutes later." I'll handle this," she said to the guard." Come in, Ann.

She led her no farther into the house than the vestibule. "Now, what's all this?" Cynthia said.

"I thought it was understood I was sort of an honorary Dilettante," Ann said. "What was understood was that you would write nothing and ask no questions. You should know better than to come here, "N%ere's Dick?"

Ann said. "You thought he was here?" Cynthia asked.

"What gave you that idea? " Ann didn't reply. To do so would have been an admission that Dick had called her from Deal and told her that he had been ordered to come to Washington with enough clothes for two weeks.

He'd said he couldn't promise he would be in Washington, but if she could get away and wanted to take the chance... Cynthia took the meaning of the silence. "He's not here, Ann," she said.

"And he won't be."

"Where is he?" Ann asked. "I really don't know," Cynthia said. "You mean you won't tell me," Ann said. "I mean he's not here," Cynthia repeated, and then she took just a little pity on Ann.

"And he won't be here, Ann, for some time."

"You mean he went overseas," Ann ch ge The reporter in her saw she had hit home. "I said nothing of the kind," Cynthia said. "Well, thanks for nothing," Ann said, and turned around and started to leave. "Wait a minute," Cynthia said.

"I'll have Charity take you back downtown."

"Don't bother," Ann said. "Don't be any more of a fool than you already are," Cynthia said, then called Charity. Despite her best efforts-including what she hoped were credible sobs-Ann got nothing out of Charity in the station wagon on the way downtown. But then she thought that Dick's whereabouts weren't completely the mystery they at first seemed to be. He was almost certainly overseas. And he was involved in Europe and Africa, not the Far East. That French admiral was somehow connected, and so was that Fulmar character. The American headquarters for Europe was in London. It was going to be difficult finding him in London, but there was absolutely no way she was going to find him if she was in Memphis, Tennessee. Charity," she commanded," drop me at Woodward and Lathrop's. The landmark Washington department store was several blocks from the Washington bureau of the Chambers Publishing Company. Two could play at the Big Secret, she thought.

She did not want Charity to report to that damned Cynthia Chenowith that she had gone directly from the Secret Mansion to a news bureau.

"I'm really sorry," Charity said when she dropped her off. "I know," Ann said.