The Assassination Option (Clandestine Operations 2)

“Sir, Major Thomas G. Derwin reporting for duty.”

The general returned the salute, said, “You may stand at ease,” then extended his hand. “Welcome to EUCOM CIC, Major. How was the flight?”

The general gestured for the captain to sit, and he did so, in an armchair at one end of the coffee table.

“Long and noisy, sir.”

“I am having symptoms of caffeine deficiency,” the general said, raising his voice.

“Antidote on the way, General,” a female voice called.

A moment later, the WAC chief warrant officer pushed a wheeled tray holding a silver coffee service into the room.

“We can pour our own coffee, Alice—or get Cronley to pour it . . .”

Did he say Cronley?

“. . . and then no calls except from the Command Group. When General Gehlen appears, show him in.”

“Yes, sir,” the WAC officer said.

“Cronley, what’s Gehlen doing here?” the Armor colonel asked, somewhat unpleasantly.

“He said that he’d like to be present, so I brought him along.”

“Was that necessary?” the colonel asked.

“I thought it was appropriate,” Cronley replied.

The colonel doesn’t like Captain Cronley. And Cronley—twice—didn’t append “sir” when replying to the colonel’s questions.

But he—and Greene—let him get away with it.

“Bob, this is Major Derwin. Major, this is Colonel Robert Mattingly, my deputy,” the general said.

“Welcome to EUCOM, Major,” Mattingly said, and offered his hand.

“Coffee, Cronley, coffee,” General Greene said.

“Yes, sir,” Cronley said. He stood up and started pouring coffee for everybody.

When he got to Derwin, Derwin asked, “Have we met, Captain?”

“Yes, sir,” Cronley said.

“At Holabird?”

“Yes, sir.”

The sonofabitch is smiling. What’s so funny?

The master sergeant appeared at the door.

“Sir,” he announced, “Generals Smith and Gehlen.”

General Smith, a tall, trim, erect officer who was in ODs, and General Gehlen walked into the office. Everyone rose and stood to attention.

I’ll be damned, Derwin thought. That is him, Generalmajor Reinhard Gehlen, former chief of Abwehr Ost, the intelligence agency of the German high command, dealing with the Ost . . . which meant the Russians.