The Assassination Option (Clandestine Operations 2)

Yeah, I immodestly believe they do. But since your basic interest here is to get Operation Ost put under the deputy chief of staff for intelligence, and the only way you’re going to be able to do that is to get me to fuck up royally, I don’t think you’re as pleased with my good suggestions as you’re letting on.

“I find all of this fascinating,” Parsons said. “And I suspect Warren does, too.”

“Sir?”

“Warren and I have spent most of our careers in intelligence, Mr. Cronley, but just about all of it on the analytical side. Isn’t that so, Warren?”

“Yes, sir.”

“As opposed to the operational side is what I mean. What I suppose could be called the nitty-gritty side. So I find all these little operational details fascinating. I never would have thought of hiding a secret operation the way you’re going to do it. A secret operation having absolutely nothing to do with the secret organization in which you’re hiding it. Absolutely fascinating. Brilliant, even!”

Where the hell is he going with this?

“So I’d like to ask a favor of you, Mr. Cronley.”

“Anything I can do for you, Colonel, of course.”

“Cut me a little slack when we start working together.”

“I don’t think I follow you, Colonel.”

“When I said, before, that my wife regards my curiosity as my worst character flaw, she was right on the money. And I know myself well enough to know that when we are working together I’ll come across things that I know are none of my business, but which will cause my curiosity to shift into high gear.

“When that happens, and I ask you—or any of your people—questions that are out of bounds, I want you to feel perfectly free—and tell your people to feel absolutely free—to cut me off at the knees. Just say, ‘That’s none of your business,’ and that will be the end of it. I won’t take offense, and I’ll stop asking questions. How does that sound, Mr. Cronley?”

Actually, you smooth sonofabitch, that’s what I already decided to do if you and ol’ Warren here got too curious. Cut you off at the knees.

“That’s very gracious of you, Colonel,” Cronley said. “Thank you. And I appreciate your understanding that there will be things going on around the Pullach compound that the fewer people know about, the better.”

And I will now wait for the other shoe to drop.

Where’s he going to go from here?

“Well, enough of this,” Parsons said. “Why don’t we change the subject?”

Cronley was so surprised at the other shoe that he blurted, “To what?”

“Women and politics are supposed to be forbidden subjects,” Parsons said. “Either topic is fine with me.”

He got the dutiful laughter he expected.

Then he grew serious.

“General Greene told me that he went to see General Patton shortly before he died. He said the scene was pretty grim.”

Well, that’s changing the subject, all right.

Where’s he going with this?

“It just goes to show, doesn’t it, that you never know what tomorrow will bring?” Parsons asked.

“Sir?”

“Losing your life, painfully, as a result of what General Greene said was really nothing but a fender-bender. And then your IG . . . or the CIC’s . . . IG?”

Cronley felt his stomach tighten.

Jesus Christ, what does he know, what has he heard, about that?