“Medium-case scenario: Airplanes are not shot up and no wounded. But Mrs. Likharev and either or both boys are sedated.
“Best-case scenario: Airplanes are not shot up. Mrs. Likharev and the boys are wide awake.
“Any other scenario suggestions?”
There were none.
“It seems obvious that there should be two ambulances waiting when the planes land,” Wallace said.
“Inside the hangar,” Cronley said. “If they are parked outside, people will be curious.”
“Point taken,” Wallace said. “Recommended solution: We get Colonel Wilson to arrange with Colonel Fishburn for the ambulances and station them inside the hangar. Any objections?”
There were none.
“Comments?”
“Two,” Cronley said.
“One at a time, please.”
“What do we do if there are wounded in the ambulances?”
“They go first to the regimental aid station here for treatment. If they’re in bad shape—where’s the nearest field hospital?”
No one knew.
“Tiny,” Wallace ordered, “get on the phone.”
“And while he’s doing that, what if there are dead on the planes?” Cronley asked.
“You, Max, and Kurt wouldn’t be a problem.”
“That’s nice to know,” Max said sarcastically.
“I meant, you’ve got DCI credentials,” Wallace said. “They’d get you into the hospital, dead or alive.”
“That’s comforting,” Max s
aid.
“The Likharevs don’t have DCI credentials,” Cronley said.
“Army hospitals treat indigenous personnel requiring emergency medical attention,” Wallace said.
“What’s ‘indigenous’ mean?” Cronley asked.
“Native. German.”
“The Likharevs are Russian,” Cronley said.
“So we tell the aid station they’re German,” Wallace said impatiently.
“What if one or more of them are dead?” Cronley asked. “What do we do with the bodies?”
Wallace considered the question.
“More important, what do we tell Colonel Likharev?” Cronley asked.