The Double Agents (Men at War 6)

Canidy tore his eyes from the horror and scanned the port area.

He noticed that the T-shaped pier where the cargo ship with the Tabun had been tied up no longer was a T. It was a stub, only a third its original length. And then he saw that the pebble beach was stacked with the burned hulls of the smaller fishing boats.

“That explains why there was no fishing-boat traffic near shore,” Canidy said softly. “No one is going in or out of this place.”

Nola still stared at the sunbaked bodies.

“They look,” he said, his voice beginning to quiver again, “as if they have been there for some time.”

“About a week—” Canidy began.

He stopped when he heard behind him the wrenching sound of Jim Fuller violently throwing up on the sidewalk.

[THREE]

OSS Whitbey House Station Kent, England 1550 3 April 1943

“What exactly do you mean you’re not sure you like this next part, Ewen?” Commander Ian Fleming said. “And that there’s little we can do?”

Lieutenant Commander Ewen Montagu raised his eyebrows.

“It’s not exactly a terrible thing,” he explained. “Certainly, not what I feared it could be.” He paused, gathered his thoughts, then went on: “It would appear that everyone likes to be a spy. No one more so than those so high that they could not possibly be one; they are stuck at their desks, making the big decisions.”

“Who are we talking about?” Major David Niven said.

“As we were in the process of getting approvals for this mission,” Montagu explained, “the Vice Chief became keenly interested in how this ruse would play out—”

“So Archie Nye wanted to play?” Niven said.

Montagu nodded. “Very much so. Without any inquiries on my part, he offered up some scenarios. Then he approached Lord Mountbatten—”

“Oh, for christsake!” Niven interrupted. “Dickie got involved, too? Have they not enough to do?”

“Dickie?” Charity repeated.

“Mountbatten’s nickname,” Niven explained. “He got it, story goes, due to some nonsense concerning Czar Nicholas of Russia.” He looked at Montagu. “Anyway, what exactly did Archie and Dickie have to offer?”

Montagu pulled two sheets of typewritten paper from his briefcase and handed them to Niven.

Niven quickly read the first page, making an occasional grunt as he went down the sheet. When he had finished, he slid it across the table to Fleming and began reading the second page.

Fleming picked up the first letter and began reading:

* * *

In Reply, Quote S.R. 1924/43

COMBINED OPERATIONS HEADQUARTERS

1A RICHMOND TERRACE

WHITEHALL S.W.I

21st April, 1943

Dear Admiral of the Fleet,

I promised V.C.I.G.S. that the Major would arrange with you for the onward transmission of a letter he had with him for General Alexander. It is very urgent and very “hot” and, as there are some remarks in it that could not be seen by others in the War Office, it could not go by signal. I feel sure that you will see that it goes on safely and without delay.