The Saboteurs (Men at War 5)

“They have come into our country,” the President explained, “and now are targeting our soldiers on our land. It is difficult enough dealing with U-boats off the coast. We cannot have every American thinking there is a German agent on every U.S. street corner.”

He looked for a long moment at Donovan, then at Hoover. “Any questions?”

“No, sir,” Donovan said.

“None, Mr. President,” Hoover said. “And if that is all, I’d like to be excused in order to get back to the office.”

“Thank you for coming, Edgar.”

Hoover stood, and Donovan followed his lead.

The FBI director shook the President’s hand, then the OSS director’s.

“I’ll let you know—both of you—as soon as I hear from the labs about the Dallas results.”

“Please,” Roosevelt said. “And anything else that Bill should know.”

“Of course, Mr. President.”

As soon as Hoover went out the door, the President looked at Donovan and said, “I think we can both use a belt right now. I’m done with the room for tonight.”

“Allow me,” Donovan said and went to the wooden tray with the crystal. The ice in the pitcher was about half melted.

“Should I call for more ice?” Donovan asked.

Roosevelt looked. “What’s there will be fine. We’ll just pretend we’re students roughing it at Columbia.”

“Then I’d better call for more ice,” Donovan said. “As I recall, you never suffered one second in school.”

“You can go to hell, Colonel,” the President said, laughing. “Pour me a damned martini. A double. I think Eleanor is checking lightbulbs; we should be out of her sights for a while.”

Donovan put ice in two of the crystal glasses, then poured a healthy four ounces of gin on top. He carried the glasses back to the couch and chairs and handed one of the glasses to Roosevelt.

“Victory,” Donovan said, holding up his glass in a toast.

“Victory indeed,” Roosevelt replied and touched his glass to Donovan’s.

After they took a sip, Donovan said, “Is it just me or does anyone else suspect that Edgar does not want to believe there are German agents blowing things up in our country?”

“He’s embarrassed, Bill. He knows they’re out there and wants to bag them as much as anyone—probably more than anyone. But until he can, he’s protecting his image like that prefect in Casablanca—”

He paused, mentally groping for the character’s name.

“Captain Renault,” Donovan supplied. “Played by Claude Rains.”

Donovan and his wife, Ruth, had been among those whom the President had hosted in December in the White House theater under the east terrace for a showing of the new hit movie starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman.

Donovan had found the event somewhat ironic—considering that the love story was set in war-torn, present-day North Africa and that shell casings spent there in OPERATION TORCH barely a month earlier were damned near still warm—but then decided it was in fact Roosevelt relishing the irony.

“—Yes,” the President picked up, enjoying himself, “Captain Hoover declaring, ‘I’m shocked, shocked, to find German agents here!’”

Roosevelt made his toothy grin, then took a good sip of his martini.

“I’m damned lucky,” he went on, “in the absence of this ‘evidence beyond a doubt,’ that he hasn’t just rounded up the usual suspects and called a press conference.”

Donovan chuckled.

Roosevelt, after a moment, said in a deeply serious tone, “Unfortunately, this is a humorless situation.”