Windmills of the Gods

COLONEL MCKinney was studying the note. He looked up at Mary. “You were scheduled to appear this afternoon at the ground breaking for the new library addition. I’ll cancel it and-“

“No.”

“Madam Ambassador, it’s too dangerous for you to-“

“I’ll be safe.” She knew where the danger lay, and she had a plan. “Please tell Mike Slade that I wish to see him right away.”

“You wanted to talk to me?” Mike Slade’s tone was casual.

“I received a call from someone who wants to defect.”

“Who is it?”

She had no intention of telling him. He would betray the girl.

“That’s not important. I want you to bring this, person in.”

Mike frowned. “This could lead to a lot of-“

Mary cut him short. “I want you to go to the ]Roscow Inn at Moldavia and pick her up.”

He started to argue, until he saw the expression on her face. “If that’s what you want, I’ll send-“

“No.” Mary’s voice was steel. “I want you to go. I’m sending two men with you.” With Gunny and another marine along, Mike would not be able to play any tricks. She had told Gunny not to let Mike Slade out of his sight.

Mike was studying Mary, puzzled. “I have a heavy schedule,” he began.

“I want you to leave immediately. Gunny is waiting for you in your office. You’re to bring the defector back here to me.”

Mike nodded slowly. “All right.”

Mary watched him go, with a feeling of relief so intense that she felt giddy. With Mike Slade out of the way, she would be safe.

THE ground-breaking ceremony for the new American library addition was scheduled to be held at four o’clock at Alexandru Sahia Square, in a vacant lot next to the main library building. By three p.m. a large crowd had already gathered. Captain Aurel Istrase, head of the Securitate, had been told of the death threat and had ordered all automobiles removed from the square, so that there was no danger of a car bomb. In addition, police had been stationed around the entire area and a sharpshooter was on the roof of the library. At a few minutes before four, bomb experts swept the area and found no explosives; everything was in readiness for Mar)ls arrival.

As Mary walked from her limousine toward the lot where the ceremony was to take place, two armed -members of the Securitate walked in front of her and two behind her, shielding her with their bodies.

The onlookers applauded as she stepped into the small circle that had been cleared for her. The crowd was a mixture of Romamans, Americans, and attaches from other embassies in Bucharest. As Mary looked at the people she thought, I should never have come here. I’m terrified.

Colonel McKinney was saying, “Ladies and gentlemen, it is my honor to present the ambassador from the United States of America.”’ The crowd applauded.

Mary took a deep breath and began. “Thank you.

She had been so caught up in the maelstrom of events of the past week that she had not prepared a speech, but some deep wellspring within her gave her the words. She found herself saying, “What we are doing here today may seem a small thing, but it is important, because it is one more bridge between our country and all the countries of Eastern Europe. The new buildding we are dedicating here today will be filled with information about the United States of America……

Colonel McKinney and his men were moving through the crowd. The note had said “Enjoy your last day on earth.” When did the killer’s day end? Six p.m.? Nine? Midnight?

On the far side of the square a car suddenly raced past the police barrier and screamed to a stop. at the curb. As a startled policeman moved toward it the driver jumped out and began running away. As he ran, he pulled a device from his pocket and pressed it. The car exploded, sending out a shower of metal into the er.owd. None of it reached the center,”where Mary was standing, but the spectators began to panic, trying to get away. The sharpshooter on the roof raised his rifle and put a bullet through the fleeing man’s heart before he could escape.

It took the Remanian police an hour to clear the crowd away and remove the body. The fire department had put out the flames of the burning car’. Mary was driven back to the embassy, shaken.

“Are you sure you wouldn’t prefer to go to the residence and rest?” Colonel McKinney asked her. “You’ve just been through a horrifying experience.”

“No,” Mary said stubbornly. “The embassy.” That was the only place where she could safely talk to Stanton Rogers. I must talk to him soon, she thought, or I’ll go to pieces.

The strain of everything that was happening to her was becoming unbearable. She had made sure that Mike Slade was safely. out of the way, yet an attempt had still been made on her life. So he was not working alone.

AT six o’clock Mike Slade walked into Mary’s office. He was furious. “I put Corina Socoli in a room upstairs”, he said curtly.

“Nice shot, not to tell me who I was picking up. You’ve made a big mistake. We have to return her. She’s a national treasure. The Romanian government would never allow her out of the country.” Colonel McKinney hurried into the office. He stopped short as he saw Mike. “We have an identification on the dead man. He’s Angel, all right. His real name is H. R. de Mendoza.”

Mike was staring at him. “What are you talking about?”

“Didn’t the ambassador tell you? She received a death warning from Angel. He tried to assassinate her at the ground-breaking ceremony this afternoon. One of Istrase’s men got him.”