Empire and Honor (Honor Bound 7)

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HOOVER BROUGHT TO FARM FREGATTENKAPITÄN WILHELM VON DATTENBERG HEREAFTER SUBMARINE WHO SURRENDERED U-405 TO ARMADA ARGENTINA AT PUERTO BELGRANO 0520 9OCT45.

SUBMARINE TOLD FRIENDLY ARMADA ADMIRAL HE CAME DIRECTLY TO PUERTO BELGRANO FROM GERMANY BUT AFTER MEETING WITH GALAHAD REVEALED HE HAD SECRETLY PUT ASHORE SIXTEEN SS OFFICERS INCLUDING SS-BRIGADEFÜHRER LUDWIG HOFFMANN AND FIVE CRATES UNIDENTIFIED CONTENTS. LIST OF SS OFFICERS WILL BE SENT AS MESSAGE TEX-0014.

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“Hoover” was General de Brigada Bernardo Martín, whose Bureau of Internal Security was something like the FBI, which was under J. Edgar Hoover. “The Farm” was Estancia San Pedro y San Pablo.

Frade did not see any point in identifying “Friendly Armada Admiral” as Vicealmirante Crater. “Galahad” was von Wachtstein. “Irish” was President Edelmiro Julián Farrell. “Tío Juan” was Colonel Juan D. Perón.

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UNDERSIGNED BELIEVES WE ARE GETTING ABSOLUTE TRUTH FROM SUBMARINE AFTER HIS MEETING WITH GALAHAD, AND THAT HE WILL PROVIDE FURTHER ANSWERS TO ALL QUESTIONS WHEN THERE IS OPPORTUNITY TO ASK.

HOOVER INFORMED IRISH OF CREDIBLE PLOT TO ASSASSINATE TIO JUAN. IRISH, BELIEVING EVEN UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPT WOULD TRIGGER CIVIL WAR, ORDERED ARREST OF TIO JUAN FOR HIS OWN PROTECTION. HE IS BEING HELD IN SECRET LOCATION KNOWN TO UNDERSIGNED, WHO IS TAKING NO REPEAT NO ACTION.

URGENTLY REQUEST FULLEST DOSSIERS ON SS OFFICERS LISTED IN TEX-0014.

TEX

TOP SECRET–PRESIDENTIAL

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“Send it,” Frade ordered.

Schultz tore the tape hanging from the SIGABA and then inserted it into another slot of the machine. He then pushed the TRANSMIT button again. The SIGABA began to slowly suck the tape into its innards. No more than sixty seconds later, there was a ping sound and the tape began to eject.

“It’s there, boss,” Schultz announced. “Now what?”

“I’m going to get out of my Mexican bus driver’s uniform, have a shave and a shower, and then—God knows I’ve earned it—a strong drink.”

“‘Mexican bus driver’s uniform’?” Schultz parroted.

“That’s a long story that’ll have to wait until I get out of it.”

“I’ll wait until I get acknowledgment of receipt, and then close up,” Schultz said.

—

Frade came back into the library ten minutes later, now wearing khaki trousers, a polo shirt, and Western boots. Schultz was still sitting at the SIGABA.

“Acknowledgments from both places in Germany,” he announced. “But not from the White House.”

“That’s good enough,” Frade said. “What I want is the dossiers. Shut it down. God only knows where Dulles might be, but the White House switchboard will find him.”

“How are they going to get the dossiers to us?” Schultz asked. “Sixteen dossiers is a lot to feed through the SIGABA.”

“Mattingly will think of something,” Frade said.

“Tell me about your Mexican bus driver’s uniform.”

Frade began to do so, and by the time he had finished, Schultz had shut down the Collins and the SIGABA and closed the section of bookcase. There now was not even a suggestion that something was hidden behind it.

Frade, meanwhile, had pulled another section of the bookshelves open, this time revealing a well-stocked wet bar.

He was making drinks, pouring from a bottle of Johnnie Walker Black, when a buzzer sounded.