The Fighting Agents (Men at War 4)

"How large an area do you need for your parachutists, Major?" the Countess asked.

Muller glared at her.

"For the time being, Johann," von Heurten-Mitnitz said, "we will go along with Major Canidy."

"A minimum of eight hundred meters by three," Canidy said.

"So large?" she asked, disappointed, and then went on: "There is a field, a meadow, in the mountains above Pecs. We have a hunting lodge there. But it's not that big."

"What's around it?" Canidy asked.

"A forest," she said.

"Would a low-flying aircraft attract attention?"

"Of course," she said.

Canidy exhaled.

"If that's all there is, we'll have to use it," Canidy said.

"Could you find it on a map?"

"I don't know," she said.

"And I don't have a map."

Canidy gestured impatiently at Ferniany, who went to his sheepskin coat, dug into a pocket, and came out with a map.

With some difficulty, the Countess found the meadow she was looking for on the map.

"It's damned small, and it's thirteen miles from Pecs," she said.

"But it hasn't been used, has it?" Canidy said.

"No," Ferniany said.

"There's that."

"Take the coordinates," Canidy ordered, "and then burn the map. And then you better get going."

"Where's he going?" Muller asked.

"To radio the location of the drop zone," Canidy said.

"And to make arrangements to move the professor and Eric once we get them out."

"And what do you plan to do? "von Heurten-Mitnitz asked.

"The next problem is to get me from here to the Countess's hunting lodge," Canidy said.

"How do you plan to do that?" Muller asked.

"Gisella told me you have an Opel Admiral," Canidy said.

"How about that?"

"I can't afford to be seen anywhere near Pecs," Muller said.