Part 10 (1/2)
”What does your man say he got from this fellow, Bill?” Howe persisted.
”I'm afraid Colonel Lee thinks he got more out of the prisoner than is the case, General,” Dunston said.
”What?” Howe asked. There was now a hint of impatience in his voice.
”Something I would much rather not pa.s.s on, especially to someone as senior as you, until I had a h.e.l.l of a lot to back it up,” Dunston said.
”Specifically, what?” Howe demanded.
”Colonel Lee thinks this guy has information that the Chinese are coming in,” Dunston said. ”He didn't say that, in so many words. It's more of a gut feeling on Lee's part.”
”Interesting,” Master Sergeant Rogers said.
”General,” Dunston said, ”the first thing I was going to do-did-was ask Major McCoy and Mr. Zimmerman to talk first with Colonel Lee, and then the prisoner, and see what they think. And even-no offense-if they thought there was something to it, think long and hard before pa.s.sing it on.”
Howe grunted.
”Afraid of calling, 'Wolf, wolf'?” he asked.
”Yes, sir,” Dunston said, and added, ”General, you've got me on a spot, sir-”
He was interrupted in midsentence by the Korean housekeeper, who entered the room with Howe's and Rogers's breakfasts.
No one spoke until she had laid the plates before them, poured coffee, and left the room.
”I understand, Bill,” Howe resumed.
”General, I think the Chinese will come in,” Dunston said. ”But I don't want to be-you said it, sir-crying wolf until I have a lot more than this to back it up.”
”I understand,” Howe repeated, and started to say something else when the door from the foyer opened and another man came in.
This one was wearing a USMC flight suit, to the breast of which was fixed a leather patch bearing stamped-in-gold -leaf Naval aviator's wings, and the legend W.C. Dunn, LtCol USMC W.C. Dunn, LtCol USMC.
Lieutenant Colonel William C. Dunn, who was five feet six inches tall and weighed not quite one hundred forty pounds, was visibly surprised and discomfited when he saw the two silver stars of each collar point of General Howe's soiled and rumpled Army fatigues.
”I beg the general's pardon, sir,” he said, coming almost to attention. ”I didn't know the general was in here.”
”Colonel Dunn, right?” Howe asked.
”Yes, sir.”
”Your reputation precedes you, Colonel,” General Howe said. ”Please sit down. Have you had your breakfast?”
General Howe thought: With that pink skin and blond crew cut, he really does look like ”an overage cheerleader,” which is how Ernie Zimmerman described him With that pink skin and blond crew cut, he really does look like ”an overage cheerleader,” which is how Ernie Zimmerman described him.
”That's very kind, sir, but I fear I'm intruding.”
”Not at all,” Howe said. ”And I was hoping for a chance to talk to you in the next day or so. My name is Howe.”
He put out his hand.
”Yes, sir. I thought that's who you probably were,” Dunn said.
”The old man in need of a shave and a bath is Master Sergeant Charley Rogers,” Howe said. ”I guess you know everybody else.”
”Yes, sir, I do,” Dunn said, and then rose out of his chair to offer his hand to Rogers. Zimmerman got up and went into the kitchen.
”I didn't expect to see you here, Colonel,” Howe said.
”I happened to be in Seoul, sir, and I wanted to talk to Major McCoy,” Dunn said.
”You 'happened to be' in Seoul?” Howe asked, smiling.
”Yes, sir, I had an early-morning mission-flying cover for a pair of enormous Army helicopters they flew off a transport into Kimpo-and I thought I'd take advantage of the opportunity.”
McCoy's curiosity got the best of him.
”Enormous helicopters?” he blurted. helicopters?” he blurted.
Dunn nodded.
”Sikorskys, I think. I saw a photo of them a while back.”
”Why were you flying cover for them?” Howe asked.
”I guess they didn't want them shot down before they even got here, sir.”
”How's the Army going to use them?” Howe asked. ”You have any idea?”
”Not a clue, sir.”
”You get my message last night, Colonel?” McCoy asked.
”I got it. One of the things I wanted to tell you was that both of the Corsairs with me-there were three of us-are going to take a lot of aerials over those coordinates you gave me-”
”Which were the coordinates for?” Howe interrupted.
”The last place we know Pick was for sure, General,” McCoy said.
”-on the way back to the Badoeng Strait, Badoeng Strait,” Dunn finished his sentence.
Zimmerman came back into the room.
”Chow's on the way, Colonel,” he announced.
”Colonel, what I wanted to talk to you about is Major Pickering,” Howe said.
”Yes, sir.”
”How do we get him back, Colonel?”