Part 14 (1/2)
”I see what you rinned sheepishly ”We would have thought we'd been victireed ”A crazy little twist of fate over which you had no control whatever Yet the dae would have been done So I had to do what I could to find out if there had been any crazy twist of fate In other words, each of those sealed envelopes contained the infor plane to pass through would carry the President, and members of his party”
Dawson blinked, and suddenly the truth hit hiasped ”You--youthe President?”
”I ents have learned as in those envelopes, they will believe that this boer The President has already left Washi+ngton in secret, and it wouldn't take ents to find out that he isn't at the White House Naturally they'd believe he was aboard this plane”
”Anything funny happen on your flight down, sir?” Freddy Farmer asked, as the senior officer paused for breath
”Nothing that I noticed,” Colonel Welsh replied with a shake of his head ”But just because things don't happen doesn't mean that they _won't_, in time So, as I said, on't know for sure until we arrive at Casablanca”
”And maybe not even then,” Dawson ave the Yank air ace a sharp look, and then nodded his head
”That's right,” he agreed ”And ence ray hair so early in life You never can tell about a job until it's all finished and you're working on another
Then it's the saain”
The trio lapsed into silence, but not for long, because the question that had been plaguing Dawson just had to co we make it to Casablanca okay,” he said, ”and you feel sure that the ene about the President's trip, what then? The sealed orders Farmer and I were to have delivered at the rest of the stops are destroyed, and you say you collected the envelopes we left at Miami and Puerto Rico Hoill they know about the President's plane when it does coot the answer, Dawson” The colonel smiled and pointed to a brief-case on his little table ”In there are duplicates of the orders, _without_ the part about the next bo the President's plane If we reach Casablanca safely, we'll turn around and head south for Liberia, cross the South Atlantic to Natal, and deliver one of those sealed envelopes to each of the stops as we fly north to Washi+ngton I've allowed sufficient time for us to do that, in case that's the way it works out”
”Well,” Dawson remarked, and shi+fted to alike a tay hop across--”
But he never finished his sentence, because at that moment the pilot of the B-25 came back into the made-over bomb compartment and spoke to Colonel Welsh
”A surface shi+p just ahead, sir, sending up distress flares,” he reported ”Probably a merchantman with a torpedo in her plates We're about three hundred and fifty out, due east of Barbados Do you want ave orders, you know, toup distress flares?” Colonel Welsh queried with a frown ”What good does she think flares will do? The captain of any other shi+p near by would be a fool to co around”
”I know, sir,” the pilot said ”Maybe she hears us and wants us to send out her position because her radio shack is gone Maybe she thinks we're a flying boat on patrol”
For some unknown reason a sudden eerie chill rippled across the back of Dawson's neck He looked at Colonel Welsh and tried to convince himself that this was none of his business, but that eerie chill forced hi _else_, sir! I mean, if we send out the shi+p's position, our radio will reveal _our own_ position”
The pilot of the bolared quickly at Dawson, and the corners of his ht,” he said quietly ”I lost a brother that way”
Dawson flushed slightly, but he didn't drop his eyes before the other's stare Before he could say anything, though, Colonel Welsh addressed the pilot
”Circle her and continue to maintain radio silence, Captain,” he said
”Just before you pass her to port, drop a flare so that we can get a good look at her If she see for her Meantio to battle stations”
The boh not to ask any questions He nodded, glanced at Dawson, turned and went forward to his compartave Colonel Welsh an apologetic s out of turn like that, sir,” he said ”I guess the captain must think I'm a little cracked”
”Let him think so,” the colonel re ents, and that it's up to hih what you have, he'd be the first to agree with you Maybe the flare will tell us so If it is a torpedoed shi+p, I think I will take a chance and have her position radioed Poor dev--”
That was as far as the colonel got The savage yaun fire interrupted him An instant later they all heard a yell of pain from the pilot's compartment Even before the echo had died away, the North A and started to slide off and doith both engines wide open