Part 36 (1/2)
”Did Jamison give you any indication which was better? ” Fine asked.
”There is a problem,” Stevens said. ”The teams that have finished their training have been trained to go in to t.i.to, not Mihajlovi.”
”G.o.d!” Bruce said. There were two major guerrilla forces in Yugoslavia. Colonel Draa Mihajlovi led a force of Royalists, and Josip Broz, who called himself ”t.i.to,” led a larger force of Communists.
”It was necessary, David,” Stevens said. ”We had to appear even-handed, and that meant sending teams to t.i.to.”
”What about the team in training?” Bruce asked.
”Mihajlovi,” Stevens said. ”But it's a communications team. No specific training for something like this.”
”What about Janos?” Helene Dancy asked. ”When does he get out of his cast?”
”Friday,” Charity said.
”Who the h.e.l.l is Janos?” Bruce asked.
”The first lieutenant who broke his ankle,” Dancy furnished.
”Well, we can hardly take his cast off one day and jump him in the next,” Bruce said.
”Janos was trained to go in to Mihajlovi,” Dancy said.
”And we're not going to jump them in anyway,” Charity said. Bruce snapped his head around to look at her. Charity smiled, and added, ”Are we?”
”We may have to,” Stevens said. ”With Dolan under the weather, I think we have to leave him out of the equation. And that means there's no one but that young pilot . . . whatsisname?”
”Darmstadter,” Helene Dancy furnished.
”Darmstadter,” Stevens said, ”. . . to fly the B-25. Which means either parachuting them onto Vis or, for that matter, into Hungary, or sending them by submarine.”
”I can fly the B-25,” Fine said.
”No,” Bruce said. ”You're the control.”
”Doug Dougla.s.s can fly the B-25,” Charity said.
Bruce looked at her.
”He's not . . . a.s.signed to us,” he said.
”Can't that be arranged?” Charity asked. ”TDY or something?”
”We're getting ahead of ourselves,” Fine said. ”The first decision that has to be made is about the team. Do we send in a t.i.to team?”
Charity looked at Colonel Stevens.
”No,” Stevens said flatly.
”What's the difference?” Helene Dancy asked.
”For the men, none,” Stevens said. ”But we will not send an officer on this who has been selected to go in to t.i.to.”
”May I ask why, Sir?” Fine asked.
”No, I'm afraid I can't tell you, Stan,” Stevens said.
Fine looked curious, but shrugged.
”It looks as though we're back to Janos,” he said. ”And to flying him in rather than jumping him in, because of his ankle. And since I can't fly the B-25, we're also back to Dougla.s.s. May I ask that you reconsider, Sir, my flying the B-25?”
”Out of the question,” Bruce said.
”And we're not even sure of Janos,” Stevens said. ”Helene, get the medical officer at Whitbey House on the horn and get a report on Janos's ankle. Specifically, what shape he will be in when they take the cast off, and for how long.”
”While she's doing that,” Fine said, ”what about transport of the team from here to Cairo? If they're going to Cairo?”
”What do you mean by that?” Stevens asked.
”I thought perhaps Malta,” Fine said.
”Oh,” Stevens said.
”We'll send them to Cairo,” Bruce said. ”They'll attract less attention there. And we'll send them on the ATC courier. There's a daily flight. If we send one man a day, starting right now, they should attract no attention at all. Wilkins is good at distracting attention.”
”Mr. Bruce,” Fine said, almost hesitantly. ”I'm afraid that you will think I'm rephrasing a request that has already been denied-”
”What, Fine?” Bruce asked impatiently.
”Project Aphrodite has two new B-17s,” Fine said.
”One of which you would like to fly to Cairo?” Bruce asked, icily sarcastic.
”May I explain my thinking, Sir?”
”No,” Bruce said.
”I would like to hear it,” Charity said.
Bruce glared at her and opened his mouth to speak. Before he could, there was a knock at the door, and instead of saying what he'd intended, Bruce said, his voice angry and impatient: ”We are not to be disturbed!”
”Operational Immediate Eyes Only for you, Sir,” Capt. Harrison's voice came through the door.
”Oh, h.e.l.l,” Bruce said, ”now what?” He raised his voice. ”Bring it in, Harrison!”