Top Secret (Clandestine Operations 1) - Page 186

“I don’t know. I spent most of the time as we dined in stony silence wondering whether I was a very clever intelligence officer who knew how to break an NKGB officer or a very young, very stupid officer absolutely unqualified to mentally duel with a good NKGB officer. And, in either case, a candidate for the Despicable Prick of All Time Award.” He paused, and then added: “I really wish I didn’t like the sonofabitch.”

“So, what happens now?”

“Only time will tell. It’s now in the hands of the Lord. You may wish to write that down.”

“Actually, I think we did pretty good,” Dunwiddie said.

“Really?”

“You may wish to write this down. ‘Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just. And this be our motto: In God is our trust.’ It gets us off the hook, Despicable Prick–wise.”

“What the hell is that?”

“It’s from the last verse of ‘The Star-Spangled Banner,’” Dunwiddie said. “They didn’t sing that at Texas Cow College?”

XII

[ ONE ]

Commanding Officer’s Quarters

Kloster Grünau

Schollbrunn, Bavaria

American Zone of Occupation, Germany

0705 5 November 1945

Captain Cronley was shaving when First Sergeant Dunwiddie came into his quarters.

“Gehlen and Mannberg walked into the mess as I walked out,” Dunwiddie announced.

“Thank you for sharing that with me.”

“I thought you should have it in mind when you read this,” Dunwiddie said, holding up a SIGABA printout.

Cronley turned from the mirror and put his hand out for the sheet of paper. His eyes fell to it:

PRIORITY

TOP SECRET LINDBERGH

DUPLICATION FORBIDDEN

FROM VINT HILL TANGO NET

0850 GREENWICH 5 NOVEMBER 1945

TO VATICAN ATTENTION ALTARBOY

FOLLOWING BY TELEPHONE FROM TEX 0825 GMT 5 NOV 1945

BEGIN MESSAGE

NOW SOLVED BANKING PROBLEMS WILL DELAY ESTIMATED DEPARTURE TIME UNTIL 1000 MIDLAND TIME 6 NOVEMBER STOP TEX END

END MESSAGE

Tags: W.E.B. Griffin Clandestine Operations Thriller
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