Assignment to Disaster by Edward S. Aarons Read Free Book Online Page A

around, here in the East, and in Las Tiengas, too. The enemy apparatus will spot it all, you can count on it."
    "And the other level?"
    McFee pointed the stem of his pipe. 'That's you."
    Durell felt a great wave of relief wash through him.
    "Officially," McFee said, "you'll be in the hospital. But I've got an Army jet bomber ready to fly West in about an hour. You'll be on it. You'll go to Las Tiengas and work alone."
    "But the girl…"
    "If she cracks, they may take her with them to Las Tiengas, too. As a decoy, a lure to bring her brother into the open. There's a better chance for you to find her and help her out there than if you stayed here and chased yourself in circles for Swayney. I'll call Mike Larabee, the security chief at Las Tiengas. You can check in with him. After that, you'll be on your own."
    Durell stood up. "Thank you. I'm grateful."
    "There isn't much time. I'll tell you something else. There's something wrong out there at the Las Tiengas Base. I can smell it. Something stinks in all this. Don't trust anybody. That's a hell of a thing to say, but that's the way I want you to play it. If you latch on to anything, don't contact anybody but me. No matter what it is." Blue eyes burned at Durell. "Do you understand?"
    "Yes."
    "Good luck, then," said McFee. "You'll need it. Officially, you're
persona non grata
for having lost contact with the girl. You know what happens if you miss." McFee sighed. "I'd hate to have to accept your resignation, Sam."
    Durell nodded. "Is there time to see Sidonie Osbourn?" he asked.
    McFee sighed. "God help her, yes."
    The little house near Alexandria looked the same. He thought it ought to look different, somehow, but he could not see any change in it, and he knew that any difference he felt was in his mind, in the knowledge of permanent absence and loss. There was a neatly trimmed lawn, a low privet hedge, children playing a few houses away up the sloping curve of the street. It was cooler here than in Washington, which seemed to gather in a peculiar heat of its own. There were a few cars parked by the curb, none in front of the house. Durell got out and walked up the brick path to the door.
    It opened as he reached for the bell and Sidonie stood there. No tears, but her eyes were unnaturally bright. He remembered her eyes as vivacious, Gallic, with their slightly upturned slant. He remembered the way she had kissed Lew on the occasions when he had come here with Lew for dinner.
    He kissed her cheek.
    Her underlip trembled. "Thank you, Sam."
    He felt awkward, hating this. "Are you all right?"
    "No. Of course not. How could I be?" Then she said, "I'm sorry, Sam. Don't mind me."
    He followed her inside. Everything was the same. Well, what did you expect? Lew isn't here, he won't ever be here again, but he's left this, this house and this girl and the twins. He wanted to smash something.
    "I sent the girls to a neighbor's," Sidonie said. "Sam, don't look like that."
    Strength from her, given to him. He was astonished. "Sid…"
    "I know how you loved him," she said quietly.
    "I wish I'd been there."
    "I knew it was going to happen, someday."
    Staring at her, he said. "You knew?"
    "We both knew. It was always a question not of
if,
but
when.
Every day was a holiday, Sam. Can you understand?"
    "No," he said.
    "You think he was wrong to marry me? I know you think so. You talked about it to Lew so often. But he wasn't wrong. It was wonderful."
    "How can you…"
    "He did his job," she said. She sat down and folded her hands in her lap and looked at her wedding ring. A small girl. Strong and brave. He felt ashamed of his own weakness. "He did his job and he knew the danger in it and so did I. We accepted it and lived with it."
    "What will you do? I know it's too soon…"
    "It's all been arranged. I'm going to work for General McFee. He just called me."
    He looked at his watch. He had twenty minutes to get to the airport. He stood up.
    "I have to go."
    She nodded, arose, and kissed him. "Lew