The Hot Pilots by T. E. Cruise Read Free Book Online Page A

other arenas in which to confront Steven Gold, Harrison knew. He would think about it. He was an engineer,
     possessing a creative and logical mind. He would distract himself from his pain by thinking about this the way he might think
     up a solution to an aeronautical design problem.
    And he would come up with a blueprint for getting even.
    (Two)
    Linda Forrester watched Steve stare at her front door.
    “Why didn’t you tell me it was Don you were going with?” he demanded.
    “What good would that have done?” she asked dejectedly. She was feeling cold, and pulled the bed sheet a little closer around
     her bare shoulders as she slumped on the sofa.
    “Well, for starters, I could have told you that he didn’t go to Washington with my old man,” Steve said.
    “Touché.” She laughed thinly as he went to the sideboard where she kept her liquor.
    “You want a drink?”
    “A big one,” Linda murmured.
    He poured two generous scotches, straight up. He brought them over, sitting down beside her.
    “I’m sorry, blue eyes,” he murmured. He set the glasses on the coffee table and gently took her hand in his. “I guess I screwed
     things up for you … I’m really sorry—”
    “Don’t be,” she said. “I invited you here, remember?” She smiled grimly. “Anyway, you’ve done a good deed tonight …”
    “How so?” Steve asked, puzzled.
    “You saved Don, right? He’ll never know what a favor you did him by putting him off a woman like me …”
    “Don’t say that—”
    “Why not?” she began curtly. “It’s true, isn’t it? I had that poor chump by the short hairs, but now he can thank his lucky
     stars he found out about me before it was too late. Maybe now he can find himself a
nice
girl. A
good
girl. Not a
tramp
like me—”
    “You’re no tramp,” Steve said, picking up his drink. “I don’t want to hear you saying that, because it isn’t true.”
    She had to smile then. “I guess that’s the nicest thing you ever said to me … Thanks …
pal
,” she added softly, taking the other scotch and clinking her glass against his. “We’re two peas in a pod, you and 1.”
    “How so?”
    She took a long pull of her drink. “We’re not the marrying kind.”

CHAPTER 5
----
    (One)
    GAT
    Engineering Department
    28 July 1954
    Susan Greene was at her desk outside Don Harrison’s office when her telephone rang. It was the main switchboard. Mr. Gold
     was calling long distance from Washington to speak to Mr. Harrison.
    “Good morning!” she said when her father came on the line.
    “Good morning to
you
, maybe,” he replied. “But it’s lunchtime
here
, and hot as blazes …”
    “Poor you,” Susan said. “When are you coming home?”
    “I’ve got another couple of days here, I’m afraid.”
    “It’s a long trip this time around …”
    “Yeah. Something’s come up. A new project. The meetings are endless …” She could hear his exasperation. “Honestly, the way
     they like to have meetings, it’s a wonder the government gets anything done …”
    “Well, the world can’t be run like GAT,” she teased.
    “And why not?” he asked jovially.
    Susan laughed. She looked around to make sure that no one could overhear her, and then said, “Come home soon, Daddy. I miss
     you.”
    Sometimes the secrecy made her feel silly, but there was a point to it. She used her married name at work to keep people from
     knowing that Herman Gold was her father. She wanted people to relate to her for herself; not because she was the boss’s daughter.
    “I miss you, too, sweetie. Put Don on the line for me, would you?”
    Susan hesitated. “Um, he’s away from his desk …”
    “Oh …” Gold said, sounding disgruntled. “He knows I call every morning about this time. Is everything all right?”
    “Everything’s fine.”
    “All right, then. I doubt that I’ll be able to call later. I’ll be tied up in these damned meetings. I’ll call tomorrow. Good-bye.”
    Susan hung up the