Dave Dawson at Truk

by Robert Sidney Bowen

  CHAPTER FOUR

  _Vanishing Death_

  For a long, long time Dave Dawson stared at the limitless expanse ofcream white. And then little by little the throbbing ache ceased tobefuddle his brain, and he became conscious of the fact that the expanseof cream white was the ceiling of a room. He also became conscious ofthe fact that he was flat on his back in a bed, and that the countlesssmells of a hospital were in his nostrils. To his right was a window,and when he slowly turned his head on the pillow he found himselfstaring out at the clear blue, cloudless California sky. He closed hiseyes for a moment, but when he opened them again the scene was still thesame.

  "What the heck!" he heard his own voice mumble. "What happened, and whatam I doing in a hospital?"

  "Well, it's jolly well time you woke up!" spoke the voice of FreddyFarmer in his ear. "Don't tell me you got hit that hard. You've beensnoring for hours. How are you, old thing?"

  Dawson turned his head to the other side and blinked in amazement atyoung Farmer propped up on one elbow in a bed next to his. Freddy's facewas slightly pale around the edges, and there was a patch of surgeon'splaster just above his right eye, but the English-born air ace wasgrinning from ear to ear.

  "Boy, what did you stop with that iron skull of yours, kid?" Davemumbled. "But never mind that. First tell me what gives around here,anyway? The old brain seems to have gone off on a little solo flight. Ican't seem to remember a single thing that.... Hey! Wait a minute! Thatshack! We ..."

  "Quite!" Freddy Farmer interrupted with a grimace. "And here we are. Youand I are a couple of dopes, Dave. We were so blasted interested in whatwas going on _inside_ that shack that neither of us gave a thought towhat was going on _outside_. And so we got bashed good and proper. Theblighter wearing civilian clothes did it, I'm sure. The one who was aJap. I got just a flash look at him before the gun he held in his handbounced off your head and connected with mine."

  "The dirty rat!" Dawson grated, as more memories came flooding back. "Hemust have heard us, or seen us through the crack in those wall boards,and slipped out while that other guy was looking at the map. Hey,Freddy! That other guy! He was a Navy pilot! An ensign!"

  "I know," Freddy replied grimly. "I saw that, too. And the dirtybeggar's Nazi. Gosh, we sure made a mess of things, Dave. I feel like ablasted fool for being caught so easily."

  "You don't feel any worse than I do!" Dawson muttered, and gingerlyfingered the patch of surgeon's plaster that he discovered on his lefttemple. "But how did we get here? And it's full daylight outside! Havewe been out cold this long, or did we come to and walk back to here?This is the Naval Base Hospital, isn't it? And ..."

  "Slow up, old chap!" Freddy Farmer stopped him with a raised hand."Don't ask so many questions at once. In fact, just shut up and I'lltell you all I know. I woke up earlier this morning, and an hour or solater Vice-Admiral Carter came in to have a talk with me, and ..."

  "Vice-Admiral Carter?" Dawson gasped, and half sat up in spite of thestab of white pain that cut through his left temple. "Do you mean thebase commandant?"

  "Are there two by the same name?" young Farmer snapped. "And will youplease shut up while I try to tell you?"

  "Okay, okay!" Dave growled. "Go ahead. But skip the trimmings. Just giveme the facts."

  "I'll give it to you as I jolly well see fit!" Freddy shot right back athim, but tempered it with a grin. "Well, Vice-Admiral Carter came in tofind out from me what had happened. Did you know, Dave, that we'remighty lucky to be alive?"

  "Well, every time I move my head quick, I don't feel so doggone lucky,"Dawson grunted. "Then what?"

  "Well, it seems fairly evident that we both would have been done inproper by that Jap, if he had been given more time," young Farmer said."But it seems that one of the managers of the orange groves happened byjust at that moment. He saw the Jap, but didn't recognize him as such.Thought he was a tramp trying to find out what he could steal from theshacks."

  "Name one thing that even a tramp would want out of that hole," Davesaid. "You saw the inside, didn't you? And ... Okay, Okay! I'm sorry,sweetheart. Go ahead and talk."

  "Just interrupt me once more with that big mouth of yours, and you canjolly well sing for the truth!" Freddy warned. "Well, he called out tothe Jap, and the Jap fired a shot at him. He missed, but the managerdidn't give him the chance for a second shot. He dropped flat on hisface, and when he got nerve enough to poke his head up for a look, itwas just in time to see the Jap, and the chap in uniform, disappear overthe brow of the next hill. And when the manager got up enough nerve togive chase--and blessed if I blame him, in view of the fact that _he_had no gun--it was much, much too late. So he came back and found us,listening to the birdies singing, as you would put it. He went down thevalley to the nearest phone and called the base. They sent out anambulance for us. The vice-admiral assured me that neither of us has afracture of any kind, just a bad bump, so they let us more or less sleepit off."

  "Well, that was white of them, anyway," Dave said. "I suppose you toldthe vice-admiral the story?"

  "No," Freddy replied. "I started to, but the old brain was stillspinning too much. The vice-admiral told me to rest up some more, andthat he would come back when both of us could talk. I told him about theensign and the carrier, though. And that worried him no end, too!"

  "And why not?" Dawson said, as his heart began to pound. "If this is thenext day, then the carrier has sailed!"

  "I suppose so," Freddy muttered. "I didn't have the chance to ask thevice-admiral. He left in a hurry, and ..."

  Young Farmer stopped short as the door of their room suddenly opened andthe base commandant, followed by a Navy senior surgeon, stepped inside.The grim look on Vice-Admiral Carter's face faded the instant he sawthey were both awake. A smile flashed across his rugged face, and helifted one hand, and gave a little shake of his head.

  "Relax, both of you," he said. "We can do without formality here. Well,Dawson, I see that you have come around, too. How do you feel?"

  "Not too bad, sir," Dave replied, and grinned. "I'm sorry I was out ofit the other time."

  "Ah, so Farmer told you of my other visit, eh?" the base commandantmurmured, and perched himself on the end of Dawson's bed. "Well, if youboth feel up to it now, I want to have a talk with you. What about it,Commander? Is it all right?"

  The vice-admiral addressed the last to the navy surgeon who had enteredwith him, and he received an immediate reply in the affirmative.

  "Oh, yes, sir," the officer said. Then with a little laugh, "They bothhave pretty tough heads, for which they can certainly be thankful."

  "Thankful in more ways than one," the vice-admiral grunted, and Dave hadthe feeling he was thinking of how that Jap had been scared away fromcompleting the job. "Now," the senior officer continued, and looked fromone to the other, "let's have the complete story as nearly as you canremember it. And try to remember everything, if you possibly can. Thesituation is mighty serious. Mighty grave."

  Ten minutes later Dave and Freddy Farmer had finished relating everydetail of their experience. Each had confirmed the other's story and hadadded one or two overlooked details. Vice-Admiral Carter listenedthrough to the very end without once interrupting with a question. Nowhe sat perched on the end of Dawson's bed balling one clenched fist intothe palm of the other hand, and scowling thoughtfully down at hismovements.

  "There's one thing I want both of you to think about hard," he finallybroke the silence. "It's just possible that it may have skipped bothyour minds thus far. The name of that pilot's carrier. Did he or the Japmention it?"

  Dave and Freddy looked questioningly at each other. Then they bothlooked at the base commandant and shook their heads.

  "No, sir," Dave spoke for them both. "The name of his carrier wasn'tmentioned once. But I can tell you what one it was, sir. I mean, he saidthat it was sailing tonight. I mean, last night. So all you have to dois ..."

  Dawson stopped as the vice-admiral shook his head.

  "No, sir?" he echoed.

&nb
sp; "No, Dawson," the base commandant said bitterly. "We can't find it outthat way, unfortunately. All three carriers sailed last night. Thatpilot didn't know. He only knew that his carrier was to sail, naturally.But all three were scheduled to sail. And they did."

  "But his was sailing for Pearl Harbor, sir!" Freddy Farmer spoke up. "Sothe one that ..."

  "That's no good, either," the vice-admiral interrupted. "The entirethree-carrier force is bound for Pearl Harbor. En route they will workout a battle problem, and then proceed to Pearl Harbor to take aboardtwo torpedo and two dive-bomber squadrons, that are waiting there. Thisensign pilot--this rotten Nazi--just what did he look like? If either ofyou can give me a detailed description, perhaps a radio to each of thecarriers will make it possible for us to catch our man before the forcereaches Pearl. Just what did he look like?"

  "That's just the point, sir," Dave Dawson said sadly, when Freddy Farmerdidn't speak. "We saw him only in profile, and the light was bad. Ididn't see a single thing unusual about him. I mean, sir, he looked justlike hundreds of other pilots in Naval Aviation uniform. What about you,Freddy? Did you notice any outstanding features?"

  Young Farmer frowned, sighed, and shook his head.

  "No, sir," he said to the vice-admiral. "I'm sure I'd be able torecognize him, if I ever saw him again, but I really didn't see anythingabout him that would help anybody else to identify him."

  "Yes, I'm sure I'd be able to spot him again, too," Dawson murmured.Then, with a grim note in his voice, "And that Japrat, too, even thoughI did only see him at a distance."

  The vice-admiral was again scowling down at his clenched fist grindinginto the palm of his other hand, and he acted as though he had not heardeither of them speak. Dawson waited a few moments, and then asked aquestion.

  "What about the service records of the fighter pilots aboard all threecarriers, sir?" he said.

  The base commandant raised his head and looked at him sharply.

  "What do you mean?" he demanded. "And why just the fighter pilots?"

  "From the way they talked, sir," Dawson replied quickly, "I felt certainthat he was a fighter pilot. I mean, he plans to take off, when theopportunity presents itself, and fly direct to Truk. Well, sir, if hewere a torpedo plane or dive bomber or scout bomber pilot, he would havesomebody along with him. Gunner, or radio man, or both, I mean, sir. Butneither of them made any mention of anybody else. So I feel certain thathe's a fighter pilot."

  "Yes, I guess you're right there, Dawson," the senior officer said witha nod. "But how would service records help us to find our man?"

  "Well, sir," Dave said after a moment of frowning hesitation, "he isobviously German. He probably has a German-sounding name. His recordsheet would tell about his parents. Where they were born, and so forth.He may even be a naturalized American, sir. Of course, it's just a longshot chance, but checking the service records of all the fighterpilots in that carrier force might turn up something that wassuspicious-looking."

  "It might, but I'm afraid it would be even harder than the needle in thehaystack stunt," the base commandant said with a shrug. "Both the Armyand the Navy have men of German birth, and parents. And it would taketime. All that sort of thing is on file at the Navy Department inWashington. We haven't records that complete here. Of course, though,I'll get the wheels moving on it, at once. I'd be a fool to leave anystone untouched, and unturned. If that devil once ..."

  The senior officer cut himself off with a groan, and his dismay andworry showed plainly on his face.

  "There's one thing you might try, sir," Freddy Farmer spoke uphesitatingly. "That is, if you don't mind my suggesting it, sir?"

  "Mind?" Vice-Admiral Carter barked. "Good heavens, Farmer, don't standon formality! If you have anything to suggest, don't hesitate aninstant. Suggest it at once. What is it?"

  "Recall the force to Dago, sir," Freddy said. "Then Dawson and I couldhave a look at the fighter pilots. I mean, it might be arranged so thatnobody would think anything of it. Perhaps we could pick out your manfor you."

  "Well, I had thought of that," the senior officer said in a weary voice,"but it can't be done. And for several reasons. The force is not undermy command, strictly speaking. I would have to get permission fromWashington, or at least from Admiral Nimitz at Honolulu. Also, the forceis on close battle schedule right now, and the delay its return wouldcause would upset plans that have been months in the making. Of course,the seriousness of the situation seems to justify the recall of theforce, but it doesn't follow that the recall would definitely solve theproblem. You two might not be able to recognize him again. The very factthat the force turned back might make our man suspicious, and he mightjump ship. You see we want not only to get our hands on him, but we alsowant to get our hands on the information that he carries. Then, too,there is his Jap partner in this spy business."

  "What about that Jap, sir?" Dawson asked. "I suppose a hunt for him wasstarted, wasn't it? And was that orange grove manager able to give youany help there?"

  "None at all," the base commandant said gloomily. "He didn't get closeenough to be able to say definitely whether the man who attacked you twowas a Jap, or a Mexican worker. In fact, we only believe that he was aJap from what you two say."

  "He was a Jap, or I never heard a Jap talk," Dawson said with anemphatic nod of his head.

  "Quite!" Freddy Farmer echoed. "The beggar was definitely Japanese,sir."

  "Oh, I'm not doubting you!" the vice-admiral said quickly. "I believeyou completely. But that simply goes to show how hopeless the hunt forhim has been, and will be. He may be a Jap, but he may not look onehundred per cent Jap, is what I mean. It's simply another case of theneedle in the haystack again. If only you had heard that fighter pilotmention the name of his carrier."

  "Yes, but he did not mention it," Freddy Farmer said sadly. "Of that Iam positive."

  "So am I," Dawson said absently. "I ..."

  He let the rest trail off into silence, and gazed vacantly into space.Vice-Admiral Carter looked at him for a moment, and then leaned forwardand tapped him on the knee.

  "You've got a peculiar look on your face, Dawson," he said quietly. "Hasanything special come to mind?"

  Dave wiped the vacant look from his face, looked at the senior officerand smiled.

  "Nothing on what's already happened, sir," he said. "But I think there'sa pretty fair chance of our catching up with that fighter pilot."

  "Then don't beat about the bush with it!" the senior officer snapped."What? How?"

  "If Farmer and I could be relieved of our base duties, sir," Dave saidpresently, "we could fly to Pearl and get there ahead of the force, goaboard each carrier before any shore leave was granted, and find ourman. Naturally, you would have to radio for such permission to be givenus, and also for Naval Intelligence to be there on hand to arrest thepilot when we spotted him, and seize his personal effects."

  "Naturally I'd relieve you both of your duties here at the base," thevice-admiral said, "but you both happen to be hospital cases. You're inno condition for a flight to Pearl Harbor."

  "Why not?" Dave blurted out. "I feel fine. I haven't even got an ache inmy head."

  "Nor I!" Freddy Farmer spoke up quickly. "Besides, sir, we don't have totake off today. It will take the force some time to reach Pearl. We canstay right here for a couple of days and still get there ahead of it. Itwould be simple enough to arrange for us to ferry over a Navy bomber, orsomething, wouldn't it?"

  "Farmer is right, sir!" Dawson said eagerly. "We don't have to leavetoday, or even tomorrow. There's plenty of time to beat the carrierforce to Pearl Harbor. And to my way of figuring the thing, we haven'tgot to do any worrying until the force _does_ reach Pearl. That Naziisn't going to get those water flares until he makes contact with somemen in Honolulu. Of course it's really a Naval Intelligence job, but ...Well, after all, sir, if anybody can identify that fighter pilot, Farmerand I can!"

  The vice-admiral regarded them both gravely for a long moment, and thenhe smiled slowly.

>   "Even if I didn't know of some of the tough nuts you two have cracked inthe past," he said, "I think I would still be inclined to agree to yourplan. Very well, then. I'll arrange for you to fly to Pearl in plenty oftime to meet the carrier force when it arrives. And I'll make the otherarrangements you spoke of, too. Meantime I'll get out of here, and letyou rest up some more. You're a couple of very lucky men. You both had amighty close call. And in view of the fact that neither of you has eatensince yesterday noon, I guess you could do with a little food as well asrest."

  A crack about how Freddy must certainly feel about that last rose toDawson's lips, but he suddenly realized that he was plenty hungryhimself, so he let the remark slide.

  "Thank you, sir, for giving us the chance to help," he said instead."After all, we were both very dumb to let that Japrat put one over onus."

  "Quite!" Freddy Farmer said with a grim nod.

  "No, I wouldn't say that," the vice-admiral corrected them. "The best ofus meet up with that sort of thing, sooner or later. It's not that we'redumb as much as it is that the Japs are sure clever devils. We may callthem monkey men, but it's going to take a lot of brains, and a lot ofhard, tough fighting, before we sink their rising sun. Well, I must begetting along. Naturally I'll see you both again before you leave. Andin case it should skip my mind, I'll say it now. Good luck, and goodhunting, to both of you!"