Linder eyed Richard closely. “I thought you wanted to go to Japan.”
“Not that badly.”
“Would you at least hear them out?”
Richard shook his head. “Not without hearing from you first.”
“Oh, come on, Mr. Halliburton. Won’t you be a reasonable man and at least listen to their proposal?”
Richard held his ground. “What do you do for them?”
“I’m more or less retired, but on occasion they deploy me to help out.”
“And by helping out in this case, you mean dragging me into the consulate, don’t you?”
“Look, come or don’t come. It makes no difference to me. I just know there’s an important mission that requires someone with your particular skill set.”
“And what exactly is that?”
Linder clasped his hands behind his back and started to pace around Richard, eyeing him closely. “I was told that you’re very slippery, hard to catch, and even more challenging to trap in a story. Those are both well-honed instincts.”
“I wouldn’t call them instinctual,” Richard said. “More like necessary to survive. How much have you traveled around Africa and Asia, Mr. Linder?”
“Enough to understand exactly what you’re talking about. And that is why your government needs you for this trip.”
Richard glanced at the consulate building. “I wouldn’t be so arrogant as to assume that I was the first choice.”
“And you’d be right.”
“What happened to the first agent?”
“An unfortunate accident,” Linder said. “He broke his leg a few hours before he was scheduled to proceed with the assignment.”
“In that case, I’ll listen,” Richard said. “But I’m not making any promises.”
“Excellent,” Linder said as he turned around and gestured toward the building. “Shall we?”
Richard remained a half-step behind Linder. As they entered, a pair of women greeted the two men. After a brief conversation, one of the women ushered the duo down a hallway and into a room where three men sat at one end of a conference room table. They all rose, introducing themselves as they offered their hands.
“Mr. Halliburton,” the first man said, “it is a great honor to finally meet you. After reading about your exploits in Egypt, India, and China, I feel like I know you already. John Evans, Army Intelligence.”
The other two Army officers, Paul Collier and Lee Maxwell, flanked Evans and introduced themselves.
“Where exactly did you read about my exploits?” Richard asked.
“I spoke with Hank Foster yesterday about you,” Evans said. “You come very highly recommended.”
Richard stroked his chin as he surveyed the men at the table. “While flattery might be able to lure me onto a dance floor, it’s not going to work when it comes to a perilous mission.”
“From what I understand, danger is your middle name,” Evans said. “Foster told me that you run into the fray, not from it.”
“I’ve been known to do that on occasion, but only when the situation calls for it. And since Mr. Linder here has been rather tight-lipped about this mission, I’m not sure this request meets that high standard.”
“I can assure you it does,” Maxwell said.
Richard leaned forward, hands clasped in front of him. “I’m afraid I’ll need more than your verbal assurances.”
Evans opened a file before sliding it across the table to Richard. “Everything you need to know about this operation is right there. We captured a Japanese cipher used to decrypt messages passed between field agents and the military leaders at their command center. The officer who captured this device is unable to make the long journey and hand deliver it to our embassy in Japan.”
“Sounds simple enough,” Richard said. “Are you sure you need me to do this?”
Evans pulled the file back. “We need someone who the Japanese won’t suspect.”
Richard scanned the men’s faces. “What exactly happened to the first courier?”
“Broke his leg,” Evans said.
“In an automobile accident,” Maxwell added.
“And he couldn’t deliver it with a broken leg?” Richard asked. “Sitting down on a ship for a short voyage and then riding in a train doesn’t exactly require two working legs. Are you telling me the truth?”
“Yes,” Evans said.
Richard furrowed his brow. “The whole truth?”
“Well . . .” Evans sucked a breath through his teeth, “there may be one other detail we omitted.”
“Out with it,” Richard said, narrowing his eyes.
“The previous agent also suffered some other injuries,” Evans said.
Richard held out his hand in a gesture for Evans to continue. “Such as?”
“Death,” Maxwell said. “The agent died in the accident.”
“It wasn’t an accident, was it?” Richard asked.
“Another Japanese spy caught our man and killed him a few hours after he’d obtained possession of the cipher. However, the first thing he did was make a duplicate of the cipher, which we recovered from his hotel room.”
Richard stood and backed away from the table. “Thank you for the opportunity, gentlemen, but I’ll pass on this one.”
“Oh, come on,” Evans said. “That doesn’t sound like the Richard Halliburton from Foster’s reports about you.”
“The nature of Foster’s assignments were mostly intelligence gathering,” Richard said. “On occasion, I may have fought against armed Germans to ensure that they didn’t abscond with millions of dollars in treasure back to their motherland. But I have run up against the Japanese, and they are on a whole different level. They’re more skilled and far more ruthless.”
"But no one will know you have the cipher," Evans said. "Think of this as an all-expenses-paid trip to Japan simply for delivering a small package. It'll probably be the least dangerous task you've performed for Army Intelligence."
“Is that what you told the previous agent?” Richard asked.
“That was a different situation,” Evans said. “The Japanese don’t even know we have another cipher in our possession—and for your sake, it’s best we keep it that way.”
“I’m sorry, but I won’t change my mind,” Richard said. “I’m sure you can find someone else to handle the assignment if it’s truly that simple, though I suspect you’re overselling the ease at which this cipher could be delivered. Good luck.”
Evans sighed and shook his head. “We might be able to find someone, but it’ll be too late. Pertinent messages of utmost importance are being sent back and forth each day between Japanese spies and their military. The speed at which we intercept these communiques and interpret them might be the difference in thwarting an attack. In short, each day we delay in getting this device to our people in Tokyo could possibly cost hundreds, if not thousands, of lives.”
“You’ve made a compelling pitch,” Richard said, “but it hasn’t moved me. This is a simple assignment. I’m disappointed I can’t go to Japan, but it can wait. I will return. And I’m confident you’ll be able to lure someone else into such a task, if it’s really as simple and benign as you say. Good day, gentlemen.”
Richard spun and headed toward the door.
“Let me know if you change your mind,” Evans said.
Richard didn’t turn around, acknowledging the comment only by waving his hand in the air as he strode into the hallway.
He suffered other injuries, such as death.
Richard shook his head as he recalled the conversation.
“I love adventure, but even I have my limits,” he muttered to himself.
Failing to view Mt. Fuji in person was disappointing, but he was certain there’d be other opportunities, the kind he’d get on his own terms instead of being the military’s glorified errand boy.
With that issue settled, Halliburton decided he needed to find a job if he intended to ever eat again, much less return home.
<
br /> Chapter 3
RICHARD VENTURED INTO one shop after another, searching for anyone willing to hire him. The first two businesses he entered weren’t owned by men who spoke any English. When he reached the third business, the man managing the store told him that his boss only hired locals. And while Richard normally embraced such a challenge, the longing to see his family in Memphis started to outweigh any desire he had for adventure, whether compelled or by his own choice.
After the twelfth rejection, Richard shuffled outside before taking a seat on the icy steps. He glanced skyward and watched a sheet of snow descend around him. In a matter of minutes, Vladivostok had a fresh blanket of powder.
“Isn’t it just wonderful?” asked a woman.
Richard nodded subtly before he recognized the voice. He glanced up at her and sighed.
“I don’t have any more money for arm wrestling or anything else, to be quite frank,” he said as he eyed Anaya closely.
She sat next to him and then put her hand on his knee. “I’m so sorry about all that, really, I am. So, I’ve been thinking about how I could make it up to you.”
Richard waved dismissively. “You’ve done more than enough already.”
“And then a thought occurred to me,” she said, ignoring his comment and continuing. “I could help Mr. Halliburton get home.”
“Don’t bother yourself with this affair,” Richard said. “It’s not necessary and—”
“So I pondered how I might be able to secure you a seat on the next boat bound for the United States, and I realized just how simple it would be for me to—”
“Please, Anaya,” Richard said, grabbing Anaya’s wrist and removing her hand from his leg. “I don’t need your help.”
She drew back and eyed him closely. “So you’ve found another way?”
“Not yet,” he said as he kicked at the snow with the toe of his boot. “But I’ll figure out something.”
“Since you’re so creative, I guess you don’t want to hear what I have to say then.”
Richard sighed. He wasn’t as upset with Anaya as he was with himself. While she was trying to help him by suggesting a quick way to make some money, Richard could only blame himself—and he knew it.
“Look, I’m sorry,” Richard said, his gaze still focused on the ground. “I knew better than to try some stunt like that, and I’ve taken it out on you. I’ve been gone from Memphis for a while now, and I just want to get back home.”
“What about Japan?”
“I’m sure I’ll get another opportunity.”
“In that case, you’ll definitely want to hear what I have to say.”
Richard looked up and shrugged. “Go ahead. It’s not like I’m going to lose any more money from listening to one of your ideas.”
“I forgot to mention to you an important piece of information,” she said.
“And what’s that?”
“My uncle owns several shipping lines, including a passenger vessel that embarks for San Francisco every two weeks.”
Richard’s mouth fell agape. “Otto Lindstrom is your uncle? The Otto Lindstrom?”
“That’s the one.”
“And you never thought to mention this to me before suggesting that I wrestle that Russian lumberjack?”
Anaya shrugged. “I thought you wanted to go to Japan, but he doesn’t have any passenger ships that go there.”
“But cargo ships?”
“On occasion, but his focus is on managing the trade business with Europe and India along with some new opportunities opening up in the United States.”
“I could earn my keep by serving as a deckhand,” Richard said. “I’ve become quite adept at working on various types of vessels since I left home.”
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t think of that before as an option for you. My uncle’s ships might go to Japan once a month or so, and I knew you wanted to go right away.”
“My impatience will likely be the death of me,” he said. “And you’re right. I don’t have the time or the money to wait for something like that. But a voyage back home? When does the next ship leave?”
“There’s one that leaves tomorrow for San Francisco,” she said. “I told my uncle about you, and he said that if you could do something to pay your way, he’d allow you on board. So, do you have any special skills that would satisfy his demand?”
“Do his ships have orchestras?”
“I believe they do.”
“I can play the violin,” Richard said. “I’m not going to win first chair in any symphony, but my ability is more than adequate.”
“Very well then,” she said. “I’ll let him know. I’m sure that will be sufficient. Start packing, and I’ll be back with all the details.”
“Thank you,” Richard said. “And I’m really sorry about earlier.”
“Think nothing of it,” she said. “Maybe you can work off your penance by dancing with me tonight before you leave.”
“Is that really a punishment?” he asked with a wry grin.
“Not for you,” she said. “But if you don’t like that idea, I can always arrange for a rematch with the lumberjack.”
“Dancing will be just fine,” he said.
“Great,” she said. “I’ll meet you at the Admiral’s Pier at seven o’clock. And I’ll have your boarding pass with me. Don’t be late.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.”
Richard watched Anaya hustle away, her footsteps crunching in the fresh snow. Once she disappeared around the corner, he took a deep breath and exhaled. While he found Vladivostok interesting, he wasn’t keen on the idea of spending any more time in the port city than he had to. However, Richard wasn’t going to complain about how the past couple of years abroad had gone. He’d experienced a lifetime of adventure already, but he did miss his parents—and the smell of their kitchen after his mother pulled out a pan of piping hot biscuits.
Without the need to search for work, Richard returned to his hostel to pack up his things. After he shoved the last of his belongings into his bag, he heard a knock on the door. He strode over to it and asked who it was.
“An old friend,” the man said.
Richard recognized the voice, but he wasn’t sure he was prepared for the ensuing conversation. Once the door swung open, Richard confirmed the identity of his visitor.
Draped in a thick, brown coat, Hank Foster held his hat in his hand as he stood in front of Richard’s door.
“What a surprise, Hank,” Richard said, forcing a smile. “What brings you to Siberia?”
“This isn’t a conversation I want to have in the hall,” Foster said.
“By all means, come in,” Richard said, waving Foster into the room. “She’s not much, but she will at least afford us some privacy.”
“Thank you,” Foster said as he eased inside.
Richard pulled the door shut behind his guest.
“You don’t really look surprised to see me,” Foster said as he sat down in a chair in one corner of the room.
Richard settled onto the foot of the bed. “I’m not, though I am shocked at the speed in which you arrived. Based on my conversation with Evans at the consulate yesterday, I figured it was only a matter of time.”
“And you appear to be planning to leave very soon, too.”
Richard nodded. “That’s what I hope to do, though you know what people say about men’s best laid plans, right?”
“They often go awry,” Foster said with a hint of a smile. “Robert Burns—he’s my favorite Scottish poet.”
“If you’re here to convince me to change my mind, I wish you well in your fruitless endeavor,” Richard said. “You’ll find that I’m quite stubborn when I’ve finally decided to do something.”
“Such as going to Japan and climbing Mt. Fuji?” Foster asked.
“Those are still very much my plans, just not any time in the near future. I miss my family and—”
“Is that what you’re telling yourself, Richard? Th
at you’re going to come back one day to this part of the world and climb up Mt. Fuji? Because you sure as hell aren’t doing it now in the dead of winter.”
“Now you’re just trying to goad me into it,” Richard said. “But it won’t work. I’ve already secured a way home. I need a break from all your harrowing assignments.”
Foster chuckled and shook his head. “Now if I believed that, I would also be purchasing some ocean front property in Nebraska. So, really, Richard, what’s her name?”
Richard cocked his head to one side and furrowed his brow. “Her name?”
“Yeah, the broad you’re just itching to see. What’s her name?”
“There isn’t a woman.”
Foster waved dismissively. “I don’t believe that. There’s always a woman.”
“Well, I guess there is one.”
“Ah, ha. I knew it. Who is she? What makes her so special that you’re willing to put an opportunity for adventure on hold with no guarantees that you’ll ever be back in this part of the world?”
“Her name is Nelle Halliburton, and she makes the best damn biscuits you’ll ever put in your mouth.”
“Oh, for goodness sake. You’re homesick? Is that what this is about?”
Richard shrugged. “I’m tired, Hank. I need a break. Chasing down the Reichswehr and every other sinister group operating in Africa and Asia has left me worn out. Besides, I still want to write.”
“And you will,” Foster said. “But I really need you to do this for me. You have no idea how important this mission is. And you’re the only one qualified to get it done in a timely manner.”
“Look, I’ve done plenty for you. Just get me the contact information for the publisher you told me about and let’s call it good.”
Foster sighed. “Are you sure I can’t convince you otherwise?”
Richard shook his head. “I’ve made up my mind. I’m going home, but I will be back.”
“Fine, I’ll meet you at the docks in the morning with the information for the publisher. You’ll be a world famous author before you know it, that much I’m sure of.”
“I appreciate the opportunities you gave me. And maybe I’ll help you out again in the future.”
“I won’t say no to that,” Foster said as he put his hat on. “Good luck, Richard. See you in the morning.”
The Quest for the Fuji Cipher (A Richard Halliburton Adventure Book 4) Page 2