The Never War

by D. J. MacHale

  I was wrong. On May 3, things started getting interesting again.

  The day started out normally, except that the hotel was expecting a celebrity guest. Her name was Nancy Olsen, but everybody knew her as “Jinx.” She was a pilot who flew for the Coast Guard. They didn’t have many women pilots back then, and Jinx was a real hotshot. She was touring around the country doing public relations. I guess the idea was to get women interested in signing up for military service. In 1937 women didn’t normally do things like fly for the Coast Guard, so Jinx Olsen was unique.

  Her tour brought her to New York, where she was going to stay at the hotel for a week while making appearances and giving speeches. There was even a big party planned for her in the ballroom on the twenty-ninth floor of the hotel. It was going to be a big doo-dah with a band and celebrities and politicians and the works. Spader and I had already been asked to be waiters for the party because there were going to be over two hundred guests, and they needed all the help they could get.

  When Jinx Olsen arrived at the hotel, I could tell instantly why she was chosen to be the poster girl for the Coast Guard. She was tall and pretty and oozed confidence. Most of the women I had seen on First Earth wore dresses—but not Jinx. She had on khakis and a worn, brown leather jacket. But she didn’t look like a guy. No way. She had these dazzling green eyes and a big smile that absolutely lit up the room. When she first strode into the hotel lobby with her duffel bag over her shoulder, the first word that jumped into my head was “adventurer.”

  The hotel manager, a chubby guy named Mr. Caplesmith, was right there to greet her. “Welcome, Miss Olsen,” he said. “We are so honored to have you stay with us.”

  Jinx stopped short, stared the guy square in the eyes and asked, “Why?”

  Mr. Caplesmith got a little flustered and said, “Well, because you’re such a famous, uh, pilot person.” He had no clue about what made Jinx Olsen tick, and Jinx Olsen knew it.

  “Let’s be honest,” she said. “You’re happy to see me because Uncle Sam is paying you to put on a big old party tomorrow night, right?”

  Mr. Caplesmith was embarrassed, but he knew better than to lie to her. “Well, you could say that,” he said sheepishly.

  Jinx smiled and gave him a friendly punch on the arm. “No problem. Just so we all know the score. Where’s my room?”

  Mr. Caplesmith tried hard not to grab his arm in pain. He looked around and saw me.

  “Bell boy!” he ordered.

  I ran up and stood at attention. Mr. Caplesmith liked that.

  “Please take Miss Olsen up to room fifteen-fifteen.” He gave me the room key.

  I reached for Jinx’s bag, but she didn’t give it up. “I can handle it, chief,” she said with a smile. “Just show me the way.”

  “Yes ma’am,” I said, and made for the elevator. Jinx followed right after me. I glanced back quickly and saw Mr. Caplesmith massaging his sore arm. It was hard not to laugh. Jinx Olsen was the coolest person I had met since starting work at this hotel, aside from Gunny of course.

  “You’ve got a pretty exciting job,” I said. “Making rescues with the Coast Guard and all.”

  “Yeah, real exciting,” she said. It didn’t sound like she meant it.

  “It’s not?” I asked.

  “It would be if they actually let me do it once in a while. It’s not easy getting the call, being a woman and all.” We arrived at the elevator and Dewey started us on our way up. He even got the controls right the first time. He must have been practicing.

  “That’s not fair,” I said to Jinx. “If you’ve got the chops, you should be flying the missions.”

  “You know how many times I’ve told them that?” Jinx said. “But they’d rather trot me out on these public relations tours where I won’t get scratched. Heck, I’m a better flier than most of the boys in my squad, but because I’m a woman, well, I don’t get the chance.”

  “Do you know Amelia Earhart?” Dewey asked.

  “I’ve met her,” answered Jinx. “Now that gal is a flier!”

  “Amelia Earhart?” I asked. “Isn’t that the woman pilot who disappeared when she was trying to fly around the world?”

  Dewey and Jinx looked at me like I was from Pluto.

  “You must be mistaken,” Jinx said. “She’s leaving on her round-the-world trip the end of this month.”

  Oops. First Earth. I was talking about something that hadn’t happened yet. I wasn’t wrong though. I remembered seeing a TV show about Amelia Earhart. She never made it. I didn’t have the heart to tell them. On the other hand, they never would have believed me because I was talking about the future. Luckily, we had arrived on the fifteenth floor.

  “We’re here,” I announced, and hurried out of the elevator before I had to talk any more about Amelia Earhart. I opened up room 1515 for Jinx and told her that if she needed anything, she should call Gunny, the bell captain, and he’d make sure one of us took care of her. She thanked me and gave me a twenty-five-cent tip. Not exactly a lot of cash, but it would pay for another Marx Brothers movie.

  “You know something?” I said. “You may be having a tough time, but someday soon there will be a lot of women fliers. People are going to realize they’re just as good as the guys. Things will change. I guarantee it.”

  This made Jinx smile. She came across as pretty tough, but I’ll bet that was because she had to survive in a macho man’s job. But in that brief moment, her guard came down, and I saw beyond the bold front to the real person.

  “What’s your name, chief?” she asked.

  “Bobby Pendragon.”

  “I’m Jinx, Bobby. Thanks for the kind words. I’ll remember them.” She winked at me and we shook hands.

  I liked Jinx Olsen. Her confidence and cockiness reminded me a lot of Spader. I hoped she was going to get the chance to prove herself someday.

  The party in her honor was the following night, and it was a real fancy deal. The ballroom on the twenty-ninth floor was all decked out with red, white, and blue decorations. There must have been a thousand colorful balloons floating up on the ceiling. The men wore tuxedos and the women were in long, formal gowns. I recognized some old-time movie stars, but didn’t know their names. There was one guy I definitely recognized though—it was Lou Gehrig. Even out of his Yankees uniform, I knew who he was.

  There was a big orchestra playing for people to dance. The musicians all wore white jackets and looked like they had stepped out of an Abbott and Costello movie. I even recognized some of the music they were playing. Like I always said, if you want to learn about classical music, watch old Bugs Bunny cartoons. If you want to learn about old-time swing music, watch Abbott and Costello movies. Who says TV isn’t educational?

  There was a long table set up on one side of the room for the dignitaries. That’s where Jinx sat, right in the middle. She was wearing a dress but looked totally uncomfortable in it. I felt sorry for her. This was the price she had to pay for being allowed to fly. She had to be a goodwill ambassador and put on a happy face for the world. I guarantee she hated it.

  The rest of the room was full of tables where people ate and drank. This was where Spader and I did our thing. A whole bunch of other waiters were brought in for the party, and we all wore these short white jackets, black pants, and white gloves. It was pretty cake work. We were each assigned to a table and had to shuttle back and forth to the kitchen, bringing out the food. Basically all I had to do was make sure I didn’t spill anything.

  The reason I’m telling you guys so much about this party isn’t because it was such a gala, fun affair. Bo-ring. It’s because of one particular table of guests. Sitting prominently, right near the long head table, was Max Rose and his crew. I couldn’t believe it. Here was a swanky party put on by the U.S. government and sitting front and center was a known gangster. My guess was he was there because he was the most important guest of the hotel. I guess when you’re the best customer, you get privileges…even if you’re a mobster.

&nb
sp; Gunny made sure that Spader and I were assigned to Max Rose’s table. We both hovered around him and his guests, taking care of their every little whim. But what we were really doing was listening to everything being said, hoping to catch some clue as to what LZ-129 was, or what was going to happen on May 6.

  “Buck Rogers!” shouted Rose when he saw me. “My favorite spaceman. They got you working as a waiter, too?”

  “Yes sir, Mr. Rose,” I said. “Nothing but the best for you.”

  He laughed. I think he liked it when somebody was a little bit cocky. Especially if they complimented him. “Keep the wine coming, Buck,” he said. “I’ll make it worth your while.”

  “Yes, sir!” I said. This was good. I planned on being right by his side every chance I got. All the seats were taken by various thugs I had seen coming in and out of the hotel. Unfortunately Ludwig Zell wasn’t one of them. But the chair next to Rose was empty. I hoped that it was reserved for our Nazi friend. I had just popped a bottle of champagne and was pouring it for Rose, when the guest who was assigned to the empty chair finally showed up. It wasn’t Zell.

  “Sorry I’m late, Maxie,” came a woman’s voice. “It took me forever to find the perfect gown to wear.”

  I looked up and nearly dropped the champagne bottle. It was the movie star–looking woman who caught me in Max Rose’s office.

  She looked at me and winked. My heart stopped. I was afraid she’d say something about what had happened in the office. That would be death. My death. She picked up her champagne glass and held it out for me to fill.

  “Such a handsome young waiter,” she said. “Have we ever met?”

  Was she kidding? Did she remember me or was she just pulling my chain?

  “I don’t think so, ma’am,” I lied.

  “You must be right,” she said. “I’d never forget a handsome young man like you.” She gave me a small smile and a wink. She knew exactly who I was. She was just messing with me again. I was starting to sweat, so I got away from there fast. This was going to be an interesting night.

  Right after dinner there was a bunch of speeches that all sounded alike. A lot of politicians talked about the important role that women were going to play in the military and the Coast Guard and blah, blah, blah. The final speech was given by Jinx herself. I’m sorry to say, her speech wasn’t so hot either. She did her best to deliver it like she cared, but I could tell she hated every minute of it.

  After the speeches the band kicked in again for people to dance. That’s when I got my next surprise. The bandleader stepped up to the microphone and announced in a silky smooth voice, “Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the microphone our featured vocalist for this evening, the lovely Esther Amaden.”

  I looked around to see who the lovely lady was, and who should stand up but Max Rose’s girlfriend! Yeow! No wonder she looked so great. She was a professional singer. She was good, too. Not that I’m a big fan of that music, but she had a great voice and looked terrific under the spotlight. She sang a couple of songs that sounded sorta familiar. The people at the party must have known all of them because they each got big applause when she started to sing.

  In all, it was a very elegant evening…and totally frustrating. After a long night the party was about to wind down, and I hadn’t heard a single nugget of useful information from anybody at Rose’s table. As far as our mission was concerned, the night was going to be a total bust.

  At least, that’s what I thought. Truth was, things were about to change dramatically.

  There were a lot of waiters working the party. I knew all the bellhops, but didn’t know any of the new waiters who’d come on just for the night. There was no reason to. All I was interested in was Max Rose and his table. But as I stood there listening to Esther Amaden sing, I saw something that got me interested in something besides Max Rose real quick.

  I was standing near the kitchen door, watching the show. The band was glowing under a warm, blue light. A mirrored ball on the ceiling was spinning and shooting out little white sparkles of light that looked like fireflies. They washed over the band, the dancers, and the tables. Esther looked beautiful in the center of it all in a white spotlight.

  I don’t know what made me look away when I did, but it was a good thing. What I saw rocked me into Defcon 10. It was one of the new waiters. I think I noticed him because he was walking slowly, with his back to the wall. If there was one thing the waiters weren’t doing that night, it was walking slowly. It was way too busy for that. But this guy was just sort of creeping along.

  He was holding a big serving tray with a silver dome over it. That wouldn’t have been weird…two hours before. But now we were done with the food. What was he doing with a serving tray? To make things even more interesting, he was headed toward the table with Max Rose. I took a few steps to get a better look at him, and when I did, my jaw dropped.

  I knew this guy! It was Mr. Nervous, the gangster from the subway!

  The music was loud. The party was in full swing. People were dancing like crazy.

  Nobody saw this guy stalking closer to Max Rose. A moment later he reached under the dome of the serving tray and pulled out a gun. Winn Farrow’s men may have been laying low for a long time, but tonight they were back in action. Tonight they were going after Max Rose.

  And I was the only one who knew it.

  JOURNAL #10

  FIRST EARTH

  The assassin drew closer to Max Rose.

  About a million thoughts clicked through my head rapid fire. Max Rose was a criminal, a killer. A guy in that line of work is bound to have something ugly come down on him sooner or later. That was his business. But Rose and his gang were somehow connected to the Nazis. If he died, our only hope of discovering what they were up to, and what Saint Dane was up to, would die along with him. The future of First Earth depended on what Max Rose knew…and that was my business.

  It took me all of two seconds to realize I had to save Max Rose. But how? If I shouted a warning, the nervous gangster would start shooting and that would be the ballgame. No, I had to act.

  Spader walked out of the kitchen at that exact moment. I grabbed him and pointed him toward the stalking gangster. “He’s going after Max Rose. We gotta stop him,” I said, trying to sound like I was more in control of my emotions than I really was.

  Spader didn’t question me. He didn’t debate or hesitate. As soon as he saw the situation and knew I wanted it stopped, he clicked into “go” mode.

  “I’ll take out the wogglie, you go for Rose,” he ordered with total authority. A half second later he was pushing through the crowd, headed after the gangster.

  The show was on and I had to move. I started running for Max Rose’s table. The shortest line was straight through the crowded dance floor. I tried to skirt the swinging dancers, but that was impossible and slowing me down. There was no way I’d make it in time by being polite. I figured everybody’s evening was about to be ruined in a few seconds anyway, so why worry? I put my head down and started pumping my legs like a fullback. I blasted through a few unsuspecting bodies, and I’m embarrassed to say that a few of them were ladies. But it didn’t matter. I had to make it into the end zone and I would not be denied.

  A few seconds later the final dancer between me and Rose’s table spun out of the way, and I had a clear shot at my target. Max Rose was sitting on the far side of the big, round table, laughing and puffing on a fat cigar. A quick glance to my left showed me that the gangster with the gun was getting closer. Spader was fighting his way through the crowd to get to the guy, but he was going to be too late. The assassin was only a few steps away from his date with Max.

  I looked back to Max Rose and saw there was a whole bunch of table and glassware and even a flowered centerpiece between me and him. I had to make a snap decision. My blood was already boiling from my frenzied run across the dance floor, so the choice I made wasn’t a tough one. I kicked it into another gear, ran for the table, and launched myself over the top. It a
ll happened so fast that the goons sitting at the table didn’t have time to react. I slid across the tabletop, pulling the tablecloth and everything else along with me.

  Max Rose saw me coming and his eyes grew wide with surprise. The bodyguard sitting next to Rose went for his gun. But he was too late because just as he pulled the gun from under his jacket, Max Rose got slammed with a wave of tableware, flowers, and Bobby Pendragon, Undercover Traveler.

  Rose had begun to stand up and that may have saved his life, because he was a little off balance. The force of me hitting him knocked him straight back. If he had been firmly planted in his chair, I probably would have bounced off him and he would have still been a target. But as it was, we both went over and he landed backward on the floor. He let out a huge grunt as I landed right on top of him. I told you, he was a big guy, and I swear I think I bounced off him like I’d hit a trampoline. The only thing missing was the sound of a timpani drum going boing!

  It was at that exact instant that I heard a gunshot. I winced, thinking that the bodyguard had shot at me. But it wasn’t the guard who fired the shot. As we fell, his gun had clattered down on the floor right next to my head. I must have knocked it away from him in my wild slide across the table. I quickly grabbed it. No way I wanted the bodyguard to pick it up and use it on me.

  So where did the shot come from? I looked up to see Mr. Nervous Gangster standing near us, pointing his smoking gun. The look of surprise on his face was almost funny. He must have had Max Rose right in his sights, only to have me come flying through to knock his target away. He fired. He missed. Luckily he didn’t hit anybody behind us either.

  A second later Spader leaped out of the crowd and knocked the gun out of the assassin’s grip. The guy was in shock. He had been a second away from success, only to have his whole plan explode before his eyes.