W E B Griffin - Corp 08 - In Dangers Path

by In Dangers Path(Lit)

  "But I don't know this young fellow," Roosevelt went on.

  "Mr. President, may I present Lieutenant George F. Hart?" Pickering said. "He's both my aide-de-camp and my friend."

  Roosevelt offered his hand.

  "I recognize the name," the President said. "You must be an unusual young man. Lieutenant, if all these old fogies are agreed you can be entrusted to hold a magic clearance."

  Hart actually blushed. Leahy and Pickering exchanged looks.

  "I'm honored, Mr. President," Hart said.

  A white-jacketed steward passed a tray of drinks, indicating with his head which glass the men were to take. Pickering sipped his and recognized the taste. It was Famous Grouse. He wondered if there was a card file kept somewhere with drink preferences listed on it.

  "When we're finished," Roosevelt said to the steward, "ask the photographer to take a picture of me with Lieutenant Hart. Perhaps his parents would like to have one."

  "Thank you very much, Mr. President," Hart said.

  "I have a soft spot for young Marine officers," Roosevelt said. "Very possibly because my son Jimmy is one of you."

  "Yes, sir, I know," Hart said.

  "Let me propose a toast," the President said. "To the success of General Pickering's mission."

  The others raised their glasses and there were murmured "Hear, hears."

  "I feel a good deal better about this," the President said mischievously, "now that Bill and Fleming have kissed and made up."

  "I'll agree with the 'made up' part, Franklin," Donovan said, "but I want to go on record as saying we have never kissed."

  Pickering laughed politely. None of the others did.

  Roosevelt picked up on this and correctly guessed the reason.

  "Bill, when you're wearing your uniform, you're supposed to call me 'Sir,' and 'Mr. President,' and bow three times before backing out of my presence."

  "No disrespect was intended, sir, if I have to say that."

  "What I think it is, Bill, is that you're nervous as the second junior officer present with all these admirals and generals."

  "That may be it, sir."

  "We're going to have to see if we can't get you a star, Bill, so that you'll feel at home."

  There was dutiful laughter.

  "Speaking of generals," Frank Knox said, "is someone going to volunteer to tell me why General Rickabee is joining us?"

  "An administrative matter, Mr. Secretary," Admiral Leahy said. "We were a little pressed for time. The General met us here, and we'll deal with the matter after lunch."

  "What sort of an administrative matter? Important enough to have Pickering bring Fritz here? And look uncomfortable when I asked why?"

  "There was a radio from Chungking," Admiral Leahy said. "Something we all felt should be dealt with before General Pickering left for Hawaii."

  "Now mv curiosity is aroused," the President said. "I always get very curious when people are reluctant to talk about anything."

  Everyone looked at Admiral Leahy, who took a long moment to collect his thoughts before beginning:

  "Mr. President, you are aware that at your direction, and against my recommendation and that of General Marshall, we sent a magic device, together with the personnel to op-"

  "Hold it a second, Admiral," the President interrupted. "I just had another one of my inspirations. Correct me if I'm wrong, Frank, but didn't you have Fleming commissioned because you knew he would report back to you what you should know, rather than what people wanted you to hear?"

  "That's correct, Mr. President," the Secretary of the Navy said.

  "You have the floor, General Pickering," the President said, tempering the order with one of his famous smiles. "Proceed."

  "What we know for sure, Mr. President," Pickering began, "is that someone ran off at the mouth about the magic machine going to Chungking."

  "Has magic been compromised?" Roosevelt asked, now deadly serious. "Is this what everyone has been working up the courage to tell me?"

  "We don't believe, based on the facts available-" Admiral Leahy said.

  "Admiral," the President interrupted impatiently, "General Pickering has the floor."

  "Sorry, sir," Leahy said, flushing.

  "What we do know for sure, Mr. President, is that when Colonel Banning got to Chungking, they knew he was coming and why."

  "Banning took a magic machine to Chungking?"

  "Two machines, sir."

  "Who is 'they' as in 'they knew he was coming'?"

  "The signal officer and his deputy, sir."

  "And they don't have magic clearances? Then how in the hell did they find out?"

  "We don't know that yet, sir."

  "How many people knew what was happening?"

  "It's a very short list, sir," Pickering said. "Aside from the people in this room, only those people in JCS who were involved."

  "Your people were involved, Fleming," Donovan said.

  "Plus, of course, two people at OSS, besides Colonel Donovan and me," Pickering said icily. "And I don't think any of my people even know anyone in Chungking-certainly not these signal officers."

  "What about the cryptographers in Chungking?" Donovan asked.

  "So far as I know, they know no one in Chungking," Pickering said.

  "Okay," Donovan said. "That narrows it down to people in my shop and people at the JCS."

  "Admiral, we can't have things like this," the President said. "It has to be nipped in the bud."

  "I agree, sir," Admiral Leahy said.

  "I'll leave getting to the bottom of this to you. As well as ensuring that it-or the circumstances that permitted it-never happens again."

  "Yes, Mr. President," Admiral Leahy said.

  "And I want Bill Donovan and Fleming Pickering involved. Fleming, you might not be able to get away today. I want you here until this is resolved."

  "Yes, Mr. President," Pickering said.

  "I think General Rickabee should be involved, too," Navy Secretary Knox said. "He's very good about finding snakes under rocks."

  It was obvious that neither Admiral Leahy nor General Marshall liked the suggestion. Neither protested, but both looked at the President for his decision.

  "That might prove very useful," the President said.

  "What about Operation Gobi?" Knox asked. "Is that compromised too?"

  "This signal officer-his name is Dempsey-asked Colonel Banning what McCoy and Zimmerman-"

  "McCoy?" Roosevelt interrupted again. "The young chap who was with Jimmy at Makin Island? Who briefed us on General Fertig?"

  "Yes, sir. He's going into the Gobi Desert to try to establish contact with the Americans there."

  "What's this signal corps officer got to do with that? I thought it was agreed that you and Bill-the OSS-were going to undertake that mission."

  "Apparently, Mr. President, this fellow wanted to know what Captain McCoy's special mission was. On the JCS orders on which Banning and the devices went to Chungking, it was referred to, vaguely, as a JCS mission. When Banning refused to tell him-"

  "As well he should have," the President interrupted.

  "-this General ordered Banning to have McCoy report to the OSS Station Chief in Chungking," Pickering went on.

  "I don't understand," the President said.

  "Until I got Colonel Banning's Special Channel, Mr. President, I didn't know there was an OSS station in Chungking."

  "You didn't know about an OSS station in Chungking?" the President asked.

  "No, sir, I did not," Pickering said, looking at Colonel Donovan.

  "That's odd, isn't it, Bill?" the President said to Donovan. "The signal officer in Chungking knows about an OSS station there, and the OSS Deputy Director for Pacific Operations doesn't?"

  "Mr. President-" Donovan began.

  The President held up his hand to shut him off. Then he kept him waiting while he fished a cigarette from a silver box, stuffed it into his holder, and waited for the steward to produce a light for it. Then h
e went on, calmly, not smiling: "Do what you have to do, Admiral," the President said, "to straighten out this 'administrative matter.' Just as soon as we finish our lunch."

  "Yes, Mr. President."

  [THREE]

  The White Room

  The Office of Strategic Services

  The National Institutes of Health Building

  Washington, D.C.

  1405 28 March 1943

  Immediately after lunch, in the corridor outside the presidential apartment. Colonel Donovan suggested that the most suitable place to conduct their business would be at the OSS. "It would attract attention if Pickering, Rickabee, or I appear at the Joint Chiefs of Staff," he argued. "The White Room will provide a secure space, and it's equipped with microphones, in case Admiral Leahy would like a written record of what was said."

  Admiral Leahy nodded his agreement.

  When Admiral Leahy's Cadillac limousine, the White House Packard limousine that had carried Pickering, Hart, and Rickabee to the White House, and Donovan's Buick Roadmaster rolled up outside the White House, Donovan made a "follow me" gesture to the Buick's driver and climbed into Leahy's Cadillac.

  Once they were in the White House Packard, Rickabee gave voice to what Pickering was thinking: "I wonder what that sonofabitch is saying to Leahy?"

  "We'll find out soon enough, I suppose," Pickering replied.

  As soon as the small convoy arrived at the National Institutes of Health Building, Leahy and Donovan got out and waited for the others to join them. "Colonel Donovan," Leahy began, "has pointed out to me that he is an attorney and has experienced distasteful interrogations. Would either of you object to his conducting the interrogations? We will be able to listen on earphones, he tells me."

  "Sir, what if we have questions Colonel Donovan didn't think to ask?" Rickabee asked.

  "Colonel Donovan brought that up himself," Leahy said. "When he is finished with the individual, he will join us. If you have any questions, he will either ask them himself, or you may. Having an experienced man do the interviews strikes me as the quickest way to get to the bottom of this."

  "I think it's a fine idea, sir," Pickering said.

  Rickabee gave him a surprised look.

  But first they had to get into the building. In the belief that he and Hart would not be returning to OSS headquarters before traveling to the Pacific, Pickering had ordered Hart to place their red-striped Any Area Any Time identification badges in the safe in his apartment in the Foster Lafayette. Neither General Rickabee nor Admiral Leahy had OSS identification badges.

  If he were Donovan, Pickering knew, he would have just marched past the guards, saying something like, "these people are with me," especially since one of the people with him was the chief of staff to the President of the United States.

  But he didn't.

  "Sorry about the inconvenience, Admiral," he said. "We didn't plan on having you with us this morning."

  Leahy and Rickabee were furnished with Visitor 5th Floor Only badges, and pinned them to their lapels.

  Though Donovan was visibly annoyed when Pickering told the guard lieutenant, "Lieutenant Hart and I will need a couple of those, too, please," he said nothing.

  They rode the elevator to the fifth floor and walked down the corridor to Donovan's office.

  The Deputy Director (Administration) was behind his desk. He rose to his feet. "Good morning, Admiral," he said. "Mr. Director." He nodded at Pickering, Rickabee, and Hart, but didn't say anything.

  "Something's come up, Charley," Donovan said. "Is anyone using the White Room?"

  "No, Mr. Director."

  "How long will it take you to get. let's say, three stenographers up and running?"

  The DDA didn't respond directly. Instead he picked up one of the telephones on his desk, pushed a button on it, and announced, "The Director requires three stenographers in the transcription room immediately." He put the receiver back in its cradle and went on: "By the time we walk down the corridor, Mr. Director, you'll have your stenographers."

  Donovan nodded. "Call JCS," he ordered. "Tell General Adamson that Admiral Leahy wishes to see him and Colonel. What's his name. Fleming?"

  "Albright," Pickering furnished.

  ". Colonel Albright here as soon as possible. Have badges waiting for them downstairs."

  "General Adamson has a badge, sir," the DDA said.

  "And locate the Deputy Director (Operations) and tell him I need to see him immediately."

  "He's on his way here from the training establishment, Mr. Director."

  "Is there a radio in his car?"

  "Yes, sir."

  "Contact him and make sure he is coming here," Donovan ordered. "And then join us, please, in the White Room."

  "Yes, Mr. Director."

  "I don't believe you've seen the White Room, have you, Admiral?" Donovan said to Leahy.

  Leahy shook his head, "no."

  "If you'll follow me, please, Admiral?" Donovan said, and led the group down the corridor to the White Room. By the time they had satisfied the two guards at the door that they were who they represented themselves to be, and Donovan had authorized Rickabee and Leahy to go inside, the DDA had caught up with them.

  They entered the White Room.

  "Charley, explain to the Admiral and these gentlemen how the transcription system works," General Donovan ordered.

  "Yes, sir," the DDA said. "Microphones have been placed in various locations around the room," he began. "They are connected with an amplification system in the room behind that door." He pointed to a door at the rear of the room. "There are provisions for six sets of headphones, although our experience has been that we have never needed more than three stenographers to transcribe even the largest conference. So each of you gentlemen will have earphones."

  "I took that precaution, sir. They are either next door, or will be momentarily."

  "They will let us know when General Adamson and the others arrive, right?" Donovan asked.

  "The Deputy Director (Operations), Mr. Director, said he will be here in no more than ten minutes. General Adamson, who has Colonel Albright with him, has probably left the Pentagon by now." He paused and then added: "Mr. Director, General Adamson was naturally curious about what this is all about."

  "I'm sure he was, Charley, and I'm sure you are, too. You find out first. You can be our guinea pig, so to speak. Will you take these gentlemen to the stenographer's room, make sure everything is in place? And then come back in here. We'll start with you. Pure formality, of course."

  Well, Pickering thought, what did I expect Donovan to do ? Accuse his Director for Administration of having a big mouth?

  Because of the three stenographers-two middle-aged women and a young man-there were only enough spare headphones for three people. Pickering solved that problem by separating one of the earphones on his headset from the frame and, motioning Hart to stand close to him, handed him the loose earphone.

  He saw Leahy looking at him curiously, perhaps disapprovingly. "I like to have George listen in on everything, Admiral," Pickering said. "To refresh my memory."

  "I see."

  "He used to be a police detective." Pickering went on.

  "Perhaps we should have left him in there with Donovan," Admiral Leahy said.

  "Okay, Charley, let's have our practice run," Donovan's voice came, very clearly, into Pickering's single earphone.

  "Yes, Mr. Director."

  "This is pretty serious business," Donovan said. "Someone has been talking too much about magic."

  "Yes, sir?"

  "We're trying to find out who, and under what circumstances," Donovan said, and then, before the DDA could reply, said, "If you can all hear us in there, let me know."

  "George," Pickering ordered.

  Hart took his loose earphone from his ear, let it dangle from Pickering's headset, looked at everybody in the room until they nodded, and then walked to the door and announced, "Colonel, we read you five-by-five."

  He c
losed the door and resumed his place next to Pickering.

  "Okay, Charley, at least that much works," Donovan's voice came over the system.

  "I personally check on the system frequently, Mr. Director," the DDA said.