• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

'And finally ...' Ritter tapped a translation of the Vietnamese message. 'We know that somebody burned the mission. We're going to track that bastard down.'

Kelly was still too drugged from sleep to follow it all, much less see far enough into the future to realize how he had assumed his place in the center of the affair.

'Where's John?'

Sandy O'Toole looked up from her paperwork. It was close to the end of her shift, and Professor Rosen's question brought to the fore a worry that she'd managed to suppress for over a week.

'Out of the country. Why?'

'I got a call today from the police. They're looking for him.'

Oh, God. 'Why?'

'He didn't say.' Rosen looked around. They were alone at the nurses' station. 'Sandy, I know he's been doing things -I mean, I think I know, but I haven't -'

'I haven't heard from him, either. What are we supposed to do?'

Rosen grimaced and looked away before replying. 'As good citizens, we're supposed to cooperate with the police - but we're not doing that, are we? No idea where he is?'

'He told me, but I'm not supposed to - he's doing something with the government ... over in ...' She couldn't finish, couldn't bring herself to say the word. 'Не gave a number I can call. I haven't used it.'

'I would,' Sam told her, and left.

It wasn't right. He was off doing something scary and important, only to come back to a police investigation. It seemed to Nurse O'Toole that the unfairness of life had gotten as bad as it could. She was wrong.

'Pittsburgh?'

'That's what he said,' Henry confirmed.

'It's cute, by the way, having him as your man on the inside. Very professional,' Piaggi said with respect.

'He said we need to take care of it quick, like. She hasn't said much yet.'

'She saw it all?' Piaggi didn't have to add that he didn't think that very professional at all. 'Henry, keeping people in line is one thing. Making them into witnesses is another.'

'Tony, I'm going to take care of that, but we need to handle this problem right quick, y'dig?' It seemed to Henry Tucker that he was in the stretch run, and over the finish line were both safety and prosperity. That five more people had to die to get him across that line was a small matter after the race he'd already run.

'Go on.'

'The family name is Brown. Her name is Doris. Her father's name is Raymond.'

'You sure of this?'

'The girls talk to each other. I got the street name and everything. You got connections. I need you to use 'em fast.'

Piaggi copied down the information. 'Okay. Our Philly connections can handle it. It's not going to be cheap, Henry.'

'I didn't expect it would be.'

* * *

The flight deck looked very empty. All four of the aircraft briefly assigned to Ogden were gone now, and the deck reassumed its former status as the ship's unofficial town square. The stars were the same as before, now that the ship was again under clear skies, and a sliver of a waning moon was high in the sky in these early hours. No sailors were out now, however. Those awake at this hour were on duty, but for Kelly and the Marines the day/night cycle was askew, and the gray steel walls of their spaces were too confining for the thoughts they had. The ship's wake was a curious luminescent green from the photoplankton stirred up by the ship's screws, and left a long trail showing where she'd been. Half a dozen men stood well aft, staring at it without words.

'It could have been a hell of a lot worse, you know.' Kelly turned. It was Irvin. It had to be.

'Could have been a hell of a lot better, too, Guns.'

'Wasn't no accident, them showing up like that, was it?'

'I don't think I'm supposed to say. Is that a good enough answer?'

'Yes, sir. And Lord Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."'

'And what if they do know?'

Irvin grunted. 'I think you know what my vote is. Whoever it was, they could have killed all of us.'

'You know, Guns, just once, just one time, I'd like to finish something the right way,' Kelly said.

'Yeah.' Irvin took a second before