Without remorse - Tom Clancy [278]
The hard landing at Hickam - the pilot was tired - startled Kelly into wakefulness. An Air Force sergeant gave him a friendly shake to make sure as the aircraft taxied to a remote part of the base for refueling and servicing. Kelly took the time to get out and walk around. The climate was warm here, but not the oppressive heat of Vietnam. It was American soil, and things were different here ...
Sure they are.
Just once, just one time ... he remembered saying. Yes, I'm going to get those other girls out just like I got Doris out. It shouldn't be all that hard. I'll get Burt next and we'll talk. I'll even let the bastard go when Гт done, probably. I can't save the whole world, but... by Jesus, I'll save some of it!
He found a phone in the Distinguished Visitors lounge and placed a call.
'Hello?' the groggy voice said, five thousand miles away.
'Hi, Sandy. It's John!' he said with a smile. Even if those aviators weren't coming home just yet - well, he was, and he was grateful for that.
'John! Where are you?'
'Would you believe Hawaii?'
'You're okay?'
'A little tired, but, yes. No holes or anything,' he reported with a smile. Just the sound of her voice had brightened his day. But not for long.
'John, there's a problem.'
The sergeant at the reception desk saw the DV's face change. Then he turned back into the phone booth and became less interesting.
'Okay. It must be Doris,' Kelly said. 'I mean, only you and the docs know about me, and -'
'It wasn't us,' Sandy assured him.
'Okay. Please call Doris and ... be careful, but -'
'Warn her off?'
'Can you do that?'
'Yes!'
Kelly tried to relax a little, almost succeeding. 'I'll be back in about ... oh, nine or ten hours. Will you be at work?'
'I have the day off.'
'Okay, Sandy. See you soon. 'Bye.'
'John!' she called urgently. .
'What?'
'I want... I mean ...' her voice stopped.
Kelly smiled again. 'We can talk about that when I get there, honey.' Maybe he wasn't just going home. Maybe he was going home to something. Kelly made a quick inventory of everything he'd done. He still had his converted pistol and other weapons on the boat, but everything he'd worn on every job: shoes, socks, outer clothing, even underwear, were now in whatever trash dump. He'd left behind no evidence that he knew of. The police might be interested in talking to him, fine. He did not have to talk to them. That was one of the nice things about the Constitution, Kelly thought as he walked back to the aircraft and trotted up the stairs.
One flight crew found the beds just aft of the flight deck while the relief crew started engines. Kelly sat with the CIA officers. The Russian, he saw, was snoring loudly and blissfully.
Ritter chuckled. 'He's going to have one hell of a hangover.'
'What'd you get into him?'
'Started off with good brandy. Ended up with California stuff. Brandy really messes me up the next day,' Ritter said tiredly as the КС-135 started rolling. He was drinking a martini now that his prisoner was no longer able to answer questions.
'So what's the story?' Kelly asked.
Ritter explained what he knew. The camp had indeed been established as a bargaining chip for use with the Russians, but it seemed that the Vietnamese had used that particular chip in a rather inefficient way and were now thinking about eliminating it along with the prisoners.
'You mean because of the raid?' Oh, God!
'Correct. But settle down, Clark. We got us a Russian, and that's a bargaining chip too. Mr Clark,' Ritter said with a tight smile, 'I like your style.'
'What do you mean?'
'Bringing that Russian in, you showed commendable initiative. And the way you blew the mission off, that showed good judgment.'
'Look, I didn't -I mean, I couldn't -'
'You didn't screw up. Somebody else might have. You made a quick decision, and it was the right decision. Interested in serving your country?' Ritter asked with an alcohol-aided smile of his own.
Sandy awoke at six-thirty, which was late for her. She got her morning