his trousers and shirt from a chair, put them on, and walked to the door. He opened it and saw Witkowski and De Vries across the living room at a table in the alcove, having coffee.
"How long have you been up?" he asked of both, not really caring.
"We let you sleep, my dear."
"There's that 'my dear' again. I sincerely believe you do not mean an endearment."
"It's an expression, Drew," said Karin. ""You were quite wonderful last night-this morning."
"Naturally, the colonel was better."
"Naturally, youngster, but you held your own, by damn. You're a cool customer in the face of the enemy."
"Would you believe, Mr. Super Guy, that I've done it before? Not that I take any pride in it; it's merely a matter of survival."
"Come," said De Vries, rising.
"I'll get you some coffee. Here, sit down," she continued, heading for the kitchen.
"Take the third chair."
"I'll bet she wouldn't give it tome if it was hers," said Latham, stumbling across the room.
"So, what happened, Stosh?" he asked, sitting down.
"Everything we wanted, young man. At five o'clock this morning I got our scum buckets on a jet to D.C. and nobody will know but
"What do you mean, will? Didn't you speak to Wcs?"
"I spoke to his wife. I met her once and nobody could duplicate that half-American, half-British speech. I told her to tell the director that a package was due at Andrews at four-ten in the morning, their time, under the code name Peter Pan Two. She said she'd tell him the moment he got in."
"That's too loose, Stanley. You should have requested a return confirmation."
The apartmerittelephone rang. The colonel got up and walked rapidly across the room; he picked it up.
"Yes?" He listened for six seconds and then hung up.
"That was Sorenson," he said.
"They've got a platoon of marines on the ground and on the roofs. Anything else, Mr. Intelligence Man?"
"Yes," replied Latham.
"Do we call off the boot maker and the amusement park?"
"I shouldn't think so," answered Karin, bringing Drew his coffee and sitting down.
"Two ncos are dead and two on their way to America. Others have fled, an additional two, by my count."
"Six altogether," agreed Drew.
"Hardly a platoon," he added, looking at Witkowski.
"Not even half a squad. How many others are there?"
"Let's try and find out. I'll take the amusement park-7 "Drew," cried De Vries, sharply interrupting.
"You'll take nothing," added the colonel.
"You haven't much of a short-term memory, youngster. They want you -or I should say Harry-on a slab with rigor mortis, remember?"
"What am I supposed to do, open a trapdoor and hide in the sewers?"
"No, you'll stay right here. I'll send two marines to guard the stairs and a maintenance man to repair the window."
"Would you mind, I'd like to be useful?"
"You will be. This will be our temporary base camp and you'll be the contact-"
"With whom?"
"With whoever I tell you to reach. I'll be calling you at least once an hour."
"What about me?" asked Karin apprehensively.
"I can be of value at the embassy."
"I realize that, "specifically in my office with a guard at the door.
Sorenson knows who you are and no doubt Knox Talbot as well. If either reaches me on my secure phone, you take the messages, call them to our amnesiac here, and I'll get them from him. Now, if I can only figure out a way to get you there in case there are hostiles in the street. "
"Perhaps I can help you help us both." De Vries reached down for her purse beside the chair, stood up, and started for the bedroom.
"This will only take a moment or two, but. it does require a little prodding and primping."
"What's she doing?" said Witkowski as Karin went through the door.
'."I think I know, but I'll let her surprise you. Maybe then you'll promote her as your assistant."
"I could do worse. Freddie taught her a lot of tricks."
"Which you taught him."
"Only the fire escape; the rest he figured out for himself and he was usually way ahead of us .. . all of us, except probably Harry."
"What happens when she leaves the embassy, Stanley?"
"She won't. There are a lot of staff rooms. I'll throw someone out for a few days and she'll stay there."
"With a guard, of course."
The colonel looked over at Latham, his eyes steady.
Chapter Seventeen
"You care, don't you?"
"I care," replied Drew simply.
"Normally, I wouldn't approve, but in this case I'll reduce my objections."
"I didn't say it'll lead anywhere."
"No, but if it does, you've got a couple of miles on me.