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“That makes sense. If you’re going to break someone, it makes more sense to go after a twenty-two-year-old second lieutenant than it does someone like Colonel Mattingly or Colonel Frade or Major Wallace. If he knew about Dunwiddie, Hoover would have sent his people after him, for the same reasons.
“So Hoover is waiting to hear what the young second lieutenant said after they broke him, and all that these guys can report is they haven’t been able to break him because they can’t even find him. They’re embarrassed and under a hell of a lot of pressure.”
“And, if somehow they do find you, can they break you?”
“No,” Cronley said. “I’ve thought about that, too.”
“You sound very confident.”
“I’m not going to let them break me. What we’re doing is important. I’m not going to let them hold Operation Ost over the President. I know I’m expendable, so what happens to me, if they catch me—es wird sein Wille.”
Gehlen laughed.
“I think that’s que será será in Spanish, am I correct?”
“Yes, sir. At least that’s what it is in Texican, which I speak.”
“Do you plan to show this message to Major Orlovsky?”
“I will, if you agree it’s the smart thing to do.”
“He’s liable to ask questions about the FBI.”
“Which we will answer truthfully.”
“He’s liable to wonder that, if they find you, you might break, and he would be left hanging in the wind.”
“But he will also know—I hope—that we’re telling him the truth.”
After a just perceptible pause, Gehlen nodded.
Cronley turned to Sergeant Lewis.
“Are you going to remember to keep your mouth shut, or should I continue to call you Sergeant Loudmouth?”
“My mouth is shut, sir.”
“Okay. Sergeant Lewis, go to Major Orlovsky . . . No, first things first.”
He reached in his pocket and handed him a slip of paper.
“Those are the names of the three men Dunwiddie has picked to drive two ambulances to the Pullach compound. They will first pack them with as much stuff from here as will fit. They will take with them enough clothing to last a week. I am telling you, but you are not to tell them, that they’ll be in Frankfurt for about a week. Sergeant Dunwiddie will tell them the rest when he sees them. Get them on the road as soon as possible.”
“Yes, sir.”
“When you have done that, go to das Gasthaus and show Major Orlovsky this last message. Tell him if he has any questions, General Gehlen and I will be happy to answer them if he can find time in his busy schedule to take lunch with us.”
“In other words, sir, go get the Russian?”
“No. Do exactly what I just told you to do.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And, Sergeant Lewis, round up Colonel Mannberg and tell him that General Gehlen and I request the pleasure of his presence at lunch.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Sergeant Lewis sounds better than Sergeant Loudmouth, wouldn’t you agree, Sergeant Lewis?”
