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“As far as I’m concerned,” Canidy shot back, “he can spend the next seventy-two hours polishing bedsheets with that hot hooker of his.”
Canidy smiled knowingly at Kappler, who he immediately saw found no humor whatever in that.
What the hell?
“I admit to embarrassment and worse,” Kappler then said. “I was a fool.”
“I am not passing judgment,” Canidy said. “Besides, we Americans have a quaint expression that covers that.”
“Yes?”
“‘A stiff prick hath no conscience.’”
Palasota chuckled. “I should put that on a sign and make it the motto of this place.”
Canidy then announced: “As I was saying, now that I have completed this part of the mission, I am not leaving until I have done the same with the rest of my original mission.”
“Which is?” Beck challenged.
Canidy looked from Beck to Kappler and declared, “You know about the Tabun. You were in charge of it.”
“Unfortunately, yes.”
“Where is it?”
“There is no nerve gas,” Kappler said. “It was lost in a cargo ship that was sunk.”
Now is not the time to share just who exactly blew up that ship.
And the one in the port . . .
“Not the Tabun that was with the howitzer rounds,” Canidy said. “The replacement Tabun.”
Kappler shook his head.
“It is not here. Yet. There was some scheduled to arrive in the next few weeks. It is my understanding that it has to be manufactured, then it will be shipped.”
Canidy locked eyes with him a long moment.
“Your understanding? Or is that exactly the situation?”
“Both.”
He could be lying. But why?
He wants the hell out of here, and knows that I am his conduit to safety.
Canidy nodded.
“Okay, Item Two,” he then said, looking slowly between Beck and Kappler. “One of my wireless radios is under enemy control.”
Canidy thought that he saw Kappler react to that information.
“I don’t give a rat’s ass about the radio,” he said, looking at Kappler. “I am looking for my man who was its operator. Him and Frank Nola.” He glanced at Palasota, who nodded, then looked back at Kappler. “Nola had been running an underground cell, and now he’s missing.”
“I think I’ve seen your radio,” Kappler said. “And I may be able to locate your operator.”
“Just tell me who has the goddamn radio,” Canidy said evenly, “and I can handle it from there.”
