By Order of The Chairman, The Joint Chiefs of Staff: OFFICIAL:
Matthew J. Markham
Lieutenant General, USAAC
J-3, JCS
"I don't think I've ever seen any orders like that," Colonel Wallace said, and then blurted: "We had some of your people in here recently, I expect you know."
"That was going to be my first question to you," Graham said, and then noticed the waiter was standing by the table. "You say the beef is good?"
"Excellent."
"I would like a steak, a New York strip, medium rare. French fried potatoes and a sliced tomato. Could I get that?"
The waiter nodded, then looked at Colonel Wallace.
"Just coffee, please," he said.
The waiter nodded and left.
"You said you 'had,' past tense, some of my people in here?" Graham asked.
"Yes, we did. A Marine Major Frade and an Army Captain Ashton, plus four men he identified to me as commissioned officers."
"Did Major Frade pick up the airplane?" Graham asked, and then interrupted himself. "Colonel, there was some confusion about the type airplane. What's the difference between a C-45 and a C-56?"
"A C-45 is what we call a 'light twin,'" Wallace explained. "The C-56 is the Lockheed Lodestar transport."
"The Lockheed Lodestar? The airliner?"
Wallace nodded.
"Major Frade . . . could fly the Lodestar?"
"He flew it out of here," Wallace said, "under somewhat unusual circumstances."
"Which were?"
"He asked permission to make some practice landings," Wallace said. "Which I of course granted. I also volunteered to accompany himI have a good many hours in large, multiengine aircraft and believed I could impart some of my experience. He declined my offer."
"He did?"
"He then proceeded to the end of the runway," Wallace said, warming to his subject, "where he loaded aboard what I presume were the other OSS personnel, and took off. Against specific orders from the tower to abort his takeoff and return to Base Operations. He did not return. I'm afraid I have no idea where he is now, or the airplane."
"What makes you think he took aboard the other people?"
"They have not been seen since," Wallace said. "This places me in a very difficult position, Colonel, with the Brazilian authorities."
"How's that?"
"I had arranged with the appropriate authorities for them to clear the airplane through Customs, and to commence an international flight."
"Nobody told you to do that. All you were supposed to do was paint it red and paint some numbers on it. You did do that?"
"Yes, of course."
"When did Major Frade leave here?"
Colonel Wallace took his notebook from his pocket, flipped through it, and found what he was looking for.
"At 2126 hours 17 April," he said. He read further: "After ignoring four orders from the tower specifically ordering him to abort his takeoff and return to Base Operations."
"Just as soon as I see Major Frade, Colonel, I'll ask him why he did what you said he did."
"How would you suggest I deal with the Brazilian authorities, Colonel? They are still waiting to clear the aircraft."
"I'll tell you what happened to that aircraft, Colonel," Graham said. "The right engine was about to fall off."
"Excuse me?"
"You tell the Brazilian authorities you discovered the right engine of that airplane was about to fall off. Faulty bolts, or something. You have ordered replacement parts from the United States. Until they arrive, obviously, the airplane isn't going anywhere. When it's ready to go, you will get in touch with them again."
"That would be the uttering of a statement I know to be false."
"Yes, it would," Graham said.
"I couldn't do that without written authority," Wallace said.
"Of course you couldn't," Graham said. "I'll be happy to give you written authority. And then I suggest you prepare a full report of the entire incident, including this conversation, and forward it directly to General Markham at the Joint Chiefs."
Colonel Wallace considered that. From the look on his face, Graham concluded that he found the suggestion satisfactory. Or almost so.
"What will I say to the Brazilians if they should ask, some time from now, whatever happened to the aircraft?"
The waiter delivered Colonel Graham's food.
Graham cut a piece of steak, chewed it appreciatively, and then replied:
"Why don't you ask General Markham what to tell the Brazilians? When you write him?"
Wallace considered that for a long moment, then nodded his head.
"I think that should do it," he said.
"I'm sure it will," Graham said.
"And how may I be of service to you, Colonel?"
"I have to get to Buenos Aires as soon as possible," Graham said. "What would you suggest?"
"The simplest way would probably be for you to go to Rio de Janeiro and catch the Panagra flight. They usually have seatspeople get off in Rio de Janeiro, and there are few people who fly from Rio to Buenos Aires."
1 flew to Porto Alegre on the Navy transport because it was considerably faster than Panagra's sea planes. Now this idiot is suggesting I fly north to Rio de Janeiro to try to get a seat on tomorrow's plane, which is the same one I didn't want to board in Miami.
"That'll take too long. Can you get me from here to Montevideo?"
"It would be difficult."
"Why?"
"It generally takes about four dayssometimes longerto obtain permission from the Uruguayan authorities to land an American military aircraft in Uruguay."
"There's an airstrip, I have been told, in Chui, on the Brazilian-Uruguayan border," Graham said. "From Chui, on the other side of the border, it's only a hundred seventy-five miles to Montevideo. Can you put me in there?"
"Are you sure there's an airstrip in ... where did you say?"
"Chui," Graham said. "Yes, I'm sure."
"Well, if there is, it would be a small airstrip. You'd have to go in by L-4 Piper Cub. I'll look into it. When would you like to go?"
"As soon as I finish my lunch and change into civilian clothing," Graham said.
[FOUR]
Visiting Officers' Quarters
First Cavalry Regiment
Camp a de Mayo
Buenos Aires Province, Argentina
1515 18 April 1943
"Where are you?" Dorotea Mallin demanded, by way of greeting, the moment she came on the line.
"Don't ask," Clete said.
"What does that mean, 'don't ask'?"
"I can't tell you, is what it means."
"What am I supposed to tell Father Matthew?"
"What?" Clete asked as his memory kicked in half a second later and identified Father Matthew as the Very Reverend Matthew Cashley-Price of the Anglican Cathedral. Provided Clete and Dorotea underwent premarital counseling under his direction, Father Matthew was going to unite them in holy matrimony.
"Cletus, damn you, you heard what Father Matthew said. We have to have premarital counseling. He's called twice a day since you . . . since you disappeared. Where have you been? Where are you?"
"Honey, you just have to stall him for a couple of days."