«I'm Banning,» Banning said. «What kind of message?»
Before Williamson could begin to reply, Banning spotted Zimmerman getting out of the airplane. «There he is,» Banning said, and, raising his voice: «Zimmerman, over here! What have you got for me?»
«Colonel, I think the message can wait a couple of minutes,» Williamson said.
Banning turned to him with surprise and disbelief on his face. «I beg your pardon, Major?»
«Mrs. Banning and your baby are on the Cat, sir.»
«Excuse me? What did you say?»
«Sir,» Williamson began, but he didn't have to repeat any more.
Mrs. Edward J. Banning had appeared in the fairing opening and her husband was rushing to her. And the child she held in her arms.
EPILOGUE
The Oval Office
The White House
Washington, D.C.
1430 5 May 1943
The President's Naval aide opened the door and announced, «Congressman Westminister and Colonel Donovan are here, sir.»
«Show them in,» President Roosevelt said.
Donovan entered the office first, followed by Representative Westminister, a tall, portly man with long silver hair, wearing a loose-fitting linen suit.
«Thank you for coming so quickly, Congressman,» the President said.
«Mr. President,» Westminister replied in a thick South Carolina accent.
«You're in distinguished company, Congressman,» the President said. «Now that Colonel Donovan has found time to come over to see me, we have two Medal of Honor winners in the room. Do you happen to know Colonel Stecker?»
«No, sir,» Westminister said. «I am truly honored to make your acquaintance, Colonel.»
Stecker, looking a little uncomfortable, shook the Congressman's hand.
«You know Senator Fowler, of course?» the President said. «And I suppose you met Colonel Donovan coming in?»
«Yes, sir, I did. Always good to see you, Senator,» Westminister said.
«Congressman,» Fowler said.
«And my son Jim,» the President said. «Major Roosevelt, of the Marine Corps, on which I am again smiling with great pride.»
«A great privilege, Major,» Congressman Westminister said.
«Before we go any further, Congressman,» Roosevelt said. «I think you better read this.» He handed him a very long sheet of teletypewriter paper, and then added, «I suspect from the look on his face that Colonel Donovan has already seen this.»
«Mr. President,» Donovan said. «The moment that came across my desk, I called to see when you could find time for me.»
«Then I guess my telling Admiral Leahy that I wanted to see anything dealing with the Gobi Desert operation and/or Captain McCoy the moment it came in was a good idea. My copy came into my hands an hour ago.»
Donovan smiled. It was obviously an effort.
Congressman Westminister read the long Special Channel message.
T O P S E C R E T
VIA SPECIAL CHANNEL
FROM OSS DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR PACIFIC OPERATIONS
OSS STATION CHUNGKING
1845 LOCAL TIME 4 MAY 1943
TO DIRECTOR OSS WASHINGTON
EYES ONLY WILLIAM R. DONOVAN
1. REFERENCE YOUR PERSONAL TO UNDERSIGNED DATED 26 APRIL 1943 IN RE DIRECTIVE FROM COMMANDER IN CHIEF TO IMMEDIATELY PROVIDE BY MOST EXPEDITIOUS MEANS POSSIBLE ALL DETAILS REGARDING ACTIVITIES OF CAPT K.R. MCCOY AND OPERATION GOBI.
2. FORWARDED HEREWITH AS ATTACHMENT 1 IS VERBATIM AFTER ACTION REPORT FROM CAPT MCCOY RECEIVED 1640 LOCAL TIME THIS DATE. THE UNDERSIGNED BELIEVES THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF WILL PREFER TO RECEIVE THIS INFORMATION IMMEDIATELY, RATHER THAN HAVE IT DELAYED FOR HOWEVER LONG IT WOULD TAKE TO PREPARE IT IN A MORE FORMAL FORMAT.
3. FOR YOUR INFORMATION, THE UNDERSIGNED HAS DECIDED TO IMPLEMENT ALL REPEAT ALL OF CAPT MCCOYS RECOMMENDATIONS. COLONEL JACK NMI STECKER, SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE COMMANDANT USMC, SHOULD BE MADE AWARE IMMEDIATELY OF CAPT MCCOYS REQUIREMENTS VIS-A-VIS THE MARINE CORPS.
4. ALTHOUGH IT WAS NOT MENTIONED IN CAPT MCCOYS AFTER ACTION REPORT, LT COL EDWARD BANNING'S WIFE, LUDMILLA, AND THEIR INFANT SON EDWARD EDWARDOVITCH AND GUNNERY SERGEANT ERNEST ZIMMERMAN'S WTFE, MAE SU, AND THEIR THREE CHILDREN WERE FLOWN OUT OF THE DESERT AND ARE PRESENTLY IN CHUNGKING.
5. AT THE TIME LT COL BANNING WAS FORCED TO LEAVE HIS WIFE IN SHANGHAI, CONGRESSMAN ZACHARY W. WESTMINISTER III (D.THIRD DISTRICT S.C.) HAD INTRODUCED A PRIVATE BILL AUTHORIZING THE ENTRANCE OF MRS. BANNING TO THE UNITED STATES. THE STATUS OF THIS LEGISLATION IS NOT KNOWN. PLEASE INVESTIGATE AND ADVISE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, AS COL BANNING IS UNDERSTANDABLY EXTREMELY ANXIOUS TO SEND HIS FAMILY TO THE UNITED STATES AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
6. PLEASE CONTACT SENATOR FOWLER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND SOLICIT ON MY BEHALF THE INTRODUCTION OF A SIMILAR PRIVATE BILL FOR THE ENTRANCE INTO THE UNITED STATES OF MRS. ZIMMERMAN AND THE CHILDREN.
RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED
FLEMING PICKERING BRIG GEN USMCR
ATTACHMENT 1
STATION NOWHERE
2 MAY 1943
DEAR COL. BANNING:
IF YOU HAVE TO, SHOW THIS TO GENERAL PICKERING, BUT WHAT I'D REALLY LIKE YOU TO DO IS READ IT, PICK OUT THE PARTS YOU THINK MAKE SENSE, AND THEN GO TO THE GENERAL WITH THE GENERAL IDEA. I'M NOT VERY GOOD AT PUTTING THINGS DOWN ON PAPER.
THE THING IS, ZIMMERMAN WAS RIGHT ALL ALONG. THE WAY TO DO THIS WEATHER STATION OPERATION IS BY USING CAMEL CARAVANS. THAT WOULD HAVE WORKED FROM THE BEGINNING IF THE GYPSIES HAD A RADIO THAT WORKED, AND WE COULD HAVE FOUND OUT WHERE THEY WERE.
WELL, WE NOW KNOW WHERE THEY ARE, AND THE WEATHER STATION WILL BE MAKING ITS FIRST REPORT TOMORROW MORNING. THE PROBLEM IS NOW FIRST HOW TO KEEP IT WORKING, WHICH MEANS BOTH RESUPPLIED AND WITHOUT THE JAPS FINDING OUT ABOUT IT, AND SECOND GETTING OUT THE WOMEN AND CHILDREN, FIRST, AND THEN THE REST OF THE GYPSIES.
THAT BRINGS US BACK TO ZIMMERMAN'S CAMEL CARAVANS. I FOUND OUT IN YUMEN AND ON THE WAY HERE THAT THE WAY TO DO THAT IS VERY SIMPLE. GIVEzimmerman what money he needs, and it may take a lot, and let HIM HIRE THE CARAVAN PEOPLE AND PAY OFF THE BANDITS.
THIS IS WHAT I THINK SHOULD BE DONE.
ZIMMERMAN WILL STAY IN YUMEN AND ONCE A WEEK OR TEN DAYS SEND A CARAVAN TO ULAANBAATAR. IT WILL BE A LEGITIMATE CARAVAN, EXCEPT THAT IT WILL ALSO BE CARRYING RATIONS AND SUPPLIES FOR THE WEATHER STATION AND GAS FOR THE TRUCKS. THEY WON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE WE ARE, JUST THAT WE'LL MEET THEM ON THEIR WAY, SO THEY CAN'T SELL US OUT TO THE JAPS.
THE FIRST CARAVANS SHOULD CARRY WITH THEM SIX MARINES AND SOME BETTER WEAPONS THAN WE HAVE HERE. AIRCOOLED .30 BROWNINGS AND BARS AND MAYBE EVEN A MORTAR. WE WILL SEND OUT AS MANY GYPSIES AS YOU SEND IN MARINES. THIRTY WELL ARMED MARINES WILL GIVE US ALL THE PROTECTION WE NEED. AT LEAST TWO OF THEM SHOULD BE HIGH SPEED RADIO OPERATORS.
I KNOW THAT THE MINUTE HE HEARS ABOUT THIS, THAT OSS LIGHT BIRD IN CHUNGKING IS GOING TO COME UP WITH ALL SORTS OF REASONS WHY WE SHOULD HAVE TWO COMPANIES OF CHINESE INFANTRY OUT HERE PROTECTING US, AND BE RESUPPLIED BY AIRPLANE. THAT WOULD BE THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN. THE JAPS WOULD BE ALL OVER US, AND IT WOULD BE OUR FAULT.
DON'T PUT GENERAL PICKERING ON THE SPOT BY TELLING HIM THIS BEFORE HE MAKES UP HIS MIND WHAT TO DO, BUT I'M GOING TO SEND PICK AND LIEUTENANT STEVENSON OUT WITH THE FIRST CARAVAN, IF THERE IS A FIRST CARAVAN, BECAUSE THEY'RE OF NO USE TO ME HERE. WESTON HAS VOLUNTEERED TO STAY, AND ONE PART OF ME WANTS TO LET HIM, BECAUSE HE UNDERSTANDS WORKING BEHIND THE LINES, BUT THE OTHER PART OF ME SAYS THAT YEAR HE SPENT IN THE PHILIPPINES SHOULD GET HIM EXCUSED FROM A SHIT DETAIL LIKE THIS ONE. PARDON THE FRENCH. LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU WANT ME TO DO WITH HIM.