“Yes, Sir,” Dale said as a knot started forming in his throat. He was certain that an unknown Colonel looking for him could only mean one thing.
“General Bartlett sent me,” the Colonel said staring directly into eyes, looking for recognition. Apparently, Dale’s countenance dropped, showing the Colonel what he needed to see. “It’s time.”
“I thought we were going to let nature take its course,” Dale said weakly.
“That was the plan. Unfortunately, he showed signs of recovering today. The doctors said he could go home, soon. That we can’t have.”
“Damn,” Dale muttered.
The Colonel continued, “I understand you have already familiarized yourself with the hospital, and you are ready?”
“Yes, Sir. I’ve been there several times, posing as a doctor. They have come to expect me from time to time. I have a good report with the guards,” Dale said, somewhat proud of the work he had done. This was his first assignment as a spy, now to be an assassin.
The Colonel smiled and said, “Good work. Have you talked to the General?”
“I have. Not much though, only to introduce myself as one of his doctors, and small talk.”
“That’s good. You don’t want to get too familiar with your victims. Remember that Sergeant.”
Dale nodded his head, “yes sir.”
The Colonel pulled from the right pocket of his trench coat a small canvas bag and handed it to Dale.
“What’s this?” Dale asked, his voice cracking with surprise.
“What do you think it is, soldier? It’s a hypodermic needle. How did you think you were going to kill the general? With a machine gun?”
“No. I figured I would strangle him or something,” Dale said, trying not to sound stupid.
The Colonel shook his head, “Damn. You got a lot to learn, kid. This is special cocktail of drugs that were designed just for the General. They will cause his blood to clot, eventually he will die of a stroke or heart attack. Most likely, they will never detect the presence of the drug in his system.”
“Most likely?” Dale asked.
“Yeah, you never know with these things. But I have been assured that the chances of detection are very slim. He will die slowly. You will be long gone by the time the doctors even realize there is a problem.”
“So, when do I administer the dose?” Dale asked, trying to not allow his voice to crack or tremble.
“Now. As soon as we end this conversation, you need to be on your way to Heidelberg. Matthews, did you really kill a Large Gray with your bare hands?”
“No. I used a knife,” Matthews said as he made an upward hand gesture with an imaginary knife in it.
“No shit?” The battle-hardened Colonel looked impressed.
“I had help from my squad, another guy hit it with a carbine,” Dale added.
“Well, Damn. Good for you, and the rest of your squad?”
“Didn’t make it, Sir. I was the only survivor.”
“Tough break, son.”
“Colonel, what should I call you? I didn’t catch your name.”
“You shouldn’t call me. Ever,” the Colonel said as he turned and walked away, his boots crunching in the light snow fall.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
William Lee is a life-long Virginia resident and student of history. After graduating with a degree in political science and philosophy, he worked on several congressional campaigns and remains interested in politics. He loves reading books about politics, American history, conspiracy theories, science fiction, and spy thrillers. He and his wife enjoy the outdoors, shooting sports, camping, hiking and kayaking. Please direct any correspondence with the author to: williamlee73@gmx.com or https://www.facebook.com/williamlee1973/
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two
Chapter Forty-Three
Chapter Forty-Four
Chapter Forty-Five
Chapter Forty-Six
Chapter Forty-Seven
Chapter Forty-Eight
Chapter Forty-Nine
Chapter Fifty
Chapter Fifty-One
Chapter Fifty-Two
Chapter Fifty-Three
Chapter Fifty-Four
Postscript
About the Author