CHAPTER NINE
_Orders For Eagles_
It seemed a lifetime to Dave before the ability to think fully returned,and three times as long before the power of speech was once again his.He turned his head slowly and stared at Freddy Farmer. The English youthwas sitting like a statue of stone, eyes fixed on Major Barber, andblank amazement spread all over his face. In an abstract crazy sort ofway the picture he saw made Dave think of somebody socked by a fivepound blackjack loaded with buckshot. Freddy Farmer wasn't exactly outcold. But he might just as well have been.
"Did you hear what I heard, pal?" Dave finally compelled his lips tosay.
Freddy jumped a little as though stuck with a pin, and turned to look athim.
"I don't know," he said in a rather vacant tone. "I could be mistaken.This could be just some crazy nightmare."
"It is," Dave grunted, and switched his gaze to Major Barber. "Only thenightmare part hasn't arrived yet. You're--you're not kidding, sir?"
Major Barber grinned and shook his head.
"No, Dawson," he said. "That was straight from the shoulder. But I don'tblame you for going into a tail spin. I'll admit it's quite an order tohand out."
"Quite an order, he says!" Dave mumbled, and shook his head. "Youwouldn't want us to pick up Adolf Hitler for good measure, would you,Major?"
The senior officer laughed and gestured with his two hands, palmsupward.
"That would be nice," he said, "but I doubt that Adolf would ever getthat close to possible activity. After all, he has to save himself forthe future, you know. If little Yellow Belly, of the trick mustache,should get himself killed, what would become of the world? And he gotwounded in the last war, you know. It's in the official German records.A gashed finger opening a can of beans, I think it was. No, we can skipHitler. I'm not expecting too much of you fellows."
"Thanks," Dave grinned. "For a moment, I thought it was something thatwas really going to be tough. One question, though. I take it that vonStaube and von Gault have agreed? They won't put up any objections whenFreddy and I pop into their H.Q. and say, 'Let's go, boys'?"
Major Barber started fishing through his pockets. He finally sighed,stopped, and looked annoyed.
"Darned if I didn't lose that wire I got from them, okaying the wholebusiness!" he said in mock seriousness. "I guess you'll just have totake my word for it that everything is all arranged. All this kiddingaside, though, if you two fellows think--"
"Just a minute, sir!" Freddy spoke up sharply. "That's just the point.I'm not yet back where I _can_ think. But if you're imagining that we'rerefusing this _little_ extra job, please dismiss it from your mind atonce. Personally, I wouldn't miss it for anything in the world."
"And you can say that again for me, pal!" Dave echoed. Then, looking atthe Major, "You just simply threw a curve when we were expecting a high,hard one. Heck, sir! We're all for the idea. Freddy and I have a littlemotto we try to stick to. It's: We'll try anything once, and maybetwice. So forget it. Count us in. I've heard of tougher assignments,though I don't just remember where, or when!"
The senior officer chuckled and gave them both a look of frankadmiration that was almost as satisfying as receiving the CongressionalMedal of Honor, or the Victoria Cross.
"Don't worry," he presently said quietly. "I didn't have half a doubtfor even a second. I was simply getting a kick out of the way you tworeceived my little bombshell. However, I must be deadly serious aboutthis. It isn't an everyday assignment. You stand one chance of bringingback those two, and nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand, nine hundredand ninety-nine chances of not living to see the next sun rise. There isone big thing in your favor, though, as regards pulling off this stuntsuccessfully. It's that nobody but a wild-brained chap like me wouldever think of trying it. In other words, the fact that it is practicallyimpossible makes it just that much more possible. If you get what Imean?"
"Close enough, I guess," Dave grunted. "In other words, if and when wedo show up at their H.Q., neither of them will think its strictly on thelevel. And while they are mentally fanning the air trying to get thepicture, we'll have the perfect chance to grab them."
"Exactly," Major Barber said emphatically. "You could go in theredressed as Santa Claus and they wouldn't disbelieve you any less.However, I don't plan for you to pop in dressed up as a couple of SaintNicks."
"Well, that's good news, anyway!" Freddy Farmer got out with a sigh ofrelief. "To get down to cases, though, sir, just what do you plan for usto do? Perhaps it would be better if we got on with that part of thebusiness."
"Good old Freddy Farmer!" Dave chuckled. "Always has to find out things.Just can't wait."
"Well, I guess there's no sense in his waiting any longer," Major Barbergrunted with a grin. "Or you either, Dawson. Yes, I have plans for you.Every move worked out in detail. Before I explain them, let me say this,though."
The Commando Chief paused, and all signs of merriment left his face. Itbecame set and firm, and his eyes grave.
"The old saying about 'the best laid plans of mice and men,' and soforth, applies here very much," he went on presently. "I've plotted outevery move you are to make, taking in, I hope, every little thing thatmight happen to the contrary. But that's exactly the point. I mean,something that I haven't even dreamed of _may_ happen. And _if_ it does,the chances are that your operating schedule will be knocked forty waysfrom Sunday, and you'll be strictly on your own, and in the keeping ofGod."
"That sort of thing has happened before, and we're still here," FreddyFarmer murmured, but with not the slightest trace or hint of boasting inhis voice.
"And how!" Dave breathed softly, as for the instant his brain racedbackward in memory. "Fact is, nothing has ever worked out exactly as weplanned and expected. And I don't think it ever does."
"I'm making that thought unanimous!" Major Barber said grimly. "But wecan always hope there'll be a first time. And I'm hoping this will beit. Now, edge up closer to this desk so's you can get a good look atthis mosaic reconnaissance map of the area that concerns you two."
The Major waited while the two air aces hitched their chairs closer.Then he picked up a pencil and touched the tip of the sharpened point tothe mosaic map.
"Your fighter squadron will cross over the French coast here, at Cany,"he began. "It will proceed as transport plane escort, as I said, as faras Salernes on the northern fringe of Rouen. There the Para-troops willbail out and float down to take and destroy an objective assigned tothem. Incidentally, it happens to be one of the largest airplane fueldepots in all of Occupied France. Anyway, when the Para-troops have gonedown, the transport planes will turn and start back to England, withParkinson's squadron still acting as escort. You two, however, will pullout and head south across Rouen, and on over the river to Evaux, here."
The Commando Chief put the pencil point on the location of the smallFrench town, and then lifted his eyes to look at Dave and Freddy.
"One point I'd better mention," he said. "Squadron Leader Parkinson hasno idea of what's been cooked up for you. Therefore you'll have to useyour heads as to how you quit the squadron. You could go down as thoughshot, and keep radio silence in case he buzzes you as to what hashappened. However, it'll still be pretty dark by then, so maybe you canjust drop out, and that'll be that."
"We'll manage that part okay," Dave grunted. "Don't worry about that."
"I'm not," Major Barber said. "Too many other tricky things to worryabout. Now, when you have crossed to the southern side of Evaux--here,where the Seine makes its biggest loop southward--you will both stepout, and head down by parachute. Of course, searchlights may be probingaround for you by then. And no doubt there'll be anti-aircraft stuffwhizzing up at you. However, it'll be your job to get out of thesearchlights and bail out. Before you leave, though, there'll be alittle lever in each of your planes that you are to pull. Pulling thatlever will touch off a fire bomb that will fire your plane exactly sixtyseconds later."
"I get it!" Dave murmured. "So the anti-aircraft gunners
will thinkthey've made a couple of direct hits?"
"Right!" Major Barber told him. "Also, that you two have been instantlykilled. As soon as your planes burst into flame the searchlights willswing that way, of course. But no pilots bailing out by parachute willbe seen. So they'll believe what we want them to believe. Now comes thetricky part, and look closely at this mosaic map. You two should touchground fairly close together. Ditch your parachutes, of course, checkyour directions by the compass each of you will carry, and make your wayto this cluster of shell-shattered farm barns that you can see righthere."
The Major paused while the two youths bent closer and had a good look atthe cluster of shell-battered farm barns clearly pictured in the mosaicmap.
"That shouldn't be hard, I don't fancy," Freddy Farmer said. "They'reright in the center of the U formed by the Seine."
"That's it," Major Barber said with a nod. And then he continued, "Whenyou meet, you will proceed due north for no more than two miles. At theend of two miles you will come to a dirt road. See it pictured there?And see that pile of rubble there? That was once a church until a NaziStuka came along in June of Nineteen Forty. There you will meet a Germanguard."
"And give him the works!" Dave said eagerly, as he thought of those fiveweeks of intensive Commando training.
"No, don't!" Major Barber caught him up sharply. "That German guard willbe an American Intelligence officer posing as a Nazi. He's been in thatarea for over a month now. That's how long ago we started working outthis little job for tomorrow night. He's your connecting link with allthat happens from then on. Confound it! I skipped one of the mostimportant items!"
The Commando Chief paused and snapped his finger in vexation.
"I forgot all about mentioning that stowed in your cockpits will be aNazi uniform with all the insignia and markings of a German regimentstationed in that area," he went on. "Don't forget to take them with youwhen you bail out. And put them on when you touch ground. They're_Ober-Leutnant_ uniforms, by the way. It'll be better for you to pose asa couple of officers so's you'll have the jump on any rank and file youmight possibly bump into.
"Anyway, when you spot this German soldier walk up to him and say, 'Tellme the time, my watch is broken.' He will answer, 'But mine is broken,too.' By that answer you will definitely know that you have met theright man. He is to be known to you as Jones. So if you call him by anyname, call him Jones. Anyway, he'll give you a picture of how thingsstand. He'll tell you exactly where the two Nazi big shots are at themoment. In which building of their H.Q., I mean. He'll tell you how manyothers are about. And he'll put before you a plan how to pull the othersaway so that you can make your little surprise visit on von Staube andvon Gault. Most important of all, though, he will know the exactlocation of a Nazi Dornier Do. Seventeen that you two can use to cartyour prisoners back here to England. Naturally, there is a small flyingfield close to the Evaux H.Q. that both von Staube and von Gault use,but not the whole Luftwaffe in general. Jones will have all the dope onthat, and of course, he'll do everything he can to make your job easier.He has been groomed for his part to the nth degree. So have no worriesthat anything will slip up at his end. Once you have nailed von Staubeand von Gault--and I suggest right here that you slug them good, andbind them right up with wire you'll be carrying--Jones will run theinterference for you. That's a football expression, Farmer. You get whatI mean?"
"Yes, sir," Freddy grinned. "Dawson, here, made me go to some of thegames when we were in the States. In hot weather, too!"
"They weren't regular games, as I told you," Dave said with a laugh."Just spring practice and scrimmages. But he knows what you mean, sir."
"Good," Major Barber grunted. "Well, I guess that's about all thepoints. We'll go over them later, of course. Several times, until youhave each little detail down pat. One last thing, though, about arrivingback here in England. Try to make Two Hundred and Three's airdrome.There'll be certain parties there to take over your prisoners. And ofcourse, when you cross over English ground be sure and put on all yournavigation lights. And keep flashing the letter M with your signallight. That'll stop any anti-aircraft shells from coming up to greetyou. Well, I guess that's about it. Are there any questions? Any part ofthe plan that strikes you as not measuring up to snuff?"
Neither Dave nor Freddy said anything. For the moment they were too busywith their own thoughts to ask any questions. And their thoughts wereindeed in high gear. To Dave the whole thing looked easy as apple pie.Every step they would take had been carefully thought out and consideredfrom every angle. It would almost be like acting out a book they hadread; knowing exactly what to do next, and how it would all come out inthe end.
Yes, it seemed a cinch. But that was exactly the point. Cold, hardcommon sense, and the memory of experience, told him that it wasn'tgoing to be any cinch. Far, far from it. The eerie tingling sensationthat rippled through the back of his neck was all the proof of thatstatement he needed. Plan, and plan, and plan. It made no difference howmuch, or how long, you planned. There was always that unknown something,that unexpected something, lingering in the background. It would pop upat you, as sure as man is a foot high. And when it popped--
Dave didn't bother finishing the rest of that thought. He drove it fromhis mind, and glanced at Freddy Farmer. He could see that theirthoughts were very mutual indeed.
"Got anything you want to ask, Freddy?" he said.
The English-born air ace frowned, and then shook his head.
"No, can't think of a question at the moment," he murmured. "It's allexpertly cut and dried. All we have to do is follow the instructions.No, I haven't any questions."
"That goes for me, too, sir," Dave grinned at the Commando Chief. "Theonly thing left, now, is to pull it off. And of course, we'll both pitchour arms off to do just that."
"And, please God, may your arms hold out!" the Major said fervently.