CHAPTER FIVE
_Doubling for Death_
For a long, long minute Dawson waited for Air Vice-Marshal Leman tocontinue. But the R.A.F. officer seemed to have said his bit, and thatwas that. He lapsed into silence and stared fixedly down at his handsfolded on the desk. Dave started to put the obvious question, but beforehis lips could form the words Colonel Welsh broke the silence.
"Yes, there is still Agent Jones," he said. "But it isn't so simple asall that. I mean, it isn't just a question of flying Jones over toTobolsk and letting him get together with Nikolsk. Ivan Nikolsk has donethe disappearing act again. And in addition, we have the very stronghunch that friend Himmler's Gestapo has entered into the picture."
"He's disappeared, sir?" Freddy Farmer choked out. "What blasted rottenluck! But isn't there something that can be done? I mean, have you anyidea where Nikolsk might be? And--?"
"One thing at a time, Farmer," Colonel Welsh said with a chuckle, andheld up his hand. "Not so fast, son. The thing's a mess right at themoment, but we have hopes."
"Sorry, sir," Farmer said, as the red rushed up his face to the roots ofhis hair. "But it was a bit of a let-down after getting all warmed up,you know."
"Well, that's the way with war," the American Intelligence chief saidwith a smile. "But to get on with my story. Just now I jumped ahead. SoI'll go back to my agent in Tobolsk. Well, he stayed there in Nikolsk'scellar for four days. By the end of four days he had all his strengthback, and falling down the empty well shaft was just an unpleasantmemory. During those four days and nights Nikolsk was constantly withhim, for the reason that a lot of Germans moved into the village. Andfrom what Nikolsk could see they were there for some mysterious reason.I mean, they didn't camp, and they didn't have much equipment with them.Fact is, they were mostly Gestapo men in uniform.
"So for four days and four nights my agent and Nikolsk hugged thatcellar and prayed to their gods that the Germans wouldn't stumble overthem. And whenever he had the chance, my agent went to work questioninghis new found Russian-friend, but, sorry to say, he didn't even get tofirst base. The instant those Germans showed up Nikolsk closed up like aclam. Matter of fact, my agent says that he was practically blue withfear most of the time. He seemed to think that the Gestapo boys wereafter him."
"Were they?" Dawson asked quietly as the other paused.
Colonel Welsh shrugged and dragged down the corners of his mouth.
"Yes and no," he said. "We don't know anything for certain. The next dayNikolsk left the cellar and didn't return. My agent waited a day longer,and then decided that it was time for him to be moving. He had sometattered peasant clothing that Nikolsk had given him, and he slipped outat night and continued his journey northward. In two days he was on theRussian side of the war. And as luck would have it, he bumped into atank officer he knew. The rest was easy. A plane took my agent toMoscow. And after a day in Moscow he came on down here to London andreported to me. That was last night. When I heard his story I got intouch with the Air Vice-Marshal here. We went into a huddle, and--well,that brings us up to the present moment."
A hundred thousand questions had been leaping around in Dave Dawson'sbrain. So when the Colonel stopped talking he got the first one out assoon as he could.
"What about your Gestapo hunch, sir?" he asked. "Just how do you meanthey've entered the picture? Only because of the Tobolsk business?"
The American Intelligence chief gave an emphatic shake of his head.
"No, not that alone," he said. "My agent stated that he was dead certainthat he had been followed in Moscow. And that he is being followed righthere in London. True, he's taken all kinds of measures to trip upwhoever has been shadowing him. But the lad seems to be very clever. Myagent can smell him, you might say. He can even feel eyes watching him.But he hasn't yet been able to get a look at this so-called shadow ofhis. And you can add to that, sir, eh?"
As Colonel Welsh spoke the last he turned and nodded at Air Vice-MarshalLeman. The R.A.F. officer nodded gravely, and the corners of his mouthtightened slightly.
"Quite!" he grunted, and looked at the two youthful air aces. "Theblasted thing is the most incredible mess I've ever bumped up against.Truly fantastic. You'll be sure I've gone balmy when you hear this, butit is the absolute truth. Agent Jones has also been followed ever sincehe returned! What's more, his flat over on Regent Street has beenentered and thoroughly searched at least twice, to his knowledge. Andonce--though he can't say for sure--a half-hearted attempt to kidnap himwas made. At least, he was grabbed during a blackout, and he received ablow on the head that didn't quite stun him. Of course, it might justhave been one of those countless blackout accidents. He may have bumpedinto a couple of skitterish chaps, and they may have got a little bitout of hand. When the blow didn't stun him, and he wrenched himselffree, the two other chaps had disappeared. So there's no way of tellingwhether it was an accident or the real thing."
"But it must have been an accident!" Dawson spoke up with a frown. "Andafter what Jones went through, maybe his imagination is playing himtricks. I mean, maybe he just thinks that he's being followed, andthinks that his place was searched. I--"
Dawson cut himself off short, and suddenly felt like kicking himself. Afunny look had leaped into Air Vice-Marshal Leman's eyes. And there wasalso a funny expression on Colonel Welsh's face. Dawson had the instantbelief that he had spoken out of turn and put his foot into it.
"You don't agree, sir?" he asked the R.A.F. officer lamely.
The funny light faded from the other's eyes, and he shook his head.
"No, I don't agree; Dawson," he said quietly. "True, I realize that itseems silly to think that the Gestapo got wind of Agent Jones, orNikolsk, or Colonel Welsh's agent. The whole thing covers a period ofabout three years, but--well, I have to give credit to Himmler's gang ofmurderers for one thing, at least. They never forget anything. And theynever give up the hunt. How they found out about Ivan Nikolsk, and hisconnection with Agent Jones, and his connection with the Colonel'sagent, are three things we'll probably never learn. But the fact remainsthat the Gestapo has pulled many things out of thin air in times goneby. It is one of the smoothest working and one of the cleverestorganizations in the history of man. So we would be plain blasted foolsto brush any thought aside as being impossible of accomplishment. No,far better for us to assume that the Gestapo has wind of what's up, andto make our own plans accordingly."
"Check and double check on that, sir," Dawson said respectfully. "Andwith your permission, I'd like to withdraw that crazy remark I justmade."
"Granted at once, Dawson," the Air Vice-Marshal said with a pleasantsmile. "Matter of fact, I really don't blame you for making it. Wouldhave done so myself, if I didn't know all the facts."
A couple of minutes of silence settled over the room, and then it becametoo much for Freddy Farmer. He inched forward on the edge of his chair,and looked straight at the Air Vice-Marshal.
"Beg pardon, sir," he said, "but may I ask why Dawson and I were orderedto report to you? I mean, is there something we can do to helpstraighten out the mess? And, if so, I can say for both of us that we'reonly too eager to try anything."
"Old fire eater Farmer," Dawson said with a chuckle. Then, glancing atthe Air Vice-Marshal, he added, "He took the words out of my mouth, sir.I've been wanting to ask that question ever since we came in here."
The Chief of R.A.F. Intelligence didn't reply at once. He looked over atColonel Welsh, and a special kind of look seemed to pass between them.Then finally, the American officer spoke.
"Yes, we had good reason to send for you two," he said. "And there is away that you can help--I hope."
"Those last two words don't sound so good, sir," Dawson spoke up with agrin. "You mean, there's nothing definite?"
"No, I don't mean that," the Colonel replied. "I mean--"
The senior officer paused, and scowled heavily as though he werereluctant to let the rest come off his lips.
"No, I don't mean that," he repeated presently. "Yo
u two can help us,and more than you realize at the moment. However--well, to give it toyou straight, it might turn out to be a dirty trick on both of you. Yourwar service might suddenly end with a bang, or worse."
Dawson swallowed hard at that remark, but managed to keep a grin on hislips.
"We've flirted with that kind of a situation a couple of times before,sir," he said quietly. "So maybe Lady Luck wouldn't leave us cold all ofa sudden."
"Quite!" Freddy Farmer echoed. "At least, it wouldn't be anything newand novel to us, if you know what I mean?"
"I do," Colonel Welsh said with a chuckle. "But it so happens that thiswould be a new and novel item. That is, unless you've acted as decoys ofthe real thing in the past?"
"Huh, decoys?" Dawson gulped. "How's that again, sir?"
Colonel Welsh leaned forward and rested his forearms on the end of thedesk.
"Obviously," he said, "the thing we want to do, and as soon as we can,is to get Ivan Nikolsk and Agent Jones together. Though Nikolsk hasdisappeared for the moment, we feel very strongly that he is not veryfar from Tobolsk. As my agent stated, his one and only aim in life wasto meet his friend, or Agent Jones, at Tobolsk. Therefore there is goodreason to believe the Gestapo simply scared him into some other place ofhiding, and not too far away. So if Agent Jones should go to Tobolsk,the chances are that he would meet up with Ivan Nikolsk sooner orlater. My agent and Agent Jones have checked, and the appearance ofNikolsk hasn't changed much. I mean that Agent Jones is certain that hewould recognize him at once. And he is also certain that he can fullyestablish his identity to Nikolsk."
"And our job is to fly Agent Jones to Tobolsk, and land him safely, eh,sir?" Freddy Farmer spoke up excitedly.
"No, definitely not," Colonel Welsh replied evenly. "Your job will be totake the Gestapo boys off the necks of Agent Jones, and get them allwrapped up in the task of chasing you!"