Free Gibraltar Passage by T. Davis Bunn Page B

air. “I will not permit officers under my command to be shot at!”
    â€œAye, aye, sir,” Harry Teaves replied, his voice as laconic as ever.
    Jake, Pierre, and Teaves stood in the center of Bingham’s office, while the admiral stalked the floor in front of them, arms locked behind his back. “You say you did not catch sight of the men?”
    â€œWe don’t even know if it was more than one,” Jake replied. “Sir.”
    â€œHave a seat, gentlemen.” The trio slipped into three high-back chairs. “The bullets tell us nothing, I’m afraid. German make, but they fit any number of weapons. There’s a glut of those on the black market just now. Remnants of war and all that.”
    Bingham stopped before Jake. “That was fast thinking on your part, Colonel.”
    â€œMore like an automatic reaction, sir.”
    â€œIndeed. Your reactions served you well. You saw active duty, I take it.”
    â€œMostly in Italy. But I am stationed in Germany now.”
    â€œYes, so Commander Teaves informed me. Karlsruhe, do I have that right?”
    â€œYessir.”
    â€œI shall inform your superiors of this, Colonel.” He resumed his pacing, forming the letter in his mind as he spoke. “They should know that your performance has saved the life of an American officer assigned to my depot.”
    â€œAh—” Jake was stopped before he could start by another of Harry Teaves’ throat-clearing exercises. “Thank you, sir.”
    â€œDon’t mention it.” Bingham turned to Pierre. “Would you happen to have a picture of your brother, Major?”
    â€œYessir. One I borrowed from my parents.”
    â€œLet me have it, please.”
    Pierre unbuttoned his side pocket and drew out a jagged-edged print. The admiral inspected it and gave a start. “I say. Identical twins.”
    â€œYessir.”
    â€œMost remarkable. Has it occurred to you, Major, that the assailants might not have been after you at all?”
    Pierre opened his mouth, shut it, tried a second time. “Now that you mention it—”
    â€œIndeed.” Bingham thrust the photograph at Teaves. “Assign a squad to show this around. They are to take their time, Commander. Stress in the strongest possible terms that they are to visit every bar, every hotel, every boardinghouse, every back-room dive. Ask both after this man, and anyone else who might have been inquiring after him. I want no stone left unturned.”
    Teaves accepted the picture. “Aye, aye, sir.”
    â€œShoot at one of my officers, will they?” Bingham fumed his way around his desk and back into his seat. “I’ll have their guts for garters. All right, gentlemen. Dismissed.”
    ----
    As they left the garrison headquarters, a midshipman approached them. “Commander Teaves?”
    â€œThat’s me.”
    â€œMessage for you, sir.”
    Teaves unfolded the paper, read the few lines, and announced, “We’ve been summoned, gentlemen. It appears that Millie Haskins has need of our presence. And when that lady speaks, you better answer on the bounce.”
    The old woman lived in a stout colonial residence, one clearly built with solid confidence that the family would remain there for centuries to come. The house was almost buried under its ballast of bougainvillea. Great clusters ofthe rich purple flowers grew in such profusion that Jake was on the front stairs before he realized he was entering a deep porch and not the house proper. He spotted a pair of rainbow-tinted hummingbirds feeding delicately from the blossoms, then stooped and stepped into the perfumed shade.
    Millicent Haskins sat enthroned on a high-back brocade chair. “Good morning, Commander. Hello, Colonel. So kind of you gentlemen to stop by. I hope I did not pull you away from anything important.”
    â€œNot at all, ma’am.” Commander Teaves took her hand and bowed stiffly