Free The Last Phoenix by Richard Herman Page B

each other’s throats. I also believethat this problem will soon be ours. Further, I have reason to believe that Zou Rong is involved and that he wanted you eliminated.” He paused, waiting for Kamigami’s reaction. He found it in the set of the big man’s jaw. “Interesting, yes?”
    “Very,” Kamigami said.
    “We’ve created a special operations unit to deal with this type of problem,” Gus said. “But as this type of organization is new to us, we’ve encountered many…ah, difficulties.” Again he waited for Kamigami’s reaction.
    “Special operations are always tricky,” Kamigami allowed, speaking with authority. He was a legend in the field of special operations, and only a very few men, none living, had a combat résumé that matched his.
    “I am told you’re fluent in Malay and Cantonese,” Gus said. He paused for a moment. “I can offer you the command of our little task force.”
    “I’d like to think about it,” Kamigami said. “Would tomorrow morning be okay?”
    “You and Tel are more than welcome to stay here tonight,” Gus said. “Your young friend will not be bored.”
     
    Kamigami was still awake after midnight and sitting on the veranda leading into his suite when Tel came in. He sat down beside Kamigami in a wicker chair, propped his feet up on the railing, and savored the night air. Kamigami glanced at him. There was no doubt Tel had crossed one of the divides that mark a boy’s transition into manhood. “Had a nice time?” he asked. A slight nod answered him. Good, Kamigami thought. He knows when to keep his mouth shut. A warm breeze brushed against them. “What did you talk about?” he asked, his curiosity up.
    “My name. They said it was very unusual. LeeAnn really liked it.”
    “LeeAnn was the dark-haired girl?”
    “No. That was Cari. LeeAnn was the blonde.”
    “They’re right, it is an unusual name. Where did it come from?”
    “My father was English, and he named me. He used the initials for Thomas Edward Lawrence.”
    “Lawrence of Arabia?”
    “My father was a great admirer and said Lawrence was one of the greatest amateur soldiers who ever lived.”
    “He wasn’t an amateur,” Kamigami replied. “He spent most of his adult life in the service.”
    “Wasn’t he a lieutenant colonel?”
    “At one time. Later he was a private in the Tank Corps and then an aircraftsman in the Royal Air Force.”
    “That’s sort of like you in reverse. You were a sergeant and then a general.”
    Kamigami chuckled. “That was different.”
    “Which did you like best?”
    “Sergeant.” He was silent for a moment. “Gus has offered me a job. It involves special operations, and I’m thinking of taking it. You’re welcome to come along, but if not, I’ll help you find your relatives.”
    “I’ll stay with you,” Tel said.
    “Before you make a decision, there’s two things you’ve got to know. First, you’ll have to go through training on your own.” He described the various forms of torture Tel would have to endure to qualify for special operations. “Most who try, fail.”
    Tel listened impassively. “What’s the second thing?”
    “This is what I am.”

Five
    San Antonio, Texas
    Thursday, August 5
    The shiny black 1956 Ford pickup eased into a parking space in front of the 341st Training Squadron at Lackland Air Force Base. For a moment the driver didn’t move as he gripped the steering wheel. His mind made up, Chief Master Sergeant Leroy Rockne climbed out of the cab. He was a big man, well over six feet tall, given to hard workouts and seven-mile morning runs. The Air Force was his only family, he wore his uniform with pride, and on first impression many thought of him as a five-hundred-pound gorilla with muscles. But those who served with him in the security police knew better. Professionally, he was a walking, talking advertisement for a security cop: dedicated, smart, and by the book.
    Rockne reached behind the seat and pulled out a leather