Free The Cover of War by Travis Stone Page A

When the news spread - everyone complied.'
    Hitchcock
scraped his fingernail on the edge of his desk.   
    'That's the
key.' Hitchcock's voice gained volume. 'Shock-and-awe. Death-squads that put
the fear of God into those little bastards.' He softened his tone. 'Not chasing
some silly little girl around town.'
    Nash wanted to
yell: wake up. But he knew where Hitchcock was steering him. 'Sir. If we
can get Amai's superior, we can find out what they're planning-'
    'Enough.'
Hitchcock was shaking. 'What're you basing this crap on?'
    Nash felt like a
boxer whose only trick was a predictable right hook. 'It's a hunch Sir, but-'
    'I've told you
time and again, sonny. In my unit we don't do hunches. Do we?'
    Nash saw his
chance. 'Sir. That's why I need to collect the evidence. Find out once and for
all.'
    For the next
twenty seconds, Hitchcock stared directly into his eyes without so much as the
hint of a blink. Then the Colonel said: 'You can have the two corporals from
Army Int. Mancini and Albertez I think their names are. You've got two days.
Then you're back on delta-squads - all of you. Is that understood?'
    'Yes.'
    'Yes, Sir .'
    'Yes, Sir.'
    Nash mounted his
crutches and left.

13
    D anny sat alone in a muggy Bangkok prison cell.
    He'd been
stripped of all personal possessions; all except the Washington drop-box number, hidden in his underwear. He had no idea what had
happened to Benmore or his driver. 
    All he wanted
now was to get out and get back to Amai; he had a bad feeling - he was anxious
to see her.
    A man in an ill
fitting tweed suit came into the corridor, carrying a manila folder. A Thai
police officer opened the cell and the man in the tweed suit stepped inside.
    'Hi, Danny. I'm
from the Embassy. I'm here to help.'
    Danny stood and
shook hands, but didn't believe the man was a diplomat; his jaw was too strong,
his face too hardened, his shoulders too powerful.
    'The man you met
with.
    'Yes.'
    'He's been
extradited.'
    'For what?'
    'I wasn't told.
Why did you meet him?'
    'That's
private.'
    'Okay. How did
you get into Thailand ? There's
no record of your arrival.'
    Danny shrugged.
'I paid for a ticket.' He found it hard to lie, but had to protect General Weyand.
    'Which airline?'
    'Thai.'
    The diplomat
nodded. 'I'm afraid I have some bad news for you Danny - you're banned from
re-entering Vietnam- '
    Danny's gut
dropped. 'You can't-'
    'They, Danny.
They can. They have. You're a threat to national security, and are to be
escorted, under guard, back to Washington- '
    'This is
bullshit. I have rights.'
    The diplomat
took a page from his folder and handed it to Danny. 'Your rights in this
situation are clearly stated-'
    'You're an
asshole.'
    'I'm your friend
in this Danny. Your flight leaves first thing in the morning; I'll pick you up
from here.'
    'I'll sue.'
    'Good luck with
that. See you in the morning.'
    The diplomat
left and the Thai officer clanged the barred door shut.
    Danny slumped
against the wall. A awful emptiness engulfed him. I'll never see Amai again!

14
    T onight, Saigon was
its usual humid and malodorous self.
    As she watched
the entrance of The Maison Blanche from the adjacent café Le Jardin, Amai
fidgeted nervously.
    She feared
getting caught.
    What would
they do to me?
    Opposite her,
Thi sucked Coca-Cola up a pink and white straw. Dressed to kill, Thi wore a
body-hugging mango colored dress, split from knee to hip. Ever conscious of
fashion, Thi had swapped her snakeskin handbag for a matching purse with a
subtle, floral motif. Candle light flickered on her delicate necklace, and Amai
thought: She looks a million dollars .
    Images of their
shameless act of lust penetrated Amai's thoughts. It was so wrong; so
un-Vietnamese. Thi said they had nothing to be ashamed of, but her
happy-go-lucky nature did nothing for Amai's anxiety, and something told her
that Thi did that sort of thing often.
    Focus.
    Amai thought of
her little niece. The child's life was in her hands. The responsibility carried
a