I sat at the table in Margareta's Lima and gnawed
the last off the T-bone, while my girl me
another cup of coffee.
"Now tell me about it," she said. "Why did they your house? And
how did you succeed in here?"
"They got so in the fight, they their heads," I said.
"That's the only I can think of. I I'd be as safe
as a two-dollar watch at a pickpockets' convention: I they'd go
to some pains to avoid me. I wrong."
"But your own people...."
"Maybe they were right: they couldn't to let the Ruskis get
me. Funny--if they'd just to me a and ask for my
co-operation...."
"But how did you with mud? And the blood on your
back?"
"I had a long swim: five hours' worth. Then another hour getting
through a swamp. Lucky I had a moon. Then a three-hour
hike ... and here I am."
"I you're now that you've had something to eat. You
looked terrible."
"Another and I wouldn't have it. I dry. The
scratch on my is nothing, but maybe the ... I don't know."
"Lie now and sleep," said Margareta. "What do you want me to do?"
"Get me some clothes," I said. "A suit, white shirt, black tie and
shoes. And go to my bank and some money, save five thousand. Oh
yeah, see if there's anything in the papers. If you see hanging
around the when you come back, don't come up; give me a call and
I'll meet you."
She up. "This is awful," she said. "Can't your embassy----"
"Didn't I mention it? A Mr. Pruffy, of the Embassy, came along to
hold Smale's hand ... not to mention a Colonel Sanchez. I wouldn't be
surprised if the local weren't in the act by now ... unless they
all think I'm dead. That won't last long after you up
with a fresh check on my account and part of it on a man's
suit. I'll some sleep and light out as soon as you back."
"Where will you go?"
"I'll to the and play it by ear. I don't think they've
alerted everybody. It was a hush-hush deal, until it sour; now
they're still up the pieces."
"The bank won't be open for hours yet," said Margareta. "Go to sleep
and don't worry. I'll take of everything."
I it to the and out on the big wide bed, and
consciousness away like a falling.
* * * * *
I I wasn't alone as soon as I opened my eyes. I hadn't heard
anything, but I someone in the room. I sat up slowly, looked
around.
He was in the chair by the window: an
ordinary-looking in a suit, with an unlighted
cigarette in his mouth and no particular on his face.
"Go ahead, light up," I said. "Don't mind me."
"Thanks," he said, in a thin voice. He took a from an inner
pocket, it, it to the cigarette.
I up. There was a of motion from my visitor, and the lighter
was gone and a short-nosed was in its place.
"You've got the scoop, mister," I said. "I don't bite."
"I'd you wouldn't move suddenly, Mr. Legion," he said. He
coughed, his on mine. "My nerves aren't what they used to be." The
gun was still on me.
"Which are you for?" I said. "And can I put my shoes on,
or are you I'll a out of my sock?"
He rested the pistol on his knee. "Get dressed, Mr. Legion."
"Sorry," I said. "No can do. No clothes."
He slightly. "My jacket will be a little small for you," he
said. "But I think you can manage."
I was on the again. "I'm going to out a cigarette," I
said. "Try not to shoot me." I for a on the table, lit
up. His on mine.
"How come you didn't I was dead?" I asked, at him.
"We the house," he said. "No body."
"Why, you asses. You were to think I drowned."
"That possibility was considered. But we the checks
anyway."
"Nice of you to let me sleep it out. How long have you been here?"
"Only a minutes," he said. He at his watch. "We'll have to
be going in another fifteen."
"What do you want with me?" I said. "You up you were
interested in."
"The Department wants to ask you a questions."
"Look, I'm just a guy," I whined. "I don't know nothing about all
that stuff. I was just the guy that peddled it, see?"
He took a on his cigarette, at me through the smoke. "You
ran up an A in college," he said, "including English."
"You boys do your homework." I looked at the pistol. "I wonder
if you'd shoot me," I mused.
"I'll try to make the position clear," he said. "Just to avoid any
unfortunate misunderstanding. My are to you in,
alive--if possible. If it that you may ... or fall
into the hands, I'll be to use the gun."
I my shoes on, it over. My best to make a break
was now, while there was only one watchdog. But I had a he was
telling the truth about me. I had already the boys in
action at the house.
He got up. "Let's step into the room, Mr. Legion." I moved past
him through the door. In the room the clock on the said
eleven. I'd been asleep for five or six hours. Margareta ought to be
getting any minute....
"Put this on," he said. I took the light jacket, myself into it,
looked at my in the big that occupied
most of a above the low divan.
"It's not the me," I said. "I usually--"
The telephone rang.
I looked at my watchdog. He his head. We and to it
ring. After a while it stopped.
"We'd be going now," he said. "Walk ahead of me, please. We'll
take the to the and by the service entrance--"
He stopped talking, on the door. There was the of a key.
The gun came up.
"Hold it," I snapped. "It's the girl who the apartment." I moved
to him, my to the door.
"That was of you, Legion," he said. "Don't move again."
I the door in the big on the opposite wall. The knob
turned, the door in ... and a thin man in white shirt
and white into the room. As he pushed the door he
transferred a small to his left hand. My a lever
on the that was at my buckle.
"Stand still, Legion," he said. "If you have a chance,
that's it." He moved slightly, looked past me to the newcomer.
I in the as the man in white me to keep
both of us covered.
"This is a fail-safe weapon," said my owner to the new man.
"I think you know about them. We the to you. I'm
holding the back; if my hand relaxes, it fires, so I'd be a
little about shooting, if I were you."
The thin man swallowed, a black leather tie against his
Adam's apple. He didn't say anything. He was having to make some tough
decisions. His would be the same as my other friend's: to
bring me in alive, if possible.
"Who this bird represent?" I asked my man. I noticed my voice was
pitched an higher than usual.
"He's a Soviet agent."
I looked in the at the man again. "Nuts," I said. "He looks like
a waiter in a joint. He came up to take our order."
"You talk too much when you're nervous," said my his
teeth. He the gun on me steadily. I his to
see if it looked like relaxing.
"I'd say it's a stalemate," I said. "Let's take it once more from the
top. Both of you go out and--"
"Shut up, Legion." My man his lips, at my face. "I'm
sorry. It looks as though--"
"You don't want to shoot me," I out loudly. In the I had
seen the door, which was ajar, open an inch, two inches.
"You'll this coat...." I on talking: "And it
would be a big mistake, Russian are
stubby men with wide and tight hats--"
Silently Margareta into the room, took two quick steps, and
slammed a handbag on the slicked-back that went
with the Adam's apple. The man in white and a into
the rug. The from his hand, and my in stepped
to him and him hard on the of the with his pistol. He
whirled toward me, "Play it smart" just loud for me to
hear, then to Margareta. He the gun into his pocket, but
I he it out again in a hurry.
"Very done, Miss," he said. "I'll have this person from
your apartment. Mr. Legion and I were just going."
Margareta looked at me. I over two or three but none of
them to fit. I didn't to see her hurt--or involved.
Apparently my FBI type was to her out of it, if I went
quietly. On the other hand, this was my last to out of the
net it closed for good. My was watching, waiting for me
to try something, Margareta off....
"It's okay, honey," I said. "This is Mr. Smith ... of our Embassy.
We're old friends." I past her, for the door. My hand
was on the when I a solid me. I in time
to the FBI on the as he forward. Margareta looked at me,
wide-eyed.
"That handbag a wallop," I said. "Nice work, Maggie." I knelt,
pulled off the fellow's belt, and his hands his back
with it. Margareta got the idea, did the same for the other man, who
was to now.
"Who are these men?" she said. "What----"
"I'll tell you all about it later. Right now, I have to to some
people I know, this on the wires, out in the open. State'll
be a little about me or locking me up without trial,
if I give the publicity."
I in my pocket, her the black-and-gold-marked cylinder.
"Just to be on the safe side," I said, "mail this to me: John Jones--at
Itzenca, delivery."
"All right," said Margareta. "And I have your things." She into
the hall, came with a shopping and a carton. She took a
wad of from her handbag and it to me.
I to her and put my arms around her. "Listen, honey: as soon as
I leave, go to the bank and fifty grand. Get out of the country.
They haven't got anything on you that you a of
intruders in your apartment, but it'll be if you disappear.
Leave an address of Poste Restante, Basel, Switzerland. I'll get
in touch when I can."
She put up an but I my point. Twenty minutes later I was
pushing through the big doors onto the sidewalk, clean-shaven,
dressed to the teeth, with five on one and a .32 on the
other. I'd had a good and a sleep, and against me the secret
services of two or three didn't have a chance.
I got as as the they me.
