Cronies (Perry County) by Chandler Roy F

Author:Chandler, Roy F. [Chandler, Roy F.]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Katherine R. Chandler
Published: 2013-12-18T16:00:00+00:00

1946 - The Pentagon

Colonel Jim Hanson pinched the fat roll above his belt and judged it less than an inch thick. Too much, but not enough to panic over—quite yet.

Desk work did that to you. All the gym exercising failed to remove what a few months of field duty would dissolve. Hard and sweaty, dawn till after dark work, with short rations and interrupted sleep was what he needed. No chance, his new assignment promised only more paper.

Hanson punched a desk button and ordered, "Send in Captain Dell."

To Hanson, Logan looked much the same, a little heavier, but hard, older in features, and tanned like leather. Hanson envied him.

Dell had service ribbons, enlisted foolishness, like the Good Conduct medal with knots, and significant awards, such as his Silver Star and Purple Heart. Above them rode the wreathed musket of the Combat Infantry Badge. To Jim Hanson, that was the real medal. To have met the enemy, rifle to rifle, was war at its deadliest.

The war had done well by Logan Dell, so had the army. The experienced officer facing Colonel Hanson was a giant step beyond the hard-nut Buck Sergeant of 1942.

Well, they had all grown some. The question was whether Captain Dell was ready for the next step.

When they had settled, Colonel Hanson said, "All the news isn't good, Logan."

"It never is, Colonel. I expect you're going to tell me that the peacetime army doesn't need Captain Dell."

Hanson's smile was lopsided. "Well, that is part of it, but there is a good side, too, if you're interested, that is."

Interested? Logan had to be. After the commissioned years, with all he had seen and done, to revert to Master or Technical Sergeant—the probability haunted him.

"If there are opportunities, point 'em out, Colonel. From where I've been sitting these last months, not much has shown up."

Hanson got on with it. The army had decreasing interest in officers with only high school diplomas, but Jim Hanson could use such a man. An intelligence organization was being formed. It had not been named, but some thought The Central Intelligence Agency might do.

For now, rank would be retained. Later, the job might call for military separation. It would still be federal employment, with all the benefits, and probably comparable promotion.

The duties? No one was sure. A sort of spying, of course, perhaps liaison with other national intelligence groups, certainly some sort of clandestine and covert operations. Who could tell, the thing had not yet been assembled.

"Why me, Colonel?" Logan did not see himself as a secret agent.

"Why not, Logan? You speak Philippino Spanish. You know the Pacific, even some of Central America. The world is going to be filled with American drifters, American businessmen, Yankee entrepreneurs. You can fit among them.

"If you are accepted, you'll be trained just like any other specialist as the OSS boys were. Some of them will be with us, of course."

"You're part of it, Colonel?"

"I'm in it to stay, Logan."

"You think it would be smart for me?"

Hanson sighed, "Look, Logan, the war is done.

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