Page 88 of Cry Havoc
“I paint an honest picture.”
“You’re telling me this is like theTitanicand all these general officers, spies, journalists, and diplomats are listening to the orchestra play as the ship goes down.”
“But add that they have not called for an evacuation. The lifeboats are not deployed. And they could have avoided the iceberg.”
“They’ll have a lot to answer for as even more Americans start coming home in body bags.”
“Sometimes, at the tactical level, all we can do is the best we can, which is what I do with special programs.”
“What types?”
“We can get into that after this job. See how you take to it. There is an official mission at the Agency, and then there’s what I do, which is more in line with our predecessors in the OSS.”
“Like the Jedburgh teams?”
“Yes.”
“And the official mission?”
“We supply the policymakers with the best information possible so they can make informed decisions when it comes to America’s defense.”
“Was Vietnam about to invade?” Tom asked.
“Don’t be a smart-ass.”
“Seems that with half a million troops over here we are just going to piss people off and give the enemy a lot of targets to shoot at.”
“I agree with you, which is why we need Gaston DuBois. This isn’t about today or tomorrow. It’s about the long term after we leave Vietnam. Imports and exports, moving people and material in and out of Southeast Asia while providing intelligence on the Soviets; what they are moving gives us great insight as to their intentions. We need people in place who can not only provide information but influence outcomes.”
“Men like DuBois.”
“That’s right. I don’t know how tonight is going to go, but I do know that DuBois feels like he owes you for saving his life and the life of his daughter.”
“What am I really doing here, Nick?”
“We’ll feel it out at dinner. If you hit it off with either Gaston or his daughter, then you stay in Saigon and further develop the relationship.”
“Further develop?”
“Yes. The world I work in is all about relationships. The spotting and assessing stages of recruitment are over but I have struggled to move past that with Gaston or Ella. Based on what happened during Tet, I think you are in a position to move this forward. If it gets to the recruiting stage with either of them, you can turn it over to me.”
“Nick, I don’t know what you are talking about. I don’t speak ‘spy.’ I’m not trained for this sort of thing.”
“Don’t worry about that. Just be cordial. Gaston doesn’t know it yet, but his repayment is going to be as an asset for the Agency.”
“Against the Soviets after we are gone?”
“Yes. Part of a broader network, but yes.”
“Is he married?”
“He was. His wife disappeared in 1963. She was Buddhist.”
“Well, that’s going to be hard to overcome. The regime arrested thousands of Buddhists that year. Killed hundreds.”
“That’s why we need you.”
“And Ella?”
