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ry at the hands of Professor Anton Ziegler。 The lieutenant had to stay in the emergency room with the registrar。
〃So who was he？〃 the young doctor asked。 The policeman gave the information over。
〃A German？〃
〃Does that seem strange？〃 the lieutenant asked。
〃Well； when the radio call came in； and said you were ing also； I assumed that this was； well； sensitive； as though a foreigner were injured。〃
〃The auto was driven by a Frenchwoman。〃
〃Ach； that explains it。 I thought he was the foreigner。〃
〃Why so？〃
〃His dental work。 I noticed when I intubated him。 He has a number of cavities； and they've been repaired with stainless steel…sloppy work。〃
〃Perhaps he originally es from the East Zone；〃 the lieutenant observed。 The registrar snorted。
No German ever did that work！ A carpenter could do better。〃 The doctor filled out the admission form rapidly。
〃What are you telling me？〃
〃He has poor dental work。 Strange。 He is very fit。 Dressed well。 Jewish。 But he has miserable dental work。〃 The doctor sat down。 〃We see many strange things； of course。〃
〃Where are his personal effects？〃 The lieutenant was a naturally curious type； one reason he'd bee a policeman after his service in the Bundeswehr。 The doctor walked the officer to a room where the personal effects were inventoried for secure storage by a hospital employee。
They found the clothing neatly arranged； with the jacket and shirt separate so that their bloodstains would not damage anything else。 Pocket change； a set of keys； and a large envelope were set aside for cataloging。 The orderly was filling out a form； looking up to list exactly what had e in with the patient。
The policeman lifted the manila envelope。 It had been mailed from Stuttgart yesterday evening。 A ten…mark stamp。 On an impulse he pulled out a pocketknife and slit the top of the envelope open。 Neither the doctor nor the orderly objected。 This was a police officer； after all。
A large and two smaller envelopes were inside。 He opened the large one first and extracted the contents。 First he saw a diagram。 It looked ordinary enough until he saw that it was a photocopy of a German Army document stamped Geheim。 Secret。 Then the name： Lammersdorf。 He was holding a map of a NATO munications headquarters not thirty kilometers from where he stood。 The police lieutenant was a captain in the German Army Reserves； and held an intelligence billet。 Who was Siegfried Baum？ He opened the other envelopes。 Next he went to a phone。
ROTA； SPAIN
The transport jet arrived right on time。 A fair breeze greeted them from the sea as Toland emerged from the cargo door。 A pair of sailors was there to direct the arrivals。 Toland was pointed to a helicopter a hundred yards away； its rotor already turning。 He walked quickly toward it； along with four other men。 Five minutes later he was airborne； his first visit to Spain having lasted exactly eleven minutes。 No one attempted conversation。 Toland looked out one of the small windows available。 They were over a patch of blue water； evidently flying southwest。 They were aboard a Sea King antisubmarine helicopter。 The crew chief was also a sonar operator； and he was fiddling with his gear； evidently running some sort of test。 The interior walls of the aircraft were bare。 Aft was the sonobuoy storage； and the dipping sonar transducer was caged in its partment in the floor。 For all that； the aircraft was crowded； most of its space occupied by weapon and sensor instrumentation。 They'd been in the air for half an hour when the helo started circling。 Two minutes later； they landed on USS NIMITZ。
The flight deck was hot； noisy； and stank of jet fuel。 A deck crewman motioned them toward a ladder which led down to the catwalk surrounding the deck； and into a passageway beneath it。 Here they encountered air conditioning and relative quiet； sheltered from the flight operations going on overhead。
〃Lieutenant mander Toland？〃 a yeoman called out。
〃Here。〃
〃Please e with me； sir。〃
Toland followed the sailor through the rabbit warren of partments below the flight deck； and was finally pointed to an open door。
〃You must be Toland；〃 observed a somewhat frazzled officer。
〃Must be…unless the time zone changes did something。〃
〃You want the good news or the bad news？〃
〃Bad。〃
〃Okay； you'll have to hot…bunk。 Not enough berths for all of us intel types。 Shouldn't matter much； though。 I haven't slept for three days…one of the reasons you're here。 The good news is that you just got another half a stripe。 Wele aboard； mander。 I'm Chip Bennett。〃 The officer handed Toland a telex sheet。 〃Looks as though CINCLANT likes you。 Nice to have friends in high places。〃
The message announced tersely that Lieutenant mander Robert A。 Toland； III； USNR； had been 〃frocked〃 as a mander； USNR； which gave him the right to wear the three gold stripes of a mander； but not to collect a mander's pay just yet。 It was like a kiss from one's sister。 Well； he reflected； maybe a cousin。
〃I guess it's a step in the right direction。 What am I going to be doing here？〃
〃Theoretically you're supposed to assist me； but we're so friggin' overwhelmed with information at the moment that we're divvying the territory up some。 I'm going to let you handle the morning and evening briefs to the battle group mander。 We do that at 0700 and 2000。 Rear Admiral Samuel B。 Baker； Jr。 Son of a B。 He's an ex…nuc。 Likes it quick and clean； with footnotes and sources on the writeup to read afterwards。 He almost never sleeps。 Your battle station will be in the CIC with the group tactical warfare officer。〃 Walker rubbed his eyes。 〃So what the hell is happening in this crazy world？〃
〃What's it look like？〃 Toland answered。
〃Yeah。 Something new just came in。 The space shuttle Atlantis was pulled off the pad at Kennedy today； supposedly for a puter glitch； right？ Three newspapers just broke a story that she was taken down for payload replacement。 They were supposed to loft three or four mercial munications birds。 Instead； the payload is reconnaissance satellites。〃
〃I guess people are starting to take this seriously。〃
AACHEN； FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY
〃Siegfried Baum〃 awoke six hours later to see three men wearing surgical garb。 The effect of the anesthesia still heavy on him； his eyes could not focus properly。
〃How are you feeling？〃 one asked。 In Russian。
〃What happened to me？〃 The major answered in Russian。
Ach so。 〃You were struck by a car and you are now in a military hospital；〃 the man lied。 They were still in Aachen； near the German…Belgian frontier。
〃What 。 。 。 I was just ing out to…〃 The major's voice was that of a drunken man； but it stopped abruptly。 His eyes tried to focus properly。
〃It is all finished for you； my friend。〃 Now the speaker switched to German。 〃We know you are a Soviet officer； and you were found in possession of classified government documents。 Tell me； what is your interest in Lammersdorf？〃
〃I have nothing to say；〃 replied 〃Baum〃 in German。
〃A little late for that；〃 the interrogator chided； switching back to Russian。 〃But we'll make it easy for you。 The surgeon tells us that it is now safe to try a new； ah； medication for you； and you will tell us everything you know。 Be serious。 No one can resist this form of questioning。 You might also wish to consider your position；〃 the man said more harshly。 〃You are an officer in the army of a foreign government； here in the Federal Republic illegally； traveling with false papers； and in possession of secret documents。 At the least； we can imprison you for life。 But； given what your government is doing at the moment； we are not concerned with 'least' measures。 If you cooperate you will live； and probably be exchanged back to the Soviet Union at a later date for a German agent。 We will even say that we got all our information due to the use of drugs； no harm could possibly e to you from this。 If you do not cooperate； you will die of injuries received in a motor accident。〃
〃I have a family；〃 Major Andre Chernyavin said quietly； trying to remember his duty。 The bination of fear and drug…induced haze made a hash of his emotions。 He couldn't tell there was a vial of sodium pentothol dripping into his IV line； and already impairing his higher brain functions。 Soon he would be unable to consider the long…term consequences of his action。 Only the here and now would matter。
〃They will e to no harm；〃 Colonel Weber promised。 An Army officer assigned to the Bundesnachrichtendienst； he had interrogated many Soviet agents。 〃Do you think they punish the family of every spy we catch？ Soon no one would ever e here to spy on us at all。〃 Weber allowed his voice to soften。 The drugs were beginning to take effect； and as the stranger's mind became hazy he would be gentle； cajoling the information from him。 The funny part； he mused； was that he'd been instructed on how to do this by a psychiatrist。 Despite the many movies about brutal German interrogators； he hadn't had the least training in a forceful extraction of information。 Too bad； he thought。 If there was ever a time I need it； it is now。 Most of the colonel's family lived outside Kulmbach； only a few kilometers from the border。
KIEV； THE UKRAINE
〃Captain Ivan Mikhailovich Sergetov reporting as ordered； rade General。〃
〃Be seated； rade Captain。〃 The resem