Pick Pickering would not want to be responsible for put-ting helicopters-and their pilots-at risk looking for him when they could be more gainfully employed carrying some shot-up Marine, who otherwise might die, to a hospi-tal.
That left the Piper Cubs. There were more of those, but not enough, either. Dunn couldn't fly helicopters, but he could fly a Cub. He was also a lieutenant colonel, and he knew that General Cushman was going to decide that while there were a number of lieutenants and captains who could fly Cubs, there were very few lieutenant colonels around commanding fighter squadrons. Dunn knew he would not be allowed to go looking for Pick in a Cub. Gen-eral Cushman would look askance at him for even asking if he could.
But the lieutenants and the captains would go flying low behind enemy lines, because the Corps didn't leave its dead and wounded on the battlefield. And very likely, at least one of them would get shot down.
It had to be considered, too, that Major Malcolm S. Pickering, USMCR, would not be where he was-if in-deed he was there-if he hadn't been trying to be the First Locomotive-Busting Ace in the history of Marine aviation.
And Brigadier General Fleming Pickering, USMCR, had to be considered, too. Dunn really admired General Pickering and thought he knew him well enough to know that he had accepted the loss of his son and gone on doing his duty. Pick's father would be the first to agree that using the helicopters to carry the wounded and the Cubs to direct artillery fire, or otherwise make themselves useful to the First Marine Brigade (Provisional), had a higher priority than being put at risk to maybe be able to rescue one offi-cer.
And if he heard about the stamped-out PP and arrow, he would naturally want to believe it was Pick, and that would tear the scab off his wounded heart.
The flip side of all this, of course, was that Pick may have stamped out his initials and an arrow to show his planned course-or maybe that was disinformation; he knew where the American lines were-and might be hid-ing out somewhere, maybe literally up to his ears in a feces-fertilized rice paddy, and by now getting pretty hun-gry and discouraged.
And if one of Pick's pilots was down, and needed to be looked for with a Cub, Pick would be out there flying it, and worrying about what General Cushman would say about a squadron commander taking a risk like that later, not about the risk to his own skin.
I just can't leave the sonofabitch out there. Even if he deserves it. He wouldn't leave me out there, and I can't leave him.
Dunn had always heard there was no such thing as a hopeless situation. Until now, he had never believed it.
There was only one thing he could think of to do, and that was find Killer McCoy and dump the situation in his lap.
[FOUR]
K-l USAF AIRFIELD
PUSAN, KOREA
1105 8 AUGUST 1950
Captain James Overton, the Marine liaison officer at K-l, was surprised when Lieutenant Colonel William C. Dunn climbed down from the cockpit of the Avenger. But not too surprised to forget to take his shoes off his desk, stand up, and come to attention as Dunn came into his office.
"As you were," Dunn said, smiling, putting him at ease.
"Good morning, sir," Overton said. "Didn't expect to see you flying the COD."
"Well, Overton, life is full of little surprises, I've found," Dunn said.
He took the envelope of photos from inside his flight suit.
"You know what this is," Dunn said.
"Yes, sir."
"What time does Captain McCoy usually come by to pick it up?"
"Sir, a sergeant comes by and picks it up," Overton said, looked at his watch, and added, "usually between 1230 and 1300."
"I have to see Captain McCoy," Dunn said. "You think the sergeant would know where he is? Is there a phone where we can reach him?"
"I don't think so, sir," Overton said. "I get the feeling, sir, that they're out of town someplace."
"You mean out of town, as in away, or out of Pusan?"
"Out of Pusan, sir. But I don't know where."
"Damn it, it's really important that I get to see Captain McCoy. Do you have any idea who would know where he is, or how I can get in touch with him?"
Captain Overton lowered his voice.
"That CIA agent, Major Dunston, would probably know, sir."
"And how would I get in touch with Major Dunston?"
"I don't know, sir. Maybe the Army's G-2 would know. But they might not tell you if they did know."
"The G-2 would be the Eighth Army G-2, right?"
"Yes, sir."
"You have a Jeep. How long would it take me to drive there?"
"An hour, sir. Maybe a little longer."
And that means an hour and a half. Twice an hour and a half. I'd have to come back. And Overton is right. They might know where the CIA guy is-they might even know where McCoy is-but they probably wouldn't tell me. I don't have the need to know.
"Then I don't seem to have much choice, do I, except to wait here for McCoy's sergeant to show up."
"It doesn't look that way, sir," Overton said.
Thirty minutes later, the Avenger's crew chief came in and reported that since there "wasn't hardly nothing for the Badoeng Strait," they could take off whenever the colonel was ready.
Dunn decided to wait another thirty minutes for Mc-Coy's sergeant, and when that passed, decided to wait an-other thirty minutes.
Twenty-five minutes into the second thirty minutes, he took Captain Overton's arm and led him outside.
"Overton, I don't care how you do it, you discreetly- this is an intelligence situation-get word to Major Dunston, asking him to tell Captain McCoy to get in touch with me as soon as he can. It's very important. And call the ser-geant major at the brigade, same message. Or anyone else you can think of to ask. Discreetly."
"Aye, aye, sir."
Then Dunn went out and got into the Avenger and fired it up and flew back to the Badoeng Strait.
[FIVE]
K-l USAF AIRFIELD
PUSAN, KOREA
0905 9 AUGUST 1950
"Good morning, keep your seat," Major William Dunston, TC, USA, said to Captain James Overton, USMC, as he walked into Overton's tiny office. "Word is you've been looking for me?"
"Yes, sir. I have been. I called every place in Pusan I could think of."
Dunston made a joking gesture with his hands, signify-ing, Here I am.
"What's on your mind?"
"Sir, do you know how I can get in touch with Captain McCoy?"
Dunston shook his head, "no."
"Do you know where he is, sir?"
Dunston shook his head again.
"What's your interest in Captain McCoy?"
"Colonel Dunn..." Overton paused until Dunston nod-ded, signifying he knew who he meant. "... was in here yesterday, sir, from the Badoeng Strait. He said it's really important that he talk to Captain McCoy, and told me to find you, and ask you to tell him."
"Are you going to be in touch with Colonel Dunn?"
"I can get a message to him, sir. The Badoeng Strait's COD will be here in a couple of hours. I don't know if the colonel will be flying it again today-"
"Dunn was flying the Avenger?" Dunston asked, sur-prised.
"Yes, sir."
"Then he must be as anxious for a word with McCoy as I am," Dunston said. "Got a piece of paper and an enve-lope?"