would have probably made a stronger protest, but Casey reminded him that once the glider was on the palace grounds, so was he. He'd have to take his chances with the rest of them.
Due to his special status as a pilot, he was quartered at the big house. It also made it easier to see that he didn't fall victim to temptation and hit the bottle during a moment of soul searching.
Geidemann and Fitzhugh kept the pressure on. Between the two of them, they ran everyone's ass, including Casey's, ragged. While Shan searched for gliders, they trained nonstop. Run to the firing range! Run to the barracks! Run to where the running and exercise area was located! Some of the men grumbled at what they considered an excessively demanding training regimen, but the complaints soon disappeared when Fitzhugh reminded them that they were going to be the only pale faces in a black crowd, and if anything went wrong, they'd need their legs to get the hell out, and God help the slow ones. The next day they set a record for their daily five mile run. Fear is a great motivator, and the smart man will use it to spur himself and others to greater efforts.
Run and fire. Down, up, hit the ground. Dig in, up, run, roll. Fire team exercises, one covering the other while they leapfrogged forward. Fighting withdrawal exercises usually ended the day's activities, since that was how they would have to get out of the palace and the city.
Each man was ordered to memorize the complete layout of the palace at Kimshaka and its grounds. The routes into and out of the city had to be known by everyone. Constant rehearsal at their mock up, where the palace buildings were represented by logs, made certain that every man would know where he was at any given moment. Alternate planning also came into play. It was always necessary to plan for the worst, to know what to do if the job went down bad.
It was ten days before Shan reached Casey, who was in Kuala Lumpur with Harrison picking up supplies. Shan ran him down at Ma ma Chin's, where he usually ate when in town. Mama, a huge Tonkinese woman with a single long braid, a full set of gold teeth, and an endless smile, called Casey to the phone in the kitchen.
"Mr. Romain, I have found your gliders. It was most difficult, but I have them in Taiwan. One is still in its crate awaiting assembly, but the other is ready for use." Casey had to get Mama to quiet the kitchen help, then had Shan repeat the information.
Covering the mouthpiece of the phone, he told Harrison, "He's found your birds."
Harrison nudged him. "Ask what kind they are."
Removing his hand from the mouthpiece, he said, "Major Shan, Harrison wants to know what kind they are."
Shan chuckled over the phone. "I believe they are what was known as American Wacos when they were used by the Chindits during the Burma campaign." Harrison was close enough to the phone to hear Shan's reply.
"Did he say Chindits? Wacos? Burma?" he cried. "You mean those bloody things are leftovers from World War Two? My God, they must be nearly as old as Gus!" Casey decided not to tell Beidemann what Harrison had said. His tall friend was getting a bit touchier lately. He pushed Harrison away from the phone and told him to shut up.
"Major Shan, where are you calling from?"
"Not a mile away from you. I am at the Kuala Lumpur Imperial by the park. Now listen to me! The glider in the crate is already on its way to your staging area; the other is in Taiwan. I heard your Englishman's response. As long as he is with you, you might as well send him over to me, and we will return to Taiwan on my private plane. It would be best if he practiced where I could have some control over the security."
Casey grunted in agreement. "All right, Shan, but why the hell do you sound so pleased today?"
Shan chuckled again. "Two reasons, my homely associate. First, a nice profit was made on the gliders. Second, I may be able to watch one of your degenerate friends commit hara kiri in the antique I have
Due to his special status as a pilot, he was quartered at the big house. It also made it easier to see that he didn't fall victim to temptation and hit the bottle during a moment of soul searching.
Geidemann and Fitzhugh kept the pressure on. Between the two of them, they ran everyone's ass, including Casey's, ragged. While Shan searched for gliders, they trained nonstop. Run to the firing range! Run to the barracks! Run to where the running and exercise area was located! Some of the men grumbled at what they considered an excessively demanding training regimen, but the complaints soon disappeared when Fitzhugh reminded them that they were going to be the only pale faces in a black crowd, and if anything went wrong, they'd need their legs to get the hell out, and God help the slow ones. The next day they set a record for their daily five mile run. Fear is a great motivator, and the smart man will use it to spur himself and others to greater efforts.
Run and fire. Down, up, hit the ground. Dig in, up, run, roll. Fire team exercises, one covering the other while they leapfrogged forward. Fighting withdrawal exercises usually ended the day's activities, since that was how they would have to get out of the palace and the city.
Each man was ordered to memorize the complete layout of the palace at Kimshaka and its grounds. The routes into and out of the city had to be known by everyone. Constant rehearsal at their mock up, where the palace buildings were represented by logs, made certain that every man would know where he was at any given moment. Alternate planning also came into play. It was always necessary to plan for the worst, to know what to do if the job went down bad.
It was ten days before Shan reached Casey, who was in Kuala Lumpur with Harrison picking up supplies. Shan ran him down at Ma ma Chin's, where he usually ate when in town. Mama, a huge Tonkinese woman with a single long braid, a full set of gold teeth, and an endless smile, called Casey to the phone in the kitchen.
"Mr. Romain, I have found your gliders. It was most difficult, but I have them in Taiwan. One is still in its crate awaiting assembly, but the other is ready for use." Casey had to get Mama to quiet the kitchen help, then had Shan repeat the information.
Covering the mouthpiece of the phone, he told Harrison, "He's found your birds."
Harrison nudged him. "Ask what kind they are."
Removing his hand from the mouthpiece, he said, "Major Shan, Harrison wants to know what kind they are."
Shan chuckled over the phone. "I believe they are what was known as American Wacos when they were used by the Chindits during the Burma campaign." Harrison was close enough to the phone to hear Shan's reply.
"Did he say Chindits? Wacos? Burma?" he cried. "You mean those bloody things are leftovers from World War Two? My God, they must be nearly as old as Gus!" Casey decided not to tell Beidemann what Harrison had said. His tall friend was getting a bit touchier lately. He pushed Harrison away from the phone and told him to shut up.
"Major Shan, where are you calling from?"
"Not a mile away from you. I am at the Kuala Lumpur Imperial by the park. Now listen to me! The glider in the crate is already on its way to your staging area; the other is in Taiwan. I heard your Englishman's response. As long as he is with you, you might as well send him over to me, and we will return to Taiwan on my private plane. It would be best if he practiced where I could have some control over the security."
Casey grunted in agreement. "All right, Shan, but why the hell do you sound so pleased today?"
Shan chuckled again. "Two reasons, my homely associate. First, a nice profit was made on the gliders. Second, I may be able to watch one of your degenerate friends commit hara kiri in the antique I have
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