Chapter 5
Alexander Knight stood up, smiling affably, as Major Frank Carter, head of V.I.S. and Colonel Douglas Sherwin, in charge of V.I.6 entered his office. None of the nervousness he felt about the meeting showed on his face. As soon as they were seated Frank Carter spoke up.
"What the hell has been happening in Hong Kong, Knight? We've had reports that one of your men, Lieutenant Edwin Mc Cullough, has disappeared in Hong Kong. Just what is going on there? Considering our three departments are supposed to be coordinated, Sherwin here, and myself, appear to be abysmally ignorant on the subject."
Alexander waved an elegant hand in the air, a gesture that annoyed Major Carter even more. It wasn't for the fact that he had heard reports, straight from the horse's mouth so to speak, he would have believed that Knight was a pansy.
As it was, Frank Carter's present mistress knew differently, so he couldn't accuse the man of that. Which was the trouble. He disliked Knight, and had disliked him ever since he started on his meteoric rise to his present position as head of Intelligence. But he would get him yet, the man must have an Achilles' Heel somewhere. It was just a question of finding it. Perhaps the Hong Kong affair might bring something to light that would discredit Knight in the eyes of his immediate superiors.
Alexander rapidly decided how he was going to handle the two irate men.
"Gentlemen," he said smiling. "Let me explain, and then you can ask questions. The situation is not so complicated as you are inclined to believe. But first, allow me to offer you a drink."
Both men refused, so he continued. "As you are aware, British Intelligence officers had been having trouble with a Communist spy ring based in Hong Kong. From very proper sources, we were led to believe that certain vital information concerning the present situation in Vietnam and the troubles in Southeast Asia was being filtered through this particular spy ring. We received our orders to investigate the matter directly from Washington.
"As you know, I sent Brian Slattery, Su Ling and Lieutenant Edwin Mc Cullough out there. Miss Su Ling and Slattery are now back in Saigon, having failed in their mission because of Lieutenant Mc Culloughs' behavior. For reasons that I cannot disclose right now, I was already suspicious the man, and I warned Miss Ling and Brian before they left South Vietnam. It appears that my suspicious were justified. Brian Slattery came upon indisputable evidence that Mc Cullough was working for the other side. The evidence will be produced in a report I am preparing. Of course, the Lieutenant has disappeared and all searches proved fruitless in this regard. Due to Mc Cullough's behavior, I had to withdraw the other two from Hong Kong immediately."
For a moment, there was silence, and then Major Carter exploded "Good God, Knight do you mean to say you sent a man suspected of being an agent out to Hong Kong on an mission that I am told was highly important to the security of our troops in Vietnam?"
"I only had suspicion as I have .said," Alex replied in a cold voice. "There was no proof. Now there is, and I believed my action in sending him to Hong Kong to be justified."
Colonel Sherwin broke in "I find it quite incredible," he said. "Lieutenant Mc Cullough was highly recommended by high government officials in Washington. It seems impossible to believe that he was working for the Communists! Such a proper looking fellow!"
"Surely your experiences in Intelligence have made you realize that nothing is impossible?" Alex asked, his gray twinkling with a merriment that he wasn't in fact feeling.
"Well, I suppose so." the Colonel replied. "But even so ... I wonder what Washington will think of this. . . "
"Washington has already been informed of this regrettable incident," Alex said brusquely, "now gentlemen, if you would excuse me...."
The two men got up as he rose from his desk. At the door, Major Carter turned. "I don't like the aspect of this ... I shall make inquires on my own behalf I would like you to know that I am not satisfied with what you have told us."
"As you wish, Major, replied, an edge to his voice. "But would like to remind you that I am nominally in charge of V.I.4, your department, and therefore your superior. I didn't know it was normal in our procedures to question the actions of one's superior."
Never before had he pulled the question of rank in his relations with the two men. But he must dampen Carter's curiosity at all Costs, even if he had to in directly threaten him.
The Major blew out his cheeks and turned an angry red. For a moment he looked as if he was about to explode. Then without saying a word, he followed Colonel Sherwin out of the room, slamming the door violently behind him.
Alex poured himself a strong whisky. He felt as though he needed it.
On his way home that night by taxi, Alex brooded on the problems that seemed to be mounting. Everything had gone so smoothly for so long, that he found it hard to believe that time was drawing near when he would have to cut all ties with the West and get out. If he could.!
The taxi drew up outside the spacious home he occupied in one of the most residential sections of Saigon. As he was paying the driver, he noticed another car that drove slowly past them an ordinary car that contained two men. Alex wasn't sure, but he had the feeling that he had seen this car before. In spite of his preoccupations, he was highly trained in his line of work and remained alert at all times.
As he let himself into the house, he pondered cn the subject of the car. If he was being followed, who was it that was following him? He decided to keep a sharper watch the next time he traveled around Saigon's busy streets.
Houei took his coat. "Miss Cathy Plummer is waiting for you, sir," the Oriental said with a sly smile.
"Oh, good," Alex replied absently. He was still thinking about the car. As he entered the spacious living room its warm colors, subdued lighting and exquisite decoration gave him an immediate sense of pleasure. Alex Knight was a sensualist and this was his only weakness.
The man reveled in the feel of silk, leather, women's perfumed skin. And of course, he was fascinated by every aspect of the sexual act. Of course, his epicurean tastes would seem completely at odds with his devotion to Communism and all that it entailed. He was thoroughly disillusioned with the Western society in which he lived and held its materialistic aims in deep contempt. And yet, the thought had never occurred to him that maybe it was his own bizarre sensuality and obsession with sex that could be regarded as decadent.
A girl rose from the settee to greet him. Her blonde hair was parted down the middle and tied on the nape of her neck with a ribbon. She was slim and exquisitely pretty, with large blue eyes and sensitive lips. Alex had known her for about a month, and she gave every indication of being infatuated with him.
Cathy watched him come through the door, a preoccupied expression on his handsome face. Alex was right when he thought her infatuated with him. She was, and had already admitted the fact to herself. They had met at a reception in Saigon where. Cathy worked as a nurse in a military hospital, and quickly the girl had fallen under the spell of his charm. Alex Knight simply fascinated her. And she often thought to herself that she would give anything to know just exactly what he was thin king on certain occasions.
"Hello, Alex," she said, walking over to him, leaning her head against his chest. "Hope haven't forgotten I was coming."
"No, of course not!" Alex replied, stroking her silky hair gently, enjoying the feel of the smooth strands. Actually, he had forgotten all about the girl, but now he was glad she was here. He had been through a trying day, and he needed something to divert his mind. He bent down and picked the girl up in his arms. Cathy was remarkably light. He walked with her towards the bedroom door which was open. As soon as they were inside, he slammed the door shut with his foot, and dropped Cathy onto the wide bed, then stood looking down at her.
Cathy felt the blood beginning to pound at her temples. This wasn't the first time she had gone to bed with Alex, but on every occasion it had happened, she had felt the same wild excitement. As he sat down on the edge of the bed and bent down to take off his shoes, she put her arm around his waist her hand wandering down between his legs.
She could feel the large cock already throbbing with life under his trousers, and squeezed her legs together, forcing the silk of her panties to rub against her desiring pussy. He was undressed before she had taken off any of her clothes, and stood by the side of the bed, slim, muscled, his tool jutting its huge length from between his legs.
Cathy rolled over to the edge of the bed, and reaching up, caught hold of the swelling sex organ. Immediately, it jerked upwards in her slim hand, the foreskin peeling back to reveal the large red crown glistening in the half-light that filtered through the windows from the last rays of the sun. With a little cry, she pushed the swollen knob into her mouth, the sour taste of prick juice covering her tongue.
Alex began to push his cock deep into the girl's throat excitedly. That was one thing he liked about Cathy, she was always ready to play any game he wanted. He could feel her hands gently playing with his balls, and getting hold of her head, he pulled it forward, making her accept more of his throbbing prick flesh into her mouth. Keeping it there, he pushed her back onto the bed, and swiveled around so that he was astride her head, on his knees, facing her feet.
He winced slightly as her teeth caught his twisting cock, and then bending forwards, he pulled her skirt up to her waist and pushed her black panties down over her hips, or a moment, he looked down at her delicious cunt, the slit clearly defined among the brown pubic hairs. Bending his head, he buried his face into her soft, yielding pussy, licking biting his way down to her cunt lips, his excitement mounting as she continued to suck on his prick which was filling her mouth to bringing capacity.
He suck his tongue as far as he could into her damp honey pot, rubbing it over her already hardened clitty, enjoying the humid warmth and sexy smell between her legs. His butt was pumping up and down feverishly at the same time, making Cathy gag as his pre-orgasm juices trickled down her throat. She could feel her own juices flowing and her whole body began to sake, her feet, still in their high heeled shoes, twisting the bedclothes as she helplessly strummed them against the bed.
Only just in time did he take his mouth out of her fanny. Another second and she would have released her orgasm. He also pulled his rigid tool out of her mouth, and quickly, she scrambled out of her clothes, throwing them on the floor. As naked as he was, she turned to meet him again, forcing her body on top of his, pressing her soft breasts against his face, rubbing her cunt and down his joy stick. And then she fell back on the bed, her legs wide apart.
Alex rolled on top of her pliable body, and grasping both her legs in his hands, he pushed them upwards and as wide apart as he could, stretching her cunt as he did so. She reached down and caught hold of his jerking rod, guiding it between her waiting quim lips. It sank into her, rapidly and smoothly, until it was in up to the hilt. Still holding her legs wide apart, he started to fuck her with long, sweeping strokes.
"Oh, Alex, Alex, that's lovely," she gasped. "Oh, my darling, fuck me harder. Harder, HARDER!" Her voice was rising and she was jerking her body upwards to meet the ever increasing speed of Alex's fucking movement.
"Oh, God, oh God, I'm coming," she cried in an agonized voice. "Alex darling, I'm coming, oh my God!" Her voice ended in a high-pitched, animal wail, and with a frantic upwards heave, the flood burst its bank and she started on a long, shuddering climax.
As she released her love juices, Alex jammed his rod hard into her quivering cunt, and still keeping her legs wide apart, he started to shoot his own spunk in a gushing stream. His head held back, his eyes closed, he could feel his manhood spurting out of his throbbing, thrusting cock, in a beautiful, satisfying wave of delight. As he .shot his load, he kept murmuring her name. 'Cathy, Cathy, Cathy.
Later, Cathy Pulmmer lay in the bathtub, a dreamy smile on her face. While she and Alex had been so delightfully busy in the bedroom some people had arrived, and Alex had suggested she had a bath while he dealt with them. He said they were business friends although the girl had strong suspicion that her lover actually was doing secret work. He had told her to stay where she was until they were gone.
Now that she thought about it, Cathy wondered why Alex's strange reticence with respect to his line of work. He rarely introduced her to his fiends. She had met someone called Michael Shelby, once, but that had been by accident. She had arrived early one evening and he was just leaving. But by the number of times the telephone rang when she was in the house, she surmised that Alex must have a great many friends. She relaxed completely in the warm water and chased all unpleasant thoughts, giving herself up to day-dreams. She was all in white, and was being led up altar by Alex, of course....
Meanwhile, Alex Knight, the subject of Cathy Hummer's happy, rose-colored thoughts, was facing Michael Shelby and Brian Slattery. Brian had been drinking as usual, and was pouting like a girl because Alex was roundly giving him the work for messing up the Hong Kong affair. This was the first time they had met in private since Brian's return. They had got around to talking about Brian's immediate boss, Major Frank Carter.
"I'm afraid he's on the war-path," Brian said. "He's determined to meddle with this Hong Kong business. He's not using me for whatever he has decided to do. He must know we're friendly, although I've never said anything."
While they were talking, the door opened and a slender built, grim faced Oriental looking man came into the room. His sleek black hair was closely cropped and he wore a gray tunic.
"Mr. Knight, your house is being watched," he said, flinging his attache case onto a chair.
"So, it wasn't my imagination!" Alex exclaimed. "I had a feeling I was being followed home from the office. I spotted a black car containing two men cruise past the house as I arrived. I had a feeling I had seen it in the street outside the offices."
"Well, whoever it is has got to be put out of action," Shelby said. "We can't afford not to know. What do you say, Pei?"
The Chinese looked at them in turn, his shiny slanting eyes completely expressionless. "They are parked on a side street at the back of the house. I walked here and saw a man loitering on the corner. He was obviously watching this house. At one point, he went back to the car and conferred with the driver."
Alex stood up, downing his drink. "Come on, there's no time to lose. We've got to find out who they are."
Then Alex looked at the Vietnamese, wondering if he should say anything about Cathy who was still in the bath. He was always a little reluctant to disclose his sexual activates to Pei Liao. The Oriental was a man, devoted like himself to the cause. But Pei Liao had no weaknesses ... none that Alex knew about, at least.
The three men left the house together. Michael Having had to leave for an important appointment. Alex had managed to have a private word with Houei. whom he had instructed to tell Cathy that he had had to go out, and that she was to go to bed.
The man Pei Liao had spotted looked inconspicuous enough, and other pedestrians passed him without a glance. But Alex knew that Pei was right. After years of training, it was always possible to spot those who loitered for a very good reason.
As they drew level with the man, they suddenly swerved and surrounded him. "You're covered, don't try anything," Pei snarled to his countryman. He held a gun in his pocket, and he jerked it against the man's stomach. "Now let's go and join your friend in the car."
They could see the man's sallow face grow even paler, but he didn't say anything. They all turned and walked along the short street. On the corner was the black car Alex had spotted earlier. It was facing the opposite direction as they approached, and the driver had his back to them. As soon as they were level with the vehicle, Pei Liao flung open the front passenger door and jammed his gun into the driver's side, while Brian and Alex got into the back with the other man sitting between them. The operation was carried out swiftly and efficiently. The two men had been taken completely by surprise.
Pei Liao ordered the driver, a young Vietnamese with thin lips, to get moving in his native language. Keeping the gun pressed into the driver's ribs, he gave rapid but precise instructions. Alex trusted Pei's fanatic devotion to the cause completely and he knew that the Oriental would take the mission to good end.
Soon they were moving to the outskirts of Saigon, in the direction of an area occupied mainly by warehouses. At night, the place was virtually deserted, except for watchmen who patrolled inside the buildings. Alex knew that they were making for a house which he had used himself on previous occasions.
Twenty minutes later, Pei Liao ordered the driver to turn left into a narrow cul-de-sac. They had arrived. It was very quiet and dark when the car engine had been switched off, and the lights extinguished. The cul-de-sac led to a river, and it was possible to hear the lap of water. The house stood in a perfect spot for those who didn't wish to be disturbed. It was perfect for all kinds of things, including murder.
This thought crossed Alex's mind as they hustled the two men out of the car and into the house. Pei Liao wouldn't have brought the men here if there was any chance of them staying alive. There was no electricity, and the Oriental Red agent lit an oil lamp in one of the rooms. There was very little furniture, and dust lay everywhere.
The two men remained quiet and surly, only their eyes, flickering from side to side, displayed their fear. Pei Liao tied their hands behind their backs while Alex went through their pockets. They were both carrying guns, Magnums, of the kind used by the American Secret Service.
Pei Liao had taken the matter at hand. He addressed the two men in a low, but cutting voice. "Now which one of you is going to talk? We want to know why you are watching Mr. Knight's house. Who are you working for?"
They remained silent.
Casually, Pei moved closer to the older man with the weak chin and stood looking into his eyes. The man met his stare, with an expressionless face. Then as Alex and Brian stood watching, Pei deliberately drew back his fist and smashed it with deadly force into the man's face. With a cry, the Vietnamese fell over backwards onto the floor with a broken nose, blood spreading over his face. But his slanting eyes glared at Pei, who stood over him, with sheer hatred.
Alex beckoned to Pei who came over to where he stood with Brian in a corner. "You're wasting your time," Alex said. "They're obviously trained professionals. They can take a lot and still not talk. You know that, Pei."
Pei's breathing deepened, and he looked at Alex with a strange expression. When he spoke, his voice was cold as an iceberg.
"My friend," he said. "There is no one alive who will not talk eventually. I have hardly started yet"
He walked over to the injured man on the floor and dragged him to his feet. For a man that slight in stature, Pei Liao was extremely strong. There was a low beam, quite wide in circumference, running across the room from wall to wall, and about seven feet from the ground. It must have been out there to sustain the old structure. There was a two feet gap between the beam and the ceiling.
"Help me lift him," Pei said.
Guessing what was on the Oriental's mind, Alex put his arms around the captive's legs, lifting him bodily from the floor. The man still had his hands bound behind his back, and as Alex lifted him from the ground, Pei levered his tied wrists backwards and over the beam. He then told Alex to let go. The man grunted as the weight of his whole body was taken by his arm pits.
He reminded Alex of a meat carcass hanging in a butcher's shop. The strain on his shoulder joints would become unbearable after a time. But Pei Liao wasn't in any mood for waiting. Getting another piece of rope, he tied the prisoner's ankles. He didn't want to risk getting kicked in the face. He then began to pull at the hanging man's feet, forcing more and more strain onto the unfortunate victim's joints. Sweat began to pour from the man's agonized face, mixing with blood from his broken nose. Suddenly, Pei let his whole weight swing on the man's feet. As he did so, there was a sickening crack as one of the overstrained shoulder joints broke. It was followed by a single piercing scream, and then silence. The man had fainted.
Pei Liao let go of the man's legs and stood up, the light from the oil lamp glinting in his black eyes. Blood had dripped on his gray garment from the broken nose of the tortured man whose head had now fallen forward. He turned towards the other prisoner, who had stood impassively watching his colleague being subjected to the awful treatment.
As Pei Liao drew nearer, however, the young man broke down.
"All right, all right, I'll talk!" His face was distorted with fear. It had been made quite clear to him that no one was joking.
"That's better," Pei purred. "Now, who are you working for?" This last question was rapped out, and there was no doubting the menace in his voice if the unfortunate man refused to answer.
"We are from V.I.4," the man said quietly. "We are under orders from Major Frank Carter."
"Well, I'll be damned!" This exclamation was from Brian.
"Don't worry," Pei Liao said. "Major Carter will never receive a report from these two." He pulled out his gun, and in the silence of the room, there was a click as he released the safety catch.
"But I told you what you wanted to know!" The young Vietnamese agent exclaimed. "We haven't found out anything. No, don't shoot, not yet! There's something else!"
Pei now had his gun leveled at the man's chest.
"Yes, my friend, what else is there?" he asked in a quiet, cold voice.
For a moment, the man didn't reply. His eyes showed sheer terror, and it was obvious that .he was desperately trying to think of something to hold Pei's attention. He never spoke. There was a resounding bang that deafened the eardrums in the confines of the room, and the man crumpled down, a large stain of crimson appearing on his chest.
Pei put his gun away, and stood looking down at the dead man who terrified eyes remained wide open, staring at the ceiling. Then he went to the other one and felt for his pulse. He was dead too, killed by the shock.
Back once more in Alex Knight's comfortable home, the three men waited while Houei served drinks. Alex had already checked that Cathy had gone to bed as she had been told. Fast asleep, without makeup, she looked like a little girl.
It was very late, but Houei had waited up for his employer. He was accustomed to the strange hours that were kept at this house. He also considered that he had one of the best jobs that he had ever held in his life. He was well paid, had no external expenses, living and eating as he did at the house. He was even occasionally invited to join in some of the games that took place, which he thoroughly enjoyed.
On top of all this, Brian Slattery was infatuated with him, and occasionally gave him expensive gifts. It was all most satisfactory. The only thing that was asked of him was discretion, and Houei was so anxious to keep his job that the word "discretion" was rarely far from his mind. When he had served the two Americans with drinks Pei Liao didn't absorb any liquor he asked, very discreetly, if he could retire. Alex nodded, and Brian, who was watching the Oriental as he left the room, was rewarded with a smile before Houei opened the door and disappeared.
Alex lifted his glass and drank deeply from the neat whisky and ice. He had Brian had about the same capacity for alcohol, however Knight handled his liquor much better.
Now Alex banged his glass down on a low table. "Carter has got to be stopped," he said. "Brian, you work for him. What do you suggest, old boy?"
Brian hadn't got any suggestions, and Alex .started to relate, for Pei Liao's benefit, all that had occurred in Hong Kong. The Vietnamese listened in silence, a worried frown on his face. He was Alex's main contact in Saigon, and he managed to keep Hanoi supplied with a steady stream of information.
As Alex talked and Pei listened, Brian watched both men. Although belonging to different races, their expressions were remarkably similar. Determined, ruthless, cold. They carried out their day to day affairs like machines. They never daydreamed about the future or mourned the past. In many ways, they were hardly human. Or if they were, their real selves were buried deeply beneath a facade of steel which they had erected around themselves. No one could really reach them.
As for himself, he fluctuated. He liked the money he was paid for serving the cause of Communism, but there were occasions when he felt fed up with the whole damned business. It was all right as long as he could drink. It was when he had to remain sober that the thoughts crowded in on him. He moved over to the decanter with his empty glass. He was thinking too much right now, and he needed another drink to still the thoughts that churned in his mind.
He was aware of Pei Liao's coldly contemptuous look following him. Alex had reached the point on that Hong Kong story when this Mc Cullough fellow had mysteriously disappeared. They had agreed that the best thing he and Su Ling could do was to go back to Saigon. It was quite clear that they considered the whole business had been botched.
Brian couldn't have agreed with them more.
"The trouble is," Alex continued. "We don't know what really happened to Mc Cullough, nor how much did he really suspect...."
"Very unfortunate incident," Pei Liao said. "I shall contact Hanoi and see what they think. It will take a little time, and meanwhile it is necessary to play down the whole affair. Questions are obviously going to be asked, and somehow, you, Mr. Knight, will have to find the right answers. As far as Major Carter is concerned, I will think of something. Somehow, he must be discredited. It is possible that tonight's little affair will make him think twice. He won't be able to prove anything, and although he may suspect that his agents were killed because they were watching your house, he can never be sure of this. He will undoubtedly try to have you tailed again, and I shall not come here any more. We shall meet elsewhere."
When he had left, Alex and Brian remained in silence.
"Su Ling, what are we going to do about her?" Brian eventually asked. "I talked to her of course on the way back to Saigon, and although she is totally in the dark about the true state of affairs, she is an intelligent girl, and bound to ask herself some questions."
"Ah, yes, Su Ling," Alex replied, lifting his glass and peering through the clouded crystal. "So long as she remains in ignorance, she is safe. If she starts asking too many questions. I'm afraid the dear girl will have to meet with an accident."
"You really are a bastard," Brian said, getting up and sitting near Alex on the settee.
"Being a bastard or not being a bastard; being morally wrong or morally right; these questions don't apply. There are only things that have to be done that's all."
He lay back, and Brian put out his hand and placed it on Alex's outstretched leg. Slowly, very gently, he started to stroke and massage the muscles he could feel underneath the thin material of Alex's flannel trousers.
With a sigh, Alex stretched even further on the deep divan, enjoying the feel of Brian's exploring hand and waiting, without impatience, for the lingering caresses that were to soothe any grim thoughts away from his handsome forehead....