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Back Lost Soldiers Save as PDF
Chapters (48)
  1. COVER PAGE
  2. TITLE PAGE
  3. EPIGRAPH
  4. PRAISE
  5. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  6. MAP
  7. PROLOGUE
  8. CHAPTER ONE
  9. CHAPTER TWO
  10. CHAPTER THREE
  11. CHAPTER FOUR
  12. CHAPTER FIVE
  13. CHAPTER SIX
  14. CHAPTER SEVEN
  15. CHAPTER EIGHT
  16. CHAPTER NINE
  17. CHAPTER TEN
  18. CHAPTER ELEVEN
  19. CHAPTER TWELVE
  20. CHAPTER THIRTEEN
  21. CHAPTER FOURTEEN
  22. CHAPTER FIFTEEN
  23. CHAPTER SIXTEEN
  24. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
  25. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
  26. CHAPTER NINETEEN
  27. CHAPTER TWENTY
  28. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
  29. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
  30. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
  31. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
  32. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
  33. CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
  34. CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
  35. CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
  36. CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
  37. CHAPTER THIRTY
  38. CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
  39. CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
  40. CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
  41. CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
  42. CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
  43. CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
  44. CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
  45. CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
  46. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  47. COPYRIGHT PAGE
  48. What’s next onyour reading list?

“I don’t think so.” Condley sighed again. Then he brushed past the agent, on his way inside Macy’s Apartments.

“Where are you going?”

“Well, if you’re taking me to see the general, at least let me brush my fucking teeth.”

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER SEVEN

Condley and Dick Tracy drove slowly through the city, heading for the interstate highway that would take them toward Pearl Harbor. It began to rain, a brief, warm squall in from the sea. The car stopped at a traffic light. Condley watched from the window as a beautiful little girl whose eyes seemed to take up half her face led an old blind man from car to car, asking for money. She peered at him from one inch away through the window, jerking her head upward slightly, an urgent, almost seductive gesture. Her face dripped water from the rain. Her eyes were demanding, even condemning, and for a moment he wanted to climb out of the car and save her. The light changed. As the car inched slowly forward, her face changed to disgust, and she flipped him the bird. Condley found himself laughing merrily.

“Tough little girl,” he said. “She ought to take that blind guy and open up a franchise in Sai Gon.”

“You’re a heartless asshole,” said Dick Tracy, his car splashing another pedestrian as they drove away.

“What’s heartless about wanting to see a little girl succeed?”

“Don’t you have any feelings for the blind guy?”

“You’re right,” agreed Condley. “He’d never make as much money in Sai Gon, there’s too much competition.”

Dick Tracy decided to ignore him. Soon the car turned right, and in minutes they were on the interstate. The agent could no longer hold back his curiosity. He eyed Condley, then probed him as they drove. “What the hell advice does the general think he needs from you?”

“I manage his investment accounts. I’m a clandestine agent for Merrill Lynch. He invests heavily in foreign governments. China is high on his list.”

“You’re loopy. You talk in circles.”

“No, I talk in sentences. So stay out of my brain.”

“I’ll do that, Condley. I doubt it’s a very orderly place to visit anyway.”

To their front and then to their left as they drove along the interstate Condley could now see Pearl Harbor, majestic in its memories. He was still sentimental enough to remember the great, tragic battle that began World War Two and the millions of American servicemen who had poured from gray ships tied up at its piers over the past century on their way into and out of Asia. Pearl Harbor was a touchstone, and in a way a wailing wall. It dredged up a panoply of unconnected memories. And it made him glad that the general had decided to shanghai him for an afternoon.

“He thinks I saved his life,” said Condley.

“Who?”

“The general.”

“What happened?”