Pyle was pleased with himself. Not even five minutes later (about three minutes later, to be precise), Captain Pierce had called back. He himself had answered the phone, listening to the captain state that they would go along with the plan, but nothing more. They just needed the details and how to proceed back to Korea. Pyle, in turn, had the idea that they would be picked up by his and his uncle's people, all acting under Major Floyd, and would bring whatever they had with them, if any such evidence existed. And Sergeant Pyle was sure that those from the 4077th that had escaped had something that would condemn Major Floyd.
"What makes you think we have something that proves our innocence?" Hawkeye asked, confused, but also wary of what information he had and was willing to give up.
"Oh, we know your type," Pyle replied as Gaines snickered behind his hand. "You're extremely resourceful, Captain. We all had faith in you, even if Wellington and Wright are more than pissed with you right about now about how you have escaped time and again."
"Ok, so you want use to turn ourselves in?"
"Yes, but at a time and place where we can find you. Check out of the place you are now and head to the Lace Blossom Hotel downtown. It's busy, but it'll be a show to pick you up, just like what Major Floyd wanted. My uncle's men will get you back into Seoul, where you will be quartered with him and his staff until we can get to Major Houlihan and Father Mulcahy. We would either get them freed before their trip or during, before they are herded into a stockade in Seoul. Either way, my uncle will be able to find you innocent and set it right."
"How does Floyd fit into the picture? How do we know he won't get his hands in there?"
"Because his plan is to stay here and arrest more people before coming to Seoul to prosecute Major Houlihan and Father Mulcahy. He isn't too concerned about those two right now because he feels finished with them. He's concerned about the publicity he's going to be getting. I did hear that he was going to be interviewed for Stars and Stripes. Knowing him, it would be true."
Hawkeye shook his head. "And should I refer to anyone when someone asked where I got my information?"
"No, you don't need to. I think Uncle would know where you got it from."
After ten minutes of quieting re-explaining the plans again to make sure all was well, Pyle hung up with Hawkeye. Gaines, at the door watching out for Floyd, Wright and Wellington, whistled. While Pyle looked to him for a better plan than what they had, he still was worried that the protection of General Pyle would not be enough. Major Floyd's word carried as much weight as Senator McCarthy's did. Whatever a general might say might not stick.
It's worth a shot though. Hank has never been wrong about something before.
Colonel Potter and Radar, though, looked at them both with amazement. "Gee whiz, how did you two become our heroes?" Radar asked the both of them.
Pyle looked to Gaines and vice versa, but none of them said a word.
Colonel Potter only put a reassuring hand on Radar's shoulder as they stood there. "I think, Son, that these men have been there from the beginning of this hunt."
Right," Gaines said, uncertainly in his voice. "We're not heroes though, Corporal. We're just people who investigate those in Army with a beef with someone else and a family history that would make people's toes curl."
"We already found out that Major Floyd was linked to Major Houlihan and her family," Colonel Potter said. "Why would he want to tell Radar his story?"
"He's got an eye on the company clerk," Gaines admitted. "And, quite honesty, if we're gonna save him, he needs to hide, Sir. Is there any way possible that he can leave the camp?"
Radar was amazed.
"Me?" he asked. "Why – why would Major Floyd want me?"
Colonel Potter stayed his hand on Radar's shoulder. "Radar…what he means is, Major Floyd wants you dead."
"Me? Oh, no, no no…no me!" Radar started to shake violently.
"Son, we don't know why he wants you dead now, but there has to be a reason."
"Probably because Floyd found out about his personnel file?" Pyle suggested.
"It is possible." Colonel Potter took his hand off of Radar's shoulder and walked around in a circle for a minute, rubbing his chin in deep thought. "To get to me is to get to Radar. Radar has been the person running around and getting what I needed."
"In this case, we might have to hide him in plain sight," Gaines guessed as the colonel continued his pacing.
"Why in plain sight?" Pyle asked him, this time confused himself.
"In plain sight, Major Floyd won't notice a thing," Gaines said. "If we have to bring him in before dinner, then we do, but there's always a way to avoid that. Colonel Potter here can pull rank, need him for some of his duties before dinner. Don't you do that anyway, Sir?"
"Sometimes," Potter admitted as he stopped his nervous circular pacing. "It's rare."
"Ok then. That should give us enough time to get Captain Pierce and the others back to Seoul and avoid that mess. It's about eleven hundred hours now. Major Floyd just saw the corporal here about half an hour ago. He's expected back into Major Floyd's office before dinner, which is about eighteen hundred hours. Am I right?"
"Yes, Sergeant. But how is seven hours going to get Pierce, Klinger and whoever else is missing back here to Korea in the nick of time?"
"A quick phone call, Sir," Gaines replied with a smile, nodding over to Pyle. "We can call ahead and get the phone to bring Pierce and the others back to Seoul. Major Floyd would surely want them held there for questioning and then the trial sure to come."
Suddenly, Gaines signaled to Pyle and then stepped aside at the door, allowing Sergeant Wellington to enter into the office. In an instant, both he and Pyle turned their faces into one of impassive guards, a mask that they needed to hold so that Wellington did not suspect a thing.
And boy, does he have an idea that Gaines and I work for another group. Pyle picked up his illegal weapon and motioned for Gaines to do the same.
"I need to use this phone, Colonel," Wellington only said to Colonel Potter, ignoring Gaines and Pyle for the time being. "There is urgent news from Tokyo that I need to clarify before handing it over to Major Floyd."
"My corporal can help you with the phone, Sergeant," Colonel Potter said kindly. "Who do you need to wire?"
"None of your business," Wellington sneered. "Just let me use the phone and get out of here."
Potter took the snide remark passively, not wanting to pull his own rank and reprimand the sergeant in front of others. There would be a time and a place for that later, when his – as well as Major Floyd's – due was paid. And Potter was sure that it would be soon before Floyd, Wright and Wellington would be either behind bars, reassigned someplace or give a good scolding for what they had done to his camp.
Come back soon, Pierce! Potter almost prayed as he and Radar back into his own office. We need you and those damned papers you seem to have!
~00~
About fifteen minutes later, Wellington reported to Floyd about the escape of Pierce and Klinger. In turn, Floyd only smiled. He took the news calmly enough, Wellington thought, and had only asked if Gaines and Pyle were taking care of the situation with Corporal O'Reilly and what they had done about it yet.
"I would have thought they had tailed him," Wellington commented. "They were hanging around the office and acting a little more than friendly, I'd think."
"You think they have heard the orders correctly and would bring the corporal to me tonight?"
"If not, you know I would, Sir."
Floyd then waved Wellington a casual dismissal. "And don't come back until you've heard news about those two getting captured again. I want them out of Tokyo before the sun goes off and sets tonight or I'll have your head and Wright's on a silver platter. You two were supposed to be in charge of silencing those two. You two seem to have run into vendors, nurses and tricks and still could not find them until they fell right into our little trap in the park, one which I had set up."
Floyd snorted and then continued. "Claus Schultz was a stupid man to think that we would not find him and know that he was with Pierce and Klinger."
"We had them though, Sir!" Wellington protested, ignoring the notice to leave the tent. "They were in the maximum security section of the prison in Tokyo. There could not have been a way for them to escape!"
"Then, why did they?" Floyd's tone of voice turned harsh. "How did a cross-dressing man and a drunk doctor get passed some of the best men in Japan and escape down the road? And where did they do afterward?"
"I – I – I don't know, Sir," Wellington replied in a stutter. "But we will find out! I'll call some men in Tokyo, some of your best men, and get them on the track."
"They should have been when they escaped."
"Yes, Sir, I know, Sir, but we have been searching the grounds to see if they got far."
"It's obvious that they didn't, Sergeant. Now, get back on that phone and get those men back to the hotel they were in, the park where they captured him or any other place in Tokyo. And call Seoul first, so they can call Tokyo. I'm through with those channels. Get us the better ones."
Wellington noticed that Floyd's tone of voice turned from harsh to cold. "Yes, Sir. I'll call Seoul and they'll get in contact with Tokyo again."
Floyd waved his hand in another dismissal. "Actually, you know, get Pyle and Gaines on the assignment, Wellington. They seem to be more competent than you and Wright at this point. Not to mention, it can prove their loyalty to me, stupid as the two of them are."
Upon hearing this, Wellington fumed silently, but obeyed the order nonetheless. He reached for the door and, without another word or salute to Floyd, he left the visitors' tent and headed back to the office. On the way there, he thought of getting Wright and spying on Pyle and Gaines, who were getting so close to Colonel Potter and his clerk, but thought better of it.
We'll find a way to sack those two. I'm sure of it.