“So you had trouble getting those planes, von Stutgardt?” he said just to keep the German talking. “I don’t think it was much trouble. I saw how you got ours. You got the others the same way, didn’t you?”
“That’s right,” the German said, and beamed. “The trouble was to get pilots from the Colon Base on solo patrol to come this far north. But we managed it, after a fashion.”
“And their pilots?” Dave asked, and stared the Nazi straight in the eye.
“We wanted the planes, not the pilots!” von Stutgardt snarled back. “You think we play at war like children? Like you Americans, and the swine British? The life of an enemy to us? Nothing! I spared your life, and that dog Britisher’s, simply because I wished to amuse myself, and to let you see how stupid you were in your efforts to trap me, the greatest secret agent of them all. But—”
The German paused and made a little gesture with the hand that did not hold the Luger.
“But now that I have had my little sport, and one of you is already dead, or is dying at this very moment, I tire of it all,” the German said presently. “You are mere children, and we Germans have a man’s work to do. So—so give my best wishes to your dear Colonel Welsh when you meet him, Captain Dawson. And you will be meeting him soon—for that dog is the next on my list.”
Dave saw the Luger in von Stutgardt’s hand come up an inch. He saw the Nazi’s grip on the butt tighten. He thought he saw the knuckle of the trigger finger go white as the man started to shoot. But he didn’t hear the shot, though there was a shot. He didn’t hear it because it came from outside the hut, and there was a ringing in his ears that drowned out all distant sounds. He simply saw von Stutgardt twist around as though spun by giant invisible hands. He saw the man’s Luger drop from his limp fingers. And he saw the spurt of blood on von Stutgardt’s neck as the Nazi agent fell in through the doorway and down onto the floor.
And in the next split second he saw a figure garbed in the work uniform of a German mechanic come leaping in over the fallen von Stutgardt.
“Phew, Dave! I was afraid that he had already shot you! You sure you’re all right?”
It was three long seconds before Dave could snap himself out of his stunned trance, and pry words out of his mouth.