The Honor of Spies

"The Gendarmeria Nacional is taking care of that, Senor Presidente," Nervo said. "And it's not only keeping an eye on Schmidt's convoy but doing its best to slow it down."

"The Husares de Pueyrredon will take care of slowing el Coronel Schmidt down," Rawson said.

"Excuse me, Senor Presidente?" Nervo said.

"Just as soon as I can get to a military phone--" Rawson interrupted himself and turned to Lauffer. "Bobby, call down and have my car ready two minutes ago."

"Yes, sir," Lauffer said, and picked up the telephone.

"I'm going to order the Husares to saddle up immediately for Mendoza," Rawson finished.

He saw what he correctly interpreted to be something close to contempt on Nervo's face.

"Figuratively speaking, of course, General Nervo. I'm going to order the Husares to immediately begin to move to Mendoza by truck. They have enough trucks to move a troop with their mounts."

Nervo did not respond, and the look of near contempt remained.

"That was one of el Coronel Frade's innovations when he had the Husares de Pueyrredon," Rawson said. "He called it his Immediate Reaction Force."

When there was no response to that either, Rawson said, "Jorge Frade even got airplanes for his regiment. Piper Cubs. Cletus flew me into Buenos Aires in one of them during Operation Blue, and I was able to prevent two regiments from inadvertently engaging each other as they marched on the Casa Rosada."

Nervo was still silent.

"General, if you have something on your mind, please say it."

"You're sure, Senor Presidente?"

"Consider it an order, General!"

"When I joined the Gendarmeria, I was advised by a man I respected that I was never going to get anywhere in the Gendarmeria unless I learned to keep my mouth shut and never tell any of my superiors anything they didn't want to hear, or, more importantly, that they were wrong.

"I followed that advice, and it worked. Here I am, inspector general of the Gendarmeria Nacional. I don't have to worry about getting promoted anymore. What I have to worry about now is keeping stupid bastards like Schmidt from starting a civil war that will destroy Argentina. And, of course, from keeping General Obregon from sending me swimming with my hands tied behind me. . . ."

"If you have something to say to me, Inspector General, say it!" Rawson said angrily.

"Well, I'm just a simple policeman, Senor Presidente, but I see several things wrong with you sending the Husares charging down the highway in trucks to Mendoza to roadblock Schmidt and the 10th Mountain Troops."

"Is that so?"

"For one thing, the Husares wouldn't know where to find the Mountain Troops. The last word I had from my people who are following them is that they plan to halt for the night near General Alvear.

"That means in the morning they can do one of two things. They can turn right in San Rafael and take Highway 146 to San Luis, and then Highway 7 to Mendoza."

"I know the area," General Rawson said thoughtfully.

"Or," Nervo went on, "they can turn left at San Rafael and then about twenty kilometers down 146 get on the secondary roads to Mendoza. They're not paved and some of them are in bad shape, but it's only two-thirds--maybe half as far--going that way.

"We don't know which route Schmidt will take. So you won't know where to order the Husares to set up their roadblock. And you can't split the Husares and put half on one route and half on the other. How big is Frade's--el Coronel Frade's--Immediate Reaction Force? A troop? What's that, maybe fifty guys on horses?"

"About sixty-two, I think," Lauffer said.

"Okay. You split that many in half, you have thirty-one guys on horseback, armed with nothing heavier than Thompson submachine guns and Mauser carbines. On Schmidt's trucks are two hundred, give or take, men armed with everything up to .30- and .50-caliber machine guns, mortars, and God only knows what else.

"The Husares won't stand a chance against the Mountain Troops. All they'll be is a footnote in the history books: 'The first battle in the Argentine Civil War of 1943-53 was between the 10th Mountain Regiment and the Husares de Pueyrredon, who were wiped out near General Alvear.' "

He paused, then asked, "You want me to go on, Senor Presidente?"

"Please do so, Inspector General."

" 'When word reached Buenos Aires that the 10th Mountain Regiment troops--who were now calling themselves the National Socialist 10th Mountain Regiment--had executed Don Cletus Frade, prominent estanciero and son of the former commander of the Husares de Pueyrredon, for treason, troops of the 3rd Cavalry Regiment rushed from Campo de Mayo to the Casa Rosada to protect el Presidente Rawson, who was known to be a close friend of Don Cletus. They were met by the 2nd Regiment of Grenadiers--now the National Socialist Grenadiers--who wanted to execute Rawson. A battle ensued in the vicinity of the Retiro Railway Station.' "

He paused, met Rawson's eyes, and went on: "It won't matter who wins that battle, Senor Presidente. The civil war will have begun."