e I have never read a report
like the one handed to me. That report covers your activities as ferry
pilot in my command." The colonel shifted some papers on his desk,
selected one and began reading it silently.

"Yes, sir," Stan said, feeling some reply was called for.

"It is a continuous recital of violations of orders resulting in a great
deal of trouble. In my opinion it deserves drastic action." His cold
eyes stabbed into Stan.

"Yes, sir," Stan answered. He did not intend to argue, not at that
moment.

"Take this report." A smile formed at the corners of the colonel's
mouth. "The Navy gives us the numbers from three planes that saved a
warship from being sunk off Sicily. In checking the numbers we discover
the planes are ferry planes bound for Malta." He picked up another
report. "Here is a memorandum from General Eisenhower citing Lieutenant
Wilson for the delivery of vital documents from inside Italy." The
smile faded. "And there is a line mentioning Lieutenant's O'Malley and
Allison for covering your escape." The colonel dropped the paper and
leaned back.

"Yes, sir," was all Stan could say, but a warm glow was beginning to
stir inside him.

"And that last line is the reason for my calling for your services,
Lieutenant. I have received a message brought in by an Italian pilot who
managed to fly his plane over here." He shoved a piece of soiled paper
across to Stan. "It is addressed to you."

Stan caught the paper eagerly and read the scrawled lines upon it.

"Shot down. Prisoners. Held in shed back of Bolero barns. Tony with us.
One of the Bolero servants will try to smuggle this out." The note was
signed by Allison.

"They're alive!" Stan almost shouted.

"They are," the colonel said dryly.

"They'll be treated like spies and not prisoners of war. The Germans
pulled that on us before," Stan said anxiously.

"You three seem marked down as irregulars," the colonel said. "I now
find myself in the position of becoming a party to your wild schemes."
He laughed outright. "I have not reported this to headquarters. I am
afraid O'Malley and Allison should and would be marked down as
expendables and left to be shot by the Germans." He straightened and
shoved the papers aside. "With a fast, light bomber, would you have a
chance to land over there?"

"I certainly would," Stan said eagerly. "The Bolero boys have a secret
landing strip where they hid their planes when they didn't want
Mussolini's agents to