Ambush Read Online Free Page A

bed.
    Linus crossed the room swiftly and closed the door, and then said quietly, “Look at me, Martha.”
    The woman straightened and turned to regard him.
    A slow flush of anger crawled from Linus’ neck into his face, and he said softly, “Tom again?”
    The woman nodded.
    â€œThat drunken dog,” Linus said bitterly. “What was it this time?”
    â€œIt’s never anything special,” Martha Riordan said quietly. “This one started out over money.”
    Linus looked at her, anger, bafflement, and a gentle pleading in his eyes. “Please, Martha, why don’t you go? I’ve got the money here. Now. Will you take it?”
    Martha Riordan shook her head, and Linus said swiftly, “I can get him on field duty. I can ask for field duty myself and request him and keep him away a month. You could be home by then. Will you let me?”
    The girl shook her head slowly. “You’re too fair. You wouldn’t do that even if I said ‘yes,’ would you?”
    â€œI—guess not,” Linus said bitterly. “I couldn’t trust myself. If I got him in my command, I’d see he was killed.”
    The girl smiled faintly and turned back to her work, and Linus watched her, the anger fading from his face and leaving only a watchful tenderness. He moved over to her and awkwardly touched her elbow, and then she straightened; he looked down at her. “Isn’t there some place we could meet, where we could talk, and I would help you straighten this out?”
    The girl shook her head. “Nowhere. And I would not meet you again anyway.”
    â€œIf we could settle it, if we could think of—”
    Martha Riordan was shaking her head in negation. “It’s already settled. I am married to him, Linus. You are an officer. If you were seen meeting an enlisted man’s wife, you would be cashiered. And what would that get us both?”
    There was no answer to that, and Linus knew it, and while he was considering it and, by implication, the whole rigid caste system of the Army, the door opened. It bumped him, and he stepped away and Captain Loring entered the room.
    Loring halted inside the door, and looked briefly at Mrs. Riordan and then at Linus, his brown eyes widening faintly at the sight of Linus’ bare upper body.
    He said stiffly, “Sorry, Linus,” and tramped toward the clothespress. He was a big man, solid and slow moving; perspiration stained his gray-blue shirt in great damp spots that looped under his armpits. His meaty fist held a sodden black campaign hat, and his neck above his shirt was brick red. The ends of his full dark mustaches were beaded with sweat, and he glanced obliquely at Mrs. Riordan as he moved into the room.
    â€œYour laundry, Captain,” Mrs. Riordan said. “I’m sorry it’s late, but Shallet is in hospital.” She added, almost defensively, “I have the officer of the day’s permission to enter quarters.”
    â€œAll right,” Loring said mildly. “Now skeddadle, will you?”
    Mrs. Riordan deposited the remainder of the laundry on Linus’ bed and went out, and Linus, avoiding Loring’s glance, strolled back to his chair. Loring sank down on his bed with a whistling sigh and trailed his hands between his knees. He Was, Linus knew, ready to make, or receive, a comment on the hellish weather, and Linus forestalled him. “Better like it. You’ll get enough of it starting tomorrow.”
    He sat down again to his letter, and Loring only groaned.
    Linus was reaching for his pen when Loring said mildly, “You’re not a very careful man, are you, Linus?”
    Linus turned, a look of mockery on his face, “I keep trying hard, Master.” He paused. “What gravels you now?”
    â€œRegulations say no women in bachelor officers’ quarters, except at stated times.’”
    Linus said, “You heard her.”
    â€œI’d