Fire and Steel, Volume 6

by Gerald N. Lund

  She spoke quietly and with an amazing calm for almost ten minutes. Neither of them interrupted her as their sense of shock and horror quickly turned into red-hot anger. But they sensed that it was important for her to get it said, to get it all out, and so they did not interrupt her even once. Then, cautiously, gently, Hans began to ask questions, with Alemann occasionally coming in too. When they finished, Hans put his arms around his daughter and pulled her close to him. In a voice almost too choked to let him speak, he kissed her on the top of her head and whispered, “You are astonishing, Lisa. Absolutely astonishing.”

  She snuggled in close against him, and again they were silent for a time. It was Alemann who finally spoke first, and he spoke to Hans. “We have to assume that Miki’s threat about the major’s uncle is not a bluff.”

  “It’s not. I know of this General Berchtold. He’s a powerful man with a soul like a glacier.”

  “We have to warn Mutti, Papa. What if they send men to our house?”

  Alemann shook his head. “They won’t. Not this quickly. This has got to be a huge embarrassment to the major. Outsmarted by a secondary school student. Oh, you can bet he’s fuming by now. But he’s not going to call his uncle yet. Not until he’s done everything he can to get Lisa back. He’s probably already put out a call for additional troops to come and help with the search. But he won’t go further than that until he absolutely has to because it makes him look very bad.”

  “I agree,” Hans said. He reached out and touched Lisa’s shoulder briefly. “You were smart to not hide anywhere around the village. The Lebensborn Haus has got to be a financial boon to a little village like that, so they’re likely to help the major in any way they can. You kept your head about you, Liebchen. I am so proud of you.”

  “Not at first.” Lisa looked up at him. “When I realized exactly what was going on, it terrified me. So I ran into the ladies room. I don’t know how I could have been so naive not to have seen it before, but. . . . Then Miki started in on me. Oh, Papa. She was so hateful. Not just to me, but about you and Mama. It was like by punishing me, she was punishing you.”

  “I will deal with Miki later,” Hans said grimly.

  “It was so strange,” Lisa went on. “My panic was so intense, I couldn’t think. And when Miki threatened to have you killed, Papa, I could barely breathe. And then . . . as we walked back out to rejoin the major and Lieutenant Klempke, I suddenly knew exactly what I had to do.”

  “And it worked,” Alemann said. “If you think the major is feeling stupid about now, think about that clod Klempke. Totally sucked in and bamboozled by a sixteen-year-old girl.”

  “Which makes him all the more dangerous,” Hans said. “It makes me shudder to think what he would have done had he caught you.”

  “Don’t, Papa. Don’t think about any of that. I got away. And now both of you are here and I’m safe.”

  Alemann was not celebrating quite yet. “Hans, we do have to assume that what Miki said about the major having his uncle arrest you is not something she came up with out of thin air. I think he told her to say that to Lisa if she didn’t cooperate.”

  Hans sobered. “I agree.”

  “Which means we have to call Mama and get her and the kids out of there,” Lisa cried.

  “Yes,” Alemann said, “and you two have to go with her.”

  Lisa whipped around. “Wait. Not me. I have to go back to Hitler Youth Camp. Miki promised the director that she would have me back tomorrow afternoon. Or, I guess now, it’s this afternoon.”

  “Nein,” Hans said sharply. “You’re not going back there until this is worked out.”

  “But—”

  “No, Lisa. Absolutely not.”

  “I agree,” Alemann said. “We have to work this out first. Then we can talk about what our next steps are. But again, let’s not panic. If Lisa saw men looking for her an hour or so ago, then Major Reidell is not thinking of extending the circle of the search yet. The best solution for him is to get you back.”

  Lisa shuddered and looked away. “Where can we go where they can’t find us?”

  Alemann laughed softly. “I know of this little chalet in Switzerland. . . .”

  “Of course,” Hans cried. “Gut, gut.”

  “Oh, yes,” Lisa exclaimed. “Let’s call Mama and have her start packing. How soon can we be there?”

  Alemann shook his head. “Not yet. We are not in a panic here, remember? First we have the problem of Major Reidell, and we need a permanent solution.” He fell silent for a moment, then turned to Lisa. “You must be exhausted. Your father and I are going to get out of the car and think through our options. I want you to crawl into the back seat and try to sleep while—”

  “No, I can’t possibly sleep right now.”

  The two men exchanged looks, then Alemann went on, speaking very gently. “You’re safe, Lisa. And we need you rested for whatever tomorrow holds. Try. We’ll be right here.”

  3:11 a.m.—Somewhere in Eastern Bavaria

  Lisa awoke with a start, totally disoriented. She sat up and looked around wildly. When she saw her father sitting in the front seat of the car, it all came back to her, and she felt a tremendous sense of relief. She reached up and touched his shoulder, making him jump.

  “How long did I sleep?” she asked, stifling a yawn.

  Hans turned. “About an hour and a half. You really conked out, which is wonderful.”

  Lisa looked around, realizing that they were in a town or village of some kind, parked in front of a small building with a sign announcing it was a post office. Fear came flooding back and words tumbled out of her. “Where are we, Papa? Where’s Alemann? Is it safe here?”

  Hans pointed. “He’s there in the phone booth. We are in Taufkirchen, on the southeastern outskirts of Munich. And yes, we’re safe. We’re twenty miles or more from Steinhöring. Alemann is making a call to a friend in Berlin. We think we have a solution to our Major Reidell situation.”

  7:20 a.m.—Dining Room, Lebensborn Haus, Steinhöring

  Major Kurt von Reidell and Miki Borham were alone in the small dining room. Their meal was finished and the dishes had been pushed aside. He was turned away from her, staring out the windows at the nurses with strollers walking babies around the grounds.

  “What if you don’t find her?” Miki finally asked quietly.

  “We’ll find her,” he snapped, not turning around. “I’ve got my men interviewing the people in the ten nearest villages. Someone has to have seen her. I also have a roadblock on the main highways into Munich. We’re searching every vehicle.”

  “Perhaps you should put a watch on—”

  His head whipped around with a jerk. “Don’t tell me how to do my job, Miki,” he snarled. Then he threw his hands in the air. “Haven’t you done enough damage already?”

  She reared back. “Me? What did I do?”

  “You’re the one who said she was the perfect candidate for Lebensborn.”

  Miki’s eyes flashed dangerously. “Yes, I did check out her qualifications and present her name to you with her picture. But you were the one that got all excited and told me to bring her here for Arnie.” Her eyes suddenly narrowed. “Or did you have something else in mind when Arnie was through with her?”

  “Shut up, Miki! I’m trying to think here.”

  Miki shot to her feet. “I’m going back to bed. And maybe tonight you should consider sleeping in your own room.”

  He grunted something and waved her away, like she was some kind of annoying, buzzing insect. But as Miki pushed her chair back, stood, and stormed toward the door, a knock sounded on the opposite door, the one that opened up into the main hallway.

  “Go away!” the major roared.

  The door pushed open and a very nervous nurse poked her head in. “Major, I’m sorry to disturb you, but you have a telephone call. It’s Berlin, si
r. They said it’s urgent.”

  The major froze. “Berlin?”

  Miki whirled around too. He looked at her, stunned. “Uncle Berchtold? But he can’t have heard about it yet.”

  “I can transfer the call in here if you’d like, sir.”

  “Uh . . . ja, ja. And do it quickly.”

  The nurse gladly closed the door and disappeared. Miki came back and joined him as he walked over to the counter. “Did you call anyone there?” she asked as he went around to where the phone sat on a low shelf.

  “Nein. I called the Hitler Youth Camp and told them to let us know if she shows up there. I made no calls to Berlin.”

  The ring of the telephone cut off her reply. He snatched up the receiver. “Hallo! This is Major Kurt von Reidell. Who is calling, please?”

  “This is the operator at the telephone exchange in Berlin, Major. I have a call for you. May I transfer it?”

  “Ja. Of course.”

  There were a couple of clicks on the line, then a tinny-sounding male voice spoke. “Major Reidell. Thank you so much for taking my call.”

  “And who is this?” he demanded.

  “A friend.”

  He stiffened. “With whom am I speaking? Tell me this instant, or I shall ring off. I’ve no time for childish games.”

  “Ah, but Major, I thought that childish games were exactly what you have been playing since that innocent young girl slipped out of your grasp.”

  He rocked back. Miki, who had stood and leaned in so she could hear, grabbed the back of a stool to steady herself.

  “I . . . I don’t know what you are talking about.”

  “Really, Major? You’re going to go with that approach?” Then the voice became friendly, almost chatty. “I do understand why you have been searching for her so diligently. I mean, this could turn out to be a huge embarrassment for you. You bring in a girl, not yet of age, to your bordello, she slips out of a bathroom window and makes absolute fools of you and your Lieutenant Klempke?”

  Reidell rocked back, stunned at the details he was hearing. “You have her?”

  “Oh,” the voice went on as if he hadn’t spoken, “and then there’s Fraulein Borham, of course. Is she there with you now? Is she blushing a little too for her role in this fiasco?” The voice chuckled with obvious delight. “Oh, I wish I could be there to see your faces right now.”

  The major wanted to scream at him, but he took a deep breath and forced himself to keep his voice level. “Is the girl with you now?”

  “Oh, heavens no. She is long gone. She is in a safe place now. No, actually, I have not met the girl personally, nor do I even know her name. My informant felt that protecting her identity until this issue is resolved was essential.”

  The major’s face had drained of all color now. “If your intent is to blackmail me somehow, I would remind you that I am an officer in the Waffen Schutzstaffel. That would be a very foolish move on your part.”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah,” the voice sneered contemptuously. “And your papa is a former general of the army. And your uncle is Second Reichsführer Joseph Berchtold.” When the major drew in a sharp breath, the man laughed aloud. “Oh, yes, we have checked you out thoroughly, and frankly, we are not impressed, nor are we in the least bit intimidated.”

  “I will not be blackmailed.”

  There was a short pause. “I see,” the voice said, still amiably. “That is too bad. I shall ring off then, but I would suggest that tomorrow you pay close attention to the news. For every major newspaper and radio station in Europe and the United States will be blasting out the news that Herr Heinrich Himmler, a high official in the government of the Third Reich, has instituted a secret program known as the Lebensborn Society, wherein underage girls, some as young as fourteen and fifteen years, are brought to consort with officers across the country, with the sole purpose of producing a super race of Aryans that will eventually rule all of Europe, if not the world. I am confident that will be quite a sensational revelation. I wonder how Heinrich and dear Uncle Berchtold will react to that development.” The caller hooted softly. “That’s the official line, of course, about its sole purpose being to bring children into the Reich. But I’m sure many people across the world will see through that for what it really is. A high-class whorehouse for the officers and men of the SS.”

  The major sat down heavily as the air felt like it was being sucked out of his lungs.

  After several moments, the voice began again, and once again the ironic amusement was heavy. “Please, express our thanks to Fraulein Borham.”

  “For what?” the major asked, surprised by that turn in the conversation.

  “Well, you see,” the voice explained, “she was so eager to convince the girl to fully give herself to the Lebensborn program, that she shared all kinds of fascinating details about the Society and Herr Himmler’s vision for it. Including his concept that the program will go forward in the bonds of matrimony if possible, but outside of marriage as necessary. Oh, the press is going to love that.”

  The major spun around, covering the phone. “You told her all of that?”

  Miki had gone white now too and was too shocked to answer.

  “We know,” the voice droned on, “how Fraulein Borham went to the Hitler Youth Camp and enticed the girl under false pretenses to come with her to Steinhöring. We know of her threat of retaliation against her father, if this girl did not give herself willingly to Lieutenant Klempke. Her father, who is a personal friend and confidant of the Führer himself, I might add.”

  The major was not a stupid man. His eyes closed and he began to rub at them with his free hand. “How much do you want?” he asked.

  “Oh, we’re not looking for money, Major. We’re looking for justice.”

  “Meaning?”

  “First. You will cease all efforts to find the girl. She is in safe hands now. You will call off your dogs the moment I hang up. And you will call them off permanently. Understood?”

  “Yes,” Reidell snapped angrily.

  “And if you think that because I am in Berlin, I will not know if you are complying with our demands or not, that would be a foolish assumption.”

  “Understood. Next.”

  “Not another word about this. Not another whiff of anyone pursuing it further in any way. Including your uncle. If that happens, a document detailing everything about this sordid affair and the Lebensborn Society will be sent out across the teletype to the aforementioned media outlets. I’m quite certain that would make a serious dent in your career plans as an SS officer.”

  “I understand. How do I know I can trust you?”

  “Because I haven’t already sent it out. Third and last condition. If Miki Borham makes any contact whatsoever with this girl or any of her family members—even in casual family settings—you know what will happen.”

  “I do. And that’s it? You’re not going to demand that we shut down the program? Because I have no control over that.”

  “That’s it. My client made it very clear that all the family wants is for this to go away, to know they are not under any threat.”

  “It will go away,” the major cut in angrily. “I told you. I am not a fool. It’s over.”

  “I’m glad we understand one another. Have a good day, Major.” There was a short pause, then, “Oh, on a personal note, as one man to another. I would seriously considering terminating your relationship with Fraulein Borham. I think we both agree that she is a serious liability to you.”

  There was a sharp click, and the line went dead.

  May 24, 1936, 9:15 p.m.—Eckhardt Home, Munich

  My dear Benji,

  Once again it is Sunday evening. I am alone in my room and the house is quiet. This is my favorite time of the week because there was no school today; it’s the Sabbath day and we went to church, which is always nice; it is my time wi
th you.

  My heart nearly stopped when I read in your last letter that you and Elder Weiss were stopped by the local police in Dresden. Again! My mind instantly went back to last October when you and your companions were thrown in jail. So I was greatly relieved when you said that they were just checking your papers and that they treated you politely.

  I am especially happy tonight because I realized that in less than a month, you will have been a missionary for one full year now! Yay! That last night you were here seems like ages ago. It was a very hard night for me. Not only did I know I would likely not see you again for three to four years, but that was the same night we decided to send Jo and Oma Eckhardt to America. Then, just two days later, the Zeidners announced that Erika and Leyna would be moving to Switzerland to attend a private school there. It was a devastating time for me. The five people nearest and dearest to my heart, other than Mama and Papa, were suddenly gone. I went into a deep depression. I barely ate anything. I couldn’t sleep at night. I stopped doing my homework, stopped playing the piano, and even refused to go to church for a while. My way of punishing God for taking everyone away from me, I suppose.

  Then, after about a month of that, my precious mother came to my room one night. I told her I wasn’t in a mood to talk. She ignored me. She sat me down and said something like this: “Lisa, you can spend your life sitting around moping. You have good reason to be sad. If so, you will be even more miserable than you are now. But if you want time to fly by, you keep yourself so busy that you can hardly get your breath.”

  My sweet, sweet Mutti. So wise. So tender. I knew she was right. And I couldn’t get what she had said out of my head. So that afternoon after school, I went right to the piano and practiced for two hours, the first time in over a month. Then, because it was a Saturday, I volunteered to take Hans Otto, Rikki, and Niko to see a Walt Disney movie from America, which was amazing. We all loved it. When we returned home, I cleaned my room before I came down and helped Mama with dinner.