The Berlin Tunnel

by Roger L Liles

  “I’m fine, but have I told you recently how much I love you?”

  “You told me as you left this morning.”

  “Well, I love you even more now.”

  “Where’ve you been?”

  “East Berlin.”

  “Stop joking. That’s just another of your little stories.”

  “Get dressed and I’ll show you the proof.”

  “Come to bed, silly. It’s late, and we must go to work tomorrow.”

  “Woman, just do as I say!” I kissed her nose and gave her a playful swat on the butt.

  Fifteen minutes later, we left our new home. I drove northwest into the British sector of Berlin in Scott’s convertible. Anna bombarded me with questions and displayed a touch of annoyance. “Where are we going in the middle of the night?”

  “To a mansion Scott rented in the Charlottenburg District.”

  “Why would Scott rent an estate there? That’s where very wealthy Berliners live.”

  “That’s true.”

  “How can Scott afford a mansion? He’s just an Air Force Captain like you.”

  “Well, it turns out that Scott’s family owns a big part of Texas, so he can easily afford such luxury.”

  “Robert Kerr, you’ll immediately tell me where we’re going and why?”

  “No, that’d spoil the surprise.”

  “I don’t care. Tell me now….”

  I smiled at her. “The mansion’s in the next block. Sure you can’t wait?

  “No—tell me! Tell me NOW!”

  “Your entire family is in West Berlin, and they are waiting in the mansion to be reunited with you.”

  “That’s impossible. How?!….who?!….when?! She sputtered, shaking her head in an attempt to clear her mind. “Robert Kerr, you sometimes lie in jest. Are you kidding me? This isn’t a nice trick!”

  “Well, if you are going to cast aspersions on my character, we’ll just go back home.”

  “Robert…”

  “We’re here,” I said. “Take my hand.” I slipped my free arm around her waist. “I don’t want you to faint or fall down and hurt yourself.”

  “What you’re saying can’t be true. People get killed trying to escape! Why are you doing this?”

  I led her through massive front doors into a vestibule and then a large living room. All the adults sat on three sofas and two chairs arranged around a roaring fire in a massive fireplace.

  Bernard saw Anna. He jumped up and headed for her. Clearly overwhelmed, she started to weep. All conversations stopped as everyone else turned to us.

  Bernard reached her first, then other members of her immediate family surrounded her. I stepped out of the way. Following a group hug, she embraced and kissed each individual, touching them as if to assure herself they were indeed alive and well.

  “I have spent long hours worrying that I would never see any of you again,” she declared. “Now you’re all here! Give me a few minutes to get used to this—I can’t believe my eyes. You are all here and safe!”

  I handed Anna a handkerchief. As she dried her eyes, she cried out, “The children, where are they?”

  Bernard embraced his daughter. “We just put them to bed. They had a big day, but we will get them up.”

  Soon she was hugging each of the children. The last, little Andrea insisted that Anna pick her up. After a sloppy kiss the little girl said, “I missed you and Robert. I was able to bring the Barbie doll and all of her clothes with me in my backpack.”

  After the furor died down, Anna drew me into her arms. We shared a long, ardent kiss. “How did you manage this, darling?” she asked.

  “You won’t believe it, but I really can’t tell you. It must remain a secret.”

  At this point, I introduced her to Kurt Altschuler’s daughter, Gretchen, her mother, Erica, and grandmother, Rachel.

  I took Bernard and Anna to one side. “Do they know that Kurt was seriously injured?”

  “Scott called the military hospital. Kurt didn’t make it,” Bernard said. “Erica is grief stricken. While they were in the tunnel, Kurt apparently gave her a large manila envelope. It contained a letter and his Will, which named Erica and their daughter as his heirs. Fortunately, his assets and CIA pension will ensure that they will never have to worry about money.”

  “I’m relieved. Over these past few months, he became like a brother to me.”

  Emma joined us. She asked Anna, “I heard that the Stasi mistreated you, dear. How are you feeling?”

  “The Stasi threatened to send you all to prison, and the children to orphanages, which was why I was so frightened. They tried to force me to spy on Robert. Now that you are all here, I feel wonderful.”

  Anna grasped her parents’ hands. “Robert won’t tell me how you escaped. Tell me, please.”

  Bernard answered, “We met him in an abandoned warehouse near the East Train Station, where he led us to a storm drain which we walked through to a hole. Then we climbed up a ladder into a tunnel, rode in a motorized cart blindfolded, had lunch at an apartment somewhere near the River Spree, and were brought here in a plumbing van.”

  “That doesn’t help me understand at all.” Her confusion showed as she looked at Emma.

  Emma shrugged. “Papa’s right. That is all we know.”

  “Mama, were you able to bring any of your nice things with you?”

  “We have the clothes on our backs, our identification papers, and a few photographs. Everything else is at home,” Emma’s lips trembled.

  “I was told that I should not even bring my doctor’s bag, so it is still back in my surgery.”

  Bernard took Emma in his arms. “We have each other. Family is the most important thing in life, and now our family will be together…and safe.”

  Looking at her parents, Anna asked, “Have you decided where you want to live?”

  Sophia, standing nearby, noticed her parents’ hesitation. “The man came by the house late last evening to tell us about the escape plan, so none of us has had time to think about such things.”

  “Did you know that this is our third escape attempt?” Bernard asked.

  “Actually, I believe Scott, Kurt, and I developed a total of six escape schemes if you include Bernauerstrasse,” I said.

  “Robert promised he would not give up until you were free, but he didn’t tell me how he planned to make that happen.”

  “I just didn’t want to get your hopes up if we failed,” I slipped my arm around her, and gave her a squeeze.

  Anna whispered in my ear. I shouted to be heard over everyone. “Attention. Anna has an announcement.”

  “Now we can all live in America and be together. I want to be near all of you, so you must come to America next month when Robert and I move there! Robert says we can sponsor you and you can probably leave here soon.” She waited expectantly for their excited agreement.

  After a brief, almost tense silence, Bernard came over, and took Anna’s hand, “Although we are grateful that Robert helped us to escape from the East and we would like to visit America, your mother and I will probably decide to live in West Germany.”

  “And this is a decision Sophia, Derrik, Fredrich, Helmuth, and Johanna will make for themselves and their families,” Emma added.

  I saw the disappointment in Anna’s eyes. She mutely nodded her understanding.

  Chapter 146

  Monday, November 20, 1961

  The celebration finally subsided at a little after midnight. Several hours later, the phone in the master bedroom rang. I heard Scott answer, “Hello.” He fell silent for a moment. “Impossible. Thanks.”

  A moment later, he banged on our door. “That was Mark. A recent intercept at the building indicates the Stasi received extrajudicial authorization to conduct a raid on this house and kill all its occupants. They may arrive at any moment.”

  “How could he possibly know where the Fischer family are staying?” I asked.

  Anna joined us. After explaining the situation, she retrieve
d her father. Once the four of us were together, Scott asked, “Bernard, do you have any idea how the Stasi discovered our location?”

  His shoulder slumped as he replied, “After we arrived, I called Saint Hedwig Hospital in East Berlin from the telephone in the hall. I needed my patients to be assigned to other doctors. It took a few minutes to give them my instructions.”

  “They’ve probably traced the call to this address. We can expect the Stasi any minute!” I concluded.

  “Why do they want to kill my family and me?” Bernard asked. “I don’t understand.”

  I explained. “Three Stasi agents were killed last night, and they found a small leather case with your calling cards at the scene.”

  “They think you’re a CIA operative, and they want revenge,” Scott added.

  “I do carry a case for my business cards.”

  “Is it with you?”

  He went after his suit coat. “It’s usually in the inside breast pocket of this jacket, but it’s gone.” Obviously both embarrassed and worried. “How could I have been so stupid,”

  Cool-headed Scott took control of the situation. “Get everyone up and dressed. Turn off the lights and lock the doors. I know someone I can call. He will quickly get people here to protect us.”

  The West Berlin Police connected Scott to his friend, Herr Captain Hans Bauer. He held out the phone so I could hear the conversation. “Hans, buddy, I have a huge problem and need your help. Don’t ask me how I know, but the Stasi have been authorized to conduct the extrajudicial murder of twelve members of Doctor Bernard Fischer’s family.”

  “They live in the East. I can’t help you.”

  “They managed to escape yesterday.”

  “Wonderful news. Bernard Fischer has done so much for the people of Berlin. He personally treated my older brother, when as a teenager he was wounded in the struggle to save Berlin from the Russians.”

  “He and his family are going to be very dead if you don’t help.”

  “We’re in a large home at 23 Gardes-Du-Corps Strasse,” I said loud enough for Bauer to hear.

  “Patrol cars should start arriving within fifteen minutes,” he replied. “Get everyone to the safest place inside of the house.”

  “Got it!” Scott replied.

  “I’ll be there as soon as possible to direct our operations.”

  “Everyone into the basement,” Scott directed. “It has a metal door and a deadbolt lock. I’ll stay up here to welcome the police when they arrive.”

  “I’ll stay with you,” I exclaimed. “We’ve been in worse danger recently.”

  While others hurried downstairs, I felt the onset of my first panic attack in months. Through the difficult moments while we completed the tunnel, tried to free Anna’s family from the East, and the last twenty hours, I’d experienced no panic attacks. Why now?

  The first sign, a rapid intake of breath. Next, tunnel vision, then my extremities began to tingle, and I became dizzy. Although I made it to one of the couches in the living room and initiated my deep breathing exercises, I knew that this would be a severe attack. Scott, aware of my problem, rushed to my side. With dead-panned look he said, “Not an appropriate time to be lying down on the job, Kemosabe!”

  “I know,” I whispered, impressed by his sense of humor given the circumstances.

  “What can I do for you?” he asked, this time more seriously.

  “Keep the bad guys at bay until I recover.”

  “Easier said than done, my friend.”

  Minutes later, the first police cars arrived. My symptoms eased slowly, and I was on my feet before those hiding in the basement returned.

  Chapter 147

  Anna

  Monday, November 20, 1961

  Scott, Robert, and I rousted everyone out of bed, told them to get dressed and go down to the basement quickly. At Robert’s insistence, I accompanied my family and helped barricade the door as Scott instructed.

  Ten minutes later, I heard police cars arrive. I relaxed a little, confident we would be safe. Soon we returned to the first floor.

  Captain Bauer, a muscular, handsome, almost six-foot-tall blond, arrived about thirty minutes after Scott’s original call.

  He tried to reassure us about our safety. “I have a squad of specially trained men whose primary job is to protect VIPs. These men are the best—everyone thoroughly vetted and trained. They’ll all be here soon. Our presence should deter the Stasi from taking any action.”

  “Do you plan to protect us here?” I asked.

  “No, it’s best that we get everyone out of here. Those bastards might try something drastic in this normally quiet residential area. We don’t know how they will cross over the border or how many might be coming.”

  “Do you have a suggestion?” Scott asked.

  “The Hilton has a VIP area in an isolated wing with restricted elevator and stair access—ideal from our viewpoint,” Herr Bauer replied.

  Scott made a quick phone call. “The whole wing was unoccupied. It’s ours now.”

  “Who’s paying for the hotel?” I asked.

  “Don’t worry about it!” Scott replied. “Let this be my parting gift for a wonderful family I really admire. I’m protecting Mia’s family as well as Kurt’s, whom we are all now responsible for.”

  By four a.m., twenty members of the Berlin Special Police Squad had arrived and surrounded the mansion. As usual, Berlin weather again changed for the worse. Bitter cold and the usual cloud cover, rain intermingled with a heavy mist. The officers wore dark-blue rain slickers with POLIZEI emblazoned on the back.

  Robert summoned the adults into the living room. “For your safety, the police are taking everyone to the Hilton Hotel. We will leave as soon as the police announce it is safe.”

  At Captain Bauer’s direction, seven dark-green Mercedes police vans pulled into the driveway of the mansion, engines and heaters running. Armed police spread across the front entrance, around the convoy of vans, facing out, MP-28 submachine guns at the ready. Sophia’s family, Erica’s three, Scott’s four, and Helmut’s family were escorted to the middle four vehicles. Next, Captain Bauer directed, “Herr Doktor and Professor Fischer, Fredrich Fischer, Captain and Frau Kerr, please go to the second van. I will drive that vehicle.”

  Captain Bauer addressed his team, “While you are inside your vehicle have your arms at the ready in order to exit and defend the convoy should that become necessary. Squad leaders, take your teams and occupy the leading and trailing vans.” With hand signals, he directed other individuals to be drivers or to sit in the front passenger seat of the remaining vans.

  The vans had bucket seats in front with three bench seats in the back. Robert and I sat just behind the driver. We watched as six policemen got into the first vehicle. Another sat in the passenger seat in front of us, alertly assessing the surrounding area.

  Captain Bauer took the driver’s seat, turned on the two blue flashing roof lights, and glanced back at us. “That is my signal for the convoy to proceed to the hotel.”

  The other vans and police cars also activated their flashing blue lights. The lead van followed a squad car as it turned right out of the driveway onto the street. Bauer put our van into gear and followed. We had just reached the entrance to the driveway when a fast-moving, black Opel sedan rear-ended the lead van.

  Knowing that the men in that van and car were probably injured, policemen from other vans, including Captain Bauer and our front seat passenger, quickly ran to the scene. I saw their struggle to open the doors of the wrecked van. Then I heard someone shout, “Gasoline is leaking from one of the vehicles! We must get everyone out before these vehicles catch fire.” A policeman rushed to our van, grabbed the fire extinguisher from the center console, and ran back to the wreck.

  I had a feeling I couldn’t quite explain or shake. I didn’t believe this was an accident. We were in danger. I stood, moved forward, and leaned over the front seats for a better view of the situation. Captain Bauer had left th
e engine running and the lights on. Despite the heavy mist and darkness of the night, I saw no unusual activity on the street ahead. The van’s headlights and nearby streetlights illuminated the area.

  “Anna, what are you doing?” Robert asked.

  Looking toward the accident, I realized all the surviving policemen were occupied in the rescue operation. I heard the rat-a-tat-tat of machine gun fire at the back of the convoy. I shuddered with dread. The wreck was planned, and we are all in danger. Again!

  Several policemen raced toward the rear van as Robert said. “Captain Bauer has deployed all his available men to assist the crew in the rear van. They’ll be able to stop the attack.”

  I felt a renewed sense of danger. Between the fire and the attack in back, no one was providing protection for our van. We were the primary targets!

  I didn’t fret for long. A large Mercedes sedan with tinted windows and its lights off approached from the left. I watched it move slowly towards us, then stop on the opposite side of the street.

  Three men exited the Mercedes and surveyed the scene. Signaling each other with thumbs up that they were safe, one of the men opened the street side backdoor. A short man in a leather trench coat stepped out of the vehicle and placed a homburg hat on his head. Horrified, I looked into the face of Dieter Holburg!

  A slender man with an intense expression opened the trunk of the Mercedes, pulled out a machine gun and handed it to another man. They were here to kill us; the attack in the back was just a second diversion.

  No time to warn the police or even Robert. I saw what was happening. I needed to do something to save my family. I started to crawl into the driver’s seat.

  Robert shouted, “Anna, what are you doing? Sit back down, please!”

  I lunged forward. The gear shift and parking brake between the seats acted as a barrier. Finally, I got my feet over them and fell into the driver’s seat, my head hitting the side window.

  All four men from the sedan held weapons and were in the process of installing magazines or placing bandoliers over their shoulders.

  I silently put the van in gear.