CHAPTER SIXTEEN
_Eagles' Courage_
"If we have to wait any longer, Dave, I swear I'll fly apart in smallpieces. This blasted suspense is getting me down something awful!"
Dave grinned at his English pal, and gave him a comforting nudge withhis elbow.
"That makes two of us," he whispered. "But it's been only fifteenminutes, you know."
"Fifteen years!" Freddy corrected. "And look at that sun coming up! Themore light around here, the tougher it's going to be for us, you know."
"You're telling me?" Dave murmured, and squinted at the first rays ofdawn light stealing westward across the face of that part of France."Swiping one of those Nazi planes in the dark is hard enough. But inbroad daylight--well, let's not think about that little item. I surewish, though, that--"
Dave never finished the rest of that statement. At that moment the doorof the center building was jerked open and a fashion plate uniformedNazi Staff Captain stood framed in the doorway. He swept black,cruel-looking eyes over the officers and men grouped about, and scowledangrily.
"_Herr_ Major von Kummil!" he cried out in a rasping voice. "_Herr_Major von Kummil! Are you out here? _Herr_ Field Marshal wants you atonce!"
As the Nazi barked the words he jerked his head from side to side like aspectator watching the flight of the ball in a tennis match. Davehesitated, then nudged Freddy Farmer.
"I think that means us," he whispered. "That's probably the Major whotold us to wait. We've got to chance it, anyway. Right?"
The English youth simply nodded, and started pushing through the groupoutside the door. Dave was right at his heels. They stopped a few stepsfrom the black-eyed captain, and saluted.
_"Herr_ Major von Kummil was recalled to regimental Headquarters by_Herr_ Colonel," Freddy spoke up in perfect German. "He instructed us towait for _Herr_ Field Marshal's pleasure."
The Nazi Captain stared down at them as though they were something thecat had dragged in. Then, as his gaze fell on the sealed envelope Daveheld in his hand, his eyes took on a bright gleam. But Dave beat him tothe punch.
"Our instructions were to deliver this in person, _Herr_ Captain," Davesaid.
"That is true," Freddy echoed. Then he suddenly added, "And besides,_Herr_ Captain, I have been ordered to make my own report by word ofmouth. It is impossible to put it in writing."
For a split second Dave thought that Freddy's words were simply to makesure that they both were admitted inside. But as he flashed a quick lookat his pal and saw the odd look on Freddy's face, his heart looped overand the blood started to pound through his veins. Freddy was up to justmore than getting inside that Headquarters building! There was somethingmuch, much more important than just that, in Freddy's head. Dave hadonly time for a quick look, but it was enough to tell him that Freddywas up to something.
"So?" the Nazi Captain suddenly got out in a sneering tone. "Very well,then. Come in, both of you. But do not be too long. Say what you have tosay, and don't waste words, you understand?"
Dave nodded meekly, but trust Freddy Farmer to have his little finalsay! Freddy coldly returned the senior officer's looks, and then putjust the faintest touch of sarcasm in his reply.
"But certainly not, _Herr_ Captain!" he said. "It is not for me to addto _Der Fuehrer's_ orders!"
"_Der Fuehrer?_" the Nazi Captain gasped, and stood there with his blackeyes popping, and his bird-like mouth hanging open.
Freddy let it go at that. He nodded to Dave and then calmly led the waypast the gaping Captain and in through the door. By the time they wereinside a short narrow hallway, the Nazi had collected his wits.
"This way," he said, and led them down the hallway, and through doubledoors that opened off the right.
For some crazy reason the first thing that came to Dave's brain as hewas ushered into a fairly big room was the quite unimportant realizationthat Freddy and he had actually been edging toward the wrong side of thebuilding when they had bumped into that Nazi Major. They wouldundoubtedly have gained nothing had they been able to peek through thewindows on that side.
That thought came and went, and then he was taking notice of otherthings that really were important. The room was exactly like other Nazimilitary Headquarters he had seen during his war career. Maps coveredwith little colored flags. A bank of field phones. Shortwave radio sets.Memos, dispatches, letters and any number of other kinds of militarypapers scattered all over the place. But the main attraction, of course,was the huge double desk at which sat the two Nazi high rankers who hadbeen personally responsible for ninety per cent of Adolf Hitler's bloodtriumphs to date.
On one side was Field Marshal von Staube, lumpy, beefy, with a sweatingred face, bald head, and neck the thickness of a telephone pole. And onthe other side sat Luftwaffe Marshal von Gault, looking like a halfstarved vulture about to strike. His cruel, hawkish face was absolutelyblood chilling to behold, and it was all Dave could do to suppress theshudder that started through him. The Number One and Number Two killersof the Third Reich. Adolf Hitler's two butchers. Himmler, of theinfamous Gestapo, acted like a sweet little old lady when his acts werecompared with the killing and plunder performed under the command ofthese two.
Dave looked at them, and his hand twitched as he had the sudden desireto go for the small but deadly automatic he carried in his tunic pocket.Neither Freddy nor he wanted to end it that way. But they would be trueto their mutual vow. Though it cost them all the torture the Nazis couldinflict upon them, today would be the last day of war for Field Marshalvon Staube and Luftwaffe Marshal von Gault. These two would never--
"Well, have you lost your tongues? What are you here for? Where is yourMajor von Kummil? Speak up! Can you two young fools not see that I ambusy?"
It was von Staube who spoke the words. Yet that is not quite right. Hedid not exactly speak them. His voice sounded more like an express traingoing through a tunnel. Dave stepped quickly forward, saluted with onehand, and held out the sealed envelope with the other.
"_Herr_ Major von Kummil was recalled, _Herr_ Field Marshal," he said."We were intrusted to deliver this to you."
The German high ranker growled in his throat, snatched the envelope fromDave's hand, stabbed a thick finger under the flap opening and rippedviciously. He took out a fold of papers inside, glanced through themquickly, and then hurled the lot down on the desk.
"Fools!" he thundered. "Swine stupid fools! To tell me this by courier,when it could have been spoken over the telephone an hour ago! What do Icare about the condition of your reserves? Should I tell the enemy towait until we are ready to give them battle? Should I sit here and waituntil arms and battle equipment have been issued to every Germansoldier. _Mein Herr!_ What am I commanding? German armies or packs offools?"
The German bellowed the questions straight at Dave, and pounded his fatfists on the desk. Beads of sweat flew from his face, and his colormounted to where it seemed impossible that he wouldn't explode in smallpieces in the next instant. Dave tried to think of something to say, butthe German seemed not to want answers to his questions. He probablydidn't even realize that he was looking straight at Dave. He was toobusy with thoughts about something, some part of his plans, that hadgone higher than a kite.
"Fools, stupid dogs!" he went right on roaring. "I order something, andI get nothing but words by courier! Well, we shall see about that. Weshall see. There'll be a few swine heads fall before this day is done.And they will not all belong to our enemies. The--"
Words failed the big fat German Field Marshal. He dropped back into hisdesk chair mumbling and gurgling sounds that didn't make any sense. Davenoticed that von Gault was watching von Staube closely, but there wasjust a shade of worry in the Luftwaffe Marshal's cruel eyes. Perhaps vonGault had gone through this thing before, with disastrous results tohimself. After all, von Staube was Number _One_. Anyway, the LuftwaffeMarshal was watching his partner in world wide crime closely, and wasnot looking at all happy.
Suddenly, though, as if a completely different
person had sat down inField Marshal von Staube's chair, the red rage faded from the German'sface. He picked up the scattered papers and gave them another look. Hescowled, tugged at his lower lip, and massaged his fat chin a little.Then he raised his eyes to von Gault's face.
"Perhaps it will not alter things much," he said. "Von Alder is not oneto depend on, anyway. We will use the Sixth, Tenth, and Fourteenth,instead. All seasoned troops. They will probably do the job much better,anyway. But that von Alder. That one! How he will hear of this!"
The German Field Marshal checked himself as though suddenly realizingthat Dave and Freddy were still standing there. He turned and gave thema curt nod.
"Return to your regiment!" he growled.
Dave started to salute and turn to leave, suddenly thankful of thechance to get out of there, and fast. But he didn't go all the wayaround. First he saw Freddy Farmer still standing at stiff attention.And next he saw the Nazi Captain's black eyes fixed steadfastly andquestioningly on the English youth. It was then Dave remembered Freddy'scrazy remark to the Captain. His heart stood still, and he impulsivelymoved his hand a little so that he could get at his pocketed gun thatmuch quicker. Was this the show-down? Was Freddy going to make this theshow-down? Would both of them have to blaze away in cold murder--Nazistyle?
It seemed to Dave that he lived a thousand years standing there halfturned to go out the door. Then von Staube's booming voice explodedthrough the silence.
"Didn't you hear my orders?" he thundered at the motionless Freddy."Return to your regiment!"
"Your pardon, _Herr_ Field Marshal," the English youth spoke up bold asbrass, while ice formed about Dave's heart. "I have a report of my own.It has nothing to do with this other thing. May I ask, _Herr_ FieldMarshal, if your _pilots_ have reported to you?"
Stunned silence spread over the room like a thick heavy blanket. Bothvon Staube and von Gault stiffened. So did the black-eyed Captain. As amatter of fact, so did Dave Dawson. And he was suddenly filled with thewild desire to catch up Freddy, and sling him over his shoulder, andmake a dash for it. Freddy had gone nuts! Maybe a blow on the head whenhe had taken care of that Nazi soldier back by the shelled church. ButFreddy was definitely off his trolley! What in the world did he think hewas saying?
"My pilots reported to us?" Field Marshal von Staube echoed. "Of course.Why? Why do you want to know?"
For a second or so Freddy just looked at the German, then switched hisgaze to von Gault.
"You know them all personally, _Herr_ Luftwaffe Marshal?" he shot outthe question. "You selected them, perhaps?"
The Luftwaffe Marshal looked angry, baffled, and just a little scared.He wet his lips a couple of times before he spoke. And when he did hisvoice was high and strained, as though it were an effort to get thewords out.
"_Herr_ Captain Kohle and _Leutnant_ von Stebbins have been the twostationed here for weeks," he replied. "Of course I know them! Of courseI appointed them as Headquarters pilots. What is the meaning of this?"
"A precaution," Freddy answered quietly. "_Der Fuehrer's_ orders, at_Herr_ Himmler's request. It is the Gestapo's eternal job to safeguardthe lives of Germans valuable to the Third Reich!"
"_Gestapo?_" Field Marshal von Staube practically blew up with wrath."_This_ is a war zone. This is _Army_ Headquarters. It is for the cursedGestapo to--!"
The German stumbled to a stop, and just sat glaring at Freddy Farmer,and drumming his fingertips on the desk. For a split second Dave almostwanted to laugh out loud. If all this wasn't so deadly serious, it wouldbe funny. The German Army Staff and Himmler's Gestapo were like twotomcats on a back yard fence. They hated each other, but each knew thatthe other was very necessary to the German Reich. But of the two it wasthe German Army Staff who feared the most. Himmler had the inside trackwith Hitler. He had the _Fuehrer's_ ear. And more than one German Staffhead had gone rolling into the basket because that high ranker had triedto freeze out _Herr_ Himmler. No, the German Army Staff didn't like theGestapo one bit, but there was little they could do about it, yet. Justas long as _Herr_ Himmler held Adolf Hitler's trust and confidence, itwas well for the generals to watch their step!
And so Field Marshal von Staube choked off what he would like to havesaid, and just glowered and glared at Freddy.
"So, Gestapo, eh?" he suddenly blurted out with a sneer he couldn't holdback. "I suppose you suspect that spies are members of my Staff, eh?"
But Freddy didn't walk into the trap. He knew perfectly well that aGestapo member as young as he looked wouldn't know _too_ much.
"_I_ suspect no one, _Herr_ Field Marshal," he said with stiffrespectfulness. "I have only been given my orders to carry out. If youwish to complain to _Herr_ Himmler? There is the phone. He is in hisBerlin Headquarters now."
Dave held his breath. Was Freddy begging for death? He must be mad. He_was_ mad! What in thunderation was he trying to pull off? What didFreddy think all this insane business was going to get them? Dave didn'thave the ghost of an idea. But whatever it was, it was all Freddy'sparty now. Dave didn't dare speak a word, or do anything. But when heglanced at his pal and saw the typical cold haughtiness of the Gestapothat seemed to surround the English youth, a wild thrill raced throughhim. Perhaps--just perhaps--Freddy wasn't out of his mind. Maybe he didhave something by the tail.
At any rate, the bluff worked. Field Marshal von Staube made no move toreach for one of the many phones. And Dave felt a little as though hehad been reborn. No, not reborn. More like a condemned man who hasreceived a stay of execution.
"I will make my complaints at the right time, and in the right places!"the German Field Marshal suddenly boomed. "Well? What _is_ your missionhere, anyway? What about _Herr_ Luftwaffe Marshal von Gault's pilots?What about them?"
Freddy Farmer made as though to reach into his upper left tunic pocket,but seemed to change his mind.
"Perhaps nothing, _Herr_ Field Marshal," he said evenly. "However, thereare one or two questions I should like to ask _Herr_ Captain Kohle and_Herr Leutnant_ von Stebbins. In your presence, of course, sir. Andyours, too, _Herr_ Luftwaffe Marshal von Gault. This much I can say. Ifthey speak the truth, their answers to my questions may be veryinteresting, and enlightening."
Von Staube scowled still more deeply, drummed his fingers on the desksome more, and then looked across at von Gault. He seemed to seesomething in the other's eyes, though von Gault didn't nod or shake hishead.
"_Herr_ Captain!" von Staube suddenly roared at the black-eyed officer."Go find the two officers mentioned, and bring them here at once. Justthat, mind you! Bring them here, and keep your mouth shut!"
"At once, _Herr_ Field Marshal!" the Captain gasped, and went out thedoor as though he had been kicked.
Dave Dawson with the Commandos Page 16
