The Vogels: On All Fronts (The Half-Bloods Trilogy Book 2)
Page 49
“Max is an officer in the British army.”
“Dear God, how did that happen?”
“It’s a long story. Let’s just say my family is complicated, and of mixed blood.”
“You have British in your family?”
Paul chuckled at Anatol’s gaping mouth. “Yes, on my mother’s side. Max was always for the British, never for Hitler or his Nazis. I suppose the question you asked hit a raw nerve because it’s the same question he’s asked me many times. But what he and you don’t seem to understand and should, is that I have family in Germany, an uncle, aunt, cousins, and more importantly, a younger brother serving in Russia. If I were to run, not only would my family be punished, I would also lose my wife and unborn child.”
“It seems to me you have already lost your wife.”
Paul flinched at that cold, hard truth. “Yes, you might be right.”
In the silence that followed, Paul pondered over how big a threat the new Kriminalinspektor might be, especially now that Valentina was leaving Poland and had apparently been brainwashed by her father. Whilst Paul was confident the Gestapo had no evidence of any wrongdoing against him, he was also aware that the secret police were very good at fabricating charges. Now convinced that Biermann wanted the Vogel art collection, he tried to imagine how Krüger would go about getting the information he and Biermann needed, now that their star witness, Kurt Sommer was dead.
The new Inspektor would chase his own tail, as Biermann had in the last few weeks, Paul deduced. Maybe he shouldn’t be afraid of Krüger, after all, or maybe the whisky was relaxing him a little too much, and he was missing something.
“Anatol, I should be getting home,” Paul said with a yawn. “I need to pack, but before I go, I was wondering if it might be possible for me to visit Kurt one day?”
“We’ve been through this, Paul…”
“I know, I know, and I appreciate the need for secrecy, but I’d love to see him with my own eyes … you know, have a chat with him … it will put my mind at rest. If it makes you feel easier, you could blindfold me on the journey to wherever he’s living. I don’t even have to see the faces of the people who are hiding him.”
“No. I’ve told you how he is. He’s well, getting stronger, and living with Poles in a house somewhere in the city. That’s all I will tell you. Please, don’t ask me again.” Anatol gave Paul another sympathetic look. “I understand you a bit more now, Paul. We have a hard road ahead of us, but you can and will play a role, as will Gert, and perhaps one day soon, Kurt as well. We have big plans, a new war to fight, and these plans will revolutionise what we are doing here.”
Paul, his interest piqued, hesitated at the door. Anatol handed him the remains of the bottle of whisky in the paper bag, then gave Paul an affectionate pat on his shoulder. “Go home. We’ll have time enough for business in the days ahead.”
Paul got on the tram, his thoughts whirling. He was disappointed at not being able to visit Kurt. He was bereft, worried, and missing his family more than ever. But he was also coming to terms with Valentina’s departure. Maybe, as Anatol had pointed out, it was for the best. She still loved him; it wasn’t over. Their marriage was being put on hold as were many during this war, and he had probably overreacted. He would put his family back together when the war was won, and he went home to Berlin. He’d focus on those goals.
As he staggered slightly along the street where he lived with his bottle tucked in his jacket, his thoughts turned to Wilmot. Poor Willie, always the forgotten one. He’d write a long letter to his younger brother, and then he’d write another to Max, even though he would probably never send it. He wanted to make Max proud, and one day he would. Strange, he was no longer afraid, but excited. Anatol had said a new revolutionary war was coming, and he was not a man prone to exaggeration.
The Guardian of Secrets
Winner of the 2016 Outstanding Historical Book of the Year the IAN Awards
Silver Medal, 2015 Readers’ Favourite Awards
Reviews
“It has been a long while since a book has pulled me in as much as this one did. Spanning generations and countries, we are taken through WW1, the Spanish Civil War and the build-up to WW2 and beyond, almost a century of history, culture and creed. From the green fields of Kent to the orange groves of Valencia, we go on a journey with Celia Merrill as she seeks to escape her abusive husband. I cannot begin to describe where this book takes us, for this review will then be pages long, but it is an emotional journey.
“The author clearly researched well. I was there for every bomb that fell and smelled the hot air filled with orange blossoms. This is so well written it did not feel as if I was reading; it felt as if I was there, in place and in time. Excellent work.
“This is a big book in every way; how wonderful to read something with depth and length. Guardian of Secrets deserves each of the five stars and I highly, highly recommend it.”
About the Author
Jana Petken is a bestselling historical fiction novelist. She served in the British Royal Navy and during her service studied Naval Law and History.
After the Navy, she worked for British Airways and turned to writing after an accident on board an aircraft forced her to retire prematurely.
She is critically acclaimed as a gritty, hard-hitting author who produces bold, colourful characters and riveting storylines, and she has won numerous major international awards for her works.
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