by Paul Grant
This platform was less busy. There were some military personnel, but just as many civilians, which Maria thought was better for them; easier to melt into the crowd.
They strolled towards the platform. Maria felt Hannah tense slightly at the sight of the ticket check. A metal barrier was stretched across, blocking access to the platform. A Gestapo man stood next to the ticket inspector, another smaller SD (Sicherhesitsdienst) man languished behind.
‘Walk slowly. Let’s take our time.’
They tagged leisurely onto the back of the line. Maria kept tight hold of Hannah’s arm, whilst trying to keep her own breathing under control. Ahead of them in the queue were a few individual older men, probably businessmen. At the very front, two Luftwaffe personnel were having their papers checked by the rather sanguine looking Gestapo officer. He flicked his head casually and the two airmen shuffled to the other side of the barrier towards the train.
There were now just two middle-aged men before them. The engine let off steam, preparing for its departure. They were close now. Maria felt sick again; she couldn’t imagine how Hannah must be feeling.
The rotund businessman in front of them handed over his documents. They were next in line.
Maria suddenly said, ‘I heard Lübeck is a beautiful town.’
‘What?’
Maria nudged Hannah into life. ‘Yes, I believe so. But, unfortunately, I won’t have time to see it. The stopover there is very short.’
‘A pity.’
The ticket inspector looked behind them at the length of the queue, no doubt ready for the end of his shift. She hoped the train would get clear of the city before the bombers came.
‘Papers!’ the Gestapo man snapped.
Hannah handed over her passport.
‘Why are you travelling to Denmark, Fräulein?’
‘I am to be a nanny for a Captain in the Kriegsmarine.’
The man’s eyes were cold, a light shade of green. He looked down at the suitcase.
‘How long will you stay?’
‘Three months initially. It depends on the Captain’s posting,’ Hannah said confidently. She was holding up well.
‘And you madam? Are you travelling also?’
The question caught Maria unawares. ‘Er, no.’
‘Yet you are queueing to get on the train?’ The man’s eyes narrowed. Maria saw the second man behind also taking an interest. The ticket inspector rolled his eyes with impatience.
‘I am just seeing my niece onto the train,’ Maria eventually managed.
‘Papers!’
Maria scrambled around looking for her Personalausweis. She hadn’t been prepared to be the centre of the questioning. She should have stood back. Now, she had to reveal her identity. She located the card and handed it over.
‘Maria Schultz.’
There was a further pause, whilst the Gestapo man looked in annoyance at the back of the line. A group of boisterous soldiers, apparently the worse for alcohol, had joined the queue. The man shrivelled his nose in distaste and handed the card back to Maria.
The ticket inspector gratefully accepted Hannah’s tickets, quickly stamping them. The barrier was pulled aside slightly and they were through.
The second Gestapo man was much smaller. He didn’t take his eyes from Hannah. Maria and Hannah were standing right next to him when they heard shouting at the barrier.
***
Ulrich had nearly given up and gone home. His stomach was rumbling when his mother finally appeared carrying a case, with a younger pretty girl on her arm. He was so surprised he nearly called out across the street, but he didn’t.
He let them walk on before following them. It was easy to keep up with them, because this time they were only strolling. Ulrich was confused. He didn’t recognise the girl. He was sure he hadn’t seen her before. And why was his mother carrying a case? Was she going somewhere? Why hadn’t she said anything? He didn’t feel right about the whole thing.
He followed them through the streets of Kreuzberg, over the busy Potsdamer Platz and down the side of the Tiergarten. After passing behind the burned-out Reichstag building, they headed into Lehrter train station. Ulrich was getting worried. He was tired and hungry; he felt sad. He didn’t want his mother to go anywhere. It was already bad enough his father wasn’t there. What would happen if his mother left as well?
He ran into the train station, looking around for them in panic. In amongst all the different people, he was worried he’d lost them. Then he saw them. They were queuing. The chalk board next to the line indicated it was the train for Lübeck. Why would his mother want to go there? He could see them at the front of the queue, but he was struggling to see what was going on because of the noisy soldiers shouting around him.
He spotted his mother, now on the other side of the barrier. He ran past all the people in the line shouting. He gripped the fence shouting at the top of his voice.
‘Mutti!’
***
Hannah looked at Maria, her eyes full of fear. The smaller Gestapo man was at her side, staring, waiting for her to say something.
What was Ulrich doing here? How had he got here?
She could see her boy had tears welling in his eyes. The realisation struck her. He thought she was leaving. She glanced across at Hannah and nodded, doing her best to reassure her. Then, thinking quickly, she smiled, and called to Ulrich, ‘I am not going anywhere, darling.’
She walked backed to the barrier as calmly as she could, knowing all eyes were on her. She knew if she didn’t get this right, the whole thing could be blown. Ulrich could reveal the story she’d given to the Gestapo as the falsehood that it was. She reached the barrier and bent down over him.
‘I’m just here to see your cousin, Helmi, onto the train.’
His face was full of confusion and hurt. Maria held her breath. Her next words were her last move.
She held out her hand. ‘Do you want to come with me and wave her off?’
Ulrich looked into her eyes. She nodded, as a mother might reassure her child, but this meant so much more.
‘Yes!’ he said, suddenly bright in his face. ‘I’d like to say goodbye to Helmi.’
The ticket inspector lifted him over the barrier, ruffling his hair when he put him down. The Gestapo man at the barrier turned back to his unruly queue. The smaller Gestapo man smiled at her.
When she was past she heaved a huge sigh of relief. She gave Hannah a big hug, pulling Ulrich in at the same time. She couldn’t think of anything to say, nothing that mattered anyway.
Hannah was much cooler. ‘Thank you for everything,’ She kissed her on the side of her face, turned to Ulrich and squeezed his cheek, and skipped up the steps of the train.
She slammed the door and leaned out of the window.
‘Send me a postcard when you get there,’ Maria said. She looked around her and winked. ‘And I don’t mean from Denmark.’
Hannah laughed, then headed off down the carriage. Maria took Ulrich back down the platform where they waited. The soldiers boarded among whistles and spouts of steam. Then, inexorably, the train pulled away from the platform, taking Hannah Hirsch on her first step to freedom.
CHAPTER 20
OCTOBER 1943, BERLIN/DENMARK
It had been a quiet few weeks in comparison. To a certain extent, Maria Schultz was grateful for that. She’d not been contacted by the Major to carry out further tasks. She had been able to focus on Eva, and more particularly, Ulrich. She had explained to him she was helping an old friend to leave Berlin. She’d had to lie to the police because her friend had been wrongly accused of something, and she needed to get away. He seemed to accept it, although every now and then there was a barrage of questions she needed to answer. The fact she was no longer leaving the apartment, like before seemed to allow Ulrich to accept the story.
Maria had gone to dinner with Reitsch the very evening Hannah had escaped; it was good for cover if nothing else. She had hated it. The experience of seeing the wealthy
and connected eat like kings at The Adlon cemented her views of the leadership. As for Reitsch, she’d been very firm, telling him she was still in mourning for her husband and was not ready for anything else. She would not be accepting any further invitations, no matter how much he insisted. There was no doubt he was put out by her words, but he seemed to accept it. He did continue to surface from time to time around the apartment block. Maria still couldn’t fully shake the feeling she was being watched.
It had been three weeks since Hannah had left Berlin. She couldn’t help missing the girl and wondering if she’d made it to safety. Even after her ghastly experiences her character had shone through. She deserved, more than most, a full life, a family, everything she might want. Maria hoped with all her heart that would happen.
By the middle of the month, Maria had heard nothing from the Major or Fräulein Sommer. Life was falling back into a dull, repetitive regime. Maria couldn’t deny she enjoyed the excitement of doing something to help other people, rather than just sitting and waiting. In the end, she decided to contact the Major, but it wasn’t only because she thought she could do more. She’d caught the end of a BBC report on the radio. Danish Jews were crossing the water to Sweden in increasing numbers. The Jewish population had been rounded up in Denmark and Martial Law imposed.
***
Ever since Hannah had arrived at the station in Helsingor, and her contact had met her, she’d been hidden away in a basement. During the day she’d crept upstairs. Peeking out of the window, she’d marvelled at the view. Sweden was tantalisingly near. The ferries trundled to and fro the whole day long, covering the short stretch of water in less than an hour. Hannah was so close to freedom, she could almost touch it.
Her journey across to Denmark had been uneventful except for the occasional air raid. She’d slept on the train, the relief at leaving Berlin finally calming her. That was until the troops had arrived in Denmark in force, and curfews were heavily imposed. She’d witnessed with her own eyes the rounding up of the local Jewish population. Life had become dangerous again, just like in Berlin. In Helsingor, Jews had been arrested trying to flee across the water to Sweden. Thankfully, some had been successful.
Now those attempts had petered out, it was Hannah’s turn. Jonas had insisted they wait, as the risks were higher whilst so many people were trying to escape. He had been right. It was a cold evening, the wind bracing. The dark shadow of Korberg Castle loomed over their shoulder as they crunched along the pebbled shore line to the sea. They were racing against time. The tide and wind would be right for a few hours, no more. The rowing boat was small and had seen better days. Hannah wondered if it was even seaworthy. The man on the oars was unknown to her, but Jonas assured her he was “one of them.”
Jonas came with them to the water’s edge, lifting Hannah into the boat. There were no words, just a mock salute and he pushed them off onto the water. Her escort, blond hair poking from under his black hat, his face weather-beaten, rowed hard. Hannah snuggled down into her coat trying to ward off the wind, all the time focusing on the lights of the Swedish coast.
After a while the oarsman stopped, and only steered with the rudder. His face was full of concentration, listening for sounds, watching the currents around the boat. Sweden seemed as close as Denmark was far. Hannah had become disoriented and wasn’t sure exactly which was which.
Eventually, light started to perk up the sad looking sky. Hannah could make out some large boulders, dark and looming in the near distance. He started to row again, fast and sure. She didn’t even know the man’s name, but he knew these straits between Denmark and Sweden. He had to; this was life and death. The water became rougher and Hannah was tossed around. Water lapped over the sides, soaking her through. She wondered if this was how it would all end; drowned in the attempt to cross, washed up on the wake, like others in the last few weeks.
Then it went quiet. The sea was becalmed. She made out the headland, and within minutes, it was upon them. It was almost light now. The scene was peaceful and calm, except for the rhythmic splash of the oars on the surface of the water.
Finally, she saw a wooden mooring. There were a handful of houses on the shore, spewing out smoke from their wood fires, fighting to keep out the cold. Yet in such weather, such bitter winds, an old man in nothing but his bathing suit was at the water’s edge towelling himself down. Hannah turned to the man rowing the boat in shock.
He laughed heartily at the expression on her face.
‘Welcome to Sweden!’
CHAPTER 21
OCTOBER 1943, BERLIN
The Major shepherded Maria Schultz away from the Lustgarten and around the front of the Berliner Dom. To her right, Maria could see that the Kaiser Wilhelm Bridge was damaged. They headed left in the direction of the red-bricked Marienkirche. It had been some weeks since Maria had seen the Major. He looked tired and drawn, the burden of an unwinnable war weighing heavily on his shoulders.
A marching band was pounding its way down Kaiser Wilhelm Strasse, although there were few people around watching the spectacle. People didn’t seem interested in the constant parading these days. At least the output of the band shielded their conversation from passers-by.
‘You haven’t been in touch, Major. I wondered if there was a problem.’
‘Many problems, Frau Schultz,’ he quipped.
‘You know what I mean. I am still here. I can still help.’
‘Fräulein Sommer and I thought you’d done enough for now.’
‘Perhaps I should be the judge of that.’
Cymbals clashed and the deep base of the boom vibrated through Maria’s chest, as the band continued its monotonous pace down towards the Unter den Linden.
‘What about the SD man, Reitsch? Is he still hanging around?’
Maria told the Major about the dinner invitation.
‘It seems you have an unwanted admirer, Frau Schultz.’
‘I left him in no doubt I wasn’t interested.’
‘I can imagine.’ The Major’s lips turned up at the corners slightly.
‘I can handle Reitsch.’
‘All the same, I think it’s prudent we keep your activities to a minimum. For now, at least.’
Maria scowled. ‘I don’t think that’s necessary.’
‘Frau Schultz, you have your children to consider. And if, by the grace of God, your husband returns from Russia, he’ll expect to find you all in one piece.’
Piqued, Maria turned away sharply. The band veered onto the Lustgarten. One of the bandsman’s shirt was sticking out of his britches. Like everything else, there was a growing apathy about Berlin recently. Everyone seemed to be going through the motions.
The Major turned to face her. ‘I am sure we’ll require your services again, Maria. We will be in touch when we do. In the meantime, you should celebrate the fact that you’ve plucked at least one soul from this mess.’
Maria’s face lit up. ‘Hannah?’
‘We received news late last night. She’s made it safely to Sweden.’
Maria felt her heart warm. She took a deep breath, as tears formed at the corner of her eyes.
The Major dipped his head and went on his way.
CHAPTER 22
AUGUST 1944, BERLIN
Life for Maria Schultz went on in much the same way. The monotony of the bombing and lack of food continued to grind away at people. During the spring, the Americans had started daylight bombing of the city. Rationing was increased to further foodstuffs and the amount of meat and bread reduced. Maria watched on as the inevitable catastrophe continued to unfold. The Allies were closing in on all fronts. One day in July, it finally happened; somebody tried to kill Adolf Hitler.
The city was buzzing with rumours; Hitler was dead, the monarchy was to be re-established. Above all, Maria hoped it would mean the end of the war. Whatever had happened, a few days after the attempt on Hitler’s life, Maria was intrigued to receive a message to meet Fräulein Sommer at short notice. She wondered if she
would be asked to help somebody else like Hannah.
A few years ago, every time Maria used to travel to the heart of Berlin, a new building had appeared, seemingly built in double quick time on a wave of optimism. Now it was very different. On the grand Königsplatz, where, among others, the huge General Staff building had once stood, there was now only a huge bomb crater filled with water. The place resembled a giant lake. Maria watched the children floating on makeshift rafts on the murky water.
‘It looks like the Generals have gone to ground,’ Fräulein Sommer quipped, suddenly appearing at Maria’s side, much like the Major always did.
‘Quite literally,’ Maria joined in the joke.
Maria noticed Sommer was more edgy than when she’d met her previously. She threw a glance over her shoulder.
‘Everything is closing in around us.’
Maria wasn’t precisely sure what she meant, but it was generally how most people felt.
‘The Major has disappeared.’
Maria turned to her in shock.
‘Don’t worry about him, Maria. Fortunately, he saw it coming and left before the attempt on his life.’
‘You mean the Major knew it was going to happen?’
Sommer raised her eyebrows. There were large bags under her eyes as if she hadn’t been sleeping. Not many people slept well in Berlin these days. She reached into her handbag and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. She offered one to Maria, which she declined.
‘The Major is a very astute man.’
‘Was he…involved?’
‘I have no idea. I don’t suppose it matters. All I know is, many people from his Abwehr department have been arrested; Canaris some months ago, Jensen the day before last. The head of Department 2 took his own life before they could get to him.’
‘My God!’
