Kat and Die Wolfsschanze

by Michael Beals

  At that moment, a Panzerschreck rocket whooshed through the air, hissing as it slammed home on the side of the Stummel. The grenades went off a moment later. The combined artillery tore a gigantic hole in the front while simultaneously ripping the treads clear. Flames erupted from the hole. A soldier came crawling out consumed by fire.

  He ran ten feet before dropping to the ground, a sizzling corpse amongst so much debris.

  “Move!” Capetti shouted, and Kat immediately complied, following her instinct to hop forward. Spinning in place, she watched as her ally grappled with a soldier holding a bayonet. The two of them tumbled to the ground, each struggling to get the upper hand.

  Kat moved to intervene when two more approached. She hip fired her weapon at the first soldier, catching him in the stomach and chest. The other threw himself at her, knocking the barrel aside before she could get off another shot.

  The German threw a right hook. Kat ducked, coming up while swinging her MP40 in the same motion. Metal connected with bone as she bashed him in the chin, knocking him off balance. He stumbled, fighting to remain aloft.

  While his arms flailed, Kat aimed, then pulled the trigger. The burst of submachine gun fire tore through his neck and face, blasting bits of bone and skin over the concrete. She turned back to Capetti in time to see him roll on top of the soldier he was wrestling with, plunging his blade into the German’s throat.

  “Ya know, you’re pretty good with that knife,” Kat said, offering him a hand. He pulled himself to his feet.

  “Learned from you,” Capetti replied. He cast his gaze about, tensed up for action. “We ready to plant bombs? If we still doing that.” He ducked as another explosion went off some thirty feet away. “They serious tearing place up! Maybe they not like German architecture.”

  “It is kinda ugly. No style at all,” Kat replied. She watched as Kelly and Dore linked back up near the bunker, just on the opposite side of the closest building. Two guards slipped around, preparing to flank them. She patted Capetti, nodding in that direction. Each of them marked a target… opening fire.

  The bodies hit the ground. Dore didn’t even notice. He just kept going.

  “You tell Dore you save his butt?” Capetti asked

  “Oh, you bet.” Kat grinned. “No way I’m letting that go.” She cast a quick look around. The immediate area appeared clear. The tank itself stopped moving. It sat like a monolith, representing the majority of destruction the compound experienced. She had to admit, it had been impressive. “Let’s move.”

  Kat led the way, dashing to the tank first. At the new vantage, she took another survey of their surroundings. She grabbed Capetti, pulling him down as she ducked behind cover. Three more soldiers crept towards them, still a good fifty yards away. She figured hitting them wouldn’t be impossible, but they were closing in anyway.

  Might as well go for an easier shot. Peering around the side of the tank, Kat watched the men continue forward. Come on, you bastards. Pick up the pace! You’re doing so well.

  A heavy machine gun went off from the left, cutting the men down in seconds. Kat turned with wide eyes, staring at the Resistance men who found themselves a mounted weapon. They offered her a crisp salute before collecting their new toy and rushing off, disappearing into the smoke.

  Kat yelled at the men, “hey! Those guys were mine… Go find your own Germans to kill!”

  “Zealous,” Capetti said. “We need clear area around bunker to plant explosives.”

  “Dore and Kelly are on it.” Kat motioned.

  They hurried forward, pausing as Stewart opened fire on a Daimler. The engine revved as the occupants were machine gunned. Three bodies sat together, leaning against one another in a ghoulish parody of comfort. “That’s an opportunity.”

  “How so?” Capetti asked.

  “Look around.” Kat waved her hand. “Not many vehicles are so intact.”

  “Um…” Capetti started to object, but she already moved out, heading over to join the others. They reached the bunker, each standing back to back as they scanned the area, watching out for additional threats. The thunderous roar of fires gave the place an ominous, hellish ambiance… chaos unleashed through swift battle.

  The remaining RSD fled the area. Bodies littered the ground, some in various stages of dismemberment, others burning. Fires crackled all around them as many of the buildings turned into torches that lit up the sky. A foul odor hung heavy on the air, a cross between burnt metal, flesh, and wood smoke.

  A hole in the back fence yawned out toward the woods. Dozens of people poured through it, not only civilians but soldiers as well. Some of them went so far as to drop their weapons in their haste to get away. Their scattered cries proved they’d been completely demoralized, their will to fight broke.

  Kat felt a sense of relief fall over her. The most zealous of the German troops died during the assault, the brainwashed ones without much in the way of self-preservation. She never understood what specifically compelled those sorts. Was it a love for the Reich or fear of what might happen to them should they be called out.

  The real bravery came from the Polish Resistance fighters. Those who the Germans thought they would conquer, showed their worth. They fought with a similar zeal to the NAZIs, but it came from a place of honor, of protecting their homes and families. They didn’t want to rule anyone. They just wanted to live in peace.

  And by God, they were willing to fight for it. Kat smiled at the thought as she took a look around for any of them, though she mainly wanted to speak to Jakub.

  But the Resistance had slipped away. Jakub said they might disappear when the conflict ended, fading into the forest as if they were little more than a dream. Their part ended there, but they had plenty to do in the coming days. They were the type to wander from one crisis to the next.

  Their part in the attack proved essential. Without the Resistance, it would have been a lot more difficult to push through the lines. Methodically taking out the watchtowers needed a quicker solution than the surgical talents of Kat’s people. Which ultimately made Jakub’s contribution so invaluable.

  I wonder if they lost anyone, Kat thought. They wouldn’t have a chance to police the bodies or to take a realistic tally. The smoke, the fire, the general carnage itself would attract reinforcements. Especially considering who was in that bunker. And that’s if the RSD doesn’t call them sooner.

  “It’s over,” Kat said. “They’re gone. We can plant the Nobel 808 and pop the bunker once and for all.”

  “What do you mean it’s over?” Kelly asked. “Hitler’s still in there!”

  “It doesn’t matter.” Kat scowled. “We’re not allowed to kill him. All we can do is flush him out. Then we’re done, Sam.” She looked at their target, considering what it would look like when they brought it down. “Then… we can go home.”

  The concept of belonging made her think. Was England still their home? Or would they end up in Copenhagen, hiding out for the next few years? She didn’t trust Fleming, not nearly enough to risk a trip to London. A touch of envy for the Resistance tickled the back of her mind. Their purpose remained clear.

  If only ours did as well.

  “Better get to work,” Kat said. “How long will it take to plant the explosives?”

  “Half hour,” Dore replied, “maybe less.” They drew out their satchels and got to it, burying their payloads at different parts around the bunker.

  Kat felt an increasing urgency as they proceeded, desperate to get it done as soon as possible. The longer they lingered, the greater chance they’d be dealing with something whether it be an airstrike or even soldiers arriving in regular vehicles. She wanted to be on their way as soon as
humanly possible.

  And we’re almost there. Anyone who happened to be in the bunker didn’t come out. Either they believed they were safe from whatever the Commandos could do or they had no idea what was happening topside. Kat wondered whether Pernass might be there, but it seemed unlikely. If he had any sense, he was lying low at his house in Rastenburg.

  “We’re done,” Dore called. “Let’s move!”

  Kat led the way through the front of the compound back to their vantage in the woods. She motioned for Kelly to bring out the radio. He brought the SOE up on the line before handing her the microphone. Before she could speak, Fleming came on the line. She envisioned him frothing at the mouth, eyes bulging in his head.

  “Where are you?” He shouted the words, clearly furious.

  “I’m glad you asked, Commander,” Kat replied. She pursed her lips before continuing. “We’re at the Wolf’s Lair.”

  “What do you mean you’re at it?” Fleming’s voice broke, shouting. “As in you’re about to attack it?”

  Kat laughed. “No, we’re already in.” She leaned against a tree as she spoke. “With a lot of help from a few amiable gentlemen out of the Polish Resistance. We’ve had our little battle, and the Germans fled. All we have to do now is wish Herr Hitler a bon voyage… That’s French by the way.”

  “He’s still in the bunker?” Fleming coughed before she could reply. “Right now?”

  “I bloody hope so,” Kat smirked. “I’m calling so you don’t miss all the fun. You put so much into this after all. One moment, hold the line. You don’t want to miss this. It took us a while to prepare it.” She turned to Dore, nodding once.

  Dore raised his brows, inhaled… then twisted the detonator. Half a moment passed where nothing happened. All eyes fell on him, but he held up his hand, letting them know to be patient. Kelly opened his mouth, got half a breath in to talk before the explosion made the ground shake violently enough to knock them off their feet.

  One end of the bunker lifted from the ground before crumbling back to the Earth. The smoke from earlier had mostly dissipated but now a new rush of flames and smoke blackened the sky. Bits of burning debris flew in all directions. Kat shielded her face with her free hand, watching the sheer destruction through narrow eyes.

  An engine roared over the rush of flames, the distinctive sound of a Mercedes staff car. It raced away toward the back road. Kat saw it when she stood on her tiptoes, knowing full well the NAZI leader sat in the rear seat.

  Stupid git. Kat scowled at the fact she had to let him live. Command prevented her from killing the bastard, but nothing said she couldn’t scare him shitless.

  “What in the bloody hell was that?” Fleming’s voice crackled in the speaker. “Do you hear me? Major, what was that? Did you… what did you do?”

  “You just witnessed the end of the bunker,” Kat replied. “I simply had to share the moment with you. After all you’ve done for us, it would’ve been criminal to leave you out. Don’t you agree?”

  “Wait, you actually blew up the bunker?”

  “Of course we did, and it’s brought a lot of misery to boot. Eva Braun’s giving us a bit of a hard time in fact. She’s really pissed we incinerated Adolf. What do you want us to do with her? Any thoughts? Personally, I think a spanking is in order.”

  “Are you mad?” Fleming screamed. “You went ahead with it against my explicit orders?”

  “Don’t have a hissy fit,” Kat reprimanded. “We are at war… or had you forgotten?”

  “Churchill himself told you not to do it!”

  “You mean… that really was Churchill?” Kat clicked her tongue. “Incredible! I should’ve asked for an autograph.”

  Glass broke over the line. Fleming seemed to be losing his mind. He screamed at someone to leave the room while pounding on the desk, carrying on for several minutes. When he came back, he spoke in a low, menacing tone. “I can’t believe you did this. You actually killed Hitler.”

  “Hitler?” Kat gave the others a puzzled look. Dore rolled his eyes. “Don’t be silly, Commander. Adolf is the name of Hitler’s German shepherd. I expect the ASPCA will send me one very nasty-gram when they find out. Hitler though… he drove off in his fancy Mercedes.” He started speaking again, but she interrupted. “Gotta go. Catch ya later.”

  Kelly cut the line as Kat walked away. They all fell in line behind her.

  “How’re we getting out of here?” Kat asked.

  “There’s a truck that wasn’t burned to a cinder,” Kelly replied. “Plenty of room.”

  “A truck? What about the Daimler?”

  “It has three dead Germans in it,” Dore said.

  Kat waved her hand dismissively at the comment. “Pull them out. Or are we feeling squeamish?”

  “Not particularly.” Dore snorted as he spoke. “But if we take it, yer cleaning the mess. Their brains are all over the seats. Besides, we’re not going very far. I thought we’d pick up your stepfather’s Studebaker…”

  “So,” Kat said. “Have we decided where we’re going yet… in our NAZI uniforms?”

  “We go to Copenhagen,” Capetti said. “Then I be the boss again.”

  “What makes you think that?” Kelly asked, clapping him on the shoulder.

  “You speak Danish?” Capetti asked.

  Kelly shook his head. “Not really. Why, do you?”

  Capetti grinned at him. “I do. I also speak Swedish if we like catching another boat.”

  Dore guffawed. “Yer over-educated, General. Shame about yer broken English. Maybe I’ll tutor you.”

  Climbing aboard the truck, they headed out of the compound, past all the dead bodies and burnt out Kübelwagens and halftracks. It was a relief to be leaving. As they join the narrow dirt road that led to Rastenburg, Kat found herself looking back. The Wolf’s Lair was no longer a high-security fortress. Now just the smoking remnants of an ugly village. There were no watchtowers, the high steel fencing had collapsed, and what remained of the outbuildings were just concrete ruins. It looked as if the team carpet-bombed the compound. Even the trees were thinner than before with their charred stumps still smoking.

  They now headed to Gdańsk. There were no main roads out of Rastenburg. They would have to drive South to Olsztyn and then North again to Elblag. They had at least a ten-hour drive if they could find gas, and with Hitler still alive, the place would soon be crawling with Germans. Then she smiled. There’s a huge U-boat base in Gdańsk, and they still had a few bricks of 808. Maybe Kat’s Rats could go out with a bang.

  CHAPTER 32

  Rastenburg was a picturesque little town, all cobblestone streets, terraced cottages, and ancient churches. At the far end of town, it even boasted a disintegrating castle, so it took a while to find Pernass’s house. As Kat suspected, it was a large, five-bedroomed house that once belonged to a wealthy Jewish family. There were garden statues, sweeping lawns, a rose garden. and clematis decorated the garage. There was no sign of Pernass. He’d probably fled to Berlin, where he would claim to know nothing of the attack on the bunker.

  As Pernass promised, the garaged car was a 1935, royal blue four door Studebaker Commander. Kelly was ecstatic. Having grown up in India, he loved American cars. His father once owned a 1930, Bonny and Clyde, Studebaker President, but the car in Pernass’s garage was a whole new concept in luxury cars. It even had a heater.

  “Bloody hell!” he exclaimed, driving it out of the garage. “It’s even got a radio. Shall we take it to England?”

  Kat laughed. “Don’t be ridiculous, Sam. We’re going to Copenhagen, not London, and we’ll be lucky if we can get a boat, let alone take a car with us.”
r />   “Anyway,” Dore said, as he loaded their weapons into the trunk, “if we were gonna ship anything back to England, I’d rather go back to Berlin and recover the Bentley.”

  “Hey, look what I’ve found,” Stewart called, as he made his way across the drive. He’d been in the kitchen and carried a large haunch of smoked pork. “There’s also bread and canned fruit. We’re not going to starve.”

  Kat let out a whoop. “Wow, Harry, that’s great. Load it all into the trunk. If you find any fruit or lemonade, bring that as well.”

  “Fruit and lemonade?” Dore mocked. “Sod that. Find the bloody beer.”

  Kat rolled her eyes. “And beer, Harry.”

  Going into the house, she rummaged around in a floor-to-ceiling bookcase. Most of the books were in Polish, but right at the top, she found a copy of Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen. She’d read it when she was at university, and she always related to Elizabeth Bennet. Polish highways were not much better than country lanes, and it would probably take ten hours to reach Gdańsk. If Kelly were going to drive, at least she would have something to keep her mind occupied.

  “Hey, Kat!” Capetti called down the stairs. “There shower in bathroom. Water still warm.”

  “Oh my God,” she thought, a shower. An actual shower with warm water. “Hold that thought!” she yelled, racing up the stairs. “Tell the guys I’ll be five minutes!”

  Locking herself in the bathroom, she stripped off her clothes, hunted around for a bar of soap. The water wasn’t just warm. It was hot. Pernass must have had the boiler running. Soaping herself all over, she lathered herself until her shoulders ached, then she luxuriated under the steaming water for such a long time, she began to feel guilty. The men probably wanted a shower, as well.

  Toweling herself, she quickly dressed. She was straightening her SS uniform when she noticed the red scrawl on the mirror. There were three words written in lipstick. It read,

  Bar Pasternak.

  Olsztyn.