Improbable Nazi (Parallel Nazi Book 2)

by Ward Wagher

  “I do not want time wasted, Colonel. You understand the plans concerning the defense emplacements?”

  “Jawohl, Herr General,” the colonel replied. “I have already dispatched the force to hold El Adem. The Italians are digging in to the west. We are beginning to construct the first of the four lines. We are really going to need heavy weapons to hold the town, Herr General.”

  “And see to the organization of the fast armor. If the English decide to sink their teeth into our defensive lines, I want something to roll out into the desert and swing around behind them.”

  “Already taken care of, Herr General. Colonel Balck is pulling a regiment together.”

  Rommel nodded. “I think we can safely leave that to Hermann Balck, then. The man is a wizard.”

  “He is asking for more resources, Sir.”

  “Give him whatever he needs, and we can reasonably spare,” Rommel said. “We will likely be very thankful we did so.”

  “Understood.”

  “Go ahead and send the message to the High Command that we once again hold Tobruk. It looks as though we will immediately be able to use the harbor. For a change. If our fearless logisticians are awake, we may even get a shipload of field artillery and ammunition.”

  The chief of staff chuckled nervously. He was never quite sure when Rommel was joking or was serious. “A shipload of panzers would be greatly appreciated as well.”

  “Please, Rolf, we do not want to stress their feeble brains. Tomorrow we will request the shipload of tanks. Actually, several shiploads. The English are going to want to take El Alamein away from us, and I think we should plan not to give it to them.”

  “I could live with that, Sir.”

  Rommel smiled at his chief of staff. “I thought you might. Let us see what we can accomplish over the next two days. Then we really will need to head back east.”

  “Will the Italian navy help us as well at El Alamein, Herr General?”

  “It worked out well here, did it not? Without the English navy around, they can sit out there and drop shells ashore with impunity. I am sure it was an unwelcome surprise, here.”

  The colonel pursed his lips and nodded. “Indeed. It would be useful in keeping the road to Tripoli open, as well.”

  “That it would,” Rommel replied. “The harbor here makes our position more tenable. Although we still need to clean out the English to the west of us.”

  “They have a lot of desert to hide in, Herr General.”

  “True, although they are too dangerous to allow to just wither on the vine. Give that some thought, Colonel. We will discuss it at the next staff meeting.”

  “Of course, Herr General.”

  “And now, we need to make sure our people are digging in. The English will probably counter-attack before we are ready. I would, if I were them. They are in a tough position.”

  § § §

  February 27, 1942; 1PM

  Reichschancellor’s Office

  Reichschancellery

  Berlin, Germany

  “I think Heydrich might be in Munich,” Rainer said.

  “That is very interesting,” Schloss said, “and it makes a lot of sense. How did you come to this conclusion?”

  “Actually, Gordon Smoke suggested it to me.”

  Schloss leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers. “And so, we wonder what he is up to. Have the Americans decided to play games, then?”

  “I do not think so,” Rainer said. “Smoke seemed to think he was doing us a favor. The Americans have a field supervisor in Turkey that is running a string of agents through the Balkans and up into southern Germany.”

  “Do the Americans know we know?”

  Rainer smiled. “We do not think so. So far, the Americans are receiving good information through this conduit, although everything they see passes through our hands.”

  “So, we can shut it down at any time, then?” Schloss asked.

  “Yes, or begin feeding it misinformation. Our options are currently wide open.”

  “And did the information about Heydrich being in Munich pass through our hands?”

  “Actually, no. We are investigating that source.”

  “Very well,” Schoss said. “I assume you will follow up on Herr Smoke’s tip?”

  “Yes. We must. And there is another bit of information. It appears the American consulate’s First Secretary is traveling to Munich.”

  “I do not believe that to be a coincidence,”

  Rainer looked down and flicked a bit of lint off his sleeve. “I am almost sure it is not.”

  “Please inform me, if anything occurs that you think I need to know.”

  “I will do so, Herr Reichschancellor.”

  “And you saw the military digest?”

  “We hold Tobruk again,” Rainer replied.

  “Correct. I always appreciate good news.”

  “And we can hold it this time?” Rainer asked.

  “Rommel assured the Reichsmarshall that he could hold Tobruk assuming sufficient supplies.”

  “Does that hold up?” Rainer asked.

  “I believe it does. He lost Tobruk the last time because we couldn’t reinforce. We have solved that little problem.”

  “For the time being,” Rainer said.

  “We are in a war, Karl. The English will do anything possible to resupply their forces, particularly Egypt. I think if we keep Rommel supplied, he will deliver for us. You heard what the English are calling him?”

  “The Desert Fox? Yes, I’ve heard. I hope he has a fallback in case of a reverse.”

  “He will if he is smart,” Schloss commented. “Although, if there is any one thing that has characterized us in this war is a general failure to have Plan B.”

  “Do you have a Plan B, Herr Reichschancellor?” Rainer asked.

  “Why do you ask?”

  “I worry about those in the party who do not feel loyalty to you, Herr Reichschancellor. They currently have focused their animosity by following Heydrich. We will eventually catch Heydrich. Who will they follow then?

  Schloss raised his eyebrows as he looked at Rainer. “Plan B is Karl Rainer and Peter Schreiber. I hope something does not happen to me.”

  “You will pardon me if I hope the same thing,” Rainer said.

  “Any further thoughts on who we might choose to head the party?” Schloss asked.

  Rainer glanced out the tall windows at the late winter sunlight. “I have given it some further thought. And my suggestion would be for you to retain the post for the time being.”

  “How so?” Schloss asked.

  “The core of your support is in the party. In view of the actions of what we might call The Munich Faction, I would not want to dilute your support by placing someone else in the position. It currently does not take a lot of your time.”

  “Funny,” Schloss said, “I had much the same thought. Fine, we will not appoint a replacement as yet. But, we do need to continue grooming new leadership. Power is too concentrated in this building, Karl. We know why that is. But, sooner or later we will need to call elections. We cannot afford another dictator over Germany.”

  “I understand,” Rainer said. “But, we cannot afford not to have one right now.”

  “Just keep your eyes open to opportunities. If you spot someone who is both competent and loyal, then we need to start developing him.”

  “Speaking of competent,” Rainer said, “I believe we have identified the Reichsmarshall’s source of morphine.”

  “You are, of course, speaking to the Reichsmarshall’s incredible competency?”

  “Of course. He is a never-ending source of amazement.”

  “Your teeth are showing, Karl.”

  Rainer shrugged. “Unfortunately, too many people are coming to know him well.”

  Schloss raised an eyebrow. “And that worries me. “Is that so? What are your next actions concerning his disgusting habit?”

  “I wanted to ask you for your advice. My inclination
would be to co-opt the supplier and encourage him to limit the volume Hermann receives.”

  “Won’t he just go find someone else to buy from?” Schloss asked.

  “I believe it will be difficult for him to develop a new source. There is just not that much of it around. And the polizei pay attention to this sort of thing. Plus, I think we would have some cooperation from the people in Goering’s offices.”

  “And do you believe our Big Hermann will just roll over and allow this?”

  “I think if you make it clear he has no choice,” Rainer said. “He respects you.”

  “To a point, Karl. To a point. I worry that he will get overly excited in a council meeting and pull his gun.”

  “Perhaps you should issue an order that no one brings arms into the meeting.”

  Schloss shook his head. “I have considered that. I am not sure how people would react. Enforcing it would be difficult.”

  “Do we need to replace the Reichsmarshall?” Rainer asked.

  “I am afraid that is the ultimate solution, and that introduces other problems. Finding a replacement would be the first challenge. Calming the uproar would be the next. And I don’t think we can remove Goering without killing him, and that raises its own host of troubles.”

  Rainer scratched his head and frowned. “Unfortunately, I do not have any suggestions on how to solve that one.”

  “Ever the miracle worker, Karl?”

  Rainer snorted. “I think you described it as dancing from one disaster to the next. May I suggest, Herr Reichschancellor, that if we cannot get the Reichsmarshall weaned off his drugs, then we supply him with enough to make him pliable. We will still have to find someone in his offices who is competent to both manage the war effort and to pull Hermann’s strings.”

  “Now, that is an evil thought, Karl. It might work. On the other hand, will that not make us as bad as those monsters we replaced? And how would I face Emmy, and their little girl?”

  “Sometimes we must do distasteful things, Herr Reichschancellor.”

  “And who was it that said, ‘If you kill one person you are a murderer. If you kill a million you are a statesman.’?”

  “I do not think that is exactly how the quote goes,” Rainer said, “however I take your point. Thank you for the correction.”

  “Oh, I know we are no nobler than anyone else, Karl. But, how can we rescue this nation if we follow the same practices as Himmler? I mean, the definition of morality seems to shift depending upon the circumstances. We must ground this nation in morality, and I am not even sure where to find it.”

  “You have done exceptionally well, so far,” Rainer said. “I am confident you will always do the right thing.”

  “Blind trust is dangerous,” Schloss said. “The Nazis built their entire edifice on it. In fact, the entire Nazi philosophy is corrupt. How do we combat that? And if we are to replace it with something, how will we know that the replacement is any better?”

  “You will find a way, Herr Reichschancellor,” Rainer said. “You have so far.”

  “That is what frightens me, Karl. I am not sure I can surmount that wall.”

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  February 27, 1942; 10PM

  Laplace Street

  Munich, Germany

  “What news, Konrad?” Reinhard Heydrich asked, as his lieutenant stepped into the room.

  “We lost another source,” Konrad Mussen said, without preamble. “They got Schneider.”

  Heydrich swallowed a curse. He no sooner would get someone trained and Rainer would sweep him off the streets.”

  “What happened?”

  “We do not know,” Mussen said. “He went to a meet with his contact from the SS Headquarters, and they picked him up.”

  “And the source?”

  “They got him, too.”

  “Who was the source?”

  “We do not know. Schneider only said it was someone high in the Headquarters offices.”

  Heydrich stood up and paced the room. “It seems we cannot do anything right, Konrad. It makes me worry that Rainer has penetrated our operation deeply.”

  “On the other hand, Herr General, this could have been happenstance.”

  “Do you really believe that?” Heydrich asked. “We stopped believing in wood elves a long time ago.”

  “Schneider took a risk by moving about in the open in Berlin,” Mussen said. “It would not surprise me at all if he had been recognized.”

  “I will take that under advisement,” Heydrich said. “So now that we have lost another resource in Berlin, Konrad, what do you suggest?”

  “We should train someone who has not been listed on the rolls of the SS. If they have no record of an individual, we might place someone very close to Rainer.”

  “I don’t know, Konrad,” Heydrich said, slapping a fist into an open hand as he paced the room. We are playing chess against a master, and it seems like he is a couple moves ahead.”

  “Allow me to select someone to send to Berlin, Herr General. I, alone, will know who it is. No one else in our organization will know. He will communicate directly with me. If he is compromised, we will know it isn’t from our organization.”

  Heydrich stopped pacing and stared at Mussen. “Or it may mean you are compromised.”

  “If I were compromised, I would be dead, Herr General,” Mussen said.

  “One way or the other,” Heydrich said. “Very well, Konrad, go ahead and set something up. The loyalty of the party members in Munich to the Reich is gratifying. Their general competence leaves something to be desired.”

  “Indeed. And may I suggest we relocate to another safe house?”

  “Is there something you have noticed?” Heydrich asked.

  “No. I thought it might be appropriate to be cautious.”

  “Let’s not jump at shadows,” Heydrich laughed. “We could wear ourselves out being chased around the country by nobody.”

  Mussen nodded and left the room. When Heydrich got into these moods, it was best just to leave him stewing in his room. He made his way to the lower floor where he kept an office. He opened the Heindl safe and pulled out a sheaf of cash. After counting it and sealing it in an envelope, he tapped it on the desk, as he thought. Reaching a conclusion, he stood, and walked into the living room, which now resembled an operations center. He pointed to one of the men in the room and nodded, instructing him to follow.

  Down the hall was a small chamber which was probably used by the maid, when this house had one. He opened the door and stepped in. When the other man walked in, Mussen closed the door. He handed the envelope to the other man.

  “Put that envelope in an inside pocket, Vlad,” Mussen said.

  Vlad Meier slipped the envelope with the cash into his coat pocket.

  “I am giving you an assignment,” he said. “There is 5,000 Reichmarks in that envelope. I want you to travel to Berlin and set yourself up in an innocuous job. You will report on the activities of the Reichschancellor and the Reichsprotektor.”

  “Of course, Herr Mussen,” Meier said.

  “You will contact me by posting a letter to Herr Serris Schmidt. The box number is 5177 in the Munich post office. Can you remember that?”

  “Of course, Herr Mussen. Who will tell my watch commander?”

  “I will tell him. Go ahead and get packed. I will speak to you again before you leave.”

  “At once, Herr Mussen.”

  Fifteen minutes later Mussen met Meier at the door. “Any further questions, Vlad?”

  “I have no questions, Herr Mussen. I stand ready to serve the Reich.”

  “Then go.”

  After the young man left the house, Mussen returned to his office. He sat at his desk and toyed with a pencil for a while. Sending someone out with such limited support probably made sense, but he was not yet convinced Rainer had someone inside Heydrich’s organization. If he did, they would already be dead or in jail.

  § § §

  February 27, 1942;
11PM

  SS Headquarters

  Berlin, Germany

  Karl Rainer worked late into the evening as usual. As the Reichsprotektor he had inherited the SS and the Gestapo from Himmler, and struggled to bring the behemoth under control. He and Schloss had eliminated the Gestapo from the mix and turned police power back over to the local and state polizei. Rainer now worked to turn the SS into an investigative organization, rather than a repressive tool of state control. It wasn’t easy. A solid core of the SS, not to mention the Nazi party, firmly believed that Schloss and Rainer had betrayed the Fuhrer’s ideals. Being an honest man, Karl Rainer was not prepared to disagree with the disaffected elements.

  Rainer looked up as his adjutant walked into the office. He reached above his head and tried to stretch the kinks out of his arms and shoulders.

  “It has been a long day, Helmuth,” Rainer said.

  “And not over, yet, Herr Reichsprotektor,” Helmuth Spayer said.

  “Just so,” Rainer said. “What have we got?’

  “We apprehended one of our renegades, Sir.”

  “Did we now? That was a bit of good work on the part of someone.”

  “We had a couple of agents on the street who witnessed him speaking with a member of your office, Herr Reichsprotektor. We have both in custody.”

  Rainer felt a sudden shortness of breath, as though he had been punched in the stomach. “Perhaps you should explain, Herr Spayer.”

  “Yes, Sir. The team had spotted our renegade...”

  “And does this renegade have a name?” Rainer asked.

  “Yes, Sir. It was Gerd Schneider.”

  “Ah, yes,” Rainer said. “Truly a bad actor. Please continue.”

  “The team recognized him, and had been tailing him. They felt that they might have an opportunity to discover other information, which they did.”

  Rainer nodded. “Wise on their part. And then what happened?”

  “They stepped into the Gasthaus Binker, which is two blocks from here.”

  “I know where it is. I had lunch there today, in fact.”