Angel of Vengeance: The thrilling sequel to Angel in Red (Anna Fehrbach)

by Christopher Nicole

  ‘I get you. These were Russians?’

  ‘NKVD.’

  ‘And they took you to some house. But you don’t know where it is.’

  ‘They shot drugs into me and laid me out. But I’m pretty sure it’s in Washington. It was still daylight when I woke up, so I couldn’t have been out for more than half an hour. Then I was here.’

  ‘Right. And they’ve held you there for two days. How many of them?’

  ‘Six. Four men and two women.’

  ‘Shit! But now they’re letting you use the phone.’

  ‘Well, not exactly.’

  ‘You mean you’ve got loose. Good girl. But if they’re not with you at the moment, why don’t you jump out of the window and run like hell? At least as far as the next house. There are other houses?’

  ‘Oh, yes. But I don’t really want to do that.’

  ‘Why in the name of God not?’

  ‘I have no clothes.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘They took away my clothes,’ Anna said patiently. ‘I mean, the clothes are here but they’re all torn.’

  ‘OK, OK. I take your point. But there are enough of them left to cover your vital statistics, right? If you don’t want to appear in public like that, well . . . these people have an automobile, I presume?’

  ‘Yes. It’s in the garage.’

  ‘Well, maybe the keys are in the ignition. Grab it and drive like hell. Anywhere, away from there. Until you get your bearings.’

  ‘I couldn’t do that,’ Anna protested.

  ‘Why not?’

  ‘I don’t know how to drive.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘I don’t know how to drive,’ Anna repeated, still with great patience. ‘No one ever taught me. The SS taught me just about everything I know, but not how to drive. They didn’t consider it necessary. And if I try it now, I’ll be arrested by your traffic police, as well as for indecent exposure. I’d hate that. Anyway, these people . . .’

  Joe was taking deep breaths, apparently in an endeavour to prevent himself from having a stroke. Clive took the speaker. ‘Anna!’

  ‘Clive?’ Her voice went up an octave. ‘It’s so good to hear you voice. Listen, I need your help.’

  ‘Of course we’re going to help you, Anna. But we need information. These people seem to be allowing you an awful amount of time to yourself.’

  ‘Well, yes they are—’

  ‘Right. Well, if you don’t feel that you can leave the house, why don’t you call the police, from where you are? I know you can’t give them an address, but surely you can give them the telephone number.’

  ‘There isn’t a number, not that I can see.’

  ‘Ah. Right. Well then keep them talking for five minutes, and they’ll be able to trace the call.’

  ‘I don’t think that would be a good idea, either.’

  ‘Anna . . .’

  ‘Can’t you trace the call from where you are?’

  Clive looked at Joe, who shook his head.

  ‘We don’t have that facility in this office. Now listen, we are going to find you. But it may take a few hours. We are going to have to ask you to suffer these people for that time. Can you do that?’

  ‘Of course. They aren’t troubling me any more.’

  ‘Well, that’s something. Don’t tell me you’ve managed to charm the pants off a bunch of NKVD people?’

  ‘No, I didn’t think that would be practical. So I had to kill them.’

  Chapter Six – Paradise

  There was a moment’s silence while the two men looked at each other. Then Clive said, ‘There were six Russian agents, and you killed them, one after the other? Didn’t they try to do something about it? I mean, about what was happening?’

  ‘It wasn’t quite like that,’ Anna explained. ‘They had this tommy gun, and I managed to get hold of it. I’d never fired a tommy gun before. I mean, it was just out of this world. It took about ten seconds. But there’s a most awful mess.’

  ‘Ah . . .’

  There was a tap on the door, and Margaret came in. ‘I’m sorry to interrupt, Mr Andrews, but the list of houses the Russians own or rent here in Washington has just come in from the FBI. Mr Fisher wants to know if you would like him to investigate any of them.’

  Joe seemed to awaken from a deep sleep. ‘No,’ he said. ‘Definitely not. Tell him we’ll handle it.’

  ‘Yes, sir.’ Margaret looked from one to the other of the two obviously shell-shocked faces, and left the room.

  Joe took the speaker. ‘Anna, we’re on our way. Just sit tight.’

  ‘And you’ll bring some clothes. You can get them from the Embassy.’

  ‘I don’t think that would be a good idea, right now. We’ll find something.’

  ‘When you come, will Clive be with you?’

  ‘Yes,’ Joe said, not altogether regretfully.

  *

  William J. Donovan gazed at the young woman seated on the other side of his desk. He could not remember ever having seen a more attractive sight, even if she was wearing a somewhat shapeless dress and low-heeled shoes, and her hair was untidy, while there was a complete absence of make-up. But there was a good deal of very expensive jewellery. That she also looked distinctly out of sorts enhanced rather than detracted from her beauty. ‘I have been hearing a lot about you, Countess,’ he remarked.

  Anna tossed her head. ‘You have me at a disadvantage, sir. Your people,’ she gave Joe a disparaging glance, ‘refused to allow me to return to my Embassy and obtain some proper clothing. So I am reduced to wearing these cast-offs.’

  ‘Mr Andrews was following my instructions,’ Donovan pointed out. ‘Surely you realize that you have placed us in a rather difficult position. I mean, six dead bodies—’

  ‘It was the tommy gun,’ Anna explained. ‘I had never fired one before. Once I started I could not stop. Not that they did not deserve to die . . .’

  ‘All six of them?’

  ‘They raped me.’

  ‘All of them? I understand two of them were women.’

  ‘All of them. I do not like being raped.’

  ‘Actually, I have never met a woman who did. Like being raped, I mean.’

  ‘Especially by women,’ Anna added.

  ‘Absolutely. Perhaps fortunately, not all women react quite so . . . comprehensively to the situation.’

  ‘They were Russians.’

  ‘And you do not like Russians either?’

  ‘At this moment, no.’

  ‘Let us hope for better times.’

  ‘In Germany, when something like this happens, I telephone the SD and they come and take the bodies away and clean the place up, and nothing more is heard of the matter.’

  ‘And, ah, “something like this” happens quite often, does it? In Germany.’

  ‘It has happened before,’ Anna said modestly.

  Donovan scratched the back of his neck.

  ‘Sadly,’ Joe commented, ‘we don’t have quite the same facility over here. Dead bodies have to be accounted for.’

  ‘When I had that trouble in England, last year,’ Anna said, ‘MI6, Clive, sorted it out.’

  ‘The trouble being . . .?’ Donovan was interested.

  ‘Well, three Gestapo agents tried to arrest me.’

  ‘Don’t tell me. You shot them all.’

  ‘Well, what else was I to do? If they had succeeded in taking me back to Germany I would have been executed.’

  ‘Absolutely. And this man Clive . . .’ He looked at Joe.

  ‘Clive Bartley, MI6.’

  ‘My British Controller,’ Anna explained. ‘He’s here now.’ It was her turn to look at Joe. ‘He is still here, isn’t he?’

  ‘Oh, indeed. He’s waiting for you.’

  ‘Just wait one moment,’ Donovan said. ‘You mean an MI6 agent is involved in this?’

  ‘I am an MI6 agent,’ Anna reminded him.

  ‘Yeah. But this other guy . . . Holy shit! I beg your pardon, Countess.’ />
  ‘Bartley is not involved,’ Joe said. ‘At least, he wasn’t. He came across in order to contact Anna, and, ah, discuss her work.’

  ‘But he’s involved now.’

  ‘Only in the sense that he’s upset at having one of his people kidnapped.’

  ‘And you say, Countess, that he is your Controller. I think I need to meet this guy. Unofficially, Joe.’

  ‘I’ll arrange it. But the point, Anna, is that the six bodies in that house were not Gestapo. They were accredited foreign nationals.’

  ‘Were they all accredited Russian nationals?’ Donovan asked.

  ‘Actually, it doesn’t appear as if they were. It’s obviously too soon for us to be certain, but from such documentation and other evidence as we have found so far it would seem that five of them were US citizens, although certainly Communist sympathizers. Unfortunately, as you know, sir, Kronsky is definitely accredited to the Russian Embassy. Or was, I should say. On the other hand, they were all engaged in the plot to kidnap the Countess.’

  ‘Equally unfortunately,’ Donovan pointed out, ‘we only have the Countess’s word that that is what happened.’

  ‘Are you calling me a liar?’ Anna asked, her voice quietly dulcet.

  ‘I wouldn’t dream of it. But we need to face facts. If this story breaks and the media gets hold of it, and starts investigating, as they certainly will . . . I mean to say, what a story! Beautiful woman kidnapped and raped by six Communist sympathizers, including a Russian official, who then manages to get free and kills them all. How did you manage that, anyway?’

  ‘It was difficult. They kept me tied to the bed—’

  ‘Naked?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘But they didn’t take away your jewellery.’

  ‘They did take away my jewellery. I took it back when I . . . well . . .’

  ‘When you had finished killing them. You still haven’t told us how you managed to do that.’

  ‘You keep interrupting me,’ Anna said coldly. ‘I said they kept me tied to the bed while they took turns at raping me. They let me out of bed from time to time to go to the toilet. But as I never resisted them, they gradually got careless, and with their weapons. Especially the tommy gun. So this morning they left the gun on a chair while they took me to the bathroom. There were only four of them present. So I wriggled free and reached the gun. When they heard the shooting, the other two, including Kronsky, came running into the room.’

  ‘I guess we all make mistakes,’ Donovan conceded. ‘What a mess. However . . .’ He gazed at Anna. ‘You do understand that you are in deep trouble without our help.’

  ‘But you are going to help me,’ Anna said. ‘I mean, you are on our side, aren’t you?’ She glanced at Joe.

  ‘Not visibly,’ Donovan said. ‘At least, not right this minute. We are going to help you, Countess. But, well, quid pro quo, right?’

  Anna stared at him. ‘You will have to explain that, sir.’

  ‘My office is engaged in setting up a series of information-gathering points in Europe. Just so we can keep an eye on what’s going on. I think it would be very useful to have you on our payroll.’

  ‘Payroll?’

  ‘How much do the Brits pay you, right now?’

  ‘Why should they pay me anything?’

  ‘Countess – Anna – you are working for them.’

  ‘I am working for the destruction of Nazi Germany.’

  ‘But you are working. People usually get paid for working.’ He did some more neck-scratching as he realized she had no idea about what he was speaking. ‘OK, how much do the SD pay you?’

  Anna gazed at him.

  ‘How do you live, for Christ’s sake? Where do you live?’

  ‘I have an apartment in Berlin.’

  ‘How do you pay the rent?’

  ‘There is no rent. The apartment belongs to the SD.’

  ‘I see. And that jewellery you’re wearing . . .’

  ‘Is their property, yes.’

  ‘But you have to live, buy groceries.’

  ‘I have a bank account.’

  ‘Right. Now, how much money goes in there? Say, monthly.’

  ‘I have no idea.’

  ‘Say again?’

  ‘There is always money there. They monitor it, and pay money into it whenever they feel it needs topping up.’

  ‘You sure you want these guys to lose this war? OK, OK. We’ll sort something out. Will you work for us?’

  ‘As long as it does not clash with my work for MI6.’

  ‘Right. Joe, I need that meeting with this guy Bartley.’

  ‘Yes, sir.’

  ‘Meanwhile, this lady has to disappear, entirely, while I try to sort this out.’

  ‘Ah . . .’ Joe and Anna looked at each other. ‘You want me to take care of that?’

  ‘She’s your baby. If you’ll excuse me, Countess.’

  ‘Virginia,’ Anna said. ‘You promised to show me your home in Virginia.’

  ‘Who lives there?’ Donovan asked.

  ‘My mother. She’s a widow.’

  ‘And?’

  ‘She would be absolutely trustworthy. And I know she’d enjoy meeting Anna.’

  ‘And I assume she carries adequate life insurance. Just joking, Countess. OK, Virginia. I don’t want to know more than that. But you stay there until you hear from me. And Countess, if I hear from you – that is, via any newspaper report or radio broadcast, for whatever reason – I drop the whole thing and turn you over to the FBI.’

  ‘There are some details to be worked out.’

  ‘Tell me about it. I thought you weren’t interested in money.’

  ‘I must have my clothes, and my maid.’

  ‘Maid? Holy shit! Don’t tell me she’s SD as well?’

  ‘Of course she is not. She works for me. She is a good German, but if I tell her I am working for the Reich in visiting Virginia for a while, she will not question it.’

  ‘Well, I guess, if you really want to have her around. But if you go back to the Embassy, there will be questions.’

  ‘The Embassy will also believe anything I tell them. You do not seem to understand,’ Anna said, with her invariable modesty, ‘that I am a senior officer in the SD, with carte blanche to do as I please, as long as I deliver what is required, and I have always done that. If I do not return there and reassure them that I am all right, they will make a fuss.’

  ‘Point taken. OK, but get in and out of there as rapidly as you can.’ He stood up, held out his hand. ‘Meeting you has been one of the great experiences of my life. I look forward to our next meeting, when maybe we’ll have time to have lunch together.’

  ‘I think that would be very nice. But before we go any further, I wish to see Mr Bartley.’

  ‘You will. But I think that will also have to be in Virginia. You handle that, Joe, as you know this guy.’

  ‘Thank you.’ Anna smiled at them both.

  *

  ‘That dame is an experience,’ Donovan said. ‘How the hell did you get hold of her?’

  ‘I thought Joe filled you in,’ Clive said.

  ‘Yes, he did. But I didn’t altogether believe him. Now . . .’

  ‘Can you sort it out?’

  ‘By bending one hell of a lot of rules, and a few arms as well. I have to go to the very top. But he’ll support me. If I can convince him that we have a recruit of such potential.’

  ‘It’s tricky,’ Clive said. ‘Our countries are not officially allied.’

  ‘We share quite a lot of confidential information, at various technical levels.’

  ‘I wouldn’t altogether describe this as a technical matter, Mr Donovan. I’ll have to square it with my boss, when I get back to England.’

  ‘Which will be when?’

  ‘I leave at the end of next week.’

  ‘Soon enough. Anna isn’t going anywhere for the next few weeks. But you need to bear in mind, Mr Bartley, that her survival could well rest on her willingness, a
nd yours, to share.’

  ‘I will remember that.’

  ‘Well, then, good luck. I take it you’ll be visiting Joe’s home for a day or two?’

  ‘Yes, sir. We have a great deal to discuss.’

  ‘I bet you do. I guess you must know the Countess pretty well.’

  ‘I think I can say that I know her as well as it is possible to know her.’

  ‘There’s a canny answer. So what makes her tick? I mean, she looks like the debutante of the year, sweet twenty-one and never been kissed, and all the time she’s the ultimate femme fatale. And when pushed she seems to act like one too, with the accent on the word fatale. But for the rest . . . she doesn’t seem to be interested in money; she doesn’t really have a home; I know she doesn’t have a family, at least available . . . But she can’t be a spy all the time. I mean, what sports does she do? What music does she like? Does she have a guy? Or maybe a gal. She seemed pretty fond of that maid of hers.’

  ‘I can’t answer any of those questions, Mr Donovan. I only know, although she would probably deny it, that she was horrendously traumatized as a girl. Can you imagine a seventeen-year-old, brought up in a refined, intellectual home, convent-educated, being handed a gun and directed to kill a living target?’

  ‘Shit! And she did it?’

  ‘She reckoned she had no choice, if she, and her family, were going to survive. That has been her driving force ever since. I know she dreams of an afterwards, a better life, but she knows she has to get there herself. You asked me what makes her tick. I would have to say hatred – hatred of the men who made her what she is.’

  ‘What about the men who are taking advantage of what she is?’

  ‘Right now, Mr Donovan, we are the representatives of that hope for the future. If we let her down, I think we would have to break every mirror in existence, so we would never have to look at ourselves again.’

  Donovan considered him for several minutes, then he nodded. ‘Give her my love, and make sure she understands that I’m on her side.’

  *

  ‘Isn’t this heavenly?’ Anna waved her arm as she walked beside the river; the gesture encompassed the trees, the grass, the bird calls, the gentle whisper of the water, as well as the still warm autumnal sun. Ahead of her the two spaniels frisked.