by Mark Spaid
“The only thing you have? Not even close, Lind. I remember when I was in the darkness after my baby died. I didn’t want to live anymore and who came along to show me the way?” Belinda looked at Tatiana and grinned. “That’s right…you brought me back to my husband and my friends. You showed me the way out and I’ll never forget that. So, don’t say you only have one talent. I also remember you on that boat in South America. You saved us all, Lind. You’re full of surprises, so no more talk about being one-dimensional.” Belinda hugged Tatiana and squeezed tight. After a moment Belinda looked up and let go.
“Sorry.”
“For what? Who wouldn’t feel used, after being around those slime bags? But you know you’re the only reason we’re inside this place and thanks to your distraction we have our guns, which we might need eventually.”
“What do we do now?”
“There’s a bathroom. Clean yourself up and we’ll go back out. You stay close to me. We need to watch for the four travelers then act.”
“What do you mean act?”
“We have to kill them, Lind, before they talk to Goering.”
“I know…just checking. It doesn’t bother me to kill Nazis, either these or the ones from the future.”
“Let’s go out and do some spying. The room they were in faced the wrong direction and they couldn’t see the front gate from the window. They went out in the hallway and tried to remain inconspicuous but that was hard with Belinda around. Tatiana found a narrow hallway with a window looking towards the front. She looked but saw nothing. Tom, Captain Shellhause and Little Wolf were doing some clandestine work of their own. They found an empty room with windows that faced the gate but also saw nothing.
“I guess they haven’t arrived yet,” Little Wolf said.
“We’re on schedule…they were supposed to be here on this date,” Tom said.
“We think it was today but it’s hard to be exact with the portal. Maybe we jumped in too soon or too late,” Little Wolf reminded them.
“Should we be outside when they arrive?” Tom asked.
“Exactly what I was thinking,” Captain Shellhause said.
“I’ll find Miss Tatiana and Miss Belinda and meet you guys outside on the west side,” Little Wolf said and they both nodded.
“We need to find the men,” Tatiana said as she looked around. Outside is where we should be…we can’t be killing people inside.” They moved as silently as possible along a wall towards the exit in the rear. There were too many people around the front, in fact, the entire complex was bustling with people…mostly men. Almost all were in uniforms; SS, Gestapo, Luftwaffe, regular army and some uniforms they didn’t recognize. There were a few men in suits who seemed to be always snooping around for something. They guessed Gestapo because they had plain clothes people lurking everywhere.
“Miss Tatiana, Miss Belinda, let’s get outside,” Little Wolf said as he snuck up behind them.
“Where’re the others?” Tatiana asked.
“Making their way to the back..”
“Then let’s go.” They were going down the back stairs followed by Tom and Captain Shellhause when they were stopped by an SS officer,” a major, who was bemedaled in the black uniform and boots that was the trademark of the SS.
“Where’re you going?” He asked.
“It’s crowded in here, we thought we’d take a walk,” Captain Shellhause said.
“Who are you people anyway? I’ve never seen you before?”
“Just travelers delivering a package for Minister Goering,” Captain Shellhause said and that got the attention of the major.
“What package?”
“This,” Captain Shellhause said and pointed to Belinda who’d been hidden behind Tom…again.
“Hello,” Belinda said as she strutted up to the major and looked up at him. I wanted a cigarette but I hate to smoke indoors…it’s too confining and the smoke gets in my eyes,” She said with a pout as she rubbed her breasts against the major’s uniform.
“Then allow me,” the major said and opened his cigarette case to Belinda who took one then headed outside followed by everyone including the major who gave a light and Belinda began smoking. No, she wasn’t a closet smoker or anything like that but she kept a pack in her vanity and sometimes when the stress was too great she’d sneak in the garage or in the bushes in her backyard and smoke one. Justin knew, of course, it’s impossible to conceal the smell of cigarette smoke, especially to a non-smoker. But, he said nothing since he knew that Belinda was on occasion at the end of her rope and needed a release. So, she smoked and looked convincing as the major attended her and forgot there were four other people. Little Wolf and Tatiana moved to the far west side of the property while Tom and Captain Shellhause stayed near the building but were able to see the gate and the road coming up to the house. This is where the four travelers would have to come to enter the house.
“They have to be here before too long,” Tom said
“Tonight’s a perfect time for them. People everywhere and they obviously had excellent papers because they got in the first time,” Captain Shellhause said.
“Did you ever think, Captain, that since we’re here and people have interacted with us that the setting might be different somehow. Maybe the right person could intercept them and discover they were phonies?”
“Interesting idea...I don’t know. I mean this time travel business is new to me. I don’t think anyone knows for sure how things can change. We need one of the physicists here to answer that one.”
“Why are we so far away from the house?” Tatiana asked Little Wolf.
“I told Captain Shellhause and Detective Westfield that we’d be in the back when they met the travelers.”
“Right since they’ll be armed. Or will they be armed? They can’t bring metal through the portal and they were here on what could be described as a peaceful mission of persuasion.”
“Nothing about these guys could be considered peaceful, Miss Tatiana. They would’ve found guns somewhere in case things went bad for them.”
“Which it didn’t.”
“No, they were successful and that’s why we have to stop them this time.”
“Wait,” Tatiana said as she turned to look at Little Wolf.
“What?”
“If we succeed then these guys will be dead, so how will we get back?”
“We should be okay since it was the modern-day Nazis of 2020 who forced Warren to build the time portal and the other things. The portal is still their or rather the device to make it appear.”
“But Warren could be anywhere. He’s likely working on that particle beam weapon and not even near the lab with the time machine.”
“True but remember Mr. Dave and Mr. Sol are preparing to energize the portal. They know how it works.”
“But, what if they can’t?” Little Wolf looked at Tatiana and grinned.
“Miss Tatiana, I miss Julieta and I know you miss Mr. Dave, Robby and the twins but you knew this mission could go sideways and we’d be stuck her in 1939.” Tatiana’s shoulders sagged and she nodded.
“I know but it still scares me. Yes, Dave and Sol made the device work as we came through but they could surely use Warren to get us back.”
“I’m sure they could but I have confidence in Mr. Dave and Mr. Sol but you’re not alone…I’m scared too. We can make this thing work.”
“How? We have to take care of these four guys, get out of here somehow past an army of security. Then make our way clear across Germany to France and back to the United States to the portal location and hope that Dave, Sol or Warren are there to activate it so we can pass through.” Little Wolf began chuckling.
“You make it seem difficult,” Miss Tatiana,” Little Wolf said grinning. She shook her head and chuckled.
“How does Julieta live with your ego?”
“I guess I’m adorable.” She shook her head and moved to the perimeter to check for the travelers.
“Hey, Captain
, look,” Tom said as they crouched behind a bush.
“Yeah, that’s them alright. I recognize that one guy from a BOLO we had a couple of years ago. He trashed a jeweler, Isidor Rabi and beat him up. Ronald Matthews, yeah that’s his name…a big-time Nazi from Chicago.”
“There they are,” Little Wolf said as he and Tatiana waited.
“Hey, where’s Belinda?” Tatiana asked.
“Fraulein, would you like to take a walk with me and find a nice secluded spot to talk?” The major asked.
“A nice place to talk?”
“Or whatever you had in mind.”
“No, I’m happy here in the yard enjoying the beauty of the mountains.”
“But Fraulein, wouldn’t you like to get cozy?” The major said as he pulled Belinda close and ran his hand on her derriere. Belinda shuttered.
“You shouldn’t be so friendly with someone you just met.”
“But I like you, Fraulein, you’re just my type; am I your type?” He said with a sickening smile.
“I’m not sure I have a type but if I did it wouldn’t be you.” With that she kneed him in the balls not once but three times. Then she ran and found Tatiana and Little Wolf.
“Where’s the major?” Tatiana asked as she saw Belinda running up to them and out of breath.
“Over there holding his balls, I would imagine.”
“Okay, so we have to move fast,” Little Wolf.”
“We do, so let’s take care of business while we still can,” Tatiana added. Things would get dicey, they had to make split second decisions and they had to be right. Nothing like a little pressure.
“You vile tramp,” the major said as he limped towards them still holding his manhood. “No one does that to me and gets away with it. He put his hands out to choke Belinda but before he could Tatiana threw him to the ground, took his side arm and stuck it in his face. He smiled.
“All I have to do is yell and you’ll be swarmed with guards.”
“I know,” Tatiana said. Little Wolf came from behind and snapped the major’s neck. They dragged his body into some bushes and hid it as best they could.
“Let’s move,” Tatiana said and they took off for Tom and Captain Shellhause.
“They’re here,” Tom said as they found each other.
“We know and we have a problem. We left a dead SS officer in the bushes back there. Don’t ask, its complicated. They’ll find him eventually and we need to be gone,” Tatiana explained.
“They’re coming up the lane,” Tom said and they waited to pounce. This was it; either they pulled it off or the world would forever be a kind of Hell.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
“This could work, if I can narrow down the location to minutes and seconds, I can do it. I know I can and maybe the carnage will stop,” Warren said to himself as he worked in his office at the weapon sight. There were four guards outside but he was alone inside. He insisted and Kleinschmidt consented. Every effort was made to please the boy wonder because of the amazing things he’d done for them and the things he requested were modest if not trivial. Of course, when they were done with him he knew it would likely be…you fill in the blanks. The moral dilemma that he found himself in the past few days was agonizing. He certainly was conflicted…who wouldn’t be after all Warren was no cold-blooded killer like the Nazis who had him in their clutches. He was a good guy and good guys always lament crossing the moral threshold from good to evil even if someone gives them an unwanted push. He already had the, ‘am I a coward or not,’ conversation with himself several times over the last few days and he’d changed his answer dozens of times and as he sat doing some calculations, he still wasn’t sure who or what he was. He did know this; however, he didn’t want to be responsible for any more killing of innocent people. Killing guilty people? Well that’s not so bad. “This is all I need if it’ll work.” He checked the numbers three times and they were all the same. “Well, once I start there’s no turning back and I better get the first one right or Dr. Warren Peabody will be at an end. But as much as that’s distasteful to me, being a mass murderer is worse and make no mistake about it, that’s what I’ve been the last few days.”
“Dr. Peabody.” A voice rang out and Warren recognized Kleinschmidt. He walked in with four SS officers and a dozen armed guards who formed two straight lines to make a V with the officers in the middle standing at attention and facing Warren. He stood up out of habit and as the door swung open a man in a gray suit walked in and up to Warren.
“Hello,” Warren said. Why he said hello he wasn’t sure but he was so nervous it just slipped out.
“I’m Reichsfuehrer Wright.” Warren bowed and Kleinschmidt grinned. The door opened again and four other men walked inside and next to Wright.
“Dr. Peabody,” Kleinschmidt said as he walked in between Warren and the four men. “This is Propaganda Minister Willoughby, Reichsmarschall Klay, Minster Windsor and Commandant West. They are the direct descendants of Adolph Hitler and the other top Nazis who came from Schensburg in 1944.”
“How do you do,” Warren said. His knees were shaking and his whole body was numb. What did these guys want he thought and the answers he mulled over in his head did not reassure him that it was anything but bad for someone or many someone’s.
“Dr. Peabody has done excellent work for The Greater Reich,” Kleinschmidt noted and there were nods, verbal thanks and acknowledgements from the top Nazis. “Today, Doctor, you are to be blessed like all of us here. Today, you’ll get to display your talent for the Fuehrer himself.”
“What?” Warren said in disbelief.
“Yes, and here he is the Fuehrer,” Reichsfuehrer Wright said as the door opened and in walked two men in SS uniforms followed by the Fuehrer, Thomas Rutherford. The entire room saluted and so did Warren. He didn’t want to but he didn’t dare snub the Fuehrer. He knew he’d be shot eventually but he had no desire to speed things up.
“So, you’re Dr. Peabody,” Rutherford said as he walked around Warren perusing him…sizing him up. But Warren would be the first to admit that physically he didn’t project the gallant physical persona that the Nazis sought as their perfect specimen. A tall blue-eyed, blond-haired Olympian was the ideal body for these guys. Contrast that with Warren who stood five foot six with black hair, that was never combed, poor posture as he was always stooped over and a titanium leg that gave him a limp that suggested infirmity and one could see the trepidation that came over the Nazis when they saw their physicist hero who’d brought them to the edge of the future.
“Yes, my Fuehrer,” Warren said. He hoped it didn’t sound contrived; he wanted to exude enthusiasm but he just didn’t have it for real for these guys.
“Kleinschmidt has told me of your exploits and I’m impressed.”
“Thank you.”
“I understand we’re to be given a demonstration today of the power of this weapon you have invented.” Warren was unaware of any of this and gave a puzzled expression. Rutherford turned to Kleinschmidt.
“My Fuehrer, Dr. Peabody has not been told about today’s activities,” Kleinschmidt said.
“Explain, Kleinschmidt,” Reichsfuehrer Wright said with irritation.
“Oh, yes for today, Dr. Peabody is going to use the weapon to eliminate a rebel group in Romania.”
“What’re the coordinates?” Warren asked as he went to the console.
“We can have someone punch those in for you,” Kleinschmidt said.
“No, I need to do it…I know the device,” Warren said nervously. He couldn’t let anyone see what he’d been doing on the grid of the Earth that was being used to identify possible targets.
“As he is busy doing that perhaps we can go outside and view the weapon close-up,” Reichsmarshal Klay suggested and they all agreed and went outside. Warren breathed out a sigh as he entered data into the computer guidance system for the target. There were two guards who remained inside but they were talking to each other and not paying any attention to Warren. He
was doing everything he wanted and was nearly done. After fifteen minutes he finished and sat back to look over his handiwork and a faint smile came over his face. The map of the Earth looked just as he wanted it to and then he got up and moved to the weapon’s launching chair. He positioned himself just as he wanted. His feet were on the pedals that he used to move the weapon for aiming and his hands on the controls. Both his right and left hands were holding firing devices. One for intensity and one for elevation. It resembled a modern virtual reality game one might find at an arcade with one small difference. It wasn’t virtual reality…it was reality.
“He designed this after solving the Unified Field Theory, am I correct?” The Fuehrer asked.
“Yes, Reichsmarshal Klay answered.
“Where did this guy come from and how’d he get so smart?”
“Educated at the University here in Bloomington,” My Fuehrer,” Reichsfuehrer Wright said.
“Is it visible?” The Fuehrer asked.
“The beam is invisible but it’s guided by a laser and that can be seen,” Kleinschmidt said.
“What’re we waiting for?” The Fuehrer asked showing his impatience.
“Dr. Peabody, what’s the hold-up?” Kleinschmidt asked over his radio.
“Almost there,” Warren said. He had the coordinates all punched in and ready. He had to do the aiming but he knew where to aim. Now, it was his time to be in charge. “Are you ready for this?” Warren asked himself. “I hope so.” He had a revolver in his lap if the two guards got nosy or if things started to go wrong. “Okay, Warren, you can’t delay this any longer. It’s time to see if you’re a coward or if deep down you have some intestinal fortitude. Oh, just say it. It’s time to see if you have any guts.”
The Berghoff
1939
“We need to intercept them before they get inside,” Tatiana said.
“I’ll get their attention by that clump of bushes,” Little Wolf said.
“Then we’ll hit them from the side,” Tom said and Little Wolf took off. He made it behind the bushes as the four men approached. When they were just past the bushes Little Wolf grabbed the last guy and dragged him away. The other three kept moving. Little Wolf slit the guys throat and hid him in the bushes to bleed out. Tom and Captain Shellhause approached the other three and they stopped. Captain Shellhause started speaking in German and the men listened. If they made it inside there’d be no saving things. They had to be stopped…permanently and outside. Tatiana was out of sight and waiting for her chance.
