out.”
Tanner left the two Rangers to get their body heat back to normal. In a few minutes they’d be guided back to where a truck was parked. Their night was done and he would write up the report in such a way that higher brass would have to give them a medal.
“What’s next, sir?” asked Hill. “Although I think I know.”
“That’s right, Sergeant. The light cable is being replaced by a heavier one as we talk, and tomorrow a couple of fools in a small boat will cross and see what is actually out there.”
“Any idea who the two fools are, sir?”
“Can you swim, Sergeant?”
* * *
Dulles led Janek into the largely empty restaurant where they went directly to a table against the wall. An elderly man with a snow-white goatee awaited them and greeted them with a firm handshake. Janek had been told that the man was Doctor Alain Burkholter and that he was a retired banking official who had also served in the Swiss government. Burkholter was thin and Janek guessed he was at least ten years older than Dulles. He had a stern expression. It was as if he disapproved of everything going on around him. As Burkholter did not have official standing with either the Swiss banks or government, he was free to represent both in an unofficial capacity. The same was true of Dulles. Even though he was head of the Swiss offices of the OSS, it was not something that would appear printed on a business card.
“Thank you for coming,” said Burkholter. “I know that your time is important. So much espionage to perform and so little time in which to do it.”
“As long as the Nazis are around, I will not run out of things to do,” said Dulles.
Burkholter smiled at Janek. “Captain, are you aware that two innocent young choirboys from the German embassy were attacked by a group of thugs last night and are now in the hospital recovering from their beating?”
Ernie laughed. Innocent choirboys? He was, however, strangely pleased that he had not killed the two men. “I wish them a speedy recovery.”
“I’m sure you do,” said Burkholter drily. Coffee arrived and they sipped with restrained pleasure, even though the brew was not as good as it could have been.
“Let me get to the point,” said Dulles. “My government is concerned about the degree of cooperation between the Swiss government and Berlin. It is our understanding that you are shipping food and medical supplies to what both we and the Nazis are referring to as their redoubt. We would like to know why.”
“If a wounded tiger climbs on your lap and wants to be petted, what do you do? Why, you pet it, of course. Allen, the Nazis are a wounded and desperate animal. We do not want them trying to take what little we have by force. They might not succeed, but they would devastate Switzerland and kill or wound tens of thousands of our people. We are well aware that our neutrality exists at the whim of the Germans, although now somewhat at the whim of yours. Earlier, we served the Nazis’ purposes by being their banker and their conduit to the outside world. Now they want food, weapons, ammunition, and medical supplies. Weapons and ammunition they may not have. We would have barely enough for ourselves if the Germans were to strike.”
Ernie was puzzled. “Excuse me, sir, but I thought that Switzerland was militarily quite strong?”
Burkholter laughed. “Good. You actually believed all the propaganda. Perhaps you would like to enlist in the Swiss navy? It doesn’t exist either. Captain, my country has a population of just over four million with perhaps half a million either in the army or in the reserves. It sounds substantial, but the numbers are flawed. Our men are not well trained, and we have no armor and only a little artillery. Our air force is condemned to fail because it is small and what we do have consists of German-manufactured planes that we bought, with many of them being ME109 fighters. Sadly, a number of them have been shot down by you Americans
Tanner left the two Rangers to get their body heat back to normal. In a few minutes they’d be guided back to where a truck was parked. Their night was done and he would write up the report in such a way that higher brass would have to give them a medal.
“What’s next, sir?” asked Hill. “Although I think I know.”
“That’s right, Sergeant. The light cable is being replaced by a heavier one as we talk, and tomorrow a couple of fools in a small boat will cross and see what is actually out there.”
“Any idea who the two fools are, sir?”
“Can you swim, Sergeant?”
* * *
Dulles led Janek into the largely empty restaurant where they went directly to a table against the wall. An elderly man with a snow-white goatee awaited them and greeted them with a firm handshake. Janek had been told that the man was Doctor Alain Burkholter and that he was a retired banking official who had also served in the Swiss government. Burkholter was thin and Janek guessed he was at least ten years older than Dulles. He had a stern expression. It was as if he disapproved of everything going on around him. As Burkholter did not have official standing with either the Swiss banks or government, he was free to represent both in an unofficial capacity. The same was true of Dulles. Even though he was head of the Swiss offices of the OSS, it was not something that would appear printed on a business card.
“Thank you for coming,” said Burkholter. “I know that your time is important. So much espionage to perform and so little time in which to do it.”
“As long as the Nazis are around, I will not run out of things to do,” said Dulles.
Burkholter smiled at Janek. “Captain, are you aware that two innocent young choirboys from the German embassy were attacked by a group of thugs last night and are now in the hospital recovering from their beating?”
Ernie laughed. Innocent choirboys? He was, however, strangely pleased that he had not killed the two men. “I wish them a speedy recovery.”
“I’m sure you do,” said Burkholter drily. Coffee arrived and they sipped with restrained pleasure, even though the brew was not as good as it could have been.
“Let me get to the point,” said Dulles. “My government is concerned about the degree of cooperation between the Swiss government and Berlin. It is our understanding that you are shipping food and medical supplies to what both we and the Nazis are referring to as their redoubt. We would like to know why.”
“If a wounded tiger climbs on your lap and wants to be petted, what do you do? Why, you pet it, of course. Allen, the Nazis are a wounded and desperate animal. We do not want them trying to take what little we have by force. They might not succeed, but they would devastate Switzerland and kill or wound tens of thousands of our people. We are well aware that our neutrality exists at the whim of the Germans, although now somewhat at the whim of yours. Earlier, we served the Nazis’ purposes by being their banker and their conduit to the outside world. Now they want food, weapons, ammunition, and medical supplies. Weapons and ammunition they may not have. We would have barely enough for ourselves if the Germans were to strike.”
Ernie was puzzled. “Excuse me, sir, but I thought that Switzerland was militarily quite strong?”
Burkholter laughed. “Good. You actually believed all the propaganda. Perhaps you would like to enlist in the Swiss navy? It doesn’t exist either. Captain, my country has a population of just over four million with perhaps half a million either in the army or in the reserves. It sounds substantial, but the numbers are flawed. Our men are not well trained, and we have no armor and only a little artillery. Our air force is condemned to fail because it is small and what we do have consists of German-manufactured planes that we bought, with many of them being ME109 fighters. Sadly, a number of them have been shot down by you Americans
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