went back to theirdossiers on his desk. Breitner was thirty-five, Russman thirty-four. Well, perhaps the excitement of war had kept them young. He looked at his watch. It was time to let his two eagles in.
“Gentlemen,” he said, still smiling as they seated themselves, “the Reich has a new need for your talents. An operation is being mounted by the external section of the Reichssicherheitshauptampt at the express instructions of the Führer himself. It has the highest security classification imaginable – only three men in the Reich are aware of its existence. When—”
“With great respect, Obergruppenführer,” Breitner interrupted, “but before we are made privy to the nature of this operation, I would appreciate some clarification regarding our position. Are we still under the jurisdiction of the Wehrmacht or have we been officially transferred to your authority?”
Schellenberg’s smile faded slightly at the edges. “Officially, this operation does not exist. To answer your unspoken question – I require volunteers, not conscripts. Though I must in all fairness add that if you decline this assignment, you may have to be temporarily detained. For security reasons, of course. There would be no imputation of disloyalty: you have both served the Reich with distinction in the past.”
Breitner nodded and said nothing. Christ Almighty, he thought.
“I hope, however,” Schellenberg continued, “that this operation will appeal to both your sense of duty and your spirit of adventure. This is no ordinary operation. It would hardly be an exaggeration to say that the fate of the Reich may rest on its success. You have been selected, after exhaustive inquiries, because you are not ordinary officers. You both speak excellent English, you work well together, and you, Major Breitner, have professional scientific experience. Above all, you have both lived in America.”
The two men glanced at each other in astonishment. Science? America? What crazy scheme was this?
“As I said,” Schellenberg continued smoothly, “this is not an ordinary operation. It is, however, a relatively straightforward one. You would be transported across the Atlantic to the state of Georgia by U-boat. You would then carry out a single, simple military operation of a kind you have performed in the past. You would then be transported back.”
“And the objective?” Breitner asked.
“Ah, the objective. First I must fill in the background.” Schellenberg explained the development of the new bomb, the state of German progress in the same direction, the significance of Uranium-235, the train itself, traveling through “thousands of miles of virtually empty countryside.” He described the “wholly inadequate” American security precautions. “The Americans may not be stupid,” he concluded, “but they are overconfident to the point of stupidity. To them the war is elsewhere. It would never occur to them that German officers might suddenly turn up in their own country. It would be a complete surprise.”
Yes, Paul thought. That at least rang true. Perhaps this operation was less insane than it sounded.
“When?” Breitner asked.
“One thing we lack is time. The U-boat must sail from France, and regrettably the French ports may have to be sacrificed in the not too distant future. So we must aim for the August 4 train, which means a departure from La Pallice within the next three days. This of course will prevent any detailed advance planning. Our agents in America will have to brief you fully when you arrive.”
There was a silence. Breitner looked at Paul and then turned back to Schellenberg. “We would like a few minutes to discuss the matter, Obergruppenführer.”
“You may have the use of my office.”
“We’d prefer to stretch our legs,” Breitner said. “We’vebeen on a train for the last thirty-six hours, and those gardens look most inviting.”
“Very well.”
Once outside the two men walked about fifty
“Gentlemen,” he said, still smiling as they seated themselves, “the Reich has a new need for your talents. An operation is being mounted by the external section of the Reichssicherheitshauptampt at the express instructions of the Führer himself. It has the highest security classification imaginable – only three men in the Reich are aware of its existence. When—”
“With great respect, Obergruppenführer,” Breitner interrupted, “but before we are made privy to the nature of this operation, I would appreciate some clarification regarding our position. Are we still under the jurisdiction of the Wehrmacht or have we been officially transferred to your authority?”
Schellenberg’s smile faded slightly at the edges. “Officially, this operation does not exist. To answer your unspoken question – I require volunteers, not conscripts. Though I must in all fairness add that if you decline this assignment, you may have to be temporarily detained. For security reasons, of course. There would be no imputation of disloyalty: you have both served the Reich with distinction in the past.”
Breitner nodded and said nothing. Christ Almighty, he thought.
“I hope, however,” Schellenberg continued, “that this operation will appeal to both your sense of duty and your spirit of adventure. This is no ordinary operation. It would hardly be an exaggeration to say that the fate of the Reich may rest on its success. You have been selected, after exhaustive inquiries, because you are not ordinary officers. You both speak excellent English, you work well together, and you, Major Breitner, have professional scientific experience. Above all, you have both lived in America.”
The two men glanced at each other in astonishment. Science? America? What crazy scheme was this?
“As I said,” Schellenberg continued smoothly, “this is not an ordinary operation. It is, however, a relatively straightforward one. You would be transported across the Atlantic to the state of Georgia by U-boat. You would then carry out a single, simple military operation of a kind you have performed in the past. You would then be transported back.”
“And the objective?” Breitner asked.
“Ah, the objective. First I must fill in the background.” Schellenberg explained the development of the new bomb, the state of German progress in the same direction, the significance of Uranium-235, the train itself, traveling through “thousands of miles of virtually empty countryside.” He described the “wholly inadequate” American security precautions. “The Americans may not be stupid,” he concluded, “but they are overconfident to the point of stupidity. To them the war is elsewhere. It would never occur to them that German officers might suddenly turn up in their own country. It would be a complete surprise.”
Yes, Paul thought. That at least rang true. Perhaps this operation was less insane than it sounded.
“When?” Breitner asked.
“One thing we lack is time. The U-boat must sail from France, and regrettably the French ports may have to be sacrificed in the not too distant future. So we must aim for the August 4 train, which means a departure from La Pallice within the next three days. This of course will prevent any detailed advance planning. Our agents in America will have to brief you fully when you arrive.”
There was a silence. Breitner looked at Paul and then turned back to Schellenberg. “We would like a few minutes to discuss the matter, Obergruppenführer.”
“You may have the use of my office.”
“We’d prefer to stretch our legs,” Breitner said. “We’vebeen on a train for the last thirty-six hours, and those gardens look most inviting.”
“Very well.”
Once outside the two men walked about fifty
Similar Books
