Greg Iles - The Spandau Phoenix

it at the portrait.

"Never again!" he vowed. He lifted the phone.

455 A.M. Protea Hof Hotel, Pretoria

Hauer came off the bed like a fighter pilot hearing a scramble alar-m.

Gadi and Aaron sat half-conscious against the foyer walls; Professor

Natterman lay on the opposite bed, his right thigh wrapped in gauze, his

eyes half-closed from the effect of the morphine.

"Stern?" Hauer said.

"It's him!"

The young commandos leapt to their feet. Natterman tried to sit up,

then lay back groaning.

"Get a pen and paper," Stern ordered. "Write down everything I tell

you."

Hauer looked at Gadi Abrams, who stood ready to copy down every syllable

he repeated. "We're ready," he said.

'Go ahead."

Stern spoke in a rapid whisper. "I'm being held at a private estate in

the northern Transvaal. It's situated halfway between the Kruger

National Park and a village called Giyani. Have you got that?"

"Got it."

"The house belongs to a man named Thomas Alfred Horn, H-O-R-N."

"H-O-R-N, Thomas Alfred Horn."

Behind Hauer, Professor Natterman gasped. His right arm shot out and

caught Hauer's sleeve. "Captain!"

"Hold it, Stern. The professor-" "What did you say?" Natterman

croaked." What name did you just say?"

Gadi read from his notes. "Horn, Thomas Alfred. H-O-R-N."

"Mother of God. It can't be."

"Go on, Stern," Hauer said angrily. "I think the professor is

hallucinating."

"No, he recognizes the name."

"He's alive!" Natterman cried. "I was right! Hess is alive!"

Hauer pulled away from Natterman's grasp. "Stern, the professor's

yelling about Rudolf Hess."

"You can tell the old fool he was right. Rudolf Hess is alive and

reasonably well. He is also quite mad."

Natterman clawed at Hauer. "Give me the phone, Captain!"

Hauer held the receiver away. "Stern said to tell you that you were

right, Professor. That Rudolf Hess is alive. I think you're both mad."

Natterman shook his head. "Perfectly sane, Captain. I understand it

all now, every wretched bit of it. Alfred Horn was the name Hess'_

double gave the farmer when he first '@chuted into Scotland. My God,

it's so obvious!"

"Hauer!" Stern snapped, his voice strained. "Forget about @,Hess.

We've got a crisis here."

"I'm listening."

"Mounting a rescue along the lines we discussed is no longer an option.

Whatever security forces Hess has here, they were sufficient to repel a

determined attack by a force larger than yours. The stakes have gone

up, Hauer, up beyond belief. Yesterday you a@ked me what I was after.

Well, I've found it. Last night Frau Apfel witnessed negotiations

between Hess and a group of Arabs for a nuclear weapon."

Hauer's eyes met Gadi's. The young Israeli was watching him like a cat.

"I haven't seen the weapon myself," Stern continued, "but I have no

doubt whatsoever that it exists."

"What about HansT' Hauer asked. "And Ilse. Are they still alive?"

"They are. But if you want to see your son alive again 40 Captain, this

is what you must do. Go to the Union Building-that's the huge

government building on the hill in central Pretoria. It's floodlit

every night. On the diird floor you will find the office of General

Jaap Steyn, chief of the National Intelligence Service. That's

S-T-E-Y-N. Jaap Steyn is a friend to me and to Israel. Explain the

situation in the way you think best, but you tell him he needs to mount

an assault of sufficient strength to reduce a fortified position.

You're at least four hours away from me now, so you'll need to move

fast. And keep Hess's name out of this altogether, From this moment on

we speak only of Alfred Horn."

"Just a damned minute," Hauer protested. "You think T.

can waltz into the offices of South African Intelligence and demand a

paramilitary operation on the basis of wild accusations?

They'll laugh me out of the building. If they don't clap me in irons

first."

"They'll have no choice but to cooperate," Stern said evenly. "My name

should be sufficient to get Jaap Steyn moving, but in case it's not, I'm

going to give you some information that will ensure his cooperation.

Write down every single word of this."

Hauer signaled Gadi to hand over the pen and paper.

Stern spoke slowly. "There now exists between the Republic of South

Africa and the State of Israel a secret military contingency plan called

Aliyah Beth-Gadi can spell it for you later. In Hebrew, Aliyah Beth

means 'going up to Zion.' This plan mandates the clandestine removal of

..." 1

Hauer's throat went dry as Stern proceeded to describe in detail the

most sensitive protocol of the secret nuclear agreements between the

Republic of South Africa and the State of Israel. "Is that true?"

he asked, when Stern had finished.

"Captain, with that information you will be able to blackmail General

Steyn into giving you anything you want."

"Or force him to shoot me."

"No. To avoid that, leave Yosef behind at the hotel. Tell General

Steyn that if you don't check in with Yosef by telephone at prearranged

times, he will forward the details of Plan Aliyah Beth to the Western

press."

Hauer sighed heavily. "I'm sorry, Stern. Yosef is dead.

And Professor Natterman is wounded. Some Russians found us.

We've got corpses piled in the bathroom like firewood."

"Leave Aaron at the hotel instead," Stern said tersely.

"The Russians also got hold of our photos of the Spandau papers," Hauer

confessed.

"You thick-headed Kraut!" Stern exploded. "Those rags mean nothing

now! You just get those troops out here!"

Hauer forced down his anger. "Listen, Stern, South African Intelligence

isn't going to give in to blackmail no matter what I threaten them with.

German Intelligence wouldn't."

"You must force them to. I've given you the leverage. But be careful.

Horn didn't gain access to a nuclear weapon by playing recluse up in the

Transvaal. He's probably a key figure in their defense industries.

Trust only General Steyn. His loyalty to Israel is beyond dispute.

Anyone else, God only knows."

"Great."

"Oh, a tactical tip for you, Captain. There's some type Dr rotary

cannon on the roof here, and there could be any number of other

surprises as well. Bring enough firepower to flatten this place if you

have to. Now, could I speak to Gadi for a moment?"

Hauer handed over the receiver.

"Yes, Uncle?"

"Listen to me, Gadi. Captain Hauer is going to give you my

instructions. I want ypu to listen to him as if he were me.

Do you understand? On this mission Hauer will be in command."

Gadi clenched the phone tighter.

"I know it @on't be easy taking orders from a German, but I believe

Hauer is the man to carry this through."

Gadi ground his teeth. "I understand, Uncle."

"Good. Because we are dealing with a nuclear weapon here, Gadi,

possibly more than one. And it is targeted at Israel.

At Tel Aviv, maybe Jerusalem."

Gadi felt his face grow hot.

"The other crazy thing you heard is also true. Rudolf Hess is alive. If

there is any way possible, I mean to get him away from here and take him

back to Israel for trial. But if I can't-or if for any reason you and

Hauer cannot raise enough force to take this house-I will locate the

weapon and try to detonate it."

Gadi felt his heart stop. "No, Uncle-"

"I'll have no choice, Gadi. Anything could happen before you get here.

If you get here at all. It's like the Osiraq reactor in Iraq, only a