Greg Iles - The Spandau Phoenix

of Munich. ' "

"And what has this Helmut got to do with your plan?"

"Everything. But these early details are important.9' Heydrich smoothed

his thinning blond hair. "After the Party began to assert itself in

Germany under your inspired leadership, it was decided in the interests

of security to infiltrate informers into the communist cadres of our

past and probable future enemies-England and France. The agents were

sent into whatever countries their language abilities suited them for.

It was a primitive program, but quite remarkable considering the state

of our security services at the time. A few men were sent to Paris, a

few to Marseilles. Those who had no second language stayed in Germany.

And a very few were sent to England. Four went to Manchester and Leeds

to work in the mills, three to the mines around Newcastle.

Helmut Steuer, however, was a unique case. He had a fair grasp of

French, but his real gift was English. He'd worked the Rhine packets on

the English runs for most of his life and spoke the language like a

London dockworker. With little else but a prayer, Helmut was sent to

London.

"Being something of a communist hero after Muhich, Helmut was welcomed

into the London cadres with open arms. They considered him a great

fugitive-a celebrity of sorts. He worked the docks for a few years,

always doing his bit for the Party, selling the Daily Worker like a good

Bolshevik, but never doing quite enough to bring the British police down

on him. He wasn't really much use to us at that point, but he was

ordered to stay- He had possibilities."

Heydrich felt himself coming into stride. He clearly had the Fuhrer's

attention now.

@n in 1936, Heimut did something crazy. He packed a suitcase and set

out for Spain with the English communists who went to fight in the

International Brigades. And stmgely enough! my Fain, that,s when he

became a real owt. He drove an ambulance for the RePublican lo@ all the

while passing information to FranCO's fascists and our Condor Legion. No

one knew why he was doing it-he hadn't been ordered to-but I believe

that he simply acted out of patriotism. He was a loyal German; he saw

the Reich supporting Franco; so he did what he could from the POsition

he was in.

,An excellent man!" Hitler cried. "Why have I not heard of him

before?" ,m not sure, my Famr," Heydrich said smugly. - Perhaps

Reichsfiihrer Himmler never considered Helmut's reports important enough

to bring to Your attention-"

"Ridiculous! I need men with initiative! Like the English commandos!

This Heimut sounds like just that type of man!"

"He is better than that, my Fuhrer. After the Spanish War, Helmut

returned to England in disfavor with the British government, but an even

greater hero to the British communists.

It was then that I suggested the idealwhich now makes Plan Mordred

possible."

Hitler's eyes glowed with anticipation.

"I instructed Helmut to organize his own group Of COMmunist activist"and

case d isolate them from the local Party cadres. You know the standard

communist procedure: they organize small groups called cells, which are

subordinate to various committees and finally the national party

executive. Anyway, Helmut did as I asked, and out of genius or by

accident he hit upon a remarkable ideaIn short order he welded together

a small, highly committed group of combat veterans, all rabid

communists, all of whom had been wounded either in the Great War or in

Spain."

Heydrich tilted his narrow head forward. "Can you imagine the value of

this group, my Fuhrer? While they appeared to be merely a handful of

the thousands of English patriots who'd barely survived the Great War,

in reality they were dedicated radicals, men so violently disillusioned

with their government that they would strike at its foundations whenever

they got the chance!"

Hitler sat spellbound; Heydrich breathed harder.

"Helmut started small. He reported the movements of the British Fleet

in and out of port, estimated factory capacities, things like that. But

I always believed the time would come when his group could do some real

damage." Heydrich held up his arms in admiration. "In Plan Mordred, my

Fuhrer, you have created the perfect opportunity to exploit their

special talents! Remember, these men are combat veterans trained by the

British Army!"

"And this Helmut," Hitler said, his voice tremulous, "you believe he can

talk these Englishmen into carrying out our will?"

"He already has," Heydrich said exuberantly. "In small ways, of course.

A bit of sabotage in the munitions factories, improper packing of ships

in London. But with the right cover story-" Hitler silenced Heydrich

with a stab of his right hand. I "Why haven't these men been recalled

to duty in the British Army?" I Heydrich faltered a little.

"When I said they were wounded, my Fuhrer, I meant it. In Helmut's

signals, he refers to his unit as the Verwunden Brigade-the Wounded

Brigade. One of the men has only one leg, another has but one hand.

One man is internally damaged. Helmut himself has only one eye.

He lost the other at Guemica."

Hitler's mouth fell open. "What! You speak of cripples?

A one-eyed man leading a rabble of cripples against the British security

services? How can they possibly do what is necessary to carry out your

plan!"

"They can do it," Heydrich said evenly. "Helmut is the most remarkable

agent I have ever come across. But you I pinpointed the problem with

your very first question, my Fuhrer. How do we get Helmut's Verwunden

Brigade to assassinate Churchill and the king at the place and time of

our choosing?"

"Just as I said!"

Heydrich's face assumed a surgeon's impassivity. "As I said before,

motivation is not a problem. These men believe that Churchill is

dragging the English working class into yet another worldwide slaughter

for capitalist greed. They've already proved their sympathies by

sabotaging the British war effort, albeit in small ways, and they

certainly have no moral compunction against killing. No, my Fuhrer, the

problem is one of authority. These men idolize Helmut, but Helmut alone

simply hasn't the authority to order an action on that arty execuscale.

Not even Britain's National Communist Party could order the

assassination of a head of state-much less two. An order like that must

originate"-Heydrich looked Hitler dead in the eye-"from Moscow."

"Then we are lost!" Hitler bellowed, leaping to his feet. "I told you

about my Rumanian oil fields! How can I possibly persuade Stalin to

mount an operation like this? That crafty old bear would immediately

guess our true intent!"

"You need not persuade Stalin of anything," said Heydrich. "I've solved

the problem already. That is what took me two months, my Fuhrer,

solving problems like this.

But I have the answers with me tonight. All of them."

,I'm tired of this game, Heydrich! Get to the point!"

The young SD chieftain nodded slowly. "MY Fuhrer, do you remember a

@Russian nwned ZinovievT' Hitler knitted his brow. 'The Bolshevik

leader of 1917?"

"No." Heydrich cracked a reptilian smile. "A Russian as opposite from

a Bolshevik as any man could be- He was captain in the Okhrana, the

tsar's secret POlice.@ Hitler tugged at his forelock. His eyes darted

around die ry here but at Heydrich. The fire had teahouse, looking eve

w died, but neither man noticed. Finally Hitler sat down again,