W. IV - Honor Bound 05 - The Honor of Spies

One of the policemen checked the identity cards of everyone in Canaris's Mercedes, then signaled to the other policeman to open the gate.

The driver stopped the car under a portico on the left side of the house, then hurried to open the rear passenger door on the other side before Canaris could do so himself. He failed.

Admiral Canaris walked to a door, which opened just before he got there. General von Wachtstein, Oberstleutnant Gehlen, and Fregattenkapitan von und zu Waching followed him into the house.

The door was closed, and the lights in the foyer came on.

They now saw who had opened and closed the door: a burly man in his sixties. He had closely cropped gray hair and wore a white cotton jacket--and he suddenly said, "Shit! I forgot Max."

The lights went off. The door was opened, and the driver of the car came into the room. The door was closed, and the lights went on again.

"Gentlemen, this is Egon, who was chief of the boat when I commanded U-201 in the first war," Canaris said, motioning toward the burly one. "And this is Max, who was my chief bosun when I commanded the Schlesien . They take care of me."

He pointed at the officers with him and identified them.

"Egon, see that no one can hear what's said in the living room," Canaris said.

"I did that when they called and said send the car," Egon said.

"And then, since we have all earned it, bring us something--something hard--to drink in there. And when you've done that, get us something to eat. We missed lunch at Wolfsschanze."

"I can have sauerbraten, potatoes, and carrots in thirty minutes."

"That sounds fine," Canaris said, then waved the men with him ahead of him into the living room.

Everybody took seats in an assortment of armchairs. Max, now wearing a white cotton steward's jacket, came in carrying a large tray heavy with glasses, an ice bucket, a siphon bottle, and two bottles of Johnnie Walker Black Label scotch whisky. He set it on a table.

"I regret I am out of schnapps," Canaris said. "This decadent English swill will have to do."

A faint smile flickered across von Wachtstein's lips.

"We can make our own drinks, Max," Canaris said. "Go help Egon burn the sauerbraten."

Max nodded his acceptance of the order.

Canaris waited until he had left the living room and had closed the door behind him, then said: "So far as Max and Egon are concerned: They hear more than they should about things that should be of no concern to them. That's not a problem, as I trust them with my life. But I generally make an effort to ensure they don't hear anything more than they have to.

"The scenario now is that tomorrow, while General von Wachtstein watches us, General Student will tell us what he has planned for the rescue of Mussolini when we learn Il Duce has been moved from Ponza to Abruzzi, if indeed that's where they take him.

"I will agree with whatever plan Student has, as I suspect whatever that is will have the approval of the Reichsfuhrer. And I will agree to the participation in the rescue by Hauptmann Skorzeny, as I suspect the Reichsfuhrer, for reasons he has not seen fit to share with me, wants him to participate.

"Von Wachtstein will relay our agreement to the Fuhrer via Obersturmfuhrer Gunsche. We will then wait until there is word from Ponza--I get a daily report, usually first thing in the morning--that Il Duce has been moved.

"Von Wachtstein will report that Il Duce is being moved, that it has been confirmed that he has safely arrived wherever that is, and then I will ask the Reichsfuhrer's permission to ask the Fuhrer for permission to proceed with the operation. The Reichsfuhrer may, of course, elect to ask the Fuhrer himself."

He looked around the table to see that everyone had understood the nuances of what he had said.

"I was pleased when the Fuhrer was so gracious to Oberstleutnant Gehlen. I thought it was important that Gehlen see where it is that the Fuhrer and his staff conduct the war."

He checked to see that they had all understood the nuances of that, too.

"I have had a communication from Kapitan zur See Boltitz in Buenos Aires. Lamentably, he reports that he has as yet been unable to detect the traitor many feel we have in our embassy there. In this endeavor, he has enlisted the aid of Major von Wachtstein.

"He did report that an attempt to rescue the Froggers from where they were being held not only failed but resulted in the deaths of half a dozen SS men.

"He further reported that another attempt by unknown persons on the life of Cletus Frade, who many believe is the OSS man in Argentina, failed, resulting in the death of three Argentines.

"And finally, I learned from my man in Mexico City that U.S. Border Patrol posts have been alerted to look for Oberstleutnant Wilhelm Frogger, who has apparently escaped from his POW enclosure and may be trying to get into Mexico."

He paused and looked around the table again.

"Otto, it has just occurred to me that, inexcusably--the fact that I was summoned to Wolfsschanze is not a valid excuse--I failed to notify either Parteileiter Bormann or the Reichsfuhrer of what I learned from Argentina. Will you please remember to remind me to do so first thing in the morning?"

"Jawohl, Herr Admiral," von und zu Waching said.

"A toast, gentlemen," Canaris said as he rose from the table.

"Our Fuhrer and the Final Victory," Canaris said.

The others raised their glasses and there was a chorus repeating the toast.

And if you have been listening to this, Herr Reichsfuhrer, despite Egon's skilled sweep of the place for listening devices--never underestimate one's enemy--then I hope you are satisfied that I am not only one of the faithful, but always willing to defer to your superior judgment.

And after we have our supper and von und zu Waching goes home and the rest of us "go to bed," we'll have another chat in my bomb shelter.

Getting a listening device through the eight-inch concrete walls of that is simply impossible.

That was not to happen.

They had just sat down to their sauerbraten and carrots when Egon came into the dining room. He took a telephone from a sideboard, set it on the table in front of Canaris, and announced, "Von Deitzberg."

Canaris nodded and picked up the telephone.

"What can I do for you, Herr Brigadefuhrer?"

"Won't it wait until the morning?"

"In fifteen minutes, we'll be having dinner. Can you give us thirty minutes for that?"

"I understand."

He put the handset in its cradle and stood up.

"Von Deitzberg wants to see me before the morning meeting," he said. "He will be here in thirty minutes, probably less than that."

He pointed at the floor, then turned to Egon.

"In twenty minutes, Egon, I want this table to look as if you've just served."

Egon nodded.

The bomb shelter was illuminated with American Coleman gas lanterns hanging from the low ceiling. It was furnished with three steel cots, a desk with a typewriter, four small armchairs, and a portable toilet.

"It is always best for people involved in something like we are to know nothing they don't absolutely have to know," Canaris began. He was sitting far back in one of the armchairs, tapping the balls of his spread fingers together. "In this case, however, I think we have to ignore that wisdom."

Admiral Canaris glanced at General von Wachtstein, Oberstleutnant Gehlen, and Fregattenkapitan von und zu Waching. Gehlen and von und zu Waching nodded. Von Wachtstein grunted.

Carnaris went on: "In light of the recent events in Argentina, both the Fuhrer's sudden interest in Operation Phoenix and because what I think von Deitzberg wants is my assistance, or at least my acquiescence, in his going to Argentina.

"He will most likely tell me that he is concerned with dangers posed to Operation Phoenix by the defection of the Froggers. What he is really concerned about is the possibility that the Americans, now that they have learned about it from Herr Frogger, will make the ransoming operation public.