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

"I thought it would be best to have a word with you, Herr Admiral, before tomorrow morning."

"You want something to eat?"

The invitation was not warm.

"Very kind of you, Herr Admiral. But no, thank you."

"Well, then fix yourself a drink, have a seat, and as soon as I'm finished and the news is over, we can talk."

About ten minutes later, torn between listening to cricket scores of teams he had never heard of, which he had no interest in whatever, and watching von Deitzberg squirm impatiently in his chair, which he did find amusing, Canaris opted for seeing what the squirmer wanted.

"Well, that's another onerous chore done," he announced. "If we are to believe the BBC, the war is lost. What's on your mind, von Deitzberg?"

"No offense to these gentlemen, of course, but I would like to speak with you in private, if that would be possible, Herr Admiral."

"Of course. We can go into the living room."

Canaris stood up.

"Excuse us, gentlemen," he said. "Feel free to retire, which is what I'm going to do as soon as the brigadefuhrer is through with the fregattenkapitan and me."

He led von Deitzberg into the living room, with von und zu Waching following, waved them into chairs, and sat down.

"I had hoped to see you earlier today, Admiral, and I really think it might be best if we were alone."

"Earlier today, the Fuhrer sent for me," Canaris replied. "As so far as the fregattenkapitan is concerned, I like him to be present at meetings where no one is making written notes. What's on your mind, von Deitzberg?"

Canaris's curtness with von Deitzberg was intentional on several levels, starting with the psychological. He knew von Deitzberg would interpret ordinary courtesy, and certainly amiability, as recognition on Canaris's part that he was dealing with an equally powerful man. The pecking order had to be maintained.

The curtness came easily; Canaris despised the handsome SS officer. He knew more about him than von Deitzberg suspected, and the more he learned, the more he despised him.

The SS was--and always had been, from the beginning--laced with common criminals and social misfits. Not only in the ranks--the SS had been formed to provide bodyguards for Hitler, and thugs were naturally going to be part of something like that--but also at the very top of the SS hierarchy.

SS-Obergruppenfuhrer Reinhard Heydrich was a case in point. Until he had been assassinated by Czech agents in Prague the year before, he had been the number-two man under Himmler, the Reichsprotektor of Bohemia and Moravia. Before Heydrich had joined the SS he had been cashiered from the navy for moral turpitude.

SS-Brigadefuhrer Ritter von Deitzberg, who was working hard to be named Heydrich's replacement, had been forced to resign from the army for "the good of the service," which Canaris had taken the trouble to find out meant that he had been caught with his hand in the regimental officers' mess cash box and having an affair with a sergeant's wife.

And now he was getting rich ransoming Jews from the concentration camps.

Heinrich Himmler was something of a prude, and among other things that made him dangerous was that he really believed in the honor of the SS. Learning of the ransoming operation would really enrage him.

But as much as it would have pleased Canaris to see von Deitzberg and his cronies exposed to Himmler's wrath, he knew it was a card he had to keep hidden until it could be played for something more important--probably something to do with Operation Valkyrie--than the satisfaction of having von Deitzberg and his slimy cronies hung from a butcher's hook by Himmler himself.

"I'm very concerned about Operation Phoenix, Herr Admiral," von Deitzberg said.

"Why?"

"Well, you know what's happened over there."

"Why don't you say what you mean?"

"It doesn't look as if Cranz is up to handling his responsibilities, does it?"

"What specifically are you talking about?"

"Not only has he not been able to neutralize the traitorous Froggers, but he has been incredibly inept in his efforts to do so. I presume you've heard that Obersturmfuhrer Heitz and his men have been killed."

Canaris nodded.

"I personally selected Heitz to guard the special shipment funds. He was no Skorzeny, but he was a fine SS officer," von Deitzberg went on. "And considering his mission, guarding the special shipment funds, I would have thought twice before sending him to attempt to get the Froggers back from Frade."

"Where are you going with this?" Canaris asked.

"I think I should go to Argentina and straighten things out."

"What's that got to do with me? Shouldn't you make that recommendation to Reichsleiter Himmler?"

"I have. The Reichsleiter sent me here to discuss this with you; to ask for your cooperation."

That's interesting. Himmler can just order him onto the Condor.

Does this mean Bormann did tell Himmler of Hitler's sudden interest in Operation Phoenix?

Why do I think he didn't?

"I don't think I understand."

"I think the Reichsleiter would prefer that the idea of my going to Argentina come from someone other than himself."

What in the world is that all about?

Okay. Himmler is covering his backside again. He's very good at that.

"What I could do, I suppose, to assist the Reichsleiter is have a word with Bormann."

Which I will do tomorrow, when he returns to Berlin.

I will broach the subject of sending someone to Argentina to, as von Deitzberg puts it, "straighten things out." If he mentions von Deitzberg, I will oppose the idea. That will guarantee his being sent there.

If he doesn't mention this slime, I will, saying that I wish he could be spared, but Himmler certainly wouldn't agree.

Same result. Von Deitzberg will go to Argentina.

Where he and Cranz and possibly even Raschner will be eliminated by the Americans, ridding the world of three scum it can well do without.

And very possibly do something to keep Operation Valkyrie from being uncovered.

And, as the icing on the cake, humiliate Himmler. Three of his best men eliminated by those incompetent Americans.

"I think that might well deal with the situation, Herr Admiral," von Deitzberg said.

VI

[ONE]

Hauptquartier Abwehr

Bendlerblock, 76 Tirpitzufer

Berlin, Germany

0655 20 August 1943

Canaris's Mercedes, which was smaller and far less ostentatious than any of the other official cars of the senior members of the Nazi or OKW hierarchy, was crowded.

Max--now wearing a somewhat shabby dark blue business suit and a light gray snap-brim felt hat, both of which looked too small on the muscular old sailor--was driving. Canaris rode beside him.

General von Wachtstein, Oberstleutnant Gehlen, and Fregattenkapitan von und zu Waching were in the backseat, each holding a briefcase on his lap.

When Max drove into the Bendlerblock--a large, drab collection of connected four-story masonry buildings south of the Tiergarten--there were three larger official Mercedeses backed into the four-place parking area reserved for the cars of senior officers. Two of them had mounted on the right front fender a metal flag appropriate to the rank of the passenger it would carry. One flag was that of a General der Fallschirmtruppe and the other that of an SS-Brigadefuhrer.

That meant that von Deitzberg and Student were already here waiting for him. Canaris wondered who was in the third car.

Canaris thought that while there were at least a half-dozen brigadefuhrers in the SS--maybe more--there was only one General der Fallschirmtruppe in the Luftwaffe: Kurt Student.