Impossible Nazi

by Ward Wagher

Schloss closed his eyes and apparently went to sleep.

  “What did you do?” Misty asked.

  The old woman glared at the younger.

  “There are some things which you are not to know.”

  “Just like that?” Misty asked. “You drag me across town on an adventure, and that’s all the explanation I get? What do the guards think?”

  “The guards cannot hear us,” Frau Marsden growled. “For your own good, you cannot learn too much, Fräulein. Suffice to say we have broken the back of the coup. Life will return to normal.”

  Misty shook her head in frustration and leaned back against the seat. She had no complaints about the rescue of Karl and Herr Schloss, but things were very strange. The old lady almost frightened her more than what they found in the basement of the SS headquarters

  CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR

  November 18, 1942; 2 PM

  Carinhall

  Schorfheide Forest

  Germany

  Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg took the call in the Reichsmarshall’s private office at Carinhall.

  “Herr Reichsprotektor, it is a relief to hear your voice.”

  “The Reich Chancellor is on his way to Carinhall,” Rainer said. “He is in a car with two of my people, his housekeeper, and the First Secretary of the American Embassy. Herr Schloss was badly used. I am working on getting an SS doctor I can trust out there.”

  “We have a very competent Wehrmacht doctor with us. I am sure he would be able to effect any necessary treatment, mein Herr.”

  “Very well. That is probably a better solution. But, caution the doctor that he is to speak to no one about this.”

  “Has the coup been broken?” von Stauffenberg asked.

  “It has. But, there is an enormous amount of work ahead of us. Your job is seeing to the safety of Herr Schloss and his family. I will be in touch.” And, he hung up.

  The colonel put the phone down and called for his adjutant.

  “The Reich Chancellor is on his way here. He will need the doctor. I am going to the front gate to make sure he is passed in safely.”

  The captain jumped to attention. “I will see to his needs, Colonel.”

  “I know you will.”

  Von Stauffenberg walked through the enormous lodge to where the women and children stayed. He knocked on the door of the guest suite and stepped in. Gisela and the children looked fearful.

  “Herr Schloss is on his way here,” he announced. “The Reichsprotektor told me the coup has been broken.”

  Gisela Schloss quickly sat down in a chair. “Oh, danke Gott. Danke Gott.”

  The colonel decided to say nothing about Schloss’s condition with the children present. Since Rainer had told him the Reich Chancellor would need medical care, there was no predicting Frau Schloss’s reaction. He decided to take things as they came. He left the lodge and walked over to where his driver waited next to the staff car.

  “To the front gate, Kurt.”

  “At once, Herr Colonel.”

  The corporal held the door for the colonel and then trotted around to the driver’s seat. He started the car and then drove briskly down the long drive to the gatehouse.

  Von Stauffenberg was relieved that things seem to be headed in the right direction. General Heinz Guderian had called him the previous morning and ordered him to get as much of his command out to Carinhall as he could within the hour. When he arrived, Schloss’s wife and children were already there, along with Emmy Goering and the little girl, Etta.

  Showing presence of mind, the colonel had ordered the rest of his army brigade to follow as soon as they were able, so he felt comfortable about holding the premises against anything short of a division of panzers. However, if Schneller Heinz was unable to regain control of the Wehrmacht, his position was ultimately futile. Regardless, he would defend Schloss’s wife and children with his life, if necessary.

  When the little Opel sedan rolled up, von Stauffenberg stepped out of the gatehouse and walked to the back window of the car. The window slid down and he was face to face with a ferocious looking old woman. He instinctively took a step back. He had never met anyone so intimidating.

  “The Reich Chancellor is with you?” he asked.

  A gaunt-looking Schloss leaned forward. “I am here, Colonel.”

  The colonel immediately saluted. “Sir, we would suggest you proceed to the main house. My division doctor will be waiting.”

  Without another word, the old woman rolled the window up and the car moved up the drive. Von Stauffenberg walked back to the guardhouse.

  “You will allow no one through without contacting me first. Is that understood?”

  “Jawohl, Herr Colonel!” the guard shouted.

  The colonel nodded and walked back over to his car. He followed the Opel up the drive and stopped behind it. The old and young women helped Schloss out of the car. Von Stauffenberg walked over to them.

  “Herr Reich Chancellor, the doctor will escort you to one of the guest rooms. Do you want me to inform your wife that you have arrived?”

  “Ask her to come, but not with the children,” Schloss said. “I am in no shape for them to see me at the moment.”

  “Very well, Sir.”

  He nodded to the doctor and the two nurses. They moved in and helped Schloss into the house. He turned to his Adjutant.

  “Captain, have you placed security as I instructed?”

  “Yes, Herr Colonel. We have perimeter guards, and then a second inner ring. I was concerned about the access road, so I have placed a fire trap about halfway between here and the gate. I think we should be able to stop most anything.”

  “I commend you for your clear thinking,” von Stauffenberg said. “I would also ask that you contact me day or night if something arises.”

  “Of course, Herr Colonel.”

  “Good. Now, I must go see Frau Schloss.”

  I don’t care if this is a parallel universe, Schloss thought. My body hurts just as badly. Mein Gott, it hurts down there. I hope the pain leaves soon, or else I’ll never be able to allow Gisela to touch me there again.

  “Just take your time, Sir,” the doctor said as the two nurses eased Schloss down on to the bed. “I understand you were physically tortured.”

  “They did not beat me,” Schloss said. “They attached a wire to my nose and to my… private parts. It was unpleasant.”

  “Those swine,” the doctor muttered. “I will need to examine you, although, if you are conscious, there is probably no permanent damage. We will check to make sure you have not been burned.”

  “I think I may have pulled a muscle in my back from straining against the straps.”

  “Ah,” the doctor said. “If that is the case, we have a type of corset that will help, although the main treatment is plenty of rest.”

  “Some rest would be good, but considering the circumstances, I need to get back to work.”

  “The Reichsprotektor seems to be managing for the moment,” Von Stauffenberg said.

  “Nevertheless, I cannot be absent for long.”

  The door opened, and Gisela rushed in. “Oh Hennie! Are you all right? What did they do to you?”

  The doctor stopped her from throwing her arms around Schloss. “He is in some pain, Frau Schloss. I must ask that you not touch him, just yet.”

  “They tried electro-shock therapy,” Schloss said. “It didn’t help. I’m still insane.”

  “Stop that Hennie!” Gisela cried. “I thought you were dead. We must never allow something like this to happen again!”

  “Believe me, Schatzi, that is my fondest wish.”

  “If you will excuse us, Frau Schloss,” the doctor said, “we must get on with the examination.”

  “Oh, of course,” she replied. “I am sorry, doctor”

  He waved a hand. “Macht nichts,” or no matter. “I know you are overjoyed that he survived the coup attempt. Believe me, we are relieved as well.”

  § § §

  Admiral Zengo Yosh
ida stood on the bridge of the carrier Shinano and watched as the entire air wing launched. As the aircraft climbed to the east, six battleships plus their escorts surged eastward towards the North American mainland. He was commanding a high-risk operation at the behest of the Japanese prime minister and the emperor. Yamamoto had protested the raid so vociferously that he had been forcibly retired. Yoshida had also protested the directive and had received the response equivalent to Shut up soldier, and soldier. He was thankful he had not been invited to join his ancestors.

  Yoshida wondered how many of his pilots would still be alive at the end of the day. He had no illusions about what would happen to the battle squadron. He was commanding a powerful strike force, and his four carriers would provide air cover. But he would be sticking his hand into a hornet’s nest. He hoped their audacity and surprise would carry the day.

  Harry S. Truman, the president of the United States was sitting down at his lunch when his assistant interrupted him.

  “Excuse me, Mr. President, but General Marshall wished to speak with you on the telephone. He said it was urgent.”

  Truman muttered a few barnyard oaths and walked over to the phone.

  “This is the president,” he said to the operator. “Go ahead and connect me to General Marshall.”

  A moment later, he heard the click of the connection. Then the operator said, “General Marshall? I have the president.”

  “Mr. President, we are in the midst of another attack from the Japanese.”

  “Where is it, this time, General?” Truman asked.

  “San Francisco. A group of Jap battleships have entered the bay and are shooting things up.”

  “I trust you have an adequate force to respond, General,” Truman said icily. “May I assume we did not detect them while they were well out to sea?”

  “Mr. President, I won’t make excuses. We have clearly failed here. Most of what we are getting at the moment is from the wire services. They have described vicious air battles over the bay.”

  “General Marshall,” the president responded. “I want you to prepare a briefing for me at the White House tonight. Do you believe you will have an adequate description of the battle by that time?”

  “Yes, Mr. President, I will have a briefing prepared.”

  “Was there anything else, General?”

  “No, Mr. President.”

  “I’ll see you tonight,” Truman said and slammed the phone down.

  A small corner of Truman’s mind was glad he had no guests at his luncheon, considering that he was swearing non-stop. The Japanese were vicious and cunning, but they should not be able to surprise the American military forces time after time. In his opinion, the United States Navy was not incompetent, but it should not continually be looking in the wrong direction like this. He was going to have to make some decisions he did not want to make. He reminded himself that these decisions came with the territory. He was an unelected, accidental president, but the American people were counting on him to make the tough calls, and he would be damned if he was going to let them down.

  CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE

  November 23, 1942; 9 PM

  Reich Chancellor’s Office

  Reich Chancellery

  Berlin, Germany

  All things considered, this has been the worst day of my life, Schloss thought as he signed another document. This was worse than the torture.

  For nearly the past year, he had assiduously avoided the witch-hunts that often accompanied regime change. The weekend’s events had upended his strategy. The gloves would come off, and he had no choice. After spending the day with the government council and laboring to sort out the mess, he was on this evening signing the death warrants for the men who had publicly involved themselves in the coup.

  The morning had started with the first serious fight he had experienced with Gisela. She had strenuously urged him to stay home another day to recover from his torture session. He had thought it interesting that Frau Marsden was absent from the discussion, which told him she agreed with his need to be back in the office as soon as possible. However, he had to give due allowance for her fears. She had spent nearly twenty-four hours in terror, not knowing what had happened to Schloss and what would happen to her and the children.

  Frau Marsden had disappeared on the morning of the coup and later had showed up at the apartment unannounced bringing Emmy and Etta Goering. The old woman had taken her and the children to Carinhall, giving her no choice in the matter. Such was her trust in the old woman, that she obeyed without question.

  Nonetheless, it was well into the evening, and Schloss was exhausted. Being electrified and screaming one’s head off tended to take a lot out of anyone. And he still had not figured out exactly how the coup was broken. Schneller Heinz had somehow found out about the coup on the night before and had moved with alacrity. And Jodl had been amazingly inept in his prosecution of the coup.

  That Frau Marsden and Misty Simpson had a hand in it was uncontested. One of the items on the list of things he had to accomplish was to have a conversation with Frau Marsden. While he knew she was involved somehow with his transport from 1982 Berlin into this world, he had never been able to discern the depth of her knowledge of things.

  Willem Kirche slipped into the room and stood in front of Schloss’s desk. Schloss signed the last of the warrants and looked up at him.

  “The Reichsprotektor to see you, Herr Reich Chancellor.”

  Schloss sighed and tossed the pen onto the top of the stack of papers. Kirche immediately reached out and placed the pen in its holder.

  “Ah, thanks, Willem. I’m so used to throwing pencils I forget. I’m lucky I didn’t spray ink all over the desk.”

  “It’s been a long day, Herr Schloss. I could tell Herr Rainer to come back tomorrow.”

  “No. Send him in, please. I’m about done, here. I’ll call it a night after he leaves.”

  “Very well,” Kirche sniffed. He made it plain that he thought Schloss was being a fool to keep Gisela waiting upstairs.

  Rainer walked into the room and collapsed into the chair across from the desk.

  “You look exhausted, Karl.”

  “And so, do you, Herr Schloss. I came expecting only to pick up the warrants. You should be upstairs with Frau Schloss.”

  Schloss laughed mirthlessly. “That’s what everybody keeps telling me. Except for Frau Marsden.”

  “She singlehandedly stopped the coup, you know,” Rainer said.

  “I sort of figured that out. I have to determine how.”

  “Exactly. General Guderian figured out what was going on, but he would not tell me how he found out. Too many things point to his source as Frau Marsden. Anyway, Schneller Heinz lived up to his name and got Colonel von Stauffenberg moving quickly. Frau Marsden got Gisela and the children out of town. The colonel was able to provide security at Carinhall. Guderian then began contacting Wehrmacht division commanders and got them to swear allegiance to you. Those who were supporting Jodl got replaced by people who Guderian knew personally. So Jodl found himself without any power base.”

  “We’re going to have to find something nice to put in Schneller Heinz’s stocking this Yuletide,” Schloss commented.

  “Indeed. Although he was not pleased when you appointed him the OKW chief. He’s happier in the field.”

  Schloss shrugged. “How could he have not known we would do that? He’s the most reliable officer we have.”

  “With Heinz, one never knows,” Rainer laughed. “Actually, Frau Marsden’s activities in the SS Headquarters are much more puzzling.”

  “How so?”

  “As far as I can tell, she and Misty parked in front and walked in through the front doors. The guards at the door claim to have never seen them. They came down the stairs to the basement and opened the doors to each detention room. There was probably a half-dozen guards along that hallway, and each swears they saw no one.”

  “And you should probably thank the god you worship that
was the case,” Schloss said. “That woman scares me. But, she has consistently pointed me in the right direction.”

  “Where did she come from?” Rainer asked.

  Careful, Hennie. If Rainer decides you are an impostor, the party will be over.

  “I really don’t know, Karl. A friend of a friend, I guess. I mentioned to Hannalore that I thought it would be a good idea to get some help around the house so she could focus on her illness. I came home one day, and there she was.”

  “She needs to be interrogated.”

  “Okay, Karl. Suppose you run upstairs and tell her you’re taking her over to your offices to answer some questions?”

  Rainer sat for a moment, and let his eyes travel up the corners and around the ceiling of the office. “Perhaps I should explore other possibilities.”

  Schloss laughed. “So, you’re saying you’re scared of her?”

  “Not scared. Rather, the woman terrifies me.”

  “So, what did Misty have to say about it?” Schloss asked.

  “Frau Marsden showed up at the American Embassy and told her they need to go rescue me. No one there saw her, either.”

  “I will have a conversation with Frau Marsden,” Schloss said. “If she tells me anything significant, I will tell you.”

  “I guess that’s the best we can hope,” Rainer replied.

  Schloss lifted up the stack of paper on his desk. “Here are the death warrants. You know how much I hate not having public trials. This makes us no better than Himmler.”

  “They did it to themselves,” Rainer stated. “And they committed a major error in not co-opting the press.”

  “One among many. Honestly, I thought Jodl was more capable than that. Not that I’m complaining, you understand.”

  “I would not think about complaining, either,” Rainer replied. “It was a close-run thing in spite of whoever tilted the scales in our favor. I think what happened is that we stampeded him. He may have been thinking about this for a while, but when you moved to reorganize the OKW he decided he had to move. I am still amazed we were able to keep things so quiet.”