“General Walther Mansfeld,” the chief bodyguard in the elevator said.
“You’re late,” a blond giant of a bodyguard told the other.
“Traffic.”
“You want me to write that down?” the blond giant asked.
“It’s the truth.”
“That’s not what I asked,” the blond giant said.
“Go ahead. Put it down.”
“Suit yourself.” The giant bodyguard turned to the card players, snapping his fingers.
One of the players set down his card hand, took out an electronic device and made a notation.
The guard who’d pushed Mansfeld stepped back into the elevator and pushed a button. The doors closed as the lift pinged, taking the first set of bodyguards away.
Without seeming to, General Mansfeld examined his new surroundings. He stood in a large, underground concrete corridor. Condensation caused water to form on the ceiling. A drop dripped, and there was a smell of fungus in the air. The place felt like a deep tunnel, and he didn’t like it here. He doubted anyone would.
The general didn’t see any signal, but now all the bodyguards set their cards on the table. Chairs scraped back and guns appeared.
No one said a word to him. No one apologized. Two of the smaller guards approached and gave him a thorough pat down, even to running a hand down his butt and feeling his groin. It was insulting, and Mansfeld would have liked to strike the man doing it. He knew better. There was a time and place for anger. This wasn’t it.
Finally, the blond giant waved the others away. They sat back down, picked up their cards and resumed their game. All in a day’s work, their actions said.
“Follow me, General,” the huge man said in a low rumble.
“Do you have a name?” Mansfeld asked.
Every bodyguard stopped what he was doing. They watched him, waiting expectantly. They felt like a feral pack of Rottweilers. Finally, they seemed to realize it had been an honest question. They stared at the blond giant.
“You want a name?” the huge man asked.
“If you can spare to tell me,” Mansfeld said.
The huge bodyguard showed his teeth in a grin. “I’m Mr. Death to you, General. Someday one of us is going to kill you. That is, unless you please the Chancellor in everything.”
“Ah,” Mansfeld said.
“Kleist wants love,” said one of the bodyguards at the table.
The hard eyes of Mr. Death tightened.
“I’m going to shut up,” the other man said.
Mr. Death grunted a rumbling, monosyllabic response. Then he motioned for Mansfeld to follow him.
The general hurried to keep up, taking two steps for every one of the other. He felt eyes behind him and half turned. It surprised him that two more bodyguards followed. He hadn’t heard them. These two should have been in the Expeditionary Force in the commandos. They wasted their talents down here. He doubted Kleist thought so. Powerful tyrants had kept the best soldiers around them from time immemorial.
Mansfeld could imagine the blond giant, Mr. Death, as one of Caesar’s bodyguards long ago. There had been a time in Roman history when only German barbarians had been allowed into the Praetorian Guard. In those distant times, the various Caesars had invariably feared their most successful generals. It had been far too easy in those times for a general to turn his legionaries on the government and become the next Caesar of Rome. Yet that wasn’t why Kleist had traveled across the Atlantic Ocean to come to Montreal in secret. It wasn’t why he—Mansfeld—had left his command post to travel here for a face-to-face meeting.
The summer campaign had entered a critical phase, a troubling one. It had been inevitable, given the nature of war. Even Alexander the Great or Genghis Khan had troubles during a campaign, at least from time to time. This is what Mansfeld had feared many months ago: Kleist losing his nerve. He didn’t know the Chancellor had lost his nerve, but Mansfeld suspected that is what had happened.
Mr. Death opened large doors and ushered him into a much different sort of underground chamber. The wet smell of fungus vanished. Warmth hit Mansfeld in the face and something else as well: pure air. From the utilitarian concrete corridor, he entered a plush chamber. A massive conference table stood in the middle of a carpeted room. Vast chandeliers hung from the ceiling, illuminating the GD General Staff sitting in attendance. Field Marshal Wessel presided over the meeting, dominating the others by his white-haired presence.
So, Mansfeld thought. The Chancellor felt the need for backup, did he? How very interesting. He has lost his nerve after all—just as I predicted to myself he would.
A fire roared in the fireplace, and more security personnel stood near tall purple curtains blocking what should have been windows. There were no windows down here, of course. The curtains were pretense. Far above them, Mansfeld knew, rain poured upon Montreal. Yet if he swept back the curtains, all he would find would be more concrete or possibly wooden panels.
“Welcome, General Mansfeld,” Wessel said. “Won’t you sit down, please?”
It took a moment for Mansfeld to readjust to normality. The bodyguards wouldn’t grope him like perverts now. Instead, he had reentered the land of civilized behavior. It was like leaving a highly dangerously pressurized land where breathing was a chore and now finding he could draw air down to his lungs by the simple expedient of opening his mouth.
Mansfeld inclined his head toward Wessel, and he asked, “Was there a reason why I wasn’t allowed to bring an aide?”
“All in good time, sir,” Wessel said. “We’ve been waiting for you.” The old man indicated a chair at the end of the table. “Take a seat, please.”
This is just like Berlin all over again. Mansfeld shrugged. He had envisioned this taking place over a two-way screen, with Kleist faraway in Europe. If anything surprised him, it was Kleist’s presence in the New World. Along with assassination, the Chancellor dreaded traveling over large bodies of water like an ocean. While the man had many positive character traits, physical courage wasn’t among them.
Mr. Death drew back the specified chair for Mansfeld. As the general sat, the blond giant helped push the chair in.
“Are you hungry?” Wessel asked.
“Thank you, but no,” Mansfeld said. “A cup of coffee—”
Mr. Death snapped his fingers. One of the bodyguards by the purple curtains picked a pot of coffee off a silver tray. He strode near, poured into a cup and brought the cup and saucer to Mansfeld.
“Thank you,” the general said, accepting the drink.
The bodyguard never even looked at him, but backed away.
As Mansfeld set the cup and saucer on the table, large oaken doors opened. Chancellor Kleist strode in. The man might have gained a few pounds since Mansfeld had seen him last in Berlin. Kleist had certainly tanned since then.
“His Excellency, Chancellor Kleist,” a majordomo said, a tall fellow with silver hair and wearing special livery.
Mansfeld along with everyone else in the room stood to attention.
Kleist grinned as his gaze darted around the chamber. Mansfeld felt a shock as he looked into Kleist’s eyes. He sensed unease, maybe even a touch of worry in the Chancellor. This didn’t seem like the same confident man who had controlled the meeting in Berlin. What had changed him?
“Sit, please, gentlemen,” Kleist said. “We have much to discuss and time races away with us.”
Mansfeld sat down, frowning thoughtfully. With all its complexities, dangers and rewards, he had become engrossed in the summer campaign. What had happened in the outer world that could openly cause Kleist to worry?
They sat. The Chancellor sat, spoke pleasantries for a time and finally, he asked Field Marshal Wessel to outline the operational situation.
The white-haired chief of staff rose ponderously. An aide gave him a pointer and the man stepped to a large screen slid into position for him. Wessel gave a lucid rundown of the campaign, spending too much time perhaps on Southwestern Ontario as Hol
k’s army group bogged down on the approach to the American border and the old motor town of Detroit.
“You’re saying Americans outnumber us two to one here?” Kleist asked.
“Begging your pardon, Excellency,” Wessel said. “The Americans and Canadians outnumber us closer to three to one in Southwestern Ontario.”
“I see,” Kleist said, giving Mansfeld a pointed glance.
Wessel also directed his gaze at Mansfeld. For such an old, white-haired man, he had perfectly tailored eyebrows. “Perhaps you’ll say Holk has a greater weight of metal, of offensive machinery, there.”
“He did,” Mansfeld said, “but not anymore.”
Wessel nodded like an old bull. “Correct. The weight of metal and firepower now inexorably grows against us. The Americans have moved a greater number of artillery pieces into position here. I believe they are denuding the Chinese Front in order to mass against us.”
“I agree,” Mansfeld said.
Wessel hesitated, looking confused and glancing at the Chancellor.
“You agree?” Kleist asked Mansfeld.
“The facts speak for themselves, Your Excellency,” Mansfeld said.
Kleist made a notation on a yellow pad.
“There is another problem, Excellency,” Wessel said. “Whereas before our generals relied upon drone vehicles to offset the enemy’s numerical advantages, now the Americans have mastered…uh…”
“The Heidegger Principle,” a colonel sitting at the table said.
“The Heidegger Principle,” Wessel said. “This allows the Americans to successfully jam our control signals and frequencies, rending our drones useless.”
“Allow me, please, to amend your last statement,” Mansfeld said. “While it is true the Americans have discovered our secret, it has not rendered the drones inoperative. We have had to adjust, certainly, and reconfigure our tactical mix, going back to the combined arms approach.”
“Why have we not practiced combined arms the entire time?” Kleist asked.
“The previous lack of Allied jamming allowed us a great advantage,” Mansfeld said. “Entire drone battalions, entire drone divisions, have given us a tremendous operational tool. Repeatedly, we could mount otherwise suicidal assaults, fixing the enemy in place, outmaneuvering him and then annihilating his formations. Granted, the loss of this advantage has hurt our efficiency. But we knew it could never last. No technological advantage in war ever does. I would like to point out that the Americans still lack overall jamming capability, and we have begun to target their special Heidegger jamming companies.”
“You’ve made your point,” Kleist said. “I would like to return to the first observation. The Americans have massed against us in Southwestern Ontario. Their weight of metal and machines now overpowers us there.”
“Excuse me, Your Excellency,” Mansfeld said. “Overpower is too strong a word. They have an advantage over us in antiquated equipment. That merely means—”
Kleist waved him to silence. “I admit that I am not the strategic wizard such as many proclaim you to be. Yet correct me if I’m wrong: but we cannot continue the assault there. In fact, we are in danger of losing ground.”
“Any ground we lose—”
“I am not finished speaking,” Kleist said.
Mansfeld dipped his chin.
“Field Marshal,” Kleist said, “show me how much coastline we’ve secured along Lake Erie.”
“The US Fifth Army anchors the northern stretch of Lake Erie, Excellency,” Wessel said. “The portion of Lake Erie coast we secured to the north of London has now come under considerable attack.”
“We cannot launch an amphibious assault across Lake Erie at this time,” Kleist said. “Is that correct?”
“Not in sufficient strength, Excellency,” Wessel said.
Kleist turned to Mansfeld. “We cannot land in Northern Pennsylvania from Lake Ontario. We cannot land south of Buffalo and cut off the American forces there. Isn’t that correct, General?”
Mansfeld remained silent.
The Chancellor folded his hands, resting them on the table. “I am reminded of a historical parallel. In the First World War, the German armies swept the Allied forces ahead of them. Kaiser Germany made impressive military gains in those opening weeks. Yet the armies were supposed to swing behind Paris in their scythe through Northern France. Instead, the armies did not swing wide enough, but swept before Paris instead of behind it, leaving the capital intact and thereby saving France. That single mistake led to four years of horrendous warfare and the downfall of Imperial Germany. I fear that here in America our great blow will not strike deeply or far enough. I fear that you will fail to garner sufficient victory for this vast outlay of GD expenditure and blood.”
“We have Lake Ontario,” Mansfeld said quietly.
“Back in Berlin you said we would have Lake Ontario and Lake Erie by this stage in the campaign. Your plan called for a sweep through New York and through Northern Pennsylvania. We need to stretch the American defense so they are not strong enough where our main blows fall. Your blow might possibly fall short as you make the great attempt to encircle several American Army Groups, as you attempt to capture an entire front.”
“Excellency,” Mansfeld said. “I will give you as a gift one million American captives by the end of summer.”
“You boast,” Kleist said. “You tell me what you will do when you cannot even accomplish your prerequisites for victory given me in Berlin. The Americans have outfought you in Southwestern Ontario. Now they have begun to go on the offensive there. Just like Hitler in Russia, you lack sufficient manpower to complete the task at the critical juncture.”
Mansfeld’s eyes narrowed and he felt heat in his chest. “You have misjudged the situation, Excellency.”
Kleist’s eyes seemed to glimmer. “Have I?” he asked, softly.
“I have sufficient reserves that if I so desired I could smash through the Americans in Southwestern Ontario,” Mansfeld said. “I could also secure the Lake Erie coastline. Instead, I save my strength for the critical blow. Yes, it is true the Americans are stronger in Southwestern Ontario than I expected. Yet for them to achieve this they have stuffed their precious reserves in the wrong place. That means they will not have sufficient numbers or firepower to stop the amphibious assaults from the east and west. That is where I will use my reserves to the greatest advantage.”
Kleist gazed at Mansfeld. Finally, he said, “I have bad news for you, General. I have bad news for the German Dominion. Two days ago, I learned that Chairman Hong went before the Ruling Committee. He tried to convince them to order the North American PAA into a limited assault. I happen to know that Hong would have preferred a general offensive in the Midwest, but he knew the Ruling Committee would never agree to that. Yet if he could persuade them to launch several limited offensives and provide extended artillery bombardments, it would have frightened the Americans. Hong requested the demonstration of force and the Ruling Committee voted him down. The Chinese and Brazilians are going to wait this year as they rebuild their armies.”
“That is unfortunate news,” Mansfeld said, “but not altogether unexpected.”
Kleist barked a sharp laugh. “Unfortunate, our strategic wizard says to us. That is an understatement, General. It means once the Americans learn of this, they can ship vast reinforcements against us and crush our Expeditionary Force. They will hurl our amphibious landings off the various shores.”
Mansfeld glanced at the assembled officers, at the Field Marshal standing with his pointer. Slowly, he began to shake his head.
“Oh, the strategic wizard disagrees, does he?” Kleist asked. “You believe we have unlimited numbers, I suppose? But the Americans have already begun to outnumber us in Southwestern Ontario. They have denied us the Lake Erie coasts we needed. We are so strong and powerful that we cannot even complete the prerequisites for victory.”
“Excellency,” Mansfeld said. He tried to ignore the heat in his chest. It burne
d hottest in his heart, and he wondered for a second if that was a signal for a heart attack. No, no, he could not afford that now. He must speak with utter calm. He must soothe their fears and let them see how he viewed the situation. All great conquerors had moments of doubt. Nothing was certain in war. But it was always good to remember that the enemy had his own sets of worries. The trick was to steel your nerves and act boldly at the correct moment.
“Speak,” Kleist said, waving a hand. “Spin your webs of fancy and tell us how everything will come out well.”
Mansfeld forced himself to speak slowly and to keep every inflection off his features. “Excellency, the Americans and Canadians have always outnumbered our Expeditionary Force. We have predicated the assault on our superior training, weapons and tactics. From the beginning, we struck first and pulverized one set of enemies before the next could come up and support them. We smashed the Canadians, hurled back the rest and hit the approaching American Strategic Reserve. They have repeatedly attacked us piecemeal and we have devoured their forces one by one. Finally, the enemy stripped reserves from critical coastal defenses. With those numbers, they have brought greater firepower to bear against us in Southwestern Ontario. But that is exactly the wrong place, Excellency. They must believe I desire Detroit. I do not, and I never have.
“Now we must move with speed, using our advantages while they squander their momentary gains. We will land in mass at Rochester. One third of the amphibious force will rush to Buffalo. There, they will encircle the US Fifth Army in the Niagara Peninsula, cutting them off from their supply base. The other two thirds will head east along the lowland route. Shortly thereafter, Kaltenbrunner will land on the Jersey shores and capture New York City. He will head northwest, heading up the Hudson River for Albany. The two amphibious forces will met, trapping US Army Group New York and US Army Group New England. Together with the US Fifth Army that will combine to over one million American soldiers in our net. It will be a monumental victory, Excellency, and it will be the beginning of our continental conquest. ”
“You speak glibly,” Kleist said. “Why not also speak Southwestern Ontario into the bag as well while you are at it?”
Invasion: New York (Invasion America) Page 26