The man eventually nodded. ‘We must be careful Doctor Vilenko, make sure he has the device on him, then bring him to the foyer.’
Anna nodded. ‘Let’s hope that the information supplied to us by our Majestic informant is correct.’
Chapter 100
The elevator seemed to take its time as it ascended. Eventually the doors opened and Cones and Frederick stepped out. Cones walked briskly down the corridor. ‘We have to be quick, we’ll use the stairs as an exit.’
‘You sound like you’ve done this kind of thing before.’
‘I know my way about Berlin, have had a few scrapes in the past.’ Cones replied.
Both men stopped in front of suite 6 and waited for a few moments before knocking on the door.
Walther Gruber opened the door and seemed surprised to see the two men staring back at him. ‘Doctor Gruber.’ Frederick said.
Gruber took a step back staring wide eyed at the two strangers.
Cones Barged his way into the room. ‘Where is it doctor?’
‘Where is what?’
‘The device you stole from Wright Patterson!’ Cones replied in a raised voice.
‘I have no idea what you’re talking about.’ Gruber said defiantly. He picked up a jacket off the back of a chair slipping it on.
‘Doctor Gruber, we know you are a scientist working with the Americans on technology recovered from Roswell. And we know you were part of operation paperclip and that you are working for the Fourth Reich. One way or another you will come with us.’ Frederick warned.
Cones glanced at him impressed by his choice of words
A smile appeared on Gruber’s face. ‘I’m afraid you’re too late gentlemen.’ He said indicating towards the door.
Frederick and Cones turned.
Anna Vilenko stood in the doorway pointing a gun at the two men.
Cones instinctively went for his gun, but the flame haired woman shook her head slowly. ‘I suggest you remain still if you want to walk out of this hotel room alive.’
‘Doctor Vilenko, you must let this man come with us.’ Frederick appealed.
‘Doctor Gruber is to be escorted back to Russia with the device he took from the Americans. You know how the game works Professor Frederick.’
‘Actually the rules have changed.’ Gruber announced.
All of a sudden two men appeared behind Anna. Three more men marched out of the bathroom of the hotel room.
‘Drop your weapon Doctor Vilenko.’ One of the men ordered.
Cones glared at him. ‘I know you.’
The man stared back. ‘Agent Frank Cones a pleasure to see you again.’
‘I see you’re still alive, I thought you’d been killed back in forty eight.’
The man smiled. ‘Stumbling into our operation was only a minor nuisance, we knew we couldn’t conceal ourselves forever.’ The man looked at Frederick. ‘You are English by your accent, no doubt secret service.’
‘Actually his name is Ralph Frederick, he’s a Cambridge physicist.’ Gruber said.
Frederick looked at him.
‘I attended a seminar in 1950, I was impressed by your speech on the use of nuclear fission for an alternative energy source.’
Frederick remembered the conference and recalled getting grilled extensively about his theory.
‘Another scientist, our cause will benefit greatly.’ The man said.
‘I’d rather die than join your rag tag Nazi rabble.’
The man pointed his luger at Frederick’s head. ‘That could easily be arranged Professor Frederick.’
‘No, not here!’ Gruber interrupted glancing at Dr Vilenko. ‘Chances are there are a contingent of Russian troops waiting for us.’
Anna called Gruber’s bluff. ‘That’s right and they will shoot you on sight.’
‘Just who the hell are you?’ Cones demanded to know as he was disarmed by one of the men.
‘I know exactly who he is.’ Anna seethed glaring at the man. ‘He is General Rudolph Heinemann, butcher of Smolensk, in Soviet Union one of the most wanted men by the KGB.’
‘Butcher?’ Frederick said.
One of the men snatched the gun Anna was holding out of her hand. ‘When the Nazis invaded the Soviet Union he was one of Hitler’s dogs charged with clearing the way for the Third Reich. His unit raised Smolensk to the ground and murdered thousands of women and children.’
Heinemann walked up to her smiling. ‘I see my reputation precedes me.’
Anna spat in his face. One of the men grabbed her holding her by her arms. Anna struggled but could not move.
The general wiped his face, and then without warning struck her across the face. Anna crumpled to the floor.
Fredrick lunged forward to help her but was stopped by one of Heinemann’s henchmen.
‘Bring them!’
Anna was hauled to her feet and dragged out of the room along with Frederick. Heinemann turned to Cones. ‘It is unfortunate that our paths have crossed again Agent Cones.’ He said glancing at the man behind. ‘You are very lucky, killing you would draw to much attention to our escape.’
The man stood behind the American struck him on the back of the head with his gun and Cones dropped like a stone.
Chapter 101
11:43am
Frederick and Anna were tied and gagged before being frogmarched down several flights of stairs. Anna did her best to cry out, but the gag prevented her from making enough noise to attract attention. A truck was parked near the back entrance. Dr Gruber and Heinemann climbed into the truck. Frederick and Anna had their gags removed.
‘I suggest you do not attempt to escape or call out for help. My orders are to bring you in unharmed but if you try to escape then I will kill you.’ Heinemann advised pointing his gun at them.
‘Exactly where are you taking us?’ Frederick demanded to know.
Heinemann looked at him. ‘My superiors are anxious to recruit western scientists.’
‘I’d hardly call kidnapping a recruitment plan.’ Frederick replied.
‘My government will not stand for this.’ Anna protested. ‘Every KGB officer will be out looking for me. And when they do find me you will be dragged back to Russia and made to answer for your crimes. I will make sure I am the person who will put the bullet in your head that ends your life.’
Heinemann smiled back at her. ‘Your precious KGB has no idea you are here Doctor Vilenko. You are part of a top secret mission to bring Doctor Gruber back to the Soviet Union to aid in the Tunguska project.’
Anna said nothing.
‘We have spies everywhere Doctor Vilenko, inside the Kremlin, Washington DC.’ Heinemann glanced at Frederick. ‘And Whitehall, so you see we will know if anyone is trying to find you.’
‘We, as in The Fourth Reich?’ Frederick said.
The general didn’t answer.
Frederick looked at Gruber. ‘You’ve betrayed the very country that gave you the chance of freedom after the war Doctor Gruber, why?’
‘I haven’t betrayed anyone Professor, you see I knew I was going to the United States before the war was over. But you already knew this, I know what Victor Klaus revealed to you during your recent encounter in Stuttgart.’
‘Explain.’ Anna barked.
Most of us knew Hitler was a little mad, unfortunately those close to him were also mad, except one man, Rudolf Hess.’
‘Rudolf Hess.’ Frederick couldn’t help laughing at Gruber’s claim. ‘I’m afraid Doctor Gruber, that’s absurd. Rudolf Hess is considered as insane.’
‘Is he?’ Gruber replied. ‘There were those of us in the Third Reich who were worried about the outcome of the war, most notably the scientific community. Our achievements would all be for nothing if we were to lose the war. In 1941 Himmler dreamt up the final solution. The scientific community were split down the middle, men like Joseph Mengele remained close to Hitler and welcomed Himmler’s barbaric plan.’
‘Sympathy for those you murdered doctor, how touchi
ng.’ Anna said in condescending tone.
‘Yes Doctor Vilenko sympathy. Before the war many of us worked with the people who Hitler considered as a threat. When they started to round up scientists with a Jewish background the scientific community was decimated. Brilliant men were taken away and executed or starved to death in the camps. A physicist by the name of Albert Klemper approached Hitler to protest.’ Gruber paused. ‘Klemper was taken away and shot for being a traitor. After that we formed a secret coalition and began to formulate a plan to survive the outcome of the war. It was when we heard about Rudolph Hess’ reservations about the final solution we decided to take action.’
‘So he flew to Scotland.’ Frederick remarked.
Gruber nodded. ‘Hess tried to convince your government that most of the German people wanted peace, not war.’
‘But the war dragged on for another three years.’
‘When the allies invaded France in 1944 we knew it was only a matter of time before the camps would be discovered, and then the laboratories and factories which housed our greatest scientific achievements. It was then we contacted people in the United States, people who we knew would help us. Industrialists like Henry Ford helped fuel the German war machine and men like Jacob Barnes bankrolled many of the projects.’
‘Jacob Barnes!’ Frederick said.
‘Yes, he financed some of our projects into jet propelled aircraft as well as rocket development.’
Frederick shook his head. ‘I always knew he wasn’t the saint people think he is.’ Frederick looked at the General. ‘Where exactly are you taking us?’
‘Somewhere far away from here. By the time your governments realise you have vanished you will be long gone. However we were just expecting Doctor Vilenko. You are an unforeseen problem.’ Heinemann produced a luger pistol. ‘One that can be solved quite quickly.’
‘You cannot kill this man!’ Anna spoke up.
Frederick looked at her.
‘He will be a valuable asset for any research you wish me to conduct. Professor Frederick is a Nobel Prize winning physicist. You would benefit greatly from his knowledge.’
The general stared at Anna before putting his gun back in its holster.’
Chapter 102
1:20pm
Cones opened his eyes. He noticed straight away that he was tied to a chair. Three men stood in front of him. ‘You’re awake Agent Cones.’ One of the men announced.
‘Where the hell am I?’ Cones looked around the room in which he was being held. He tried the ropes but they were tied securely giving him little room to move.
‘Somewhere your CIA colleagues will never find you.’ The man said. ‘Now tell me what happened to Doctor Vilenko and your colleague Professor Frederick.’
‘How the hell should I know I was knocked out?’ Cones replied.
The man nodded to one of his companions who stepped forward and struck Cones hard across the jaw.
The room seemed to spin as Cones tried to deal with the pain.
‘I’ll ask you again Agent Cones, where are Doctor Vilenko and Professor Frederick?’
The blow Cones had endured took his breath away, he struggled for air looking at the man who had just struck him. ‘I said I don’t know, we were ambushed by a group of Nazis.’
‘Nazis!’ The lead man said looking rather amused at what Cones had just claimed.
Cones nodded.
‘What are you doing in Berlin?’ The man asked.
Cones said nothing.
His attacker stepped forward again and struck him hard across his upper cheek. Cones felt a sickly crack and the room began to spin again.
‘What was your mission in Berlin Agent Cones?!’ The man shouted. ‘You and Professor Frederick were observed in the foyer of that hotel, before disappearing into one of the elevators. Were you sent to abduct Doctor Vilenko?’
‘What, no.’ Cones replied.
‘Then tell me what you were doing in that hotel.’
Cones remained silent.
The man looked at his companion. ‘We have no further use for him, kill him then burn this building to the ground.’ The man then turned and headed towards the door with the third man.
Cones’ attacker produced a handgun and pointed it at his head.
‘Wait!’ Cones shouted. ‘I can be of help.’
‘I doubt that Agent Cones.’ The lead man replied.
‘We were sent to pick up a scientist.’ Cones said, realising that he was about to compromise his mission.
The man turned. ‘Go on.’
‘Our mission was to bring him back to the United States.’
‘Why?’
Cones was hesitant in answering.
The man took a deep breath. ‘Agent Cones, either you can tell us what you know, or you will die in the next ten seconds. ‘Ten, nine, eight.’
Cones looked at the man with the gun.
‘Seven, six, five.’
Cones’ heart felt as if it was going to burst through the wall of his chest.
‘Four, three, two,’
‘Ok! ok!’ Cones shouted. ‘We were under orders to extract this man from Germany and take him back to the USA because he had stolen something.’
‘A piece of technology from the Roswell spaceship.’
Cones looked at the man bemused.
‘Doctor Vilenko’s mission was to meet the scientist and bring him back to Russia. I’m guessing because Professor Frederick was your travelling companion, you are part of the Angel Committee, or on loan from Majestic.’
Cones stared at the man. ‘Who the hell are you?’
‘My name is Colonel Konev, Doctor Vilenko is my daughter. And I suggest Agent Cones if you want to go on living you tell us everything you know.’
‘You already know the scientist we were supposed to meet.’ Cones said.
‘Walter Gruber.’ Konev said.
Cones nodded. ‘It looks like Gruber was playing both sides Colonel. He stole technology from Wright Patterson air force base and escaped to Germany. Our intelligence network believed he was going to hand over the item to you guys. But when we got to the room where he was staying we were ambushed.’
‘By Nazis.’ Konev said with a smile.
Cones thought for a second. ‘Your daughter recognised one of them.’ Cones searched his memory. ‘Rudolph Heinemann.’ He revealed.
The smile vanished from Konev’s face.
‘I’m guessing that Doctor Vilenko and the rest of the KGB were set up by Gruber and Heinemann. It’s her they wanted.’
Konev considered Cones’ words. He looked at him. ‘Did they reveal where they were going?’
Cones shook his head. ‘They knocked me out, I never saw them leave.’
Konev took a deep breath and looked at the man with the gun, he nodded. ‘Proceed.’
‘Wait!’ Cones shouted. ‘You’ll never be able to find them, I’ve dealt with Heinemann before, he’s smart. He knows all the safe routs out of Berlin. Colonel if you ever want to see your daughter alive again, you’re going to need my help.’
‘And what do you suppose we do Agent Cones, let you go so that you can go scurrying back to Majestic.’
‘I might know someone who can help us track Heinemann and find your daughter and Professor Frederick.’
Konev thought for several seconds before nodding at the man with the gun. He placed his gun back into its holster and untied Cones from the chair.
‘Now Agent Cones, you will help me find my daughter. If you try to betray us in any way, my associate won’t hesitate in killing you.’
Chapter 103
2:22pm
Frederick and Dr Vilenko were hauled from the truck. Frederick did his best to look around and take in his surroundings. They had driven for about an hour and now found themselves in what looked like a large warehouse.
‘Take them to one of the offices and tie them up.’ Heinemann ordered. ‘We’ll wait here until we have conformation of our flight later on this evening.’
<
br /> Both scientists were frog marched across the warehouse floor and placed in a small office. They were then tied back to back on two chairs. The door slammed behind them leaving Frederick and Anna alone.
Frederick tried the ropes but they were two tight to struggle free. ‘Well looks like we’re stuck here for the time being.’
Anna drew a long breath. ‘It would certainly seem that way Professor.’
‘What do you suppose he meant by flight?’
‘You’re the senior scientist Professor you figure it out.’ Anna replied with a sarcastic tone.
Frederick suddenly realised how stupid his question was. His thoughts then turned to Agent Cones. The last he saw of Cones, he was lying face down on the hotel room floor unconscious.
Anna looked towards the door of the office. A window looked outwards. A guard was posted at the door. He wore the uniform of an SS soldier.
‘I thought we’d killed the last of them in the Battle for berlin.’ Anna commented.
Frederick did his best to look towards the door, but he faced the office wall and could barely move. Recent events ran through his mind. ‘Thank you for sticking up for me back there. I could well have been dead by now.’
‘It was nothing Professor.’ Anna said in an even tone. ‘In a capture situation we are trained to preserve numbers to aid in an escape.’
‘Is that what the KGB taught you?’
‘Yes.’
Frederick paused for thought. ‘Can I ask you a question?’
‘If you must.’ Anna said as she struggled with her bonds.
‘Was that you in Paris?’
A long silence followed before Anna finally answered. ‘Yes Professor, it was me.’
‘How did you end up in Stalin’s aviary as a swallow?’
Anna couldn’t help smiling at what Frederick had just asked. ‘Is that what western intelligence call it. In Russia it is known as the whore brigade.’
‘Has it anything to do with the paper you published a few years ago on particle theory.’
‘You’ve read my work.’ Anna said expressing surprise.
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