Hitler's Finger

by PJ Skinner

  ‘I can’t stop Boris. No one can control that man. He's an animal.’

  ‘Alfredo is my friend.’

  Dr Becker looked at her with his cold blue eyes but she saw no pity there.

  ‘There is nothing I can do. You are lucky to be alive. If we didn’t need you, you’d be dead, too. Now, take off the clothes below your waist and get up on the operating table.’

  Sam sat down and took off her shoes and socks. She hung her jeans over the back of the chair and slipped out of her knickers. Time stood still. She couldn’t help it, she was listening for the shot. Run Alfredo, run, give yourself a chance. Please. And horribly, there it was, a single shot. It seemed to reverberate around the room. She wailed and put her hands over her ears as if it would shout out the truth of the sound.

  ‘Alfredo. No!’

  ‘I’m sorry, Sam. There was no choice.’

  ‘There was plenty of choice. You could’ve left him tied up for someone to find later. You are a murderer.’

  ‘So many deaths. What’s one more to add to the list?’

  ‘And me? Am I next? The mother of Hitler? Surely it would be like shooting the Virgin Mary?’ she said.

  ‘Calm down or I’ll have to put you to sleep for the procedure.’

  He moved her clothes off the chair and onto the counter behind him. Sam stood there rigid with fury and impotent rage. Trying to think logically, she considered the options. Without knowing it, he had moved the unit out of her reach. The man was about to discover that she was pregnant and that could only mean one thing. He would murder her, and if he didn’t, Klein would or worse, he would rape her first. She had seen the way he looked at her. Becker would probably give her an overdose of anaesthetic when he discovered her secret. She would never wake up. That was appealing. She couldn’t believe these were her last moments on earth. It was so mundane somehow.

  ‘I’m afraid. I can’t take any more today. Can you please make me sleep?’

  ‘Okay, if that’s what you want. I’ll give you some air and gas. Some light sedation should be sufficient.’

  He pulled an ancient trolley with a squeaky wheel up to the operating table and turned some valves on a couple of tanks.

  ‘I need you to lie down now and put your feet in the stirrups. That’s right. Shift your bottom along towards me. There we go.’

  He might have been prepping her for a smear test.

  ‘Are you ready? Okay then, breathe deeply.’

  ***

  There was a loud bang and Alfredo fell forward into the leaves as his legs gave way. He waited for bright lights or tunnels to appear. To his disappointment, he was right about the absence of heaven. He could only see darkness. Then he could feel the leaves in his mouth. Had Boris missed? Was he still alive or was this the last sensation he was to feel on earth?

  ‘Dr Vargas, are you alive?’

  He knew that voice.

  Segundo? ‘Yes, I think so.’ He raised himself up on his hands, the palms of which were splattered with blood. Disgusted, he wiped them on the leaves making them bloodier. He couldn’t move his legs. Was he injured? And then he realised that Boris Klein was lying on top of them, half of his head missing. He grunted as he pulled his legs free of the bloody corpse and stood up to face his saviour, who appeared to be covered in leaves and twigs, like a forest sprite.

  ‘That was close. I didn’t see you both until you almost trod on me as you walked past.’

  ‘I thought I was a goner. Thank goodness you're here. We have to rescue Sam.’

  ‘I have to rescue Sam. You have to wait outside.’

  ***

  Dr Becker removed Sam’s legs from the stirrups and pulled her up the operating table, putting her on her side for safety. He put her clothes beside her in the nook between her thighs and stomach so that she could get dressed without getting off the trolley. He looked at his watch. She should be coming around any minute. He would need Boris’ help to get her into the truck and securely tied down. Where was he anyway? The shot had echoed around the laboratory at least ten minutes before. Perhaps he was hiding the body? Becker fussed around the laboratory, cleaning away the evidence of their project and sealing it in a large black rubbish bag. They would have to take this with them and dispose of it down the cliffs outside Lago Verde.

  Sam moaned and started to thrash around. He went to her side and held her down so she would not roll off, taking advantage of her comatose state to admire her from close up. It’s a pity she was so unapproachable. She was an attractive woman in the prime of her life. No wonder Boris was salivating around her. If he had been younger, he would have been tempted himself. He stroked her leg, lingering on her soft skin and thinking about those Argentinian women who were waiting for him. His hand explored her body in a leisurely way. Suddenly she sat up. Before he could react, she had removed his hand and thrust something into his chest. He felt a jolt and pain that radiated over his body. He flew backwards onto the floor. He felt as if he had had a heart attack. Sam was lying down again still holding an odd black unit in her hand. She was laughing. Before he could react, there was a loud bang and the door of the laboratory flew open.

  ‘Are you okay, Sam?’ said Alfredo.

  ‘You’re alive?’ said Becker, staggering to his feet.

  ‘That’s twice you’ve been dead this week,’ said Sam, who was still lying on the trolley. ‘I hope you’re not going to make a habit of this.’

  ‘I like to make an entrance.’

  ‘Step away from her now.’ Segundo had moved forward into the laboratory. He was pointing a pistol at Becker’s head.

  Becker didn’t recognise him but the threat in the voice was real.

  ‘I don’t think I will.’

  ‘Come on now. It’s over,’ said Alfredo.

  ‘Where’s Boris?’ said Becker.

  ‘Mr Klein will not be joining us,’ said Segundo.

  ‘Jesus, you killed him?’

  ‘It was kill or be killed I’m afraid.’

  ‘Where is the security guard?’

  ‘Sleeping. Move away from the trolley. Or I’ll be forced to shoot you, too.’

  ‘Oh, that won’t be necessary. I’m leaving.’

  He reached into his pocket and took out a little silver box which he opened by sliding the lid off. There was a capsule rolling around in the box. He smiled and saluted at them.

  Before Alfredo or Segundo could move, Becker had thrown it into his mouth and bitten down on it. His eyes rolled back in his head and he grabbed the fridge, gasping. Foam started to form at the corners of his mouth. There was the smell of almonds in the air.

  ‘Shit, cyanide, he’s a goner,’ said Alfredo. ‘Don’t go near him, that stuff’s lethal.’

  Becker fell to the floor without lifting his arms to cushion his fall. There was a sickening crunch as his face met the tiles. Blood started to trickle along the white surface and into the drain. They didn’t need to touch him to know that he was dead. Sam started to groan and Alfredo rushed over to hold her hand.

  ‘Are you okay?’

  ‘You're alive? Why? I don’t understand what happened.’

  ‘Neither do I. Are you still pregnant?’ said Alfredo.

  ‘Oh God. I’m going to be the mother of Hitler. Help me down. I must go to the shower right now.’

  Alfredo helped her swing her legs to the floor. She was still covered in a surgical sheet and looked quasi-biblical. The men couldn’t help staring at her in the flimsy covering. Sam was built like a Valkyrie and being wrapped in a sheet emphasised her athletic body.

  ‘What are you looking at?’ she hissed, grabbing a couple of towels from the side. She shoved her feet into her shoes and pushed passed Segundo, heading for the shower.

  ‘What did she mean? Mother of Hitler? What on earth is going on here?’ he said.

  ‘It’s a long story.’

  ‘These fucking Germans are weird.’

  ‘Nazis, not Germans.’

  ‘Same difference. I need some fresh air
. This place is claustrophobic.’

  ‘All Nazis are not German, and all Germans are not Nazis. Come outside and let Sam have some privacy, and I’ll explain a few things to you.’

  ***

  Sam lay on the floor of the toilet washing herself out with soap and water using a plastic water bottle. The floor was not clean and the cement was scratchy and uneven but it didn’t put her off. She wasn’t taking any chances and had her legs propped up on the wall so that the water could penetrate to her cervix. It was pretty undignified but compared to the alternative, an easy choice. She watched the soapy water flowing across the tiles and into the drain. There was some weird satisfaction in watching Hitler washed into the septic tank to join the rest of the sewage. She was still groggy and there were things she didn’t understand. If she was pregnant, how come she was alive? And why didn’t she have any symptoms? She had not put on any weight and the only person who was vomiting was Gloria. It was weird. She tried to stand up but she wasn’t ready so she stayed sitting on the floor under the jet until the hot water turned cold.

  CHAPTER 29

  A plate of hospital food was drying in the sunlight flooding into Gloria’s room. She was wearing a pair of her mother’s pyjamas, sitting propped up by pillows covered by an old blanket. A big bunch of stargazer lilies were shedding perfume and pollen in equal measure, staining the off-white doily on the bedside cupboard. Hernan Sanchez sat awkwardly on the edge of Gloria’s bed. His manner suggested that he wanted to say something but couldn’t find a way.

  ‘Okay, what’s wrong? I can see you want to tell me,’ said Gloria.

  ‘There is something you need to know before you read about it in the newspapers.’

  ‘What is it, Papi? You’re worrying me.’

  He took her hand and looked gravely into her face.

  ‘I’m ashamed to say that I was involved with the Nazis as a young man.’

  ‘You? How? I don’t understand.’

  ‘I was working with Holger Ponce before he was Minister for Public Works.’

  ‘I don’t like that man. He’s so creepy and he always tries to touch me.’

  ‘He won’t ever try that again. He had a stroke this morning. I doubt he’ll survive, to tell you the truth. Anyway, he wasn’t nice back then either, but I was from a poor family, and being linked with him was a huge advantage for me. He made sure that I got minor contracts for public works and then split the profit with me.’

  ‘I always knew there was something not-quite-right about the amount of work you got.’

  ‘Well, that’s how most people in Sierramar got government contracts in the past. It’s getting more regulated now. Anyway, he introduced me to some Germans who were building a village near Lago Verde and needed a road. I wasn’t stupid, I realised quite early on that they were fugitives, but I took the contract because I needed it.’

  ‘But they were Nazis, I don’t understand why you helped them.’

  ‘I was young and foolish. A lot of us admired the German war machine and fascist ideals. It was exciting to be involved with notorious criminals.’

  ‘And getting government contracts at such a young age.’

  It’s ironic because I didn’t make any money from building the road as the mayor of Lago Verde and Holger Ponce fleeced me.’

  ‘And afterwards?’

  ‘Afterwards I started hearing about the concentration camps and other atrocities perpetrated by the Nazis in Europe and I refused to do any more work for them. I wanted to report them but Holger Ponce told me that I would never work again if I mentioned it. So, I’ve kept my mouth shut.’

  ‘Is that why you sent the report to Ramon Vega?’

  ‘Yes, I thought it was time to earn your respect. You’re so brave. Your mother would be proud.’

  ‘Thank you, Papi. I know it was hard for you to tell me that.’

  ‘You don’t hate me?’

  ‘Don’t be silly. The baby needs a grandfather.’

  ***

  After Sam had finished her shower, she went outside to sit in the sun with Alfredo. Segundo came back into the laboratory to set a scene for the police. He put his gun into Kurt Becker’s hand and wrapped his fingers around the trigger. Then he used a laboratory glove to pick it up and placed it on the seat. He removed Becker’s shoes and took them outside to where Boris Klein’s body lay. He used them to kick the leaves where Alfredo had lain, making sure they got splashes of blood on them and then he took the shoes back inside and put them back on Becker’s feet. He went back outside and found Sam and Alfredo sitting on a tree trunk in the sun.

  ‘We need to wipe down the site for your prints,’ said Segundo. ‘Can you help me?’

  They put the bed back against the wall and wiped down the furniture and the door clean of prints. Sam tried to remember what she had touched in the laboratory besides the trolley. She shook out the covers to check that she hadn’t left anything behind and the snakebite unit fell out onto the floor.

  ‘What’s that?’ said Segundo, ‘it looks sinister.’

  ‘It saved my life,’ said Sam. ‘It’s a stun gun. Do you want it?’

  ‘Yes, please.’

  ‘It’s yours. I don’t think I want to be reminded of what happened today.’

  The security guard who had come around from being hit on the head, was only too pleased to corroborate the story that Becker and Klein had fought, and that Becker had killed Klein and committed suicide. In return for his freedom, he told the police later that there was no-one else in the laboratory at the time. Segundo was not a man to be crossed and the guard had no wish to go to prison for helping the Nazis.

  Sam went outside after a while and sat on the log while the others cleaned up. She was not sure how to feel. Relieved of course, but sad, too. The whole Nazi thing was still a mystery to her. Why anyone would want to try and clone a mad dictator was something she would never understand. They had waded into something so far outside the norm that it felt like a nightmare and not like a real event that took place. At least they were alive, except for poor Saul. Alfredo had promised to get his body sent back to New York for an honourable burial. Segundo had arrived in the nick of time and she had been saved from a short life as a surrogate mother for Hitler. Where did that leave her with Simon? She was missing him despite herself. He had asked her to move in with him. How many times had she fantasised about that? And she had ruined it by blurting out the pregnancy thing. It felt like her fault. The course of true love was never smooth. She had picked a man who was giving her a particularly bumpy ride, but it didn’t feel over, not yet. She just couldn’t accept it.

  When they were finished at the laboratory, they got into Boris Klein’s pickup and drove it to Lago Verde where they picked up Gloria’s car. Segundo had left it in the hotel car park and he tipped the hotel manager with a large note and a warning to forget about his visit.

  On their way out of town, they had to reverse into the ditch several times to let vehicles pass, as the media circus was coming to San Blas in a convoy of flashy vans with satellite dishes on top. Segundo drove them as far as the main road where he descended from the vehicle.

  ‘I’m going back to Calderon now,’ he said. ‘You take the car south to the hospital at Valle de las Incas. Don Sanchez is there with Gloria.’

  ‘Thank you, Segundo, we owe you our lives.’

  ‘Miss Sam, I could never have found the place if it wasn’t for your work on the aerial photographs. I’m sorry I was so dismissive. Alfredo would be dead without you.’

  They shook hands and Segundo went to stand at the stop for the regional buses.

  ‘Shall I drive?’ said Sam, ‘The driver gets to choose the cassette.’

  ‘Go on then. Are you feeling good enough to drive?’ said Alfredo

  ‘If you were a girl, I could tell you how I feel,’ said Sam

  ‘Right. Don’t tell then. I don’t think I want to know.’

  ‘Let’s have some AC-DC.’

  ***

  They
got to the hospital in the early evening. Visiting time was over but the staff allowed themselves to be persuaded to accept a generous donation to the office party fund and waived the rules. Hernan Sanchez, to whom the rules did not apply, saw them walking down the passage and came towards them. He embraced Sam and had an awkward handshake with Alfredo. Sam was about to go into Gloria’s room but Hernan stopped her.

  ‘I think Alfredo should go in first,’ he said winking. Sam was amazed and confused in equal measure.

  ‘Okay sir, thank you,’ said Alfredo, who had already started down the corridor.

  He got to the door and shyly opened it. The door swung shut behind him, leaving him standing there, gazing at Gloria was sitting up in bed with her eyes shining.

  ‘Darling,’ she said, ‘You’re not hurt?’

  ‘You silly goose, aren’t you the one who’s in hospital?’

  He rushed forward and took her in his arms.

  ‘Oh God, I thought I’d never be able to do this again. You can’t escape from me now. I’m going to marry you.’

  ‘And who said I was going to accept?’

  ‘Aren’t you?’

  ‘Well, since I’m carrying your baby, it might prevent my father from having you shot.’

  ‘Baby? What do you mean? I thought, you said, didn’t you, what? How? Are you sure?’

  ‘They say it’s four months gone already. I thought I was getting a little plump. I never imagined that I was pregnant.’

  ‘But isn’t Sam pregnant? Has the world gone mad? What’s going on?’

  ‘I don’t know. What do you think?’

  ‘I think I’m the happiest man in the world.’

  ‘You’ll have to compete with my father in that case.’

  ‘Could we call it a tie?’

  Sam, who had caught the last comment asked ‘Call what a tie?’

  ‘Sam, you’re safe, thank goodness. Are you okay?’

  ‘Yes, I’m fine. I’ll tell you the gory details later. How about you?’

  ‘I’m pregnant.’

  ‘You’re what?’

  ‘Pregnant. They’ve done the tests. I’m going to be a mother.’