“I happen to know the perfect place to hold a private conversation.
Follow me, gentlemen.”
The pilot led them into the main cabin of the Bell 212. Since their two escorts remained right outside, Karl turned on the cassette player, and soon the rousing refrains of Grieg’s Peer Gynt all but guaranteed their privacy.
“All that you need up here is barbed wire and this place would be the perfect prison camp,” observed Arne.
“Who needs barbed wire on Svalbard?” returned Knut.
“It’s not as if there were anywhere close by to escape to up here.”
“I think that you’re being too critical of the place,” interjected Jakob.
“Don’t forget where we are. The nearest settlement is Longyearben, and that’s not saying much. Svalbard’s coal outposts are notorious for being among the most isolated in all the world. These people up here are not used to strangers, especially uninvited ones. Why the only visitors they get are coal ships in the summer, and themselves in the winter.”
“I’m not so sure that the coal mines up here in North Cape are even active anymore,” offered Jon.
“Did any of you see any miners or their families around? And where’s all their equipment?”
“We did see those two trucks, that Dietricht said were going to the mines,” answered Arne.
“I’ve been around long enough to know that those vehicles certainly weren’t coal trucks,” said Jon.
“Around Oslo, panel trucks like that are used for light delivery purposes.”
“What do you think is going on up here, General?” asked Arne.
Mikhail leaned up against the cabin’s forward bulkhead and thoughtfully answered.
“I agree with Jon that coal is not the purpose of this settlement’s current existence, though it most probably was at one time.
As I was saying before, the few individuals that we’ve managed to meet have all the trappings of being military trained. And of course, then there’s the matter of that pennant that was hung on our barracks’ wall. A similar one flew from a flagpole outside that warehouse we passed. I have seen this design before, in Argentina.
The black and white globe with the gold star above the North Pole is the standard of the Rio de la Plata coal company. I know for a fact that this supposed consortium of German and South American investors is nothing but a front for the Neo-Nazi organization I have spent the better part of my life trying to destroy — Werewolf!”
“But if that’s the case, why bother shipping the heavy water up here?” asked Karl.
“Svalbard is hardly a practical place to start a Fascist revolution.”
“Right now, I’m just as perplexed as you are, my dear,” replied the Russian.
“If only we could remain here long enough to do some further investigation and monitor the heavy water once the trawler arrives.”
“I believe we can arrange that,” said Karl, who reached into the breast pocket of her jumpsuit and pulled out a single fuse.
“This chopper’s not going anyplace until this fuse goes back in place.”
“Then all we have to do is figure out a way to stall for some more time,” added Arne.
“That shouldn’t be too hard to accomplish,” said Knut.
“Karl and I will start stripping down the engines.
And we’ll make such a mess out of things that it will take a good twenty-four hours to put it back together again.”
“That should give us plenty of time to do some snooping,” remarked the photographer.
“And I think that the perfect time to get on with it will be this evening.”
“I’d like to have a closer look at where those two panel trucks were off to in such a hurry,” offered Jakob.
Mikhail added.
“That sounds like a good place to get started. But how will we manage to do all this exploring on foot?”
The photographer’s face broke out in a sardonic smile.
“Who says anything about travelling on foot? We’ll figure out a way to get us some wheels. Don’t forget, General. You’re in the capable hands of NUEX now.”
Much to the consternation of the two men that had been assigned to assist them with the repairs, Karl and Knut spent the day tearing down the Bell’s engines.
It was evident that the helicopter would never get off the ground in the immediate future, and one of the sentries left to inform the associate director of this fact.
Klaus Dietricht paid them a visit soon afterward.
He was noticeably upset when he saw for himself the work that yet had to be done on the helicopter, and pressed them for a completion time. Karl casually mentioned that twenty-four hours seemed like a reasonable estimate. Only after getting her to definitely commit to this time frame did Dietricht reluctantly offer them the use of their dormitory for yet one more night. He left them with an angry scowl, and a warning that if they weren’t ready to go as promised, a helicopter would be chartered at their expense to convey them out of North Cape by the next sunset.
It was pitch black outside by the time they returned to the dormitory. Before even having the opportunity to properly wash up, they were rushed off to the mess hall where a meal of canned sardines, cheese, stale bread, and liver spread was served. Their guard watched them poke at this food somewhat amusedly before escorting them back to the dormitory.
Karl and Knut had formulated a plan to effect their escape while working on the engine. The success of this scheme all depended upon how much sex appeal the pilot could summon, and just how amorous their young guard was at the moment.
It was well past lights out, when Karl climbed from her bed and slunk out into the hallway. Fortune was with her as she caught the wide-eyed sentry immersed in a dog-eared copy of Playboy. He did a double-take when Karl seductively smiled, pulled down the shoulder of her blouse, and beckoned him to come closer.
He swallowed heavily, stood, and almost tripped over his feet as he moved forward to obey her silent command.
Karl was enjoying the role of a seductress. Besides, her young victim wasn’t all that bad looking, though he was at that age when his complexion was giving him problems. Thankful that he was a man of a few words, she easily lured him away from the entrance to the bunk room She didn’t even have to make skin contact with him as she stepped aside, forcing him to turn along with her. No sooner was his back toward the doorway when Knut appeared in the shadows behind him. Knut innocently tapped the young guard on the shoulder. He obediently turned his head and was met by a hammer-like fist blow directly on his jaw. This was the only punch needed to send him to the floor for a ten count and much more.
From the same shadows that Knut had come from, the other members of NUEX emerged, along with Mikhail Kuznetsov. They were fully dressed and even had the pilot’s parka in hand as they proceeded straight to the dormitories exit.
“Nice job, Karl,” complimented Jon.
“Now let’s see about getting those wheels.”
Outside, the intense cold hit them like Knut’s fist on the young guard’s jaw. Luck was once more with them as their desired course put the biting wind at their backs. They walked quickly and silently, their way lit solely by the waning moon.
When they finally spotted the corrugated steel warehouse that they had seen from the road earlier, Knut and Arne broke out into a trot. By the time the rest of the group caught up with them, Knut had succeeded in forcing the lock to the structure’s garage with a tool he had brought from the helipad for just this purpose.
As Arne slid the garage door upward, a relieved sigh was shared by all as they set their eyes on a mud stained compact delivery van. Not only was this vehicle unlocked, but the keys were still dangling from the ignition.
“Get in,” commanded Knut.
“I’ll drive.”
Both Karl and Mikhail scooted in next to him on the front seat, while the other members of NUEX climbed into the back where they sat on the cold steel floor alongside several shrink
-wrapped cases of canned goods. It proved to be Arne who identified the contents of these cans.
“Somebody sure must like their beans. There’s got to be well over five hundred cans of the stuff packed back here. Anyone hungry?”
No one took up his offer, and Knut turned over the ignition and rammed the gears into reverse. They transit ted the road down to the bay in a matter of minutes, and were soon speeding over the narrow asphalt thoroughfare that followed the coastline for the first couple of kilometers. At no time during this entire journey did they pass another moving vehicle.
With the flickering lights of North Cape now well behind them, the road began gradually turning away from the water. Slowly they began gaining elevation, the black mountains looming before them like giants from another realm. Knut downshifted as the road began snaking up a series of switchbacks. He was in the process of steering the van around a tight corner, and was reaching over to downshift, when he suddenly slammed on the brakes. Everyone in the van was thrown violently forward by this unexpected stop.
“Hey, Knut! What the hell’s going on up there?” quizzed Arne angrily.”
This question was met by a moment of silence that was broken only by the confounded voice of Karl Skollevoll.
“What in the world happened to the road? It couldn’t just end here.”
Arne, Jakob and Jon peeked over her shoulder to see what she was carrying on about, and set their combined gazes on a confusing sight. Only a few meters away from their current location, the asphalt pavement terminated in an abrupt dead end, replaced by the sheer rock face of a mountain.
“Now hold on a minute,” remarked Jon.
“Knut, did you see any turnoffs on the way up from the coast?”
As NUEX’s chief engineer shook his head that he hadn’t, Jon continued.
“Then where did those trucks that we saw this morning end up?”
On pure impulse, Karl snapped open the van’s glove compartment and removed a plastic garage door opener. She held it up before her and depressed its trigger mechanism. Slowly, the unthinkable started to happen — the solid rock face that lay before them started to slide upward! In its place shined a blindingly bright bank of flood lights.
A voice cried out from this void.
“Hey, you! Quit sleeping and get that crate inside. You know the Director’s rule about leaving the entryway open.”
Spurred into action by these words, Knut started up the van and drove cautiously forward.
“Get a load of this place!” exclaimed Arne as he wondrously peered out the van’s side window.
The immense cavern which they now entered seemed dimensionless, especially since the majority of the flood lights were focused downward, toward the cave’s floor. Before being allowed further access, a burly guard sauntered up to the driver’s window and peeked inside.
“Kind of late for a delivery, isn’t it fellow?” he questioned.
Knut’s ad-lib skills were put to the test as he calmly answered.
“I guess that depends on who you’re working for. When the associate director found out that these supplies hadn’t been delivered he threw a fit and sent us, his very own staff, to complete the job.”
The guard snickered and examined the van’s passengers with the help of his flashlight.
“Well I’ll be. Herr Dietricht’s really getting everyone involved now. Why I’ve never seen any one of you around here before.”
“You should come visit us over in administration someday” offered Karl with her sexiest smile.
“It can get awfully lonely over there.”
“I wish I had the time,” replied the guard.
“But like everyone else, they’ve got me working double shifts. It seems I never get out of this damn pen.”
Deciding that they had exchanged enough small talk, Knut got down to business.
“Where do we drop off our load, my friend? This delivery stuffs a little new to us.”
The guard grinned.
“It’s about time you pencil pushers saw the operational end of our little project. Have you gotten a chance to see the boat as yet?”
Not having any idea what he was talking about, Knut shook his head.
“Like yourself, we’ve been chained to the office. This will be the first time for all of us.”
“Prepare yourselves, then, for the thrill of a lifetime.
Just follow the yellow line that’s painted on the cavern’s floor to the pen area. You can park in front of the forward gangway, but for only as long as it takes to carry the supplies into the boat. What are you delivering anyway?”
“Beans,” revealed Jon from the back of the van.
“I should have known it,” returned the guard.
“No wonder Herr Dietricht sent you out here at this late hour. How can we send our brave sailors to sea without their precious beans!”
The van filled with forced laughter, and Knut saluted and put the vehicle into gear. The yellow line led them up a ramp and then down onto the floor of the cavern itself. And it was then that they saw it. Floating on a pool of water, and glistening under the glare of the overhead flood lights, was a golden submarine!
“As Lenin is my witness, it’s a German Type XXI U-boat!” exclaimed Mikhail Kuznetsov.
With a reverent slowness, Knut guided the van closer to the gilded vessel. The Norwegians were stunned into silence, and had to rely on the white-haired Russian to make some sense out of this surprise discovery.
“So this is the real purpose of this settlement. I bet this vessel was purposely mothballed in this hollowed-out mountain at the war’s conclusion. And all these years Werewolf was just waiting for the need to deploy it” “And what need is that?” asked Karl.
“Why the heavy water, my dear child!” revealed the enlightened veteran.
“What better vessel to utilize to convey this priceless treasure to the Rio de la Plata.
From here, the cannisters will most likely be shipped up the Parana River by freighter to the lab where the bombs will be assembled. And God only help us if they succeed in this endeavor!”
The gangway that the guard had mentioned came into view, and Knut slowly continued their approach.
“What do we do now?” asked Arne.
“Right now, I’d say that our best bet is to complete the delivery and get the hell out of here,” said Jon, who continued looking at the submarine and softly mumbled.
“You know, that sub looks awfully familiar.”
“I was thinking the same thing,” remarked Jakob, whose eyes opened wide with astonishment upon viewing the white numerals now visible on the vessel’s sail.
“Jon, do you see what I see?”
The photographer gasped in wonder.
“Oh my God, Jakob! It’s the sister ship of the one we boarded off of Utisra!”
“Do you mean the sub where you found the gold brick?” queried Karl.
“What gold brick is that?” questioned Mikhail as he turned his head to await a reply.
“It’s a long story, General,” returned Jon.
“While surveying the projected route of an undersea gas pipeline, the company we work for discovered a sunken submarine. We were called off of Lake Tinnsjo to take a closer look at it, and as we entered its rusted hull, Jakob found the gold bar. You know, come to think of it, didn’t Magne say something about it being Russian, from the time of the Czars?”
This revelation caused Mikhail to sway back dizzily, and for a few seconds he thought that he might actually faint. A thousand questions came into his mind.
But before he could express himself, Knut pulled up to the gangway.
“Here we are, ladies and gentlemen,” he said lightly.
“The faster we get this over with, the quicker we can get out of here. So I don’t want any shirkers.”
As the Norwegians assembled outside the van, Mikhail remained seated to sort through his reeling thoughts. So much had happened in so little time that he had temporarily lost his ob
jectivity. But it only took one look at the streamlined vessel that lay floating beside him to fine-tune his focus. And in that instant he knew what had to be done. The time of waiting was over. The time for action was at long last upon him!
Somehow, someway, the U-boat had to be stopped before it completed its mission. He could think of but one individual to accomplish this task — his twin brother, Alexander.
“Come on, General. I said there’d be no shirkers in this outfit,” prompted Knut from outside.
“Very well, comrade,” replied the veteran as he stepped out of the van.
Their cargo turned out to be twenty-five cases of Heinz pork and beans, packed twenty-five cans to the case. Knut managed to lift three of these shrink-wrapped cases at one time, while his teammates attempted only two. Both Karl and Mikhail were content to carry one apiece.
As they made their way up the gangway they were intercepted by a sailor who had just emerged from the aft hatch. This hefty individual was completely covered in grease and he spoke out with a friendly tone.
“Ah, now we’re truly ready to go to sea. Every sailor’s best friend has finally arrived. I was wondering when our beans would get here. Like I once told Captain Kromer, there’s more power packed in those cans than a hundred liters of prime diesel fuel. To hell with uranium235. Somebody should attempt tapping the power of the bean!”
Knut made a feeble attempt at laughing, yet the load he was carrying diverted his thoughts elsewhere.
“Where shall we store these?” he asked, his face red with strain.
The grease stained seaman answered apologetically.
“I’m sorry, my friend. Here I am spouting my big mouth off while you’re earning yourself a hernia. If you’d like, you can convey them through the forward hatchway. Be careful going down that ladder. Once you’re below deck, just tell the first sailor that you see that Siggy instructed you to store these precious valuables in the safest portion of the boat. He’ll know what I’m talking about, and will show you the way.”
“And make certain that none of those rascals try to talk you into giving them some free samples,” added Chief Sigmund Dortmund as he watched the motley assortment of workers head toward the forward portion of the sail.
The Golden U-Boat Page 27