"Svetlana will come by weekly to check on you, Nicole. Like me, she agrees this is the best place for the pregnancy to continue."
Nikoli had not been briefed on this. He would deal with his wife later. Again, she had usurped his authority without a consult. "What do you think, Kirilli? Should we abide by the wishes of our wives?"
Kirilli knew exactly what Nikoli was driving at. He would not be party to a coalition against the women; their attention must remain with the real enemy, Germans. "I think it is an excellent idea, dear wife. Nicole will be accepted as one of our own." He rose from his chair and walked towards the couple. He extended his right hand to Dmitri. "Congratulations, son." Dmitri accepted his father's hand. He then moved to Nicole. "You are a welcome addition to our household." He leaned over and kissed her cheek. Tears slowly moved from her eyes.
She looked towards her own father. "Father?"
"Yes, of course my dear, your mother is correct. The surroundings here are much more accommodating for a girl in your present state." I shall deal with your mother later. Svetlana recognized the tone, but her fear of Nikoli was dissipating. He would dare not permanently injure her. Nicole needed her more than ever now.
"Thank you, Father." Nicole beamed at Dmitri.
"Here is the key, son." Kirilli reached into his jacket removing the only key to the bedroom. "Take good care of her, son."
Dmitri took the key from his father's hand, thanked him with his eyes, and kissed Nicole long and hard. "Nicole, let us reacquaint ourselves. There is much to discuss."
The two young ones left the hall. Their footsteps could be heard moving down the corridor to their new quarters.
The adults had final preparations to review. Within a week they would be implementing the most intricate part of Nikoli's plan to date.
Dmitri held Nicole close as they walked down the empty, partially lit hallway. The last time he made the trip it was on orders. This time it was for pleasure and peace. Nicole's sweet apricot perfume flowed through his nostrils masking the mustiness of the old castle. Her warmth surrounded him like the leaves on an autumn wind. He had noticed when she walked into the room she held an eerie, beautiful glow about her. What he noticed the most was the sound and feel of two heartbeats flowing through her young body. One was strong and vibrant, while the other was weak yet fighting, their child. He could hear and feel the new life growing inside of her. The thought swelled him with pride.
He pulled the key from his pocket, placed it into the brass lock and turned the tumbler. A loud clang resonated through the hallway as the locking mechanism relinquished and opened. Dmitri pushed the massive door open. The room was in the same state as when they left it last. Dmitri moved to the large purple drapes and pulled them back; the evening light showered into the room. He pushed the large Venetian styled windows open, inhaled the rich cool evening air. "Nicole, come here."
She slowly made her way across the cold stone floor. She eyed the massive bed as she walked by. She remembered licking the wounds she had inflicted on Dmitri not long ago. She knew the next time they shared the bed it would be by choice. The thought placed a small loving smile on her lips. "Yes, Dmitri, what is it?"
"Nicole, I will never leave your side. I have heard the word love spoken by humans and listened to their descriptions of the word. I do not completely understand it. Maybe it is because we lack what they have, a true soul. What I do know is you are constantly on my mind and encompass my thoughts daily. Did the women tell you that we would have to move on after the child is born?"
She looked puzzled at the thought. "Why?"
"Father explained that when a child is born, the couple become restless, uncooperative, and combative. We will be forced to find our own place and start a clan of our own." Nicole smiled at the thought.
"Imagine a clan of our own, Dmitri. The idea thrills and scares me. But for now, I am only thinking of being with you. We will deal with the future as it comes. Come, lie by my side and feel the life that is growing inside."
Dmitri moved towards the bed and sat beside her. He placed his hand on her stomach and could again feel the heartbeats of both. He swelled with pride at the thought of fathering a child. "Nicole, my love, where shall we go when the child arrives?"
"It doesn't matter, does it? We shall be together." she replied. Her soft skin and beautiful deep blue eyes pulled him closer till their lips met.
"Nicole, I will never leave you no matter what happens. I will keep you and the child safe for the rest of our lives."
Nicole smiled. She pushed him back, stared deep into his brown eyes, keeping his full attention. She slowly pulled her dress off her shoulders and slid it down to her waist. She wasn't quivering this time. She wanted Dmitri to take her again. "My dear Dmitri, are you ready to taste the true pleasures of my body?"
His eyes moved down, examining the beautiful woman sitting beside him. He moved his right hand cupping her chin, moving her lips within a centimeter of his. "Yes."
Chapter 16
Raiding
Nikoli opened the leather-bound note book and examined the original plan he had presented. Everything to date was going according to plan. He mentally started checking off the progress with his eyes:
Phase I: Enemy identified - done no comment required.
Phase II: Conversion of guards - done easier than I thought. The master race is no match for the Romanovs.
Phase III: Acquiring a high ranking officer - Colonel Eckhardt someday I shall have to address my wife on how this came about.
Phase IV: Converting a general what a masterful plan I developed. The look on the general’s face as my wife approached and ended his pitiful existence. Masterful, just Masterful! Napoleon would have showered me with praise and medals for the plan and its execution.
The next phase had targeted General Heidrick. It would not be necessary to keep him in the plan with General Von DerGraff and Colonel Eckhardt on their side. He would be dealt with in time. He marked a line through Heidrick's name and moved onto to the next Phase.
Phase V: Heinrich Himmler - how are we going to take the fight to him? The plan will not succeed until we have taken the fight to the heart of the enemy. Our methods are working well in our own area, but until we have confronted the real enemy, what are we accomplishing? How shall we gain the appropriate attention of Herr Himmler?
Phase VI: Adolf Hitler - we have to deal with Himmler first then we can deal with Der Fuehrer.
A smile crept across his worn face. My plan is working flawlessly. The only reason I agreed to this accursed alliance is I needed their numbers to carry out the battle. But when this is finished...”
"Nikoli, what are you smiling about?" Svetlana was standing in the dark doorway to his war room.
"None of your business, woman, and why did you not knock? When I am in this room I will not accept any intrusions while I work." His words were hard and hateful as always.
"I apologize for interrupting, but Sergei has brought a message. Kirilli wishes to talk to you. He will be here in the morning."
"What does our friend want? Does he wish to change our plans? Has he lost the stomach for the war?"
"No, sir.” Sergei entered the room. "He wishes to review the next phase of the plan. He felt it would be better to meet here instead of Bezpieczenstwo. The Germans have increased the patrols around Krakow and he didn't want to draw unwanted attention."
Nikoli saw the wisdom in Kirilli's suggestion. "Very well. I will await his arrival. I'm sorry but we weren't expecting guests. You will have to rest in the stable." Sergei nodded and left the room.
"Woman, the next time you let a Boirarsky into my house, I assure you, it will not go well for you."
Svetlana took her leave. One day Nikoli, one day I will avenge the words that you shower upon me.
Kirilli arrived early the next morning. Stephan and Sergei met him as he brought the carriage to a halt. "Good morning, Father. I trust the trip was uneventful?"
"Yes, it was. Did you pa
ss on the message to Nikoli?"
"Yes, Father. He didn't seem very pleased, but the message was delivered."
"Stephan, do you think your father will ever fully embrace what we are trying to accomplish?" Stephan could add no insights for Kirilli. "Sir, he tells me nothing. He is waiting in his war room." One could hear the distaste in his words.
"Kirilli, how nice of you to come. What an unexpected pleasure. Where is your lovely wife? I'm surprised you showed up without her," sarcasm poured with his words.
"Nikoli, I shall ignore your condescending comments for the moment. We need to begin the next phase. The bacteria is running its course in those we converted. Time is now our second enemy."
Nikoli knew Kirilli was correct. The bacteria would mature after ninety days. They had two months to figure out how to take the battle to the real opponent, Heinrich Himmler.
"Yes, yes, I know all about that. Do you think I'm an idiot? Remember, this is "my” plan and it is progressing on schedule." Nikoli leafed through his book and made a few more notes.
"We need to start sending out parties of eight. Each party will consist of four of the converted guards, and four from each clan. They will masquerade as captured prisoners when they come in contact with any patrols. We do not need to convert any more of the Germans. We shall eliminate the entire patrol and bring them back for feeding. We need to start striking fear in the Germans."
Kirilli let the thoughts sink in and recognized the wisdom in the plan. They had converted enough guards to carry out the assigned tasks. Nikoli moved towards the teetering bookshelf and removed a large book. He laid it on the table and carefully opened it, producing an excellent geographical map of Krakow and the surrounding cities.
"We shall concentrate our efforts to the north and northwest of Krakow. We will have to find appropriate housing, for each raid will last at least two, if not three, days each. The entire mission will require two to three weeks to accomplish. The whole purpose is to strike fear and helplessness in our opponent. Concentrating on these areas will keep the Germans off balance and with luck, they will learn they are not welcomed in Southern Poland. They will not think about looking to the east or south for the attackers. The first set of towns I propose are Miechow, Wolbrum, Trzyciaz, and Skala. My clan will work these areas. Your people will handle Myslowice, Tychy, and Bielsko-Biala."
Kirilli studied the map as Nikoli's fingers pointed hard at each chosen town. The choices were perfect. Each town (with the exception of Tyzyciaz) was a major intersection. He saw why each mission could last possibly two to three days. They would have to scout the areas and study the patterns of the guards’ activities. He had noticed that road and rail traffic had increased in the last weeks. "Nikoli, you have chosen well. I believe the tactics we used at Skawina will be well suited for these areas. We will need to use caution. I have noticed an increase in convoys of late."
"Losing your nerve, Kirilli?" He let out an uncomfortable laugh.
"No! I am only pointing out that we need to be careful," his tone matched the cynicism in Nikoli's laugh.
"Good to see you two are working so well together." Svetlana's voice moved through the room.
"Woman, what do you want? We have important business at hand and once again your intrusion is unwelcome."
"I apologize for the intrusion; I wanted to let Kirilli know I will be arriving within the week. Nicole needs her mother right now."
Kirilli stood up from the chair out of courtesy, to acknowledge her presence. "I understand."
"The bond between mother and daughter intensifies as the child grows. I will only be here for about a week. I know we still have missions to carry out, but Nicole requires my presence for the moment."
"Thank you, Svetlana, we shall take that into consideration."
"Enough of this! We have more important issues at hand. That business is for women and not warriors. Wife, leave now."
Svetlana flashed another look of hatred towards her beloved husband, turned to Kirilli and thanked him for his kindness.
"Can we get back to business or would you like to become a nursemaid?"
Kirilli was not amused with the comment. "Yes. When shall we commence with the next phase?"
"Immediately. As you know, the bacteria is running its course; we have a limited time to use our infected Germans."
"I have one question. There is one part of the plan we have not addressed. How are we going to take the battle to Herr Himmler?"
Yes, how indeed.
"I am still working on those details." When in reality he had not even thought that far in advance.
"I will let you know when it is ready," his words were shaky and unsure.
"Nikoli, I will be waiting. Take care not to think too long. The clock is ticking."
* * *
It was as Nikoli predicted. After the attack on General Von DerGraff, Colonel Eckhardt had been forced, by order of General Heidrick, to double the patrols and leave no stone unturned. The Germans had concentrated their efforts to the south and east of Krakow. Twice, they had visited Bezpieczenstwo, and twice they had questioned Kirilli, Sasha, and Dmitri. A third visit might require a trip to police headquarters in downtown Krakow. Attention needed to be diverted to other sectors. Nikoli's plan would provide that.
"Sasha, I am sending the group out tomorrow. The Germans are becoming suspicious. We must turn their attentions elsewhere. Call the boys."
"Yes, husband."
He walked into the meeting hall. Everyone was seated and waiting - Sasha, Dmitri, Nicole, Eva, Sergei, Roman and Zoya. He moved with confidence to his chair, pulled it out, but remained standing.
"It is time to increase our efforts. To date, the missions have been more successful than Nikoli and I had hoped. The Germans, as you know, have made several visits in the last month asking questions. We are going to divert their attentions away from us. Dmitri, Nicole and Zoya, you will remain here. It is too dangerous for any of you to join in the hunts. Dmitri, your presence is required here for twofold reasons, one to watch over Nicole, and two, to ward off any intruders while we are gone." He slowly made his way towards the huge bookshelf while talking. He studied the shelves and removed the book he sought.
"We are going to be attacking swiftly and randomly." He placed the book on the table and removed a large, crisp, folded map. He carefully unfolded it and laid it out. The other members stood as he started mapping out the attacks. "We shall strike first at Myslowice, then Tychy, and finally at Bielsko-Biala. The hope is to pull the attention of the Germans to the north and northwest. Nikoli will be concentrating to the north of Krakow. They will be attacking Miechow, Wolbrum, Trzyciaz, and Skala."
His finger moved flawlessly over the map, pointing out the cities chosen for the current mission with great fascination and scrutiny.
"This should keep our adversaries very busy. We will be splitting up the groups. The first group will consist of Roman, Darya, and myself, plus four guards. The second group shall be Sasha, Sergei, and Eva plus four guards. I have set up these groups for a purpose. If any of us fail in our attempts, at least one group has a person who can see to the safety and continuation of the clans. Our goal is to strike as much fear and terror in the enemy as possible. We must isolate the patrols we locate and dispose of all of them in the most violent methods available. There will be no conversions. We have enough for our present plan. There are enough bodies in storage for the three of you to feed for two weeks. When we return, we shall replenish the depleted supply. Are there any questions?"
"Father, what if none of you return?" Kirilli looked at Dmitri.
"Son, then it falls upon you to safeguard the remaining members, leave this home, and start a new clan."
"Dear husband, when do we start?"
"We leave in the morning."
* * *
A meeting that mirrored Kirilli’s was held at the Romanovs as Nikoli outlined the next great battle. He hammered home the point that they were not interested in converting any guar
ds. They were going on a mission of destruction. It reminded him of past conquests and raids. They took what they wanted, only this time the only bounty they were after wasn't precious metals, or jewelry; it was blood.
* * *
Kirilli didn't like the idea of being gone so long but it was necessary. They needed to keep the Germans off balance and (as outlined by Nikoli) inflict the greatest amount of damage and terror in the least amount of time. The bacteria was running its course; they must make the Germans fear to tread on Polish soil.
The Boirarskys arrived on the outskirts of Myslowice one day after departing. The sky was dark and gray as Poland was gripped in another hard winter.
"We shall split up and meet in two days, north of town where 70 and 75 converge. No group will wait more than four hours for the other. If one of our groups does not arrive as scheduled, then the surviving group is to move on to the next target and continue to carry out the plan. Understood?"
"Yes, Father, I understand." Roman was prepared for the task at hand.
"Husband, be safe. We shall all be together in two days." Sasha knew this was not the time for a display of affection. It was a time for preparing to fight. She and her group were ready to inflict as much fear and terror in the Germans as they could.
"Wife, I shall see all of you in two days."
Each group made their way into the forest and silently walked through the snow covered floor.
* * *
Occupation Page 21