Dangerous Allies

by Renee Ryan

  This time, Elena squeezed back.

  They stood still in the moment, mother and daughter connecting on a deeper level than they had in years.

  Elena blinked, breaking the spell first, then kissed Katia’s cheek. “You are going to be fine, Katarina. Just fine.”

  “Yes. After tonight everything will change for us both.”

  They shared a brief, self-conscious hug, then Elena stood back a step and looked around her. “But where is Herr Reiter? I thought he was escorting you this evening.”

  “An unexpected business matter came up. He will be here shortly.” I hope.

  Katia turned to look around the ballroom. But when she didn’t see Friedrich right away her initial confidence turned to worry. He should have completed their mission long before now. “I wonder where he is,” she said aloud.

  Elena touched her arm. “Not to worry, darling. I’m sure he’ll arrive soon enough.”

  “Yes, he will. He would never let me down.” She smiled as she spoke, but she couldn’t help wondering what was keeping him. He had seemed so determined to protect her from the admiral.

  Please, Lord, please let him be safe.

  Short of going in search of him, there wasn’t much more she could do at the moment. So she forced her mind to refocus. “Mother, would you mind introducing me to Admiral Doenitz while we wait for Friedrich to arrive?”

  “I’d be delighted. He is just over there with Hermann.”

  Although not especially excited to speak to Elena’s fiancé, Katia allowed her mother to maneuver her through the crowd. They were interrupted at least a dozen times, but Elena Kerensky was an expert at charming her guests with a smile and a few words.

  All too soon they stopped in front of the admiral. “Herr Admiral,” Elena began. “I would like to introduce you to my daughter, Katarina Kerensky.”

  Doenitz gave her a slight smile, but his eyes remained hard. “Ah, the famous actress. Kapitän Schmidt and I were just speaking about you.”

  Terror threatened to peel the layers of her role away, but Katia forced down the emotion and blinked up at her mother’s fiancé. His eyes were sharp on her, weighing and measuring.

  Undaunted, she gave him the vacant smile she reserved solely for him. “I trust you said nothing but good things about me, Hermann.”

  With an ironic twist of his lips, he nodded. “Of course, Katarina. Nothing but good things.”

  “Well, then, I thank you.” She held back from speaking further while her mother continued looking on.

  No matter what, Katia would not include Elena in this complicated battle of wills, especially now that her mother knew about her dangerous secret life.

  As though sensing Katia’s need to speak to the men alone, Elena said, “Well, darling. I’ll leave you and Hermann to entertain the admiral while I tend to my other guests.”

  She gave each of them a brilliant smile before turning to leave. No one but Katia would guess Elena’s fear for her daughter. The woman was proving a better actress than Katia herself. She was very proud of her mother.

  But now that she was alone with the two Nazis, she felt like a hen trapped in a den full of foxes. Her best weapon was silence.

  When both men simply blinked at her, she decided to play shy, as though she was overcome with awe over the admiral.

  Ignoring Hermann, she turned her full attention to Doenitz. “I have never met an admiral before.” Her words came out soft and a little shaky.

  Doenitz lifted his eyebrows. “No?”

  “I am quite overwhelmed.”

  They stared at one another, neither looking away, neither acknowledging Hermann. Katia held on to her smile, adding just the right amount of famous actress to the gesture. She knew this role well.

  Doenitz, for his part, continued holding her gaze. To an outsider, they looked enthralled with one another.

  Which was true enough, but not for the obvious reasons.

  Hermann cleared his throat. “Yes, well, I better help Elena.”

  Neither Katia nor the admiral responded. Instead, they continued to stare at one another. And stare and stare and stare.

  Giving a quick farewell and a promise to return to speak to the admiral before the night was over, Hermann turned on his heel and left.

  Once alone, Doenitz broke the silence first. “Your mother is a lovely woman.”

  Katia was not sure what was in his voice. It was not truth. And certainly not affection. “Yes, she is.”

  “It would be a shame if anything were to happen to her.”

  Pretending to misunderstand, Katia steered the conversation toward the mundane. “Are you enjoying the ball, Herr Admiral?”

  He clasped his hands behind his back. “I do not wish to sound ungracious, but I much prefer the sea to a crowd of people. And I understand, Fräulein, that you enjoy the sea air, as well.” The smile he sent her was as tough and cold as his voice.

  Sensing where he was heading, she placed a vacuous look in her eyes. “Why, yes, I do. On occasion.”

  His smile relaxed only a fraction as he turned to a passing waiter and plucked a flute of champagne off the tray. “I was thinking of a specific patch of sea,” he said, handing her the glass. “Along the coast west of here.”

  She lifted the champagne to her lips, but only pretended to take a sip of the wine. She couldn’t afford to be light-headed now that the conversation was steering into unfriendly waters. “Every coastline looks the same to me.”

  “Ah, but I understand you appreciate our little harbor in Wilhelmshaven more than most.”

  She lifted a shoulder, even as her breath tightened in her chest. “Perhaps in the summertime.”

  “I was thinking more in the vicinity of two nights ago.”

  He knew. The thought echoed in Katia’s ears. Round and round, over and over again. He knew, he knew, he knew.

  Her initial impulse was to inform the admiral she had no idea what he meant, but she decided to stick with the story she and Friedrich Reiter had told the guard that night. “A woman such as myself has to do what she must to find a moment of privacy now and again.”

  “You don’t deny it, then?”

  She struggled to keep her tone mild. “Of course not. Why would I?”

  “Why, indeed.” He spoke evenly, but his gaze turned shrewd and calculating. “If my memory serves, it was very cold that night.”

  She knew he was leading her down a path, setting a trap. Be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. Yes, she would stay one step ahead of this particular snake, by cooperating with him more than he expected. “I think you are correct.”

  “Perhaps you needed a moment out of the harsh weather?” he said, with just enough menace to send a ripple up her spine.

  She twirled the champagne flute in her fingers. “Oh, I had my own ways of staying warm.”

  Changing tactics, he spun on his heel and offered his arm. “Shall we walk? A bit of exercise is always good for the blood.”

  Linking her free hand through his, she nodded. “If you like.”

  They strolled along the edge of the dance floor and then out onto the balcony. She glanced up briefly at the moon. The tiny sliver shone bright against the midnight silk of the sky. Such a lovely evening, she thought, too lovely for the ugly business of war.

  “Now that we are completely alone, I will get straight to the point.”

  She dropped her hand by her side. “I always appreciate honesty.”

  “There was an intruder in my private quarters two nights ago. I think it was you.”

  “Me?” She would not panic. “You must be joking.”

  “I do not joke. And I suggest you don’t try my patience. Was it you, or not?”

  “Ah,” she began, her voice perfectly even, her emotions completely shut down except for one. Anger. She used it to spark indignation in her voice. “What an absurd question.”

  “Yet, you do not deny you were in Wilhelmshaven two nights ago.”

  Katia gave a c
areless shake of her head, lowered her voice to a whisper. “You must understand, Herr Admiral, I was with a special…friend that evening. Which is not something I wish to share with the world. If you capture my meaning.”

  “So you came to Wilhelmshaven for privacy.”

  “Precisely.”

  “Then you won’t mind if I check out your story?”

  She gave him a carefree shrug of one shoulder. “Do what you must.”

  “If you would be so kind as to give me your friend’s name, we’ll end this conversation now. And thereby avoid bringing your mother into this.”

  For a hideous moment, her mind froze. “My…my mother?”

  “I don’t suppose you wish for her to be subjected to questioning, now do you? Especially over a simple lover’s tryst. And when I say questioning, I’m sure you capture my meaning.” He left just enough unsaid, hanging in the air between them, to put terror in her heart.

  Katia started to give a name, any name, then remembered that the Gestapo already knew the identity of her “lover.” It was possible the admiral did, too. “I was with Friedrich Reiter that night.”

  “And who is this Friedrich Reiter?”

  Another burst of panic had the air clogging in her throat.

  But then a familiar voice sounded above the pounding of her heart. “I am Friedrich Reiter.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Katia whipped around, her gaze landing on the one man she trusted to protect her above all others.

  If he’d been successful tonight, he should not be here. He should be on his way to England. But he was here, just as he’d promised. She’d known he would come to protect her, but was he also here to salvage the mission with what little time they had left? Or had he completed their mission? Adding to her confusion, he didn’t look like the man she knew. There was something different about him tonight, something almost sinister in his bearing. His eyes had turned hard and ruthless, while his lips curled into a cold, vicious smile that made him look like a, like a…

  Nazi.

  “And who exactly are you?” Doenitz asked.

  Forgetting all about the mission, Katia decided she would like to know the answer to that question herself.

  “I am SS-Sturmbannführer Friedrich Wilhelm Reiter.” He gave the Nazi salute. “Heil Hitler.”

  Doenitz returned the salute, and then angled his head. “You claim you are SS, yet you wear no uniform.”

  Katia’s thoughts ran along similar lines, but for very different reasons.

  Who was this man, she wondered? She didn’t see any of Jack Anderson in him now. What sort of horrors must he endure for this role? How often had he played it?

  As if in answer to her unspoken questions, Reiter narrowed his eyes in cold menace. “If you have any doubts as to my identity, Herr Admiral, you may take it up with my direct superior, Reichsführer Himmler.”

  “You work with the Reichsführer, directly?”

  “Yes.”

  The hard lines of Doenitz’s mouth flattened. “In what capacity?”

  Reiter’s cold smile disappeared, replaced with a cruel twist of lips. “A little of this, a little of that.”

  Doenitz’s face contorted as if he was in pain. “Am I to assume, then, that you were in Wilhelmshaven with Fräulein Kerensky two nights ago under the Reichsführer’s orders?”

  Katia held her breath as she waited for the answer along with Doenitz. She knew there was something going on between these two, but she didn’t quite understand. And yet, somehow it all made perfect sense. Friedrich Reiter was SS. Karl Doenitz was old-school navy. They would hate each other on principle alone.

  For the first time since his arrival, Reiter looked at Katia directly. For an instant, she saw in his eyes the God-fearing man who had begged her to return with him to England, but then the hard SS officer was back in place.

  “Perhaps,” he said, turning his ruthless gaze back to the admiral, “you should take that up with the Reichs führer himself.”

  Doenitz visibly stiffened. “An excellent idea. If you will excuse me, I have a telephone call to make.”

  “That won’t be necessary, Herr Admiral.” Reiter’s tone was viciously polite, and in that moment, Katia could very well imagine the man capable of cruelty beyond imagining. “The Reichsführer is waiting for you in the ballroom.”

  On full alert, feet braced for battle, Jack held his position in front of Katarina until Doenitz turned on his heel and left the balcony. Only then did he turn to her. Trying to gauge her mood, he took his time searching her face.

  On the surface, she looked breathtaking in the long column of deep blue silk and sparkling diamond jewelry. But on deeper inspection, he noted her narrowed eyes and quick pants for air. She was distressed, more than a little stunned. And very, very frightened. He hadn’t expected that last bit. Had Friedrich Reiter scared her? He hated the thought. “Katarina?”

  She muttered under her breath, choked back a sob and then started muttering all over again.

  He didn’t catch a single word. “You want to try saying that again?”

  Pressing her hand to her heart, she took two fast inhalations and then spoke slower. “He threatened my mother.”

  Jack knew she was scared. He could feel her fear vibrating between them. But as she fought to maintain her outward calm, he found himself admiring her courage all over again. Katarina Kerensky was an amazing woman. “He won’t follow through. Not now.”

  She spun to glare at him, her eyes wild and just a little unfocused. “He knows it was me. He knows.”

  “He suspects. It is not the same thing.” Jack would make sure no harm came to her now, even if that meant taking her back to England with him.

  “He’ll be back.” She all but growled out her response. “And then what will I do?”

  “He won’t return tonight.”

  Fire snapped in her eyes. “Why?”

  “Himmler and Doenitz have far more serious matters to discuss than a break-in.”

  Hands shaking, she smoothed the hair off her face. “I… You… You’re really SS.”

  There was no defense against her accusation, other than the truth. “Yes. When in Germany, I answer only to the Reichsführer.”

  Breathing slower now, she nodded. “I think I understand.”

  Again, he thought how brave she was—dangerously brave, as was necessary in times such as these.

  Needing to comfort her, he reached out.

  She shoved his hand away. “I even understand why you couldn’t tell me all of it. I just don’t like that you’re so deeply involved with men like…him.”

  Jack wanted to defend himself. He wanted to see her look at the man he wanted to be, not the man he was. But there was no reason to argue over something that couldn’t be changed. Katarina’s ultimate safety de pended on getting past this discussion over his identity as an SS officer.

  Drawing her deeper into the shadows, he lowered his voice to a whisper. “Just so we’re clear, I was successful tonight. Our mission is over.”

  “I assumed as much.” Her tone was filled with relief.

  “I leave for England in an hour.”

  “I understand.”

  She stepped back into the light, the beacon washing her in its golden glow. With her dignity wrapped around her like a shield, she looked so alone. The reality of her courage tore at him. There was no way he’d be able to walk away from her now. Not without leaving a large part of himself behind. Lord, fill me with the right words to convince her to leave Germany.

  “Come back with me, Katarina.”

  Crossing her arms in front of her, she regarded him with blank, patient eyes, giving him the impression that she saw too much of Friedrich Reiter in him now. “I barely know you.”

  In that she was wrong. Dead wrong. He’d opened his heart to her. Fully. And now he owed her the rest of the truth. His truth. “You know me better than anyone ever has or ever will.”

  She continued staring at him, her eyes still a l
ittle unfocused. But he saw a brief flicker of hope in her gaze, a tiny hint of wavering that gave him the courage to push.

  “Come with me,” he repeated, pulling her carefully into his arms. “There’s still time to make the arrangements. Not much. But enough.”

  He half expected her to fight him, but she clung to him as tightly as he held her. “You know I can’t.”

  “I’m getting tired of repeating the same argument.” Desperation made his voice crack.

  “And I’m getting tired of repeating the same answer.”

  A good military man knew when he’d lost. This battle had been over before it had started. Nevertheless, Jack cared too much to retreat. Even if Katarina ended her work for the British, even if her mother never married Schmidt, Germany was a deadly place for people with Jewish ancestry—no matter how distant.

  “You cannot remain much longer.” Letting out a breath, he lowered his forehead to hers. “Tonight I’ve given you a small amount of protection, but it might not be enough over time. They will watch you closer after this.”

  “Then I lay low for a while.” She leaned her head against his shoulder and sighed. “Please. Don’t make me explain this to you again. This isn’t about you and me. It never was.”

  “I know.”

  She laughed, but there was no humor in the sound. “Try to understand. God’s will for my life is here in Germany.”

  Unsure whether to be pleased or suspicious over her reference to God, he took a deep breath. “This, from you?”

  She drew away then fixed him with a direct stare. “You’ve made a difference in my life, more than you know. I want to believe, I want to have confidence in God again. But I fear it’s not enough just to want it.”

  “Wanting is the first step, Katarina. Come with me. We can find our way back to the Lord together.”

  “Oh, Friedrich.” Her voice softened. “Neither of us have the luxury of putting our needs first.”

  Jack swallowed. Ached for what he couldn’t have. Cleared his throat. Then forced a smile. “I can’t change your mind, can I?”

  “No.”

  He was going to fail. No, he had failed. He knew that now. Accepted it at last. But he also knew he would return to Germany in less than a month, fully ensconced in his alter ego. He would find a way back to her. The thought made their parting easier. “I’ll pray for you. Every day.”