THE TEN THOUSAND

by Harold Coyle

  This request struck Lewis's assistant as strange. Lewis, a confirmed news junkie, always had someone, if he couldn't, listening to the WNN channel. It was therefore strange that he should give up watching such an important White House briefing. Perhaps, he thought, Lewis had simply given up on this situation. Maybe he was disgusted and didn't want to hear any more for fear it would only upset him. That theory, however, was shot when the assistant, after getting up and turning the television off, turned around and saw Lewis roll a pair of dice across the blotter on his desk. When the two cubes stopped rolling, he looked at the results and mumbled, "Not good. Hope Big Al has better luck." Then, with a smile, he looked up at his assistant as he scooped the two dice up and dropped them in the top drawer of his desk. "Well, let's get back to the schedule."

  They had just begun to do so again when the buzzer on his phone interrupted. Without waiting, Lewis mashed down the button that was blinking and picked up the receiver, almost as if he had been expecting the call. From where he sat, Lewis's assistant listened to the one-sided conversation in an effort to determine whom it was with and what it was about.

  "Yes, Abby, I saw him ... Yes, he did good.... No, I don't think there's anything more that needs to be said at this time. The ball's in Big Al's court and it's almost time for him to serve.... Yes, I'm packed and ready. I can be over there in half an hour and go straight to Andrews as soon as we're finished. ... No, I haven't had any second thoughts about this. I was already well past that yesterday and working on third and fourth thoughts.... Okay, if there's nothing else, I'll unplug from here and beat feet to the White House.... Yeah. Okay, good-bye, Madam President."

  Replacing the receiver, Lewis looked at his assistant. He had the faint trace of a self-satisfied smile on his face. "Frank, cancel all appointments for the rest of the day, tomorrow, and the next day. I'm headed back to Berlin. Please tell Mary on your way out to call my wife and put her through as soon as she's on line."

  Without any further discussion, Lewis leaned back in his seat while his assistant got up to leave. The last thing he heard before he closed the door to Lewis's office was the faint noise of two dice rolling across the blotter on Lewis's desk.

  14 JANUARY

  After spending eighteen hours bundled up in the back of an unheated truck with six other nurses and half a ton of assorted equipment, traveling the length and breadth of the Czech Republic, Hilary Cole expected to find more than an open snow-covered field at the end of their ordeal. She had been hoping they would find some kind of reception station or facilities. But there were none. The advance party that had been sent out six hours ahead of the main body, she found out as she danced around in the snow trying to hold the contents of her bladder just a little longer, had been there and left. Not only was nothing set up and ready for them, that news meant that they were going to need to load back up into the rear of a truck that offered all the creature comforts of a shipping crate and continue their long odyssey through the cold, dark winter night with no idea of where they were going or when they would get there.

  Though she didn't really understand what was going on in Washington and Berlin, Hilary Cole knew that things were badly screwed up and no one seemed to know what was going to happen next. Though she understood all too well that the political games being played out between her government and the Germans controlled her future, as well as the future of every man and woman in the 553rd Field Hospital, they were of little concern to her at that moment. What was foremost on her mind was finding someplace where she could find some privacy, for she knew if she did not relieve herself soon it would come gushing out of its own accord. And that, she knew, would only make the miserable conditions she had no choice but to tolerate even worse.

  Looking about in the dark, Cole saw nothing that even remotely resembled a building or structure. As she held her arms close to her chest, half trying to protect herself from the bitter cold wind that cut through her like a knife, a voice from somewhere in the dark shouted for everyone to mount up and prepare to move. "No!" she shouted. "They can't be serious. They can't."

  Another nurse next to Cole gave out a soft, low whine. "Oh, Hilly, they've got to be kidding. I can't take another hour in the back of this damned truck. Can't we just..."—she looked about—"well, can't we just stay here and rest? They have to let us stop somewhere and rest, don't they?"

  As the sound of truck engines coming to life began to spread down the column, Cole realized that there would be no rest, at least not here and not now. Though she was hard pressed to conceal her own disappointment, Cole did her best to comfort her friend. "Look, Pat, if this next little jaunt down the road gets us closer to Germany and out of this miserable country, I'm all for it. Besides," Cole continued, spreading out her arms and turning to her left and right, "there isn't a decent place within miles. That truck may be miserable, but at least it's headed in the right direction."

  Slumping over and holding her arms tightly across her chest, Pat began to move to the truck. "Personally, I think it's a great idea to go home. The only thing I can't understand is why do they need to make it so damned uncomfortable for us while we're doing so."

  Cole sighed. "Because, dear, this is the Army. You know, where every day is an adventure?"

  "Well, Hilary, would you make sure that our next adventure is someplace where the sun shines and it never snows?"

  Cole, though still dejected and cold, couldn't help but laugh. "Sure, Pat, sure. I'll be sure to tell the colonel that as soon as I see him. Now get those hips in motion, girl, and climb back on up. I got a feeling this is going to be a long night."

  If Big Al was nervous and uneasy about what he was about to do, Ed Lewis saw no sign of it when they greeted each other in Big Al's office. If anything, Big Al was as jovial as ever. "So, how're the boys in Berlin taking the news?"

  Lewis caught up in Big Al's cheerful, easygoing mood, smiled and shook Big Al's hand. "They're hoppin' mad. Fortunately for us right now, they really don't know which way to hop."

  Still holding Lewis's hand, Big Al looked into Lewis's eyes. "Then, I take it; they're buying the renegade general story."

  With a satisfied smile, Lewis nodded. "Hook, line, and sinker. Right now I imagine Ruff and the German General Staff are in the throes of playing a thousand and one 'what if drills. Ruff's last words to me as I left were 'If your President can't control her generals, the German Army can.' "

  Letting go of Lewis's hand, Big Al motioned Lewis to take a seat. "Then all I need is some bad weather, and away we go."

  Taking his seat, Lewis responded with a note of satisfaction, "And if the forecast holds, you'll have that tomorrow night. Light snow, overcast, and near zero illumination." Then as an afterthought, Lewis asked, a bit worried, "Will Dixon and his Trojan horse be ready?"

  Nodding, Big Al smiled. "Congressman, we're loaded, locked, and cocked. All I need to do is say 'bang,' and we're gone." Then it was Big Al's turn to get serious. "Tell me, how are things on the streets of Berlin? What's the German public reaction to all of this?"

  Leaning forward in his seat, Lewis placed his elbows on his knees and clasped his hands together. "As you know, the German Parliament is in an uproar. Between their debates on the wisdom of keeping the nukes and demands by the left that they, the Parliament, assert their authority in an effort to curb Chancellor Ruff, the members of Parliament have been unable to agree on any solutions to any of the problems Ruff has presented them. Though I believe most Germans will support some kind of action against our violation of German national integrity, many feel that Ruff's actions and demands are a little too extreme and provocative. That's why the Parliament is trying to block Ruff's call-up of the reserve units. They feel that if they can reduce his military options, he will be forced to enter into serious negotiations."

  "And what," Big Al asked, "are the chances of that?"

  Lewis simply shook his head. "This whole thing has now become a great power struggle for Ruff, both an international contest as well as
an internal one. All of Germany, including the Bundeswehr according to our military liaison officer in Berlin, is torn right down the middle. As the specter of armed conflict becomes more and more a possibility, the debates, public and private, are becoming more and more heated. Only in the eastern part of the country is there a clear consensus in favor of Ruff."

  This statement caused Big Al to slap his knee. "Dixon was right. Damned if he didn't call that one right on the money. I just hope the German intelligence chief isn't as devious as Dixon."

  Lewis looked at the general for a moment, wondering what he was talking about. Seeing Lewis's look, Big Al explained. "Eastern Germany was of course for years communist. Since the late 1940s the people have been raised to hate the United States and Americans. Old Scotty pointed out that while a run through eastern Germany would be the shortest route to the sea, militarily and logistically sound, it would be right through the middle of a population whose sympathy would be, at best, questionable. In Bavaria and central Germany, where American forces were stationed for years, we would find greater support from the people. They, after all, are used to us. Our pledge to pay for all damage to personal property and our calls for noninterference will be more credible there than they would be in what used to be East Germany."

  "That," Lewis said, "makes sense and follows what the CIA chief in Berlin told me. It appears that the government officials and parliamentarian representatives of the southern states, especially Bavaria, are openly criticizing what they call Berlin's dangerous provocations. This division seems to be reflected, though somewhat muted, within the Bundeswehr itself."

  "I'm counting on that, Congressman. The muddier we can keep the international and internal waters, the better our chances."

  Interrupting, Lewis held his hand up. "There's one thing that puzzled both the CIA chief in Berlin and me. How, exactly, General, did you manage to get the Poles involved in your deception plan?"

  This brought a big smile to Big Al's face. "Long story. You see, my grandfather was a Polish immigrant by the name of Malinoski, Stanislaw Malinoski. When he came to America at the turn of the century, he quickly discovered that in order to get ahead in America you needed to be a citizen and have an Anglicized name. He figured that if he joined the Army, which was then looking for a few good men to fight in the Philippines, using the name Stanley Malin, he could get both. Well, he did, as well as a career. When he came back, he was a sergeant, earning a comfortable living and having prestige that his fellow Polish immigrants didn't have. So he stayed in the Army, married, raised two sons, and started a military tradition. One son, my father, went to West Point and graduated in time for World War II. Between World War II and Korea, he had me, who followed his footsteps."

  Lost, Lewis just nodded.

  "When the American embassy held its New Year's Day reception, I met the Polish ambassador. After telling him this story, he embraced me like a long lost brother and invited me to the Polish embassy to join him for lunch whenever it was convenient. Knowing that German intelligence would be watching me like a hawk, I decided to take the ambassador up on his offer the other day. It appears that the Germans followed. But"—holding up a finger and with a smile on his face, Big Al added—"just in case they missed that, I invited the Polish military liaison officer out here to join me for dinner that night and to tour my headquarters."

  Settling back into his chair, Lewis shook his head in disbelief. "And you moved some units to Liberec, near the Polish border, just to make sure the Germans drew the right conclusions."

  Big Al chuckled. "It worked, didn't it? Thinking that there was the possibility of an end run through Poland, the Germans were obliged to deploy three of their divisions on the Polish border, in part to block a threat that isn't there and in part to threaten the Poles if they allowed us to do so. This threat has caused the Poles to increase their state of readiness and send several of their divisions to the border. Now, even if the Germans find out they've been duped, they cannot pull those divisions away from the border so long as the Polish divisions are deployed."

  "So," Lewis summarized, "you've eliminated several German divisions before you've even crossed the border."

  "I hope so, Congressman. With three divisions on the Polish border, three divisions facing my fake deployment areas in the northern Czech Republic, one tied up with the French-German multinational corps, and one in northern Germany watching for the Marine Corps to come storming ashore, that leaves only one heavy division in reserve around Berlin and their airborne division free for immediate redeployment. The mountain division facing us to the west is more concerned with keeping an eye on the logistical units in Grafenwöhr and Hohenfels than watching the Czech border. With any luck, by the time they realize that we're going west through Bavaria and not interested in slipping the units in Germany east, it will be too late for them to establish effective blocking positions in Bavaria."

  There was a pause as each man began to consider the next step. Those thoughts washed away the enthusiasm that they felt over the success of their maneuvers and manipulations to date. Finally Big Al spoke. "Will the President stay the course?"

  "She is, General, committed. Like you and me, she understands what is at stake here and is willing to sacrifice her career, come what may."

  That statement caused Big Al to grunt. "That's awfully big of her, considering that I've asked the people under my command to risk their lives in an enterprise that none of them understand and that I can't fully explain to them. I just hope that we can keep them together when the going gets tough. I have already ordered commanders to leave behind anyone whom they suspect won't be able to make it, physically or mentally. Besides some three hundred plus pregnant soldiers, I have over a thousand single parents and a couple thousand non-essential personnel staying in the Czech Republic. They'll be flown out via Austria and Italy once we get started. Still, a lot of good soldiers who start the march aren't going to make it to Bremerhaven."

  "Will they follow you, I mean once they find out that you've been labeled a renegade and are, at least as far as the general public is concerned, acting on your own and against the announced wishes of the President?"

  "I can safely say," Big Al said with an air of confidence, "that I have more confidence in the reliability of my soldiers than Chancellor Ruff has in his. To hedge my bets, I will maintain for as long as possible the Armed Forces Radio Network in order to feed my soldiers the information I want them to hear as well as to give the Germans public service announcements. The German public will no doubt use AFN to check the line their own government is handing them. I am, in fact, counting on it." There was a pause. Then he added almost as an afterthought, "Besides, once the shooting starts, it won't matter what anyone believes. By that time, we'll be deep in the heart of Germany and every man and woman in this command who's still with us will realize that their own road to salvation will be to stay with their unit and follow orders."

  Lewis thought about that for a moment. "That, General, is rather cynical and manipulative, isn't it?"

  "War, Congressman, always has been and always will be cynical and manipulative in the extreme. Cynical old men, too old and frail to wield the sword or pull the trigger themselves, have for centuries labored to manipulate the strong, young, and brave to do it for them, using some damned excuse or another. In that regard, I'm no better than Herr Chancellor Ruff. He has something against the United States and he's using his Army and his people to get back at us. I just hope that when Herr Ruff and I meet our maker, he, and not I, gets to join Hitler for eternity."

  Lewis suddenly became quite solemn. "Have you ever thought, General Malin, that perhaps Herr Ruff is hoping for the same thing?"

  Part Three

  MALIN'S

  MARCH TO

  THE SEA

  CHAPTER 10

  15 JANUARY

  For over three hours, ever since the last of the mess trucks packed up and left, the company commanders of 3rd of the 3rd Mechanized Infantry Battalion had remai
ned gathered about their battalion commander's humvee waiting. Except for them, the small train station bathed in a sickly dull blue light was abandoned. On the track beside them a train that disappeared in the darkness to the southwest, loaded with their combat vehicles, also sat waiting. Inside each of those vehicles strapped down on the train's numerous flatcars were the crews, who, like their commanders, sat huddled together in silence as they tried to protect themselves from the cold and boredom of waiting. All good topics of conversation had been exhausted well before their last hot meal for many days was over, leaving the assembled groups of combat leaders with nothing of value to discuss. All the orders for the forthcoming operation had been issued. Rehearsals at every level, from battalion down to platoon, had been completed. Concerns had been aired and addressed. Pre-combat checks and inspections had been completed. Pep talks and the few final cheering words that the leaders could manage had been said. Now there was only waiting. Each commander, lost in his or her own thoughts, stood ready like a great jack-in-the-box ready to spring into action as soon as one word, like the latch on the lid, was released.

  Standing next to a wooden lamppost at the railroad crossing where her commander's humvee sat, its silent radio waiting to blare out their final order to move, Captain Nancy Kozak pulled out the copy of the message that their corps commander had ordered all commanders, down to company, to read before their assembled units. As befitted Lieutenant General Malin, the corps commander, the message was to the point. In the faint light, Kozak reread the message dated January 14th.

  Circumstances have placed this command in a difficult position. As you know, a nation that we had until very recently counted as one of our best allies has created an international crisis in which we, the Tenth Corps, are being treated as expendable pawns. The leaders of that nation, men who are no better than their Nazi forefathers, have seen fit to hold us, the Tenth Corps, collectively guilty for the errors and policies of our elected officials, officials who have seen fit to capitulate to the demands of the Nazi leadership in Berlin.