The Munich Faction 2: Enforcer, page 7
part #2 of The Munich Faction Series
“The Parteileiter is going down for a series of meetings, and I can’t go. I would like you to accompany him in my stead. The security team will be under your supervision.”
“Of course. I should remind you that I have had no training in executive security.”
“Erich Strang will lead the team itself and report to you,” Rainer said. “Does that ease your concerns?”
“Erich knows what he is doing. He just gets unhappy when I make him ride in a JU88 transport.”
Rainer snorted. “He has said something about that. But Herr Schloss will take his Condor, so you can ride in a real airplane.”
“That will certainly be more comfortable.”
Rainer handed a stack of mimeographed pages over the desk to Gerhard.
“Here is the agenda for the trip. Also included are the standard policy guidelines for guarding senior party members. I will give the same documents to Erich.”
“Will I be responsible for food and lodging for the security team?” Gerhard asked.
“The party is supposed to provide that. However, I will issue you enough cash to cover expenses if somebody slips up in Munich. Just don’t lose it.”
“I will hold it close, just like I do my Katlin.”
Rainer groaned. “Let’s not get maudlin, Gerhard.”
“Very well. Are we expecting trouble in Munich?” Wicklein asked.
“I always expect trouble,” Rainer replied. “That way, I am never surprised. But, no, there is nothing that indicates you will have problems. But Herr Schloss is critical to the Reich, and I take no chances with his safety. He thinks I am an old woman, but I am serious about this.”
“Everyone knows you are an old woman, Karl, but I understand what you are saying.”
“Thank you,” Rainer said dryly. “But you must pay attention to everything around Herr Schloss at every minute.”
“I understand and will keep your advice in mind.”
“Now go to your office and start reading. You need to have those documents memorized, or nearly so.”
Wicklein jumped to his feet, clicked his heels together, and shouted, “Jawohl, Herr Special Assistant.”
“Get out of here before I throw something at you,” Rainer laughed.
Gerhard sat down at his desk and skimmed the documents. He thought this would give him a good overview of what he needed to learn. Brucks quietly set a cup of coffee on Gerhard’s desk.
“Thanks, Gottfried. Are you handling the logistics for the trip from this end?”
“Yes, Gerhard,” the secretary responded. “I always have that task for the Parteileiter.”
“Good,” Gerhard nodded. “Erich and I will need to sit down with you, maybe tomorrow, to go over your part of the operation.”
“I will be happy to help.”
The secretary slipped out of the room, and Gerhard thought he moved like a ghost. Brucks was another veteran of Schloss’s Munich office. The Berlin office now ran in such a way as to reflect Schloss’s superb organizational skills. It confirmed that it was Schloss’s skill that made the Munich office run so smoothly.
Wicklein began to carefully read the paperwork. Karl was altogether likely to quiz him on the content, and Gerhard did not want to be embarrassed. The protocol for the Parteileiter’s travel was complex and confusing. Gerhard wondered if the document needed a rewrite.
“And we’re taking another trip,” Lieutenant Erich Strang said as he walked into Gerhard’s office.
“Yes, but we are traveling first class this time,” Gerhard said. “Unless, of course, you want to travel in the alternate airplane.”
“A Tante Ju,” Strang replied, shaking his head. “No thanks, although that would be preferable to the JU88 we rode in before.”
“Just keep up that positive attitude. Have you selected the travel team yet?”
“I just heard about this five minutes ago,” Strang complained. “How am I supposed to have all this done already?”
“I thought you were Herr Efficiency, Erich.”
Strang flipped him an obscene gesture and left the office. Gerhard just laughed.
§ § §
April 3, 1941, 10 AM
Over Central Germany
After days of frantic preparation, the airplane flight was anticlimactic. The droning of the BMW radial engines lulled Gerhard into a deep sleep, and he jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. When he looked up to see Heinrich Schloss standing in the aisle of the Focke-Wulf Condor, he jumped again.
“Relax, Gerhard,” Schloss chuckled. “I want to have a private word with you after we land in Munich, so don’t go too far.”
“Of course, Herr Parteileiter. I am at your disposal.”
Schloss smiled, nodded, and then returned to his seat at the front of the passenger cabin. Gerhard looked across the aisle at Erich Strang, who raised an eyebrow. Wicklein mouthed the word later to him. Now that he had been startled into wakefulness by Schloss’s interruption, sleep fled him.
Gerhard took advantage of the time to pull the agenda and other documents from his travel bag and review it yet again. The documents Rainer handed him dated back to 1935, and parts no longer applied. He and Strang had spent a long evening reviewing and rewriting the policies and agenda to suit the needs of the present trip. They had surprised Brucks the next morning with a massive typing job. Once that was complete, they hustled the documents to Rainer, who pronounced it good. Then, Brucks had to retype the paper onto the mimeograph stencil, which was a far more exacting job.
The fresh documents were distributed to the leadership of the travel party, which included Schloss himself, plus the party members also going to Munich. Between that and organizing the motorcade to Tempelhof and coordinating with the hosting group in Munich, Gerhard was exhausted. Well, he had learned to survive on little sleep when his son confused days and nights. Marching around the apartment at 3 AM with a screaming child was not the most restful thing he had ever done.
Gerhard leaned across the aisle to speak with Erich.
“Seen any problems with the security team?”
“No,” Strang responded. “It’s a solid team. They all have been on the road with the Parteileiter at one time or another. They know what to expect.”
“Good. Are they loyal?”
Strang looked around to see if anyone was trying to listen. He decided the conversation was safe because it was hard enough for them to hear each other over the sound of the engines.
“Herr Rainer and I have vetted them. Beyond that, we will just have to stay alert.”
Gerhard stared at Strang for a few moments. “That does not reassure me, Erich.”
“It is what it is. Rainer was satisfied.”
“We don’t need any excitement,” Wicklein said.
“Mein Gott, don’t even talk about it!”
Gerhard was reassured that Karl Rainer was satisfied with the security staffing. But he still didn’t like the absence of full confirmation either way about the loyalty of the team. The radical Nazis were still upset about Bormann’s fall and blamed Schloss for it. Several security team members had also escorted Martin Bormann on his journeys around the country. And nobody could read minds.
As they descended into Munich, the sun reflected off the brilliant white of the snow-covered Alps. Whatever else one could say about the birthplace of the Nazi Party, the scenery in Munich was dramatic. Gerhard had lived here for a few years before his move to Berlin and still drank in the view.
Once the Condor settled onto the runway at Munich, things began to happen quickly. The JU52 or Tante Ju had arrived earlier, carrying half the security team. The guards lined up on the tarmac to honor the Parteileiter but were also watchful.
The local party officials from Brown House were present at the airport to welcome Schloss, and they had even provided a small band, which struck up the national anthem when the Parteileiter appeared at the head of the ladder.
The airport building was not large, and Wicklein evicted the station manager from his office so Schloss could talk.
“Nothing serious, Gerhard,” Schloss said, trying to reassure him. “You probably noticed that we did not schedule a banquet for tonight. That was for several reasons. One is that I am not very happy with Herr Daumer. The other is that I planned a private dinner for this evening. I would like you and Lieutenant Strang to provide security, just the two of you. I don’t want our people to spread rumors, and it’s none of Herr Daumer’s business.”
Wicklein nodded. “Of course, Herr Parteileiter. What time do you wish to leave the hotel?”
“I think about six o’clock would be fine. I will provide the locations when we leave. You will need to arrange for a car from the motor pool at Brown House.”
“Of course. I will take care of it.”
Schloss smiled at Gerhard. “Thank you. You have become important to our work, and I appreciate it.”
He touched Gerhard on the shoulder as he left the office. Strang looked curiously at him as they walked to the motorcade.
“Later,” Gerhard said.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
April 3, 1941, 6 PM
Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten
Munich, Germany
Lieutenant Strang carefully instructed the two guards flanking the doorway into the Parteileiter’s suite when Herr Schloss stepped into the hallway. He looked at Strang and Wicklein.
“Is everything ready, meine Herren?” he asked.
“Yes, Herr Parteileiter,” Wicklein replied. “The car is parked in front of the hotel and under guard. We can leave at your convenience.”
Schloss cracked a slight one-sided smile. “Now would be convenient.”
The three men took the elevator to the lobby and walked through the front doors. A 1940 Mercedes 320 was parked at the curb with two guards stationed by it. One of the guards opened the backdoor for Schloss. Gerhard climbed into the front passenger seat while Strang got behind the wheel. Strang turned to look expectantly at Schloss.
Schloss handed Strang a slip of paper. “This is the address where I will have dinner. Do you know where that is?”
“Yes, Herr Parteileiter.”
Strang started the engine and pulled away from the curb. The trip across downtown Munich was short, and Strang stopped in front of Gasthaus Bavaria. Gerhard grinned when he saw the destination. He had partaken of several meals in the place and thought it was a good choice.
“Erich,” Schloss ordered, “stay with the car. Gerhard, come with me.”
Wicklein quickly jumped out of the car and opened the door for Schloss. The Parteileiter waited for Gerhard to get ahead of him and opened the door to the small restaurant. Herr Mittner bustled over to meet them.
“Herr Parteileiter, it is a pleasure and an honor to have you in the house,” Mittner said. “The dining room is ready, and your guest is here.”
Schloss pointed behind the counter. “There is a chair where you may wait, Gerhard.” He turned to Mittner. “Please prepare a meal for Herr Wicklein and Lieutenant Strang, who is waiting in the car.”
“Of course, of course,” Mittner responded, guiding Schloss to the private dining room.
Mittner returned and handed Gerhard a typewritten menu. “You may order anything off the menu, Herr Wicklein.”
“I will just have the sausage and potatoes along with a lager,” Wicklein replied.
“Ah, Herr Rainer’s favorite meal,” Mittner chuckled.
“What can I say? It’s very good.”
Mittner patted Gerhard on the arm. “Your compliments are always welcome here, Herr Wicklein. Now, let me go see what the Lieutenant wants to eat.”
“The Lieutenant will be happy with bread and water,” Gerhard said.
Mittner chuckled all the way to the door. Gerhard leaned back and scanned the restaurant. He recognized some of the regular patrons, and everything looked normal. He did not expect trouble tonight, but it always paid to maintain situational awareness.
Mittner walked past Gerhard and commented, “The lieutenant said that bread and water was fine with him if that was what you were having.”
“If he believes I’m having bread and water,” Gerhard commented, “I see no reason to correct his misperception.”
Mittner laughed and disappeared into the kitchen. Just a few minutes later, Mittner set a platter on a small table next to Gerhard’s chair. As usual, the food smelled wonderful. He decided to pace himself so the food would last longer. He suspected Herr Schloss’s dinner meeting would continue the entire evening. The clock on the wall helped him keep track of time; however, it did not move very fast. He wondered how Erich was doing in the car.
At about 10 o’clock, Schloss came into view. With him was a striking red-haired lady. Gerhard quickly concluded she was one of the more beautiful women he had ever seen.
“Gerhard,” Schloss said, “please ask Lieutenant Strang to return with the car at 7 AM. I want you to remain and provide security for the upstairs corridor.”
“Of course, Herr Parteileiter.”
Wicklein walked quickly to the door and then to where Strang waited in the car. Erich rolled down the window as Gerhard approached.
“The Parteileiter wants you to return with the car at seven in the morning,” Gerhard said. “I will remain here to provide security.”
“Herr Schloss is spending the night?” Strang raised his eyebrows.
“I’ll tell you about it tomorrow, Erich.”
Herr Mittner led Gerhard up the narrow staircase to the second floor of the Gasthaus.
“You can sit here in this chair where you can observe the corridor door. You may want to visit the toilet. I will wait here until you return.”
Mittner pointed to visit the water closet, and after taking care of business, Gerhard returned to Mittner.
“Here you go, Herr Wicklein. It will likely be a long night.”
Gerhard had worked several long days before the trip, and little Karl was fussy the night before. He wondered how he could stay awake for the next nine hours. But he also did not want to let down the Parteileiter.
The sound of Mittner’s staff doing dishes and cleaning the restaurant drifted up from below, and that gradually tapered off. It grew very quiet in the building. A little later, he thought he heard a woman cry out and jumped to his feet. Then he felt embarrassed. Whatever happened in the guestrooms was none of his business, and he sat down again.
At about 2 AM, he thought he heard a noise downstairs. The tendrils of sleep that were teasing him fled as he grew alert. Hearing the creak of someone walking up the stairs brought him to his feet. Herr Mittner appeared again and handed Gerhard a mug of coffee.
“I thought perhaps you would find this helpful,” Mittner said in a low voice.
“Oh, thank you. I was starting to get sleepy.”
The coffee was very good. Gerhard wondered where Herr Mittner had found it because good coffee was impossible to find in Berlin. Herr Schloss even complained about the coffee served in the party offices.
At six in the morning, Gerhard began to hear voices and clanking downstairs. The Gasthaus also had a thriving breakfast business, and Gerhard had eaten his first meal of the day there on several occasions. The aroma of bacon and sausage wafted upstairs, reminding him how long it had been since his last meal.
Fifteen minutes later, Herr Mittner crept up the stairs again and brought him a platter of bacon, sausage, eggs, and potatoes. He set up a tiny folding table next to Gerhard’s chair and set the platter down. Then he set a mug on the table and filled it with coffee.
“I don’t know how you manage all that, Herr Mittner.”
The proprietor smiled. “Long years of practice,” he said in a low voice.
Promptly at 7 o’clock, the Parteileiter stepped into the corridor and shut the door behind him. He walked down the short hallway to the toilet and returned a few minutes later. Gerhard stood as Schloss approached.
“I see Herr Mittner has taken care of your breakfast, Gerhard,” Schloss said.
“Yes, mein Herr. It was very good.”
Schloss smiled. “Then let’s be on our way.”
As he followed Schloss down the narrow stairway, he decided that the Parteileiter had the saddest smile he had ever seen. And he was also glad he did not have to carry the burdens that the other man did.
Erich Strang stood by the fender of the Mercedes resplendent in his SS uniform. Gerhard had learned to dress well through Katlin’s tutelage, but he always felt slovenly around the Lieutenant. Strang quickly ran around to open the back door for Schloss. Gerhard climbed into the passenger seat up front.
“Back to the hotel, mein Herr?” Strang asked.
“Yes, Lieutenant,” Schloss replied. “I trust you had a good night’s rest.”
“Yes, mein Herr.”
“Good, good. Gerhard, I want you to put your head down this morning for at least four hours. We will leave for Berlin this afternoon, and I want you to be alert.”
“Of course, Herr Parteileiter.”
Once they had accompanied the Parteileiter back to his room, Gerhard turned to Strang.
“I guess you can check the guard rotations. I’m going to bed.”
“You were up all night, Gerhard?”
“Yes, it was a long night.”
“And are you going to tell me what happened?”
Wicklein hesitated. “This may be a need-to-know situation, Erich. Let me talk to Karl, and if he gives the okay, I’ll tell you about it.”
Strang glared at Wicklein for a few moments. “Sometimes I hate you, Gerhard.”
“That’s your problem, Erich. Sometimes you take things personally.” Wicklein grinned at him.
Strang swore at him and turned to stomp down the hall. Gerhard chuckled to himself as he made his way to his room. After the heavy breakfast and the coffee, he did not expect to sleep, but he immediately dropped off.
§ § §
April 6, 1941, 8 PM
Wicklein Apartment
Berlin Germany
Following Gerhard’s release from the doctor’s care, Frau Kassel had returned to Munich or wherever she had come from. While he did not miss the old woman’s intimidating glare, he had come to appreciate her cooking. Katlin generally did well in the kitchen, but Frau Kassel’s cooking was almost magical. Her cooking and her care for little Karl freed Katlin to assist in Gerhard’s recovery.
