“Yes,” Schloss mused, “you would do that, wouldn’t you? Does a major have the necessary clout?”

  “I thought, perhaps, we could brevet him a colonel for this project. If he performs well, we can adjust his permanent rank to lieutenant-colonel.”

  “Very well,” Schloss agreed. “You’d better get him on a plane out there as quickly as possible. Isn’t Schörner guarding our back door against Smirnoff?”

  “Yes, Herr Reich Chancellor,” von Rundstedt answered. “Things will be unsettled.”

  “Perhaps we should send Guderian or Rommel out there as well. I know they’re very busy, but this demands attention.”

  “I understand and agree completely,” von Rundstedt said. “I will make it so.”

  Schloss looked at Rainer. “I think I will want regular reports on this matter. It looks like things are heating up with our Munich Faction friends. What’s Wicklein doing?”

  “Wicklein isn’t saying much,” Rainer replied. “But he has worked his way inside the organization. If they are getting this aggressive, it may be time just to collapse the organization. We have a lot of names.”

  “I’ll leave that to your judgment Karl. Just don’t let things get away from you.”

  “Of course not, Herr Reich Chancellor.”

  “I know you think I’m meddling, Karl, but this concerns me.”

  “I understand, Herr Schloss.”

  “Gerd, do you think this will interfere with Smirnoff launching operations at the end of next week?”

  “I don’t think so, Herr Reich Chancellor. It looks like they will be ready on time to initiate on September first. It seems they are learning from our logisticians.”

  “Any indications they are playing us?”

  Von Rundstedt shook his head. “We have seen nothing like that, meine Herren. We have probed carefully, and I know Herr Rainer has as well.”

  “I don’t think they are, either,” Schloss said. “But I do not need any surprises.”

  The Reichsmarshall snorted. “Indeed, we do not. I fervently hope Smirnoff can substantially capture Ukraine before winter. If they can lock down their positions before spring, I think they stand a good chance of holding off Malenkov.”

  “Perhaps I am being a bit callous,” Schloss commented, “but I don’t care as long as we don’t have to worry about anyone coming across the border from Ukraine. There are too many other things for us to worry about.”

  After his guests left, Schloss poured himself another cup of coffee and strolled over to the window. The late summer sun was burning through the morning mists, and it would be a beautiful, though hot, day. He hoped Ribbentrop was making good progress on organizing the move back to Berlin. Schloss had just about decided he liked Frankfurt better than Berlin, but Berlin is where the government needed to be.

  The Russian invasion and the capture of Berlin had shaken the country, and Schloss understood the importance of rebuilding the confidence of the citizenry. Once the war ended, he and the other members of the leadership needed to get back to one of their important discussions: how would Western Europe look in twenty years, and what would they need to do to get there? The answers were complex.

  CHAPTER fifty-FOUR

  August 25, 1944; 10 PM

  Reich Chancellor’s Office

  Nazi Party Headquarters

  Frankfurt, Germany

  Heinrich Schloss leaned back in his chair and stretched. It had been a long day, and he could feel the pain in his buttocks from spending too much time in that chair. Even if his chair was a premium American piece, it seemed to have its limits for comfort. At least it was Friday. Gisela had inveigled him into visiting the park with the children on Saturday and staying away from the office. In truth, he was anxious to get away, if only briefly.

  He was tired, but not nearly so much as before the war reversed in Germany’s favor. Schloss was delighted about the complete defeat of a second Russian Army in Silesia. With Smirnoff to shortly march into Ukraine, perhaps the Germans would not have to worry about the Russians for a generation or more.

  “Kirche!” Schloss shouted. “Are you still here?”

  The secretary appeared in the doorway to the office. “Of course, Herr Reich Chancellor. If you are here, I will be here.”

  “We both need to go home. Who’s got the duty tonight?”

  “Corporal Binns is in the outer office, mein Herr.”

  “Fine. Tell him to bring the car around. Gisela is going to make it unpleasant for me because I worked so late.”

  “May I suggest that something like that is completely your fault, Herr Reich Chancellor?”

  “No, you may not! I’ll thank you to mind your own business.”

  “Of course, Herr Reich Chancellor,” he replied with a pronounced smirk. “I will have the car brought around.”

  Schloss shook his head. Some day that little circus clown is going to discover what happens when my patience is exhausted.

  He stood and pulled on his tunic. During the warm summer months, he had gotten into the habit of removing it in the office. He now was beginning to loath wearing the thing at all. He suspected his thoughts would change when the winter arrived. He strapped on his gun belt and walked from the office.

  Corporal Binns stood when he saw Schloss enter the outer office. The two men moved into the hallway and towards the elevators.

  “How’s the threat level, Corporal?” Schloss asked.

  “We are watching the Munich Faction closely. We know they are up to something. But things are quiet tonight.”

  “Fine. I want to get home to a late supper and then to bed.”

  “A long day, Herr Reich Chancellor,” Binns commented.

  “A long week, Jan. But things are headed in the right direction. Before we pack up to head back to Berlin, I think I’ll take a vacation.”

  “It would be well deserved, mein Herr.”

  “I don’t know that I deserve it, but I am tired.”

  “I’m sure Frau Marsden will see that you get your rest.”

  “What is this, Corporal?” Schloss demanded. “How would you know about this, anyway?”

  They stepped into the elevator, and Binns grinned at Schloss. “We try not to pry, but our jobs require knowing much about you, Herr Reich Chancellor. And Frau Marsden is your most powerful guard.”

  “Most officious, anyway.”

  Karl Rainer was also trying to finish a long day. Since his marriage to Misty, he no longer worked all hours as a matter of routine. However, the Munich Faction was active. This was a good reason to remain in the office. Misty would have to be patient.

  Unfortunately, he had no one deep enough inside the organization to know what was happening. In Munich, Gerhard Wicklein was more deeply infiltrated into the group, but he was not hearing details either. But, with the risk of the Russian war receding, the Munich Faction felt more freedom to operate.

  Rainer’s phone rang. He snatched up the receiver. “Rainer.”

  “The Munich Faction is moving, Herr Reichsprotektor,” Wicklein said without preamble.

  “Very well, Gerhard. Keep the Operations Center updated.”

  Rainer dropped the receiver into its cradle and yelled, “Rolf, execute Case Seven.’

  “Jawohl, Herr Reichsprotektor.”

  Rainer stood up to leave the office when his phone rang again.

  “It’s Peter, Karl. The house is under attack, and Hennie isn’t home yet.”

  In the background, Rainer heard shouts and gunfire. He turned to the office door.

  “Rolf, the Reich Chancellor’s house is under attack. Call out the Quick Reaction Team.”

  “Jawohl, Herr Reichsprotektor. Mein Gott!”

  Rainer spoke into the phone again. “What do you need, Peter? I’ve got the Quick Reaction Team underway.”

  “We’re holding for the moment, but I think we are going to need help soonest.”

  “Right. Stay on the line. I’m going to transfer you to the Operations Center. I want someone here on top of what’s going on.”

  “Very well. At least Frau Marsden is here.”

  “That’s worth a battalion at least, Peter.”

  “So, it is,” Peter chuckled sourly.

  “Just hang on.”

  Rainer thought for a moment and yelled again. “Rolf, have the guard around my home augmented. And have the Foreign Minister’s call transferred to the Operations Center.”

  “At once, Herr Reich Protektor.”

  He thought for a few moments and then picked up the phone again. “Get me the Reich Chancellor’s Office.”

  Rainer was surprised when Kirche answered the phone.

  “This is Rainer. Is Herr Schloss still there?” Rainer demanded.

  “He left about five minutes ago.”

  “His house is under attack. Please ask the security people there to tighten things up around the party headquarters.”

  “Of course, Herr Rainer. Is there anything else I can do?”

  “Just wait. Do not leave the building. The Munich Faction is in motion.”

  Rainer slammed the phone down and stood. After buckling his pistol belt, he walked quickly downstairs to the Operations Center. He wished they were back in Berlin. The facilities and lines of communications were much better there.

  Schloss had his head against the seatback with his eyes closed as they moved across the city. A burst of static came from the radio speaker, and Binns picked up the telephone-style handset and responded. He listened for a moment and then leaned forward to tap the driver on the shoulder.

  “Case Seven, Sergeant.”

  “Acknowledged.”

  Schloss opened his eyes. “What’s going on?”

  “The Reichsprotektor has declared Case Seven.”

  “Mein Gott! The Munich Faction must be loose. We’ve got to get to the house as soon as possible.”

  The driver slowed down rapidly and turned right. He downshifted to second gear, and they heard the whine of the engaged supercharger as the big car accelerated. The rumble of the straight-eight engine rose to a roar.

  “Wait, this is not the way home,” Schloss shouted. “Driver, turn around!”

  “We cannot do that, Herr Reich Chancellor,” Binns replied. “Case Seven requires us to get you to the SS Headquarters as soon as possible.”

  “But my wife and children are there. They will be in danger.”

  “Our first priority is you, mein Herr. We have another team that will get your family to safety. I assume Frau Marsden is with them.”

  “And Peter is probably there, too. Mein Gott, what a mess!”

  Following their last adventure in Berlin, Karl Rainer had been explicit in his instructions. The Reich Chancellor was not to be risked, period. The guard group would ensure his safe delivery to the designated location regardless of what Schloss might say.

  § § §

  August 25, 1944; 10:30 PM

  Hotel Main

  Frankfurt, Germany

  Erhard Milch picked at his teeth nervously. For the organization called The Salvation of Germany, capturing the Reich Chancellor was the number one priority. If Schloss remained free, they could not hope to succeed. There were not that many resources he could call upon. The team had decided on a three-pronged attack. They would wait until evening and storm the Reich Chancellor’s residence, hoping to bag the Chancellor as well as the Foreign Minister and their families. A second team would attempt to enter the party headquarters on the off chance that Schloss was still at work. And the third team would attack the SS offices, mainly as a diversion.

  During his days in the Command and Staff courses, the instructors had repeatedly drummed into the officers the peril of depending upon surprise to achieve tactical goals. The art of surprise was to make the enemy see what he wanted to see. But those who were careless in designing tactics often had the surprise turned back on them.

  Milch knew he should not be dependent upon surprise to carry out the raids that evening, but the small size of his teams meant that audaciousness would carry them only so far. And operational security was good. Intellectually he felt good about the operation. But, his stomach was boiling with the tension.

  § § §

  August 25, 1944; 10:30 PM

  The Reich Chancellor’s Residence

  Nordend-Ost

  Frankfurt, Germany

  The two guards had quickly guided Peter, Gisela, and the children to the basement, where there was less of a risk that someone would catch an errant bullet. Gisela was white-faced, and Anna-Lisa cried. Hans was stoic as usual but looked frightened. The babies were upset at the sudden interruption of their routine and cried. Peter looked around the room where they had barricaded themselves and noted that Frau Marsden was missing. It somewhat reassured him since it meant the old woman was in action. He had learned over the previous three years to never bet against her.

  The gunfire rose to a crescendo and dropped off again. Peter wondered what was happening. The guards looked nervous. There was a loud explosion as a rifle grenade blew in the front door to the residence. They could hear breaking glass upstairs. The gunfire was halted by several piercing screams, and it grew quiet.

  “What is happening, Peter?” Gisela asked.

  “I wish I knew.”

  Outside the door, they heard heavy footsteps coming to the basement. The guards stiffened and held their pistols in their hands and aimed at the door. It grew still. Then they heard Frau Marsden’s voice.

  “Herr Schreiber, Frau Schloss, the attack is over. You may come out.”

  One of the guards held up a hand to silence them. “How do we know you are who you say you are?”

  The quiet laugh was unmistakable. “Ask your principals who is speaking.”

  The guard looked over at Peter.

  “It’s Frau Marsden,” Gisela said.

  Peter nodded in agreement. One of the guards held his gun at readiness while the other unbolted the door. As the door eased open, the old woman stepped into the room.

  “As I said, the attack has been broken. I would ask you remain here until the quick reaction team arrives. Events are in motion tonight.”

  “It was the Munich Faction?” Gisela asked.

  Frau Marsden nodded. “They had the notion that if they could capture the Reich Chancellor, they would hold the government. In that, they were mistaken. They still could create much confusion.”

  § § §

  August 25, 1944; 10:45 PM

  SS Offices

  Frankfurt, Germany

  As the executive limousine lumbered around the corner, Schloss and Binns immediately saw the muzzle flashes and heard the rifle reports of the assault on the SS offices. The driver slammed on the brakes, and the Mercedes 600 slewed to a halt. The driver crunched the shifter in reverse and attempted to whip the car into a three-point turn. He was quickly reminded that one did not try to whip a Grosser Mercedes around in any fashion. The car was too long and too heavy.

  With a roar and a whine of gears, the car backed along the street. The driver threw the wheel over, intending to slide the front around to change direction. With a loud clang, the car halted against one of the cast-iron street light posts.

  “Mein Gott, Driver, be careful,” Binns shouted.

  The driver shook himself and restarted the stalled engine. Shifting back into first gear, he gunned the engine and dumped the clutch. The car lurched as the engine stalled again. The car would not move. Binns was swearing now as he opened the door and went to look at the damage. The rear bumper and portions of the bodywork were wrapped around the post. The car wasn’t going anywhere.

  Schloss leaned out of the car. “What’s the problem, Jan?”

  “We need another car. Plus, I think we attracted attention from up the street.”

  Schloss now swore. “Mein Gott, what a night.”

  “Let’s shift to the chase car,” Binns said.

  “Right,” Schloss said as he slid out of the Mercedes.

  They trotted over to where the chase car had stopped and ordered everyone out. After they got moving again, Binns spoke.

  “The plan calls for us to go to the Wehrmacht base. Herr Rainer has vetted the key people there, so it should be safe.”

  “Let’s go back to my house,” Schloss insisted.

  “No, Herr Reich Chancellor,” Binns said quietly. “We cannot risk you.”

  “I order you.”

  “Sorry, mein Herr.”

  CHAPTER fifty-FIVE

  August 26, 1944; 8:15 PM

  USS Iowa (BB-61)

  Tokyo Harbor

  Tokyo Japan

  Admiral William Halsey stepped out onto the open deck of the Flag Bridge and gazed around the harbor. The evening seemed unusually quiet, and he fervently hoped it would stay that way. As the senior American officer in Japan, he worried that things could quickly become unglued, especially since Emperor Hirohito was a guest on the battleship Iowa.

  The Japanese navy was fervent in its support of the emperor, while the army maintained that the Americans were holding Hirohito prisoner and demanded his release. Halsey’s orders from Washington were to give the emperor every consideration as a guest and defer to his wishes concerning the Japanese government.

  Halsey leaned on the combing and lit a cigarette, hoping for a bit of peace after the day’s activities. He noticed a convoy of automobiles rolling down the pier towards the ship.

  “Admiral, it looks like we have company,” Halsey’s aide said from the open doorway. “The skipper is on the horn.”

  Halsey scowled as he stubbed out the cigarette and tossed it in the sand bucket. He walked back inside and took the phone from his aide.

  “What is it, John?”

  “We’ve got a convoy of army flag officers coming down the pier,” Captain John McCrea said. “Do we want to give them the usual greeting?”

  “Yes. We need to find out what they want, and then I can decide whether to meet with them or tell them to go fly a kite.”