Dangerous Allies (17 page)

If the admiral suspected an intrusion in his private chambers, his first order of business would be to shift his most important documents to a safer place. Documents, she surmised, that would include the blueprints of a secret weapon laid by a German U-boat.

Perhaps all was not lost.

Perhaps the Lord had just given Katia the break she needed to complete her mission for the British. If she was able to hold the admiral at bay, she just might be able to pull off the rest.

Oh, please, Lord, let me be right.

K
atia didn’t find Friedrich Reiter until later that afternoon. By then she was feeling less desperate and filled with conviction. She knew what she had to do. She had to confront the admiral directly.

Would Reiter understand? Or would he try to stop her?

She would find out soon enough.

In order to talk freely, they’d agreed to take a walk together. She knew the picture they made as they strolled along hand in hand. They looked like a couple falling in love. It was not a difficult act for her to play. Friedrich appeared equally ensconced in the role.

Feeling her burdens lift just a little, Katia sat beside him on a bench facing the St. Nikolai Church. She’d like to go inside, kneel before the Lord and offer up her prayers in total subjugation. Except for a few milling tourists, they were virtually alone. But not enough to ignore caution completely.

She settled for drawing strength from the church’s magnificent exterior.

Sliding her character into place, Katia turned her head slowly and smiled at her companion with the casual intimacy of longtime friends.

He smiled back, then lifted her hand to his lips.

This is a facade,
she reminded herself as a tiny flutter swept through her stomach,
it’s not real.

And yet, she knew she would be devastated when he left Germany. Her heart yearned for all that could never be.

How had this happened? How had she come to the point where she belonged so completely to a man she barely knew?

Cold rays of sunlight had broken through the clouds, but they failed to lighten her mood. Restless now, and more than a little frightened, she shifted on the bench until she looked directly into Reiter’s eyes.

He was watching her, his gaze both alert and vibrant. She could almost believe he had not been shot the night before. She knew better, of course. She’d seen the blood flowing down his arm.

Now that the initial shock was over, Katia didn’t mind admitting to herself just how scared she’d been when she’d first seen the wound. Thankfully, she’d been able to turn her fear into action. But even now, half a day later, she couldn’t let go of the realization that he’d almost been killed.

It was true, then.

She’d fallen in love with the British spy. Stupidly, profoundly, permanently in love. It was the one fight she hadn’t prepared for. She had no weapon in her arsenal,
no ready-made defense, and certainly no role to wrap around her in protection.

Sighing, she shut her eyes and leaned her head against the bench. She was so tired.

Tired of the games. Tired of the pretenses.

“Last night, you said you trusted me,” she began, turning her head just enough to look into his face once again.

He cupped her cheek in his hand. She could see that he was thinking deeply, carefully considering what he would say before he spoke. “I do. I trust you completely.”

Oh, how she wanted to enjoy getting to know this man, learning his strengths and weaknesses, what he liked and didn’t like. They could grow together in the Lord. But not today. Today, they had serious business looming over them.

“When I was at my mother’s this morning, she told me Admiral Doenitz contacted her to personally accept her invitation and to ask if I would be attending the ball tonight.”

In a move that spoke of familiarity, he hooked his arm around the back of the bench behind her shoulders and stretched his legs out in front of him. She was not fooled by his outward calm.

He was furious. In fact, the anger vibrating off him was palpable.

“Then he suspects you were the intruder.” Aside from anger, there was also worry in his voice. Caring, too.

“I’m sorry,” she admitted on a shaky breath. “I went into this mission too arrogant. I should have been more careful from the start.”

He was silent for a long time then he squeezed her shoulder gently. “Sometimes setbacks are part of God’s plan.” His voice sounded thoughtful, as if he was only just coming to his conclusions as he spoke. “Maybe this is the Lord’s way of protecting us in a way we cannot fully understand right now.”

Rather than shocking her, his suggestion made her want it all. Happiness. Hope. Faith in a sovereign Lord and Savior. She’d lived without God too long, and in many ways she’d done well enough on her own. Until this mission.

In just two days everything had changed.

She still had skills. She still had talent. Her mistake was in thinking she’d ever had control. She knew turning to the Lord for strength was her only answer. But God had let her down so many times.

“I want to, but I don’t know if I can trust the Lord completely,” she admitted. “How do you stay sure, Friedrich, and confident, especially when you see so much horror all around you?”

There was an uncomfortable moment of silence before he smiled at her. The gesture made his face look so tender, so patient it nearly brought tears to her eyes.

“Make no mistake,” he said. “I’m struggling with this, too. In fact, I have spent the last two years angry at God. But I now realize the Lord never abandoned me during those dark days. I abandoned him.”

His words were so close to what she’d decided about her own situation. His sincere faith blew past her anger, shoved aside her painful memories and landed straight in her heart. She desperately wanted to believe again.

It was her choice. And she would choose faith.

“Oh, Jack.” She gripped his arm, only half-aware she’d used his real name. She would not make that mistake again. Not even in her mind.

“I wish… No.” She shook her head vigorously and released her hold on him. Her hope for a future with this man was not a part of the mission. “What I wish isn’t important at the moment. Let’s get back to our immediate problems,” she continued as she shifted on the bench. “What do you suggest we do next?”

For a moment he looked as if he wasn’t going to allow her to change the subject, but then he nodded. “First we deal with what we know.” He drummed his fingers on her shoulder. “You’re absolutely sure you left no physical evidence of your presence in Doenitz’s room other than the chair?”

She caught the rhythm of his fingers, tapped her foot along to it. “I’ve replayed every second I spent in that room over in my mind. I was careful, until the chair.”

“Then Doenitz must have made the connection through the guard.”

“It’s a reasonable conclusion,” she said.

Lifting his hand, he brushed his fingers absently down her hair. Stroke. Stroke. Stroke. So soothing. So comforting. She fought to keep her eyes open.

“I want you to stay away from the admiral tonight.” However polite he spoke the request, there was an uncompromising glint in his eyes. She knew he would not relent on this.

“But we have to find out whether the admiral truly suspects me,” she argued. “Or if his interest in meeting
me is merely coincidence. We still have the key to the cabinet. We may be able to go back to Wilhelmshaven for the plans yet tonight.”
If they are still there.

Reiter spoke her thoughts aloud. “It would be a wasted effort. Doenitz will have moved all the important documents after discovering an intrusion. And, Katarina,” he spoke, giving her a look of regret. “We have to go on the assumption that he believes he has not only discovered the intrusion but also the identity of the intruder.”

Panic crawled over her, sneaking up her spine. “Maybe not. If I could just talk to him I could—”

“You will take no more risks,” he said in a clipped, measured tone. “Not on my watch.”

His eyes flashed with anger. The sudden, brilliant force of the emotion turned his face into something tough, and potentially mean. This, she decided, was her first real glimpse of the man who worked as Himmler’s personal henchman.

She stifled a shiver.

“Then what do you suggest?”

Releasing a slow breath, he regarded the sky with such interest she found herself looking up. When he continued watching the sky she wondered if he was praying.

Before she could ask, he lowered his gaze back to hers. “You will confront the admiral only if I am with you.” His eyes turned icy-blue as he spoke. “He will not dare to hurt you with me by your side.”

“Just how deep in the SS are you?” She didn’t try to keep the fear out of her voice.

She thought she saw something terrible in his eyes,
right before he looked away from her. “I can’t tell you that.”

She let his words sink in, understood them on an intellectual level, but couldn’t prevent the worry from digging deep.

Squeezing her eyes shut, she decided to focus on their conversation and not the danger this man put himself in daily. “There’s something else you should know.”

He watched her as though he could take her mind apart piece by piece. Fragments of panic swirled up and her fingers twisted in her skirt. It was a telling sign of her nervousness so she stopped.

“Go on,” he prompted.

“My mother has discovered my secret life.”

He did not react. Nor his body move, not even an inch, but Katia felt the air around him heating. “And Schmidt?” he asked in a low, feral hiss. “Does he know, as well?”

“No.” She tangled her hand in her skirt again. This time she couldn’t stop the nervous gesture. The gravity of the situation was bearing down on her too hard. “Nor does my mother know about you. She thinks you are merely courting me.”

Making a sound deep in his throat, one that was most definitely a growl, he rose from the bench. Without speaking, he tugged her along with him and then steered her toward the harbor.

His gaze locked on the horizon for a long moment. And still he did not speak.

At last, he glanced down at her with genuine pain in
his eyes. He was looking at her with Jack’s eyes now.
This
was the man she could adore for a lifetime.

“We have to abort the mission,” he said.

“I don’t think that’s necessary.” Although her heart ached, her head worked quickly, weaving facts and possibilities together. “I should have told you this first. Hermann had a meeting with the admiral this morning. When he returned he was carrying a set of blueprints. The metal cylinder was unmarked but my gut tells me that he’s carrying the plans to the magnetic mines.”

Reiter eyed her with his own unique brand of watchfulness. “You’re sure of this?”

“Yes.”

“I suppose it’s worth checking into.” His tone gave nothing away.

Urgency had her switching directions. “I must find out where he put the blueprints.”

Jack stopped her with a hand on her arm. “No. It’s too dangerous.”

“Dangerous?” She gave him a throaty laugh. “The man thinks I’m an idiot. It’s his greatest weakness, you know, his inability to see beyond the obvious when it comes to me.”

“Katarina, do not underestimate the Nazi. He and the admiral could be setting a trap for you.” There was more than anger in his eyes as he spoke. There was fear.

“A trap?” She thought of the way Schmidt had glared at her this morning with obvious disgust. He thought her beyond stupid. “He doesn’t have any idea of who I really am. I’d stake my life on it.”

“Well, I won’t stake your life on it.”

“You should have more faith in me.”

“Stop and think, Katarina.” He gave her one of Jack’s looks that grabbed at her heart and twisted. “While you are performing tonight, Schmidt will be at your mother’s party. That gives me plenty of time to break into his hotel room and discover if he does indeed have a copy of the blueprints.”

Accepting the wisdom of his words, she knew this was no time for ego or foolish arguing. “Hermann is staying at the Hotel Atlantic Kempinski.”

Smiling gravely, he threaded his fingers through hers. “If you are right, I could finish this in a matter of hours.”

Sadness overwhelmed her at the thought. With the mission complete, this wonderful, courageous man could very well leave Germany tonight. She would never see him again.

Tears filled her eyes.

“Come to England with me,” he whispered, pressing a finger to her lips when she started to speak. “No, hear me out. Your mother already knows about your secret life. Admiral Doenitz suspects. It won’t be long before others find out. It’s no longer safe for you to live in Germany.”

His words had her stomach churning with fear. But her convictions were stronger. “I can’t leave without my mother. You know this already.”

“Take her with you.”

“She’s determined to marry Hermann.”

He pulled in a tight breath. “Then quit. Take no more assignments.”

He’d just spoken her mother’s greatest wish for her. After these last two days, Katia wasn’t sure she didn’t wish for the same thing. “They won’t let me quit. You know this, also. I am too valuable. And I know too much.”

“You could be just as valuable in England. You could train our operatives in German idiosyncrasies. You could teach them the unique body language and other nuances only someone who has lived here would know.”

“Why can’t you do that?”

His expression closed. “For one, I’m an American. I haven’t actually lived in Germany for any length of time. Besides, I have a…different assignment ahead of me.”

“What?” Fear edged around her voice. “What is this new assignment?”

“I can’t tell you.”

“So much for trusting me completely.”

“I can’t tell you for your protection, not mine.” He gripped her shoulders gently and twisted her around to face him again. “I want you safe, Katarina. I
need
you safe.”

“No one is safe. We are at war.”

Instead of arguing, he stepped back and spread his arms in silent invitation. After only a moment of hesitation, she moved into his embrace and settled her head against his chest.

Folding her close, he kissed the top of her head.

She hugged her arms tighter around him. “You better get moving. There isn’t much time now.”

“Katarina.” He pulled away from her. His eyes were
free of all subterfuge. In fact, he looked vulnerable, like he was about to make a declaration. “Katarina. I—”

“No.” She shook her head at him, afraid he would pronounce his love for her, deathly afraid that he wouldn’t. “Now isn’t the time for speeches. I have to prepare for my performance and you have important photographs to take.”