Dangerous Allies (19 page)

“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 careless 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.”

K
atia 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 little 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.”

“I… Thank you. And I’ll do the same for you.” She came to him again, wrapped her arms around his waist. “It’s not our time.”

Cloaked in the shadows again, he pressed his lips against her temple. “There will be a day when this war is over. And then—”

“It will be our time to be together.”

“Yes.” He held her for a moment longer, just held her as a twisted, frightening mixture of hope and loss tangled together in his heart.

He didn’t want to leave her.

He didn’t have the right to take her with him. Like she said, this wasn’t about them.

God had given each of them a calling for their lives, at a time that required them both to think beyond themselves. They’d been blessed to have these three days.

Shifting her weight, she leaned back to look into his eyes again. “You should probably take your leave at this point.”

Yes, he would go. But not before he made it perfectly clear that he was her future. And she was his. He lowered his head and kissed her fiercely on the mouth. Gathering control, he set her at arm’s length, but kept his hands on her waist. “This isn’t the end for us. I won’t say goodbye.”

“Neither will I.” She touched his lips and then kissed him where her fingertip had been. She kissed him again, tenderly, softly, so softly he trembled.

Silent promises passed between them. Jack believed the Lord would bring him back to her. Someday. The thought gave him the necessary strength to turn and leave her behind.

J
ack made it halfway through the ballroom before he was stopped by a soft, feminine voice coming from behind him. “Herr Reiter, I would like a word with you before you leave.”

He turned, very slowly, and came face-to-face with Elena Kerensky. He could say many things to this woman, demand even more; instead he kept silent and studied her in candid appraisal.

Tonight she wore her hair pinned in some fancy style of the day. She was dressed in a sparkling silver dress adorned with jewels the color of her eyes. All that was missing to complete the picture of a royal princess was the tiara.

But as regal as the woman looked on the surface, her wide blue eyes blinked up at him in… Jack couldn’t put a word to the expression. Fear, perhaps? No, something far more complicated than that.

“I am at your disposal, Princess.” He gave her a short bow. “What is it you wish to discuss?”

“Not here,” she said. “Follow me.”

“Of course.”

As she led him out of the ballroom, Jack looked around him. He wasn’t usually sentimental, or poetic, but Elena Kerensky had created an old-world charm that caught his imagination. It was as though he’d been transported back in time.

The air shimmered with the golden light of hundreds of candlesticks. Small tables had been arranged in sets of three, the groupings then separated by an assortment of ornamental trees. Flowers of various colors had been strategically placed throughout the room. While a full orchestra played classical music, mostly Austrian waltzes.

The irony was not lost on him. He found himself smiling cynically as she led him to a small alcove just off the front entrance. The spot was not entirely private, but private enough, as long as they kept their voices down.

For a moment she simply gazed into his eyes. He let her.

“You and I, we are alike, I think,” she said at last.

Now that was an interesting comment, one that sent the hairs on the back of his neck bristling. “How so?”

“We do what must be done in these difficult times.” Her words were strong enough, but her tone lacked edge. “We align ourselves with whom we must.”

In that moment, Jack realized Elena Kerensky was not the hard woman he’d once thought. She was simply trying to protect her daughter. His respect for her traveled up a few notches.

“The world is not always as black and white as some would have us believe,” he said in response.

“No.” She nodded. “It would seem we are of a similar mind.”

“Not so much of a shock when one considers our common interest in Katarina.”

“No. Not a shock at all.” Elena smiled, just a little. A very little. “You realize, of course, I am not completely blind in my daughter’s feelings for you.”

His protective instinct reared, but he shoved it behind an easy smile. “Katarina is a brave woman. I admire her greatly.”

“Admire her?” Parental outrage hummed between them. “That is all you feel for Katarina, mere admiration?”

“No. That is not all. Far from it.” He did not elaborate, but he allowed his feelings to show in his eyes. He would not lie about something so important as his love for Katarina. It was the one truth he could have whether he was Jack Anderson or Friedrich Reiter.

“You are a very careful man, Herr Reiter.” She nodded in approval. “It is a fine quality to have in these troubling times.”

“It has served me well.”

“I find it necessary to ask you to be a little less careful.”

He waited for the rest.

“Are your feelings strong enough for my daughter to encourage you to do whatever it takes to ensure her safety?”

The desperation in her eyes was at odds with her smooth tone. Clearly, Elena Kerensky was trying to say something more here, something important, but Jack
didn’t have the time or the inclination to sort through the subtext of her words. “Princess Elena, I am not your enemy. Please, say what you need to say.”

She gave him one small nod. “I could not help but notice that you arrived tonight with the
Reichsführer.
Am I to assume you are an officer in the SS, in spite of your lack of uniform?”

Jack inclined his head, wondering why Schmidt had not shared that information with her himself. “You would be correct in your assumption.”

“I see.” Obvious relief filled her gaze. Jack had not expected that. The woman was proving a surprise, much like her daughter. They were an amazing pair.

“Then perhaps…” Elena trailed off in order to take a deep breath. “
Perhaps
you will take the final step to ensure Katarina’s safety?”

Did she know of her daughter’s work with the British? Or was she simply taking an obvious step by aligning her daughter’s future with that of an SS officer?

Every cell in his body stood at attention. “What did you have in mind?” Although he sensed her response before she spoke again.

“Will you marry her, Herr Reiter?”

And there it was. The solution to all their problems. So simple. So obvious. Of course it would come from Elena, a woman securing her own future in the same way she’d just suggested for her daughter.

Jack allowed the idea to settle in his mind.
Is this it, Lord? Is this the answer I’ve been praying for?

If Katarina would not leave Germany, marriage to a
high-ranking Nazi—say, a major in the SS—would give her a level of protection she would not have other wise.

With Jack’s direct ties to Heinrich Himmler, no one would look into her background, or her mother’s. Even if they tried they would never get past Jack, or rather, they would never get past SS-
Sturmbannführer
Friedrich Wilhelm Reiter.

“Yes, Princess Elena, when I return to Hamburg I will do everything in my power to marry your daughter.”

It was the easiest promise he’d ever made. Unfortunately, he had no idea when he would be able to follow through.

23 November 1939, 0830 hours, The English Channel, three miles off the coast of Harwich

The wind blew in from the north, howling viciously and punching Jack in the face. Amid the eight-foot swells and overcast sky, the low, steady thunder of
HMS Basset
’s engine was underscored by the angry pounding of water against the hull.

Facing into the wind, Jack took a deep breath. The heavy scent of diesel fuel overwhelmed the salty smell of the sea air and did nothing to settle his mind.

Where was the relief? Where was the pleasure over a successful mission completed?

Back in Hamburg with Katarina Kerensky, that’s where.

He wanted to return to her. He wanted to be with her, always. But he had to be patient. He had to trust the Lord would, indeed, guide Jack back to her.

Unfortunately, there were no guarantees in war.

Lord,
he prayed,
protect Katarina in my absence. We’ve both come a long way in our faith, but we still have far to go. Soften each of our hearts to You so we may know Your love, regardless of these dark times in which we live. Give us strength to make the sacrifices we must make for You and Your people. Thy will be done.

“We’re nearly there, Lieutenant.”

Jack whipped around. He’d been so caught up in praying he hadn’t heard the captain come up behind him. Unforgivable. No matter how deep his personal anguish, he should have been more alert. A mistake like that in enemy territory could get him killed.

“Would you care to join me at the helm for the completion of our journey?”

Welcoming the distraction, he nodded. “Of course.”

Twenty minutes later, Jack jumped out of the trawler and onto the military dock near Harwich, only to find the head of MI6, Stewart Menzies himself, waiting for him on the quay.

Struck by the anxious look on the director’s face, Jack’s thoughts leaped immediately to Katarina and he closed the distance between them in a split second. “Did something go wrong after I left Germany?”

“I’ll explain in the car,” Menzies said, turning away before Jack could question him further.

For the first time in years, Jack felt real terror.

And there was nothing he could do to alleviate his fears but wait for the British spymaster to give him more information.

Jack had never felt so powerless. But as Menzies took
his time settling into the back of the Bentley, Jack’s temper began to burn away his panic. He buried the impulse to strangle the information out of the other man and waited for the Brit to make the next move.

Once the car was in motion, Menzies finally acknowledged him. “You have the photographs with you?”

Straight and to the point. In spite of his frustration, Jack appreciated the frank approach. “Yes. I was also able to obtain the exact coordinates of the minefield that will be laid in the next few days along the Thames Estuary.”

“Then the mission was a success.”

There was something in Menzies’s eyes that put Jack instantly on alert. Looking out the window, he noted that they were traveling directly parallel to the coast, rather than west toward London. “Where are you taking me?”

Menzies leaned back in his seat and gave a careless shrug. “Let’s just say I have a surprise for you.”

Jack’s eyes cut from Menzies to the passing scenery then back to Menzies again. “I beg your pardon, sir, but I’ve had enough surprises in the past three days to last a lifetime.”

“Rest easy, Lieutenant. We are headed to Shoeburyness, where one of the magnetic mines was found imbedded in the mud along the shore.”

Jack relaxed his shoulders. “How much of the device is left?”

“It’s completely intact.”

A wave of disbelief crested, but then gave way to anticipation. What were the odds of finding a magnetic
mine in full working condition? A thousand to one? A million to one?

It was incredible.

No. It was a miracle. God had provided the British with a miracle.

Thank You, Lord.

“We have your entire team already in place,” Menzies continued. “Lieutenant Commander Ouvry of the Royal Navy has volunteered to diffuse the bomb for us. And if he fails—”

“I’ll step in.”

Menzies gave him a sly smile. “I thought you might say that. But for Ouvry’s sake, let us hope it doesn’t come to that.”

Jack sent up a prayer for Ouvry’s protection, then fell into silence. The mission had come full circle. Just four days ago Jack had stood on the shores of the Isle of Wight surveying the remains of an American cargo ship, one of over a hundred civilian vessels blown up in the last three months.

Now all Jack had to do to prevent further losses was to finalize his countermeasures. And once he did, the
Kriegsmarine’s
deadly secret weapon would be rendered useless.

God’s will be done!

15 December 1939, war room, Whitehall, London
1400 hours

“I understand your countermeasures are operational.”

“Yes, sir.” Jack studied the man on the other side of the desk. Although he’d met with him on several “unofficial”
occasions through the years, this was Jack’s first official meeting with Winston Churchill.

Churchill lit his cigar then took several short puffs. The resolute expression on his face fit his craggy features to perfection. “Let us pray this will buy us the time we need to stop Hitler’s attempt to cut off our islands from the rest of the world.”

“If I can speak frankly, sir, Hitler has underestimated the British.”

“True enough.” Churchill’s expression turned intense as he opened the file on his desk. “I see you gave us a detailed and accurate report of the minefield laid by U-116 last month.”

Jack nodded. Hermann Schmidt’s efforts had been wasted. Jack couldn’t think of a more fitting end to the magnetic mine mission.

“And because of that information,” Churchill continued as he tapped the top page of the report, “we have successfully rerouted dozens of supply ships in the last two weeks.”

“I didn’t do it alone,” Jack quickly pointed out. “Without Katarina Kerensky’s help, the mission would have failed.”

“I see she made quite an impression on you.”

“Yes.” And he desperately wanted to return to her. Three weeks had passed since he’d seen her last. It felt like a lifetime.

Closing the file, Churchill leaned back in his chair. “I have been informed that your next mission is set.”

“I leave for Berlin in two days.” And as soon as humanly possible he would find Katarina.

Churchill rose. “Be very sure this is what you want to do, Lieutenant.” He came around the desk and settled his hand on Jack’s shoulder. “Once you’re inside the SD, you will be on your own. Jack Anderson will cease to exist.”

Jack kept his gaze steady. “I understand.” It was the price he’d expected to pay the day he’d become Friedrich Reiter. This was the mission MI6 had trained him for these last two years. There was no turning back now.

“Send what information you can, but your main objective will be to sabotage from within.”

Jack nodded. It was a dangerous mission, one that could end in his death.

Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.

He would not go into Germany alone.

Churchill spoke his thoughts aloud. “Well, then, Lieutenant, may God go with you.”

Jack rose and gladly shook hands with a man some called a warmonger but who Jack considered one of the bravest, most steadfast men he had ever met. “I pray we see one another on the other side of this war.”

“For both our sakes, I hope it is soon, Lieutenant.” Churchill’s eyes darkened with worry. “I hope it is very soon.”