My Immortal The Vampires of Berlin (29 page)

“Stop us from what? What the hell is going on here?” Wolf’s patience was wearing thin.

“I will explain everything in due time, Major. Now please, get some rest. We’ll talk at dinner.” Heydrich clapped his hands. “Guards! Show our guests to their rooms.”

67

Twenty-four hours ago, Wolf was defending Berlin Cathedral against repeated Russian assaults. Now, he found himself in a dining room deep inside Prague Castle as a SS guard in a white jacket poured him a glass of
absinthe
. Fine china, beautiful crystal and a traditional Czech meal of pork stew, sauerkraut and
knedliky
dumplings adorned the table. This was the weirdest day of Wolf’s life. He didn’t know whether to be happy, angry or terrified.

Heydrich raised his glass. “To the Fatherland...”

Wolf and Axel were in no mood for a toast, but the situation was fluid and unpredictable, so they complied.

“To the Fatherland...”

The
absinthe
burned when it went down, but its high alcohol content and potent ingredients made the strange dinner a little easier to comprehend.

“And to the two brave German warriors who made
Final Victory
possible,” Heydrich continued, raising his glass for the second time.

“
Final Victory
?” Wolf was baffled. The
Wehrmacht
had been destroyed at Stalingrad. The remnants got chased back to Germany through one of the worst winters Russia has ever known and smashed into barely recognizable pieces. Germany’s soldiers didn’t have enough ammunition or men to defend Berlin for another day, let alone mount a counter-offensive. “We should go to Switzerland,” he said. “We don’t want to surrender to the Russians. I thought we learned that in Berlin.”

“The Red Army will be dealt with soon,” Heydrich replied. “As will the Americans, British and French. In fact, I have a special present for the French. They whine about the art that we have taken from them, but it was the French who pillaged all of the great civilizations of the world. The sheer volume of looted art and archeological specimens in the Louvre is obscene. Did you know that Napoleon himself once stole the chariot right off of the top of the Brandenburg Gate and shipped it back to Paris to display in the Louvre?”

Wolf and Axel shrugged.

“It is true,” Heydrich said. “The French are bigger thieves than the English, something I once did not think possible. My first gift to the French is going to be the annihilation of the Louvre.” Heydrich’s outlandish rant ended with a demonic laugh that echoed throughout the room and made him sound possessed.

Wolf was stupefied. The world was crumbling around them and Heydrich wanted to hold the French accountable for having a large museum. Dealing with an egomaniacal Nazi lunatic was a fine state of affairs when that egomaniacal Nazi lunatic was taking them out of Berlin on an airplane, but the fantasy had to end. Germany would surrender soon; they just had to find somewhere safe to hide out until then.

“With all due respect, sir, the war is over,” Axel said. “Germany lost. There is nothing left. Millions of innocent people are dead.”

“No one is ever truly innocent,” Heydrich replied.

The waiter interrupted the uncomfortable silence with a question that sent a chill through Wolf’s bones. “
Herr Reichsprotektor
, shall I bring more wine?”

Wolf knocked his glass over and green absinthe flowed across the table. He suddenly knew the identity of his host and it terrified him. “
Reichsprotektor
Reinhard Heydrich. The Butcher of Prague. The blond beast.”

“Himmler’s evil genius,” Axel added.

“Correct on all counts,” Heydrich replied. “But Himmler doesn’t own me—I am my own evil genius. Besides, he’s probably dead by now.”

“But you yourself died in a bomb attack three years ago. Here in Prague. The
Führer
attended your memorial,” Wolf said.

“Things are never quite what they seem, are they, Major?” Heydrich laughed and took another sip of
absinthe
.

“Those innocent villagers in Lidice were murdered to avenge your death. But you were still alive.”

“The elimination of that speck of dust on a map was a strategic necessity. No one would have believed that I was dead unless there had been a proportionate response to my assassination.”

“A proportionate response? Do you call wiping out an entire village of innocent people a
proportionate response
?” Wolf shouted.

Heydrich remained calm. “It was necessary so that Operation Tristan could continue without interference. And it has.” The evil
Reichsprotektor
then got up and walked around the table. “The only bump in the road was the bomb that hit Gestapo headquarters. Eva momentarily escaped from our grasp. But then you found her for us—in a church of all places. As a result of your efforts to retrieve her, the war shall end. But the war shall not end how Winston Churchill believes it shall end. The war shall end with the triumph of Nazi Germany.”

The triumph of evil
, Wolf thought.

“For your heroic actions, you shall both receive
The Order Of The Grand Cross Of The Iron Cross.”
Heydrich then clapped his hands. “Guards! Prepare the girl for the ritual.”

Axel and Wolf got up. “No-no-no,” Wolf said. “Eva stays with us. We’ve been through a lot together.”

The guards stepped back, unsure of what to do with sudden defiance on the part of their honored guests.

“Sit down, gentlemen. This wretched girl is the sole and exclusive property of the
Führer
,” Heydrich said. “She is the only reason that I brought you out of Berlin. If it weren’t for her, you would be hanging by your neck from the rafters of the
Reichstag
.”

“She saved my life,” Axel said.

“Fine. Now, step back from the brink of treason and reap the rewards that you deserve for bringing her to us.”

“Leave her alone!” Wolf yelled.

“An illiterate, Romanian peasant is not worth your deaths at the hands of my guards. She is but a small sacrifice for the future of the Reich—guards, take her!”

The next moments were in slow motion.

Axel pushes a guard ... a plate falls to the floor ... Heydrich pulls a Luger ... Eva screams ... Gunshot ... Muzzle flash ... Pressure and intense heat ... Axel falls ... a guard pulls Eva away ... Heydrich jumps onto the table ...

When time sped up again, Axel was dead and Heydrich had his
Luger
pointed right at Wolf’s head.

“Here are the current circumstances,” Heydrich said. “As it stands right now, you are still a hero of the Fatherland. You will soon have more money, women and power than you can possibly imagine. But if you move against me and try to interfere with Operation Tristan, I will rip your heart out. Literally.”

“But the war is over,” Wolf protested.

“Correction, major. The war is
almost
over. Soon, London, Moscow, Paris and Washington will be nothing but fading memories. The Fourth Reich
will
last for 1,000 years, because there won’t be anyone left to oppose us when we’re done.”

Wolf lost it. “You’re insane! How many more millions of innocent people have to die in this war? Tell me! How many? How many more innocent people have to die?”

“As many as it takes!”

68

With the surreal banquet in the
Führerbunker
concluded, Adolf Hitler retired to his study to spend a few quiet final moments with his wife. Ten minutes later, Goebbels retrieved him; it was time to say goodbye to his staff.

Everyone quietly stood in a receiving line as the
Führer
shuffled into the situation room wearing his gray tunic emblazoned with the Gold Party Badge, the Iron Cross First Class and the Wounded Badge of the First World War. In stark contrast to his chipper and excited presence at dinner, the
Führer
looked as if he was on death’s doorstep. Technically speaking, he was.

Starting with General Krebs, Hitler took each person’s hand and said the same exact tired words, as if the message had been carefully memorized. “Thank you. You have done a great service for the Third Reich. Your sacrifices have brought
Final Victory
to Nazi Germany.”

He said goodbye to his SS adjutant, Otto Günsche. Then to his valet, Heinz Linge. Then to secretary Traudl Junge and all of the others. The tearful ceremony ended with a pat on the head and a few pieces of candy for each of the six Goebbels children, Helga, Hilde, Helmut, Hedda, Holdine and little four-year old Heidrun Elisabeth.

His staff appreciated the kind words, but they were surprised to hear the
Führer
talking about
Final Victory
as if it were still in the realm of rational possibility. With Berlin in ruins, they were convinced that his optimism was either a denial mechanism or a brave face put on for their benefit. They thought the presence of the wizard Adalgar in the bunker was a charade; no one really believed that the
Führer
had a supernatural weapon.

When Hitler had finished saying goodbye, an SS guard led most of his staff and the kids out of the room. Only General Krebs, Goebbels, Hitler, Eva Braun and Adalgar remained. “Where’s Axmann?” the
Führer
asked.

“Artur has still not returned,” Goebbels replied, annoyed at having to answer the question for the sixth time.

“His presence is not important,” Adalgar said. “It is time to commence Operation Tristan.” The wizard knew that the next step of the secret Teutonic ritual would be the true test of the
Führer’s
faith in his powers. Of course, with a million revenge-seeking Russian troops closing in on the bunker, the alternative strategies were not very attractive.

Adolf Hitler had taken great pains to ensure that there was no chance the Russians could capture him alive. Nonetheless, he had a certain amount of fear that the supernatural operation might fail. He couldn’t show his trepidation; the success of the mission depended on those who would temporarily outlive him. If they sensed hesitance or fear on his part, they would not be inclined to stay in Berlin to help him conduct Operation Tristan. Especially if they knew that doing so would cost them their lives.