The Heritage Paper (31 page)

“You are saying Himmler was responsible for the Kennedy assassination?”

“I said nothing of the sort! The great leader I speak of is the Führer. To even compare his legacy to a lightweight like John Kennedy is blasphemy! And we both know the communists were behind that day in Dallas, Ben.”

“So tell me how you killed the devil. After all the help I’ve provided you over the years, I think I deserve one last joy before my death.”

“I will defer to the US Coast Guard on the official cause of Jacob Sterling’s death, which they declared an accidental drowning,” he said with a smirk.

“With all the time you spent around Himmler, I see you picked up his opportunistic traits. When he went overboard, it boosted you into a position of power.”

“I always preferred to work behind the scenes, but with Jacob’s death, and the age and health issues of the others, I was forced to take on a leadership position. And I thought it would just be temporary, until Josef was ready to take his rightful place.”

“But the chosen one didn’t turn out as planned.”

“That would be an understatement—and it set us back a generation. Unfortunately, he became Americanized—the drugs, the women, and his overall reckless behavior. We all believed, or at least hoped, that marriage, along with the responsibility of his own child, would set him on the right path. But the decline continued, culminating with his affair with that CIA operative from his father’s case, which resulted in another member of the bloodline.”

“Flavia. Daughter of Josef and Olivia Conte.”

“And thanks to Josef’s loose lips—often fueled by alcohol—Olivia learned too much about our operation. And it was just a matter of time before she acted on what she learned. It was a messy situation. Eliminating a CIA member was a great risk, but we felt we had no other choice.”

“Did Ellen know you had her son killed?”

Aligor’s eyes shifted. Youkelstein could tell he wanted to avoid that issue. “While it was very clear that Josef would not live up to expectation, we found hope in his son. But we worried that Josef would drag Jim down with him, and we couldn’t afford that. He was our final chance.”

“I think ‘final solution’ would be a more appropriate term. By killing his father in front of him, and in doing so, painting the Jews as his killer … you created a monster! Or more accurately,
re-created
one.”

“That’s humorous coming from the man who believes in nature over nurture. You know as well as I do that Jim Kingston is a product of the bloodline. All I did was clear the path for him to accept his destiny.”

Aligor
stood
and
walked
to the window. He stared through the thick bulletproof glass out at the energized crowd that had gathered just beyond the gates of the Kingston Estate. He cleared his throat and said, “And destiny has arrived, Ben.”

“So what is Kingston planning to do when he gets in office—nuke Israel?”

Aligor turned back toward him, looking mortified by such an accusation. “Of course not! You are a student of history, Ben, so you know that revolutions are not won with guns—they’re won with the hearts and minds.”

“The American people will see through your lies,” Youkelstein shot back.

But when he glanced at the zealous crowds beyond the gates, he knew his response was laughable.

Aligor followed Youkelstein’s gaze out the window. “We’re just leading them where they want to go. Any poll will tell you the last thing they want is war—if Jim embraced that position the election wouldn’t even be in doubt. But look at the people, Ben—the revolution has already been sparked!”

Youkelstein knew only a fool of the highest order could doubt the energy and passion he was watching from Kingston’s supporters. And he was aware that Hitler didn’t take power in Germany with tanks and bullets. Although, contrary to popular myth, he never received more than 37% of the vote in the 1932 elections. And he used underhanded tactics, such as threats of a military coup, to gain the position of Chancellor, which he used to vault himself to power in 1933. But by the looks of things, Kingston would need no such tactics.

Youkelstein also was aware that the Apostles would leave nothing to chance. And when Sterling boasted about the details of his “billion dollar bet” made on the election, he knew nothing could stop a Kingston landslide victory.

“So how were you able to spark your
so called
revolution?” Youkelstein took the bait.

Aligor returned to his wheelchair, eager to discuss. “We waited and watched. We had the ups and downs of any American family—sad deaths followed by happy births. And I won’t kid you, when Josef and Harry Jr., both direct links to the lineage, failed tragically, it placed doubt in our minds. But Jim’s rise returned our hope.”

Youkelstein clenched his arthritic hands in anger.

“But it would take more than hope. As the 1980s came to a close, and the Berlin Wall fell, marking the end of the Cold War, I began to wonder if our time had passed. Müller and Hess had both died by that point, and Ellen was never the same after she lost her children. I looked to history, and realized that the great leaders understood how one small spark could turn into a blazing inferno. America understood this, which is why they withheld information about the Pearl Harbor attacks to wake the people from their slumber back in ’41.”

“You accuse me of creating elaborate stories to push my agenda, but I could never equal your imagination!”

“You really still doubt me, Ben? British intelligence agent, Peter Jansen, one of my many aliases, was the one who delivered them the news of the imminent attack a month prior. But my real interests lay with Germany, whose main objective was to keep the US out of the war. The Führer knew that the US could tip the balance, and he was right. I don’t know if my information ever reached FDR, and doubt that it did, but someone in the hierarchy of government chose to sit on it.”

“I’m not sure I understand what Pearl Harbor has to do with what you’re attempting to achieve today.”

“Because Pearl Harbor taught me that the only way to move Americans to action was an attack on their homeland. Just like the events of September 11, 2001.”

Aligor savored the stunned look on Youkelstein’s face. “Like I said, Ben, I’m a student of history. And like you, I believe in nature over nurture. There is a reason the US never learned from their past mistakes. For better or worse, they are genetically programmed to act in a certain way. So it was no surprise they reacted like a preoccupied grizzly bear when attacked, swatting at flies around the world, while the true enemy rose from within their own borders. And unbeknownst to them, a revolution had been sparked.”

As Youkelstein scrambled to reconstruct the puzzle in his mind, Aligor continued, “Those who learn from history end up as the ruling class—those who don’t, perish. The Führer learned this lesson the hard way. He should have absorbed the lesson of Napoleon’s invasion of Russia, but he followed his passion right into the deadly Russian winter. He chose to listen to his heart instead of his brain … very similar to yourself, Ben.”

“I am nothing like that monster!”

“The Jews were the enemy of Germany, just like they are for America. And the people will cheer as President Kingston tears down the symbol of this embedded enemy.”

“What symbol is this—another cross labeled in code?”

“No, this will be a living symbol … Aligor Sterling.”

“You?”

“The renowned Jewish leader will come clean about his actions in the planning and plotting of 9/11. And I have the evidence to prove it. An investigation will follow, which will reveal to the world that Israel not only had knowledge of the attack being imminent, but they withheld it, hoping to spark the US into helping to further their agenda in the Middle East and taking on Israel’s enemies.”

“More lies!”

“Maybe so, but they won’t be coming from some radical Islamic cleric. They will come from the mouth of Aligor Sterling—the man who spent his life hunting down Nazi war criminals, and was a constant dinner guest of the Israeli prime minister.”

Youkelstein felt sick. “So I presume after this alleged evidence against Aligor Sterling is revealed—to a crime no different than if Israel declared war on the US—Kingston will be forced to remove his support for the current conflict, despite his campaign promises. Just like Hitler, you will have created an enemy in the Jews. And you will have learned from Hitler’s mistake, and choose to stand aside as your enemies destroy each other.”

Aligor smiled like a teacher who’d just gotten through to his most difficult student. “This act of neutrality—citing George Washington’s 1793 Proclamation of Neutrality as precedent—will create an isolated and vulnerable Israel. And without the specter of US intervention, the path will be cleared for its enemies to join together and rise up against them. Israel will be left a cornered animal with one last card to play in the name of survival.”

“Nukes,” Youkelstein said sadly.

Aligor nodded. “And with the Russian’s economic relationship in the region, they will have no choice but to retaliate. And if America has reservations about entering the current struggle, I doubt their willingness would increase as the body count rises, and the radiation spreads.

“And as history tells us, the Russians don’t need to have their arms twisted to join a war. The French and Germans will not have the internal support to back Israel—as their large Muslim populations will rise up in the streets. The only support will come from the British … based on their own self-interest, of course. So the Israelis and British end up fighting the Russians. To the death. The Führer hated the Russians much more than the Jews!”

Aligor pushed out of his chair. He stood beside Youkelstein and draped his arm around him. In a different time, it would’ve been a portrait of friendship. But today, Youkelstein squirmed away.

Aligor remained undeterred, “I will take great pride in the destruction of the British, and this time the US will not be there to save them. You see, Ben, the British killed my brothers and the Jews killed my parents, and now I’m going to get justice. How does the saying go—killing two birds with one stone?”

“And once your enemies have destroyed each other, you plan to have the Reich move in and rule the world for the next thousand years.”

“Which is precisely why we will protect Maggie and Jamie at any cost. We won’t let you harm them, as you have come here to do.”

“So what’s this, Obi-Wan, your light-saber?” the guard asked, stroking the umbrella.

“If it was, I would’ve killed you yesterday morning,” Youkelstein replied, matching Eddie Peterson’s smugness. He was his personal warden, watching over him, locked in a room inside Kingston’s mansion.

Eddie laughed. “I’ve been shot, stabbed, and had my throat slit with the jagged end of a broken bottle. But I must admit, nobody ever came after me with a weapon as pathetic as an umbrella.”

“Since it isn’t a threat to you, perhaps I can have it back?”

“No, I think I’ll hold onto it, Obi-Wan. Why do you have it, anyway? It couldn’t have been a sunnier day.”

“It helps me to walk. I guess I’m too stubborn to admit I need the help of a cane. It’s not easy being in your nineties—too bad you’ll never live long enough to find out.”

Eddie laughed again. “You had your chance to take your shot. Now it looks like I’m going to outlive you.”

“I didn’t mean I was going to kill you—
they
will. Those without the blood are expendable. And when they start covering up their crimes, you’ll be first on their list. Especially since you allowed Veronica to witness the kidnapping of the children, which put their entire operation at risk. Neither you or her will live to see the inauguration.”

“Spare me the psycho-babble.”

“You’re already dead to them. Yesterday you were head of security and now you’re stuck babysitting an old man and his umbrella. The important players have already left for the Waldorf.”

“Your arrival changed the plans. They know they can count on me in an emergency—I’m a team player.”

“Just like those SS officers who marched those innocent women and children to their deaths. Just doing their job … following orders. And when it was over, like you, they all became expendable.”

He swung the umbrella, striking Youkelstein in his broken ribs. The pain ripped through him, but he found the strength to laugh.

“What’s so funny?”

“You have the same problem I do.”

“I have a death wish?”

“Perhaps, but I meant you wear your emotions on your sleeve, which makes you easy to read.”

“So you think you have me all figured out, old man?”

“This is all about you not being good enough. Your parents deserted you, and Harold Peterson is given credit for your police accomplishments. These Nazis were the first people to make you feel important, and they gave you a chance to finally match up to Carsten—the one with the royal blood.”

“That’s not true—Ellen always believed in me.”

“Which makes it strange that you wouldn’t follow the wishes she willed to Maggie. Unless your Nazi friends convinced you that
this
is what Ellen really wanted. That she no longer understood what she was saying, and needed to be silenced. At least it was a more peaceful way to go than the method Rose Shepherd used to quiet your mother.”