Schneider snapped to attention and saluted the agent. Rauch stood there still staring at the agent, all the while biting his tongue.
“Yes, sir!”
Leiper nodded, slowly turned and began to walk away, pretending to forget about them, all the while paying particular attention to their next steps.
“I wonder what is next,” Schneider said, turning to Rauch.
“I have no idea, but I think a nice hot meal and a bed would be in order,” answered Rauch. “Let’s get the troops together and get out of here.” He was in no mood to discuss everything that had occurred. Rauch was seething but dared not to show it. Leiper was still watching.
Rauch and Schneider walked over to the truck. As he reached for the door handle, Rauch noticed another SS officer that looked very familiar.
“Max?” Rauch shouted. The SS officer turned with a scowl on his face until he recognized Rauch.
“Reinhardt, how are you?” he asked, switching his clipboard to his left hand before extending his right for a handshake. “What are you doing here? I thought you were back in Berlin sucking up to the higher-ups!”
Rauch answered smiling. “Not me. We had special orders to transport some cargo up here,” Rauch said as he waved his gloves in his hand back toward the docks, “but it looks like this is some kind of Gestapo operation.”
Rauch’s friend’s face went dour and his eyes raced around making certain no one was close.
Maximillian Docher was a friend of Rauch’s. They had served together about six months ago back at SS headquarters in Erfurt. While they had not been close friends, they had shared a small house with two other officers. They knew each other very well after living together for several months. Both were good officers that had come up through the ranks. Both were very well respected by their superiors.
Max’s large smile had faded fast. Even Rauch could see that something was very wrong.
“What do you know about all of this?” asked Rauch. “All we have seen is truck after truck unloading cargo into these submarines. All hush, hush. This must be damned important. Would you like a cigarette?”
“No, thank you,” he replied. “I’m on duty.” Max renewed his interest in his clipboard trying to ignore Rauch’s questions. “All work of the Reich is important,” Max said tersely. “We all have our orders,” looking at Schneider for the first time.
“Oberleutnant Schneider, sir,” snapped Schneider with a crisp salute, “accompanying Major Rauch.”
Max stared at Schneider for a moment and gave him a weak salute. “Yes, I see,” said Docher.
“Well… what is going on?” asked Rauch, fully noticing Docher’s disinterest.
“Have you delivered your load?”
“Yes. We have been asked to go to some barracks near here. I hope we can get some food and some sleep. We haven’t slept in several days and frankly, I’m hungry as hell,” answered Rauch.
Max looked Rauch squarely in the eyes. “They will take good care of you over there. You need to get your troops together and clear the area. We have many more trucks that need to unload. I’ll try to catch up with you later.”
Puzzled, Rauch extended his right hand to shake hands with his friend. “Sure; let’s do that. Maybe you can meet us at the barracks. I’ll talk to you then.”
“Sure,” answered Docher as Rauch and Schneider turned away to get their troops together. Docher watched as his friend gathered the men into a truck and drove off down the road.
CHAPTER NINE
With Schneider driving, Rauch rode in the passenger side of the truck. All twenty-four of their troops were in the back. Following the small map, Schneider drove south of Rostock outside of Papendorf until he saw a group of several non-distinct, low brick buildings about 200 meters off of the left side of the road near a tree line. It was just like the map specified. There were six other trucks parked in an area to the right of the closest building. He noticed a light wisp of smoke rising from the chimneys. At least there was heat, thought Schneider. They stopped at a guarded gate at the road’s edge.
“May I see your orders, sir?” asked a young Kriegsmarine officer standing there in the cold with a group of six other soldiers. Three of the men manned a dual machine gun emplacement just off to the right of the gate. The three other guards stood behind the officer, guns at ready. Schneider glanced over at the emplacement and back to the officer. He handed him the small piece of paper he had been given back at the station, looking past the gate at the buildings. Odd, he thought. There was not a person stirring around the buildings. He knew it was cold but for no one to be seen… it just did not look right. Schneider also noticed that a naval officer was in charge of the gate. That was very strange…
“Please pull your truck over there,” the officer said as he pointed over to the trucks already parked in front of the first building.
Schneider thanked the officer and drove the truck down the short gravel road toward the building. The gravel crunched loudly as the heavy truck neared the building. As the truck had started down the road, a single soldier stepped out of the door of the first building and waited for the truck to park. They pulled up to the building and the soldier led the truck to a parking space to the left of the six trucks. Once parked, the soldier approached Schneider and Rauch as they climbed down.
“Sir, please gather your men and follow me,” snapped the young soldier very matter-of-factly. Rauch noted the SS lapel tabs. He wondered what the SS were doing out here; first the navy and now the SS. The rest of the men climbed down from the back of the truck and assembled in front of the truck. It was still very cold.
“This way,” said the soldier, walking off toward the second building.
The gravel crunched under their feet as they trudged up to the door of the second building. The earlier snow had stopped and the sun was peeking out from the smattering of clouds above. The sun’s rays felt warm on the faces of the men. Finally some semblance of heat!
“Well, at least it looks as though the rest of today will be nicer,” remarked Rauch, noticing the sunshine that they had not seen in several days. The soldier opened the door and led the group inside the building. The first thing they all felt was warmth! That in itself was such a welcome. It had been days since they had felt warm. The soldier led them down a short hall and into a small windowless room with tables and chairs.
“Please have a seat and make yourselves comfortable. Someone will be here in a few minutes to brief you on the situation.” The soldier left the room through a door in the rear. He locked it on the way out.
Schneider looked at Rauch puzzled as the rest of the men settled around the room. Rauch sat down, took off his hat and gloves, savoring the warm room. It was then that Schneider heard a soft clunk as the front door was being sealed. Seconds later he realized they were in trouble as a faint hissing sound could be heard.
“GAS!” he screamed as he stood up. Several men rushed the front door. It was locked and did not budge. They tried the back door. No luck there either.
Rauch stood up and exclaimed, “They would not dare…!” as he felt his head begin to spin and staggered over to the table for support. Surely to God they would not do this to me, an SS major, Rauch thought, looking around the room at everyone else. Several men scrambled to all sides of the room frantically trying to find a way out. As hard as they tried, the faster they fell.
“Sir,” screamed Schneider, grabbing Rauch’s arm. In the haze of his mind he looked Schneider directly in the eyes. He saw outright horror. With that his last vision on this earth, Rauch’s vision began to get darker and darker, closing in from all sides. Rauch fell to the floor. He never felt the result of the fall.