“Go, go, go!” Shouted Endels, even though Maxi had already punched the accelerator to the floor.
Rupert did his job perfectly. The driver side was totally smashed in, and it appeared the driver was either dead or unconscious. The man in the back with Payne was dazed, and a Gestapo agent from the second sedan got out and began chasing Rupert, who had already disappeared into the huge copper doors of the nearby Excelsior Hotel.
Maxi and Endels ran up to the smashed car appearing to offer help, assisting the dazed man next to Payne out of the car and out of the way.
Engels then ran back to Payne in the back seat. “Come on, get out! Payne looked dazed, but started to climb out. “Hurry! We’re here to rescue you!”
As Endels and Payne took their first steps away from the car, several gunshots echoed out of the ally. Endels could see Payne drop with a bullet hole above his ear. Blood was still squirting out as he hit the ground.
Bullets began popping all over the smashed cars, aimed at Endels, who rushed into Maxi’s protected taxi. Maxi was already in gunning the engine to maximum rpm’s.
“Go! Let’s get out of here!” Endel shouted in panic as he saw Maxi was not moving. “What’s the matter?”
As the four Gestapo men in the second car rounded the corner of the alley, Maxi shifted gears and shot straight towards them.
“Are you…?” Endel was not able to finish his sentence. Within seconds the two uniformed guards were dead bodies rolling beneath the undercarriage, while one of the civilian clothed men was doubled over in pain after being ricocheted off the right headlight. The fourth man managed to dodge the deadly taxi, but had to jump in the middle of the busy street. A shot from Endel in his back made sure he did not get up.
Maxi stopped the taxi in front of the two smashed cars and jumped out. “Otto! Here! Come on!”
Otto sprang out of his car and sprinted towards Maxi. Suddenly bullets began to rain from the windows above.
“Otto!” Maxi shouted one last time.
“Come in, Captain.” Karl Ernst greeted.
Reidler came right to the point. “Well, what did you come up with?”
“I think they will chose this man.” Karl Ernst said while handing Captain Reidler one of five folders that were on a coffee table in the middle of the room. During the past two weeks, Krafft was going over the horoscopes of five candidates the Germans knew who were possible replacements as commander in northern Africa.
“Montgomery?”
“Based on each of these horoscopes, he represents, in my opinion, the kind of commander the British would choose.” Karl Ernst thought for a moment. “He was born in London, was he not?”
“Aren’t all British people born in London?” Reidler joked.
Krafft did not see the humor. Horoscope charts were serious business. “It is very important where one is born to do a chart. Many of these other candidates were born in various parts of the British Empire, I just wanted to make sure he was indeed born in London.”
“This was the information given to me.” Reidler said without thinking. “I see you have made two horoscopes for each man, why is that?”
“One horoscope is the man’s natal horoscope, or birth chart, for describing his basic personality. The second chart is a location chart, showing us how this personality will operate in the area of question.”
“You mean, he might change his personality by being in another place?”
“Do you change yours when you travel to another place, Captain?”
Reidler thought for a moment but did not answer. He could not think of an answer at that moment, but somehow felt intuitively Krafft’s statement was true.
Elaine brought three coffees in and sat them on the only table in the tiny apartment.
“You seemed surprised by Montgomery as being the most likely candidate. Does his record suggest otherwise?” Krafft continued.
“No, his record is pretty much like the rest of them. They all come from the same schools, do what they are told when they come out, all fight pretty much the same way. Rather boring lot, I’d say.” Reidler took a final drag on his cigarette.
“I’m curious, Captain, just what experience does Montgomery have?”
“He was in command of the British Third Division in France for nine months before we pushed him and all the other to Dunkerque. He then was in charge of the defense zone in southeastern England. Nothing special, really.”
Karl Ernst on the other hand did see something special in Montgomery’s chart, especially the one cast for Montgomery in Egypt. He however, did not tell Reidler. Long ago, Karl Ernst learned that volunteered astrological information went unheeded and unappreciated, especially with military men. Astrologers were only consulted when a military man had no idea about an unknown aspect of the enemy, and even then it was just a matter of curiosity. In most military matters the military felt they knew everything. Even now with Karl Ernst’s advice, it appeared Reidler was not convinced Montgomery would be the choice anyway.
“Which one of these horoscopes is the best match against our Rommel?”
“Montgomery.” Krafft said without hesitation.
“You seem to like this Montgomery.”
“I don’t like him, I’ve never met him. I’m only saying what the chart reveals.” Since working with astrology, Karl Ernst hated to justify his work.
“I see, well…” Reidler was interrupted by a knock on the door, which Elaine got up to answer. It was Frau Schubert.
“There is a young woman to see Herr Krafft, but she didn’t want to disturb your meeting.” Frau Schubert remained in the doorway as if waiting for instructions.
“Thank-you, Frau Schubert.” Karl Ernst said while getting up. “Captain, Elaine, will you excuse me for a moment?”
As Karl Ernst followed Frau Schubert down the steps, his heart stopped when he saw the slender figure waiting at the bottom of the stairs. It was Ewa Mann.
“Karl Ernst!”
Although elderly, Frau Schubert could still recognize that certain kind of energy when two people needed to talk in private. “I’ll go check on things in the kitchen,” Schubert said while passing Ewa, “you both may have your conversation in my room.”
“Thank-you, Frau Schubert.”
Ewa immediately put her arms around Karl Ernst as he shut Frau Schubert’s bedroom door. “Oh God!” She cried. “I thought I’d never see you again!”
“How did you know I was here?”
“One of Schmidt-Prange’s aides told Fesel, and he told me.”
“Ewa, so much has happened, I’m not sure…”
“No, please, don’t say anything now, I just had to see you, to make sure you really are alive.” Tears rolled down her face.
“What do you mean? Alive?”
“Weren’t you sent to Peenemünde?”
“Yes. Why?” Krafft notice Ewa was visibly upset. “Ewa, what’s wrong?”
Ewa finally collected herself. “Haven’t you heard what happened?”
Karl Ernst shook his head.
“Peenemünde was bombed two nights ago. Totally destroyed. Nearly everyone working there lost their lives.”
Karl Ernst thought of all his good friends who had worked there. “God, no. Oh my god, no!”
Ewa began crying again. Karl Ernst held her and began to think of the others.
“Have you heard anything about Schulte-Strathaus? Georg Lucht? You remember Lucht, don’t you?”
The pain in Ewa’s eyes grew. “Dead. They’re all dead.” Ewa wiped her tears. I have to go.”
“Karl Ernst?” Elaine called from the top of the stairs.
Ewa opened the door and put her finger to her lip. “I have to go. I’ll leave you a message with Frau Schubert.”