The girl brought the tray to him. He took the cup of steaming soup. He sipped.
“Terrific,” he said. “Thank you, Gisela.”
“Bitte,” she said softly. “If you please.”
He took another sip. The soup was damned good. And hot. It felt great. He looked closely at the girl, standing uncertainly at the bed. Flustered, she looked away. Nervously her fingers played with the ribbon on her dirndl blouse.
“Please,” she whispered “I — wish to say something.”
Dirk remained silent. He just looked at her.
“You must know this,” Gisela said earnestly. She searched his face. “I did not wish you and your friend harm. I — was afraid.”
He started to speak, but she cut him off.
“No, please. You must hear me out.” She drew a quick breath. “I knew what Otto and Onkel Oskar were doing. I knew how dangerous it was for them.” Her words came tumbling out. “I knew…. And then Otto had his — accident.” She gave a little sob, unaware of doing so. “I–I loved my brother. He was a good man. And — I love my uncle. I do not wish to see harm come to him.”
She took a deep breath. She blinked her eyes to stem the gathering tears. Dirk watched her gravely.
“I did not wish for him to call the police,” Gisela went on. “Even though I said it. I knew he would not do so I said it only because I thought perhaps you might be frightened. And leave. And not make Onkel Oskar do dangerous things. He — he is all I have. I—”
Her voice broke.
“Gisela,” Dirk said gently. “It doesn't—”
“No. You must listen to me,” the girl implored, her huge eyes beseeching. “You must understand. I do want the men to be stopped who can do such horrible things as they did to Wanda. I do!”
The tears brimming in her eyes rolled down her cheeks. She seemed oblivious to them. “She is only seventeen….”
She sobbed.
“And then — today, when Onkel Oskar told us—” She could not go on. Gently he reached out to her and pulled her down on the bed to sit beside him. He searched her lovely face, distraught and moist with tears.
“Gisela,” he said softly. “It's all right. I do understand.”
And he did. With sudden clarity he understood the agonizing fears she lived with day and night. How painfully she was torn between her fervent need to keep her loved ones safe and her deep desire to help end the misery inflicted on so many others. The impossibility of reconciling the two. He knew her torment and he felt a profound tenderness toward her.
The girl began to sob. She put her face in her hands and cried inconsolably, pouring out the stored-up grief and tension and fear.
Dirk put his hands on her shaking shoulders. Gently he drew her to him. She buried her head on his chest. And wept.
He held her. Silently. Protectively.
And slowly her crying stopped.
He stroked her silken hair. He rested his cheek on it. The fresh, girl scent of her hair caressed him. He felt a surge of compassion and tenderness. He took her head in his hands and lifted her face. Her tear-bright eyes looked searchingly into his. Tenderly he kissed the tears from them, the clear, warm saltiness stinging his lips.
He put his arms around her and pressed her to him.
She melted to him. Her bare arms stole around his neck. Their touch sent his blood racing. She began to weep again. Softly, this time. The weeping of deliverance, of solace, not the racking sobs of anguish and despair.
Slowly they sank back on the bed, holding on to one another. Every fiber in Dirk's body was aware of the girl's soft nearness and warmth. He was overwhelmed with the desire to protect her, hold her inviolate. And he was tense with desire, his loins ready to burst.
He held her close.
She nestled into the safety of his arms. Slowly her weeping stopped, turned into deep and regular breathing. The last few days were demanding their toll. Gisela felt secure and protected. She let her exhaustion take over.
She slept….
Dirk looked down at the golden head resting on his chest. In sleep the girl's lovely face looked guileless. Young — and vulnerable.
He watched her with regret and with profound gratification that Gisela should be offering him her utmost expression of trust.
He was suddenly enormously happy to be alive….
24
“We can allow ourselves no other conclusion.” Colonel Reed's voice was bleak. “We must consider them both taken. Or dead.”
General McKinley turned to Major Rosenfeld. “What is your opinion, Major?” he asked somberly.
Rosenfeld looked grim.
“We know the French-Moroccan combat patrol came under heavy fire and suffered heavy losses,” he said. “The sergeant in charge was severely wounded. His men got him back. At his last sight of our men, they were running toward some woods during the firefight. He does not know if they were hit. They might have been killed. They might not.” He took a deep breath. “Their first radio contact was scheduled for Sunday, March the twenty-fifth. Alternate, the twenty-sixth. It is now March the twenty-eighth. London has maintained round-the-clock monitoring of the Gemini frequency. There has been no contact.” He paused. “I am forced to agree with Colonel Reed. We must consider the mission aborted. The men — dead….”
McKinley nodded slowly. He looked deeply troubled.
“I assume it is impossible to mount another OSS mission within the narrow time frame available,” he said.
Rosenfeld nodded. “I am afraid it is, sir. Gemini was our best shot.”
McKinley turned to Reed. “What's the situation at Heidelberg?” he asked. “The town must have been secured by now.”
Reed looked troubled. “It has been, sir. Advance elements of the Alsos team are already there,” he said. “They entered with the tactical infantry units. They have already sent back information, all of which points to a possible German breakthrough in atomic-bomb research.” He looked at the general, who was listening to him gravely. “One of their top scientists in Heidelberg — a Dr. Bothe — had, in fact, been working with a cyclotron at the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute of Physics there. He admitted they were engaged in obtaining radioactive material for a bomb, although he denied that German scientists were close to having such a bomb. No corroboration was possible. All documents relative to the work performed had been burned. In essence, we know no more about what's going on in Hechingen-Haigerloch after capturing the laboratories in Heidelberg than we did before.”
“What about the Pash plan?” McKinley asked. “Operation—”
“Effective, sir. Operation Effective.”
“Yes. What has Groves decided?”
“The general has reached no final decision as yet.”
McKinley frowned. “I don't like it,” he said. “But it may be our only course of action.”
Rosenfeld looked from McKinley to Reed. He coughed discreetly.
“Sir. I am not familiar with — Operation Effective.”
“Sorry, Dave.” Colonel Reed gave an embarrassed little laugh.
“Brief him,” McKinley said laconically.
“Yes, sir.” Reed turned to Rosenfeld. “It is a plan of operation designed to take the Hechingen-Haigerloch area — if necessary. Colonel Pash, who has commanded Alsos from the beginning, will be in charge. It will be an airborne operation. The Thirteenth AB Division will be dropped to secure the area. Alsos scientists will be brought in by plane under heavy air escort. Pash himself will be dropped with a paratroop battalion to seize the actual target… as soon as we know what it is. A number of C-46's will be used to evacuate the Alsos personnel and any captured German scientists — and whatever equipment and matériel may be deemed important.”