Angel From Hell, page 26
part #1 of Anna Fehrbach Series Series
She waved her hand at the inner door; he stepped forward and gazed at the body lying in the doorway. ‘Shit!’
‘Keep going,’ she suggested.
He stepped over the man and his mouth dropped open. ‘Holy shit!’ He gasped. ‘You did this?’
She followed him into the drawing room. ‘Well, I didn’t have much choice. I was alone here, and they wanted to send me to Berlin . . . in a trunk.’
Clive took out a handkerchief and wiped his neck. ‘But . . . three people? What were they doing?’
‘They were dying,’ Anna said patiently. ‘It only took me ten seconds.’
‘Jesus!’ Clive sat on the settee.
Anna poured him a drink. ‘You don’t understand. Nobody does. These people, and you, and I suppose your people as well, are all trained to use guns, or knives, to protect yourselves, and, if necessary, to kill. I was trained to kill without consideration or hesitation, using whatever weapon was nearest or my hands if necessary. Not having to decide whether to kill or not makes a difference of perhaps a fraction of second in response time, but a fraction of a second is the difference between living and dying.’
Clive gulped his drink, and mopped his forehead as he realized that if she had been one of Schmidt’s bodyguards he would be dead. ‘You’re quite sure they were Nazis?’
‘Quite sure. I told you, they had plans to send me back to Germany to be tortured to death. Did you want that to happen?’
‘My God, no!’ She was standing beside him, and he put his arm round her hips to bury his face in her groin. She was not even sweating. ‘But you do take a little getting used to.’
‘Can you handle this?’ she asked.
‘Yes. But you do realize it is the plan to give your escape maximum publicity.’
‘Just so long as it works.’
From his breast pocket he took a folded piece of paper. ‘These are your contact instructions. Memorize them and then burn them. And wait.’
She kissed him.
*
The black-out meant that Southampton docks were dark, and there was only a glimmer of light from the steamer alongside; she already had steam up. Clive escorted Anna to the foot of the gangplank where a sailor stood sentry. He held her valise in one hand, and her hand with the other.
‘I am sending you to hell,’ he remarked.
She turned to face him. ‘I came from there, remember. Am I going to stay there, Clive?’
He put down the valise and took her in his arms. ‘Only until we get this business sorted out.’
‘I will count the minutes.’
He held her close and kissed her. ‘As shall I. I love you, Anna.’
‘And I look forward to loving you, Clive.’
‘But it’s not on at this moment?’
She continued to hold him close. ‘Until I see you again, Clive, I am only concerned with survival. But please make it soon.’
She released him, picked up the valise, and went to the gangway. The sailor saluted, and she went up into the darkness.
*
‘Have a look at these.’ Baxter held out a sheaf of newspapers.
Clive took them, somewhat gingerly.
SPY DRAMA IN CENTRAL LONDON. SPY RING DESTROYED.
NAZI AGENTS KILLED BY BRITISH POLICE. AMAZING STORY OF MRS BORDMAN. GLAMOUROUS SOCIALITE WAS NAZI SPY. DISAPPEARS AND MAY HAVE FLED COUNTRY.
‘SHE WAS A SPY FROM THE BEGINNING,’ SAYS CHIEF SUPERINTENDENT GRATTAN OF SCOTLAND YARD. ‘SHE FOOLED US ALL, AND ELUDED US AT THE END.’
‘Nice of him to carry the can,’ Clive said.
‘Well, we’re a secret department,’ Baxter pointed out. ‘And if he let one get away, he’s taking the kudos for breaking up the ring.’
‘So tell me,’ Clive said, ‘how is Ballantine?’
‘The Honourable Ballantine Bordman is in hospital suffering a nervous breakdown. He is being retired from the Foreign Office for health reasons. I think he had it coming. If he hadn’t gone completely off his rocker in the first place at the sight of a sexy girl half his age, none of this would have happened.’
‘Ah,’ Clive reminded him, ‘but if he hadn’t gone for Anna, as Schmidt was already operating here, we might never have found him.’
‘And you would not have had some of the best sex of your life, I would suggest. In view of what you now know of her, do you think you would ever be able to sleep with her again?’
‘Life is full of risks. And what a way to go!’
*
‘It’s open,’ Clive said into the street phone.
He sat down and gazed at the door. He actually dreamed for a moment that it might be Anna.
‘Am I welcome?’ Belinda asked, closing the door.
‘Very. I need a shoulder to weep on.’
She went to the bar and poured two whiskies.
‘That is,’ he said, ‘if you forgive me.’
She handed him his glass and sat beside him. ‘I tell myself that it was all in the line of work. And I’ve always known that you enjoy your work. But she is gone, isn’t she? You don’t have her shacked up somewhere?’
‘She’s gone. She’s where she came from.’
‘But you’re hoping she’ll survive?’
‘She has to survive. She is unique.’
Belinda sighed. ‘And beggars can’t be choosers.’ She put down her drink and got up. ‘Shall I fix us some dinner?’
*
The car drove into that so familiar, so frightening courtyard. The door was opened by a uniformed officer, who stood to attention and saluted.
‘Heil Hitler!’
Anna got out and responded.
‘The General is waiting for you.’
‘Thank you.’ Anna stepped past him and walked towards the doorway, waiting for his hand to close on her arm, or at least to hear his boots immediately behind her. But he had apparently remained by the car. The door was opened for her by a sentry and she stepped into the hall. There was the usual number of people, men and women in uniform, hurrying to and fro. One or two recognized her and gave nods of greeting, but most ignored her; there was an air of tension.
About her? But no one was making the slightest move towards her. She went up the main staircase on to the wide gallery, remembering how she had been forced down that staircase just over a year ago, and went to the huge double doors. These were opened for her by yet another waiting sentry, and she was in the outer office. There were three women secretaries, all of whom stood up as she entered.
‘General Heydrich said you were to go right in, Frau Bordman,’ one said, hurrying in front of her to knock and then open the inner doors. ‘Frau Bordman, Herr General!’
Feeling quite breathless, Anna entered the room. Again, she had not been in here since the day he had so calmly told her she was to be tortured. She raised her hand. ‘Heil Hitler!’
There were three men in the room, two standing in front of the desk, and Anna’s knees felt weak as she recognized Blaner. They all saluted in response, then Heydrich said, ‘Thank you, gentlemen, we will continue our discussion later.’
Again they saluted and went to the door. As he passed her, Blaner said, ‘Welcome home, Countess.’
The door closed behind them and Heydrich came round his desk. ‘Anna!’ He advanced towards her, arms outstretched, held her close, and kissed her on the mouth. ‘It is so good to see you. Come, sit down. You have heard the news?’
Anna sank into the chair before the desk. ‘I know there is something going on, Herr General.’
Heydrich sat in his chair. ‘Yesterday, the Wehrmacht invaded Holland, Belgium and France.’
Anna clasped both hands to her neck.
Heydrich smiled. ‘It is stupendous, isn’t it? It is the start of the greatest battle in the history of the world.’
‘But . . . can we win it? Are we strong enough?’
‘We are sweeping them aside like chaff. It will be over in a month. But there is another item of news which will amuse you. Also yesterday, the British House of Commons threw out Chamberlain and put Churchill in his place. You were supposed to stop that happening.’
Anna’s heartbeat quickened; she had no idea how much he knew. ‘I do not understand. How was I to prevent it?’
‘By killing the man!’
Anna stared at him. ‘I was supposed to do that? I received no instructions.’
‘Or you would have done it?’
‘I am a servant of the Reich,’ Anna said bravely. ‘I carry out my orders.’
‘Even if it would have meant your death,’ Heydrich said thoughtfully. ‘You know, Anna, I believe you. I believe you would. You are a most unusual young woman. But you say you never received the instructions?’
‘I received nothing. Celestina said she was coming to see me with vital information, but she never came. Instead, I received a phone call from Schmidt telling me to get out immediately. So I did. I feel so guilty, Herr General.’
‘You can hardly be blamed for not carrying out an order you apparently never received. And your own personal exploits in escaping from England has been an enormous propaganda coup. You were lucky that an Italian ship was about to sail, but you have to be congratulated on the speed and decision with which you acted to get to her. You know that Celestina and Schmidt and six others got involved in a gun battle with the British police. How it happened I cannot imagine, and I don’t suppose we will find out the truth until the war is over, when we get our hands on the British archives. But, as I say, you are now world famous, and a heroine of the Reich. As for Churchill, as we are about to force Great Britain to her knees, he is really of very little importance.’
Anna sat very still, her knees pressed together; she could feel perspiration coating her neck and shoulders. ‘And what is to become of me now, Herr General?’
Heydrich got up and came round the desk. I am sure we will find something to do with a girl of your talents. However, I think you deserve a few weeks’ rest. Your apartment has been kept for you, and you will find everything you require already there.’
‘Have I really pleased the Reich?’
‘I have just said so. The Fuehrer himself wishes to meet you.’
‘Then would it be possible to see my parents and my sister?’
‘I think that could be arranged. But, I think it would be very nice if you would have dinner with me tonight.’
So I am back in hell, Anna thought. For eternity? As Clive had said, she could only wait to find out.
Epilogue
‘The deadliest woman in the world,’ I mused. ‘That’s what they called you.’
‘I know,’ the Countess said. ‘But I only ever killed to survive. That was my overriding aim in life: survival.’
‘Which you did so successfully.’
She made a moue. ‘Until now.’
‘May I ask a question?’
She inclined her head.
‘Did you love him?’
She considered for a few moments. Then she said, ‘Yes. At the end I loved him. I was heartbroken when we had to say goodbye.’
‘Did you ever see him again?’
The Countess smiled. ‘That, Mr Nicole, is another story.’
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Christopher Nicole, Angel From Hell
