The supervisor stepped over to his desk and picked up the phone. “Security, this is Communications. We have intercepted two distinct radio transmissions. Confidence is very high this is not an aberration. We believe the transmission was very close.” A voice over the phone acknowledged and took the oral report and asked for a written confirmation report immediately. The supervisor acknowledged and hung up the phone.
“Get me a written report now!” he bellowed. Almost before he was able to finish his sentence the senior technician handed him the written report.
“I have it here,” the senior tech said.
“Perfect,” replied the supervisor. “Keep on top of this. I want to know immediately if we pick up anything else. I’m going to Security with this report.” The supervisor spun around and walked out of the door and down the hall.
The supervisor walked briskly toward the main Security Center. He was convinced they were under attack. But he knew that around here many times the messenger was punished rather than the instigator. He thought through what he would say. He decided to merely report the messages and not divulge his personal hypothesis. He turned the corner and walked into the Security office.
“I have a detected messages report,” he said matter-of-factly. He laid the report on the security officer’s desk. The officer snatched the report up. He was not amused.
“What the hell is this?” he demanded. “What do you mean messages? Who are you listening to?”
The supervisor straightened up. This was not going well already, he thought. “Sir, we monitor all radio transmissions around the area per direct orders from Captain Maas, sir. A few minutes ago we detected these brief messages.” The supervisor was not impressed with this young officer. Against his earlier thoughts, he decided to go out on a limb. “We have intercepted radio transmissions from two distinct groups closing in on us.”
The security officer sat back and stared at the supervisor. He picked up the report again and scanned it. “I don’t see that here. Besides, we make the determination whether there is a threat based on these reports. You say there were only two?” he asked the fidgeting supervisor.
“Yes, sir,” he answered.
“And I see they lasted for only a few seconds?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Now, don’t you think if someone was storming our position there would be a bit more conversation between the two forces?” asked the officer pointedly.
The supervisor hesitated. He did not want to argue with this officer or any officer for that matter. “Yes, sir.” He bit his lip to fight back the urge to say more.
“Well, I will pass this on but I seriously doubt there is anything to it,” said the officer, acting as if the supervisor had already left. He placed the report in an out tray and began working on other documents. The supervisor just stood there. He wanted to say more but wouldn’t dare. The officer looked up again. “You may go,” he said, dismissing him. The supervisor saluted and spun around and left the office. What a damned idiot, thought the supervisor. Anyway, I did my job and reported the messages. Let him take the blame when the shit hits the fan.
Twenty minutes later the security officer reported the messages to his superior.
“When did you get this?” demanded his superior, bolting out of his chair.
“About twenty minutes ago,” said the officer. “It looks like some idle chatter out there somewhere.”
“You damned fool!” his superior screamed. “Your orders were to report all message interceptions immediately. Why the hell did you wait twenty minutes?”
“Well, I… ” the officer said meekly.
“Shut up!” his superior screamed. “I’ll deal with you later. I have to report this right now!” The officer’s superior ran over to the telephone and dialed.
“I have an emergency message for Captain Maas,” he said loudly. “Maas needs this information now. Where is he?”
The answer was Maas was not there but somewhere in the Fortress.
“Find him!” the superior officer yelled. “Find him now and tell him we have messages from two groups attacking the Fortress.”
CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT
Jorgen Maas slowly waltzed into the room savoring his actions. He studied the operations of the Reichsführer of the SS in Germany, Heinrich Himmler. Himmler’s actions and the actions of his Gestapo (the German Secret State Police) directly caused the deaths of more than six million souls during World War II. Their actions were a prominent tenet of Nazism; attack the total person; attack them completely and sadistically without regard to morality or human life.
Maas had no regard for anyone, even his own men. Oberleutnant Grübner was already a mess. Maas’ men had him for only an hour but had almost beaten the poor man to death. Maas walked over to Grübner, whose wrists were tied securely behind his back and he was suspended by his wrists, hanging naked in the center of the room. His hanging brought horrific pain to his muscles and shoulder joints. His body was drenched in sweat and blood. He endured the suspension for thirty minutes, during which time he was beaten with an old truck fan belt. This was a favorite interrogation tactic of Maas’ men. They took notice of the techniques not only of the Germans in the war but those used by Saddam Hussein’s troops against the Iranian prisoners during the Iran-Iraq war in the mid to late 1980’s. Many hundreds of rule breakers and other offenders in the Fortress were dealt with in this manner.
The reinforced fan belts were strong and would not come apart. They lasted for a long time and survived multiple uses. The belts did enormous physical damage to the poor person they were used upon. The belts had wire reinforcing built into their structure. They created heavy damage to the skin and seemed to rip the skin open, delivering horrible results.
Most persons did not survive extended use of the belts against them. Western military personnel viewed the use of the fan belts as a violation of the Geneva Conventions, although the belts were not specifically mentioned.
Maas stood before Grübner looking over his men’s handiwork. His face had been beaten as well. Several well placed lashes across the face almost blinded the poor man. He was hanging there moaning.
“Very nice work,” Maas said, smiling at the two goons standing over by the wall preparing some other ungodly torture. “It looks like Grübner’s last hours on earth will be very painful. That is exactly what I intended,” Maas said loudly as he smashed his fist into Grübner’s midsection. He spewed blood and spit all over Maas. This infuriated Maas. “You stinking pig!” he screamed. “I will flay you like a fish!” Maas strode over to his henchmen. “Flay the skin from his body. But take care. I want him alive to suffer the pain. If you kill him, you will take his place,” he hissed.
One of Maas’ men opened a small chest and took out a sparkling set of stainless steel cutting instruments and laid them on a tray. This was not going to be pretty.
Maas walked over to a large padded chair placed eight feet in front of Grübner. He wanted a front row seat. As he settled in, a man came running into the room.
“What are you doing here?” Maas bellowed as he stood and faced the man.
“Sir, I’m sorry but I have urgent news. We are under attack!”
Maas’ face went from rage to concern in less than a second. “What is happening? Tell me!”