Otto nodded. “I think so too. This just isn’t right. I wish I could get out of this,” he said sadly.
Fredrich saw the look in his eyes and smiled at his friend. “I know, but maybe this will all just blow away. I don’t know what the overall plan is yet, but it can’t be anything serious. I mean, we’re just a few people,” he said.
Otto nodded. “Well, at least we can still be friends and talk,” he said warmly looking up from the table.
There was a scraping sound as a chair was pulled up and Johann sat down with a thump. He looked angry. “You two know not to sit together. What are you doing?” he demanded in a hushed voice.
Fredrich wasn’t going to take anything from the guy. He sat back and glared at Johann. “Don’t take that tone with me Johann,” he said loudly enough to be heard across the room. “You can’t pick on my friend and you do not want to take me on,” he said hotly. “Now go on and pick on someone else,” he demanded.
Johann turned beet red. His anger built until Fredrich thought he would explode. Then suddenly he calmed, got up from the table and left the room. Fredrich leaned forward again to calm Otto, who looked like he would almost pass out. “Es ist in Ordnung, Otto,” Fredrich said to calm his friend. “At tonight’s meeting let’s talk to Colonel Müller. I think I can clear things up,” he said firmly. Otto nodded and quickly drank the last of his boxed milk. Then he left for his next class. Fredrich watched him go. Otto didn’t need anything like this. He was a good friend but not someone to assert himself. Fredrich would have to watch out for him.
Rolf Dresner climbed to the top of the tank again after nearly everyone at the plant had gone. He took a couple of photographs of the tube and the indicator wire from the nitric acid tank. Pulling out a couple different tools, he tried to see what had been used to make the marks on the tube. The third one tried were a pair of American vice grips. The teeth of the grip exactly matched the marks on the tube. More photos were taken and Dresner put away his gear. Climbing down the ladder, he wondered why no one had come by to check on him. He climbed into his golf cart and drove to the terminal where the guard should have been watching. When he got to the room no one was there. He was about to leave when an older gentleman walked around the corner with a soft drink in his hand. “Who are you?” the old man asked.
Dresner showed him his credentials. “I came by to see how the equipment works at night.”
The old man smiled and welcomed him onto the room. “You can see the television cameras here. I can control lights, gates, switches, just about anything in the yard from here. I sit here and watch these things all night long. You might as well have me watch rocks move,” the man said. Below the monitors was a panel with switches and buttons and a phone system to get out an alarm.
“Where were you just now,” Dresner asked.
“We get a 30 minute break for our meal along with ten minute breaks each two hours. There’s usually nothing going on anyway,” the old man said. “There’s only been one time this month we had night operations in the yard. The train came in late,” he said.
Dresner nodded. “Ever notice anything unusual?” he asked.
The old man scratched his chin. “Not really. Most of the time the lights are out and we can’t see a thing. These cameras are great during the day, but at night nothing is seen unless someone is carrying a torch. If I do see anything, I can turn on more lighting and call out the other security guards.”
“You ever notice anything out of the ordinary?” Dresner asked. He continued to push without making the man angry or suspicious.
The old man chuckled. “Oh, I once caught a couple of our workers sneaking out for a little rendezvous. Once even saw a dog come across the tracks.” Both men chucked at the thought.
“Then there are the occasional problems. Just a few weeks ago I thought I saw someone around one of the tanks but when I hit the light switch, nothing happened. It turned out to be a broken electric line,” the man said. “Matter of fact, that was the second time that happened on the same set of lights,” he said. “I think an animal had gnawed through it.”
“When was that?” Dresner asked.
The man thought a moment. “It was about three weeks ago as I recall.”
“Did you call the security force?”
The man shook his head. “I figured it was just an animal. There weren’t any lights and people don’t go to that section of the yard without their torches.”
“Which camera was it?” Dresner asked.
“Not sure what’s stored there. We just go by the monitor number. The one was Number 7,” he said.
Dresner nodded and made a mental note. Number 7 was the camera overlooking the nitric acid tank. “Why did you think it was animals?” he asked.
“We got the word some had been seen out back,” the old man said nonchalantly. “Herr Mantz came in those nights and told us about them. He said not to worry too much,” he said.
“I see,” Dresner said. “Does your supervisor come out for the night shift often?” he asked.
The old man gave a grunt. “Those are the only times he’s ever been out here at night. Herr Mantz only stays as long as necessary,” he said.
Dresner asked a couple more easy questions and thanked the man for his help. As he left, the old man sat back in his swivel chair and began staring at the monitors. Dresner made his way to his car. His next effort would be to gain access to Mantz’s car.
The two young men were ushered into the colonel’s office and the door shut. Colonel Müller was seated at his desk and looked angry with the two young men. Both were brought to attention.
“It has come to my attention that you two have violated my orders about meeting together outside the meetings. I am not used to having my orders violated. Now tell me why I should not have you both shot,” he demanded. Otto turned white as a sheet, but Fredrick remained confident. “Of course, Herr Colonel. You told us we should never draw attention to ourselves, so I have taken the steps so that your orders are carried out,” he stated forcefully.
“Explain,” the colonel said, still angry, but more subdued.
“Herr Colonel, Otto and I have been good friends since we were very young. We do things together often. When we first started coming to the meetings we followed your orders to the letter. But people started coming to us asking what had happened to our friendship. I realized immediately that we would have to return to doing things together so that suspicions would not be aroused. That is why I asked to speak to you just before we were summoned to your office. You needed to know what we were doing,” Fredrich said confidently.
Colonel Müller thought for a moment. Most of the young men had never known each other before they joined the group. Friendships were something he had not taken into consideration. He nodded slowly. “You were correct to make that decision, young Stadt. Has this been successful?”
Fredrich continued to look straight ahead. He knew he was still at attention and familiarity was not one of the colonel’s favorite pastimes. “We started sitting together just today, Herr Colonel. We talked about the food, our studies and yesterday’s football game. If anyone joined us, they would have heard nothing but what we usually talk about,” he said.
Colonel Müller glared back. “I was told someone overheard you talk about plans and us being a small group, and that you,” he said pointing to Otto, “said you could still be friends,” he said correctly quoting their conversation.
“Yes, Herr Colonel. We are a small group. The core of our football team is. We don’t know yet the plans for the league playoffs, but our team should be in them,” he said with a slight smile.
“And the friendship?”
Otto spoke up. “I am afraid I didn’t think much of our team this year Herr Colonel. I have had to live that down ever since I said it,” he said turning slightly red in the face.
The two saw the Colonel visibly relax. “Good. I was told something else,” he said.
“I know, Herr Colonel, and that may be a problem. The person who told you came up to our table, sat down and began to threaten us. If someone had overheard there might have been a problem. Luckily he is the school bully and no one noticed. I stood up to him and acted as if he was just up to his old tricks and he stormed out. Herr Colonel, our cause cannot have someone’s temper jeopardize it. I have learned from our meetings and I know that patience has served us well. It cannot be ruined because someone doesn’t know how to maintain himself,” Fredrich said hoping he hadn’t overstepped his bounds.
“You are quite correct, Stadt. Both of you are. I will talk to the individual in question. But remember, he is as valuable to the Party as you are. You must understand we all have our place. We will all need each other when the time comes,” he said finally smiling. “You may continue your program, Stadt. It was smart of you to realize the danger and act on it. Keep me personally informed of your progress,” he demanded.
The two young men took a step back and raised their right arms in a Nazi salute. The Colonel returned it. As the two left the room the colonel called out, “By the way, who won the football game?”
Fredrick broke into a big grin. “We did, Herr Colonel.”
Müller smiled and waved them on. Discipline had been maintained, although he would have to talk to Johann. Inwardly, he feared Johann would try to take it out on these two young men. On second thought, young Fredrich would probably be able to handle that problem as well.