Dresner looked back and picked up a plain manila folder. Inside was a stack of typed sheets. The top one had a list with thirty five names and addresses. The sheet was marked “Special Unit Number Four.”
“Sorry it took so long. It took my staff a week to dig out those names even after we knew where to look. Someone didn’t want that information found easily. We’re not too sure of the addresses of those people out of the country, but the ones inside Germany are good as of last year,” he said.
Dresner rapidly scanned the list. Mantz’s name was about mid way through. The address was correct. Four of the men were marked as deceased. There were three officers on the list. One was listed as Captain H. Strasser, a second was General “K” and the last, Colonel Heinrich Müller. Dresner sucked in his breath. Müller was a notoriously fervent Nazi. He was ruthless and methodical in everything associated with him. More importantly, after the war he too had never been found. The General “K” confirmed Speer’s worry that it might me General Hans Kammler. This was even bigger trouble. If Kammler was indeed in charge of this plot, he would not be quickly found and not so easily subdued.
Flipping to the next page he smiled at himself. Mahler had guessed the importance and had provided copies of Kammler’s and Müller’s service records.
Mahler saw the look on his face. “I take it I guessed right. Kammler was the only one who fit. He’s the only general with a last name starting with a “K” who had not been found,” he said.
“You are still as efficient as ever, Mahler. It’s spot on. This may help us a lot,” Dresner said as he flipped back to the first sheet again and started going down the list a second time. This time he stopped on one name and swore quietly to himself. “I need to ask you to pull in again. One more phone call,” he said. Mahler could tell he was greatly disturbed. It took five minutes to come up on another fueling station. Dresner were out of the car almost before it stopped. He ran to the phone and caught Betz as he was about to go out the door.
“Betz we have a serious problem. Mahler gave me the list of names we asked for. Take down these names,” he said. Dresner proceeded to read off each name and address. The last one got Betz’s attention. It was Hans Kemper. “Mein Gott, Herr Major! Right under our noses!”
“Yes my friend. It’s time to find these men and get them under wraps. But I think we need to do this outside the force. Contact the men. Tell them I need them. Meet us at the coffee house this evening. And Michael…”
“Yes, Herr Major?”
“Tell them to bring their weapons,” Dresner said.
Betz was silent for just a moment. “Jawohl, Herr Major. I’ll start it going immediately. By the way, I have been referred to a retired man who worked at the concrete plant in the war. He made deliveries. I am going to see him immediately after I make the calls. Should I arrest Kemper?”
“No. We don’t want to jump too soon. I want him and I want him to talk. Let’s gather our assets before we go.”
Two minutes later the BMW was back on the autobahn. This time the speed approached 100 miles per hour.
Walter Obrect was living a peaceful life. He had a two bedroom cottage on the edge of Innsbruck where he lived with his pet dog, Herman. Most days he was content with walking to the local café for breakfast with his friends before working most of the day outside in the garden behind his home. The call from the police excited him. It was actually the first time in his 87 years to have had any interaction with them aside from an occasional license check. He made some fresh coffee and was anxiously waiting when Sergeant Betz knocked on his door. After welcoming Betz into his home and offering a cup, the men sat down to talk.
“I hope I’m not in any trouble,” said Obrect as he sat down.
Betz laughed. Walter Obrect was not what he imagined when he called. From their brief conversation, Betz had imagined he was an old, fat retiree with a red nose from too much drinking. On the phone he had sounded like some sort of Santa Claus. Instead he found a thin man, well muscled, with some color still in his hair. Only the crinkles around his eyes which curled upward gave hint to the jolliness inside. “On the contrary, I was hoping you might be able to help us out with something,” he said cordially.
That got a surprised look from Obrect. “Ahhh. Well, I’m afraid I’m too old to go out chasing criminals. But what can I do to help?”
“We are looking into a case which dates back to the end of the war. I understand you delivered concrete for just about every order the company received, is that correct?” asked Betz with a smile.
Obrect sat back. “My, you really are going back! Yes, I delivered parts of nearly every order, especially during the war. You see, I was too old to serve in the army, so I was allowed to work in one of the vital industries. You might say I drove my own tank. She was a beast,” said Obrect, obviously proud of his work. “What happened? Did you find a body in a concrete slab?” he asked with a grin.
Betz liked this man. He sat back and laughed. “I wish it was so simple. Actually we are looking into where the Germans built some secret facilities near here. It would have required a lot of concrete. We were hoping you might remember where some were.”
Obrect nodded. “Yes, I remember those days. Most of the concrete we made went to the army or some other government operation. Starting in ‘44 or ‘45 you say?”
Betz nodded.
“We were pretty spread out. We poured the barracks floors for a facility just outside the city and the foundations for some gun emplacements. There’s a fortified bunker down near Rum. Then there was the airport work and the foundations there,” he said as he rattled off some of the various jobs they had done.
“The job would be very secret. There might have been some extra security measures taken when you delivered the concrete,” Betz interrupted.
Obect chuckled. “Just about everything was secret to the Germans,” he said, not knowing Betz used to be in the German Army. “Most places had extra security. I wore my travel permit out twice in those years alone just showing it to guards.”
Betz began to think this was a wrong trail. He knew Dresner would be disappointed if this didn’t come through. Everything was pointing in this direction. His thoughts were interrupted by Obrect.
“Of course there was this one place. It began about mid 1944. It was up in the mountains. The other drivers and I must have delivered over 200 loads apiece over six months. The security was so strict they brought in drivers and blindfolded us at the bottom of a hill and drove us blindfolded until we reached the construction site.”
Betz sat up and began taking notes.
“First were two shafts through the mountain we worked on for about a month. Then a lot of underground work. We made our pours through metal tubes down to forms far below. I got the chance to see some of the materials. There were miles of steel piping, wiring, heavy steel supports for something. Unfortunately they were using that ersatz rebar. I said something to one of the men about it, but was told to mind my own business. So I wouldn’t worry about that place. By now it’s probably crumbled in.”
“Why is that?”
“Toward the end of the war steel was hard to get. Someone changed the metals in the rebar we received. It was awful. It broke easily and corroded like you wouldn’t believe. Under any pressure it just gives way. In this place the walls weren’t too thick anyway. I don’t know what it was for, but there were four huge chimneys coming up from the main chamber. Must have been about 5 meters across. We even poured concrete caps for the tops. I could see lights deep inside the holes so there must be a much larger chamber there. But they wouldn’t let us get near it.”