“Not at all.”
Fesel got up and looked out across the Zepplinstrasse to the city block sized park that was opposite the Dark Fire building. Snow had covered all the walkways so the entire park looked like one solid white square. Only a dog’s and his master’s footsteps forming a diagonal across the eastern side in the tiny oasis of nature disturbed the perfection of newly fallen snow.
“Did you get the impression he wants to see you again?” Fesel still did not know how to ask Ewa if she felt anything for Krafft. Perhaps if he asked enough questions he could eventually touch on the subject so it would come out right, or collect enough related answers to make his own conclusions.
“I don’t know, he didn’t say anything like that.”
Before being hired by Fesel, Ewa Mann was a waitress at an Italian restaurant on the Mecklenburgstrasse. She was previously in the Hitler Youth, and as all the other children who participated in this organization, swore an oath of loyalty to Hitler first, then to the Third Reich, and finally to the German people.
“Did he look at you…?”
Ewa’s head turned towards Fesel with an uncertain and confused expression. It was only then that Fesel realized he had not completely expressed with words what was going on in his mind – the disconnect creating a statement that appeared almost stupid.
“I meant, my dear Ewa, did he look at you with any desire?” The shock of appearing feebleminded to a subordinate kicked him to express what subject was really consuming him: sex.
“Oh, that.”
Fesel was relieved, seeing he not only covered his mistake well, but also did it in a way that made him appear polite and refined.
“Well, I don’t know, maybe a little… I think.”
Ewa’s thoughts began to race back to her experience the night before. She could only remember the mesmerizing jet black eyes of her assignment. There was something about them that was so distant – like the planets he worked with. Yet those eyes were still so intense, as if the power of those planets were so close. Fesel could see Ewa’s mind was elsewhere.
“Did you see him read the note?”
“No.”
The Count’s father, Manfred, was the one who actually saw that oil would replace coal as the main energy source as far back as 1889, when only a handful of men saw the experiments in ship engines that revealed a diesel type engine would far outperform a coal driven one.
Knowing that the major navies in the world would soon be forced to restock their fleets with diesel driven battleships, Manfred began sending his agents out to infiltrate the Geological Societies of every country to find – and later control – the countries that produced oil. He would then be the key supplier of fuel for the modern navies of the 20th Century, to friend and foe alike. Just as his father and father before him did with weapons.
Although Manfred was beaten out of the gate by one Sidney Reilly, who not only discovered that the Russians were surveying around Baku for oil, but the daring secret agent also stole the Czar’s findings and delivered it to the British Secret Service. However, Manfred won in the end. Nearly half the Russian population of Baku was dependent on the von Hoogerwoerd family a full 2 years before the Russian Czar even knew how much oil they were sitting on.
When the Russians finally did come in and develop the area for oil production at great expense to the Russian people, Manfred von Hoogerwoerd merely sat back and took his cut. He did the same in what is now Iran, Iraq, Indonesia, and other parts of Russia.
“We have six weeks at the most.”
For some, there was a feeling of relief they would not have to rush home that night. For others, less than two months may still not be enough time for them to accomplish what they needed.
“And what about Budapest?” Questioned Pavel, one of the Hungarians present.
“Hungry will remain neutral as long as it can, until Russian becomes involved, which will probably be much later, the summer of ’41 at least.”
The Hungarian looked relieved. Pavel’s father was a photographer during the Great War, so he saw first hand the horrors that could be brought to his beloved country, home, wife and children.
Von Hoogerwoerd then looked at the four Rumanians who were seated together at the far side of the table. When all four returned his look, he spoke.
“Rumania will remain neutral, but later this year will ally itself with Germany. The arrangements have already been made in secret.”
Two of the Rumanians seemed surprised, while to other two – of German descent – looked at each other with approval.
“Gentlemen, I would like for us to call it an evening here. On your way out please take the folder with your name on it and read through your next assignment tomorrow after a good night’s sleep. I will be contacting you individually to cover a few more specific details before your trains leave on Thursday. Good night.”
As each man walked though the hallway, they stopped briefly by a gray marble table and found their folders. In each were assignments that suited each man’s profession, and gave the Count more unseen control over Europe and beyond by; a high-jacking in Hungary, a business takeover by force in Rumania, covert pressure on one of the Soviet generals, a murder in Germany, theft of a code book in Italy, a dead drop in Sweden, to name a few.
A double knock came on the door. Then a single one followed a few seconds later.
This was the signal to Bettina that it was Elke at the door. The two had met nearly every day after their first accidental meeting. Bettina quickly opened the door.
“I saw him drive off with several others. My friend at the front desk said they left a forwarding number in Hilsham, which is about 40 kilometers from here.
Bettina calculated in her mind how much time it would take a car to travel 40 kilometers on a snowy mountainous road, plus the time for a short meeting, a few beers and the drive back.
“We have about 3 hours.”
Elka had brought some bananas and some other fruit Bettina liked, since for the past few days she could only eat what Goebbels decided to bring up to her… when he remembered.
“How are you feeling?”
“A lot better, since meeting you. Were you able to telephone out?”
“Not yet. There’s only one operator who would let me use the phone here, and she didn’t show up for work yesterday. I’ll stay here later on tonight and see if comes in. If she does I’ll call your friend.”
Bettina wondered what Otto would do if he learned where she was. She also wondered what he would do if he learned of her situation.
“So tell me about your Otto… is he cute?”
“He’s a dream… tall, athletic, green eyes and dimples.”
Elka, a somewhat plump virgin who only had a schoolgirl relationship as a 10 year old, heaved a dreamily sigh. “Is he good in bed?”
Bettina was a bit taken back by this question. She had certainly spoken of sexual experiences with her close friends, and Elka, after all was family. But she had never had a question over sexually asked so direct, so openly – so casual.
“Uh, yea, sure!” The thought of their last experience came to mind. “We did it in the bathtub the last time I saw him.”
Elka could only imagine the two in a bathroom filled with bubbles and foam, which caused her to laugh. Bettina smiled as an afterthought, then her face slumped when she began to realize how much she missed him.
“Hey, hey, come on.” Elka could see what was happening. “Let me help you. Tell me the most exciting time you had when you were 10 years old.”