Armageddon_ A Novel of Berlin - Leon Uris [227]
That is how he knew that the talk of Mongol troops was true and their presence outside Berlin deliberate.
Blessing was among those Western officers singled out for abuse over People’s Radio, which described him as a strikebreaker, lyncher, and fascist bully in the tradition of the Storm Troopers. He came in for cartoon treatment in their papers, which depicted him as obese, stubble-bearded, fanged, clawed, drooling, hairy.
His answer to the last attack was to take Lil and the two boys to the Russian Sector and have a Sunday picnic on the Müggel Lake.
He lowered the volume on the radio as Gil Hodges took a called third strike. “What are the girls gossiping about these days?”
“Usual PX talk. Who’s sleeping with who. Who’s drinking too much.”
“What do they say about the situation here?”
Lil shrugged, feigned innocence. “Not too much. Bless, that sure is a nice girl Sean has. We got to have them come to dinner again soon.”
“Come on, Lil. What’s the talk?”
She dropped the ball of wool, lit a cigarette, and glared at him with that expression that said he was acting like a cop. They’re all scared to death.”
“You?”
“I know we can’t leave. I’m trying as best I can not to show it to the kids.”
“And the rest of the girls. They want to leave?”
“Stop grilling me.”
“We got to know.”
“Well, a dozen I know of, maybe more, have asked to be evacuated.”
“If they start to move out, every dependent in the garrison will want out, except Agnes Hansen and Claire Hazzard.”
The phone interrupted them.
“Blessing,” he said.
“Hardy,” a Constabulary officer said, “better get over here right away.”
“What’s up?”
“Tide’s coming in tomorrow. We’re going to have to send out the fishing boats.”
Bless turned his back to Lil to get a grip on himself before he set the phone down, but she saw the receiver wet with perspiration.
“Honey, rig me up a thermos of coffee and a couple sandwiches. I got a little extra duty.”
He left the room quickly to dress.
She had seen him react this way too many times not to know there was danger. In a few moments he returned, strapping on his duty belt and checking his pistol. He slipped his MP arm band on, she handed him the white Constabulary helmet and a lunch bucket.
“Keep the boys home from school tomorrow and stay in the house.”
“Tell me.”
“You can’t communicate this to anyone, Lil. The Commies are going to try a Putsch in the morning.”
“How serious is it?”
“There is a pistol in my closet in the inside pocket of my winter coat. I don’t want you and the kids to be taken alive.”
Chapter Four
FOR SEVERAL DAYS INFORMERS WORKING inside the Russian and Communist groups had alerted the Americans that they were brewing a “workers’ Putsch.”
The logical time to try it would be early in the morning during rush hour when the trains exchanged populations from sector to sector. The Communists first would infiltrate organizers who would move to key points in the Western boroughs.
The leaders would be followed by Action Squads, armed with concealed clubs, knives, stones, bottle bombs, and small arms, who would be loaded on the underground and elevated trains from various points, cross into the Western boroughs where their leaders would be waiting at the town halls, the power plant, radio transmitter, RIAS, and key factories. When they reassembled they would begin riots and seize their locations.
The plan was to create chaos in several dozen places and force the West to commit its garrisons to restore order. Then a second wave of Communists would cross over in trucks and grab dozens of new targets. This follow-up group would include Soviet soldiers and Schatz’s SND police dressed as civilians. By now, the West would be spread too thin to cope with the new mayhem.
At this point, General Trepovitch would offer to send in his troops from the outskirts of the city provided the Western troops agreed to return to their barracks. Tempelhof and Gatow airdromes were the prime targets