Armageddon_ A Novel of Berlin - Leon Uris [3]
From the instant they passed through the gate toward the motor pool the problems of life and love in London were done. Dante and Sean walked crisply in step toward the first of the Mission office buildings.
The directory in the anteroom read:
Room 101: Civil Administration of German Cities
Room 102: German Legal Codes
Room 103: Public Health
Room 104: Banking System
Room 105: Displaced Persons/Refugees
Conference Hall A/B/C: Identification of German Cities. Aerial Recon.
Room 106: Lab.
Room 201: Counter-Intelligence, Leading Nazis
Room 202: Counter-Intelligence, Secondary Nazis
Rooms 203/204/205: Eradication of Nazism
Room 206: Military Government Orders/Rulings/Manual
Conference Halls E/F: Identification of Nazis-Nazi Organizations
Third Floor: Document Center
Off the anteroom they entered the officer of the day’s office and signed in, were passed through the locked portal to the inner core of quiet bustle. A second security desk, manned by a sergeant, blocked the hallway.
“Morning,” Dante said, leaning over signing the register.
“Morning, sir.”
“Morning,” Sean said.
“Morning, Captain O’Sullivan. General Hansen wants you in his office at ten hundred. And frankly, sir... Eric the Red has the storm flag up.”
Chapter Two
BRIGADIER GENERAL ANDREW JACKSON Hansen balanced his specs on the end of his nose. He was short, hefty, had a few sprigs of gray hair so that the addition of a pillow under his jacket could have given him the appearance of kindly Kris Kringle. Other men wore glasses but he wore specs. His face was as mobile and expressive as a Punch and Judy puppet. This bubble of gentleness was deceptive for in an instant a stream of oaths could tell one why he was identified as Eric the Red.
He drummed his stubby fingers on the desk top and from time to time a particularly annoying word would growl from his throat as he read ...
CONFIDENTIAL REPORT: Requested for the eye’s only use of Brig. Gen. A. J. Hansen.
SUBJECT: Cohabitation; Nan Milford/Capt Sean O’Sullivan.
Mrs. Nan Milford. Age 35. Wife of G. Donald Milford, Major, British Army. Major Milford was captured during the German invasion of Crete in 1941. Has been a prisoner of war three years at Officer’s Lager 22; Westheim, Germany.
Before war Milford was a highly successful director of Morsby Ltd., one of Britain’s leading publishing houses. Member of board of directors of a dozen lesser companies. Rated moderately wealthy. Blue blood on both sides of family. Before the war the Milfords were considered congenially married. They associated themselves with London society, art, cultural and charity affairs. Members, Church of England.
Two children: Pamela, age 10. Roland, age 12. Children are living at home of paternal grandmother in Plimlington East where they were evacuated during the heavy bombing of London.
Since husband’s internment, Nan Milford has worked as a volunteer in the London Section of the International Red Cross, Prisoner of War Division.
Approximately seven months ago she met O’Sullivan who was then conducting a G-5 study on Prisoner of War Camps. In this connection he spent much time with her on official duty gathering specific Red Cross data.
O’Sullivan and Mrs. Milford have engaged in cohabitation for approx. six months. In the beginning they were extremely cautious about their rendezvous and kept away from outside social activities together. However secrecy appears diminishing. For the last two months cohabitation has occurred regularly in the fashionable Milford flat on Bayswater Road, London, W.2.
Single copy this report produced. Other records destroyed as requested.
Thos. Hanley, Major, Counter-Intelligence.
“Piss,” said Hansen as he slid the report into the top drawer of his desk.
He paced