The Valhalla Exchange - Jack Higgins [30]
'What's that?' Canning turned impatiently.
'Oberleutnant Schenck and Corporal Schmidt will be running a considerable personal risk in this business. I hope you appreciate that.'
Canning frowned and it was Birr who held out his hand to Schenck. 'We certainly do and I, for one, would like to thank you now on behalf of all of us.'
'I will do my best, Herr Oberst,' Schenck smiled briefly, 'to stay alive for all our sakes.'
Paul Gaillard and Claire were sitting at the window in the dining hall when Canning and Birr entered, Madame Chevalier at her daily practice at the piano. She stopped playing at once.
Gaillard stood up. 'What happened?'
'We go,' Canning said excitedly. 'Or at least, Schenck does. He leaves at noon.' He stood in front of the fire, hands behind his back. 'Do you folks realize that with any kind of luck he could be back here in a matter of hours? That by this evening we could be free?'
Birr lit a cigarette. 'On the other hand, if he runs into the wrong sort of trigger-happy bunch, he could also be dead by then. Have you considered that?'
'Nonsense,' Canning said. 'Schenck spent four years on the Western Front in the First World War. Wounded three times. He's too old a bird to get knocked off now.'
'But if he does, Hamilton' - Claire walked to the fire and sat down - 'what do we do?'
'Then it may be necessary for us to take more positive action ourselves.' Canning crossed to the door and opened it. He turned. 'I know one thing. If anybody tries to take me out of here, SS or whoever, they're going to have to do it the hard way.'
He went out, closing the door behind him.
When Rattenhuber went into Bormann's office the Reichsleiter was writing away at his desk. 'I'll only be a moment, Willi. I missed my diary entry last night. I was with the Fuhrer for hours.' After a while he put down his pen and closed the book. 'So, Willi, and how are things going out there? How's morale?'
Rattenhuber looked uncomfortable. 'Morale, Reichsleiter?'
'Come on, man. No need to beat about the bush at this stage of the game.'
'Very well, Reichsleiter. If you must know, it's a total disgrace. I've never seen so many drunks in uniform in all my life. The canteen is full of them. And the women aren't behaving any better. Everything seems to be going to pieces.'
'What do you expect, Willi? You know why the Russian artillery has stopped? Because they were killing their own people as their tanks and infantry pushed towards Wilhelmplatz. According to the latest reports they've come to a halt no more than 500 metres from the Chancellery. There's heavy fighting in Belle-Allianceplatz and in the Potsdamerstrasse, though I understand our troops are holding their own near Bismarckstrasse.'
'But what about Wenck's Army?'
'Still maintaining its links with Reimann's Corps, but that's no use to us, Willi. We're finished.'
Rattenhuber looked shocked. 'Finished, Reichsleiter?'
'Oh, for quite some time now, didn't you know? When Steiner's counterattack failed to materialize on the 22nd, the Fuhrer announced then that the war was lost. That he intended to die in Berlin. Did you know that at his wedding breakfast he actually talked of suicide?'
'My God!' Rattenhuber said in horror.
'Perhaps the greatest service he could render the German people.'
He seemed to be waiting for some kind of comment. Rattenhuber licked dry lips nervously. 'Reichsleiter?'
'An interesting thought. To die for the cause, if you are the right person, can sometimes be more important than to live.' He smiled gently, contriving to look even more sinister than usual. 'But for lesser mortals, such excesses are not always necessary. You, for instance, Willi.'
'Me, Reichsleiter? I don't understand.'
'Your destiny is to live, Willi. To put it simply, you are to leave this evening.'
Rattenhuber stared at him in astonishment. 'Leave Berlin, you mean?'
'Together with the Fuhrer's army adjutant, Johannmeier, Lorenz from the Propaganda Ministry, and Zander. His task is to take a copy of the Fuhrer's political testament and will to Admiral