The Valhalla Exchange - Jack Higgins [54]
The wind increased in force, driving snow down through the trees in a miniature blizzard.
'And I'm in the same boat because the Russians overran my parents' place a month ago. So, all we've got is each other and the regiment, but even if it's only till nine o'clock tomorrow morning, you're still soldiers of the Waffen-SS, the toughest, most efficient fighting men the world has ever seen, and from now on, you'll start acting that way again. If I ask you a question, you answer: Jawohl, Sturmbannfuhrer. If I give you an order, you get those heels together and shout: Zu befehl, Sturmbannfuhrer. Do you understand me?' There was silence. He raised his voice. 'Do you understand me?'
'Jawohl, Sturmbannfuhrer, they chorused.
'Good.' He turned to Sorsa. 'Let's go inside and I'll explain the situation to you.'
The door opened directly into a large, stone-flagged kitchen. There was a wooden table, a few chairs, a wood fire burning on the hearth and a profusion of military equipment of various kinds, including several Panzerfausts, the one-man anti-tank weapons which had been produced in such quantities during the last few months of the war.
They all gathered round the table, Sorsa, Strasser, Earl Jackson, Hoffer. Ritter unfolded a map of the area. 'How many vehicles do you have?'
'One field car, three troop-carrying halftracks.'
'And weapons?'
'A heavy machine gun in each half-track, otherwise only light infantry weapons and grenades. Oh, and a few Panzerfausts, as you can see.'
Strasser said, 'Aren't you overreacting just a little, Major? After all, if things go as smoothly as they should, this could simply be a matter of driving into the Schloss and driving out again half an hour later.'
'I stopped believing in miracles some considerable time ago.' Ritter tapped his finger on the map and said to Sorsa, 'Schloss Arlberg. That's our objective. Herr Strasser here will now tell you what it's all about and you can then brief the men. We leave in half an hour.'
10
It was just after ten o'clock and Colonel Hesser was working away at his desk when there was a knock at the door and Schneider entered.
Hesser glanced up eagerly. 'Any news of Schenck?'
'I'm afraid not, sir.'
Hesser threw down his pen. 'He should have been back by now. It doesn't look good.'
'I know, sir.'
'Anyway, what did you want?'
'Herr Meyer is here, sir, from the village. There's been some sort of accident. His son, I believe. He wants to know if Herr Gaillard can go down to the village with him. He's the only doctor for miles around at the moment.'
'Show him in.'
Johann Meyer was Mayor of Arlberg and owner of the village inn, the Golden Eagle. He was a tall robust-looking man with irongrey hair and beard, a well-known guide in the Bavarian Alps. Just now he was considerably agitated.
'What's the trouble, Meyer?' Colonel Hesser asked.
'It's my boy, Arnie, Herr Oberst,' Meyer said. 'Trying the quick way down the mountain again, tried jumping a tree and ended up taking a bad fall. I think he may have broken his left leg. I was wondering whether Herr Gaillard ...'
'Yes, of course.' Hesser nodded to Schneider. 'Find Gaillard as fast as you can, and take him and Herr Meyer back to the village in a field car.'
'Shall I stay with him, Herr Oberst?'
'No, I need you here. Take one of the men with you and leave him there. Anyone will do. Oh, and tell Gaillard that I naturally assume that under the circumstances he offers his parole.'
Gaillard was in fact at that very moment engaged in an animated discussion about their situation with Canning and Birr.
'We can't go on like this, it's crazy,' Canning said. 'Schenck should have been back last night. Something's gone wrong.'
'Probably lying dead in a ditch somewhere,' Birr said. 'I did tell you, remember?'
'Okay, so what do we do?'
'Well,' Gaillard said. 'The garrison of this establishment is composed mainly of old men or cripples, as no one knows better than I do. I've been treating them all for months now. On the other hand they still outnumber the three of us by about