Chapter Four Hundred Thirteen
8th September 1944
Formosa
Tilo was tired to his core. This campaign had dragged on for months. It wasn’t until he had talked to some of the infantry from the 13th Corps who had fought in Russia that he discovered that the battles of the Pacific were something different.
The battles of annihilation had not taken place in Russia to the extent that they did here in the Pacific. Sure, they said, there were some Soviet Units composed of NKVD true believers led by whack job Commissars but those were the exception not the rule. As they had fought their way to the northern part of the island they had noticed that the climate had changed. Wetter and not quite as hot. They had also noticed that the Japanese soldiers were starving but still fought on. Tilo wasn’t sure if he could have done that. The MA was still trying to push the Japanese off what was absurdly called Second Highest Mountain, there had to be a better name for it. They had an unknown number of Japanese dug in up there. The Brass was saying that the last Japanese stronghold on the north end of the island would be visible from the top.
In the distance Tilo heard the sound of a helicopter getting closer and it flew past below their position. It had red crosses painted on the sides. As it had turned out, the KLM was having a hard time tropicalizing the strange aircraft. It had been hoped that the MA could play the same game that the posers in the SKA had in Russia but that had not been in the cards. Instead they were being used for medevac. Everyone in the Marine Infantry knew that being able to get from the field hospital to the hospital ship in minutes was saving a lot of lives and they were thankful for it.
“Schultz, Hauptmann wants you!”
That jarred Tilo from his thoughts. “He say what he wants?” Tilo yelled back.
“What do you think?”
Ask a stupid question, get a stupid answer, Tilo thought to himself. Of course, the Hauptmann didn’t say he wanted. He never had let them know a damned thing in the past. Why would that change now?
He made his way down the mountain to the Hauptmann’s dugout. The Hauptmann was yelling into the telephone like receiver of the radio when he got there. Something about how the fleet had better yank their thumb out of their ass and get aircraft to provide fire support before the next attack on the mountaintop. When he saw Tilo he held up one finger, one minute.
Eventually he slammed the receiver down. “Loud is the only language that they seem to understand” The Hauptmann said.
“You asked to see me, Sir” Tilo said. Tilo knew from experience that whenever he garnered the notice of the Brass then whatever it was about the odds were good that he wouldn’t like it.
“Yeah, Schultz” The Hauptmann said, “I was a bit surprised when it was noticed that you have an exemplary record, I thought you were a proper Marine.”
Tilo just shrugged, that was an old joke.
“I just wanted to be the first to congratulate you on the promotion, Unterfeldwebel Schultz” The Hauptmann continued.
“Thank you, Sir” Tilo said. Great, Tilo thought to himself sarcastically. He would have more responsibilities and having to ride herd on Reier. The Brass had really screwed him this time.
Ballerup, Denmark
Olga had been pestering King George with telegrams until eventually he had sent a man to tell her stop it. He was a smooth talker. Olga had to give this Mister Fleming that much but she knew a bullshit artist when she met one. Fleming’s friend, Jack Kennedy seemed a bit more earnest but he said that he was just on his way home to Ireland after volunteering to fight in Russia with the Irish Regiment. The two of them had been traveling together when supposedly they had been diverted north to Denmark.
“The King is sympathetic with your cause” Fleming said before he handed Olga a photograph, “He just wants you to know that this matter requires the upmost discretion on your part.”
Olga felt her breath catch in her throat. The photograph a school picture of a young woman, the family resemblance was obvious, this was Tatiana’s daughter and it was recent. She would have recently turned sixteen. “Where is she?” Olga asked.
“After the NKVD killed Jehane’s family, she was placed in a new family under an assumed name” Fleming said, “The Agent who was responsible for her told the world she had died after she had hidden her away.”
“So, you don’t know?” Xenia asked sternly.
“Not even King George himself knows the answer to that” Fleming said.
“How is that possible?” Olga asked. She?
“You see the Agent in question is not one of ours” Fleming said, “As in British.”
Jack knew by the way that Fleming said that he had the sinking feeling that he knew who Fleming was talking about.
Olga noticed that Jack had the palm of his hand on his forehead and he was shaking his head. “What the Hell were you thinking Ian?” He muttered.
“I was thinking that it would be someone else’s problem” Fleming replied.
“Is there a problem here?” Olga asked.
“The last time I saw Jehane Thomas in Canada she was boarding an airplane in the company of a German Agent” Fleming said.
“So, the German Government knows where she is” Olga said brightening.
“No” Jack said, “The Agent in question is the favored catspaw of the German Kaiserin, she’s absolutely ruthless and because she’s a Baroness it’s doubtful that anyone can touch her in Germany.”
“An Agent of Kira Kirillovna?” Xenia demanded, unhappy with that revelation.
“Dear God” Olga whispered.
“It’s not as bad as it seems” Fleming said, “At least now you know your great niece is still alive.”