'Is he any good?'
She looked almost shocked. 'The best. I've never seen anyone shoot better.'
'Really?' Devlin was unconvinced.
But he had cause to revise his opinion a moment later when they opened the door and went in. Schellenberg was firing at a series of cardboard Russian soldiers, watched by an SS sergeant-major who was obviously in charge. He worked his way across three targets, placing two rounds neatly in each heart. As he paused to reload, he noticed their presence.
'Ah, Mr Devlin, so you finally got here?'
'A hell of a journey, General.'
'And Use's taken care of your wardrobe, I see/
'And how did you guess?' Devlin said. 'It can only have been the smell of the mothballs.'
Schellenberg laughed and reloaded his Mauser. 'Schwarz,' he said to the sergeant-major. 'Something for Mr Devlin. I believe he's quite a marksman.'
Schwarz rammed a magazine into the butt of a Walther PPK and handed it to the Irishman.
'All right?' Schellenberg asked.
'Your shout, General.'
Fresh targets sprang up and Schellenberg fired six times very fast, again two holes in the heart area on three separate targets.
'Now isn't that something?' Devlin's hand swung up, he fired three rounds so close together that they might almost have been one. A hole appeared between the eyes of all three targets.
He laid the Walther down and Use Huber said, 'My God!'
Schellenberg handed his pistol to Schwarz. 'A remarkable talent, Mr Devlin.'
'Remarkable curse more like. Now what happens, General?'
'The Reichsfuhrer has expressed a desire to see you.'
Devlin groaned. 'He didn't like me the last time around. A glutton for punishment that man. All right, let's get it over with.'
The Mercedes turned out of Wilhelmplatz and into Vosstrasse and drove towards the Reich Chancellery.
'What's all this?' Devlin demanded.
'Times have changed since Goering said that if a single bomb fell on Berlin you could call him Meier.'
'You mean he got it wrong?'
'I'm afraid so. The Fuhrer has had a bunker constructed below the Chancellery. Subterranean headquarters. Thirty metres of concrete, so the RAF can drop as many bombs as they like.'
'Is this where he intends to make his land stand then?' Devlin enquired. 'Wagner playing over the loudspeakers?'
'Yes, well, we don't like to think about that,' Schellenberg said. 'The important people have secondary accommodation down there which obviously includes the ReichsFuhrer.'
'So what goes on now? Are they expecting the RAF to plaster the city tonight or what?'
'Nothing so exciting. The Fuhrer likes to have staff meetings now and then in the map room. He gives them dinner afterwards.'
'Down there?' Devlin shuddered. Td rather have a corned beef sandwich.'
The Mercedes drew into the car ramp and an SS sentry approached. In spite of Schellenberg's uniform the sentry checked their identities thoroughly before allowing them through. Devlin followed Schellenberg down a seemingly endless passage, concrete walls, dim lighting. There was a soft humming from electric fans in the ventilating system, the occasional blast of cold air. There were SS guards here and there, but no great evidence of people, and then a door opened, a young corporal emerged and behind him Devlin saw a room crammed with radio equipment and a number of operatives.
'Don't make the mistake of thinking there's no one here,' Schellenberg said. 'Rooms everywhere. A couple of hundred people tucked in all over the place like that radio room.'
A doo'r opened further along the passage and to Devlin's astonishment, Hitler emerged followed by a broad, rather squat man in a nondescript uniform. As they approached, Schellenberg pulled Devlin to one side and stood at attention. The Fuhrer was talking to the other man in a low voice and totally ignored them as he passed and descended the stairs at the other end of the passage.
'The man with him was Bormann,' Schellenberg said. 'Reichsleiter Martin Bormann. Head of the Nazi Party Chancellery. A very powerful man.'
'So that was the Fuhrer?' Devlin said. 'And me almost getting to touch the hem of his robe.'
Schellenberg smiled. 'Sometimes, my friend, I wonder how you've managed to last as long as you have.'
'Ah, well, it must be my good looks, General.'
Schellenberg tapped on a door, opened it and led the way in. A young woman, an SS auxiliary in uniform, sat at a typewriter in the corner. The rest of the room was mainly taken up by filing cabinets and the desk behind which Himmler sat, working through a file. He glanced up and removed his pince-nez.
'So, General, he's arrived.'
'God bless all here,' Devlin said cheerfully.
Himmler winced and said to the girl, 'Leave us. Come back in fifteen minutes.' She went out and he carried on. 'I expected you in Berlin sooner, Herr Devlin.'
'Your railway system seemed to be having trouble with the RAF,' Devlin told him and lit a cigarette, mainly because he knew Himmler detested the habit.
Himmler was annoyed, but didn't tell him to stop. Instead, he said to Schellenberg, 'You seem to have wasted an inordinate amount of time so far, General.
Why didn't Herr Devlin return from Lisbon with you?'
'Ah, the General did a fine job,' said Devlin. 'It was me had plans for Christmas you see. No, the General was very reasonable. More than I can say for the other fella, Berger. We didn't get on at all.'
'So I understand,' Himmler said. 'But that scarcely matters as SturmbannFuhrer Berger has other duties to take care of.' He leaned back. 'So, you think this thing can be done? You believe you could get Steiner out?'
'Depends on the plan,' Devlin said, 'but anything's possible.'
Himmler nodded. 'It would be a remarkable coup for all of us.'
'That's as may be,' Devlin said. 'It's getting back in one piece that worries me. I only just made it last time.'
'You were well paid then and I would remind you that you're being well paid this time.'
'And that's a fact,' Devlin said. 'As my old mother used to say, money will be the death of me.'
Himmler looked extremely annoyed. 'Can't you take anything seriously, you Irish?'
'When I last had the pleasure of meeting your honour, I gave you the answer to that one. It's the rain.'
'Oh, get him out of here,' Himmler said. 'And get on with it, General. Needless to say, I expect a regular progress report.'
'Reichsfuhrer.' Schellenberg ushered Devlin out.
The Irishman was grinning hugely. 'I enjoyed that.' He dropped his cigarette on the floor and stamped on it as Berger came round the corner, a rolled-up map under his arm.
He was in uniform and wore the Iron Cross First and Second Classes. He stiffened when he saw them and Devlin said cheerfully, 'Very pretty, son, but it looks to me as if someone's been spoiling your good looks.'
Berger's face was very pale and although the swelling had subsided it was obvious his nose was broken. He ignored Devlin and nodded formally to Schellenberg. 'General.' He passed on and knocked at Himmler's door.
'He must be well in there,' Devlin observed.
'Yes,' Schellenberg nodded. 'Interesting.'
'Where to now? Your office?'
'No, tomorrow will be soon enough. I'll take you for a meal and drop you at Use's place afterwards. You get a good night's sleep and we'll go over things in the morning.'
As they reached the mouth of the tunnel, fresh air drifted in and Devlin took a deep breath. 'Thank God for that,' and then he started to laugh.
'What is it?' Schellenberg demanded.
There was a poster on the wall that carried a picture of a rather idealized SS soldier and underneath it said, 'At the end stands victory.'
Devlin laughed again. 'God save us, General, but some people will believe anything.'
Berger clicked his heels in front of Himmler's desk. 'I have the plan of the Chateau de Belle Ile here, ReichsFuhrer.'
'Excellent,' Himmler said. 'Let me see.' Berger unrolled the plan and the ReichsFuhrer examined it. 'Good. Very good.' He looked up. 'You will be in sole charge, Berger. How many men would you suggest for the honour guard?'
Twenty-five. Thirty at the most, ReichsFuhrer.' 'Have you visited the place yet?' Himmler asked. 'I flew down to Cherbourg the day before yesterday and drove out to the Chateau. It's quite splendid. The owners are French aristocrats who fled to England. There is at the moment only a caretaker and his wife. I've informed him that we'll be taking the place over in the near future, but not why, naturally.' 'Excellent. No need to go near the place again for another couple of weeks. In other words, wait as long as possible before you and your men take over. You know what this so-called French Resistance is like. Terrorists, all of them. They bomb - murder.' He rolled the plan up and returned it to Berger. 'After all, the Fuhrer will be our direct responsibility at this conference, Major. A sacred responsibility.'
'Of course, ReichsFuhrer.'
Berger clicked his heels and went out. Himmler picked up his pen and started to write again.
The Mercedes moved along the Kurfurstendamm as snow started to fall again. There was evidence of bomb damage everywhere and with the blackout and dusk falling, the prospect was less than pleasing.
'Look at it,' Schellenberg said. 'Used to be a great city this. Art, music, theatre. And the clubs, Mr Devlin. The Paradise and the Blue Nile. Always filled with the most beautifully dressed transvestites you've ever seen.'
'My tastes never ran that way,' Devlin told him.
'Nor mine,' Schellenberg laughed. 'I always think they're missing out on a good thing. Still, let's eat. I know a little restaurant in a back street not far from here where we'll do reasonably well. Black market, but then they do know me, which helps.'
The place was homely enough with no more than a dozen tables. It was run by a man and his wife who obviously did know Schellenberg well. The general apologized for the dearth of corned beef sandwiches, but was able to produce a mutton broth, lamb, potatoes and cabbage and a bottle of Hock to go with it.
The booth they sat in was quite private and as they finished the meal Schellenberg said, 'Do you really think it is possible, this thing?'
'Anything's possible. I remember a case during the Irish Revolution. Nineteen twenty, it was. The Black and Tans had captured a fella called Michael Fitzgerald, an important IRA leader. Held him in Limerick Prison. A man called Jack O'Malley who served in the British Army in Flanders as a captain got his old uniform out, dressed up half a dozen of his men as soldiers and went to Limerick Prison with a fake order that said they wanted Fitzgerald at Dublin Castle.'
'And it worked?'
'Like a charm.' Devlin poured the last of the wine into both their glasses. There is one problem here though, a very important problem.'
'And what's that?'
'Vargas.'
'But that's taken care of. We've told him we must have firm information as to where they intend to move Steiner.'
'You're convinced they will move him?'
'Certain of it. They won't continue to keep him in the Tower. It's too absurd.'
'So you think Vargas will come up with the right information?' Devlin shook his head. 'He must be good.'
'He always has been in the past, so the Abwehr have found. This is a Spanish diplomat, Mr Devlin, a man in a privileged position. No ordinary agent. I have had his cousin, this Rivera fellow, thoroughly vetted.'
'All right, I accept that. Let's say Rivera's as clean as a whistle, but who checks out Vargas? There is no one. Rivera is just a conduit through which the messages come and go, but what if Vargas is something else?'
'You mean a neat British Intelligence plot to entice us in?'
'Well, let's look at the way they would see it. Whoever drops in needs friends in London, some sort of organization. If I was in charge on the Brit side, I'd give a little rope, let things get started, then arrest everybody in sight. From their point of view, quite a coup.'
'Are you telling me you're having second thoughts? That you don't want to go?'
'Not at all. What I'm saying is that if I do, I have to go on the supposition that I'm expected. That Vargas has sold us out. Now that's a very different thing.'
'Are you serious?' Schellenberg demanded.
'I'd look a right idiot if we organize things on the basis that Vargas is on our side and I get there and he isn't. Tactics, General, that's what's needed here. Just like chess. You've got to think three moves ahead.'
