“Yes, sir.”
“I don’t want the subject of your interrogation to come up. Got it?”
“Yes, sir. Colonel, what’s going on at Eschborn?”
“I just told you, goddamn it, that you are to speak only when spoken to. That means you don’t ask questions. Got it?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Get to Eschborn ASAP.”
“Yes, sir.”
A change in the buzz on the line told Cronley that Mattingly had broken the connection.
Cronley handed the phone to Dunwiddie, then looked at Orlovsky.
“That was my colonel, Konstantin. He calls every so often to tell me how good a job I’m doing.”
“I’ve had colonels like that,” Orlovsky said. “I suppose this Argentina fantasy was his idea?”
“No. It’s my idea. He doesn’t know about it, and I’m not going to tell him.”
“In other words, it wasn’t a valid offer?”
“The offer is valid.”
“Without your colonel’s knowledge or permission?”
“Yeah. Without his knowledge or permission.”
“Why should I believe that?”
“Because it’s the only hope you have to do something for your family.”
Cronley turned to Sergeant Lewis and ordered, “Lewis, uncuff the major. Get him something to eat, and when he’s finished take him back to his cell.”
[ SIX ]
U.S. Army Airfield H-7
Eschborn, Hesse
American Zone of Occupation, Germany
0955 1 November 1945
Cronley parked the Storch on the grass across the tarmac from Base Operations and got out. He chocked the wheels and walked across the tarmac to see about getting the Storch fueled.
Aside from getting fuel, he didn’t know what to do. Mattingly’s Horch was nowhere in sight, and he didn’t know if he was expected to go to the Schlosshotel on his own, or just wait for whatever was to happen in Base Ops.
The question was answered the moment he walked through the Base Ops door. There were half a dozen officers and non-coms in the foyer.
And a woman. She advanced on him.
“Captain Cronley, I’m Rachel Schumann, Colonel Schumann’s wife. Do you remember me?”
“Yes, ma’am.”