“Do it. You’re one of the few I can tell, Bill, that that gas scares the hell out of me. Even the gas we’re stockpiling. One mistake and . . .”
Donovan nodded solemnly.
“We’re already working on it, Mr. President.”
“Okay, now what is it you said you wanted to tell me about Poland?”
Donovan reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out two folded sheets. He unfolded them, then handed them to FDR.
“You can see for yourself.”
The President looked at it and began reading:
* * *
TOP SECRET
30MAY43 1000
FOR OSS WASHINGTON
EYES ONLY GEN DONOVAN
FROM OSS LONDON
BEGIN QUOTE
OUR SOURCE SAYS SAUSAGEMAKER AND TEAM SPENT FOUR DAYS RECONNING AREA AND FACILITY NEAR BLIZNA. CONSTRUCTION OF CONCENTRATION CAMP -- WHICH APPEARS ALMOST HALF COMPLETE -- IS OVERSEEN BY ELEMENTS OF SS USING FORCED LABOR. THESE PRISONERS, DIVERTED FROM SS-RUN CONCENTRATION CAMPS, ARE STARVED AND WORKED TO THEIR DEATH. BOXCARS BRING NEW PRISONERS EVERY OTHER DAY.
SAUSAGEMAKER’S TEAM STAGED A NIGHTTIME AMBUSH TRYING TO RESCUE A TRAINLOAD OF INCOMING PRISONERS. BUT THE TRAIN THEY ATTACKED TURNED OUT TO BE A VIP TRAIN WITH ONLY A SINGLE LUXURY CAR. ITS PASSENGERS WERE AN SS-STURMBANNFUHRER AND HIS THREE SS BODYGUARDS. ALL NOW DEAD. SS-STURMBANNFUHRER SWALLOWED SUICIDE PILL.
WE ARE HAVING IDENTITY CARDS CHECKED BY TINY AT OSS BERN. WILL SEND FOLLOW-UP MESSAGE WHEN ID CARDS ARE CONFIRMED.
SAUSAGEMAKER TORCHED TRAIN WITH DEAD SS ABOARD THEN BLEW UP TRAIN TRACK. TEAM LAYING LOW TO AVOID ANY SS PAYBACK.
BRUCE
END QUOTE
TOP SECRET
* * *
Roosevelt looked up from the message, took a gulp of his gin and tonic, then said, “Jesus Christ! Another concentration camp? Is there no end to the heinous crimes these goddamn Krauts commit?”
Donovan shook his head.
“Who is Sausagemaker?” FDR said.
“He’s a Pole—explaining where Canidy came up with his code name—a young man of twenty-two or -three. And he’s in the Polish Home Army, leading the resistance in southern Poland. He barely escaped the Nazi slaughter in the Warsaw ghetto uprising. The rest of his family wasn’t so fortunate.”
“What is the significance of this SS officer?”
“Other than the obvious—that he was in some capacity in charge of the new camp the SS is building in southern Poland—we don’t know yet.”
“The sabotage of the track should help, no?”
“A little. Depending on the damage, the Germans have been able to make repairs in as little as four hours.”