Aug 24, 1939
"Did you see what's on the front page Max?"
"No, I didn't. What's more, I don't care so do me a favor and keep it to yourself."
Peter frowned over his paper at Max and responded, "You don't always have to be so nasty you know. I've done nothing to deserve that or any of the other things you've tossed at me this week."
Max rolled his eyes at the whining tone of his companion and silently wished that Helmut was here right now. It would give him a grown up to talk to. Alas though, Helmut had run off in the morning on what he referred to as a "mission of the utmost importance" and he hadn't seen him since. Looking over and seeing that Peter was expecting some kind of a response, Max let out a long sigh and said, "Listen, I'm sorry. Chalk it up to frustration, alright. We've been here for almost five months now and I'm getting restless. I mean, why send us here to just sit around? I can't stand this place, I can't stand the people, and I can't stand having to speak this damned language all the time. What's more, I can't stand the dump we lay low in or what these people dare to call beer. So, perhaps even someone like you can see why I'm not in the best of moods."
When he had finished, Peter frowned again and said, "See? You just couldn't resist saying something nasty about me right at the end."
Max ground his teeth and was about to respond when he saw Helmut approaching the table. He immediately moved to meet him and whispered into his ear, "Helmut, I'm really going to kill him this time. I mean it, I'll kill him and roll him into the river."
Helmut laughed and patted his friend on the shoulder before taking a seat at the table. When he was comfortable, he looked around and asked, "So, what have you two been doing today?"
"Max has been complaining about our orders again.", responded Peter.
"Why you little..."
"That's enough you two.", said Helmut sharply, "If you can't be civil, be quiet."
Peter nodded by way of response while Max jabbed a finger toward Peter and said quietly, "Right into the river."
"Enough!", growled Helmut loud enough to turn some heads in their direction.
When it was apparent that no further difficulty was to be had, Helmut leaned back and pulled a small box out of his pocket and began to idly play with it as he said, "I know that this has been hard on you two, especially given the nature of our assignment, but you need to keep it together. We've spent too long getting ready to fall apart now. When and if the time comes we will have to work as a team, so start at least tolerating each other right now."
Peter and Max both nodded their heads sheepishly and remained silent for a long while. After some time, Max nodded toward the box that Helmut was still playing with and asked, "Is that the cause of your little jaunt into the city today?"
Helmut gave a start and replied, "Yes as a matter of fact. It's a..."
He was interrupted by Peter excitedly saying, "Wait! I still haven't told you what the paper says!"
Helmut nodded in his direction and said, "Well then go ahead, don't feel constrained by the fact that I was talking."
Not getting the rebuke, Peter plowed ahead, "It says here that Germany has signed a non-aggression treaty with the Soviet Union!"
Max let out a low whistle and Helmut sat stunned by the news. After a few moments he began to slowly shake his head and then stood up and walked away from the table. Concerned, Max followed him out and asked, "Hey, is everything alright boss?"
Helmut looked around to make sure there was no one within earshot and replied, "How could he? How could Hitler make a deal with the Bolsheviks? They are the enemy, a menace to be stamped out! Are we supposed to be friends with then now? Well, I'll tell you now Max, that will never happen. They're scum that need to be wiped clean from the Earth before they can spread their disease. This is a black day for Germany and the Party."
Seeing that Helmut was positively quivering with anger, Max was unsure of what to say. Finally, he placed a hand on Helmut's shoulder and said, "Hey, who knows why politicians do anything right? I'm sure that the Feuhrer knows what he's doing."
Helmut nodded slowly, "I expect that he's trying to avoid a two-front conflict if Britain and France go to war on behalf of Poland over the Danzig corridor. Still, that doesn't mean I have to like it one little bit."
"Who knows, maybe knowing that we've buddied up to the Soviets will keep the Allies from supporting Poland. Then we could go home and forget this mission.", offered Max.
"Not likely. Hitler broke his promise when he took the rest of Czechoslovakia, the Allies will go to war if we attack Poland. We can only hope that the Polish government makes the right choice and gives us what is ours by right.", responded Helmut.
"If they don't sir?"
"As soon as we hear, we carry out our orders.", replied Helmut with just a touch of sadness.
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Aug 30, 1939
"Sir, I've received word from Germany!"
Helmut looked up and slipped the small box that he kept on his person at all times now into his pocket. Rising from his chair, he walked towards an obviously excited Peter and asked, "Well? What is it? What's the final word?"
"Poland has refused to cede the corridor. In addition, there are reports that a Polish Army unit has attacked a military radio post and inflicted casualties. A state of war now exists between Poland and the Reich."
Max looked like he was about to be sick as Helmut asked, "And our orders?"
"We are ordered to proceed sir.", responded Peter with obvious joy.
With a sinking feeling in his stomach Helmut nodded and said, "Alright, get your gear and move out. We don't have a lot time before the news breaks over here."
Just before midnight, Helmut and his men had reached an upscale but modest house just outside the city proper. Slipping into the shadows they replaced their civilian attire with local military uniforms and loaded their weapons. Once he was satisfied that all was ready, Helmut motioned for Peter to head up the walkway to the front door and get on with their carefully planned mission. Grabbing a dispatch case, Peter rose, strode purposefully up the walkway, and knocked forcefully on the door. Helmut watched as lights slowly came on in the front of the house and the door was opened. Motioning to Max, Helmut crept forward, making sure that he could not be seen from the house while Max did the same. As he drew close he could hear the conversation in the doorway.
"Yes, what is it? It had better be good at this hour.", said an unknown voice from the doorway.
"I have an urgent dispatch from headquarters. It must be delivered without delay.", answered Peter.
Helmut cursed under his breath. The target had not answered the door, a servant had. They weren't supposed to still be here and extra people could complicate things. What if the target wasn't even here? Their surveillance had shown that he would be if he followed pattern, but could something have kept him at his office? Had word of the war reached him already? Helmut was put somewhat at ease when he heard the voice respond, "Of course, come in young man. I'll take you to him, he's still awake."
At this Peter stepped through the door and was told to wait in the den to be received. When the butler or manservant or whatever he was had moved deeper into the house, Peter ran to the door and admitted Helmut and Max. They had just reached the den when the manservant returned with a stately looking older man in tow. Seeing the extra guests, the two men hesitated in confusion.
"I thought you said that there was only one of them James."
James was not able to respond as Helmut and his men moved with blinding speed. Peter moved to James and struck him in the face with the butt of his revolver to incapacitate him. Helmut and Max took a more violent course as they raised their pistols and fired into the body of the room's other occupant. As the old man crumpled to the floor, Helmut was aware of the smell of gunpowder and the sobs of James from where he was held at gunpoint to the side of the room.
Suddenly, an old woman burst into the room. Taking in the scene, she ran toward the window and began to scream, "Help! Murder! Call for the police!"
Max let out an curse in German and struck her in the back of the head with his weapon, knocking her unconscious. From his position on the floor James looked at them and shouted in surprise, "Germans!"
Peter looked wide-eyed to Helmut who nodded grimly and turned away as a pistol shot marked the second killing of the night. As he gazed downward he was stunned to see the old man trying to rise despite the bullets in his chest. Helmut muttered, "For God's sake.", as he placed his boot in the man's chest to pin him down and fired two rounds into his head to finish him.
"Alright, let's get out of here before the local police swarm the place.", ordered Helmut.
As he was about to leave, Peter grabbed him by the arm and asked, "What about the old woman?"
Max frowned and responded, "What about her?"
"She saw our faces.", replied Peter.
Helmut shook his head, "No, leave her be."
"But..."
"I said leave her be!", shouted Helmut as he once again turned to leave the room.
"Sir, she heard what Max said. She can identify us as German agents.", warned Peter.
"I don't like it Helmut, but he's right.", said Max.
Taking Helmut's silence as approval Peter nodded and moved to where the woman lay on the floor. As he pointed his weapon down, he was stopped when Helmut said, "No."
"Sir?", asked Peter in confusion.
Helmut looked over to Max and said, "You broke character, you do what has to be done."
Max glared at Helmut for a moment before nodding and taking Peter's place. Helmut quickly exited the house to avoid having to watch and waited to be joined by his men outside. Once they were finished, they collected their gear and slipped into the darkness.
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The next morning, an exhausted Helmut sat at a little cafe eating breakfast alone. His sleep had been restless and filled with nightmares that caused him to wake covered in sweat. Once, he thought that he had seen Will. He remembered being happy to see him since he hadn't spoken to him in several months, but then disappointed because Will had refused to talk to him. When he had grabbed Will and demanded that he speak, Will had pushed him into a dark pit filled with horrors that Helmut still shivered to remember.
Helmut was pulled from his horrible thoughts by the voice of the waitress asking, "Can I get you anything else sir?"
"Thank you, no. I'll just have the check please."
The young woman smiled and produced it from her apron. While Helmut dug out the money the woman asked, "What do you have there mister? I don't mean to pry, but you've been fiddling with it the whole time you were here."
Helmut frowned and looked down at his hands and was surprised to see that he had pulled the box from his pocket again and had been turning it end over end without realizing it. Looking up the waitress he responded, "Just a little something to keep me level, so to speak."
She nodded and said, "I can understand that with all that's going on today."
"Oh, what's going on?", asked Helmut.
"You haven't heard? We're at war! I can't believe you don't know. The damn Germans attacked Poland this morning."
"I see. That's a shame."
"That's not all.", continued the waitress, "As if that wasn't enough, communists broke into Field Marshall Montgomery-Massingberd's home and killed him! Imagine that, the Chief of the Imperial General Staff killed right before war breaks out."
"Communists you say?", asked Helmut.
She nodded, "Yes sir, they left one of their flags over the poor Field Marshall's body. Simply horrible if you ask me."
Helmut nodded, "Yes, horrible."
