Feb. 28, 1940
Deuil, France
Otto Skorzeny
A slight widening of the eyes was Helmut's only visible reaction to Nagel's announcement. As he told Nagle to send the visitor in, Helmut tried to come up with what this could be about. He knew that there were no Standartenfuhrers named Skorzeny in any of the Das Reich's regiments, so this man was coming from outside the division. However, for some reason, Helmut did have a rather strong feeling that he had heard the name before. Whoever he was, Helmut was not pleased about the surprise visit. During his previous career, he had made quite a few surprise visits himself, and the person being surprised had generally been left very unhappy about it.
Helmut broke off his musings as Skorzeny entered his office. He and Max began to rise to offer a salute, but Skorzeny just flopped himself into a chair across from Helmut and said with a smile, "Sit, I won't have any of that nonsense with old friends."
Helmut settled himself back into his seat and closely regarded his guest, wondering about the "old friends" comment. He was a tall, powerfully built man with an open and friendly seeming face that, in Helmut's opinion, was given character by a scar that ran along it's left cheek. Suddenly, Helmut realized that he did know this man, though by a different name. He smiled and said, "So Skorzeny is the name. And it's Standartenfuhrer now? You have certainly come far in the world in a short time."
Skorzeny shrugged and replied, "I've gotten around and managed to impress the right people I suppose."
Helmut grimaced inwardly at Skorzeny's response. He had once known the "right people" and had advanced just as rapidly as Skorzeny had. Then those same "right people" had taken it all away, stripped him of the rank he had earned and blackened his record. Helmut shrugged mentally, some people were just luckier than others he supposed. Bringing his full attention back to Skorzeny, he asked him, "I take it that you didn't come out here on a friendly visit, what can I do for you?"
Skorzeny laughed and clapped his hands together saying, "A man who likes to come straight to the point, I like it. I'll keep it short and simple then. I have been telling anyone that will listen that it was a mistake to disband your old unit, that a formation of that type can be indispensable. A group of men trained to do anything from infiltration to parachuting behind enemy lines would be a valuable asset. Finally, people are listening to me and I've been given permission to form and train such a unit in preparation for mission of great importance."
"And what does this have to do with me?", asked Helmut.
Skorzeny chuckled, "Isn't it obvious? I want to recruit you. Max too."
"Me?", asked a very surprised Max who had been silent until this time.
Skorzeny smiled and nodded, "Of course. You two have already received training in this type of warfare and would be of invaluable assistance in training others. Added to that is the fact that I've seen the both of you in action and know that you can be counted on." Looking straight at Helmut he continued, "I think that we would be capable of doing great things for the Reich together."
Helmut leaned back in his chair and slowly rubbed one hand back and forth across his chin in a gesture that Max knew indicated he was in deep thought. After several long moments, Helmut let his hand fall away and said, "Sorry, but I'm not interested."
Max's eyebrows shot up in surprise as Skorzeny's smile slipped from his face. Leaning forward in his chair Skorzeny queried, "Can I ask your reason for refusal?"
"I am committed to my present assignment.", responded Helmut.
Skorzeny frowned deeply and asked, "You mind if I press you for a further answer? Surely you cannot be enjoying garrison duty, what is it that makes you so quickly reject my offer?"
By way of response, Helmut raised his left arm which bore the divisional cuff title Das Reich. Pointing to it he said, "This is who I am now. I've fought with these men, shed blood with them and watched them die following my orders. I won't leave them, I can't."
Skorzeny nodded slowly and replied, "I respect your loyalty, but understand that I am offering you a singular opportunity. A chance at adventure and to do great things. Things that will be remembered for generations."
Helmut smiled and said, "That all sounds very nice, but my answer remains no."
Skorzeny shook his head as if saddened. Rising from his chair, he pulled a notebook and pencil from his pocket. He wrote a few lines and tore a page from the book. Handing the page to Helmut he said, "I'm sorry to hear that, Wolf. I am, however, willing to believe that you simply have not properly thought my offer through. I will be in Paris for the next few days, and you may contact me here if you have a change of heart. At least think some more on it, both of you. "
Letting his glance slide from Skorzeny to Max and then back again, Helmut took the page from Skorzeny and tucked it into his breast pocket without looking at it. To Skorzeny he said, "I will think on it, but don't expect me to change my mind."
Skorzeny spread his hands out and replied, "Fair enough, but you know where to find me. Hell, even if you just want to have a drink or two and talk about old times, feel free to stop by." With that, he turned and walked out the door.
Once they were alone again, Max looked over to Helmut and said, "I kind of thought that you would jump at the chance to get out of here."
"Why is that?"
"Because you were just complaining about being stuck in this town while the war goes on without us. He was offering a chance to get back into the action.", replied Max.
Helmut let out a sigh and said, "I do want to get back into the war, but I want to do it with my men. If my men are staying here, then so am I."
"And what if I wanted to go with Skorzeny?"
For a brief moment, Helmut looked as if he had been struck rather than asked a question. He regained his composure so quickly that someone who didn't know him might have not noticed anything at all, but Max could see that he had upset his friend. However, when Helmut answered the question he said, "If you wish to join up with him, I will sign the transfer papers."
"Umm.. thanks. I mean, I'm not saying that I want to. I just...well, it's something to think about.", replied Max.
Helmut nodded, "I suppose that it is at that."
"Hey, why don't we at least take him up on that offer to hit Paris? Should be a good time."
Helmut smiled weakly, but did not reply. Feeling as if Helmut no longer desired company, Max stood and left the room without a word. When the door closed behind him, Helmut pulled Skorzeny's note from his pocket and stared at the neat lines written on it. Squeezing his fist together he crumpled it into a ball and made as if to toss it into a nearby waste receptacle. At the last moment, he arrested the motion and set the ball of paper down on his desk. Smoothing it out, he folded it neatly and placed it back into his pocket.
Deuil, France
Otto Skorzeny
A slight widening of the eyes was Helmut's only visible reaction to Nagel's announcement. As he told Nagle to send the visitor in, Helmut tried to come up with what this could be about. He knew that there were no Standartenfuhrers named Skorzeny in any of the Das Reich's regiments, so this man was coming from outside the division. However, for some reason, Helmut did have a rather strong feeling that he had heard the name before. Whoever he was, Helmut was not pleased about the surprise visit. During his previous career, he had made quite a few surprise visits himself, and the person being surprised had generally been left very unhappy about it.
Helmut broke off his musings as Skorzeny entered his office. He and Max began to rise to offer a salute, but Skorzeny just flopped himself into a chair across from Helmut and said with a smile, "Sit, I won't have any of that nonsense with old friends."
Helmut settled himself back into his seat and closely regarded his guest, wondering about the "old friends" comment. He was a tall, powerfully built man with an open and friendly seeming face that, in Helmut's opinion, was given character by a scar that ran along it's left cheek. Suddenly, Helmut realized that he did know this man, though by a different name. He smiled and said, "So Skorzeny is the name. And it's Standartenfuhrer now? You have certainly come far in the world in a short time."
Skorzeny shrugged and replied, "I've gotten around and managed to impress the right people I suppose."
Helmut grimaced inwardly at Skorzeny's response. He had once known the "right people" and had advanced just as rapidly as Skorzeny had. Then those same "right people" had taken it all away, stripped him of the rank he had earned and blackened his record. Helmut shrugged mentally, some people were just luckier than others he supposed. Bringing his full attention back to Skorzeny, he asked him, "I take it that you didn't come out here on a friendly visit, what can I do for you?"
Skorzeny laughed and clapped his hands together saying, "A man who likes to come straight to the point, I like it. I'll keep it short and simple then. I have been telling anyone that will listen that it was a mistake to disband your old unit, that a formation of that type can be indispensable. A group of men trained to do anything from infiltration to parachuting behind enemy lines would be a valuable asset. Finally, people are listening to me and I've been given permission to form and train such a unit in preparation for mission of great importance."
"And what does this have to do with me?", asked Helmut.
Skorzeny chuckled, "Isn't it obvious? I want to recruit you. Max too."
"Me?", asked a very surprised Max who had been silent until this time.
Skorzeny smiled and nodded, "Of course. You two have already received training in this type of warfare and would be of invaluable assistance in training others. Added to that is the fact that I've seen the both of you in action and know that you can be counted on." Looking straight at Helmut he continued, "I think that we would be capable of doing great things for the Reich together."
Helmut leaned back in his chair and slowly rubbed one hand back and forth across his chin in a gesture that Max knew indicated he was in deep thought. After several long moments, Helmut let his hand fall away and said, "Sorry, but I'm not interested."
Max's eyebrows shot up in surprise as Skorzeny's smile slipped from his face. Leaning forward in his chair Skorzeny queried, "Can I ask your reason for refusal?"
"I am committed to my present assignment.", responded Helmut.
Skorzeny frowned deeply and asked, "You mind if I press you for a further answer? Surely you cannot be enjoying garrison duty, what is it that makes you so quickly reject my offer?"
By way of response, Helmut raised his left arm which bore the divisional cuff title Das Reich. Pointing to it he said, "This is who I am now. I've fought with these men, shed blood with them and watched them die following my orders. I won't leave them, I can't."
Skorzeny nodded slowly and replied, "I respect your loyalty, but understand that I am offering you a singular opportunity. A chance at adventure and to do great things. Things that will be remembered for generations."
Helmut smiled and said, "That all sounds very nice, but my answer remains no."
Skorzeny shook his head as if saddened. Rising from his chair, he pulled a notebook and pencil from his pocket. He wrote a few lines and tore a page from the book. Handing the page to Helmut he said, "I'm sorry to hear that, Wolf. I am, however, willing to believe that you simply have not properly thought my offer through. I will be in Paris for the next few days, and you may contact me here if you have a change of heart. At least think some more on it, both of you. "
Letting his glance slide from Skorzeny to Max and then back again, Helmut took the page from Skorzeny and tucked it into his breast pocket without looking at it. To Skorzeny he said, "I will think on it, but don't expect me to change my mind."
Skorzeny spread his hands out and replied, "Fair enough, but you know where to find me. Hell, even if you just want to have a drink or two and talk about old times, feel free to stop by." With that, he turned and walked out the door.
Once they were alone again, Max looked over to Helmut and said, "I kind of thought that you would jump at the chance to get out of here."
"Why is that?"
"Because you were just complaining about being stuck in this town while the war goes on without us. He was offering a chance to get back into the action.", replied Max.
Helmut let out a sigh and said, "I do want to get back into the war, but I want to do it with my men. If my men are staying here, then so am I."
"And what if I wanted to go with Skorzeny?"
For a brief moment, Helmut looked as if he had been struck rather than asked a question. He regained his composure so quickly that someone who didn't know him might have not noticed anything at all, but Max could see that he had upset his friend. However, when Helmut answered the question he said, "If you wish to join up with him, I will sign the transfer papers."
"Umm.. thanks. I mean, I'm not saying that I want to. I just...well, it's something to think about.", replied Max.
Helmut nodded, "I suppose that it is at that."
"Hey, why don't we at least take him up on that offer to hit Paris? Should be a good time."
Helmut smiled weakly, but did not reply. Feeling as if Helmut no longer desired company, Max stood and left the room without a word. When the door closed behind him, Helmut pulled Skorzeny's note from his pocket and stared at the neat lines written on it. Squeezing his fist together he crumpled it into a ball and made as if to toss it into a nearby waste receptacle. At the last moment, he arrested the motion and set the ball of paper down on his desk. Smoothing it out, he folded it neatly and placed it back into his pocket.
Did I miss anything?
