1945 by Newt Gingrich & William R Forstchen

Author:Newt Gingrich & William R Forstchen [Gingrich, Newt & Forstchen, William R]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Science Fiction, Fiction, World War; 1939-1945, War & Military, General
ISBN: 0671877399
Publisher: Baen Publishing Enterprises
Published: 1995-08-01T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

April 18

Norris, Tennessee

(Forty miles east-northeast of Oak Ridge)

"They're gone."

Stretching, Otto Skorzeny climbed out of the secured basement, dug in under the hangar floor, the rest of the team climbing out after him.

Bachman stared nervously down the access road in the direction they had gone, as if afraid the government car would suddenly reappear.

"It was the FBI. They were looking for you."

"Of course they were looking for me," Skorzeny replied calmly, staring straight into Friedrich's eyes. His pupils were dilated.

"They showed me your picture and asked if I'd seen you."

"And you said?"

"Nothing, of course."

Skorzeny looked over at the four Piper Cubs located outside the hangar.

"Did they check the planes?"

"They went over them, but I pointed out there must be a hundred planes just like them in this part of the state."

"Anything else?"

Friedrich looked around nervously. "My cover is good. I've lived with it safely for twelve years. I was bom in this country. No one knows of my membership in the Bund."

"Perhaps too safely," Gunther interjected calmly.

"What?"

"He thinks you're scared," Skorzeny explained, "and scared men are dangerous."

Friedrich hesitated for a moment.

"I know nothing about what you're doing here. I've done as ordered since setting up my flying school three years ago. I've done the photographs asked of me and kept my cover story intact."

"Yeah, great photos," Gunther sneered. "Taken from twenty kilometers out. My blind grandmother could have done better than that. Why? Because she has more courage. You didn't give us a damn thing till we got here."

"Maybe I haven't been as aggressive as you think I should be —but I haven't kicked up a hornets' nest like you have, either. They shoot people like me. You know that, don't you?"

"Oh, no! Not with real bullets!" Gunther laughed softly. "You would have loved it in Russia."

"Listen! I'm doing my duty for the Fatherland the same as you. It's just that my job works differently, and being careful is the first rule. You were on the radio for nearly fifteen minutes last night. Don't you think they have equipment to triangulate that?"

"We had to get the updates."

"Updates for what?"

Skorzeny held up his hand for the two to be silent.

"Friedrich, you're doing a fine job. It's just that my men and I are tense. We were down in that hole for nearly an hour. Let's just go about our business and forget about this. Don't worry, Albert's down watching the access road. If someone comes back, he'll give plenty of warning."

Friedrich looked around nervously and then, with a nod of his head, turned and walked away.

"Do you think the FBI picked anything up from their little visit?" Gunther asked.

"We have to assume so. It must have been evident to them that he was hiding something. Chances are they'll do a follow-up visit a couple of days from now. They might stake out an observation post as well. May already have done so." Skorzeny nodded to the hills surrounding the small valley containing the airport. "We'll stay in the hangar from now on.

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