Chapter 10

They heard the men in the camp scurrying away. They listened to the sounds of the forest until they heard two more men running across the hillside further down heading toward the river. The lookouts were leading their pursuers away from the camp. Minutes later they heard the splashing sounds of men diving into the river followed by rifle fire. Another magnesium flare lit the forest followed by further rifle fire. The flare drifted down through the canopy and the darkness engulfed the light.

Manfred used his hand to signal that they should move further up the hillside away from the river. They moved carefully testing each place they put their foot down for their next step, aware that the slightest noise would carry.

Minutes seemed like hours as they squatted down hidden in the trees.

Gerry jumped when he heard a voice calling, "They got away."

An answering voice, further away, "We're out of luck; let's go back."

Manfred inched closure to Gerry.

"Never trust what you hear, the smart ones will say what you've just heard and then wait quietly for hours until someone foolishly shows themselves. I just hope that the others realise this," Manfred said.

Gerry quietly sat down and stretched his legs out knowing that it would be hours before they would move again. Manfred stood and leaned against a tree.

The moon came up and Gerry discovered for the first time that he could see the motion of it as it moved across the sky.

When the moon was descending behind the canopy Manfred leaned down and shook Gerry awake.

"I want to go to the edge of the forest and scout around. I want to make sure that they have abandoned their search."

Climbing across the hill, they came close to open country then they moved stealthily down the hill. Within sight of the small trail they sat and waited. The clouds were turning pink and grey when Manfred waved Gerry to move downhill. They followed the trail keeping ten metres from it hidden by the trees.

"There's another thing that you should know about and that's landmines. These are explosives that are hidden in the ground, they are either direct contact, if you walk on them they explode or they can have trip wires attached, if you snag the wire you're on your way to heaven."

"Do you know how to find them?" Gerry asked.

"No. You just have to be careful. Keep your eyes open and scan the ground where you think that they might be."

When they entered the area where the car was hidden Manfred was more careful about where he walked. He walked closer to the trail; anywhere there was a collection of leaves that looked suspicious, he picked up a stone and threw it into the pile.

Deciding that the area was safe Manfred walked to the car and cautiously he probed around it checking for traps. Then satisfied that the car had not been discovered they started up the hill toward the camp.

As they drew closer they heard voices and crouching they advanced toward the camp. When they were closer they knew that Pieter had returned and Manfred yelled to him, he was making sure that he wasn't shot by mistake.

"Everyone make it Pieter?" Gerry asked.

"Yes a couple of my men are almost dead from exposure but they'll be fine when the sun comes up."

The men were scrambling around rolling their tents up and removing any signs that they had occupied the site.

"Where are you moving to Pieter," Manfred asked.

"We're going further upstream, the other side of Meersburg. The forest there is even more remote than this one. We'll be trekking there so it may take us a few days to get set up but as far as being operational I just don't know."

"I've got more of Johan's men with Alex waiting to come down here. What do you suggest we do?" Manfred asked.

"Let me tell you what I'm thinking because there are many unanswered questions buzzing around in my head. I'm worried about the amount of surveillance that the SS are applying to this area; it seems to me that our activities are becoming so dangerous that we would be better of finding something else to do. You can't help anyone when you're dead. And I don't intend to have my men killed. So for the time being we will not be contactable in the hope that this hornet's nest becomes calmer."

"So you're pulling out?" "For the time being, yes!"

"I see. I know the pressures that you're under and I would probably do the same thing but have you got any thoughts about how I might get these other people to Switzerland?"

"From where I sit here in Meersburg; no I don't." said Pieter.

"I suppose that I'll have to back off and take a wider view and find another way to complete this mission."

"I'm sorry Manfred, nothing personal but I'm trying to survive to fight on."

"Yeah, I know. I'm going to leave now; can I do anything before we go?"

"No, go with our good wishes and I'll be in touch when we are up and going again."

They removed the brush and undergrowth from Manfred's car, climbed in and Manfred turning the car drove down the trail onto the road along the river.

"Keep an eye out to see if anyone follows us," Manfred said.

At Sigmaringen the same guard was on duty on the small bridge and Manfred joined the queue but as soon as the guard recognised Manfred he saluted and waved him through.

Manfred pulled into Chris's new campsite and left Gerry to hide the car. In the camp he found Chris sitting quietly in his tent, one of his men lounging at the entrance.

"Chris I've got a major problem, Pieter has locked himself away and will not be operational for some time; how in hell am I going to move Johan's crew. I've been racking my brains and I simply don't have any sensible ideas on what to do next. The SS have launched a blitz all along the Swiss border. I know that because I was in the middle of it."

"Slow down Manfred, I had a call from Axel this morning and the Americans are getting edgy. I know the problems. What we have to do is solve the problem. Go and get some food, and after you've eaten, we'll get together with a few others here and see how many leads we can come up with."

"I see that you're taking precautions," Manfred said, indicating with a nod of his head in the direction of the man at the entrance to the tent.

"Yes and I'll be glad when you move these people on and we can go back to trusting one another again."

Manfred emerged from Chris's tent and saw Alex sitting with Gerry and Otto.

"Hello Otto; sitting around like a sick dog again? Why aren't you doing something useful," Manfred said.

"Like boating on the Danube, wasting the time of our valuable SS, like some people I know."

"One day you'll get a promotion to my job, only I don't think you're good enough."

"Stop it you two!" Alex said sounding like a mother chastising her children.

Manfred and Gerry found some food and sat with Otto and Alex while they ate.

"Have you heard about our problems at Meersburg Alex?" Manfred asked.

"I have, Gerry filled in the details for me. I found it hard to believe that Rudy was a double-crosser, you can't be too careful; can you? But it sounds like you had an exciting time."

"But we're stymied now. The entire border is being patrolled."

"I've been able to contact Richard and he'll be arriving tomorrow maybe he can solve our problems."

"Maybe but you know how he is, what is it he says, 'don't bring me the problem bring me the solution', so I need to think about the problem and have a few solutions ready for him," Manfred said.

Chris joined them and not finding a place to sit he sat cross-legged on the ground.

"Manfred, outline your problem in simple terms, everybody else listen and I want you to make any suggestion that comes into your head. I've solved many problems this way."

"Our mission is to get six more men across the border into Switzerland, we originally planned to do this at the narrowest point west of the Black Forest. We received intelligence that this area was being heavily patrolled; so then I went to Meersburg and took Johan across the Bodensee. It turned dangerous when an SS riverboat, armed with a machine gun, fired on us."

"What about a submarine, Manfred," Otto said but he was almost laughing; he wasn't serious.

"An airplane Manfred," Gerry said.

"Manfred, you're missing the point," said Alex, "the objective is to get these men to London. Forget this southern border and go to the north cross into Denmark and get a light plane to fly them to London."

Manfred leaned across and kissed Alex on the cheek.

"You're an angel, but can you imagine how dangerous that would be."

"Then there is another way," Chris said, "in the southwest near the Isar river there's an old abandoned civilian airstrip. You fly from there and go straight to Zurich."

"Chris, that sounds like a solution," Manfred said, "at least I've got a few ideas that I can discuss with Richard. How have Johan's men reacted since I've been away?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary."

"Okay. I think that we'll get going, I'll be in touch next week."

Alex left first carrying four men with her and thirty minutes later Manfred departed with two men and Gerry. His trip took three and a half hours and when he drove around the back of the house he was relieved to see Alex's car parked in the garage.

Cornelia had heard Manfred's car coming down the drive. She flew through the back door so fast that it slammed closed trapping the end of her skirt. She leaned forward her skirt holding fast, her hands outstretched, imploring Manfred to come to her.

She started weeping overjoyed that Manfred had returned home safely.

When Manfred was two metres from her Anna opened the door from the inside and Cornelia shot forward into his arms but he was off balance and stumbling backwards, he lifted her and twirled her around.

Cornelia's feet were off the ground and her lips locked to his.

"Come on, make way, I want food," Gerry said feigning anger.

Seeing the men standing behind Manfred watching her, Cornelia was suddenly shy and embarrassed.

"Manfred put me down."

But Manfred held her high off the ground as Gerry and the other two men pushed past them into the kitchen.

Manfred took her by the hand and led her down the path, past the huts into the forest and in the glade he sat her on the park bench. Reaching inside his coat to his secret pocket, he pulled out the small fancy jeweller's box.

Extracting the ring he placed it on her right hand ring finger, as was the custom in Germany.

Cornelia shrieked in extreme delight. When Manfred said to her, "One day when these terrible times have passed I will ask you to marry me and I hope that you will accept me."

She broke down, she jumped to her feet, in her swiftness the jeweller's box went flying away off her lap and she hung onto Manfred, her arms around his neck, she sobbed deeply.

When she was composed again, "You didn't answer my question," Manfred said.

"Yes; a thousands times yes! Today! Now! Any time. I'm ready."

"It's getting dark, I'm thirsty and hungry let's go back to the house," Manfred said.

"I don't have to keep it a secret do I?" Cornelia held her hand out in front, admiring the ring.

"No."

When they reached the house Cornelia found her mother and taking her aside she quietly told Alex who then hugged her close and together they shed tears of happiness. Anna wanting to know what the commotion was about, left the kitchen and joined them; Manfred shook his head in wonderment at the women hugging and shedding tears and joined Gerry and the two men at the table in the kitchen.

Anna rushed in with coffee and after placing the cups she leaned close to Manfred and kissed his cheek.

"What's that all about Manfred?" Gerry asked.

"Go on tell him Manfred," Anna said.

"Nothing really, I just gave Cornelia a present that I bought in Kruezlingen."

"And..." Anna urged him on.

"Well, I asked her to marry me when these terrible times have passed."

~~~oOo~~~

Anna was sliding down Gerry's body when he caught her head and tilted her head up to look at him.

"You don't have to do that you know?"

"What!" she exclaimed, "You want to spoil my fun? It gives me such pleasure when I do that to you and it's so thrilling when you do it to me. I can't tell you how... I can't explain how out of this world you make me feel. I like the old fashioned way too but this is exciting for an inexperienced lover like me."

Gerry rose up and stretched awkwardly forward and kissed her.

Anna stopped when she had him fully aroused and crawled up and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Now what you do to me I will leave it to your imagination."

Gerry rolled onto his knees and twisted Anna until she was face down on the bed and from behind her he lifted her hips and he lubricated himself with her plentiful fluids and then penetrated her slowly.

"You have me so close that I don't think that I will last."

"That was my plan, it's my little present for coming back safe to me."

"I'll fix you!" Gerry said as he ran his fingers around her pussy and when they were properly lubricated he stroked slowly into her and rubbed his finger around her clitoris. As she became more aroused it pushed out of it's protective hood and he grabbed it gently between his finger and thumb and with each stroke he squeezed her clitoris and was surprised how quickly she reached her climax, he continue to squeeze and she collapsed down on to the bed immobilising his hand, ejecting his penis. Her head was buried in the pillow her hands tightly screwing it's edges.

Gerry stayed on top of her holding himself off with his elbows, his penis twitching on the silken skin of her backside.

Minutes later Anna was breathing normally and she raised her backside up again, her head on the pillow.

Gerry penetrated her slowly; the friction low and his fingers again started rolling her clitoris and within a minute she climaxed again moaning into her pillow.

Recovering she rolled over.

"Now we will do it the old fashioned way," she declared as she planted her feet and raised her pelvis to him. When he was fully inside her she pulled him down and locked her lips on his and using her inner muscles she clenched him and then thrust up and clenched him again.

'This is too much for me, ' Gerry thought as he climaxed deep inside her. He didn't realise that he had collapsed on top of her until Anna whispered, "I need to breathe again."

Gerry was recovering from Anna's 'welcome home', he lay quietly on his back staring at the ceiling, Anna with her head on his left shoulder was caressing his chest.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked.

"I miss my family."

"It's strange that at times of happiness such as happened with Cornelia tonight I have the same feelings as you're having now. Let's not talk about this any further. I want us to be happy."

"You're right, we can't change the world can we."

The following day all of the men went down into the pit and waited until they got the all clear from Anna that Richard had not been followed.

Alex took Richard into her study and told Richard of Manfred's success at getting Johan safely into Switzerland, his lack of success getting the rest of Johan's men across the border.

"Would you organise for Manfred, Gerry, Anna and you to be in our dining room for a meeting, I don't want Johan's men present because of the problems that Rudy has created. While you're doing that I'll be in the communications room."

When Richard walked into the dining room he noted that all of them were sitting quietly, each a captive of their own thoughts.

'That's not a good sign, everyone is dejected, ' Richard thought.

Richard sat and relaxed, "I would like coffee and something to eat so that we can sit around and chat for awhile. Anna and Alex would you like to organise it."

When they were all seated again Richard asked Gerry, "How are you liking the work, I told you it would be anything and everything."

"I've been poked in the belly with a stick, slept in a cold camp for days to avoid detection, gone for days without hot coffee, shot a man, run from hostile border guards, and I've survived Manfred's cheekiness with bridge guards; but all that apart it's just a normal job. I can't wait for the excitement to start."

Richard's arms slipped down the sides of his chair, he threw his head back and he laughed boisterously.

'Good man Gerry, just what we all needed, ' Richard thought.

He was still chuckling minutes later. Richard stirred his coffee and without looking up he said, "I believe I might be getting a nephew-in-law."

Gerry glanced at Manfred and was surprised that he looked uncomfortable and didn't respond.

"Cornelia is a good women and I know that you'll take care of her," Richard said.

He pushed his chair back and walked around the table and Manfred stood as Richard put his arm across his shoulder and shook his hand.

"Congratulations!" Richard said as he pumped Manfred's hand.

It was the first time that Gerry noticed how big Richard's hands were and he was sure that he weighed many more kilograms than Manfred.

"Just after I arrived I was in the communications room and contacted a friend who has given me some news. Rudolph Hess, Deputy Fuehrer, third in line to Der Fuehrer has just fled from Germany to Britain. He's believed to be insane, the high command and Hitler's cabinet have distanced themselves from him.

It appears that he took a fighter aircraft, a Messerschmitt that he had fitted with auxiliary fuel tanks and flew nine hundred miles to Scotland on an insane peace mission to a member of the British royalty that he knew. When he was within thirty miles of his destination he bailed out of the plane, it crashed to earth but he parachuted down uninjured and was arrested. My contact tells me that Martin Bormann will get his job. I was also told that we are now at war with the Soviet Union and this is insane because we are now fighting on two major fronts and this could bring a rapid end to Hitler's madness."

"But the news that has really unsettled me is that Goring and Heydrich are about to launch what they are calling the Final Solution, a disgusting euphemism for the extermination of all Jews in the occupied territories," Richard said.