OP-DEC: Operation Deceit

Chapter 26

Carsten's knees buckled as he stepped in front of the Abwehr building with Kohl. The old office had never looked so good, he thought, as nostalgia swept through him. The familiar sight only reminded him of how exhausted he was, and how far he was from being able to sleep in his own bed. It mattered little as the mission presented a better alternative than being alone in the field. His mind wandered to his flat a few blocks over. At least the end was in sight. Kohl put a hand on his back, urging him forward. Carsten nodded to reassure him he was fine.

Together the men climbed the steps to the front door and navigated the sentries. The men wandered through the building, finally arriving at the commander's offices. There they would need to pass the staff clerk, Paul Strauss. Strauss was a paper pusher and had worked there for the term of Carsten's assignment with the division. He never stepped outside the office and preferred neat, dark suits and scribbling notes in files. When they reached the inner sanctum, they entered through a nondescript door. Strauss lifted his head as they approached him inside his plain office. Recognition lit up Strauss's pubescent face. Carsten hated dealing with the clerk. He acted like the biggest fan of all the agents in the field and tried to get them to tell their stories. But Strauss never understood the risk or never cared. Besides infuriating the field men, he had a reputation of being too comfortable in his cushy job. Kohl always took it in stride, unlike Carsten, and fed the young man made-up escapades. He was good at it too. Strauss ate it up like a kid with penny candy. It wouldn't surprise either of them if Strauss revealed himself to be another Mertens-an SS informer.

"Herr Kohl!" Strauss jumped up and saluted. "Herr Reiniger." He seemed pleasantly shocked by the agent's appearance. "We had not expected you for another hour. Herr Focke said you could be as late as two days. I told him you would be on time, if not early. And here you are. I have to thank you for proving me right."

"Anytime, Strauss," Carsten replied dryly.

"Is the boss in?" Kohl asked.

"Of course," Strauss replied with a bright smile. He pressed a button on the intercom and called out to the commander who responded almost immediately. "Right this way."

The agents followed Strauss to the door of Focke's office. The clerk opened it and they passed through. On the other side, the Oberstleutnant sat at his imposing desk. Two other administrators relaxed in chairs set before the massive piece of furniture. A third slouched on a leather couch along the wall beside the entrance. It was the same arrangement every time he reported.

"Ah, Kohl," Focke said. "I see you have found Hauptmann Reiniger. It is about time you returned to us."

"It is good to be back, Herr Focke," Carsten replied. "I cannot express how much."

Focke got to his feet and came around his desk. He smiled genuinely and shook Carsten's hand.

"Ja, I have received word of what happened at Verviers," Focke said. He tucked his hands behind his back and smiled at Carsten. "Shall we retire to the meeting room?" He gestured toward the door in the paneling of the left wall.

Everyone complied with Focke's wishes. He led them into the adjoining room where they sat around a large wooden slab. There were no windows and no other doors. The walls were most likely reinforced and layered to prevent people listening in or shooting bullets through Focke and his staff.

Kohl and Carsten sat together in a pair of hard, wooden chairs. Focke sat at the head and his desk men opposite the agents, like the three blind mice of judgment. The mice took out their notebooks and fountain pens. They waited expectantly for the interview to begin.

"Start at when you left Boston," Focke instructed. "Your transmissions were well compiled up to that point. There is no need to rehash old information."