Echoes in the Shadows

31

The unexpected commotion in the room had already alarmed the guards outside. Two Wehrmacht soldiers entered, astonished to see their superior officer, Kraulenberg, pressing the notoriously troublesome Gestapo officer to the ground, choking him.

At this moment, the phone on Kraulenberg's desk rang inopportunely.

Reluctantly releasing his grip, Kraulenberg quickly walked back to his desk and picked up the phone.

"It's me... Ah, he's here."

As Kraulenberg spoke on the phone, he glanced at Iser, who was struggling to stand up from the floor. Evidently, the military uniform he had worn today had once again suffered mercilessly during the recent tense episode.

"Ha ha... Rest assured, my talk with Captain Iser was very pleasant. I swear to the Führer, Captain Iser will return without losing even a single hair."

As he spoke, Kraulenberg abruptly handed the phone receiver to the disheveled Iser.

"Captain, it seems your superior doesn't trust my word. He wants you to confirm personally that everything is fine here with me!"

Iser expressionlessly took the phone, about to explain to his superior, when suddenly, several people in Gestapo uniforms burst into the office with great momentum.

"Captain Iser..."

Upon seeing Iser standing there intact, the newcomers immediately showed a relieved expression. Kraulenberg recognized one of the men - the young Gestapo officer with a baby face. He was Iser's subordinate, Intelligence Office code analyst Lieutenant Gerhard.

"I'm fine, nothing's wrong," Iser said in a calm tone, as if nothing had happened, but his disheveled uniform betrayed his recent disarray.

At that moment, Gestapo Major Skiggs was feeling somewhat troubled. Just recently, the Dutch Gestapo intelligence organization under his command had suffered the greatest loss in its history. His most important intelligence decryption expert, Captain Iser, had been injured.

He had put so much effort into recruiting this doctoral student specializing in Romance languages. Before Skiggs discovered Iser's exceptional talent, the young linguistic prodigy had already secured an internship position in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, thanks to the interest of some old aristocrats there. If things had gone as planned, this promising young man would have started his career as a junior diplomat and eventually, uneventfully risen to become an ambassador for the Third Reich in a foreign country.

As an experienced intelligence officer, Major Skiggs of the Gestapo fully understood that while fundamental qualities like insight, meticulous thinking, and patience can be developed through work, the natural talent for languages and a profound understanding of international law are not common traits everyone possesses.

The advantage of having a gift for languages in intelligence work is evident to everyone. It's not just about the need for decryption; imagine if an intelligence officer had to rely on translators for every piece of information received. This would inevitably place them in a very passive position during interrogations and investigations, almost like an animal being led by the nose.

As for familiarity with international law, this is something that only seasoned intelligence heads like Skiggs could fully appreciate. Even in Germany's occupied territories, the Gestapo couldn't act wantonly against everyone, especially spies cloaked as neutrals from other countries. These spies, protected by certain rights granted under international law, such as limitations on detention duration and entitlement to proper treatment during captivity, can often make a mockery of their interrogators before confidently walking away, thanks to their cunning use of the Hague Conventions.

All of this was personally experienced by Skiggs.

Leaving someone like Dr. Iser, who was fluent in the languages of various European countries and well-versed in international law, to the dim-witted old nobility of the Foreign Office was utterly wasteful. In Germany, all top-tier resources were expected to give way to the Gestapo.

However, Dr. Iser himself seemed unappreciative of this attention and politely declined joining the Gestapo, and the old fogies at the Foreign Office were constantly obstructive. Major Skiggs was a man of decisive and efficient action. Upon learning of this situation, he immediately arranged a personal meeting with Dr. Iser, plainly stating the choice between a promising position with the Gestapo or receiving a draft notice for the Eastern Front. Those meddling old nobles were similarly confronted, with the same proposition, except the conscription threat was extended to their sons or grandsons.

Following this, things proceeded smoothly. Dr. Iser, proving to be a pragmatic young man, immediately accepted the Gestapo's recruitment after the talk. He donned the SS uniform with the "SD" diamond edging and followed Skiggs to the Netherlands. What followed only validated Skiggs's judgment; the inexperienced Iser leveraged his exceptional intelligence talents to achieve victories that even stunned the Imperial General Staff.

But now! His most prized intelligence asset was bitten by a dog right outside Major Klauberger's office!

Initially, Skiggs didn't intervene in the personal grudge between Major Klauberger and Iser, thinking that Iser's still ivory-tower attitude needed some real-world exposure. Letting him interact with a seasoned military ruffian like Klauberger could enrich his life experience and aid his future intelligence analysis work. However, the situation gradually spiraled towards an uncontrollable direction.

For instance, today, Skiggs knew things wouldn't end so simply. He had deliberately sent Iser's deputy, Lieutenant Gerhard, along. As it turned out, Lieutenant Gerhard was very competent. After Iser was called into the room alone by Klauberger, Gerhard quickly rushed to the observation tower of the military base. From there, he kept an eye on the room's movements through the conspicuously curtain-less window.