Execution [Book 2 of The English Lion]

XXXI. James

Hugo and I started our day early. But Alexander is already up and ready when we both enter the dining hall for breakfast.

'And I thought Hugo and I were early,' I thought, slightly frowning.

We got our breakfast and sat next down to him. He was reading the newspaper as we both dug into our breakfast. There was silence between the three of us. Alexander closed his newspaper and set it down beside his plate of food and a cup of coffee before looking at both of us with a cheery smile.

'A cheery smile... Weird,' I thought, getting a tad bit more worried.

"I suggest we all speak German when we're in public," He stated in a low voice and both of us nodded in reply.

"Wann treffen Sie heute den Führer? [When will you meet the Führer today?]" I asked.

"Gegen zwei Uhr nachmittags. Ich muss um viertel nach eins gehen und für alle Fälle früh da sein, [Around two in the afternoon. I'll have to leave at quarter past one and be there early, just in case,]" Alexander replied, "Und in der Zwischenzeit müssen Sie beide hier zur Basis gehen. Überprüfen Sie, was los ist, und stellen Sie die Ordnung wieder her, wenn Chaos herrscht ... Als Leiter Absconditus Custos und stellvertretender Generaldirektor. Missbrauche deine Macht nicht, sonst wirst du die Vor- und Nachteile der jeweiligen Titel nicht mehr sehen. Ich meine es so. [And in the meantime, you both need to go to the base here. Check what is up, and restore order if there's chaos... As the Head of Absconditus Custos and the Deputy Director-General. Do not abuse your power, or you will not see the ins and outs of the respective titles again. I mean it.]"

Hugo and I glance at one another.

"Ja," Hugo replied as I replied "Na sicher. [Of course.]"

"Geben Sie mir das Dossier über die Ereignisse an der Basis und Absconditus Custos, sobald ich heute später mein Zimmer betrete. Verstanden? Nicht vorher und nicht danach. Berichten Sie auch dort über Ihre Ergebnisse. Warum? Weil ich die Basis besuchen werde, nachdem ich hierher zurückgekommen bin. Ich muss ein paar Sachen aus meinem Zimmer holen, [Give me the dossier of the events at the base and Absconditus Custos the moment I enter my room later today. Understood? Not before and not after. Report what your findings there too. Why? Because I will be visiting the base after I come back here. I need to pick some things from my room,]" Alexander continued as Hugo and I finished off our breakfast, "Nachdem Sie beide Ihr Frühstück beendet haben, machen wir einen Rundgang durch die ganze Stadt. Hugo, gib uns eine Tour. [Now that you both have finished your breakfast, let's have a tour of the whole city, shall we? Hugo, give us a tour.]"

Hugo nodded, and soon, we headed off to the entrance of the Royal Stag. The trio entered Hugo's Volkswagen and a few moments later, we were off. It took us all morning, and we arrived back at the hotel at around 11. We all ended up hanging out in Alexander's suite for half an hour before he decided that we should get some lunch before we all have to prepare for what's ahead.

After half an hour of eating in silence, we all part our ways. It was around 2 pm when Hugo and I decided to head to the base. Once we entered, there was a remnant of home. Of course, bases worldwide were based on the blueprints of headquarters. It's one of Alexander's geniuses because no matter where ever you go in the world, you immediately ease into the base's surroundings, and there would be less of a cultural change for the agents as we know our way around the facility.

Hugo and I decided that we would get a tour, just for the sake of it. Once we were done, we headed to the head of the branch's office, who was Gustav Wagner. We immediately went into business, him talking in German and we replied in English. It seems like it is easier to communicate in our native languages since the three of us understood what the other was talking, despite one might think of the language barrier that we have.

It was a good productive hour as Hugo and I head out to the entrance before we both enter Hugo's Volkswagen and head back to the hotel. It would be another couple of minutes when Alexander walked into his room where Hugo and I were chilling. He grabbed whatever he needed before looking at both of us at the sofas.

"Let's go," He stated and we immediately sprung onto our feet, following him out of the suite. We all headed back to the facility and took him on a tour. For the rest of the afternoon, Alexander and Hugo were in meetings with different heads and deputies of the German departments, as I was talking to the German counterpart of the Head of Absconditus Custos, discussing our next steps in close up monitoring of Hitler and a number of high ranking officials of the Nazi leadership. We all went to bed later that night, feeling exhausted.