Code name arc angel, p.15
Code Name Arc Angel, page 15
It had been quite a morning. They were ready to get back to Horst’s, get through the reception, finish packing, and get to sleep as early as possible. They had a long ride to get home.
The reception had gone well. Just as Horst had predicted, only a few personal friends from the military had shown up. Maggie and Carlton were happy about that, as they had met so many military personnel and their wives; they were tired of hearing military stories about Carlton’s father. Horst reveled in the adoration of his father. The caterer set a wonderful table, and the wine flowed freely. The final visitors left the house early in the evening. Maggie had left the reception early. She’d told Hildegard she would be upstairs packing.
There was a knock on the door. It was Hildegard.
“Oh Maggie, I’m sorry to interrupt your packing,” she said. “But, I wanted to talk to you privately. I have enjoyed your company these past few days. I will miss you terribly. You have given me hope and comfort. Please tell Oma I love her and will try to communicate with her in the future. Have a big, healthy baby. I wish you good luck and a safe trip home,” Hildegard said as she hugged Maggie.
Maggie returned Hildegard’s hug. “Hildegard, it has been a wonderful visit for Carlton and me. There are so many words I have to say but not enough time to say them. I wish you a long life. Stay safe. Take care of Sara. I know that, given the situation you are faced with, that will be difficult. I know you care deeply about her. May the day come when we will meet again.” Maggie knew that might never happen.
By the time she was done, they were both crying. The hug they shared was long and warm.
“I will say good-bye in the morning. What time will you be picked up?” Hildegard said as she left the room.
“Six a.m.,” replied Maggie.
“Thanks. I will have coffee ready,” said Hildegard as she closed the door.
A few minutes later, Carlton came into the bedroom. “Honey, am I happy that the reception and the day are over. Are you as tired of the propaganda and the Nazis as I am? Horst cornered me when the last person left. He had to tell me how proud he was of Father. He was proud that all of the Nazi leadership had attended the funeral. He told me that never happens for anyone. His buttons were popping. He gave me a glass of wine and then toasted Father and the Nazis. I almost spilled my wine on him. Then he said something that turned my stomach. He said that, if the United States enters the war against us, we will be enemies. ‘Then we will have to kill all of you.’ I returned his words to him. I said, ‘That works two ways, brother.’ At that point I left him. Maybe he was drunk. He drank a lot of wine. I just don’t know.”
“Yes I’m tired,” Maggie replied. “Hildegard came up to say she enjoyed our visit. I’m worried about her. She will have a difficult time coping with Horst and the hated Nazis. I’m sure Horst must have been drunk. Forget about it. I’m proud of you for replying to him as you did. We are packed, except for personal things. We can finish in the morning. Let’s get to sleep. We have a long trip ahead of us. I love you, Carlton. What time should I set the clock for?” Maggie said as she put on her nightclothes.
“Thank you, Maggie. I love you to. Set it for five a.m. Let’s get to sleep.”
THE TRIP HOME
The Embassy limousine was on time. Dawn was just beginning to brighten. The driver came out of the car to help with the baggage. Major Best stepped out to say good-bye to Hildegard. The family came out of the house, and Major Best Saluted Horst, who returned his salute with a Heil Hitler version. Horst and Carlton shook hands. Carlton asked him to ship Oma’s personal goods to her, explaining that their father had them at his house. Horst agreed that he would try to do so.
Maggie couldn’t bring herself to hug Horst. She shook his hand and thanked him for his hospitality.
Hildegard said good-bye and hugged Major Best. She then hugged and said her good-byes to Carlton and Maggie. She and Maggie were crying. Horst was frowning at all the emotion being shown by his wife. As the car pulled away, Horst reluctantly and Hildegard enthusiastically were waving good-bye. In the upstairs window, Sara was doing the same. Maggie noticed her immediately.
“Oh, Carlton,” said Maggie. “Look who is waving good-bye to us. It is Sara. I feel so sad for her. Hildegard will have a difficult time with Horst about her staying in the house with them. He will be questioning their relationship. Maggie wants to adopt her as a daughter. I can’t believe what Hildegard said Horst would do to this girl” Maggie waved back at Sara.
“The bastard. He is a Nazi through and through, isn’t he? Did you see him strutting around during the reception talking with his military friends? He has been strutting like a peacock since we arrived here. I can’t believe he is my brother,” Carlton said derisively.
“Good morning, Mr. Morris, Major Best,” said Carlton. “Emily, good morning to you. I didn’t see you sitting in the backseat with the major. I was caught up in all the emotion of saying good-byes this morning.”
“On the other hand,” Maggie spoke up, “good morning. I see you all. And it is good to be with friends. What is this I see—Major Best and Emily holding hands in the backseat! What is going on? Mr. Morris, do you know why that is happening? I’m just kidding you both. It does look cozy back there.”
“Let’s change the subject,” said Emily, blushing. “I have your travel plans. Let me go over them with you.” She cleared her throat. “You will be leaving Berlin at seven thirty a.m. from the Anhalter Bahnhof train station to travel to Paris. You will not have to go through customs at the German-French border. The train will stop there but will pass through to Paris. Your train car will be switched and will travel directly to Marseilles. Once in Marseilles, you will go through French customs. Apparently, the Germans changed the routing of their trains. In Marseilles, when you leave the train, you will catch a taxi that will take you to the Pan American seaplane terminal, where your plane will be waiting. Once you arrive at the seaplane terminal in New York, you will be picked up by a government car and taken to the train station to catch a train to Cleveland. Here, Maggie, are all of your tickets and itinerary information. The Germans were very cooperative. So were the Vichy French. You two had someone looking out for you.”
“I can’t imagine who that may have been. Thank you Emily, for all of your work in putting these travel plans together for us,” Carlton replied. “I noticed the hand-holding too. We will talk with the major about it on the way home.”
“Carlton, the train station we are leaving from was one of the places Hildegard took us to on our tour of Berlin. She told us that the Nazis shipped hundreds of Berlin Jews to concentration camps from this and two other train stations in Berlin. The Nazis put the Jews on regular passenger cars under the guise of a trip to move them out of Berlin. The train then left for an undisclosed location, where the cars were transferred to another train that took them to various death camps. I shudder when I think of it. How cruel and evil. It makes me nauseous.” said Maggie.
“You don’t have to worry about that, Maggie,” Mr. Morris assured her. “I have made arrangements with the German underground to place their people on this train with you. They will make sure you arrive in Paris on time. If something suspicious happens, they will identify themselves to you and take whatever steps necessary to get the three of you to Paris. The French underground will be with you on the train to Marseilles. They will be sure you arrive safely there to catch the plane. The three of you are very important passengers to the United States.
“We are arriving at the station,” he pointed out. “Thank you very much for visiting us. I know you fulfilled your missions. The general will be happy to know you are on your way home. Have a safe trip and Godspeed.”
“Thank you, Mr. Morris, for assuring us that our concerns are being taken care of. We appreciate your being with us during the funeral. Good-bye!” said Carlton. “Emily, thank you for everything you have done for us. Both Maggie and I appreciate your service and your friendship.”
They all got out of the limousine. Carlton shook Mr. Morris’s hand and hugged Emily.
Emily hugged Maggie. “Bon voyage,” she said.
When it came to Major Best, he saluted Mr. Morris. He hugged Emily and gave her a long, passionate kiss. She was crying as they parted.
A German soldier picked up their luggage and put it on the train. The major gave him an American dollar as a tip. As the soldier left them, he said in a low voice to Carlton, “You all safe,” and was gone.
The station was very busy. A lot of military personnel were traveling to Paris or beyond. All seats were full. Apparently, there had been a lull in the fighting, as many of the military were on leave. There was a buzz in the air about something. Carlton tried to strike up a conversation with some of the travelers but had no luck. All they wanted to talk about was going home, seeing girlfriends, seeing families, or just getting drunk, as they would soon be returning to their units and shipping out. They had no idea where they would be going or when. It would be a boring trip to Marseilles.
Carlton, Maggie, and Major Best had not had time to discuss the daytrip the latter two had taken with Hildegard and Emily. Carlton was anxious to find out where they’d gone and what they’d seen. Other than the train station visit Maggie had told him about, he knew nothing. However, they couldn’t talk about it with all of the ears open in the train. That discussion would have to wait until they were on the airplane or when they were back in the United States. In fact, he concluded, I’m sure it can wait until we brief Donovan. Given the story about the train station, he felt certain Maggie would only want to talk about what they’d seen one time.
The train horn screeched, and they started moving. Thank God they were heading home. Carlton would talk to Maggie about her experiences when they got home.
Who should be walking down the aisle to meet them but Major Scheinhorst.
Carlton couldn’t resist baiting him. “Major Scheinhorst, a sight for sore eyes. I thought we left you when we arrived in Berlin.”
“No. You haven’t lost me yet,” the major replied. “I have the honor of escorting you and your party to Marseilles. I heard about your father. He was a hero. My condolences to you and your family.
“You will stay with this train car all the way to your destination this time,” he added. “There will be a little delay in Paris, as the car must run through the Paris train station. The engineer has been instructed to make time. We don’t want you to miss your plane. It is my responsibility to get you to Marseilles safely.”
“Thank you, Major. Knowing you and your men are with us makes us feel very safe. We had a very interesting stay in Berlin. There is something big about to happen. What might it be?” said Carlton, hoping the German major might reveal something to him.
“Sorry, Mr. Fuller,” replied the major. “I don’t know what you are talking about. If I find out anything, you will be the first to know. Have a good ride. Food will be served in the next car. I’ll see you all when you get off of the train.”
“I appreciate that,” said Carlton.
“I don’t like that man,” said Maggie. “He seems very cold and calculating.”
“I agree with you,” commented Major Best. “Just like all German officers.”
The train made good time traveling through Germany. The roads going West were packed with military men and equipment. The food was average this trip. They ate the same fare the civilians were eating.
Carlton and Maggie asked Major Best many questions regarding his relationship with Miss Bayer. He blushed. He told them the relationship had blossomed quickly. He and Emily had had the opportunity to spend a lot of time together. He said it was love at first sight. He also indicated that Emily had provided him with a great deal of information on the Germans. She’d helped him with his mission from Donovan.
The train slowed down as it approached Paris. Maggie was very excited that she was able to see the Eiffel Tower. When they’d passed through Paris on the trip to Berlin, it had been nighttime, and they’d all been sleeping. Many of the military personnel left the train when it stopped at the Paris station. They didn’t stop long. The horn screeched, and their car was switched through the Paris yard and picked up by the train going to Marseilles. They all had a chance to take a nap between Paris and Marseilles.
When they arrived in Marseilles, Major Scheinhorst came by to say good-bye. “It was my pleasure to escort you to your destination. I have new orders and will be heading West for a new adventure. Your limousine is waiting for you in front of the station. The driver has been instructed to take you to the Pan American seaplane terminal,” he said as one of his military aides gathered their luggage. “Please understand,” he added, “the driver doesn’t speak English. He knows where to take you all. Bon voyage.” With that, he clicked his heals, saluted the Heil Hitler salute, turned on his heal, and left the three of them.
“Good riddance,” said Maggie. “It is time to fly.”
They all agreed.
As they boarded the plane, a familiar face appeared. “Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Fuller. Hello, Major Best. How was your trip? We will be leaving soon, now that you all have arrived. We will be flying directly to Horta, Lages, to refuel and then home to the States. I’ll bet you can’t wait.”
They all replied in unison, “Hello, James.”
“What a nice surprise!” Maggie added. “And you’re right. We can’t wait to get home, James. It is so nice to see you.
“What’s for dinner?” she asked.
“Pan American roast beef and all the trimmings,” James said proudly. “Let’s get boarded. The captain wants to leave as soon as you all are settled in.”
The engines stared with a cloud of blue smoke. They sounded rough at first but smoothed out after a few seconds.
“What a great sound,” the major remarked as the plane began to move.
“Ladies and gentleman, this is the pilot speaking,” came the announcement over the speaker. “Welcome aboard our B314 seaplane. We will be flying directly to Horta, Lages today. This will be the last civilian flight Pan American will fly from Marseilles to the United States. The crew will try to make the flight a special one. I know we will be flying for about twenty-five hours, so please make yourselves comfortable, as we are ready to leave. We have been cleared for takeoff. The smoking lamp is out.”
The sound of the engines became louder, and the plane began to move through the water quickly. The bay must have been smooth, as the plane moved without a bounce on the trip down the bay.
Maggie shouted, “We are off,” as the plane left the water and turned to the Northwest.
Once they reached cruising altitude, the pilot came back on the speaker. “We will be leveling off at seventeen thousand feet for our flight to Horta. The smoking light is lit. Please enjoy your dinner this evening.”
After they took off from Horta, the plane encountered turbulence over the North Atlantic. It didn’t bother Carlton, Maggie, or Major Best, as all three were sound asleep. The trip had taken its toll on all of them, and they were anticipating getting home.
It was early morning, about 6:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, when they were awakened by the pilot.
“Good morning. This is the pilot again. Sorry to wake you up so early, but we will be flying past the Statue of Liberty before we land. I wanted you all to take the time to view her from the air. She is a beautiful lady. I will reduce our altitude so that you all have a great view of her in all her glory. You will be able to see her from the port side of the plane. Following our pass by the statue, we will be turning around Manhattan Island to land on the bay by LaGuardia Field. The view should be spectacular. We will be landing in about one hour. Please prepare your personal items for landing and deplaning.”
Maggie, Carlton, and Major Best moved to the left side of the aircraft.
They heard a knock on their doors. It was James with coffee and rolls. “Breakfast!” he shouted. “We are almost home.”
It didn’t feel like long before the pilot came back on the speaker. “It’s the pilot again. We will be landing in five minutes. Please prepare to land. The smoking lamp is out. The bay is a little choppy this morning. I expect the plane to bounce a bit as we contact the water. It should not be an issue. The plane will rock a bit as we taxi to the seaplane terminal. Thank you for flying Pan American.”
Major Best was the first one off of the plane. He made sure the Pan American luggage personnel brought the Fullers’ luggage to a specific spot inside the terminal. By the time Carlton and Maggie met him, he had a redcap ready to take their luggage to customs. He told the redcap to wait for them to clear customs and then take their baggage to a taxi waiting at the stand outside the terminal. First, they had to clear customs. This was where he and the Fullers would be parting.
The major shook Carlton’s hand and hugged Maggie. “I enjoyed traveling with you both,” he said. “I believe we had a profitable trip. And we had a great time together. You are both some of the most wonderful people I have ever met. I will be seeing you again in Cleveland when we brief the general. Have a safe trip. By the way, your train leaves New York in three hours. Just tell the cab driver you want to go to Grand Central Station. I have taken care of the redcap. So long. See you in Cleveland. I’m going home for a few days. I have to put together my report and write to Emily.” The major waved and went back into the terminal to get his luggage.
Maggie and Carlton said their good-byes to the major and followed the redcap to customs. Maggie was unhappy that they had to go through customs again.
Once they cleared customs, they followed the redcap to a cab waiting at the cab stand. The redcap put the luggage in to the cab, opened the door to the cab, let Maggie in first, and closed the door after Carlton was seated.
“Grand Central Station, please,” said Carlton.
