Vengeance 10

For eight months in Belgium and then the intervening year in the Special Services, he had lived a monk’s existence. And with good reason, he thought with sudden insight. It was impossible for him to endure the anguish of losing someone again. Those few months with Margot had contained more happiness than he ever imagined existed and somehow left no room for another woman. That’s a lie, he told himself savagely. But only partially so.

The car rounded the corner and drew up before the blacked-out bulk of the building housing the officers’ club, a former dormitory for one of the many medical schools in the area.

‘Will you need me further, sir?’

Memling turned his wrist to catch a bit of stray light from the dashboard. His train left Euston in forty minutes. For a moment the urge to stay was overwhelming.

‘Yes.’

The driver waited patiently, and Memling forced the words: ‘You can drive me to Euston Station.’

The coward has won again, he thought.

Peenemunde-Prague-Berlin April-June 1942

Wernher von Braun tore the end from the envelope and extracted the letter. He read it quickly, then flourished it at Franz Bethwig and Walter Dornberger.

‘You would not believe me,’ he crowed, ‘but here it is, in black and white and from Heydrich himself.’

Bethwig grabbed the paper. It was true: official recognition from someone powerful enough in both party and government to make it work. He shook his head in admiration. ‘I have to admit, Wernher, I would never have believed it possible.’

‘And he says that he has the Führer’s backing as well.’ Von Braun slapped the desk. ‘Damn, but this is good news!’ Dornberger tapped his pencil on the desk, if you gentlemen are quite through; I have a great deal of work to finish today.’

Von Braun laughed and clapped his boss on the shoulder. ‘For God’s sake, Walter, I should think you would be as happy as we are. We can proceed with the A-Ten project now and with the full backing of the government. You are in an even more powerful position than before.’

Dornberger looked unconvinced. ‘Perhaps,’ he finally replied. ‘But it is easy enough to get such a paper. And these days everyone uses Hitler’s name as if it were a talisman. If the Führer spends as much time reviewing and approving these pet projects as everyone claims, I do not see how he finds time to eat or sleep, let alone to direct the war effort. I have warned you too many times before not to mix in politics, especially at Heydrich’s level. The favourite today can just as easily disappear tomorrow. We have all seen it happen. Remember Roehm? They shot him. And he put Hitler in power.’

‘But this is Reinhard Heydrich we are talking about.’ Von Braun grinned. ‘Who in Germany is strong enough to pull him down? The head of the SD has got to be — ‘

‘All-powerful?’ Dornberger supplied, in today’s Germany there is no such person, perhaps not even the Führer himself.’ He paused to study each of them in turn. ‘The SS never relinquish anything. The A-Ten will come under complete SS control, you two included.’

Bethwig shook his head. ‘No, Walter, that’s where you’re wrong. We have Heydrich’s own assurance that is not so. There will be no interference from the SS. It’s our show, start to finish.’ He smiled at Dornberger. ‘Wernher and I swore that we would work with anyone to get this project under way, and you yourself agreed that it might well be Germany’s only salvation now that the Americans have entered the war.’

Dornberger gave him a troubled look and picked up several folders from his desk. ‘I only hope it does not turn out that you’ve sold your souls without realising their true value.’

* * *