Reluctant Hero

Chapter 5
At Gestapo Headquarters

Anne-Marie sat impatiently, feeling somewhat frustrated as she faced the Colonel. He was not her direct controller, and she was a little afraid of him, but her unexpected success in recruiting Tony had meant that she was passed up the line, and now she was in the hands of a new man and no longer in the hands of her friendlier controller with no-one coming up with an idea, or with a solution as to what to do with Tony in the immediate near future. They all agreed that it would be madness to ignore him, until they got direct orders from Berlin, so they had to come up with an idea of some sort.

The colonel had the reputation of being very unpredictable, and at times very irrational. He was no fool and he did realise however, that Tony could be a very important person in the Third Reich when the propaganda machine went to work, and he could quite easily become a man of influence in the Nazi party if he made the right decision now.. Therefore he determined to act in a manner which would exonerate him from all future criticism.

He said. “Frau Shuppen you have done extremely well, and no doubt the Fuhrer will ensure that your hard work is properly recognised. It was not envisaged that your operation would succeed this well. You have indeed exceeded all our most optimistic expectations. To convince a hero no less than a VC to defect is a fantastic achievement. I am sure it is much more than Herr Goebells would have anticipated.”

She said “Thank you Herr Colonel, but Herr Colonel I have delivered the Commander as I was ordered to do by Herr Goebells. This part of my mission is finished, I do however, care for the man he is a nice man and he is genuine that is all. But we are married, although the Luftwaffe bombed Portsmouth the night before the wedding, and the ceremony had to be postponed. However we managed it in the end at a special ceremony at the Portsmouth Guildhall which became a temporary registry office...

I have delivered him safely as I promised; he can of course live in my apartment for a few days, but I sense that some of the partisans are already a little suspicious. I need to leave him as I do not want my work with the partisans compromised. ” The Colonel was getting exasperated with Anne-Marie. “Frau Shuppen, you have done well, but if you do not look after him until I get orders from Berlin, I will have to lock him up. While he is with you, I hope I can trust you to keep him safe.”

A man in civilian clothes who Anne-Marie had rightly supposed was a senior Gestapo official replied curtly. “How do we know that he has not been planted to spy on us?” Anne-Marie said quietly. “You don’t, but I do, I would not have brought him this far if I was not 100% sure of him.”

Anne-Marie seemed exasperated. Colonel I need to start working again, I have been in contact with a new partisan group, and can not be in two places at the same time. I must make contact again with this group soon, or they will become suspicious. I need to infiltrate them quickly if I am to do my work effectively and if possible before the publicity breaks on Herr Nash’s defection. When it does I will have to denounce him if I am to stay credible with the partisan groups.”

The colonel said.” I have just had an idea. Frau Schuppen, what if I arranged for your sister in Law to visit you to stay with you for a few days? Anne-Marie looked utterly confused, but as the Colonel spoke he rang a bell on his desk, within a few moments a tall slim blonde lady had entered the room dressed in Wehrmacht uniform. She came to attention and gave the Nazi salute. “Here Frau Schuppen is Fraulein Helga she can be your Sister in Law who has come to visit you for a few days and also of course to visit her brothers grave.”

Anne-Marie smiled. Inside she was hurting, she was jealous she had no illusion about Fraulein Helga Nieumier, her reputation was not a well kept secret, but she dare not show it. The colonel said “Helga here will look after him, she will fuck his brains out if necessary, he will be too tired to be a nuisance or run away, and she can perhaps take him sightseeing.” But immediately Ann-Marie suddenly sensed danger.

“But Mein Herr, Fraulein Helga is well known, if he is seen with her in public it will blow our cover and the partisans will soon know that he has defected, and they will assume that I am also a traitor.”

The Colonel ignored Anne-Maries comments and went on to say. “Fraulein Helga you will change into civilian clothes, and go with Anne-Marie. You will be Fraulein Schuppen, Anne-Maries sister in law from Wegburg, who has come to visit, and you will keep a close eye on the man she is keeping in her apartment who is her husband. He is vitally important to the Third Reich and he must be kept safe and happy. You can, and must entertain him and keep him safe in any way short of physical abuse, for a few days, until I get orders from Berlin. She gave the Nazi salute and replied “Ja Herr Colonel.”

Anne Marie felt very sad as she waited for Helga to change, she knew that her time with Tony was coming to an end, at least for the time being, but they both knew this would have to happen. She had been away from the apartment for nearly five hours and she was worried about him. She knew he was sensible, but she was worried, that some of the partisans could be a little suspicious, and she was sure that she had been followed when she left home earlier that morning.

She was also very worried about the reaction when Tony’s defection became public knowledge, and the partisans would surely blame her, because she was married to him. It could destroy her cover story, and she would lose credibility. Previously it had been determined that the story that she would give to the partisans, would be that he had come to help them with communications problems, and when he defected she would publicly denounce him, and even stage a realistic failed attempt to kill him.

She had not even considered the possibility that she would fall in love with him. Being a double agent was full of hidden risks. She realised now that she had no option but to go through with the original story. But she sensed that everything was going wrong, and she had a sense of impending doom.

While she waited for Helga to join her she telephoned her apartment to tell Tony that she would not be too long. She told him that she had just met her Sister in law who had come to stay for a few days. To her dismay she had heard Janine’s voice in the background, and she guessed that Janine had probably been ‘coming on’ to Tony in a big way. She felt a quick surge of hatred for Janine as she waited, but quickly she realised that they knew that they would face a parting of the ways, and if Tony had fucked Janine then he must have had a good reason. They knew that while apart from one another they had to do what they had to do to survive.

Meanwhile Fraulein Helga was taking great care over her appearance and she was reveling in the thought that for a few days she would have a strong healthy man in her power. It had been a long time since she had been given the opportunity to have unlimited sex put freely at her disposal. She had packed her sexiest nightclothes and some of her best clothes as she put on her mackintosh, pulling the belt tight to enhance her figure; she took one last look in the mirror before leaving her quarters in the barracks. To report to the Colonel before rejoining Anne-Marie.

Fraulein Helga had joined the Nazi party in 1937. She was now 25 years of age and had lovely blonde hair and blue eyes. She was extremely athletic, and had a figure the envy of most women. She was the typical Aryan beauty that the Fuhrer had sponsored. She enjoyed sex in all its forms, and was regarded quite rightly by many as a nymphomaniac. She had also quite willingly taken on the duties of being a very discreet assassin and had become a useful tool in disposing of members who in various ways were embarrassing to the party.

She had been the mistress of one of Hitler’s close advisors before the war, and had been invaluable in many roles where her sexual prowess was a distinct asset. She quite quickly had become an enthusiast of the Nazi party and all its aims. She obeyed orders willingly, and had no conscience where unsavory tasks were given her to perform. For two years she had gone as a mistress from one senior party leader to another when instructed. Pillow talk with her lovers had been invaluable in revealing possible traitors to the party, which had been quickly disposed of, or punished in an appropriate way.

Her role in occupied Europe was to get acquainted with, and spy on co-operative Business men, people who either for financial reasons, or for genuine political reasons had decided to support the Nazi regime. Unfortunately, most of these subjects had been older men, or in some cases men who were more interested in other men than ladies. They were not the type of bedmates that were best suited to her tastes.

Having been told by the Colonel that her job was to safeguard Tony Nash the defector from Britain, she was burning with anticipation. The Colonel had been quite explicit that she had full permission to seduce him, and keep him entertained. She thrilled at the task before her, she had an extensive sexual repertoire, and she guessed that she would have no problem getting and keeping a young handsome man like Tony under control and safe, providing of course she could keep his so-called wife out of the way.

She was looking forward with burning anticipation to having a young man like him all to herself; it had been a long time since she had been given the opportunity to carry out a task like this. She just hoped that Berlin would be as slow as they usually were, in coming to a decision on Tony’s future.

The colonel has explained that one of her tasks with Tony was to endeavor if she could, to determine whether his defection was genuine. The colonel was afraid that a formal arrest and interrogation could damage his reputation with the hierarchy in the party. Much better, he thought to use Helgas wiles and experience, to wheedle any secrets from Tony. In any case her personal assessment of the man, and his personal habits, and sexual inclinations would be invaluable. The colonel knew that the fact that he had taken positive action would stand very much in his favour.

Helga was an adept linguist and spoke French fluently. Her only regret was that she had never married, she had a secret desire to become a mother, and she longed to be able to settle down and raise a family, but she had been shuttled at party orders from one man to another. Many of her past partners were very much to her taste, and would have made satisfactory husbands, and given her the children which she yearned for, but duty had stood in the way.

She stood in front of the Colonels desk and he whistled in appreciation “You have one last task Fraulein. One which I am sure you will relish. The colonel explained in detail what was required of her. .She smiled. “Ja Wohl, Herr Colonel it will be a pleasure and I will do that with pleasure.” She gave the Nazi salute and turning she left the room to join the waiting Anne-Marie

Meanwhile in the Admiralty London.

Mr. Broughton stood with the First Sea Lord. His language was ripe and he said. “My Lord we have just sent one of our most promising Naval Officers to get the very information that HMS Bulldog has taken from U111. We have also compromised, and probably sent to her death one of our best double agents all for nothing. His was almost a forlorn task but he undertook it willingly, because he recognised how vital this information was to winning of the war. We all knew before he went that he had an uphill task, and that success was remote but we had to try something.

The Admiral replied.” Yes George, it is unfortunate and you were completely right to take the risk, or rather those brave people are to be commended for taking the risk, but no-one could have foreseen that all this gear would fall into our lap like this. The Captain of HMS Bulldog is absolutely certain that the prisoners were certain that the U Boat was sunk before she could be boarded, and so there is no reason for the Germans to suspect a thing. Just tell Nash and the girl to abort and return home if you can get a message to him, but don’t give any details.”

Tony had enjoyed his sojourn with Janine and he was now confident that he had managed to allay her suspicions, but he was worried at the time Anne-Marie had been gone. The man watching the apartment had been replaced by another, and the mess cleaned up.

The telephone call from Anne-Marie had triggered Janine’s departure; she had no inclination to face Anne-Marie again having seduced her husband. She had no illusions about Anne-Marie, she was sure she was a traitor, and she was convinced that Tony was being duped. She kissed him, and whispered.
“I will see you again soon darling, you are my man now.”
Tony breathed a sigh of relief as the door closed behind her and lay down on the bed for a nap before his wife arrived home.