Dangerous Allies (18 page)

“We aren’t finished. Not by half.” The soft, affectionate look in his eyes had her gulping for air.

Reaching up, she touched his face.

“If you get the photographs you need,” she said, “please don’t come back for me tonight. Let this be the end for us.”

He took a step away from her, and then another, all the while shaking his head. “I won’t let you face Doenitz alone. And I won’t leave you behind.” His tone brooked no argument on either subject.

In spite of her desire to run away with him, Katia had to think of her mother. “I won’t go with you.”

“Yes, you will.”

“No. I won’t.” This was one argument Katia had no intention of losing.

A
fter all the mistakes, all the stops and starts, Jack completed his mission for the British in less than three minutes. With the photographs taken and the blueprints returned to the metal cylinder, all he had to do now was exit Schmidt’s hotel room undetected.

Pressing his ear against the door, he listened for activity in the hallway. Breathing slowly, very slowly, he counted two sets of footsteps shuffling past. There was a pause, a soft murmur of voices, another pause, subdued laughter, and then the rattle of the elevator doors opening and shutting.

Patting the ridiculously small spy camera nestled safely in his pocket, Jack nudged the door open. With the hallway clear, he retreated in the same manner in which he’d come. Ten purposeful steps and he slipped into the ancient stairwell.

Five minutes later, he walked out the front door of the hotel.

The early-winter air spit at his face. He found the cold
invigorating, as energizing as the adrenaline flowing through his blood.

He crossed at the intersection under the harsh light of a streetlight. He was the picture of a law-abiding citizen with nothing to hide. It was one of his best lies.

Only after he made it to the other side of the street did he stop and allow himself a moment to savor his triumph.

His trip into Schmidt’s room had resulted in unprecedented success. Jack not only had photographs of the blueprints to the magnetic mines, but he also had a picture of Schmidt’s exact route through the English Channel. The chart containing the carefully plotted minefield, including precise coordinates of where each bomb would be laid, had been hidden with the blueprints.

An unfamiliar wave of doubt rose up. He shoved it back with a growl. With or without the uniform, Jack Anderson was a soldier. His actions would ultimately save thousands of lives.

Lord God, I pray for discernment. Help me to take only the necessary steps to protect the innocent and not to harm them.

That was it. He needed to hold on to God. Daily. What had his father once said? The safest place to stand in a storm was next to the Lord. It was good advice. The only answer in times of war.

Jack allowed a smile to play at the corners of his mouth as he swept his gaze to his right, to his left, and then he glanced at his watch. Three hours to rendezvous.

He stuck his hands in his pockets and started down
the street toward his own hotel. He still had to change into his tuxedo for Elena’s party.

Two days ago he wouldn’t have hesitated to head straight to the docks and climb aboard a fishing vessel that would take him to meet the British trawler waiting for him in the North Sea.

But that had been before he’d met Katarina Kerensky.

Knowing her had changed him. He had no doubt God’s hand had been in their meeting from the start. In the end, Katarina had put a face on the German Resistance for him, and she’d brought a renewed hope to Jack’s grim future. He may not survive this terrible war, but he would make sure she did.

Although too many lives depended on what he held in his pocket to risk capture for the sake of a single woman, he couldn’t bear to leave her behind, either.

At the very least he could protect her tonight. She would not face Admiral Doenitz alone.

An idea began crystallizing. For once, Jack would use his unsavory connections for his own personal use. And Heinrich Himmler need never know why.

Katia knew her role tonight, and Katarina Kerensky never missed a cue. With a deceptively vacant expression in her eyes, she circled her gaze around the perimeter of the ballroom, taking a quick inventory along the way.

Her mother had outdone herself again. The illusion of happier times was complete, all the way down to the flowers, the elegant music, the glittering crystal and the equally glittering guests.

Thanks to Elena Kerensky’s efforts, tonight the handpicked Germans of wealth, privilege and perfect lineage would find it easy to pretend greatness had returned to the Fatherland.

But not without a price.

Katia’s stomach rolled at the thought.

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary….

She nodded at her mother’s butler, and then waited while he announced her with unnecessary grandeur. The responding hush was a perfect accompaniment for the entrance of a princess turned famous stage actress. One more illusion to add to the others.

Fully in her role now, Katia allowed the guests to admire her long blue gown and upswept hair before stepping forward.

She slowly turned her head, nodding at the faces she recognized. In each cluster of people, she searched for Friedrich Reiter. She came up empty.

Where was he?

Surely he’d been successful tonight. Or had Hermann caught him in the act of breaking into his hotel room?

No. Friedrich was too careful and too good at his job. Katia had no doubt he had succeeded tonight. He would be here soon. But would it be soon enough?

Just as the thought formed she caught sight of Hermann speaking with another naval officer. Even with his back to her, the other man fit Admiral Doenitz’s description perfectly.

Her whole body tingled with tension. Beneath the
tension rushed an undertow of doom that built as she glided through the ballroom.

If Friedrich didn’t arrive soon she would face the admiral alone. She would do so with the Lord’s courage tucked deep inside her.

She repeated her father’s favorite verse in her mind.

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength…

Even with the Lord’s promise nestled within her, she had a sudden urge to turn and run. But then she thought of Jack Anderson and the dangerous role he played as Friedrich Reiter. His sacrifices were far greater than hers. She would not let him down.

As though sensing her eyes on him, the man speaking to Hermann turned to face her. Even at this distance, she could discern the decorations unique to an admiral’s uniform. Karl Doenitz. It had to be him. Although shorter than she’d expected, the admiral wore his uniform with terrifying confidence, making him appear far more formidable than Hermann.

Katia continued across the ballroom. Toward the admiral. She found a desperate need to pray.
Oh, Lord, Lord, I need Your courage. I surrender my will to Yours.

Feeling stronger, she hid the rest of her nerves behind an easy smile. She kept her movements slow and elegant. No one would know her knees were about to buckle under her.

But just as she crossed to the edge of the dance floor, she caught sight of her mother. In spite of a sense of
urgency flowing through her, Katia stopped a moment and admired the woman who had given her birth.

How perfect she looked, Katia thought, elegant, refined, with a hint of sadness in her eyes that made her look even more stunning.

A jolt of love came hard and fast, surprising Katia into staring a moment longer. The realization that she wanted to ensure her mother’s safety more than her own jumped into her head and convinced her all the more. This was no longer a matter of saving her only surviving parent. This was about saving a woman she loved.

Katia would not allow the war, the Nazis’ hatred of Jews, or even Hermann Schmidt to hurt her mother. Even if she died trying, Katia would protect Elena.

Her best option would be to get her out of Germany.

But first, she had to face a suspicious admiral.

It took all her skill as an actress to bury her concerns for her mother and force her mind on the task the lay before her.

Unfortunately, before she could carry on, her mother closed the distance between them and took her hand. “Katia, you look magnificent this evening.”

Katia tightened her grip on their linked fingers. “I was thinking the same of you, Mother.”

She didn’t have the words to tell Elena how much she loved her; too many years had gone by without saying them and too many fresh emotions had been laid bare this morning. Unable to speak, she simply squeezed her mother’s hand again.

This time, Elena squeezed back.

They stood still in the moment, mother and daughter connecting on a deeper level than they had in years.

Elena blinked, breaking the spell first, then kissed Katia’s cheek. “You are going to be fine, Katarina. Just fine.”

“Yes. After tonight everything will change for us both.”

They shared a brief, self-conscious hug, then Elena stood back a step and looked around her. “But where is Herr Reiter? I thought he was escorting you this evening.”

“An unexpected business matter came up. He will be here shortly.”
I hope.

Katia turned to look around the ballroom. But when she didn’t see Friedrich right away her initial confidence turned to worry. He should have completed their mission long before now. “I wonder where he is,” she said aloud.

Elena touched her arm. “Not to worry, darling. I’m sure he’ll arrive soon enough.”

“Yes, he will. He would never let me down.” She smiled as she spoke, but she couldn’t help wondering what was keeping him. He had seemed so determined to protect her from the admiral.

Please, Lord, please let him be safe.

Short of going in search of him, there wasn’t much more she could do at the moment. So she forced her mind to refocus. “Mother, would you mind introducing me to Admiral Doenitz while we wait for Friedrich to arrive?”

“I’d be delighted. He is just over there with Hermann.”

Although not especially excited to speak to Elena’s fiancé, Katia allowed her mother to maneuver her through the crowd. They were interrupted at least a dozen times, but Elena Kerensky was an expert at charming her guests with a smile and a few words.

All too soon they stopped in front of the admiral. “Herr Admiral,” Elena began. “I would like to introduce you to my daughter, Katarina Kerensky.”

Doenitz gave her a slight smile, but his eyes remained hard. “Ah, the famous actress.
Kapitän
Schmidt and I were just speaking about you.”

Terror threatened to peel the layers of her role away, but Katia forced down the emotion and blinked up at her mother’s fiancé. His eyes were sharp on her, weighing and measuring.

Undaunted, she gave him the vacant smile she reserved solely for him. “I trust you said nothing but good things about me, Hermann.”

With an ironic twist of his lips, he nodded. “Of course, Katarina. Nothing but good things.”

“Well, then, I thank you.” She held back from speaking further while her mother continued looking on.

No matter what, Katia would not include Elena in this complicated battle of wills, especially now that her mother knew about her dangerous secret life.

As though sensing Katia’s need to speak to the men alone, Elena said, “Well, darling. I’ll leave you and Hermann to entertain the admiral while I tend to my other guests.”

She gave each of them a brilliant smile before turning to leave. No one but Katia would guess Elena’s fear for her daughter. The woman was proving a better actress than Katia herself. She was very proud of her mother.

But now that she was alone with the two Nazis, she felt like a hen trapped in a den full of foxes. Her best weapon was silence.

When both men simply blinked at her, she decided to play shy, as though she was overcome with awe over the admiral.

Ignoring Hermann, she turned her full attention to Doenitz. “I have never met an admiral before.” Her words came out soft and a little shaky.

Doenitz lifted his eyebrows. “No?”

“I am quite overwhelmed.”

They stared at one another, neither looking away, neither acknowledging Hermann. Katia held on to her smile, adding just the right amount of famous actress to the gesture. She knew this role well.

Doenitz, for his part, continued holding her gaze. To an outsider, they looked enthralled with one another.

Which was true enough, but not for the obvious reasons.

Hermann cleared his throat. “Yes, well, I better help Elena.”

Neither Katia nor the admiral responded. Instead, they continued to stare at one another. And stare and stare and stare.

Giving a quick farewell and a promise to return to speak to the admiral before the night was over, Hermann turned on his heel and left.

Once alone, Doenitz broke the silence first. “Your mother is a lovely woman.”

Katia was not sure what was in his voice. It was not truth. And certainly not affection. “Yes, she is.”

“It would be a shame if anything were to happen to her.”

Pretending to misunderstand, Katia steered the conversation toward the mundane. “Are you enjoying the ball, Herr Admiral?”

He clasped his hands behind his back. “I do not wish to sound ungracious, but I much prefer the sea to a crowd of people. And I understand, Fräulein, that you enjoy the sea air, as well.” The smile he sent her was as tough and cold as his voice.

Sensing where he was heading, she placed a vacuous look in her eyes. “Why, yes, I do. On occasion.”

His smile relaxed only a fraction as he turned to a passing waiter and plucked a flute of champagne off the tray. “I was thinking of a specific patch of sea,” he said, handing her the glass. “Along the coast west of here.”

She lifted the champagne to her lips, but only pretended to take a sip of the wine. She couldn’t afford to be light-headed now that the conversation was steering into unfriendly waters. “Every coastline looks the same to me.”

“Ah, but I understand you appreciate our little harbor in Wilhelmshaven more than most.”

She lifted a shoulder, even as her breath tightened in her chest. “Perhaps in the summertime.”

“I was thinking more in the vicinity of two nights ago.”

He knew.
The thought echoed in Katia’s ears. Round and round, over and over again.
He knew, he knew, he knew.

Her initial impulse was to inform the admiral she had no idea what he meant, but she decided to stick with the story she and Friedrich Reiter had told the guard that night. “A woman such as myself has to do what she must to find a moment of privacy now and again.”