His Majesty's Hope(83)
Else’s giggles had turned to laughter, hysterical laughter. “You—you are a spy?”
Half sister. “Yes.”
“No, it can’t be, it’s like a dream,” Elise said. “I’m going to wake up any minute.”
“It’s a lot to take in,” Maggie said. Believe me, I know.
Elise reached out and clasped Maggie’s hand. “I will do everything I can to get you out.”
“So, will you hide me? Help find a radio?”
“Of course.” Elise wiped her eyes as her haggard face bloomed into a smile. “Of course. Now, let me get you somewhere safe before anyone sees us.”
The door to the roof opened. Both women tensed until Elise saw that it was Frieda.
“Was zum Geier?” Frieda exclaimed. What the vulture? Maggie translated literally. Meaning, were the vultures circling already?
“It’s all right,” Elise reassured Maggie. “She’s one of us.”
Then, to Frieda, “She’s a friend. A friend who needs help.”
Frieda scowled. “And you’re going to take her home with you, too? Yet another lost kitten?”
The tension Elise lived with day and night began to break through. “I’d like to remind you that your husband is one of my ‘lost kittens,’ Frieda!”
“But you don’t think things through, Elise! The pilot—people eventually assumed he ran away because he’s a deserter, but you never even gave a second thought to what an empty bed would mean. And I’m being harassed day and night by SS, wanting to know where Ernst has disappeared to. Do you even have a plan for smuggling them out of your attic? And then—you want to add”—she sniffed at Maggie—“her to the mix?”
Maggie’s heart quickened.
“What would you have me do, Frieda? Deny her shelter? She’s as good as dead out there!”
Frieda smiled. A strange smile. “Well, I’m glad then that I made my Pakt mit dem Teufel.”
“What do you mean—pact with the Devil?”
“Giving my husband, my beloved, to you,” Frieda snapped. “Trusting him to your care.”
“Frieda—”
“Nein!” The blonde put a thin, blue-veined hand up in the air. “We are done.” She went to the exit, then slammed the door shut behind her.
Elise and Maggie stared at each other.
Maggie could see the strain in Elise’s eyes. “No room at the inn?” She felt her last chance dying. “I don’t want to put you, or anyone else, in any danger.”
Elise put her hand on Maggie’s. “Nein,” she said, “there is always room for one more.”
At St. Hedwig’s, Elise led Maggie directly to Father Licht’s office. He looked up from the paperwork on his desk.
“I thought I might see you today, Elise,” the priest said. “Please close the door.”
“Father, this is Fräulein Margareta Hoffman—”
His eyebrows rose, and behind his glasses his eyes opened wide. “You are Margareta Hoffman?”
Maggie stiffened, ready to bolt. Who was this man? How did he recognize her name? Just because he was wearing a priest’s collar and skullcap didn’t mean he was on their side …
“Yes, why?” Elise said.
Father Licht rose. “I am very glad to see you, Fräulein Hoffman. Elise, how did you know to bring her here?”
“I just thought maybe I could hide her, the way I did with—” She stopped abruptly. “But once again, Father, I’ll need your help.”
“My children, we have much to discuss,” he said, rubbing his thin hands together. “But before we begin, I suggest we all take a moment to say a prayer.” He bowed his head and closed his eyes. Maggie and Elise did the same.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love …
“Now,” said the priest, when the prayer was ended, “let’s discuss how we’re going to handle this, shall we say, rather unusual situation.”
The final part of Hugh’s assignment was to let Clara Hess know that Operation Aegir had succeeded. Masterman’s plan was that Hugh carry out the mission Krueger would have. Or at least make it seem as if the mission had been carried out.
Hugh’s orders were to stencil large wooden crates with a skull-and-crossbones symbol plus the stern warning
SODIUM FLUORIDE
DANGER! TOXIC BY INGESTION
Do not get in eyes or on skin. Do not ingest. Wear proper mask.
Then he was to take photographs of the crates. These he would send to Hess in Berlin, to prove the mission’s triumphant success.
However, Hugh had a few other plans.