Chapter 16 #2
An hour and a half later, they got off at an abandoned stop. Leonore’s anticipation was instantly dampened. However, her excitement soon returned as they entered the converted mansion by the lake, where they would spend their next few days.
Leonore bobbed up and down impatiently while their rooms were allocated, until Michaela, with whom she would be sharing a room, finally said, “Nellie. Keep still. You’re making me dizzy just looking at you.”
“Sorry. It’s just so exciting.”
Michaela rolled her eyes in response, grabbed her medical bag, and walked up to their room.
Lieutenant Hesse took his leave, saying, “You’re in good hands here. I’ll pick you up in three days.”
Leonore wouldn’t have had objections to staying here much longer.
After the initial shock of the isolated location, the lake looked very appealing, with its clear, blue, albeit presumably cold water.
But she wouldn’t get the opportunity to stroll down to the shore until much later.
First, they had lunch, then their trainer introduced himself as Herr Schmidt.
“Schmidt is definitely a code name,” she whispered to Michaela.
The instructor gazed at her sternly. “No whispering. I require your undivided attention.”
“Y-yes, of course,” stammered Leonore, feeling the blood rush to her face.
The group was led to a laboratory, where a gaunt man in a white coat was waiting for them. He introduced himself as The Firesetter. Leonore had to suppress a grin as she wondered what the occasion had been that earned him such a nickname.
The Firesetter was wearing huge safety goggles, which he had pushed up onto his head. He clapped his hands. “Let us begin!”
Then he split them up into pairs. To her chagrin, Leonore had to work with Herr Lange.
It wasn’t that she didn’t like him, though it would have been so much more fun with Michi, or rather, Heloise.
Very well, she wasn’t here for fun, was she?
Herr Lange had repeatedly taken the opportunity on the train journey to emphasize that both the training and their deployment as agents were only a sham, and that none of the so-called agents had agreed to engage in espionage activities.
“Fr?ulein Nellie,” came the voice of the man in the white coat.
It took a few seconds and a nudge from Michi’s elbow for Leonore to realize he meant her.
“Sorry.” Leonore resolved to pay closer attention in future, and joined Herr Lange, who stepped up to one of the lab tables.
“I will show you how to write with invisible ink and how to make it visible. After that, it’s up to you to copy the process,” the Firesetter explained.
Her nerves tight as a bowstring, Leonore observed each of his movements, before she copied him. It was amazingly simple and a few minutes later she proudly presented the result to him.
“Very nice, Fr?ulein Nellie,” the Firesetter said in praise. “Now go and help your partner, Herr Grau.”
As Leonore turned, she noticed Herr Lange staring desperately at the desk. She explained the process to him again, step by step. He pressed his lips together, muttering, “I don’t have to be able to do this. I guarantee you I’ll never spy for the Nazis.”
She had already noticed the former lawyer’s difficulty accepting his role as an agent, even though it was only for show.
Although he was easily twice her age, she put on a stern face and scolded him.
“Now listen to me carefully. Regardless of whether you ever need to use this technique or not, in an emergency, all our lives could depend on it.”
“Well said.” Like a ghostly apparition, the Firesetter had appeared next to them.
Leonore was relieved she hadn’t said anything that might have cast suspicion on the legitimacy of their deployment as agents.
It strengthened her resolve to pretend, at all times in all places, that she really was working for the Wehrmacht.
Deep in her heart, she was already a genuine spy.
They continued with instructions on forging signatures and documents, as well as other tools of their trade, until the evening. It was an exhilarating experience.
At dinner Leonore wanted to share her excitement with the others, but Herr Lange cut her. “Fr?ulein Nellie, you’re putting too much enthusiasm into this training. It‘s only—”
Michaela cast him a scolding glare, “Herr Grau, we know it’s just a job, yet we have to be meticulous at learning everything that might make it easier for us once we are deployed.”
“You’re right, of course.” He put his head on his hand, giving a picture of misery, which compelled Leonore to console him.
“Believe me I know how hard it is, not to tell anyone what we’re really doing here, but if we want the mission to be successful, we need to strive for perfection in our cover story. ”
Herr Seifert, who hadn’t said anything so far, gave a deep sigh. “I’m downright exhausted, never in my life would I have imagined that I’d have to learn so many strange new things at my age.”
“I don’t want to learn this stuff,” Herr Lange mumbled, barely audible.
“It really is a lot. The class about poisons was taxing, even for me.” Michaela said.
“The real Heloise would be so proud of you,” Leonore teased her friend, which earned her a glare, since Michi apparently hadn’t made peace with her code name. “Don’t remind me of her.”
“Well, at least I enjoyed the day. I loved everything we learned, starting with making explosives, using invisible ink, even the rather boring lesson about the Morse alphabet.” Leonore beamed with enthusiasm. “I’m looking forward to the practice of fighting techniques tomorrow.”
“Thank God, I’m exempt.” Herr Lange smirked. “First time in my life that I’m actually grateful for my missing arm.”
“A bit of self-defense wouldn’t be the worst thing to learn, given what we’re dealing with every day.” Herr Seifert surprised Leonore with this comment, and even more with his wink. “Or rather are going to deal with once we are deployed.”
Herr Lange finished his meal and excused himself, “I’ll retire to my room. I’m exhausted.”
“I’ll come with you. The training here might be a breeze for young people like Fr?ulein Nellie, but old men like us don’t have that kind of energy.” Herr Seifert got up, his shoulders sagging.
Leonore watched them leaving the mess hall, wondering how anyone was going to believe that these two tired, old men were becoming spies for the Reich.
“What about you? Want to go down to the library for a drink and a chat?” she asked Michaela.
“I’d rather not. I’m much too tired to keep up appearances. And as you mentioned, there’ll be fighting training tomorrow, for which I need to be well-rested.”
Lenore grimaced. She’d wanted to go and chat to some of the other groups training here, but didn’t want to go on her own. So she reluctantly joined Michaela. In their room, she fell into bed, looking forward to the adventures the next day would bring.