Chapter 39
Knut watched as his charges were beckoned into neutral Switzerland. His chest swelled with pride and gratitude. The knowledge that these people were safe lifted his spirits to indescribable heights.
He, Bernd, their superiors, and a huge number of other Abwehr employees had worked meticulously for almost a year to put Operation Seven into action.
There had been days when he’d ceased to believe it could possibly succeed.
Throughout the entire journey there had been a knot in his stomach, caused by the constant fear that the group might be turned away in the last few meters, just as Edith and Julius had been almost a year ago.
But now their mission had been accomplished.
He expected it to be the first of many more rescue missions.
After easing out the quirks, the next ones should be much easier and faster.
Assuming the new charges would have enough funds to pay the entrance fee to Switzerland, he hoped to be able to send a group to freedom every three to four months.
As he stepped back onto German soil, he greeted the border guards, relieved that they hadn’t caused any difficulties, and walked into the little post office to send a telegram to Berlin.
Operation Seven successfully completed. All travelers at target location. Lieutenant Hesse.
He still had almost a quarter of an hour before the train left for Berlin, enough time to buy a coffee and a bread roll. The bread was hard, and the coffee lukewarm, but nothing could dampen his spirits.
Then he boarded the train that would take him back home. After a grueling outward journey that had torn his nerves to shreds, he was hoping for an incident-free return trip and a few hours of sleep.
The train jerked and set off, but sleep wouldn’t come. Knut pondered what would become of the group, how they’d live their lives in freedom, and then his thoughts wandered to his sister Edith.
He felt guilty every day that he hadn’t been able to include her and her husband Julius in Operation Seven.
This burden would probably weigh on him for the rest of his life.
He resolved to meet up with Edith regularly from now on, and to alleviate her deprivations as much as possible.
His thoughts drifted to Joseph, completely blinded by Hitler’s ideology, with his glittering career in the SS.
Just the thought of his brother made his stomach contract. Nevertheless, he was determined to continue seeking contact. Perhaps he could have a moderating effect on Joseph. Finally, he dozed off, dreaming of a future together with Bernd.
Twelve hours later, as he arrived in Berlin, Bernd was waiting for him at the station. “Congratulations on successfully completing the mission.”
“Thank you, but you shouldn’t have come to meet me. It’s reckless,” Knut scolded him, despite the immense pleasure at seeing him.
“Let’s go, I have a car outside. Is that all your luggage?” Bernd asked, glancing at Knut’s briefcase. Knut nodded.
Once they sat in the car, safe from unfriendly eyes and ears, Knut rested his hand on Bernd’s thigh. “It was very nice of you to pick me up. I’m glad you did.”
“I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you too. And I’m in urgent need of a bath. I haven’t slept. I feel crumpled and grimy.”
“You look it too,” grinned Bernd. “Let’s go to your place.”
Not long after, freshly bathed and in clean clothes, Knut was sitting at the table enjoying the hearty casserole his housekeeper had prepared. He related the events of the trip to Bernd, concluding with the words, “Thank God, they’re all safe.”
Bernd’s expression grew solemn. “And right at the last second.”
“How so?”
“The Führer made a speech this afternoon.”
Knut had a nagging premonition. He put his fork aside and took a deep breath. “Go on.”
“In the Sports Palace on the occasion of the opening of the winter relief work. The place was full to bursting. Everyone was required to be present and to cheer in the appropriate places.”
“Suddenly, I’m grateful I had to endure an inordinately long and uncomfortable train journey. At least it spared me that experience.”
“What can I say? It was very uplifting.” Bernd rolled his eyes and helped himself to seconds.
“But seriously. We can be thankful that Operation Seven has been successfully completed. He said, and I quote here, ‘If Judaism imagines that it can bring about an international World War to exterminate the Aryan peoples of Europe, then the result will not be the extermination of the Aryan races, but the extermination of Jewry in Europe’.”
“Oh my God,” Knut groaned.
“You won’t believe it, the applause was so deafening, it spurred him on. ‘The Jews of Germany once used to laugh at my prophecies. I don’t know if they are still laughing today, or if their laughter has already faded. But I can assure you: their laughter will fade everywhere’.”
Knut groaned. “For anyone who knows his mindset, this leaves no doubt as to what he intends to do with the Jews. Extermination. Complete, absolute obliteration. His goal is to wipe every single Jew from the face of the earth. How he plans to do it is a mystery to me, but that’s definitely his aim.”
“Well, we can be glad that nine Jews have just escaped him. We should drink a toast to that.” Bernd poured them both wine.
“To a successful mission,” said Bernd.
“To many more!” Knut raised his glass, and they drank a toast together.
“To the imminent end of the Third Reich.”
“That would be nice, wouldn’t it?” Knut was already dreaming of a life in peace.
Just for tonight, he wanted to forget reality and believe that his nation could yet be saved.
And that all those oppressed people, those in Operation Seven and many more – if they wished – could return to their homeland to resume their lives.
“This war needs to end sooner rather than later,” mused Bernd after a while.
Something in his voice made Knut perk up his ears. He turned his head and gazed at his friend. “Do you have something special in mind?”
“In fact, I do.” Bernd grinned and reached for the wine bottle to refill their glasses.
Despite bursting with curiosity, Knut took the glass and sipped the delicious wine. Bernd loved drawing out exciting news. After about a minute of silence, he finally asked, “Are you going to tell me?”
“I shouldn’t.” Bernd made an earnest face. “You might be implicated in treason.”
“Holy crap! There’s finally a viable plan to do away with Hitler?”
“Oberst von Tresckow has come up with a three-step plan to do it. Our department has been asked to help with the preparations for the crucial time after the coup. Dohnanyi will instruct you in the morning about your tasks.”
An exhilarating anticipation washed over Knut. “I so hope we can finish his reign soon, it’ll save so many lives. And Edith might finally be free.”
“We’ll do everything in our power to stop him. Together. Always.”