Watch the Trains Go By: The Meeting

Gertrude entered Albert's office and placed a file on his desk. She had noted from the supply requisition forms there was some kind of secret factory ten miles south of Hammelburg. She would need Odie and his people to check it out and gather more information for possible sabotage or bombing. Her conscience gave her more than a few mental pangs. She knew any action against the factory would entail a high cost of human lives. On the other hand, if she did nothing the cost could even be more. Still, as a wife and mother she had great difficulty not thinking about the children whose parents would not be coming home due to her actions. For a brief moment, she envisioned Lotte caught in a bombing firestorm. She felt her knees go weak and thought she might pass out. Luckily, the feeling passed quickly and she was able to regain her equilibrium.

Albert had barely glanced up when she had entered the room. He had not spoken to her for several days now and she was somewhat hesitant about bringing up her desire to accompany him on his next trip to Stalag XIII. His silence was his way of censoring her regarding her underground activities. She wondered how much he suspected. The silence that had developed between them was like a wall and she did not think all the dynamite in Germany would be able to bring it down. With her heart breaking, she turned and started back towards her the outer office.

"Gertrude, I want to talk to you," said a weary voice behind her.

Slowly she turned back to face her brother. She wondered if he had finally made up his mind to denounce her to the Gestapo. It would be the wisest thing to do. If a third party caught her, things could get very ugly for him. He could even share her fate, something she dreaded more than the loss of her own life. She opened her mouth to answer him but the words would not come. Instead, she remained mute, her distress reflected in the unconscious wringing of her hands.

Albert leaned back in his chair and regarded her for a moment. He looked tired and Gertrude wondered when the last time he had gotten a good night's sleep was.

"Things cannot go on as the have been," he began. "You are my baby sister and it is my job to protect you."

"I am a grown woman. I don't need your protection."

"Don't you?"

Gertrude remained silent and waited for him to continue.

Albert pushed away from the desk and stood up. Coming around the side of the desk, he stood next to his sister. "I don't know what to do with you. You, Freda and Lotte are all I have. Can you not understand your behavior threatens all of that?"

"I noticed you didn't mention Berta," Gertrude half whispered.

"Bertha is not a concern of yours. We have an understanding."

"And what would that understanding be?" Gertrude asked, unable to meet her brother's intense gaze.

"I do as I please and she continues to reap the benefits of being the wife of a General."

"That sounds so lonely Albert. Is that the kind of marriage you want for me?"

Albert gave a low exasperated sigh and began to pace the room. "Of course not. More than anything, I want you to have a happy life."

"Under some man's thumb not being able to think for myself, do for myself? What kind of life is that?"

The General stopped his pacing and clasped his hands behind his back. He frowned at his highly polished jackboots and for a moment said nothing. Then quietly, almost under his breath he replied," It's better than the alternative."

"So it's a life of unfulfilled slavery or no life at all. Is that it?"

"In these times, the answer is an unfortunate yes," Albert said in a regretful tone.

Tears burned her eyes but Gertrude attempted to hold them back. It would be a cold day in the Sahara before she would give him the satisfaction of seeing her tears. She turned to leave the office but her vision was blurred and she stumbled on the leg of a chair sitting next to the door. Before she knew what was happening, she crashed into the closed door and slid down to the floor. Albert rushed over to his sister, bent down and attempted to help her to her feet.

"Stop, give me a minute to catch my breath," Gertrude said placing her hand on her brother's chest.

"Are you all right?"

"Yes, I think I just bruised my pride. I…." Gertrude abruptly broke off what she had been about to say and stared at the chair she had tripped over.

"You are hurt, aren't you?"

"Gertrude could hear the alarm in her brother's voice. She placed her fingertips on his mouth, signaling him to be quiet and then removed them and pointed at the chair. Albert looked and it and then back at her. His brows formed a V as he looked at her perplexed.

Silently she mouthed the words listening device to him. She watched him as his eyes got wide with understanding. He nodded and then helped her to her feet.

"I think you should be checked out by a doctor to make sure nothing is broken. Let me help you to the car. I will have the driver take us to Herr Doctor Bäcker and he can check you out."

"Yes, I think that would be a good idea. I still feel a little dizzy," Gertrude said going along with Albert's ruse.

Albert escorted her to the waiting staff car and helped her inside. Sitting next to her, he ordered his personal driver, Unterfeldwebel Gersdorff, to drive to the country. He motioned for Gertrude to remain quiet. In silence, they rode side by side. She watched as the variegated shadows from the trees danced intricately across the windshield. Once they had gotten several miles out of town, the General ordered Gersdorff to stop the car and to take a walk until summoned back. Wordless the Unterfeldwebel exited the vehicle and began walking down the side of the road.

"We are alone. We can talk now," Albert said to Gertrude.

"But what about your driver?" Gertrude asked.

"Gersdorff has been my driver since Operation Barbarossa. He knows which side his bread is buttered. He will keep quiet."

"Someone is spying on you Albert," Gertrude said as she reached over and clutched the sleeve of her brother's uniform.

"Hochstetter, no doubt," replied Albert with his mouth set as if he had just swallowed something very unpleasant.

"What are you going to do?"

"Nothing, since I now know what he is up to it will be easy to orchestrate what is said in my office. He will only hear what I want him to hear." Albert smiled and gave a soft chuckle.

"What is so funny?

"I am going to move the chair and place it in front of my desk," he replied, still chuckling. "Then whenever I have someone in my office they will sit in that chair."

"What will that accomplish?" Gertrude asked.

"Nothing but it delights me to think of people sitting on Hochstetter, even if it is only metaphorically. Besides, with them sitting there he will be unable to listen in on my conversations and there isn't anything he can do about it without him showing his hand."

"He could just sneak in and put it somewhere else."

"Not after I increase security. Besides even if he did, I still know there is a listening device somewhere in the room and will take the necessary precautions."

"Yes that is good. No wonder you made General. I knew it could not be due to your looks," Gertrude said patting his hand and looking up at him with an open smile.

"Nice," he said tightly but without rancor. "But that isn't the reason I brought you out here. I wanted to continue our conversation about your second job." Gertrude opened her mouth to reply but he raised his hand and cut her off. "I am not a fool; do not treat me as one. I cannot prove what you are up to Gertrude but someone, somewhere will. Stop whatever it is you are doing. Stop it now while there is still time."

"No."

"What do you mean no?" Albert said turning a peculiar shade of red.

"As far as you are concerned, I am your secretary, loyal to the fatherland, a model German citizen doing what she can for the war effort."

"Why are you doing this and do not tell me it is about Otto. Otto played and lost. Leave it alone Gertrude."

"Leave it alone? I cannot. I know what happened to him Albert. What really happened and I know you know what happened too. So let's just for once, stop pretending." Gertrude clutched her hands together as her nails bit into her skins forming little crescent shaped lines of blood.

"What do you think you know?"

"That Otto was already dead before the Second Battle of Kharkov and not at Soviet hands," replied Gertrude.

"Really, you do have an overactive imagination. Who told you this?"

"Stop denying it. I have seen the pictures Albert," she said as the tears began to flow down her cheeks.

"Your husband went missing and he is presumed dead. I do not know where you got these fanciful ideas but they are dangerous. If not for me, then for Lotte, stop this nonsense."

"I love you more than I could ever tell you but there are times I truly despise you. Please take me home now," Gertrude said through the tears.

General Burkhalter called Gersdorff back to the car and a within a few minutes she found herself at her own front door. She pulled the door handle to open the door and started to exit the car. Albert grabbed her arm. "Please Gerti, think about it," he whispered

Without turning to face him she replied, "Do I come to work tomorrow or stay home?"

"You will always have a job for as long as you want it," he replied.

"Thank you," she choked out and went inside the house. She watched from the window as her brother drove off. Her cheeks felt chapped from her tears. She sank down into the nearest chair and stayed there for several hours, even after it had grown dark in the cottage. Emotionally exhausted, she went to bed without bothering to fix anything for supper.

The next day she was back at work. Lost in her own thoughts she did not immediately notice the uniform standing in front of her. When she finally took notice, she saw the person standing in front of her was Klink. He tried to smile at her but he looked like he was in pain instead.

"Oberst Klink," she said acknowledging the fidgeting man standing in front of her. "How can I help you?"

"I have an appointment with the General, Frau Linkmeyer," Klink replied. She checked the General's calendar and there was the appointment. She wondered how in the world she had forgotten it. Looking back up at Klink she said, "I will inform the General you are here."

"And do not forget to inform him that I am here too, Gnädig Frau." Hochestetter's harsh inflection of the last two words told her that she was anything but a lady to him. She glanced at Klink and saw extreme dislike on his face. She also saw fear.

"Major Hochstetter, I did not know you would be here," Klink replied with forced civility.

"Anywhere you go Klink, I go. Who else will clean up the messes you make," Hochstetter growled.

Klink gave a nervous laugh and cowered a bit. "Well no one could do it any better than you, Major."

"Bah, Imbecile!" Hochstetter said as he waved his hand in a dismissive fashion.

Suddenly the General's door opened and Burkhalter stepped out. "Do you two plan to have a social gathering out here or did you come to do some actual business?"

"Oh business Herr General," Klink said with a certain groveling quality to it. Hochstetter on the other hand said nothing. Instead, he pushed past Klink and stormed into the General's office. Klink meekly followed behind. The General looked at his sister and rolled his eyes before going back into his office.

After about an hour, the General's door flew open and Hochstetter came out muttering what sounded like obscenities under his breath. Gertrude was not sure but she thought he was questioning the legality of Klink's parents' marriage. In the end, it did not matter. Hochstetter stormed past her without a second glance, for which she was grateful.

Shortly after the Major's departure, Klink came out of the office looking like a Schutzstaffel stealing milk from an infant. "Things went well?"

The shine faded a little from Klink but just as quickly, it returned. "The General has agreed to my proposal regarding the effective distribution of supplies," he gushed.

"That is impressive Herr Oberst," Gertrude replied.

"Yes it is," he replied. The only problem is the Major does not think it will work. He is just waiting for me to fail so he can rub my face in it."

Gertrude stood up and walked over to where Klink was standing. Reaching up she patted the rank on his collar. "My Otto use to tell me 'either you wear your rank or you lose it.'"

"I do not understand," Klink replied looking slightly befuddled.

"In other words, Major Hochstetter does not have to respect you as an individual but he must respect the rank you carry. It is up to you to make him respect your rank, until then he will continue to treat you as an inferior."

"I think I understand."

"Good," she said as she lightly patted his chest. She moved past him to return to her desk. As he started to leave, she said over her shoulder, "It will be nice seeing you again on Albert's next visit to the camp."

"What?" Klink said, clearly startled by Gertrude's remark. "Next visit? Oh yes…..it will be nice to see you again…too…nice."

Gertrude turned and looked at him. Klink looked as if he had just swallowed a double dose of cod-liver oil. Well I guess that confirms the author of the letter, she thought to herself. The ball is in motion Papa Bear. I hope you got your game face on.

Next: Watch the Trains Go By: Dinner

a/n:

The ball bearing factory is from "Is there a Traitor in the House?"

The listening device in General Burkhalter's chair and the meeting are from "The Purchasing Plan."