Ziff under fire

Part 33 - Souvenirs

We drove to the next village and got directions to a large farmhouse, set well back from the road, where we found my parents. Mom looked worried until she realized that the small young man wearing a very muddy Gestapo uniform was her adopted son. She grabbed me around the neck and would not let go. I managed a choking sound as I tried to say, 'Hey Mom.'

Dad hugged us both and we stood there in silence for a few seconds until Mom said. 'There's a most peculiar smell.'

'It's my boots, Mom. I accidentally stepped on a dead cow.'

'You look thin,' she added. 'Is Grandma giving you enough to eat?'

I resisted the urge to tell her what I thought of Grandma's cooking. 'Mom, I get lots to eat. Grandma's friend Emma lives in the upstairs apartment and she is always cooking something for me.'

For a few minutes we chatted happily about home and Silverwood School until we were interrupted when Beryl came in with our luggage and as soon as I had introduced her to everybody, Kozak appeared with more luggage.

We finally got to talk about escaping when Dad told us we risked being trapped by the Russian army which was rapidly approaching Berlin from the east. He suggested we travel west, to meet the Allied armies.

I asked Kozak if we could take the kübelwagen. He suggested we wait until we knew Murga's intentions, pointing out that Murga controlled the nexus which could transfer us directly back to Ottawa.

We were still arguing when Murga's assistant, Karl, arrived on a motorbike and told us Murga was expected late the next day, if the roads were passable.

Karl showed us to our bedrooms and suggested that we take a bath or at least wash and change our dirty uniforms. He pointed out a cupboard full of spare clothing and disappeared to prepare a meal. Kozak recommended that we change into civilian clothes in case the Russian army showed up. The Russians were inclined to shoot anyone caught wearing a Gestapo uniform.

Everyone was exhausted so we cleaned up and fell into bed.

I awoke early the next day but when I got to the kitchen, Beryl was already up dismantling and cleaning three guns.

'Where did you get those?' I asked.

'I picked them up. Their previous owners no longer needed them. They're machinenpistolen vierzig (MP40) known to the Allies as a Schmeisser. It's the standard light machine gun used by the Wehrmach.'

When I asked why she was taking out cartridges from several magazines, she explained. 'I replaced all the tracers with standard rounds. The Germans like to see where their bullets are going but that gives away their position as soon as they fire. But I don't think I'll get to kill anyone. Kozak is insisting I use his special non-lethal paralysing ammunition.'

We were eating breakfast before Dad got the chance to tell me that the steel drums we had transported across Germany contained uranium oxide stolen from France. He had overheard Murga talking about handing it over to the Russians. He also explained why the Americans had bombed Oranienburg. They were trying to prevent the Russians from getting their hands on uranium extracted by the Auergesellschaft plant for an atomic bomb.

I found out later, the bombers failed to prevent the Russian army finding the uranium stockpiled at the Auergesellschaft plant, which allowed the Russians built a U-235 bomb about one year earlier than anyone expected.

Kozak was in the house talking to Gustav and I was talking to Mom, Dad and Beryl in the garden when Dunc flew in.

Beryl high-fived Dunc's wingtip as soon as he waddled over to us. He looked like any other goose except for the flying helmet equipped with a tiny boom mike.  'Well met, laddie. As Ondy would say . . . Ah'm learning something aboot Shakespeare.'

My parents were goggling in amazement. 'Oh! Sorry Mom. I should have warned you about my uncle Dunc.'

Mom stared speechless as Dunc raised a wing tip in greeting. 'Pleased ta meetcha, Mrs Dion.'

'You can call me, Helen,' she said automatically. 'Now, I remember you. You were in the Tian mountains when Murga kidnapped us? You looked like a flying Christmas tree.'

'Aye, lassie. Ah mean, Helen. We did see each other, briefly.'

'Now, yeh all listen carefully as ah dinna have much time afore Murga gets here. Ondy, that's Triple Oh, is setting up a nexus about fifty kilometres west o' here. It was supposed to be here, but he kinda mixed up the co-ordinates. I propose you steal the kübelwagen and drive there with yehr parents. Ah have to wait here for Ondy and Ah'll come after yeh when Ah know what's going on. Ziff, put this little radio in yehr ear so Ah can talk to yeh.'

He gave me the tiny, flesh-coloured button radio which fitted my ear perfectly. 'Testing, testing,' Dunc said in my ear.

'That's great,' I told him, 'receiving you five by five.'

'Who's Ondy?' Mom asked.

'Ondy is Time Agent Onderdonk also known as Triple Oh,' I explained. 'He was the guy who rescued me in the Tian mountains.'

I told my parents about Murga's offer to release us but Dad said we could not trust Murga or Kozak and so we decided to accept uncle Dunc's advice and escape.

We quickly collected our belongings and, when Uncle Dunc came back to tell us all was clear, we slipped around the side of the house to the kübelwagen. Dad looked inside and shrugged. 'It's a stick shift. I don't think we can drive it.'

I was getting a little desperate. 'Beryl knows how but I can drive if necessary,' I said more confidently than I felt. 'I picked it up from Grandma.'

'What's Beryl doing under the hood of that Mercedes Benz staff car?' Dunc asked.

Beryl was wearing her oversized German helmet and carrying three Schmeissers when she caught up with us. 'I was removing the ignition rotor from the other car so they won't be able to follow us,' she explained. 'No rotor, no sparks from the plugs, no engine.'

'D'yeh really need all that firepower?' Dunc asked as Beryl dumped the guns in the back seat with a shoulder bag full of spare magazines for the guns.'

'Yup,' she said laconically. 'I'll drive if no one objects.'