Under the Moon Gate (14 page)

“But we all know that the Führer is infallible,” Krauss managed to say with a straight face.

“Precisely, and everything must be carefully coordinated,” William explained. “We must neutralize the United States before they can come to the aid of the British and resupply their allies. The British will have their hands full. Bermuda will provide a nice distraction. There is no margin for error. At my command, the lights will fall dark and the telecommunications system in Bermuda will go down.”

“Our mutual friend sends his regards,” said Krauss. “He would like some assurances so he can report back to the Führer on your progress at their next strategy session.”

“How is Old Whitehead?”

Both men knew Krauss referred to Rear Admiral Wilhelm Franz Canaris, William’s longtime mentor, family friend, and former battleship commander, also known as the mysterious “Prince of Shadows.” Canaris detested Hitler, but he loved Germany and, by nature, was deeply pessimistic about the outcome of the war. He’d confided in William that he’d detected signs of madness and paranoia slithering out of the cracks of the Führer’s fractured mind. He was convinced Hitler was losing his already tenuous hold on reality.

“He actually wanted to come himself,” said Krauss. “You know how he is. Any excuse to get out of Berlin. He told me to tell you that if Germany doesn’t hold its own in the air, then the Bermuda directive takes on even greater significance. If we strike at Bermuda now, we stop the flow of food and arms and cripple England for good. I will assure Canaris that all is in readiness, that you await his signal.”

The wind had whipped into a frenzy, and the precipitation gave them a light soaking. An eerie grayish mist had set in and seemed to be clinging to the submarine. Visibility was so poor now, William couldn’t see two feet in front of him. He tightened his jacket in a futile attempt to stay dry. These inauspicious conditions didn’t bode well, but he was aware any mention of weather conditions on the island would be left out of Krauss’s report. Everyone knew how superstitious the Führer was and how he was governed by his belief in the decree of Providence.

William tried to mask his nerves and growing sense of unease, a hint of a scowl forming on his face even before he started speaking through the strange fog.

“The mines have been laid, explosives are in place,” reported William. “Our U-boats have surrounded the island and are on patrol and on alert. When Great Britain falls, Bermuda will automatically become the property of Germany. But Hitler prefers to err on the side of caution and disarm the island in advance. That will leave the U.S. coast defenseless when we turn our attention to America.”

“A great deal is riding on this.”

“When have I ever disappointed Germany?” William responded.

Krauss seemed satisfied for the moment.

“We may have lost the opportunity to seize the advantage, to achieve the element of surprise,” William confided. “Our network is on alert again around the island. Everything is in place, waiting for our orders to move. Any word about the timing of the operation?”

“My sources say we will not be hasty. President Roosevelt is looking for any excuse to get his country in the war, so there will be no moves on Bermuda until it’s prudent. But as you know, we’re patrolling the island regularly. We’re ready to move as soon as the signal comes. So take care, William.”

Krauss hesitated before speaking again.

“You know Canaris loves you like a son, so he asked me to warn you. He knows Hitler has controls in place and that his Chief of Security Police has his own secret file on you. And they believe they have another insurance policy safely tucked away in Dresden. You know who I’m talking about, I assume? But I assured them you are now happily married to a woman in Bermuda and that there is no need to threaten old lovers.”

Since his friend had brought the subject up, William cleared his throat and spoke, perhaps a little too anxiously in an obvious attempt to sound indifferent. He knew he would never find his way back to his beloved Emilie, but he had to know. “Krauss, any news of home?”

Krauss debated whether to tell Wilhelm about the new development, but that would only complicate matters for his old friend and distract him from his mission.

“If you mean Emilie, no, I haven’t been back since you left,” he lied. “But you’ve got yourself a beautiful new wife. Best to leave the past in the past. Who knows when any of us will be going home again?”

****

What good would it do to tell Wilhelm that he
had
seen Emilie on his last leave and she was lovelier and lonelier than ever? Would it serve any purpose to admit he had always harbored a secret love for the woman who had eyes only for his best friend? Or that she was still desperate for any word of him even though he had left her so abruptly, shattering her heart into tiny pieces? Could he tell Wilhelm that he had even toyed with the idea of proposing to Emilie himself, to protect her? It was so obvious that she needed to be loved, deserved to be loved. Even though Wilhelm was now a married man, he still felt a disloyalty to his friend for even considering the notion. Emilie was off limits to him. Wilhelm would always think of Emilie as his. And it would eat Wilhelm up inside if he found out how Karl felt about his woman.

Besides, tossed by the seas wherever the whims of war took him, what could he offer Emilie but his name? No, it was best for all concerned to leave things unspoken between them, at least for now. He could still care for her as a good friend. But it nearly broke his heart to leave her so alone and miserable. She had tried to wring promises from him, promises to find Wilhelm and bring him back to her. Promises he knew he couldn’t keep. But it was a relief to know that Wilhelm hadn’t forgotten her, that Emilie was still seared forever in his mind. She deserved that kind of devotion.

He remembered when they were still schoolboys in Dresden, with not a care in the world, not a sign of trouble on the horizon. Even then, Wilhelm had known what he wanted.

“I’m going to marry Emilie,” he had boasted about the young girl who was just beginning to show signs of the beauty she was to become.

“She’s the most desirable girl in Dresden, don’t you think?” he posed, not even expecting an answer. He was stating a fact that needed no confirmation.

Karl never doubted then that Wilhelm would prevail in his mission. He was one of those people who could make things happen. As boys they had always dreamed of going to sea. They had been cadets together, then midshipmen. They had gone through the Naval Academy together, where William had excelled at all his classes. They trained at the U-boat defense school and U-boat Commander School at Kiel, where Wilhelm again proved to be the brightest and the best of all the candidates. They served under Rear Admiral Canaris for a number of years on the
Schlesien
. He was brave and intelligent and extremely capable. He’d already demonstrated a quick mind for codes during his tour of duty as part of his military intelligence training in the
B-Dienst
. The
Kriegsmarine
did not offer a life of comfort. But Wilhelm was disciplined and determined to succeed, while Karl just managed to keep up.

There was no question that Wilhelm would make Emilie fall in love with him before she even knew he was pulling the strings. That was when Karl had abandoned his secret dream of possessing her. It wasn’t jealousy, Karl reminded himself. It was admiration. Not only was Wilhelm better looking and more charming, he was also a born leader. He was very popular with the ladies. That had already proven to be an advantage on this mission. Every woman wanted to be with him. Every man wanted to
be
him, to stand with him, to follow him, to lay his life on the line for him if it became necessary. Wilhelm had a keen analytical mind, a brilliant and clever brain, abilities that had served his ambitions well. He was capable of solving any problem and could always find a way out of any situation. Unfortunately, there was no solution to this particular problem of the heart.

****

Disappointed but resigned, William frowned and buttoned up his jacket as he tried to beat back the wind and the memories that hadn’t yet stopped nagging at him.

“And William,” Krauss warned, closing the gate on the past, and nodding in the direction of William’s associate, “Be careful. The night has eyes. Do you trust him? We both know the man is an amoral butcher. He isn’t fit to lick your boots.”

“Don’t let him hear you say that.” William glanced at Nighthawk and then back to the sub’s lieutenant commander. “Thank you for your concern, my friend, but what choice do I have? The hawk watches the eagle. I intend to watch my back.”

“Well, then, I guess it’s back to shadowing convoys and listening for propellers for me.”

“Happy hunting!” William said with a touch of nostalgia, shaking his friend’s hand as they took their leave. The chill followed William.

First and foremost a seaman, he longed to feel the salty spray of the ocean on his face again. Submerging his desires for the past, he headed for shore to quench a different kind of desire.

****

When Diana woke in the middle of the night and reached for her new husband, he was gone. She searched the house, and as she passed by the parlor window, flashes of light illuminated movement by the water. What she saw disturbed and puzzled her. She could barely make out the shapes in the darkness. But one was definitely William. He and another man were hoisting a large chest from his boat. As William opened the lid of the chest, the two were engaged in a heated discussion. Raised voices assaulted her ears. After the small craft landed, the two men proceeded to dig in the back yard. What were they burying?

She grabbed her shawl from the chair in the parlor and had started down the stone steps when she noticed the light at the bottom of the study door. Glancing into the room, she realized the large suitcase her husband usually kept on his desk was gone. She remembered him telling her about his shortwave radio. He’d said he used it to listen to historical and sporting events, news, dramas, lectures, symphonic orchestras and other programs. She was learning a lot of new things about her husband. She wanted to be the best wife she could be and share his interests. But she didn’t see the shortwave radio tonight. In fact, she had never actually seen him use it.

It was really none of her business. Should she mention it to her father? There was no sense in alarming him. She loved and trusted her husband completely. Hadn’t he said he would never harm her? No one who was as tender and loving as her William could ever be capable of treachery.

She supposed even married couples had their secrets. He was an important businessman with a lot of responsibilities. Of course there were things he couldn’t tell her. Problems at an electric substation that might need his attention in the middle of the night. He might get upset if he thought she was suspicious of him or, worse, spying on him.

But she wasn’t one to fade into the background. She would confront him on the matter. First, she’d give him an opportunity to explain himself and his midnight escapade in his own time, in his own way. For now, she would go back to bed and wait, longing to be in his arms again, to be stroked by him, loved by him.

“You were gone a long time,” Diana said when William finally returned to bed, trying not to sound like a scolding fishwife, “and you smell of the sea. Where were you? I was cold and lonely.” She had given him the opening.

“Nothing for you to worry your pretty head about, darling. Just had to check something out. I thought I heard a noise.”

“But I saw you digging in the garden,” she protested.

“Sssh,” he said, putting his finger to her lips. “You must have been dreaming. Let’s not waste time talking about what you
thought
you saw. It’s a surprise, so I can’t talk about it. We’re still on our honeymoon, after all, my darling. We’ve got more important things to do, have we not?”

He removed her nightgown and kissed her deeply, soundly, passionately, until she forgot why she wanted to question him.

“Now what was that about being cold and lonely? I think I can manage to do something about that. Come closer. Let me warm you.”

Then they made fierce and furious love, leaving Diana properly sated.

“Was I too rough, Diana?” William whispered, his mouth against her cheek. “Sometimes I can’t control myself around you.”

“Never, darling,” Diana assured. “We are a perfect match.”

“Go back to sleep, then,” he coaxed.

****

William rose two hours before the sun to the brilliance of Venus, which was dazzling in the early morning sky. He walked around the garden to make sure the dirt was packed properly. Then he looked out to sea. Harbor fishing season was about to open. He was more of a sailor than an angler, but he missed being out on the water.

He returned to the bedroom, and his thoughts turned to Diana. Loving Diana was like coming home. He gathered her to him and, arms and limbs entwined with hers, fell back asleep dreaming of their wedding day. She had worn a dress of white lace over satin and carried a bouquet of yellow daffodils. The ceremony had been at the Castle Harbour Hotel, under the circular stone moon gate. William was in the process of replicating the stone structure behind Marigold House as a special surprise for Diana, built to bless their marriage and to commemorate the first time they had danced together under the moonlight. The moon gate would overlook the garden she had created especially for him as a wedding present, a garden filled with glorious, fragrant flowers and new plant species that had just been introduced to the island. What he remembered most was their wedding night, and as he did, the memory of his last night with Emilie faded.