Pursuit Read Free

program, of course, is to see that no funds, deposits, blueprints of new weapons or designs of new equipment or information on new processes fall into the hands of the Allies.”
    He paused to sip from a glass of water. Even von Schraeder had to admire the detail that had gone into the planning for the meeting, and the detail with which the meeting planned for the future. But then von Schraeder had always admired planning. The chairman continued.
    â€œWe must also expect, from the continuing Allied threats, that there will be war-crimes trials and that some of our members will be convicted as war criminals. Therefore, preparations must be made now to see that as many of those members of the Nazi Party, particularly the SS, who find themselves in that position, be given means of escaping from Germany when the proper time comes, as well as the financial assistance they will require. It is why we are here. We shall call ourselves ODESSA. It stands for Organisation der SS-Angehorigen. Those members we help can be useful in our foreign enterprises; in many spheres.”
    His eyes left those around the table to sweep over the observers on the hard chairs along the walls. The hard stare touched on von Schraeder in passing, took in Gehrmann and the others, and then came back to the table.
    â€œSome of the younger members present today fall into this category. They will be expected to take advantage of this offer, and to carry out any decisions of this meeting or of future meetings with the full devotion of loyal and dedicated Party members. A committee will be established to study escape routes and to arrange safe-houses along those routes, as well as permanent refuge in certain selected foreign countries. Preparations are also under way, also through ODESSA, to—”
    There was the harsh sound of a chair being scraped back, and two men were heard to argue in subdued tones from a place beyond the table of the chosen, somewhere along the wall. The chairman frowned impatiently in the direction of the disturbance.
    â€œYes? What is the problem? Is there a question?”
    One of the two men threw off the arm of the other and came to his feet.
    â€œYou keep talking about the Party. I just want to know if these plans, these preparations, have the authority of the Fuehrer and the other top Party officials?”
    There was a moment’s silence. Then the chairman spoke quietly.
    â€œThese preparations are being made in the best interests of the Fuehrer, of Germany, of the Nazi Party—”
    â€œThat doesn’t answer my question.”
    The chairman’s heavy jaw tightened. “That’s the best answer I can give you.”
    Von Schraeder stared through the gloom of the room at the stupid person who had asked the stupid question, as someone near the man pulled him back into his seat. Stupidity, to von Schraeder, was the unforgivable sin. Someone would undoubtedly talk to that man in depth—as well as to the person who invited him to the meeting—and if he didn’t get the message he would probably end up in a ditch. Which was where stupid people belonged.
    The chairman was continuing.
    â€œAs I was saying, preparations are already under way to locate and destroy the fingerprint records of members who might be—in the eyes of the Allies only, I hasten to add—in the category of war criminals, wherever these records might exist. Some of the members will have to establish completely new identities—”
    Von Schraeder smiled to himself sardonically. There would be war-crimes trials unless Valkyrie was successful, and probably even then; that he was sure of. But he was equally sure that no Krupp von Bohlen nor any Georg von Schnitzler would ever dangle at the end of a rope. Nor would they have their fingerprint records destroyed, nor their identities changed one iota.
    Carry out the decisions of the meeting and of future meetings? What they meant, of course, was that the dirty