The Blood Flag Read Free

ones who got put on trial were the ones who committed war crimes, and not even all of them, just the ones involved in the Holocaust, the really bad guys. And most of them only served a few years jail time and were released back into Germany. There were millions of others, some were true believers then and I’m sure still are. Doesn’t surprise me at all that there are still some guys out there.”
    â€œYou think they’re mostly just old guys from World War II?”
    â€œNot at all. Those guys have continued to peddle their Kool-Aid. They’ll tell anybody who will listen that Germany has never been as organized and running as well as it did during Hitler’s years before the war. That’s what they claim to want to return to. Hitlerism without the war.”
    â€œIsn’t that illegal in Germany?”
    He chuckled and shook his head, “Sure, if they call themselves Nazis or start throwing around the swastika. They’re usually smart enough not to do that. They call themselves something else; but when they get into the room where no one is there other than those they’ve known for twenty years, then the real stuff comes out. No, they’re still there they’re still active. It’s real.”
    â€œThe marchers wore swastikas.”
    â€œPretty bold for Germany. That’s why they wore masks, no doubt.”
    I picked up the small blue stress ball that was sitting on his desk and began playing with it. It was from a local pizza restaurant and had their phone number on it. I squeezed it a few times as I thought about what he had said. I didn’t say anything.
    He finally asked. “Is that it?”
    â€œNo,” I answered. “Tell me whether this is a big problem or just a side show we don’t have to worry about.”
    â€œIn Germany?”
    â€œNo, everywhere. In the U.S., Germany, wherever.”
    He sat forward and leaned his elbows on the desk. “It’s a big problem and it’s getting bigger. Here and elsewhere. It’s like a poison. It infects almost every society that it touches.”
    â€œAnd that’s what you’re working on? That’s what you’re doing?”
    â€œHere in the U.S. Yeah. I’m trying. It’s a tough nut.”
    â€œWhat’s so tough about it?”
    â€œWell, mostly the First Amendment. In the U.S. these assholes can say anything they want as long as it doesn’t call for the violent overthrow of the United States, or incite riots or conspire to commit crimes. But what’s it to you? Just because you encountered these guys in Germany, now it’s your thing?”
    I stood up to leave. I shrugged. “It just got to me.”
    He sat back and scratched his gray hair. “We can do some things about it, but we can’t make them think differently.”
    â€œBut you said it’s getting worse.”
    â€œIt is.”
    I looked out into the hallway and thought. I looked back at him. “Then we’ve got to do more. This is bullshit.”
    He stood and tucked his shirt into his overly tight belt. “If you’re that interested, then you better come with me.”
    â€œFor what?”
    â€œThere’s somebody I want you to meet.”
* * *
    We pulled out of the parking garage in his Honda Accord. “Where we going?”
    â€œTo meet somebody.”
    â€œWho?”
    â€œYou wondered what we were doing about all these neo-Nazis. Well, maybe you should meet one. He’s one of our best CIs.”
    This was unusual, to say the least. We didn’t get to meet other agents’ confidential informants unless we were working the program. But if he was going to let me meet him, I wasn’t about to let the opportunity pass.
    We drove away from D.C. down State Route 29 into rural Virginia and finally entered Warrenton. We parked on Main Street and went into the Southern Café. Karl picked a booth toward the back. He glanced at his watch