radio.
"Beach One to Beach Two. We've taken out four patrols by necessity, roped and taped two others who gave no resistance. We then followed the lines and captured the security center in a subcellar below the carriage house sixty or seventy yards east of the estate. Of the three operators here, one is dead, shot while attempting to set off an auxiliary alarm, another roped and taped, the third-a good-ol'-boy redneck who married a German girl while in the army-is still crying and singing "God Bless America."
"You guys are fantastic!" exclaimed Drew.
"What's happening at the big house? Did you get a chance to see?"
"Only a couple of glimpses through the windows once we took out the lawn patrols. Between twenty and thirty men and some blond-haired priest at the lectern who wasn't offering any prayers, just fire and brimstone. By the looks of things, he's the chief rabbi around here."
"A priest?"
"Well, he's in a dark suit with a white collar around his neck.
What else could he be?"
"There was a priest or a minister in Paris-how tall is he?"
"Not your size, but pretty close. I'd say five eleven or six feet."
"Oh, my God!" intruded the panicked voice of Karin de Vries, her whole body trembling.
"What?"
"A priest .. . with blond hair!" Shuddering, she covered the radio and whispered to Latham and Witkowski.
"We must get over to one of those windows."
"What is it?" asked Drew as the colonel stared at De Vries.
"What's the matter?"
"Do as I say!"
"Do it," said Witkowski, his eyes still on Karin.
"Beach Two to Beach One, what's the scene like at the estate?"
"I don't think we missed anyone, but I can't guarantee it. You know, a guy could've been taking a leak somewhere in the bushes-"
"Then when he came out he'd find a few corpses, wouldn't he?"
"If so, he might have opted for getting the hell out of here and reaching some ncos in Bonn."
"I think you're better than that," said Drew.
"We're moving forward."
"Just calm down, Cons-Op. Wait'll we position ourselves between the house and the river. I'll let you know when to come out."
"I'll accept that, Captain. You're the experts."
"You better' believe it .. . sir," said the voice of Lieutenant Anthony.
"And please keep Mrs. de Vries on your river flank in case there's a firefight."
"Naturally." Latham covered the radio and spoke to Karin over Witkowski's head.
"You know, that kid's beginning to annoy me."
"He's okay," said Witkowski.
"He's twelve years old."
"Please, the windows!" Karin urged.
"When we get the word, young lady." Unobtrusively, the colonel reached for De Vries's trembling hand and gripped it.
"Easy, girl," he whispered.
"Control, remember?"
"You know .. . ?"
"I don't know anything. just a few unanswered questions from the past."
"Beach Two," came Dietz's quiet voice over the radio.
"You're clean, but stay low. There could be infrared trips waist-high until you reach the upper terrace."
"I thought you short-circuited the system," Witkowski broke in.
"The cameras and the fences, Colonel. They may be enough, but the trips could be wired underground and independent."
"Understood, Captain, we'll stay close to the ground."
The trio crawled forward, Latham in the lead, the waves of the Rhine lapping over the path Drew created on the riverbank. Mud sticking to their wet suits, their weapons held directly over their heads, they reached the border of the estate's sloping lawn.
Coming side by side, each nodded to the other as they proceeded up through the grass to. the first, lower patio overlooking the dock.
Atop the ascending hill of manicured lawn was a second patio terrace beyond which was the rear of the river mansion, a wall of sliding glass doors indicating an enormous interior, a ballroom or a banquet hall judging by the dimly lit chandeliers.
"I've seen this place before!" whispered Drew.
"You've been here?" asked Witkowski.
"No. Pictures, photographs of it."
"Where?"
"In one of those architectural magazines, I don't recall which, but I remember the descending terraces and the -row of glass doors.. Karin! What are you doing?"
"I have to look inside." As if in a trance, De Vries stood up and began walking like a robot across the grass toward the wall of huge glass panels.
"I must!"
"Stop her!" said the colonel.
"Good Christ, stop her!"
Latham shot forward, grabbing Karin around the waist and pulling her to the ground, rolling over and over to the right, away from the wash of light.
"What's wrong with you? Do you want to get yourself killed?"
"I have to look inside! You can't stop me."
"All right, all rigbt, I agree with you, we all agree with you, but let's be halfway bright about it."
Suddenly the two