prepare the breakfast buffet-what we have not prepared for him."
,iVery well, we shall continue our inspection beyond here.
Should anyone inquire about us, you don't know what they're talking about. Remember that, or Berlin will remember you."
"Wir ha ben verstanden," said the vegetable man fearfully, nodding repeatedly.
"But, if I may, mein Herr, for I wish to cooperate fully with Berlin, the guards inside are trained to fire on unannounced intruders. I would not care to have your lives on my conscience-or on my record. Verstanden?"
"Don't be concerned," replied Stanley Witkowski, whipping his American identification out of his pocket and proclaiming with the panache of a long-ago Polish royal, "If nothing else, this will put away their weapons." He swiftly re pocketed his U.S.A. embassy credentials.
"Also, we'll take the ladies with us. The big bitch has a sharp, loud mouth. We'll be fine!"
Latham and Dietz leading the procession, the French American invaders walked through the double doors into the great hall of the chateau. A circular staircase, dimly lit by wall sconces, rose from the center of the huge, polished wood foyer. There was an archway straight ahead leading to other darkened, high-ceilinged rooms, and on the right, to the left of the large double doors of the entrance, a smaller door, light shining through the space between the lintel and the bottom panel.
"That is the library, monsieur," whispered Elyse to Drew.
"Whatever aide is on duty will be in there, but you must be quick and cautious. There are alarms everywhere. I know, for I have frequently thought of using several of them myself."
"Halt!" cried the voice of a silhouetted figure emerging on the first landing.
"We are a special force from Berlin!" exclaimed Dietz, sotto voce in German as he raced up the staircase.
"Was ist los?" The guard raised his weapon as the commando fired two silenced rounds in rapid succession, and without breaking his stride reached the fallen patrol, dragging him to the steps and rolling him down the staircase.
The library door opened, revealing a tall man in a dark suit, a long cigarette holder in his left hand.
"What is the racket?" he asked in German. Latham yanked the garrote from his belt, instantly arcing it over the head of Monluc's aide, twisting it and pivoting the man's body so that he was behind the Nazi. He loosened the leather strap and spoke.
"You do exactly what I tell you to do or I roll the straps and you're dead!"
"Amerikaner!" choked the neo, dropping his holder.
"You are the one who is dead!"
"Oberst Klaus Wachner," said Witkowski, approaching the aide and staring at his contorted face.
"The stories of your obscene security appear to be true," he continued in harsh German.
"Berlineven Bonn-knows about them! We penetrated your measures, and if we could, our enemies can do so also!"
"You're insane, a traitor. The man choking me is an American!"
"A prized soldier of the Fourth Reich, mein Herr. A Sonnenkind!"
"Acb! Nein!"
"Doch. You will follow his orders or I will let him have his way with you. He loathes incompetence." Witkowski nodded for Latham to further unloosen the straps of the garrote.
"Danke," coughed Monluc's aide, grabbing his throat.
"Two," said Drew, nodding at the second Etranger agent.
"Take over this clown! Go up the backstairs; they're through those other rooms-"
"I know where they are, monsieur," the Frenchman broke in.
"I simply do not know who is there."
"I'll go with him," said Dietz.
"I speak the language and my semi's in front of us both."
"Put it on rapid-fire," ordered Latham
"It's on it, Cons-Op."
"According to the plans," continued Drew, "there's a walled corridor a-round the entire floor. Once you're up there, bring him around to the center."
"Unless we're all in trouble," countered the commando.
"What do you mean, Captain?"
"You don't know what's up those staircases any more than I do.
Say you catch total fire, one of us has to blow the place apart. I shove this bastard's hand into a door slot, open it, and throw in grenades."
"You can't do that, and that's an order!"
"It's standard, Cons-Op. We don't risk our lives to come up with zero!"
"We've got to get whatever's up there, goddammit, we can't blow it apart! Before I do that, I'll radio the assault unit down the road."
"There won't be time, for Christ's sake! The ncos will do it themselves!"
"Stop, both of you!" cried Elyse.
"I offered you the two of us and that offer remains. Adrienne will precede your captain and the Nazi on the backstairs, and I shall climb in front of you, monsieur. The patrols will hesitate to shoot