Stupid Luck and Happenstance, Thread III
- Thread starter Peabody-Martini
- Start date
Senor Arbusto probably has several different passports in different names from countries like Panama, Kingdom of Georgia, Costa Rica, Bolivia, and any other corrupt nation we can think of,
He may have a decommissioned S-Boat or a fast Corvette or Frigate that has been converted in to a private yacht and that also means he has access to various private aircraft that can take him anywhere he wants to be at a moment notice, so look for him to be playing Baccarat at the casino in Monte Carlo.
He may have a decommissioned S-Boat or a fast Corvette or Frigate that has been converted in to a private yacht and that also means he has access to various private aircraft that can take him anywhere he wants to be at a moment notice, so look for him to be playing Baccarat at the casino in Monte Carlo.
Hell, he could have a bloody previous generation submarine for all we know.
Maybe not the easiest thing in the world to keep and operate, but if drug cartels today can do it, don't see why someone like him couldn't in the 60's.
Part 108, Chapter 1769
Chapter One Thousand Seven Hundred Sixty-Nine
4th December 1966
Laupheim, Württemberg
The gray light of winter filled the room and it was kept just warm enough to keep the pipes from freezing, it made Kiki thankful for the woolen blankets on her bed. Waking up in her room in the Amelie Beese Barracks with Rauchbier sleeping on her feet on the narrow bed he shared with her had been a sudden descent back into reality. It was Sunday morning, so there was no hurry to do anything. Kiki knew that she would need to get up before she missed breakfast though.
The 1st Special Forces Group was returning to New York and Kiki’s time as Liaison Officer was over. As much as she had hated being ordered to have taken on that role in the first place, the way that all of it had ended had not been what she had wanted. Now, she was finally back to checking boxes so that she could go to Anhalt and began her delayed internship at the hospital in Halle. The fact that she had repelled out of the helicopter in Santorini had done wonders for how much respect she received among the Special Forces of both Germany and the United States. The postmortem of the operation was ongoing and from Kiki’s perspective the results were mixed. There was the happy development that Kiki would be free to spend the holidays with her family though. It was actually something that she was looking forward to.
The joint operation was regarded as something of a success even if the objective had not been reached because no one had gotten killed. The concern had been that the Green Beret and Hellcats would have been perfectly happy to shoot at each other, that hadn’t happened. Instead, it had been the Marine Infantry who had perpetrated the only friendly fire incident in the operation. The fact that KSK and USSF had worked together was regarded as a triumph of diplomacy and it was everyone’s hope that it could be repeated in the future. Hopefully without buildings being pulverized by naval guns with nothing to show for it next time.
That did leave several unanswered questions though. The most important being how the people that they were supposed to have had on the ground in Santorini had missed the fact that the target of the entire operation had left the area? Everyone had been angry over that. That left several other questions. Had the operation been compromised? Had someone been paid off? Had the delays imposed by the Greek Government jerking them around allowed Bush to escape? It was fortunate that getting answers would be someone else’s problem.
However, they did have answers about how a sixteen-year-old runaway had beaten them there and how Parker knew Robin, though as Pauline Pierce, as an acquaintance within the same social circles during the summer months in a place called the Hamptons. She was also the only daughter of George Bush and she had learned the location of her father from a letter that she had stolen from her mother’s papers the previous summer.
Barbara Pierce had dropped her ex-husband’s surname because she wanted nothing to do with him. The money from the arms sales that George had conducted was a different story, she wanted a cut of that and the investigators her lawyers had hired were remarkably effective in tracking him all over the globe. Having him land in a prison cell was also not in her interest so she had not informed government agencies, though Barbara had certainly not been shy about sharing her opinion of him being a criminal according to her daughter.
That left everyone involved in a lurch. It had taken months for Bush to be tracked down the last time. It was figured that he probably hadn’t gone far because he would want to keep close eye on his investment and preferred to oversee customer interactions personally. With hundreds of islands and even the isolated portions of the Greek Mainland to hide in, it would probably take several more months to track him down again. The entire time he would be leaving death and destruction in his wake as he sold the weapons that fueled the latest Greco-Turkish War.
Bush’s ex-wife wasn’t inclined to cooperate, and she had hung up the phone when she had learned that her daughter had been picked up on Santorini. Robin’s Grandparents were sending someone to collect her and they had apparently paid off the boarding school in Upstate Massachusetts she had run away from to take her back with no questions asked. Kiki really did feel bad for Robin, she had looked completely lost when she had received that news. That had been when the powers that be had pulled the plug on the operation. The last time that Kiki had seen Robin, she had been boarding an airplane in Italy. She had traveled halfway around the world in the hope that the father she hardly knew would take her in because no one cared about her except an older brother who she had lost contact with when he had dropped out of University and joined the US Air Force.
Rauchbier made a groaning sound to get Kiki’s attention. He needed to go out, but she knew that the instant the door outside was opened he would change his mind in a hurry. After swiftly dressing and struggling to get Rauchbier into his coat because he liked to make a game of it, Kiki left the barracks and walked across the parade ground. Rauchbier ran ahead of her to greet the others who were around. It was all a reminder of whatever else happened, life had continued.
4th December 1966
Laupheim, Württemberg
The gray light of winter filled the room and it was kept just warm enough to keep the pipes from freezing, it made Kiki thankful for the woolen blankets on her bed. Waking up in her room in the Amelie Beese Barracks with Rauchbier sleeping on her feet on the narrow bed he shared with her had been a sudden descent back into reality. It was Sunday morning, so there was no hurry to do anything. Kiki knew that she would need to get up before she missed breakfast though.
The 1st Special Forces Group was returning to New York and Kiki’s time as Liaison Officer was over. As much as she had hated being ordered to have taken on that role in the first place, the way that all of it had ended had not been what she had wanted. Now, she was finally back to checking boxes so that she could go to Anhalt and began her delayed internship at the hospital in Halle. The fact that she had repelled out of the helicopter in Santorini had done wonders for how much respect she received among the Special Forces of both Germany and the United States. The postmortem of the operation was ongoing and from Kiki’s perspective the results were mixed. There was the happy development that Kiki would be free to spend the holidays with her family though. It was actually something that she was looking forward to.
The joint operation was regarded as something of a success even if the objective had not been reached because no one had gotten killed. The concern had been that the Green Beret and Hellcats would have been perfectly happy to shoot at each other, that hadn’t happened. Instead, it had been the Marine Infantry who had perpetrated the only friendly fire incident in the operation. The fact that KSK and USSF had worked together was regarded as a triumph of diplomacy and it was everyone’s hope that it could be repeated in the future. Hopefully without buildings being pulverized by naval guns with nothing to show for it next time.
That did leave several unanswered questions though. The most important being how the people that they were supposed to have had on the ground in Santorini had missed the fact that the target of the entire operation had left the area? Everyone had been angry over that. That left several other questions. Had the operation been compromised? Had someone been paid off? Had the delays imposed by the Greek Government jerking them around allowed Bush to escape? It was fortunate that getting answers would be someone else’s problem.
However, they did have answers about how a sixteen-year-old runaway had beaten them there and how Parker knew Robin, though as Pauline Pierce, as an acquaintance within the same social circles during the summer months in a place called the Hamptons. She was also the only daughter of George Bush and she had learned the location of her father from a letter that she had stolen from her mother’s papers the previous summer.
Barbara Pierce had dropped her ex-husband’s surname because she wanted nothing to do with him. The money from the arms sales that George had conducted was a different story, she wanted a cut of that and the investigators her lawyers had hired were remarkably effective in tracking him all over the globe. Having him land in a prison cell was also not in her interest so she had not informed government agencies, though Barbara had certainly not been shy about sharing her opinion of him being a criminal according to her daughter.
That left everyone involved in a lurch. It had taken months for Bush to be tracked down the last time. It was figured that he probably hadn’t gone far because he would want to keep close eye on his investment and preferred to oversee customer interactions personally. With hundreds of islands and even the isolated portions of the Greek Mainland to hide in, it would probably take several more months to track him down again. The entire time he would be leaving death and destruction in his wake as he sold the weapons that fueled the latest Greco-Turkish War.
Bush’s ex-wife wasn’t inclined to cooperate, and she had hung up the phone when she had learned that her daughter had been picked up on Santorini. Robin’s Grandparents were sending someone to collect her and they had apparently paid off the boarding school in Upstate Massachusetts she had run away from to take her back with no questions asked. Kiki really did feel bad for Robin, she had looked completely lost when she had received that news. That had been when the powers that be had pulled the plug on the operation. The last time that Kiki had seen Robin, she had been boarding an airplane in Italy. She had traveled halfway around the world in the hope that the father she hardly knew would take her in because no one cared about her except an older brother who she had lost contact with when he had dropped out of University and joined the US Air Force.
Rauchbier made a groaning sound to get Kiki’s attention. He needed to go out, but she knew that the instant the door outside was opened he would change his mind in a hurry. After swiftly dressing and struggling to get Rauchbier into his coat because he liked to make a game of it, Kiki left the barracks and walked across the parade ground. Rauchbier ran ahead of her to greet the others who were around. It was all a reminder of whatever else happened, life had continued.
I can understand Barbara's attitude concerning her ex-husband. She blames him, and rightly so, for damn near ruining her life & that of their family and for the death of her son Jeb. Her wanting his money makes a lot of sense when seen from her point of view; he owes her and the kids big time. The fact that George Snr. does in fact cough up the cash on what appears to be a regular basis indicates that he shares that belief; that his activities did result in the death of one of his sons, that he pushed Barbara away and that he does indeed owe her. The fact that she can narrow down the search area for his hunters and that she no doubt has a "in case of my death" file also accounts for his keeping up the payments.
Personally, though, since Parker knows that Bush has worked with the CIA to deliver arms to places that the US would rather people didn't know that they were supplying, I'd say that it is entirely possible that someone(s) within the CIA leaked the op to Arbusto. If so, their rationale would be that they still need access to his services, but that he needs to be aware that there are lines he should not cross if he wants to remain a) alive, b) free, and c) in business, hence the US participation in this op. It gave them access to German intelligence on Arbusto and a means to tip him off because their people on the ground would know the timetable for the op itself. It also enables them to use & blame the Greeks, who he is supplying as well as the Turks, for any delays that might have enabled him to bug out just ahead of the op.
So, Roy was possibly correct in saying that the higher ups were playing games, he just got the side wrong. Parker is probably thinking along the same lines, being CIA & no longer quite as naive as before, and might be quietly pissed that his people were put at risk in an op designed to fail, by the CIA, in order to "send a message" to an independent operator. The US State Department & various European Foreign Ministries are probably happy though, as they will see this as a breakthrough in trans-Atlantic relations. However, I don't think the various US intelligence & military agencies will be too happy when they realise that the concept of reciprocity applies; they have been guests at a German military base, there will be a request for return visit to an American equivalent "to foster the spirit of co-operation & world peace". The idea of German special forces types loose on one of their bases will cause certain people to "have a cow".
An office in the US War Department*:
(intercom buzzes)
US General (Chief-of-Staff): "Yes?"
General's secretary: "Secretary of War on line 2, sir."
(Phone rings)
General: "Hello, sir. What can I do for you today?"
Secretary of War: "General, I've just got off the phone with the White House and the State Department. WE will be having some guests at Fort ***** some time in the next six months."
General: "The President is going to inspect the troops down there, sir?"
SoW: "Not exactly. It would appear that the Germans have requested that we host some of their KSK troops for a mutual training exercise to foster international goodwill or some such crap. The President, after listening to the State Department, has agreed to said visit."
General: "... is this for real, sir?"
SoW: "I'm afraid so, General. Apparently, our request to take part in that failed op in Greece gave them the idea for this little brain fart."
General: "<insert expletive of choice here> (repeated variations of this, at volume) bad idea, sir!!!"
SoW (holding phone away from ear): "You haven't said anything that I haven't already said, General. The President has reservations about this himself, but he has ordered it to happen none the less. Fort ***** WILL have guests from Germany in about six months. Make it so."
General: "Yes, sir."
(Phone call ends)
General: "@#$%!!!"
*Did the US even build the Pentagon ITTL?
Personally, though, since Parker knows that Bush has worked with the CIA to deliver arms to places that the US would rather people didn't know that they were supplying, I'd say that it is entirely possible that someone(s) within the CIA leaked the op to Arbusto. If so, their rationale would be that they still need access to his services, but that he needs to be aware that there are lines he should not cross if he wants to remain a) alive, b) free, and c) in business, hence the US participation in this op. It gave them access to German intelligence on Arbusto and a means to tip him off because their people on the ground would know the timetable for the op itself. It also enables them to use & blame the Greeks, who he is supplying as well as the Turks, for any delays that might have enabled him to bug out just ahead of the op.
So, Roy was possibly correct in saying that the higher ups were playing games, he just got the side wrong. Parker is probably thinking along the same lines, being CIA & no longer quite as naive as before, and might be quietly pissed that his people were put at risk in an op designed to fail, by the CIA, in order to "send a message" to an independent operator. The US State Department & various European Foreign Ministries are probably happy though, as they will see this as a breakthrough in trans-Atlantic relations. However, I don't think the various US intelligence & military agencies will be too happy when they realise that the concept of reciprocity applies; they have been guests at a German military base, there will be a request for return visit to an American equivalent "to foster the spirit of co-operation & world peace". The idea of German special forces types loose on one of their bases will cause certain people to "have a cow".
An office in the US War Department*:
(intercom buzzes)
US General (Chief-of-Staff): "Yes?"
General's secretary: "Secretary of War on line 2, sir."
(Phone rings)
General: "Hello, sir. What can I do for you today?"
Secretary of War: "General, I've just got off the phone with the White House and the State Department. WE will be having some guests at Fort ***** some time in the next six months."
General: "The President is going to inspect the troops down there, sir?"
SoW: "Not exactly. It would appear that the Germans have requested that we host some of their KSK troops for a mutual training exercise to foster international goodwill or some such crap. The President, after listening to the State Department, has agreed to said visit."
General: "... is this for real, sir?"
SoW: "I'm afraid so, General. Apparently, our request to take part in that failed op in Greece gave them the idea for this little brain fart."
General: "<insert expletive of choice here> (repeated variations of this, at volume) bad idea, sir!!!"
SoW (holding phone away from ear): "You haven't said anything that I haven't already said, General. The President has reservations about this himself, but he has ordered it to happen none the less. Fort ***** WILL have guests from Germany in about six months. Make it so."
General: "Yes, sir."
(Phone call ends)
General: "@#$%!!!"
*Did the US even build the Pentagon ITTL?
The German have an Ace up in their sleeves with John Alshire their Man in the FBI to run an investigation in to any allegations of possible leeks in this operation.
Nice to see that Barbara Pierce is still her ruthless self but she should be hauled in front of a Federal Grand Jury and forced to answer questions or be jailed for Contempt.
Barbara should demand a large lump sum of money in return for not going to the FBI or contacting her Ex again and she herself may have to go on the lamb.
I am looking forward to Kiki taking Nella and Nan to the Alexanderplatz Farmers Market for the Christmas Marketplace, is there an outdoor ice rink in the area because that would add to the draw of tourists from outside the area just like how Rockefeller Center does, and also I can see the Television Tower ball being lit up in,a Christmas theme.
Nice to see that Barbara Pierce is still her ruthless self but she should be hauled in front of a Federal Grand Jury and forced to answer questions or be jailed for Contempt.
Barbara should demand a large lump sum of money in return for not going to the FBI or contacting her Ex again and she herself may have to go on the lamb.
I am looking forward to Kiki taking Nella and Nan to the Alexanderplatz Farmers Market for the Christmas Marketplace, is there an outdoor ice rink in the area because that would add to the draw of tourists from outside the area just like how Rockefeller Center does, and also I can see the Television Tower ball being lit up in,a Christmas theme.
Like , wow. I mean, wow!
I hate him so much for being a criminal that I divorced him. But I want that juicy money from the illegal arms dealing.
Wow.
We need a GW.Jr as a POV sometime.
Entitlement is a powerful drug, notice how no one says it is out of character.
just found your TL today. haven't read any of it.
How do you find the motivation to write so much and continue and not get wrapped up in other things or disinterested?
It would be interesting to see him as deals with the fact that his Grandfather Prescott and Father George have turned in pariahs in this timeline, maybe he will breakout of that legacy and achieve greatness on his own terms.
Or he could just marinate in mediocrity and settle for being a run-of-the-mill rancher/minor oil man & amateur artist down in Texas.
Chief of Staff of the USAF, serving under Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, James Carter?
Or, more likely, does a few years in the USAF, enjoys flying and becomes a commercial airline pilot - "Soapy" George W Pierce, so called as he goes out of his way to stay squeaky clean and not get involved in anything dodgy.
How did Jeb Bush die again? I only remember that George Bush was in Argentina when Barbara left him.
Got sick with something nasty. I think it was measles, but I'm not sure.
Part 108, Chapter 1770
Chapter One Thousand Seven Hundred Seventy
16th December 1966
Hechingen
Handing off Rauchbier’s leash to one of her bodyguards, Kiki followed Rolf across the yard from the somewhat dilapidated house that he lived in and through the gate in the fence. The Kennel Master’s thinking was that if the roof didn’t leak then what was the point of paint on the walls. So, he hadn’t bothered with that since his youngest daughter had moved to Stuttgart almost a decade earlier. That was much to the annoyance of Rolf’s wife, who had invited Kiki for tea and had listened politely as Kiki had tried to explain the events of the last couple months. “So, you are finally getting to start your Medical internship?” Rolf’s wife had asked, completely uninterested in the Americans and Greek islands. Kiki had said “Yes” in reply, and that was that. It seemed that Kiki’s education and personal life were sources of gossip among the women who lived in this region. International events, not so much. They had sat there in silence as Kiki finished drinking the tea and Rolf waited for her to show her the reason why she came.
The cinderblock building that he had built as a kennel for his dogs certainly looked nicer than his own house. The chain-link fence that enclosed the dog runs had several signs on it warning the unwary about what was inside. Rauchbier had been happy enough living here over the summer while Kiki had been in the Carolines.
“Of course, I’d like to wish you an early happy birthday Kiki” Rolf said as he opened the door to the kennel. “You’re what, twenty-five this year?”
Normally, one of the advantages of having been born on Christmas day was that hardly anyone talked about her birthday around the time of it. Rolf wasn’t just anyone though.
“Yes” Kiki replied, in a tone of voice that almost anyone else would have taken as a warning. Rolf being Rolf, he didn’t care. As soon as the door opened, the result was just a cacophony as a dozen or more of Rolf’s hounds saw him and were enthusiastically greeting him. They were mostly the Bavarian Mountain Hounds whose breeding and training were what Rolf did much of the time. The scent hounds were used for hunting and tracking, not just of wildlife but by the State for a number of functions as well.
“Cora is in here” Rolf said as he opened the door to a small room that he had for this express purpose, it was dim inside with the only light being from a dog door that had a rubberized canvas flap closing it. Cora was an example of the “Swabian Windhund” that an associate of Rolf who engaged in ferreting as a sideline had been developing over the previous years. She had long, silky cream-colored fur but the long, lean build of a Whippet.
Inside was a cardboard box filled with old blankets. Cora lifted her head with her ears perked, as Rolf and Kiki entered. At her side were a half-dozen little bundles of fur, a couple of them were cream-colored but most were an unmistakable black and white. “I hope that little shit is pleased with himself” Kiki muttered to herself. Rolf heard this and chuckled.
Langley, Virginia
Parker recalled how many times Jonny had referred to the Farm as the belly of the beast as he endured the debrief. It was a common joke among the Green Beret that he was the resident “CIA Man” mostly because he had graduated from an Ivy League University. There was a great deal truth in it however because Parker had not intended to join the Army but had been sent there as part of his cover on an operation and had never left. Still, if something happened that drew CIA interest then there was a good chance that he would get called back. The clusterfuck on Santorini had been an example of that. There were also a number of other things that had happened in Europe that were considered germane.
“She is an attractive woman who I spent the evening with” Parker said when presented with a photograph of him with Sigi Grimmelshausen. “I don’t see what the big deal is.”
“You do know who she is?” His Interrogator asked, while his Case Officer stood silently by the door.
“Not until she told me after I woke up to her arguing with Hauptmann von Preussen, who didn’t approve” Parker replied. He figured that they would know about Sigi being in the ESA, he hoped that they didn’t know about her being the Kaiser’s sister. He would be lucky if he were only sacked if word of that ever got out.
The Interrogator chuckled.
“While you were off playing Don Juan, did you have a chance to do your actual job?”
“It’s all in my notes” Parker replied, he had written down everything that had happened, minus a few details.
“That’s enough” The Case Officer said finally, “What Major Parker did and who he did it with isn’t the meat of the issue. Tell us about Santorini.”
Parker then recounted everything that had happened. The long flight from Italy and the apparent capabilities of the German “Hurrikan” helicopters. The assault and the mess afterwards. How the only person in the compound had been Robin Pierce and she had broken into the house just to stay the night and had been planning on walking back to the harbor the next morning.
“It has been requested that her name be left out of the official record” The Case Officer said.
That gave Parker pause.
“Excuse me?” Parker asked, “Why would we be entertaining a request like that?”
“That is above your paygrade Major” The Interrogator said, “Back to what happened next.”
“Oberstlieutenant Bock was completely dismayed by what happened” Parker said, “He said that the mission was supposed to be a showcase of the capabilities of the KSK.”
“Did he suggest that anyone higher up than him desired this outcome?” The Interrogator asked.
“No, he didn’t” Parker answered. There had been grumbling among some of the men that the mission had never been planned to succeed and they had pointed fingers at the Germans. Still, he knew that they wouldn’t have involved Princess Kristina if that had been the case. He also knew that George Bush was former Naval Intelligence and had worked for CIA in his present capacity. The Germans had stated that they were not interested in placing the blame, but before he had left Laupheim he had gotten a few accusing looks from some of them. That meant that everyone was blaming everyone else for what had happened. What was actually happening here?
16th December 1966
Hechingen
Handing off Rauchbier’s leash to one of her bodyguards, Kiki followed Rolf across the yard from the somewhat dilapidated house that he lived in and through the gate in the fence. The Kennel Master’s thinking was that if the roof didn’t leak then what was the point of paint on the walls. So, he hadn’t bothered with that since his youngest daughter had moved to Stuttgart almost a decade earlier. That was much to the annoyance of Rolf’s wife, who had invited Kiki for tea and had listened politely as Kiki had tried to explain the events of the last couple months. “So, you are finally getting to start your Medical internship?” Rolf’s wife had asked, completely uninterested in the Americans and Greek islands. Kiki had said “Yes” in reply, and that was that. It seemed that Kiki’s education and personal life were sources of gossip among the women who lived in this region. International events, not so much. They had sat there in silence as Kiki finished drinking the tea and Rolf waited for her to show her the reason why she came.
The cinderblock building that he had built as a kennel for his dogs certainly looked nicer than his own house. The chain-link fence that enclosed the dog runs had several signs on it warning the unwary about what was inside. Rauchbier had been happy enough living here over the summer while Kiki had been in the Carolines.
“Of course, I’d like to wish you an early happy birthday Kiki” Rolf said as he opened the door to the kennel. “You’re what, twenty-five this year?”
Normally, one of the advantages of having been born on Christmas day was that hardly anyone talked about her birthday around the time of it. Rolf wasn’t just anyone though.
“Yes” Kiki replied, in a tone of voice that almost anyone else would have taken as a warning. Rolf being Rolf, he didn’t care. As soon as the door opened, the result was just a cacophony as a dozen or more of Rolf’s hounds saw him and were enthusiastically greeting him. They were mostly the Bavarian Mountain Hounds whose breeding and training were what Rolf did much of the time. The scent hounds were used for hunting and tracking, not just of wildlife but by the State for a number of functions as well.
“Cora is in here” Rolf said as he opened the door to a small room that he had for this express purpose, it was dim inside with the only light being from a dog door that had a rubberized canvas flap closing it. Cora was an example of the “Swabian Windhund” that an associate of Rolf who engaged in ferreting as a sideline had been developing over the previous years. She had long, silky cream-colored fur but the long, lean build of a Whippet.
Inside was a cardboard box filled with old blankets. Cora lifted her head with her ears perked, as Rolf and Kiki entered. At her side were a half-dozen little bundles of fur, a couple of them were cream-colored but most were an unmistakable black and white. “I hope that little shit is pleased with himself” Kiki muttered to herself. Rolf heard this and chuckled.
Langley, Virginia
Parker recalled how many times Jonny had referred to the Farm as the belly of the beast as he endured the debrief. It was a common joke among the Green Beret that he was the resident “CIA Man” mostly because he had graduated from an Ivy League University. There was a great deal truth in it however because Parker had not intended to join the Army but had been sent there as part of his cover on an operation and had never left. Still, if something happened that drew CIA interest then there was a good chance that he would get called back. The clusterfuck on Santorini had been an example of that. There were also a number of other things that had happened in Europe that were considered germane.
“She is an attractive woman who I spent the evening with” Parker said when presented with a photograph of him with Sigi Grimmelshausen. “I don’t see what the big deal is.”
“You do know who she is?” His Interrogator asked, while his Case Officer stood silently by the door.
“Not until she told me after I woke up to her arguing with Hauptmann von Preussen, who didn’t approve” Parker replied. He figured that they would know about Sigi being in the ESA, he hoped that they didn’t know about her being the Kaiser’s sister. He would be lucky if he were only sacked if word of that ever got out.
The Interrogator chuckled.
“While you were off playing Don Juan, did you have a chance to do your actual job?”
“It’s all in my notes” Parker replied, he had written down everything that had happened, minus a few details.
“That’s enough” The Case Officer said finally, “What Major Parker did and who he did it with isn’t the meat of the issue. Tell us about Santorini.”
Parker then recounted everything that had happened. The long flight from Italy and the apparent capabilities of the German “Hurrikan” helicopters. The assault and the mess afterwards. How the only person in the compound had been Robin Pierce and she had broken into the house just to stay the night and had been planning on walking back to the harbor the next morning.
“It has been requested that her name be left out of the official record” The Case Officer said.
That gave Parker pause.
“Excuse me?” Parker asked, “Why would we be entertaining a request like that?”
“That is above your paygrade Major” The Interrogator said, “Back to what happened next.”
“Oberstlieutenant Bock was completely dismayed by what happened” Parker said, “He said that the mission was supposed to be a showcase of the capabilities of the KSK.”
“Did he suggest that anyone higher up than him desired this outcome?” The Interrogator asked.
“No, he didn’t” Parker answered. There had been grumbling among some of the men that the mission had never been planned to succeed and they had pointed fingers at the Germans. Still, he knew that they wouldn’t have involved Princess Kristina if that had been the case. He also knew that George Bush was former Naval Intelligence and had worked for CIA in his present capacity. The Germans had stated that they were not interested in placing the blame, but before he had left Laupheim he had gotten a few accusing looks from some of them. That meant that everyone was blaming everyone else for what had happened. What was actually happening here?
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