Preface:
Germany 1925. The country has more or less recovered from the hardships of the First World War and the political and economical crises that followed. Now, with the help of money borrowed from the USA, many people enjoy the superficial spirit of the „Roaring 20ies“. However, behind the surface, there is still politics to be done.
Chapter one
Dorothea Helmrich shook off the water fromher umbrella before entering the big Classicist building in which the Foreign Office resided. Despite her long black coat, she had been freezing and she was glad to escape the cold March`s day. The ceremony had been stately, but the icy rain had made her regret her desicion to join in it.
Though Friedrich Ebert, President of Germany from 1919, had been buried in his hometown Heidelberg, there had been several commemoration ceremonies here in Berlin, too. Every state`s employee who wanted to participate had been given a day off and so, Dorothea had showed her respect to the late head of state.
To be the first President elected by the people had been a hard job for Ebert, but in the end, neither the opposition from the far right nor from the far left nor the conservatives had been able to destroy his position. Under his leadership, Germany had not only survived the loss of the war and the abdication of the Emperor, but now, the country was blooming. However, in fighting for Germany`s benefits, the President had ignored his own health and now, he had died after an operation.
Being born with the century, the 24 years old (her birthday was still some three months ahead) Dorothea had experienced the end of the war and had first felt like most Germans: that the traitors from the Socialist Party had fallen into the back of the brave soldiers and had willingly accepted the harsh peace conditions of the enemy. However, when she had left the girl`s high school and started studying at the University at Würzburg, Dorothea had seen the end of an era as a chance. Now, she as a woman was not only allowed to enter the university, but she could also vote or chose a job. And so, though there had been more than enough men interested in the pretty tallish blonde, Dorothea had finished her studies and moved to Berlin where she had become a secretary at the Foreign Office.
Of course, part of her new job were things like cooking coffee or fetching folders from the archive, but at least she was earning her own money and had a chance of getting promoted soon. After all, she was working for Erich Klein. Klein had entered the Army at 18 and had been involved in any armed conflict since 1899. Soon, he had been promoted and years before the Great War, he had been an important member of the Military Intelligence. Now, Klein still was in that business, though the restrictions of the Treaty of Versailles had left Germany with only a small army and officially there wasn`t much to do for him. However, Dorothea knew that Klein was not the one sitting behind his desk and waiting for his pension to come. This man was still launching some secret activities. And today, he had ordered her to come to his office.
Dorothea hung her coat to the coat rack and checked her appearance in her pocket mirror before knocking at Klein`s door. Her black costume more or less hid what most men would have called a gorgeous figure. Being 5`7``, Dorothea had long, shapely legs and firm boobs that only once and awhile were considered as too big. Her long straight blonde hair almost reached her waist when combed out, but now, she was wearing it in a bun and covered with a black hat. Quickly, Dorothea renewed her lipstick and looked into her own blue eyes in the mirror.
„Let`s hope that he has something of interest in store for me!“
She knocked at Klein`s door and entered immediately when her superior called her in. As usual, he was dressed in a plain suit, but he could not hide his military background in his attitude. Being rather informal in other conditions, he greeted Dorothea with a firm handshake and told her to sit down whilst he reached for a folder and handed her a photo showing a black haired woman.
„Dr. Daniela Cortese“, Dorothea could read written on it. The woman portrayed was quite pretty, but looked a bit stern. She had never seen her before, but she could conclude from the information she had that she was a doctor from Italy.
„Dr. Cortese has been developing a new kind of gunpowder in the last year of the war – or at least, she was the only female member of the team that did so. after the war, she continued her studies, but when the Fascists came to power in Italy, she left her laboratory at Bologna and left for Great Britain. Obviously, she is now working on something important, for some year ago, she disappeared from view.“
„You – you think, the Fascist have abducted her?“, Dorothea asked. She still was not sure what this was all about. Klein lit his pipe before he continued:
„We first thought so, but a week ago, one of our agents in Scotland sent us a message that Dr. Cortese now is at a Nurse`s school in Scotland, not far away from Inverness. It seems that she is hidden there by the British government. However, we also know that what she is developing now could be of interest for us, too.“
Now, Dorothea was intrigued. She knew that, despite the restrictions of the peace treaty, the German military still was developing new and better weapons and obviously, they also were still interested in the works of foreign chemists. But what was her part in that?
„Dorothea, according to your curriculum, you are fluent in English and you have also served one year at a hospital during the Great War. So, you could easily pass as a young woman interested in becoming a nurse and who wants to enter that said school. We will equip you with matching papers, of course.“
Now, Dorothea was perplexed. She had known that Klein had seen more in her than just a secretary and she also knew that he had a few women in his team, too. But now, he intended to send her on a secret mission to a foreign country!
„Y-you want m-me to persuade Dr. C-Cortese to come w-with me?“, Dorothea asked, cursing her stammer. Klein bent over the desk and smiled enigmatically:
„No. We asked her to work here some two years ago already. Instead, I want you to get her to Germany, wether she likes it or not and preferably without any diplomatic confusions.“
„I shall kidnap her?“
„Well – yes. Of course, you will not have to go alone on such a dangerous mission. One of my agents will accompany you. That is, if you agree in going to Scotland, of course.“
Dorothea nodded. Though this sounded like a story from a cheap detective novel, Klein didn`t look as if he was joking. She fought to remain calm whilst fear, curiosity and anticipation were fighting within her. Now, Klein smiled.
„Good, Dorothea. You will start tomorrow morning. I know it`s a bit hasty, but unfortunately, the success of this mission is dependant on the weather. My agent will explain everything to you on the trip. Once you are in Scotland, you will contact our spy there and she will tell you everything about the details.“
„She?“, Dorothea asked in unbelief.
„Oh, yes, I am not sure but maybe, you even know her. It`s Luise Meyer. haven`t you been colleagues before she joined my little troop?“
Now, Dorothea had to oppress a shudder. Luise Meyer! They had not only been colleagues, but also very close friends. At least, Dorothea had thought so, but one morning, she had found an envelope in her mailbox. In it, there was only a photo, showing Luise. She had been stark naked – and sitting astride Wolfgang Heller, Dorothea`s lover. Luise was looking directly at her. Obviously, the photograph had been taken through a mirror and Luise had been adjusting her position upon the man Dorothea thought she would marry within the next year.
She had never found out who had sent the photo to her, but of course, she had broken up with both Wolfgang and Luise. Not accepting any excuses or apologies, she had told both to get out of her way and luckily, both had obeyed during the next months. Wolfgang had left for a post at Königsberg and Luise had little after chosen to become a member of Klein`s away team. Of course, Dorothea had never asked her superior about her, but now it seemed that she would have to meet Luise once more.
Dorothea had never fully recovered from being betrayed like that. She still had the photo in her wallet, as a constant reminder of how treacherous people could be.
„-air sick?“
„Hm?“
Klein had asked her something whilst she had been occupied with her own thoughts. Blushing slightly, she asked him to repeat his question.
„I wanted to know if you are easily getting air sick.“
Frowning, Dorothea shook her head. Now, Klein`s smile became broader and he again took her right:
„Good. For you have to know that you will not go for Scotland by boat. Instead, we will send you by Zeppelin.“
***
The Inverness School for Nurses had been established during the Great War, when there had been a need for nurses. But now, in times of peace, the remote manor house had lost some of it`s popularity. In fact, there were only eight student nurses currently living there in comparison to some 40 during the war. The director, Dr. Catherine Moore, had been glad when the government had asked if she could offer her laboratory and some rooms for an Italian scientist and her assistant, for this meant enough money to keep the school running. The Italian had turned out to be friendly, but guardedly about her work and so, Catherine only met Dr. Daniela Cortese and her assistant, Alessandra Genoviese, at meal times.
Catherine knew that the two scientist`s research was of some importance for the government, but she did not know that some of her employess were not what they seemed to be. Miss Eleanor Rant, the strict teacher for the student nurses, was nothing more than a teacher and the four girls currently learning together with her, Molly, Nelly, Sally and Bessie, were just young women from the area who wanted to get a job at a hospital soon. Also, Bert, the housekeeper, and Martin, the cook, were not hiding any secrets about themselves.
However, the four slightly elder students were female members of the Secret Service, sent here as an additional protection for Dr. Cortese. The government had taken great care in sending these one by one and months before the Italians arrived at the house. So, they had established a convincing disguise as women who wanted to get a good education to easier find a job. In addition, they had found some secret rooms hidden behind the boiler room where they had established a small headquarter. For some months, they had hardly done anything but learning how to become a nurse from the stern Miss Rant, but two days ago, they had proved to be successful in detecting a foreign country`s activity and that was why Emma Carter was now entering their headquarter through the door hidden behind a cupboard whilst her colleague, Helen Marsh, was on the look-out.
The headquarter had a table, some chairs and cupboards in it. But behind one of these cupboards, another iron door was hidden. Unlike the first cupboard, this could only be moved if someone opened a secret lock before. Emma hid her red, shoulder length curls and her face under a black mask before entering the little windowless room.
„So, have you decided to talk now?“, she asked into the dark before she switched on the light. The woman lying on the bed squeezed her eyes shut from the sudden brightness, but could only utter a small sound of protest.
Half of the room was occupied by an iron bed with a bare matress on which the prisoner was lying. She had her wrists cuffed to the posts of the bed and another pair of cuffs held her feet to the lower end of her bed. Three pieces of adhesive tape kept her mouth shut and the way her cheeks bulged told that her mouth had been stuffed before the tape had been applied.
„Mmmhhmmph!“
Two nights before, Emma and her three colleagues had examined a little hut not far from the manor house and had seen a young woman with dark brown hair using a radio set. Alarmed, they had decided to take care of the situation immediately. They had masked and knocked at the hut`s door and when they had asked the woman for the parole word, she had not been able to tell them. So, Emma had drawn her gun and whilst Helen and Jill Parsons had tied and gagged the spy, she and Jane Prentiss had searched the hut.
They had found nothing suspicious except for the radio set, but they were sure that their captive would talk sooner or later. After wrapping her in a blanket, they had brought her to the hidden room unseen and since then kept her there. The day before, they had led the woman to the facilities and given her some water before starting to ask her about who she was and which country she was working for. However, the spy had been persistant and had only asked for a lawyer again and again. So, they had once again gagged her and brought her back to her tiny prison.
Emma looked down at the woman. She was still wearing her blouse and knee-length woolen skirt, together with some brown leather boots. She was covered with sweat and her brown hair was looking dishevelled. Emma was sure that by now, she not only needed to go to the toilet, but also was hungry and thirsty. However, she decided not to take any risk. Drawing her pistol, she asked:
„You promise to behave when I release you?“
„Mmhhmmm!“
The woman nodded, but the look in her brown eyes told Emma that the foreign spy – for what else could she be? - still had some fighting spirit left. She released the woman`s ankles from the bedframe, only to cuff them again before loosening the cuff that held her left wrist. Emma tied her left to her right, this keeping her with her hands tied in front of her before allowing her to sit up. Immediately, she began peeling the tape from her lips. When she had spat out the giant rag stuffed into her mouth, she panted and coughed. Emma offered her a canteen filled with warm tea she greedily drank. Then, she asked:
„Will you promise to stay quiet when we get you to the bathroom?“
The captive nodded and so, Emma led her out of the cell and to the little toilet that was on the other side of the other room. This too had no window and only had some squareyard and so, she was allowed to be there alone for some minutes before Emma brought her back to the office room. There, she told their prisoner to take some of the sandwiches and waited for her to eat. Then, she once again tied her hands behind the chair`s backrest.
„Now, that you have refreshed yourself, will you now tell us who you are and whom you are working for?“
„I want to see my lawyer“, the woman answered.
Emma sighed. They had already checked if there was anything known about a woman fitting the description. The only answer they had gotten was that she could indeed be a foreign spy, but nobody knew anything for sure. Their superior had sent them a message, telling them to find out as much as possible by themselves before the government would take care of their prisoner.
„Look, this is getting us to nowhere. We found a radio set in your hut, but nothing else that could proof your identity – no papers, no letters, no wallet – nothing!“
Luise Meyer swallowed. She knew only too well that there was nothing in the hut. She had been living as a fake secretary at Edinburgh for a year until she had got information about an Italian doctor being sent to a nurse school near Inverness. So, she had followed that track and indeed had seen Daniela Cortese at the station at Inverness where she had entered a car. It had been a taxi and so, Luise had been able to find out where she had been brought. By observing the area she knew that the Italian doctor now was hiding inside the manor house, but never leaving it. Luise had rented a hotel room at Inverness under a fake name and had found the hut by coincidence. Since it had been close to the school house, she had hidden her radio set there.
Now, she knew that even if they had found out about her hotel room, they would only have found some more of her laundry. Luise had taken nothing with her that was treacherous – nothing but the radio set. She knew that sooner or later she would be handed over to the authorities, but until then, she had decided to stay calm and silent.
„Now, you must know that my superiors have authorized me to get the information you have from you – by all means necessary!“
Luise knew that, although it was officially forbidden, torture still was in use, especially among the Intelligence. But she somehow was sure that her opponent was just bluffing. After all, another woman would not use whips or thumbscrews on her.
„Well, if necessary, we could change your living conditions a bit. For now, you have enjoyed a cell that`s more like a hotel room.“
Emma stepped behind Luise, took the backrest and leaned the chair back. Then, she bent over her bound prisoner and hissed:
„If you won`t talk, you-“
Luise threw herself over, making the chair fall from Emma`s hands. When she hit the ground, the German quickly slid her bound arms over the backrest and rolled away. Emma wanted to grab her feet, but Luise raised her legs and tried to kick her stomach. Had she been able to put some strength in that kick, she would have knocked the air out of Emma, but so, she just pushed her back, making her land on her backside. Quickly, Luise came to her feet and hopped for the door.
However, now the blonde Helen entered the room. Unlike Emma who had changed into civilian clothes, she still wore her nurse`s outfit. Luise tried to push her aside, but Helen could grab her arms and now, she and Emma could wrestle the German to the floor and sat on her.
„Help! Heeuuummmph!“
Luise screamed, but Helen clamped her hand over her mouth. She tried to bit ethe English woman, but she grabbed Luise`s hair and yanked her head back, making her mew with pain. Then, she withdrew her hand, but before Luise could scream, Emma once again stuffed the damp rag into her mouth. Despite her struggles, the redhead managed to wind three rounds of adhesive tape over her lips and around her head to prevent her from spittling out her gag.
„Uuhhmmmmmph! Hhrrrrrrrmmmm!“
Emma now grabbed the short chain between her ankles and brought her feet close to Luise`s bound wrists. Helen untied her left and slung the chain around her foot tie before retying her, effectively hogtying Luise.
„Mmhhmmph! Uuhhmmmmm!“
Luise now squirmed on the floor, but found her ´relf unable to get up or to crawl away. Panting, Emma, who had lost her mask in the fight, sat on one of the chairs.
„So, you want it the hard way. Well, this wish can be granted!“
Luise now was lying on her side, facing Emma. Her blouse had been ripped during her fight, revealing her camisole and the strap of her bra. She panted heavily through her nose, too, and was looking around for the blonde woman who was taking something from one of the cupboards. To her surprise, it was an iron chain with big hooks on each end. She brought this into the cell before she and Emma brought Luise there and threw her onto the bed.
Luise could see that now the chain was dangling from a ring in the ceiling, but now, her captors flipped her on her belly. Then, they lifted Luise`s bound arms and legs until thex could get the chains of her hand and feet cuffs over the hook. Now, Luise had to keep in a quite uncomfortable position with her arms arched back and her lower legs pulled upwards. However, Emma and Helen had worse in mind.
They took away the matress and leaned it to the wall. Now, Luise`s limbs were strained even more and her breasts were pressing against the springs of the bed. she mmphed indignantly when she felt Helen crumple up her skirt until her panty clad butt was exposed.
Drawing by hugues66
„Mph!“
A sharp slap on her butt was all that happened. However, then her captors left the room and before they turned out the light and closed the door, Emma said:
„See you tomorrow. Maybe, you will talk then, otherwise, we will have to be a bit more rough than we have been before!“
***
Since the war, Germany was no longer allowed to have air ships for military use. In addition, they had turned out to be rather ineffective when both war planes and long range guns had developed. But obviously, Klein had such a flying monster under his control.
At siy o`clock in the morning, Dorothea was entering the field at the airport where the giant Zeppelin was waiting. She was wearing her black coat again, hiding the trousers and pullover she was wearing. Klein had told her that it could become quite cold once they had reached an altitude of some 5000 feet and so, she had decided that vanity would not be appropriate. Of course, she had a backpack containing some woman`s clothes.
Klein was waiting at the iron ladder leading up to the Zeppelin`s nacelle. Beside him, a woman with long auburn hair was standing. Like Dorothea, she was wearing men`s clothes. When she approached, the woman took her hand and Klein introduced her:
„Dorothea, this is Anna Winter, one of my trusted agents. She will help you during your mission. After all, I can`t send a man with you.“
Dorothea wondered why he had chosen her to accompany Anna, for she was just a secretary at the Foreign Office, not an agent. But when both girls had entered the nacelle and brought their belongings to their cabins, the reason for this appeared.
„From now on, we should speak English, just to get used to it“, Anna said and Dorothea understood. Her colleague was fluent, but she had a strong German accent whilst she had been told more than once that she sounded like a native speaker. Of course, Anna could disguise as a Dutch or Belgian woman, but sure Dorothea would be more likely to get all the information they needed for their mission.
Dorothea hadn`t found much sleep during the night. Kidnapping a doctor from Scotland and get her to Germany! It was a dangerous and risky business and still, she had not the slightest idea of how to get this done.
However, Anna turned out to be better informed and maybe more experienced in such missions. She explained the details of the plan to Dorothea once the Zeppelin had started.
„We will reach our destination at about midnight. Some two hours before, the Captain will change to electric engines. This and the fact that the air ship will remain some 2000 feet above the ground will mean that we won`t be seen or heard. According to the meteorologists, there will be fog around Inverness for the next days.“
Dorothea tried to hide her upcoming panic. Did Anna intend to jump from the Zeppelin in the middle of the night, without knowing the landing area? She was no coward, but she had never in her life even touched a parachute, let alone used one. However, Anna was able to calm most of her concerns.
„The Zeppelin is equipped with a small gondola that can be let down on a steel cable. Also, if it`s not too windy, the air ship can stop motionlessly over one spot. There is a phone connection to the main nacelle and so, we can tell him where to stop exactly.“
As Anna continued her explanations, it turned out that it would not be that easy. For safety reasons, the gondola would have to keep at least two yards away from the ground and since it was dangling from a long cable, it would not be completely stable. They still would have to risk a jump, like from a train at a speed of some 15 mp/h. Dorothea was quite sportive, bus she still was a bit afraid of getting her ankle sprained or broken.
„Once we have reached the area, we will look for a place to hide for the night. In the morning, we will get to the school and attend as Miss Marieke van Bollen and Miss Mary Walton who are trying to become nurses.“
Mary Bolton! Dorothea tried to get used to her fake name. It turned out that this part of their disguise could be rather convincing. Many young women were trying to find work and of course, those qualified had better chances for an employment. And, according to one of Luise`s messages, the school even advertised in the newaspapers. Obvioulsly, they were lacking student nurses.
„And once we are in, what will it be next?“
Dorothea tried to sound calm and experienced, but after all, they were out for committing a crime. She had no idea what would happen to foreign spies at times of peace, but sure it would not be nice.
„Well, we will try to find out everything about Dr. Cortese. Where she is living, working, sleeping, etc.. Then, we will abduct her to the place where Luise is hiding. She will then send a message and the air ship will come and get us back.“
It sounded like the plan for a child`s play, but perhaps, sometimes the work of an agent wasn`t more elaborate. Dorothea was quite sure that Klein would not have ordered something that did not have a chance or was just stupid. However, when Anna continued her instructions, the blonde newborn agent was not feeling confident at all.
Though she had no experience with firearms, Anna handed her a small gun and tought her how to use it. Also, she was given a bottle of a strong narcotic, together with some cotton wool, two pairs of handcuffs and a roll of adhesive tape. Dorothea shuddered when she looked at these harmlessly looking things. They were thought for restraining their captive and in general, Dorothea didn`t like the idea of binding, gagging and kidnapping the Italian just because her researches were of importance for the Army. Now, she remembered that she had never been asked wether she wanted to accompany the mission. Obviously, Klein was sure that she was bored by her secretary`s job. Indeed, she had been bored, but right now, she was considering if keeping on cooking coffee would not have been the better option.
She tried to distract herself by watching the land from above which was indeed an overwhelming experience, though the weather still was quite bad. Then, after a while, she thought of Luise. Luise, the bitch her fiance had betrayed her with! Dorothea forced herself not to look at the photo in her wallet. Once again, she wondered who had sent it to her, but since neither Wolfgang nor Luise had denied their carnal affair, it had been the awful truth. And now, she was expected to work together with her old rival!
„Maybe, I should ask Anna for another two pairs of handcuffs! Then, I could leave her for the British to find her!“
She shuddered about her thoughts, but at the same time, she found it quite intriguing.
As planned, they reached the Scottish coast by dusk and when the Captain had turned off the engines and changed for the electric ones, she was surprised of how quiet the huge air ship had become. Luckily, there was hardly any wind and so, the gondola only swayed a bit when it was lowered to the ground. Anxiously, Dorothea looked at the thin steel cable whilst Anna was looking for the ground and from time to time checked the altimeter. Finally, Dorothea dared to look over the rim and could see some grass through the foggy clouds.
„Ten yards, slow down now!“, Anna whispered through the telephone. Then, she threw her and Dorothea`s backpack overboard. Now, they could see that they were only a few yards above the ground. Without hesitating, Anna swung her legs over the railing and jumped. Dorothea waited and saw her land on the grass. She rolled over the ground for a few yards, but then, she got to her feet, obviously unharmed. Taking all her courage together, Dorothea jumped, too.
It turned out to be much less dangerous than she had thought and now, she was feeling almost euphoric! However, Anna just handed her her backpack. With a whir, the gondola disappeared in the clouds. Reluctantly, Dorothea followed Anna who was trying to find a place to hide.
***