Free The Berkut by Joseph Heywood Page A

been followed. He assumed th at the rooftops were still filled with Russian snipers and that Russia infantry now controlled the area. "B eard!" he shouted up the stair.
    "Up here with the boys," Rau bellowed.
    Brumm moved up the stairs and the two soldiers embraced. "It went well?"
    "So far. What's the situation here?"
    "Bad case of nerves, but they're doing better than I expected. The Russians came through last night, but they seemed interested only i n those buildings that offered resistance."
    "Problems?"
    "Only one. Two Russians set up camp down below, inside our door. One of the girls enticed them upstairs and they were eliminate d. They used knives on them!" He leaned close. "Women seem to like cold steel, eh?" He nudged Brumm and winked.
    "The girls eliminated them?"
    "Clean as a whistle. Zip-zip, two dead Ivans. Not a sound." H e looked over Brumm's shoulder. "Where is he? Down there?"
    "Go help him," the colonel said. "He's weak. I don't think he' ll be able to make the walk. We'll have to carry him out."
    "Wonderful," Beard said sarcastically. "More character building. Brumm smiled. The sergeant major had always referred to difficu lt missions as character builders.
    While Beard descended the stairs, Brumm searched for Waller. Sh e was in a doorway to his right. "Get your people into that room," h e said, pointing to the door behind her . She gathered the women quickly, their weapons rattling as they filed past him. Brumm signaled for Waller to join them; she did as she was told , but before she closed the door her eyes caught his and held them. Her look had a message , but he was not in the mood to translate it.
    Hitler was shaking badly when he reached the second floor. Beard looked at his colonel and shook his head. Brumm took the man's other arm and helped him along the hall to the door.
    "Wait," Brumm ordered the sergeant. "Cover." Beard nodded and slid into a shadow. The SS colonel entered the room. The women were on their knees t obviously tired t their eyes red from lack of sleep. In their tattered clothing they looked like waifs t their youth showing through the caked dirt. They smiled at him , happy to see a friendly face; for the moment they could relax their guard. Brumm saw that psychologically they were in poor shape; for the first timet terror showed in their eyes. "I've brought someone I want you to meet/' he told them as he swung open the door.
    Hitler's back was to the door , and the s ound of it opening caused the Fü hrer to turn awkwardly and stare in puzzlement at the girls on the floor. He shuffled inside with small steps and stood stoop-shouldered in front of them , staring down. Only once did he glance at Brumm , but when no explanation was forthcoming , he looked back at the floor.
    "Is this another of your men?" one of the girls asked.
    Brumm remained silent , watching. It was said that Hitler had a special power over women. They were said to collapse , even to swoon , under the intensity of his eyes. But the eyes now peering out at the girls were nearly swollen shut and radiated nothing. In only a moment the women lost interest in the old man and slipped back into a daze. Only Waller continued to study him.
    "I told you that I had a special mission , a mission of the utmost importance to the Reich." The girls looked at Brumm.
    He removed Hitler's glasses. The girls still didn't see it; Brumm was satisfied. He took one of his black gloves , pinched off the end of a finger and held it below the tip of Hitler’s nose. The Fuhrer slapped the glove awa y sneezed and glared angrily at the colonel.
    Waller was the first to understand. She gasped loudly t struggled to her feet t bent her head and said in a barely audible whisper , "My Fü hrer." The other girls loo ked at her as if she were crazy, then at the man , and jumped to their feet. One of them dropped her Schmeisser loudly to the floor , pushed her hands against her ears and began to sob loudly. A smile emerged on Hitler's face, and he