Free Opening Moves (The Red Gambit Series) by Colin Gee

might think it was also a question.
    Knocke shifted slightly and delivered a gentle riposte in a tone that made Lavalle understand the force and personality of the man opposite him.
    “I can assure you that the Russian front afforded no room for ego, Herr Oberst.”
    “Permit me to rephrase that,” Lavalle countered softly after a respectable pause.
    “You have skills, skills which my country and others might need to draw upon. Sat opposite us are millions of Russians and already there are problems brewing. Across the world communism is taking further root. Who knows where the next Hitler or Mussolini will rise?”
    “Or Stalin?”
    “Or Stalin Herr Knocke, indeed, or Stalin.”
    Lavalle offered his cigarettes again and when both men had eagerly drawn the rich smoke into their lungs he continued.
    “This war is over and you will not take to a uniform again to oppose the enemies of your country, or mine for that matter. You will not bear arms again I am sure, but you have priceless knowledge and skills. I do not understand precisely where you would fit in within the greater scheme of things but I do know that you will not be allowed to fade away and that you will be asked to bring your skills to serve again.”
    ‘So basically you have nothing to offer me, and no idea of what you might want me to do. How can I refuse,” with a chuckle that fell short of amusement.
    “Au contraire Herr Knocke. I am empowered to offer you and a selected group, removal from this facility within the week, unofficial paid employment based in pleasant surroundings and a guarantee that you will not be asked to do anything that would harm your comrades or country.”
    “A lot is expected with little by way of definite information. I cannot entertain any advance from an enemy of my country in any case.”
    “We are no longer enemies, surely that is clear?” Lavalle left that hanging in the air but received no acknowledgement from Knocke. “The war is over, the peace is signed. We must all now stand together in the face of the communists.”
    Knocke leant slightly forward.
    “As we Germans were saying for years; years in which we stood alone against them! We have already shed much blood, and suffered much loss, and I saw too many of my men die in the cause you now conveniently wish to champion. You have just read out that I grew up in a small village called Metgethen, Herr Oberst; does that mean anything to you?” The emotion was controlled but none the less there, and again the force of Knocke gave Lavalle pause, and his reply was obviously sincere and heartfelt.
    “Yes, I know of Metgethen Herr Knocke, and I am truly sorry for your loss, but you know as well as I do that Nazi Germany could not have been allowed to stand, and that the Western Allies could not have fought alongside a nation driven by Hitler and his band. I have been to a quiet but dreadful place called Natzwiller-Struhof, where the reasons for the need to remove Nazism were made very clear to me by my own eyes There are other, much more awful places I have not seen but about which I have heard nightmare stories. The people of a nation always pay the price of the policies laid down by its politicians and undoubtedly Germany has suffered much in that regard, that is true.”
    Lavalle placed an envelope he had been holding gently on top of the folder.
    “Surely Herr Knocke, you must see that the best hope of salvation for your homeland, your Fatherland, lies with a joint approach to prevent the spread of communism westwards. What happened at Metgethen is still unclear but what I do know is that none of us wants that to be visited upon any other village, town or city. That surely must be something for you to consider? It is too late for you to act in preservation of your own family, but you can assist in protecting the rest of your country, and in so doing, preserve mine too. You have skills and knowledge which may become much in need.”
    Such a speech required a