CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
_Steel Nerves_
When the German Captain slammed shut the door behind him, and there weresounds of his footsteps along the hall outside, Dave slowly let lockedair from his lungs and stole another glance at Freddy Farmer. TheEnglish-born air ace still stood at rigid attention, but there was noteven a flicker of fear in his face. His expression was one of perfectcoolness and calmness. It was as though he went through this sort ofthing every day in the week, and doing it again were just a wee bitboring.
The two German high rankers stared at Freddy in sullen anger. But it wasplain to see that neither of them had the desire to exert their supremeauthority at the moment. In fact, it was a perfect picture of the Nazisystem. The Army Staff vs the Gestapo. And the Gestapo was holding thewhip hand because of events which had taken place in the past. Perhapssome day, when the Army Staff was sitting in the saddle, and was AdolfHitler's favorite for the moment, Gestapo heads would drop like applesshaken from the tree. Right now, though, the Gestapo was the so-calledpower behind the throne. And so von Staube and von Gault were feelingtheir way--cautiously.
However, nuts to the German Army Staff! And likewise, nuts to theGestapo! What was Freddy Farmer's game? What crazy insane goal did hethink he was shooting at, anyway? Darn him for not giving out a singlehint, or a tip-off. The least Freddy could do would be to shoot him aquick look that would tell him a little something. But, no! Freddy wasacting as though he didn't know that Dave existed.
Worry and anger boiled around in the Yank-born air ace. Past friendshipand experience told him, or at least tried to tell him, that Freddyhadn't suddenly blown his top; that he wasn't crazy, and knew exactlywhat he was doing. But if Dave only had some idea, then he would knowhow to play his part. But this waiting, this nerve-tingling silence!Dave wondered a little if he weren't going crazy himself. He swallowedand pressed his wrist comfortingly against the small gun in his pocket.And he pressed the upper half of his other arm against the hardness ofhis sheathed Commando knife hanging from his shoulder under his Germantunic. If worse came to worse, he--
At that moment Freddy Farmer suddenly had a fit of coughing. He bentover a little and put one hand to his mouth. The two Germans looked athim in a sort of cold delight. But Dave didn't notice their looks. Hisgaze was fixed on Freddy. And suddenly his heart gave a great leap, andtingling warmth shot through him. Freddy had turned his head slightly,and for the fraction of a second their eyes met. But it was long enoughfor Dave to catch the quick half wink; to see the second and thirdfingers of Freddy's other hand quickly cross and uncross.
True, it told Dave nothing of his pal's game. But that didn't matter toomuch, now. At least he knew for sure that Freddy was playing a wildgame, and that he was not completely crazy. There was method in hisapparent madness, and he had signalled to Dave to be ready for anything,and to pray hard for a bit of luck.
Freddy had gained control of his coughing when the door opened and theCaptain came in with the two Luftwaffe pilots. They were both young, andnot bad-looking--for Germans. They clicked their heels and practicallyjerked themselves apart saluting von Staube and von Gault.
The Nazi Field Marshal simply answered with a grunt, and then fixed hisangry eyes on Freddy's face.
"Captain Kohle, and Lieutenant von Stebbins," he said in a voice thatwas mostly a snarl. "Ask them your questions, but be quick about it. We_soldiers_ have still a battle to fight!"
Freddy nodded stiffly, then backed up a few steps to a point where hecould get a better look at the two new arrivals. As a matter of fact, hebacked up to a point where he commanded an unobstructed view of theentire room. And _also_ a point that put him not two feet from Dave'sside.
"Ready, Dave! Gun and knife!"
Had Freddy spoken? Or was it a trick of his imagination? The thoughtquestion flashed through Dave's brain. And then he saw thelightning-like movements of Freddy Farmer's hands. A gun appeared in theEnglish youth's right hand, and his Commando knife appeared in his left,perfectly gripped and balanced to be shot forward like a flash of light.In the next instant Dave had his own gun and Commando knife out, and hewas listening to Freddy's even voice tossing words at the dumbfounded,stunned quintet of Nazis.
"Not a move, if any of you want to live! We're Commandos! There areothers outside. This whole area is surrounded by Commandos. If you wantto resist, go ahead. We've been training a long time for _this_ littleoccasion. You! Don't move!"
The last was because the German Staff Captain had half jerked up onearm. It was probably an impulsive gesture of terror. If it wasn't,terror was most certainly on his face a split instant later. FreddyFarmer's left hand shot forward with a twisting, whipping motion. Andthe Commando knife wasn't there any more. It was a streak of light thatwent across the room and pinned the sleeve of the German Captain's tunicto the wall. The Nazi looked at it, and almost fainted. The other fourgasped in terror.
"_Commandos!_"
Field Marshal von Staube half choked and half sobbed out the words.Freddy gave him a cold hard stare, then calmly walked around in back ofDave, so as not to block off his Yank pal, and went over to the GermanCaptain and jerked his knife free.
"Yes, Commandos!" he barked at the Field Marshal. "With a job to do, oneway _or_ the other. Which way is up to you. Dave! There're two of thesebeggars we don't need. This Captain and the young pilot Lieutenant. Takecare of them, will you, while I keep an eye on the others?"
Freddy didn't look at Dave as he quietly spoke the words in English. Buthe didn't have to. Dave knew exactly what was needed of him. And whetherit made sense didn't matter. It was still Freddy Farmer's party, and hehad gone through too many war experiences with his English pal to botherasking questions until afterward. And so, careful not to get intoFreddy's line of fire, he quickly circled about the room to the GermanCaptain. The Nazi's eyes were glazed with terror, and then they wereclosing shut as he folded silently to the floor. Dave's swift, neat clipbehind the ear with the barrel of his gun would have brought words ofpraise from any Commando. But Dave wasn't expecting praise, or eventhinking about it. He took another step and repeated the little maneuveron the Luftwaffe Lieutenant. As he pulled wire and gags from his pocket,and started to bend down, Freddy stopped him.
"We might need that chap's tunic, Dave. Strip it off, first."
Dave did that little thing. And then, in less time than it takes to tellabout it, he bound and gagged both unconscious Germans, and rolled themover against the wall.
"Who's next, Doctor?" he asked, straightening up and grinning at Freddy."What next?"
The English youth didn't answer. His gaze was riveted on the two Germanhigh rankers, and the youthful Luftwaffe Captain. The latter seemed onthe point of dropping into a dead faint. Freddy Farmer's little Commandoknife trick had obviously drained every drop of courage from his body.It was not so, however, with von Staube and von Gault. True, they werenot moving a single muscle, and there was a marked trace of fear intheir eyes. Just the same they were trained and seasoned soldiers. Theywere not completely cowards in the face of death. As Dave snapped aglance their way, his heart turned over, and his mouth went a bit bonedry. The two high rankers seemed to be silently gauging their chances.They seemed to be deciding just what move to make first. Dave grippedhis gun tighter, and beat back the revolting thoughts that tried tocrowd into his brain. If it was to be cold-blooded murder, then so beit. He and Freddy were Commandos now. And Commandos give no quarter, andask none. The job is the thing. The method of performing it issecondary!
"You will not leave here alive! You realize that, don't you, you swineCommandos?"
It was von Staube who spoke, but Dave instantly noticed that the Nazihigh ranker was careful not to speak in his natural booming voice. Hewanted to be brave, but he wanted _less_--to die.
"Of course we realize it!" Freddy Farmer told him quietly. "We realizedthat before we even started across tonight. But let me point outsomething, _Herr_ Field Marshal, and _Herr_ Luftwaffe Marshal. You areboth seasoned soldiers, so
you will understand about men obeying orders.We were ordered to capture you two, and deliver you to our commandingofficer who waits not half a mile from this spot. We were ordered tocapture and deliver you, or--or to deliver _evidence_ that you would nolonger be of any use to your _Fuehrer_!"
Silence settled over the room as Freddy finished. The muscles of eachGerman's face twitched, but Dave was quick to see that they weren'tquite completely impressed. He saw a part he could play, and he wasquick to take advantage of it while the two Nazi Marshals were on theuneasy seat. He stepped forward quickly, and whipped down with hisCommando knife. It twanged into the desk top between the third andfourth fingers of von Gault's left hand that happened to be restingmotionless on the desk. The Luftwaffe Marshal gasped, but swallowed thecry of fright as Dave's gun came within ten inches of his thin, hawkishnose.
"Your left hand, and his, too!" Dave grated, and jerked his knife free."You each wear a Nazi Staff ring. Your left hands, still wearing thering, and the insignia from your tunics, will be evidence enough toconvince our commanding officer that we have fulfilled our mission."
"Quite!" Freddy added in a brittle voice. "True, we may be killed as werace to reach our unit hiding in the woods. But that's the chance wetake. _They_ will reach our dead bodies, at least. And our commandingofficer will see the severed hands, and the Staff rings, and theinsignia from your tunics. He will know that we _have_ performed ourassignment."
"Why waste time?" Dave suddenly asked impatiently, and gestured with hisCommando knife. "These two don't fear death that much. They'd neveragree to the _other_ way."
Dave was only making blind shots in the dark, but he prayed that Freddywouldn't speak. And his prayer was answered. Freddy didn't say a word.He simply kept staring at the Germans and let the torment of silence doits stuff. And it did, right up to the hilt. Dave could almost lookinside the skulls of the two Germans, and see the wheels spinning over.It was a case of the shoe being on the other foot, for those two.Hideous slaughter, and death, were part of their training. But it wassomething that _they_ ordered, or performed. To torture and maim beyondthe point of human endurance was fun for them. They loved it. It was amajor part of their rotten lives; their vile existence on earth.
But the shoe was on the other foot _now_. They were to be on thereceiving end of their own type of work. They weren't up against trainedsoldiers who killed, or captured, and sent their prisoners to a warcamp. They were up against a new kind of enemy in this war. TheCommando! The Commando trained to fight them at their own kind ofbattle, but with far, far more devastating effect. The Commando! Thevery name struck terror these days to any German's heart. Motionlessshadows in the night who killed you before you could part your lips tocry out. Black phantoms who came and went like flashes of lightning.Tough men, hard as nails, who pressed triggers and _then_ took a look tosee what they'd bagged. And a good many times they didn't even bother tolook. The Commando! The warrior who carried death in either hand, andcould let it fly from any angle, and in any spot!
That's what Dave saw those two German high rankers thinking. He saw thefear mount in them. The first signs were a faint twitching of the lips,then throat muscles swallowing, and then fingers quivering slightly. Andlastly, beads of sweat becoming too heavy, and trickling downward overthe skin of their faces. Yes, the Germans were trained soldiers. Theycould not be classed as rank cowards. They did have a courage of theirown. But this? The shoe was on the other foot, _this_ time!
"What is the other way?" von Staube suddenly croaked at Dave.
The Yank let him stew a little longer, and then spoke to Freddy withoutturning his head.
"You tell him," he said. "You're in command here."
"Quite a simple way," Dave heard his English pal say. "You can come withus, if you don't wish us to _take_ the evidence with us."
Both Germans smiled. They were suddenly very relieved and happy. Davehad a funny feeling in the middle of his stomach, but Freddy spokeagain, and the funny feeling went away.
"Pleases you, eh?" the English youth murmured. "Sorry, but it won't workout quite that way. No one will see us leave. That is, I hope not, foryour sakes. This rear door--we're leaving that way. If we meet anybody,you will be wise to do nothing. Not a sign or a look. We will be withyou, very close. You see these Commando knives? We spent hourssharpening them. Quite a scientific process, you know. And so effective.The blade goes in and up at a slant, just missing the backbone. Theneedle tip punctures the heart. Not too much, of course. They trained usthoroughly, you know. And--But why should I explain to you two? You knowall about that sort of thing, of course. Death comes so slowly--and sofrightfully painfully. Worse than a bullet in the stomach, they say. Ofcourse, if that _has_ to happen, then my comrade and I will have toshoot whoever is in our way--collect our bits of evidence as quickly aswe can--and run for it. I fancy we'll make it close enough to the woodsto be reached by the others. I hope your other chaps will give us adecent funeral. We're Christians, you know. We're--"
"Enough, enough!" von Staube got out in a strangled voice. "You do notneed to paint the picture, you swine. We will do as you say. We are yourprisoners. _Ja! Ja!_ Is not that plain enough?"
Freddy didn't answer. He gave them some more of the silence treatment.So Dave played another random shot.
"I don't know." He spoke in German out of the corner of his mouth atFreddy. "I don't trust _any_ German. Why run the additional risks?Besides, taking them back to England simply means that our side willhave to feed them. That's wasting good food. I'm all for--"
"No! Not that! We are your prisoners. We throw ourselves upon yourmercy!"
The last tiny shred of courage in von Gault had been melted away. TheLuftwaffe Marshal was half insane with terror. He was trembling like aleaf, and at the same time striving frantically to still his muscles forfear that he might be maimed and slain on the spot.
"Very well," Freddy Farmer spoke up. "You come with us, then. Watch thema minute, Dave. I have a small job to do. Hands behind your backs, youtoo. Quick about it!"
The high ranking Nazis instantly obeyed. Freddy Farmer slipped behindthem, and as Dave stood guard the English youth bound their wrists withthe wire he took from his own tunic pocket. He straightened up and movedclose to the Luftwaffe Captain, who had been silent as a tomb andscared stiff as a post all the while. Freddy made a little motion withhis gun and Commando knife.
"Come out into the hall with me," he told the quaking German. "In frontof me. I'll be right behind. I say, Dave, just keep an eye on those two,will you? Be back in a minute, or less."
And with a quick look, and a wink for Dave, Freddy Farmer herded theLuftwaffe Captain through the door and out into the hallway.