A plan began to hatch in Messner’s mind. He smiled again at the thought.
In the end he decided that he would go after Bauer himself. With any luck, this could be accomplished in a few hours. Messner wouldn’t even be missed.
There was more than one way this could go. It remained possible that Bauer could be taken from the Americans and returned to Germany for proper treatment at the hands of the SS or Gestapo. In Messner’s mind, there was no doubt that Bauer was nothing but a traitor.
But recapturing Bauer might prove difficult, and he might be able to talk his way out of any accusations that he had given up the fight too soon.
Better yet, Bauer would never make it anywhere but would simply become another body by the roadside.
Either way, Bauer would be quite surprised to see him again. It would be the last thing he would expect. Messner smiled coldly at the thought.
He could have lied to himself and called his plan one of military importance, an effort to prevent strategic information from falling into Allied hands. But if he was being honest with himself, the simple truth of the matter was that Messner wanted revenge.
Looking around, he spotted Obergefreiter Dietzel and Gettinger, and waved them over. Both men were never far away. After explaining what he wanted to do, he was pleased to see that both men seemed game. In fact, Dietzel wore a slight smile that suggested he was also imagining the look on Bauer’s face when they caught up to him. If their Hauptmann believed that Bauer was a traitor, then they believed it too.
It was likely that Bauer and his escort would take the road toward where the Germans knew the Allied command to be located. This road was not far from Messner’s current position. With any luck, Messner and his men would find them on that road and return within a few hours.
If his informant was correct, the Americans were being quite foolhardy. Much of the city remained surrounded. The patrol escorting Bauer would likely have to fight its way out.
The Americans must be desperate to spirit Bauer away, taking a huge chance in doing so.
Timing was everything, but if they could only get in position ahead of Bauer and his escorts, their odds would improve.
In fact, Messner planned to bring those odds closer to zero. To do so, they would need to hurry if they hoped to intercept Bauer and his escort.
Hauptmann Messner wasted no time commandeering a Kübelwagen for their use. “We need to get into position right away,” he said, getting in the back with Dietzel, who kept his sniper rifle propped between his knees, the butt resting on the toe of his right boot to cushion it from the bumps in the road.
Gettinger took the wheel. The scent of gasoline lingered in the air as the Kübelwagen’s engine roared to life, contrasting sharply with the fresh winter air. Along with the gasoline smell was the sharp, metallic scent of weapons and other gear, ready to be used at a moment’s notice.
Messner clapped Gettinger on the shoulder and urged,
The tires of the Kübelwagen spun in the frozen slush, showering some nearby Soldaten with icy mud and evoking a few curses. But then the sturdy vehicle gained traction and shot down the road, carrying the soldiers on their mission of revenge.
Messner had chosen two of his most loyal and dependable men to accompany him. There were others he could have taken, but this might be the kind of mission that could not be talked about later. These two knew to keep their mouths shut.
He was glad to have Obergefreiter Gerhard Dietzel with him in particular. The man was a highly capable sniper, the unit’s designated Jaeger — a word that translated as
He had seen Dietzel at work — the way that he had managed to pick off the escaping POW before he got into the trees was just an example of his skill with a rifle. Messner had seen the man drop targets at distances that did not seem possible. One thing for certain, he was glad he had never been in the Jaeger’s rifle sights.
Not for the first time, Messner could feel Dietzel’s gaze on him, evaluating his every move, his every decision. That was Dietzel for you, always watching, always the observer. He had been trained well by the Wehrmacht’s sniper school. Those skills had been put to use more times than Messner could count.
The sniper’s reputation was well known among the soldiers, to the point that he had become something of a legend among the men, and his presence gave Messner confidence that their mission would be successful.
Dietzel never asked for much, but Messner thought it wise to throw his dog a bone now and then. He turned to Dietzel and said, “Obergefreiter, your precision and accuracy are unparalleled. You are a force to be reckoned with.”
“I am only doing my duty, sir,” Dietzel replied.
“With your help, we will make short work of this traitor and the Americans escorting him.”
“You can count on me, Herr Hauptmann.”
