Willie's War Ch. 05

Willie's pulse lurched wildly and he gaped. "England! But I've never been there in my life before."

Hermann Strasser shuffled his feet. "We know you can speak their language. It will take a little time to complete our arrangements, and while we wait I'll ensure you attend a course of tuition with an excellent coach to sharpen you up."

"And you should study the way of English politics too. That will be important." continued Naujocks. "The Fuehrer as recently taken on the Bolsheviks and he wants an end to the war in the West. The British have stood alone for the past year and cannot win. Our U-boat campaign in the Atlantic is slowly starving their population, but Herr Hitler is becoming impatient.

"The Fuehrer as no argument with them, nor has he ever wished them harm. He no longer considers how to win a war against them, but only how rapidly he can end a war that is already won. They are already defeated, but their administration as fallen into the hands of a gang of warmongers who refuse to acknowledge reality.

"The Fuehrer is a kind man in victory and admires British pluck. He dislikes the relentless bombing of their cities and grieves at killing so many children and their mothers. You are a sensitive individual. You can sympathise with what I'm saying, can't you, Willie?"

Another nod from Willie Froehlich, but less perceptible than the first. "But I am not important. How can you expect me to succeed in something in which the Deputy Fuehrer has failed?"

The senior officer pursed his mouth. "Herr Hess went at this thing like a bull at a gate, but we won't make that mistake. Forget about approaches to their king and such nonsense, there is a significant anti-war faction in England that only needs encouragement to make itself known. A great many of the English upper-classes approved of Hitler's policies before the outbreak of war, and I have selected one of them for you to ingratiate yourself with. He is a Member of Parliament who regularly socialises with influential people, and you must convince him that there is a chance for honourable peace. It's as simple as that."

"It would be dangerous for me to go there." Willie exclaimed tremulously, "The British would consider me a spy, and spies are executed in times of war."

"Only if they're caught. You'll need to take that chance." he was told brusquely. "The war rages on more than one front, but this is your chance to alleviate the suffering of a great many people, and it is a chance to serve your country."

Naujocks looked around at the bare walls. "Look at it this way. Our beloved Geheime Staatspolizei are above the law and can do as they wish. The outlook for you in this place is bleak if you don't wish to agree."

Once outside in the street Willie was put into the back of a waiting car, and Hermann instructed the driver where to take him. As the car pulled away from the kerb he looked at his companion.

"Well, the tart agrees to comply with our wishes. Do you think anything will come of it?"

Naujocks signalled his own car forward with a wave of his hand. "It's a long shot, but worth a try. If she – he can make a few British politicians think seriously about their hopeless situation things could escalate to our advantage. If the pervert actually succeeds in bringing about a peace settlement, he'll be a hero and the Fuehrer will pin a medal on his tits. If he fails... well, the bitch is expendable."