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“I suppose that has to be considered.”
“As Donovan joked—and I’m pretty sure he did not mean it seriously—‘Shoot them all and let the Lord sort them out.’ Because he then admitted that the downside of that was they wouldn’t be tried as war criminals.”
Stevens nodded, then said, “So, what do you want to do with this? We can get to Kappler’s wife and daughter reasonably easily. But it’s getting out of Germany—and especially out of Berlin—with two grown women watched by the Gestapo that’s going to be the challenge.”
Bruce nodded thoughtfully. He was about to open his mouth to speak when he heard a knock at the door.
“We are not to be disturbed!” Bruce said instead, his voice angry and impatient.
Captain Dancy’s voice came from the other side of the door: “Harrison has an Operational Immediate Eyes Only for you, Colonel.”
Bruce looked at Stevens.
“Oh, hell,” he said, “now what?”
Stevens shrugged.
Bruce raised his voice. “Bring it in!”
Dancy opened the door and held it open as Captain Tom Harrison, the five-foot-one ninety-nine-pound thirty-two-year-old chief of the commo room, purposefully marched in and stopped before the desk. He saluted crisply.
“Colonel, sir,” he said, “an Eyes Only Operational Immediate for you.”
“So I hear. Let’s see what you’ve got,” Dulles said, gesturing impatiently with his right hand Let me have it.
Harrison first extended a clipboard with a sheet titled “Receipt for Classified Document.” When Bruce had signed it, Harrison handed him a document with a TOP SECRET cover sheet on it.
“That’ll be all, Harrison, thank you,” Bruce said.
“Yes, sir, Colonel,” Harrison said, saluted, turned on his heels, and marched out. Dancy pulled the door shut.
Bruce scanned the message, made a face, then thrust the sheet at Stevens.
Stevens took it and read:
* * *
TOP SECRET
OPERATIONAL IMMEDIATE
X STATION CHIEF
FILE
COPY NO. 1
OF 1 COPY ONLY
31MAY43
OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR OSS WASHINGTON
FOR OSS LONDON EYES ONLY BRUCE STEVENS
QUOTE
1. OSS LONDON DIRECTED AS HIGHEST PRIORITY TO SUPPORT WITH ALL MEANS AVAILABLE OSS BERN’S REQUESTED CONTINGENCY RESCUE PLAN.
