“And you have concluded?”
“That for the immediate future, until time passes, it would be best if we just lay low, do nothing that would call attention to us. Then, as I said, when time passes we can begin our work.”
Mannhoffer didn’t reply for a long moment.
“I, too, had a good deal of time to consider our situation,” he began finally. “On that gottverdammt U-boot. There’s not much else to do on a U-boat. Well, I initially came to the same conclusion. But then I thought a little deeper.”
“Yes, sir?”
“I realized that disappearing into the woodwork was not the thing to do. We have to have continuity, Richter. Continuity.”
“I’m afraid I don’t understand, sir.”
“We have to be a continuation of the Third Reich, of National Socialism, not a small group of former National Socialists who, after escaping to Argentina, decided to see what they could do about bringing National Socialism back. People have to believe we are members of the Third Reich continuing to fight its battles.”
“Yes, sir. Sir, how are we going to do this?”
“By doing what soldiers always do in a war, Richter. By killing our enemies and our traitors.”
Richter did not reply.
“The image of ourselves in the public’s imagination that I intend to build is of a secret organization—a large secret organization—dedicated to the maintenance of National Socialist principles. Now, try to follow my reasoning. We will eliminate someone, say von Wachtstein. No one will know who did it. But they will wonder, ‘Who did this and why?’
“And they will first remember that he was a traitor to the Reich when he was an attaché at the embassy. ‘Is it possible he was killed for being a traitor?’ they will ask, and then they will answer their own question.”
“Yes, I see.”
“But caution is the handmaid of victory, Richter. Whatever we do cannot fail. Therefore I think we should start with the von Tresmarcks. Give us a little practice, so to speak. How many SS are in Paraguay?”
“Twenty-two, sir. I should have included them in the number of those who are immediately subordinate to us. Two junior officers and twenty other ranks. I just don’t know how many SS there are in Paraguay not officially subordinate to us.”
“Find out. What I intend to do is make sure that the SS who mistakenly believe they are ‘not officially subordinate’ to me are reminded, forcibly if need be, that I am the senior SS officer in Argentina and Paraguay—actually in all of South America.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Is Fassbinder capable of going there and taking charge of the SS we now control in a mission to locate von Tresmarck, eliminate him, and recover the cash von Deitzberg gave him? Or would you prefer to do that yourself?”
“I’m sure Fassbinder can handle it.”
“Tell him not to kill the boyfriend. Rough him up. Badly rough him up, but leave him alive so the word will get out the SS punished von Tresmarck.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And locate Frau von Tresmarck—or whatever she is calling herself these days. In this regard, while she will have to be eliminated eventually, I would like to recover the Confidential Special Fund assets before we do that. So, for the moment, just locate her.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Is this tailor Fassbinder went to fetch any good?”
“Very good, sir.”
“I simply can’t go around looking like this,” Mannhoffer said. “It would attract the wrong kind of attention.”
[FOUR]
4730 Avenida Libertador General San Martín
Buenos Aires, Argentina