'It's him!'
The young commandos leapt to their feet. Natterman tried to sit up,
then lay back groaning.
'Get a pen and paper,' Stern ordered. 'Write down everything I tell
you.'
Hauer looked at Gadi Abrams, who stood ready to copy down every syllable
he repeated. 'We're ready,' he said.
'Go ahead.'
Stern spoke in a rapid whisper. 'I'm being held at a private estate in
the northern Transvaal. It's situated halfway between the Kruger
National Park and a village called Giyani. Have you got that?'
'Got it.'
'The house belongs to a man named Thomas Alfred Horn, H-O-R-N.'
'H-O-R-N, Thomas Alfred Horn.'
Behind Hauer, Professor Natterman gasped. His right arm shot out and
caught Hauer's sleeve. 'Captain!'
'Hold it, Stern. The professor-' 'What did you say?' Natterman
croaked.' What name did you just say?'
Gadi read from his notes. 'Horn, Thomas Alfred. H-O-R-N.'
'Mother of God. It can't be.'
'Go on, Stern,' Hauer said angrily. 'I think the professor is
hallucinating.'
'No, he recognizes the name.'
'He's alive!' Natterman cried. 'I was right! Hess is alive!'
Hauer pulled away from Natterman's grasp. 'Stern, the professor's
yelling about Rudolf Hess.'
'You can tell the old fool he was right. Rudolf Hess is alive and
reasonably well. He is also quite mad.'
Natterman clawed at Hauer. 'Give me the phone, Captain!'
Hauer held the receiver away. 'Stern said to tell you that you were
right, Professor. That Rudolf Hess is alive. I think you're both mad.'
Natterman shook his head. 'Perfectly sane, Captain. I understand it
all now, every wretched bit of it. Alfred Horn was the name Hess'_
double gave the farmer when he first '@chuted into Scotland. My God,
it's so obvious!'
'Hauer!' Stern snapped, his voice strained. 'Forget about @,Hess.
We've got a crisis here.'
'I'm listening.'
'Mounting a rescue along the lines we discussed is no longer an option.
Whatever security forces Hess has here, they were sufficient to repel a
determined attack by a force larger than yours. The stakes have gone
up, Hauer, up beyond belief. Yesterday you a@ked me what I was after.
Well, I've found it. Last night Frau Apfel witnessed negotiations
between Hess and a group of Arabs for a nuclear weapon.'
Hauer's eyes met Gadi's. The young Israeli was watching him like a cat.
'I haven't seen the weapon myself,' Stern continued, 'but I have no
doubt whatsoever that it exists.'
'What about HansT' Hauer asked. 'And Ilse. Are they still alive?'
'They are. But if you want to see your son alive again 40 Captain, this
is what you must do. Go to the Union Building-that's the huge
government building on the hill in central Pretoria. It's floodlit
every night. On the diird floor you will find the office of General
Jaap Steyn, chief of the National Intelligence Service. That's
S-T-E-Y-N. Jaap Steyn is a friend to me and to Israel. Explain the
situation in the way you think best, but you tell him he needs to mount
an assault of sufficient strength to reduce a fortified position.
You're at least four hours away from me now, so you'll need to move
fast. And keep Hess's name out of this altogether, From this moment on
we speak only of Alfred Horn.'
'Just a damned minute,' Hauer protested. 'You think T.
can waltz into the offices of South African Intelligence and demand a
paramilitary operation on the basis of wild accusations?
They'll laugh me out of the building. If they don't clap me in irons
first.'
'They'll have no choice but to cooperate,' Stern said evenly. 'My name
should be sufficient to get Jaap Steyn moving, but in case it's not, I'm
going to give you some information that will ensure his cooperation.
Write down every single word of this.'
Hauer signaled Gadi to hand over the pen and paper.
Stern spoke slowly. 'There now exists between the Republic of South
Africa and the State of Israel a secret military contingency plan called
Aliyah Beth-Gadi can spell it for you later. In Hebrew, Aliyah Beth
means 'going up to Zion.' This plan mandates the clandestine removal of
...' 1
Hauer's throat went dry as Stern proceeded to describe in detail the
most sensitive protocol of the secret nuclear agreements between the
Republic of South Africa and the State of Israel. 'Is that true?'
he asked, when Stern had finished.
'Captain, with that information you will be able to blackmail General
Steyn into giving you anything you want.'
'Or force him to shoot me.'
'No. To avoid that, leave Yosef behind at the hotel. Tell General
Steyn that if you don't check in with Yosef by telephone at prearranged
times, he will forward the details of Plan Aliyah Beth to the Western
press.'
Hauer sighed heavily. 'I'm sorry, Stern. Yosef is dead.
And Professor Natterman is wounded. Some Russians found us.
We've got corpses piled in the bathroom like firewood.'
'Leave Aaron at the hotel instead,' Stern said tersely.
'The Russians also got hold of our photos of the Spandau papers,' Hauer
confessed.
'You thick-headed Kraut!' Stern exploded. 'Those rags mean nothing
now! You just get those troops out here!'
Hauer forced down his anger. 'Listen, Stern, South African Intelligence
isn't going to give in to blackmail no matter what I threaten them with.
German Intelligence wouldn't.'
'You must force them to. I've given you the leverage. But be careful.
Horn didn't gain access to a nuclear weapon by playing recluse up in the
Transvaal. He's probably a key figure in their defense industries.
