“I did no such thing.”
“We have several witnesses; they have given statements.”
“I want to speak to somebody from my embassy. I am an American, a neutral.”
“A neutral? We’re not at war with anybody, Miss Endeavours, and you are not under diplomatic protection that I am aware of.”
Enough of this act, Schmidt. Aubrey fidgeted nervously. “Still, I want representation.”
“Leave us,” the captain barked at the two men behind her.
“Listen,” she said quietly after the others had left. “That other night, at the count’s mansion. I don’t know how we can proceed.”
“I don’t know what you are talking about.”
“Oh, really? When we were in the study. You approached me.” She watched his face for any sign of a reaction. There was none. “Listen, just forget it. They can get the information out some other way. Just let me go, and we’ll call it a day.”
“Again, you are speaking in some strange language.”
“I know who you are, who you’re working for. I won’t say anything, I promise. That is why you separated me from the others, isn’t it? To help me. I appreciate it, really, I do, but all this talk of crimes and witnesses… You had me worried there for a second.”
A fiery spark lit up the captain’s eyes. He crushed his cigarette out under the heel of his black gleaming boot, then suddenly he kicked out at Aubrey, sending her flying off her chair. She went sprawling across the stone floor. He was on her fast, hauled her back up on her feet.
“Please,” she said.
He punched her in the stomach, driving the wind out of her and sending her back to her knees. He rained blows down on her back, then picked her up again, his hands around her throat.
“No, you won’t say anything at all,” he hissed between clenched teeth. His face was scarlet with rage. His hands tightened, and Aubrey felt the air choke off as her lungs sucked desperately for air. She beat her fists against his arms, to no avail. Darkness shrouded her vision, and all she could think of was her father. She was going to die in this stinking room at the hands of this monster.
She didn’t hear the sound of the door opening or the shouts of alarm, or see the arms of the man who grabbed the captain and pull him away. When his hands were free of her throat, she collapsed to the floor and tried to drag in air. Things went black and she passed out.
20
Aubrey awoke to the throbbing sound of the count’s Mercedes. Moving, whirling lights sped past her eyes, which were just slits. She felt hot and cramped. When she tried to shift herself, waves of pain cascaded through her body, making the previous discomfort seem trivial.
She forced her eyes open and saw the thick red-carpet divider. Then she saw his feet out of the corner of her vision.
“You’re awake.”
“Yes,” she managed to squeak out with tremendous difficulty.
“Do you want to sit up?”
“I do.”
She felt his arms around her, and powerfully but slowly he helped ease her into an upright position. Her head spun and she had to close her eyes. Every part of her body ached, but her throat most of all. She put a hand to it; it was tender,
“That bastard did quite a number on you. I’m glad I got there when I did.”
“You made him stop?”
“Yes, I made him. I would have killed him had his men not been there. You were nearly gone. I thought I’d lost you. I carried you unconscious out of that hell hole.”
“Thanks.”
“Do you want something to drink? Water perhaps?”
“Whiskey,” she said, “and Aspirin if you have it.”
“If you insist.” He leaned forward and retrieved a crystal lowball glass and fixed her a whiskey. He even had ice. From a metal container in the bar, he extracted two pills. “You’re in luck. I keep these here for when I’ve gone too hard the night before.”
She swallowed the bitter pills and washed them down with the strong whiskey. It made her choke, and her throat hurt.
“How do I look?”
“Not your best, but you’re alive.”
“How did you know I was there?”
“I was informed. I think that maniac was stunned when I came bursting in. I knew I had to get you out of there quickly before he regained himself and stopped me.”
“He was trying to kill me.”
“It looked that way, yes. What did you say that provoked him?”
“Nothing. I don’t remember.”
But that was a lie: she did remember. She remembered the look on Agent Starlight’s face when she’d brought up the notion of him being a spy for England. He’d probably taken personal charge of her incarceration so he could silence her. And there she was, with her chivalrous notions that he had just been trying to protect her. That animal. The only truly chivalrous man in Berlin, perhaps all of Germany, was sitting beside her now.
“Where are we going?”
“I’m getting you out of Berlin, taking you to my home in Bavaria.”
“Why not France?”
“That would be inadvisable at present. Your name is still on a list of suspects. They may be waiting for you at the border with more men and more authority than I can overcome. No, we’ll retreat south and I’ll try and find a way out of this.”
It was early morning when they finally arrived at the count’s home in Berchtesgaden. Aubrey had finished her whiskey, and it had helped her sleep for most of the twelve-hour journey. The winding road up into the mountains afforded spectacular views of the Alps. There seemed to be an endless abundance of mountains. The spinning, twisting road with its steep drops over the edge made Aubrey feel like she was flying.
“What do you think?” the count said.
“My word, it’s wonderful. How high up are we?”
“Eight thousand
