"Does he have a real name?"

Donovan pretended not to hear the question, and instead said: "What Tiny really is, is a pipeline to those in Hitler's High Command who believe the war is all but lost. Wilhelm Canaris is one, and posted him in Switzerland to reach out to the Allies. He went first to the Brits, but they dismissed him as untrustworthy, mostly due to him having been in the Gestapo. Then he approached Dulles, who cautiously took a chance. And it's paid off. He fed us intel on von Braun. . . ."

He paused to see if Roosevelt recognized the name.

"The scientist who Hitler has building those self-powered bombs," FDR said.

". . . Wernher Magnus Maximilian von Braun," Donovan confirmed. "Baron von Braun is brilliant. He's building what they're calling 'aerial torpedoes'-flying bombs with pulse-jet engines and rockets fueled by alcohol and liquid oxygen-the ones that Goebbels is screaming will wipe out London as soon as this December. The intel says that von Braun also is a major player on the team that is developing jet engines for the Luftwaffe's fighters. And because of the von Braun connection, we have been told that both projects are being carried out at the same site. That may or may not be the case, but regardless, we have yet to pinpoint any facility."

Roosevelt puffed on his cigarette, exhaled, then said, "Churchill, while he'd never admit to it, is practically soiling his tartan shorts over London being attacked. If it's only propaganda, then it's damn effective."

"I'm afraid it's more than propaganda. Hitler is mad as hell and wants nothing more than to do to London what our bombs are doing to German cities. Especially if that can lead to the breaking of the Brits."

FDR grunted. "A flying bomb suddenly blowing up in London-"

"Bombs plural, Frank," Donovan interrupted. "Potentially hundreds at once. We know that these new aerial torpedoes are being tested. And, if the numbers are accurate, then they are capable of covering two hundred miles in under fifteen minutes. Which means they could launch from France and strike Big Ben-or anywhere in London; Canidy suggested Number Ten as a target-before anyone could begin to respond. And even if there was time, it's practically impossible to intercept something going more than three thousand miles an hour."

Roosevelt, ignoring the informality, nodded and said, "Three thousand miles an hour? Is that credible?"

"Call it half that, a third that. The fact is the self-propelled bombs-whatever their speed-are being developed. And each one is said to be able to carry a ton of TNT."

"Now, that would indeed strike terror," FDR said, then was quiet as he pulled on his fishing pole, seemingly checking his lure.

Donovan went on: "There is another possibility with these aerial torpedoes that hasn't been mentioned."

"Another?" FDR turned. "What?"

"Canidy found in Sicily, you'll recall, that one method of delivering the Tabun was with a howitzer round-"

"You're suggesting," FDR interrupted, "that that bastard Hitler now plans to put nerve gas in those flying torpedoes?"

When Donovan reported to Roosevelt that Canidy had discovered not only that the Germans had the capability to fire Tabun in 105mm shells from light field howitzers, causing death on a massive scale, but also that the SS continued a germ warfare experiment with yellow fever that had begun in the Dachau concentration camp, FDR had been furious.

Roosevelt adamantly did not want to fight a war using such cruel weapons. But he was prepared, as he'd threatened the Axis, "to retaliate in kind" should the enemy violate the Geneva Protocol that prohibited their use. To that end the President had ordered the U.S. Army to secretly produce tons of chemical warfare munitions at arsenals in Colorado and Arkansas, then stockpile them in secret locations.

"What I'm saying," Donovan went on, "is that Canidy brought that up as a 'what if' when we spoke in London. As he said, 'It's possible, but is it probable?'"

Roosevelt took a long puff on his cigarette, then exhaled audibly.

"And that really would scare hell out of Churchill. And everyone else. But especially Winston. You know what he said . . ."

He met Donovan's eyes.

Donovan said: "That if the Germans use it he would 'in a moment float Berlin away on a cloud of mustard gas.'"

"And we'd have a helluva time stopping him from doing so," FDR said.

"I'm not sure he'd have the opportunity to do so," Donovan said bluntly, "not if London suddenly is leveled and its population dying from nerve gas."

Roosevelt raised his right eyebrow, then said, "Good point. I'm surprised this was not discussed more during Churchill's visit." He paused, then added, his tone thickly sarcastic, "You don't think that that was intentional on the Honorable Prime Minister's part-that he didn't want us to know what he might be doing about it?"

British Prime Minister Winston Churchill had left Washington two days earlier, after having met with FDR for the Trident planning conference that covered the next strategic moves against Italy and Germany. Churchill now was en route to Algiers to meet with General Eisenhower.

"That certainly cannot be dismissed," Donovan said. "Our cousins, while professing to be our equals in this war, conveniently keep a lot of things to themselves."

"I've noticed," FDR said drily.

"Whatever the case, it has to do with 'the Prof.' He has told Churchill that 'it's absolutely utterly impossible' for anyone-and certainly not the Germans-to have developed such bombs. And because Churchill knows Professor Lindemann's almost maniacal hatred of Hitler is unmatched, and that he would not underestimate the Nazis, Churchill believes him unquestionably. Therefore he doesn't address it."

The fifty-seven-year-old Frederick Lindemann, First Viscount Cherwell, was personal assistant to the prime minister. The highly opinionated physicist wielded an extraordinary influence as the chief adviser on all matters scientific.

"What I do know," Donovan went on, "is that when David Bruce and I spoke with Ike in London, he shared his fear that if any of these new bombs hit there we can forget about any chance of staging the cross-channel invasion. Ike tried to go into France with Operation Roundup, but Churchill would have nothing to do with it because of War One-specifically the memory of sixty thousand Brits dead on the first day of the Somme Offensive still painfully fresh. I know that you are aware that that's why Churchill pushed instead for this Italian Campaign, for the 'soft underbelly.' . . ."

Donovan looked for a long moment at FDR, until the President met his eyes and nodded.

"Frank, without Normandy we very likely could be facing the turning point in the war. Especially if Hitler bombs London and-"

"Damn it, Bill!" FDR interrupted, poking at him with his cigarette holder. "Don't you go and start sounding like Joe Kennedy, too! This is not what I wanted to hear. . . ."

"You know that I'm not a goddamn defeatist, Frank. I agree with Ike; I know we can win this war. We have to win this war. And I'm telling you the truth about what you need to know, not what I think you want to hear. You'll recall that that was why you said you put me in this job."

FDR, silently staring off into the distance, puffed on his cigarette until it burned down to the holder. He turned back to Donovan and met his eyes.

"Do whatever necessary to stop those flying bombs, Bill. Keep Canidy on it-sounds like the perfect job for a loose cannon-and anyone else . . . everyone else."

Donovan nodded. "As to the rockets, we've already been in contact with Professor Goddard-"

"The famous physicist? That Goddard?" He gestured toward the east. "Isn't he over in Annapolis?"

"That's the one. Robert H. Goddard. He has a lab in Annapolis, where he's doing research for the Navy. Before the war, von Braun contacted Goddard, whose scientific papers he admired, to discuss the concepts of the building of rockets. Goddard has nothing but praise for von Braun-for his great ability as a scientist, that is."

The President grunted, then took a sip of his cocktail.

"I started by asking about Sicily," the President said. "Get back to that."

Donovan said: "I know I'm probably repeating myself here, but in short, after Canidy blew up the yellow fever lab, he made sure that the cargo ship transporting the Tabun was destroyed. Specifically, it was sunk by torpedo."

FDR nodded.

Donovan added: "There has been no known fallout from either event."

"What I really want to know," Roosevelt then said, gesturing give me more with his hand, "is what do we know about why the Tabun was in Sicily?"

Donovan said: "What we know comes from two sources. One, from Canidy, whose connections in Palermo had access to the SS office there. And, two, from the Abwehr, from Admiral Canaris's agent Tiny, who told us that SS-Obersturmbannfuhrer Oskar Kappler, the number two SS man in Messina, knew about all the SS operations on Sicily, including the secret plans for chemical and biological weapons. Their information was the same: that the gas was never meant to be used offensively. It was staged only for insurance."

"Who exactly is this Kappler? Can his word be trusted?"

Donovan nodded again.

"We have no reason to doubt it. Kappler comes from a wealthy Ruhr Valley family with a lot to lose. Among other companies they own, Kappler Industrie GmbH is the chief provider of coke and other key engine-building materials to Mann and Daimler-Benz. His father, Wolfgang, was a business associate of Fritz Thyssen-"

"I know Thyssen," Roosevelt interrupted. "He's the steel industrialist."

"Right."

"Years ago he approached my cousin Teddy with a business deal in South America-you know how much time Teddy spent in that part of the world. Thyssen had-still has-companies all over, which turned out to be smart planning considering that Hitler nationalized his German companies, especially his steel plants in Ruhr. That was after Thyssen soured on Hitler's vision of a Thousand-Year Reich and fled the country with his family. Teddy said that, despite the mistake of supporting Hitler early on, he was a decent man."

"Well, it all ties in," Donovan went on, "because Canaris also is tight with Wolffy Kappler. I would say that Kappler wants his businesses operating again during peacetime-as well as ending the destruction of the Fatherland-and would be willing to help Canaris and his group take out Hitler to accomplish that. And, failing that, to help Canaris land on his feet after the Thousand-Year Reich collapses. Before the war, Thyssen had been seen with Wolffy Kappler inspecting the industrial docks at Buenos Aires."

"Is that so? Now, that's interesting. Argentina was one of the countries Teddy said was involved in Thyssen's business offer."

"That would not surprise me; there is a lot of interest in quote neutral unquote Argentina. But getting back to the Tabun. SS-Obersturmbannfuhrer Kappler had no intention of allowing the gas munitions to be used-and hid them-because, we believe, he doesn't want the war to become any worse-he, too, believes it's all but over-and because he's making plans to get the hell out of Dodge."

"Explaining his father being sighted in Argentina."

"Exactly."

"Let's just hope that's the case with all the other stockpiles of Tabun."

"We can try and find out," Donovan said.

"Do it. You're one of the few I can tell, Bill, that that gas scares the hell out of me. Even the gas we're stockpiling. One mistake and . . ."

Donovan nodded solemnly.

"We're already working on it, Mr. President."

"Okay, now what is it you said you wanted to tell me about Poland?"

Donovan reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out two folded sheets. He unfolded them, then handed them to FDR.

"You can see for yourself."

The President looked at it and began reading:

TOP SECRET.

30MAY43 1000.

FOR OSS WASHINGTON.

EYES ONLY GEN DONOVAN.

FROM OSS LONDON.

BEGIN QUOTE.

OUR SOURCE SAYS SAUSAGEMAKER AND TEAM SPENT FOUR DAYS RECONNING AREA AND FACILITY NEAR BLIZNA. CONSTRUCTION OF CONCENTRATION CAMP -- WHICH APPEARS ALMOST HALF COMPLETE -- IS OVERSEEN BY ELEMENTS OF SS USING FORCED LABOR. THESE PRISONERS, DIVERTED FROM SS-RUN CONCENTRATION CAMPS, ARE STARVED AND WORKED TO THEIR DEATH. BOXCARS BRING NEW PRISONERS EVERY OTHER DAY.

SAUSAGEMAKER'S TEAM STAGED A NIGHTTIME AMBUSH TRYING TO RESCUE A TRAINLOAD OF INCOMING PRISONERS. BUT THE TRAIN THEY ATTACKED TURNED OUT TO BE A VIP TRAIN WITH ONLY A SINGLE LUXURY CAR. ITS PASSENGERS WERE AN SS-STURMBANNFUHRER AND HIS THREE SS BODYGUARDS. ALL NOW DEAD. SS-STURMBANNFUHRER SWALLOWED SUICIDE PILL.

WE ARE HAVING IDENTITY CARDS CHECKED BY TINY AT OSS BERN. WILL SEND FOLLOW-UP MESSAGE WHEN ID CARDS ARE CONFIRMED.

SAUSAGEMAKER TORCHED TRAIN WITH DEAD SS ABOARD THEN BLEW UP TRAIN TRACK. TEAM LAYING LOW TO AVOID ANY SS PAYBACK.

BRUCE.

END QUOTE.

TOP SECRET.

Roosevelt looked up from the message, took a gulp of his gin and tonic, then said, "Jesus Christ! Another concentration camp? Is there no end to the heinous crimes these goddamn Krauts commit?"

Donovan shook his head.

"Who is Sausagemaker?" FDR said.

"He's a Pole-explaining where Canidy came up with his code name-a young man of twenty-two or -three. And he's in the Polish Home Army, leading the resistance in southern Poland. He barely escaped the Nazi slaughter in the Warsaw ghetto uprising. The rest of his family wasn't so fortunate."

"What is the significance of this SS officer?"

"Other than the obvious-that he was in some capacity in charge of the new camp the SS is building in southern Poland-we don't know yet."

"The sabotage of the track should help, no?"

"A little. Depending on the damage, the Germans have been able to make repairs in as little as four hours."

"Then what is it that you want to do?"