And the train wreak that is Europe just keeps getting unimaginably worst.
Meanwhile:
*Stalin laughing intensifies*
Feel the Bearn - A Timeline of France's Only Carrier in WWII and Beyond
- Thread starter Seafort
- Start date
Meanwhile:
*Stalin laughing intensifies*
Chapter 9 - A Plan for Morgenthau
June 16, 1945 3:45PM (EST)
George Patton decided to buckle his seat belt. Normally, he was nonchalant about such safety measures, but the extreme buffeting that the Douglas C-47 was experiencing threatened to hurtle him from his seat. Colonel Charles Codman sat next to him, and he noted the greenish tinge that the aide had taken on. Like his friend, Patton too was feeling disturbed. But it was not due to the severe air turbulence that they faced. Patton could hear the pilots of his transport plane struggling to ascend above the thunderstorm that they found themselves trapped in. No, that had nothing to do with it. Rather, it was the sheaf of papers in his hands.
"Tough weather, sir," said Codman.
"It's trying like hell to pull us down," replied Patton with a chuckle. "But it's not going to happen. No fool of a storm is any match for us."
His aide smiled, then gulped as the plane abruptly dropped over a hundred feet. A moment later they recovered, and for the moment their ride stabilized. The General gave the wall of the transport a firm pat and declared, "Just as I said!"
After a moment, Patton dropped the smile. "Charles, I appreciate you coming back with me on such short notice. Thank you."
The Colonel nodded. "There's nothing to thank. It's my duty."
"And mine as well. That said, I am going to need all the help I can get in the coming days." He glanced down again at the papers grimly. It was in order, and at the top of the draft copy was the first provision.
1. The Deindustrialization of Germany: It is the mandate of the Allied Forces to accomplish the complete deindustrialization of Germany. This means the thorough dismantling and removal of all forms of medium and heavy industry. Within three months of the declaration of this agreement, all industrial plants and equipment not destroyed by military action shall be completely dismantled and removed from the country or completely destroyed.
The plane suddenly plummeted again, and as his stomach churned the General was left thinking of the other provisions in the new JCS Directive.
George Patton decided to buckle his seat belt. Normally, he was nonchalant about such safety measures, but the extreme buffeting that the Douglas C-47 was experiencing threatened to hurtle him from his seat. Colonel Charles Codman sat next to him, and he noted the greenish tinge that the aide had taken on. Like his friend, Patton too was feeling disturbed. But it was not due to the severe air turbulence that they faced. Patton could hear the pilots of his transport plane struggling to ascend above the thunderstorm that they found themselves trapped in. No, that had nothing to do with it. Rather, it was the sheaf of papers in his hands.
"Tough weather, sir," said Codman.
"It's trying like hell to pull us down," replied Patton with a chuckle. "But it's not going to happen. No fool of a storm is any match for us."
His aide smiled, then gulped as the plane abruptly dropped over a hundred feet. A moment later they recovered, and for the moment their ride stabilized. The General gave the wall of the transport a firm pat and declared, "Just as I said!"
After a moment, Patton dropped the smile. "Charles, I appreciate you coming back with me on such short notice. Thank you."
The Colonel nodded. "There's nothing to thank. It's my duty."
"And mine as well. That said, I am going to need all the help I can get in the coming days." He glanced down again at the papers grimly. It was in order, and at the top of the draft copy was the first provision.
1. The Deindustrialization of Germany: It is the mandate of the Allied Forces to accomplish the complete deindustrialization of Germany. This means the thorough dismantling and removal of all forms of medium and heavy industry. Within three months of the declaration of this agreement, all industrial plants and equipment not destroyed by military action shall be completely dismantled and removed from the country or completely destroyed.
a. It is anticipated that the deindustrialization would be accomplished in three stages:
1. The military forces shall destroy all plants and equipment which cannot be removed.
2. Removal of plants and equipment by members of the United Nations as restitution and reparation (Paragraph 4).
3. All plants and equipment not removed within three months will be completely destroyed or reduced to scrap and allocated to the United Nations.
2. Removal of plants and equipment by members of the United Nations as restitution and reparation (Paragraph 4).
3. All plants and equipment not removed within three months will be completely destroyed or reduced to scrap and allocated to the United Nations.
The German people shall be made to understand that their nation will never again allowed to become an zone of industry. Accordingly, all people and their families should be given the skills and agricultural training to begin to transition their skills to support an agrarian society.
b. All mineral resources of the German nation shall become the property of the Allied Forces, for a period of time to be determined in the future but one that shall be no less than one hundred and fifty years.
The plane suddenly plummeted again, and as his stomach churned the General was left thinking of the other provisions in the new JCS Directive.
Thanks. I've had a lot of competing priorities this summer and I kept having to push this off. That said, this is a story that will be finished, and we're nowhere near the ending whatsoever. Hopefully you all will enjoy where this goes.
Fourth Reich.exe starting...
ERROR could not find industry...
ERROR starvation and famine found...
ERROR warcrimes found...
Supplys of Captured German weapons from USSR found...
Desperate Insurgency found...
East Germany.exe is found to be superior...
ERROR peaceful protest = massacre...
Leaked information in the UK found...
ERROR looking into the future.exe has stop working...
Yeah this is how to ruin in a Europe in a step by step guide and oh the storm that is to flood when Churchill actions come back to bite his and the UK backside.
Chapter 9 - A Plan for Morgenthau
June 16, 1945 4:01PM (EST)
"This is outrageous! It is inconceivable!", said Edward Wood, the Earl of Halifax and the United Kingdom's Ambassador to the United States.
The normally cautious Wood was indignant. He sat in a chair across from President Harry Truman, Secretary of War Harry Stimson, Secretary of State Edward Stettinius and James Bryne. And he was not alone, as the ambassadors for France and the Soviet Union sat next to him. Each of them held draft copies of JCS 1083.
"I concur!" said Henri Bonnet. The French ambassador was even more indignant than his British counterpart. "You would be creating a nation of vindictive paupers! Tens of millions will be permanently out of work. This will be a wellspring of hatred that will only serve to cover the evils of the Nazi regime and poison any chance at a future peace!"
Andrei Gromyko was far less emotional, but the Soviet ambassador was clearly in a state of unease. "I must concur with the Ambassadors Wood and Bonnet. While the Hitlerites must be punished, we cannot - how do you say - throw out the baby with the bathwater."
Harry Truman had anticipated these concerns. "This shall be of direct benefit to your peoples. The lion's share of the factories to be dismantled will be distributed to your respective nations and will aid in the recovery from the war. The United States has plentiful mineral and industrial resources already. We are more than willing to forgo these benefits, beyond what is necessary to finance our share of the occupation of Germany."
"But the remainder," began Wood. "This goes far beyond anything that has been discussed before." He looked down at the papers before him.
Wood shook his head. What was on paper almost took his words away. Finally, he spoke. "I recall quite distinctly when President Roosevelt said to our Prime Minister that he sought a Germany that featured neither aircraft, nor uniforms, nor marching. What you are proposing goes beyond reparations. It goes beyond punishment. It is the position of my government that this is vindictiveness imposed upon an entire people!"
The President was quiet for a moment, and then leaned forward. "Gentlemen, the problem that we face is this. Hitler may be dead. The Nazi leadership may be imprisoned. But they had twelve years to impose the most hateful, destructive ideology that the world has ever seen into the minds of over 80 million people. We need to - we must eradicate that ideology. These roots to the past, they must be ripped out."
"It will be the catalyst for another war!", declared Ambassador Wood.
Sitting across from him, Secretary of War Henry Simpson privately agreed with both the French and British representatives. He had tried mightily to dissuade Roosevelt from implementing the original Morgenthau Plan, and now its more punitive successor. But he was in the minority, and he remained quiet as Truman continued. Still, he would have his resignation before the day was through. That had already been decided.
"I clearly disagree," answered the President. "And even if you are correct, it would be a war fought with weapons of wood and one that would be suppressed within days. If not hours."
The room fell into silence for several uncomfortable moments.
Gromkyo shifted in his chair. "As much as the peoples of the Soviet Union share concerns about the harshness of this plan, we can also say that there are important and valid points that have been raised."
He turned and faced Ambassadors Wood and Bonnet.
"All three of our countries have suffered mightily under the heel of the Hitlerites. Economically, culturally, and in sheer population. Personally, what the government of the United States says bears great truth. We cannot allow for a Germany that can simply rise again to threaten our nations in twenty years. Germany must be changed in a similar fashion as our nations have been, but in such a way that the threat is permanently removed. That, I am sure we can all agree upon."
"We can," said Bonnet. "But to impose the care and feeding of hundreds of thousands of German infants upon my nation after it has just been liberated is inconceivable. The nation of France --"
"The United States will take on the primary burden of this point of the plan," interrupted Truman. "Again, we fortunately have the best resources to do so. More importantly, we have the moral obligation to make certain that the mistakes of the past are not repeated."
At this, the French and British ambassadors eased slightly. Stimson watched them and was stunned. They're actually considering it! he thought. And Gromkyo was clearly in agreement, even if he did not say so. Undoubtedly Stalin would wish to recoup some of the manpower losses his nation had sustained.
Truman stood. "As I said at the start of this meeting this is a draft directive and is subject to amendment. But let me be clear. This will go forward. Please discuss this with your respective governments and bring me your feedback later today. Thank you gentlemen."
"This is outrageous! It is inconceivable!", said Edward Wood, the Earl of Halifax and the United Kingdom's Ambassador to the United States.
The normally cautious Wood was indignant. He sat in a chair across from President Harry Truman, Secretary of War Harry Stimson, Secretary of State Edward Stettinius and James Bryne. And he was not alone, as the ambassadors for France and the Soviet Union sat next to him. Each of them held draft copies of JCS 1083.
"I concur!" said Henri Bonnet. The French ambassador was even more indignant than his British counterpart. "You would be creating a nation of vindictive paupers! Tens of millions will be permanently out of work. This will be a wellspring of hatred that will only serve to cover the evils of the Nazi regime and poison any chance at a future peace!"
Andrei Gromyko was far less emotional, but the Soviet ambassador was clearly in a state of unease. "I must concur with the Ambassadors Wood and Bonnet. While the Hitlerites must be punished, we cannot - how do you say - throw out the baby with the bathwater."
Harry Truman had anticipated these concerns. "This shall be of direct benefit to your peoples. The lion's share of the factories to be dismantled will be distributed to your respective nations and will aid in the recovery from the war. The United States has plentiful mineral and industrial resources already. We are more than willing to forgo these benefits, beyond what is necessary to finance our share of the occupation of Germany."
"But the remainder," began Wood. "This goes far beyond anything that has been discussed before." He looked down at the papers before him.
2. The Re-education of Germany: It is the mandate of the Allied Forces to annihilate all political and cultural forms of the Nazi ideology. This shall be accomplished through a comprehensive educational curriculum that shall begin no later than the first of January 1946. It shall require the attendance of all Germans from the ages of 5 years and above, both the young and the old. This re-education program shall be continuous, and shall be no less than one decade in length.
a. This re-education shall be accomplished through the following steps
i. Re-education programs shall be administered by the Allied Forces and require the attendance of all Germans from the ages of 5 years and above, both the young and the old. This re-education program shall be continuous, and shall be no less than twelve years in length.
ii. All Germans under the age of 5 years shall be evacuated from the nation of Germany and be relocated to host facilities within the nations of the Allied Forces. It is the finding that these individuals face less corruption from Nazi ideology and deserve the opportunity for an education not influenced by those whose influence are currently tainted. These individuals will remain with their host countries until reaching the age of majority, where they will be returned to form the nucleus of a new, peaceful Germany.
iii. Childbirth shall not be allowed within the nation of Germany for a period of one decade. The primary focus of the German people shall be on re-education, restitution, and re-adaption of their country to its new state. Any German woman giving birth during this time period shall be subject to the second point of this provision
ii. All Germans under the age of 5 years shall be evacuated from the nation of Germany and be relocated to host facilities within the nations of the Allied Forces. It is the finding that these individuals face less corruption from Nazi ideology and deserve the opportunity for an education not influenced by those whose influence are currently tainted. These individuals will remain with their host countries until reaching the age of majority, where they will be returned to form the nucleus of a new, peaceful Germany.
iii. Childbirth shall not be allowed within the nation of Germany for a period of one decade. The primary focus of the German people shall be on re-education, restitution, and re-adaption of their country to its new state. Any German woman giving birth during this time period shall be subject to the second point of this provision
Wood shook his head. What was on paper almost took his words away. Finally, he spoke. "I recall quite distinctly when President Roosevelt said to our Prime Minister that he sought a Germany that featured neither aircraft, nor uniforms, nor marching. What you are proposing goes beyond reparations. It goes beyond punishment. It is the position of my government that this is vindictiveness imposed upon an entire people!"
The President was quiet for a moment, and then leaned forward. "Gentlemen, the problem that we face is this. Hitler may be dead. The Nazi leadership may be imprisoned. But they had twelve years to impose the most hateful, destructive ideology that the world has ever seen into the minds of over 80 million people. We need to - we must eradicate that ideology. These roots to the past, they must be ripped out."
"It will be the catalyst for another war!", declared Ambassador Wood.
Sitting across from him, Secretary of War Henry Simpson privately agreed with both the French and British representatives. He had tried mightily to dissuade Roosevelt from implementing the original Morgenthau Plan, and now its more punitive successor. But he was in the minority, and he remained quiet as Truman continued. Still, he would have his resignation before the day was through. That had already been decided.
"I clearly disagree," answered the President. "And even if you are correct, it would be a war fought with weapons of wood and one that would be suppressed within days. If not hours."
The room fell into silence for several uncomfortable moments.
Gromkyo shifted in his chair. "As much as the peoples of the Soviet Union share concerns about the harshness of this plan, we can also say that there are important and valid points that have been raised."
He turned and faced Ambassadors Wood and Bonnet.
"All three of our countries have suffered mightily under the heel of the Hitlerites. Economically, culturally, and in sheer population. Personally, what the government of the United States says bears great truth. We cannot allow for a Germany that can simply rise again to threaten our nations in twenty years. Germany must be changed in a similar fashion as our nations have been, but in such a way that the threat is permanently removed. That, I am sure we can all agree upon."
"We can," said Bonnet. "But to impose the care and feeding of hundreds of thousands of German infants upon my nation after it has just been liberated is inconceivable. The nation of France --"
"The United States will take on the primary burden of this point of the plan," interrupted Truman. "Again, we fortunately have the best resources to do so. More importantly, we have the moral obligation to make certain that the mistakes of the past are not repeated."
At this, the French and British ambassadors eased slightly. Stimson watched them and was stunned. They're actually considering it! he thought. And Gromkyo was clearly in agreement, even if he did not say so. Undoubtedly Stalin would wish to recoup some of the manpower losses his nation had sustained.
Truman stood. "As I said at the start of this meeting this is a draft directive and is subject to amendment. But let me be clear. This will go forward. Please discuss this with your respective governments and bring me your feedback later today. Thank you gentlemen."
Last edited:
In a way it's sort of fitting
The Nazis destroyed a generation of Europeans though the war and murder so many children.
Now it's the German people turn to suffer a fate no parents were ever want.
But still this is going to taint Truman legacy and become a dark scar in history.
The Nazis destroyed a generation of Europeans though the war and murder so many children.
Now it's the German people turn to suffer a fate no parents were ever want.
But still this is going to taint Truman legacy and become a dark scar in history.
Fourth Reich.exe restarting...
Future.exe restarting...
ERROR something terrifying has been found...
Previous analysis on future.exe has been found to be roughly correct if present course of JCS Directive continue's...
ERROR denial of the German Baby boom has been found to have extremely serious consequences...
ERROR Nazi ideology will refuse to die and may become more bigger than OTL if the JCS Directive continue's...
ERROR Germans will never forgive having their under 5 children "kidnapped" or forcefully removed...
ERROR German family's will resist giving up their children and will try to keep orphaned children away from Allied teams...
ERROR Large amount's of massacre's or "other" incident's found in family's resisting resulting in war crimes if the Directive continue's...
ERROR The Soviet Union can paint themselves as the "Sleighty" lessor of two evils to the Germans if playing their cards right...
Fourth Reich.exe ended...
Ian Flemming has the power to stop JCS Directive in it's tracks when he exposes's Churchill's actions...unless...
Charles De Gaulle still has the Dave Billington card to play against Churchill...
The sinking of the battleship Richelieu will be remembered...
Stalin still is giving poisoned drinks to Churchill...
Britain will soon be on the spotlight again...
Future.exe ended...
Well looking back we can say that everyone but France and the Soviet Union will be the loser's in Europe at the amount of chaos and event's happening and the fury that is to come to the UK and Churchill from everyone but Stalin.
By the Pit, if they go through with this what happens next will make what they've been through seem like a cakewalk.
Imagine a few decades hence, with a simmering, furious Germany, and a Soviet Union that collapses, and suddenly all of those lost Soviet weapons are found....
Imagine a few decades hence, with a simmering, furious Germany, and a Soviet Union that collapses, and suddenly all of those lost Soviet weapons are found....
A simple refit of the Bearn definitely should have had a few butterlies.
These aren't butterflies, this is Rodan.
These aren't butterflies, this is Rodan.
This is a batshit crazy timeline in the best way.
There's no way this Morgenthau Plan ends well. None.
There's no way this Morgenthau Plan ends well. None.
Chapter 9 - A Plan for Morgenthau
June 16, 1945 4:14PM (EST)
It had been over an hour since Commander Stuart Adams had been confronted in the alleyway. Since then, he and Ian Fleming had carefully avoided the military patrols that scouring the moonlit streets of London looking for German werwolves and their British sympathizers. And during that time, the warm feeling that he had from the numerous drinks had subsided, replaced once more by the gnawing fear. It was not terror of being caught, at least not in the conventional sense. Adams figured that he could potentially talk his way out of a stop by the curfew police. Maybe.
Rather, it was the fear of being wrong. Should he have reached out to the former SOE agent turned journalist? Or should he have remained quiet, kept his head down, and allowed events to proceed as designed? So what if the U-2511's crew had perished? he thought. What if the alternative is countless British deaths?
"We're here," said Ian Fleming, his voice a harsh whisper.
The ruined building stood before them. Adams noted that the apartment's damage was relatively recent. This was not the '40 Blitz; rather it had likely been hit by a buzz bomb or even a V-2. The entrance was still intact, but beyond its dark opening he was unsure if anything else was.
Fleming looked left, then right, and finally nodded. "Let's go."
The journalist hurried across the darkened street, followed by Adams. The two of them entered the fire-scarred lobby, shattered glass crunching underfoot. Fleming looked around again, waiting to see if they had been spotted. Finally, after nearly a minute passed he switched on a small flashlight. "This way," he said with the same whisper.
Adams stood there.
"Where are we going?", he asked plaintively.
Fleming turned to face him. "There are no second thoughts now Commander. Either go that way..." He beckoned to a corner of the lobby with his flashlight. "Or go nowhere. Make your decision quickly."
The former OSE agent's face was drawn. The hand holding the flashlight twitched, ever so slightly. Adams stomach roiled, and he nodded.
"Good man," replied Fleming. "This way."
He went further into the lobby, careful not to disturb any of the stone and wood wreckage that lay in heaps about. Once he reached the far end of the lobby, Fleming bent down and dragged off a pile of charred furniture. Beneath it lay a trap door.
Adams heard a muffled cry coming from within. "What's down there?" he asked.
"Possibly the solution to this entire bloody mess that we find ourselves in," answered Fleming. He pulled back the trap door, revealing stairs that led to a dimly lit basement. Unlike the lobby and the rest of the structure above, it had been left almost undamaged by whatever had struck the building.
The flashlight shown down, providing further illumination. At the foot of the basement stairs was an older man, tied securely to a plush chair. His mouth was gagged. Adams slowly realized who it was and took a step back. "It can't be," he muttered.
"Commander Adams," said Fleming evenly, "I would like you to meet Henry Morgenthau."
It had been over an hour since Commander Stuart Adams had been confronted in the alleyway. Since then, he and Ian Fleming had carefully avoided the military patrols that scouring the moonlit streets of London looking for German werwolves and their British sympathizers. And during that time, the warm feeling that he had from the numerous drinks had subsided, replaced once more by the gnawing fear. It was not terror of being caught, at least not in the conventional sense. Adams figured that he could potentially talk his way out of a stop by the curfew police. Maybe.
Rather, it was the fear of being wrong. Should he have reached out to the former SOE agent turned journalist? Or should he have remained quiet, kept his head down, and allowed events to proceed as designed? So what if the U-2511's crew had perished? he thought. What if the alternative is countless British deaths?
"We're here," said Ian Fleming, his voice a harsh whisper.
The ruined building stood before them. Adams noted that the apartment's damage was relatively recent. This was not the '40 Blitz; rather it had likely been hit by a buzz bomb or even a V-2. The entrance was still intact, but beyond its dark opening he was unsure if anything else was.
Fleming looked left, then right, and finally nodded. "Let's go."
The journalist hurried across the darkened street, followed by Adams. The two of them entered the fire-scarred lobby, shattered glass crunching underfoot. Fleming looked around again, waiting to see if they had been spotted. Finally, after nearly a minute passed he switched on a small flashlight. "This way," he said with the same whisper.
Adams stood there.
"Where are we going?", he asked plaintively.
Fleming turned to face him. "There are no second thoughts now Commander. Either go that way..." He beckoned to a corner of the lobby with his flashlight. "Or go nowhere. Make your decision quickly."
The former OSE agent's face was drawn. The hand holding the flashlight twitched, ever so slightly. Adams stomach roiled, and he nodded.
"Good man," replied Fleming. "This way."
He went further into the lobby, careful not to disturb any of the stone and wood wreckage that lay in heaps about. Once he reached the far end of the lobby, Fleming bent down and dragged off a pile of charred furniture. Beneath it lay a trap door.
Adams heard a muffled cry coming from within. "What's down there?" he asked.
"Possibly the solution to this entire bloody mess that we find ourselves in," answered Fleming. He pulled back the trap door, revealing stairs that led to a dimly lit basement. Unlike the lobby and the rest of the structure above, it had been left almost undamaged by whatever had struck the building.
The flashlight shown down, providing further illumination. At the foot of the basement stairs was an older man, tied securely to a plush chair. His mouth was gagged. Adams slowly realized who it was and took a step back. "It can't be," he muttered.
"Commander Adams," said Fleming evenly, "I would like you to meet Henry Morgenthau."
Well I can say that when Churchills house of cards fall... Heads will roll
Heads will roll
Chapter 9 - A Plan for Morgenthau
June 16, 1945 4:17PM (EST)
It had taken over an hour to climb out of his bed, but he had succeeded. Willie Gallacher leaned against it for support, all the while the hospital room spinning about him. Pain shoot through his abdomen like fire. But he was on his feet, finally, for the first time in --
Wait, he thought. How long have I been here?
The last thing that he remembered was leaving the Oxford Street Corner House. He had been a celebrity, standing up to the increasingly unbalanced, ever more dictatorial Prime Minister. Cheers had been raised to him. And so had many jeers. Indeed, a movement had called for this expulsion from the House of Commons. Yes, he might even be expelled, but he would never be defeated. He would --
I have been shot! The memories suddenly surged into his mind, flooding him with images of gunfire. Of repeated stabs of pain. Of slumping down against the side of a taxi. Of leaving a smear of blood on the side of the vehicle as it sped away.
The MP of West Fife looked at his left arm. It was heavily bandaged, similar to his shoulder and abdomen. And then he realized his head was swathed in bandages as well. I am alive, but in what state?
Gallacher was nauseous, and again held to the side of the bed for support. The bed shook, and it was then that he heard an odd metallic jingle. Looking down, he noticed handcuffs locked to the railing. Or at least one end was. The other was unlocked and opened.
The door suddenly swung open. A police officer stepped in slowly and seemed not the least surprised that Gallacher was awake. The policeman's badge read CLARK, and he held a Colt M1911A1 service pistol. Slowly, Clark took careful aim at the MP.
"The British people send their compliments," said the officer as Gallacher froze in place.
Before Clark could fire, a muffled shot rang out. Followed quickly by a second, then a third. Clark cried out in agony, clutching his chest, and then collapsed to the floor of St. Bartholomew's Hospital. Another policeman stepped into room. He quickly tucked the silenced Enfield pistol underneath his uniform.
"You must come with me," said the man.
Gallacher sat back on the bed, feeling increasingly weak. The shock of his condition and what had just transpired was overloading his senses.
"I must do nothing," he muttered. Gallacher noticed another policeman laying slumped against the desk outside of his hospital room, seemingly asleep. Then he noticed the name of the Officer. "Mr. Redgrave."
"There is no time," replied Officer Redgrave. "Others will be here within moments."
The MP was fading fast. Redgrave helped him lay down while the politician tried to push him away. Redgrave leaned down, and whispered loudly into his ear. "There are other travelers who wish to help you. Winston Churchill must be stopped."
June 16, 1945 4:20PM (EST)
Commander Adams took a step back, stunned. The Treasury Secretary was dead, yet here he was very much alive and tied up in the basement of a war damaged apartment.
"How is this possible," he asked.
Ian Fleming sighed, allowing himself to show the fatigue that had been building throughout the day. How indeed, he thought wearily.
It had taken over an hour to climb out of his bed, but he had succeeded. Willie Gallacher leaned against it for support, all the while the hospital room spinning about him. Pain shoot through his abdomen like fire. But he was on his feet, finally, for the first time in --
Wait, he thought. How long have I been here?
The last thing that he remembered was leaving the Oxford Street Corner House. He had been a celebrity, standing up to the increasingly unbalanced, ever more dictatorial Prime Minister. Cheers had been raised to him. And so had many jeers. Indeed, a movement had called for this expulsion from the House of Commons. Yes, he might even be expelled, but he would never be defeated. He would --
I have been shot! The memories suddenly surged into his mind, flooding him with images of gunfire. Of repeated stabs of pain. Of slumping down against the side of a taxi. Of leaving a smear of blood on the side of the vehicle as it sped away.
The MP of West Fife looked at his left arm. It was heavily bandaged, similar to his shoulder and abdomen. And then he realized his head was swathed in bandages as well. I am alive, but in what state?
Gallacher was nauseous, and again held to the side of the bed for support. The bed shook, and it was then that he heard an odd metallic jingle. Looking down, he noticed handcuffs locked to the railing. Or at least one end was. The other was unlocked and opened.
The door suddenly swung open. A police officer stepped in slowly and seemed not the least surprised that Gallacher was awake. The policeman's badge read CLARK, and he held a Colt M1911A1 service pistol. Slowly, Clark took careful aim at the MP.
"The British people send their compliments," said the officer as Gallacher froze in place.
Before Clark could fire, a muffled shot rang out. Followed quickly by a second, then a third. Clark cried out in agony, clutching his chest, and then collapsed to the floor of St. Bartholomew's Hospital. Another policeman stepped into room. He quickly tucked the silenced Enfield pistol underneath his uniform.
"You must come with me," said the man.
Gallacher sat back on the bed, feeling increasingly weak. The shock of his condition and what had just transpired was overloading his senses.
"I must do nothing," he muttered. Gallacher noticed another policeman laying slumped against the desk outside of his hospital room, seemingly asleep. Then he noticed the name of the Officer. "Mr. Redgrave."
"There is no time," replied Officer Redgrave. "Others will be here within moments."
The MP was fading fast. Redgrave helped him lay down while the politician tried to push him away. Redgrave leaned down, and whispered loudly into his ear. "There are other travelers who wish to help you. Winston Churchill must be stopped."
June 16, 1945 4:20PM (EST)
Commander Adams took a step back, stunned. The Treasury Secretary was dead, yet here he was very much alive and tied up in the basement of a war damaged apartment.
"How is this possible," he asked.
Ian Fleming sighed, allowing himself to show the fatigue that had been building throughout the day. How indeed, he thought wearily.