Lest We Forget

[noazmale]

CHARMED
“Lest We Forget”
By J. B. Tilton (a.k.a. NoAzMale) and Teri Thibeault (a.k.a. Tessalynne)
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Rating: K+

Disclaimer: “Charmed” and all related characters and events are the property of the WB television network, except for those characters specifically created for this story. This is a work of fan fiction and no infringement of copyright is intended.

* * *

(Authors note: This story takes place between season 3 episodes “Sin Francisco” and “The Demon Who Came In From The Cold”.)

* * *

When Cole narrowly evades bounty hunters chasing him, he befriends an old man who reminds him of an earlier time in his life.

* * *

ONE

Cole shimmered into the mausoleum and froze. He cradled his left arm as he waited and watched. It would take several seconds for the bounty hunters to shimmer in behind him. That is, if he hadn’t been able to shake them. After a few moments he decided he had been able to elude them.

These two particular bounty hunters were better than most. The fireball one of the bounty hunters had cast at him had only caught him a glancing blow. The wound wasn’t very serious. It would heal in a few days. His main concern had been being able to lay a false trail for them so he could escape. It appeared that he had been successful.

Laying a false trail was ridiculously easy. He was surprised more demons hadn’t stumbled upon it. All he had to do was shimmer to somewhere and then, before the shimmer was complete, retrace his shimmer back along its original path. Only instead of returning to the origination point of his shimmer, he simply had to end the shimmer somewhere else along the path.

When his pursuers reached the end of the shimmer trail they would find nothing. They would, of course, have to retrace his shimmer path but finding where Cole had actually stopped was very difficult. By the time they had located where he had actually stopped, he would have done it all over again. Only in a different direction. Each time he did it his shimmer trail would be older before the bounty hunters could find the next one. Following all the false trails was time-consuming. With enough shimmer trails to follow even the most experience bounty hunters would soon loose him.

He looked around the mausoleum. It was dark out and the entire mausoleum was dark. He should be safe in here for a while. Cemeteries helped hide him from bounty hunters, so that, with the false shimmer trails, would keep him safe for at least a couple of days.

The two bounty hunters currently on his trail were two of the best. They had been on his trail for hours. And he was very tired. He closed his eyes and rested his head against the cool stone of one of the crypts. He would rest for a few minutes and them move on to some place else.

* * *

“You all right, young fella?”

Cole came to with a start. He had apparently fallen asleep. The sun had been up for hours. Standing over him was an elderly man dressed in work clothes, holding a rag and some kind of a spray can.

“You all right, young fella?” the man asked again. “You have blood on you.”

“What? Oh, yeah, I guess I’m okay.” Cole nursed his left arm as he stood up. “It’s not as bad as it looks. I, uh, had a little run in with some, uh, undesirables.”

“I have a first aid kit in the office. Come on. We’ll get you fixed up straight away.”

As Cole followed the man to the office he noticed graffiti spray painted on the walls of the mausoleum. Swastikas, the words “Zieg Hiel”, and many other Nazi references could be clearly seen.

“They’re made by a group that calls themselves ‘skin heads’,” said the man noticing Cole looking at the graffiti. “Mostly young kids looking to fit in somewhere. I imagine those are the ‘undesirables’ you mentioned.”

“Yeah, maybe,” said Cole. “I, uh, came to visit the grave of an old friend and I guess they found something about me distasteful. I guess I was more worn out than I had originally thought. I had only planned to rest for a few minutes and then head out.”

“No harm done. Not many people come around this time of morning. I find it’s the best time to take off the graffiti they leave here. It’s a shame really. Some of them have real artistic talent. But they seem to prefer wasting their time on stuff like this.”

“They could choose better groups to emulate,” said Cole. “The Nazi’s weren’t what I would call good role models.”

“I agree wholeheartedly. But I suppose young people have to make their own mistakes. No matter how misguided some of them may be. Here we are. Now, have a seat and we’ll have you fixed up in no time. By the way, my name is Fred Black.”

“Cole Turner.”

“Nice to meet you, Cole Turner. This injury isn’t too bad. I imagine it will heal nicely in a few days.”

“Thanks. I appreciate all the help. I’d like to pay you for all your trouble.”

“Wouldn’t hear of it. I’m just repaying an old debt, so to speak. Someone helped me a very long time ago when I needed it badly. I’ve spent the years since repaying that debt by helping others when I could. Although to repay such a debt is never truly possible.”

“It must be some debt.”

“He save my life. I didn’t know it at the time. If not for him I would have died with the rest of my family. But he took pity on my. I never did learn why. Because of him I’m alive today. That’s a debt that must be paid but can never truly be repaid.”

Cole glanced down and saw the inside of Black’s forearm. Across the forearm he saw a very crude tattoo. A series of numbers that, although faded, were still very legible.

“You were in the camps,” said Cole. It wasn’t a question. Simply a statement of fact.

“Dachau. From 1942 until we were liberated in 1945. I was 14 years old when the Americans liberated us on April 29, 1945. Fourteen and all alone in the world. No family, most of my friends had died in the camp, and many of those who were liberated with me didn’t live much longer because of the mistreatment we had received. After the camp was liberated an American soldier and his wife adopted me and I came to the United States. They gave me a new name and a new life.”

“You were one of the lucky ones,” said Cole.

“Yes, I was. So many didn’t make it out of that camp. Officially 30,000 people died in that camp. But there were many more. Many that weren’t registered as prisoners but who were there nonetheless.”

“Yes, I know. My, uh, grandfather used to tell me stories about that time. He served in Europe during the war. So you feel that the American who adopted you saved your life, is that it?”

“Actually, no. The debt I spoke of was from a much earlier time. It was just after I had arrived in the camp with my family. Long before the camp was liberated.”

“I don’t understand. Did one of the other prisoners save you?”

“No. In fact, it was one of the German soldiers in the camp that saved my life. When my family and I first arrived in the camp we were scheduled for execution in the gas chamber. For some reason one of the soldiers singled me out. I never did learn why. But I wasn’t sent to the gas chamber that day and I survived to see the liberation.”

“I guess you were lucky. The Germans were very efficient in that respect.”

“In most respects. And as I said, I try to repay that debt by helping others when I can. I have looked into the face of true evil. There are those in the world who would say that evil does not exist. But there are those of us who know differently. Those of us who have seen the demons that walk among humanity. And the constant struggle and vigilance we must maintain if we are to win the fight.”

Cole didn’t respond. Black had used the word “demons”. No doubt it was meant in a figurative manner to emphasize the evil that men could do to each other. It was true that man could be incredibly evil toward his own kind. It was just as true that not all evil was manmade. Cole wondered what Black would say if he knew some of the “demons” he talked about were real demons. And that the evil he talked about was just as real as the evil man perpetrated.

[noazmale]

TWO

Cole Turner moved through the caverns of the Underworld quickly. The Source of All Evil had sent for him and no demon dared keep the Source waiting. Besides, Cole had recently finished his last mission. And quite successfully, too. Which meant the summons was probably another assignment the Source had for the half human mercenary.

In his near 40 years in the Underworld Cole, as his alter ego Belthazor, had proven himself to be quite valuable to the Source. He had accomplished many assignments that no other demon could have. While most of the hierarchy looked down on him because of his human lineage, it was that same lineage that had allowed him to get close enough to his targets to accomplish the mission. Something no full demon could ever have done because they could not truly understand humans.

As he approached the Source’s chambers he saw the two demons who constantly stood guard at the chamber. Members of the Brotherhood of the Thorn, an elite order of demons that enjoyed freedoms most other demons only dreamed of. All demons coveted membership in that order. But membership was strictly by invitation only. And as a half demon it was not an option Cole could ever hope to contemplate.

There were also two other demons with the guards. One was Raynor, the head of the Brotherhood of the Thorn. It was not unusual to see him there. As the main order that answered to the Source, Raynor was constantly checking up and making sure there were no problems.

The other demon was Baldasor. Cole knew him quite well. They had the same mother. But while Cole’s father had been human, Baldasor’s father had been a demon. . And Baldasor had belonged to the Brotherhood for more than two hundred years. It was just a further reminder that Cole was somehow not as good as the other demons who served the Source.

“Belthazor,” said Raynor as Cole walked up to the demons, “I understand you were able to dispatch the witch who has been plaguing the Source of late.”

“That was my assignment,” said Cole. “Given to me by the Source himself, of course,” he added to emphasize that even if he was considered less than a true demon, there were things he could do that no other demon could.

“Of course,” said Raynor.

“Baldasor,” said Cole to his older brother.

“Cole,” responded the senior demon.

Baldasor had always considered Cole somewhat inferior. He often remarked how Cole’s human half was a great weakness in his younger brother. A weakness he could not overcome. A such, he usually refused to use Cole’s demonic name, choosing instead to use the human name Cole’s father had given him.

“Come,” commanded Raynor. “The Source is waiting.”

Obediently Cole waited for Raynor and Baldasor to enter the chamber first. As just another mercenary, and half human at that, he was considered subservient to the Brotherhood. Still, he wondered why he would be summoned with the Brotherhood. It was unlikely they would have any dealings with him.

The Source was waiting when they entered the chamber. The ruler of the Underworld waited patiently as the three demons bowed to him. He smiled at Cole.

“It is my understanding the witch I sent you after will trouble me no longer.”

“No, she will not,” said Cole. “She won’t be bothering anyone else ever again, my Lord.”

“Excellent,” said the Source. “I am very pleased with you, Belthazor. When your mother first presented you to me I remember thinking you might be marginally useful. I considered your human half a weakness. Since that time you have proven it is not an obstacle that is insurmountable. In fact, it seems to serve you quite well.”

“Thank you, sire,” said Cole. “While most consider it a weakness, I have found it allows me to understand humans in a way that most demons cannot.”

“Watch your insolent tongue, half breed,” snapped Raynor. “You are far from the most powerful demon in the Underworld.”

“It’s not insolent to speak the truth,” Cole shot back.

“My brother speaks truly,” said Baldasor. “As half human it allows him to blend in with them in a way no full demon can. Despite the power many demons may possess, it takes more than power to infiltrate human societies. That is one aspect where my brother’s short-comings serve him quite well.”

“I agree,” said the Source. “Which is why I have chosen Belthazor for a very special assignment. One for which he is uniquely suited, as you have pointed out.”

“If I may ask, what is this assignment?” Cole asked.

“You have no doubt heard of Kernian’s betrayal of me,” said the Source. “He was supposed possess a minor political figure and start a minor conflict so that I could insinuate demons into some key locations on the mortal plane.”

“I know he’s carried it much further than that,” replied Cole. “All ready most countries of the world are becoming embroiled in the conflict. I also heard you had ordered him to stop but he apparently refused to do that.”

“You would be correct,” said the Source. “It was a blatant betrayal of not only me but the entire Underworld. The suspicion that such a global conflict would create risks exposing demons who have all ready infiltrated many key positions. Because of his treason I have been forced to put some of my plans on hold to protect the demons I have in place.”

“Is that the assignment?” Cole asked. “You want me to vanquish Kernian and stop the conflict?”

“It’s too late for that,” said Raynor. “While we know who he has possessed we also know that many of his subordinates have possessed others. If we were to vanquish Kernian now one of his subordinates would simply step in and continue his plan. So vanquishing Kernian at this stage would affect nothing.”

“Exactly,” said the Source. “If we are to defuse the situation without exposing demons to the mortal world those countries which Kernian and his subordinates now control must be defeated.”

“That could take years,” said Cole. “This war promises to be a very protracted event in human history.”

“The Oracle tells me it may last a dozen years or more,” said the Source. “But it may be possible to shorten that considerably. If we place demons in the proper spots.”

“The Source has tasked the Brotherhood with infiltrating those countries controlled by Kernian,” said Raynor. “We are to funnel whatever information we can about their plans to their enemies. This will allow the Allies to gain the upper hand within a couple of years. Once the countries have been defeated, we will deal with Kernian and his subordinates without exposing any demonic involvement.”

“I don’t understand,” said Cole. “What does this have to do with me? If this is an assignment for the Brotherhood of the Thorn, what is it you need me for?”

“It’s very simple,” said Baldasor. “As the Source had told you, the assignment requires someone with your unique perspective of humanity. There will be others assigned to important assignments but there is one assignment that requires very close contact with the humans. One that will most likely require the person assigned to it to remain undercover, as the humans say, for most of the duration of the war.”

“And that assignment is for me,” said Cole. “I can understand why you chose me. A full demon could never remain in a position like that for years without giving themselves away eventually. I can see why you would need me.”

“Yes,” said the Source. “And I have decided to use this as an initiation of sorts. As I said, I’m very pleased with your performance. For that reason, and others, I have decided that, should you prove successful in this mission, I will offer you membership in the Brotherhood of the Thorn.”

Cole just stared at the Source speechless.

[noazmale]

THREE

“Me?” questioned Cole completely dumbfounded. “I don’t understand. None but full demons have ever belonged to the Brotherhood.”

“And if you fail your initiation it will remain that way,” said Baldasor.

“I spoke against this,” said Raynor. But the Source reminded me of your accomplishments which I must admit are considerable. You have a record which most of the hierarchy finds enviable.

“And Baldasor mentioned that your human half could be useful to the Brotherhood, Your understanding of humanity seems to serve you well, as the Source has said. It may be possible that you could impart some of that understanding to others in the Brotherhood. It would only serve to make us even more efficient.”

“I don’t know what to say,” said Cole. “I never even considered that joining the Brotherhood was ever a possibility.”

“You could give us your answer,” said Raynor, somewhat annoyed. “Such an offer is only made once.”

“Oh, yes, of course,” said Cole. “I accept.”

“Don’t think that because Baldasor is your brother that it will afford you any special treatment,” said Raynor. “Membership in the Brotherhood of the Thorn is reserved for only the best demons. Fail at even one task and the offer will be revoked, regardless of your heritage.”

“I understand,” said Cole. “I’ve never asked for special treatment from anyone. You’ll see. I won’t fail. I haven’t worked this hard for this long just to fail now. Whatever task you have for me I’m sure you’ll be quite pleased with my performance.”

“We shall see,” said Raynor. Your first assignment has all ready been chosen. We have arranged for you to join an organization called the Office of Strategic services in the United States. From there you will infiltrate the German command. Your assignment is to learn what you can about Kernian’s plans and pass that information back to the O.S.S.”

“Is that it?” questioned Cole, a little disappointed. “You want me to be nothing more than an errand boy? I’m an accomplished mercenary. I’ve disposed of some of the Source’s most powerful foes. And you want me to run errands for you?”

“What’s the matter?” questioned Raynor. “Afraid you may not be up to the challenge?”

“I’m more than up to this,” said Cole. “It just seems like it’s a waste of my skills, that’s all.”

“I told you this half breed was a bad choice,” said Raynor.

“You just invited me to join perhaps the most elite order in the Underworld,” said Cole, stepping up in front of Raynor. “That means I’ve earned a certain amount of respect, even from you. And I don’t care if you are the head of the Brotherhood of the Thorn, you call me a half breed one more time and you’ll find out just how little of a hindrance my human half really is to me.”

“You’re arrogant,” said Raynor, smiling slightly. “That’s good. A member of the Brotherhood must never be intimidated even by another member of the Brotherhood. But that’s only one aspect of being a member of the Brotherhood. You have a great deal to prove before you earn the right to be called ‘brother’.”

“I’ll earn it,” said Cole. “If that means I have to be your errand boy for a while, so be it. But once I do prove myself I’ll expect the respect that’s do me.”

“Convince me to call you ‘brother’,” said Raynor, “and you will have that respect. Not only from me but from the entire Underworld.”

“Enough,” said the Source. “Belthazor, you will go to Germany. There you will be contacted by a demon called Andick. He will fill you in on the specifics for your assignment.”

“I will not fail you, Source,” said Cole.

“I have no concern of that,” said the Source.

“There is one restriction placed on you now,” said Raynor. “You may tell no one of your offer to join the Brotherhood. If you tell even a single person the invitation will be revoked and you will never become a member of the Brotherhood.”

“I understand,” said Cole. “I’ve heard it said that initiates to the Brotherhood are only revealed once they pass or fail their initiation.”

“This is true,” said Raynor. “Since no demon aside from the Brotherhood knows who is an initiate, no undue pressure can be placed on that demon. It is also a way for a brother to convince you that they are a brother. If someone claims to be a brother but does not know of your initiation, they are not a brother. And you are to report them immediately.”

“I understand,” said Cole. “I will not fail you.”

“Come, Raynor,” said the Source. “It is time to give the others their assignments. The sooner this is behind us the sooner I can deal with the traitor, Kernian.”

The Source and Raynor shimmered out of the chamber.

“You took a great risk,” said Baldasor. “Raynor does not tolerate threats easily.”

“If I had backed down,” said Cole, “he may have reconsidered the offer to join the Brotherhood. We both know that very few get that offer. And most fail to prove themselves worthy. I don’t intend to be one of those who fail.”

“Still trying to be twice as good as any other demon, brother?”

“I don’t have a choice. You yourself are constantly reminding me that I’m only half demon. How I’m not quite as good as the rest of you. If I can become a member of the Brotherhood of the Thorn even you will have to admit I’m as good as any other demon.”

“If, brother, if. There is still much you must do before you are truly admitted to the Brotherhood. And as you have said, most fail to prove their worth.”

“I won’t be one of those,” swore Cole. “Even if it kills me I’ll show you all how you’ve underestimated me.”

“Be careful, Cole. You wouldn’t be the first demon to die trying to get into the Brotherhood.”

[noazmale]

FOUR

Cole laid the report on the desk in the office which the local German commander had provided for him. It was a luxurious office compared to most but that was to be expected. To the German command he was Lieutenant Werner Grueber, personal aid to General Hans Hiedler. Hiedler was in charge of all internment and prisoner of war camps for Germany. He would often make personal tours of some of the camps and as his aid Cole would go along with him. This was one of those tours.

He had been in Germany nearly a year. In all that time he had been able to funnel a great deal of information to O.S.S. headquarters. Reports of prison populations and the statistics of the prisoners of war proved very helpful to the Allied high command. And having a Shadow Demon at his beck and call made it easy to pass on the information he gathered.

Cole had made a fair number of contacts during his stay in Germany. One in particular was an SS officer, Sturmbannfuhrer Johann Sperrle. Sperrle was a potential source of great information. His uncle was a Field Marshal and a very important person in the German hierarchy. He was the personal assistant to Adolf Eichmann, one of the highest people in the German high command.

Cole usual had contact with Sperrle through his personal assistant, Obersturmführer Karl Adler. Sperrle was assigned to the SS as was Adler. While Cole was a Lieutenant in the regular German army, Obersturmführer was a roughly equivalent rank in the SS. It never ceased to amaze Cole how each of the different branches of the German military had their own names for equivalent ranks. While Cole and Adler had never met face to face they often spoke over the telephone.

Cole looked at the report he had just placed on the desk. There wasn’t much interest in that report. Just more of the increasing number of civilian “undesirables” being sent to some of the internment camps. Civilian prisoners weren’t usually important enough to inform the O.S.S. They were mostly interested in military figures and statistics. This list consisted of the names of suspected “enemies of the state”.

Not that those “enemies” were much of a threat to Germany in Cole’s opinion. Most were just regular people who didn’t fit in with the Nazi’s idea of “acceptable”. Few, if any, had any military or political aspirations or connections and most were old men, women, and children. Hardly a threat to the massive German military complex that controlled the entire Third Reich. Just then an SS officer entered the office. Cole recognized the rank of the officer as Obersturmführer.

“Good morning,” said the SS officer. “I’m Obersturmführer Karl Adler, personal assistant to Sturmbannfuhrer Johann Sperrle. I’m looking for General Hiedler’s office.”

“It seems you’ve found it,” said Cole. “I’m Lieutenant Werner Grueber. We’ve spoken on the telephone many times.”

“Of course,” said Adler, shaking Cole’s hand. “It’s nice to finally put a face with the name.” He handed an envelope to Cole. “Sturmbannfuhrer asked me to drop these off for him. Their specifications for upgrades to some of the detention camps. General Hiedler wanted to look over the upgrades and discuss them with some of the camp commandants.”

“Yes, General Hiedler has been expecting them. I’m supposed to take them to him as soon as they came in. He’s out doing a cursory inspection of the local camp right now. I’ll take them to him immediately. I know he’ll be glad to get them. I’m surprised you brought them all this way yourself instead of having them messengered over.”

“The Sturmbannfuhrer had a meeting with the local SS commander so I figured as long as we were going to be in the area anyway I’d bring them over myself. It also gave me a chance to meet you in person. After all the telephone calls I feel we’ve gotten to know each other pretty well.”

“I know what you mean. It was very thoughtful of you. Have you looked at the upgrades?”

“Not really. I don’t have a lot do to with the actual planning. Mostly I just run errands for Johann.”

“I know the feeling. That’s about all I do for the general. You call the Sturmbannführer by his first name?”

“Oh, not usually. At least not in public. We were friends before and when Herr Eichmann made him his personal assistant he gave me this job.”

“Well, I’m sure you’re very good at your job. Herr Eichmann reports directly to the Fuhrer. If you weren’t good at what you do I doubt he’d keep you around even considering your friendship.”

“The same could be said of you,” said Adler. “From what I understand General Hiedler is a stickler for perfection.”

“Oh, he’s that, all right. But it beats being on the front lines.”

“Can’t argue with that.”

“Well, I guess I should get these to the general. He’s been anxious about them for a few days.”

“It was a pleasure to meet you, Lieutenant Grueber. I’m sure we’ll be seeing each other again very soon.”

“No doubt. Heil Hitler, Obersturmfuhrer Adler.”

“Oh, yes, Heil Hitler.”

Cole collected the papers Adler had brought for the general and headed for his car. As his driver drove him to Dachau prison camp he though about Adler. He wasn’t your typical SS officer. Most SS officers were arrogant and self-assured. Especially the upper echelon and those who worked for them. Adler was hardly what someone would expect an SS officer to be.

Or for what a demon to be. While he was in Germany Cole had learned that two others in the Brotherhood of the Thorn had been sent to infiltrate the Nazi upper echelon. Baldasor had told him as much when they had offered this assignment to him. These two, unlike Cole, were all ready full fledged members of the Brotherhood. One had apparently infiltrated the SS and another had infiltrated the Gestapo.

Cole had never been able to find out who those two were. Not that he had been looking very hard. When you were a spy in enemy territory it wasn’t a good idea to dig too hard for certain information. Knowing too much could be dangerous – even fatal. Raynor had not told him who the other spies were which meant Cole wasn’t supposed to know who they were. That was good enough for Cole.

As the car headed for the prison camp, Cole began to look over the information Adler had brought for the general. He wanted to see if there was anything in them that he needed to inform O.S.S. headquarters about.

[noazmale]

FIVE

Cole looked around the prison camp. He had delivered the papers to General Hiedler and the general and camp commandant were currently looking over the suggestions proposed by Sperrle and Eichmann. Cole had decided to take the opportunity to look around the camp as he had never actually seen one before.

Over the entrance to the camp was a sign that read “Arbeit Macht Frei” – “Work Shall set You Free”. He had to chuckle at that sign. He had heard rumors about these camps. “Work” was not real high on the agenda for a camp like this. If the rumors he had heard were true these camps were more for housing what the Nazi hierarchy considered to be threats to the Fatherland. And if some of those “enemies” should happen to die while “trying to escape” or for some other reason not too much attention was paid to such incidents.

The camp looked pretty much like what he had expected. Ringed with barbed wire and guard towers that held machine guns. Anyone attempting to escape the camp would be cut down nearly instantly. Not that he could imagine any of these people attempting to escape. As he had observed earlier, most of the “enemies” of the Third Reich were old men, women, and children. There were some younger men scattered around the camp but they were too few to present a threat to the heavily armed guards.

As Cole moved through the camp he noticed a large group of people moving toward a large building. The building they were being ushered into didn’t appear to be a barracks and there were no windows in the building. Cole looked around and saw a corporal standing nearby.

“Corporal, what is that building?”

“It’s, uh, the shower, sir. A lot of these people come here carrying diseases. It’s necessary to clean them up so they don’t infest the other prisoners.”

Cole looked at the group being led into the shower. They didn’t appear to be infested with any sort of parasites. He pointed to a young boy of perhaps ten.

“Bring him here,” Cole ordered.

The corporal pulled the boy out of line and dragged him over to Cole. Cole looked the boy over but found nothing wrong with him. His head had been recently shaved and there was no sign of any type of parasitical infestation.

“He seems okay to me,” said Cole.

“It’s standard procedure lieutenant. They send some of them over here and it’s my job to usher them into the showers. I don’t know how they determine who goes into the showers, sir. I only know that I’m supposed to send them through.”

“I see. Carry on, then.”

Just then one of the officers assigned to the camp came over to Cole and the corporal.

“Corporal,” said the officer, “the cook needs someone to help out in the kitchen. Someone to do some cleaning and that sort of thing. The commandant said to use one of the prisoners to free up the guards.”

“What about this boy?” suggested Cole. “What’s your name, boy?”

“Jaime,” said the boy. “Jaime Greenburg.”

“Jaime seems like a very sturdy young man,” said Cole. “Once he’s cleaned up I’m sure he’ll be just what the cook needs. We can send him right over as soon as he’s done in the shower. What do you say, Jaime? Would you like to help out the cook?”

“Papa said I was to do what I was told,” said the boy.

The officer and the corporal looked at each other and some unspoken word passed between them.

“He’ll do fine,” said the officer. “I’ll see that he’s cleaned up. Carry on, corporal.”

Cole turned and walked from the group of people being ushered into the shower as the officer led the young Jaime off toward another building. Cole wondered about the look the officer and the corporal had exchanged. There was clearly more going on here than he was aware of. He had decided not to press the issue. People who asked too many questions had a habit of disappearing. He didn’t want to be one of those people.

With a little luck he might be able to discover what was going on. The aid to a German general carried a lot of clout. Some discreet questioning later might yield more answers and information than a direct approach right now. And it might be something that O.S.S. command would be interested in learning.

As he walked across the camp grounds he scanned the group of people being led into the shower. He was trying to determine what type of prisoners they were. Most prisoners were divided into groups depicting their “danger” to the Third Reich. This group had obviously been in the camp a couple of days. Like young Jaime, all of them had their heads shaved. That wasn’t unusual. It was a standard treatment with prisoners to help prevent the spread of head lice and other such parasites. But nothing about this group of prisoners indicated what group they were classified as.

Suddenly his gaze fell on one particular young woman. At first he wasn’t sure why she had caught his attention. Something about her just seemed familiar. Suddenly recognition set in.

“Excuse me,” Cole said to a soldier who was passing by just then, “can you tell me what these prisoners are classified as?”

“Political prisoners, lieutenant” replied the soldier. “Undesirables. I think most of them are Jews, sir.”

“That one there,” said Cole, indicating the young woman who had caught his attention, “I want to speak with her. Is there some place private we can go?”

“Most of the prisoner barracks are empty at the moment, sir. The prisoners are being classified at the moment.”

“Bring her to me immediately,” Cole ordered, heading for one of the empty barracks.

“Yes, sir.”

Cole entered the barracks and looked around. Obviously every expense had been spared in setting up the barracks. Rows of bunk beds filled the building. There were several tables down the center of the room. And there was a wood burning stove at either end of the building. They would have been just enough to stave off the cold in the harsh German winters but the occupants would be far from comfortable. Just then he heard the door behind him open and two people follow him in.

“Here she is as you ordered, sir,” he heard the soldier say.

“Thank you,” responded Cole. “Leave us.”

He heard the soldier leave the building. He smiled to himself but still hadn’t turned to face the woman.

“The uniform is that of a German officer,” said the woman, no fear evident in her voice. “And if I’m reading the shoulder boards correctly, you would be a lieutenant. Presumably you’ve had me brought here because you want something. Since these are exactly ideal conditions conducive to a romantic interlude, I’m guessing you want some information instead of something a bit more tangible. I’m just wondering what makes you think I’m about to give any information to a mere lieutenant?”

“Oh, I just thought you might answer a single question for me,” said Cole, turning to face her. “I was just wondering what a Dark Lighter was doing allowing herself to be herded into a communal shower with a bunch of mortals? Care to give me an answer, Angelique?”

“Cole?” Angelique questioned in complete surprise.

[noazmale]

SIX

“It’s Lieutenant Werner Grueber for the time being,” said Cole, pointing to the shoulder board on his uniform. “Now, care to answer my question? I assume this is one of your elaborate plans. To get close to one of your targets. Although I can’t imagine what a White Lighter is doing in this camp.”

“Hardly my plan. Besides, you’re the one famous for the elaborate plans. And to the best of my knowledge there are no White Lighters here. But I’ve only been here a couple of days myself so I could be wrong.”

“So what are you doing here? And you let someone cut you’re beautiful blond hair. I can’t imagine any ordinary circumstances where you would allow anyone to do that without a fight.”

“You’d be right about that. That would never happen under any ordinary circumstances. Unfortunately I had very little choice in the matter. It seems that, at least for the moment, I’m no longer a Dark Lighter. My powers have been suppressed.”

“Suppressed? I don’t understand. How could your powers be suppressed?”

“It was that damned Talpax. I discovered him in Berlin a few days ago. He’s possessed a human named Goring and taken a position among the German hierarchy. Which has me a bit confused. It was my understanding that the Source had ordered no more possessions without his express permission.”

“And you would be right. He ordered that a few decades ago. It’s kind of a long story. But Talpax is a subordinate to Kernian and Kernian got permission from the Source to possess some minor political figures and start a limited conflict. Only he’s gone further than the Source allowed him to go.”

“Well that certainly explains a great deal,” said Angelique. “When Talpax discovered who I was he said something about the Source sending me after him. Before I knew what he was going to do he used his power to suppress my powers. Then he turned me over to the Gestapo and I’ve been a literal prisoner ever since. As you can see they sent me here with the other ‘rejects’ from German society.”

“Well, it seems we have a problem. How to get your powers back before something happens to you. Without your powers you’re just as vulnerable as any mortal. It might help if I knew what excuse Talpax gave to the Gestapo to get you sent here.”

“That’s the insidious part. He simply told them the truth. He told them I was a Jew. That’s all they needed to know.”

“Really? I never knew you were Jewish.”

“You don’t know everything about. But to be honest there’s no reason for you to know that. My nationality before my death never came up in conversation and it really has no bearing on my being a Dark Lighter. I just never saw any reason to mention it, that’s all.”

“Jews aren’t a nationality,” said Cole, smiling at Angelique. “They don’t have their own country.”

“Semantics, lover. But that’s only a temporary problem. Talpax must not have used his full power on me. I can feel my powers starting to return. It will only be a couple of days and I’ll be back to my old self. I can only guess that he didn’t see the need to permanently suppress my powers. All he had to do was suppress them temporarily and then let the Gestapo take care of his dirty work for him while I was powerless. Once my powers return he’ll pay for what he did to me.”

“I’m afraid that’s not going to happen. At least not right away. The Source doesn’t want Kernian or any of his subordinates vanquished just yet. He’s afraid there’s too much risk that one or more of them may be exposed to the mortal world. After the Axis powers have been defeated he’s going to deal with them himself.”

“After they’ve been defeated?” protested Angelique. “That could take years.”

“That’s why I’m here. I’m passing information to the O.S.S. in the United States. There are others doing the same thing. Most of them belong to the Brotherhood of the Thorn. That should help shorten the war considerably. I suggest you just go back and get your shower and wait for your powers to return. Then you can quietly dark orb out some night without suspicion.”

“I knew you had a twisted sense of humor but I never knew just how twisted.”

“What are you talking about?” asked Cole.

“You really think we were being led in there to have a shower? I’ve seen those ‘showers’ before. It’s actually a gas chamber. People go in but no one ever comes out. It’s the Third Reich’s way of controlling the excess population of ‘undesirables’. And without my powers I’m not sure even I could survive that poison gas.”

“I knew there was probably something like that going on in some of the camps. But it seems more widely spread than I imagined.”

“Well, to be honest, I’m not sure how much of it is really going on. But I’ve heard rumors. Until my powers come back there really isn’t much I can do about anything except wait and do as I’m told. I’m lucky you came along. I had no idea how I was going to get out of that ‘shower’.”

“Which brings us back to our original problem. How to get you out of here without raising any suspicions. And we have to come up with a reason to keep you out of those ‘showers’ until your powers come back.”

“That may not be easy. The group I was with were sent here simply because they were Jews. That’s why I was with them. As far as I can tell none of them are any kind of a real threat. They simply had the misfortune of being born to the wrong parents.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” said Cole. “We certainly can’t have them sending you into a gas chamber, now can we? That would spoil everything.”

“And what, may I ask, would be spoiled by the death of an insignificant Jew?”

They both turned to see an SS captain standing in the doorway to the barracks. With him were two guards armed with machine guns. One of the guards was the one who had brought Angelique to Cole.

“I do hope, lieutenant,” said the SS captain, “that you have a very good explanation for fraternizing with an enemy of the Fatherland. Otherwise you may be joining her in the showers.”

Cole just looked at Angelique and then at the SS captain.

[noazmale]

SEVEN

“I’m Lieutenant Werner Grueber, personal aid to General Hans Hiedler. And I don’t have to account for my actions, least of all to a captain with the SS.”

“Well, you can explain it to me or you can explain it to the Gestapo. I’m sure they would be very interested in why you’d be speaking privately with a condemned prisoner of the Third Reich.”

Cole looked at the captain and then at Angelique. She knew him well enough to know that look in his eyes.

“Captain, if we could speak privately,” said Cole, eyeing the two guards.

“Wait outside,” the captain said to the guards.

After the guards had left the building Cole spoke in low tones.

“Angelique is hardly an enemy of the Reich. For the last few months she’s been attempting to gather information about subversives against the Fatherland. When General Hiedler learned she had been arrested and brought to this camp he asked me to see what I could do about it.”

“I don’t understand,” said the captain. “I was told she was sent here at the express orders of Reichsmarschall Goring himself.”

“Yes,” said Cole. “For security reasons her true identity has been kept from all but those people who have an absolute need to know. We never imagined she’d be sent to one of the camps.”

“You expect me to believe that Reichsmarschall Goring ordered one of our operatives to a detention camp?”

“Is the Reichsmarschall personally aware of all of the covert operations of the SS?”

“The most important ones he is.”

“But not all of them.”

“No,” responded the captain after a moments’ hesitation, “ I don’t suppose he’s aware of all of our operations.”

“I’m sure if he was aware of her true identity,” said Cole, “I seriously doubt he would have sent her here. Her mission was to infiltrate any subversive groups in Berlins. She was to gather a list of names that she was then to give to General Hiedler. General Hiedler was then going to give the list to the Gestapo so that the subversives could be rounded up.”

“And she was apprehended and sent here before she could do that?” questioned the captain. “That’s a bit hard to swallow. My understanding is she’s a Jew.”

“That’s the identity I was given,” said Angelique. “Unfortunately they seem to have done too god a job on my new identity. When Goring learned I was a Jew, he sent me here. I didn’t even have a chance to explain to them what was going on and the guards who brought me here wouldn’t listen to a word I said.”

The SS captain eyed Cole and Angelique suspiciously. Cole stood ready to kill the man where he stood. Finally the captain spoke.

“I suggest, lieutenant, that in the future you be more careful where you assign your operatives. As you can see things can go wrong if the operations are not properly and thoroughly prepared.”

“Thank you, captain. I can assure you that something like this is not likely to happen again. Now, if I could ask that you keep her segregated from the rest of the camp. And that absolutely no one knows that she’s here. In a couple of days she’ll ‘escape’ from the camp. That will give her credibility and perhaps she can still accomplish her mission.”

“The commandant is not going to like that.”

“General Hiedler is going to discuss it with him. But it’s only going to work if no one else knows about her. Not even why she’s been segregated.”

“That can easily be arranged. We can keep her in the isolation boxes. They aren’t very comfortable but it will keep her isolated from everyone else until you can get her out of the camp. And the two guards outside can see to it. They’re the only ones we’re in here. I will of course have to discuss it with the commandant.”

“Of course,” said Cole. “I wouldn’t expect any less. I will need a few minutes alone with her and then the guards can take her to the isolation box.”

The captain left Cole and Angelique alone in the barracks.

“Nice plan,” said Angelique. “Until he checks with the commandant who doesn’t know a thing about me.”

“He won’t get the chance. Before he gets the chance to see the commandant I’ll see to it that he disappears. Tonight, after it gets dark, I’ll shimmer back here and get you out. After making sure those two guards also disappear. Once the three of them are dead there won’t be anyone who can identify you. And no way to place the two of us together. I’ll make sure you’re in a nice safe place where you can wait until your powers return and then you can do whatever you want.”

“I’m going to pay a little visit on Talpax. I may not be able to vanquish his sorry butt but I can cause him some serious pain for what he tried to do to me.”

“No,” said Cole forcefully. “The Source has ordered that no on go after him or any of the demons under his command. If you go against those orders he won’t hesitate to have you vanquished and I won’t be able to protect you. The best thing for you to do is just move on. Talpax will be dealt with in due course.”

“I’m not in the habit of just walking away from the people who try to kill me.”

“This is an unusual situation. Now go and wait for me to come get you tonight. We can get together later and decide what your options about Talpax are. I’ll shimmer in after dark and get you out.”

“And I’ll be sure to be appropriately appreciative for the help,” said Angelique, smiling suggestively at him.

Cole left the barracks and headed to see if he could fin the SS captain alone in the camp.

[noazmale]

EIGHT

It had been a week since Cole had helped Angelique escape from Dachau. Disposing of the SS captain and the two guards had been easy. Now, she was off, probably on some mission she had been hired for. And he had returned to his normal duties with General Hiedler. Suddenly the door to his office opened and a man wearing a suit entered.

“Lieutenant Grueber,” said the man, “I’m Colonel Hockstedder of the Gestapo. I need you to answer some questions.”

“I’ll be glad to. As soon as you show me some identification. I’m not in the habit of answering to just anyone based on an unsubstantiated claim.”

The man pulled out his I.D. and showed it to Cole. Satisfied as to the man’s identity, Cole settled back in his chair.

“What can I do for the Gestapo?”

“You visited Dachau a week ago.”

“Yes. General Hiedler had business with the camp commandant. As his aid I naturally went along.”

“You spoke to an SS captain and two guards while you were there. I need to know what you talked with them about.”

“I’m afraid you’ll have to be a bit more specific. I spoke to many officers and guards. I can’t tell you what the conversation was about based solely on that information.”

“It had to do with one of the female prisoners at the camp. You spoke to them in one of the barracks.”

“Oh, that. It wasn’t anything really. I wanted to see how the prisoners were being treated. And the captain was kind enough to fill me in on some of the specifics about how the camp was run. I’d never been to one and I was understandably curious.”

“The General doesn’t discuss the aspects of the camps with you?”

“Not as a rule,” said Cole. “That isn’t my function here. I serve in an administrative capacity mostly. The General has other better qualified people to discuss the aspects of the camp with.”

“Do you often take such an active interest in thins that are none of your concern?”

“Actually, General Hiedler, as I’m sure you’re aware, is in charge of all such camps. I was gathering information about the camps at his request. He felt that some of the people might be a little more honest with me rather than him. He can be somewhat intimidating. I’m sure the captain and the guards told you the types of questions I was asking.”

“It seems they disappeared shortly after talking with you. You wouldn’t know anything about that would you?”

“I don’t see how,” lied Cole. “I joined the general immediately after speaking with them and we returned here to Berlin almost immediately. I haven’t been out of Berlin since.”

“Perhaps the prisoner you spoke with could shed some light on this. I need you to identify which one it was. I’m afraid they’re difficult to tell apart in the camps.”

“That might be a problem. I understand she was taken away to the showers just after I spoke with her. It wasn’t until later that I learned exactly what those showers were for.”

“How convenient for you. Perhaps we should continue our conversation some place more conducive to an interrogation. Such as Gestapo headquarters.”

“If you had planned to take me to Gestapo headquarters I doubt you would have come alone. And unless you had more than simple suspicions I don’t think even the Gestapo would arrest a general’s aid without first clearing it with Herr Himmler. As I’ve told you, I was asking questions about the camp for General Hiedler. You’re more than welcome to ask him yourself. He’ll be back later this afternoon.”

“Not even a general – or his aid – are above suspicion of treason. The Third Reich has many enemies and it is the duty of the Gestapo – and all loyal German citizens – to expose those enemies. Especially if they serve in positions of great importance. Such as that of a general’s aid.”

Cole eyed the colonel suspiciously. Explaining the disappearance of a high ranking Gestapo officer would be more difficult than that of an SS captain. But knowing the Gestapo’s tactics as he did, being taken in for “questioning” was even less of an option.

“As I said,” replied Cole, “if you had more than your mere suspicions you wouldn’t be here alone. And I can assure you that General Hiedler will be quite anxious to learn why he – and his aid – are being needlessly subjected to this type of treatment once I tell him. Now, unless you plan to arrest me right now I’ll thank you to leave my office. I’ve answered your questions and I do have a lot of work to do.”

“I was told you thought fast on your feet,” said the colonel, taking a seat. “I can see that wasn’t an exaggeration.”

“Who told you that?”

“Baldasor.”

“I’m afraid I don’t know any Baldasor,” lied Cole, wondering if this was a trick by Kernian to get information out of him.

“Under the circumstances,” said Hockstedder, “I think he would understand why his brother would lie about knowing him. You can’t be too careful, can you, Belthazor?”

As he had been talking, Hockstedder formed a fireball and then extinguished it: to show Cole he was no mere human. Cole knew that denying his identity was useless. This demon wanted something and Cole needed to know what he was after.

“Who are you and what do you want?”

“My name is Amaaron. Raynor sent me to check on you and see how you were doing. He’s quite pleased with your progress to date.”

“You’re a member of the Brotherhood of the Thorn?” questioned Cole. “And I should believe you because . . . .”

“You’re cautious. That’s good. You should believe me because I can tell you that you’re the newest initiate to the Brotherhood. I’m sure you’re aware of the significance of that bit of information.”

“The identity of an initiate is never revealed outside of the Brotherhood prior to their success or failure of their initiation.”

“Precisely. So the fact that I know you’re an initiate proves I’m speaking the truth.”

“So, is that the only reason you came here? To check up on me?”

“We don’t check up on initiates. If it were necessary to check up on them they wouldn’t be Brotherhood material. But I was somewhat curious to know why you apparently took an interest in a prisoner. There didn’t seem to be anything of significance with this particular prisoner. I also was curious why you found it necessary to kill three guards.”

“She was a Dark Lighter,” replied Cole. “She’s been very useful to me in the past and I didn’t think she should have to die that way.”

“Why would a Dark Lighter need your help? Why didn’t she just dark orb out of the camp herself?”

“It seems that Talpax used his power to suppress her powers. Then he put her in Dachau to get rid of her. I found it necessary to dispose of the guards so she could affect her escape. And so it wouldn’t lead back to me.”

“Talpax? Kernian’s chief lieutenant?”

“One and the same. My guess is he didn’t want to waste too much power on Angelique so he only suppressed her powers temporarily. Then he sent her to the camp figuring she’d be dead before her powers returned.”

“Does she know which of the German hierarchy Talpax is possessing?”

“She said it was Reichsmarschall Goring. She said when he discovered who she was he make some accusation about the Source sending her after him and that’s why he sent her to the camp.”

“That would explain a great deal. We know that Kernian is possessing Adolf Hitler. But we aren’t sure which of the others his subordinates have possessed. One of our assignments is to identify which humans his subordinates are controlling. It has been difficult. They’ve been very secretive as I’m sure you can imagine.”

“I would imagine they would just possess the highest ranking Nazi’s,” said Cole.

“Not necessarily. A lower ranking Nazi might provide them with just as much control without the added risk of exposure. We have to be sure which ones they are so that they can all be dealt with and so that none of them escape punishment.”

“That makes sense. But possession by definition makes it difficult to identify the demon doing the possessing.”

“Therein lies the difficulty. But at least we have one of his subordinates identified. We can keep an eye on him until we are ready to move. If you should learn of any of the identities of his other subordinates. . . .”

“I will, of course, notify the Brotherhood immediately. Any idea how many of his subordinates are possessing humans?”

“We believe it to be seven, in addition to Kernian himself.”

“I’ll see what I can find out.”

“Excellent. Keep up the good work and I imagine your induction into the Brotherhood will occur very quickly.”

“I appreciate the confidence,” said Cole. “And I can assure you that I’ll continue doing the job as well as I have up to this point.”

Amaaron just smiled and then left the office. As he closed the door behind him, a thought occurred to Cole. If he was right, he might have a way to discover who the other subordinates were possessing. But for that, he would need a little help.

[noazmale]

NINE

Cole moved through the tunnels of the Underworld. He came to the chamber that was reserved specifically for the Brotherhood of the Thorn. Two demons flanked the opening to the chamber. Brotherhood demons. They simply bowed slightly to Cole as he entered the chamber. Inside, Cole found Teltrick, the second highest ranking member of the Brotherhood.

“Belthazor?” questioned Teltrick in surprise. “What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be gathering information for the Source.”

“Lieutenant Grueber is currently on vacation,” replied Cole. “General Hiedler granted me a few days off so I won’t be missed.”

“What brings you here? I assume you have some information to deliver.”

“Amaaron paid me a visit the other day.”

“On my orders. We periodically check on the progress of an initiate. To better evaluate their progress and performance.”

“I understand that. He told me you were having trouble identifying the humans that Kernian’s subordinates had possessed.”

“Yes. They cover their identities well.”

“I may have a way to identify them.”

“How?”

“It will require the services of a Vision demon.”

“We considered that. But in order to utilize their unique ability it would be necessary to take them to the mortal plane. And that is too much of a risk. While they would be able to identify which humans have been possessed, they would have to get much too close to those humans. In all likelihood Kernian or his subordinates would identify them. Then Kernian and his subordinates would simply possess other humans in the Third Reich and we would have no idea which ones.”

“Not necessarily. It may be possible to utilize a Vision demon without risking exposure.”

“How?” demanded Teltrick.

“Bring one here. Maybe I can demonstrate.”

Teltrick called for one of his servants and ordered the servant to bring him a Vision demon. A few moments later the servant returned with the demon. It was shorter than either Cole or Teltrick and its eyes were a strange aquamarine color. Among its abilities was the ability to see a creatures’ true form no matter what form they took.

“You wished to see me,” said the Vision demon.

Teltrick simply looked at Cole. Cole reached into his pocket and pulled out a stack of photographs. He showed them one at a time to the Vision demon.

“Do you know this human?” Cole asked.

“No,” replied the demon, looking at the photo. “I have little contact with the mortal world.”

“That’s what I’m counting on,” said Cole. “What about this human?”

“No. I have never seen him before.”

“What about this one?”

“I have not seen this one either,” said the Vision demon. “Teltrick, what is the purpose of this? As I have said, I have little contact with the mortal plane. There is no reason to believe I would know any humans.”

“I’m sure Belthazor has a point to all this. And I’m sure it will become evident momentarily.”

“Yes, it will,” said Cole, showing the Vision demon another photo. “What about her? Do you know her?”

“No,” replied the demon, looking at the photo. “I have never seen . . . Wait. This is no human. She is Dark Lighter.”

“What about this one? Can you identify her?”

“She is no human. She is demon.”

“It works,” said Cole triumphantly. “I wasn’t sure if it would but it apparently does.”

“What works?” Teltrick demanded.

“These,” said Cole, holding up the last two photographs. “One of this is of Angelique Dupree, a Dark Lighter acquaintance of mine. The other is a photograph of my mother. But both are in human form and virtually indistinguishable from a normal human. And yet the Vision demon was still able to identify both of them. Which means they should be able to distinguish normal humans from those possessed based on photographs of them.”

“I fail to see how this helps us,” said Teltrick. “Are you suggesting that Vision demons pour over photographs of humans hoping we might be able to identify Kernian’s subordinates?”

“No. That won’t be necessary. The Nazi’s are using newsreels and other types of filming to document their new order. They’re using them for propaganda purposes. And most, if not all, of the hierarchy figure prominently in those films. I think it’s a safe bet to assume that most of Kernian’s subordinates will be in them if not all of them. The Vision demons should be able to identify those who aren’t fully human without risking exposure.”

“If it continues to work as it appears to have worked here.”

“There’s no reason to think it won’t,” said Cole. “I can collect some of those films and see that you get them. Then all you have to do is have the Vision demons identify the ones you’re after. And you don’t have to risk exposing anyone to Kernian or any of his subordinates.”

“This will be of great benefit to us. It would seem that the Source was very insightful nominating you for the Brotherhood. I was one who initially spoke against you’re joining the Brotherhood because of your human heritage. It is possible my judgment in that matter may have been in error.”

“I appreciate the honesty. I’ve done my best to prove that being only half demon has not been a hindrance to me.”

“You seem to be doing that quite well. It has been more than a year and none of us have figured out a way to identify our targets. And yet you have come up with a way in only a few days.”

“That’s because demons don’t put a high priority on photographs. Humans do. Since you don’t see them as important it probably would never occur to you that we might be able to use them as I’ve suggested.”

“I would tend to agree. I don’t understand the human preoccupation with taking photographs. I have always considered that thinking like that to be a human weakness. Their compassion for inferior beings rob them of the strength they need to make the hard decisions that help them retain power. But perhaps not all human thinking is a weakness. You have just proven that we may have been short-sighted in that respect.”

“It can have its advantages. Something I hope to be able to teach the Brotherhood. Once I’ve passed my initiation.’

“Assuming you do pass. Send me these films as soon as possible. The sooner we identify the traitors the sooner we can begin to watch them. And the sooner we can put an end to this distasteful business.”

Cole bowed and then left the chamber. He had been able to impress Teltrick; no small feat. He knew it would be a long time before his initiation was over and he would finally be granted full membership in the Brotherhood of the Thorn. But he definitely felt he was well on his way to accomplishing that goal.

[noazmale]

TEN

Cole looked out of the window in his office. From all outward appearances it looked like any other day in the Third Reich. And in many respects it was like any other day in the Third Reich. But that was not necessarily a good thing. Germany had been steadily loosing the war for months. Even now there were unconfirmed rumors of Allied forces beginning to converge on Berlin. It was only a matter of time before Russia, England, or even American troops began to swarm over the city.

It had been a long four since his assignment to Berlin by the O.S.S. While Kernian had often proven himself to be a very effective demonic leader, he was less so as the undisputed ruler of the Third Reich. His tactical ability leading humans had been, at best, less than effective. In many instances it had never occurred to him that h is enemy might not simply turn tail and run at the first sight of an overwhelming force coming for them.

Although he would never speak of it openly, it was something that Cole considered a failing in most “true” demons. Demons ruled by fear and intimidation. True courage was not something most demons understood. The courage to fight your opponent to the last man even when the odds were overwhelmingly against you. Most demons would never consider fighting for an ideal.

It was, however, something Cole understood quite well. In some ways he was not unlike the people he had watched for the past four years. All of his life he had fought for the ideal that he was as good a demon as any full-blooded demon. He had fought even when he knew there was absolutely no hope of success.

Most of the people he had come into contact with were no different. All were fighting for some cause. Some fought in an underground movement against the Nazi’s believing them to be evil. Others fought on the side of Germany, not because they necessarily believed in what the German rulers espoused. Many of them didn’t. But they fought for Germany because of one single unalterable fact. Germany was their home.

Cole had found very few true believers in the Nazi way of life, aside from those in the highest levels of power. But those few made up the very core of the power in Germany. The rest – mostly common soldiers and very day citizens – did as they were told because that was their way of life. And refusal could carry some terrible penalties with it. When it was boiled down to its most basic components, it usually came down to a single decision. Comply or die. For most people, it was not a difficult decision.

There were others, of course. Evil humans who took any opportunity that presented itself to control others. Not all the evil in the world was demonic. Many humans had their evil side. And many of them had latched onto the demonically inspired Third Reich controlled by Kernian and his subordinates. But by far most of the people in Germany were simple people simply trying to live their lives and survive until the war was over.

Cole had not heard from O.S.S. headquarters in a while. And neither had he had any information to pass on to them recently. With the war going so badly for Germany, most of the hierarchy was more concerned with their own survival than victory over the Allies. It was obvious to anyone that the dream a thousand year Reich was shattered forever. Suddenly the door to Cole’s office opened. Cole turned to see Amaaron walk into his office, followed by an SS colonel.

“And to what do I owe the pleasure of this meeting?” Cole asked.

“Belthazor,” said Amaaron, “this is Ellatton. He’s also a member of the Brotherhood. As you can see, he was sent to infiltrate the SS during the war.”

“I always knew there was a third member of the Brotherhood high up in the Nazi echelon,” said Cole. “I just didn’t know who it was.”

“Technically, there were only two brothers,” said Ellatton. “You are not yet a brother.”

“Of course,” said Cole. “Forgive my impudence.”

“And you weren’t supposed to know,” continued Ellatton. “But I have to admit if what Amaaron tells me is true you’ve handled yourself exemplary during this assignment.”

“I appreciate the confidence,” said Cole. “It pleases me that I’ve been able to impress you.”

“Of that you have been successful,” said Amaaron. “That’s partially why we’ve come here today. To let you know that everyone within the Brotherhood are pleased with your performance. And the Source is also very pleased.”

“Thank you,” said Cole.

“We’ve also come on another matter,” said Ellatton. “One a bit more urgent, I’m afraid. The war is lost for Germany. Even now word is spreading that Adolf Hitler has committed suicide. And many of the higher echelon within the Nazi government are either trying to negotiate their surrender or escape to other countries.”

“Suicide?” questioned Cole. “You aren’t telling me that Kernian killed himself?”

“Oh, no,” said Ellatton. “He dispossessed Hitler just before we were about to vanquish him. He led us on quite a chase before we caught up with him. But he has been dealt with in a manner befitting that of a traitor.”

“What about the others?” Cole asked. “The subordinates that followed him?”

“As you are aware,” said Amaaron, “your suggestion of utilizing Vision Demons allowed us to identify all seven of his subordinates which Kernian was using to control this country. As we speak our brothers are dealing them. Their fate will serve as an example to any demon that considers betraying the Source.”

“Due in no small part to you,” added Ellatton.

Cole had to stifle the pride that began to swell inside him. The Brotherhood of the Thorn did not compliment any demon without sufficient cause. Their praise of him, a mere half demon, was indeed high praise.

“So what do we do now?” Cole asked.

“O.S.S. headquarters has decided to recall most of their operatives in Germany,” replied Amaaron. “We understand you have cultivated some contacts in the underground here.”

“Yes,” said Cole. “They’ve been helpful in gathering some of the information I’ve been sending back to O.S.S. headquarters.”

“In order to maintain our identities as Nazi officers,” said Amaaron, “we’ve decided to use the underground to affect our escape from Germany. You will use your contacts to get out of Germany and then you will return to the Underworld. After the way you’ve handled yourself on this assignment I’m sure the Source will be more than willing to continue with your initiation. You’ll receive a new assignment very soon.”

“What about O.S.S. headquarters?” asked Cole. “Or some of the other mortals who know me in this identity?”

“Concerned about some lowly humans?” questioned Ellatton.

“Not at all,” replied Cole. “But depending on my next assignment, it is possible I may run into one of them. Considering what I’ve heard about some of the things the Nazi’s have done during the war, I could find myself in a position of explaining things I’d rather not explain. Or have no explanation for. Like how I got back to America after escaping Germany.”

“He does have a point,” said Ellatton. “None of our assignments has ever lasted this long. Many survivors who know him as Lieutenant Grueber may immigrate to the United States. It is possible he may run into them at some future date.”

“What would you suggest, Belthazor?” Amaaron asked.

“First, I return to the United States and O.S.S. headquarters through the underground,” suggested Cole. “I go through whatever procedure and debriefing they may have for return spies. That way my identity as an operative for them will become a matter of public record. After that I let them discharge me from the service just like any returning soldier. Then I will become a private citizen. After that I can quietly disappear without any suspicions.”

“It makes sense,” said Ellatton. “And it could be useful in the future. It is a nice touch establishing a human identity on the mortal plane.”

“I all ready have a human identity,” said Cole. “But to be honest, it’s force of habit. Being a mercenary requires me to consider options that you may not have to take into account.”

“I’ll inform Raynor and the Source of the change of plans,” said Amaaron. “As soon as you’ve finished with these matters we’ll expect to see you back in the Underworld.”

“The minute I’m finished,” said Cole.

“We should be going,” said Ellatton. “Our assignments have been somewhat more visible than Belthazor’s. It would complicate matters if the Allies should arrive early. I understand that high ranking Gestapo and SS officers are considered primary targets for capture.”

“Of course,” said Amaaron. “You’ve done a good job, Belthazor. I will look forward to making my report to the Brotherhood and the Source.

Cole smiled to himself as the two senior demons shimmered out of his office. It would take a few weeks to tie up the loose ends he had told Amaaron about. But in the end it would be worth it. It would help him to further blend into human society for his next assignment.

He picked up the phone to call one of his contacts in the underground. They would be able to get him out of Germany quietly. Especially when they learned he was really an operative for the O.S.S. He could wait until the Allies arrived and turn himself over to them. But that would complicate matters and take much longer than he wanted to. It would be easier for his identity as an O.S.S. agent to be verified one he was safely out of German territory.

[noazmale]

ELEVEN

“There you go, young fella,” said Black as he finished bandaging Cole’s wound. “That should keep the wound clean until it’s healed properly. Just make sure to change the dressing when it gets dirty. Wouldn’t want it to get infected.”

“Thanks,” said Cole. “You did a nice job of it.”

“Some things in the camp actually were helpful. Like how to patch up someone who was hurt. It’s a skill I’ve found very useful over the years.”

“No doubt. Your English is very good. I haven’t detected even a trace of a German accent.”

“Sixty years of practice. Besides, I decided if America was to be m adopted home I would do everything I could to be a real American. Without forgetting about where I came from, of course.”

“I can understand that. If you’re going to live somewhere you might as well blend in as much as possible.”

“Just like you.”

“I don’t know what you mean,” said Cole nervously.

“It may have been more than sixty years, but you never forget the man who saved your life.”

“I’m afraid I don’t understand.”

“I told you when I was adopted by the American soldier I was given a new name. But before I left Germany my name was Jaime Greenburg.”

Involuntarily Cole’s eyes widened slightly at the mention of the name. He remembered that name. The young boy at Dachau that Cole had inadvertently kept from being murdered that day.

“I can see you remember me.”

“Maybe I look like the German officer who saved you,” began Cole.

“I never said he was an officer. I only said it was a German soldier. But you’re the same man, all right. It’s a face I will never forget. And even after sixty years you don’t’ seem to have changed a bit.”

“It wasn’t intentional, you know,” said Cole after realizing he had been found out. “Saving your life, I mean. You just happened to be there. That’s all there was too it.”

“I appreciate your honesty. I never did learn the name of the man who saved my life. But intentional or not I am indebted to you for it all the same. I survived because of what you did. And as I said, it’s a debt that can never truly be repaid but one that demands I at least try.”

“Grueber.”

“Excuse me?” questioned Black.

“Lieutenant Werner Grueber,” replied Cole. “That’s the name I was going by in those days. I was an agent for the Office of Strategic Services operating as a spy in Germany. As for why I haven’t changed . . . .”

“It’s unimportant. I’ve seen a lot of things in my seventy years of living. Not all of it I’ve ever been able to explain or even understand. But I do believe there’s a reason for everything. I also believe there are things we aren’t meant to understand. I think sometimes that too many people put their faith in science and technology. There are things that should remain a mystery.

“You saved my life once. I figure that’s earned you the right to a few secrets. I do know the man who took pity on me must be a decent person. Anyone who saves a child’s life must be a good man.”

“Well, I’m not sure how right you are about that. But I am trying. And I appreciate you not asking a lot of questions.”

“Consider it part of my repayment for the debt I owe you,” said Black. “Now, you should get some rest. And I have some graffiti to remove. Then we can have lunch. The wife makes a very good vegetarian lasagna. You’re in for a real treat.”

As Black walked back to the mausoleum Cole thought about the turn of events. Saving a young boy’s life had not even been on his mind that day in 1942. In fact, he wouldn’t have cared less whether the boy had lived or not. And yet that one action had helped create the man who was helping him now. A man who, by all accounts, had helped untold numbers of people in the past sixty years.

No one had escaped those four horrible years unscathed. And yet, after all he had been through, Black still felt it necessary that he help anyone who needed his help. Even a half human demon currently on the run for his life.

Yes, those had been terrible years. Compared to that his troubles with Phoebe seemed almost inconsequential. And if Black could make peace with his past, perhaps Cole could make peace with his. And maybe, just maybe, he and Phoebe could settle their differences. It was something he was going to give a lot of thought to in the coming days.

The End

If you’ve enjoyed this story, you can find more “Charmed” stories at my website, Creative Passions, listed in my bio. You can also post your own “Charmed” stories or other stories if you like to write fan fiction.