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Riese installation
commandant was watching the brightly lit saucers come and go. Men
were working through the night loading and fueling these new craft
for their trek to their new home in Antarctica.
    “That Bf 109 sure made short work of that
Ilyushin today; didn’t it Commandant?” Asked the Riese installation
commander’s assistant.
    “I am not as optimistic as you my friend,”
responded the commander, Oberst Kreutztrager. “I have been facing
the Russians for the last three years of my career, and I tell you
that the Russians don’t waste air assets… they would not send out a
Sturmovik on a random hunting mission. The only reason that
aircraft came from the sky today is because the land that we are
standing on now, is inside of the peninsula of their next offensive
plan. They are obviously clearing our ordinance and mechanized
fighting vehicles out of the way for an eminent ground attack.”
    “Oh, we could surely beat back any offensive
here, It is too close to the Führer’s Wolf’s Lair,” suggested the
assistant.
    “I have the experience to see more,”
continued the commandant, “Seeing that red star bird in the sky
today tells me that there will be another tomorrow. And when we
shoot that down there will be another the next day, until they
finally shoot down our 109, and the plane that comes the next day
will strafe us at will. Next thing you know, there will be very
angry Russian Infantry soldiers standing here in a week or two.
Sure we may take the base back, but they will be here just the
same. Mark my words.”
    “That is horrible to imagine Herr
Commandant,” said the assistant.
    “Never the less it would only be prudent that
we accept the possibility and plan for it.” Said the General, “We
need to alert Berlin that we will have to speed up the exodus plan
and send everything we have now and everything else as it arrives.
We must assume that we will not have this embarking point for more
than a week.”
    *~*
    The next day General Von Sterbenbach had
arrived at Riese and was checking into the officer’s quarters.
    The sergeant at the desk informed him, “Herr
General, your departure is still scheduled for tomorrow. There are
no names on the boarding passes and no one has assigned seats. This
is to assure that we get everybody on a flight as soon as possible
and that we don’t have to deal with petty squabbling about who was
assigned to what seat and where. I am also afraid that the only
luggage allowed is a single bag that you can personally carry in
one hand, and whatever you can wear or carry in your pockets.”
    “I understand, Feldwebel,” answered Von
Sterbenbach as he turned and left for his room.
    Upon arriving to his billet, Von Sterbenbach
put his key into the door and entered.
    At first he hung his coat on the hook behind
the door. As he was doing so, he noticed in the mirror on the back
of the door, that someone was already in the room, as he could see
somebody’s foot around the corner of the bed.
    Without turning Von Sterbenbach drew his
Luger from its holster and then slowly turned, not yet showing
himself to whomever was waiting around the corner.
    Von Sterbenbach raised his side arm to point
through the wall at whoever it was and then jumped into the room to
confront whoever was there.
    Once inside the main room he found to his
surprise that it was Schwerig, who was pointing his Luger right
back at Von Sterbenbach.
    Von Sterbenbach looked baffled.
    Schwerig, with his crazy smile said, “Well
general, it appears as though we have what I believe they call a
Mexican stand off.”
    “Why are you pointing your gun at me Major?”
asked the general.
    “Why did you give orders to kill me?”
returned Schwerig.
    “It is my prerogative as your Commanding
Officer to do so,” offered Von Sterbenbach, “You will never get
away with this. Others will know that there were orders to kill
you. They will figure out that you have killed me.”
    “No they won’t,” Schwerig