LEVENSTIEN RADIO REPAIRS

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY

Adam took his meal from the delivery boy. If America had one redeeming quality it was Chinese take out. He tipped the kid and then let the door shut behind him. He had his hands busy with both bags and a screwdriver in his mouth as he walked past the front counter and into the back of his shop. He then sat down at his radios and got back to work. This evening was turning out to be a gold mine. The US Navy was going crazy over at the Brooklyn yards. They were rushing ships out to sea as fast as they could and, as a result, they were paying very little attention to radio discipline. Why not? Americans never believed that they could ever have anything happen here. They took so much for granted and Adam could not figure out if he loathed, envied, or pitied them for it.

He was so busy rapped up in his work, with his headphones on, that he almost missed the constant ringing of the bell. At first he thought it was errant transmissions but, when he took the head set off it just kept right on ringing. Adam realized that was the bell on the front counter. How was that possible? He had been closed for a couple of hours and the front door should have been locked! He reached for the gun he kept in his desk drawer. Normally a spy would not carry such a thing. In most places they were more trouble than they were worth. Fortunately, this was America and he would stick out if he did not have a gun or, at least, that is what he would tell the authorities if he were ever questioned.

Adam went to take one last bite of rice and the food made him realize that he had left the front unlocked. He let out a long sigh of relief and then put the gun away. He still peeked out of his little hole before going out front. When he did he almost considered the gun once more but, in the end, he figured it would do him no good. Adam walked out front, up to his side of the counter, and told the man across from him, “what are you doing here?”

The man straightened his tie and worked his neck. He always talked with his nose in the air and his whimsical voice was ever so arrogant, “that’s good Herr Weiss. You remember me. Now we don’t have to go through all of that pathetic spy talk that you people are so fond of.”

“You have blown my operation Herr Landig,” Adam protested. “The Americans know who you are. They would follow you wherever you go. You have led the FBI right too me!”

“Relax,” Landig told him. “Nobody knows I’m in the this country except my men, and you.”

Adam did not understand, “you came by U-Boat? That’s impossible, I would have known about it.” He did not mention the fact that Adam could not imagine one of the Fuhrer’s right hand men, one of the founding members of the Nazi Party, traveling in such a dangerous manner. Adam had always known that Landig was the kind of guy who liked to get his hands dirty but, even for him, this was ridiculous.

Landig just blew it off as he walked, uninvited, past the curtain, and into the back of the shop, “lets just say my travel here was not recorded.” He mostly ignored Adam as he examined the set up. Then he unconvincingly acted jovial as he stated, “so this is what you spies really do. It looks so incredibly boring.”

Adam started to get a cold feeling building in the pit of his stomach, “what is it that you require, Herr Doctor?”

Now Landig was studying the board of photographs and tracing the strings. As he looked he commented, “you’ve done a very thorough job. You should be commended for your efforts. The Fuhrer himself told me that you have worked this assignment ever since we found out about… IT.”

Adam slid closer to his desk but, only a little. Adam studied Landig as carefully as Landig studied all of the photographs. Then Landig turned with a smile. He slapped his hands together and pointed to the photographs that were out by themselves, “and who are they? You don’t have them labeled.”

Adam nodded and replied, “her picture is on the other side of the board. That is Katherine Langford, the daughter of the man who discovered the ring. She is of no importance and as near as I can tell, not connected with the research.”

Landig shrugged, “and the man?”

“I don’t know,” Adam honestly admitted. “I believe he might be the same man that was reported in Egypt, a few years ago. Past that he is a complete mystery. I cannot find any information on him anywhere.”

“Curious,” Landig replied. Once again he pointed to the girl, “and from the looks of the picture I would say it is a safe bet that she knows exactly who he is.”

“Perhaps,” Adam told him, “but she is currently under the protection of the American Government. So is the doctor and I have only sporadic reports of where they are. It was by pure luck that one of my network found her when that picture was taken. I know she is long gone from there now. If anything were to happen to her…”

Landig was not interested in that part. He just looked rather confused, “your network is large enough to cover an entire country the size of America?”

Now Adam was no longer scared. He was starting to find this man annoying instead. One of the biggest advantages to being a spy was not having your boss look over your shoulder all the time. They were usually only interested in results and telling them what you were doing was even dangerous. In this case, Adam decided, he could divulge at least a little since it compromised no one. “This is America Herr Gruppenfuhrer. I, as the American’s say, sub contract. I hired a Private Investigator to watch the Florida home of the Langfords on the off chance that they might use it. The man who took the photograph is an American who thinks that his employer is a woman with a marital dispute.”

“Quite clever Weiss,” Landig replied. If he was as truly impressed as seemed to be the it was anyone’s guess. “Not clever enough to discover the identity of that man, however.”

Now Adam was starting to become truly annoyed. “Herr Landig, the longer you stay here the more danger you put both of us in. People who live in the area know this shop and if something were to happen, on down the road, then someone will have noted your visit and pass it on to the American authorities. In my business, those are the kind of questions that one strives to avoid. I assume that you are here to find out about the operation in Los Angeles. Well as of right now…”

“You assume wrong Weiss,” replied Landig in a very chilling voice. When there was no response, for the first time, Landig actually made eye contact with Adam and it caused the spy to shiver. Landig told him, “I have only the need that Skorzeny and his men eliminate the target. I think we already know enough about what he is. We have what he knows and…”

Adam had to think this matter through as quickly as he could. He pointed out, “Herr Gruppenfuhrer, he needs to be extracted. You have not seen everything for I could not transmit all of that information in code. It was… impossible! If his story is to be believed, and I for one am not sure it is even true, then it is…”

Landig adjusted his tie again. He squared off with Adam and interrupted the man by saying, “it is irrelevant Weiss.”

“Even if that is true,” Adam replied almost pleading, “what about Skorzeny and his men?”

Landig carefully maneuvered himself to pin Adam against his desk. Then he leaned over and acted like he was whispering even if his voice carried at normal volume, “Skorzeny is insolent and uncontrollable. I hand picked his entire team because…”

Adam gulped, “you wanted to get rid of them?”

Landig did not even flinch, did not answer but, most definitely did not deny the accusation. That made Adam wonder what the Fuhrer thought of all this. It also made Adam wonder about his own fortunes when Landig simply stated, “and now…”

“Now?” Adam squirmed.

Landig backed off and smiled, “and now I want to know where I can find that girl in the photograph? You see how simple that is?”

Adam was still sweating and had not stopped squirming. He licked his lips, sniffled, wiped his brow, and then said, “I do not know for sure at the moment. All that I can really tell you is that she is no longer in Florida but, well…”

Landig became stern, “well what?”

Adam was quick with his words and he only shrugged, “the Langford’s have a home on Long Island. She does spend more time there than anywhere else. That is your best shot of finding both her and her father but…”

“But what,” Landig injected.

“They, her and the father, are protected,” Adam replied. “Why do you think I have kept my distance? If you go to Long Island, find her you might but, what possible information could either have that is worth the risk of detection? We already know what they know.”

Landig worked his neck again and, thankfully, walked towards the front of the shop, “obviously you do not know everything Weiss. Why else would I lower myself to come to this filthy shop?”

When he heard the front door close, Adam almost collapsed on the floor in prayer of thanks. He did manage to grab a rag, off of his tool cluttered desk, and begin wiping the sweat away. He then began to give some serious thought about moving. There was something not right about Landig. It was almost like the guy had his own agenda, of course, that was not altogether uncommon amongst the higher ups of the Third Reich. All of them played their little games but, there was a line that none of them would cross. Landig did not seem to even recognize that line, let alone care.

From all that Adam knew, Landig also seemed to have little to no fear of the Fuhrer and, that made him very dangerous. Adolf Hitler was not in the habit of leaving guys like him around. Adam had been in Germany for the Night of the Long Knives. He had even participated in it. He had not really believed everything that the SS had said about it’s SA counterparts. He realized the truth even if he had never told anyone. Hitler got rid of half his own party because those men did not owe him everything like so many others did. Landig definitely fit in that category which, naturally, made his survival something of a mystery.

Adam was almost ready to get back to work at that time. He figured it would get his mind off his most disturbing visitor. Before he could do it he heard the front door open once more. This time, Adam did not hesitate. He went for his gun because he knew he would need it.