“I know what you must be thinking, Veronica, but I don’t want you to jump to conclusions about any path Maggie or Jamie may take. History has already delivered its overwhelming verdict on my father, but what I can tell you is he was
not
programmed to become what he became. It was
not
genetic destiny, as most of the Apostles believe. Events shape our destiny, just as they shaped my father. His choices were regrettable, but not inherited.
“After burying my children, I vowed to spend the rest of my life protecting my family from these harmful secrets. Especially Carsten, who I never wanted to find my letters to Heinrich. Like his father, he couldn’t handle it, and snapped. And that’s why he did that to you—not a violent nature handed down through genetics.”
Veronica looked quizzically at the screen—did she know?
“Yes, Veronica—he came to me that night and revealed his actions. I never saw him so ashamed, and he vowed that he would never raise a hand to you or the children ever again. I’m confident he didn’t. You are too strong to have stayed if he did. You must trust me when I tell you he loved you and the children more than anything in this world.”
Ellen was now crying on the screen. Veronica cried with her, as if they were sharing it.
From a distance, Zach looked like he wasn’t sure if he should help or not. But she looked right past him toward Maggie and Jamie. They were now sitting on the floor with the bored looks of typical kids. No longer competing—united in their boredom.
Ellen looked as if she were drowning in regret. “Perhaps all this could have been avoided if I’d done a better job as a mother. You see, Veronica, mothers are the most powerful creatures in shaping the good of the world. I failed my children, which makes me realize how lucky that Maggie and Jamie are to have you. Despite our differences, I’ve always respected your stewardship of the children, and often envied it. I know you will bring out their goodness.
“But while I’m confident that they will forge their own path, I do see a few qualities in them handed down from my father.” A lump the size of a basketball clogged Veronica’s throat.
Not the words a mother wants to hear
. “I have seen his passion in Maggie, and I’ve noticed a similar charisma in Jamie. But remember, when guided the right way those qualities can be great attributes. Your children are a blank canvas, and you have always been a great artist. Godspeed, Veronica.”
With those words, the video went dark. Veronica removed the headphones.
“Are you okay?” Zach asked in a hesitant voice, as he approached her.
Why wouldn’t she be okay? No biggie—she just learned that her children were related to the devil.
Veronica wiped away tears. “I’m fine—she just had a few things she wanted to get off her chest about Carsten. Kind of a final goodbye.”
Zach nodded, but she could tell he was skeptical.
Then Maggie’s voice filled the vault, in her best twelve-year-old whine, “Are you almost ready, Mom?”
Jamie seconded, “Yeah, it’s so boring here!”
Zach looked at his watch, “If I’m going to make Baer’s show, we better get going.”
Veronica agreed. But as she stood, she pretended to lose her grip on the device. She dropped it to the floor, but it was still breathing. So she “accidentally” stepped on it with the heel of her boot. She twisted her heel until she was confident it had no chance of ever working again.
She would take the secret to her grave.
Veronica and the kids were dropped off in front of Beth Israel Hospital. The Secret Service showed some chivalry, helping them across the busy sidewalk and into the lobby.
A nurse led them to Ben’s room on the third floor. They were met by Flavia, who informed them that Ben had a “rough night,” but was much better this morning.
Veronica looked to Youkelstein. “You look much better this morning, considering.”
His ashen face lit up. “Never underestimate the healing powers of a beautiful young woman.”
He nodded in Flavia’s direction. Veronica faked a smile and held back any urge to let him know she wasn’t
that
young.
“He’s just buttering me up so he can steal more money from me in cards,” Flavia replied with a flirtatious wink.
Maggie walked to the bedside table and picked up the deck of cards. “What were you playing?”
“Strip poker,” Youkelstein said, grinning. “I must admit I cheated, but it was well worth it.”
Veronica cringed. She also wondered what Mr. Nazi Hunter would think if he knew he was flirting with Hitler’s great-granddaughter. She doubted he’d be in such a jovial mood if she’d revealed the secret to him.
Veronica approached Youkelstein’s bedside and reached into her bag. She pulled out an item and handed it to him. “I brought you a present.”
He looked confused by it.
“It’s the notes from the Wannsee Conference. You know,
Die Endlösung der Judenfrage
. I think what you’ll find most interesting is it contains the missing minutes,” she said like she was an expert on the subject.
He appeared awed.
“I also have in my possession a list of stolen Nazi art, and its location, that I will leave in your care to return to the rightful owners.”
Youkelstein looked like he was on the verge of tears.
Veronica had one more thing for him—an apology. “I’m sorry for doubting you, Ben. Without you I’d never have gotten my children back. I owe you my life.”
He waved his bony hand dismissively, almost yanking the IV tube out of his arm. “I didn’t take it personally. My only agenda is to eliminate this evil from the planet, and so far I haven’t been able to. Time ruthlessly moves on, and at my age I’m sadly running out of it.”
The loud growl of the angry bear shook the room.
Last night, Youkelstein had his assistant bring over a radio from his apartment so he could listen to election results. It was a bulky relic that looked like something a family would gather around in 1938, listening to
War of the Worlds
. He still hadn’t accepted that television wasn’t just a passing fad.
Theodore Baer aggressively took control of the airwaves with no hint of the humility that should accompany such a historic defeat. “My fellow Baer Cubs,” he shouted. “They think they have defeated us, but little do they know the fight has just begun! We might have lost the battle last night, but we’re going to win the war!
“They compare Kingston to JFK, but he will go down as the next William Henry Harrison.” After a dramatic pause, he continued, “For those of you who weren’t paying attention in history class, Harrison was the ninth president of the United States. He died thirty-seven days after taking office, giving him the distinction of having the shortest tenure as president of the United States. A record Jim Kingston will break!”
Veronica sighed. She couldn’t believe the fate of the world was in the hands of this narcissistic loud mouth.
“And now that I have your attention, I want to introduce a guest who will further this topic. He has been working on an investigative report concerning Kingston that will blow your minds—so without further ado, I’d like to introduce
Hudson Valley Times
columnist, and former
Newsbreaker
correspondent, Zach Chester. But starting today, the only title he’ll be known by is: Jim Kingston’s worst nightmare. Good morning, Mr. Chester.”
“Good morning, Theodore,” Zach’s voice filled the airwaves and it brought a smile to all faces in the hospital room. It was the first time they’d been out of the shadows in days, and it felt liberating.
“Please tell us, Mr. Chester, about your shocking story that will hit newsstands tomorrow.”
“As some people might know by now, a woman named Ellen Peterson recently confessed that she was an intricate member of the Nazi hierarchy during World War II. And that she had arrived in the United States as part of an organized escape plan, which included twelve of the most loyal members of Hitler’s inner circle, who called themselves the Apostles.
“Their mission was to plant the seeds of infiltration that would lead to an eventual return of the Reich. Through my investigation, I learned that some of the notables involved in this group were Gestapo Chief Heinrich Müller, Reichsführer-SS Himmler, and Rudolph Hess. Even Hitler’s wife, Eva Braun, took part in the plot. They faked their deaths, using doppelgangers to cover their tracks. To paraphrase Mark Twain, reports of their demise were greatly exaggerated.”
Veronica was impressed. Zach started a little nervous, but by the second sentence he sounded confident, and more importantly, believable. Well, as believable as he could sound making insane accusations.
Baer played devil’s advocate, “But this Peterson woman had a history of being a nut job. Just weeks earlier she wandered out on a cold night because she saw aliens, correct?”
Zach didn’t fluster. “On the surface, her mental state raises many questions. But we discovered a methodical road map of clues she purposely left behind. It would be impossible to form such a coordinated effort if she were mentally impaired. And earlier this morning I was able to review the contents of a safe-deposit box, which contained considerable evidence to back up her claims.”
“Tell us about this group, the Apostles, and more importantly, how is this related to the election?”
“I think the most important fact would be that the Apostles were based on four elite families embedded within the United States. One of those families was named Kingston, another was Sterling.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Are you saying that Aligor Sterling, the great champion of the Jewish community, and dare I add, Kingston’s biggest financial contributor, is a Nazi supporter?”
“No, I am saying that he is an actual card-carrying Nazi.”
“And he’s conspiring with the president-elect of the United States? These are some serious claims, but why should anyone believe you? I hope you have more to back up your claims than you’ve shown so far.”
“I don’t expect anyone to believe me. That’s why I think it would be best for Aligor Sterling to tell the story in his own words. My guess is that he’ll be a much more believable witness.”
Baer acted shocked, but he knew very well that Zach had the Sterling tape. It was the only reason he allowed him on the show.
And they played it.
It began with Youkelstein’s voice accusing Sterling of being a German spy named Otto. Sterling not only didn’t deny it, but detailed how he infiltrated the Terezin concentration camp and befriended Youkelstein in preparation for his future existence in the United States. He referred to it as “research.” The tape then morphed into a conspiracy theorists dream, including one of the world’s biggest mass murderers—Himmler—rising up the financial ladders of the United States, under the alias of Jacob Sterling. And Gestapo Chief Heinrich Müller working for the CIA.
And the grassy knoll kept growing—Bormann, Rudolf Hess, and the rest of the Apostles were revealed. But Sterling’s most disturbing claim was that he helped finance 9/11 as part of a strategy to blame Israel for the tragedy—in what he believed would spark a revolution, while he himself would serve as the sacrificial lamb.
When the tape shut off, Baer’s voice was filled with smugness. Veronica’s own satisfaction came from Zach keeping his word, by not mentioning Maggie and Jamie. They were so engrossed in their card game that they wouldn’t have noticed anyway. Jamie’s disinterest didn’t surprise her, but Maggie had been front and center in this thing, and often the driving force. Maybe she realized the adult stuff couldn’t compare to being a kid. Veronica sure hoped so.
“I applaud your courage, Mr. Chester, to come out against the powerful Kingston machine,” Baer’s voice roared. “But I’m sure you’re aware that Aligor Sterling will deny that it was him on the tape. He will also attack your credibility—trust me, I know first hand—and he will focus on how your once promising career is now in the toilet, and accuse you of trying to make a big score at any cost. He will also go after the fact that your wife is a crackhead who is doing time in prison.”
Veronica wanted to jump into the radio and knock Baer in the teeth.
That was a total cheap shot!
But Zach stayed composed. “It was crystal-meth, not crack.”
“Whatever—you see my point—can you prove that it’s Sterling on that tape?”
“The tape was provided to me by Ben Youkelstein, his longtime partner.”
“Who had a falling out with Sterling, so his motivation could be questioned. And like most of your sources, he was born during the Woodrow Wilson administration, so his cognitive abilities might come into question.”
Whose side was he on?
“I’m sure you can get a voice expert to test it against Sterling’s voice,” Zach said.
“Funny you say that, because we had the world’s premiere voice expert do preliminary tests on the tape, and their initial report is that it
is
a match.”
“So you are saying it’s a match?” Zach repeated. There was something about his voice—he was up to something.