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Max Drexler’s current quandary was deciding at which point he should impart his suspicions to Colonel General Wolf, head of the HVA. At this point, his conclusion was they would be received with such disbelief that it would probably impede the prevention of Radler’s plans. No, he had to keep this under his jurisdiction, especially as he had things under control.
Whilst the thought of his boss being revealed as a traitor to the state was personally disappointing, Max couldn’t contain a smile at the thought of the kudos coming his way when he was safely in custody. Abandoning an original idea of having him escorted back from Bucharest on the evidence he currently possessed, his intention now was to catch him in the act; Radler was a wily old goat, as cunning as they come and he’d most probably be able to come up with something to circumvent the circumstantial evidence but caught at the door of the British embassy when he was supposed to be on the train home was something even he would struggle with. Of course, it would mean promotion and, finally, he’d be walking in Radler’s shoes. At this point, he still didn’t hate the man, he understood what had brought this all on but he’d lost the respect he’d once had. It was now all about the ‘great game’ his mentor had taught him so he waited for the confirmation call that the Romanian Securitate had placed people on the train at Oradea to shadow the soon to be former chief all the way to the act of betrayal that would seal his fate. He reached into his top drawer to the little golden bag kept there and popped a couple of ’knusper flocken’ chocolates into his mouth then lay back in his chair and relaxed, arms behind his head.
When the call came, it wasn’t the news he’d expected. Max’s contact, Tavi, was most apologetic. The local office didn’t have anyone spare for the task. They were all engaged in an ‘anti-bandit operation in the Padurea Craiului mountains having cornered the much searched for Popescu gang in the forest there. The station chief had said there were only two men left behind with him and he wouldn’t trust them to guard a chicken. The good news was Tavi had arranged for the Cluj-Napoca office to surreptitiously meet the train at their station and discreetly follow all the way to Bucharest where he would personally greet Colonel Radler and have him covertly followed wherever he went. There was nothing Max could do. As Harald had once told him, the only plan that always works is the one that changes as and when necessary. At the moment, all was still possible but should there be another ‘hiccup’ he would need to rethink everything and do so rapidly. He might even have to speak with General Wolf much sooner than he’d wished.