15:04 (Berlin time)
Thursday, June 26, 1941 ‘B’
Inner courtyard, Colditz Castle
Saxony, Germany
Major William Anderson, from the Royal Engineers, was chatting with Major Pierre Renaudin of the French Foreign Legion in the western corner of the inner courtyard when a German guard suddenly ran past them, coming from the main gate and going towards the sick ward. He was soon back in the courtyard, pushing a wheelchair and followed by the German Army doctor, Major Hans Frankel. As the two Germans were passing near Anderson and Renaudin, another German guard inquired in German about what was happening, getting an excited response from the soldier pushing the wheelchair.
“The She-Wolf is here! She was captured a few days ago and is going to be held here.”
“Die Wolfin? Mein Gott! This could put some life in this place.”
“Too true, Hans.”
Anderson, who had a fair knowledge of German, couldn’t help scratch his head as the Germans walked away.
“I don’t believe this, Pierre: the Germans are bringing in a female prisoner nicknamed the She-Wolf. As far as I know, we have no women serving in combat arms, especially one considered dangerous enough to be sent here. Could she be French?”
“We have women only in our auxiliary services. But again, we have both been stuck in German prison camps since the spring of 1940, like most prisoners here. Things could have changed. Too bad that our clandestine radio receiver set is still not completed: we could have learned about that woman from the BBC.”
“Yes! Still, a woman here should improve the scenery greatly.”
“Naah! With a nickname like hers, she must be a real matron.”
“Well, we’ll see soon enough.”
“What’s all the excitement about, lads?”
Anderson and Renaudin turned around to face Squadron Leader Mark Lindsay, a RAF Bomber Command bomber pilot who had arrived in Colditz only three weeks ago.
“It seems that a female prisoner nicknamed the She-Wolf by the Germans has just arrived. You were captured much later than us, Mark. Maybe you know who that woman could be?”
Lindsay thought only for a short moment before replying.
“It must be Colonel Nancy Laplante, the Prime Minister’s Special Military Advisor. She’s a Canadian Intelligence specialist who won the Victoria Cross in the fall of last year while on a commando raid in France. I can see nobody else.”
Anderson stared in disbelief at his friend.
“A woman, winning the Victoria Cross on a commando raid? You must be pulling my leg! Besides, how could the Prime Minister be dumb enough to take a woman as a military advisor?”
“Look, William, I know little about her, but this I know: that Laplante was considered important enough by the Germans to send a team of assassins to kill her in London. She plugged all four of them in a wild shootout in Green Park.”
“My god! I can’t wait to see her. Is she cute?”
Lindsay smiled at Anderson’s question.
“Cute? The whole of Bomber Command wished that they could jump her bones.”
Before Anderson could reply to that, their attention was caught by the opening of the main gate. A group of five Germans then entered the inner courtyard, one of whom was pushing a wheelchair on which sat a tall young woman dressed in a dirty, wrinkled Canadian Army female dress uniform and wearing a dark green beret on her head. She was also barefoot and sported bandages around her hands and feet, apart from having prominent bruises on her face. Her beautiful face reflected both pain and fatigue. Colonel Ernst Schmidt, the camp commandant, hurried out of the parcels office where he had been conducting an inspection and walked to the newcomer, his adjutant at his back. What followed both surprised and shocked the two British and the Frenchman. The woman on the wheelchair spoke in German with the commandant, apparently making a joke that made him laugh. The other Germans also conversed with her in friendly tones. One officer who had escorted the woman in then gallantly kissed one of her hands before saluting her and leaving.
“Merde! C’est une collabo ou quoi?”{20} Said Renaudin in a low, hateful voice. Anderson knew enough French to understand that. He himself felt doubt about the woman as Lindsay spoke to him while staring at the newcomer.
“It is Laplante alright. She seems in pretty bad shape.”
“She’s in good shape enough to joke with those Germans.” Replied Renaudin, getting a warning look from Lindsay.
“Listen, Pierre, don’t judge her too quickly. A lot of new, very advanced equipment and weapons entered service with us since she appeared out of nowhere last Fall. I am led to believe that she is at the center of it.”
“How could she? She’s just a woman!”
“A woman who won the Victoria Cross and who has the full confidence of the Prime Minister, Pierre. So, cut her some slack.”
As the woman was wheeled past them, Anderson saw the impressive double row of medal ribbons on her vest, which effectively included the Victoria Cross… with Bar. She also wore the rank insignias of a brigadier general. Snapping to attention, he saluted her crisply. Laplante returned his salute slowly, the mere movement of raising her arm apparently causing her pain, then stared at him with a surprised expression before speaking in German to the guard pushing her wheelchair.
“Stop! Back up! I need to speak to Major Anderson.”
“How the hell could she know me?” Muttered Anderson as Renaudin and Lindsay looked at him, as surprised as him. Laplante was smiling as the guard stopped her wheelchair in front of the Royal Engineers officer. Anderson could now see plainly her battered face, bandaged hands and feet and even some whip marks on her lower legs.
“Major William Anderson, Colditz’s resident painter and artist. Maybe I should pause for you, when I will be a prettier sight.”
“How do you know all this about me, Brigadier?”
“Because I saw your paintings and drawings… after the war. You are a quite talented man, Major.”
“After the war? I don’t understand.”
Laplante’s smile was then replaced by a serious expression.
“Major, I’m a time traveler from the year 2012. You didn’t know it because this was not a publicly known fact at first when I arrived last September in England. I hope to see you again later, maybe at supper time.”
Colonel Schmidt then cut in politely.
“If I may be bold enough, Brigadier Laplante, I was actually hoping to invite you for supper this evening. As you may guess, we don’t get female prisoners very often here.”
“Hmm, another first in my list of achievements. I accept your kind invitation, Colonel.”
Laplante then looked back at Anderson.
“Tomorrow then, Major?”
“Any time will be my pleasure, Brigadier.”
She smiled again as the guard pushing her wheelchair turned her around and headed towards the sick ward, Doctor Frankel in tow. Anderson stared hard then at the Camp Commandant.
“Who did this to her, Colonel?”
Schmidt lowered his head in embarrassment.
“The Gestapo did it, against the explicit directives of the Führer.”
“And why would your beloved Führer care about what happens to one woman?”
Renaudin’s sarcastic question made Schmidt snap his head up.
“Major, believe it or not, but not all Germans are like the Gestapo. Brigadier Laplante, while a formidable opponent, always fought cleanly and avoided as much as possible to cause German civilian casualties. That earned her the respect of the Führer, who personally ordered her transfer to Colditz.”
“Great! A friend of Hitler, here.”
Renaudin’s disdainful remark got him hard stares from Schmidt, Anderson and Lindsay. It was however Schmidt, stepping forward and staring hard into his eyes, that gave him the reply.
“Always trying to pass as the toughest one around, Major Renaudin? Beware not to screw around Brigadier Laplante: when healthy, she could break you in two with no problems, something I would love to see.”
“HA! A woman, break me in two? You must be joking, Colonel?”
“You have never seen a woman like Laplante before, Major. The world hasn’t, until she arrived from the future. If not for this war, you would probably be in a jail somewhere, for knifing somebody in the back or some other petty crime. You will be no match for her, I am sure of that, Major. And if you dare attack that woman while she is helpless, you will pay dearly for it.”
As Schmidt and his adjutant, Captain Eggers, walked away, Lindsay looked towards the sick ward and spoke softly.
“The year 2012… that actually explains many things.”
Renaudin then shook his head angrily.
“She’s still way too friendly with those damn Germans. We should keep an eye on her.”
Anderson gave the Frenchman a dirty look.
“Pierre, leave her alone.”
Inside the infirmary, Major Frankel pulled a set of curtains around one of the beds, to give some privacy to Nancy as three German soldiers helped Captain Schririe, the British military doctor of the camp, to take Nancy off her wheelchair and lay her on the bed. Nancy clenched her jaws and managed not to cry out in pain when their hands touched her wounds, but her suffering was evident enough to her handlers. Frankel then sent away the soldiers, keeping only Schririe with him to help him. He then spoke gently in English to Nancy as he started undoing her jacket.
‘’I will have to undress you in order to examine you, miss, unless you object to that.’’
Nancy, sweat on her forehead, shook her head.
‘’Don’t worry about that, Major: I just spent two days completely naked while the Gestapo was torturing me. Go ahead!’’
Frankel, like Schririe, became progressively more horrified as they took delicately her clothes off, with the extent of her wounds now fully evident.
‘’Fucking Gestapo!’’ Said Schririe as he examined visually Nancy’s body. Frankel listened to her heartbeat and lungs before paying particular attention to her hands and feet. Nancy spoke before he could comment on them.
‘’The bones in my fingers and toes were crushed with hammers and screws, Major. I already expect to lose permanently the use of my hands.’’
Frankel gave her a pained look.
‘’I am truly sorry for you, miss.’’
‘’I am not the only one to have suffered in this war, Major, and it would not do me any good if I started crying on my fate. I have the firm intention to continue acting like a brigadier, tortures or no tortures. Captain Schririe, could you tell me who is the most senior ranking prisoner here, apart from me of course?’’
‘’Un, there are a number of lieutenant colonels of various nationalities here in Colditz, Brigadier. The most senior British officer until your arrival was Lieutenant Colonel Guy Robertson, from the Gloucester Regiment.’’
‘’Then, Captain, could you inform Lieutenant Colonel Robertson that I will take from him the charge of senior British officer tomorrow morning, after the roll call? Also, could you have someone clean and press my uniform before tomorrow morning? I would do it myself but my hands are useless.’’
‘’I will take care of your uniform, Brigadier.’’ Said Frankel. ‘’Captain, you may go and pass the Brigadier’s message to Colonel Robertson.’’
‘’Thank you, Major.’’
As Schririe left the infirmary, Frankel called to him one of his German medics and gave him Nancy’s clothes, with the order to have them washed and pressed quickly. The medic was about to leave when Nancy recalled him.
‘’Wait! I have in my pockets some special medications given to me in the Luftwaffe hospital of Tempelhof.’’
Frankel went through her pockets, putting on the bedside table the set of syringes and the medication patches. He examined with curiosity the compresses in their sterile plastic wrappings.
‘’What are these, Brigadier? I do read English but I can’t read those labels.’’
‘’That is because they come from the future, Major. I will tell you how to use them on me.’’
‘’Not before I could wash you and clean your wounds, Brigadier. Let me go get a few things for that.’’
16:17 (Berlin Time)
Room 217, senior officers quarters
Colditz Castle, Saxony
Captain Schririe found Lieutenant Colonel Robertson in his room, apparently holding a meeting with other senior allied officers of the camp. He came to attention once inside the room and saluted Robertson, a solidly built man but also an officer that could be quite obtuse.
‘’Colonel, Brigadier Laplante asked me to pass to you the following message: she will take the charge of senior British prisoner tomorrow morning, after the roll call.’’
‘’We will see about that.’’ Replied coldly Robertson. ‘’Where is that supposed brigadier right now?’’
Schririe, surprised at first by Robertson’s attitude, then tightened his jaws with anger, understanding what was happening.
‘’In the infirmary, being treated by Major Frankel. Colonel, this woman wears the insignia of a brigadier, along with the ribbons of the VC with Bar, the DSO with Bar, the CBE, the DFC and the MC. To refuse to accept her authority would amount to insubordination, Colonel.’’
Robertson shot up from his chair, irritated by the tone of the military doctor.
‘’And you really are ready to believe that a woman can attain the rank of brigadier, earn twice the VC and also be the military counselor of Prime Minister Churchill? If yes, then you are more naïve than I thought, Captain. She is probably an impostor sent by the Germans to sow confusion in our ranks.’’
Schririe stared at him with big eyes, as if Robertson was an utter imbecile.
‘’Colonel, I am a doctor and I just examined that poor woman from up close. She was flogged on most of her body, was branded dozens of times with red hot irons, had all her nails pulled out and also had all her fingers and toes crushed. I doubt that any German would be ready to endure such a treatment just to confuse us, Colonel. On my part, I have the firm intention to recognize her as my senior commander here, despite whatever you may think.’’
Schririe then left, ignoring the furious order to stay from Robertson. The latter was about to run after him when a tall French lieutenant colonel got up and blocked his path.
‘’Let him go, Robertson! What your doctor just said changed many things in my mind. For one thing, I agree with him that no German woman would go through such tortures just to play a trick on us.’’
‘’And you would let a woman take command of the prisoners in Colditz, Colonel Brunet?’’
‘’If she is really a brigadier general, then yes! I believe that I have nothing left to do here anymore. Good evening, gentlemen.’’
To Robertson’s fury, the majority of the senior officers which had been discussing with him about what to do with Laplante got up and left, leaving him alone with two French and two Polish officiers.
16:32 (Berlin Time)
Prisoners’ infirmary
Colditz Castle
Doctor Frankel, helped by his medic, was nearly finished washing delicately Nancy with the help of a wet sponge when he heard the voice of Captain Schririe, who was speaking to him through the curtains surrounding Nancy’s bed.
‘’Major Frankel, Lieutenant Colonel Brunet and his batman{21} are here to see Brigadier Laplante.’’
‘’She is not decent right now. They…’’
‘’Wait, Major!’’ Said Nancy. ‘’Cover me from the groin to my chest, so that I could speak with Colonel Brunet.’’
‘’As you wish, Brigadier.’’ Replied Frankel, who then quickly covered her partially with a bed sheet before inviting Schririe, Brunet and his batman to come close to the bed, letting Nancy look at them. Brunet was a tall and lean man but he was also fit and quite young for his rank, while his batman was a young corporal of the French Army with a sympathetic face. Brunet came to attention and saluted Nancy as he spoke in French.
‘’Lieutenant Colonel Fernand Brunet, of the French Chasseurs Alpins. I came to propose to you the services of my batman, Caporal Jean Bigras, whom I frankly use very little. In view of your medical condition, I believe that you will need someone to help you go around and do certain tasks for you, General.’’
‘’You are a true gentleman, Colonel.’’ Said Nancy, smiling and repressing her pain for a moment. ‘’I accept the offer of your batman’s services with pleasure. I have to inform you that my uniform has already been sent for washing by Major Frankel. Corporal Bigras can thus relax until tomorrow morning. While you are here, Colonel, you may confirm to me something I heard about Colditz. Is it true that, after the arrival of a large group of French officers in February, some of them objected to the presence in their ranks of officers of Jewish denomination, then had them segregated?’’
Brunet nodded his head, embarrassed.
‘’You are well informed, General. I was part of that group and saw it happen. I objected to it but Lieutenant Colonel Vermandois, who is senior to me, ignored my objections.’’
‘’I see!’’ Said Nancy, irritated by that state of affair. ‘’You will tell tonight to Colonel Vermandois that I expect him to reintegrate those Jewish officers with the rest of the French officers by tomorrow. If he doesn’t, then he will have to explain himself to the senior officer of the camp: me! I will not tolerate any racial or religious discrimination between prisoners that could undermine us as a group.’’
Brunet smiled, satisfied.
‘’I will certainly pass that point to Colonel Vermandois, General. Before I go, I must however warn you that some are ready to dispute your authority as senior prisoner and are even calling you a fraud.’’
Nancy took a deep breath, exasperated.
‘’How often will I have to prove myself before the mysoginistic morons of this world will take me seriously? Who leads those doubters, Colonel?’’
‘’Lieutenant Colonel Robertson, General.’’
‘’Hum! I should have known. Thank you for everything, Colonel Brunet. I will deal with that Robertson personally.’’
‘’In your present state? But, you are basically confined to a bed, General.’’
‘’Maybe, but I am not dead yet.’’
19:21 (Berlin Time)
Room 217, senior prisoners quarters
Colditz Castle
Guy Robertson had managed after some talking to gain the support of a dozen more senior allied officers and was in the process of expounding his case against that female supposed brigadier that was cozying up to the Germans. The noise of the door of his room opening made him twist his head to check if it was not the Germans conducting a surprise search or inspection. He stiffened in his chair when he saw that the newcomer was a woman sitting in a wheelchair pushed by Corporal Bigras, followed closely by Captain Schririe, Major William Anderson and Lieutenant Colonel Brunet. The woman wore a British female dress uniform, complete with the rank insignias of a brigadier general, and had a stern expression on her face as Bigras pushed her wheelchair towards the sole table in the communal room. The woman made the young French soldier stop her wheelchair three paces from the table, then looked severely at Robertson, who had been the ranking British officer in the room. She waited a few seconds, saying nothing and apparently expecting something, while Robertson debated in his mind what to do.
‘’Well? You always ignore like this the entrance of a superior officer and a twice recipient of the Victoria Cross, Colonel?’’
Robertson was then faced with a dilemma: if he saluted her, he automatically acknowledged her authority over him and thus made baseless all the arguments he had just used to convince the allied officers present in the room. On the other hand, if he refused to salute her, he opened himself to charges of insubordination. His stubbornness finally won over his fears and he stayed on his chair, not saluting.
‘’Your scandalous conduct with the Germans disqualified you as an officer of the King…if you are even one.’’
Seeing that Robertson was even more obtuse than she had expected, Nancy decided to take off the gloves with him at once.
‘’So, you would deny my commission, my rank and my two VCs, which were pinned on me by the King himself, just because you never heard of me before being captured? By doing this, Lieutenant Colonel Robertson, you are not only insulting me. You are also insulting Prime Minister Churchill, who took me on as his special military advisor, as well as King George the Sixth, by showing disrespect to a VC recipient. As for your stupid notion that my conduct with the Germans was scandalous, did it enter your thick head that the Germans would not torture a collaborator the way they tortured me?’’
Robertson was about to reply to her but Nancy cut him off, raising her voice to a shout.
‘’NOT A WORD FROM YOU, COLONEL! YOU JUST DEMONSTRATED GROSS INSUBORDINATION TOWARDS A SUPERIOR OFFICER AND CONSPIRED TO DENY MY AUTHORITY AS THE LEGITIMATE SENIOR PRISONER IN COLDITZ, WHICH AMOUNTS TO AN ACT OF MUTINY. YOU NOW HAVE ONE LAST CHANCE TO ACKNOWLEDGE MY AUTHORITY WITHOUT RESERVATION, BEFORE I CHARGE YOU OFFICIALLY WITH INSUBORDINATION AND MUTINY. WE MAY BE PRISONERS OF WAR OF THE GERMANS RIGHT NOW, BUT BE ASSURE THAT YOUR CONDUCT WILL BE REPORTED TO THE WAR OFFICE AND TO FIELD MARSHALL BROOKE. NOW, WHAT WILL IT BE?’’
Seeing that the other officers around him were starting to take their distances from him, Robertson swallowed his pride and got up at attention, saluting Nancy.
‘’It won’t be necessary, Brigadier. I see that my initial misgivings about you were unfounded.’’
Nancy saluted him back, then said only four words.
‘’Good! Carry on, Colonel!’’
She then had Bigras turn her wheelchair around and push her out of the room, leaving a discomfited Robertson to face the other officers still inside. Nobody said a word to him as the small group dispersed to their respective rooms. Those who lived in the same room as him went to their beds, ignoring him and making Robertson feel even more bitter.
In a room of the guardhouse thirty yards away, a German linguist finished scribbling down frantically what he was hearing from a microphone hidden in room 217, then stopped his recording machine and passed his written transcript to a waiting soldier.
“Corporal, bring this at once to Colonel Schmidt: most urgent.”
As the corporal hurried out of the listening room, the army linguist smiled to himself.
“Die Wolfin sure plugged that loud mouth well. I wonder who will fall next in her gun sights.”
20:04 (Berlin Time)
Sick ward, Colditz Castle
With the help of the German soldier assigned to guard the sick ward, Corporal Bigras lifted Nancy from her wheelchair and laid her gently on her bed, then touched softly her right hand.
“Do you need anything else, Brigadier?”
“Yes.” Said Nancy weakly, tired by the constant pain. “This is the only uniform I have. Could you help me take it off, so that it doesn’t get all wrinkled up?”
“Anything you ask, madame.”
Again helped by the German soldier, whom Nancy asked to stay, Jean cautiously took off her uniform, careful not to cause her too much pain. The severity of the torture marks on her body shocked him as well as the young German soldier.
“And they accused you of faking your wounds. What a bunch of fools.”
With Nancy now down to her bra and panties, Jean delicately covered her with a linen sheet, then saluted her.
“Permission to leave for the night, madame.”
“Permission granted, Corporal.”
Bigras then left after suspending carefully her clothes so that they would not be wrinkled. The German soldier, on his part, saluted Nancy as well before posting himself near the entrance of the ward. As for Doctor Frankel, he took five minutes to brief the German Army medic due to take the night shift, then left for his quarters.
22:43 (Berlin Time)
Sick ward, Colditz Castle
Nancy was sobbing quietly in her hospital bed as she thought about her friend Farah, wondering how the gentle giant was faring in Berlin, when a male voice startled her.
“First, you give away a precious medical device, so that others could use it, even though that would leave you in agony. Now, you are crying for a friend while you lie crippled and in pain.”
Turning her head towards the ward’s entrance, from where the voice had come, Nancy saw in the semi-darkness of the ward an old man with long white beard and hair standing about six feet from her. He was small, wore an ancient-looking robe and had Semitic traits. Nancy then realized with a shock that the man had spoken in Ancient Sumerian.
“Who… who are you?”
“Someone who cares for you deeply. Once, thousands of years ago, your spirit was that of my wife, Saraï. You are destined for great things, Nancy, but your road will be long, arduous and painful.”
Nancy looked with alarm towards the ward’s office, where the soldier on guard duty had been playing chess with the German medic. To her stunned surprise, both men sat as if in a frozen state, the medic’s arm hanging over the chessboard in absolute stillness. The two allied soldiers presently being treated in the infirmary were also frozen in their beds.
“I froze them in time.” Explained calmly the old man. That statement brought sudden hope to Nancy.
“You can travel through time?”
The old man nodded.
“What is your wish, Nancy?”
“My friend, Farah Tolkonen, can you help her out?”
The man smiled with satisfaction and nodded his head.
“Again, you think of the needs of others first. Yes, I can help her. You are being tested, Nancy, and have been found very promising so far. However, your courage cost you dearly, to the point where you cannot go on without help. The One has thus decided to help you directly. As long as you act out of kindness and compassion, The One will be with you. One day, you will be at his side, like me. You will now start the second phase of your life as a Chosen of The One. Be strong and generous, my beloved Saraï, and take also good care of Agar. She, as well as you, has been tested.”
The old man’s eyes then turned into bright spots of white light. A white halo enveloped Nancy, who felt herself levitate off her bed as a marvelous sensation ran through her body. A bright light also exploded silently inside her mind and she lost completely track of her surroundings and of time as seemingly countless spirits fused together in one huge mass mingled with her own spirit, filling her with new images, notions and knowledge.
The German medic and guard, along with the two patients in the infirmary, came out of their frozen state to see Nancy’s body enveloped in a bright white halo and levitating silently above her bed. They however could not see the old man, who had vanished before they became unfrozen.
“Mein gott!” Whispered the medic before grabbing frantically his telephone and dialing the number for Major Frankel’s room. Frankel answered his phone after two rings.
‘’Major Frankel!’’
‘’Major, this is Obergefreter Winkel, in the infirmary. Something is happening to Die Wolfin, something incredible.’’
‘’What is happening exactly, Winkel?’’ Asked Frankel impatiently, irritated by the vagueness of the medic’s report.
‘’She is floating above her bed and is as bright as a spotlight, sir. You better come here quickly.’’
‘’Floating above her bed? As bright as a spotlight? Is this a joke, Winkel, or are you drunk?’’
‘’I’m very serious, Major, I swear!’’
‘’Very well, I’m coming, but this better be serious, or you will hear me, Winkel.’’
Frankel then put down his receiver, cutting the line. The medic then looked at the soldier that had been playing chess with him. The guard appeared to be as dumbfounded as him.
‘’You better get the officer of the watch here, right now!’’
The soldier nodded and grabbed his rifle before running out of the infirmary, sprinting to the guard house while shouting.
‘’CAPTAIN EGGERS! CAPTAIN EGGERS! THERE IS AN EMERGENCY AT THE INFIRMARY WITH DIE WOLFIN.’’
His shouts, apart from getting Captain Eggers out of the guard house at a run, also were heard by Captain Schririe, who was in his room and taking some fresh air through his opened window. T