PARADOX - Chapter 37

Chapter 37

May 7, 2012 – Near Mount Fitz Roy – Argentina



Mueller was tired and his mental state mirrored his physical fatigue. He was ordered to join the mercenaries guarding the perimeter of the large Villa and was pissed off about it. The remainder of Dorbec’s team had arrived late last night along with Mueller, Szekler, Schäfer, and Fleischer and set up operations in a large bunkhouse a good distance from the main house. While Szekler and Schäfer were offered plush rooms near Dorbec’s, he and Fleischer were treated like hired field hands. That might be good for Fleischer but he, Mueller, belonged in the big house.

As soon as he stationed himself on a rise overlooking the Villa, he spotted a tall, very handsome man dressed in expensive riding attire walking his mount down the incline towards the stables. Mueller could tell right away that the man was someone of importance and he obviously belonged on the plantation or whatever the hell they called such a place down here.

He followed the man to one of the stables and heard yelling and screaming coming from the inside. The man was angry about something and was berating one of the workers in Spanish, a language Mueller did not speak. Besides his native German, he could barely read and speak English. Languages had never been his forte.

He was about to head back up the hill when he spotted Señor d’Amador heading for the barn. He met the suave well-dressed overseer the evening before and considered him far too prissy for his tastes. Mueller listened, as D’Amador talked with the man in pure German. After a few moments, they exited the stables together. Mueller spotted Daria the same instant they did and his heart fluttered a beat.

Mueller lifted up his head as he listened to the last sentence between the two men. “Your future wife. It will be a perfect German union. The son of Germany’s greatest war hero and the granddaughter of our beloved Fuhrer.”

A dark cloud of anger flooded over him. “How dare they discuss the Granddaughter of the Fuhrer as if she was a finely bred mare or prize bitch,” he thought. Who was this man that considered himself good enough to mix his blood with the blood of Hitler.”

Mueller was about to walk over to them when he noticed Daria and Colonel Dorbec heading in their direction. She was absolutely magnificent in his mind. From the day he first met her in her little ransacked apartment, she became something special. In his mind she was something special, exceptional, the granddaughter of the beloved Fuhrer. But, that was not all she was to Mueller. Although he knew that he could never possess such a beautiful and charming woman, he also knew that she was far too good for any man, especially that Stiehl character and men such as Colonel Dorbec. Daria was the successor to everything great that the Third Reich stood for. Only those devoted to the cause deserved to be around her, to admire her, to draw strength from her beauty and charm.

Mueller moved closer so he could hear their conversation. The man turned his head in Mueller’s direction and cast an appraising stare then nodded. He immediately liked the man. Something in his regal bearing and in his cold blue eyes told Mueller that here at last was a man to admire, possibly a leader to follow.

“I take pleasure in introducing, Fraulein Daria Wolff,” Señor d’Amador remarked to the man standing near him. Colonel Dorbec took a step back to make his own judgement of their new guest.  “Fraulein Wolff I would like for you to meet your host, Herr Hans-Ulrich Rudel II. Hans is the son of Germany’s greatest war hero and proprietor of this grand Villa.”

Hans took her hand in the formal style and snapped his heels together in the Prussian Military manner. “A great pleasure Fraulein.”

“This is Colonel Jean Marcel Dorbec of the Forces Spéciales Françaises,” Señor d’Amador continued in his suave German.

“Retired Colonel.” Dorbec shook Hans’ hand and could feel power in the taunt grip and enjoyed the fact that the man did not squeeze harder to boast of his physical power. There was something in the man’s eyes that disturbed Dorbec though, a cold calculating stare that spoke of deep hidden secrets, possibly dark secrets. His eyes reminded him of the sharp eyes of a cold calculating predator.

“You are my jailer?” Daria finally questioned, looking Hans directly in the eye.

“By no means, Fraulein. You are my guest here as is Colonel Dorbec and others.”

“A guest who was brought here against her will.”

“I apologize for the unfortunate circumstances. I am certain your status will change as you adapt to your situation. May I call you Daria?”

“No! I do not want to be on a first name basis with my abductor or anyone who works for him in any capacity.” She took a step away from Hans toward Dorvec. Daria found the man disturbing. He was incredibly handsome and obviously well educated but he also radiated hidden mystery. While she had grown attached to Colonel Dorbec and could not fully think of him as an enemy, this man frightened her.

“She’s definitely got the Fuhrer’s blood!” Mueller chuckled, amused at Daria’s hostile response to the new boss. He noticed that Hans took the jib with smiling grace and his face beamed at her sassy retort.

“Let us retire to the garden for coffee or tea,” Señor d’Amador suggested, offering his arm to Daria.

“I will happily join you when I have changed my attire and freshened up a bit,” Hans cast Daria a bright flashing smile. “Would you accompany me, Colonel Dorbec? We have a few matters to discuss.”

Mueller watched the small group as they headed towards the main house. His mind was trying to digest the information it had gleaned from this small encounter. The new man was wealthy, he had power and he radiated strength and resolve. The remark about him and Daria’s possible union was disturbing but interesting. He relished that Dorbec was subservient to Hans in his capacity as hired mercenary. He had very little affection for the overbearing frog Colonel. The man had also given an affirmative liking to him with a simple nod of his head. This meant there was room to maneuver, room to replace Dorbec. He’d have to work on that. He was not destined to be low man on the totem pole; he was far too valuable to the new Reich.

Mueller smiled a crooked smile as he ambled back to his position on the hill.