Trench 1915, p.9
Trench 1915, page 9
“Sorry for the wait, I had to go through a couple of my fine collections to get what you ordered. Anyway, enjoy,” said the old barkeep as he placed the brimming beer mug on the bar.
“Thanks. A question, if I may ask? This may sound a bit ridiculous,” Maxis asked as he gripped the mug.
“Ask away.”
“Has there been anything out of the ordinary, here?”
“I can’t say there has, other than soldiers and officers coming in to drown their sorrows away and...actually there is one thing that comes to mind.”
“What?” Maxis eyes lit up and he leaned in to listen closely.
“There was someone here a few days ago who made a strange request for a drink. The customer in question was all covered up with a cloak and hood. Even his lower face was wrapped, obscuring all features, especially the eyes. There was only darkness,” the barkeep finished as he started wiping the bar.
“What was the request this person made?”
“Didn’t say anything, just wrote it out on piece of paper for a “Kvass.” It’s a particularly popular drink in some parts of Europe. I told the hooded stranger that a drink like that would take few days to ferment and then it will be ready.”
“Then, why is this order strange to you?” Maxis asked as he put on a curious look.
“Because it’s a Russian drink. Most the beverages I sell are beer and straight alcohol. Don’t get me wrong, there are some families here that are Russian in origin, but that’s overrun by the Polish and Jews that live here or used to before everyone was forced to evacuate. Except for small number, of course,” the old barkeep said as he starts wiping the bar with a wet rag.
“When will the stranger be returning?”
“Tonight the fermenting is finished. After you leave, I’ll close and have the special beverage ready then. If you’re planning on some type of meet and greet don’t bother, you’ll just waste your time with some mute with strange taste.”
“Fear not, I won’t. Thank you for the beer,” Maxis said as he finished the mug in one gulp. Maxis got up from the bar stool, paid for the beer and walked out of the tavern with a purpose.
After leaving the tavern he pressed his back against the wall in the alleyway and began to brainstorm. “Finally, an actual lead. Now I must prepare a stake out, somewhere so I can keep an eye on the tavern. Hmm...I guess the alleyway might work I just need keep myself concealed for the time being.”
Maxis waited patiently for the hooded stranger to appear at the tavern. Waiting for so long, he started daydreaming while maintaining watch at the tavern.
When dusk finally arrived, he could see soldiers acting as lamplighters illuminating the lamps. After the lamplighters cleared the streets there was no one else around; nothing but the emptiness of the streets and the constant sound of battle in the far distance.
The night grew darker but there was no sign of a hooded stranger. Maxis was about to give up when the hooded figure finally appeared from the shadows. He walked silently past the alleyway where Maxis was hiding and approached the door of the tavern whose lights were still on but with a sign that said closed. He entered the tavern.
Maxis waited outside for the hooded stranger to come out. Hours went by. He checked the time on his pocket watch; it was ten o’clock.
“Geez, how long does it take for one drink?!” Maxis said impatiently. Another thirty minutes pass and at last the hooded stranger came out of the tavern.
Once he passed by, Maxis emerged from the dark alleyway, moving silently. Maxis followed the mysterious figure through the city streets and many times he had to quickly hide or blend into his surroundings when the stranger would pause to check his surroundings.
This went on until they were on the outskirts of the city and out onto the dirt road. That’s when the hooded stranger turned on his flashlight and continued walking. This was a bit of a challenge for Maxis since now the only place he could hide was the ditch on the side of the road.
After a while the stranger made a turn off the road and into a field. He immediately turned off his flashlight and disappeared into the darkness of the night. Maxis gave a small sigh of relief that he wasn’t discovered and grateful that he now knows where the stranger’s hideout might be.
“Hmm...in order to apprehend the bastard, I’m going to need back up because I do not know if there’s more than one out there. I’ll have to make a landmark so I know where I stopped. I may have to wait until morning so that I can inform Colonel Josef about this.”
Maxis pulled out his bayonet and inserted the blade into the ground leaving it as a marker. The way back to town is far, but the dimly lit lampposts made it easier for his return trip. He got back to the city and headed to the Inn to get some rest. It was one o’clock in the morning when he retired.
Day 3, March 19
The morning light shone through the room’s window blinding Maxis as he wakes. Without a second to waste he put on his uniform and pickelhaube and ran straight for the door.
He arrived at the HQ building and proceeded through the door, down the hall and into the Colonel’s office. The Colonel was sitting in his chair and smoking his pipe. He looks up and asks.
“It’s been three days Sergeant, what’s the current development?”
“Sir, I’ve come to a conclusion that we are dealing with an enemy saboteur, and I have evidence to back this up.”
“Impossible! There is no way one of the Ruskies managed to slip through our defenses and could cause so much damage! Elaborate your findings, now!” Col. Josef demanded.
“Well, from what I’ve gathered, the saboteur strikes at night, targeting certain areas around the city. That much we already know. From wiping out guard posts, destroying your supplies, and even targeting your officers to disrupt the chain of command, if it’s really a traitor, what would he gain from this? Nothing! For he is only trading in one hell hole for another in a Russian POW camp.”
“Hmm...I see, but that doesn’t answer my question on how the saboteur is an enemy infiltrator and not a traitor,” the Colonel said, the sound of his foot tapping repeatedly echoing in the room.
“I’m getting to that part, Sir. First, he attacks and kills your officers from afar so that would make him a crack shot especially at night. Second, he uses civilians to get to his objective such as your ammo dumps and supplies. Third, the infiltrator wiped out some of your guards by utilizing stealth and a blade likely a Russian dagger or a sharpened Bebout blade to silence the soldiers. The reason is not just to cause a disruption but to also drain your manpower.”
“So far, I’m having a hard time believing this, but get to the point, Sergeant.”
“I was at the tavern last night going over my notes and I asked the owner about anything strange that was going. He explained about someone ordering a drink that was strictly Russian. I know it sounds ridiculous, but here’s the twist. I tailed the guy who ordered it all the way to the outskirts of the city. I lost sight of him when he went into the field under the cover of darkness,” Maxis calmly finished.
“So, does this mean you know where the bastard is hiding or not?!” The colonel slammed his fist on the desk.
“Yes, Sir I do. I need a small squad to search the area,” said Maxis as he pointed on the map on the table.
“Done. I’ll send three troops assist you, but that’s all I can lend. I’ll send the word. As we speak, the garrison commander is preparing to break out of this siege. The quicker we find this saboteur, the better. Now get going!”
Maxis left the Colonel’s office without a second to waste and headed to the location where he would meet the three soldiers at the end of the city. He greeted the Austro-Hungarian soldiers. The three soldiers stood to attention and introduced themselves.
“Cpl. Zell, here to assist, Feldwebel (Sergeant)!”
“Pvt. Peterson, here!”
“Pvt. Dieter, reporting for duty!”
“Well met! Alright Männer (men), we’ll need to double time it to landmark I placed on this road. Time is of the essence soldaten (soldiers), move out!” says Maxis in an commanding tone.
The small squad responded with “Ja, Feldwebel (Yes, Sergeant)!” and the group set out on the dirt road with haste. They arrived at their destination when Maxis spotted the grip of his bayonet sticking from the ground and some parts of the blade reflecting from the sun.
“Hold position,” Maxis ordered as he approached the half-buried blade and pulled it from the ground. He put it back in the sheath and turned to the soldiers and spoke.
“Alright, we’ll be searching on this side of the field. Keep your guard up, we don’t know what we might find. I want a three-meter spread.”
“Sergeant, what is it that we are looking for?” Cpl. Zell asks.
“Something a bit out of place like a camp or something, Corporal Zell.”
“Understood. We’ll begin our search. You heard him, men. Start looking!” the corporal ordered the rest of the troops.
The squad moved out into the field with their weapons at the ready. They searched the field for any signs of an encampment, but nothing. For half a day they kept looking.
“Sergeant, some of the boys are getting tired of this. We’ve been searching for hours but turned up nothing. How much longer should we keep doing this?” Corporal Zell asks.
“Low groan “Do one last sweep of the area and we’ll call it a day,” Maxis said in disappointment.
“Right. HEY! Peterson and Dieter, one more sweep and we’re done!” The two men he was addressing groaned in disbelief and spoke.
“Are you serious?!” Said Pvt. Peterson.
“Yeah, there is nothing here but grass, dirt, and AHHHHHHH!” Dieter was cut short from his complaining as he descended through the ground, disappearing from sight.
Maxis quickly rushed over with his pistol drawn out expecting the worst but was relieved to see the private was all right. What lay in front of Maxis was a large hole in the ground with a rope ladder.
“Private, are you okay?” He asks while looking down at the hole.
“Yeah, guess I should watch where I step, huh,” Dieter responded as he slowly got up and brushed the dirt from his uniform.
“Hold on. The two of you hold here,” Maxis orders as he climbs down the small rope ladder.
“Well congratulations, Private. You found it. Now let’s see where it leads.” Maxis pulled out a lighter and ignited it.
In front of them was a dark tunnel. The two crouched down to move through the tunnel with Maxis taking the lead. The air was filled with dust and the particles could be seen even in the lighter’s light. The tunnel was no better, the spacing was confined, giving a claustrophobic condition.
“How much further, Sergeant?” Pvt. Dieter whispered.
“Hold up, there’s a drop off. Keep your weapon readied, I’m going in.” Maxis slowly moved ahead and gently slipped out of the tunnel. Luckily the drop off wasn’t deep, just a foot or two. He checked his surroundings for any sign of contact.
“Alles klar (All clear), get over here,” Maxis said.
“Still can’t see a thing, how can this person see through and live in this dump?”
“With lanterns, Private,” replied Maxis as he lit a lantern nearby.
The lantern emitted a small light which revealed several other glass lanterns in the vicinity. Maxis quickly ignited the other lanterns until there was enough light to make their surroundings more visible.
“Well, quite roomy in here...perfect hideout for an enemy saboteur,” said Maxis.
“I bet, or it could just be lowly scum hiding away from the public,” said Pvt. Dieter suddenly, eyeing a gold necklace with diamonds sitting on a small table.
“Private, try not to touch anything! We need to make sure this place isn’t booby trapped. So, don’t even think about taking that necklace!”
“Come on, it could be worth a fortune.”
“Nein! Show some integrity, Private! Plus, it could be the only thing that might be a trap, so leave it alone,” Maxis snapped at the Private.
Maxis turned away from the Private and began checking the area for traps. After five minutes of searching there was no sign of any strings or pressure plates.
“The area is clear. Now we can begin without any worries,” said Maxis.
They looked around the room for anything of intrigue. The surroundings of the place were nothing short of basic. The walls, ceiling, and floors were made of dirt just like the tunnel, though less dusty and claustrophobic. On the right side of the room was a makeshift desk of sorts and next to it was an entrance that leads to somewhere. To the left of the room was another table with some items on it and a chair leaning against the wall. Finally, in the far corner of the room was a bed made of hay with a blanket on top. Maxis went to the left to examine the table and could feel his pickelhaube drag across the dirt ceiling.
“Hmm…what do we have here?” says Maxis, as he picked up a rifle stock from the table.
“What did you find?” Dieter asked.
“Looks like a disassembled rifle by the look of the bolt on the table. An M91 Mosin Nagant with an attached scope. Seems he didn’t finish cleaning it. I doubt you have many of these in storage.”
“It’s more of a luxury to have a rifle like that. It uses smokeless powder while ours is the exact opposite. Most of our equipment is outdated but it is all we got.”
“Well, congrats Private. Here’s your replacement! That is if you feel like putting it back together,” Maxis said sarcastically as he hands the half-finished rifle to him.
“I’ll pass.”
Maxis put the rifle down and looked at the next item on the table. He picks up what seems to be a piece of wood with 13 notches on it.
“So, you’re keeping track of your recent kills, eh. Too bad the thirteenth survive, Maxis thought ,”
as he put the wood down on the table and looked at the last item, somewhat confused.
“What the...a vase with flowers in it? Strange,” he said picking it up carefully.
“What’s so strange about that? So, what if Ruskie likes a little decency? This place is already uncomfortable enough, I mean…” He sniffs the air. “What’s that smell it? It’s sweet, like perfume,” observed Pvt. Dieter.
“Probably just to throw anyone off by masking his scent.”
“So, he wants to pass off as some harlot of the night?”
“Just keep looking, Private.”
The search continued inside the saboteur’s hideout. After going through what was on the table Maxis made his way toward the bed to have a look. He grabbed the lantern to make his analysis a little easier.
“Hmm...upon further inspection, the blanket’s design is Slavic in origin but from what territory, culture, or country one can only guess? One thing is certain, this blanket is nice and soft like any ordinary blanket besides the hidden knife beneath the sheets. When in doubt carry a backup, there’s also a something knitted at the corner...the letter V?” Maxis put the blanket back and moved on to the table at the left side of the room.
“Jackpot! Now this is what I was looking for!” said Maxis with a small amount of excitement in his tone.
When he shone his light over the table it revealed books, maps, paperwork and even files with profiles of certain individuals in them. This was certainly a treasure trove of enemy intelligence. Pvt. Dieter’s jaw dropped when he saw what Maxis was looking at but could not begin to comprehend.
Maxis pus the lantern on the table and began looking through the items. The findings were incredible, the maps showed detailed drawings of the Fortress. It even showed the location of all Austro-Hungarian military positions in and out of the city as well as a detailed report of the number in strength of each fort from most active to the least. There was also a list of names of officers crossed off …all except Cpt. Mannfred. But there was one thing that stood out from the rest, a folder.
Maxis picked up the folder to see the front. Written in Russian was the word “konfidentsial’nyy (confidential) in red and on the bottom right was a stamp of sorts, Maxis took a closer look.
The stamp had a bear’s head with a crown floating above it with streamers and at the bottom were two Cossack daggers crossed blade. There was a description below “Official stamp of the Imperskiy Tayna Brigada (Imperial Secret Brigade)” and their motto was there too, “Tsar’ i Bog (For Emperor and God).”
“sigh...It had to be them, huh. I should have known they were involved,” said Maxis as he opened the file to read the documents.
“Soldier, this mission you have been given is vital for the brigade. The list of objectives has been set for you on the next page after you read this. Assuming that Colonel Vorshevsky has made it personally clear to you that this operation requires the upmost of stealth, so it’s important that you do not get caught.”
Maxis continued reading to the next page and found the list of objectives and explanations of why they were targeted. At the bottom of the page was this statement. “Our main goal is to drain the Hapsburgs of their resources, morale, and even deny them ever feeling safe. The Fortress itself could be vital in our future operations in the region, so the quicker you are to finish your mission the better. We do have contingency plan in case you have been compromised at the next page. See to it that you read it.”
He flipeds to next page titled “Contingency Plan” in Russian. The page itself had set of guidelines of what to do.
“Tovarishch (Comrade), should you find yourself compromised in your mission, here is a set of guidelines for you to follow.
If the enemy has discovered your hideout be sure to set charges and destroy all evidence of your presence and relocate to a new hideout to continue the mission.
