Mizrahi’s Prison

Mizrahi's Prison

by

Jacques Evans

Smashwords Edition

Copyright © 2007 Jacques Evans

All rights reserved.

Also by Jacques Evans

Scammed

Fraser's Run

Mizrahi's Prison

South of Cayenne

Kuchma's Dictum

Flight to Dungavel

The Betty G's Gold

The Mannerheim Line

The Czar's Last Soldier

Von Weizsacker's Diary

Last Bridge to Baghdad

Last Flight of the Blue Goose

This book is for personal use only. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means without the prior written consent of the publishers, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a newspaper, magazine or journal article.

This is a work of fiction. All similarities between characters and persons living or dead are purely coincidental.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 ~ Washington, D.C., 1942

Chapter 2 ~ California, 1942

Chapter 3 ~ California, 1942

Chapter 4 ~ California, Nebraska, New York, 1942

Chapter 5 ~ Northern Route, 1942

Chapter 6 ~ England, 1942

Chapter 7 ~ Washington, D.C., 1942

Chapter 8 ~ Gibraltar, Malta, 1942

Chapter 9 ~ Malta, 1942

Chapter 10 ~ Ankara, 1942

Chapter 11 ~ Ankara, 1942

Chapter 12 ~ Ankara, 1942

Chapter 13 ~ Ankara, 1942

Chapter 14 ~ Ankara, 1942

Chapter 15 ~ Ankara, 1942

Chapter 16 ~ Ankara, 1942

Chapter 17 ~ Ankara, Malta, 1942

Chapter 18 ~ Washington, D.C., Ankara, Berlin, 1942

Chapter 19 ~ Malta, 1942

Chapter 20 ~ Gibraltar, 1942

Chapter 21 ~ North Africa, 1942

Chapter 22 ~ North Africa, Washington, D.C., 1942

Chapter 23 ~ North Africa, 1942

Chapter 24 ~ Southern Route, 1942

Chapter 25 ~ Southern Route, 1942

Chapter 26 ~ British Guiana, 1942

Chapter 27 ~ British Guiana, Washington, D.C., Virginia, 1942

Chapter 28 ~ Virginia, 1942

Chapter 29 ~ Virginia, Washington, D.C., 1942

Chapter 30 ~ Virginia, Washington, D.C., 1942

Chapter 31 ~ Washington, D.C., North Africa, 1942

Chapter 32 ~ North Africa, 1942

Epilogue

Chapter 1 ~ Washington D.C., 1942

In an upstairs bedroom of the White House, the head of the Office of Strategic Services Colonel Bill Donovan, an army engineer Colonel Leslie Groves and the president's aide Harry Hopkins are seated around a card table deep in conversation.

Our best scientists agree that theoretically an atomic bomb can be built. What we're talking about is moving from theory to practice in one fell swoop. Hell, we'll have to build facilities and perform hundreds of experiments maybe thousands. Even then, we can't be sure we'll succeed, Groves said.

Hopkins rose and closed the curtains to block out the afternoon sun. The president is well aware of the problems, Leslie. He's going to give you a star and place you in charge of the project.

Harry, I've spent months interviewing and recruiting scientists to work on the bomb. Many of them are skeptical. Even if you give me a dozen stars, I can't guarantee that we'll beat the Germans.

We have solid information, from refugees, that the Germans are making significant progress with their atom bomb project. From other sources, we know the Germans have constructed a heavy water plant in Norway. To our knowledge, the Germans have only two or three atomic physicists that can perform the theoretical work required. We need to know what progress they've made and their timetable. That's the reason Colonel Donovan is here, Bill.

"Hitler has placed Reichsmarschall Goering and Reichsminister Speer in charge of the atom bomb project. From a refugee chemist, we learned that Goering doesn't trust the scientists and has Reichsfuehrer Himmler looking over their shoulders. A year ago, Himmler shipped one of their best atomic physicists to the Wehrmacht for some reason that we're not aware of. The physicist wound up in the Africa Corps, as an oberleutnant tank commander, in an armored division.

"Some time later, Himmler discovered the theoretical work couldn't proceed without the physicist. To cover his ass, Himmler recalled the physicist. On the way to Germany, the plane carrying the physicist was shot down over the Gulf of Adalia. The physicist was plucked out of the water by fishermen and is in a Turkish internment camp.

Routinely we obtain information about German internees from the Brits. They have an agent in Turkey who's a friend of the colonel that's in charge of the internment camp. Although we had all the names, we didn't make a connection until a British cryptographic officer passed on the information that the Africa Corps officer was a physicist. When we had that piece of information, we connected the physicist to the atom bomb project. A week later, we assigned an OSS officer to our embassy in Turkey. Some thirty Americans are interned in the same camp. Our agent has access and is on good terms with the Turkish colonel. He thinks…

Hopkins interrupted. The OSS has a plan to kidnap the physicist. If they're unable to kidnap him, the plan calls for his extermination. As Turkey has declared its neutrality, problems could arise. If you have a scientist that has some steam up his ass, we can question the physicist in Turkey and prevent an international squabble.

To get meaningful information, we would need a team of scientists at the interrogation. Frankly, our knowledgeable scientists are not adventurous types. The loss of even one scientist would slow down our research. I think you would be well advised to use the OSS and get him out of Turkey, Groves replied.

I was afraid you'd say that. Bill, let Leslie read the plan; it might give him some ideas. I have to see the president for a few minutes. I'll be back as soon as possible.

After Hopkins left the room, Donovan removed an eight-page document from his inside blouse pocket and handed it to Colonel Groves. Groves glanced at the cover page. A rectangular, red stamp at the top read 'Top Secret - Single Copy - OSS Eyes Only.' Centered on the page was the title 'Operation Bluebook.' At the bottom of the cover page, there were three approval blocks. Along with Roosevelt and Donovan's signatures, Jimmy Doolittle's name appeared in the engineering approval block. Groves took his time. He read the plan from cover to cover. After twenty minutes elapsed, Harry Hopkins returned. What do you think, Leslie?

Groves handed the plan back to Donovan, You need an experienced pilot. It's not a job for any of our scientists. Just getting to Ankara is risky as hell—getting out is even worse. You really need an optimist. If anything goes wrong with the airplane, these guys are dead meat.

That's the worst case scenario. It's a risk we have to take. Who do you recommend for the job, Bill?

I thought about using Majors Murphy and Huff, they just completed an assignment. Huff has been flying for over twenty years. Murphy can fly but doesn't have much flying time. I would put Huff in charge in the air; on the ground, Murphy would be in charge.

The names sound familiar. Are they the bootleggers the president pardoned last year? Groves asked.

That's right. Both of them were officers in the last war. Huff was an ace with twelve kills. Murphy fought with the 1st Division as a sergeant. After his company was wiped out, Murphy inherited command. With less than a platoon, Murphy held his ground. Afterward, he received a field commission and served as a company commander for the rest of the war. Both of them are highly decorated. I got to know Murphy and Huff after the president released them from the federal pen in Atlanta to perform a chore for the government. They did it well and have been in the OSS ever since, Hopkins said.

What were they sent up for? Groves asked.

They were convicted of income tax evasion and sentenced to five years plus a ten thousand dollar fine. After three years in jail, they were pardoned in '41, Hopkins replied.

The older you get, the more cautious you get. Are you sure they aren't too old? Groves asked.

Hopkins rose, walked to his dresser then thumbed through a stack of three by five inch cards he used for notes, addresses and telephone numbers. Murphy is forty-six and Huff is forty-five.

What else do you have?

I ran a complete dossier on both of them last year. If my memory is correct, Huff graduated from NYU with a degree in mechanical engineering. Murphy graduated from high school in Oyster Bay, New York. They're both married to Brits and are very wealthy. They call Georgetown, British Guiana home.

Did they volunteer for the job?

They haven't been asked yet, Donovan replied.

What do you think? Hopkins asked Groves.

I'll let you fellows decide.

Let's get them started first thing in the morning, Bill, Hopkins said.

It was late when Colonels Donovan and Groves left the White House. When Donovan reached his hotel, he called the Bolling Field Batchelor Officers Quarters and left a message for Majors Murphy and Huff to be at his office at eight o'clock in the morning.

Promptly at six o'clock the next morning, Donovan rose. An hour later he was in his office reading dispatches. A few minutes after seven, his secretary arrived and placed a coffee urn on Donovan's desk. Thanks. When Majors Murphy and Huff get here send them right in.

Donovan was still going through his dispatches when Murphy and Huff arrived for their appointment a few minutes before eight. Both officers wore two rows of ribbons from World War I. As soon as they entered the austere government office Bill Donovan's secretary announced, The colonel will see you now.

They entered the office, closed the door, stood in front of Colonel Donovan's desk and saluted.

Cut out the horseshit and take a seat. You're assigned to the OSS not the army. Why are you both in uniform?

You owe us a leave after our last assignment, Huff said.

You must be kidding, we're at war!

Cliff though it was worth a shot, Murphy replied.

Nice try but I have another job for you. Cliff, have you ever flown to Turkey?

No and I must say I never seriously thought about it, colonel.

"Start thinking about it—your next assignment is Turkey. As you may know, Turkey is a neutral country. There's an Africa Corps officer, who happens to be one of Germany's best physicists, interned in Turkey. He was a passenger on a Luftwaffe Ju52 that was shot down over the Mediterranean. The Nazis discovered they screwed up when they yanked him out of his laboratory and sent him to the Wehrmacht. He was on his way back to Berlin when a Turkish fishing boat found him floating in the Gulf of Adalia. He was in bad shape and apparently the only survivor of the shoot down. When he arrived in Ankara, he was placed in a hospital.

Fortunately, he shared a room with a cryptographic officer from the British Embassy. By chance the crypto officer was a physics major. When he found out who his roommate was, he passed the word on to the embassy. We received the information in a routine pass through of intelligence data. Your job is to get the German physicist out of Turkey or kill him.

Getting him out is one thing but killing…

Donovan interrupted Murphy. Before we discuss it any further, I want you to meet with Colonel Groves. If you're not convinced it has to be done, I'll use another team.

Who is Colonel Groves? Huff asked.

He's the army colonel who built the Pentagon. He's been placed in charge of a special project for the president. It's called the Manhattan Project. On your way out, ask my secretary to setup an appointment for you with Groves as soon as possible.

That afternoon, Murphy and Huff met with Colonel Leslie Groves at his office in the new, pentagon shaped, War Department building. Groves was a large man in his forties. The first thing Murphy noticed was his West Point ring. Groves had a full head of brown hair and a neatly clipped mustache. Large penetrating blue eyes gave him a determined look. Colonel Groves was an army engineer who could get things done in a hurry. He did not waste time. Have a seat, gentlemen.

Both men seated in front of Grove's desk were just under six-feet tall and of medium build with dark hair. Murphy had a lean, rugged looking face. His clear blue eyes focused on Colonel Groves. Groves first reaction was that Murphy was tough and exuded physical strength. Murphy was not a man that Groves, or anyone else, would like to go to the mat with.

Huff on the other hand had a happy-go-lucky, nonchalant appearance. He was handsome in an easygoing way that appealed to women. A lock of hair fell across his forehead and accentuated the wrinkles around the corners of his blue eyes. Groves first thought was that Huff could turn his smile off or on at will. If Groves had not known that Huff was an ace in the last war, his appearance belied the fact.

Groves made a mental note to read their dossiers. You're both cleared for Top Secret so what I have to say is not to leave this room.

Both men nodded.

"In October of '39, Professor Albert Einstein wrote a letter to President Roosevelt. Einstein described a new weapon that could be constructed using modern scientific theories. Einstein went into considerable detail. The president consulted with our leading physicists who agreed with Einstein. On their advice, the president decided to give it top priority. FDR has assigned me the job of ramroding the project. One of our countries best physicists, from the University of California at Berkeley, is heading up the scientific team.

I can't tell you much about the weapon but it's awesome and could win the war for us. Some fundamental research has to be done before we can build a test article. The Germans have the same idea so it's going to be a race. We have no idea how far the Germans have gotten. The physicist that's interned in Turkey does. He's one of their best. If we lose the race we could lose the war, it's that important. We've got to get him out. Failing that, we can't afford to let the Germans get him back. Do you have any questions?

Murphy leaned across the desk and said, Killing someone in a neutral country is murder, colonel.

I'm aware of that, major. We believe he's one of only two or three German physicists that can do the fundamental research required to build the weapon.

With all due respect, colonel, I don't think we can assassinate someone based on your word, Murphy replied.

Fair enough, I'll setup an appointment with the president or his aide, Harry Hopkins.

An hour and a half later an olive drab, army staff car drove Murphy and Huff to the White House. A uniformed, presidential naval aide led the two army officers upstairs, knocked on Hopkins' door, then left. Hopkins' bedroom served as his office. He was seated at a card table piled high with stacks of manila folders.

Nice office, Mr. Hopkins, Huff said.

The decor matches my salary, Cliff. Nice to see that both of you are staying out of the guard house.

Mr. Hopkins, we had a talk with a Colonel Groves and weren't…

Hopkins interrupted, Groves phoned and told me you gave him a ration of shit, Murphy.

Not exactly, I only questioned his authority.

What did he tell you?

Murphy repeated the conversation with Groves. Is that the way you heard it, Cliff?

Yes, Mr. Hopkins.

What he told you is correct. I'm going to spell out the current situation for you as I see it. Hopkins paused, ran his hand through his hair then continued, General Rommel has resumed the offensive and is chasing the Brits all over North Africa. If that isn't bad enough, the Japs are chasing the Brits out of Burma. Hitler is kicking ass in Russia and the Brits are hanging on to Malta and Cyprus by a thread. Since the war started, German submarines have sunk over two hundred merchant ships off our East Coast and the Atlantic Fleet seems powerless to stop them. Our Pacific Fleet is in shambles and the outlook in the Pacific is bleak. On the home front, we've been forced to ration gasoline. Before it's over, we'll have to ration food and other commodities. The new weapon may be the only way to pull our chestnuts out of the fire.

Sounds like we're in deep shit although the newspapers sound optimistic. I read that the navy sank twenty German submarines off the East Coast, Huff replied.

Cliff, that's bullshit. The navy hasn't sunk so much as one German submarine. The air corps reported one probable off the west coast of Florida. The fate of the country could very well depend on getting the new weapon before the Germans do.

We must be doing something right. The air corps bombed Tokyo with B-25s and Mexico declared war on Germany, Italy and Japan, Murphy said.

There are some bright spots. The navy had a victory at Midway although we don't know what effect it will have. Hopefully we'll win but it's going to take time. Our physicist friend could very well be the key to victory.

Has anybody given any thought how to get this guy out? Huff asked.

Donovan has some very bright chaps working on it.

What's the guy's name? Murphy asked.

"Right now, you don't have a need to know. Donovan has briefed the president on a preliminary plan. There are still some minor details to work out. The plan is risky. We need men who can fly by the seat of their pants and think on their feet. Donovan thinks that you fellows can do the job. The president and I tend to agree. If you fail, there's a good possibility that both of you will spend the rest of the war interned in Turkey. The assignment is Top Secret so you'll have