Winters Bullet (Excerpt)

Copyright 2016 by William Osborne
All rights reserved. Published by Chicken House, an imprint of Scholastic Inc., Publishers
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First published in the United Kingdom in 2014 by Chicken House,
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Available
ISBN 978-0-545-85344-6
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Printed in the U.S.A.
First edition, January 2016
Book design by Yaffa Jaskoll
16 17 18 19 20
23
1
January 11, 1945
It was just before dawn when General Mller, head of the

Gestapo, arrived at the Adlerhorst.
The Fhrer had based himself at this medieval German
castle to direct his daring offensive against the Americans and
British in the forests of the Ardennes. But news from the front
was bleak: The German army had ground to a halt, and the
enemy was counterattacking with overwhelming force.
After six years, the unthinkable was happening: The Third
Reich was losing the war.
General Mller stared out at the darkness beyond the car
window, his mind racing. At least they still had Operation
Black Sun, he thought. It was both their last hope and the best
hope of victory. And he was here to report on its progress to
Hitler himself. Everything was ready, he told himself: the
secret airbase near Amsterdam; the friends in South America;

the sea trial; the weapon itself...
After a series of checkpoints, his Mercedes pulled to a halt
in the castles large courtyard. A series of blast-proof concrete
bunkers had been built beyond it, cleverly disguised to look
like small cottages. Mller climbed out and stretched.
A sense of defeat seemed to hang in the foggy air. There was
a muted silence to the staff officers who passed him, saluting
perfunctorily. The atmosphere wasnt helped by the stillsmoldering remains of the village church and several cottages
that had been hit by Allied bombs a few days earlier. The Fhrer
had been assured it was coincidentalhis whereabouts were a
closely guarded secret since the assassination attempt last July
but nevertheless, it added to the sense of a tightening net.
Mller reached Haus 2. A uniformed valet opened the door
and took his winter coat and hat, then escorted him to an antechamber outside Hitlers situation room. The place had been
decorated to resemble an Alpine lodge; it was very cozy, Mller
thought, sehr gemtlich.
Reichsleiter Bormann was standing in front of a fire warming his legs. He didnt move his squat, paunchy body to greet
Mller, just fixed him with his black eyes.
So, Mller, what is your report on Operation Black Sun?
he said. The Fhrer is anxious to hear it.
Everything is proceeding to plan and on schedule. Mller
pulled off his gloves slowly, finger by finger.
2
And the bomb?

It will be shipped to the Amsterdam airbase in time.
Bormann merely nodded.
The two men waited in silence for the Fhrer to conclude the morning briefing of the Ardennes offensive. When
the last of the tense-faced generals had departed, Mller
and Bormann stepped inside and the doors slammed shut
behind them.
They snapped salutes to the Fhrer, who waved them away.
Id like some good news for a change, Mller, he said. My
generals continue to thwart all my best endeavors. Though he
looked thin and his hair was lank, there was still, Mller
thought, a sense of burning energy.
Of course he began before Bormann the sycophant
interrupted him.
General Mller reports that all aspects of Operation Black
Sun are in place.
Mller watched as Hitler nodded, mulling it over.
This bomb...
Here, mein Fhrer... Bormann quickly laid out a map in
front of Hitler, who studied it carefully with a large magnifying glass.
New York?
Ja, mein Fhrer. Observe... Bormann jabbed his middle
finger at a series of concentric rings. Central Park. The first
two rings spell total annihilation. Everything reduced to dust.
3
The Fhrer stared at the two rings, the second one extending
well beyond the island of Manhattan. So this atom-splitting
weapon will work, he said eventually. Incredible.
Indeed, mein Fhrer, said Bormann. With this weapon
you can win the war in one stroke. The genius of German technology will be the Fatherlands salvation.
The Fhrer threw down the magnifying glass and stabbed
an accusing finger at the two men. Didnt I tell you, he said,
didnt I tell the German nation to keep the faith, that we
would triumph over whatever the Americans and Bolsheviks
threw at us?
His voice grew louder and stronger as he spoke. Mller
noticed a fleck of spit form in the corner of his mouth. There
was silence for a moment. Hitler closed his eyes briefly, then
opened them.
If the sea trial of the weapon is successful then we move
immediatelyin three days. Mller, you will fetch my baggage.
Mller frowned, not understanding. Your baggage, mein
Fhrer?
Frau Braun, she is staying at the Berghof. Bring the sister
tooshe will want some company in Argentina, no doubt.
Ja, mein Fhrer.
And my special gift that I promised our Argentinian
friend? The stone?
The stone Bormann began, but this time Mller interrupted him.
4
Everything will be in order by the time we leave, mein

Fhrer.
Hitler frowned. See that it is. I gave my word to the
seorita.
Mller saluted and the Fhrer planted his hands on his
hips, his eyes bright.
Take heart, gentlemen, the real war is just about to start!
This weaponthis wonder weaponwill rain death on any city
we choose: first New York, then Moscow, and finally Churchills
London. We will bomb them all back into the Stone Age!

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Copyright 2016 by William Osborne

It was just before dawn when General Mller, head of the

secret airbase near Amsterdam; the friends in South America;

And the bomb?

Everything will be in order by the time we leave, mein

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