All My Love Forever Part 3 of 5
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter Two
The Search
No one at NATO intelligence was surprised when the Major arrived in a foul mood. It was only too obvious that the officer was expecting the annual appearance of Eroica’s birthday gift, whatever that may be. What the Alphabet did not expect was the Major’s temper growing worse as the day went on. Normally he would arrive, irritated in the knowledge that at some point during the day a “gift” of one sort of another would make an appearance, but then he would become involved in his work and forget about the whole thing until the gift actually appeared, at which point the Alphabets ran for cover.
Today was different. The Major’s black mood did not improve, and he seemed very preoccupied to the point of actually being distracted. It was at this point that someone deduced that the Earl had already struck. That the Major’s gift had already made an appearance at the officer’s home.
When the Major was called into a meeting with the Chief, the Alphabet took advantage of his absence to put their heads together. Finally, Agent A decided to go to the source, as it were, and called the Schloss.
“I don’t know what the Master received,” the butler said calmly, confirming the agents’ theory, “but he was very angry about it.”
“I see,” A replied. “Very angry. More so than’s usual for him?”
“Oh, yes, Mr. A. Dare I say, the Master seemed…homicidal.”
Agent A’s eyebrows went up. Were they talking about anyone other than the Major, A would have brushed it off. He thanked the butler and hung-up the phone, telling the others what he had learned. The room fell into a deafening silence.
Someone wondered if they should contact the Earl’s man Bonham to warn him. Eroica had a knack for pushing the Major’s buttons. This time he seemed to have pushed a bit too far. The last time it happened, the Major maneuvered the Earl into a warzone. Would he simply kill the thief outright this time?
The consensus of the Alphabets was that Bonham should be warned, just in case the Earl was planning on “dropping in” at NATO headquarters to see how the Major liked his gift.
Considering the Major’s current black mood, if the thief did make an appearance, it was very likely he would leave the building feet first. Unless the Major decided to throw him head long from one of the fifth floor windows, that is.
* * *
Days went by. Then, much to the Major’s bewilderment, weeks passed. He had fully expected the Earl to appear on his doorstep within hours of his thief. Instead, he seemed to have fallen off the face of the Earth. What the hell could he be planning?
The fact that someone was digging into the Major’s background did not go unnoticed by NATO intelligence or the officer himself. Naturally everyone’s first thoughts were that it was some enemy agency trying to find some dirt on Iron Klaus. The Major dismissed this as being ridiculous. The KGB had tried for years to find something in the officer’s background that they could use as leverage against him. The only thing they had ever come up with was Eroica, much good that did them.
Eventually NATO learned that this time it wasn’t enemy agents digging into the Major’s background but Eroica himself. This did surprise the Major, who was now all the more baffled as to what the Earl could be planning.
* * *
After weeks of fruitless searching, digging, and probing, the Eroica gang were reluctant to tell the Earl that they had come up empty. While not explaining the exact reasons he wanted this search done, the gang had already surmised that the Earl believed there was a woman in the Major’s life-somewhere.
The Eroica gang were no strangers to their leader’s fits of jealousy concerning Iron Klaus and any woman who might so much as glance in his direction. By the same token, they were equally familiar with the Major’s propensity for fleeing any situation with “marriage” as a possibility. Unless it was required for a mission, the Major remained unencumbered by domestic entanglements.
“Nothing?” Dorian said in a disappointed tone. His men all shook their heads.
“We’ve turned over every rock, m’lord,” Bonham said with a sigh.
“And you even did as I suggested?”
Early on, when it became obvious to the gang that they were going to turn up nothing, they had tried to discreetly let the news slip to the Earl. Instead, he suggested taking the Major’s words literally. He had, after all, referred to his love as “My Flower.” And the delicately painted box was covered with flowers. Perhaps the woman’s name was floral in nature.
“Yes, my lord,” Jones chimed in, “we did as you said.”
“And...?”
“And we learned there are a lot of women named after flowers.” Jones pulled out a paper. “We’ve found a Violet, Daisy, Heather, Lily…”
“Yes, yes,” Dorian sighed, waving a hand.
Jones could not resist adding, “We even found a Sister Mary Rose.”
“Very funny,” Dorian said sourly as the others responded with giggles. The Major in love with a Nun. That will be the day. Especially since the letters made it clear that the woman was unattached and available.
Or was she?
Dorian blinked as a sudden thought struck him. All this time he had been going on the assumption that the woman in question was still single. What if she had married at some point in time? The letters speak of other men. Of her moving on. What if she was married?
“Mi’lord,” came Bonham’s tentative voice, breaking into the Earl’s thoughts, “you sure the info you got was genuine?”
Dorian scowled. “Genuine?”
“Aye. After all this time, the ‘ole world’d know if Uncle Nato ‘ad a woman on the side.”
Dorian opened his mouth, about to point out that the Major didn’t exactly have a woman “on the side.” After all, the letters had been carefully locked away...
The Earl blinked as another thought struck him. The letters had indeed been locked away. In a safe that was in a location that practically guaranteed that he would find it. In a safe that was almost too easy to open.
That bastard! He set me up! He must be laughing his ass off watching me looking for a phantom woman in his background. Damn you, Major!
* * *
“Who is she, Major?”
The question, as well as the speaker, had appeared out of the blue, stopping the officer in his tracks as he was walking to his car. He stood staring at the Earl as if he were speaking Chinese.
“What?” the Major replied, finding his voice at last. “Who is who? Eroica, you’re not making sense.”
The Earl stood with his hands on his hips, blocking the man’s path. He responded with a hollow laugh. “Look who’s talking. Always so cryptic, aren’t you?”
The Major put a hand to his head, feeling a headache coming on. There were days he felt certain he needed a code book when talking to the Earl. This was one of those days.
“I’m talking about your Flower, Major,” Dorian said coldly.
Klaus stiffened visibly, his eyes widening. He hadn’t expected this tone from the Earl. “And…?
“Don’t give me that look, Major,” Dorian spat. “How many hours did it take you to fabricate those letters?” He waved a hand in the air, not even waiting for the officer to reply. “You actually had me feeling sorry for you, too! Sick bastard.”
“I’m gonna assume you read them all…” Klaus managed to inject.
“Of course I read them all!” Dorian exploded. “Surely you knew I’d want answers eventually!”
The Major nodded. “I expected you to turn up within hours, not weeks.”
“My men wouldn’t let me come see you right away. They were afraid you’d do something… drastic.”
“Drastic?” That was an understatement and a half. “You break into my house, steal my property, have your men digging into my…affairs,” the Major said calmly. “And now you have the nerve to come to me making demands! I should break your fucking neck right here and now just for pissing me off!”
“What! For pissing you off!”
“What did you do with my property?” Klaus broke in before Dorian could get up another head of steam. “Did you have your stingy bug sell it?”
The Earl picked up an unusual edge to the officer’s voice. Perhaps the box really was a family heirloom. That might be worth something in a negotiation… “It’s safe and sound.”
“Good. Return it and I won’t break your fucking neck.”
Dorian made certain that he was not within easy reach before asking, “Just the box alone, Major?”
The Major’s eyes narrowed dangerously and he replied through clenched teeth. “The box belonged to my mother. I want it returned.”
“Only the box?” Dorian asked repeated guardedly. “Aren’t you afraid that I’ll make the contents public?”
The Major gave a dismissive snort, waving a hand in the air. “After all the shit you’ve pulled over the years, do you think anyone will believe they’re genuine? You have a team of expert forgers at your beck and call.” A small smile curled the edges of his mouth. “And no one would ever believe that Iron Klaus would write anything so...foppish.”
Dorian actually winced at the word. He also found he had no answer other than to curse under his breath.
“I have an appointment and you’re making me late,” the Major said gruffly, shoving the Earl out of his way. He opened the door to his car, turning to glare at the thief. “I expect my property returned undamaged, Eroica.” He did not wait for a reply, getting into the car and driving off, leaving the baffled Earl staring after him.
Well, that didn’t go as I’d planned at all, Dorian thought in annoyance.
*
"Return my property and I won’t break your fucking neck."
The Major’s words rang through the Earl’s head as he returned to his car. He hadn’t thought through what he was going to do after confronting the Major, realizing that he had just been hoping that by confronting the man he’d learn the truth. Stupid, stupid, stupid! As if Iron Klaus would fold like a deck chair at the threat of exposure. He’d been guarding this secret for decades. He must’ve had some kind of backup plan in mind should the letters ever be discovered. It would take more than a threat to uncover the truth. It would take an all out assault.
"I expect my property returned."
As the Earl got into his car, another plan came to mind. I’ll return your property all right, Major, he thought with a smirk. In spades!
* * *
Continued in Chapter 3
Chapter 1
Chapter Two
The Search
No one at NATO intelligence was surprised when the Major arrived in a foul mood. It was only too obvious that the officer was expecting the annual appearance of Eroica’s birthday gift, whatever that may be. What the Alphabet did not expect was the Major’s temper growing worse as the day went on. Normally he would arrive, irritated in the knowledge that at some point during the day a “gift” of one sort of another would make an appearance, but then he would become involved in his work and forget about the whole thing until the gift actually appeared, at which point the Alphabets ran for cover.
Today was different. The Major’s black mood did not improve, and he seemed very preoccupied to the point of actually being distracted. It was at this point that someone deduced that the Earl had already struck. That the Major’s gift had already made an appearance at the officer’s home.
When the Major was called into a meeting with the Chief, the Alphabet took advantage of his absence to put their heads together. Finally, Agent A decided to go to the source, as it were, and called the Schloss.
“I don’t know what the Master received,” the butler said calmly, confirming the agents’ theory, “but he was very angry about it.”
“I see,” A replied. “Very angry. More so than’s usual for him?”
“Oh, yes, Mr. A. Dare I say, the Master seemed…homicidal.”
Agent A’s eyebrows went up. Were they talking about anyone other than the Major, A would have brushed it off. He thanked the butler and hung-up the phone, telling the others what he had learned. The room fell into a deafening silence.
Someone wondered if they should contact the Earl’s man Bonham to warn him. Eroica had a knack for pushing the Major’s buttons. This time he seemed to have pushed a bit too far. The last time it happened, the Major maneuvered the Earl into a warzone. Would he simply kill the thief outright this time?
The consensus of the Alphabets was that Bonham should be warned, just in case the Earl was planning on “dropping in” at NATO headquarters to see how the Major liked his gift.
Considering the Major’s current black mood, if the thief did make an appearance, it was very likely he would leave the building feet first. Unless the Major decided to throw him head long from one of the fifth floor windows, that is.
* * *
Days went by. Then, much to the Major’s bewilderment, weeks passed. He had fully expected the Earl to appear on his doorstep within hours of his thief. Instead, he seemed to have fallen off the face of the Earth. What the hell could he be planning?
The fact that someone was digging into the Major’s background did not go unnoticed by NATO intelligence or the officer himself. Naturally everyone’s first thoughts were that it was some enemy agency trying to find some dirt on Iron Klaus. The Major dismissed this as being ridiculous. The KGB had tried for years to find something in the officer’s background that they could use as leverage against him. The only thing they had ever come up with was Eroica, much good that did them.
Eventually NATO learned that this time it wasn’t enemy agents digging into the Major’s background but Eroica himself. This did surprise the Major, who was now all the more baffled as to what the Earl could be planning.
* * *
After weeks of fruitless searching, digging, and probing, the Eroica gang were reluctant to tell the Earl that they had come up empty. While not explaining the exact reasons he wanted this search done, the gang had already surmised that the Earl believed there was a woman in the Major’s life-somewhere.
The Eroica gang were no strangers to their leader’s fits of jealousy concerning Iron Klaus and any woman who might so much as glance in his direction. By the same token, they were equally familiar with the Major’s propensity for fleeing any situation with “marriage” as a possibility. Unless it was required for a mission, the Major remained unencumbered by domestic entanglements.
“Nothing?” Dorian said in a disappointed tone. His men all shook their heads.
“We’ve turned over every rock, m’lord,” Bonham said with a sigh.
“And you even did as I suggested?”
Early on, when it became obvious to the gang that they were going to turn up nothing, they had tried to discreetly let the news slip to the Earl. Instead, he suggested taking the Major’s words literally. He had, after all, referred to his love as “My Flower.” And the delicately painted box was covered with flowers. Perhaps the woman’s name was floral in nature.
“Yes, my lord,” Jones chimed in, “we did as you said.”
“And...?”
“And we learned there are a lot of women named after flowers.” Jones pulled out a paper. “We’ve found a Violet, Daisy, Heather, Lily…”
“Yes, yes,” Dorian sighed, waving a hand.
Jones could not resist adding, “We even found a Sister Mary Rose.”
“Very funny,” Dorian said sourly as the others responded with giggles. The Major in love with a Nun. That will be the day. Especially since the letters made it clear that the woman was unattached and available.
Or was she?
Dorian blinked as a sudden thought struck him. All this time he had been going on the assumption that the woman in question was still single. What if she had married at some point in time? The letters speak of other men. Of her moving on. What if she was married?
“Mi’lord,” came Bonham’s tentative voice, breaking into the Earl’s thoughts, “you sure the info you got was genuine?”
Dorian scowled. “Genuine?”
“Aye. After all this time, the ‘ole world’d know if Uncle Nato ‘ad a woman on the side.”
Dorian opened his mouth, about to point out that the Major didn’t exactly have a woman “on the side.” After all, the letters had been carefully locked away...
The Earl blinked as another thought struck him. The letters had indeed been locked away. In a safe that was in a location that practically guaranteed that he would find it. In a safe that was almost too easy to open.
That bastard! He set me up! He must be laughing his ass off watching me looking for a phantom woman in his background. Damn you, Major!
* * *
“Who is she, Major?”
The question, as well as the speaker, had appeared out of the blue, stopping the officer in his tracks as he was walking to his car. He stood staring at the Earl as if he were speaking Chinese.
“What?” the Major replied, finding his voice at last. “Who is who? Eroica, you’re not making sense.”
The Earl stood with his hands on his hips, blocking the man’s path. He responded with a hollow laugh. “Look who’s talking. Always so cryptic, aren’t you?”
The Major put a hand to his head, feeling a headache coming on. There were days he felt certain he needed a code book when talking to the Earl. This was one of those days.
“I’m talking about your Flower, Major,” Dorian said coldly.
Klaus stiffened visibly, his eyes widening. He hadn’t expected this tone from the Earl. “And…?
“Don’t give me that look, Major,” Dorian spat. “How many hours did it take you to fabricate those letters?” He waved a hand in the air, not even waiting for the officer to reply. “You actually had me feeling sorry for you, too! Sick bastard.”
“I’m gonna assume you read them all…” Klaus managed to inject.
“Of course I read them all!” Dorian exploded. “Surely you knew I’d want answers eventually!”
The Major nodded. “I expected you to turn up within hours, not weeks.”
“My men wouldn’t let me come see you right away. They were afraid you’d do something… drastic.”
“Drastic?” That was an understatement and a half. “You break into my house, steal my property, have your men digging into my…affairs,” the Major said calmly. “And now you have the nerve to come to me making demands! I should break your fucking neck right here and now just for pissing me off!”
“What! For pissing you off!”
“What did you do with my property?” Klaus broke in before Dorian could get up another head of steam. “Did you have your stingy bug sell it?”
The Earl picked up an unusual edge to the officer’s voice. Perhaps the box really was a family heirloom. That might be worth something in a negotiation… “It’s safe and sound.”
“Good. Return it and I won’t break your fucking neck.”
Dorian made certain that he was not within easy reach before asking, “Just the box alone, Major?”
The Major’s eyes narrowed dangerously and he replied through clenched teeth. “The box belonged to my mother. I want it returned.”
“Only the box?” Dorian asked repeated guardedly. “Aren’t you afraid that I’ll make the contents public?”
The Major gave a dismissive snort, waving a hand in the air. “After all the shit you’ve pulled over the years, do you think anyone will believe they’re genuine? You have a team of expert forgers at your beck and call.” A small smile curled the edges of his mouth. “And no one would ever believe that Iron Klaus would write anything so...foppish.”
Dorian actually winced at the word. He also found he had no answer other than to curse under his breath.
“I have an appointment and you’re making me late,” the Major said gruffly, shoving the Earl out of his way. He opened the door to his car, turning to glare at the thief. “I expect my property returned undamaged, Eroica.” He did not wait for a reply, getting into the car and driving off, leaving the baffled Earl staring after him.
Well, that didn’t go as I’d planned at all, Dorian thought in annoyance.
*
"Return my property and I won’t break your fucking neck."
The Major’s words rang through the Earl’s head as he returned to his car. He hadn’t thought through what he was going to do after confronting the Major, realizing that he had just been hoping that by confronting the man he’d learn the truth. Stupid, stupid, stupid! As if Iron Klaus would fold like a deck chair at the threat of exposure. He’d been guarding this secret for decades. He must’ve had some kind of backup plan in mind should the letters ever be discovered. It would take more than a threat to uncover the truth. It would take an all out assault.
"I expect my property returned."
As the Earl got into his car, another plan came to mind. I’ll return your property all right, Major, he thought with a smirk. In spades!
* * *
Continued in Chapter 3