2nd of December, 1943

December 1943
Ulm, Baden-Württemberg
Germany

1940 Hours

"The Dark Bear" was a lovely little beerhall inside Ulm's relatively unbombed city centre, the street lighting infrequent and dimmed, windows only producing shuttered light through blackout windows. The southern city was not a large military encampment, it was just a historic city, located away from all frontlines or areas of bombing, in the very heart of the red Nazi empire that had ravaged Europe. The war was not to be won by the Axis, it so seemed- defeat in North Africa, Operation Husky followed by the subsequent advances upon Italy, with resistance in France and the loss of millions of lives in Stalingrad, seemed to suggest that the tide had turned. So much bloodhshed, so much horror, rationing, all of mankind's evils beginning to take their toll.

And yet it was a lair of meeting spies for tonight, including Centurion, "The Dark Bear" being a meeting spot for Robert Fitzroy, and the people he'd put out feelers to in the Abwehr, his own SOE cell, and couple of select others, contacts through contacts that he wanted on board. People to make this work. He would tell them the plan, and things would get underway, pretty much immediately. The snow outside had gently gathered, the log fire roaring, and the upstairs backroom kept aside with a bar at one end, and a long table in the middle. 

Yet there was another reason that Robert wanted to attend "The Dark Bear".

SS Oberführer Herman Lausitz was a heavily scarred man, the high-ranking SS officer returning from the Eastern Front, a real barbaric bastard, and someone Robert wanted eliminated. He had links to the Gestapo now, hunting down resistance, counter-intelligence whilst simultaneously trying not to go crazy with the Abwehr's plans. He looked terrifying- completely bald, with a shaved beard and moustache, he was known as the "Barber", given that he slit a Soviet spy's throat with a razorblade, and maimed another horrifically with the same razor. He'd served in the Abwehr's military intelligence, in intercepting enemy communications, and leading efforts in purging groups of partisans and spies. He wasn't very good at it, but was incredibly brutal. Even Robert, who didn't like Communists or those dirty bastards, heard the stories of what he'd done to even innocent people. Christ, it was scary.

And killing him would put a great deal of the SS men that he oversaw in Baden-Wurtenburg into disarray, some of whom would follow Robert's command of a "false flag", some who wouldn't. It was the first part of the plan, one that would interconnect. The contacts had been made, people had been notified of when they had to be ready. All that had to happen was the signal had to be sent. A bullet in Lausitz's head would start that signal.

Still, he was downstairs, celebrating his birthday, or some stupid shit, it wasn't a popular festivity due to the fact that he had few friends, well, apart from some of his men under him. An ugly, difficult fucking bastard didn't often make many when he murdered people pretty savagely in his bare hands. They'd meet later, once the basics of the plan were established, Robert knew that much. They'd be on a need to know basis, apart from his group- so far, Jakob and Lukasz were here, waiting out, the rest arriving by various means. SS officers, undercover men, it was all the same. Robert knew his paperwork was good- well, he was in the Abwehr, so for all intents, he was in with them and yet wasn't, confusingly. 

The beerhall's upstairs was a smaller hall, privately kept for Robert, who sat there, drinking a pint of fine Bavarian brew, alongside Jakob and Lukasz, or as the latter was better known here, Felix. The barmaid came up sometimes, just watching across, though she would leave and be innocent enough to the plans, when this kicked off. She wouldn't know anything, Robert knew that much, she wasn't even here. Paid enough for that in Reichmarks and bread. The rest of the group would arrive soon, as he finished, lighting a smoke, gently puffing on it. He had a Luger P08 tucked inside his coat pocket, wearing civilian clothing and a flat cap, with Lukasz opposite wearing a leather jacket, his fake papers up to date and putting him as a worker in the Organization Todt, as a civil engineer on the railways.
"Christ, one pint down and I feel far more at ease with this." Robert said, as Lukasz chuckled, shaking his head.
"You feeling nervous?"
"There's always uncertainty. That door gets kicked in and we all get fucking hosed down. You put a bullet in my head. Yeah, I'm completely calm." Robert said, chuckling with a certain gentlemanly accent even in German, as he puffed on the cigarette, blowing smoke.

"Reckon Edelweiss is trustworthy?"
"Honestly?"
"No."

Robert merely replied, shaking his head, as he looked across at Jakob, nodding.
"Remember the plan. Clock goes eight, we empty his skull, and I get the last of the useful intel out of that evil chap. Clock goes nine, we'll be at the viaduct, for Operation Digger to begin. It'll be impromptu, but we have no time to waste...anyone who isn't on board, be prepared to cut their throat. The stakes are too high. I imagine they are aware of of what I'm inferring. The people I contacted are pretty much willing to take part...they have too much to lose if they don't, and they'd have kept their beaks away if they didn't. So" He privately said across to Jakob, as he banged the table with his glass, enough to prompt the girl across the room.
"More beer!"  

----------------

Stepping into the belltower, Valerie stroked the gentle K31, the Swiss-produced carbine rifle fitted with a ZF optic, as she sighed. She wore a warm black knitted hat, and a black woolen duffel coat, as she adjusted her gloves, slipping three bullets into the top of the rifle. Gently setting her position up, she sighed.
"I don't like fucking beer. Fitzroy, you fucking animal. Why the fuck do you want to kill him here....." She whispered to herself, sighing.
"Of course, to make a point that the SS officer who has command of a loyalist faction can stop this is gonna die, and the rest won't bite down in time. Yeah, then do a train heist after. Of course that will work." Valerie retorted, again to herself, feeling the absurdity of this, but knowing that the plan would have to work. She gently turned the bolt forwards, adjusting the optic.

"Now. Open me a window."