A private car had been sent to the airport to receive Mengele. However, the drive all the way into the Bavarian Mountains had taken longer than Josef had expected. Hitler had summoned him and, though he did not like to leave his experiments at Auschwitz unattended, he had no choice but to go.
The winding drive was made more tolerable by handsome scenery passing through the mountains. It was far more enjoyable than walking through Berlin at the moment. Allied bombing had increased over the past few days, and much of the city was suffering with it.
Barracks passed by on either side as the car approached the private drive of Adolf’s home. Josef could see vigilant patrols marching the perimeter of the estate. The Fuhrer wasn’t taking any chances with his or Anna’s safety.
Mengele was one of the few people to know of Anna Parks, to know that she was not the woman Eva Braun. He was also one of the few people living to know that Adolf was not entirely human. Josef had guessed as much by the man’s blood sample.
Others had once been entrusted with the Fuhrer’s super human status, but they had since been eliminated. Josef realized that Adolf could not have kept the secret from him after submitting to testing in order to develop the now failed Berserker Strain. But he remained alive because Adolf needed Josef to produce the new Rage Virus. With this, Adolf hoped to spread it to the enemy masses and then watch as they destroyed themselves. If he was going to reclaim the world after that then Mengele would still be necessary.
They turned past the guards stationed near the home, pulling into the last length of the drive. The Berghof stood in the distance up ahead at the top of the hill. With all that was happening, this might be the last meeting like this they would be able to have.
Pulling up to the house, the driver got out and opened the door for Josef. The doctor climbed out, carrying a metal suitcase with him. A chain ran from the case to a single handcuff attached to his wrist.
A servant opened the door. Mengele did not pause, but walked on through. Heinz Linge, Hitler’s personal valet, appeared in the foyer.
“This way, sir,” Heinz said with a slight bow.
He led the way to the Great Hall. Inside, Hitler was waiting beside the red mantle. To Mengele’s surprise, Anna Parks was seated in the room also, speaking with Adolf as he walked inside.
He strode to his Fuhrer, offering his hand. They shook.
“That will be all, Heinz,” Adolf said.
Heinz bowed with a respectful nod. “Very good, sir,” he said and then withdrew.
Josef nodded to Anna politely. “Fraulein,” he said, taking her hand and kissing the knuckle.
“Doctor Mengele,” she replied kindly.
“Anna, would you excuse us?” Adolf asked. “I need to discuss some important matters with Josef.”
She stood with slight difficulty. “Of course,” she said.
Josef noticed that her pregnancy was beginning to show now. Adolf had only mentioned the matter in passing before leaving Auschwitz. They waited as she quietly left the room. When the door closed behind her, Adolf began to speak.
“Is that it?” he asked, indicating the briefcase attached by the chain to Josef’s wrist.
“Yes, this case contains the Rage Virus.”
“Very good,” Adolf said, draining the last of the scotch from his glass. “You will not return to the camp.”
Josef began to protest gently. “But my experiments—”
“I know what you’re going to say, Josef, but the Allies are closing in around us. I’ve already made arrangements and sent my double to my Fuhrer bunker in Berlin. I feel fairly certain that we only have days before the end now. The Russians are advancing their line toward the capital. The others will not be far behind.”
Josef nodded with a deep exhale. He had wondered if this would separate him from his work at the camp. His intuition had not been wrong. Hitler was making preparations for the end of the war.
“We must keep the virus close now to protect it,” Adolf said. “What about the antidote? Do you have it also?”
“I have several doses in here,” Josef said.
Adolf left his glass setting upon the mantle as he began to pace the room. “Yes, but does it work? We must be sure.”
Josef removed his jacket, unbuttoned his cuff and rolled up the sleeve of his shirt. He turned his forearm toward his fuhrer. The flesh was macerated and inflamed.
“What happened?” Hitler asked, walking over to him.
“One of my patients got out of control briefly,” Josef replied.
“Are you?”
“Infected?” Josef said, finishing his question. “Yes, I tested positive for the virus. However, I had enough time to vaccinate myself using the serum made from your blood.”
“How long ago?”
“Two days,” Josef said, smiling. “Two days and I have not developed even the first symptom. I’ve tested positive for antibodies. I am now immune.”
Adolf smiled. “Excellent. Now that we are sure of the cure, we must decide the best means of delivery.”
“I’ve considered this issue already,” Josef said.
“And?”
“With the serum we have seen changes beginning at roughly one half hour. Depending upon the subject, I would expect that number to be the same across the board. However, the virus will take longer.”
Adolf’s gaze narrowed impatiently. “How much longer?”
“The rhinovirus I have chosen generally causes patients to become symptomatic within a day,” Josef explained. “From the time the fever develops they should be contagious though they would not become violent yet.”
“How long would that take to happen?”
“Consider, my Fuhrer, that those who are caring for these sick ones could also become infected even before the violence. Transmission should occur by contact with fluid transfer to the mucous membranes. This wouldn’t be as sure as transmission through blood like a bite, but it is possible.”
Adolf sat down on a couch opposite Mengele. “So you’re saying that these non-violent infected have the potential to infect many people before anyone realizes the problem.”
“If they are only looking for the violence before they become fearful then, yes, these could infect quite a few and it might spread through the non-violent rapidly before the onset of further symptoms. A whole group, previously thought to be fine could become suddenly feverish and then violent within hours after.”
Adolf considered this. “What about resistance to the strain? After all, not everyone is susceptible to the same diseases.”
“True,” Josef admitted. “But those people would present a negligible threat to the spread. They would be running for their lives, soon killed by the others. You’ve seen already what they would be up against.”
“Yes,” Adolf said, remembering the Jew at Auschwitz.
“Now, multiply that kind of threat by hundreds of thousands.”
“But we can reverse these effects?” Adolf asked. “I don’t want a world of these things. It must be contained to the Allies.”
“Containment will be the more difficult aspect,” Josef said. “We cannot control where people go or who they come into contact with. However, once we synthesize more of the vaccine we can even sell it to these nations. Your war coffers would be refilled overnight. There will be a tremendous amount of wealth left lying in banks and vaults in every one of these nations.”
Adolf liked the sound of that. The war had bankrupted them already, as was evidenced by their current state. If he was going to reclaim what had been lost and more, money would be necessary.
“Josef, you said that you had become infected.”
“Yes.”
“And that you are a carrier now?”
“Yes.”
“Have I been exposed to this virus then?” Adolf asked.
Josef remained very still at this point. He knew what the answer was. He ran down his contact with people since the incident all the way up to this point. “Potentially,” Jo
sef said.
Adolf rose immediately, his expression threatening.
Josef rose with him, hoping the man wouldn’t strike him. Adolf’s temper and his strength were terrible to behold. “However, you are immune, my Fuhrer,” he said quickly. “The vaccine was made from your blood sample. You already have immunity to this virus.”
Adolf considered this and his temper began to quell. But then he thought again. “Could I be a carrier?”
Josef nodded.
“Anna? My unborn child?”
Adolf’s anger was kindled again. He remembered the gentlemanly kiss of her hand as Josef had entered the room with them.
“But the child is of your blood and the mother protected because of the child,” Josef hastened to say.
Adolf looked ready to strangle the doctor. “You had better hope so, Josef. We will watch and see if what you say is true. But if anything amiss happens to Anna, you will die by my hand.”
Josef gulped. Then he nodded. He hoped he was right. His life now depended upon it.