Dead Men Don't Bite (Jake Dillon Adventure Thriller Series) by Andrew Towning Read Free Book Online Page B

make much sense
to him. It was certainly the long way round, but he thought
they obviously had their reasons for embarking on such an
arduous voyage, but to what end? Nathan flicked quickly
to the last entry that was on the 8th May 1945. D-Day he
thought. That was the effective end of Hitler’s Third Reich.
If that were correct, then what on earth was U683 doing in
a secret subterranean waterway under the Island of Jersey?
    Cunningham sat there wondering what he was going
to do with this phenomenal discovery, whom would he tell?
Did he really want to share his secret? One thing he was
certain about was that if news leaked out about such a find,
then the island would be invaded within days or even hours
with journalists, relic hunters and sightseers.
    He flicked back through the diary; stopping suddenly
on the 28th April. A name jumped out at him, Heinrich
Himmler, this made him flush and his pulse race. He read
on excitedly, the entry had been made just before dawn, the
submarine was to rendezvous with a Sicilian fishing vessel
and take on board secret cargo of national importance to the
Third Reich. Cunningham’s excitement was almost too much
for him to contain. Heinrich Himmler, head of the Gestapo
and the SS had been, next to Hitler and Martin Bormann,
one of the most powerful and feared men in the Nazi Party.
Had he really committed suicide just after capitulation or
had it been another carefully staged deception, for which
the Nazis were particularly skilled at. It had become almost
run-of-the-mill during those last months of the war for
many of the top ranking Nazis to have doubles. People who
were taught to speak, behave, and even dress in the same
uniform as those they were impersonating. This was simply
so that those individuals who would otherwise be put to
trial or death by the allies could escape. Nathan thought
about how many academics and historians had speculated
or written books on that subject?
    He put the diary to one side; picked up one of the
envelopes and idly pulled the letter out. The name at the top
of the sheet of paper made him sit up, Grossadmiral Karl
Donitz. Nathan carefully read the letter and stared at it in
utter amazement for some time before carefully placing it
back inside the envelope, gathered up the documents, diary,
and the letters and put them all back inside the aluminium
case. He shut the lid, snapping the two clasps back in place
and took the case below to put inside his holdall. Then he
went back up, and started the engine, letting it idle while he
engaged the automatic anchor chain winch.
* * *
    Throughout his years as a serving officer in the Royal
Navy, Cunningham had never seen or read about anything
as mysterious as this. His instincts told him that whatever
it was, it was absolute dynamite, it had to be. He had a
U-boat tied up in an underground harbour, with a final
diary entry on the last day of World War Two. There was a
reference to one of the most evil men in the Nazi Party. As
well as a letter from the Commander-in-Chief of the entire
Kriegsmarine who eventually became the acting Head of
State of the Third Reich.
    “What in hell’s name have I stumbled upon? My
God, if this turns out, not to be a dream, then I’ve probably
woken the devil himself?” He mumbled aloud.
    He fought with his conscience about what to do
with his find, eventually making a decision not to go to
the authorities on the island or the police. Journalists were
totally out of the question and he certainly wouldn’t be able
to talk to any of his friends. “Except one” he said out loud,
and then laughed.
    Edward Levenson-Jones, of course, LJ would know
what to do. He wasn’t far from Bonne Nuit, but he still
opened up the throttle. The fibreglass hull slapped the
waves as the boat speeded towards the bay. Nathan’s
thoughts strayed back to the time he and LJ had first met,
when both men were attending the same university. They
had immediately hit it off, both having similar backgrounds
and