"In the Back Train Car" (Part 2)

"So why is Josef Goldberg on a train to Berlin?" muttered Maximilian at his newspaper.

The gentleman arched his eyebrow and smirked. "I thought that you knew."

Maximilian glared at his newspaper. "Don't get flippant with me! I am a commanding officer. I can you arrested for insubordination!"

An elderly man sitting across the aisle from them overheard Maximilian's last remarks and looked over to see him berating his newspaper. "Excuse me sir, is anything wrong?" he asked.

Maximilian glared at the elderly man. "No, why?"

"Most people don't yell at their newspapers. I could give you mine if yours is giving you grief," the elderly man offered with newspaper in hand.

"Mine is perfectly fine! Mind your own business," Maximilian retorted with a scowl.

The elderly man flicked him a worried glance, shook his head, and returned to his own newspaper while the gentleman snorted and chuckled behind his hand and tried to concentrate on the window. "You shouldn't mutter so loudly," he said after regaining his composure.

Maximilian growled. "As I said, I am a commanding officer."

"And I am an agent. I can disappear. Never the less, our Jewish friend here has an assignment in Berlin. I haven't been able to get details, but it has something to do with a bomb."

"Why wasn't he arrested earlier?"

"My superiors wanted more names of his contacts and more details concerning the plot."

"Well, it sounds like you were really successful. There are other ways of extracting information."

"I prefer not to get my hands bloody."

Maximilian glanced up from his newspaper. "Where did you say the creature is?"

"In this car he's wearing a black coat and gray fedora."

Maximilian casually set down his newspaper, stood, stretched, and sat back down. "He certainly looks like a Jew."

For the next hour neither spoke. Maximilian propped his feet up on the gentleman's chair, crossed his arms, and dozed off. The gentleman continued his steadfast stare out the window.

When the train reached the outskirts of Berlin, one of Maximilian's men awakened him.

"Sir, we are nearing Berlin. What's our plan of action?"

Maximilian sat up straight and flicked and stared at the gentleman. "Well?"

The gentleman flicked his eyes over to the officer and back to the window. "When we reach Berlin, it's your show. Show what the Führer's secret police is capable of. "

Maximilian smiled. "Have the men guard the exits to this car. I would like you to accompany me when I apprehend him."

The officer clicked his heels, gave a short bow, and marched off to carry out his commanding officer's orders.

Josef Goldberg watched the officer leave the car. The game of cat and mouse would end soon.

Ten minutes later, the train entered the station. The back car bustled with passengers retrieving their belongings, peering out the windows, and preparing to disembark. Humming a tune, Maximilian waited for some of the passengers to leave. The gentleman squeezed past Maximilian's subordinating officer and merged into the disembarking line.

The quarry in the gray fedora and black coat quickly followed the gentleman. "Wait! Stop! I order you to stop! Guards, don't let him leave the train!"

Maximilian stepped into the quarry's path. "Josef Goldberg, you are under arrest."

The quarry's eyes widened, and his face turned red. "Impudent fool! I am not Goldberg. I am Johann Goebeler. I have been tracking him all of this time!"

Maximilian crossed his arms and cocked his head. "Please show your papers."

The man shoved his identification papers at Maximilian. After a quick glance, Maximilian's eyes widened in recognition of his own mistake. He turned and ran to the to the door.

"Don't bother," raged Johann. "He's already disappeared. You were supposed to make contact with me! Your supervisors will hear about this."

Maximilian swallowed down the bile that rose in his throat as he slowly approached the seated where he had been sitting. "I was sitting with him with him the entire time!" he growled through clenched teeth as he pounded what had been Josef's seat with his fist. His eyes wandered until they rested upon the edge briefcase that was peaking out from underneath the seat where Goldberg had left it.

"Your career is over!" yelled Johann.

Maximilian cocked his head and picked up the briefcase. As if in slow motion, he placed his ear to it and listened to the steady ticking. An icy chill seeped into his head and down into his stomach.

"What are you doing?" demanded Johann.

Maximilian placed the briefcase back onto the seat. "Both of our careers have ended."

Looking out a window in the train station, Josef Goldberg removed his expensive trench coat and his diamond tie tack. An explosion rocked the railway station. Millions of fiery matchstick fragments filled the outside air. Screams and yells added to the confusion as people scattered about. "The back of a train exploded!" yelled a rail worker running past.

Goldberg straightened his crisp navy suit with the yellow star affixed to the jacket. As he mingled in with the panicked crowd he shook his head. "Never underestimate the mouse, Herr Cat, never underestimate the mouse."