Day of Judgment

Day of Judgment
Jack Higgins

A classic thriller from Jack Higgins, the undisputed master of adrenalin packed adventure and the bestselling author of ‘The Eagle has Landed’It’s 1963 and the eve of John F.Kennedy’s historic visit to Berlin.Locked away inside the impregnable fortress of Schloss Neustadt, Father Sean Conlin, survivor of Dachau and lifelong champion of human freedom is fighting to deny his jailers their ultimate goal. On this momentus day, when the whole world is watching they must make him admit to being a CIA hireling.But the West is determined to save him, and gambling with their lives a small band of men begin a daring rescue mission that could change the course of history.

DAY OF JUDGMENT

Contents

Dedication

Epigraph

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

Publisher’s Note

About the Author

Also by Jack Higgins

Copyright

About the Publisher

Dedication

For Mike Green, with thanks

Epigraph

Freedom has many difficulties and democracy is not perfect, but we never had to put up a wall to keep our people in.

President John F Kennedy 26th June 1963

Publisher’s Note

DAY OF JUDGMENT was first published in the UK by William Collins Sons & Co Ltd in 1978 and in 1979 by Pan Books, but has been out of print for some years.

In 2007, it seemed to the author and his publishers that it was a pity to leave such a good story languishing on his shelves. So we are delighted to be able to bring back DAY OF JUDGMENT for the pleasure of the vast majority of us who never had a chance to read the earlier editions.

1

As Meyer turned the corner in the old hearse he reduced speed, his hands slippery with sweat as they gripped the wheel, his stomach tightening as he drove towards the checkpoint, clear in the night under the harsh white light of the arc lamps.

‘I must be mad,’ he said softly. ‘Crazy. The last time, I swear it.’

There were two Vopos at the red and white barrier wearing old-fashioned Wehrmacht raincoats, rifles slung. An officer lounged in the doorway of the hut smoking a cigarette.

Meyer braked to a halt and got out as one of the sentries opened the door. The street ran to the wall itself through an area in which every house had been demolished. Beyond, in a patch of light, was the Western Zone checkpoint.

He fumbled for his papers and the officer came forward. ‘You again, Herr Meyer. And what have we this time? More corpses?’

Meyer passed his documents across. ‘Only one, Herr Leutnant.’ He peered anxiously at the officer through steel-rimmed spectacles. With his shock of untidy grey hair, the fraying collar, the shabby overcoat, he looked more like an unsuccessful musician than anything else.

‘Anna Schultz,’ the lieutenant said. ‘Age nineteen. A trifle young, even for these hard times.’

‘Suicide,’ Meyer explained. ‘Her only relatives are an uncle and aunt in the Western Zone. They’ve claimed her body.’

One of the Vopos had the back of the hearse open and was starting on the brass screws of the ornate coffin lid. Meyer hastily grabbed his arm.

The lieutenant said, ‘So, you don’t want us to look into the coffin? Now why should that be, I wonder?’

Meyer, wiping sweat from his face with a handkerchief, seemed at a loss for words.

At that moment a small truck pulled in behind. The driver leaned out of the window holding his documents. The lieutenant glanced over his shoulder impatiently and said, ‘Get rid of him.’

One of the Vopos ran to the truck and examined the driver’s papers quickly. ‘What’s this?’

‘Diesel engine for repair at the Greifswalder Works.’