Dark Before Light: The Rainey Chronicles, #3

By B.G. Cousins

"It will always be dark before light. But we must focus on the light, or it may never come."

As Robert Rainey disappears into the darkness of the Third Reich, his children, Jeremy and Jillian fear he has become a Nazi. Following their father's words, they both embark on paths to find the light. Jeremy becomes a high-level spy, keeping tabs on the Nazi nuclear program. Jillian takes up nursing in the army and is posted to the Philippines on the eve of the Japanese invasion.

As the war grinds on, their lives become ever more precarious. Jeremy discovers the truth behind Nazi nuclear experiments with the Gestapo hot on his tail. Jillian, in a bid to remain free, follows a hereditary sword exactly like her father's into the heart of Japan.

Through the many shades of good and evil, the siblings persevere with the help of old friends and ties to the 650-year-old origins of the hereditary sword of the Raineys.

• Language: English
• Publisher: B.G. Cousins
• Release date: Aug 29, 2019
• ISBN: 9780994824264

B.G. Cousins

B.G. Cousins has travelled the World, sort of. Trained as a metallurgist, his career took him to many places around World, although not to the touristy places normal people go. Most of the time, all he saw was the inside of the local airport and then out to the local mine. An avid reader of history and historical fiction, he spent many a layover at airports in their book stores. He has always had ideas for stories from his vivid imagination, but never had time to do more than jot down notes. Then in 2015, during a lull in contract work, he took those notes and produced the novel. “The Locket”, which he published in the Spring of 2016. He prides himself in doing extensive research to make his novels as historically accurate as possible, weaving historical anomalies into rich stories of love, conflict and adventure. He has also produced some new short back stories for some characters from the novel B.G. Cousins currently resides in Calgary, Alberta, with his wife, Carmen, his dog Piper, and his ever present bagpipes that he has been playing and travelling with for over 40 years.

Book preview

Part 1

1

Christmas, 1923

Long Island, New York

Putsch failed.

Leader arrested.

Freikorps stays loyal to Weimar.

K says hello.

Robert Rainey put down the decoded note and smiled. It had all played out so well. Peter Dietrich had focused his Communists against reactionary politicians wanting to turn back the clock. He had found the perfect foil, the National Socialist German Workers Party. For three years, the two were pitted against each other. Secret funding from and through Rainey had kept the German Workers Party afloat. When the Communists began to wane in 1923, it was easy to push their opponents’ fiery leader, Adolf Hitler, into an early grab for power. The putsch in Munich had been set up to fail miserably, but there had always been a risk of it succeeding. Dietrich had now sent confirmation that it had failed.

He leaned back in his chair, feeling the warmth from the fireplace wash over his face. He looked to the corner where the large Christmas tree stood. He imaged Dietrich would be asleep right now, but hours earlier may very well have been sitting much like he was, smiling and looking up at his own Christmas tree back in Germany. Dietrich and his wife were expecting their first child in the spring. The new year was something to look forward to, but the work of stabilizing Germany was still unfinished business.

It had been a tricky operation. The extremely bad economic choices the German government made during the war, combined with the huge reparation payments forced on them by the Versailles treaty, had led to the implosion of the German economy. Under those circumstances, extreme political parties grew in popularity. The French occupying the Ruhr when the government defaulted on payments in January of 1923 made it even worse. There was no reining in the French on the issue.

But now, with the extremists taken off the political field for the time being, it lay open for moderates to run the Weimar Republic. The new Rentenmark had a chance to end the extreme inflation plaguing the country. Combined with financing from the US—France and Britain were paying their war debt to the US from the reparations from Germany—it could all be made to work. The Brits were interested, but it would have to work whether the French agreed or not.

Daddy! Young Jeremy ran into the room and jumped up onto Rainey’s lap. His little sister, Jillian, was right behind him, climbing up onto the arm of the chair and hugging her father’s head.

Rainey laughed. Children, what have I told you about jumping on your father?

I no jump, Jillian said innocently.

Elizabeth glided into the room. Say good night to your father and then up to bed. We’ll be along shortly to tuck you in.

Jeremy hugged him tightly. Good night, Daddy. See you in the morning. Without even letting Rainey respond, he jumped down and ran from the room. Rainey knew all the father-son love stuff was for behind Jeremy’s bedroom door.

Nigh, Dada, Jillian kissed Rainey’s temple. Elizabeth reached out and pulled her away, standing her on the floor. Jillian turned and ran out of the room after her brother.

Rainey looked up at Elizabeth. Her face glowed from the firelight, her smile brilliant, reaching deep into his soul and warming it. To this day, he still couldn’t believe she had married him.

Elizabeth picked up the note off the floor. This from Peter?

Yes. Looks like the extremists have been put away for a while.

Who’s K?

You remember Yuri Krasenovsky?

Elizabeth’s face brightened. Of course. How’s he doing?

Rainey shrugged. All I know is he joined Red Army intelligence, the RU, and as of two months ago, Peter started reporting to him.

Does he know Peter is working for us?

I wouldn’t think so, but if he actually told Peter to say hello to me, who knows? Yuri would have first met Peter through Kolochoff and might know that Peter knows me.

Kolochoff. Even after all these years, the name still sent a shiver down Elizabeth’s spine. She settled herself.

Think you can recruit Yuri to the cause?

Rainey shook his head. I don’t know. I’m heading back to Europe after Christmas. I’ll get a feel for it from Peter. A direct inside contact in Russia would be nice. He shifted in his chair. Anything new on refinancing Germany?

Elizabeth nodded. Charles Dawes will take on the task. I received confirmation that he’s willing to chair a committee of the Allied Reparations Commission to work out a plan.

How did you meet him again?

Elizabeth gave one of her mischievous smiles. I was introduced to him by Roosevelt, back when I was acquiring weaponry for our little Russian adventure.

I take it Roosevelt never found out where those weapons went?

Not unless you told him.

Rainey grinned. It’s never come up. What’s in it for Dawes?

He’s very well respected. The glory of stopping the complete economic breakdown of an entire country would be a pretty good feather in his cap.

You didn’t offer him a seat in the Senate or something like that?

Elizabeth shook her head. I probably could have gotten him one. But in early discussions, it became clear he had no interest in politics.

I like him already.

He’s a Republican.

Rainey frowned. I don’t care. If he can make Germany solvent, he can be a Communist. Does he have an idea of how a plan will work?

Elizabeth sat down across from Rainey. In essence, it’ll be a big money loop. He wants to loan Germany money at a low interest rate and spread it out over decades so they can pay their reparations to France and Britain and still have enough to run the country. The French and British, in turn, can pay their war debts to us at the regular interest rate. The result is a much lower drain on German resources each year, allowing rebuilding to happen.

And the Americans get their money back from the Allies. Where is the money coming from?

All private. A John Foster Dulles, from a law firm Sullivan & Cromwell, is making the arrangements. He’ll be on the Dawes committee. His firm does this kind of thing all the time in Latin America and several other parts of the world.

Rainey frowned. They arrange loans to poor countries? There must be concessions involved.

Elizabeth sat down on the chair’s wide arm. American corporations do get concessions. But spreading our ideals through our corporations will lead to a more peaceful world.

Rainey shook his head. Somehow, I don’t see corporate greed leading the way to a better anything. It looks to me to be just another form of colonialism.

Said the man worth over one hundred million dollars, Elizabeth retorted. I’ve seen your list from Monsieur Monteux. He has funneled several millions of your money through Sullivan & Cromwell over a number of years. You get a very nice return on those investments.

Rainey sagged in his chair. Nothing gets by you, does it?

Do I need to answer that?

Rainey got up from the chair and moved towards the fireplace. He focused his gaze on the flames, leaping upward from the wood. It’d just be easier to spread the reparations over a longer period?

Yes, it would, but that can’t be agreed upon.

Rainey turned from the fireplace. France.

Elizabeth nodded. We don’t need rebuilding. France does. They won’t accept reparation payments being slowed down.

Not to mention that they like seeing the Germans suffering.

I can’t speak to that. And may I suggest you don’t, either.

Rainey waved his hand. I’m always on my best behavior around those arrogant toads.

The French are a wonderful people.

Yes, they are, but they have arrogant, narrow-minded toads for leaders.

And we don’t?

Rainey sighed. Point taken.

Elizabeth stood up abruptly. Good. Now get upstairs. Your children are waiting.

2

October 24, 1929

Long Island, New York

Owwah! Jeremy gripped his arm over the spot the wooden sword had hit him. He looked up at his sister, Jillian, who was smiling at him, holding her wooden sword at the ready. Anger rose in his throat. He yelled out a scream and charged her.

Then she was gone and the ground raced towards his face as he felt a heavy whack on his back. He landed hard. He could feel blood starting to ooze from his nose. He lay there for a moment.

What did you do wrong there? he heard his father’s voice say.

He rolled over and looked up into the trees. The wind was rustling the leaves. Jillian stepped into his view and placed the tip of her wooden sword on his chest. She was still smiling.

I got mad, he said sullenly.

No. You were past mad, his father replied. That was rage, making it easier for Jillian to take you down. Before that, she made a move you could have easily countered, but you were too busy completing your own move that she was already countering.

Jeremy got up on his elbows and looked at his father. I know.

Then why did you continue your attack?

I don’t know.

Well, then, you’d better find out. You have to focus and counter everything your opponent does. And don’t fall into rage. Anger can be focused. Rage is for your opponent to make mistakes with.

Jeremy had heard it all before. But for some reason, when in practice, Jillian seemed to live by what their father told them while he kept building up his rage. And in practice, Jillian always won.

How would I do with someone who just swung at me? he asked.

You’d win. Unless it was your sister. She seems to have a knack for making you make mistakes.

He looked at Jillian, who was still smiling at him. She wouldn’t just swing at me. He got up off the ground and dropped his sword. No swords?

Robert Rainey nodded. Jillian tossed her sword towards the tree and took a defensive stance, hands open and up in front of her. I’m ready.

Jeremy came at her. She shot out her right hand and spun away from him. Jeremy spun with her, blocking her right hand and bringing in his left. Her left arm linked around his right, but he was ready for that. She pulled, shooting out her leg to trip him. He jumped over her leg and brought his right hand around her head. Continuing his spin, he pulled her off balance and flung her to the ground. As she hit the ground, Jillian tried to continue into a roll, but Jeremy got his leg in her way. She reached up, grabbed him by the knee, and began to roll into his leg. As Jeremy came down, he brought his other leg around Jillian’s torso; as he hit the ground, he squeezed Jillian with his legs. She let out a grunt as movement came to a stop.

Let me go, Jillian said, pushing at Jeremy’s leg.

Jeremy released her, flipping over to come up in a sitting position. Jillian slowly sat up as well, a hurt look on her face.

That was more like it, said Robert. Nice use of your legs to hold Jillian down. He looked at his daughter. Nice counters with the spin and grabbing his knee.

But I won, Jeremy said.

Because you stayed focused, Robert replied. He held his hands out to both of them and pulled them up onto their feet. "Winning against each other isn’t important. It’s how you can defend yourself in a very dangerous world. Both of you can handle people who are much larger than yourselves. It’s the focus and observation that both of you did there that will keep you safe. Here, you will win sometimes, Jillian others.

I win more, Jillian added.

But that’s not the point. Winning always against others is.

Robert.

Jeremy looked over his shoulder and saw his mother standing there. She looked worried.

It’s started, she said. Markets are crashing.

Jeremy looked back at his father. What markets?

That’s enough for today, Robert said. Go clean up. Your mother and I have to go into town. Miranda will fix you some lunch and then you can continue your studies.

As Robert moved to join Elizabeth, Jillian said, They look very worried.

Jeremy was trying to visually imagine how a market could crash and what it was crashing into.

***

They arrived at the Hotel Astor and asked for the room occupied by Charles Grady. In the lobby, the atmosphere was tense. As they crossed toward the elevator, snippets of conversation reached Elizabeth’s ears, stories of lost wealth and panic on Wall Street. She clutched Rainey’s arm. He gently patted her hand.

We’re prepared for this, he said softly.

If it gets as bad as we think it might, I’m not as confident as you that Clarke Steel will survive. Business has already been slowing.

At the seventh-floor room, Robert gave two quick knocks, followed by a single one. The door opened almost immediately, Charles Appleton standing in the doorway.

Come in, quickly, he said. Inside, three men were sitting in chairs. One was Charles Dawes, the former vice president. Another was an industrialist, Owen Young. The third was the governor of New York, Franklin Roosevelt. All got up except Roosevelt.

Good afternoon, Elizabeth, Roosevelt said. It has been too long.

Yes, it has, she replied. We should try and meet when there isn’t a crisis to deal with.

You both know Charles and Owen, Appleton said.

Rainey nodded. They all sat down. There was a pause. Elizabeth glanced around the room at the long faces. The fact that the meeting had been called on very short notice due to the major drop in the stock market proved how serious it was. The crash, if a sign of economic collapse, did not bode well for their plans.

Let’s start with Germany. Owen, give us an update.

Young shifted in his chair. We have an agreement in theory on reducing the German yearly payments, as well as reducing the overall debt. That was hard to do after the London financial crash back in September, but a German default was considered worse. The British want at least something coming in; they’ll take whatever can be agreed to. The French were a little more stubborn, but financially, they are not looking that good either. Most of the agreement will depend on how well America stays fiscally above water.

And this will replace your plan, Mr. Vice President? Rainey asked.

Please, I’m just Charles now, Dawes said. His vice presidency had ended when Coolidge turned the White House over to Hoover. The new president had chosen another man for the ticket during the 1928 election. And yes. My original plan worked for a while. But as we knew it would be, without reducing payments and overall debt, Germany’s ability to stay solvent in the long term was not in the cards. Owen’s plan will put them on a sounder footing.

Governor, what is the word on the street? Appleton asked.

Roosevelt removed the cigarette holder from his lips and leaned forward. Lamont, Wiggin and Mitchell are meeting with other bankers to counter the drop in share prices. We should see stability by tomorrow.

How far are the indexes dropping? Elizabeth asked.

Estimates are between nine and twelve percent.

Nine to twelve percent? That’s enormous.

Roosevelt nodded. We won’t know for sure until all the results are in and that won’t be until late tonight.

How do they think they can stop a panic like that? Rainey asked.

It’s the best option, Young said.

You mean it’s the only option, Elizabeth retorted. Just because it worked in 1907 doesn’t mean it will be a permanent solution here. It’s not just wild speculation overpricing everything this time. The signs of an industrial slowdown have been apparent for almost a year. I’m running one of the most efficient steel mills in the country and we’re seeing orders declining. Shares aren’t just overpriced. They are way overpriced.

To bring stock prices in line with company values, Dawes began, what type of correction are we talking about?

Elizabeth looked at Rainey. He looked back and nodded. It was time to put all the cards on the table.

The market should be worth less than half of what it is now.

Roosevelt fell back in his chair, shock visible on his face. Dawes and Young looked at each other. They were seeing the end of all their work for a stable Germany. They all sat silently for a moment, taking in the ramifications of half the market’s value disappearing.

So, I take it the Wall Street bankers’ attempt to stave off the inevitable will fail, Appleton said, breaking the silence.

Probably within a week, Elizabeth replied. More likely, days.

Appleton looked at Dawes. What will be the result?

With industry declining, Dawes said, there will be massive unemployment. Entire companies, without access to market financing, will cease to exist. Smaller banks will fail as their loans are defaulted. The market rot is already in London. Our world is interconnected economically now through our banks, thanks to the war. International trade has increased that interconnectedness. The rot will spread from country to country. The only place where it won’t be felt in Europe is probably Italy. Mussolini isn’t tied into world trade very much and there is no one to argue with him about what he can or cannot do to keep employment up.

Time frame?

The total decline will take place over about three to four years.

President Hoover isn’t going to like that, Rainey added. What do you think he will do?

Roosevelt took a puff from his cigarette. His tendencies would be to not get involved. He believes free enterprise and new technology will get us out of this, as it did back in 1920 after the war. State and municipal governments will have to pick up the slack. In other words, he’ll drop the mess into my lap.

Dawes was about to say something when Appleton held up his hand. I don’t want any political sparring here. It will accomplish nothing. He looked at Rainey. How do you think it will play out politically in Europe?

Rainey shook his head. Not well. The French and the English democracies will weather it intact. Their people understand how democracy works. The French are all too aware what happens when they let it slip on them. However, Germany and many other eastern countries haven’t seen enough democracy for it to take a firm root. Germany has only had about four years of stable democratic government with a growing economy. Falling back into autocratic rule is a real risk; they have Italy to look upon as a model.

And the Russians? Appleton asked.

Comrade Stalin continues to look inward. He’ll see our economic collapse as fertile ground for Communist uprisings, but he’ll allow them to rise on their own. Stalin will feel free to continue with his five-year plans without worrying about what we think of him. The Russians are not interested in conquest. They’re merely worried about other nations invading them. They have a long history of that, including fairly recently.

Appleton looked about the room. Elizabeth could see the discussion with Dawes and Young was at an end. The next conversation was not for them to hear.

Thank you, gentlemen, Appleton said. For now, I think we should continue with Owen’s plans for Germany. Perhaps it will still work out.

Getting the money to do it is going to be much harder now, Young said.

We will see how the market behaves over the next few weeks and meet again in November, Appleton said. We can come back with new ideas on how to keep the world stable.

***

After Dawes and Young had left, Appleton broached the next topic. How do we proceed on the geopolitical front?

Economic collapse will spur another war, Roosevelt said. Like you said, Robert, the collapse will cause countries to fall back into autocratic rule. And the new rulers won’t be princes and kings who are related to each other. They’ll be more like Mussolini.

Rainey nodded. Strong rulers with big plans. Containing them will be difficult.

That will take military might, Elizabeth added. After the last war, the democracies have avoided any repeat of an arms race. Add on an economic collapse and there won’t be any revenue to even start one.

So far, Mussolini seems content to deal with internal problems in Italy, Appleton said. His military is growing, but it is in no condition to do any invading.

When resources start becoming scarce with an economic collapse, these leaders will stop buying them and go out and take them, Roosevelt said. Once that starts happening, the League of Nations will be neutered. We already have the Japanese out there acquiring resources from someone else’s land and the League has been unable, or unwilling, to stop them.

They sat in silence, contemplating a world spiralling down into darkness. Elizabeth thought of her children and the world they would have to live in. There had to be something that could be done.

Can America stand against them? she asked.

Not alone, Roosevelt replied.

And we’ll be broke like the rest of the world, Rainey added.

Americans are always near impossible to convince into getting involved in foreign interventions, Roosevelt said. No one could ever get such an idea through congress.

Elizabeth looked at Rainey. We have capital.

He frowned at her and shook his head. Not enough to save the whole world.

No, just Germany.

We have invested heavily there already. If nothing else . . .

Elizabeth saw a light in her husband’s eyes. An idea was forming. A way forward. Appleton saw it, too.

What are you thinking? Appleton asked.

We can’t keep democracy afloat in Germany if the entire world economy collapses. But we do have an information network. If we can focus it on the countries that are likely to be the most dangerous, we might be able to at least stay ahead of the autocrats and blunt their plans. Work on keeping them thinking internally.

It would take a fairly high level of infiltration to do that.

Yes, but it could be done. We already have strong connections in Germany on both sides of their politics. We would need someone we could trust implicitly.

No, Elizabeth said.

No, what?

Elizabeth grabbed Rainey’s hand. I know you. I know what you’re thinking. She looked at the other two men. Although they didn’t say anything, she knew they were aware of what her husband was thinking as well. She felt it best to move the conversation along to another topic.

Which other countries would we focus on? Elizabeth asked.

They all looked to Roosevelt. I would think the ones with a history of strong militarism. By the looks of things in the news, that would be Japan. Italy would be another, but I don’t think they will be too much of a threat.

Rainey nodded. We have some business connections in Italy. But I don’t know anyone in Japan. He looked at Appleton.

The only Japanese I’ve met were the ones in Siberia and they weren’t very friendly, Appleton said.

I made a few contacts in their navy when I was our assistant secretary of the navy, Roosevelt said. I could make some inquiries, but there is only so much I can do as a governor. If this economic collapse is as severe as we discussed earlier, I’m going to be very busy over the rest of my term.

Then perhaps you need to be president, Rainey said.

Everyone turned to Rainey. Elizabeth saw his smile and knew he was serious. If Roosevelt became president, at least foreign policy would have some attention.

I think that would be an excellent idea, she said.

Hold on, Roosevelt stuttered. That’s a big step. It will take resources. And I’m not exactly what one would call fit to be president. He motioned towards his legs.

It didn’t stop you from becoming governor, Rainey said.

New York is a Democrat state. Winning here wasn’t very hard. The rest of the country, however . . .

Elizabeth stood up. Franklin, I’ve never seen you back down from a challenge before. If the economy does fall apart, Hoover and the republicans will be easy targets. The next president is sure to be a Democrat and there’s no one more fit than you to handle the power.

And a presidential run we can fund, Rainey added. We should start laying the groundwork right away to be ready for 1932.

Roosevelt took a long drag on his cigarette holder. His head turned to the window, looking out on New York City. He was smiling when he turned back to face Elizabeth. Well, I suppose we could take a look at it.

3

August 3, 1936

Berlin, Germany

I think it’s rude.

Jeremy Rainey strolled along the Charlottenburger Chaussee with Jillian. He was commenting on Hitler’s refusal to greet gold medal winners at the Olympics. Initially, he met only with German winners. When the Olympic committee suggested that wasn’t appropriate, he stopped meeting the athletes altogether.

Well, you know what he’s like, Jillian said. "You read Mein Kampf. What did you expect?"

This whole country is rude. He glanced around the street, still being able to see a faded Star of David roughly painted on a few businesses. The Nazis had washed the stars away with all the international visitors in the city for the Olympics. Blaming everything on Jews makes absolutely no sense.

It does to them.

I can’t believe Dad works for these idiots.

Jillian grabbed his arm. Be careful what you say.

Jeremy shrugged her off. We’re speaking English. None of these master race fools will understand us.

Jillian changed the subject. Watching Jessie Owens run today was pretty amazing. He’s so fast.

That was just the 100 meter. There are three more races for him to win gold in. I don’t think anyone is going to catch him.

They turned a corner to find four boys in Hitler Youth uniforms kicking a boy on the ground. Jillian grabbed Jeremy’s arm again.

Dad told us to not get involved in anything.

One of the Hitler Youths noticed them standing there. What are you looking at? he spat in German. Are you a Jew lover?

Jeremy tensed and felt Jillian’s grip get stronger. But then she let go. She knew there was no stopping him now. He stepped forward. No, I’m a human being. You, on the other hand. Aren’t you supposed to be behaving yourselves during the Olympics?

The challenge was presented. For Jeremy, it was the only way to deal with a bully and he had yet to meet a Nazi who wasn’t one. The youth stepped away from his friends who had stopped kicking the boy on the ground to watch. Their smiles were grotesque half sneers. They were expecting a good beating to be laid on this interloper.

Jeremy sized up his opponent. The boy was big. Very big. He came at Jeremy swiftly, his fists clenched, one raised up to punch Jeremy in the face. As the blow came, Jeremy spun right to avoid contact and threw his left foot out into the boy’s feet as his momentum took him past. The Nazi couldn’t stop his forward motion and fell hard onto the street. Jeremy turned to the rest of the youths.

Anyone else?

The three charged together. Jeremy sidestepped to take on one on the end, blocking a punch and hitting the boy hard on the ear with his open hand. As the boy fell away, Jeremy spun and, with a kick to the stomach, made the next boy fly back with a grunt and crashed into the third. Both fell to the ground. Jeremy stepped towards them.

HALT!

He turned to find the first boy holding Jillian, a knife at her throat. Jeremy relaxed.

Jillian, really?

Jillian smiled. It was the same mischievous smile Jeremy had seen on her face when they used to train together.

Jeremy, save me, she said with no conviction at all.

Back! Or I’ll cut her, said the youth.

Jeremy shrugged. You can try . . .

The boy relaxed a bit, confusion on his face. Jeremy watched as Jillian slowly tilted her head forward. Then, she slammed her head back into the boy’s face and followed by quickly dropping into a crouch as his grip weakened. She reached back, grabbed the boy around the knees, and threw her weight at him. The boy lost his balance and crashed to the street, banging his head badly. Jillian rolled off him and sprang to her feet.

That was more like it, Jeremy said. Another boy stirred to his left, trying to get up. Jeremy’s foot darted out and caught him under the chin.

The four Hitler Youths lay squirming in pain on the ground. Jeremy looked around and saw many people had stopped in the street, watching them.

So much for not getting involved, Jillian said. We’d better get out of here.

Jeremy had moved over to the Jewish boy and helped him up. You’d better come with us. Together, the three hurried down the street.

Who are you? the boy asked. No one in Germany would have done that for a Jew.

"Good thing we’re not from Germany,