“The Berkut” by Joseph Heywood
Characters
Vasily Petrov: Petrov grew up in the Ukraine and was brought up in a tough family. He was raised to be a farmer, and was taught to be a hunter and woodsman from the day he was born. Petrov was very intelligent and had a superior photographic memory. He could not be contended with when it came to tracking, and was known to go over the same ground for days looking for a clue until he eventually got one. Petrov could interrogate prisoners with the utmost efficiency. He was invaluable to the Russians and was a great leader.
Günter Brumm: Brumm was one of the last special commandos that Germany had at the end of the war. He was elite in all ways and was personally in contact with Hitler until the end. He had superior control over pain tolerance and had many scars on his body. Brumm was the son of a Prussian officer and his grandfather was an apothecary, from these experiences he was accustomed to bodies. His physical condition was one to be reckoned with and was an excellent soldier.
Adolf Hitler: He was a small person and a bigheaded one at that. He was ruthless in his orders, but in actuality was a coward when he wasn’t backed up by numerous SS guards. He was in poor physical condition and due to a suicide attempt had no control over his left arm. Hitler was very pale from sitting in his bunker for so long and was long-winded. He was to some, an annoyance when it came to social matters.
Stalin: He was a large man, with thick hair and large physique. Stalin was ruthless when it came to war, but came right to the point when it came to matters of something he wanted. He could not be persuaded out of a situation he liked and could not be swayed into a decision he did not feel was right with all of his heart. He was very much in control of his men until the end.
Plot Sequence:
The story starts with Brumm sneaking into Hitler’s bunker to plant a body double. He shoots the body double and sneaks out with Hitler. Meanwhile, in Russia, Stalin gets a group of elite Russians together to seek out and find Hitler. He knows he’s escaping and wants him dearly. Brumm sneaks out of the city under siege with the help of an all-women group of vigilantes. He links up with his SS friend and makes for a base camp near his hometown. The Russians are slow at tracking the Germans at first, but then get some breaks and pinpoint the German position. After killing off his women lovers, Brumm, his officer, and Hitler leave for a different place. The Russians are hot on their heels by now and come very close to catching them. When the Russians are within a day’s reach of the Germans, Brumm tricks them into going a long way at the cost of the life of his companion. Brumm and Hitler then get a bigger head start. The Russians are quite displeased about this and can’t seem to pick up the German trail again. Stalin gets very angry, but the Russians pull through. They catch Brumm and Hitler in a boat bound for a far-off country. The Russians get there just in time to capture Hitler and blow up the boat. The blast kills Brumm and the Russians bring Hitler home. Hitler is kept in a basement in a torture cage where you can’t stand up and you can’t lay down. He is kept like this until Stalin dies. Brumm then finishes the job with a shot to the head.