Camp X Doublecross

CAMP X DOUBLECROSS

JIM CARR

In Memoriam

Bettina Carr June 23, 1936 - Nov. 15, 2023

Dedicated to the brave souls who failed to make it back

COPYRIGHT2024JamesWCarr

ISBN: 978198942503

CHAPTER ONE

Klaus Holzer sat in the Gestapo’s outer office and waited for the Gestapo officer at the front desk to call his name. He couldn’t stop wringing is hands no matter how he tried,

He thought back to what his mother had said when he left for lunch with Ericka, a young woman he had known from his school days. He had just been promoted to Sargeant and wanted to celebrate no matter what his mother thought of the Gestapo.

They had lunch at one of her favourite restaurants and decided to walk down to the park and take a few pictures. The park was adjacent to an aircraft assembly plant, and he pointed to one of the new planes that were being pulled out of the plant and to the nearby landing strip for a test flight. Klaus took a picture of it leaving the plant and again when it rose in flight.

They started to leave when he was stopped by a Gestapo officer, who handcuffed them both before being taken to Gestapo headquarters, where he sat him and Erika on a bench to await questioning. She was anxious and had turned away from him and made that clear to the young woman, dressed in a Gestapo uniform, who just smiled back at her.

Major Preuss is ready for you, Sgt. Holzer,” said the young woman, with a toss of her head as she led him inside.

The Major was reading a file from a stack of files on the left side of his desk. The walls of his office were painted a dark grey, and the two chairs in front of the desk were old and creaked with any movement. Klaus Holzer tried to stop shaking as he sat in front of the Major’s desk. There was a large picture of the major shaking hands with Hitler on the wall behind his desk, another picture of Hitler in Paris, and another of the Fuehrer entering Austria.

Preuss, who took pride in his uniform and mission for the Third Reich, ignored Holzer as he studied the file on his desk. Preuss had a round face, dark blue eyes and a receding hairline and wore thick glasses. He

loved to play chess and was proud of being named Berlin’s best and an amateur painter. When he did raise his head, it was to stare at Holzer, who couldn’t stop shaking.

“Do you know why you are here, Holzer?” The Major’s voice was strong and authoritative. There was something about Holzer that irritated him -- a look that reminded him of his wife and daughter and how they ignored and treated him. They certainly had no respect for him and even mocked him when he wore his uniform at metals.

Holzer shook his head. The Major was the ideal concept of how an Aryan should look – tall with short blond hair, intense blue eyes, and a crease on the left side of his face. His hands are large and his hobby was weightlifting and telling jokes.

“We believe you are a British spy.”

“Why? Because I can speak English?”

“We don’t believe you. One of our officers saw you taking pictures of a factory that produces our great airplanes.”

Suddenly, Holzer came alive. “I was taking a picture for my father, a pilot in the previous war. I wanted to show how our planes had changed.” Then, after a pause, “I joined the Army because I believe everything the Fuehrer says and the Nazi party stands for. You’ve made a mistake. Ask my parents. I can give you their address. They had nothing to do with my photographing.” Then, after a desperate pause, “I joined the Army to do everything I could to bring about the Third Reich. I volunteer for all missions, no matter how dangerous. My parents are old and know nothing of what I do.

“We don’t believe you,” said Preuss, touching the buzzer below his desk. Another Gestapo officer entered and grabbed him. “Don’t let up on him until he admits it.”

The crease in Klaus’s left cheek quivered. “You’re making a mistake. I am a loyal German and a devoted follower of Herr Hitler.”

A Gestapo officer grabbed him by the arm, dragged him from the chair, and forced him to the door. Holzer looked back to see Preuss smiling. Another officer joined them, and they marched him down a long corridor and a flight of stairs. They tied his hands to two ropes hanging from the ceiling before ripping the clothes off his back and lashing him until he cried out, pausing to ask him who his friends were and what he was planning.

“I am a member of the German Army, and I want to fight for the Third Reich until I die.” He heard them laugh and braced himself for more lashing, but it never came. They untied him from the ropes and led him to a large tank of water, where they pushed his head into the water. Klaus had to hold his breath as long as he could before giving up and breathing in water. They raised his head, and when he got his wind back, they pushed his head into the water again. This time everything went black, and when they raised him, Klaus spent the next few minutes coughing out water. The

torture chamber smelled of urine, burnt flesh and unnerving screams from another enemy of Germany.

They sat him on a bench and let him recover. Klaus shivered. “I want to see my Captain. He knows who I am and what I stand for.”

They then led him to a cell, leaving him in the semi-darkness. There was only one light for the entire floor, and the light barely made it to his cell. Suddenly, he was hungry when one of the guards arrived to give prisoners food. They left without including him, and he sat back. The thought that they would starve him to death flashed through his mind, and for the first time, he began to feel the worst was about to come. He could still smell the urine that reached his cell. It made him want to puke along with the unnerving screams of others from the torture chamber that made him shiver. He wasn’t sure he could take another day of the whip.

He was dragged up the stairs to the major’s office from his cell in the morning. The secretary was already at work and rushed to open the door to the major’s office. The first person he saw was his Captain.

“I’ve come to rescue you from the clutches of the Gestapo,” said his Captain, Manfred Sachse. He had a barrel chest with dark hair and busy eyebrows, which twitched when he was excited. Sachse was taller than Preuss, and his long face smiled as he patted Preuss’s shoulder. He loved the Vienna Waltz, and his wife’s friends made a point of asking him to dance with them. His son was in Hitler Youth and an ardent Nazi.

“I explained to Major Preuss that you come from a military background and are one of my best soldiers, that I promoted you to Sergeant and will need you and others like you in the coming days. And to put your mind to rest,” he said, looking into Preuss’s eyes, “I will take full responsibility for him and his activities.”

Major Preuss made a face. “I still think you’re making a mistake, but if that’s what you want, you may live to regret it. I have seen his type before, and I suspect we will see him again before this war is over.” He buzzed his assistant. When she entered, Preuss told her to escort them out of the building.

“I shouldn’t say this, but that place gives me the creeps,” Klaus said as they entered Captain Sachse’s car. His driver smiled as he closed the door behind them. “I can see they’ve given you a hard time.”

Klaus could feel the relief and closed his eyes. “They whipped me and then tried to drown me. When that didn’t work, they let me cool my heels in one of their cells and allowed me no food. They wanted me to tell them I was a British spy.”

“A British spy?” Sachse shook his head. He turned to the driver. “Stop at the first restaurant you see. Sgt. Holzer hasn’t eaten in a couple of days.”

Later, when they reached the camp, Sachse had the doctor examine him. The doctor, a young man with an unshaven face and bright blue eyes, smiled at everyone. Klaus entered Sachse’s office, shaking his head. “I’ve

done everything possible to help him, but he needs a few days of rest. His back is raw from the whipping they gave him, and his lungs still have some water. But he has a strong body, and with some rest and a change of pace, he’ll be as good as new. Perhaps a few days at home would do him some good.”

The doctor, a recent graduate, had a preciseness about him and an air of authority. His blond hair was straight, and the sockets of his blue eyes were bright red. His first name was Wolf, and he avoided telling people what it was. He tended to speak quickly and often had to repeat his findings. If his name didn’t suit him, medicine did. He graduated as top student from his class.

Captain Sachse went to see Klaus a couple of days later in the infirmary, amazed at how quickly Klaus’s body was healing. “What do you think about a week’s leave with your family once you can travel? I think it would do you a lot of good, and it would be good for your family to see you.”

“I’m ready to travel now.”

“Only when the doctor says so.” Sachse bit the corner of his mouth. “I’m curious how a great German soldier like you led the Gestapo to arrest you. “

“They saw me taking a picture of one of our new airplanes from the factory. I took it for my father, who was a pilot in the previous war. I also have an uncle who was a pilot. He was shot down in enemy territory and taken to England as a prisoner of war. When the war was over, he met an English lady. They married and he stayed in England. I used to spend my summer holidays as a boy at his home. When you’re young, you pick up languages fairly quickly.”

Sachse shook his head as he rose from Klaus’s bedside. “Is there anything else I should know?”

Klaus smiled and shook his head.

Klaus’s parents and Erika were at his home when he arrived. He was anxious to see his mother, in particular, and his younger brother and sister, who were involved with the Hitler Youth. He had sat opposite another soldier who had lost his left leg who was on the trip to his home. For him, the war was over. He looked at Klaus whose left arm in a sling. ”I wish I could trade places with you,” he said as one of the servers offered them tea and cheese sandwiches. The soldier was too young, thought Klaus, to live the rest of his life like this. He had a round, boyish face and dark eyes that smiled excitedly. His hair was cut short, and there was a touch of the devil in his smile, even though he had little to smile about.

“How did you injure yourself?” said Klaus.

“We were on manoeuvres, and a tank ran over my right leg. I thought I would die from the pain. But I will miss the guys in my hut and our wonderful time together. We had a great group.” Then, after a long silence, “I think my mother is secretly happy. My father understands.”

When his stop was announced, he tried to stand, but a sudden jerking of the train sent him sprawling on the floor. Klaus lifted him and helped him onto his seat. Klaus stopped a passing trainman and asked him to help his friend off the train. A few minutes later, Klaus could see the trainman talking to his mother, father, younger brother, and sister. As they turned to lead him to a car, Klaus saw him turn and wave to him. A minute later, the train started moving. Two more stops, and he would be with his family again. He sat back, with his head against his seat and closed his eyes.

He woke with a start when the trainman tapped him on the shoulders. “Your stop, Sergeant.” Klaus rose, picked up his bag and headed down the car to the entrance where he would leave the train. The door opened, and he grabbed the railing to steady himself as he stepped down the three stairs and then on another step outside, guided by the trainman until he was clear. He searched among the crowd but couldn’t see his family. A fear that he had missed them gripped him until he spotted Herr Vogel, who worked in the train station.

“Herr Vogel,” Klaus shouted.

Vogel, now in his 60s, had a grey mustache and eyes to match, spotted Klaus in the crowd and became suddenly serious when he saw Klaus’s bandaged arm. “Are you wounded?”

“No, a broken arm, thanks to a slippery hill during manoeuvres.”

Herr Vogel slapped him on the back, and Klaus had to grit his teeth from the pain. “Your parents are waiting for you at the station. Here,” he said, looking at Klaus’s bag, “let me help you.”

His mother saw him first and put her arms around him. She looked at his arm but didn’t say anything. His father shook his hand and helped him into their old car. “We must have a chat when you feel up to it,” said his father, whose hair had turned grey in the short time Klaus had been in training. His voice was softer than he remembered, and the worry never left his face.

The following day, his father suggested they spend the morning in the forest close to their home. “It’s the best way I know how to ground yourself,” he said as they started. When they reached the edge of the forest, he paused and looked at Klaus’s face. “Your Captain called me, and we had quite a chat about you. He told me what you went through and asked us to help you recover. He told me I would be very proud of you and that you were meant for bigger things.”

An hour later, having walked a familiar trail, they paused at an old boulder Klaus remembered from his youth. Klaus sat against it to feel the warmth of the sun and smiled. When he opened his eyes, he knew there was something else his Captain had told his father.

“He said you would be offered a great adventure on behalf of the Reich, something you were uniquely suited for.”

“Did he say what it was?”

His father shook his head. “I haven’t told your mother. If possible, let her know once you find out. Otherwise, she’ll only worry for nothing.”

They were walking downtown, where they met by some of his father’s friends and a few young men he knew during his school days, who looked at his arm in a sling and patted him on the back.

The leaves were turning colour, and a cool wind from the North made him shiver. One of their neighbours, who had a car, stopped and offered them a ride back. His father nodded, and they climbed abroad. “Haven’t seen you since you enlisted. The town’s the same, but all the young people have disappeared.”

He dropped them off at their home and waved to Klaus’s mother as he drove away.

“I made you your favourite dessert,” she said, placing a large strudel on his plate. “You won’t get that when you return to duty.”

CHAPTER TWO

Captain Sachse arrived in a black staff car that could seat five people comfortably. He opened the side door for Klaus and helped him inside. “Are you ready for action?”

“As much as I’ll ever be. I didn’t expect to return in a fancy car like this.”

“You won’t be going back to camp. At least, not just yet.” Sachse fell silent and breathed in the scent of the forest on both sides of the road that would take them to the main road.

“I don’t understand, Captain,” said Klaus when the silence got the better of him. He had recovered from his torture. His back had healed, leaving red welts, but other than that, he was as good as he ever was, even a little better. “If I’m not returning to camp, where are we going?”

“To Berlin. And do not ask me where or why.” The captain’s voice suddenly became authoritative. “You will understand later.”

It was nightfall by the time they reached the outskirts of Berlin, passing through three checkpoints along the way. Their driver stopped in front of a hotel in the middle of the city. Klaus looked at Sachse with an open mouth. “It’s a hotel for army officers visiting Berlin. We will have business at an office near here in the morning.”

An older man escorted them to their rooms. “We will meet at 7.30 tomorrow morning,” said Sachse, who disappeared into his room.

The older man had a bent in his back and walked slowly. He had been wounded in the previous war as a young soldier in the trench he and three others were manning. His hair was grey now, and he walked with a slight limp. His grey eyes looked tired, but he managed to smile as he showed Klaus around the room and bathroom.

Klaus had never been in a hotel before and sat on the edge of the bed. The window on the front opened to the street below, where he could hear the hum of passing cars. On the wall opposite his bed, a clock chimed the hour. There was a small sink in the bathroom and an unopened bottle of Cognac. After some effort, he managed to break the seal and poured himself a half glass. The aroma from the Cognac stayed in his nostrils after each swallow. He got ready for bed and turned on the radio. He covered

his head with the blanket and drifted off to the sound of classical music.

He woke in the morning to hear the radio still playing classical music, this time Mozart. It was just past six, and he jumped out of bed. It didn’t take long to shave, shower and dress in a clean shirt and tie. Klaus glanced at himself in the mirror and smiled. He looked great and could feel in his bones that something big was going to happen to him.

At precisely 7.30, he rapped on the Captain’s door. It took a minute or two before Sachse opened his door. He had cut himself, and the right side of his face had seven or eight pieces of toilet paper on the cuts to stop the bleeding. When he finished getting dressed, he picked up the phone and ordered a big breakfast for them. Sachse glanced at Klaus and smiled. “We have a big day ahead of us, and who knows when we’ll eat next.”

When they finished breakfast, Sachse leaned towards him. “I couldn’t tell you this before because it’s top secret, and I couldn’t take the chance of something happening to us, and someone learning about a mission we have in store for you.”

“The British, Canadians and the Americans have put together a spy training camp in Canada. We want you to infiltrate their camp by becoming one of their students and find out all their codes and the names of the agents they’re training.” He paused to scan Klaus’s face and smile. “I recommended you to the people at Abwehr while you were on leave. “When I told them you endured torture at the hands of the Gestapo and did not give in to them, they were anxious to talk to you.“ He glanced at his watch. “If we leave now, we can walk there in time for your meeting. I will be with you during your interview.”

Klaus looked up. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, painted an intense blue he had never seen before. He felt it a good omen and picked up his pace. The streets were already crowded, with people heading for their offices or entering and leaving the restaurants they passed along the way. Sachse stopped at an imposing building, where they walked up the five steps to the entrance, where they were stopped by a guard just inside the door.

“We’re here to see Captain Oldenburg. My name is Captain Manfred Sachse, and Sgt. Klaus Holzer.”

The guard picked up the telephone and called Oldenburg’s office. “It’s on the third floor, turn left at the top stair and look for Room 308.”

“You’d think they’d have an elevator of some kind,” said Sachse as they climbed the cream-coloured marble steps. Klaus glanced at him and smiled.

A few minutes later, Sachse knocked and they entered. The sound of typewriters from ten typists was the first thing that greeted them, and seeing a young man dressed in a German naval uniform heading in their direction. “Captain Sache, Captain Oldenburg,” he said and held out his hand. “And this is Sgt. Holzer, I presume.” He led them to his office and

ordered tea. Oldenburg, who had just celebrated his 36th birthday, was tall, handsome and had light blue eyes and pale-yellow hair. He liked to talk with his hands and was very proud of his 12-year-old son, who had joined the Hitler Youth.

“They tell me even the Gestapo could not make you admit being a spy despite the torture you faced. I understand you have the welts to prove it.” He smiled and added: “Kindly remove your jacket and shirt. I want to see them myself.”

Klaus looked at Sachse, who just nodded. Klaus stood and removed his tunic and shirt before turning around. Oldenburg felt the welts and nodded. “You can dress, sergeant.” He looked at Sachse and smiled. “We have a proposition for you. You do not have to take it because your identity could be discovered anytime, but you’re ideal for what we have in mind.” Then, after a long pause, “we need someone who can infiltrate Camp X in Canada. They train spies against the Third Reich there. We have not been able to break their codes so far, but someone undergoing their training would be ideally suited to find the key for all of them.”

“I’m not sure what to say. I want to talk to Captain Sachse before making up my mind.”

Oldenburg smiled. “That’s a wise decision. In the meantime, let me introduce you to the lady who will be your link night and day when you send messages to us. You will be trained in using Morse Code and learning our codes. She will be there to send you messages from us and receive messages from you.”

“You’ll have my answer tomorrow.”

“In the meantime, we’d like you to meet the person on the other end of your transmitter.” He pressed a button on his speaker and asked for Karn. “Could you step inside for a minute or two?”

There was a rap on his door before a young woman entered. “Klaus, I’d like to introduce you to Karn Ritter. She would be your trainer in the use of your transmitter and be ready to receive your messages 24 hours a day.”

Karn was in her early 20s, like himself. She had the darkest eyes he had ever seen that had a language of their own. Her dark brown hair was done up in braids. Her blue skirt was longer than most others, and her light blue blouse was fastened at the neck. Karn was taller than most women and carried an air of assurance in the way she talked. Off hours, she looked after her mother, who suffered a heart attack two years earlier.

“I would like to work with you,” she said and turned to look at him.

“I will be here tomorrow,” Klaus found himself saying. “I must talk to my captain before making up my mind.”

Some of the air left the room when she departed, and for the first time, he lost confidence in himself.

“They can order you to do this, you understand. But that would not be wise if they hope to get someone prepared to go the extra kilometre, and

that’s what you’ll be called upon to do at the end of the day. Understand that before you make your decision. In the meantime, what about a sightseeing tour of the city? I’d like to see the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag, and the Guard House if we have time. I think you’ll enjoy it, too.”

After leaving Brandenburg Gate, they returned to the hotel for lunch.

“If you have any questions about what you learned today, let me know if I can help.”

“I think you want me to take the assignment.”

“I do. You showed what you were made of when the Gestapo arrested you. And I know you admire Herr Hitler, as do I.” Then, after a pause, “Not just anyone can handle this assignment.”

“That is kind of you to say, captain, but I must also think of my family and how they would fare should I fail.”

“Call your father. Tell him you were offered an assignment, but it would be dangerous. But under no circumstances let him know what it’s about.”

“My parents do not have a telephone. You have been very kind to me, Captain Sachse. In their absence, what would you advise if you were my father?”

Sachse cocked his head and thought for a minute. “I would tell you to go. Anyone able to handle the Gestapo the way you did should be able to fool the people at Camp X.”

“I need to speak to you, Fraulein Ritter.” She rose and entered Oldenburg’s office. He motioned for her to sit in the chair in front of his desk. Karn had her pad and pencil ready. “Your pad will not be necessary. I have a favour I’d like you to do for me. It’s the young Sergeant that was in my office. We need him for a dangerous mission that could change the war. He hasn’t made up his mind about whether to take it on.” He paused to smile. “Could you find a way to see him tonight and help him make up his mind? I know this is not your usual practice, but he is uniquely suited for this particular mission.”

“Could I think about it? My mother frets when I am not there for her after work.”

“At least think about it and let me know before the end of the day if you’re prepared to call and find a way to see him.”

When Klaus finally got to sleep, he found himself awake in the middle of the night, weighing the pros and cons. His abuse at the hands of the Gestapo poisoned him about doing anything for a country that tolerated this abuse. They were prepared to feed him to the lions to get what they wanted. The only good person in it all was Capt. Sachse and Klaus wondered if the captain was promoting him for this mission to get him out of harm’s

way. He was not guilty, but that didn’t matter in their eyes.

In the morning, he telephoned his mother. “I’m against it. I’m afraid if you go there, we will never see you again,” she said in a voice that brought back memories he had forgotten when she laid down the law to him, adding: “Wars never really decide anything.”

Holzer smiled back at her. His mother had no idea just how invincible the German Army had become.

His mother read his thoughts. “You may think the Army is invincible and that it will win ever battle but mark my words. Your father also thought the new German air force had given Germany the same thing. All that changed when he was short down and that it lamed him for the rest of his life.”

Holzer was about to tell her that Germany’s air might was the best of the world and had proven itself in battle in Spain.

His mother kept shaking her head. “I have lived through one war and I don’t want to live though another.”

“It’s not 1914,” he responded.

“Mark my words, there will come a time when you will not be able to see the faces you loved ever again.”

They were in the dining room when a call came for him. “Better take it. It may be Oldenburg,” said Sachse.

“It’s Karn Ritter, Sargeant. I want you to know you made a great hit with the people at our office.” Klaus knew who it was as soon as she started talking. “Everyone believes you can pull this assignment off without the enemy ever knowing anything long after you’ve left. I have a memorandum from Captain Oldenburg for you. He wants you to see it before you start training and has asked me to deliver it to you in person.”

He looked at Sachse, who could hear Karn’s voice from where he sat. Sachse smiled and nodded. “Fortune favours the brave. She usually doesn’t do this. I know of two colonels whom she refused to see after hours.”

Klaus returned his smile. “That would be fine. Just tell me where and when.”

“I’ll come to your hotel. I’ll be there in 15 minutes. Please meet me in the lobby.”

He glanced at his watch as he hung up the phone. Things were happening at a pace he had not known before, and he wasn’t sure how to handle the meeting with Karn.

“If I were you, I’d be waiting for her at the entrance to the lobby.” Sachse could see the indecision in Klaus’s eyes, and he nodded with a knowing smile. He glanced at his watch.

Klaus tried to smile and left Sachse to finish his tea. He walked to the entrance and found a chair facing the door. His heart was beating in

his ears, and he started to feel unsure of himself. He checked his watch. It was now 20 minutes past. He kept his eyes on the door, and when it hit 30 minutes, he thought she had changed her mind and wondered what Sachse would suggest when she suddenly appeared, her face strained and her eyes searching the lobby. She waved to him as soon as she saw him and walked briskly towards him. He rose and touched her hand. Her eyes smiled at him. “I’m sorry to keep you waiting, but Captain Oldenburg had me type something for Admiral Canaris at the last minute.”

Klaus could feel the tension inside him ebb away. “I thought you got tied up with work.”

“Thank you.” Her eyes tried to look away from him but kept returning.

“I generally lose my confidence around women and don’t know what to say when the woman is attractive.”

She ignored his comment. “Let’s go to the bar. It’s just off the lobby. We need to talk if you have any questions.” Karn grabbed his arm as they walked to the bar and found a table near the back where they could chat undisturbed. The bar filled slowly with officers and female guests. Klaus watched them interact and looked at Karn.

She saw him look and smiled. “I make it a practice not to join men after work. I have an ailing mother, and I feel she deserves my attention more.”

The lights dimmed, and the noise of the growing crowd subsided. A sextet of string musicians to the right of the entrance suddenly started playing Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto. It was the first time he had ever heard it, and he listened to every note and, when it finished, he clapped until his hands ached. “What is the music called?” he said, looking into her eyes. Karn smiled and told him in a soft voice.

A few minutes later, the lead violist rose and tapped his violin. “Someone has asked us to play Litten Schwagen. She’s prepared to lead you in singing this beautiful piece of music.” He nodded to the other players as a young woman, sitting with an officer near the front, stood and started singing to the music while waving for everyone to join her. Karn smiled at him and started singing along with her, smiling as she sang Du has mich liebe. A lot of people continued to sing it over again, and the band began to play along with them.

“I gather you were not acquainted with that piece of music. I hum it all the time. It’s from a comic operetta.”

Klaus shook his head. “I could learn a lot just talking with you. We never had much time for music at my home. It’s only recently we could afford a radio, thanks to the Fuehrer. It’s wonderful.”

“When you return, perhaps we could continue your education. You have a wonderful mind that deserves to know what is truly beautiful in this world. Music, not just any music, but the best music and literature,

even Shakespeare, the English writer.” She took a sip from her wine glass, leaned forward, and kissed him. “I’ve never done this before. I’m not sure what’s got into me.”

“I loved it,” he said, looking into her eyes. “It’s the first time for me as well.” They didn’t talk for almost five minutes when Klaus summoned enough daring to reach out and reach for her hand.

Karn looked at him and smiled. “I must leave soon. My mother worries if I’m late.” She glanced at her watch.

“I understand. My mother fusses over me when I return home on leave.” Then, after a pause, “I’d like to see you again.”

Karn studied his face for a couple of minutes. “I don’t feel comfortable around men. I have long arms, as well as a habit of being blunt even with my friends.”

He just smiled at her and touched her hand again.

“If you tell me your mother’s phone number,” said Karn in a soft voice, “I will call her with news about you when you’re gone.”

“She would bless you for that, but unfortunately, we don’t have a telephone.”

“That can be remedied. Leave that with me.”

A few minutes later, they walked arm and arm and kissed at the door. Karn left him and hailed a taxi. It was nearly nine o’clock, and he decided to talk to Captain Sachse before turning in. His mind was filling with possibilities, and he needed to tell someone else about it. He knocked on his door and could hear Sachse walking to the door. He smiled as soon as he saw Klaus’s face.

“We got along as soon as we met. I’ve never known someone like her before. I like everything about her, the way she stands and talks. She talked to me about great music and things I never knew before. I feel like dancing with the stars. When she left, she told me she would call my mother while I was away.”

“But your family doesn’t have a phone.”

“She said that would be remedied.”

“For someone as bashful as you are, you certainly learn in a hurry.”

Klaus smiled and sat back. “Let Oldenberg know I’ll be their man at Camp X.

CHAPTER THREE

The guard inside the door showed him to the room where he would start training. It had rained on the way, and his face and hair were soaked. There was a washroom at the end, where he wiped his hair with a large white towel with blue stripes below a nazi sign on each side. He combed his hair and emerged to see a man dressed in a brown uniform sitting on the edge of the desk at the end of the room. There was one chair, and he walked to it and saluted.

“My name is Horst Gerber. I am your instructor for this segment of your training. In future, please be on time.” Gerber was tall, a bit on the fat side and had a gold tooth that shone every time he smiled, and that was rarely. His brown hair was cut very short, and he had small black beady eyes that made you feel uncomfortable. He breathed in his nostrils from and liked to slap the side of this desk with a metre stick from time to time to make a particular point. His voice was guttural, and he tended to shout than speak in a normal voice.

“Your target is Camp X,” he said, passing him a folder. “You will see a picture of it on the first page. Our code name for your mission is Auf Wiedersehen Camp X,” he added with a loud laugh.

“Note its location and the buildings. Your mission is to train there was one of their spies, learn all the codes they use, and ensure their electronic transmitter and receiver equipment is damaged beyond repair.” Then, after a pause, “any questions?”

“How do I get there?”

“We will get to that later. But now, I will leave you in Fraulein Ritter’s hands. She will be your instructor in the use of our transmitters and how to send and receive messages. Feel free to talk to me at any time.”

Karn appeared five minutes later and avoided his eyes as she led him to another room filled with transmitters and several other young women sending and receiving messages. She led him to a transmitter sitting by itself a few feet away. “It’s our training transmitter,” she said, sitting beside

him and placing a pad and a pencil next to the transmitter. Karn pointed to the switch to turn it on, then asked him to turn it on and off a few times and handed him a Morse Code booklet. “You need to memorize it. Start by learning two letters a day for a start. Suppose you want to send a message with an “a” in it. Watch me as I send it on the transmitter.” She placed her fingers on the transmitter send button, a dot, and a dash. “That’s the letter A. See how easy it is. B is a bit harder; it’s a dash and then three dots. Now, I want you to try to send an A and then a B.”

Klaus typed a period, followed by a dash, then a dash, and three dots. Karn smiled at him. “you learn quickly. I was right about you. You have a wonderful mind, capable of learning anything with ease. If you’re interested, I would like to teach you about so many wonderful things.” She stepped back and had him practise sending A and B over and over. “I will be receiving and sending messages from and to you. You will get used to my way of sending and receiving messages that you can tell whether the message comes from me, and I will know by the way you send messages if they come from you.”

Karn introduced him to some other operators and how quickly they translated the codes. “When you send messages to me, you will remember seeing how I appear when we exchange messages. You will see the dots and dashes for C, D and E in your code book. I will leave you now to practise sending the first five letters.”

When she left, some of him went with her, and he sat down and used his key to send C, D and E over and over, and when he had mastered them all, he sent the first five letters to her.

When he returned to the hotel in the late afternoon, he spotted Sachse talking to a major and Colonel in the lobby. Sachse spotted him and waved Klaus to them. “This is Sgt. Klaus Holzer. He’s here for training. He’s got a great way of dealing with recruits, and I hope he will pass his studies as my new oberlieutenant.”

Sachse nodded and left them a few minutes later. “What happened today?”

Klaus showed him the Morse code book and told him about how Karn was teaching him. “I think I have the first five letters down pat, but I will practise them again before going to bed. But right now, I could eat a horse.”

The dining room was crowded when they entered. The noise level of excited, intoxicated voices made conversation difficult and came in waves. Sachse stood and waved to passing waiters who pretended not to see him. A few minutes later, one of the waiters approached them. “There’s a call for Sgt. Holzer.”

Sachse nodded to him to take the call. “Before you leave us,” he said to the water, “we’d like to order food.”

“All we have is Weiner Schnitzel, I’m sorry.”

“That’s what we had yesterday.”

“I’m sorry, but that’s all we can offer. There’s a war on, you know.”

Sachse nodded as the waiter turned and took Klaus to the phone. He cleared his throat as he picked up the receiver. “I wanted to let you know that your home will have a phone installed for them,” said Karn. “I will have your number when we meet for training.” Then, after a pause, “Have a good sleep. I want you able to tell me you can memorize eight more codes in our training tomorrow. You learn very quickly. I was worried about ensuring that you were fully trained by the time I was given.”

“I look forward to it. You’ve taught me a lot of things I never knew existed. If we complete my training early, what about supper again? I would like to get to know you a bit more.”

“We’ll see. But now I must tend to my mother.”

He sat down next to Captain Sachse with a smile. “It was Karn. She wanted me to know that my parents will have a telephone installed tomorrow and will have their number in the morning.”

“There’s something more if I’m not mistaken.”

“I asked her for supper. She agreed if I can master eight new codes before quitting time.”

“Remember, you must let your mother or father know you’re on a mission and would not be able to call them while you are.” Sachse studied Klaus’s face. “I see you’re worried about something.”

“How do I get to Camp X?”

“You’ll find out soon enough. I can tell you at this point that you will be taken there in two stages.”

That night, he had a hard time sleeping. He had studied the codes for the next eight letters when he returned to his room, and they kept popping in his head every time he turned on his pillow. He finally drifted off around three o’clock and was awakened by Sachse pounding on his door at half-past eight.

“What happened?” he said as Klaus opened the door.

“Had a hard time getting to sleep. So many things whirling in my head at the same time.”

“I’ll order breakfast while you shave and get ready. They don’t like their trainees to come in late and give latecomers a hard time. We’ll go there by taxi. You can eat on the way.”

Klaus finished washing and shaving in ten minutes just as their breakfast of toasted egg sandwiches arrived. Sachse helped him dress, and 10 minutes later were on their way.

“You’re a minute late, Sgt. Holzer,” said Captain Oldenburg, who happened to be walking through the entrance area at the same time. “This is my first and only warning. If you are late again, you will be removed from our training program and your assignment.”

Gerber was tapping his metre stick against his desk when Klaus arrived. “You’re late.”

“So have I been told by the captain. I won’t be in the future. You can depend on it.”

Gerber’s fat face smiled back at him. “I’m happy to hear that. We would hate to lose you.” Then, after a short pause, we will talk about how you plan to get inside Camp X. We understand you speak English.”

“My uncle, who was shot down by the English in the previous war, spent the rest of the war in a prisoner camp in England, where he fell in love with an English lady. When the war ended, I spent three summers with him and his family as a boy, where I had to learn English to play with my cousins. God knows they weren’t capable of learning German.”

“This alters our plan a bit,” said Gerber, “in fact, in a better way. You will be taken by submarine to the English Channel, and when you are near the coast, the submarine will surface and give you a boat that you can row the rest of the way. When you are near the shore, you will jump into the sea and stay in the water for at least 20 minutes before walking ashore. You must look as though you had difficulty getting there before you could crawl, exhausted on the shore and unable to move.” He paused, “Before I forget, there will be a plug in the bottom of the boat. You will take the plug out and let the boat fill with water. It if floats, they will see the boat and examine it. You will be dressed in a German soldier’s uniform, torn and ragged from your journey. Make up a story about stealing the rowboat and where you stole it. They will check everything you tell them, so know what you plan to say in advance. Above all else, have a believable story of why you were escaping the Third Reich.”

Klaus wrote down all the key things for him to remember and do. His grandmother had a photographic mind and could remember what she had read in the newspaper a week later, word for word. She also told him he possessed the same gift and made him promise to use it wisely.

In the afternoon, he met with Karn again, who tested him on the following eight letters. “In the meantime, I will send you a message using the first 13 letters you’ve memorized. Ready?”

Klaus nodded and transcribed the message she was sending. She took the page from his pad and smiled. “If you can master all the letters by tomorrow, you will be the first to do so. You’re very bright.”

Gerber smiled when Klaus sat down the next morning. “Karn told us she believes you will master all the Morse Code letters by the end of today. Most people take much longer. You should know that the Admiral is very impressed with you. Any questions?”

“How do I get to Canada?”

“We expect the British will fly you to Canada, where you will be taken to Camp X for training. You will likely be escorted there by a British officer. You have a lot of skills they’re looking for, with the added advantage that you can speak German as well as English.”

“What if that doesn’t work out how you think it will?”

“We have a plan for that as well.”

“When will all this happen?”

“In two days, once Fraulein Ritter is satisfied with your progress.”

Karn was waiting for him when he left Gerber. “I thought we might have lunch before I have one of my assistants send you a message, and you respond. But that’s later. There’s a small tea house not far from here.”

“Lay on, McDuff,” said Klaus.

“I see you have read Shakespeare. That will give you credibility when you’re being tested in London. They’re a very sharp crowd, so be on guard every minute of the day.”

“I don’t want to disillusion you, but I learned all that from one of my cousin’s friends when I was a boy.”

Karn poked him in the ribs and laughed. It was getting warm, and he unbuttoned his tunic. She paused at the door. “It’s such a beautiful day. I hate to spend it inside.” The sky was cloudless, and the birds were flying from one tree to another.

Klaus spotted a table behind the tea house. “What would you like, and I’ll get it for you. We can eat at the table.”

He ordered tea and sandwiches for them and was on his way out the door when he heard the sound of sirens. “I don’t care. If worse comes to worst, we can shelter under that great tree over there,” said Karn with a toss of her head. They could hear bombs exploding in the distance.

By the time they returned to the office, it had grown even hotter. Klaus took off his tunic and carried it under his arm. They went straight to the transmitter room, where she sat him down at the first empty seat and had one of her assistants send him a message for five minutes. Klaus copied the message on his pad and presented it to her.

Karn left to talk to Oldenburg and returned a few minutes later. “The captain wants to see you.”

“I hear you’re ready. You’re a bit ahead of our schedule. Take a couple of days off and report back to me then.” He rose and shook Klaus’s hand.

Karn met him at the door with a smile. “If you’re free, my mother would like you to join us for our evening meal. We don’t have much to offer because of the rationing, but my mother makes wonderful meals out of almost anything.”

Karn’s mother, now in her late 60s, looked him over. “So you’re the soldier Karn keeps talking about. “You’re welcome to join us. Tell me a bit about your family young man.”

By the time he left, Klaus, who liked to imitate people, had them laughing at his renditions of some leading Nazis. When the evening ended, he invited her and her mother to join them at his hotel for lunch the next day.

CHAPTER FOUR

“Icalled your mother and introduced myself yesterday and told her you were training for a special mission and would call her when you finished training,” said Karn. She reached into her purse and gave him a folded piece of paper. “It’s the number for your home.”

“I guess this is the last time I’ll be seeing you. Captain Oldenburg asked me to check in on him in the morning.”

There were tears in the corner of her eyes. They were sitting at the table in her home, Captain Sachse was able to get his hands on some beef, and they could smell it being cooked by her mother. There would also be gravy that none of them had in some time. They ate dessert and had tea in the parlour. Klaus and Karn sat on the velvet-covered sofa, and her mother and Sachse, on chairs beside the radio. The floor had a thick oriental carpet that was soft to walk on. A picture of the Kaiser and photographs of her mother’s father and mother hung from the opposite wall, covered with a dark red wallpaper with gold crowns.

“I love this room. It was my father’s favourite. He would sit here by the hour smoking his pipe and telling stories about the old days,” said Karn’s mother. She wiped her eyes and tried to smile.

At nine o’clock, Karn’s mother retired to her bedroom, and Karn saw them out. Klaus held her for a minute and kissed her for almost a minute before she waved him goodbye. Klaus looked back and saw her figure in her kitchen window, watching them as they turned the corner and hailed a passing taxi. ***

Klaus saw Captain Sachse to his car. “Thank you for this opportunity, Captain. I won’t forget you or let you down.”

“When you come back and start your mission, see me. I hope to have your promotion by then.” Sachse smiled at him and drove down the street to the main highway.

Klaus walked down to the Abwehr building and was escorted to Cap-

tain Oldenburg’s office. His secretary opened the door, “the Captain is expecting you. Go right in.”

“How do you feel about everything?”

“Can’t wait to start,” said Klaus.

Oldenburg nodded. “Great. You will be outfitted into another uniform, and You have been given a different name. It is now Nobert Baier. Here is your ID as Norbert Baier. Memorize it. Ask Fraulein Ritter to keep your old ID for you. The Gestapo has also been notified to change your name on their books to Norbert Baier. At one o’clock, you will be taken by car to the sea, where you will board a submarine that will take you close to the shores of England, where they will unload you into a wooden boat. When you are close to the shore, pull the plug on the bottom of the boat and jump overboard. Let the boat sink. After 30 minutes, walk to the shore and lie on the beach until you are discovered.”

“What about my transmitter.”

“A transmitter will be provided for you by one of our people in England. Your mission is very important to the outcome of our war.” Oldenburg rose and walked him to the door. “Should think of another question, see me before you go.”

Klaus went to see Karn, who was busy teaching someone else the Morse Code. She didn’t see him standing there until the man she was teaching pointed him out to her. She turned and walked to him. “I’ll be free in an hour and will make time for you. See me then.”

He asked his way to the uniform room and was escorted down the corridor by a young woman. She left him without saying a word. Klaus knocked and entered. An older man with a tape measure around his shoulders nodded as soon as he saw him. “I’ve been waiting for you, Sgt. Norbert. See me on your return for your old uniform. Follow me,” he added as he walked down a row of uniforms, “your new uniform is ready for you.” He paused near the end to reach up and unhook the uniform from a metal rod. “I can’t understand what kind of mission would require a uniform in this condition. But let’s see how it fits.”

Klaus tried on the trousers first. They fitted perfectly, while the tunic was loose. The older man ran a chalk around the sleeves and neck. Klaus followed him down the row of uniforms, where he was given a chair to sit on until the alternations had been made. A few minutes later, the older man appeared with the tunic and helped him fit into it, standing back and smiling.

Klaus looked at himself in the mirror. The patchy elbows stood out as soon as he cocked his head, and one of the sleeves had been dipped in oil, and the other looked patched and out of date. He had to leave it to Oldenburg. He knew his business, Klaus thought. The older man gave him a slip of paper for his original uniform and followed him to the door.

Klaus walked down the corridor and glanced at his watch. It was 20

minutes to noon. He headed for the transmitter room in time to see Karn finish with another soldier. He waved his slip of paper to her. “It’s the receipt for my uniform. Please keep it for me until I come back. She followed him to the front, where another soldier was waiting for him. He hugged her again and opened the door. “Wait for me.”

She smiled and waited to go inside until his car went out of sight. A half-hour later, they drove inside an old warehouse, where a middle-aged man dressed in a naval uniform was waiting for him. He introduced himself as they walked to the car. He opened the door for Klaus and sat down next to him. A short time later, they were heading north on one of Hitler’s new roads to the sea, where a submarine awaited them.

Outside, the road narrowed as they sped past rows of trees and around small towns. The naval officer introduced himself as Hermann Fuchs, captain of the submarine that would drop him off near the shore to England.

“It’s going to take up to three hours to get where my submarine is docked. We’ll be stopping along the way to eat and get gasoline.”

“What do you know about my trip?”

“Nothing, and I do not want to know.”

Grey clouds suddenly appeared in the sky, and it started to rain. There were many bends in the highway ahead of them, and the roads had become slippery from the rain. When they stopped at a small restaurant on the side of the road, the rain had become even heavier, and Fuchs decided to wait out the storm. The captain’s mood became more agreeable when the clouds moved South, and the rain stopped. He kept glancing at his wristwatch. “We won’t have much time when we reach my U-boat. I am committed to leaving an hour from now, and I need to make sure everything we need for your trip has been loaded.” He opened his pack of Eckstein No. 5 cigarettes and offered Klaus one.

“I wasn’t given information about this mission until this morning, and I’ve been running ragged ever since. My U-boat had just put into port to get resupplied when I got word from Berlin.” He glanced at his wristwatch again. When they crested a hill a few minutes later, the harbour came in full view. Fuchs’s face relaxed as they sped past outlying houses and warehouses at the bottom of the hill before stopping a short distance from the U-Boat.

“Some days just work against you somehow. I hope this is not a harbinger about our trip.” He glanced at his wristwatch night again and opened the door, “You stay put. I will have someone bring you to my boat when we’re ready to shove off. I need to see that all provisions are aboard, and we have everything we need for the trip.”

Klaus sat back and thought about Karn. He couldn’t wait to connect with her again. About 20 minutes later, a sailor from the U-Boat rapped on the car window and motioned for him to open the door. “The Captain wants you onboard now. He pointed to the sky. The dark clouds were

starting to gather as they walked quickly to the boat.

The sailor, a young man who looked still in his teens, held out his hand and looked up. “I just felt a raindrop.” At the U-Boat, he helped Klaus aboard and climb down the hatch to inside the boat. Fuchs remained above to order the ropes released from the dock and guide his ship out of the harbour and into the open sea before coming down the conning tower, where he gave orders to submerge.

It was supper time, and the crew took turns eating. The officers ate by themselves and included Klaus. The steward filled their glasses with German wine, and Fuchs raised his glass “to our glorious Fuhrer.” The other officers joined in. They were underwater for an hour when Fuchs looked through his telescope to make sure they were out of sight of land or any enemy aircraft and gave orders to surface.

It was getting dark as they left the Baltic Sea and headed into the Atlantic and the English Channel. The sky had cleared, and the moon came out, sending its beams across the water. Three lookouts kept watch for enemy ships and aircraft. Below, some sailors played cards while others dozed off or wrote letters. Crew members spoke to each other in hushed voices. The only real noise came from the sub’s engines. In the distance, the sound of an aircraft broke the silence, and they ran to the conning tower and down in less than a minute. The last man closed the hatch and shouted, “Aircraft headed our way.”

Fuchs nodded to one of the officers, and the sub was covered in channel water a few minutes later. Fuchs checked his watch and ordered them to resurface about an hour later. “If they spotted us, they will probably alert shore. We must assume they will send a patrol boat our way. Change course,” he added, “and stay on the course until we surface again.”

An hour later, their sub surfaced again. The three lookouts scanned the horizon. They could see the cliffs of England in the darkness. A thick fog had moved in, and they could make out the lights of a ship headed in their direction. As the searchlights of the ship became stronger, they could hear someone calling out to them. Fuchs looked and saw they were still quite far from the shore and knew he had to release the rowboat for Klaus to avoid being sunk by the ship steaming in their direction. It had spotted them and sent a salvo in their direction. Their shell hit the water only a few feet away from his sub. It was followed a few minutes later by another salvo. One of the shells hit the top of the conning tower, injuring the lookout. Two other shells splashed the other side of their sub. Fuchs wiped his face from the spray with the back of his hand.

“Ask our passenger to come up to the deck immediately,” he shouted to the new sailor manning the conning tower. Klaus appeared in the conning tower a few seconds later, climbed down the ladder and made his way to Fuchs. “Sorry, but it’s now or never. You’re still quite far from shore; to make matters worse, you’ll be fighting some big waves before you

reach land. Good luck.” He helped him down into the rowboat as another shell splashed the water. He was only a few feet away when another shell sent a flood of water into his boat.

CHAPTER FIVE

Klaus cupped his hands to bail out the water, now a foot deep in his rowboat. A huge wave added even more water. He looked back to see that the sub had submerged and felt alone for the first time. As the fog lifted, he could see cliffs clearer now and the darkness of a beach. He continued to bail until his hands felt as cold as Arctic snow. He shivered and knew he had to continue bailing before he could use the oars to get to shore. His face felt cold and stiff to touch. He didn’t see another huge wave gathering behind him. It hit his boat with a shudder that carried him away toward the shore. He swam until he could not carry on and felt the water cover his head. The wave receded, and he bobbed above the water. He gulped in the air. The beach clear now, and tried to stand. Another large wave crashed into him, carrying him nearer the shore. When it receded, he found himself in chest-deep water and summoned all his strength to reach the beach. His legs felt frozen and pained with every new step. His whole body ached with the cold; to make matters worse, he could do nothing about it. When he did emerge, he stumbled on the rocks that made his feet bleed with every step and when he reached the sand, he lay there. He lacked the power to walk to a tree to shelter himself from the rain. It was morning when he woke to see the seagulls whirling and squawking above him. Klaus still lacked the strength to rise and seek shelter from the cold wind off the Channel. He was thirsty and tried to laugh at the irony of it all. Klaus closed his eyes and was awakened sometime later by the sun’s warmth. His clothes were still wet, and he sat up and looked out to sea, oblivious to the soldiers coming down the pathway to the beach. He didn’t see them until he heard them talking and turned in his direction. Two of them were aiming their rifles at him. They had bayonets attached to their rifles and jabbed him when they reached him.

JIM CARR

“Do you speak English?” asked their Sergeant, a young man with blue eyes and a youthful face. Klaus tried to say “yes,” but the word choked in his mouth. Drool dripped from his lips, and he tried to say “water.” He nodded and was helped to his feet by two of the other soldiers. The Sergeant noticed he was shivering. “Lend him your tunic,” he said to the soldier beside him. They dragged him away from the beach and helped him onto one of their Jeeps. Klaus pulled on the Sergeant’s sleeve and managed to say “water.” The Sergeant passed him his canteen and helped him swallow a few mouthfuls. “You look terrible, mate. We need to get you somewhere warm before you die on us.”

The Jeep raced down the road and, 15 minutes later, stopped at a military hospital tent and helped him stagger onto a bed. “He’s a German,” said one of the nurses. “Look at his tunic.”

“He needs a change of clothes. Undress him and get him into bed until we can get himsomething else to wear,” said the Sergeant.

Klaus smiled and reached out for his hand. “Thank you.”

“You’ll be all right, mate. I must leave now, but I’ll check on you later.”

The nurse removed his tunic and took off his shirt when she noticed the welts on his back. “What happened?”

“I had a run-in with the Gestapo, and the whip was one of their calling cards.”

She found him a shirt from one of the wounded soldiers and sat down beside his bed. “You look as though you haven’t shaved in days,” she said as she twirled a brush around a bar of shaving soap and applied it to his face. “Be still unless you want your neck slit,” she said as she ran a straight razor down his cheek and neck.

When she left, he tried to get out of bed but had to be helped back. “We’ll let you know when you’re ready to walk.”

The English Sergeant returned shortly after noon and shared a plate of fish and a big mug of tea with him. “I understand you’ve been whipped. The nurse told me you had a lot of welts on your back. Do you mind if I have a quick peek?” Klaus sat on the edge of the bed and lifted his shirt. The English Sergeant ran his hand up his back and shook his head.

“A gift of the Gestapo,” said Klaus. “They accused me of being a British spy, me, a loyal soldier of the Third Reich.”

The English Sergeant introduced himself as Bert Brittain and repeatedly ran his hand over his back. “That was quite a whipping. What made them think that?”

“I was taking pictures at a plane manufacturing plant. My father was an aviator in the previous war, and I wanted to show him the aircraft we have now.”

“I gather they didn’t believe your story.”

“They also tied to drown me to get me to confess, but I didn’t. I wasn’t a spy, and no one would make me say otherwise. I just wanted to leave there and get back to my unit. I managed to escape when my Captain came

and rescued me from them. I don’t think they believed him either because I had told them I could speak English, and that was enough to make them believe I was a spy.”

“I find that intriguing as well,” said Bert. He put his hand inside his jacket and offered him a cigarette from his packet of Craven A.

“I tried to tell him how I learned English, but I think he didn’t believe me either.”

“I’m listening.”

“My uncle was also a pilot during the previous air and had the misfortune of being shot down by the British. He spent the rest of the war in a prison camp in England. At the end of the war, He met an English lady, and they got married, and he decided to get a job in England. My father sent me to live with my uncle during my summer holidays, where I played with my cousin. He and his friends made me learn English while I was there.”

Sergeant Brittain left him to talk to the nurses. “Keep him here until I get back. I need to talk to my commanding officer about him.”

Bert waited outside Captain Anderson’s office for almost an hour before the Captain’s meeting with four other officers ended, and he spotted Bert on his way back to his office. “You need to see me, Sergeant?”

Bert nodded and followed him inside. I was out with my group this morning near the cliffs and spotted someone lying on the beach. It was a German soldier who stole a small rowboat and rowed his way across the Channel to see refuge here. It appears the Gestapo accused him of being a British spy. They whipped him to get him to admit it, but he refused. I’ve seen the whip marks on his back. And he also speaks English with only a hint of an accent. I thought you might be interested.”

Captain Anderson’s dark brown eyes looked out on the grounds and the hills in the distance, where they practised hand-to-hand fighting. Something was bothering him. He wasn’t sure why other than great gifts had never dropped onto his lap before. He sucked in his breath, “I’ll see him in the morning,” he said. Brittain saluted and decided to dig a little deeper into Klaus’s story.

The hospital tent was only a few minutes away and Brittain could hear the laughter from the tent as soon as he left his Jeep. When he poked his head inside, he saw Klaus marching down the row of beds, imitating Hitler with a black comb under his nose. He had the wounded soldiers raising their arms and shouting, “Heil Hitler.” The laughter subsided once Brittain’s face appeared.

“He’s quite an actor, Sergeant,” said one of the wounded soldiers, leaning on his left arm. He was young, as most of them were, but unlike the others, he knew he would never walk again. There were 12 beds on each side of the tent and a separate room for the doctors and nurses to

prepare treatments. The temporary wood floor was covered in lanolin and creaked as the nurses walked down the row. The smell of floor cleaner hung in the air like some of the medications from the medical tent. Two wounded airmen who crashed nearby were sitting on the edge of their cots and clapping.

“I hate to break up your festivities, but I need to chat with our new friend.” Brittain helped Klaus outside to chat with him in his Jeep. “My Captain would like to talk to you. I’ve told him all I know, but he wants to give you a once over.” Brittain passed him his bottle of Whiskey. “Have a couple of swigs and get a good night’s rest. I’ll pick you up at 9.30.”

Sergeant Brittain had a hard time sleeping. He kept hearing the wounded soldiers saying He’s quite an actor over and over until he woke and wiped the sweat off his forehead. When he did get to sleep, it was near dawn, and woke with a start when the sunlight flooded his bed. Brittain washed, played with Klaus’s curly hair, shaved and dressed him and was out of the door 20 minutes later. He checked his bedside clock. It was already nine o’clock, and he decided to skip breakfast. His Jeep needed petrol, but that would have to wait as well as he drove to the main hospital tent, where Brittain grabbed a piece of toast from one of the trays and sat beside Klaus, who was still drinking his tea. “That’ll have to wait, my friend. I’ll see you outside in my Jeep as soon as you’re ready. Above all, wear a tie. The captain likes to see all NCs dressed properly.”

They arrived a few minutes later and waited for the captain to see them. When he did open the door, it was to wave them inside. Three other captains sat in chairs in front of his desk. Brittain and Klaus found seats on a bench next to the wall and waited for the captain to address them. He pinched his grey mustache, but like the other four captains, he looked non-committal.

“Sergeant Brittain has told me about your adventure with the Gestapo,” he started. The other Captains cleared their throats and smiled. “For the benefit of my friends, could you tell us all about yourself and what landed you in the clutches of the Gestapo?”

Klaus started by telling them about being apprehended while taking pictures of one of the plane factories.

“No wonder you were invited to join them at their torture chamber,” said one of the captains with a laugh echoed by the others. “What was in your head?”

“I am a loyal member of the German Army and not a spy for anyone. I was taking pictures of the new aircraft for my father, who was a pilot in the previous war. I told them that, but it just made them all madder. They didn’t bother to call my father and verify what I had told them. They took me down to their basement, whipped me until I couldn’t stand up, and then tried to down me.” Then, after a pause, “I was rescued by my captain and brought back to my regiment.”

“You were rescued on our beach by Sergeant Brittain and his men. How did you get there?”

“I stole a rowboat and used oars to get me to your coast.” He showed them the blisters on his palms.

“Was any boat found at the site, Sergeant?”

Brittain shook his head. “No, sir.”

They all turned to Klaus. “When I was still quite far from your shores, I could just make out the shadows of your cliffs. I had rowed into the fog, and it started to rain. The sea became very choppy, and one huge wave knocked me out of the boat towards the shore. I managed to crawl from the waves onto the beach, where I collapsed. Sergeant Brittain saw me and helped me up before I could open my eyes.”

They turned to Brittain again, who nodded.

Captain Anderson nodded to them. “Thank you, Sergeant. That will be all.”

They left, and Brittain took him to the local Constabulary about 30 minutes from their camp. Brittain introduced himself and Klaus and asked them to hold him in one of their cells until he came back for him.

“Your impression, gentlemen,” said Captain Anderson. “I would like to feel that he’s a heaven-sent gift, but I can help feeling that when we need help the most, it suddenly falls into our laps.”

“I feel his story about rowing across the Channel and losing his rowboat to one of the Channel’s big waves a bit questionable,” said Jason Browning, one of the other Captains, who smoothed out his mustache as he looked at the others.

“I have to agree with Browning. If he didn’t get here by rowboat, it begs the question then how,” said Captain Walter Shepherd.

“I’ll call a friend of mine in the RN and ask him if there was any activity in this area recently,” said Captain Anderson, who left to get his secretary to get Captain Shepherd on the line. “Harry, it’s Bill Anderson. Can you tell me if you had any recent unusual things happen in my area?”

“Give me a minute or two to check,” said Shepherd, who came back a few minutes later. “It turns out there was. One of our coastal vessels thought they saw an outline of a U-Boat in the fog. They didn’t take any chances and shelled whatever it was. By the time they reached the area, there was no sign of a U-Boat or anything else for that matter. I’m curious. What’s this about, Bill?”

“Can’t talk about it just yet but will be able to fill you in when we get together next week.”

He walked back slowly in thought but, unlike the other captains, had seen two wars and knew better than to jump to conclusions. When he took his seat, he could sense their misgivings about Klaus were right. “I talked

to my RN friend, and he confirmed one of our coastal boats had spotted what appeared to be a U-Boat and tried to blow it out of the water. It was a heavy fog, and they couldn’t say if it were a U-Boat. When they reached the spot, there was no sign or the sound of a craft of any kind there or nearby.”

Browning broke the silence that followed. “That leaves us with the rowboat, which has also magically disappeared in the fog.”

“So what do we tell the colonel? He needs to know what we’ve learned, but I’d prefer that we have something concrete to tell him,” said Anderson.

“I suggest we give it a day or two more and check out his story about having an uncle here,” said Shepherd.

“I have a friend, a Constable, in Manchester. I’ll call him and see what he can find out.”

When they left, Anderson asked his secretary to have Brittain see him. He checked the clock, one he took to war as a young man in 1917, that sat on his filing olive green cabinet and called for his secretary. “Were you able to reach Brittain?”

“No one seems to know where he is.”

CHAPTER SIX

“We met a fisherman on his way to town,” said Corporal Greene. “He says the hull of what looks like a rowboat washed up on his property. I sent a soldier there to make sure no one takes it away.”

“Good work, Corporal.” Brittain ran out to his Jeep with Greene behind him and sped down the main highway.

“We turn left on the fork of the road ahead. It will take you to Channel.” They spotted the fisherman’s stone house where the road ended. A short distance, Channel water was cresting and flooding the beach. They could spot the soldier he had left behind and ran in his direction. A fierce wind from the Channel bit into their faces and grey clouds threatened the horizon. The soldier had his coat buttoned to the top and was rubbing his hands. He stood at attention when he saw them coming. “It’s pretty cold out here, Sergeant.”

“You’ve done a great job, private,” said Greene, noticing the soldier’s boots had recently been covered by water during high tide.

Brittain climbed over the wooden shape to check the other side. ”It’s still wet.”

“From the high tide,” said the soldier.

“We need to carry it back to camp.” It took the three of them to carry it over the road, through the wet grass where the entrance to the beach ended, and to the Jeep, where they tied it down. Greene spotted the fisherman’s wife in the window. She had pulled back the curtains and was waving to them. “See what she wants,” said Brittain.

The private jumped off the Jeep and headed for the porch, where the door was banging in the wind. He knocked on the inner door. The woman from the window opened it. “I thought you might like a tea before you leave.”

“I’m not sure. I’ll ask the Sergeant.”

The three of them returned a minute later with an invitation from the woman. She sat at her kitchen table and invited them to sit while she poured them tea from a large grey teapot. “You all looked so cold and

thought you’d appreciate a cup or two.” She rose and pulled out a tray of tea biscuits. I made them earlier for Bill, but he won’t mind. He’ll be pleased that piece is gone. It spoiled our view.”

When they arrived back at the camp, he was told the captain was calling for him. Brittian jumped into his Jeep again and skidded, jumping off as soon as he drove up to the captain’s office. “Where have you been? We’ve been calling you for two hours.”

“He’ll be pleased. I found what we were looking for.”

“Go right in.”

Brittain tapped on the door and stuck his head inside. “I have a present for you on my Jeep.” Anderson followed him outside and spotted what looked like the hull of a boat. He smiled immediately as he ran his hand over the bleached wood. “Have someone bring it inside for closer examination.” He stopped at his secretary’s desk. I need four able men to bring the wreckage of what looks like a boat into my office.”

When they entered his office, he called their truck depot, asked for two experts to examine the rowboat hull, and stood behind his desk when four soldiers lugged it inside. “It’s quite a piece of art, isn’t it.”

Two mechanics were at his door minutes later. “I want you to examine every board of that junk. If you find anything, make sure it’s on my desk.” They watched the mechanics, dressed in grey uniforms, go over each hull board. They turned it over and examined the outside before turning it upside again when something fell on the floor. Anderson heard it, too, and held out his hand for what looked like a compass. It had scratches on the back, but still worked.

“Thank you, gentlemen. Tell your sergeant you’ve just changed the war.”

Browning left first to call his friend in Manchester. “It’s Jason Browning, Chester. We have a bit of a problem that we hope you can solve for us. It involves a German Army soldier who has landed in our laps. Can you check it out for us?”

“I’m not sure, but what do you need?”

“He claims he has an uncle who lives in Manchester. Could you verify that for us? And what else you can tell us about him.”

“We’ve had a lot of Germans who stayed on after the war and changed their names. I’ll check there first.”

***

Anderson glanced at the clock and pocketed the compass and stood. “It’s time to see our visitor.” On his way out, he paused to ask his secretary to tell the other Captains of another meeting in an hour.”

Anderson had his own driver, who jumped out and held the door open for them. “To the local Constabulary, Arnold.” They were on their way, passing several farmhouses and seeing older men and women in the fields who waved to them as they drove by. “Honk your horn, Arnold.”

When they drove to the Constabulary, Arnold jumped out and held the door open. “We’ll be bringing back another person. He will sit with us.”

The captain led the way inside and went straight to the desk sergeant. “We’ve come to take our visitor I placed in your care earlier.” He waved to one of the other Constables. “Take these gentlemen to cell six and release the occupant into their care.”

The Constable, an older man, reached for the ring of keys behind the desk Sergeant. “This way, gentlemen.” As they walked down the stairs, he guided his progress with his hand on the wall rail and onto the floor when he stopped at cell six and opened the door. Anderson and Brittain entered. “We’d like a word or two with the occupant first, Constable.”

He turned to Klaus, who had been lying on his cot, “I have a question to pose to you.”

“Go ahead.”

“What did you bring with you when you set sail?”

“Some water in two bottles and three sandwiches.”

“That’s it?”

“No, I almost forgot, my old compass.”

“How would you describe it?”

“It’s black with some scratches on the back.”

Anderson reached into his pocket and pulled out the compass.

“It’s mine, all right. I thought I had lost it forever.” He reached out for it. “It’s been my good luck charm for as long as I remember.”

“Get dressed. We’re off to a meeting where you’ll be the main attraction.”

The other captains were drinking tea in his office when they entered. “What’s this all about?” said Shepherd. “And why is he here?” he added, pointing at Klaus.

“You’ve probably seen the wreckage of the rowboat he used to get here. Two mechanics checked it over and found this compass in it,” said Anderson. “Show these gentlemen your compass.”

Klaus could feel the excitement rising within him and held out his compass.

“It was one of the things he brought with him. He mentioned a compass and even described what exactly it looked like. I returned it to him.” Then, after a pause, he added: “Now, gentlemen, we need to decide what we tell the colonel.”

Klaus walked over to the wrecked hull and ran his hands over it. He smiled and looked at Brittain. “I’d like to call my uncle and tell him I’m safe.”

“Not just yet, Klaus.”

***

Anderson met with Col. Allenby after he had time to refine what to tell him and wasn’t sure whether to mention the U-Boat but, in the end,

decided to mention everything in case there was a slip-up.

“One thing more, Browning checked his story about an uncle in Manchester. It appears he has. He changed his name to Stotter, his wife’s maiden name. They have a son, a bit older than our visitor, who is with the RAF.”

“What did you have in mind, Captain?”

“I was thinking about Camp X, where he could be trained to become our spy in Berlin and help our recruits understand how to deal with Nazis, what to say and what not to say, what to avoid and how to handle the Police or people like the Gestapo. He’s been through some tough times and took a big chance to find his way here in a rowboat.”

Allenby brushed his chin. “Tell you what, Anderson. Put all this down in writing, leaving nothing out, and we’ll think about it.”

On the way back to his office, Anderson decided to have Brittain lay out how he would use Klaus in undercover operations and use that as a base for him and the other captains in a way that would give them an edge in their operations. One of the captains also mentioned Camp X, where he could be trained as a spy and sent back to Germany, where he would be most useful.

Klaus dreamed about Karn and wondered when he would be able to hear from her. His wish came true a day later when they tried to outfit him with a British Army tunic. “Your arms are too long, I’m afraid. We‘ll call the company that makes them and get you fitted for one. In the meantime, I wouldn’t walk around town in your tunic.”

Brittain opened the flap of his tent and stuck his head in. “The quartermaster says he needs you to get fitted for your tunic. He has someone to take your measurements in his office now.”

Brittain walked him there, tugging at his sleeves. “Mine is not what it should be.” They entered the quartermaster’s office to see someone dressed in civilian clothes measuring a recruit with chalk and taking down the measurements on his pad. The civilian was an older man in his 60s, with blond hair showing streaks of grey and hazel eyes with thick lips, which he kept running his tongue over them from time to time.

When the recruit left, he turned to Klaus. “Take your tunic off and hold out your arms. He took out his tape measure and wrote down the length of his left arm and then his right. He passed his pad to Klaus. Can you confirm the measurements? I don’t want to return if I don’t need to.”

He passed the pad to him. Klaus was about to nod until he saw what was written below his measurements: K sends greetings. Needs to know if you are safe. He passed the pad back and nodded with a smile.

“We will have your tunic ready for you tomorrow.” He turned and looked at the quartermaster, “Is there anything else?”

The quartermaster shook his head. “Thanks for coming on such short

notice.” He turned to Brittain. “What are you here for?”

“My tunic. The cuffs are getting frayed, and it doesn’t fit me quite how it used to.”

The quartermaster checked his cuffs and pulled down his tunic. “You should have spoken up when our supplier was here. He has your measurements and ask him to make one for you. Anything else before I boot you out of here.”

They walked back slowly, with thoughts crowding Klaus’s head. “You don’t seem too happy about getting a new tunic,” said Brittain.

Klaus shook his head. “I never dreamed anyone would treat me like this. You have become a good friend to me, and I will never forget that.”

Two days later, he fitted himself into his new tunic and paraded in front of the mirror in the quartermaster’s store. Captain Anderson was pleased to promote him. “We have high hopes for you, Lieutenant,” when he was called to his office. “People like you, even though you are their enemy. The colonel likes you and would like to offer you a mission. Of course, you don’t have to take it, but it would be appreciated. Today is a day to celebrate, Lieutenant. Have Sergeant Brittain take you into town and enjoy yourself.”

He left the captain’s office feeling happier than he had ever felt before. These Englishmen are strange, he thought and focused on the next stage.

“A Lieutenant. You had a lot of people in the camp pulling for you, Klaus, and we’re all happy to see it,” said Brittain, noticing the pips on Klaus’s jacket. “You need a proper shirt and tie to go with it. But first, I’d like you to take me to the Officer’s Club. I can’t go in, but I could be your guest.”

It was getting late, and the sun was low on the horizon when they headed into town. They parked behind a tavern and entered to find the place filled with young soldiers and young women. The noise level was hard to make yourself heard as they struggled through the mob to grab a pint. Two members of his squad spotted Brittain and made their way to him. “When did you start nobbing with the brass?” said Corporal Greene. There was a smile on his face, and he reached out to shake Klaus’s hand. “Congratulations. Who would have guessed?”

They entered the Officer’s Club three pints and two hours later. The guard at the door put his hand on Brittain’s shoulder, “Officers only.”

“He’s my guest tonight.” Klaus’s voice was strong and commanding. A steward, an older man with a lined face and whose hands showed purple veins, found an empty table for them and took their order. One of the officers, Lieutenant Marston, walked slowly to their table with two pints in his hands. “I had heard you had been promoted. It’s all over the town that a Nazi Sergeant was now a British Lieutenant.”

“Don’t mind Marston,” said an RAF officer who had overheard them. “He gets this way when he’s had one too many.” He glanced back at his ta-

ble. “My girl has never seen a Nazi up close. Would you mind if we joined you?”

Klaus smiled and nodded. “Not at all. It will be nice to see a young lady for a change. And for the record, I was a German soldier but not a Nazi. Not everyone in Germany is.”

He left, returned with a young woman celebrating her 19th birthday, and introduced her. “Her name is Rosamund. Mine is Jeff. Jeff Clive. And yours?”

“My name is Klaus Holzer. I was a Sergeant in the German Army and fought your soldiers in France. I got on the bad side of the Gestapo and was lucky to escape. My associate is Sergeant Brittain, who found me half dead and helped me recover. I am pleased to be able to fight the Nazis beside him when England goes back and finishes the Nazis forever.”

The young woman leaned over and kissed him. They shared drinks after that, and when it was time to leave, Clive found a member of their squad and had him drive them back to the base.

It took them almost all morning to recover from the night before. Klaus was still sick to his stomach when a messenger came to tell him that Coronel Allenby wanted to see him the following morning.

Allenby, like Anderson, had a small grey mustache and a fondness for cricket, with bright dark eyes and a thin face. “I suppose you know what you’re here for?” He was a relic of the First World War and conducted his approach to matters the way he did in 1916, the same year he married. They had three children – one boy and two girls. His son joined the RAF and he had a picture of him on his desk.

Klaus didn’t respond. He glanced at Captain Anderson, who had joined them in the meantime.

“We have a place in Canada called Camp X, where we train spies to go into occupied France, Belgium and Germany to help us set the stage when we invade the Continent. We would like you to go to France and Germany and be our eyes and ears there. How do you feel about it?”

Klaus looked up at Anderson, who had risen to put his hand on his right shoulder. “To be honest with you,” said Klaus, “I’d like to remain in England. I didn’t leave there to be hustled back and face the same nightmares all over again.”

Anderson could tell that Allenby was taken aback. “Tell you what, Lieutenant, think about it for a week or two and give us your answer then.”

Allenby nodded. Anderson could see the blueness in Allenby’s eyes that studied him, and slightly bowed before leaving. “I have an idea,” he said as they drove back to their camp. “Agree to go to Camp X and get trained to be a spy. I haven’t seen the place myself, but everyone who has gone there would go back in a jiffy. You’ll learn a lot of useful things there,

and you can always back out after you finish.”

Klaus could hear his heart pumping into his ears. He decided to talk it over with Brittain. He wanted to agree on the spot. Better, he felt, if he pretended to think about it for a couple of days and see Anderson then with his decision. Everyone seemed to know when he went to supper. He had avoided the officer’s mess to avoid any discussions, and Brittain visited him at his tent a few minutes after they left the non-commission officer’s mess.

“You don’t know how mean these people can be or what lengths and tortures they will inflict, even if you’re innocent. I never want to have to face the Gestapo again. One brush with them is enough to last a lifetime. I’ve got scars on my back that will be there forever.”

“I didn’t figure you as someone who scares easily. Anyone who stole a rowboat and rowed their way across the Channel the way you did is someone who doesn’t scare easily,” said Brittain. “Something else is holding you back, what is it?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Then think about it, and I’ll help you overcome it. I understand if it’s fear of getting caught, but my money is on you. You’re smarter than most people. And that changes the odds.”

Klaus liked Brittain and knew Brittain liked him. He had been his supporter from the moment he landed and hoped he would not feel let down when Brittain learned about his real mission. He also knew he had played the reluctant role long enough and would let Anderson know he was ready for Camp X. The first person Klaus told was Brittain at breakfast.

“Captain Anderson will be pleased. He’s a great officer and will back you to the hilt. I’ll drive you there as soon as we finish breakfast.”

The day was warm, the sky blue with no clouds, a soft breeze from the Channel, and a day to lie on the beach and forget about the war. Klaus spotted artillery units at different points along the coastline. They drove up to his office and entered. Anderson’s secretary was busy talking to someone who wanted to see the Captain. When she saw Brittain and Klaus, she buzzed the Captain and told him that Klaus and Sgt. Brittain were waiting for him. She smiled, observed everything about Brittain and Klaus, and saw they were friends.

“I gather you’ve thought it over and have come to a decision,” said Anderson.

“I have. After a talk with Sgt. Brittain, and a good night’s sleep, I want you to know I will go to Camp X or anywhere else where I might be useful.”

“My money was on you, Lieutenant. We want you to know that we checked to see whether you had an uncle in Manchester and found he had changed his name before the war to Stotter and that you have a cousin in the RAF. I knew then you would not let us down.” Anderson looked at

Brittain, “We will let you know when we have completed arrangements for Lieutenant Holzer’s departure to Camp X.“

The next two days were a whirlwind of excitement, in which he was outfitted for his journey when he would be departing and what to expect when he arrived in Canada. “The summer is the best time to go. I hear the winters there can be brutal,” said Jason Browning.

“You will be picked up at your camp tomorrow morning, driven to an RCAF plane, and flown to Canada. There is one stop in Newfoundland to refuel before landing in Toronto, a short drive from there to Camp X. We have high hopes for you and know you won’t let us down. Good luck, and promise to visit us when this damn war is over,” said Anderson.

Brittain’s squad had a party for him the night before his departure. “Sing us one of your Gerry songs,” shouted Greene, who was falling over himself when he tried to stand. Everyone took up the chorus. Klaus raised his hands. “I don’t know any. Only marching songs. “That will do,” said Brittain, and everyone clapped. By the end of the night, Klaus had them singing marching songs in German.

The flight to St. John’s seemed to take forever. When he landed, he decided to go inside and get a coffee. There was a coffee counter at the end of the room. The floor was covered by battleship linoleum that had been freshly washed, and the kitchen behind gave the room a feeling of warmth. But the big attraction was a pretty young woman at the counter who had an Irish accent and had everyone laughing.

“What do you want, sonny?”

“A coffee, if you please.”

“You have a strange accent. Where are you from?”

“One of the Channel Islands.” Klaus prided himself as a fast thinker and having a photographic mind.

She poured him a coffee and asked him if he’d like a slice of pie.

“Just half a slice. She returned two minutes later with half a slice of apple pie, put it on the counter, and then proceeded to add another plate with the other slice. “Just in case you change your mind.”

“Could you also give me another coffee I can take on my trip?”

She left and went into the kitchen and returned with a paper cup of coffee. “It’s hot. I put a cover over it to keep it warm longer.”

“All I have is English money. Will you take that?”

“Sure thing.”

The rest of the trip was bumpy, with high winds sending shivers through the plane. It didn’t long before he saw land below. Klaus was finally flying over Canada. It seemed to take an eternity before his plane descended to RCAF’s Toronto airport, where a member of the crew came back where he opened the door and led him down the stairs. The pilot fol-

lowed them down and shook his hand. “Welcome to Canada. Your transportation to your destination is waiting for you inside the terminal.”

There was a different smell in the air. It was a warm day by Canadian standards and a soft breeze that seemed to come from nowhere. Aircrews gathered to plot their next flight just off the main room. They led him inside, with a crew member following them with his bag. The inside was a hum of activity. The wood floor had been swept and led them to a canteen, where he was offered coffee. Klaus couldn’t believe it. Outside, several Spitfires sat on the tarmac, waiting to be transported to England. He had never seen one before, and he studied them carefully. Two soldiers sent to take him to Camp X were having coffee near the entrance when they spotted him and left to greet him.

“Sergeant Hawthorne, at your service, Lieutenant. We’re here to take you to your destination.” He extended his hand to Klaus as the other soldier grabbed his bag. He walked to their car, a 1939 Ford, a short distance away.

“We’ll drive through Toronto on our way to Camp X. We hope you’ll enjoy your stay with us.”

Klaus had heard Canada’s cities were small and was surprised at what he saw. They took the road along the lake, veering off at the outskirts for a long drive through street after street as they made their way to the highway that would take them to Camp X. He had never seen a lake like this. It seemed to go on forever with no sign of the other side. They passed a couple of small towns before turning off the highway and driving North for a few minutes to Camp X. From the hill that descended to the camp, Klaus could still see the lake.

The guard at the gate nodded to the driver as they drove to one of the huts, where they led him inside to meet the commanding officer.

“You come highly recommended, lieutenant. We were given to understand that you were a member of the German Army and had sought refuge in England after rowing across the Channel, where you were recruited to become a secret agent.”

Klaus nodded, feeling unsure for the first time. This was a place where if he made a slip, it would be noticed, and he made a mental note not to trust anyone there.

The commanding officer, a major, didn’t identify himself. “You will receive ten weeks of intensive training, starting with learning the Morse Code and becoming proficient in all aspects of surviving in a hostile environment. You’ve got one week to learn how to use a transmitter. If you fail, you will be disqualified. Any questions.”

Klaus shook his head and decided to say as little as possible. The major had a round face, with dark, penetrating eyes that kept searching every inch of your manner when he talked to you, a sallow complexion, a receding hairline, with a passion for chess wars. His office was relatively small

and located in one of the huts that also housed some of their equipment. His desk had an in-tray with messages and folders marked Arts of Sabotage, other aspects of intelligence and espionage, and how to kill someone silently or handle yourself in unharmed combat.

“I see you’re you’ve already scanned our key training manuals. But there’s one thing more. Always be on the lookout for people who can help you. You may never know how important that is until you get into a precarious situation.” He stood and sat beside Klaus. “We have high hopes for you in more than becoming an agent in Europe. As a former German soldier, you may be called upon to talk to other recruits about Germany and how it trains its soldiers – their strength and weaknesses.”

He rose to buzz for his secretary, who appeared at the door seconds later. “Please have someone take Lieutenant Holzer to the hut where he will hang his hat for the next 70 days.” He turned to Klaus, “Any questions? Should you have a few later, don’t hesitate to come and see me.”

“I’m fascinated to find such a sophisticated operation in the middle of nowhere,” he said to another woman, dressed in a CWAC uniform and about his age, who gave him a wide smile, “My name is Lily. I have been assigned to you while you are with us. If you have any questions, I am here to help you,” she said as they made their way to one of the other huts.

“This is the brains of our operation,” she added. “It’s called Hydra. It’s because it does so many things such as transcribing coded messages, radio communications for top secret matters as well as traffic from and to Britain and Washington. It operates 24 hours a day.” Inside, several women were busy typing at teleprinters machines. Klaus looked at them hard at work at keyboards. Several fluorescent lights hung over their desks. “I can see why you wouldn’t know if it’s light or day outside.” The work demanded concentration, and there was little discussion except for the whirring of the teletype machines.

She escorted him to his hut, where he would spend the next 70 days, entering to find 20 other soldiers like himself sitting around an iron stove and singing Happy Birthday to one of the soldiers. They stood when they saw Klaus. “So you’re the German soldier who defected to be with us,” said the young soldier who was marking his 20th birthday. The others crowded around him. “Did you ever see Hitler in person?” came another question.

“Only once. Our brigade was chosen to participate in a march past, where we had to salute when we passed the grandstand where he was standing. It was a great honour, and I will never forget how we all felt that day.”

Alex Newman, who was chosen for Camp X, put his arm on Klaus’s shoulder, “You’ll feel even prouder when Hitler and his cronies face the consequences of the horrors they inflicted on so many millions of people.”

“I knew the horrors the Gestapo can inflict on innocent people. I was one of them. They whipped me until my back bled, and I still have the

scars, and then trying to drown me for refusing to admit to a crime I did not deserve. It changed everything for me, and after being rescued by my commanding officer, I told myself I never wanted to live in a Germany where innocent people were subjected to torture and murder. Within a month, I went AWOL, made my way to France, stole a rowboat and rowed across the Channel, where an Army Sergeant rescued me on the beach after my boat capsized and I had to swim the rest of the way to the shore.”

“We’re all in the same boat here and may need you in a big way when we venture onto the Continent. None of us know German. What about teaching us a few words we can use if we get into a trap?” said Newman, who was in his early 20s and itching to be sent overseas.

Klaus nodded. “We’ll start with two keywords important in all languages – Wasser, which means water, spelled Wasser, with the W pronounced as a V, and Brot, which means bread. Use the terms when we go to each meal; you’ll never forget them after a few days.” ***

Gregory Leggatt, the camp’s transmitter instructor, sported a sandy-coloured mustache, which he licked every time before he made a key point. He was over six feet and stood with his legs apart, arms crossed, as he surveyed the newcomers to his class. He had beady eyes that missed nothing. He loved rugby and was one of the stars until he broke his left ankle, which he took out on his wife.

“First, I want you to open the cases on your desks.” He watched them open the cases, remove the contents and put them on your desks.” There were whispers as they withdrew the contents and the sounds of 20 transmitters being slammed on their desks. “If you make that much noise while in the field, you’ll find yourselves in a Gestapo torture chamber before you know it. Now, let’s try it again, gentlemen. Put everything back as you found it, and remove the contents at my signal. Only this time, as quietly as possible.”

He sat on the edge of his desk with his arms crossed. Behind him was a long blackboard with a list of letters and dots and dashes beside them. The three windows were near the top of the wall facing the outside and opened to let in air and sunlight.

“You should have three main pieces – first, headphones. Try them on for size. You also should have two other larger pieces. The smaller one is a battery; you should see where it is attached to the transmitter and a few knobs to turn it on and transmit.”

“I want you to study each piece carefully and try them out yourselves. If you run into a problem, I’m here to help.”

Leggatt’s way of teaching was not as smooth as Karn’s, but it was effective. He had to pretend he was learning everything for the first time. Klaus already knew the answer but decided to ask for help. Two others had

a hard time with the dials and what each was for. It was near suppertime when Leggatt dismissed the class. “I’m leaving the class door open for anyone who needs to practise before I test each of you in the morning.”

Klaus and three others, including Alex Newman and an Oxford grad, Geoffrey Cox, helped each other until they could work their transmitters blindfolded. The three of them became close friends after a week or two.

The next morning, they took their seats as quietly as possible. Leggatt stood with his arms fixed and looked at each one of them. “Any questions about being able to use your transmitters.” He surveyed their faces and smiled. “Now, ladies and gentlemen, we come to learning Morse Code. You’ve got six days left to master them. So let us start, shall we?” He went to the blackboard behind his desk. “The code is a series of dots and dashes. Each letter of the alphabet has an equivalent series of dots and dashes. Over the next five days, we will learn five Morse Code letters. Today, we will focus on A, B, C, D and E.”

Leggatt went to a blank blackboard and drew an A and then the Morse Code for A. He went on until he posted the dots and dashes for all five letters. “I’ve found that each of us learns in a way that helps us lock things into our memory. I suggest you all memorize them and then try sending them on your transmitter. If you have any questions, let me know now.” He saw some of them closing their eyes and memorizing the dots and dashes while others wrote them out over and over on their writing pads.

“I wonder if they will have a party for us when we complete the course,” Geoffrey Cox said as they left for lunch. “Hopefully, with some of the CWACs to serve us. Some of them are absolutely smashing.”

“Maybe we could put the bug in the ear in one of the CWACs and get her to ask the major,” said Newman. “What do you think, Klaus?”

“We should think about that once we’ve completed the transmitter course. If we fail, we won’t be chosen for an assignment in Europe,” said Klaus. “I’d like to stroll around the camp, smell the flowers, and look at the lake for 30 minutes after lunch.”

“Count me in,” said Geoffrey. “Me, too,” said Newman reluctantly after a pause.

Geoffrey chatted up some of the young women who worked in the transmission room, handling codes from London and elsewhere, but they tended to keep to themselves and ignored Geoffrey’s invitations. Klaus spotted a table near the front where Geoffrey elbowed Newman as an attractive young woman walked by. She was dressed in civilian clothes and walked straight to a nearby table where another woman greeted her. Her hair was as black as a moonless night, and her lips were soft and kissable. She had a deep, throaty laugh and a way of talking that Geoffrey would never forget. She had a deep laugh they could hear from where she and a male friend sat. He watched them hug and kiss.

“I’ve got to find out who she is and talk to her,” said Geoffrey. When

they entered the transmitter room, he had his wish when he saw her sitting two rows from him with another woman.

Leggatt noticed her as well when he returned a few minutes later. “You’re a day late, Mademoiselle Zoé Archambeau.” Her family had emigrated to Ottawa from France in 1938. “Mademoiselle Archambeau wants to return to France as one of our operatives. Like the rest of you, she must master the use of the transmitter before the end of the week.”

Leggatt walked to the backboard and wrote the next five letters F, G. H, I, J, with the Morse code for each. He looked at the Mlle. Boisvert, who had folded her hands on her desk and was checking out the other participants.

“This is not a social club, Mlle. Archambeau,” said Leggatt, “you need to know how to operate a transmitter and send and receive messages. If you can’t do that, you won’t survive in today’s environment, and it will be a waste of time for you and us.”

“I’m sorry, Sergeant. I thought you knew I already know Morse Code and how to take a transmitter apart and put it together again. My father taught me.”

“Good. Then you can help me get this crew together by the end of the week.” He glanced at his watch. “I’m due at another meeting. Perhaps you can take it over for me.”

She stood and went to the blackboard. “I found the best way to learn Morse Code was to learn all the letters in one day. I see you already know five letters. I learned one letter and said the dots and dashes for each one for ten minutes. You’ll be surprised how fast you learn the codes this way.” She tossed the chalk in the air, snagged it with her other hand, and wrote the code for F. Now say with me. F, dot, dot, dash, dot. Now let’s say it together F, dot, dot, dash dot. Now say it to yourselves.”

Everyone clapped by the end of the day, with just about everyone practising sending the letters with their forefingers tapping out the codes over and over. “Tomorrow, we will focus on sending messages with the key that comes with your transmitter kit.”

Geoffrey was the first to stand and follow her out. “Miss Archambeau, a word, please.”

She paused and waited for him to speak. “You are absolutely smashing, the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. Would you consider having supper with my two friends and me? One used to be a Sergeant in the German Army. He escaped by rowing across the Channel. He’s terribly interesting.”

Klaus and Alex caught up with them as she looked for her friend from the others coming out of the transmitter room and waving their way around them. “I’d like to. I promised to have supper with my friend, Janicka. Janicka Vesely.”

Janicka smiled. “My people come from Czechoslovakia.”

“She’d be welcome as well,” said Alex. Zoé smiled and waved to Janicka, who was the last to leave the transmitter room. “These gentlemen would like us to dine with them.”

Supper had cooled by the time they entered the mess hall, located in another building, a few minutes later. Geoffrey led the way, chatting up Zoé and taking her arm as they took the first step into the hall. Klaus found a table and an extra chair from another table. “You sit with your friend. What would you like, and I’ll get it for you.”

“How are things in Germany, Sergeant? We don’t hear much these days,” said Zoé. Alex had risen to get a plate for Janicka, who was interested in what Klaus had to say. “It’s gone from bad to worse, with the Gestapo torturing people like me on a hunch.”

Alex and Geoffrey returned with plates for everyone and returned with a bottle of wine. “You don’t look very happy, Monsieur Holzer,” said Zoé. “Your friends seem happy, but I see tristesse in your eyes, lieutenant. A very special tristesse of a lover no longer in your life.”

By the end of the week, they could send and receive messages. “I am pleased to see that you have jumped over the first hurdle and will now go for different training, starting on Monday, when you’ll learn how to translate codes and even create them,” said Leggatt. “Good luck to you all.”

On Sunday, they went into town and walked barefoot along the beach. Zoé had packed a blanket, placed it over a large boulder, and wrapped herself in it to soak the sun’s warmth. Janicka and Alex decided to explore the forested area behind them while Klaus sat on another boulder and thought about Karn.

Janicka had dressed in her bathing suit under her clothes, undressed, and passed her clothes to Alex. She waded into the water and, before long, was swimming out to a raft floating at least a half mile away, where she lifted herself onto the raft and waved to them. Then she suddenly dove headfirst into the lake. A few minutes later, she walked out of the water and grabbed a towel from Alex’s hands to dry herself.

“I never knew you could swim like that,” said Alex. She tossed her head and smiled at him. “There are many things you do not know.”

“Such as?”

“I was chosen as a member of the Czechoslovakian swim team for the Olympics, but the war intervened.

That night, they went back to the beach. The moon shone brightly among the clouds and the sounds of birds mingled with the sounds of waves coming to the shore. There was magic in the air and a feeling they might not see each other again. A dark cloud suddenly passed over the face of the moon and everything turned dark. Janicka shivered and reached for his hand. There were tears in Janicka’s eyes as she leaned to kiss Alex.

Klaus was more interested in Zoé and made a mental note to talk to Geoffrey about her. Something about Zoé bothered him about her, not just her ability to turn heads but the feeling she had been through all this before. He watched her over the next two weeks. She excelled at everything, even hand-to-hand combat. She even helped him create codes and learn how to use current codes quickly and simply.

Lieutenant Dow, who handled the camp’s coding section, had graduated from the University of Toronto in mathematics. He excelled in mathematics which he used to create new codes and crack enemy codes. He had an Errol Flynn mustache, intensive blue eyes and a cold sore on his upper lip. “Open your desks, and you’ll find a booklet. It contains a number of camp codes. One of them will be included with your transmitter.” He held up his transmitter and pointed to a hidden slide near the bottom. “You will find your code here. If you can’t spot it, look for this small indentation. “That’s the release. “Now, I want each of you to find the release and check your code.”

Klaus, Alex, Geoffrey and Zoé sat at the back of the class. Zoé opened hers a few seconds later and showed them the release on her transmitter. “Here,” she said to Geoffrey, taking his hand and running it across the bottom area until he felt it.

In the afternoon, they practised hearing messages from Dow’s transmitter. Zoé had taken down the message before the others and had hauled out the tray with the code. She placed the code on her desk while she used it to translate the message and helped Geoffrey while Klaus assisted Janicka. Alex began translating the message a few seconds later. It was an inspiration for Geoffrey, who immediately sent a message in code to Zoé. She translated it immediately and reached out for his hand.

Alex excelled at hand-to-hand combat and learning how to kill someone quietly, while Alex shone at sabotage. Before the war, he had worked in a factory and knew all the best places to place bombs to create the most damage. Zoé was squeamish about garroting someone and sought other ways to accomplish the same thing.

“Also very important,” said their instructor, “seek out people where you’re stationed to help you in every one of your activities, whether bombing a factory or cutting electrical wires to German camps, airfields, and other facilities. They’re on the ground and can tell you a lot and save you from making a fatal mistake.”

As the final week came to a close, Major Hawthorn had a final dinner for them. They gathered outside the dinner hut dressed in uniform and entered two at a time. They sat on both sides of a long table, with the Major and their instructors at the head. Fourteen out of the 17 made the final cut.

Major Hawthorn stood, and the talk at the table went silent. “We know it’s been a very hard, testing time for you all, but you will leave here knowing you are the best. You will be given a new name before leaving here and

working in pairs in the field.” He raised his glass, “to our 21st class. We expect great things from you all.”

When the dinner was over, they went to the officer’s mess to finish the night. They found a quiet area of the mess, and Klaus and Geoffrey went to get them a bottle of Cognac and wine.

“Zoé has just told us you and she have been chosen for further training in London,” said Janicka to Geoffrey.

“What about the rest of you?” said Zoé.

“They’ve sent me back to Germany,” said Klaus with a laugh.

“The five of us have become good friends,” said Geoffrey. “When the war is over, what if we all get together here in this camp and remember how we met and the perils we had to face in Europe?”

“I’m in,” said Alex and Klaus together.

“What about you, Zoé?” said Geoffrey.

“I’m not sure. I would like to, but I’m a realist and may not be able to.”

“You sound as though you don’t expect to survive,” said Janicka.

“And I suspect we will be sent to France as a team,” added Geoffrey. “I believe in being positive and acting in a way that will achieve my aims, whether recuperating from a bad wound that would put me in a wheelchair for the rest of my life or as a professor at some English university.”

“I have an idea,” said Alex. “What if we exchange our parents’ addresses after the war? They will know where each of us is and where to find us. Even a telephone number.”

They left arm in arm and walked to their huts. They kissed each other goodbye and disappeared into the darkness.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Major Hawthorn met Klaus first thing in the morning. “You will be sent to England on the first flight out of here from Toronto airport, where you will be met at the RAF hanger by one of our members and taken to a safe place. You will receive a new identity there and not contact any of your fellow classmates. The others will be told the same thing. Any questions?”

Klaus looked around the major’s office for the last time. In a way, he had come to love his stay at Camp X. He had met some incredible people, like himself, who wanted to end the war and be on the winning side. Klaus thought about Zoé when she saw tristesse in his eyes. He missed Karn more than he thought; she could read it in his eyes when he was on his mission and now he looked around at the empty cots where Alex and Geoff had slept. He thought the others were probably on their way and wondered if he would bump into Geoffrey in London. He almost missed Major Hawthorn who told him: “The underground knows when you’re coming and will be waiting for you.”

Klaus turned to go but was stopped by Hawthorn. “Aren’t you forgetting something?” Hawthorn passed him an envelope. “Your discharge papers from the Wehrmacht and a ration book.”

He opened the envelope to see his picture and the Wehrmacht’s official stamp.

An hour later, an RCAF flight officer appeared in the doorway. “Holzer? I’m here to pick you up and provide you with a package of information about your trip and destination.”

Klaus raised his arm and rose from the edge of his cot. He followed him to a waiting car to take them by another road to the airport. Klaus tried to strike up a conversation without success. “We’re not permitted to talk to each other,” he said as they left for the plane to take him to St. John’s and then to London. The hatch was open, and he climbed the stairs and found a seat near the front. The RCAF officer gave him the package and left to join the pilot in the cockpit. They were cleared to take off a few minutes

later, and the plane rose into the clouds. A young woman dressed in uniform offered him a coffee. He took the coffee and opened the package. The first thing that hit his eye was his name on the first page: Dieter Lehmann, electrician. There was a sentence under it. You are required to use this name the moment you leave the plane. The rest of the package included his final destination, his assignment to sabotage factories in those areas, and a list of factories in Munich, Stuttgart, and Nuremberg.

He smiled, thinking of the codes he had stashed below the lining of his boots. But best of all, he thought, he would be to connect with Karn again. But now he must find a way to let London know he no longer had access to his transmitter. He decided to visit Berlin quickly and spend a day or two with her after he was established.

The plane, a Bristol Buckingham, would take him to Germany and was waiting for them on the tarmac. It started up as soon as Klaus swung inside and strapped himself for take-off. The take-off was smooth as the plane climbed into the sky and flew from the airfield. He looked out the window, feeling he would never see Britain again. The co-pilot returned with a chocolate thermos as they entered the Channel. Klaus thanked him and sipped on the hot chocolate. It was getting dark and would probably be night by the time they reached Belgium. The pilot was flying low to avoid detection and followed a path that was mostly forested. As they neared the German border, they turned south to enter Germany. Stuttgart was only a short distance away, where they were greeted with growing anti-aircraft flack. A short time later, the co-pilot returned. “We’ll be over the drop zone in five minutes, so get ready.” He took him to the middle of the aircraft and moved the slide to produce an open space with dark clouds blotting the ground below. The co-pilot had him sit on the edge of the open space. “When I say jump, step into the opening and pull that this chord to open your parachute as soon as you leave the plane. Got it?” A few seconds later, “Jump, jump now.”

Klaus closed his eyes and jumped into a cold wind that slammed into his face, pulling his cord as he felt himself dropping. The parachute opened as the plane circled to see his parachute and head back home. He could hear in the distance the sound of a German staff car headed his way. He landed and wrapped his transmitter in his parachute before looking around to see himself surrounded.

“Holzer,” said the voice that sounded guttural to his ears. “We are the underground.”

“If you are,” said Klaus, “you should know an army staff car is headed this way. I think they spotted my parachute.”

One of the men slid his arm in his as they ran to an old truck at the end of the clearing. They helped him aboard and were off a minute later, just in time to see the army car appear. It stopped and shouted for them to

stop, sending a hail of bullets in their direction. In the darkness, their old truck escaped most of the burst. They could hear it rev up, and one of the members pounded on the cab window, “They are chasing us. Find a place to hide before they overtake us.”

Another volley headed their way. The driver began zig-zagging and slowing them down. One of the bullets hit the front left tire, and they limped ahead before seeing a forested grove. They sped inside. There was a danger the staff car would spot the grove as well and held their breaths as they heard the car go by. The driver jumped out with a flashlight to check the tire. “Everyone out,” he said as he looked at the back for a spare tube, a jack and pump. “I’ll need a couple of you to help lift the front tire a bit so I can insert the jack.” A few minutes later, he had the tire off and the tube replaced.

“The question now is which way to go?’ said the man who appeared to be the leader. “We don’t give each our names should ever we get captured by the Gestapo.”

“There is a road a few kilometres from here that will take us back to Stuttgart. It will take longer, but it will be safer,” said the driver.

“And what happens if we meet the army car doubling back?” said one of the men.

“We’ll have to take the chance,” said the leader.

A minute later, they were on the road again, only travelling at a much faster speed. The leader stood his head about the canvas and watched the trees go, looking for any kind of opening. The driver had turned off their lights to avoid detection. When he came close to the road, he turned them back on. The leader saw it as well, a small opening covered in bushes. They turned in and headed as far away from the road as possible. There were holes in the road that jarred them when they hit one after another. The leader pounded on the cab top to stop. “We can’t go one this way. Sooner or later, we’re bound to break an axle. I suggest we take turns running ahead with a flashlight to spot the holes and alert the driver. The truck ran slowly but smoothly after that, as dawn broke with a yellow glow on the horizon. The road was also a bit smoother here, with fewer potholes and, eventually, none.

“We need to get off this road as quickly as possible,” said the leader. The driver nodded, swerved onto a dirt road, and drove without meeting a single car until they came close to the city, where a few cars passed them going in a different direction. They entered Stuttgart and made several dizzying turns before coming to a stop outside a one-storey house. “This will be your home for the time being. It is a safe house. There is a middle-aged woman and her child. Her husband was arrested and taken to a Wehrmacht training camp. She had not heard from him for months and worried that he had been sent to the Russian front.”

“Frau Meier,” said the leader, “you have another guest, Herr Leh-

mann,” he said as they entered,

“Deiter Lehmann, Frau Meier,” said Klaus.

“You are German,” she said with a smile.

“With a different name, at least for now.”

The leader brought in his parachute and transmitter. “Hide the parachute in a deep hole in the backyard.”

Frau Meier pushed back her dark blond hair from her face and tried to smile. “You’re welcome, Herr Lehmann.” There were dark circles around her eyes, and she looked as though he had just finished crying. She was almost his height and helped him take off his tunic.

Her kitchen was the centre of her home. It was where she cooked and where she and her son ate their meals. The parlour was off the kitchen and looked as though it hadn’t been used in months. He stuck his head in, noticed a radio, and asked Frau Meier if they could listen to the news. “We haven’t listened to the news since my husband left. To tell you the truth, I’m scared of what I might hear. It has been months since we had word from him. Her hands trembled, and she hid them in her apron.

The leader left a short time later, and they sat at the kitchen table, unsure what to say to each other until she went to the stove and put the kettle on to heat the water and made them tea. Her 12-year-old son emerged from the cellar and was surprised to see a strange man at the table. “Herr Lehmann will be with us, Sigfried. He has been injured and will be recuperating here for a while.” Sigfried spied the crutches. “You were wounded. I hope my father does not get wounded.” There was a hesitant tone in his voice, and his mother could see he was on the edge of tears. “Maybe Herr Lehmann can help you complete your model airplane.” His face brightened, and he looked at Klaus. “It’s a Messerschmitt ME 109F. I’m not sure how to start.”

“They didn’t have kits like yours during the last war. If your mother doesn’t mind, maybe we can layout the plan for it on the kitchen table.

“Call me Marga, Herr Lehmann,” she said as she wiped the table bare. Sigfried emerged from the cellar with the airplane kit still in the box. Klaus opened the box and laid out the paper with a large drawing of the airplane.

“I want you to look at the picture and then at the pieces of balsa wood that came with it. We need to cut out each piece carefully, then we will see where it fits on the drawing. Tell me when you’ve finished.”

Sigfried looked at the piece, what was written, and then at the plans. “I see where it goes.” Klaus smiled and patted him on the back. “Perfect. We now need to lay out the frame. Show me where.” Sigfried traced his fingers at the top of the drawing and then at the bottom. “Perfect. Look at the other pieces of wood that came with it and show me where these pieces are.” Sigfried looked at all the pieces and shook his head. “I see them,” said Klaus. “If I can, so can you.”

“Even I can see them,” said his mother, refilling his mug with tea. “It

is getting onto supper time, and I will need my table again.”

“Before you do, give me ten more minutes.”

The pieces were part of one of the larger pieces. Sigfried went over the pieces individually and then had an inspiration. He looked up at Klaus, who was nodding and patting him on the back. “We will continue after supper unless your mother has other plans. Talking about supper, I almost forgot. My ration book.” He reached inside his suit coat pocket and offered it to her. She smiled and added to a large glass in the cupboard.

As soon as Marga cleared the table, Sigfried returned from the basement with his kit.

Marga looked at his crutches in the corner, and a look of pain crossed her face.

“And you, call me Deiter.”

Sigfried laid the kit on the table and another small box that came with it. He opened it to see a tube of glue and a special knife to cut out the pieces. “Now you get to work, carefully cut them according to what’s printed on the wood.”

Sigfried spent the rest of the evening carving out the pieces for the body of the plane. At nine o’clock, his mother sent him to bed and kissed him goodnight. “I hope you don’t mind, Deiter, but I didn’t realize you could not manage the stairs. I had a cot made up for you in the cellar, close to Sigfried. Tonight, I will make a bed for you in the parlour.”

“Don’t worry about it. The truth is – and I don’t want you to tell anyone else -- it’s just a prop. When anyone sees me limping with my crutches, they do not question why I am not in the army. I have forged discharge papers stating I’m wounded and may not recover from my wound. What I have told you is between you and me. I don’t want even the underground to know I don’t need crutches. If someone finds out, I’ll be swept up by the Gestapo and become a guest of their torture chamber. And while I’m confessing everything, my real name is Klaus.

“I worry about my husband and pray for him every night,” she said. “I fear he is at the front in Russia. When I went to see his unit, they just told me he was away on exercises.”

“What was his name? I have a few old friends who might be able to find out for us.”

“Manfred Meier.”

Klaus nodded. “I can’t do it right away. A couple of weeks from now, I have to meet another underground group in Stuttgart. It is the best place to find out.”

She kissed him on the cheek and left him on the stairs and cried her way to her bedroom. He went to his cot and found the transmitter underneath the quilts. He set it up slowly and sent his first code to London – arrived safe and can’t wait to start.”

The next message was to Karn. He felt the keyboard and started typ-

ing. Back in Germany. Hope to see you soon.

Almost immediately, he could hear her dots and dashes: Can’t wait. Been very sad since you left. Will let Oldenburg know.

“I’m not sure I should tell you this,” said Marga when she placed two slices of bread on his plate. “My husband mentioned to me once that a member of your underground group is a Nazi spy and not to trust any of them.”

CHAPTER EIGHT

Klaus checked his watch. London would be sending him a message in the next few minutes. He opened the transmitter case, fitted the earphones, and waited. It came a few minutes later. He wrote each letter down without thinking:

Air raid on munitions factory on the outskirts in Stuttgart. Time 10 p.m. Factory hidden among trees. Find four lights and place two in front of the building and two others behind as markers for our pilots.

The leader of the gang that rescued him two nights earlier was at the door. “Just checking on how you’re adjusting. How is Frau Meier?”

“She and her son are wonderful people.”

After listening from the parlour, Marga appeared a few minutes later to pour them tea and left again to water her garden.

“I need to get my hands on four torches.”

“Flashlights?”

“Yes, that’s what they call them in Canada.”

“What on earth for?”

“For a project I have in mind.”

He stroked his whiskered chin. He hadn’t shaved in days, and his clothes smelled and looked as though he had slept in them for a week. Klaus heard Marga’s voice about taking any of them into his confidence. “We’re having a little party tonight. I came to invite you to come and meet the rest of the gang?”

“Can’t tonight. I’ve been advised to stay put by London for an import-

ant message.”

Marga emerged from the garden after he had left. “What did he want?”

“I’m not sure.”

“You seemed disturbed,” she said, studying his face.

“He invited me to a party of the group, but I had a feeling it was something more than that.”

He decided to trust her. “I need a flashlight, actually four, for an assignment.”

“Does it have to be a flashlight?”

He was about to say yes when he realized there were other options. He looked at Marga’s face and her quiet common sense. “Remind me to buy you a new dress.”

“Good luck with that, too.”

He smiled. “Could we have supper a bit early tonight? I need to prepare myself for an adventure tonight. Do you have a potato sack I could borrow?”

She went to the woodshed and returned with an old cotton bag. “It’s not a potato sack and the only sack I have. It will do for what you have in mind. Be sure to bring it back.” It was amazing, Klaus thought, how she could read his mind as he left.

Klaus went into the park first, gathering twigs and small pieces of branches until he judged he had enough to kindle four fires before heading into a clump of trees. Klaus found thicker branches that had fallen among the tall grass, where he hid his sack out of sight from the road and returned to his hiding place.

Marga was warming his plate of turnips, potatoes and a small piece of liver when he sat at the table. Sigfried decided to wait for him before beginning supper. Marga had eaten earlier and smiled at them. “I’ve cut out all the pieces, and I think I know where to glue them. Maybe you could show me after supper.”

“Herr Lehmann is busy tonight, Sigfried.”

“For you, I will be late. I will show you, and when we have supper tomorrow, you can show me what you do.”

Sigfried gave him a big smile, and Klaus looked to see Marga smiling, too. “I need to ask you a question, Marga. How is it you can read my mind? Not just once. But all the time.”

“Because you think like my husband.”

The table was cleared, and Sigfried went downstairs to get his kit. He laid out the blueprint with the outline of the balsa wood sticking with pins on it. Now, think, check the blueprint and look in the pieces you’ve cut out.”

Sigfried’s chubby fingers picked up each piece and then onto the blueprint. He saw exactly what to do. Sigfried glued the first piece to the place he saw on the blueprint. “I can do the others. Can’t wait to show you tomorrow.”

He left a few minutes later, just as the sun was on the rim of the horizon. He glanced at his watch. An hour to go. He entered the tall grass of the park in panic. He forgot where the path started in the darkness and decided to walk through the grass in a straight line. Klaus searched each side with no luck, glanced at his watch and couldn’t quite make out the time. A wind from the north hit his face, followed by a burst of lightning. In that one second, Klaus spotted the bag and ran to it just as it started to rain. He placed the bag back on the ground and pulled bits of the grass to cover his sack. Klaus crouched, unzipped his coat, and pulled the sack under it. He scrunched the rest of the way and entered the forested area around the factory. The trees protected him from much of the rain, and he placed the sack on the ground a short distance from the back of the factory. When it stopped, he reached inside for the kindling and some of the tall grass and set fire to the grass first. It flamed immediately, and he added a few thicker branches before going to the next spot and setting fire to it.

The fires also showed his figure as Klaus ran from behind the factory and out in front, where he set the first fire and then the last one. Klaus ran as fast as he could beyond the tall grass and onto the road. The rain had stopped, and he could hear the sound of Lancasters heading in the direction of the factory. He kept running, listening to the sounds of bombs going off. And then, a huge explosion as the munition factory sent large shells into the surrounding area, exploding another nearby factory.

He knew the Gestapo would be out in force and kept to the shadows on his way back. He spotted three Gestapo armoured cars screaming down streets nearby. Another car suddenly appeared, scanning the streets with a bright searchlight. The searchlight panned in his direction, spotting him while trying to hide behind a growth of bushes. It shifted for a few seconds, enough time tp ran across the street and down the alley, stopping at a manhole cover. Klaus used his jack knife to raise an end so that he could remove it and stepped down into the darkness after replacing the cover. He walked slowly to keep his balance. The rats swarmed around his legs as he moved about the sewer, some trying to bite him through his clothes. Klaus raised his legs and slammed his feet down against the floor. He tried to run, but the water slowed him down.

Then, without warning, he slipped and fell back into the water. Klaus would feel the rats biting his face until he could stand and shake them free. He shook his head to remove the stench and felt like vomiting. Suddenly, he could hear dogs barking, and getting nearer. He ran down the sewer as best he could to find another manhole cover as their voices were getting closer. One of them flashed his flashlight down the sewer. Klaus climbed the ladder as fast as he could and replaced the manhole cover. He ran down the street, where three cars were parked. He slid under the middle one and waited until the sounds of passing vehicles and voices disappeared before rolling over to clear the car. He used the door handle

to help him to his feet. His legs ached, but he knew the faster he got home, the sooner he could relax.

Klaus kept to the shadows when entering main streets and broke into a run once he was on the outskirts. He glanced at his watch. It was now past midnight, and all the lights in the house had been turned off. He walked to the door and tried it. It opened to find Marga standing just inside the door. ”You smell awful. Come to the kitchen. I don’t want you to smell up the house more than you need to.” He followed her inside. Take off your clothes,” she said, putting a large boiler on the stove and filling it with water. She picked up his shirt and trousers and threw them into the pot. “I said all your clothes.”

Once his clothes were steaming in the boiler, he went downstairs and put on a clean shirt and trousers. He smiled at Marga, “I was surprised you didn’t have the boiler already steaming for me when I arrived.”

“Your visit to the sewer was not what my husband would have done.”

She had kept the teapot heated and filled his mug with a sly smile. “There were a lot of explosions that rocked the house earlier. I assume I can thank you for that.”

Klaus thought it wiser to keep silent and felt very tired suddenly. She looked at him. “You are ill. I can see it in your face. Tonight you will sleep in my bed where I can look after you should you get worse.” She led him inside her bedroom. Her bed was made, and she turned down the covers. A picture of her husband stood on an end table, and a large print of her mother and father was above her bed. She switched off the light as he drifted off. Marga smiled. He was such a child, she thought as she headed for the door. Klaus woke in the middle of the night, unsure where he was until he saw her body next to him before falling back to sleep.

In the morning, he woke, not quite sure where he was until he saw the picture of her husband again. He turned over, suddenly feeling tired. His arms ached. He closed his eyes and went to sleep. Marga woke him at noon and spooned him a broth her mother used to make when she was sick. Klaus went back to sleep and dreamed of Karn. When he woke, it was four o’clock, and he sat on the edge of the bed before holding on to the chair next to the bed for balance. Marga heard him from the kitchen and opened the door. “Let me help you.”

She grabbed his arms, still sore and aching and winced as she helped him to a chair at the kitchen table. She placed a mug of tea before him and made some toast. “I’m so tired I’m not sure I can eat anything.” Marga put two slices of toast in front of him. “Eat it. One thing’s for sure. If you don’t eat, you’ll never get better.” She cut the toast into small pieces and dipped them into the tea before getting him to open his mouth and swallow it. He fell asleep in his chair, and Marga let him sleep on when he woke. She had made stew with bread dumplings and put a large plate in front of him. By supper time, he had changed into his clothes and was walking.

His arms were still sore, but he felt a bit better. When the table was cleared, Sigfried went downstairs and returned with the kit and the first side of the plane. ‘Did I do right?” Klaus rubbed Sigfried’s head. “You’re a born engineer.”

Sigfried showed it to his mother, who went on washing the dishes with one of her smiles.

“Now you must do it all over again. You know where to put the frame and glue it in place. Tonight, you will cut out the remaining pieces of balsa and glue them in place and the other long pieces over them.”

“But it will be just the same.”

“You will see.”

Sigfried left to cut out the pieces and went to bed a short time later. Marga finished making porridge for the morning and was turning off the kitchen light when there was a knock. It was probably one of his underground friends who came alive at night. She opened the door to see two tall Gestapo agents. “May we come in? We are on official business.”

Marga stepped back.

“Do you live alone?”

“I have a son and a visitor. What is this all about?”

“Never mind what it’s about. How old is your son?”

“He is ten.”

“And your husband?”

The other agent had a black patch over his left eye and tightened his face as he looked around the kitchen.

“He is with the army.”

“Where?”

“I’d like to know that, too. I haven’t heard from him in months. Perhaps you could find out for me.” Marga had crossed her arms and stared back at him.

“What about your visitor?”

“He sleeps in the cellar with my son.”

“Get him for us,” said the agent with the patch.

“He may need help. He was discharged from the army because of his wounds. He needs crutches to get around. I have to help him with every step to climb stairs.” Marga pointed to the crutches in the corner. “Go and get him.”

Marga went to the basement and had him get on his tunic while she whispered. “Two Gestapo agents want to talk to you. Put your arm over my neck, and I’ll help you up the stairs,” she whispered. One of the agents watched her help Klaus to the stairs and up the stairs. It took a good five minutes, with them stopping halfway to get their breath.

The agent with the patch helped him to a chair. “Your name?” said the other agent.

Deiter Lehmann.”

“Your papers.”

He reached inside his tunic pocket, passed them to him, and bowed.

“These are your discharge papers. What about your ID?”

“I was told these papers would be enough.”

The agent with the patch looked at his crutches. “How far can you go on those.”

“I can go to the store and back. After that, my arms get very tired.” He turned to the other agent. “What’s this all about?”

“Just a routine check. We have our dog outside, who has a way with people. Sorry to intrude.” He returned later with a brown hound dog with long, drooped ears. Klaus held out his arms and folded him in his arms. The dog kept moving its head and started licking his hands.

“Too bad we can’t leave him with you,” said the agent with the patch.

CHAPTER NINE

Janicka froze and grabbed Criag’s arm as she looked into the black space below.

“Do you want me to go first?” said Alex with his arm around her waist.

She shook her head. “I’m not sure I can do this but give me a minute or two.”

Alex edged her closer to the open hatch. “I will follow you just after you jump.”

“What happens if I can’t find you?”

“Stay put. I will find you. Czech friends will be there to meet us and take us to a safe house.”

Janicka closed her eyes and jumped into the darkness. Her heart was pounding as she pulled on the cord to open her parachute. It jerked her up as it opened before slowing her descent. She looked up to see Alex’s parachute above her and felt better immediately. The Czechs were going to flash a light a few times to guide their landing, but something had gone wrong. Alex tried to manoeuvre his parachute closer to hers. There were sounds of gunfire below, but he couldn’t make out anything. The ground suddenly appeared before him, and Alex prepared to roll once he hit the ground. He could see Janicka’s parachute a short distance away. He rose, undid himself from his parachute, and wrapped it around his transmitter.

He heard her crying and ran to help her remove her parachute, which was dragging her across the field.

“I can’t stand,” she said. “I think I’ve broken my ankle,” she added, crying again. When Alex nudged her, they suddenly saw several figures pointing their rifles at them.

“If you’re Germans, say your prayers,” said a voice in Czech.

“We are the guests you’ve been waiting for,” Janicka responded in Czech. “I’ve injured my ankle and can’t walk.”

“Churchill?” said the voice.

“Churchill’s dog,” she responded.

“My name is Anton Zelenka, leader of your welcoming committee,” he said, motioning the others to sling their rifles. “The Germans are only a short distance away. We have to leave now.”

Alex unloaded his transmitter and their parachutes to two of the others. Janicka put her arms around Alex’s neck as he carried her into the forest, stopping to take off Janicka’s vest and passing it to the leader. “Be careful of this stuff. It could blow you up if you don’t handle it right.”

Alex stumbled on an exposed tree root, and he and Janicka went headlong into a briar patch. Zelenka shook his head. “Are you sure you’re the people they sent us?” He and two others helped them to their feet. “Let Ondra carry her, and you lead the way.” Janicka wiped her face with Alex’s handkerchief and saw the blood. “I’ll be disfigured for life.”

“Where exactly are we going?” said Alex.

“To the river. We have a boat that will take us into Prague. We’ll be there soon.” They walked in silence until they reached an opening in the forest. Alex could see the outlines of a rowboat in the darkness and stepped into it and helped Ondra sit Janicka beside him.

Anton took the oars and rowed out into the river. “We’re not quite there yet. The Germans guarding the bridge have a searchlight to pan the river at intervals. We will have to be very quiet once I give the word.” He pointed ahead. “We’ll wait here until another boat comes along, and we will follow in its wake.”

About an hour later, a large cargo ship appeared in the darkness, and Anton oared them into the ship’s wake. The searchlight came on and turned off once they reached the bridge. There was another searchlight on the other side, and Anton hugged the darkness of the shoreline, rowing as quickly and as close as possible near the main harbour, where he swerved to the shore. Zlenka helped Janicka out and onto the ground, where Alex picked her up and followed Anton, hugging the shadows of the streets leading to the city’s poorer area. Alex spotted a wheelbarrow and wheeled her the rest of the way. Anton headed down an alley and stopped just outside an old house, the home of an old couple who had lost their son in a shootout with German soldiers. Their officer had their son’s body thrown in front of their house. His father dragged him inside, where his mother washed

him and changed his torn clothes. One of their neighbours saw what had happened and came to help his father dig a grave for him in the backyard.

The boy’s mother opened the door almost instantly and ushered Anton inside. Zelenka and the others waited outside. “These two people are British agents sent here to avenge the death of your son. They will need your kindness until that great day comes.”

The woman and her husband were in their late 50s. Both had lost their zest for life and looked frail. She went to the kitchen and made them tea while her husband lit two more candles to show them the picture of his son.

“We can’t offer you much. We have very little of the money the Germans printed for us, and all we can afford now is candles to light our way,” said her husband.

Alex sat Janicka on a chair near the fireplace and took off her shoe. He placed one of the candles over her foot to get a better look. It had swollen and was turning colour. The woman arrived with two mugs ofand sat next to Janicka. When she saw Janicka’s foot, she edged closer and had Janicka move her foot on her apron. Janicka began to sob. “At least,” the older woman said, looking up at Alex, “it is not broken.” The older woman, whose name was Darja, rose and returned to the kitchen with a tall bottle. She uncorked it and rubbed some of the liquid over her foot over and over. “We will do this again before we go to sleep.”

Daja’s grey eyes had a haunted look. Her face was thin, and her figure was even slimmer. Alex took her hand. “Thank you for your hospitality. We have come prepared for circumstances like this. The people I work for gave us some money just for this purpose.”

In the morning, Janicka woke to the sound of Anton pounding his fist on the kitchen table in time to hear him: “The plane that was carrying you here was shot down shortly after you jumped. The crew managed to jump before it crashed, but they were rounded up within minutes. One of our informants saw the soldiers shoot them for refusing to tell them about your drop.”

No one spoke for a minute. Alex bowed in silence and reached out to Janicka. Anton wasn’t through: “You can expect the same treatment, maybe worse.”

“That assumes they’re going to capture us. And even if they do, we won’t go down without –“.

Anton was shaking his head. “We don’t even know why you’re here or why you’re risking your necks and ours.”

Janicka tried to rise but fell back in pain. “We have an important mission and will do it with or without your help.”

“Talk is cheap, especially from someone who can’t look after themselves.”

Alex raised his right hand. “Enough, both of you. We are here to kill

Reinhard Heydrich.”

Anton snorted, “Easier said than done.”

“We have another plan in mind. We’ll go into detail about that later, but we need to know his timetable and itinerary for the next week or two.”

Anton nodded. “Now we’re getting somewhere. I’ll have it for you tomorrow or Tuesday at the latest.” He returned in the afternoon with news. “It appears that Heydrich is sending out invitations for a gala dinner to a group of Prague dignitaries supporting the Nazi regime.” He could sense what was in Alex’s head almost immediately. “If you’re thinking about attacking him there, let me caution you. His guards will be out in force, and no one will be able to get within a mile of him. Also, Heydrich’s gathering will be held on a yacht in the middle of the harbour.”

The wheels were turning in Alex’s head, and when Anton left, he sat down with Janicka and told her what he had in mind. “We need to find out who will be catering the gala dinner and where you can attend as a member of the catering staff.”

The news was like a tonic to Janicka, whose foot looked much better. It still hurt when they tried to stand in it, and Daja rubbed it again. “You remind me of my brother’s daughter,” she said to Janicka, the same hair, smile and the same way of looking at me. She fell in love with a German soldier who was transferred to Paris. He helped her get a job as the kitchen helper at Hotel Grande there. She and her German soldier were killed by the French underground. My brother took his own life over it.” She paused to think back to the day they learned what had happened.

“What was her name, Daja?” said Janika, who had put her arms around her.

“Katka Steuna.”

That night, Alex sent a message to London:

Need a letter with the logo of the Hotel Grande from Paris, confirming that Katha Steuna had worked in the kitchen at the hotel and they highly recommend her. Need soonest.

The transmitter came to life a few minutes later:

Message sent to Paris underground, who will send it directly to Anton. Should be available to you on Thursday.

The letter came from Anton, who appeared on Friday morning and passed Alex the letter from the inside pocket of his jacket. “I’m not going to ask what this is about.”

“Did you find out who would be catering the big reception?”

Anton shot back: “Hotel Prague.”

“I’ll keep you posted with enough time to act, should we need you.”

On the following morning, Alex sat down with Darja and Janicka. The older woman’s face was lined, with deep wrinkles around her eyes and the corners of her mouth. “Mother Darja, Janicka needs a job. She would like like to work in the kitchen at Hotel Prague. Will you take her there and pretend she is your niece?”

“I would be very pleased. I do not know why, only that I hope it makes someone pay for what they did to my son.”

“Thank you, mother. It will. Believe me, it will,” said Alex.

“What about tomorrow?”

“Are you up to it yet?” she said to Janicka.

“I’ll be fine. Your hands are the hands of a great healer, mother.”

They took the tram to Hotel Prague. It was in the centre of the city, and the tram took almost 40 minutes before they left the tram and walked up the steps of the hotel. A hotel guest greeter stopped them at the door. “Your business?”

“My niece would like to apply for a job as a kitchen helper.”

“We don’t need any.”

“She worked at the famous Hotel Grande in Paris and has a recommendation from the hotel. She left Prague a couple of years ago when she fell in love with a German soldier, who was posted to Paris.”

“Go around to the back door and see the man in charge of the kitchen.”

They went down the steps and walked to the back to find a black-painted door with six large garbage cans on the left side. The smell of rotting food lingered in the air.

Darja rapped on the door and opened it. A tall man in a chef’s hat and apron was about to close the door he saw them. Janicka extended her hand. “This lady is looking for a job with you as a kitchen helper,” said Darja. “She is my niece who worked at the Hotel Grande in Paris. At least give her a try.”

He stood back. “How do I know you worked at the Hotel Grande?”

Janicka reached inside her purse and passed him her letter from the hotel. He read it carefully a couple of times. “You’ve got a week’s trial to let me see how you perform. You’ll be history the next day if you don’t meet expectations. If you do, you will be very welcome. Especially now. In the meantime, grab an apron and get to work. We have a special event to cater to and need experienced helpers to make sure everything goes off as it should. Your aunt can sit over there and try some of our special cakes.”

Janicka suddenly found herself running from one table island to the other, ensuring each plate looked as delicious as possible by changing how the food was presented. The chef, who had been watching her re-arrange each presentation, smiled. She would do nicely for the German yacht dinner at the end of the week.

When they arrived back, Alex was entertaining Anton, and the first

thing she did was take off her shoes. “I gather things went well,” said Alex.

“I didn’t let up working until I left. The chef has given me his approval.” Then, after a pause, “How can I sneak in the plastic explosive?”

“I’ve thought about that. What if you add another band around your waist when you go to work for the next few days? They will get used to seeing the bump and won’t ask you about the sudden bump on Friday.”

She had brought a bag of groceries, put them on the table next to the sink, and showed them to Dajar. It was like opening a present on a Christmas morning. “We haven’t seen food like this in months.”

CHAPTER TEN

The master chef was in a fit of nerves. Nothing was right. The sous-chef looked into the cold room to check the side of beef that had been delivered that morning. He sliced a piece and showed it to the chef. And the kitchen staff ran to change pots and pans and bring them to him for approval.

They ignored Janicka completely. She was given a basket of seasonings, salt, pepper, baking powder and soda to bring to the yacht. She was near the end of the line. Every person was checked along with the basket they carried. By that time, an Army Sergeant glanced inside the basket and waved her through. Janicka could feel her belt of explosive plastic slip a bit and looked for a bathroom once they reached the deck. She passed her basket to one of the other women. “It’s that time of the month,” she whispered. “I’ll keep your basket until you come back.” She ran inside, found a toilet, opened the door, and locked it inside. She raised her skirt, tightened the band of plastic explosive, and emerged from the bathroom to the woman holding her basket.

“You’re a real lifesaver,” said Janicka. “I see you’re loaded for every emergency,” said the woman, fingering the boxes inside the basket. One of the boxes contained the detonator for the plastic explosive, and she reached out for her basket. For a second, Janicka’s heart stopped.

They could feel the yacht moving away from the wharf, and she followed the other woman inside the yacht and its kitchen. Janicka was amazed at how big the kitchen was. She looked out the window to see sev-

eral military vessels surround the yacht as it made its way to the centre of the river, where it dropped anchor.

The chef went to work almost immediately. The first thing he did was to cut large steaks from the side and dip each of them in his secret sauce before readying them for cooking over a slow burner.

The vegetables, which had been peeled at the hotel, were dipped in water and prepared with seasoning before placing them on another burner. The chef stood back, his hands behind his back, and surveyed his people with a smile. “You,” he said, pointing to Janicka, “I want you to take over the desserts.”

They could hear singing from the dining room as they opened the door and entered to provide each person with a steak, followed by other servers, including Janicka, with vegetables and freshly baked bread and butter. The desserts would come later after they had toasted Hitler and had eaten. Janicka looked at Heydrich. He had a thin face, handsome in its own way, with cold blue eyes. She shivered as she made her way back to the kitchen. She was getting anxious and knew she would feel better once things were set in motion. Near the end, she could hear everyone clapping as Heydrich stood and began talking. All the kitchen staff left, standing in the dining room doorway and waiting to listen him speak.

It was now or never. Janicka unstrapped the belt of the plastic explosive and inserted the detonator in it, setting it to explode in five minutes. She undressed to her bathing suit and carried her clothes in a bag strapped to her waist. She could see that the guards had also gone downstairs – the perfect opportunity to dive off the back of the yacht. The water was icy cold, and felt even colder when she ducked her head under the dark water and swam for a few yards before bobbing up to get her breath in time to see one of the boats heading straight for her.

The boat exploded, sending it on fire and bodies flying into the water. Janicka ducked again and swam underwater for a few minutes before sticking her head up to see other boats bearing down on her. She decided to wait until one of them passed overhead before she came up for air and swam in the foam in its wake. One of the soldiers on the boat spotted her and started shooting at her. She ducked under again, and when she resurfaced, she could see the soldier aiming his rifle at her. Janicka started to dip, but the bullet hit her shoulder, making swimming far more difficult. She knew she had to wait and head in a new direction but the pain in her shoulder kept getting worse. She would have to chance it if she hoped to get to the place where Alex would be waiting for her. Janicka swam until she felt that her shoulder would fall off, but she had to keep swimming until she was only short strokes away. Then she would be able to stand. Alex could see what was happening and waded into his waist and held her in his arms.

“You’re safe now,” he said, kissing her for the second time. Anton was

waiting at the top of the hill with his car. “She’s been hurt,” said Alex. “She’s taken a bullet and needs a doctor.”

“The explosion. It was glorious. I never thought I’d see the day when I’d see the end of Heydrich.” He laughed like a teen who had just received a box of chocolates on Christmas morning.

“A doctor, Anton. She needs to see a doctor as soon as possible.”

Anton drove them to another safe house, where someone went to get a doctor for her. Alex held her hand as they waited. “They’ve gone for a doctor to remove the bullet and look after you.”

“Don’t leave my side.” Her eyes pleaded with him. “Hold my hand, and don’t let go.”

When the doctor came, he put her to sleep, dug out the bullet, and placed it on his handkerchief. Give it to her as a keepsake.” The doctor was in his late 60s, with greying hair with streaks of brown and a long face with large almond-shaped dark eyes. He had a husky voice and a manner that made patients feel better. For the record, my visit did not take place.”

They nodded and thanks him for him services. Janicka woke about an hour later. She tried to move on her side, but the pain in her shoulder was too much. “Did the doctor take out the bullet?”

Alex grabbed the doctor’s handkerchief and showed her the bullet. “He thought you might like it as a souvenir.”

Janicka tried to smile but winced when she moved her arm and drifted off to sleep again. Anton arrived with a smile: “Everyone is going crazy with the news. When she’s able to travel, let me know. The Gestapo is out in force, and we will need to take her outside the city for a while. The sooner, the better.”

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Klaus was getting ready for bed when his transmitter lit up. He put his earphones on and started taking down the message. He could tell by the way Karn punched the code it was her.

Captain Sachse needs the names and info about Allied spies in Prague. It appears they attempted to kill Heydrich. He is still alive but badly burned and out for blood. Need their names and anything you might know about them? Need info soonest.

He typed Janicka’s and Alex’s names with misgivings. He liked them both, but he also owed Captain Sachse as well. He knew intuitively he would regret it later but felt he had no other alternative.

I am tempted to come to you. No pix available, but Janicka was chosen to represent Czechoslovakia in the Olympics. How about you?

Captain Sachse shook his head. Everything fitted. Once they had a photograph of Janicka, it would be simple for Keydrich’s people to find her while she was still in Prague. “Take down this message, marked Confidential:

We are enclosing the picture of a Czech swimmer who set off the bomb and swam away to safety.

Klaus felt down in a way he never expected. He had no other alternative but to help Sachse. One of his mother’s sayings echoed in his head: We lie to ourselves to make ourselves feel better and he knew then that was exactly what he had done.

Heydrich was in a fit. His face, arms and hands were blistered and would take weeks to heal, but he would be marked for life. He would make the persons responsible for this and make them the most horrible death he could imagine. His assistant brought the picture of the woman and showed it to him.

His assistant was a Prussian and wore a monocle. He disliked Heydrich and secretly hoped he would die from the blast. He was still in his 20s, with a boyish look, blue eyes and blond hair. “Our people and the Gestapo are searching for her as we speak.”

“See that I am informed the minute they have her in her custody. I want to see her face-to-face.”

***

Anton arrived two days later with the news they were dreading. “Heydrich is still alive. His face, legs and arms are badly burned. On top of everything, he’s offered a huge reward to whoever leads them to you. It’s time for you both to leave here.”

“Janicka is much better now. We were sent here to assassinate Heydrich, and I hate to leave a job unfinished. The last thing he’ll expect is us coming after him.”

Anton rubbed his chin and shook his head. “I don’t want to be responsible for your deaths because sure as hell you won’t be alive to tell the tale unless you get out while you can.”

“I’ll talk it over with Janicka.”

“I’ll be back tonight and bring a friend in case we run into trouble.” Anton shook his hand. “We’ll get you into France or Belgium and have you meet with the underground there.”

“Something’s not right,” said Janicka. “I can feel in it my bones.”

“Anton’s right about one thing. The longer we stay in Prague, the more likely we’ll be discovered and tortured.”

They were packed and ready to go when Anton arrived with one of his underground friends, an older man with a grey beard with fire in his eyes. He chewed tobacco and kept spitting it out the car window as they headed down one of the back roads. The car’s headlights were dimmed, and the travel had slowed to a crawl in places.

Alex was getting a little nervous. “How do you plan to get into France without being stopped by border guards?”

“We’ll drive past them, crashing through the gates if we have to,” said Anton.

“I know this border gate,” said Janicka with panic rising in her voice. Alex held her hand, “pray we reach the other side without problems.”

“I don’t like it. Turn the car around,” she shouted to Anton, who ignored her. He pushed his pedal to speed to the border gate, slowing when the guard pointed his rifle at them. Anton rolled down the window. “This couple of love birds want to get married and are eloping to France, where

they will get married.”

“Get out. All of you,” said the soldier. “I want to see your papers.”

Anton ignored him and started the car, and two other guards appeared with their rifles pointed at them. An officer appeared and opened the car door. He grabbed the old man and hauled him out while another guard grabbed Alex and stuck a bayonet in his back. “Now,” he barked in German to Janicka, “let’s see who you’re marrying.”

The officer had the four of them enter the small hut on the right side of the gate, where they sat until the officer, a young man with a hard face and grey eyes, put the phone down. “It seems that this young woman almost killed Heydrich,” he said to the guards. “We are to hold them here until the Gestapo arrives to pick them up.” He ignored Anton and the old man and locked Janicka and Alex in a room with a guard in front of the door.

An hour later, they could hear the sirens of two Gestapo cars heading their way. Captain Norbert Bruckner, dressed in a black uniform and carrying a swagger stick, opened the door and stood legs apart with his arms crossed. Four other Gestapo stood behind him. He looked at Janicka. “And this is the woman who almost managed to kill Heydrich? This is going to be interesting indeed. And you are her companion, I assume.” Alex didn’t respond. Buckner nodded to the other agents, who handcuffed them and seated them in the rear seat of the second black car. Looking out the window, Alex could see Bruckner shaking Anton’s hand before getting into his car and heading back to the city.

“Did you see what happened back there?”

Janicka nodded. “You never really know who your real enemies are. They never taught us that at Camp X.”

When they arrived at Gestapo headquarters, they were uncuffed and placed in one of the cells. Several other people occupied four other cells. There was almost a mewing sound that made you feel uncomfortable when the large iron gate at the entrance was slammed shut with a resounding echo of finality.

“Hold me,” said Janicka. Alex put his arms around her and brushed her hair back. “Things may look black at the moment, but we will escape from here,” said Alex.

“You seem awfully sure of yourself,” she said. Deep down, she felt they had come to the end of the road. She just hoped it wouldn’t take long.

In the morning, one of the agents unlocked their cell door and motioned to her to follow him. He led her upstairs, to the other side of the building, and down another set of stairs. Bruckner suddenly appeared like a ghost in a puff of smoke. “You seem like an intelligent young lady, Janicka. I hope you don’t mind calling you by your first name, but I have a soft spot for Olympic people.” He paused to see how she was taking it. “I’d like to ask you a few questions, if I may.”

Janicka sat silently, waiting for the other shoe to drop. Bruckner

smiled, “we were very impressed with your attack on one of Reich’s great heroes. Who was behind it?”

She didn’t respond. “Then, let me ask you another question. We know you were trained at Camp X in Canada. Can you provide us with the names and locations of your group?”

“We had names at the camp but were given new names when we entered the field.”

“And the people who looked after you once landed here?”

“They didn’t tell us their names. Ask Anton. You seem to be on familiar terms with him.”

He drew back and punched her face, knocking out one of her teeth. “Heydrich has instructed us to rough you up before you’re paraded before him. He wants you to die a very painful death.”

He drew back and hit her even harder. This was followed by several more until her face was bleeding, and she could barely talk before she was led back to her cell and dumped inside. Alex helped her to her feet and covered her on the cot. “I’ve saved my supper for you. “My jaw hurts so badly. I’m not sure I could eat anything.” He ignored her and put a spoonful of gruel to her lips. She kept coughing as she swallowed a spoonful. “Hold me. Please hold me and never let me go. I think I will die here and leave you here to die on your own.”

“We have to stay positive, Janicka. We will escape here one way or another.”

“They asked about Camp X and the people we graduated with. I didn’t tell him anything.”

Morning came too soon. Breakfast was served, but she had trouble swallowing any of it. Alex filled his mug with water and added a spoonful of breakfast gruel so that she could sip on it.

They came in the early afternoon, dragged her out of the room, and pushed her down the corridor, the stairs, and to the torture room again. When they came to a halt, they ripped the clothes off her back and lashed her over and over. She passed others chained to the wall, each skin and bone bearing lash marks all over their bodies.

Bruckner appeared when the whipping ended. He poured ice water over her back. “Before we continue, you may consider helping us with our information.” He nodded, and the whipping began over again. It continued that way the rest of the afternoon until her back was raw.

When they brought her back to the cell, Janicka was crying and could barely stand. Alex saw her naked back and rushed to help her to her cot. She sat on the cot and looked at him. “I want you to kill me. “I can’t go on like this.”

Alex held her hands and kissed them.

“I mean it, Alex. I want you to kill me. If you don’t, they will do even worse things to me, and I will suffer horrific pain, even worse than now.

There is no way out of here. Promise me you will kill me. I will go to sleep happy if I know that.”

He didn’t feel he had it in him. He loved Janicka too much and dreaded what the morning would bring. When morning came, she was still sleeping, and he left her be. Breakfast came, and he tried to rouse her, but she didn’t respond. He shook her more. And when that failed, he checked her pulse. There wasn’t any. She had got her wish and willed herself to death. When the guard came to escort her for more interrogation, Alex told him she was dead. “Your torture killed her.”

The guard left and sought Bruckner, who returned to look at her corpse. “She had such promise and threw it all aside for what.” He shook his head. “Get your things together. Heydrich wants to see you if he can’t see your companion. “Get yourself ready. We’re taking you to see Heydrich.” His grey steel eyes had a coldness that made Alex shiver. “I have a feeling you won’t be coming back here. I will drive you to his office to make sure you get there.”

Alex packed his clothes into his bag and his briefcase containing his transmitter and waited in the cell until Bruckner escorted him to his car, where Alex was told to sit in the back with a young Gestapo agent. “Do you know why he wants to see me?”

“Frankly, I think it’s a waste of time. I suspect it’s to figure out your weakness and devise some torture that could cause you the most pain. That’s because he feels cheated about not being able to make the person directly responsible pay in ways you can only imagine.”

Alex looked out the window. The day was more beautiful than he could imagine as they passed one field of intense greenness after another. Ahead he noticed a train coming down the tracks. So did Bruckner, who pressed his foot on the pedal. His agent looked alarmed. “We’re not going to make it in time.”

The crossing was a few seconds away as the train seemed to gather speed, crashing the front of the car. Bruckner ignored his agent and pressed down harder on the gas pedal. The crash lifted Alex over the seat and against the windshield, coming to rest over Bruckner’s and his agent’s bodies. The train dragged them along the tracks away from the highway as the car turned over and over before coming to rest in a ravine away from the railway tracks. Alex looked at their faces, which were bleeding. He opened the car door and could barely stand. The scenery seemed to whirl around him, and he rested on one of the fenders to steady himself. The car suddenly broke into flame, and Alex grabbed his transmitter and crawled away as far as he could before the car exploded. When it did explode, the car exploded, throwing him into the brook.

Alex washed his face, which was oozing blood from a glass shard and pulled some grass to wipe the blood from his face. He searched his pockets for something that could stem the blood. There wasn’t any. He crawled

away from the brook, leaving a trail of blood before reaching a moss-covered patch of grass. He pulled a handful and knitted them into something to wipe his face. It stuck to the side of his head, and he could feel blood mixed with his hair. Alex pulled a few more handfuls and, before long, could stand and stagger to the highway, where he could hear a car coming and looked up to see a car approach him. It stopped, and the driver waved his arm to approach. Alex looked inside to see Anton unlocking the door for him.

“Where’s your young lady?”

“She was tortured until no skin was left on her back, and she mercifully died before morning.” Alex could barely get the words out. He felt he was somehow to blame and wished now he hadn’t come up with the idea to kill Heydrich.”

“You look like hell.” Anton reached into his pocket for his handkerchief and helped him remove the blood from the side of his head.

“Where are we headed?”

“Anywhere but Czechoslovakia. I had an understanding with Bruckner, but that I see has ended. I saw the accident some distance away and am glad you were the only survivor. We must leave here before the highway gets crowded with Gestapo cars.”

Anton sped down the highway at breakneck speed. “You’ll have us in another crash if you don’t slow down,” said Alex as they raced around a sharp curve in the road. Anton ignored him, and Alex held his seat as they crossed one bump after another before turning onto the main road to Belgium. Anton slowed down and began talking again. “Any idea where we’re heading at the end of the rainbow?”

“The French underground and then back to England. I need to send a message to England as soon as possible. We would have been fine if they hadn’t get their hands on a picture of Janicka and her name. I know exactly how they got that information and who provided the Gestapo with it.”

They stopped in Belgium to eat, refuel and entered France just as night was falling and the driving a little more difficult. “I know a friend who operates a small hotel near here. He’ll put us up for the night and see us on our way in the morning,” he said as he took an upcoming exit and drove down a cobblestone road to his friend’s hotel. There was only one car out front, and Anton left to check the lobby and look for his friend, who was coming down the stairs when he entered.

“Henri, mon vieux,” Anton shouted. Henri Maisonette smiled as soon as he heard his voice. “What brings you here, Anton?”

“The Gestapo. We’re on our way to the English Channel and have been dodging the Gestapo almost all the way here. We need a room to rest up for a day or two.”

“Understood. I’ll let Josette know you’re here. She always talks about you.”

Now in her early 20s, his daughter opened her arms and hugged him when she emerged from the kitchen. “It’s like old times, Anton. Who is your handsome friend?”

“A friend who is also trying to escape the clutches of the Gestapo.” Henri escorted them upstairs to the largest room on the second floor, with a large bay window that opened to the garden below and the bay beyond. Now in his late 40s, Henri was clean-shaven, with thin lips, dark blue eyes and long sandy-coloured hair, which he kept brushing back as he talked. Henri had a fondness for snails, which his dining room offered, and a smile he wore like a mask. When he left them, he had Josette bring them supper and a bottle of Cognac, compliments of the house.

“I need to send a message to London,” said Alex, who was becoming edgy. He opened his briefcase and withdrew his transmitter and earphones, and started his message:

Janicka was tortured to death, betrayed by our friend in Germany, who provided her name and her picture to the Gestapo in Prague. He has gone rogue, and no important info should be relayed to him going forward. On way to Paris and the coast. Will send updates as I reach the coast.

A few minutes later, the transmitter came alive, and he grabbed the earphones and a pad to write down the message.

Your information is very timely. We were about to have him help a famous Austrian scientist escape the clutches of the Gestapo. Would you be able to take it on?

Alex wrote back:

Need all info about the person involved. Location of the person. Current status with Gestapo, if kept under lock and key, etc.

You look as though you’ve seen a ghost,” said Anton.

“They want me to rescue an Austrian scientist and bring him to England. But after one brush with the Gestapo, I’m not sure I’m the person for the job.”

Anton rubbed his chin. “To England, you say. If you’re heading there yourself, the fast way for us to get there might be with our new friend.”

CHAPTER TWELVE

The next day, Henri and Anton went out to find a deserted car with French licence plates, which they exchanged for his Czech plates. “Josette has a boyfriend in Paris underground and was wondering if you could take her with you. I know she will be in good hands, mon vieux.”

They both looked at Alex, who knew they would ask his opinion. “Actually, it will make our journey there even easier if the French police or the Gestapo are on the lookout for two men. Should we be stopped, she can tell them she is Anton’s daughter and is on their way to see her grandmother.”

That night, he turned on his transmitter and told them that everything depended on the scientist’s status with authorities and that they needed a quick response. A few minutes later, his transmitter lit up, and he took his pad and earphones and began taking down each of the letters.

Dr. Adler Zimmerman under house arrest at his home in Paris. He is guarded outside by two soldiers and has a German housekeeper to look after him. If rescued, you and he would be picked up by plane and brought to London.

It was settled and they left two days later with enough food to keep them until they reached Paris. They were stopped three times en route by two German soldiers at each barricade to check each of their papers, with Josette flirting shamelessly with each of them. Anton cocked his head at Alex and smiled.

They stopped on the outskirts of Paris and were getting ready to sleep outside in the park when they were roused by a policeman, who suggested a place for them to stay. “My brother has a hotel close by. Tell him I sent you. He will give you a good price.”

L’Hotel Chien d’Or was a ten-minute walk, where Anton left Josette and Alex off while he found a place to park. The night was warm, and a

soft breeze from the Seine helped to make everything magical. Josette did all the talking, telling the desk clerk she was the daughter of a hotel owner near the border while offering him a coy smile. “I am here with my two uncles. I joined them to see my lover, who is in the underground.”

They were settled in one large room with two beds and were in the process of unpacking when someone knocked on their door. Josette opened it and saw a young man. “Someone was tossing the name of the Maquis around carelessly, and I came to investigate.”

He looked at Alex and suddenly broke into English. “I’m not sure why you’re here, but you dress like an Englishman, and you’re bound to be picked up by the police or the Gestapo. It’s a dead giveaway.”

“Do you know Phillippe Beausoliel?” said Josette.

“Who is asking?”

“Josette.”

“If you know Phillippe, tell them Josette is in Paris and wants you to see him.”

He bowed and left as quietly as he came. “If he’s from the Gestapo, which I doubt, we will certainly know in a matter of minutes. If not,” said Anton, “You will see your Phillippe soon.”

There was a faint knock on the door just as they were being served supper. There was a light in Josette’s eyes as she rose and went to the door. She opened it to find the manager with a policeman standing behind him. “You failed to provide ID papers when you signed in. The police brought that to my attention. We need to see them now.” There was a hint of regret in his voice as he looked over Josette’s shoulder and at her father.

“I am Henri Beauséjour, proprietor of my own hotel near the Czech border. We did not think we needed to sign in. We are, after all, brothers of the same profession.”

“Pardon, M. Beauséjour. It is at the request of this gentleman behind me that insists upon it.”

Henri opened the door wider, bowed as the manager and policeman entered, and stood at the centre of the room. Your papers, gentlemen.”

Henri reached into his inside pocket and produced his papers. “I did not think I needed documents for my daughter.” The policeman studied Josette’s face. “She’s better looking than you, monsieur.” He turned to Alex and Anton. “And these two?”

“They’re friends of mine. They are both Czechs, and we all played together when we were boys and sought out les belles filles when we grew up. They liked French demoiselles.”

“Let them speak for themselves.”

Anton and Alex passed them their papers and held their breath. The policeman nodded and passed them back to them. “May I make a suggestion? Avoid the high-priced clubs, which are favourites of the Germans.”

Henri looked at his daughter. “At least we know our first visitor was

from the underground. In the meantime,” he added, looking at his pocket watch, “let’s get to sleep. Tomorrow is a box filled with wonderful surprises for us.”

Josette ignored him, sat in a chair before the door with one of the blankets from her cot around her, and nodded off. In the morning, Henri smiled as he saw her, mouth open and in a deep sleep. There was a knock at the door, and he shook her shoulder. “There’s someone at the door.” Josette rose from her bed and ran into the washroom to brush her teeth and hair. Henri woke Alex and Anton before going to the door. Three unshaven men with black stubble over their faces extended their arms. The youngest, who stood behind the others, pushed his way inside. “I’m Phillippe, and here to see Josette with my father and uncle. We are also members of the Maquis and have been asked to assist you.”

Henri shook his hand. “And these are my associates – Anton and Alex.”

Josette rose and drew Phillippe into the room. “This is Phillippe,” she said, introducing him to her father. “How do you come to know my daughter, young man?” Josette elbowed her father. “We met at a dance one night.”

“Why am I always the last to know these things?”

“Let us return to our mutton,” said the older man. ‘We are here to offer help.”

Henri looked at Alex, who stepped forward. “Our people in London have asked me to rescue Adler Zimmerman, a well known physicist. London believes he could be very useful to our effort to end the war. We understand he is guarded outside by two German soldiers and has a German woman to look after him inside.”

“So you need our help to pry him loose. That’s fairly easy as far as the outside guards are concerned, but silencing the woman inside before she can alert the Gestapo, who would be there before we got him out of their reach. That’s another matter.””

“When can we start?”

“On Bastille Day,” said the older man, the tallest of the group, with dark brown eyes, curly black hair, and a tendency to slap his side as he makes a point. “The Germans will get caught up with it and have to deal with a few uprisings around Paris. For those who don’t know when Bastille Day is, it’s on the 14th, four days from now.” He searched their faces for their nods. “Good, we will strike then. We will also need you with us.”

“You got it,” said Anton, who glanced at Alex and Henri. “It will be a night to remember.”

“What if there were no problems for the Germans that night?” said Alex.

“We are the Maquis. The demonstrations will take place precisely at the time we rescue our friend. Phillippe will be in touch with you to make sure we’re all on the same page.”

Phillppe appeared again on the day before the big celebration. “It seems our guest has taken ill and needs the care of a German cardiologist, who arrived at his doorstep a few hours ago. So be ready for any change in plans.”

He winked at Josette and disappeared as quietly as he came. “You have to admit, he’s a handsome lad,” said Henri. “Let us hope he is equally gifted in prying our guest loose.”

Alex opened his briefcase and took out his transmitter and earphones, and began sending a message:

Plans to rescue our guest may be delayed. A German cardiologist treating him. Advise, please.

A few minutes later, his transmitter it up:

Proceed as planned by Maquis. Will send a heart doctor on plane.

“They want us to go ahead as planned,” Alex told them. “Make sure Phillippe knows the next time he comes.”

The three of them arrived around supper time. “We’ve come to take you all to supper at a safe house. My wife has been cooking it all day with gifts from other friends who donated ration coupons.”

“We borrowed a car from the Germans, and it awaits without,” added Phillippe with a wink at Josette. “My mother wants to meet you.”

She ran into the washroom again, applied makeup, and combed her hair. She had brought one good dress with her, slid it on, and emerged a few minutes later with a bright smile.

“That must be a record,” mumbled her father. They locked their room and went down the stairs and onto the street, where a German limousine awaited them. They entered, and the limo was off, crossing and double-crossing again and again before stopping on a three-storey tenant 20 minutes later. Phillippe’s younger brother, who had been waiting for them, opened the door. His mother came and looked over his shoulders. Josette ran ahead and hugged her.

“So, this is the beautiful Josette all my men are raving about. Welcome.” She rose and went into the kitchen. She hugged her again and led her to the end of the table to sit next to her. Josette followed to help her load the tray with fruit and whipped cream and followed her back to the table to dish them out before sitting down. As they ended the entré, Josette followed her again to the kitchen to bring in a large bowl of potatoes and a platter of small steaks.

“Take your time eating. It’s all we got left except for dessert,” Josette announced.

When they entered the kitchen with the plates, they returned with a small cake and a large cup of coffee. The men had started smoking, with Alex and Anton coughing the French tobacco and others slapping them on their backs.

Phillippe’s mother, a religious woman with long black hair and large black eyes that smiled as she talked and a thin figure, bowed her head to pray.

Phillippe’s father entered his wine cabinet and filled their glasses with wine. He stood and raised his glass. “France Libre” followed by “Paris Libré.” They all joined in and finished their coffees.

“All our neighbours joined in with coupons to make this feast possible. Say a prayer for them and France Libré when you go to bed tonight.”

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Phillippe arrived to tell them that the taxi was waiting for them and for them to check out. They went downstairs to find the lobby empty and paid their bill and walked out to the taxi that took them back to a different safe house close to Dr. Zimmerman No one spoke in the cab, who nodded when they left and sped out of sight.

“That is Pierre. One of our members. He will pick us up at nightfall,” said Phillippe’s father. Josette and Phillippe’s mother, Marie, left for the kitchen to cook the evening meal.

“Do you plan to leave for London with the others?” said Marie.

“I was hoping to stay with Phillippe.”

Marie hugged her. “You are the right person for my Phillippe. Everything good and best in his life will come from you.”

Josette didn’t know quite what to say and hugged her. “My father will want to go back to our hotel. He will be worried about my mother.”

The men were discussing their strategy. “Four Bastille celebrations are set for dusk when the fireworks will start. We suspect German troops will be called to disperse the crowd,” said the older man. ”They will expect the

celebrations to take place at the same places as in years before. They will be held at different locations this time, drawing troops away from the professor’s home. This year, the celebrations will have greater turnouts, forcing the Germans to use more manpower to put them down and get people to leave.”

They could hear Pierre honking for them outside. Marie pushed the curtains aside and nodded to them. They left, with Phillippe’s father leading the way and into the taxi.

Josette grabbed her father’s arm. “I will be here when you get back. Look after yourself.” She hugged him and returned to Marie. “This is the time worst of all, waiting to see if they will come back,” said Marie.

It was dark when they arrived a block from the professor’s home and parked under a tree to avoid attention. The fireworks started in various places, and residents left their homes to see them. Their attention of the two guards outside the professor’s home will be on the fireworks. They crept forward, putting their hands over each guard’s mouth to prevent them from crying out for help. Phillippe’s father opened his bottle of chloroform and dampened his handkerchief with it and covered their faces with it. They slumped to the ground, their rifles clattering on the cement stairs to the house. The woman inside was also watching the fireworks from a window with her back to them and did not hear them enter. They crept up behind her and used the chloroform to put her to sleep.

The professor walked into the room unexpectedly. “What is going on?”

“We’re here to rescue you, professor,” said Henri.

“I do not want to be rescued. I am an old man who wants to be left in peace. Please.” The professor was short, had a large stomach, and wore a pince-nez with a black ribbon with grey hairs hanging from it. “I have important work to do. Leave me in peace.”

They looked at Alex. “Give him some chloroform, and if we have to carry him to the plane, so be it.” They removed two rods from the curtains, tied their jackets into a stretcher, lifted it, and headed for the door. They ran as fast as they could down the street, still unnoticed and dumped him inside the taxi. Pierre backed into a driveway and headed back to reach the main highway. About 30 minutes later, they swerved onto another road leading them into the countryside, stopping at a farm still cloaked in darkness. They could hear a plane circling above them and finally landing farther down the pasture. They ran, with Henri and Alex taking turns on the stretcher and running as fast as possible to the plane. The hatch door was open, with an RAF officer looking down at them. The professor was heavier than they thought; it took four of them to get him aboard.

The sound of cars coming their way made them back off, and they ran to get into the taxi. Alex jumped aboard and waved to them. The aircraft’s twin engines revved up, started down the pasture, and lifted off just as

two German military trucks reached the farm. The soldiers had unslung their rifles and were shooting at them. Two of the bullets went through the windshield, hitting the pilot. The co-pilot took over before the pilot slumped over the controls and guided the plane into the clouds. It was no moon to help them get their bearings, and he called back to the navigator to put them on a path to reach the Channel and the protection of English planes. They emerged from the clouds to see a squadron of German fighters below. The pilot rose above into another cloud bank, not sure if the fighters had spotted them. The navigator came to the cockpit to remove the wounded pilot and tell him that there would be no cloud cover when they reached the coastal area. “That would be in about ten minutes from now.”

Alex had the professor laid out on the floor. He was coming to and trying to raise himself on his elbows. Alex went to him. “I’m cold. And where am I?”

Alex looked at the navigator. “He’s freezing to death and needs a blanket.” The navigator shrugged his shoulders and went back to his chart. Alex unbuttoned his jacket and threw it over him. The professor smiled and went back to sleep. Alex went to the co-pilot. The pilot is breathing hard and needs something warm over him. “Help me take off my jacket and put that over him. He’s a great guy. Taught me everything I know about flying.”

A couple of minutes later, they were in the open sky with another German squadron waiting for them broking formation to go after them in different directions. The co-pilot also moved the plane in different directions to keep the fighters at bay. They were in open water now, and he had the navigator call for help.

They rose as high as possible and dived when least expected before rising again. The German fighter pilots caught on to his techniques and came at him as one group. The left engine caught fire in their first pass. He watched them rise, turn, and come back again, this time very close, before shooting at the other engine. The co-pilot shook the plane to get them off target. A few minutes later, a squadron of Spitfires appeared in the sky in front of him. The German aircraft left in a hurry. The lame engine was on fire, with the flames reaching close to the cockpit. They were losing altitude, but the co-pilot dived sharply in an attempt to kill the fire before rising as high as he could. They were close to the water now. The cliffs of Dover appeared suddenly. The co-pilot called back to the navigator to dump everything weighing them down. The other engine died, and he glided as far as he could, aiming for a field just ahead.

They landed with a bump that shook them all. The navigator was on the floor, and Alex used both arms to keep the professor and the wounded pilot from being thrown to the back.

“Everybody out,” shouted the co-pilot as the navigator rose and opened the hatch. “It might catch fire at any time.” The Spitfire pilot saw

what was happening and radioed for an ambulance, which arrived a few minutes later. The ambulance driver and his assistant looked after the pilot first, putting him on a stretcher and inside the ambulance. They then helped the professor to his feet and guided him down the steps to the ground before returning for the pilot.

The professor was able to walk. Alex held his arm to keep him steady. “Where am I?”

“In England, Professor Zimmerman. Safe and sound and now with friends and colleagues who have been worried about you.”

“And who are you?”

“An English spy sent to Paris to help you escape from the Germans.”

When they reached the hospital, several Marine guards suddenly appeared and followed them inside, where the professor was examined.

“He’s a tough old bird,” said the doctor, who had examined him as he wrapped his stethoscope around his neck with a wide smile.

An hour later, a carload of the professor’s associates arrived. ”We heard you escaped the Germans,” said Dr. Prazak, a pre-war associate. “With you among us, nothing will hold us back.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Colonel Ramsay from Alex’s days at Camp X arrived at Alex’s door at the military hotel in London. “I heard you and Janicka had a lot of bad luck. She died, I understand.”

Alex nodded and set his mouth. “In the end, she wanted me to kill her to avoid being tortured again. I ignored her and helped her go to sleep, dreading the morning. But when I awoke, I found she had died in her sleep.” He tried to keep back the tears, but they zigzagged their way down his cheeks. Col. Ramsay put his arm around him until he stopped. Alex felt pain in his throat. “I loved her even though we were never lovers.”

“What about Klaus? He was responsible for her death. I hope someone got to him. If not, I will.”

“That gentleman,” said Ramsay “He disappeared, complete with our codes, which have been changed, thanks to you, but still with knowledge of everyone who trained with him. We will be sending another team to track him down. And great work for bringing Zimmerman to us. The Germans were using his knowledge of atoms for a formula to end the war for all of us. He will be valuable in helping us learn where they are doing their work and how advanced they are. “ Ramsay, who had a fondness for Litotes, nodded. “It is not unthinkable that the Germans might be more advanced than we thought.”

“You need to thank the Maquis and a Czech underground friend who did all the heavy lifting,” said Alex.

“I will make sure they are well thanked and remembered. Anything else?”

“I’d like to join the team seeking Holtz out. I want him to know how Janicka died.”

“Afraid not. You’re apt to mess things up with the anger inside you.

This team is being sent to blow up the place where the Germans are doing most of their experiments. We need to set them back a pace or two. They will seek him out.”

“This team will not know him.”

“They do. They trained with you and have undergone further training for this mission in particular.”

“I feel that the people who run Camp X know I am not on their side going forward,” said Klaus. “I did something I should not have done, which was very stupid of me.”

Captain Sachse patted him on the back. “You had no option. Heydrich is not the kind of person you say No to. He doesn’t give a damn if he blows your cover as long he gets his pound of flesh. We all have to live with people like him and get along as best we can, no matter if our conscience tells us otherwise.”

“Some of the underground people, here and elsewhere, don’t know about this. You can still be useful. I suppose you heard that the Brits kidnapped Dr. Zimmerman, who was chosen to work on the Fuhrer’s secret project. If I were them, I’d send some agents to Farm Hall, where we are currently undergoing tests. You might want to take the train and check how strong their security is. I will let Heisenberg know to expect you. Anything else?”

“Yes. Frau Meier keeps asking me to find out about her husband. She has not heard from him in months, and when she asks about him, his unit never gets back to her. Could you find out?”

Sachse called him late in the afternoon. “Regarding Meier, he was sent to Russia, and we believe the Russians may have captured him. I hope this helps.”

When he went home, Klaus was not sure what to say to Frau Meier and waited until after supper. When Sigfried was downstairs working on another model airplane, he reached for her hand. She immediately withdrew it. “I have news about your husband. Not good news, I’m afraid.” Frau Meier froze and looked at him straight in his eyes. “He is missing, and they believe he may have been captured by the Russians.”

She put her palms together. “Thank God. At least we know he is still alive.”

“Let me emphasize, that is what his unit believes.”

Frau Meier shook her head. “I know you have been troubled in recent days.”

Klaus nodded. “To make matters worse, I’ve been asked to travel North by my Captain on a special mission. I have a feeling I might not be coming back.”

“Don’t say such things.”

Later, when he tried to sleep, he knew he needed to talk to Karn, who

would not be at work until morning. He tossed and turned until sunrise when he finally found sleep. He awoke around ten o’clock, withdrew his transmitter and earphones and sent her a message.

I need to call you on phone. Best time to call?

I am free now, came her answer seconds later.

He dialed her number, and she picked up the phone immediately. “It is wonderful to hear the sound of your voice again,” she said. “I also know about your assignment. It won’t take long. And I think Captain Sachse has other plans for you that could bring you to Berlin.”

“I need the comfort of your voice. I have done something I cannot talk about, which keeps me awake every night. I also feel I will have to deal with it one way or another while on my assignment.”

“I hope it’s not another woman.”

“No, it’s not that. You are the only person in my life and always will be.”

“You are a strong man, Klaus. Remember that. Face up to whatever you need to do, and you will feel relieved more than you realize.”

Klaus felt a bit better as he packed his bag, briefcase and transmitter, took a taxi to the train station, bought a ticket to Godmanchester. Four hours later, the train conductor alerted him that they would be pulling into Godmanchester in ten minutes. He picked up his briefcase and bag and went to the front of the carriage. The train stopped unexpectedly, jerking him ahead and against the conductor, who steadied himself and helped him off the train. The station was filled with Wehrmacht soldiers waiting for a train. The air was blue with smoke when another soldier made his way through the haze. “Lieutenant Holzer, my name is Heinz, and I’m here to take you to Farm Hall.” Klaus followed him to his car and threw his bag and briefcase in the back seat.

Werner Heisenberg, who headed the scientists at Farm Hall, stood waiting for him, took his bag and briefcase, and led him inside. “I’ll introduce you to our group at dinner, but now we need to you get squared away,” he said as he made his way down a long corridor with no windows and to the residence where the scientists were billeted. They stopped at the door near the end, where Heisenberg opened the door for him. “This is your home while you’re with us. A few things you should know before meeting our scientists. They do not know why you’re here. They’re like scared hens at any hint of danger.

Heisenberg had a round face and wore his hair to cover his forehead like Hiltler’s. He had two gold teeth, which he liked to show off with constant smiles, and slate grey no-nonsense eyes that let you know who was in charge. “Dinner is at six sharp. Come early, and I’ll introduce you to some

of our leading scientists.”

“Before you go, I note you have only one soldier outside the entrance.”

“I know the Wehrmacht is concerned about our safety precautions, but we’ve been getting along like this for some time now without any interference from Berlin.”

Klaus unpacked slowly and opened his briefcase and his transmitter, and sent Karn a message:

Ensconced at Farm Hall. Waiting to see scientists at dinner tonight. Heisenberg let me know I am not needed here.

He sat down on one of the two large brown leather chairs. His bed looked comfortable enough, and on the wall next to the bed was a bookcase filled with scientific books. The walls were painted yellowi, where paintings of the old castle and other areas of Godmanchester were hung. A colour picture of Hiltler looked down over the bed. He felt tired, closed his eyes, fell asleep, and woke to see the clock at 5.45. He washed quickly and ran down the corridor in search of the dining room. A man dressed in a white coat bowed and opened the door for him. Heisenberg was already there and talking to two others.

“We were just talking about you,” said Heisenberg with a smile. “I mentioned that you had come here to check our heating system. As you know, gentleman, it is sorely needed.”

One of them picked up a glass of wine and presented it to him. “You must excuse us. We are working on ways to split the atom but cannot fix our heating system,” he said with a loud laugh. More scientists entered and were introduced to him. They were all dressed in white shirts, bow ties and blazers and liked to kid each other. He watched them laugh at each other’s jokes and brush back their white hair. Tomorrow, he would make a thorough assessment of their safety operations and make a list of what should be changed.

Col. Ramsay let Alex sit for a couple of minutes before beginning. “We’re prepared to send you back to Camp X to train others from what you learned in the field, but something has come up that may interest you. You’ve proved you can survive in tough times, and we need your kind of approach for something else.” He paused without seeing a reaction from Alex. “Our latest intelligence suggests that they’re beefing up their safety operations at Farm Hill, and we’ve decided to put off sending your two friends there for a while. But we need someone on the ground. If you’re up to it, we’d like you to go there and provide us with daily updates about the changes they’re adding and how best to deal with them.”

“Will I have time to seek out Klaus Holzer?”

“He is the one they sent to do the job.”

“When do I leave?”

“Tonight, if you’re ready for it.”

“I’ll be ready. Tell me where and when.”

Be at the RAF London terminal at ten o’clock sharp with a few items you might wish to take with you.”

“Like?”

“Smoke bombs and grenades and a special pipe that shoots bullets. Just don’t smoke it. They will be parachuted down with you, and we’ll have someone meet you. Her name is Gretchen. It will be around one o’clock by the time you reach there.”

He walked Alex to the door. “I hope I haven’t made a mistake talking you into this. But you’re made for this kind of operation. Just be very careful about taking a side trip to even an old festering sore.”

“Alex Newman?” a taxi awaited him when he left his hotel. Alex nodded and threw his bag and briefcase inside before sitting beside the driver.”

You know where to take me?”

“You’ll be at the hanger in under 30 minutes, Gov.” It was dark when they arrived. He left the taxi, carrying his briefcase and bag inside the hanger, where the pilot took his bag and walked him to the plane, a Mosquito. “It’s as fast as the wind,” said the pilot with a broad smile. He helped him aboard. “Here, sit up close with me to see what I mean. It’s got guns that put a Spitfire to shame. This one was built in Canada.”

The ground crew wheeled them onto the take-off lane and backed away. The pilot turned it on, and within seconds, it was speeding down the runway and into the air before he knew it. They headed north and towards the Baltic Sea before turning South. About 20 minutes later, he circled the landing area where flares had been lit to guide their landing. Alex followed him out with his briefcase and bag. “If you walk towards those bushes ahead, you’ll find your welcoming committee.” The pilot saluted him, ran to his plane, started the engine, and left the field before Alex knew it. He shook his head and remembered when he and Janicka landed. A young woman suddenly appeared in front of him, along with two others, carrying machine guns. She said, “Churchill,” and Alex responded, “Churchill’s Dog.”

“We have a car waiting for us. Follow us. Let one of the others carry your equipment.” They raced through the forest and onto the road, where a black car waited in the shadows of the trees. “your plane was on time for a change,” she said. “I came in the new Mosquito, which is fast as the wind, or so I’ve been told.”

After a short distance, they wheeled off the left-hand side of the road to a farmhouse to see Gretchen’s father and mother and sister standing outside to welcome him. Her father lit the lamps in the parlour and kitchen as her mother withdrew a roast from the oven with sliced potatoes swimming in the gravy. Her father patted him on the back and sat him down

next to him, adding, “One of the advantages of being a farmer. We don’t have many, but we we know how to look after ourselves.”

After supper, he led him upstairs to a secret door that led to the attic, where a large bed awaited him and a large comforter to keep him warm. Her father said good night and climbed down the hidden ladder to the next floor. Alex blew out the lamp and closed his eyes to dream about Janicka. “After I finish this assignment,” he whispered in his dream, “I will see out Klaus and make him pay for what he did.” He opened his eyes into an inky darkness that woke him up. He looked out the window from the slanted roof to see a rooster walking down the yard and shouting good morning. In the distance, he could hear roosters from nearby farms crowing in response. He opened the door to the rest of the attic and climbed down the ladder next to the chimney. Outside, Gretchen’s father was gathering eggs in a large wicker basket. In the kitchen, her mother was kneading a large bread dough and patting it down here and there before she saw him. Her father emerged a few minutes later to use a long paddle on which he placed the loaves into the large oven above her stove.

Gretchen and two of her sisters entered next, with their hair combed and faces looking young and full of life. They quickly set about preparing the eggs in a separate basket and a large jug of milk in readiness for the German soldiers who would soon come for them. An hour later, the bread had been removed from the oven, and the loaves were cooled on the outer shelf. Everyone sat down and started eating when there was a knock at the door. Alex rose and went to open the door to see Klaus standing in front of him.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Gretchen’s father rose to pick up the eggs and milk container and rush to the door. “You’re new, Lieutenant. I’d like you to see our new worker. He’s been badly injured and has been with us only a short while. Klaus looked past him to see Alex. He nodded and left with the two other soldiers.

Alex followed him out and called out his name. “I’m sure you remember Janicka and me. She begged me to kill her after three days of horrific torture in a Gestapo jail. I didn’t have it in me to do it and was spared when she died during the night. I’ve made it my life’s ambition to make you pay for it.”

The soldiers that came with him had backed off and could not hear their conversation.

Tears formed in the corner of Klaus’s eyes. “I can’t blame you. You have no idea how many nights I could not sleep. It won’t leave me alone and if you want to kill me. I understand.”

Looking at him, with the sorrow on Klaus’s face, Alex’s anger quietly left him, and he didn’t know what to say. “If I were you, I’d leave here. Things are about to get a bit rough here. The Gestapo is involved and out for my blood as well.”

Alex walked back to the farmhouse, his head bent, not sure what to do next. The anger still boiled inside him, but so was the regret on Klaus’s face. It was real. Part of Alex still wanted to kill Klaus, and another part sensed he shared his grief. He would let it sit for a while and see what the future held for them both.

Captain Manfred Sachse’s secretary knocked. “It’s the Gestapo waiting on the phone, Captain. Sachse picked up the receiver with dread. “Sachse speaking.”

“It’s Major Preuss from Gestapo, Captain. You may remember me when you came to rescue one of your men, telling me he was needed for an important assignment. I warned you then I would likely be arresting him again. I am calling as a courtesy to let you know that we shall bring him back and whip out his secrets.”

“What for?”

“For sabotaging the safety of Farm Hill, where important experiments are being carried out.”

“I know all about Farm Hill. I was the one that sent him there. For your information, he is one of our agents and understands the importance of improving Farm Hills’ safety and has proved incredible in tracking down the people behind Heinrich Heydrich’s would-be assassins.

“You should be aware that Farm Hill’s safety was put into place by the Gestapo and has been tested against all comers.”

“That’s not what our preliminary testing shows. We fear it could be overcome by a handful of men.”

“I will take this up with Herr Himmler, and, in the meantime, we will arrest him to prevent further harm.”

Sachse did not feel uncomfortable about any of this and buzzed his secretary to call Col. Hans Wolf for him. “How can I help you, Manfred?” said Wolf.

“I had a disturbing call from Gestapo, a Major Preuss, about our agent, Holzer. He was pivotal in the arrest of the people who tried to kill Heydrich in Prague. We rescued him once from the Gestapo before sending him to Camp X in Canada to learn their codes and the names of some of their operatives. We sent him to Farm Hill to improve their level of security. Evidently, the Gestapo set up the existing security and believes Holzer was sent there to remove their setup and have plans to arrest him. Holzer already had one brush with them. This time it might prove fatal.”

Wolf shook his head. “I’ll have someone take it up with Himmler. They’re a law onto themselves. I’ll have someone call you back.”

Sachse sat back, trying to decide whether to warn Holzer and decided to let the people at the top decide Holzer’s fate.

Klaus could sense the change in the air over the next few days. He had changed the password on several locks, only to find out a day later that the head had followed him and had all the passwords changed back. Klaus decided to let things lie for the next few days, attending supper with them and taking part in their conservations. He had no idea about many things they discussed. All this talk about splitting the atom. He had no idea what an atom was, let alone splitting it. He needed to talk to Captain Sachse and knew he couldn’t go on like this. The captain would set him straight.

His sixth sense told him not to trust anyone, and when he saw a black Gestapo car drive up, he knew it had to be about him. He went down to

supper and saw them chatting with the head scientist, furtively glancing in his direction.

In the morning, to wakened to a knock on his door. He opened it to see three Gestapo agents waiting in the corridor. “Lieutenant Holzer, you are under arrest for espionage.” One of the other agents handcuffed him and led him out to their car.

Alex, who had been watching from a distance, scratched his head and talked about it with Gretchen when he joined them for supper. He knew what Gestapo cars looked like and asked her where the Gestapo station was located in Godmanchester.

“How well do you know this man?” said Gretchen, who had faded blue eyes and long brown hair, which she wore in pigtails. She had a thin, pale face, which was neither beautiful nor plain. Gretchen prided herself on her common sense that came from working in the barn, helping with the births of new calves, and the back-aching days in the fields. Her boyfriend, Dieter, was in the army in France and had come back to Godmanchester on leave.

“His name is Klaus,” said Alex. “We trained together at Camp X and has some very vital information about Farm Hill, which we need. Could you get a group together and raid your Gestapo station?”

“The best way is to get him in transit. That’s when they’ll be most vulnerable,” said Gretchen’s father.

“How will we know?”

“We have someone inside. My guess,” added Gretchen’s father, “we will not have long to wait. Just be patient.”

That came two days later when the Gestapo placed him in the back seat with one of their agents and drove to the airfield, where he would be flown to Berlin and the Gestapo headquarters.

Gretchen led their way to where the road cut off and branched onto a smaller road that led to the airport. They placed logs on the road that required the Gestapo agents to leave the car and remove the logs. Gretchen hid with Alex among the flowers on the bank of the highway, inched their way up to the car door, and opened it. Klaus, still handcuffed, managed to open the door. Alex grabbed his hands and drew him down the embankment with them. Gretchen had brought a wrench to cut the chain between his two hands as they dashed into the forest.

The driver and two other agents could see what was happening and returned to the car, not quite sure what to do and headed back to the station only to find that the air from two of the wheels had been let out when they tried to drive. They made it back an hour later to a tongue-lashing from the station head.

Gretchen drove down another lane and to an old, abandoned farm. They parked the car behind the old barn. “It’s best you and your friend stay in the loft of the old barn. You’ll be safe there. My mother made sand-

wiches for you, and there’s an old pump on the other side of the porch that still works.”

They lay in the hayloft and ate the sandwiches without a word until Klaus turned on his side and tapped his shoulder. “Why did you rescue me? I didn’t deserve it from you and Janicka.”

“You have valuable information we need about Farm Hill.”

“Ordinarily, I wouldn’t tell you this, but I cannot repay you or Janicka any other way. I can tell you about every weak spot. The Gestapo had put their defence needs in place from the beginning, and I was sent there to examine their arrangements and make changes. I made several changes, but they went behind my back and returned them to what they were. We will do so together when you get to a place where you can transmit these changes to London.”

They didn’t talk after that, and an hour later, Klaus suddenly said, “I am very sorry about Janicka. It was the toughest thing I had to do since the war began. Captain Sachse was in a panic. The Gestapo was on his back and he begged me to help him. There isn’t a day that goes by without her in my mind. I can still see her and how she looked at me at Camp X.”

They fell asleep after that and didn’t wake until the sun broke through the cracks between the boards. Another woman showed up with her father with their breakfasts and news that two dangerous men had escaped and were dangerous. Klaus passed him an egg and a piece of bread with freshmade butter. Alex didn’t know what to think anymore and was suddenly unsure what to do next. They spent the day going through the old house when Klaus started talking about his family, who had not received messages from him for more than a year.

When Gretchen arrived in the evening with news that the Gestapo was examining every house in the area, Alex asked them to bring his briefcase with his transmitter the next time she came. “My mother never knew what it was and was about to throw it out when I stopped her. She would have been scared witless had she known,” said Gretchen as she placed Alex’s briefcase on his lap. “We won’t be coming for a few days, but when the uproar dies, we’ll bring everyone to see you.”

At midnight, Alex opened his briefcase and set it on the kitchen table in the old house and started sending a message to London:

In hiding with Klaus outside Godmanchester. He comes bearing great gifts –a list of Farm Hill weak points and best time to enter. The list follows, he tapped and turned the key over to Klaus, who sent a brief message. Klaus arrested by the Gestapo and rescued before they boarded him on a plane to Berlin.

Captain Sachse was ready to shoot the first person who came in the door with bad news. A few minutes later, his secretary announced that

a Gestapo officer was waiting to see him. He stood and tried to smile as Hans Gruber entered his office. “Klaus Holzer has escaped, and we wondered if you had heard from him.”

Gruber had thick lips, a fat face with dark eyes, chubby fingers, and an eye for pretty women. He turned to see Karn Ritter enter with several sheets of paper containing the latest reports from their field agents. Gruber watched her place the papers on Sachse’s desk and stopped her when she turned to leave. “A moment, fraulein. Do you have any reports from Klaus Holzer?”

She shook her head and started to the door when he stopped her again. “Would it be inconvenient if I dropped by to see how you operate in your world of dots and dashes?”

Karn looked at Sachse, who intervened. “Perhaps some other time, Herr Gruber. She is up to her neck with work and can’t even have time for lunch most days. I hope you understand.”

Gruber slapped his gloves on his knee and made a face as Karn closed the door behind her. “Going back to Holzer, have you been in contact with him at any time after our call to you two days ago?”

“No. And Holzer has not called me. I reported the call to my Colonel, who has taken over the file. I will let you and my Colonel know immediately if I hear from him.”

When Gruber left, he went straight to the communications room, where he spotted Karn taking down a report from one of their operatives in France. Gruber leaned over and snatched it from her hand to read: Chatter from Britain suggests they are getting ready to land in France.

“We are very interested in any messages that come from Herr Holzer. He is an enemy of the Third Reich and needs to be brought to justice. He escaped our people when we attempted to bring him to Berlin for questioning. I will be here for two or three days to check for any messages that might come from him. I am staying at the hotel across the street.” He paused and smiled at her. “If you have time, please join me for supper. I want to know more about your work.”

“I’ll try, but sometimes I don’t get relieved until midnight.”

“Let us hope that it will not be the case.”

Karn didn’t know what to expect or what to do. Gruber would arrest Klaus if he tried to reach her, and she suspected Gruber would go even harder on Klaus if she didn’t have supper with him. “Maybe seven o’clock in the hotel’s dining room.”

At seven o’clock, he finished work and went across the street. Gruber sat with a beer in one of the dining room’s cubicles and smiled at every young woman who passed by. This was not what she had envisioned when she sat opposite him. He reached out and held her hand. When she removed it, he waved to a passing waitress for two Cognacs. He toasted her and downed his Cognac in one gulp. Karn barely tasted hers and put

her glass down. Gruber reached out for her hand, but she withdrew it again and put her hand beneath the table. He reached for her leg, and she moved his hand away from her knee. Gruber had enough and stood, removed his leather glove and slapped her across the face. “Tomorrow I will send our agents to see your mother and bring her in for questioning. Karn didn’t know what to do or say. She rose in tears and ran out of the dining room.

She bumped into Captain Sachse, who was leaving work. He saw her face, still red from the slap and crying. “Gruber?” Karn nodded. “Wait here, and I will take you home.” He left her, walked into the dining room, and stood before Gruber, who could see the anger in Sachse’s eyes. He grabbed Gruber’s tunic. “If you ever return to my office, I’ll make sure I have a few soldiers on hand to kick you out.” Sachse was shouting so everyone could hear and pushed him back on his seat before turning and leaving. Gruber finished his meal and left quietly, unsure what to tell the Major. Then he remembered how Karn’s eyes suddenly came alive when he mentioned Holzer’s name, and he smiled.

Klaus awoke early to hear a car drive by – the first since he and Alex came to the old farm. He looked out, between the cracks of the old barn, to see the car return and three soldiers enter the old farmhouse. They could hear the soldiers talking in the yard and watched one of them walk inside the barn. Klaus nudged Alex and put a finger to his lips. The soldier below inspected the cow stalls, walked from one end to the other, and even glanced up at the loft a few times before leaving. Another soldier was trying to pump some water without any results. They eventually left, and Klaus could still hear their voices as they entered their car and headed out of the yard.

Before he could talk about it with Alex, Gretchen and her father arrived on the heels of the soldiers. Klaus jumped down from the loft to greet them. When Alex heard their voices, he dusted himself off and joined them a few minutes later.

“We saw you had company,” said Gretchen’s father, who buttoned his jacket against the cool wind sweeping across the fields. “They were soldiers, not Gestapo,” said Klaus. Klaus wondered if he should chance even mentioning it. “My old boss, Captain Sachse, is no friend of the Gestapo and might prove helpful if I contact him. But it is a chance.”

Gretchen looked at her father, who was nodding. “What about you, Alex?”

“If he doesn’t know where we are, it may be worth trying. We can’t stay here indefinitely. Winter will come, and we’ll perish to death.”

“How do I go about it?” said Gretchen.

“Go into town and make a call from a public phone. Tell the Captain you are a friend of Klaus Holzer, and could he find a safe place for him and another male friend that the Gestapo are trying to track down and that he

fears for his life.”

Gretchen and her father stopped at a public phone and dialed the number Klaus had given her. The captain’s secretary answered the call. “I’ll see if he can be disturbed,” she said, curious about the sound of a female voice. “There’s a lady on the phone for you.”

As soon as she heard his voice, Gretchen started, “I am speaking to you as a friend of two people being sought by the Gestapo. One of them would like to know if you could provide a safe place for them?”

“If that person is Klaus, tell him to call me himself tomorrow, and I will find a place for him and his male companion. Tell him to call me at my home in the evening,” and gave her the phone number. She returned and drove them back to their home and the safety of their attic. The next evening, she and Klaus went into town with her, dressed in her father’s old overalls and a straw hat over his left eye.

Sachse answered the phone immediately, and Gretchen passed the phone to Klaus. It’s me, Captain. I’m with a friend from my Camp X days, and we’re on the run.”

“No wonder you’re on the run.” Sachse decided to tell him about Karn later. “We will send a military ambulance to take you both back to Stuttgart, where you can stay at the home of Frau Meier again. You and your friend will be wrapped and lie on stretchers during the entire trip. Ostensibly, you are two soldiers injured and being sent to a hospital for special treatment.”

The ambulance arrived a day later with two attendants, who had bandaged their heads using bandages covered in dried blood with holes in their mouths and noses for breathing. Other bandages were wrapped around their bodies, and then both were carried on their stretchers to the ambulance. Gretchen walked them to the ambulance and asked them to remember her and her family. She ran her fingers over their heads and disappeared inside her house.

They arrived just before supper. Captain Sachse had told her that Klaus and another soldier would be coming and needed her care.

“I have news about Karn for you once you’ve landed. I will call you the next day to make sure you’ve arrived and discuss a few other things with you.” Then after a pause,” I don’t feel comfortable helping an enemy spy continue his work here, but I do hope I can still rely on your help to advance our cause from time to time.”

“Willing and able, captain.”

Alex couldn’t wait to get out of the bandages. His body itched all over, and he was anxious to know how they would be received. Sigfried opened the door and called out to his mother, who arrived seconds later with a cup of tea in her hands. Here,” she said to the ambulance attendants, “lie them on the couch for now. I’ll unwrap them myself. Alex felt a bit awkward wearing a German

Army uniform, but it suited Klaus perfectly. He rubbed Sigfried’s head. “Are you working on any more airplanes?”

“Not since you left. But my mother told me you would get me another when you come back.”

Klaus rubbed Sigfried’s head and nodded.

Alex felt a bit awkward and couldn’t think of what he should say to the wife of a German soldier. “Thank you for helping us. We had nowhere else to escape the Gestapo,” said Alex, introducing himself to Frau Meier.

“You don’t look like someone I thought the enemy would look like,” said Frau Meier. “Are you married?”

Klaus translated her for him. Alex shook his head as Marga looked away to hide her smile.

“Alex and I could tell you a lot of stories of our days at Camp X and some of the best people you’ll ever meet who studied there with us.”

After supper, the phone rang when they were helping Marga dry the dishes. She picked up the receiver, heard Sachse’s voice, and passed the receiver to Klaus.

“I didn’t want to mention this to you before, but there’s something you should know about Karn. She was badly treated by a Gestapo officer who tried to impose himself on her. She’s scared to be with just about every man now. You are the one person who could bring her out of it. She now feels she is being watched, night and day, and I have asked another woman to stay with her at night.”

Alex could tell Klaus would not let Gruber’s treatment of Karn go unchallenged. Klaus disappeared one day on Marga’s husband’s motorbike and headed into Berlin, dressed in his Army uniform.

He arrived in Berlin the next day, parked his bike near Sachse’s office and hid in the shadows of one of the doorways where he had a good view of everyone on the street. He spotted Gruber’s black uniform lingering outside and saw Karn leave, walking briskly down the street. He spotted Gruber following her and rushed after him. Gruber didn’t see him coming or the blade at his throat that forced him into an alley. Klaus kept a choke hold around his neck and slit his throat. Gruber’s body fell to the ground, gurgling as tried to breathe. A minute later, he was dead.

Klaus left the alley and ran after Karn, shouting her name when he drew close to her. She heard racing steps behind her and turned to see him running towards her.

“It’s you,” she said. “It’s really you. I can’t believe it.”

He held her close and walked her home, talking about the future when the war ended and they could be together forever. “People like Gruber will be tried for their crimes.”

“He threatened my mother. I fear for her.”

“She will be fine. I would like to meet her and tell her I want to marry you.”

Karn held her arm closer. “Then meet her tonight. It will be a nice surprise for her. She continually asks why I don’t have boyfriends, and you can work your magic on her.”

When they reached her home, Karn unlocked the front door and entered. Klaus followed her inside to see a woman in her early 70s with a comforter over her knees. “Mother, I want you to meet my friend, Klaus,” said Karn in a raised voice.

“I can hear, Karn. Your supper is on the table.” She struggled to get up and led them into the kitchen. “You didn’t tell me you were bringing someone home with you,” she mumbled.

The kitchen was the largest room in their flat. It backed out onto a small garden. Klaus could see a few poles with bean plants around them in the light from the kitchen. Their table was small, and she sat Klaus down with Karn and went to the stove to pour them teas. The old iron stove had a warming oven above the top of the stove that reminded him of his mother’s stove. A small wooden box held kindling, larger pieces of wood, and a small hatchet. There was a picture of Karn’s father above the table. Karn invited him to take part of her plate of potatoes and canned sardines that had been bought at the start of the war. Klaus hadn’t tasted the sardines in years. His mother liked fish, and he found he loved the sardine’s smokey taste.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a few ration coupons. The woman’s old grey eyes widened. “You need them, and I do not.”

“You have been very kind, Herr –”

“Holzer. But call me Klaus.” Then, without skipping a beat, “I want to marry your daughter when the war ends.”

“When do you think that will be, Herr Holzer?”

“That’s anyone’s guess. But I suspect it will be soon.”

“Have you told Captain Sachse that?”

“I’ve hinted at it. Without going into detail, some of the chatter I’ve picked suggests the Brits will land on the coast of France or Belgium soon.”

The clock on the mantlepiece above the table chimed ten o’clock. Karn’s mother looked up. It’s past my usual bedtime, Herr Holzer.” She looked at Karn. “Don’t keep Herr Holzer longer than you need to.”

He returned to Stuttgart three days later at dusk, ate supper and went to bed without a word. In the morning, Sachse called him to tell him he did not need to worry about Gruber anymore. “Evidently, he crossed someone he couldn’t control or arrest. They found his body in a small alley with his throat slit.”

Klaus ate with Sigfried at breakfast. He reached below his chair and placed a new model airplane kit on Sigfried’s lap. He raised the kit to show his mother. “That’s for being good to your mother while your father is away.” But Sigfried wasn’t listening. “It’s a Stuka. Nobody else has one.”

On the weekend, Karn called them. She sounded better. “The Gesta-

po has been questioning everyone Gruber was in contact with recently, but there was no word about the killer. When I can manage a weekend, perhaps I could visit you. Captain Sachse told me to tell you he doesn’t want to see your face in Berlin and that if he needs you, he has your phone number.”

“You can’t blame him,” said Alex. “I’d like to meet your captain, and when the war is over, perhaps invite him and his family to Canada.”

“I’ll let him know. Also, some of the static I’ve picked up suggests the Brits are planning to invade sometime soon. Probably, France.”

“I’ll let them know,” said Alex. “I’m sure they’ll be interested.”

“At some point, Captain Sachse is planning to send me to France and check on our defences against a major invasion. Do you have any idea where the Brits will invade? We think it will be in France. I may be gone for a fortnight or two, and I’d like you to hold the fort here while I’m gone. Let Marga do all the talking for you. She’s smart and has a ton of common sense.”

Two nights later, Karn was stopped by the Gestapo when she attempted to leave Berlin. Sachse found out about it from Major Preuss. “We have good reason to believe that Fraulein Ritter was on her way to see your operative, Holzer. She denies it, of course, and we intend to beat her into telling us where Holzer is hiding.”

It was a dilemma Sachse hoped he’d never have to face. Karn was just a pawn to get their hands on Klaus. He also knew Klaus would never forgive him if he failed to tell him. In the end, he decided to call Klaus.

“You know, of course, it’s a trap to get their hands on you and that Karn is an unwilling pawn,” said Sachse.

“If I give myself up, will they free her?”

“You know how the Gestapo operates. I wouldn’t bank on it. Some other news, I’ve received a call from my Colonel that I have been promoted Major.

When he hung up, Klaus decided to tell Alex all about it. “Your advice?”

“You will not be able to live with yourself if she dies in their hands and you don’t lift a finger. Let’s give it a day and come up with a plan to even the odds.”

In the morning, Alex suggested they talk about it with Marga. “She has more common sense than the two of us together.” They waited until Sigfried left for school when they sat her at the kitchen table.

“The lady I plan to marry has been arrested by the Gestapo in Berlin to force her to tell them where we are hiding. I know her, and she will be beaten to death before she tells them anything. If it were your husband, what would you do?”

Marga stood and filled her pail with hot water from the stove tank. She sprinkled some soap into it, got down and began scrubbing the floor.

“I do my best thinking when I scrub the floor.”

After lunch, they had a small lunch with tea and pieces of freshly cooked bread. “Let us look look at this in a methodical way. Fact one: I know you will attempt to help your lady escape. Fact two: Should you give yourself up, they will put her to death with you. Fact three: You must try to help her escape: Fact four: You need to find a way to get inside without being noticed and where you can help her escape. That’s where I come in. Take me with you. I will enter the Gestapo office with my pail, mop, and scrub brush. Alex will help me carry the bucket and scrub brushes inside. The agent at night will be by himself. I will ask him to show us the floors that need cleaning the most. Meanwhile, you will enter and seek out the cell where your lady friend is and free her. Alex will use chloroform on the agent, put him inside the cell, lock him up and open the cells of other prisoners.”

Alex and Klaus were nodding. “But how do we get past the two guards at the door? They’ll be expecting some kind of response from us and will be ready.”

“I’m sure you know people who could create some kind of response to draw them away. But now, we must plan. When Sigfried returns from school, I will ask my sister to look after him until I return, and that my husband is in hospital and I must go to him.”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

“We have a plan to help Karn escape the Gestapo but need your military ambulance again to take us to Berlin and back.” Sachse didn’t respond immediately. If anyone ever found out what he had done for Klaus, he knew it would be the end for him and his family. He also knew it would be the end of Klaus and Karn if he didn’t.

“It will be at your doorstep in the morning and have you in Berlin before nightfall. Is your friend coming as well?”

“Yes. And also Frau Meier.”

Sachse shook his head. If only he had a regiment of Klauses at his disposal. Things were not looking up as the Russians kept pushing them back on the Eastern front. It was not a good sign. Other officers believed the Russians had Winter on their side and that they would soon be stopped by some of the best troops the Germans had.

The military ambulance arrived at nightfall. Marga sat in front with the driver and chatted with him much of the way. She fell asleep halfway to Berlin. Alex and Klaus had gone to sleep when they left Stuttgart and woke as soon as the ambulance filled with morning light.

He left them off at a small hotel on the outskirts of Berlin and promised to pick them up the same evening. “I’m off to spend the day with my husband in the hospital,” Frau Meier told the driver. “He’s in a bad way and cannot be moved.”

Sachse sent a car for them to take them to a small restaurant in Berlin, not far from Gestapo headquarters. “Do you have everything you need?” he said in a hushed voice.

“Just your military ambulance waiting for us near Gestapo headquarters.”

“Expect a lot of turbulence on your way back. As soon find out what

you’ve done, they’ll search every vehicle leaving Berlin.”

“If we do this right, we should be far from Berlin before they raise a hue and a cry,” said Klaus.

“They’ll expect I’ve had my hand in this somehow and will be very curious about where I spent the evening. I plan to invite a few friends to a party to celebrate my promotion. The group will include several other officers.”

He left them to call his wife about his promotion and ask her to call a few friends for the evening. “Just make sure our liquor cabinet is well stocked.”

Karn’s mother was distraught. The Gestapo who came to arrest her told her that Karn had been arrested for aiding the enemy and would take her in for questioning. When Marga called her, Karn’s mother was crying and could barely talk. “The Gestapo. They came and took my daughter away,” she managed to say. “I do not know where they took my daughter. She was the best daughter anyone could ever have.”

“Hopefully, they will find out they have made a mistake and be home with you again.”

Klaus grit his teeth. “One more reason to get her out of their clutches.”

The room they had rented was small and smelled. “It needs to be washed,” said Marga. The curtains were old and yellow, had never been washed and were filled with cobwebs. The floor was once a thick linoleum that now showed their footprints. Marga entered the toilet and turned on the tap. It was dry, and only an occasional drop dripped from it. They sat in chairs and tried to nap, but their heads were filled with the dangers ahead. They decided to eat elsewhere and spend the rest of the time going over and over their rescue plan.

“You’ll talk and beg to talk before I’m through with you,” said Preuss who repeatedly snapped his whip on the cell floor. He wore a black mask which slipped every time he cracked the whip. Another Gestapo member led her out and down the long lane of cells to the torture chamber, where her hands were tied. “Talk to us about your friend, Klaus. Just tell us where we can get him, and we will let you go back home with your old mother.”

Her blouse was ripped from her back, and seconds later, she felt the first lash. It hurt so much that it almost made her vomit. In a way, Preuss was glad she wasn’t talking. Every time his whip made her cry it somehow made him feel better. In a way, it was his way of getting back at his wife. She grit her teeth and tried to hold back the tears. More lashings followed until she fainted, and another agent threw a bucket of water over her face. She blinked her eyes open and fainted again. They put her on a stretcher and back to her cell, where they unloaded her onto her cot.

She felt the pain in her back every time she moved. She dreaded the

coming morning more than anything else. She could not eat the mush she left her to eat and lukewarm tea to wash it down. A few minutes later, they emerged again. The man with the black mask appeared and knocked the cup of tea out of her hands. Preuss grabbed her shoulder and made her walk down the isle of cells to the torture chamber. He didn’t ask for Klaus’s whereabouts but started to whip her back until she fainted. They carried her back to her cell and left her on the floor, where she lay, too weak to eat, and tried not to move too much for the pain. Where was Klaus? If he knew, he would find some way to rescue her. She went to sleep with an unfinished prayer still on her lips and failed to hear the noise above her.

The guards at the door looked up to see a car coming in their direction as Alex and Klaus crept up behind them and placed their chloroform-soaked handkerchiefs over their mouths. The guards fell and were hauled off to one side. Marga entered with her bucket, soap, and scrubbing brush, with Alex following her with a bucket of water.

“Where do you want me to start,” said Frau Meier.

The guard at the desk shook his head. “Well,” she added, “I was called this afternoon to scrub one of the floors. You’ll have to show us where. “Start here, and we’ll see if the downstairs needs cleaning.” The guard moved from his desk and led her down the corridor.

Thirty minutes later, she appeared at the desk again with Alex. “You mentioned downstairs. Show us the way.” He looked at the corridor as he led them downstairs. “I must say I’ve never seen them this clean all the time I’ve been here.”

When they reached Karn’s cell, Alex crept up behind the guard with his chloroformed handkerchief. The guard dropped to the floor, and Marga searched his pockets for the keys. It took a few times before they finally got the right one. She opened the door and went inside while Alex took the keys to unlock other cells. Karn could barely open her eyes. “Klaus is waiting for you upstairs, but we must hurry before we’re all caught. A group of other prisoners helped them carry her to the main floor and ran out of the door and into the night.

A member of the underground had a car waiting for them to go to the hotel, where their military ambulance would be waiting for them. Klaus held her in his arms and carried her into the ambulance. Karn opened her eyes. “I knew you would come,” she whispered and closed her eyes again with a smile. Klaus held her on his lap until they were let off for the military ambulance. He carried her on board the ambulance.

No one had the heart to tell him that she had died.

Marga called Karn’s mother to tell her that the Gestapo had murdered

her daughter. “We have her body and will bury your daughter with a proper burial. We will take some photographs for you.”

“It is the way of life. We all lose people we love, Klaus.” Klaus kept to himself and spent nights walking around the city. He kept what he was going through to himself and discouraged anyone from entering his world. This continued for a week, and Marga grabbed his arm and sat him down. She went to the stove, poured them teas and laced his with a squirt of Cognac. “I finally found out that my husband had died in the hospital. His body was shipped to Stuttgart and is buried in the cemetery where your Karn is buried. I felt like dying and sorry for myself, but I have a son to look after who needs the attention of at least one parent. I have not told him his father had died. Or my sister. When he is old enough, I will tell him then.”

Her words fell like a soft rain, and he knew he had not called his mother in months and decided to call her that day. His father had died a few months after he left for Camp X. She lived to hear his voice and started to cry. It has been a long time since I’ve heard your voice. I am alone and need you with me again.”

“I want you to come and stay with me in Stuttgart. I am staying with a lady who has lost her husband and needs someone like you to console her. I will send a letter with your train ticket in it. You mustn’t tell anyone where you are going. The Gestapo is trying to track me down.”

Alex came in with Sigfried. They were in the backyard throwing his new Stuka model into the wind and the noise it made as it headed down to land. Klaus looked up and smiled. “I was wondering if it would work.”

“It really does,” said Alex. “I’m surprised you didn’t hear it inside.” Alex looked at him and spotted the difference immediately. “Just to let you know, London has sent me a message about the latest activity at Godmanchester Farm Hill. It appears they’ve been active in conducting several tests, and they want me to check it out.”

“I can’t go with you. I owe Major Sachse that and more.” After a pause, “I’ve called my mother. It’s been months since I’ve called her. I’ve invited her to come to Stuttgart and stay with Marga.”

Ten days later, his mother called him. “I’m leaving on the morning train and will arrive in the evening.”

Klaus’s mother arrived on the train a few days later, looking old with sallow cheeks and lines around her eyes. Her hair was now white, and she walked with a limp with his father’s old bag with her clothes. She looked frail and it made him feel guilty of leaving her alone since his father had died. Marga hugged her and walked with her arm around her. Klaus carried her bag and helped her into a taxi they had taken them to the station. She looked at Klaus and how he used his crutches. “You’ve been wound-

ed,” she said.

“It’s for show. So he can escape being called up and sent to God knows where he might be really wounded or killed” said Marga.

When they arrived back at the house, she volunteered making a custard for Klaus. “He loved them when he was a boy,” she said, holding his cheeks with her hands and kissing him.”

Alex packed away his briefcase. His message from London was clear. Urgent you investigate as soon as possible and report back before the end of the week. He packed his bag and said goodbye to Marga and Klaus’s mother. “I hate leaving you alone like this, but I’ll be back in a couple of days.”

She walked him to the train station and waved to him as the train to Godmanchester pulled away from the station. He would arrive at GodMancester shortly after one o’clock, when he would be picked up by the underground and driven to a safe house. He stepped off the train and saw a man approach him as soon as he stepped on the platform. The man tipped his hat and relieved him of his bag. “Follow me,” said the man who led him to an old car, where another man awaited him. He uttered a line from Shakespeare, and Alex responded with the line that followed.

They drove past the old stone fortress and into the country, where an older couple welcomed him. “We don’t use names,” said the man who met him at the train. “It’s to protect each other should the Gestapo arrest any of us.”

The older man walked with a stoop and led him inside while his wife drew his chair close to the fireplace. Her husband added another log to the fire. It was blazing, and Alex could feel the warmth. He rubbed his hands together and smiled at them. His wife rose, entered the kitchen, and returned with a plate of sandwiches and a large pot of tea.

The man picked up a picture of himself in his uniform. “That was me in the Kaiser’s war,” he said in halting English. Alex had picked up many more German phases in recent weeks and thanked him in German to see their faces come alive.

Two other underground members arrived and took him to one of the coffee houses the next day. “A lot of the neighbours of Farm Hill tell us loud explosions awaken them,” said Felix Lehmann, who appeared to hear to lead the group, who had black stubble on his cheeks and neck, and large brown eyes. His hair had not been brushed or washed in weeks, and he spoke with a guttural accent. The coffee shop had thick diamond-shaped glass, making it easier to see out than inside. The waitress was young and waited at the bar for someone to signal for more coffee.

“We’ll head up that way around midnight,” said Felix. “That’s when things happen.”

“What do the locals say?”

“They think it’s a bombing attack some distance away.”

Around 11 o’clock, when the shop was closing, they left and sat in Felix’s car. They were as close as he safely go when the noises started. The first explosion shook the bricks of the building, followed by a series of smaller blasts and then one that sent shock waves that lifted the front wheels of their car. Felix was getting anxious, but Alex wanted to see a way to get closer still. Everything stopped around midnight. Four figures dressed from head to toe, looking like moving snowmen, walked outside where they stepped out of their snowmen uniforms and were sprayed from the feet up.

Alex wrote everything he heard and saw on a pad. He was ready to go, but Flexi wanted to make sure no one saw them and waited a few minutes before backing up and heading to town and the underground safe house. Alex waved to them and entered the farmhouse. The older couple was still up. “Did you hear all the commotion?” said the older man. “I did. It sounded like a bombing raid,” said Alex.

He took the morning train back to Stuttgart and found Marga waiting at the station. She slid her arm into his and carried his bag as they returned home. She was pouring tea for him, and he sat down opposite her. “Did you find what you were looking for?”

After lunch, he went downstairs and opened his briefcase and tapped a message to London:

At Farm Hill last night. At midnight, large explosions sent off shock waves that rocked the car I was in. Later, several of them, dressed in white uniforms, came outside. They looked like snowmen. Before they went back, they were sprayed from head to toe by three other men from a large pack on their backs.

He waited almost an hour to see his transmitter light up with a message for him.

That was all the confirmation we needed. Well done, Zoé and Geoffrey on way this week. They will land in Godmanchester. Can you meet them with underground friends?

I’ll be there. Just tell me when.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

“It’s called an atomic bomb. Only one of them could flatten London,” said Col. Stephenson. “The Nazis are working on one, and so are we. You two were chosen for extra training with this mission in mind. It’s why you were thrown in the company of some eggheads working on this now and why you were flown to New York to meet the people at their Manhattan Project to get an idea of what to look for. You two will be flown to the Farm Hill area with six commandos to raid their project and grab two or three of them as well as all the documents relating to their experiments. If caught, you would be well advised to take a poison pill that will kill you immediately.

“One more thing. Thanks to Klaus, whom you know, we have pinpointed all the weak points of their defence system and where to find where they keep the results of their experiments. You should also know that Klaus has gone rogue, and while he still helps us occasionally, his heart is with the Fatherland. He and Alex look after each other. Klaus does not know you are coming, but Alex will be with the underground people to greet you and take you to Farm Hill and help you escape should things go awry.”

“When will this happen?” said Geoffrey Cox.

“We’ll let you know close to the date. Just don’t take any trips away from here for the time being,” said Stephenson. “You have a question, Mlle. Archambeau?”

“I had hoped to be operating in France.”

“You can have your pick of assignments on your return. But in the meantime, we need your good mind, strengths and background to carry this out. A lot is riding on it.”

Stephenson, a Colonel with Canadian Army Intelligence, had decorat-

ed his office with pictures of Canada. His favourites were large pictures of a large totem pole on Victoria Island, the Banff Hotel amid a snowstorm, Niagara Falls, The Chateau Frontenac in Québec and Halifax Harbour. He had sandy hair, hazel-coloured eyes, a light brown mustache, which he stroked from time to time and a thin face. His desk was littered with papers that never seemed to be filed. Behind his desk were two crossed snowshoes. One of his ties, still knotted, hung from his chair.

“What you think, Colonel?” said Col. Todd from the Royal Marines

“I think they’re a bit queasy about taking a poison pill, but if the Gestapo interrogates them, they’ll wish they had listened.”

“I’ll ensure the Marines know what’s at stake and that your people come back alive and full of information. They’ve had a lot of combat training and their studies, which will pay off now. I wouldn’t worry too much about them.”

They went over the plan to take everyone there and what steps they must take to complete the mission for the 18th time. “There can’t be any slip-ups.” They checked the calendar, noting there would be a full moon on the twelve. “What about the eighth? There will be no full moon that night.”

Stephenson was nodding. “It gives them time to get ready, and your Marines try a few practice sessions, starting when they leave the plane. We’ll have one of our people set a few fires on the landing field to guide the pilot. My door is open 24 hours a day. Call me if we’ve missed something, and I’ll be here. For your information, we have a few things we’ve got up our sleeves.”

“I don’t feel as comfortable as I did at the beginning,” Zoé said, looking up from her plate. They were eating in Geoffrey’s room and could feel the tension rising in both of them the longer they waited. “It’s the waiting. Some of the RAF chaps I know to tell me it’s often worse than the actual thing.”

Zoe was on the verge of tears. “I can’t even call my parents in Montreal and tell them about it.”

“It’s best to tell them when it’s all over,” said Geoffrey.

Col. Todd called the six commandos together when he reached his office. “I’ve picked you six because each of you has survived difficult situations. You will help two of our operatives to go to Germany, where you will meet one of our agents and the underground. You will escort them to an institution where the two operatives can gather information on studies

conducted by the Germans. Our agents also hope to bring back two or three persons working on these studies. I can’t tell you any details other than to say it could shorten the war dramatically. It’s that important. “

“Do we have a date yet?” said Sgt. Rob White, a 24-year-old Marine who had been on other missions like this and loved the adrenalin rush.

Klaus arrived back from seeing his mother with Sigfried. It was the first time Sigfried had been on a train and had his face glued to the window to watch the scenery go by. Klaus had bought him a wind vane that twirled when he ran down the street. Klaus’s mother hugged him for the longest time. “He reminds me of you when you were his age.” His mother made Klaus some of his favourite dishes, including egg custard pudding.

“I’m happy you’ve come to stay with us, Frau Holzer. Klaus always talks about you, and you could show me your custard recipe.”

Klaus brought back all the airplane models he had made as a boy. His mother smiled when she saw Klaus show Sigfried, who laughed when he saw it.

“It’s also time for you to stop calling me, Frau Meier. My name is Marga.”

“My mother also sent you a gift.” And Sigfried, who was carrying it, passed the bag to her. “Be very careful,” he said, as Marga felt her hand around the tissue paper to feel an egg. Marga slid it out carefully with a smile they would all remember.

“It’s been a long time since we’ve seen as many eggs as this,” she said as they laid the eggs on a towel. “Twenty eggs. I can’t believe it. I will make a cake with two of them, and you,” she said, drawing Sigfried’s chin to her, “will get the biggest piece of all.”

They ate supper and feasted on the cake until dark. Sigfried was tired and went downstairs to sleep. Alex sat back. “I do not want any secrets between us. I want you to know that London is planning an attack on Farm Hill. I do not know when, but I hear that Zoé and Geoffrey will be heading it. It would be good to see them again. Do you remember the last night at Camp X? Who knew then what things we would all face.”

Col. Stephenson called a meeting for them all at his office. Col. Todd was there with his six commandos, and Zoé and Geoffrey arrived late but excited. They all sat in a ring around the room. Stephenson felt his mustache and smiled at them. “We leave in four days. There will not be a moon that night. As we pass around the map of the area where you will conduct your operation, it is to rob a Nazi research centre of all its experiments on a major device that could kill thousands. Zoé and Geoffrey will also kidnap

two or three of their scientists and bring them and all their information back to London within 24 hours of taking off.”

He laid the map on his desk and had the pilot and co-pilot show them the town of Godmanchester and a circle around each map where they were to land. “It will be dark that night, and the underground will light a few flares so you know where to land. One good thing, dark clouds are forecast for that night. Your planer will be ready for departure at a moment’s notice. One of our agents and his underground friends will meet you there.”

Stephenson unfurled another map and had the commandos study the location of Farm Hill, where the guards are posted, and the best and shortest path to Farm Hill. I leave it to you how to get rid of the guards. Each of you will have a larger scale map of the place before takeoff so that you can figure out your best approach.”

The commandos were smiling at Zoé, and she was smiling back at them. “I’m Geoff,” said Cox, “just in case you need to talk to me. A word of warning, she’s also as hard as nails. Just make sure she gets back safe and sound.”

Stephenson pulled out two maps for Geoff and Zoé. The maps showed the front entrance, the dining room, the bedrooms, and the labs where they did their experiments. “That’s likely where they also store the results of their experiments,” said Stephenson.

“Did Klaus get a chance to get inside?” said Geoffrey.

“He did, and he is the one who gave us all the information about Farm House. He has also become a rogue agent and works for the Nazis. That said, he and Alex have become friends, and he might be more forthcoming should you ask him.”

Stephenson had a surprise party for them before they took their leave. “Follow me,” he said, leading them to another room. The front had two large windows now shaded by Venetian blinds, but all the eyes were on his secretary, standing behind a bar and pouring drinks into tall glasses.

Alex emerged from downstairs. “I just had a message from London, and they’ve set a date for Geoff and Zoé’s visit. Do you feel up to seeing them?”

“I would. After all, you provided them with great information about Farm Hill.”

“Let me think about it.”

Marga, who had been listening, was nodding. “Friends are friends. They are often there no matter what. From what I see from you and Alex, I’d say you’ll find the, happy to see you both.”

“Actually, I’d like to be in on the raid. I can lead them faster where they need to go faster than any map and have them out in secret doors they do

not know about.”

“I’ll let London know you’re ready to lead the charge.”

He went downstairs and tapped another message:

Klaus has decided to come back with us. He knows the location of every room, where we can find the documents you want, and who might be the best scientists to bring back with us. Not sure what has changed him, but he now wants to lead the attack on the target. I have come to know him in a way I did not at Camp X. He is always honest with me, and I have come to trust him in everything.

An hour later, the transmitter came alive.

Go ahead with Klaus. Will let others know. But I’ll still keep my fingers crossed.

When he told Klaus, he laughed. “One day, we must talk to him about Captain, now Major Sachse, and how he helped us when we needed help. But the Gestapo has poisoned me about the Third Reich. What they did to Janicka and Karn, I will never forget. I think Sachse is coming to that conclusion as well. The last time I talked to him was about how much the Gestapo was running Germany and that Germany was not what it was at the start of the war.”

“What are you two cooking up?” said Marga, who was darning their socks.

“It’s better you do not know,” said Klaus. “Alex and I will be tied up on Wednesday night. We might be able to come back before dawn. That is all I can tell you.”

They retired to the cellar to send another message to London and another to the underground in Godmanchester.

Arriving on Wednesday by train and need to be picked up at station.

On Wednesday, Marga packed two sandwiches into their pockets and saw them to the train. “It’s better that we do not sit in the same seats in case we run into trouble. You never know who you’ll see when you least expect it.”

They boarded the train, with Klaus sitting on the outside seat in the second row. Alex sat back five seats on the opposite side, also on the outdside seat. Seven soldiers boarded the train, three older couples and four young women. Alex held his breath as they passed him, before closing his eyes and trying to sleep.

CHAPTER EIHTEEN

Felix was waiting for them with his old truck. He waved to them as soon as they alit from the train and grabbed their bags. “The last time I saw you,” he said to Klaus, “was when you popped up at Farm Hill some weeks ago. Are you sure you’ve met the right people?”

“I’ve come to my senses. It cost me a lot to learn some pretty hard lessons. I’m here to ensure our Farm Hill visit goes smoothly.”

Felix looked at Alex, who added: “He’s the old Klaus we knew at Camp X. He knows all the weak points and every room inside Farm Hill. He can save us a lot of time.” Flex shrugged but still harboured some doubt which he kept to himself..

Black stubble still covered Felix’s face, but his eyes were still dark and penetrating. His associate had them sit against the back of the truck and covered them with plants. One of his members who came with him cranked his truck before he could get it started. They could still see through the leaves as they drove through the village and past Farm Hill, where they saw where the guards were posted. They stopped along the way and added some old junk from one of the houses before heading down the road to the safe house. The older man was outside, hoeing his field of potatoes and turnips while his wife prepared lunch for them.

The older man leaned on his hoe. “I should water the lettuce while I’m at it,” he mumbled. Felix and Klaus pumped a bucket of water and brought it to him. He took his dipper, tasted the water, and licked his lips before sprinkling it over the lettuce garden. Klaus carried the bucket while Felix helped him spray other plants. They washed at the pump outside before entering. His wife looked at them and sent them back outside to get the mud off their boots.

She had cooked potatoes and carrots and the last of the pork chops and sprinkled gravy over the potatoes and carrots. “All of us will be busy tonight and may not come back. The only people who eat well in Hitler’s

Third Reich are his toadies and our farmers,” said Felix. “We want to thank you and our good wife for your hospitality. It will be remembered long after this war is over.”

They left just as dusk was settling upon the hills like magic mist and headed for the landing field.

Col. Stephenson drove them to the landing field to board a Flamingo plane waiting for them. The co-pilot had just boarded the six commandos and now helped Zoé up the stairs, followed by Geoffrey. He seated them next to the commandos before returning to the cockpit, where the pilot had already had both engines running. Their radio operator sat just behind them, and after what seemed an eternity, he announced they had crossed the Channel and were flying over Belgium. The pilot rose to pass through a thick cloud cover to avoid detection. They could see the grey clouds bathing the plane from the widows. When they reached Northern Germany, the cloud cover suddenly disappeared, and they were open targets once they were discovered.

“We’re about to land,” the radio operator announced. “Fasten your belts. It’s going to be a bumpy landing.”

The pilot had spotted the three fires the underground had lit and was circling the field before descending to avoid the forest at the end of the field. When they landed, the plane bumped up and down several times before slowing down and coming to a halt. Felix, Klaus and Alex ran down the field with the plane, breathing hard when it came to a halt. They stood outside waiting for the co-pilot to open the hatch door. When it opened, they could see Zoé standing and holding onto the sides of the doorway. Alex climbed the steps and guided her down before helping Geoffrey navigate his way. The commandos jumped from the plane and waited for the co-pilot to join them.

The pilot and co-pilot joined them a few minutes later. “We’d like to push the plane nearer the forest to avoid detection,” said the pilot, a young man in his early 20s with an RAF mustache and a mop of hair that kept falling over his forehead.

“We expect you back here by five o’clock. After that, we’ll be sitting ducks for any German aircraft who happen to fly over us.”

“Klaus and Alex,” said Geoffrey, shaking their hands. Zoé kissed them. “It’s like being back at Camp X all over again,” she said, kissing them again.

Alex introduced them to Felix and his members. “The soldiers you see who came with them are British Marines. We have no time to lose. We were able to steal three German cars for our outing,” added Felix. “They won’t miss them until the morning.” When he saw that they were all aboard, they set out for a bumpy ride out of the field and onto the highway that led into town. They passed the old tower first and a short distance from Farm Hill,

where the lights burned brightly over much of the outside.

Sgt. Wilkinson dispatched three men to the right side and the other two to the left to disarm the guards in a surprise attack from the darkness. Ten minutes later, two commandos waved them ahead. They ran up the hill to see that the German guards had been garroted, and they walked past them and into the Farm Hill. Klaus, who knew the old combination, opened the door and waved them inside. Geoffrey, Zoé and Alex followed him past the dining room and the bedrooms to the lab where the results of their experiments were located. They filled two sacks of experiment results and then headed to the bedrooms, where they roused three scientists and made them dress before poking them into the corridor and out of the building. Felix looked at his watch. An air raid was scheduled for three o’clock –

30 minutes to go – when they climbed aboard the cars and returned to the field.

They drove the cars up to the plane and jumped out. They went to the aircraft immediately and pushed it out into the open just as the bombing started, 15 minutes earlier than scheduled. The pilot jumped aboard first and started the engines. A German fighter heading into Godmanchester to shoot down the bombers spotted them, wheeled around, and sprayed the area with bullets. Their aircraft burst into flame. The pilot jumped out and waved everyone to run as far away as possible. “It’s going to explode,” he shouted as the others ran after him. A few seconds later, the plane exploded and set fire to the cars. The German plane returned to send another rain of bullets at them before disappearing.

Geoffrey fell and lay lifeless on the ground, and Zoé put her arms around him. “Ne quittez moi, ne quittez moi, she kept pleading with him. Alex helped her to her feet. “We need to get to hell out of here as soon as possible before we have the whole German Army on us.”

She leaned on him as they followed Felix and his members through the forest until they were out of sight and could rest. Felix glanced at his watch. “It will be daylight in three hours or so. We need to keep moving. There is a place we can all hide but must keep moving now.”

One of the scientists refused to get up and move. Sgt. Wilkinson pointed his Tommy Gun at his head. “Either get up, or I’ll pull my trigger and blow your head off.”

“You wouldn’t dare. I have the secret.”

Before anyone could stop him, Wilkinson pressed his gun against his head. “I swear if you are not on your feet by the time, I count three, you can keep your secret to the grave.”

At the count of two, the scientist rose and had to be helped by one of his fellow scientists. He kept mumbling to himself and looked up and prayed for help as one plane after another flew overhead in search of them.

They came to a clearing, and Felix stopped. “I have a truck not far

from here. It’s old, but it still works. I will take two of my men and come back for you. They set out running down the road and walking single file so that she could hide should a car pass them or if they saw a plane coming their way. An hour later, they reached the truck and were on their way back when they were stopped by an armoured car, and their vehicle was searched. “I’m a farmer and came to pick up these two lads to help me with my crop,” said Felix when they asked him why he was on the road.

One of the soldiers took their papers and examined them under a flashlight before handing them back. “If you see anyone on the road, stop at a farmhouse and call us.”

They were on their way again, reached the marker where the others were hiding and had them all climb aboard. If we see a car coming, hide under the canvas. They were only a short distance from the safe house when Felix spotted the armoured car coming in the opposite direction. He held his breath and waved to them as they passed him. He stopped for them and told the others to stay under the canvas until they reached their destination.

They wheeled into the farm about 30 minutes later. He drove the truck next to the entrance, lifted the canvas, helped them off, and had Alex lead them inside.

The older woman put her hands over her face. “Who are these people?”

“Friends, Frieda. Friends of Felix.”

Felix came and took down her apron and kissed her cheek. “These people are escaping the Gestapo and need your help.”

“Don’t believe them,” said the troublesome scientist. “They raided Farm Hill and kidnapped us to take us to the enemies of Germany.”

“Did you hear that, Horst?”

“What I hear is someone who is in league of the Gestapo, who killed our son. These other good people are our friends and enemies of the Gestapo.”

“Is there a place where we can store these people until we leave tomorrow? Our plane was destroyed, and we must radio for another,” said Felix. “Is your transmitter still working?”

The older man nodded and took him to the barn, where he had hidden it under a basket of cow manure. Felix lifted the box away and placed the transmitter on his chest and placed the earphones around his ears, and started sending:

Plane destroyed before able to fly away. Farm Hill info and three scientists await our departure along with commandos and pilot and co-pilot of original plane. We await rescue.

Twenty minutes later, the transmitter rattled:

Will send plane to arrive at destination at midnight. Need coordinates for pickup.

Felix left to get the pilot and navigator to come and provide coordinates. They picked a field beyond the farming area that would suit a landing and take-off and provided the precise co-ordinates.

Felix put his earphones back on and keyed the co-ordinates.

Will light three fires in triangle as signal to land.

They returned to the farm to find the farmer’s wife and Zoé peeling potatoes and Klaus and Alex chopping wood for the fire.

“We leave at midnight,” said the pilot. “Our host has a field beyond his garden ideal for landing and takeoff.”

An hour later, they were eating in shifts. Zoé and Klaus washed and dried the plates and placed them on the table for the next group.

They spent the rest of the evening in the parlour, which had a piano. “It hasn’t been used in years. The last person who played it was our son, but the Gestapo came and took him away and tortured him until he died for a crime he did not commit. They brought his body back to us. I will never forget the look on his face. I closed his eyes and kissed my boy and dug a hole in our rose garden and buried him there.” After a pause, “I go there some days when the roses bloom and talk to him. I hope he hears me.” She started to cry, and Zoé sat down beside her.

“What song did he like to play for you?”

“I don’t know. He never told us. But I can hum it.”

Zoé nodded to her, and she started to hum. Zoé hummed along with her and started to play it on the piano. The others joined in and started humming with them. Frieda hugged Zoé. “It’s an old French song my mother sang to us. It was called Plaisirs d’amour. I can sing it if you would like. Frieda nodded, and Zoé started playing and singing the words in a deep voice.

Around 10.30, Felix stood beside Zoé and raised his hands. “This has been a night I think we’ll always remember. I know I will, and I know our hosts won’t either. When the war is over, let us all come back and relive this evening over again. But now we must get ready to go. The plane will not wait for us.”

They got their things together and headed out into the darkness. Felix had a flashlight and guided them past the garden and onto a long field. They could hear enemy planes passing the area and circling back again.

At the end of the field, Felix and his crew searched the nearby trees for twigs and branches and built fires in the shape of a triangle. They caught the sounds of a plane heading their way about eleven minutes to midnight.

“What is if it’s an enemy plane?” said Sgt. Wilkinson.

“It isn’t,” said the pilot. “It’s another Flamingo. I can tell by the sound of the engine.”

The plane ran down the field, circled, descended, and across the field to where they stood. The hatch opened. The co-pilot jumped out and shook hands with the pilot and co-pilot of the first plane. “Hurry,” said their pilot. “We can stand here for very long. Felix and his comrades left. Alex and Klaus jumped out at the last minute, and when everyone was aboard, the plane turned to take off. “I wish I could stay with you, but they need me back in London to work on the sacks of tests we’re bringing. The plane started down the field and was in the air within five minutes.

They walked back to the farmhouse and knocked on the door. Felix was still there and smiled when he saw their faces. “We need a ride to the train station,” said Klaus.

“If I were you, I’d wait a few days until the witch hunt dies. You both need a rest. I’ll let London know that you’ll be heading back to Stuttgart soon and tell them our hosts miss Zoé even more.”

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Marga and Sigfried were waiting at the station platform for them. Klaus spotted them first and ran to grab Sigfried and twirl him around. Alex’s left foot pained a bit, and he took a bit longer to reach them. Marga noticed his limp immediately and helped him to a taxi.

“Your mother has been worried sick about you. I told her you were safe, but I don’t think she believed me.”

Klaus rubbed Sigfried’s hair and asked if he looked after his mother in their absence. “When she didn’t hear from you, I could tell she was worried. Just like your mother.”

Marga shook her head. “He makes up stories as well as making plane models.” She turned to the stove and had their supper cooking in no time at all. She asked Klaus to call his mother. When she emerged, she was combing her hair, and Marga waved them to the table. “I cooked the potatoes the way your mother told me you like them best.” ***

Their plane rose into the cloud cover before levelling off and setting a course for London. They could hear planes all around them, kept to the clouds, and were heading across the Channel when the clouds disappeared. They were soon spotted by a squadron of German fighters using radar to find them.

“I’ve radioed London to send one of our squadrons and bring us home. The Gerries have already spotted us and will be at us at any moment,” said their radio operator.

The plane started to dive until the pilot from the first plane took his place and started wobbling the plane to make them a harder target. The pilot then rose higher to avoid any fighters coming down at them. “A squadron has already left the ground and should be here in minutes,” said the radio operator as a Messerschmitt flew by them, hitting the plane with a series of bullet holes and killing the pilot. The co-pilot pointed to the hori-

zon. Another squadron was heading their way. “Help is on the way,” said the radio operator. One of the scientists had been shot by one of the bullets and was gasping for breath. Seconds later, their right motor was hit as another fighter flew past.

Their plane was losing altitude just as Spitfires arrived, and the German fighters scrambled and headed back to base. Their plane lost altitude slowly the rest of the way back and was forced to land on a field. The radio operator managed to send a message about their position before leaving the plane with the pilot. The commandos took over and marched them away from the plane. In the distance, they could hear the sounds of a fire truck headed their way, followed by two firetrucks. The scientists complained about their treatment to the first officer they met as soon as the trucks arrived at the airfield. Two large sacks that contained the Farm Hill experiments were shouldered by two commandos and brought inside.

“One of your soldiers threatened to kill me,” said the scientist who had become the spokesperson for the other two.

“That would be me, Colonel. He was refusing to join us, and I offered him the option – a bullet from my gun or his agreement to come with us.”

“Well done, everyone.” Colonel Stephenson smiled. He looked around and failed to see Geoffrey. “A German fighter killed him,” said Zoé.

“What about the other two?”

“They’ve become quite a team and elected to stay behind and carry on future assignments. I would have stayed, too, but I know I would be needed to digest what we’ve brought back and quiz the scientists.”

Stephenson turned to one of the soldiers that came with him. “Take these gentlemen to the hotel where they will be staying during their sabbatical with us.”

Back at his office, he invited Zoé and a recent recruit from Camp X to his office. He poured them a Whiskey and saluted Churchill. “It seems you and your team did a better job than our bombers, which failed to destroy Farm Hill. Now that you’ve been there, how do you feel about going back, burning it to the ground? Someone needs to go back and destroy it and what it represents.”

Stephenson studied her face. “I’d like to go back if only to make sure Geoffrey has had a proper burial and perhaps bring his body back to England.” After a pause, “There should be a recognition of all Camp X members who have lost their lives. I’m thinking about poor Janicka and quite possibly Alex and Klaus.”

Stephenson stroked his mustache. “I’d like to introduce you to Francois Benoit, a munitions expert, who would go back with you and see that Farm Hill is reduced to rubble. I’m sure Alex and Klaus would be glad to help. In the meantime, Francois will spend a few weeks learning all the new explosives we’ve been creating while you can spend your days chatting with your German scientists. Start by interviewing them and then

studying all their papers.”

He stopped Zoé on her way out. “I wouldn’t send you back there. For your ears only. We must land our forces on the mainland soon, and I would not want them to face something we’re not prepared for.”

“Just had a message from Stephenson. He wants to know if we would assist in another mission to reduce Farm Hill to rubble. The bombing raid failed to do much damage. He plans to send Zoé and another Camp X grad from France, called Francois Benoit. He is an explosive expert and will be learning new tricks before they arrive on our doorstep. I keyed back that we’re willing and able. I hope you don’t mind.”

“I think we would be well advised to let Marga know that we may have a couple of guests for a few days.”

There was a knock, and Alex froze. Klaus grabbed his crutches and went to the door. “My name is Sgt. Karsten Jung,” he said, looking at Klaus and his crutches. “I’m here to investigate reports of two deserters living here.”

“I suspect I’m one of them, except I’ve been discharged because of a major wound that has left me on crutches for the rest of my life. For verification, you may wish to consult my major, who provided me with my discharge papers. If you can wait, I need to go downstairs and get them. It’s not easy when you’re on crutches.”

Jung shook his head. “It will not be necessary.” He turned to Alex. “What is your excuse?”

“It’s no use, sergeant. “He doesn’t talk. He hasn’t talked from the time he was rescued until now. He was on the Russian front, rescued, and brought back to Germany. I have tried to get him to talk since he came here but have given up. Either he doesn’t hear me or has lost the ability to talk.”

The Sergeant turned away and then back again with a lighted match and held over Alex’s hair. “Let’s see how he reacts when I light his hair.” He placed the match close to his hair. Alex could feel the warmth of the match and singed the top hairs. His hair caught fire, and Klaus grabbed his tunic and threw it over his head. “You’ve made your point, sergeant. He’s endured enough torture and doesn’t need more now.”

Marga came in from the backyard with a box of berries and saw what was happening. “What are you doing? He can’t defend himself and needs your pity and not putting him through this. If anything, it’s probably set him back on any headway we have tried to help him.”

For some reason, Jung seemed intimidated by Marga, who could summon a harsh, threatening voice at will. She edged him towards the door, and he left and never looked back. When she came back, she looked at them. “You two should know better. I do not want to see either of you open the door. You were lucky this time. The next time might be different. Now

wash for supper and call Sigfried up to get some wood.”

“Dr. Becker, my name is Zoé. I am a physicist like yourself, and I am a great admirer of your work. I once had the privilege of attending one of your classes at Bonn. It changed my life completely and helped me reset my goals.”

Becker, now in his late 60s, smiled at her. “I am happy to see that my great love of physics has inspired you.”

“I’m fascinated about your work at Farm Hill and your success in splitting the atom. I wish only to have been your assistant and learned firsthand the steps you took that made you successful in this incredible achievement. Do you mind telling me the first step you took that put you on a successful path?”

Becker reached out for her hand. “Your hand is cold, Fraulein. Let me rub it for you.” He began rubbing her hand and began to talk about all the times he failed and what he had done wrong before that one magic moment of success.

They had supper together, and she helped him to his room when they had finished. That night, she searched through the first bag of tests without finding Dr. Becker’s successful breakthrough. She was halfway through the second bag when she saw another test that suggested they were close to splitting the atom earlier.

In the morning, she made an appointment with Col. Stephenson. “It was Dr. Becker who made the successful breakthrough test. I had supper with him, and he told me the steps he took to achieve success. There was also another close test. I plan to review all the tests for the next two weeks before you fly them to New York. I also may have more information after seeing one of the other scientists we brought back with us.”

It was raining when Zoé left Col. Stephenson’s office and returned to her flat. Her cat was meowing from behind the door. She felt suddenly alert and turned the key to open the door.

Someone from behind placed a handkerchief dosed in chloroform over her mouth and nostrils and dragged her to her sofa. The last thing she remembered was the hand before she blacked out. Zoé woke about an hour later to see an older woman sitting beside her.

“My name is Dame Edith Wilton. I am a secret service agent, and I came here to show you how easy it was to enter your flat, chloroform you, wrap you in our carpet and kidnap you. I understand you were offered secure quarters but turned them down. I hope this evening’s events have changed your mind.”

Dame Wilton was in her early 50s, had a striking face that was well rouged and wore a striking hat with an eagle feather that gave it uniqueness. Her hair was getting grey, and her blue eyes had a way of attracting

people. Being in the secret service excited her and made her feel useful in the war effort.

“I’ll see Col. Stephenson in the morning about it.”

Francois Benoit was handsome with dark black eyes and black curly hair and had a way of talking that women liked, especially his French accent and the tone it gave his English words. Francois had already attracted the young woman training him to use plastic explosives. At the end of training the first week, he invited her for supper, but she refused. “I’m engaged,” she said, showing him her ring.

“I’m sure he wouldn’t mind. It’s a shame I have reservations for two at the Dorchester.” Later, when Francois left for the day and headed to his barracks, he ran into another Camp X grad and talked him into going to the Dorchester with him. The dining room was packed, and they picked up two young women to join them.

Doris had just turned 21, and her friend, Dawn, 22, were on leave. “The guys at the camp aren’t as handsome as you two,” said Doris, who kept jigging her foot against Dawn’s leg. Dawn tried to smile. She hadn’t had a date in weeks, and the men at the base did not attract her. The two U.S. airmen at the next table caught her eye, and she kept nodding to Dawn. Francois didn’t miss what was happening. “I think you’ve attracted the attention of those two gentlemen.”

Doris looked away, and her face flushed. One of the airmen came over and suggested they all got together for a drink, but Francois ignored him. Dawn nodded and started to rise when Francois hauled her back down. The airman insisted and took her by the arm. Francois stood. “She’s yours. Just remember that.”

Doris wiggled free and sat down. “Leave me alone.” Dawn put her arm around her, and the airman returned to his friend. “I think we should order something and see you girls back to your base,” said his friend. Dawn smiled, rubbed his hand, and whispered, “Thank you.”

When they left, Francois and Doris wanted to go to a pub, but Dawn wanted to go back to the base. Dawn and his friend left laughing and disappeared into the fog.

His head ached, and Francois felt queasy. He looked for a damp cloth to relieve the aching in his head. He made training just in time and held his head as his instructor began to mark him as a “no show.”

“Today,” she started, “we will see the effects of more conventional bombs.” They walked into the yard to see a shed, and his instructor took him inside. “Set the fuse for three minutes.” She watched his hands shake as he set the fuse and left behind a metal wall with him. The explosion blew the entire building apart. “This type of bomb is best for specific areas.”

She then led him to another area, where an old tank was hauled into

the yard. “This bomb is made to destroy a tank and its occupants, sending all its pieces all over a wide area. She entered the shed and showed him the bomb. “Now, go to the tank, place this bomb beneath it and set the fuse for five minutes. And run like hell as far away as possible. He set the fuse and ran behind one of the buildings as the explosion sent pieces of metal flying in all directions.

They returned to the classroom, where she planked a manual in front of him that dealt with plastic explosives and how to maximize their effect. “Study this, and you had better know it in detail when we meet tomorrow. If you fail, you’ll be scrubbed from the project.”

CHAPTER TWENTY

Francois met Zoé for the second time and remarked on her beauty. Zoé eyed him carefully. “I’m on a mission to reduce a place of learning to rubble. I have no time for anything else. If you have other thoughts, you’re the wrong person for this mission. Do we understand each other?”

Col. Stephenson caught the interchange and smiled. “Where do you stand on your training?”

“I thought I knew a lot from my days in the Maquis, but what I learned today was eye-opening. Especially the power of plastic explosives.”

He eyed Zoé. “When you return, our New York friends would like you and Professor Becker flown there to meet them. We’ve learned from you and the professor that the Germans are behind us. That is all the more reason why Farm Hill must be levelled to the ground.”

“When do you expect us to leave for Germany?” said Francois. “Soon. Very soon. So don’t take any holidays, even a weekend away, so that you can be reached anytime.”

Francois waited until Zoé had left. “What’s with her?”

“She’s all business, Francois. In addition, her mate on the previous mission was killed, leaving her feeling down. In a way, this mission is a pilgrimage for her.”

Alex came up from the cellar. This just in from London: “Zoé and Francois will be parachuted here in two days.”

“Finally,” said Klaus. “I’ll arrange for the underground to pick them up and drive them here.”

“What’s this about?” said Marga. “When you’re whispering like this, I know something is up.”

“Another mission that will take us back to Godmanchester,” said Alex.

“Two agents will arrive here in two days. We would like them to hide here before we leave for Godmanchester,” added Klaus.

“I do not have any more beds,” said Marga.

“Alex and I can sleep on the floor, and Zoé could sleep with you.”

“You don’t seem too happy about this, Alex.”

“I don’t have good feelings about it. Don’t ask me why.”

Marga could sense the change and busied herself washing the dishes. Sigfried was throwing his Stuka and smiling from head to toe, delighted with the screaming sound that followed the plane to the floor. “Please put your plane away, Sigfried. It gets on my nerves.”

They contacted the underground the next evening and planned to meet where Zoé and Francois and their equipment would parachute down. It was a different location from their previous parachute drop.

***

“Any questions?” said Col. Stephenson. “We had a message from Klaus and Alex, who will be there to greet you. The underground will help you, and once you land, find a place for them to store your bombs before you head out to Godmanchester.”

For the first time in his life, Francois was gripped with fear. He couldn’t keep his hands from shaking and sneaked a mouthful of Whiskey when Zoé wasn’t looking. Her face was calm. She closed her eyes as the plane took off and headed to the Channel. The first thing she would do is find out where Geoffrey was interred and arrange to have his body buried in Stuttgart along with Marga’s husband. He missed Geoffrey’s coolness and strength and needed him now more than ever. She glanced at Francois just as he stole another shot of Whiskey.

“We are now over enemy territory,” the radio operator announced and will be heading into Germany in the next few minutes.

She looked at Francois again, saw him breathing hard, and wondered how useful he would be when they faced real bullets. It was too late to change partners, and she decided to confide in Alex and Klaus.

Anti-aircraft fire burst all around them as their plane struggled to rise to take them far above the clouds. One of the shells blasted a hole in the right wing, making the plane shake. Francois was downing a long drink when she looked at him. The plane was in the open now, and Francois did not attempt to hide his fear. A few minutes later, they flew away from the anti-aircraft batteries and into the silence of the night. The moon had come out, and they could see the houses and church steeples below.

When it came time to jump, the radio operator came back and helped them parachute for the container containing their weapons and bombs. “You’re next,” he said, preparing Francois for the jump. He stood there until Zoé pushed him into the hole at the bottom of their plane and waited to see his parachute open before dropping herself.

Three underground members ran to grab the first parachute as it blew across the field. The night was cool with a wind from the North and made Klaus shiver as he ran after the next parachute to land and helped Francois out of the harness. Alex guided Zoé down and helped her free from her parachute. Three underground members collected the parachutes and munitions and carried them to a borrowed truck on the side of the road. Another car awaited to take them to the city while the truck disappeared to store the munitions in a hiding place.

Marga had the teapot ready when Klaus and Alex entered with Zoé and Francois, who had suddenly come to life after landing. He started by telling jokes and had everyone laughing. When it came time to sleep, Francois kissed Marga’s hand and thanked her for her kindness. He watched Zoé enter Marga’s bedroom. “Where will we be sleeping?”

“On the floor with Alex and me.” Klaus went to the clothes closet, found a couple pillows and three blankets, and spread them on the floor. Francois was the first to wrap himself in a blanket, lay his head on the pillow, and was asleep before Alex and Klaus dozed off. They were awakened by someone beating a pot and raised their heads to see Zoé and Marga mixing flour for scones and laughing as they dabbed each other’s faces with dough.

“I smell something great,” said Francois, who went to peek at what they were preparing before joining Alex and Klaus to shave and wash. When they emerged, they found the kitchen table set and Sigfried sitting at the head and munching on a scone. Francois joined Klaus in rubbing Sigfried’s head. “So this is the creator of airplanes everyone talks about,” said Francois. Sigfried bowed slightly. “Perhaps you could show us one of them and see how they fly.”

Sigfried left the table and brought back his Stuka. Francois held it in his hands and rubbed Sigfried’s head again. “Now show us how it flies.” Sigfried threw it into the kitchen, where it screamed its way to the floor. Francois’s body tightened, and his face went white. “I have seen and heard that many times before.” It took him a few seconds to recover. “Do you have another one you could show us?”

“Just a Messerschmitt 109F.” Sigfried disappeared and returned with his Messerschmitt perched above his head. “Let me wind it up,” said Francois, who returned it to Sigfried. It flew across the kitchen and into the parlour before crashing to the floor.

Later, when Sigfried had left for school, they had a visit from the underground leader, Karl. “We need to know when you want to get the show on the road. Sometimes are better than others. Weekends, for example. There are fewer army cars on the road and less chance for us to be stopped and searched.”

“What about sending to the container by rail and having the underground pick it up for us?” said Alex.

Karl looked at the ceiling while his mind thought it over. “You know, that just might work. It will certainly be the last thing they’d ever think we’d do.” Karl was an older man in his late 50s with two sons in the army. Both had been wounded in Russia after recuperating at a military hospital and being sent to France. He was clean-shaven and had thick dark brown hair that kept falling over his forehead.

“We need to get to Farm Hill soon. London is planning another bombing mission to coincide with our raid,” said Zoé. “We’ll go in first and set up the bombs to detonate ten minutes after we’ve left. The explosions will help guide the bombers to drop their bombs. By that time, we should be far enough away to avoid any crossfire.”

Karl was nodding as she talked. “When would you like to reach Godmanchester?”

“It will depend on when London plans to send the bombers back. We’ll find out today and get back to you,” said Zoé.

Alex went downstairs and returned 20 minutes later. “Everything’s set for Wednesday night. They expect to be on target at 10.15 p.m.”

“Then we’ll drive up to Godmanchester tomorrow at dusk and get settled. In the meantime, Klaus and I will go to the train station and send your container to Godmanchester, which should be ready for our pickup Wednesday morning.”

Francois was getting restless and volunteered to hoe the garden behind the house. “There’s not been much rain recently. The potatoes and lettuce could do with a bit of watering,” said Marga.

Francois put on her husband’s straw hat and jacket and left with two buckets of water, which he left at the door of the small hut where Marga stored her garden tools. He found the hoe and went into the garden, and began hoeing for an hour before coming in to refill the buckets. When he returned, he had filled one of the buckets with lettuce. “My people were farmers,” he said, going to the kitchen and making himself a lettuce sandwich.

“You’re a man of many surprises, Francois,” said Klaus.

“Not when I think of what you and Alex have gone through and the sacrifices you both have made.”

Zoé studied his face and shook her head. She thought he was a man of many surprises and wondered if she had misjudged him.

At ten o’clock, when they wrapped themselves in their blankets, Francois immediately went to sleep and kept them up almost half the night with his snoring. Francois woke with a smile and looked out the back window at the garden. “The turnips need hoeing and went outside and began hoeing. When Zoé and Marga finished preparing breakfast, Klaus went outside to tell Francois his breakfast was getting cold. He ate twice as much as anyone else and spent the rest of the day sleeping in a chair and listening to the radio.

Karl arrived at dusk and helped them board his truck. Francois in-

sisted they bring along a sack of potatoes. Karl shrugged and started driving slowly through much of the city and only picked up speed when they reached the main highway. Zoé stood to feel the cool wind that blew her hair over her face as the truck picked up speed. There was a full moon, and they could see much of the highway ahead. Only a handful of cars passed them, and Zoé and Francois started singing French songs. Klaus and Alex felt cold and huddled with their backs against the cab to get warm. Karl suddenly slowed as he spotted an armoured car coming their way. Alex stood and shouted “Trouble ahead” to Zoé and Francois. They stopped singing as their truck slowed to a stop. An army officer emerged from the armoured car with a flashlight to see Karl’s face and then at Zoé, Francois, Alex and Klaus.

“Your papers,” said the officer, a young man in his late 20s. Klaus passed them to him. “What brings you on the road this time of the night?”

“We’re on the way to a funeral in Godmanchester,” said Klaus. It’s tomorrow morning. “

The officer spotted Francois’s sack. “What’s that?”

“Potatoes,” said Klaus. “For the dinner after the funeral service. We have a big family.”

He flashed his light in Karl’s face. “It’s my brother.”

The officer took his flashlight and examined the truck, even under the hood and fenders, and returned to Karl and nodded. Karl thanked him and started the truck.

“There’s a big hole in the road up ahead. You could break an axle if you’re not careful,” said the officer as he returned to the armoured car.

Karl drove for a kilometre before stopping and asking for a volunteer to run ahead and find the hole the officer had warned about. Francois volunteered and ran at quite a pace for another four kilometres before he fell into the hole. He tried to crawl his way up, but the hole was muddy, and there was nothing he could grab on to get him out of it. It resembled a crater that covered much of the highway. Karl could no longer see him and slowed down until he saw a dark spot in the road a short distance ahead. Karl stopped the truck. He could make out the hole and got back, drove the truck closer, and looked for Francois. He left the lights on in the truck and could see him at the bottom. He searched around for a tree branch and yelled to the others.

“Francois has tumbled into the crater. I need help to get him out and find a way around it.” They all jumped from the truck. Alex emptied the potato sack and brought it to the hole where Francois grabbed it as the others hauled him gradually to the surface.

“If the armoured car got around it, we should be able to,” said Alex. “Let’s examine the other side of the road and see where that takes us.” He had Karl back up and move to the left side. Klaus and Alex walked ahead and saw the tire tracks of the armoured car and had Karl slowly manoeu-

vre the truck away from the edge of the hole, where it suddenly stalled. It took two of them on each side to push the truck out of a small hole and onto the highway, where they were on their way again. Francois’s face had mud on it. He sat next to Klaus and replaced the potatoes.

The first streaks of dawn were ahead as they finally reached the farm of the older couple, where Felix, still unshaven, was waiting for them. “We were worried something had happened and debated whether we should look for you.”

“Right now, I think we all could do breakfast and a good sleep,” said Zoé.

“You’ll be happy that we picked up the container at the train station using your name,” added Felix.

“I hope you spelled it right,” said Klaus.

“He wanted verification I was you. I told him I had left my papers at home, but I had one of my workmen with me, and he could ask him who I was.”

Karl stayed for supper and left, telling them he would return at eight o’clock with the container. We will need to leave here by eight-thirty. This will take us into Godmanchester and position us to enter Farm Hill at 9.30. You’ll have 45 minutes to do your work before the bombing starts. There are more guards there now – so it won’t be as easy as before.”

“There is an entrance behind the building, and I know the password for it,” said Klaus.

By the time they left, everyone had breakfast and slept on the floor. They were awakened by the older woman, who roused them for supper. Francois had to take a shower. He had washed his clothes the night before and was already eating by the time the others had washed and dressed.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Francois examined the container and checked everything. He counted 12 smoke bombs, grenades, plastic explosives, and bombs. There were also six machine guns with ammunition with a note for Zoé from Col. Stephenson. “Come back safe. Remember, you’re also needed in New York.”

At eight-thirty, they boarded Felix’s old truck and headed into Godmanchester. They went to Felix’s garage and waited for the night to fall. The moon had come out and guided their way to Farm Hill. They stopped about a kilometre away from their target and got themselves ready. They all carried machine guns and smoke bombs and left Francois with his bombs. The container also included a small cart, which had to be assembled. Francois carefully placed the largest bombs and followed the rest of them up the hill. Klaus led them around the left of the building to the back. They entered without sound and placed several smaller bombs and plastic explosives around the furnace in the basement and their labs.

They were about to leave when the alarm bells went off, and they ran from the building as fast as they could. Several Gestapo soldiers had spotted them and ran after them with their guns blazing. One of the bullets hit Klaus’s left leg and left him limping as they traced their way back down the hill with covering fire from their underground friends. Francois trailed the rest, turning from time to time to use his machine gun on the guards who trailed them. Alex helped him throw some smoke bombs in their direction and pushed him to the ground when a flare lit the sky to the guards set up a mortar. They tried running and throwing smoke bombs in their path. But it didn’t stop the guards from lobbing their mortar shells only feet away. They rose for the fifth time and started to run when two bullets, one in Francois’s back and the other in his left leg, made him suddenly twist and fall to the ground.

Alex went back for him and tried to carry him to safety, weaving and ducking the bullets that followed his path. Zoé sat and tried to comfort him. Klaus shook his head. “He’s gone, Zoé.”

Just then, the bombs Francois had placed there blew up, sending pieces of the building up in the air. A few minutes later, the bombing started. It seemed to go on for 15 minutes before the planes turned and headed back.

Klaus helped her up and led her to Felix’s truck, where the others were waiting for them. They were on the road when another one of Francois’s big bombs lit up the sky in one gigantic explosion. Even from a distance, they could see the walls crumbling and the black smoke that spread over the city.

“He died in my arms, just like Geoffrey. I think I am a jinx for every person who works with me. They didn’t teach me about this at Camp X.”

Col. Stephenson waited until she stopped crying. “What you have done will save the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. You have to think in those terms. I believe Francois would have wanted it that way. He said as much before he left. I didn’t tell you then that he had a premonition that he would not return from this mission. But now, the future is before us. Our job is to ensure wars like this never happen again.”

Zoé left wondering how Klaus and Alex were able to handle the constant fear of being exposed every day. She would write to Marga to find Geoffrey’s grave and have him buried with her husband. She made her way into a pub to have a beer for Francois and a sherry for Geoffrey. A woman, sitting at the bar with a young soldier, came to her side. “I’m a nurse. Are you all right? You look as though you’ve gone through hell.”

Zoé tried to smile at her and began crying before she knew it. The young woman, who identified herself as Kate, put her arm around Zoé. “Come and sit with my boyfriend and me. He’s on a ten-day leave, and I know he’d love to meet you.”

They left the pub, with Stu, her boyfriend, with his arms around each of them, and headed for her flat. “I’ve got an early shift tomorrow, and Stu promised his mother he would spend a few days with her. You look tired.”

They stopped at a three-story building a few streets away, where Stu left them, and Kate led her upstairs to her flat on the second floor. “It’s only one room, but it has a separate bathroom. She helped Zoé undress and put her to sleep before getting into bed next to her. In the morning, Kate woke her. She was washed and dressed for work and had the teapot boiling. “I have to leave soon. Stay as long as you like.”

“You have been exceptionally kind to me, Kate, and I shall not forget that. I was not myself last night, and I hope I wasn’t much of a bother.”

“You’ve lost someone dear to you when you least expected it. I could tell. I’ve been through it, and so have many of the people I treat at my hospital. Stay as long as you like.”

“I won’t be here when you get back. I have to see someone this morning, and if it hadn’t been for you, I’m not sure where I would have wound up. I need your name and your full address.”

Kate wrote them down and headed for the door. “Take care of yourself. Just remember my door is always open to you.”

Zoé washed and dressed, put Kate’s address in her pocket, and locked the door automatically when she left. Outside, she flagged down a taxi to take her to Canadian Intelligence.

“Where in hell have you been?” said Stephenson. “We’ve been calling all over for you.”

“I had a night feeling sorry for myself and wound up in the flat of a nurse, who knew what I was going through and brought me to her home, where she put me to bed and sleep. Her name is Kate Greene, here is her address. I would like someone to send her some flowers with my name with a thank you note.” After a pause, “God knows where I would have ended if it hadn’t been for her.”

“Alex and Klaus have sent messages and would like to hear from you before you leave here today. But that’s not why I wanted to see you. You may recall that New York has asked us to send Dr. Becker and you to them. Well, my first caller this morning was one of their scientists who came here to bring you and your scientist friend to New York on a U.S. Army plane. It leaves at one p.m.

“His name is Oscar Hillgate, a major scientist at the Manhattan Project. He’s anxious to meet you and Dr. Becker. I’ve arranged for you and Dr. Becker to meet him for lunch at the Dorchester, where he is staying. I’ll escort you both there and leave you in his good hands.”

***

Dr. Becker had trouble walking up the stairs at the Dorchester and had to be helped. “I’m too old for all this travelling. Where did you say we’re going? Did you know I had never been on a plane? I don’t mind telling you I felt a little scared until we landed.” He was breathing hard when he reached the top of the stairs and walked slowly to a suite halfway down the corridor. A U.S. Airforce Major was standing outside the suite door and saluted when he saw Stephenson approach with Zoé and Dr. Becker. He opened the door to see Hillgate standing there, handsome in every way, with blue eyes that took in her face and body with an animal magnetism that attracted every woman in the room. Zoé couldn’t take her eyes off him.

“You’re a very beautiful woman, Miss Archambeau,” he said in a voice that sent shivers up her back. Stephenson noticed the difference immediately. “Dr. Hillgate is a movie actor in real life with a different name,” he said. “I have a feeling you both will achieve great things together.”

“Please join me for lunch, Miss Archambeau, with Dr. Becker, of course,” said Hillgate, leading them to a table in the centre of the room. A

waiter poured them wine and left. Dr. Becker raised his glass. “Thank you for your hospitality, Dr. Hillgate. I hope I speak for Fraulein Archambeau when I say we will enjoy working with you.” His eyes showed a knowing twinkle, and he sat back as the waiter filled his glass again.

Stephenson looked at his watch. “Your plane to New York leaves in a couple of hours. I think we’d better order now and get on our way.”

Stephenson saw them to the airport and hugged Zoé before she turned to go up the ladder. She turned at the open hatch and waved to Stephenson again with tears in her eyes as she disappeared inside. One of the U.S. soldiers came down the ladder to help Dr. Becker to the hatch door and saw him fastened in before closing the hatch. Zoé appeared at the window and waved to Stephenson. He stayed to see the plane take off and disappear from view.

He nodded to his driver. He had meetings back at his office and checked his watch. ***

Alex saw his transmitter turn on, grabbed his earphones, and began taking down the message.

Arranging a flight back to London for you and Klaus on 18th this month for another assignment. You and Klaus are to go to France, set up shop there, and await instructions.

When he told Klaus, Marga put her foot down. “I do not want you to go,” she said. “You have already given and given. If you go, it is to face danger again.” She turned to Alex. “I fear for you as well.” She went into her bedroom, and they could hear her sobbing. Klaus looked at him and started to wring his hands. “I can’t have you go there without me. I don’t know what to do.”

“I’ll send a message to Stephenson that you are still recovering from our last mission and get his reaction.” Alex went downstairs again and sent a message to London.

Klaus still recovering from last mission and needs rest still.

The answer came a few minutes later:

Forget France. Plane will come for you on 18th. Need you in London for consultation.

“I bought you some time,” said Alex. Marga emerged from her bedroom and smiled as she heard the news. “But he wants me in London for consultation. It has to be something big they’re planning. He still wants me there on the 18th.”

“Did he say what for?”

Alex shook his head. “Obviously, something that he does not want to discuss on the transmitter. I have an idea what it is, and so do you.”

“What are you two nodding your heads about?” said Marga. Her eyes had a wary look, and her face hardened.

“It’s better that you do not know what Alex and I are thinking. We could be wrong. Stephenson needs to know that the Farm Hill gang has set up shop in Berlin, close to Wehrmacht headquarters and created a new facility for them with all the latest equipment. It’s located next to a children’s hospital,” said Klaus.

“I’ll let him know. It may be enough to change whatever he’s got up his sleeve,” said Alex. “Are you up to another visit to Berlin?”

Klaus looked at Marga, who had gone into the kitchen to peel some potatoes.

Already know about new facility. Squadron of Mosquitos on way to destroy it. Another Mosquito will pick you up two days from now at 11 pm.

On the day before his departure, he received another message: Departure changed to tonight. Same time.

At ten o’clock, Klaus picked up Alex’s bag and walked with him to the car dump at the edge of Stuttgart, where three underground members were waiting for him. Klaus decided to go with him, and they drove in silence to a field they had not used before. It was still 25 minutes before the plane was expected, and they hid in the shadows. The moon was out, and the sky was clear. A few minutes later, a squadron of German fighters passed over their heads, heading West, returning five minutes later over the same path.

One of the underground members pointed to the sky, where he had spotted a plane on the horizon heading their way. As it grew closer, they began to hear the sound of its engines, and five minutes later, it was circling the field before landing. They ran up to it and helped Alex aboard just as they heard the warning sounds of the engines of the German planes returning. Everyone held their breaths as they passed overhead. Once they were out of sight, the pilot had the twin motors humming in seconds and wheeled the plane around and ran down the field and into the sky in a matter of seconds.

Their plane landed in the midst of heavy fog. Hillgate helped them off the plane and joined Zoé and Dr. Becker in the back seat of an army limo that took them to a hotel on the outskirts of New York and saw them to a suite on the top floor. “Your suite has two bedrooms and two toilets as well

as a kitchen and a dining room,” said Hillgate as he showed them around. He gave them both a key to the suite and left his card with Zoé should they have any questions. Dr. Becker inspected his bedroom first and shook his head. “It’s a palace,” he kept mumbling as he went from one room to another.

When Hillgate left, Zoé passed the menu to him. “What would you like?

“I would like a steak. I have not seen or eaten beef since the war started. I thought maybe I would not ever eat it again.”

Zoé smiled and lifted the phone and asked for the dining room.

It was ten o’clock, and Klaus’s mother, an early riser, had not appeared. Marga opened her bedroom door to see her lying on her back with her mouth open, and she went to the bed to find she wasn’t breathing. She started to cry. Marga dressed her, put on the older woman’s favourite dress, rose and closed the door behind her. The funeral would wait until Klaus returned.

She went into the kitchen, made herself a tea and tried to drink it while the tears ran down her cheeks.

Klaus returned an hour later and saw immediately something was wrong. Marga looked up at him. “Sit down. I have something to tell you.”

Klaus sat on a chair on the other side of the table. Marga’s eyes were red, and she turned away. “Your mother is dead. I thought she had slept in, and when I went to wake her, I discovered she had died in the night. I washed and dressed her in her favourite dress.”

Klaus entered her bedroom and sat beside her. He rubbed her hands, now cold as ice, and brushed her hair from her face. He could see that she would have been a pretty woman in her younger years. Tears came to his eyes. He was now at the end of the line with no one to succeed him.

He rose and went back to the kitchen and sat down beside Marga. She looked at him and used the edge of her apron to wipe away his tears before rising and putting her arms around him.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Michel Cloutier and Stephanie Roy were waiting outside his office when he returned. Stephenson looked at their faces, still eager and young with young dreams in their heads. Cloutier was just 23 and looked like an 18-year-old with light brown hair and ready for this first date. His hazel eyes had a yearning look, and his face was eager and ready for adventure. Roy sat with her hands clasped on her lap. She was slim with the look of an 18-year-old. Her dark hair was combed back and parted in the middle, and her voice quivered when she was asked about her days at Camp X.

“I understand you both speak French,” said Stephenson.

They both answered “yes” in unison.

“I understand it’s not like the French in France.”

“The accent is different,” said Cloutier.

“Actually,” said Stephanie, “the French-Canadian accent was used by the French court before the revolution. I come from New Brunswick, where the accent is a bit different still.”

“Do the French in France understand you?”

“I assume so,” said Cloutier. “Many people from Québec have emigrated to France and live there without a problem.”

“I have a mission for you that takes place in Berlin. Would you be interested?”

They nodded and leaned forward. “It’s not as adventurous as you might think or what you were taught to believe in Camp X. It’s dangerous, and more than one of our agents has died from torture at the hands of the

Gestapo.”

“I will be meeting one of our agents from Germany shortly. If you’re still keen on going, I want you to hear what he’s had to deal with and still going through. Come back after lunch and meet him.”

After they left, talking in French to each other as they left, he arranged to have Alex lunch with him and find out what was really going on with him and Klaus. The lunch came first. Alex arrived a few minutes later and sat at the small table in Stephenson’s office.

“Can I get you anything?” said Stephenson.

Alex shook his head.

“I’m lunching on a chicken sandwich. I took the liberty of ordering one for you.”

Alex reached out and took a mouthful of chicken. It was the first time he had one since he left home, and he showed it slowly to enjoy the taste longer. There was also a bottle of orange pop Stephenson had flown in from Newfoundland. Stephenson opened the bottle slowly and poured Alex’s glass. “I recalled you mentioned missing orange pop after leaving Camp X. It’s my small way of thanking you for your service and dedication. I have a couple of people I plan to send to Berlin. Their heads are full of adventure, and they need to know what it’s like out there. I’d appreciate it if you would answer any questions they might have.”

They finished their sandwiches, and Stephenson offered him a cigarette. It’s a Capital, straight from Canada. He lit Alex’s cigarette and threw the package on his lap. He buzzed his secretary, who brought in Michel and Stephanie.

“Stephanie, Michel, I’d like you to meet Alex. He and his partner were sent to Czechoslovakia to kill a hated German officer who ran the country after the Nazis conquered it.” He looked at Alex, who picked up the thread. “My partner, Janicka, got very close to him and set a bomb before she escaped. It went off, but that man somehow survived the blast, and he hounded her until the Gestapo tracked us down. They tortured her to the point where she begged me to kill her. It tore me apart.” Then, after a silence, “I didn’t need to kill her. When I tried to wake her in the morning, she had died from all the torture. There is not a day that goes by that I do not think of her. I managed to escape and went on to other assignments.” He bowed his head and wiped a tear from his eye.

“I managed to find the person who betrayed us with the intent of killing him. But he also had his losses, and, in the process, we came to depend on each other, thanks to the care of a German woman who had lost her husband, who had been killed in Germany’s invasion of Russia. We still carried out some difficult missions and had narrow escapes with the Gestapo, who knew who we were and had us on their want list. On the plus side, you’ll make friends with people you can depend on no matter what.”

“I have a question,” said Stephanie. “Did you become lovers?”

“That is the worst thing and must be avoided at all costs,” said Alex. “We were in love with each other but were not lovers.”

“Would you do it over again?” said Michel.

“At the drop of a hat. I’m here because Col. Stephenson has another assignment for me. I’ve lived a life that I can be proud of and will stay with me the rest of my life.”

“Do you know what it is?”

“No,” he said, trying to smile. “Col. Stephenson will let me know before I leave here today. Whatever it is, you can be sure it has a strong element of danger attached to it.”

“Will you go?” said Stephanie.

“Probably. I’ve never refused him yet.”

Col. Stephenson stood. “Now that you’ve heard from one of our best agents, are you interested in the assignment?”

Michel and Stephanie looked at each other and nodded.

“It will involve parachuting into occupied France and causing problems for the Germans before we launch our landing.”

“When will that be?” said Michel.

“That has not been decided. At this stage, we’re taking steps to create problems for them. It’s dangerous work. It means cutting telephone lines and blowing up railway tracks and locomotives. You’ll be hunted down, and if you are, you may want to take a poison pill rather than face their torture. We include a poison pill in your landing kit.”

“Can we tell you later this afternoon?” said Stephanie, who had shivered when she heard “poison pill” mentioned.

When they left, Stephenson smiled at Alex. “Which brings me to you. I had hoped you and Klaus would land in France and guide agents like Michel and Stephanie. You would go on missions should you wish to, but guiding some of our people in different parts of France would be your top priority. What about Klaus?”

“He was wounded in our last mission, and the lady we live with is against it. But with Klaus, you never know. He’s not easy to read at times.”

“And you?”

“I’m interested.”

“Enough to parachute down with Michel and Stephanie?”

Alex cocked his head and thought about it. It sounded like a perfect assignment for him and Klaus. Maybe, he thought, Klaus might change his tune if he knew what the assignment entailed and decided to send him a message with the info.

“I want to send a message to Klaus about it and see what he thinks. He’s a great creative thinker.”

“My secretary has a transmitter and will send the message to him for you.” He led him out of his office and had his secretary put her transmitter on her desk. She asked for Klaus’s code. Alex gave it to her and watched her contact Klaus. She looked up at him, “What message do you want me

to send?”

Met with colonel. Wants you and me to go to France and act as guides for some of their agents. I plan to go and hope you will join me.

An hour later, Klaus responded: Haven’t talked to Marga yet. My mother has died. Will send my decision tonight.

“What do you think?”

“I think he will not want to miss it. He can sense the finale as I can and will want to be in on it. His mother has died, and this may be exactly what he needs right now.”

“You’re very intuitive, Alex. I wish some of the others were as well.” ***

Marga put her hands over her ears. “I don’t want to hear about it. I don’t want to lose you, and I feel I will if you leave me.”

“Hear me out first. It’s less dangerous than staying here and worrying about the Gestapo knocking at the door. Alex and I will guide the younger agents and help them plan their missions. We will not be out where the bullets will be flying. And when the war is over, I will come back and look after you.”

“Swear to me that you will not take any chances. If you do that, I will still be here waiting for you.”

Klaus put his hand on his chest. “I swear.” He took her downstairs and showed her his transmitter. “You must learn how to use it. I will write out the dashes and dots for each letter. It will take you a while to learn. Once Alex and I are settled in France, I will send you a message. I will do so at nine p.m. on the 27th of this month. So turn on the transmitter at the time and wait for my dots and dashes. I will go slow so you can take down each letter carefully.”

“I will pray for you every night you are from me.”

That night, he sent a message to Stephenson:

Want to join Alex. Alex and I need passage to France. Reply soonest.

The reply came almost immediately: Will send Mosquito to pick you up two days from now. Same landing place Alex took.

Klaus smiled, and, for the first time, he decided to sleep with Marga that night.

In the morning, he suggested they see her pastor about getting married before he left. She left first thing in the morning and came back before noon. “He’s agreed to marry us tonight.”

“I want Alex as my best man. Sigfried can act in his absence.” She spent the rest of the day on the phone with her relatives and friends. They ate early with some of her friends, who came to take them to the ceremony. She pressed his tunic and shirt, dressed Sigfried, and arranged for a large taxi to take them all to the church. “Don’t forget your crutches,” she shouted as they left. They entered the church to find an even larger crowd already there.

Stephenson called Alex the first thing. Alex reached for the telephone to hear Stephenson’s voice. “Klaus sent us a message to be picked up and delivered to France. Come to the office this morning for a briefing. Alex rose, shaved, dressed and had breakfast before hailing a taxi to take him to Stephenson’s office. He took the elevator up with Michel and Stephanie, who seemed quite happy.

Stephenson waved in Alex first. “Had another message from Klaus this morning. It involves you,” he said, passing the message to Alex.

Married Marga last night. Alex, in absentia, my bridegroom. Sigfiried took your place. Ready to jump in France.

Alex was about to stand when Stephenson waved him down. “You rightly guessed that the finale is about to happen. We need all agents in Northern France to make as much mischief as possible. You and Klaus would command them.”

His buzzer rang. He listened and asked her to send in Major Sullivan, a tall, slim young man with bright blue eyes with, big hands and a firm handshake and an Irish lilt in his voice. “I’ve heard great things about you, Alex.”

“Major Sullivan is in charge of our spy network,” said Stephenson. “But he needs someone with experience to manage his network on the spot. That’s where you and Klaus come in.”

“I brought a list of our agents in Northern France, their names, strengths and weaknesses. They’re all good people but don’t always know the best way to get the job done. They need someone on the spot to direct them each step of the way.” Sullivan shook his hand again. “Should you run into trouble, send me a message. I’m available 24 hours a day.”

Alex looked over the list and talked about them with Stephenson. “Don’t be fooled by Sullivan’s pleasant manner. He can be as hard as the hobnails a second later, but he loves people who don’t let him down.”

“When will I be leaving?”

“Tomorrow night. Memorize the names on that list and their performances and burn it. We can’t take any chances at this late in the game. Anything else?”

It was getting late, and Alex checked his watch. He packed his bag and went downstairs to wait for his ride to the airport. He turned to catch a woman dressed in black walking towards the elevator. How she walked reminded him of Janicka, and he ran to the elevator in time to see her face. She looked like Janicka as she tilted her head when the elevator door closed and moved upwards. He watched it rise to the eighth floor and was about to take the next elevator when he turned to see Michel and Stephanie walking toward him. They were smiling and waving to him. “Our driver is outside and asked us to tell you we should be on our way to the airport.”

Alex followed them out and sat in the back seat with them. They kept wringing their hands and poking each other in the ribs. Excitement grew in their eyes as they approached the airport. The driver drove them to their plane and helped them with their bags to the open hatch. The radio operator stood at the top of the stairs and reached down to help them aboard. Alex managed to climb the stairs and reach for the radio operator’s hand. He strapped them in before going to the front to sit just behind the pilot and co-pilot as the twin engines started and revved up before heading for the exit lane.

The radio operator came back a few minutes later. “We’re crossing the Channel now. I’ll let you know when we’re over enemy territory. You’ll be dropped about 15 minutes from here. There may be a bit of flack but try to forget about it.”

It came faster than the radio operator had predicted, and he returned to warn them to get ready to drop, drawing back the steel bottom to show the drop stone. The green drop light suddenly came on, and Alex sensed they wanted him to go first. He stood at the edge, held his nose and shouted. “Don’t forget to open your parachute.”

They watched his parachute open, and Stephanie jumped into the open space, followed by Stephanie who was humming an Acadien song as he drifted down.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Alex rolled when he hit the ground, rose and ran to help Stephanie with the harness. Michel bounced as he hit the ground and rolled until he was stopped by one of the agents who came out to welcome them.

“My name is Bernard. We’ve been expecting you.”

“What kept you?” said a familiar voice in the darkness. Klaus ran to him, laughing.

“Is this the old married man I’ve heard so much about?”

Klaus was about to say something but thought better of it.

“I’ve known for a long time you were the light in Marga’s eyes. How did you talk her into it?”

I smoothed talked her into marrying me, and I also taught her how to send and read messages on my transmitter.”

One of the agents came and introduced himself. “We need to get out of here before the Gestapo sends some of its people out to greet us.”

“Lay on, McDuff,” said Stephanie, a passage she recalled from Shakespeare. “We also had to study Shakespeare as well as French authors in New Brunswick.”

Another agent, Maxime Drummond from Québec, who could speak French, introduced himself. “We have a welcome party at one of our safe houses. We’ve told other agents about it, so you’ll have an opportunity to get to know as before you set up shop.”

The safe house was about an hour away. They entered through the back door and stepped down to the basement, where six agents were drinking wine and playing cards. They gathered around Klaus and Alex, shaking their hands and laughing.

“Some of us,” said Fédéric Prioux, “need a lot of help. We plan our

missions, but some don’t work out as we expected.”

The safe house was on the outskirts of Rouen, owned by a German Colonel who uses it only during summer. “I know when I speak for Klaus that we all have had that experience. Each of you will create a mission tomorrow and tell us how you plan to execute it.”

In the morning, Fédéric and Maxime unveiled their plan to the others. “We’re planning to blow up the munitions depot the Germans have set up on the outskirts of Rouen. The depot is well-guarded. We plan to create a mock attack at the West side of the depot to get the guards to focus on that while we place explosives on the other side,” said Maxime.

“What if the guards don’t react as you think they will?” said Klaus. “By the way, so that you know, I am German. I was a Lieutenant in the German Army, and like my family and many other Germans I know, we regret ever voting for Hitler and his insane regime.”

There was silence as they looked at Klaus. Alex stood beside Klaus. “You should also know that Klaus trained with me at Camp X and has suffered at the hands of the Gestapo, whom he hates with great passion. His wife and his family would like to see the war ended, and Hitler and his people pay for what they’ve done.” He turned to Maxime. “Take the rest of the day and come up with another plan.”

Klaus looked at Gabriel Bellavance and Carmen Angevine from St-Denis. “We’ve been quiet for a bit. The Germans have taken to executing people in retaliation whenever we blow up something or kill some of their soldiers.”

“That is tough,” said Klaus, looking at Alex, who had to think before answering. “Who is the commanding officer?”

“Major Vogel. A stiff Prussian. Even his soldiers are uneasy around him,” said Gabriel.

“What about kidnapping him?” said Klaus. “That will put a stop to everything. Threaten to kidnap the next time he kills innocent people and send him to England as a POW. He’ll think twice the next time you do something.”

Maxime’s eyes caught fire. “But he always has four or five guards with him no matter where he goes.”

“Then think what would draw him out by himself.”

“Like what?”

“Offering to take him to a place where he can capture three agents and the leader of the underground. But if he brings anyone, they will get wind of it and disappear before he arrives.”

“How do we get that message to him without endangering ourselves.”

“That’s for you to figure out,” said Alex. “See us at the end of the day with a solution.”

They came up with several solutions early in the afternoon. Alex listened to them. “What did you learn from this exercise?”

“Not to rely on other people, not to think how we would react to certain situations but how the enemy will react and build our missions around that.”

That night they had a beer party and a beef stew – gifts from some of the families they had helped.

Alex and Klaus set out early the next morning with Jules Castain in his truck to take them to Saint-Lo. First stop was at Caen, where they assembled in the basement of an old farmhouse. The wind from the Channel made them button their tunics and put their collars around their necks. The farmhouse was deserted and had gaping holes in the kitchen and parlour. It shook from the breeze from the Channel. They ended up in the cellar, where they were able to light a fire to warm themselves. Noah Dague and Ethan White brought some food for them and sat around the fire as they ate and chatted about the invasion and had already been briefed on what they had to do on the evening of the landing.

“Any ideas when that date is coming?”

“They’re not trusting that date or even where it will likely take place, not even with their girlfriends,” said Alex.

Everyone laughed. “Do you think it might be here?” said Noah, a former school teacher who taught French in Manitoba. He had applied for Camp X as soon as it was set up and was one of its earlier graduates. Caen was his third mission, who liked English Cigarettes. He had some cigarettes parachuted to him but preferred the Canadian versions of the English brands. He had grown a small beard that made him look boyish and an infectious laugh.

Georges Dague, who had come from Bayeux, was shaking his head. “I don’t think it will be North. They don’t want another Dieppe on their hands.”

“Rommel is building up a concrete wall all along the coast, so it’s unlikely it will be at any of these places,” said Noah.

Dague, a bit older than the others, had a beard which he trimmed every other day. It was dark and covered much of his face. His brown eyes looked tired, and he rarely smiled. He had a slow drawl that reminded Alex of someone who was weary of the world.

They built a fire on the concrete floor of the cellar and wrapped their clothes around them. They woke in the the morning to see rats crawling around them, looking for even a crumb of bread. Dague rose first and threw his shoe at them.

“This is Zoé Archambeau, fresh from Germany, who has brought Dr. Becker to our establishment. As many of you know, Dr. Becker has created an enviable reputation for his research in splitting atoms,” said Hillgate to several Manhattan researchers who had gathered to welcome him. “He was rescued from the German Farm Hill institution, which is in a race with

us. I’m sure you’ll all get to know Dr. Becker and seek his help in several difficult areas we are working on. Zoé will work with Dr. Becker and assist him in his atomic research. I’m sure some of you might find chatting with Dr. Becker useful in your work.”

The labs took their breath away. Researchers talked to researchers while others were on a blackboard working on complex mathematical equations. “We cultivate a collegial atmosphere,” said Hillgate as he showed them their desks. “If you need anything, just shout.”

The six windows of the outside wall flooded the room with sunlight. Ceiling lights added even more light. Dr. Becker kept shaking his head.

“Is there anything wrong, doctor?”

“I would like to talk to some of the others working on the atom to see how far advanced they are,”

Zoé left and returned with Hillgate. “Some of our researchers are anxious to talk to you as well, Dr. Becker. We’ve set up a separate room where you can chat together.”

They followed him to another floor and entered a room that looked more like a living room with comfortable chairs. Six researchers waved him to join him as a young woman came to offer him a coffee.

“Why don’t we start by telling you what you’ve learned and your thoughts.”

Dr. Becker nodded and sat back as they discussed how far they had progressed. “You are much more advanced than we were at Farm Hill, but I might be able to help you over a couple of blocks you’re dealing with.”

At the end of the morning, Dr. Becker was tired and needed a rest. Zoé took him to a soft leather chair, sat him down and told him to nap. When she returned two hours later, she found him at the chalkboard working on two things at the same time. She left and had Hillgate look at what he had done. Hillgate studied both equations. His eyes lit up, and he went to bring back one of their leading scientists.

“He has just added another step for us.” ***

The train to Paris was filled with German soldiers. Klaus and Alex wore their German army tunics and took window seats to avoid contact. One of the soldiers coming back from the toilet spotted him. “Sergeant Holzer. I often wondered what happened to you.”

“The Gestapo had other ideas,” said Klaus. “Fortunately, I was rescued by Major Sachse and was later wounded. “

“The Major is in Paris for a meeting. You may want to look him up. He often refers to you when we start talking strategies.” The soldier saluted and left them.

They arrived in Paris to find the city in turmoil. The garrison on Montmartre had a shooting battle with some of the underground, and the sub-

way was not working. They entered the station to find it deserted, soldiers outside, and the streets empty.

The doors opened suddenly, and two generals entered with an armed guard. Klaus motioned them to a shadow near the clock and watched them march past and down the stairway to a waiting train. The soldiers returned a few minutes later and left again. Alex went to a window and saw that people were starting to walk on the street across from them.

“I suggest we stay here. I think the Maquis will meet us before the evening is out,” said Klaus. An hour later, the station began to fill with travellers with black-shirted Gestapo agents mingling among them. Klaus nodded, as they mixed among the crowd. Two young men dressed in black overcoats entered and went immediately to the newspaper booth. Alex spotted them first, and made their way to them. Klaus immediately picked up a copy of the evening newspaper. “Have you seen this evening’s paper yet?”

“I was just about to buy one,” said a young voice.

“Then read ours. We’re not good at reading French.”

The other man nodded, “Follow us. We have a car waiting outside.”

It was getting dark, and they entered a black car, which started immediately and headed for the outskirts, passing two guard posts by waving the guard a white pass, which they had counterfitted.

“We were worried that you had been caught when those generals entered the station with that mob of soldiers,” said Hugo LeRoux, an older man sitting with the driver. “But have no fear, we will take you to a place where you can relax, and we can develop a strategy to keep Paris safe once the invasion starts. Who knows what these people think? They are barbarians.”

Klaus winced. “I hope you are not referring to Germans and Aryans in general—Mozart, Beethoven, other musicians, and some of the world’s great poets. I am German, and not all Germans are Nazis. And many officers in the German Army do not like what they see in Hitler either. They’re boxed inside a trap of their own making.”

“Point taken,” said Hugo. “But these generals who control Paris and France are not of that breed. We are deeply concerned that they will level all that’s best in Paris and leave it in ruins rather than have it snatched from their hands.”

“I agree. But let’s return to our mutton, as you French like to say,” said Alex. “Let us spend the rest of the day talking about what we can do to make sure that doesn’t happen,” said Alex.

“What about having Maquis members armed with machine guns to prevent the soldiers from destroying it.”

“The soldiers will feel their presence,” said Klaus. “They should appear in that area a few days before the Allies reach Paris. Let them get used to seeing your members so they don’t get slaughtered before attempting

anything when the day arrives.”

The rest of the night, they talked about other places to protect – Montmartre, Notre Dame, and some of the famous restaurants and bridges. When they became so tired they could no longer go on, they slept on the floor and were awakened in the morning by the sound of birds sitting on the yard trees and singing their hearts out.

Do you have any idea when the invasion will begin,” said Hugo, who had already washed and dressed and was fixing breakfast for everyone. “One of the farmers gave us a few eggs to treat you, hoping we’re planning the invasion.”

“We asked Stephenson, but if he knows, he’s not telling. They can’t take the chance that the Germans might hear it from someone under torture. They’re getting ready for something; otherwise, we wouldn’t be here and meeting with some of our agents to develop strategic missions that would stop the Germans from reaching our troops on invasion day. So if you ask me where the invasion lands, I have absolutely no idea. My guess, Northern France at some undetermined point.

“I’ve heard Cherbourg mentioned by some people,” said Hugo. He was using his toast to clean his plate and sipped his tea.

“Neither Alex nor I feel comfortable taking the train back to Northern France,” said Klaus.

“We have a courier going back that way. It may take two days before you’ll get there, but it will be safe.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

The farmer’s wagon was pulled by one horse, and it seemed to take hours before they reached the next town. They stopped at a tavern to eat and rest. The farmer, Gabriel Dambroise, was in his late 80s and walked slowly into the tavern behind them. The waitress, a young woman in her late teens with a sultry voice, gave Alex a big smile and placed some greens and soup in front of them. The potage of the day was thick with vegetables and bits of chicken. She smiled and winked at Alex again.

“What’s your waitress’s name?” said Klaus.

“Brigitte. When her mother died, her father asked us to look after her while he answered the call of the German Navy. We understand he is now a captain of a UBoat and for the Brits, a nightmare.”

The tavern occupied one-half of the bottom floor of the hotel. Gabriel and the owner appeared to be old friends who spent the evening laughing and playing cards. “We stay here for the night,” murmured Gabriel. They signed in as relatives of a couple in Bayeux coming for the christening of their first child. Gabriel was getting tired and decided to go to bed. Brigitte showed him the way to his room and returned just as an armoured car drove up, and three men wearing Gestapo black uniforms jumped out and headed inside.

Klaus spotted him first and turned away. It was Preuss. Alex bent down and pretended to tie his shoes. Brigitte went to Preuss immediately, and Klaus walked out of the tavern with his back to Preuss while he had the chance. One of the agents with Preuss spotted him. “You there trying to sneak out.”

Klaus froze.

“Yes, you. Come here.”

Preuss knew the face immediately. “I knew we would meet again one day, and that day has come.” He nodded to one of the agents, who grabbed him by the arm. “What do you want to do with him, Major?”

Preuss looked at the hotel owner. “Do you have a secure room where we can keep him and his associate under lock and key until we leave here in the morning?”

“We have one room where there has only one key. Room Six upstairs.” She reached into her apron and passed the Gestapo agent the key. “Let me show you the room.” Brigitte led Klaus, Alex and the agent up the stairs, stopping at Room Six, where Gabriel was already sleeping. “Now, check the door. You will find it is already locked.” He tried and smiled back at her. “Now, use the key to open it.” He turned the key, opened the door quietly, and pushed Klaus and Alex inside.

The room had no windows, no place to hide or a door that would lead them outside. Gabriel moved on his back and started to snore. When she returned later, she took off their clothes and put the covers over their heads to keep the noise down. Alex felt someone pull down his blanket and opened his eyes. He could see that it was Brigitte. She kissed him and motioned for him to wake up Klaus, who woke to see her face smiling face. “Wake up, old Gabriel. If we are to leave here, it must be now when everyone in the hotel is sleeping.”

They helped Gabriel dress while she opened the door to check if anyone was in the corridor and waved them forward. When they were out, she took the key to Room Six and locked it and slipped the second key into her pocket. At the door, she picked up her bundle. “I’m going with you,” she whispered. “I also have the key to the armoured car outside.”

“How in the world did you get those?” said Alex.

“I let the driver kiss me while I slipped my hand into his pocket and stole his key. A fair trade.” When they entered the armoured car, she managed to sit in the back with Alex and cuddled up to him. “You don’t seem interested in kissing me. Am I not pretty enough for your eyes?”

“You’re pretty enough. It’s just that I’ve lost someone very dear to me, and I am having a problem dealing with it.”

“Take me wherever you go and let me help you forget.”

“Some things you do not forget.”

“Well, I’m staying.”

Alex saw Klaus smiling in the mirror as the car passed one small village after other. On the open highway, Klaus pushed his foot on the pedal and had the armoured car going at its limit. He stopped the car and glanced at his list of agents and saw the name he was looking for. They were close to Bayeux. He remembered seeing a small cliff not far from the town and drove it to the ridge. “Everyone out. We’re going to push the car over the cliff and walk back to the town.” Brigitte joined Alex in pushing the back

of the car while Klaus had the door open to grab the steering wheel while his other hand pushed the door forward. Gabriel found a broken branch nearby and used it as a lever to move the car. Before they knew it, the front wheels were in the air. Gabriel pushed them away and levered the car another few inches when it suddenly flew off the cliff and caught fire below.

They walked back on the road when dawn was breaking, and an hour later, they entered the town. Pushing the car off the cliff had tired them and they sat in front of a small grocery store and watched the town come alive. The owner of the store walked up to them. “May I help you, mes amis?

“We’re looking for Georges Dague,” Brigitte spoke up. “We are his relatives and have come to visit him.”

“Come in the store and sit while I call Georges. You all look tired.”

Georges turned up a few minutes later and took everything in with one glance. “Welcome, cousins. What a wonderful surprise. You should have written me, and I would have been here waiting for you.”

“We know you like surprises, cousin, And we wanted to surprise you.”

“What are we standing here for? “Have you come a long way, and how did you get here, or should I ask?” He led them to a small house behind the main street, went to his kitchen, and put on the teapot. His bread was a bit dry, but when it was toasted, it took on a wonderful taste.

“We stole a German armoured car and dumped it over the cliff a way back,” said Klaus.

“London has been asking us if any of us had contact with you.”

“We were in Paris setting up things there,” said Klaus.

“Please send Stephenson a message that we have met with Maquis in Paris and are now in Bayeux,” said Alex. “Mark it urgent.”

He left them and came back 30 minutes later. “Stephenson wants you both back in London ASAP. Will send a plane for you tonight.”

“I’m coming with you,” said Brigitte. “And if you’re thinking of telling me I’m not, think again. I didn’t come here to be dumped like a load of cabbages.”

Klaus laughed. “I think you’d better tell her to pack her things.”

Georges left them to visit a friend who raised pigs to see if he had slaughtered any recently and came back an hour later with a side, which he cut into pieces. Anyone like ribs?”

“We all do,” said Brigitte.

Georges shook his head and smiled. He suspected she would be on the field with them as an agent before he saw her again. She was certainly a force to be reckoned with. Georges pasted the ribs with his own sauce and roasted them over the flames in his fireplace, testing them before proclaiming them ready for his feast. He cut large chunks of ribs and put them on their plates before going to his cellar and grabbing a bottle of wine to pour over them.

At dark, Georges left to return with a car and their other Bayeux agent.

Gabriel decided to stay with Georges and help him with his gardening. He hugged them before they headed out on the highway to a landing field the Germans knew little about. The plane was due at 10.15 p.m., and they waited in the car until they saw a plane circling the field and coming to land.

They ran to the plane when it came to a stop. The co-pilot opened the hatch and jumped down. Lex went up first and helped Brigitte up, and then Klaus. Georges waved to them as the co-pilot fastened the hatch.

“I’ve never been on a plane before,” whispered Brigitte.

“Hold onto your seat,” he said, buckling her up as he heard the twin engines revving and the plane turning and running across the field and into the air with the ease of a trapeze flyer. “Look out the window,” said Alex. Brigitte put her face against the window and saw how small the field was and the lights of Bayeux. A few minutes later, they were too high to see anything but the night sky.

She sat back and held his hand. “We’re not far from the Channel and should be over it in 10 or 12 minutes,” said the radio operator. The sky lit up with flack as they neared the shore, and the plane seemed to weave up and down until they passed the batteries.

“We might encounter a few German aircraft on our way and have radioed London to send us few Spitfires to make sure we make it home,” said the radio operator. “Whatever you do, don’t look out. Let us do all the flying and fighting. We have two crack gunners at the front and just above us.” He pointed to the standing figure in the middle of the plane.

About five minutes later, the first of the German fighters appeared, and they could hear some of their bullets rip into their plane’s wings from behind. The window brightened with the fire from one of the German fighters shot down by one of the gunners.

They looked out the window a while later to see a Spitfire flying next to them with the pilot waving at them. Ahead, they could see the lights of England. “We’ll be landing soon, so buckle up,” said the radio operator. They landed with a bump that raised the plane’s tail and another bump. Brigitte grabbed Alex’s arm. “It’s all right. We’re back on land.” He unbuckled her seat and helped her to her feet.

The radio operator opened the hatch. Alex went down first and helped Brigitte down the ladder, followed by Klaus to make sure she remained steady. They walked to the hanger where Stephenson and his secretary were waiting.

“And who is this pretty lady?” said Stephenson.

“Brigitte, who helped uu escape from Major Preuss. We owe her our presence here today.”

“Welcome, Brigitte.”

“So you know, she’s taken quite a shine to Alex. Won’t leave his side for anything. You should also be aware that her father is a U-boat commander.”

“Welcome, indeed, Brigitte. I hope you come to love England as much as France.”

“Thank you, Colonel Stephenson. I hear so many great things about you. But my heart is in France. I miss my father and hope to see him once the war is over. He left my sister and me with my aunt when my mother died.”

Stephenson nodded to his driver, and they followed him out to the colonel’s car. Once they were inside, they headed for the Dorchester. “I’ve booked rooms for you both.”

“Good. I will stay with Alex.”

They went to their rooms first. “If you don’t feel comfortable, Brigitte, I can stay with Alex, and you can have my room, said Stephenson’s secretary.”

She shook her head and put her arm in Alex’s. Alex opened the door to see two king-sized beds, one with curtains hanging from the bed near the window.

Alex was up and shaving in the morning when she awoke, and she watched him s from the open door. After he had washed and dressed, Brigitte took over and spent almost an hour getting herself ready. There was a knock at the door, and Klaus entered. I’ve ordered breakfast in my room,” he said. “Follow me to the best breakfast in London. I don’t know how the colonel does this, but he somehow works magic the rest of us can’t. “I’ve ordered bacon and eggs for breakfast with toast and even coffee.”

Kalus sat next to Alex and Brigitte opposite them. They didn’t talk much as they savoured real coffee for the first time in weeks. “Why do I feel we’re in for something we may not want to even consider.”

“I have to agree,” said Alex. “He’s buttering us up for something no one else will volunteer for.”

They found out two hours later when they camped in Col. Stephenson’s outside office. “He’s busy for a few minutes but will see you soon.” She looked at Brigitte and added, “sorry, miss, you can’t join them. The meeting is secret to the rest of us.”

Brigitte looked at Alex. “I’m afraid you’ll have to sit this one out. And I suspect we won’t be able to tell you anything Klaus and I hear.” She looked around her, at the colonel’s secretary, dressed in army clothing, her light brown desk and the filing cabinet behind her and wondered how she could keep track of all the papers on her desk. There was a picture of the Chateau Laurier in Ottawa and one of Churchill on the opposite wall.

Brigitte knew better than to sulk and decided to chat up Stephenson’s secretary. “This is the first time I’ve been to England. My mother died, and my father left us with my aunt, who beat me. He is a U-boat commander. I hope to see him again when the war is over.”

Stephenson’s secretary couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “I would like to be your friend, Brigitte. And as your friend, let me tell you

not to tell anyone else here about your father or even mention the word U-boat.”

“What about after the war?”

“Then, by all means. It’ll make great conversation.” She had to hide her smile behind her hand.

“Between you and me, I think Alex and Klaus will return to France tomorrow. There’s a dance at my club. What about going with me. My girlfriend, who usually goes with me, has the mumps. You’ll meet a lot of nice people there, including soldiers from all over – Canada, the U.S., South Africa, Poland and more. I think you’d shine there.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

“You’re going back to France Friday night. D-Day, gentlemen, is set for early June four, assuming good weather. If there is any delay, you will get a message from us. The underground groups have a code they will hear the evening before we land on the beaches in Normandy. We must keep as many tanks and German troops away from that area as possible to give our armies the best possible outcome. Your job is to prepare all your people to cause as much havoc as possible.”

“Rommel has turned that area into a fortress,” said Klaus.

“There are pockets where he is weak. We don’t plan another Dunkirk if that’s what you’re thinking. Airborne troops will be glided behind enemy lines and parachuted there during after midnight. Troops will hit a number of beaches early that morning. We want them inland and ready for any counterattack as soon as possible. Any questions?”

“Do you want us to move into France with the troops?”

“Perhaps ahead of the troops, but you both have already paid dearly. You are among our best, and we owe you more than you know.”

“I have a question, Colonel. What was Janicka’s real name?”

“I don’t recall off hand, but I will find out and make sure you are told.”

“And anything about her family.”

Stephenson nodded. “Understood.”

They left smiling. “The beginning of the end,” whispered Klaus. “To tell you the truth, I’ll be glad when this war is over, and things are normal again when Marga and I can meet my friends and not have to worry about the Gastapo every day we see someone looking at us. What do you plan to do with Brigitte?”

“Not sure. I still have a hard time dealing with anything about Janicka.”

“I gathered that. But don’t keep the other one in suspense,” said Klaus.

“I was waiting until the war was over. I can’t take her back to France with me.”

“I suggest we talk to Stephenson about it before we leave.”

Brigitte was waiting for them, talking to the colonel’s secretary. “What kept you so long? You must have been planning the end of the world.”

“Nothing so great,” said Alex. “Klaus and I must return to France, and I’d like you to remain in England. We need to find a place for you to stay.”

“Brigitte and I get along famously. She can stay with me until you return,” said Stephenson’s secretary.

“I would like that very much. We’ve only known each other a few minutes, and we’re like sisters,” said Brigitte.

“I’ll take good care of her.”

Klaus was busy at the transmitter getting their agents ready for their return while Alex took her to a musical that had Brigitte humming along even after they left the theatre. They had supper at the Dorchester with Stephenson’s secretary, who took Brigitte home with her while Alex picked up Klaus and headed for the airport.

“Are you telling us invasion is around the corner?” said Fédéric Prouix.

“No. We all need to be ready when it does occur. Go over your missions. Practise the steps we talked about earlier. We need to be ready and act immediately,” said Klaus.

“What about timing?” said Ethan White.

“Good point. We will want to act all at the same time. If you’re bombing an arsenal, make it happen while others are bombing railway tracks, cutting telephone lines, or anything else we need to do to prevent the Germans from rushing reinforcements to the invasion front.”

“Will we know where the Allied troops will land?”

Klaus shrugged. “That’s anyone’s guess. We saw a lot of things happening while we were in London. It doesn’t mean we know the invasion is at hand. I suspect not even the Army generals know yet.”

“We will send you a message every day to discuss strategies at 8 p.m. every night. Make sure you’re there and let us know immediately you are by sending a message back to us,” said Alex.

“What about weapons?” said Ethan White

“We’ve told London we need more machine guns, smoke bombs, grenades and other bombs capable of ripping up 100 metres of railway tracks and railway terminals.”

Klaus nodded to a young woman who emerged in the doorway. She smiled and entered with six bottles of Cognac on a cart and poured each of them a large glass. Alex raised his glass. “To success and may this terrible war end.”

***

Stephenson’s secretary, Mary Goddard, rubbed the rouge off Brigitte’s face. “All you need is just a faint touch. You already have a young face and a pretty one at that.”

“What if one of the soldiers asks me to dance? I don’t know how to speak English well enough.”

“I shouldn’t worry about that.”

They arrived at the dance hall an hour later. The place was already packed, and the dance floor was flooded with dancers moving slowly cheek to cheek and a few, on the right side of the floor, dancing with swing steps and strange movements to fast-paced music. The air was blue with the smoke from cigarettes.

One of the soldiers, an airman from Poland, spotted her and came to them. He grabbed Brigitte’s hand and started to waltz with her. He murmured something in her ear. She moved her head back, “sorry, I do not speak much English.”

“Neither do I.” She ignored his comments and left him standing on the floor. She headed back to Mary when a U.S. private grabbed her arm, put his arms around her, and started dancing to fast-moving music when another U.S. soldier tapped him on the shoulder and slid his arm around her.

She looked at his face, young, a couple of years older than her, with his hair slicked down with Wildroot hair oil and a tanned, handsome face with deep brown eyes that smiled at her. They started waltzing, and when the music suddenly changed, he twirled her around and whispered to her, “Just do what I do.” By the time the dance ended, she was out of breath. He escorted her to the table where Mary was talking to an Australian sailor.

“My name is Luigi Romano. My friends call me Lou,” he said. “What do they call you?”

“Brigitte. I’m French and don’t know much English. Are you Italian?”

“American.” He showed her the patch on his arm. He tried to say something to her but failed. “It doesn’t matter. Just know I think you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. But I know a bit of French I learned at school.” He tried to tell her that in French but gave up after three tries. He smiled at his effort and kissed his cheek. He kissed her back on the lips, a long kiss she had never experienced before.

They danced a few more times along with Mary and her Australian.

When the music ended, the four of them walked onto the street. Mary tried to flag down a taxi but failed. Lou stepped out onto the road and stopped the next taxi headed towards them. When it stopped, the four of them crowded onto the back seat as Mary gave her address to the driver.

Mary asked Lou and her Australian friend to join them for a nightcap. She took their coats, hung them in the closet next to the front door, and settled them into her sitting room while she and Brigitte mixed Whiskies. Mary turned on the radio, which was playing dance music, and they started dancing. Lou began to kiss her neck and ears before finding her lips.

Mary said goodbye to them at one o’clock, and she and Brigitte went to sleep. The clock rang at seven o’clock. “I need to get ready for work. The colonel has a thing about being on time. You stay put and meet me outside my office at five.”

The doorbell rang just as she sat down for breakfast. It rang twice by the time she rose and opened the door. A teenage boy carrying an armful of roses stood before her, passed the bouquet to her, and left. She carried them inside and to them in an empty milk bottle. She read the card and smiled. “I can’t get you out of my mind.” It was signed, Lou.

She was putting on her makeup when the doorbell rang again. She opened the door to see Lou standing there with another bouquet. She put her arms around him and kissed him. “I am seeing Mary at her office at five.”

He looked at his wristwatch. “We’ve got another half-hour before we pick her up. I’d rather stay here and look at you.”

They met Mary just after five and ate supper at a nearby restaurant. “I made a call to Boston to tell my mother about you. “She wants to know if you can cook spaghetti.”

Brigitte shook her head. “Just French cuisine.”

The waiter could overhear their conversation and smiled. “My wife still can’t cook a decent meal,” he whispered to Lou, who smiled back at him.

“I’m being shipped out tomorrow. Not sure where. I want you to promise that you’ll be waiting for me when I get back.”

She squeezed his hand and smiled at him. “When the war is over, I’d like to get married and bring you states side.”

Stephenson came out of his office. “Can you set up my transmitter? I need to send a message to Alex.”

“I could do that for you, colonel.”

“It’s personal. Just set it up, and I’ll take it from there. Stephenson sat down and keyed his message when she left: Everything delayed. Will send message tomorrow.

He looked out the window and sat back. Stephenson felt like walking

to his hotel. The fog had rolled in, and he could feel the wetness on his face. He liked the fog. It hid so many things. He used his handkerchief to wipe his face, not noticing the man following him. Stephenson turned down a dark street of warehouses now in ruins from the bombing. He paused to see a fire truck go by when suddenly everything went black. Someone with a cloth filled with chloroform held it to his mouth and nostrils. Another man joined them a few seconds later and helped the other man carry Stephenson to a waiting black car.

Stephenson woke an hour later, tied and sitting on the floor of an abandoned warehouse that had escaped the bombs. “You’re awake,” said a friendly voice. He recognized the man’s face, who sat next to another man dressed in black with a scarred face and who breathed heavily when he spoke.

“Colonel Stephenson. I know you recognize me, and I am here to help you. We know that the Allies are planning an invasion of France. We also know you know where. You will save yourself a lot of pain and trouble by telling us upfront. After that, you will be knocked out and left to wake up on a nearby street.”

The man with the scar on his face picked up his whip and lashed it across Stephenson’s head, leaving him in horrific pain. “That is just my warm-up. You might be more inclined to be more forthcoming when I’m in full swing.” He swung the whip across one of the pillars and smiled as he withdrew the whip.

Stephenson didn’t know what to do. He was beginning to sweat, and he bent over, feeling sick. He began to cough when he had an idea. Stephenson rubbed his chest and pretended to back out. A minute later, a bucket of cold water splashed his face, but he kept his eyes shut and began breathing heavily.

“Looks like he’s having a heart attack,” said the other man.

Outside, the sirens were blaring, and they could feel the ground shake from the bomb explosions. Then, another bomb smashed through the ceiling. Stephenson’s captors started to run from the bomb. When it exploded, they were sent headlong down the warehouse floor with their clothing on fire. Stephenson got to his feet and ran from the warehouse as another bomb exploded.

His tunic was burning, and he rolled on the ground. A nearby warden saw what was happening and threw his coat over the flames. “This man needs to be sent to the hospital.”

Stephenson could barely remember the ride to the hospital or what the matron looked like. Just her voice as she was ordering the nurses to see to other fire victims. He slept the night through and asked his nurse to call his secretary and have her come to see him. His arms were blistered and painful to touch as they changed bandages and applied a salve.

Mary appeared just before lunch. She looked at Stephenson and began

to cry. He managed to pat her arm. “I need you to send this message to Alex.

Colonel in hospital. Attacked by German agents. Able to escape but burned in bombing. Will send another message this evening.

When his captain, Mike Daniels, came to see him, Stephenson talked him into taking him back to the office. Stephenson liked Daniels for his down-to-earth comments and common sense. Daniels had brought him a bottle of Whiskey and asked the nurse for glasses; the three of them toasted each other. “You look much better tonight, colonel. We’ll have you out of here before you know it.”

“I was thinking about tonight. I need to send an urgent, confidential message to some of our agents in France and Germany. Have another glass before you make up your mind.”

Daniels kept shaking his head. “I know better than to stop a steamroller in my path. How about you?” he said to the nurse.

“I’m going to leave here, and if you are not here when I return an hour from now, I’ll have to alert the head nurse.”

Daniels helped him put on his shirt and trousers, placed Stephenson’s tunic over his shoulders, and then studied him as he stood. They entered the corridor and found a wheelchair beside one of the rooms. Daniels helped him sit and wheeled him out and to his car. The driver helped Daniels get Stephenson inside before setting out and into the flow of traffic. “Where to, captain?”

“Back to the office.”

They used the wheelchair from the hospital to take him to his office, past the guard, who saluted when he saw Stephenson. His office was empty, and he was pleased. Daniels helped sit him in his chair. “I need my transmitter. I need to check for messages. There were three, and he frowned and sent a message to Alex: Delayed again.

He sat back in his chair, exhausted. Daniels looked at him and shook his head. “You need to go to the hotel and rest.”

“I want to be here where the action is.”

“Then let me call your secretary and have her look after you tonight.”

“Also, a couple of guards,” he managed with a smile.

Mary arrived around ten o’clock and put her hands over her face when she saw Stephenson. “He needs you to be with him. You may not get much sleep tonight, but if you’re here with a couple of guards outside the door, you’ll be safe.

“Should I ask what had happened?”

CHAPTER-TWENTY-SIX

“The weather forecast looks like tomorrow’s the big day,” said a British General who had heard what had happened to him. “Are you up for this. I would hate to see you not in on this after all the work you’ve done but your health counts, too. The paratroopers will leave here after dark, and fighters and bombers will fly over Northern France looking for targets as soon as it’s light.”

Stephenson called Mary to come in and help him. “Come prepared to stay overnight. Please do not tell anyone else, even your mother. I’m not feeling well and need your help. If anyone asks you where you’re going, tell them on a date.”

When Mary got off the elevator, she was surprised to find several army guards wandering around the office and even more surprised to see Stephenson with his head bandaged.”

“What happened, colonel?”

“I had a very bad time earlier this evening. Someone chloroformed me and was about to kill me when a bomb burst into an old warehouse where they had taken me. It killed my would-be assassin. I escaped and I was taken to the hospital, where they fixed me up and sent me back to work.”

Mary examined his head, noticing the blood-stains bandages on the side of his head, but he kept pushing her away. “You’re worse than those people at the hospital. We’ve got work to do.”

“I’ll get my pad.”

“Hear me out first. I have been informed that our troops will be on the beaches in Normandy in the morning. Send messages to Alex and Klaus to start their operations after midnight. Make sure they know we’ll land our forces in Normandy and let us know how successful they’ve been.” Then after a pause, “I wouldn’t miss it for anything. I don’t care how painful it

is. And you’ll be able to tell your grandchildren that you had a front-row seat.”

She rubbed her fingers. She couldn’t believe it was happening and understood why she couldn’t leave until morning as she keyed the same message to Klaus and Alex.

Troops landing in Normandy in morning. Start your operations after midnight. Report back on success of your operations soonest.

Alex’s hands shook as he took down the message. He looked at Klaus, who was smiling. They took turns calling their agents with the same message: “We need you here as soon as possible.”

An hour later, seven agents were sitting in front of them. “In the morning, Allied troops will be landing on the beaches in Normandy. It’s going to take a bit of time to get to some of your missions, but we’ve got a bit of elbow room. They would like us to launch our attacks after midnight,” said Alex.

“In addition, airborne will be landing by glider and parachute behind the beaches in the morning,” said Klaus. “Alex and I will also be with those with the most difficult missions.” He looked at Ethan White. “We would like you with your high school French to alert the other agents, help them carry out their missions, and report to us before daybreak.”

“What about the underground?” said Noah Dague.

“They’ll be alerted by a special code on the BBC. Between them and us, we should make it difficult for the enemy to get troops to the front in time to do any good.”

“I’ll be going with Fédéric to the ammunition depot and help him blow it up,” said Alex. “We’ll cut the telephone and telegram wires enroute to keep the generals in Paris out of the loop.”

“I’ll be with you when you remove 100 metres of track in two or three places along the route. And if you’d like to capture that Prussian Major you talked about, I’d like to be in on that as well,” said Klaus. “If he wants to leave his nest with a couple of guards, that’s fine. We’ll bring them along as well.”

Everyone laughed and toasted each other and had a late meal. Around one o’clock, Alex, Fédéric and Alex disappeared into the night. Fédéric had loaded the back seat of an old car he borrowed from someone’s driveway with two bombs and plastic explosive.

“Did you bring the smoke bombs?” said Alex. “I need three.”

“They’re in my pocket.” The other bombs were quite heavy, and they had to stop a few times to get their breath. As they approached the depot, they sat down amid the bushes. “There are two guards on each side of the depot. We need to attract the attention of all four. I’ll do that. I’ll walk to the

other side of the depot and get their attention, leaving you able to go to the side in front of us, place the bombs and set them to go off in two minutes and run like the wind as far away as possible.”

“What about you?”

“I’ll be following you. We may find ourselves being shot at, but that won’t last long.”

“How will I know when you attract their attention?”

“That’s why I need the smoke bombs. I’ll set one off and then a second one to get their interest. They’ll think they’re being attacked and focus on me. I will use the last one to cover our retreat.”

“What if it doesn’t work?”

“Just do as I ask.” Alex crept away. Fédéric could hear his heart pounding in his ears and held his breath, waiting for the smoke bombs to go off. He saw the first smoke bomb go off about 10 minutes later and could see the guards going to the corner to see what was happening amid shouts and mounting tension. Then, the second bomb went off, and the guards were ordered to come to the other side and join the others who were shooting into the white mist that looked like a dense fog.

It was now or never. Fédéric ran with his bomb to the depot, his heart beating. He began to feel sick, and his hands shook as he set the fuse. He turned and ran as fast as he could, looking back to see that the guards had returned and were shooting at him. Suddenly, another smoke bomb went off on his side of the depot. Alex reached him a few minutes later and grabbed his arm, “Keep running.”

The bomb went off, and a minute later, the whole area was shooting bullets, artillery shells and bombs into the air. When they reached the car, Fédéric discovered that Alex had been wounded. He helped him get seated and drove back to safety as fast as he could.

“I have to tell you that I didn’t believe it was going to work,” said Fédéric.

Alex was breathing heavily. “We still need to cut a few telephone and telegram wires. Are you up to it?”

“I think so.”

They didn’t talk much until they reached the main highway. It was jammed with cars and armoured cars coming from nowhere. “Turn off the road.” Alex winced a few times when he moved. “I think we had better leave that to one of our associates.”

They headed back and reached the safe house. Fédérich was elated and couldn’t stop talking about how the ammunition depot exploded. Alex needed to be helped to a chair. Klaus had returned from their mission and was at his side almost immediately. “You’ve got a bullet in your leg.” He picked him up and carried him to the sofa when he noticed blood oozing from his side. He shook his head. “We need a doctor here as soon as possible.”

One of the agents knew the doctor in the village and set out immediately. Alex looked at Klaus and held his hand. There were tears in Alex’s eyes. “I will never forget you, my old friend.” He closed his eyes and went to sleep.

The doctor arrived a few minutes later, and Alex opened his eyes. “I was not able to cut the telephone and telegram wires. We need to do that now.”

Klaus nodded to Ethan. “Take Noah with you, and make sure you cut them down in different places.”

He turned to see Alex smiling at him. “We ripped large chunks in the railway tracks in three different places.” Alex tried to squeeze his hand but winced when the doctor examined his side. “We need to put him under to get that bullet out before it kills him.”

Klaus sat beside him and helped the doctor administer chloroform. The doctor then used his scalpel to make the bullet hole larger. A few minutes later, the doctor, blood dripping from his hands, showed them the bullet. He washed his hands and proceeded to tie up the wound before removing the bullet in Alex’s leg. “He’s lost a lot of blood and needs a battlefield surgeon to look at him.”

Alex opened his eyes and tried to lift himself on his right arm. Klaus held him down. “We need to get you to a hospital. I’ve sent a message to Stephenson about our progress and that you’ve been badly wounded and are in need of a surgeon.”

Alex drifted in and out of sleep for the next three hours. Klaus kept watch over him and said a prayer for the first time in years.

Ethan returned with a doctor, a major with the British Army, who went immediately to Alex. “Stephenson has told me to help you recover or not come back. I’m unsure if I want to if I have to jump from a moving plane again.”

When he looked up, the doctor shook his head. “His breathing is not good.” He motioned to Ethan to give him his “bag of tricks, “ sticking a tube up Alex’s nose and pumping oxygen into it. He looked up at Klaus’s anxious face. “Sometimes, it works miracles.” ***

When Mary told Brigitte that Alex had been badly wounded, Brigitte went into the toilet and cried for almost an hour.

“The rest of the news is better. Our troops have made substantial inroads into France, thanks to men like Alex and Klaus. He never leaves Alex’s side. They hope to have him airlifted and brought to London for treatment. The colonel doesn’t stop until he gets his way.”

They listened to the newscasts that were changing hourly. “The Maquis are also getting even with the Germans in Paris, and there is a feeling the Allies will be in Paris soon. They have men armed and ready to stop

any attempt by the Germans to destroy the city’s landmarks. There is a feeling in the air that the war will soon be over.”

“I miss my dead mother and father. I wish I could see them for an hour and tell them how much I love them,” said Brigitte.

Klaus looked out the window to see five German soldiers emerge from their armoured car. They didn’t bother to knock but opened the door to see Klaus standing beside Alex, who was stretched out on the only chair in the room.

“You,” said one of them, a lieutenant, a young man with tired blue eyes and black stubble on his face, “what do you have to eat?”

“Very little, oberlieutenant,” said Klaus in German.

“Who are you?”

“Klaus Holzer. I was sent here by Major Sachse to find out about the invasion. “My batman has been injured, as you can see. He was shot by Maquis, who found us trying to send a message to Major Sachse. He cannot be moved without killing him. We were waiting for a doctor from your group and had to use a local doctor.”

“He is of no consequence. We are hungry. What can you give us?”

“Not much, I’m afraid.”

They could hear the sounds of a tank coming. The Oberlieutenant looked out the window to see the tank flying a U.S. flag. “If it stops, where can we hide? There is a toilet over there,” said Klaus, pointing to a door at the end of the room. Klaus saw them inside and put his finger over his lips. Not a sound out of any one of you.” He closed the door in time to see the tank stop.

Three soldiers jumped out and knocked on the door. Klaus rose and opened the door. “There’s a German armoured car outside. Where are the people who were in it?”

“They demanded food, and they ate the last food we had. My friend has been wounded with all the bullets flying around and needs care.”

“You sound like a German to me.”

“I am German but ran afoul of the Gestapo and came here to seek refuge. They have a long reach.”

“And your friend?”

“Someone who made it to my house, bleeding and seeking help. I could not turn out anyone in great need.”

The sergeant, who commanded the tank, nodded to one of the soldiers, “Tell the others what we’ve found and see if they can see any enemy soldiers running away, and when you come back, bring whatever grub we have left and give it to them.”

The soldier returned with news, “we’ve spotted another tank heading our way.”

“What flag is it flying?”

“That’s just it. It isn’t flying anything, and there’s smoke coming from its rear.”

“Tell Mason to hide our tank behind the house.”

They could hear the sound of the tank clearly now and waited for it to stop. “My house is very popular today,” said Klaus, as the tank stopped. The Oberlieutenant, who was commanding the tank, lay outside dead. A soldier emerged from below, pushed him away, climbed down and entered to find three enemy soldiers pointing their rifles at him.

He raised his hands. “The tank could explode at any time and kill us all if we don’t move it away.”

“Tell Cpl. Mason to go to the German tank and move it away from here. Make sure he knows it could explode at any time.”

Cpl. Mason entered the tank just as it exploded.

Armour from the tank flew into the room, killing the German soldier and wounding the U.S. sergeant. The door at the end of the room was blown open, and the German soldiers poured out.

Seconds later, the armoured car caught fire and exploded.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Flames engulfed the room in seconds. The hair and tunic of the German officer had caught fire along with his soldiers, who were shrieking as their clothes caught fire. The screams grew louder as one after another fell on the floor and rolled back and forth to smother the flames just as another flame burst from the burning armoured car. The roof caught fire and was raining strings of fire upon them. Klaus, with the back of his tunic on fire, picked up Alex and carried him out. The U.S. tank commander helped him outside as one of his soldiers smothered the flames on his arms.

The U.S. tank had been protected from the blast and started with no trouble. The soldier at the controls had it going as fast as it could as they headed back towards Allied lines. Klaus held Alex in his arms. When Alex opened his eyes, Klaus bent down. “We’re on the way to get you firstclass medical treatment.” Alex tried to smile and tried to say something. It sounded like Janicka.

When they reached the Canadian hospital unit, Klaus jumped off and ran inside the tent. “I have a wounded Canadian in the tank outside. He’s in a bad way and is in dire need for your help. The nurse waved to two orderlies to bring a stretcher and lifted Alex on it. She led them inside and sought out their best surgeon, who came to Alex’s bed.

“Where are you from, son?” said the doctor, a middle-aged man with a soft touch and a smile. “Calgary,” said Alex. He looked up to see Klaus’s face to see tears in his eyes. The doctor stood. “Prep him for immediate surgery.”

Klaus reached out and subbed his hand. Alex opened his eyes again and managed to say, ”Janicka. She has come for me.”

They wheeled him into the operating room and undressed him. Two minutes later, the doctor emerged. “Your friend died on the table before we could even operate.”

Klaus felt sick and left the tent. Why, he thought. Why not him instead? He then knew he had come to the end of the war. He wanted nothing to do with it. The nurse came out. She saw what was happening and put her arms around him and rocked him to and fro. When she quieted him, she sat down beside him. “Is there anything I can do?”

“Stephenson. I need to talk to Col. Stephenson. Call him and tell him Klaus needs to talk to him.”

“He’s in London. But I’ll see what I can do. Stay put, and I’ll be back in a jiffy.”

She returned with an orderly. “Mike will take you to a phone where you can talk to the colonel.”

Klaus followed him past several tents before entering a large tent with a dozen or more soldiers, some working on their transmitters and others on the phone. A young woman dressed in a Canadian Army uniform spotted him and waved him to her side. “I understand you need to talk to the colonel. He’s quite busy, as you can imagine.”

“Tell him Klaus needs to talk to him.”

A minute later, she passed the phone to him. “How are things at your end?”

“I’m afraid I have some bad news. Alex was wounded when he and another agent blew up an ammunition depot. I got him to a Canadian field hospital. But I he died before they could help him.”

“I’m sorry. Very sorry to hear this. You two were an extraordinary team. I think you need a good rest.”

“I’ve had enough of war, colonel, enough to last a lifetime. I want to climb into a small hole somewhere and try to forget everything.”

Stephenson didn’t respond immediately.

“You have a wife who needs you. Have faith in her to make you whole again. In the meantime, what about visiting Alex’s parents in Calgary? Alex’s real name was Raymond Fletcher. Perhaps you and his parents could heal together. The war won’t last long now, and before you know it, you’ll be able to see your wife again and help her son become a credit to you both.”

“I’ll think about it.” Right now, he thought, he needed to transmit Marga and tell her the news. It didn’t sit well with her, and she had bad news. “Sigfried has joined the Hitler Youth and is becoming quite a bully.”

The news upset him more than he realized. Klaus knew then he needed to get back to Stuttgart as soon as possible and asked the young man with the phone to call Colonel Stephenson again. The young man rolled his eyes and searched for an outside line to London. They caught Stephenson just as leaving. “I thought about what you said, and when I heard that my stepson had joined the Hitler Youth, I knew I had to go back and knock

some sense into him.”

“Sorry to hear about this, Klaus. It creeps into our lives in ways we least expect. If you’d like to be flown there and picked up by the underground, we can arrange that for you tomorrow night. The war isn’t over for you after all. Welcome back.” ***

He buzzed his secretary, who was clearing her desk. “I’m afraid I have some disturbing news. One of our best agents, Alex Newman, has died. Killed in action. Can you arrange a flight to Stuttgart for his partner, Klaus Holzer, for tomorrow night and have the underground meet the plane.”

She dreaded breaking the news to Brigitte and thought of different ways she could tell her. “What’s wrong?” said Brigitte. “Something bad. It’s about Alex, isn’t it.”

Mary nodded. “I’m afraid it is. He was killed in action.”

Brigitte didn’t say anything and went into the washroom, where Mary could hear her crying, gradually growing louder as the news sunk deeper into her head. Over the next few days, she became a hermit and avoided outside contracts. For the first time, Brigitte thought about her mother, who must be sick with worry about her and wished she could pick up the phone and hear her mother’s voice. There was no word from Lou either. She understood then when he told her he was shipping out, it was for France, and she hoped he had survived the landing.

“When you go to work tomorrow, take me with you,” she said to Mary, who was preparing supper.

“Is there a reason? It’s pretty boring, but I could use your help with what’s happening now.”

“I was wondering if there was a way to find out if Lou had been injured or killed.”

“The colonel might be able to find out, but you can ask him. But don’t expect an affirmative answer. He’s up to his eyeballs with everything exploding around him, not just here but in Canada, where the politicians are hounding him.”

“It was just an idea. But you’ve been an incredible friend, and if I can help you, I want to.”

“We’ll see in the morning.”

***

An RCAF pilot peeled back the flap on his tent and looked in. “I’m looking for Klaus.”

“You’re looking at him.”

“I’m here to pick you up. We’re due at the airport in an hour. We understand you’re heading to Stuttgart. How’s the flack there?” said the young airman, a young man in his early 20s with a fresh face, large hazel eyes and the start of an RAF mustache. He helped Klaus inside and headed for the airport. “I understand you come from Germany. What is Stuttgart

like? And is it true Hitler has fits of anger?”

“That and more. But worse still is the Gestapo. They tortured me for a crime I did not commit. They’ve hounded my best friends and me ever since.”

“Then why are you going back?”

“I have a wife there, and Col. Stephenson needs my help.”

At the airport, the airman walked him to the Mosquito that would take him to Stuttgart. The pilot was wiping the outside window and nodded to him as he climbed the narrow steps to the open hatch. The young airman suggested Klaus sit up front with the pilot and co-pilot and guide them once they entered Germany. “If we encounter a squadron of Messerschmitts, go back and wait until we outfly them. We’ll be there in less than an hour.

“When we come to Stuttgart, you’ll be able to see the field they want us to land.” Klaus spotted the field five minutes later. “It’s that one.”

“I don’t see a field below.”

“Trust me. It’s there.” He pointed to a small light that blinked on and off. “That’s the signal.”

The pilot circled the field for the second time and was coming in for the landing when Klaus sensed something was wrong. “Pull up. Something’s not right down there.”

“Too late,” he said as the plane bounced on the turf and came to a stop. “Get out now if you’re going to. The co-pilot opened the hatch, and Klaus ran down the steps into the darkness. The pilot turned the plane and started running down the field amid a volley of shots. It rose in a steep climb and, minutes later, disappeared.

Klaus hid among the trees and lay in the grass. He could hear their voices as they approached. “I don’t think he got off. Something tipped them at the last minute,” said a voice in German. “I thought you said he would be coming here tonight.”

“That’s what my mother told me.” Klaus recognized Sigfried’s voice as someone with a flashlight turned it into the trees and grass. “He obviously decided at the last minute not to get off. He sensed danger,” said another voice he knew. It belonged to one of the underground members. They looked at Sigfried. “Don’t send us out on a goose chase next time.”

They walked away, and when Klaus could no longer hear their voices, he emerged and began to walk through the forest to a dirt road he recognized, keeping to the edge of the road in the event he needed to disappear suddenly. After an hour, he entered the outskirts of Stuttgart, hugging the shadows as he made his way to home and Marga. He rapped on the door. It opened to see Sigfried standing there in his Hitler Youth uniform. Klaus caught the fear in Sigfried’s eyes as he grabbed him by his shirt.

“You tried to have them arrest me when I landed tonight. What have I ever done to you to make you do such a horrible thing?”

“They told me you were an enemy of the Third Reich and needed to be captured so that you could not do more harm.”

Klaus tightened his grip on his shirt and threw him on the floor.

Sigfried started to cry. “Does your mother know what you did tonight?”

Sigfried shook his head. Tears ran down his cheeks as Klaus slapped him hard across his face. “What have I ever done to you or your mother to justify what you did tonight?”

Sigfried tried to stand, but Klaus slapped him down again. “I’m not finished.”

Sigfried bowed his head. “They told me that Germany was on the verge of winning the war.”

“The Allies have landed in France and are making their way to Paris.”

Sigfried shook his head. “It’s not true. I was rescued by some U.S. troops who were on their way to Paris. And your good uncle, Alex, died as a result of wounds inflicted by Hitler’s soldiers.”

Sigfried kept shaking his head. Marga could hear their voices and came to the door. She looked at Klaus and began to cry. Klaus grabbed her and held her close. Sigfried joined them with his arms around them, crying.

“I received your message that you were coming and told Sigfried. Did you know he is in the Hitler Youth? I told him to stop going out with them. He said he would.”

“I think he’s obeyed you. I can see it in his eyes. Am I right, Sigfried?”

Sigfried nodded, proceeding to take off his uniform. His mother picked it up and went to the backyard to burn it.

When she returned, she led him into the kitchen. “I’ve been cooking our favourites all day, hoping you would be with us again.” She went to the large pot on the stove and stirred his favourite stew. “I’m surprised Alex didn’t come with you.”

“He died. Wounded by some German soldiers and never recovered. He was my best friend, and I told Stephenson I wanted to return to you and Sigfried.”

“I hope for good.”

“You may not have heard, but the Allies are now advancing on all fronts and are now heading for Paris. Thousands of German soldiers have been captured, and the way things are going, they will be in Germany within a year. That will be the end of Hitler and his gang.”

“We heard that Hitler had a secret bomb that could wipe out an entire city.”

“It’s true. He is working on it, and so are the Allies in New York, who are far more advanced than Germany. But I have some unfinished business here. I have learned that there was a traitor in the underground

feeding information to the Gestapo. Tomorrow, I need to meet with the underground and point him out.”

Sigfried was listening with his mouth open. Klaus noticed and added: “Would you like to come with me?”

Sigfried nodded and put his arm around him before saying goodnight and going to the cellar.

In the morning, he called the underground leader. “I’m back. I’ve discovered a traitor in our midst. He needs to be silenced. What about tonight?”

Sigfried kept pace with Klaus as they walked down the street that led to a safe house for the meeting. “Whatever you hear or see, you must promise never to tell anyone about.”

Klaus knocked on the door that opened to see an older woman nod and let them in. Werner led him to the front and raised his hands for silence. “Klaus has just come back from the front and has a message for us. Klaus stood and raised his arms. “I can tell you that Allied troops are pushing back German forces on every front and will liberate Paris before the month is out from what I’ve seen. I estimate that the war will be over within a year.”

Everyone clapped, and suddenly the room was filled with laughter. Klaus waved for silence again. “I am sorry to tell you there is a traitor in our midst. When I landed last night, I was greeted by German troops, and I heard a voice I remembered from this group.”

They looked at each other as Klaus added: “I am going to ask each of you to say your name, starting with you,” he said to the young man sitting on one of the front row seats. When he finished, Klaus pointed to his companion, who shouted his name. Just as he was about to tell the third person, a middle-aged man in the third row rose and made his way to the door.

They all turned and looked. “They threatened my wife and me with the Gestapo if I didn’t help them.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

“My parents settled in Northern Ontario after the First Great War. I still have grandparents there, but we have not heard from them since the war began. We spoke German all the time I grew up and never learned English until my sister, and I attended school. I think I could pass as a German in Germany,” said Dirk Muller, a recent grad from Camp X.

“It’s not an easy assignment. If you get caught and land up with the Gestapo, you’ll wish we never had this conversation.,” said Col. Stephenson. “You’ll also have a teammate, a young fraulein by the name of Jutta Schatz.”

“I know Jutta from Camp X. It’s not a problem. She’s very smart with a gift of talking around things on the spur of the moment.” Dirk had light brown hair, dark brown eyes and used his hands when he talked. He had uneven teeth that shone when he smiled and loved playing chess.

“You will need someone like that at your side.” Stephenson smiled. “I already had one of her treatments, and it’s why I think you’ll make a good team. You each have strengths that each of you can rely on. This can be an enormous help when you’re in the field.”

Stephenson rose and went to the door and waved to his secretary. Jutta arose and offered Stephenson a big smile as she entered his office. “Jutta, I believe you already know Dirk Muller.”

She looked at Muller and nodded. “We knew each other at Camp X.” Jutta’s light brown hair covered her right eye like Veronica Lake’s. She had a smile that made you want to smile her back. Her face was thin, and her

dark blue eyes made you feel she was looking only at you.

“I have an assignment – a dangerous assignment – that might interest you both. We need someone in Berlin to give us first-hand knowledge of what’s happening and to cause a bit of havoc for the German command. If you’re not interested, let me know now.”

He scanned their faces. He didn’t miss the smile as they looked at each other. “Let me repeat. The assignment is extremely dangerous.”

“I think I can speak for Dirk,” said Jutta, “but we’ve always wanted to go to Berlin.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Dirk and I are on the same wavelength, and I can hear his thoughts.”

Stephenson began to wonder about her state of mind.

Jutta smiled, “I see you’re thinking I’m a little nutty.”

“Can you channel other people’s thoughts as well?”

“Not everyone.”

Stephenson shook his head and wondered about their safety. “Let me expand a bit before you finally decide. You would be guided in Germany by another one of our operatives. His name is Klaus Holzer. He recently lost his Camp X associate and is thinking about bowing out. He needs two people like you to excite him again. He is very experienced and tough. For your information, he has been tortured by the Gestapo and knows the risks.”

“We’re ready now,” said Jutta.

“You will leave here Tuesday next. You’ll be flown to Stuttgart and spend time with Klaus before heading for Berlin. I’ll let him know you’re on the way. He will meet you when you arrive and take you to his home. Mary, my secretary, needs to know where you’re staying. Pack only what you need and be ready to move without warning.”

They elbowed each other as they left. Stephenson watched them walk to the elevator, elbowing and grinning at each other as they disappeared into the elevator. He had some misgivings and wondered if they had a romantic view of their assignment. He had lost several agents recently and dreaded losing more.

“What do you think of those two?” he asked his secretary.

Mary could read the anxiety in his eyes. “I think they’ll do better than you think. They’re smarter than they let on and won’t play by the rules. They’re coming in on Friday and meet Brigitte and some of the other operators. They’re not people I’d worry about. They know what they want and are prepared to do what they want to get it.”

Jutta and Dirk decided to go to a tea room to celebrate. It was crowded with uniforms from all over, and more than one soldier came to chat up Jutta. She smiled and held the hand of each of them and wished them good luck.

When they returned to their hotel, Dirk joined her in her room and

listened to the BBC and what was happening in the war. The sirens came on, and they turned off all the lights and looked out the window to see one V2 rocket after another crash into houses nearby. The windows had strips to prevent the windows from being blown into small pieces by a nearby bomb.

They didn’t sleep much that night and met for lunch. She smiled at him. “We need to think about what they would say when we met Klaus Holzer in Stuttgart.” They spent the afternoon thinking about the underground, and how they would handle them. “My biggest concern is how we get to Berlin,” she said. “What if Holzer can get us German uniforms?” he said.

By the following day, they had mapped out precisely how they wanted things to unfold and what they had to do to make that happen. They left their hotel two days later to see a musical and eat out for a change. They told each other jokes and laughed until tears ran down their cheeks. People close to them left their tables and restaurant, shaking their heads.

The following day they visited Col. Stephenson’s office. Mary waved to them as they entered. “You mentioned that you would like to see the people you’ll be messaging on your transmitter. I know they want to meet you. Follow me.” Mary led them into a larger room, where she introduced them to Brigette first. “She’s our latest recruit and sharp as a devil’s tooth.”

Brigitte started to stand, but Jutta pressed her down. “We’re not important. You are our lifeline when we need you most. My name is Jutta, and my associate is Dirk.” Then, as they took their leave, Jutta added: “You’re a remarkably beautiful young woman, Brigitte. I’m sure Dirk is already in love with you.”

Brigitte’s face reddened, and she smiled at him.

“There are two others who will be fielding your transmissions,” said Mary guiding them to two young women two desks away. The colonel wants to talk to you both before you leave.”

Col. Stephenson waved them in while he was still on the phone. He replaced the receiver. “I’ve been in touch with Klaus Holzer, and he will greet you when you land in Stuttgart. He knows his way around and can smell a problem a mile away. He has lost two partners and doesn’t want to lose either of you. One thing more, when you leave here, go back to your hotel, pack your bags and transmitters and get ready to leave. An army car will pick you up at seven and take you to the airport, where you’ll board the plane. If I were you, I’d stuff yourselves. You may not be so lucky when you’re in Germany.”

Their car to the airport was waiting for them outside. Their driver, dressed in a Canadian Army uniform, spotted them and led them to the car, opening the rear door for them. Jutta decided she wanted to sit in front. “It’s more comfortable in the rear, miss.”

Jutta ignored him and smiled back at Dirk, who tapped their driver on the shoulder. “I see you’re from Canada. Where are you from?”

JIM CARR

The driver who had started the car didn’t respond. Dirk sat back and watched the scenery. After a few minutes, he again tapped the driver’s shoulder, “I think you’re going the wrong way. The turn to the airport was a while back.”

“I’m taking the scenic route,” said the driver.

The car changed into another road when Jutta tapped him on the leg. “Stop the car. I want to kiss you.” She touched his leg as the car slowly came to a halt. Jutta put her arms around him and started kissing his face all over. He gripped her tighter. Dirk used his hands to choke him, as Jutta felt for his holster and his gun. She pointed the gun in his stomach. “If you don’t leave the car this instant, I will shoot you before you can shake your head.”

He got out, and Dirk followed him and pushed him onto the pavement. Jutta undid her belt and threw it out to him, and Dirk tied his arms, threw him into the trunk, and took over the wheel. He turned the car around and headed back to the hotel. They got back to find their driver waiting for them. “Someone dressed in a Canadian Army uniform tried to hijack us. We got the better of him. You’ll find him in the trunk of the car.”

“Well, I’m a Canadian. The real McCoy and your driver.”

“Where are you from?”

“Toronto. My name is Al Clarke”

Dirk and Jutta nodded to each other. “You might want to let someone know about our imposter. He’s probably a German agent.”

Jens left them to return and led them to the car. He got behind the driver’s seat and started the car, glancing at his watch. “It’s going to be nip and tuck.” They sped down the road and were on the main highway before they knew it. Fifteen minutes later, they wheeled into the RCAF airport. The pilot and co-pilot were standing outside.

“I know we’re late,” said Jutta, reading his mind. “But we were waylaid by a German agent. We only escaped with our lives.”

“They were late coming back and showed me the agent in the trunk of the car he was driving,” said Al Clarke. “I’ve already called for the police to arrest him.”

The pilot held her hand. “Where are you folks from?”

“Long Lac,” said Jutta.

“I’m from up around Port Arthur and have been in Long Lac,” said the pilot as he helped her up the stairs and into the plane. Dirk was next, followed by the co-pilot, who strapped them in and gave each of them a blanket. “It might get cold, more than you might think.”

He returned to sit beside the pilot, and two minutes after, the plane was running down the runway and in the air. The radio operator came back. “We’ll be flying North and come down Stuttgart from there. There’s hot chocolate in the thermos.” He returned a few minutes later to tell them that they were over the Channel and were heading North.”

“There was a full moon, and Dirk and Jutta unbuckled to look out the windows to see the moon lighting up the clouds below them. It was like Heaven to Jutta, who had tears in her eyes. Dirk grabbed her arm, helped her down, and fastened their seat belts. The thermos rolled down the floor. Dirk reached out to grab it, but it just missed his grasp.

An hour later, the radio operator returned, picked up the thermos, and put it in Jutta’s grasp. “We are flying over Germany now and should encounter flack. Just close your eyes and put your fingers in your ears until we pass them. A few minutes later, they could hear the sounds of guns going off as the plane suddenly wobbled, and they could see the flash of a shell near them that lit up the interior of the plane for a split second. They held their breaths and traded thoughts. It somehow made them feel safe.

Five minutes later, they were free of the guns, and the plane flew among the clouds ahead. Jutta squeezed Dirk’s hand as the plane started to decline when they came out of the shadows and began circling the dark space below. The plane’s nose suddenly rose as they headed back into the sky. This time the plane circled the area lower and landed on the grassy plot between the trees before coming down the field to a stop.

A car came out of nowhere to meet them. The driver stopped, and Weiner, the underground leader, jumped out of the car, followed by Klaus. The co-pilot appeared to help Jutta down the steps, where Weiner helped her onto the ground. The thermos rolled down the floor again and out and onto the grass. Klaus picked it up and shook her hand while the co-pilot helped Dirk navigate down the steps. Klaus rushed to meet him and shook his hand. The co-pilot disappeared, and the engines began to rev up. They moved out of the plane’s path and watched it run down the field and into the sky.

Klaus guided them to the car. “We need to get out of here in a hurry before German soldiers surround us.” The car was on the main highway when they spotted two armoured vehicles approaching. They turned off onto a dirt road to let them pass before heading back and arriving on the outskirts of Stuttgart, where Weiner let them off. “The police habitually check cars at this time of the night.” It was slow going as Klaus led them into the shadows before coming to the street and home. The house was dark, but Marga saw their shadows from the window and opened the door for them.

“We had an air raid a short time ago, and the all-clear hasn’t sounded,” she said, taking Jutta by the arm and sitting her on the most comfortable chair in the parlour.

“Dirk and I both speak German,” said Jutta. “Both of us have parents who emigrated to Canada after the First Great War, and our first language was German.”

“Then you won’t mind some simple German cooking?”

“We grew up on it,” said Dirk.

Klaus held up the thermos and passed it to Jutta, who saw Sigfried looking at her intently. She passed it back to Klaus. “It’s a thermos of hot chocolate. Maybe your son would like it.”

Marga took the thermos and poured a glass of chocolate for Sigfried, who sipped on it slowly. It was no longer hot, but he smacked his lips when he finished. “We’ll save the rest for him tomorrow.”

They had a late supper, and when they were ready for bed, Marga put her arm in Jutta’s and escorted her to her bedroom. “You and I will be sleeping in the cellar,” said Klaus.

“I need to send a message to London,” said Dirk.

“I normally do that in the cellar,” he said, turning off the lights. Dirk opened the briefcase containing the transmitter and took out the earphones and key, and started sending a message:

Arrived safely.

The transmitter began as soon as he finished: Will inform boss. Worried about you.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Jutta and Marga were already up and had breakfast ready by the time Dirk and Klaus appeared from the cellar. Neither of them had shaved and took turns shaving at the kitchen sink. Sigfried had already had breakfast and put on his coat. He returned to kiss Marga on the cheek and left. Klaus looked at Dirk and Jutta, sensing they were anxious about getting started. Their eyes never left him, and he leaned towards them.

“We’ll talk about your assignment soon enough. But now, let’s finish breakfast and go downstairs and prep you.”

Marga went to work. The linoleum needed scrubbing. Jutta kneeled with her, but Marga shook her head. “You will make a good wife. Are you attracted to Dirk?”

“We can’t afford to be attracted to each other. We have an assignment, and we must think only of that.”

Marga hid her smile and went on scrubbing the floor with a brush. Jutta stood and followed Dirk and Klaus into the basement. He sat them down on a bench in front of him. “You have an extremely dangerous assignment. Do you know what it is?”

They shook their heads. “We know only that it’s dangerous.”

“It’s to blow up Wehrmacht headquarters in Berlin. You will be watched every minute you’re there. One thing more before we go into the particulars. I want to know the date you plan to do this.” He watched their faces which remained expressionless, and added: “Before you leave here, I want to know your plan of how you plan to do this in every detail.” He passed them a picture of the headquarters and left them to do some thinking.

In the late afternoon, they invited him back into the cellar. “We have a plan and need your advice,” said Dirk. Klaus followed them down the stairs and sat on Sigfried’s cot. Jutta and Dirk looked at each other, and Jutta began: “I will be dressed as a hospital nurse, and Dirk will be bandaged up and on crutches. There will be plastic explosive beneath his bandages. We will set the fuse and leave before it blows up.”

“What if the guard at the entrance wants your papers before you go further?”

‘We’ll think about that,” said Dirk.

They spent the rest of the afternoon in the cellar before emerging for supper. They had brought extra counterfeited coupons so that Marga could get extra rations. They were quiet during supper and would nod to each other from time to time. Jutta and Dirk rose first and started washing the dishes. Marga tried to stop them, but they pushed her away. “We need a rest from thinking,” said Jutta.

They returned to the cellar and did not emerge until Sigfried came to bed. Klaus studied their faces and knew they were still thinking it through.

“We would like to know why we need to blow up the building,” said Dirk.

“That’s where all the German Army brass is.”

“Can you get counterfeit papers for us?” said Dirk.

“Good, you’ve solved that problem. What happens if you can’t get past reception? There will be someone there screening every person who comes in and wants to know what you want.”

They retired to the cellar again and returned at noon. “What if we come as window washers?”

“They have window washers,” said Klaus. “Think again.”

“What if we come as a doctor and nurse?” said Dirk. “We can always say we were called by one of the officers and that we have an ambulance outside waiting for him.”

“And what if they call that officer?” Then, after a long pause, Klaus added: “Actually, your first idea is best. And if you’re asked why you’re there, it’s because your husband has been in great pain since being released from the hospital and would like to see one of the doctors.”

Klaus watched their faces and smiled. “You’re a very inventive couple, and you might just succeed. Just remember, one slip, and you won’t leave there alive with no one to back you up. Which brings me to the last hurdle: How do you plan to escape?”

“We thought we might take two smoke grenades – with white smoke and the other with red. We’ll shout fire and join everyone else leaving there.” Jutta looked quite satisfied with herself.

Klaus was smiling. “That might work. It would appear your biggest test will be getting past the guard reception. You might be wise to spend the next couple of days practising what you plan to say to the guard and

the person at the reception desk. When you have it burned in your heads, let me be the two people you need to talk to to get inside.”

Weiner came to visit the following day. “We’ve been able to steal two German Army tunics -- one for the man and one for the woman. They may need an alternation. We’ve also counterfeited papers for them to go to Berlin headquarters.”

“You’re a wizard, Weiner,” said Klaus.

“Where were your parents from, fraulein?” said Weiner.

“Munich.”

“I place the accent now,” said Weiner. “Let me know what day you wish to travel so we can counterfeit your papers, travel permits and train tickets. A note of warning, the Gestapo has agents dressed in plain clothes looking for people just like you. They could be older women dressed like grandmothers or young women fleeing from home. You never know. Be advice: Try to keep to yourselves.”

Weiner picked up his kit and saluted them. Klaus stopped him at the door. “I want you to pretend you are the guard at a building in Berlin and then, as the receptionist after.”

Jutta and Dirk rose and faced him.

“Papers,” said Weiner in a grating voice.

“Jutta Schatz,” she said, passing him her papers.

“And the person with you?”

“Dirk Muller. His wound is not healing, and the hospital has discharged him.”

“What do you think, Klaus?”

“You don’t sound as though you’re at the end of your rope.”

Weiner smiled at them. “They’ll do just fine and be nervous enough at the time to pull it off.”

Klaus, now using his crutches, had to be helped up the steps and into the car by the trainman. He sat a few seats away from Jutta and Dirk, where he could see them in full view. Marga had packed each of them a lunch, and Klaus watched them eat when he spotted an older man looking at them. The older man moved closer but found neither of them was speaking. He rose and came to their seats and introduced himself. “I’m an old man and enjoy talking to younger people. Do you mind if I join your conversation?”

Jutta shook her head. “My brother has been badly wounded and has just been released from the hospital.” She remembered to sound as anxious as possible. “I’m taking him to Berlin to see if I can find a doctor to help him. He hasn’t talked ever since they brought him to the hospital.” She lowered her head and went silent. The older man rose after a few minutes and went to another area of the coach. She looked at Klaus, who raised his thumb.

It was hours later when they reached Berlin. Klaus crutched his way

down to the coach entrance and had to be helped off by the trainman. He waited to see the older man get off and disappear in the crowd, and finally, Jutta helping Dirk move to the entrance. The trainman rose and helped him down. In the distance, Klaus could see the older man watching them and made a point of walking behind them. He spotted the leader of the underground with his car. As he walked by Jutta, he whispered, “I will take the black car ahead of you. Take a taxi and follow us.”

Klaus walked past the underground leader and whispered, “follow me.” He walked to the corner ahead and down it before opening the car door and sitting inside. In the rearview mirror, he could see a taxi following them. “Turn at the next corner and wait.” The taxi followed them and stopped at another street where Klaus could see them standing. They helped them into the back seat and were off to a safe house some distance away.

Klaus felt her hand, which was shaking. “You’ll get used to it. You can’t be too careful when you’re in our game.” They reached the safe house a half-hour later, where they were met by a young couple, Lise and Axel, who occupied the basement of a bombed house. There were no lights but candles. A stove in the middle of the room gave off heat. They slept on sleeping bags on the floor and had no toilet indoors. There was an old outhouse outside, but Lise and Axel found it a haven from Gestapo squads that roamed the city.

Jutta thought this was not what she envisioned Berlin would be like, and she smiled at Dirk, who read her thoughts. Klaus kept his peace and understood how a lot of Germans were living now with all the raids. They ate a meagre supper and went to sleep as soon as it grew dark. Horst, the underground leader, appeared at their door in the morning and came downstairs. “We’ve found another safe place near the centre of the city where you’ll be operating. Get your things together and follow me.”

Once in the city, Horst made several turns, left and right, before stopping in front of an old red brick building with stained glass windows. They went to the back of the house to enter, where an older couple welcomed them. Klaus followed them up the rickety stairs. The man led them to his office. He was a doctor and had practised in the same location for more than 40 years. “I rarely get visits from the Gestapo, who leave when they see patients waiting for me in my outer room. My nurse is my wife. Should we get a visit from them,” he said, walking to a bookcase, where he pressed a button that opened into another room with no windows. “Just walk to the bookcase and enter. The bookcase will fall back on its own.”

Dirk cocked his head. “What happens if we want to came back into your home?”

“There’s a button on the centre of the door. Just press it.”

The doctor’s wife, Gretchen, made sandwiches for them, put her arm around Jutta, and led her to her private bathroom. “Julius,” she whispered,

“has his own, and the men can use it.”

Klaus was up first and went to the phone in the doctor’s office and called Major Sachse at his home. “It’s Klaus, Major. I’m in Berlin and would like to have a quiet chat with you outside your office.”

“What’s this about?”

“I’ll be leaving later today and want to thank you for all the times you’ve come to my rescue and let you know Allied expectations in the next few months.”

“Meet me at my house at ten o’clock, where we won’t be disturbed.”

Jutta and Dirk entered the kitchen a short time later, humming the same tune. “Today’s the big day. I thought I couldn’t wait for it to come, and now that it’s here, I’m not so sure.”

“We all feel that way. I still do,” said Klaus. “If I were you, I would eat a good breakfast, check everything you’re going to take with you, wrap the plastic explosive around Dirk’s stomach and get our doctor friend to bandage him up. Also, help Dirk practise using the crutches before you arrive there.”

At 9.30, Horst arrived and packed them into his car. “First stop is to the home of one of my friends, who rescued me from the Gestapo.” Klaus told him where to go and kept looking back at Dirk and Jutta, both looking white-faced and holding hands. Clouds were gathering on the horizon and began to rain when they dropped him off. He opened the door to the back seat and shook their hands. They were like children in some ways, and he feared for them.

Klaus rapped on the door, and the Major ushered him inside. Sachse looked much older. His sideburns had gone grey, and he was wearing glasses. “The war is not going well.”

“I know. The Allies are advancing on all fronts and will be in Paris before long.”

“Our only hope is a bomb Hitler’s people are working on,” said Sachse. “Let me get you a drink.” He rose, opened his liquor cabinet, and produced a bottle of Cognac. “You’re favourite, as I recall.”

They toasted each other. “I would not place my hopes on the bomb you speak of. I have it on good authority that Germany is well behind on a similar bomb in New York and will have it ready long before Germany.”

“That is not what we have been told.”

Klaus shook his head. “I talked to the scientists who are working on it. They know how far along Germany is, and unless some miracle happens, they will be months ahead of Germany. My sources also tell me the Allies expect to be in Berlin next year. I tell you this, and you alone, because of all the times you came to my rescue.”

“When the war ends, I’d like you to visit me again. Tell me you will.”

Col. Stephenson buzzed his secretary. “Ask communications to alert me immediately of any messages from Berlin.” He knew he could depend on Klaus but worried about the other two. It was a foggy day with a drizzle that left them feeling cold, and he shivered. The news from New York was encouraging, and they wondered what the Armies were doing to break the deadlock on the front.

Mary buzzed him. “Major Sullivan is here.”

“Send him in.”

Sullivan ducked as he entered and took off his hat. “Everything seems to have gone silent. Either the Germans have captured all our people, or they’ve gone into hibernation. What are you hearing? “A couple of agents sent messages about German troops being sent by rail to the front. We’re waiting to hear from one of our teams who are trying to blow up Wehrmacht Headquarters in Berlin and with the generals in it.”

“What about our activities on the home front. What are we feeding German agents now?”

“That we’re planning a raid soon on Berlin, targeting Hitler’s bunker. Also that we’re planning to parachute our best troops into Germany near Berlin.”

“I’ll be seeing our generals shortly, and I don’t have much to tell them, other that plan to blow up Wehrmacht Headquarters. They won’t be in a good mood with all that rain today. Sullivan went to the window and looked out at the rain. “I hope the weather is better in Berlin for those two. I thought they were a little on the nutty side.”

CHAPTER THIRTY

The steps up Wehrmacht Headquarters looked daunting. Jutta had to help Dirk manoeuvre the steps. One of the soldiers who was climbing at the same time grabbed Dirk’s other arm and lifted him up the steps. He held the door for Jutta so that Dirk could crutch his way inside. The guard inside the door asked for their papers. Jutta made a show of looking inside her purse, even dropping it at one time before producing them.

“What is your business here today?”

“It’s my husband. He was badly wounded and was discharged from the hospital even though he is in constant pain.” Jutta remembered to sound as though she were at her wit’s end.

He pointed to a woman sitting on a desk on the left side of the entrance. “See that woman over there and ask for help from her.”

Jutta looked around the entrance, amazed by its ceiling three stories above them and the 12 lights that hung from the top brightened every area. To the right were several rows of pews for people to sit while waiting to be escorted upstairs. In the centre was a wide curving staircase, where several people were coming down on the left and others mounting the steps on the right. And above all, echoes of voices that made it feel like a place of business.

She helped Dirk crutch his way to the woman at the desk, who asked her business. “It’s my husband,” she started in a voice that brought tears to her eyes. “He was wounded, and when he was discharged from the hospital, the pain only worsened. He cannot sleep with the pain, and I’m awake almost every night. I’m at my wit’s end.”

“Sorry to hear this. Why are you here?”

“He needs better treatment and a better doctor to help him heal.”

“Take a seat,” she said, pointing to the pews on the other side of the room. “I’ll try to find someone to take you to our medical wing. I’ll wave you to come when I do.”

Dirk crutched to the pews, and Jutta helped him seat himself. “Bend down,” she said and undid the bandage around his stomach. He pulled the C-4 plastic explosive away and wound it into a large ball. His hands shook as he placed the detonator into it and looked at Jutta, who was reaching under her skirt to get the two smoke bombs.

They sat there frozen, watching people come and go before Jutta nodded. She threw the first smoke bomb on the floor as Dirk set the plastic explosive to go off in six minutes. The smoke bomb started to fill the air with grey-white smoke when Jutta released the second that emitted a deep red colour. It mixed with the grey smoke, and she cried out in her loudest voice. “Fire.” She kept repeating it as they ran for the exit, where the guard entered the centre of the room to find the cause of the fire. They sped down the stairs shouting, “fire,” and to Horst’s car.

He drove off immediately and drove away slowly to a side street, where he picked up speed. In the distance, they could hear the plastic explosive go off and the sound of fire engines racing to the blast. Jutta and Dirk looked at each other and held their hands together with satisfied smiles. They had pulled it off and were on their way to safety. They had done what everyone did not expect them to do.

Horst suddenly swung his car into a side street. He had spotted a Gestapo car and turned onto a side street, and stopped the car. “Get out and hide behind one of the houses in case they follow me here. I’ll come back for you.” He started the car and was speeding along when the Gestapo car caught up with him.

They signaled for him to stop and ordered him out of his car. They checked the inside and the trunk. “You were seen driving away from Wehrmacht Headquarters with a woman and a man. “

“Those two nuts. They wanted me to drive them to Munich. I got rid of them in a hurry.”

“Where was that,” said the Gestapo Captain with a strong voice and a hard face.

“About three minutes after they got into my car.”

“Would you be able to recognize them if we catch up with them, and we will?” he said, slapping his swagger stick on his leg.

“I believe so.”

He drove away and returned to the street about 30 minutes later, driving slowly as he looked at each house he passed. They spotted him and came running as soon as they saw his car. Once they were aboard, they headed to the safe house again. Horst left them when he saw them enter the doctor’s office.

Dirk went to his room, opened his briefcase and his transmitter, key,

and headphones, and began keying immediately.

Bomb exploded in Berlin target. Able to escape. Now hiding out.

Klaus arrived shortly after. “I heard the news. It’s all over Berlin. Congratulations.”

The Gestapo tried to catch us, but Horst helped us escape,” said Jutta. “I’ve sent a message to London,” added Dirk.

“All this is good, but we must leave here as soon as possible, not by train. That will be the first place they’ll look. If we do, the three of us will be in their hands before the week is out. I know their methods, and they don’t give up easily.”

The three slept on mattresses in the doctor’s hidden room that night. Klaus could hear them giggling and shook his head. They definitely were a pair. In the morning, Klaus sought the advice of the doctor. “We need to leave Berlin. If we don’t, we might put you and your wife in jeopardy. The Gestapo, if anything, is a master at what it does. I wonder if you might know of a way.”

“The farmers come into the city to sell their produce every Saturday. I know two or three who might help you. It would involve lying flat on their wagons while they pile manure and their produce on top of you.” He said it with a smile. “I’ll also think about who else might help while you decide.”

When he talked about it later with Jutta and Dirk, she shook her head. “We need another way.”

That came in the afternoon when the doctor’s wife showed them a pamphlet publicizing a dance troop at the market that weekend. “I don’t know anyone there, but I’ll ask around,” said her husband.

“We could be lovers,” she said to Dirk. “We could be running away because our parents think we’re too young to get married.”

“What if the Gestapo see us?” said Klaus.

“They don’t know what we look like. They asked Horst if he could recognize us if he saw us again,” she added. Jutta looked at Dirk. They nodded and smiled at each other.

“That’s fine,” said Klaus. “But how do you get from there to Stuttgart?”

“Something else will pop up and help us meet you there,” she said.

“How about you, Klaus?” said the doctor.

“I’ll be taking the train. The Gestapo won’t be looking for me but for two young people.”

***

Mary brought the transmission to Stephenson, whose eyes lit up as soon as he read it. If he were a betting man, he wouldn’t have believed those two could make it happen. A few hours later, Stephenson received another message from another source to say that the fire that swept the headquar-

ters had been extinguished and that work had started on repairing it. He realized then that it would require two or three good-sized bombs to turn it into rubble. A third message stated that Hitler and his cronies had become fear-crazed that they might be next.

He decided to stay in the office late that night. He hadn’t heard from Klaus. That came just as he was about to leave.

Jutta and Dirk sought by Gestapo. They have plan to escape Berlin. Will leave in morning for Stuttgart.

Mary, who had stayed to give him the messages, popped her head in. “I’m leaving now. I think you should as well. You’ve got a big day in front of you, and you need to be up for it.”

He nodded and slipped into his raincoat. Mary smiled at him. “I understand the rain has stopped.”

“I think I did wrong sending those two to Berlin.”

“They’re different but just enough to make them unpredictable and successful, where ordinary people would not have pulled it off.”

They walked down the street to his hotel in time to see the flashing lights from several Lancasters overhead. They stopped at the steps of his hotel. “When you go to bed tonight, remember those two have scared the wits out of Hitler.” She kissed him on the cheek and departed.

Horst came for them Saturday morning. They were carrying their bags and laughing as they took them and sat in the back seat. The show was already being set up when they arrived. They left Horst with their bags and went to one of the women directing a crew where to peg the ropes of their tent.

“Who’s in charge?” said Jutta.

“I am. What do you want? And be quick about it. I have a hundred more things to do before the show starts.” The woman had dyed blond hair that had lost much of its colour over time along with wrinkles on the corners of her blue eyes and mouth. Her voice was hoarse and tired.

“My lover and I want to get married, but my father does not want me to get married. Help us hide away from him and take us with you.”

She shook her head. “You’re just another mouth to feed. Find some other way.” Just then, one of the performers emerged from the side of the tent. “Ursula has come down with chicken pox. What should we do with her.”

“Isolate her from the others.” She turned to Jutta. “Is there anything you can do? Sing? Dance?”

“We can channel minds. We can tell you exactly what you’re thinking now.”

“What am I thinking now?”

“You’re wondering if we’re a couple of nuts.”

She approached one of the hands who was setting up the tent. “What is he thinking?”

“He thinks you should give us a chance.”

She looked at him, and he nodded. “You’re hired. Go to the tent and find Helga. Tell her Lise sent you. That you’re a new act and to fit you both with costumes.”

They went inside and asked for Helga, who was talking to one of their performers, a middle-aged man with grey streaks in his hair and a youthful face. He had a muscular body and kept in shape every day by running for two hours.

“Lise told us to report to you and that you would outfit us with costumes.”

“What’s your act, honey.”

“We’re mind readers. And we’re good at it.”

Helga wasn’t impressed. She had seen so many acts come and go that she didn’t pay much attention to them. Helga searched through one of the trunks and found two costumes. “See if they fit,” she said and left them. Jutta helped Dirk into his costume and left to change into hers. Lise came in and looked at them. “You’re going to have a small tent of your own, complete with a table and a crystal ball.” She led them to a much smaller tent, where a barker was walking up and down a platform and trying his voice in different ways.

Showtime came when they least expected. Their first customer was a young woman, recently married, who sat down and clasped her hands. She looked away and was not sure how to start.

“I see you’re pregnant and wondering how to tell your husband, who has told you he doesn’t want children just yet.”

The young woman opened her eyes. “You really can read minds. Tell me what to say to him.”

“Ask him to have us read his mind.”

She waved her husband inside. “This lady is incredible. Let her read your mind, and you’ll see.” Jutta smiled at him. “I can sense you think all this is a waste of time.”

He sat up and looked into her eyes. “What else?”

“You feel your wife is turning away from you. You feel she is hiding something.”

“Yes, and it’s driving me crazy. I hope it’s not another man.”

“It’s not another man. She is pregnant and wants to tell you but is scared you might leave her.”

He turned and hugged his wife, and when they left, she heard them tell other people that the mind readers were incredible. Her next customer was a young man wearing a Gestapo uniform. Dirk put his hand over his

mouth, but Jutta smiled at him. “You are greatly troubled. You’re not sure you’ve made the right choice and don’t know how to get out of it.”

He opened his eyes. “It’s not what I thought it would be. What would you do if you were me?”

“Start by making mistakes and giving the impression that you’re incompetent. Let them get rid of you.”

They saw several other people that night, and at the end, Lise approached them. “You had a lot of customers and a great money maker. We’ll be picking up stakes and going to another city West of here. What about joining us?”

“Count on us,” said Dirk.

The next city was even better, and they started to get to know other performers. By the end of the month, and four cities later, they arrived at Stuttgart. Jutta went to see Lise and told her that they would be leaving at the end of the night. “I have a relative here, and Dirk and I can get married without any problems. Thank you for befriending us. We will never forget you and the other friends we made here.”

Lise had a special party for them at the end of the night. Everyone chipped in to help them furnish their home. Jutta broke down, started crying, and hugged everyone while Dirk stood by and shook hands. They emerged from the main tent and waved goodbye as they entered a taxi to Marga’s home.

Marga saw them get out of the taxi from her side window and opened the door. She cried out to Klaus, who came to the kitchen to see them hugging Marga. He shook his head. He smiled at them and kept shaking his head. “Everyone gave you up for dead.”

“As you can see, we’re alive and well. We lost our transmitter along the way and couldn’t tell anyone,” said Jutta.

“How did you manage to find your way here without being caught by the Gestapo?”

“We joined a show and did mind reading in Berlin and other places until we came to Stuttgart. The owner wanted us to stay, but we told them we left to get married.”

“London will want to know this.” He left to go down to the cellar and key a message to Stephenson:

The two prodicals just turned up here. Strong, healthy and nutty as ever.

Stephenson read the message and felt like shouting. He buzzed his secretary. “Did you read this?”

Mary nodded. “You know all our operators were hoping they’d make it.”

Preuss opened his eyes. A nurse was standing next to his bed and was

smiling at him. “Where am I?” said Preuss.

“In the hospital. You were wounded in the Wehrmacht office explosion.” She bent to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

He tried to raise himself but fell back. “I can seem to be able to rise.”

“We had to amputate your left arm.”

He stared at her in disbelief. She helped him sit up and put his pillow behind his back. “You’ll be here until your wound heals and you learn how to live and work with one arm. Somebody placed a bomb inside the building, and you were lucky to survive. Several people were killed in the blast.”

The faces of two young people flashed inside his head, and he sensed that Holzer was behind it all. He was right about him all along and knew he must heal as soon as possible and track him down and dismember Holzer limb by limb. He closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Preuss opened his eyes. A nurse was standing next to his bed and was smiling at him. “Where am I?” said Preuss.

“In the hospital. You were wounded in the Wehrmacht office explosion.” She bent to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

He tried to raise himself but fell back. “I can seem to be able to rise.”

“We had to amputate your left arm.”

He stared at her in disbelief. She helped him sit up and put his pillow behind his back. “You’ll be here until your wound heals and you learn how to live and work with one arm. Somebody placed a bomb inside the building, and you were lucky to survive. Several people were killed in the blast.”

“Your wife and daughter are waiting outside to see you. Do you feel up to it?” The smell of chemicals drifted in the air, reminding him where he was, and he felt sorry for himself. He shook his head.

The faces of two young people flashed inside his head, and he sensed that Holzer was behind it all. He was right about him all along and knew he must heal as soon as possible and track him down and dismember Holzer limb by limb, him and his enabler, Sachse. He closed his eyes and fell asleep.

There was a brief call from Major Sachse the following week. “I know you were somehow behind the bombing. I want to thank you for meeting with me at that time. Your friend, Major Pruess, was not so fortunate. He lost his right arm in the blast and blames it all on you. So be careful.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Sigfried avoided looking at them when they ate breakfast. Klaus noticed it, as well as his mother. “Is something troubling you, Sigfried? You don’t seem happy about seeing them back from Berlin.”

Sigfried shook his head and continued eating his porridge. Jutta looked at him, “I think it’s something dealing with school.”

“Nothing I can’t handle,” said Sigfried turning his face away.

Klaus watched him leave and had an idea of what it was about. Marga also sensed the change and just shook her head. “There’s no telling boys his age. My brother was very moody when he was Sigfried’s age.”

“I received a message from Stephenson this morning. They want to bring you back to London.”

“We don’t want to go. There are so many other things we can do to help shorten the war,” said Dirk. Jutta smiled at him and nodded. “We’re ready for another assignment.”

“I’ll let Stephenson know.”

***

A cold wind from the North made Stephenson shiver as he entered his office. It seemed to seep inside somehow, and he longed to warm his hands from the stove ablaze with hardwood in the square iron stove in front of a brick wall in his parents’ parlour.

Sullivan entered his office with a plaid scarf around his neck. “There’s a problem with the boiler downstairs, and heaven knows when it will be fixed.”

“I suppose you’re here about our agents who surfaced recently. I’m for bringing them back home.” Stephenson poured them a tumbler of Whiskey.

“I’d like to see them in action once we break through into Germany,” said Sullivan.

“I think they were very lucky, but luck doesn’t always last forever,”

said Stephenson.

“But they made their own luck, and I have to say they’re inventive and ready rather than spending a month wondering what to do.”

“Point taken and why I feel they might prove more useful back here. They’ve spent time under adverse circumstances in Germany and, with their instincts, suggest ideas and strategies that don’t occur to us.”

When Sullivan left, he buzzed his secretary. “Please have someone send Jutta and Dirk a message that we are sending a plane to pick them up three days from now and let Klaus know as well.” ***

It was eight o’clock, and Sigfried had still come back from school. Klaus put on his coat and headed toward Sigfried’s school when he found him talking to three other boys on the other side of the street. Klaus yelled out to him, and the other boys scattered.

“What was that about, Sigfried?”

“They want me to rob the grocer with them, but I refused. They made threats against you and my mother if I didn’t help them. Please do not tell my mother about them. She will only worry.”

Klaus nodded and tried to smile as they marched back in silence. Jutta met them at the door and saw that something had happened. She tried to draw Sigfried into a conversation.

“I can’t now, Jutta. I need to eat and study for a test tomorrow.”

Jutta watched him walk away. “There’s something very deep that is troubling that boy.”

“I agree. But I also need to talk to you and Dirk,” said Klaus. Dirk joined them, and Klus added: “Stephenson needs you both back in London and will be sending a plane for you.”

“I want to stay here for when the real war will happen,” said Jutta.

“It doesn’t matter what we want. We need to obey orders. I have a feeling Stephenson has something special for you back there.”

Dirk and Jutta exchanged glances. “If we must, we must. When will this happen?”

“Three days from now. I will receive an update on the day of the flight.”

“Ask them to bring a couple of thermoses of hot chocolate for Sigfried.”

“I’m coming with you,” said Marga.

“It could be dangerous. A member of the underground might go rogue and alert the authorities. If that happens, you might be captured or killed by a stray bullet.”

“I don’t care. If I lose you or Sigfried, my life will not be worth living.”

Marga helped Jutta dress for the trip and then put on her coat as they

grouped at the door, waiting for someone to pick them up. No one spoke. Marga turned off the lights and returned with an apple for Klaus. He put it in his pocket and squeezed her arm. Klaus saw the car turn into their driveway and had the others go first before locking the door.

It was a moonless night, and the street lights had been turned off. Only an occasional car passed them as they went down the main street and out into the outskirts. A few minutes later, they arrived at the landing place. Four members of the underground met them and escorted them to the end of the field where the plane would land. Klaus looked at his watch. “We’re a bit early,” he whispered to Marga, who pinched his arm. Jutta and Dirk were getting nervous and started walking down the field, returning when they heard the sound of an airplane coming their way. The plane appeared a few minutes later and circled the area before turning down and landing. It came to a stop at the end of the field.

The co-pilot opened the hatch, hopped down to help Jutta up the stairs, and returned to get Dirk aboard. Just then, several cars with their headlights shining rolled down the field. The pilot saw the lights as well and revved his engines, and started down the field. Six soldiers jumped off their amour car and started shooting at the plane. The underground members began firing back at them.

In the lights from the cars, Klaus could make out Sigfried armed with a rifle and aiming it at them. Marga saw him, too and yelled out to him just as he pulled the trigger. Marga fell. Her eyes rolled, and she looked at Klaus. Suddenly, she stopped breathing.

He felt sick and started vomiting. He tried to call out to Sigfried, and his voice was too weak to be heard. Two underground members who had seen what had happened helped him carry Marga’s body to their car. They put her in the back seat, and Klaus sat beside her and held her body close to him. It was still warm, and he kissed her lips, hoping to catch a final breath. They helped him carry her body inside, and Klaus laid her out on her bed and stayed with her until he heard Sigfried return. Sigfried tried to avoid him, but Klaus sat him down and knocked him on the floor. Sigfried started crying.

“I want my mother.”

“She is in her bed.” Sigfried made his way to her bedroom and tried to wake her.

“She’s dead. She came to the field with me. I didn’t want her to go, but she ignored me. Somehow the Gestapo found out we expected a flight to carry Dirk and Jutta away and started shooting at her. I could see someone aiming his rifle at me, and instead of killing me, he killed your mother.”

Sigfried was crying now, with large tears running down his cheeks. “It was you. And your group.”

“No, it was your group. And all your members of the Hitler Youth. Go to bed, and in the morning, we will make arrangements to bury her next

to your father.”

Stephenson welcomed them and offered them some Whiskey. “I need something to get me through the day. I’ve just read a message from Klaus. It appears his wife was shot to death by her son. It seems her son committed suicide when he saw he had shot his mother. Klaus buried Marga in the grave with her husband. Klaus’s friend, Alex Newman, is also buried there. He is staying on and wants to be stationed in France. We are inclined to give it to him.”

“We should have refused to come back. Both Dirk and I had a feeling something terrible was about to happen. Only we thought it was going to happen to us,” said Jutta.

“You’ve called us back to work on something,” said Dirk.

“I have come to believe you can actually read people’s minds.”

“Not everyone. But most people,” said Jutta.

“We have a high-ranking German general in custody. We’ve brought him to London and would like you both to interview him,” said Stephenson.

Klaus slept in their bed and put her head on Marga’s pillow to smell her hair. Just when you think everything is going your way, he thought, you’re confronted with a nightmare you’d never expect. He knew Marga would want him to stay in their house, but he decided he needed a change of scenery and a new problem to solve.

The next day he knocked on her sister’s door and asked her if she would live in the house while he was away. “Keep it the way Marga left it for me. I will come back and spend the rest of my days here.”

Stephenson decided to post him to Southern France to find out what the Allied armies would encounter when they made their way into France from the Mediterranean. According to reports, Patton was making great headway and wanted to meet Klaus.

Weiner drove him to the French border with a forged letter from the German Secret Service, authoring him to go to Marseille. He took a taxi to the train station and was on his way an hour later. His car was crowded with people heading South, soldiers with French girlfriends, and French Police. He sat beside a young soldier who was also heading to Marseille. They arrived in the evening and Klaus entered the station, looking for a Marquis agent who would pick him up. He waited two hours before he gave up and left the station when someone bumped into him. “Herr Holzer?”

Klaus nodded. The Maquis agent was young and talked with his hands. He had pock marks on his cheeks and large dark brown eyes.

“Follow me to our car. Sorry about making you wait, but the Police

have people there waiting for us to meet foreign agents.” They walked up the road to find a car under a tree on a quiet street and drove to a villa overlooking the coast.

“The owner is a Paris banker who is not using it now. He will not be coming down until Christmas,” said Henri with a wry smile. “His liquor cabinet is packed with French wine, including Champagne. Feel free to use his hospitality. His maid comes in twice a week to clean and do laundry.”

“Won’t he be upset when he finds out?”

“He knows. It’s his contribution to our war effort.”

Klaus had the best sleep since his mother and Marga had died. There was a soft breeze from the Mediterranean that cooled the room. In the morning, he was about to cook breakfast when the maid arrived.

“Let me do that for you,” said the maid, an older woman in her 70s with chestnut brown hair with grey streaks and dark eyes. She bent when she walked to the stove, cooked his breakfast, and filled his cup with coffee while talking to him about the weather and wondering when the Allies would invade Southern France.

“If you need anything else, let me know. My name is Monique.” She used a pencil and wrote down her phone number. Call me any time. Day or night.”

Klaus met with three other Maquis members later that morning. “I’d like to find a way to scan the harbour and find out how many German ships were there or offshore.”

“That area is off-limits to strangers. The best way to check it out is from a passing boat where you can scan the harbour,” said Henri. “And a boat for that is usually under lock and key and limited to Germans and German sympathizers.”

“What about a row boat?”

“That would draw a lot of attention. Especially when they’re worried about an invasion of Southern France.”

Pierre, one of Henri’s associates, had been scanning the harbour from the villa. “What about taking our friend to the rocks over there,” he said, pointing to a rock formation that jutted out to the Mediterranean. “If you lie flat and use a good set of binoculars, you’ll get a good idea about what’s there and offshore.”

They took him to a forested area and led him among the trees and to the edge on the other side and the uneven boulders that led out onto the sea, which was splashing white foam waves against the rocks “We used to swim out here when we were boys. The water is deep out there. You’ll need to crouch as you make your way to and from a vantage point. Watch out for the spray. It can make the rocks very slippery.”

“Strap your binoculars on your back,” added Henri. “And good luck.”

Klaus crouched as he climbed on the rocks. Some of the edges were sharp and cut his knees, but he crouched lower as he made his way to the

middle. He laid flat as he could, glancing at the harbour as he slowly edged closer to his best vantage point. Klaus stopped near the end and swung his binoculars around his shoulders. He shook as he raised them to his eyes and scanned the harbour. He saw two frigates flying the German flag and counted 12-gun placements pointing to the sea. A giant wave crashed against the rocks, tossing him into the water. He surfaced and grabbed onto a rock to keep his head above water. He could feel his grip loosening and tried to grab another rock when his head went under again. He was coughing up seawater and blinded by the waves that crashed over him and taking him out to sea.

Pierre saw what was happening and waded into the water and swam out to him, grabbing one of Klaus’s arms and holding him up as he swam back to shore. Once they reached the beach, Pierre helped him climb smaller boulders to the forest.

“Was it worth it?” said Henri.

“I saw enough to scare off an immediate invasion in this area. What about other, more suitable areas for landing?”

“The harbour is the best,” said Pierre.

“But it has 12 big guns facing the sea, big enough to sink our ships.” They returned to the car in time to see an armoured car heading their way. “In, quick,” said Henri, who started the car as soon as he was seated and sped in the opposite direction. Henri turned into a forested area and onto a short road. Thwy parked under an old tree with dozens of leafy trees. Overhead they could hear a helicopter flying above them and an armoured car speeding on the road past them. A short time later, another armoured car approached and went by them.

“We stay here for a while. That was close, but we’re safe for now,” said Henri. He poked his hand into his trouser pocket, pulled out a package of cigarettes, and offered them a cigarette. The inside of the car was blue with smoke by the time Klaus lit his. He started to cough until someone grabbed his cigarette and pounded his back. “I forgot about French cigarettes,” Klaus managed to say as the others laughed. Henri lowered the window an inch or two to let the smoke out in small amounts.

An hour later, it started to rain, and Henri backed the car onto the road, and they headed back to Marseille.

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

“It’s been a long four years for you, Klaus,” said Stephenson, who met him in Paris a few months later. He introduced Klaus to one of the U.S. generals. “This is the man who warned us about the German ships and the guns at Marseille.” The general shook his hand. “We changed our plans as a result of your information and let Patton loose to drive the enemy out, this time by land.”

Stephenson put his hand on his shoulder. “Where would you like to go now, Klaus?”

“I thank back to Stuttgart. My mother, Alex and Marga are buried there, and I’d like to ensure their graves are looked after and take one or two assignments after I’ve had a good rest. I’m not the same man I was four years ago.”

“The way things are going, we should be in Stuttgart in two or three months. I hope to see you there,” said Stephenson.

When he left them, Klaus decided to walk the streets of Paris. He stopped at an outdoor café and ordered a coffee and Cognac. He loved the smell of Cognac. It brought back memories of happier times. Klaus ordered a second and watched an old man with white hair and an arched nose reading a newspaper. He kept adjusting his pince-nez, but it kept falling on the ground before he finally fitted it on his nose. It started to rain, and Klaus left the café, ran into a nearby shop, and bought an umbrella. Klaus remembered his father unfurling his umbrella as they left a strudel shop when he was eight years old. Suddenly he started crying for no reason. People passing looked at him and gave him a wide berth.

At the hotel, he telephoned Stephenson. “I need a way to get to Stuttgart.”

“We’ve crossed into Germany, and we’ll be there in a couple of weeks at the most. Why not take a trip to London before then or even Canada and visit Camp X. It’s still in operation. Or visit Alex’s parents. They would love to know where his body is buried and that you were his friend. Give

me an hour, and I’ll have his real name and the names and address of his parents.”

“His real name was Alfred Morrison. His father’s name is Larry Morrison, and they live in Regina, Saskatchewan. For your information, Saskatchewan is halfway across Canada and a very cold place in the Winter.” Stephenson paused, “you need a rest, Klaus and the trip will do you a lot of good.”

Klaus decided to put the trip off until the end of the war and spent a lot of time in the Louvre, now open to the public, and took the elevator to the top of the Eiffel Tower, where he spent an hour looking down at the city. But it was the paintings that drew him most. Some of the medieval war paintings bothered him, and he found himself standing for an hour or more looking at the same picture.

In the evening, he was drawn to some of the famous restaurants, which were crowded by Allied soldiers, sailors and airmen. The noise level bothered him, and he usually ended spending the evening at a small tavern near his hotel. He sipped Cognac and watched how people behaved since the end of the war.

About ten days later, Stephenson called him. “Stuttgart has been liberated, and there is a plane leaving for Stuggart in two hours. I took the liberty of telling the pilot you would be one of his passengers. If you’re interested, sign out, and I’ll send a driver to pick you up in 20 minutes.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

Klaus knocked at the door, and when no one responded, he knocked again, this time as hard as he could. Through the side window, he saw Marga’s sister slowly shuffle her way to the door. She was still wearing an apron and opened the door a crack.

“It’s me, Klaus, Frieda.”

She studied his face. “You’ve gotten a lot older since last we talked.”

“I’ve come back. This time it’s for good.”

“Is the war over?”

“Nearly. The Allies expect it to be over before summer. Hitler and his Nazi cronies still hold court in Berlin. I suspect they will make a stand and kill themselves when the Allies enter Berlin and seek them out.”

“What will they do to us?”

“Nothing. I was one of them and helped them when it mattered most.”

He sat down at the table and took Marga’s chair. “What’s for supper?”

“Not much. There is still rationing here. And I’ve run out of coupons.”

Klaus reached into his pocket and showered her with a handful of coupons. He stood and went to the door. “Tell me what you need, and I’ll come back with it.” He returned an hour later with pork ribs, flour, butter, milk and some chocolate. He laid everything on the table and watched her cook.

“I forgot to thank you for looking after the house while I was away. You can stay on if you wish. I only insist on sleeping on Marga’s bed.”

“My husband has run off with another woman, and I have nowhere else to go.”

“Then this will also be your home. I know Marga would like that.” ***

Three days later, a Jeep drove up their driveway. Col. Stephenson stepped out and rapped on their door. Frieda opened it and called out for

Klaus, who shook Stephenson’s hand and asked him to have a Cognac with him. “This is a wonderful surprise,” said Klaus. “What brings you here?”

“I wanted you to know we’re on the outskirts of Berlin, and so are the Russians. We’re rushing to get as much of the city as possible. I’m also here to thank you for your service and the losses you suffered over those years.”

Klaus bowed his head. “Let me introduce Frieda, Marga’s sister, who looked after everything while I was away.”

Stephenson stood and shook her hand. “You’re brother-in-law has been an extraordinary gift to our side and will always be remembered for his sacrifices.”

Frieda blushed and went to the stove for the teapot and poured him tea. “One more thing, before I forget, I’d like to see Alex’s grave. I want to take a picture of the grave and send it to his parents.”

Klaus’s trip to the graveyard left him feeling down in a way he had never experienced before. The war had cost him everything he loved, starting with Karn, Alex, his mother and then Marga. He felt like taking the poison pill they gave him four years earlier. He had nothing to live for, no one to come home to, only a country left in ruins that needed to heal itself.

On his return from the graveyard, he ran into a group of German soldiers armed with machine guns and in three army cars spoiling for a fight. They spotted him in civilian clothes and tried to run him down while singing the Third Reich’s anthem and spraying the wall behind him with bullets. He ran away, but they followed him, shooting the ground just behind him. If he stopped now, he knew he would be killed.

Five minutes later, they grew tired and veered off into the centre of the city, aching for a fight.

Everything had come to this, and he wondered what was the point of living. He had enough of the hatred, the pain, the suffering and the horrible deaths on all sides. He knew deep down it would come again, along with the insanity of it all.

Back at his house, he took the ashes from the kitchen stove and ranked them against the foundation of the house. To his left, a violet shoot appeared amid the ashes, turning its leaves to the sun. The grass behind the house had turned green, and some of the trees had a hint of buds, and he suddenly realized it was nature’s way of telling him he would rise from his ashes. He smiled for the first time in months and walked into the house to tell Frieda the house needed a new coat of paint and asked her if she had a colour in mind.

Epilogue

Klaus looked out the side window to see Major Sachse emerge and knock on his door. Klaus opened the door and held him by his hands. “I’ve been thinking about you for some time. You look different somehow without your uniform. Please join me with a Cognac and tell me about yourself and your family.

“The War Crimes Tribunal had started proceedings and is trying several Nazi cronies of Hitler. Yesterday, I received a letter from the Tribunal that I was required to appear before them on unspecified charges. My wife is wondering what’s going to happen to us. I was wondering if you could help me in any way. You know a lot of important people in the new Germany.” Sachse downed his Cognac, and Klaus poured him another.

“I’m charged with murdering a group of Allied soldiers. It wasn’t me. They have me mixed up with someone else.”

“I know a few people, but I’m not sure how important they are to the Tribunal. I am prepared to travel with you to Nuremberg and speak on your half. I’ll also call Col. Stephenson about it and ask him to come. He knows how many times you rescued me from the clutches of the Gestapo, and he’s a good man.”

Klaus went into the parlour and phoned Stephenson. He was not there and Mary, his secretary, did not know how to reach him. “Tell him that the War Crimes Tribunal had summed my old Major, Manfred Sachse, to appear before them on a charge of having a group of Allied prisoners murdered. He says they have him mixed up with someone else. I believe him. He saved my hide more than a few times, and I plan to go with him and speak on his behalf. If he is free, his voice would make all the difference.”

They reached Nuremberg the next morning and immediately set out to find the building where the tribunals were in session. There was no word from Stephenson, and Sachse was getting edgy. They could hear someone speaking as soon as they opened the door and stood behind the crowd that had gathered for the trial of a high-ranking Nazi colonel. There was a rustle

among the crowd when the judge proclaimed him guilty and sentenced him to ten years in prison.

The judge was an older man with grey hair sticking out from his cap’s sides like spikes. He wore black-rimmed glasses, and the side of his face was lined with wrinkles. His voice was strong and deep. There was a deep sense of gravitas about even in the way he sat and took things in.

Klaus kept his eye out for Col. Stephenson. An officer of the court announced Major Sachse’s name.

Sachse walked to the front.

“Are you represented by counsel?” asked the judge.

Sachse shook his head. “But I have a witness to speak on my behalf. He is on his way here. And another witness who has come to speak for me.”

“How do you plead?”

“Not guilty.”

The prosecutor stood and shook the sides of his jacket. “I have a witness who can attest the guilt of this German Army Major.”

“Proceed. He called Jens Baier to the stand and had him swear to tell the truth as he took his place in the witness box.

Klaus poked Sachse in the ribs. “Do you see what I see?”

Sachse smiled for the first time and waited for the prosecutor to begin to question Baier. “Did you see the accused order the murders of captured Allied soldiers?”

Baier nodded. “I did, and I see him now in the prisoner’s box,” he said in a loud voice pointing to him. “I will never forget what I saw. It sickened me then and sickens me now.”

“I would like to question the witness,” said Sachse.

The judge nodded. “Baier. Is that your name? I recall seeing you as a member of the Gestapo under a different name.”

“That’s a lie.”

“You’re under oath, and if the count finds that you tried to mislead it, it could mean a prison term for you,” said Sachse.

Baier looked at Preuss. “I don’t recall.”

He stepped away and found a seat next to Preuss. The prosecutor nodded to Sachse, who looked at Baier for almost a minute before beginning.

The prosecutor nodded to Sachse, who looked at Baier for almost a minute before beginning. “There is a problem,” he said to the judge. “This man is not who he says he is. His name is Major Preuss of the Gestapo. And it was he who ordered the deaths of those soldiers.”

“That’s a lie.” He spit the words out like a stream of vomit.

“I can prove it. If I may, I’d like my witness to take the oath and be sworn in.”

The judge nodded. The court room suddenly became silent. “Can you tell the court the name of the witness who claims he is Herr Baier? Is that

is true name?”

“His name is Major Preuss of the Gestapo.”

“How were you acquainted with this individual?”

“He accused me of being a British spy and had me whipped and put my head in a vat of water to get me to break down. I was not a British spy at that time.”

“Can you prove this?” said the prosecutor.

Klaus took off his shirt and turned around for the judge to see. The red whelps on his back made the prosecutor turn his face away.

At that moment, there was a rustling in the crowd as Col. Stephenson walked to the front.

“My name is Col. Stephenson of Canadian Intelligence.” He turned to Klaus and shook Sachse’s hand. “Klaus Holzer was a graduate of Camp X in Canada and has been one of our agents in Germany and France and has helped other agents make the invasion a big success. Before going to Camp X for training, Klaus was a sergeant in the German Army under Major Sachse, who rescued Klaus from Preuss, not once but several times while he was our agent. I wanted to thank him for what he did for Klaus during those years. I never dreamed it would be under these circumstances.”

The tribunal went silent before the judge dismissed the charge. “Take this man,” he said, pointing at Preuss to the cells,” said the judge, “and thoroughly review his activities and bring him back for trial.”

Col. Stephenson insisted on taking them to the best restaurant in Nuremberg, where they spent the rest of the day eating and drinking French wine. Sachse went to the telephone and called his wife.

“The charges against me have been dismissed, thanks to Klaus and his boss, a colonel with Canadian Intelligence. I’ll stay overnight in Nuremberg with them and drive Klaus back to Stuttgart before coming home.”

When he returned to the dining room, Colonel Stephen leaned towards him. “You’ve got great instincts, Major. Whenever you’d like to join us, my door is always open.”

They went to Sachse’s car and headed for the main road back to Stuttgart. “You know, Klaus, your mother was right. “Wars never really decide anything.”

“She also had a few other choice things to say about wars. One that I have come to understand personally,” said Klaus. “I didn’t understand it at the time, but I have come to know it personally only too well. I can still hear her voice:: Mark my words, there will come a time when you will not be able to see the faces you loved ever again.

The sun was high in the sky, and the sparrows that had been flying with them were chirping as they flew past the window. Klaus opened the window, and one flew in and landed on Sachse’s shoulder.

About the Author

Jim Carr’s adventure with words began as a teacher of Latin grammar for the first five years. He studied Latin for seven years and holds a degree in Classics and English. He has written a Latin Grammar called Lingua Latina, Latin for Beginners.

It was followed by a lengthy career in print journalism at two daily newspapers as a reporter, copy editor, columnist and editor. He left journalism to become a communications specialist for a number of national and international corporations and institutions.

In retirement, he returned to journalism and now acts as associate editor of Spa Canada magazine and a freelancer for other publications. He writes a blog about Thai Retreats and spas, which is featured on Spa Canada’s website.

He has also written an eBook about 50+ outstanding Thai resorts, and their spas in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Pattaya, Hua Hin, Koh Samui, Krabi, and Phuket called Spa Magic Collection.

Four mystery novels, Abbot’s Moon, Gravediggers The Door, and Death Star and his book of short stories, Betrayal, are available as ebooks and print books. His other books include There’s Always Tomorrow, a historical romance; two other war books, Forget-MeNots and Femme Fatale. Other books include Yesterdays, The Book of the Dead, set in 1936 Italy, and The Alchemist, set in the Middle Ages.