The Codebreakers

by Alli Sinclair

  ‘You need to come with me.’

  Viv scoffed. ‘Do you think I’m that stupid?’

  ‘You’re stupid enough to still be in Brisbane.’ The words came out before she could stop them.

  ‘Yeah, well, that wasn’t by choice. If I had money I would be long gone.’

  ‘Do you really think it’s fair to drag your aunt into this?’ asked Ellie.

  ‘She doesn’t know anything.’

  ‘If she gives you money then she could be charged with assisting you. Why should she go to jail for your mistakes?’ Ellie paused, aware the same thing could happen to her. ‘Come on, Viv. Let’s just go back to Nyrambla and figure this out.’

  ‘They’re going to arrest me.’

  ‘You don’t know that will happen.’ Although there was every chance it would. ‘If you run, you’ll make things worse. We work for an intelligence organisation, for goodness sake. They’ll find you eventually.’

  ‘I’ll die in jail.’ Viv’s hands fell to her side.

  ‘You’re not a bad person. You made a mistake.’

  ‘So I have to face the consequences?’ Her laugh sounded hollow. ‘No way. Get off your bloody high horse, O’Sullivan.’

  ‘I’m not, I just—’

  ‘I am so sick of you! All of you!’ Viv clenched her fists. ‘Get out of here.’

  ‘Not unless you come with me.’

  Thunder rumbled across the sky.

  ‘Do not push me, O’Sullivan.’

  Ellie drew herself to full height. ‘It’s over. You need to deal with this.’

  ‘There is no way I’m going back there.’ Viv shoved her hand in her trouser pocket.

  Thunder clapped again. Lightning flashed across the grey sky.

  A knife glinted in Viv’s hand.

  ‘Viv …’ Ellie’s heart smashed against her chest. Breathe. Keep calm. Looking into Viv’s eyes, she quietly said, ‘Don’t make it worse than it needs to be.’

  ‘It’s too late for that.’ Viv lifted the knife.

  Ellie’s breath caught in her throat as Viv advanced.

  The knife was inches from Ellie’s nose.

  ‘Get. The. Hell. Out. Of. Here.’

  ‘No.’ It came out firm and sharp.

  Viv lunged as the first raindrops fell.

  Ellie ducked and ran forward, using her shoulder to push Viv off-balance. They crashed to the ground. The heavens opened. Ellie’s shoulder smarted. She tried to knock the knife out of Viv’s hand but she had an iron grasp.

  Viv grabbed a chunk of Ellie’s hair and yanked her head back. Ellie’s neck cracked and fury raced through her. Heavy raindrops pelted her body.

  ‘There she is!’ Florry’s footsteps echoed down the side of the house. Joy, Cassandra and Lillian were close behind, clothes and hair drenched.

  ‘Give. Me. That.’ Ellie reached for the knife but Viv pulled it away. ‘Give me it!’

  Ellie rolled on top of Viv, pinning her to the ground.

  ‘Vivian!’ Aunt Caroline rushed down the steps.

  Ellie looked up for a split second.

  A sharp, cold pain pierced her chest.

  Air escaped her lungs.

  Then warmth.

  Darkness.

  * * *

  In the distance a trolley rattled, voices talked quietly. The bed was harder than her one at the barracks and the room smelled of bleach. Ellie rolled onto her side. Pain wrapped around her torso. She pried her eyes open and was blinded by the sun streaming through a large window with a view of a carpark.

  ‘You’re awake.’ Florry walked around the bed to sit on the chair next to Ellie. ‘How are you feeling?’

  ‘Sore.’ It took a moment before events came flooding back. ‘Where’s Viv?’

  ‘Where she needs to be.’ Florry held Ellie’s hand. ‘You should have found me before confronting her.’

  ‘It happened so quickly.’ Ellie took a sip of water that Florry offered.

  ‘Lucky I went with my hunch.’ Florry grinned. ‘If I’d waited for you to come back it could have been too late.’

  ‘You’ve always said you weren’t good at hunches.’

  ‘Well, perhaps I received some telepathic cry for help.’

  ‘Thank you.’ Ellie took another sip, her mouth dry. ‘To you and the girls.’

  ‘We couldn’t leave you to fight our battle alone.’

  ‘How’s her aunt?’

  ‘Shaken. Sad,’ said Florry. ‘She thought Viv had been having relationship troubles so was surprised to find a group of women tackling her knife-wielding niece in the backyard during a storm. She was even more shocked when the MPs showed up to take Viv away.’

  ‘Her aunt knows about Central Bureau?’

  ‘No. Lieutenant Andrews has given the aunt a civilian-appropriate version of events. No mention of Central Bureau or highly classified secrets.’

  ‘No doubt they have ways to cover up things in case of leaks.’

  ‘Yes.’ Florry stood. ‘The doctor gave me strict instructions to only be here a few minutes. You need to rest.’

  ‘But I want to get back to work.’

  ‘Not until you have a clean bill of health. You were very lucky, Missy. Half an inch to the right and she would have pierced your heart.’

  Ellie closed her eyes, the gravity of the incident with Viv finally hitting her. Her hands shook and Florry held them; warmth emanated from her dearest friend.

  ‘You’ll be fine, honey,’ Florry said. ‘Just a bit sore for a while. Joy’s making banana cake in preparation for your return.’

  Although her body ached and she could barely move her limbs, she managed a smile. ‘I love my Garage Girls.’

  Commanding Officer Buckley sat behind his desk and poured Ellie a cup of tea. ‘I am very thankful you’ve recovered so quickly. Any residual pain?’

  ‘A bit, but the doctor said that’s to be expected.’

  ‘I really would prefer you to take more time off.’

  ‘I’m fine, really.’ After a few days in hospital then a couple more resting in the barracks, Ellie had started to go stir-crazy.

  He leaned his elbows on the desk and formed a steeple with his hands. ‘I want you to know that if you need help—anytime and for anything—do not hesitate to ask. We value you as a member of Central Bureau.’

  ‘Thank you.’

  ‘However,’ he said in a harder tone, ‘taking matters into your own hands was incredibly risky and borderline insubordination. You could have jeopardised the whole operation.’

  Ellie pursed her lips. She should have known this was coming.

  ‘You are not above the law.’

  ‘I never thought … I …’ Ellie took a deep breath. ‘I apologise. Profusely.’

  ‘Given your strong work ethic and, up until recently, untarnished work history, I am giving you an unofficial warning.’

  ‘Yes, Commanding Officer Buckley.’ Ellie’s heart raced. The room closed in on her.

  ‘Right,’ he said, his tone slightly more pleasant, ‘I can see you’ve got the message.’

  She nodded, fearful of saying anything that might agitate the CO.

  The commanding officer picked up a pen and a sheet of paper. ‘I’m sorry but …’

  Ellie stood and went to the door.

  ‘Sergeant O’Sullivan.’

  Ellie turned around. ‘Yes?’

  ‘Although I do not condone what you and the others did, it was a very good outcome. We are currently pursuing lines of inquiry with Vivian Jones that should lead us to Nigel Porter.’ He waited a moment then said, ‘It gets hot in that garage, doesn’t it?’

  ‘It can be stifling.’

  ‘And cold in winter?’ he asked.

  ‘At times, yes.’

  ‘Let me see what I can do.’

  ‘Thank you.’ She walked past the Rottweilers.

  Out in the courtyard, she closed her eyes and let the sun kiss her skin. She concentrated on steadying her breathing then paused at the door of the garage
, her fingers gripping the handle. So much had changed. Would she … would they all ever be the same again?

  After her first shift back at Central Bureau, Ellie was sitting in the back of the truck as it headed for the barracks. She took a moment to consider each of her friends, grateful she had them in her life. A lump formed in her throat. She rasped, ‘Thank you.’

  ‘For what?’ asked Cassandra.

  ‘For coming to my rescue.’

  ‘We’re the Garage Girls and will always be here for each other. You don’t need to keep thanking us.’ Florry squeezed Ellie’s hand.

  ‘I knew Viv was angry but I would never have expected her to attack …’ Ellie stopped herself. ‘I need to find a way past this.’

  ‘Yes, that would be wise,’ said Florry.

  ‘I don’t know how I’m going to get away with this scar. Harry’s going to see it at some stage,’ said Ellie.

  ‘I never thought of that,’ said Lillian. ‘What are you going to do?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ said Ellie.

  ‘Do you think he believed you fell and landed on a knife in the rec hut?’

  ‘He thought it was a freak accident but still believed me,’ said Ellie, hating that she had to conceal the truth. All she wanted was to be in Harry’s arms and spill all the sadness and fears and be comforted by his warmth and caring. Instead, she’d had to make up a story that consumed her with guilt.

  ‘You need to be careful,’ said Florry. ‘We all do.’

  Joy pinned a loose curl in place. ‘Do you think we’ll ever know what will happen to Vivian? And if they capture Nigel Porter?’

  Ellie shrugged. ‘We might be privy to a lot of information but I doubt we’ll ever know the full story. All I know is Nigel Porter has disappeared into the ether. Apparently, they checked the newspaper where Nigel had told Viv he worked but no one had heard of him.’

  ‘So he really is a spy?’ Joy clapped her hand over her mouth.

  ‘We don’t know for sure,’ said Ellie, though she wasn’t going to discount it as a possibility.

  ‘Where do you think he’s gone?’ asked Lillian.

  ‘No idea.’ Ellie pushed a chunk of hair back under her hat. ‘I wish we could find him but I haven’t a clue where to start.’

  ‘If the authorities don’t know where he is then what chance do we have? I suspect we’ve used up all our luck with tracking Viv down,’ Cassandra said. ‘Anyway, he’s aggressive so we shouldn’t confront him.’

  ‘But if we did find him A surge of energy shot through Ellie then quickly faded. ‘You’re right, he’d be long gone by now.’

  PART TWO

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Brisbane—August 1944

  The truck rolled to a stop at Nyrambla and Ellie got out with the rest of the women. The early morning sun fell on her bare arms and she soaked it up before heading into the garage. True to his word, Commanding Officer Buckley had installed a heating and cooling system in the garage. It had been a temperamental piece of equipment, working some days and dying in a puff of smoke the next. Ellie had resurrected her mechanical skills from her QEA days and, so far, the system worked a treat.

  Ellie picked up a new message and consulted the codebook to work out the key. She went through it methodically to make sure there were no oversights. The morning passed quickly, her concentration intense. She picked up a last message before she went on a break.

  ‘Florry.’ Ellie called her over and pointed at the reel of paper. ‘Bletchley Park have just intercepted part of a message that was sent from Tokyo to all Japanese headquarters across east Asia.’

  ‘That can’t be good,’ said Florry.

  ‘The message has the codenames and locations of Japanese spies in Melbourne, London, Washington—’

  ‘Off you go. Now.’

  Ellie pulled out the paper from the TypeX machine and made a dash for Commanding Officer Buckley’s office.

  A week after Ellie had received the message from Bletchley Park, she entered the garage with the rest of women to start the shift, only to find Commanding Officer Buckley standing beside Lieutenant Andrews.

  The commanding officer turned to Lieutenant Andrews. ‘Is that everyone?’

  He nodded.

  ‘As you are all aware, a condition of working with Central Bureau requires you to remain silent about the work we do.’ His eyes travelled from one woman to another. After the unfolding of events with Viv last October, security had tightened and the members of Central Bureau were even more closely watched than before. ‘We have once again had an information leak.’

  Ellie looked around—every woman’s expression was one of shock.

  ‘After what happened with your colleague, I don’t need to remind you of the consequences of telling anyone outside these walls about what we do. Needless to say, there is an investigation underway. And, of course, your discretion and cooperation are expected.’

  Murmurs filled the room.

  Ellie stuck up her hand. Lillian pulled it down. ‘Don’t ask questions. It will only bring unwanted attention.’

  ‘I haven’t done anything wrong,’ she whispered. Ellie put up her hand again.

  ‘Yes, Sergeant O’Sullivan?’

  ‘Commanding Officer Buckley, is this about the message I gave you last week?’

  ‘We are investigating if there is a connection.’

  ‘Would you mind giving us more details? Perhaps it might spark a memory for someone here.’

  He tapped his fingers on the desk, his silence unnerving. Had she pushed too far?

  ‘We have reason to believe an ambassador from a country we have always considered as an ally knows about Central Bureau and what we do. We are in the process of finding out how this ambassador obtained information, what they know and how far it has gone.’

  ‘Which ambassador?’ asked Joy.

  ‘I am not at liberty to say.’

  ‘Does this have anything to do with Vivian Jones or that Nigel Porter?’ Cassandra ventured.

  Lillian leaned towards Cassandra and said harshly, ‘You can’t ask that.’

  ‘It’s an understandable question,’ said the commanding officer. ‘My answer is no, this has nothing to do with Vivian Jones or Nigel Porter. That is an entirely separate matter.’ He cleared his throat, shutting down further questions. ‘Just be aware that no stone will be left unturned with these new developments and your presence may be requested for an interview.’ He nodded towards the TypeX machines. ‘For now, please go about your duties as usual and if you obtain information you feel is pertinent, please see me without delay.’

  Commanding Officer Buckley left the room.

  ‘What does he mean, “interview”?’ asked Lillian. ‘Does he mean “interrogation”?’

  ‘There should be no reason to interrogate.’ Lieutenant Andrews neatened the pile of files on his desk.

  ‘After what Viv did, we’re always going to be under suspicion,’ said Joy.

  ‘Exactly.’ Cassandra shoved a pencil behind her ear then levelled her gaze at Ellie.

  ‘Don’t look at me. I don’t know anything.’

  ‘Come on, ladies,’ said Florry. ‘We have a job to do.’

  The usual high energy of the garage was weighted down with suspicion and worry. Who was the ambassador? Which country was he from? Exactly what did he know about Central Bureau? None of these questions could be answered but it didn’t stop the women asking between decrypting intercepts and encoding messages.

  Ellie kept glancing at Lieutenant Andrews, who seemed to be studying them all and taking notes. This new leak was once again a stark reminder of how high the stakes were. If the enemy ever discovered the Allies had cracked the Japanese code and been intercepting messages, it could change the course of the war forever.

  Ellie sat on the camp chair out the front of her hut, pencil in one hand, sketchpad in the other. She closed her eyes and an image of Harry formed, filling her with joy—the smile lines around his beautiful eyes that spoke to her hea
rt; his thick wavy hair that she loved to run her fingers through; his kind, caring smile that had a way of making her believe she was the most loved woman in the world …

  Ellie guided the pencil across the paper, capturing Harry’s handsome features but more than that, she’d captured his essence, his soul. In such an uncertain world, she had no idea what lay in the future, but whatever it was, she loved having Harry by her side.

  Things were changing, bringing some light to the world—Mussolini had lost power and Italy had surrendered and joined the Allies eleven months ago, and this past week Paris had been liberated from the Germans. Although these developments were promising for the Allies, the war still raged on. Would it ever end?

  She let out a long breath and tapped the pencil against the sketchpad. A few moments later she realised she was running Morse code dits and dahs through her head with each pencil tap. She hadn’t worked with Morse code for years, yet it was still embedded into her subconscious. Those days at the post office felt like a lifetime ago.

  ‘You have a visitor!’ Joy called to her.

  Ellie went over to the gate. Through the wire she spotted Harry holding a picnic basket.

  ‘Hello, my beautiful girl.’

  She opened the gate and wrapped her arms around him, holding on tight. Resting her head against his chest, she whispered, ‘I am so glad to see you.’

  Harry gently moved back, his eyes searching hers. ‘What’s wrong?’

  ‘Just a long day at work and I haven’t been sleeping well lately.’

  ‘I have something that might lift your spirits,’ he said.

  ‘You do?’

  ‘I’m taking you for a picnic at the beach.’

  ‘I would love that.’

  ‘Come on, then.’ Harry led her to a car and opened the passenger door.

  ‘Louis’s car? Does he know you stole it?’

  ‘He’ll figure it out sooner or later.’ He winked.

  They got in the car and Harry started the engine.

  ‘Is it really just work and lack of sleep?’ Harry stroked her hair.

  Ellie looked into Harry’s kind eyes, her heart and head in a heavy battle. She wanted—needed—to tell him everything, from the moment she’d been recruited to Central Bureau and all the worries concerning spies and intercepted messages about potential bombings and threats from the Japanese. But she couldn’t. Duty to her country had to take precedence over her personal life.